Fated
by LouBlue
Summary: EJami fic. A different deal is made that December night of 2006. A story encompassing EJami & Santeen and the Brady & DiMera families. EJami - fated to be together or fated to be apart...
1. Chapter 1 to 10

**AUTHOR'S NOTE****: **This story begins on that fateful night of the 29th December 2006 where a different deal is made between EJ and Sami to save Lucas' life. Now you're going to have to read the story to find out what that deal is but that night was the first of many fumbles when it comes to the telling of the EJami story. To be an EJami fan is to suffer through so many missed opportunities as the story was passed from new head writer to new head writer that I have up counting and decided to tell my own EJami story.

This is my fantasy EJami story - how I always imagined it playing out. It will be very soapy (particularly the end part) but hopefully with a twist or two that will catch you off guard. This is going to be a long story - I'm thinking around the 300 chapter mark so I hope that doesn't put you off. The first 100 or so chapters is mainly going to be about EJ and Sami and I'm hoping to capture the real essence of those two characters. I want Sami to be sassy, fiery, impulsive, impossible and frustrating - all the things EJ adores about her. And as for EJ I want him to be how he was originally portrayed - a grey character full of sharp wit, devilish charm, brimming confidence and not too much moral fibre to speak of - you're basic bad boy with one real redeeming feature - his love for Sami. I'm going to stay true to these characters (unlike the show itself unfortunately but that's another story) but I'm also growing to grow them up because basically where this story takes off they've both got a lot to learn but neither one of them realise it. The second half of the story really sees characters like Lucas, Kate, Stefano and Tony come into play and that is where it gets really soapy - I just love writing for such larger than life characters.

For me EJami are a perfect foil for one another and that is why I was so captivated by their story when it first began. At last there was a man who knew Sami inside and out and adored all the good and bad things about her and didn't want her to change one single thing. I think Sami has always craved and failed to receive acceptance in her life - there has always been strings attached in some way or other, that she should have to conform to be truly accepted by her family, whichever man she was with. EJ was different and I was excited to see where a story could go with two such grey characters and the possibilities that it gave for story lines. Unfortunately, TPTB never really explored that and have basically destroyed these two wonderful characters to sell an asinine story line so like I said - if you want a job done right... lol

I'll keep posting this story in blocks of roughly 10 or so. I am currently up to chapter 130 as I type this and I'm doing 4 postings a week over at a fan board called "**Forbidden Love**" which is a fantastic site for all things EJami and if you are in need of some EJami lovin' then that is _totally_ the place to go. I have many other EJami stories over there under my forum of the same name - LouBlue - but with them I have the facility to add screen caps and getting regular eyefuls of James Scott can only help a story telling process from where I'm sitting. ;)

I hope you enjoy this imagining of the EJami story and comments are always welcome but this is an unapologetically EJami love story so know that going in won't you? :) Oh, and I'm Australian so I'm going to be using the Queen's English in my story - you know colour instead of color - I just can't bring myself to use the US spelling, it just seems so wrong! lol Also there is adult content in this fic but I totally make you work for it! I'm a great believer that the build up is just as important as the execution of romantic trysts and that is what makes them romantic - not just mindless bonking which gets pretty dull very quickly if there is no story attached... IMO anyway. :) I'll update as regularly as I can or as interest dictates so let me all know if you want more because I've got plenty of this story to tell...

**FATED**

**(Chapters 1 - 10)**

**Chapter ONE**** - ****Promises, Promises**

The only sound in the car was her uneven breathing, the snow outside falling silently onto the roof and surrounds as she waited with bated breath for the man sitting next to her to answer her. Her nerves stretched to breaking point as she felt the urgency of the situation only escalate. An urgency he didn't seem to be sharing.

"So let me get this straight…" began EJ calmly, moving his weight in the passenger seat beside her, the chair creaking a little as he did, "_You_ want _me_ to come with you and help rescue none other than one Lucas Roberts who seems to have managed to get himself caught under some falling debris… have I got that right sweetheart?"

"Yes!" she bit out tersely, knowing he was the last man she should be asking for help but she didn't have an option.

Lucas was back at that cabin under a pile of broken beams and she couldn't move them. He was going to freeze to death if she didn't do something. Her heart had nearly stopped beating in her chest when she'd gotten into the car and seen EJ DiMera of all people sitting there but right now, he was her only hope for rescuing Lucas and she had to take it.

"Well you know usually I would jump at the chance of helping a damsel in distress," he began mockingly, settling back in his chair and scratching at his chin with one long finger, "But here's the thing. I was dealt a rather treacherous blow by a young woman today and it's put me in a somewhat surly frame of mind."

"EJ…" began Sami, grimacing at his thinly veiled dig of her part in setting him up with the Salem PD.

"You see she came to me," continued on EJ as though she hadn't spoken, "Sprouting pretty lies about wanting to help me and being drawn to me despite herself. I decided to see if she could be trusted and wouldn't you know it… turns out she can't! I can't tell you how disappointed I was."

"Look," said Sami desperately, "I'm sorry, I had to do that, I had no choice EJ… my father…"

"Oh more pretty little lies," interrupted EJ with a sigh, "What am I to do with you Samantha? That luscious mouth of yours just can't seem to help itself."

Sami felt a shiver run over her that had nothing to do with the cold outside as his warm brown gaze dropped to her lips, watching intently as she nervously whet her lips.

"Please EJ," she said; determinedly attempting to keep her voice steady, "I'll do anything. You have to help…"

"_Anything_ sweetheart?" asked EJ, his interest suddenly seeming to perk up at that last statement, "Would you really do anything to save your beloved Lucas I wonder Samantha?"

"Yes!" she said quickly, impulsive as ever but needing to save the life of the father of her child more than any other thing.

EJ turned in his seat so that he could look at her properly than, his eyes gliding up and down her body, taking in every curve and line that was presented to him with nerve wracking thoroughness. He took his time and Sami sat there, biting the inside of her lip and trying to keep still under such intense scrutiny, terrified about what he was going to ask of her.

"Hm," he said, considering this offer for a long moment before speaking, "In that case I have a proposition for you Samantha."

"What is it?" asked Sami, suddenly nervous; having the distinct feeling she was doing a deal with the devil all of a sudden.

"For a favour of the magnitude I would require two favours from you I think," said EJ, tapping a finger against his lips thoughtfully, dragging out her suspense as he didn't immediately volunteer what those favours might be.

"Two?!" she said in outrage, "What kind of man are you? Can't you just do the right thing for once EJ?"

"Ah now, interesting," he mused, "Right can be such an arbitrary concept now can't it? Didn't you feel completely in the right by keeping Austin and Carrie apart by telling that particularly diabolical whopper about any future children they might have? I mean, you reasoned that it was right because deep down Austin really belonged to you and would be happiest with you. Now in hindsight I'm not sure that all the parties involved would actually agree with that little justification on your behalf - what do you think Samantha? You thought you were in the right but I doubt Carrie and Austin agree… a bit tricky eh?"

"I am not giving you two favours EJ!" she said vehemently, ignoring his rather pointed comments determinedly, "You must think I've completely lost my mind to even suggest such a thing!"

"So the love of your life and father of your only child isn't even worth two measly favours?" EJ mused, feigning surprise, "Interesting."

"Of course he is!" snapped Sami, hating that she was being backed into a corner like this but not able to do much about it.

Sami blew out a frustrated breath than.

"What are they?" she asked tightly, pressing her lips together and steeled herself for the worst.

EJ's lips curled up into a little smile, knowing she had little recourse in their present predicament.

"Well seeing as you saw fit to drop me in it with the entire Salem PD," he began almost conversationally, "I'll need you to see your way clear to provide me with an alibi for tonight. There's been a little… unpleasantness up at the cabin and I'm going to need someone to vouch for my whereabouts to clear up any confusion in the matter."

"What kind of unpleasantness?" asked Sami in horror?

"Couldn't say Samantha," said EJ calmly, "Seeing as you and I were together remember sweetheart? That's how an alibi works."

"But they'll know that we weren't," protested Sami with a frown.

"No," said EJ sternly, his voice hardening a little now, "All they know is that I was to meet you and when you didn't show up I left. I then found you stranded beside the road and out of the goodness of my heart I stopped to help. Which, by the way, is exactly what did happen in case you're wondering? No one saw me at the cabin because I'd already left before all the unpleasantness started. It's that simple."

"Then how do you know that something happened if you were never there?" asked Sami, not believing a word of it.

"A little birdie told me," said EJ flatly, "Now do we have a deal Samantha? I don't think it's too much to ask under the circumstances. In fact it will save people like your father and uncle time because they won't be chasing after an innocent man and can concentrate on finding the real perpetrator of the crime."

Sami shook her head but she knew that she really didn't have a choice if she wanted to save Lucas' life.

"Yes," she rasped, knowing that it wasn't going to be as simple as he was making it sound though.

"Excellent," said EJ happily, "I'm so glad we managed to get that all sorted - aren't you sweetheart?"

"So can we go now?" asked Sami anxiously, conscious of how every second they were wasting could be Lucas' last.

"Now, now," he tutted at her, "I do believe I mentioned two favours and unless my maths has failed me… that was only one."

"Alright!" she said anxiously, "What's the second one EJ - hurry up! What do you want?"

"Why my darling," said EJ evenly, "What I've always wanted of course… you."

Sami froze at that, her eyes widening as she looked back at him. He returned her stricken gaze calmly, like a cat playing with a little cornered mouse.

"Wh… what do you mean?" she asked him, her voice sounding distressed now.

"I want you," he repeated calmly, holding her gaze steadily, "I've always wanted you Samantha. I don't think I've been unclear in that particular desire do you?"

Sami shook her head, praying he didn't mean what she thought he meant.

"You can't be serious," she said, the horror obvious in her voice.

"Don't I look serious?" he asked her, unmoved by her growing distress.

"So you want me to have sex with you in this car in exchange for saving Lucas' life?" asked Sami bitterly, hardly able to believe she could bring herself to say the words.

"Oh darling," clucked EJ with a shake of his head, "You underestimate me."

"Wh… what does that mean?" she asked him in confusion - she'd been so sure that was what he wanted and she felt a flicker of hope that it wasn't going to be as bad as she'd feared but he soon extinguished that hope.

"I've wanted you for such a long time Samantha," he told her, a hand reaching out and stroking her cheek even as she recoiled from his touch, "And you've teased me terribly this whole time, allowing me tastes of you but never anything more."

"That wasn't my intention EJ!" she protested hotly.

"Maybe not in the beginning," shrugged EJ, unfazed by her denials, "But certainly of late you have been using your extremely ample…"

His eyes drifted down to her breasts then, his hot gaze passing over them and it was almost as though he'd touched her and she moved uncomfortably in her seat, trying to retreat from that searing stare.

"… feminine charms to be particularly unkind to me," said EJ, his voice suddenly a little rougher than it had been before as he reluctantly dragged his gaze from her breasts and up to meet her gaze again.

"I told you EJ," she said and cursed the breathlessness in her voice, "My father wanted to find out about your ties to Stefano and for the protection of our entire family he thought I might be able to help."

"Is it just me or is there something a little unsavoury about a father prostituting his own daughter to further the Brady thirst for revenge against the DiMera's?" mused EJ, almost to himself and then he sent her a sly look, his voice almost a purr now, "Or did you volunteer I wonder, a willing lamb to the slaughter?"

Sami's chin came up defiantly then, glaring back at him for his choice of words and the implication behind them.

"Or is that a moth to the flame?" he finished off, his voice low and almost mesmerising now, "Poor Samantha… she knows she shouldn't but she just can't help herself being drawn to the dangerous things of this world."

"You don't have any kind of pull over me EJ _DiMera_!" she denied his claims bitterly, "You're nothing but a liar and a manipulator."

"I take that as high praise coming from you my darling," he smirked, "Didn't you write the book on those two particular subjects?"

"So what do you want from me EJ?" she asked him sharply, not willing to get involved in that conversation right now, "We're wasting time here! If you don't want sex then tell me what you do want!"

"You have teased and titillated me for so long now sweetheart," said EJ, leaning back in his chair and regarding her steadily, "I am not going to be satisfied with some furtive fondling in the back seat of a car now. No, I think I've earned much more than that don't you? After all I was a friend to you when no one else would be. I made you laugh; I was a shoulder to cry on and a voice of reason in your darkest hours. I think I deserve a little more than a couple of minutes of stolen pleasure eh darling?"

"It wouldn't be pleasurable for me," she said bitterly, her lips curling in distaste.

"Oh," said EJ, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear and letting his finger tips drag ever so lightly over the delicate outline of her ear as he did, "It's a little unfair to judge me when you haven't had the benefit of enjoying all the…"

EJ licked his lips slowly then and despite herself, Sami tracked his tongues' motion, an unbidden memory suddenly coming to her of him doing the same thing to her lips during one of their many interrupted attempts at love making before she'd found out who he really was.

"… delights I have to offer your body," he finished huskily, seeing her watching him and feeling the blood begin to quicken in his veins.

"What do you want from me?" she asked him one last time, her voice no more than a broken whisper.

"I want you for a week Samantha," he said simply, "You… me… and no one else around."

"What?" she asked him in confusion.

"You come away with me for seven days," he detailed for her calmly, "To a place of my choosing."

"Are you crazy?" she asked in disbelief, "I can't go away with you for a week! What would I tell people?"

"Oh Samantha," he said with a little laugh, "You are such a convincing and dare I say it, inspired liar that I'm sure you'll come up with something utterly believable to tell people. I have no concerns on that front."

"You must be mad to think that I would go away with you for seven minutes let alone seven days!" said Sami hotly, "You make my skin crawl! Even breathing the same air as you makes me want to be sick."

"So I'll be sure to chose somewhere that is well ventilated," said EJ smoothly, unfazed by her rantings.

"And what?" she asked him bitterly, "Once we're alone you'll be able to do what you want with me and no one will know any different - is that is EJ? Is that your sick plan?"

"Samantha," said EJ very seriously, "I would never hurt you, you have to know that. All I am asking is seven days of your life, nothing more. I won't force you to do anything that you don't want to. I promise I will be a complete gentleman the whole time."

"Yeah right!" she snorted inelegantly, "I go with you and no one will ever see me again - that's the DiMera's way!"

"If no one ever sees you again then that will be completely your choice," said EJ smoothly, "All I want from you is to have you to myself for seven days. I don't think that is too much to ask in exchange for Lucas' life do you?"

"You're one sick bastard!" said Sami, her voice trembling as she realised that there was little she could do about it if she wanted to save Lucas life.

"I prefer determined sociopath myself Samantha," said EJ with a little quirk of his lips, "It has a nicer ring to it I think."

"Alright!" she snapped, conscious of the fact that each minute she spent arguing back and forth with him was a minute Lucas might not have, "I'll do it but we have to go and rescue Lucas right now!"

"See here's the thing darling," said EJ, tilting his head at her thoughtfully, "You're really in no position to be giving any kind of directives right now."

"No," she said acrimoniously, "You've got all the blackmailing power on your side haven't you EJ?"

"Ah ah," he wagged a finger at her impishly, "Negotiating from a position of strength my love. Blackmail is such an ugly word and I don't want there to be any ugliness between us."

"Are you kidding me?" she asked in utter disbelief, "You're forcing me into lying to the police and then you're forcing me to do away with you so you can do god only knows what to me with no one else around! Explain to me how that isn't ugly?!"

"I'm a man who knows what he wants and is prepared to do what it takes to get it," said EJ unapologetically, "I would have thought you of all people would understand that Samantha. It's pretty much your hallmark isn't it darling? That's why we're so well suited; we're yin to the other's yang."

"Just save Lucas," she bit out angrily, "I don't care what happens to me but you have to save Lucas. I can't let him die and to make sure that won't happen I'll agree to your disgusting deal EJ DiMera but just know I'm going to hate you through every revolting minute of it. You watch me EJ, I'm going to make you regret that you ever thought of this sick plan and at the end of those seven days you'll be begging to be away from me!"

"Now there's the Samantha Brady I absolutely adore!" he said excitedly, brightening considerably at hearing her threats, "I do love how you don't take things lying down my darling."

Sami just glowered at his enjoyment of her venom and his smile widened then and became particularly lecherous all of a sudden.

"Although I have to admit sweetheart…" he said, his eyes running all over her body freely again, his tone dropping to a roughen purr, "…I am rather hoping you'll take _some_ things lying down."

"Oh!" said Sami in outrage at his barely veiled innuendo, the blush colouring her cheeks, "You are a complete pig EJ DiMera!"

EJ threw back his head and laugh at her righteous indignation, suddenly feeling far less gloomy about the events of tonight. In fact, all things considered… things had turned out quite well for him in the end and the thought brought a self satisfied smirk to his face which only served to annoy Sami further.

_Oh yes… things were turning out rather nicely after all for EJ DiMera._

**Chapter TWO**** - ****A Friend In Need Is A Friend Indeed**

Sami pushed open the door of the cabin and rushed inside, dropping to her knees beside Lucas and checking to see if he was still breathing.

"He's still alive!" she announced in breathless relief.

"Oh hoo_ray_!" said EJ sarcastically, following her into the room, "I was _so_ worried."

"Help him!" she said, throwing him an angry look, "You promised EJ!"

"We both made promises sweetheart," he said calmly, "As long as you remember that."

"I said I would do what you asked," she said resentfully.

"You, my darling, say a great many things," pointed out EJ calmly, "And manage to deliver on so very little of it I might add."

EJ pursed his lips then and gave her a very considered look now.

"In fact one might even suggest that it might be somewhat of a folly on my behalf to give you what you want before I get what I want," EJ mused idly.

"EJ!" said Sami, shaking her head at him, "Don't do this! You said you'd help Lucas!"

"And I will," nodded EJ, taking a seat on the arm of a nearby sofa and stretched his long legs out in front of him, crossing them at the ankles, "But I'm thinking I'm going to need some kind of guarantee from you before I go too much further. A down payment if you will."

Sami's eyes widened frighten what he might mean by that. EJ saw her trepidation and grinned, enjoying having her so worried after what she'd put him through tonight.

"What kind of down payment?" she asked nervously, quickly looking down at Lucas as he still lay unconscious on the ground under snow and debris.

"Well how about this?" mused EJ, "Why don't we put that luscious mouth of yours to good use…"

He trailed off then, his hot gaze dropping to her lips making Sami bit at her bottom lip anxiously which he seemed to find particularly captivating.

"… that talented, undeniably gifted mouth," he continued on huskily, finally managing to drag his eyes from her lips to capture her gaze again.

Holding her stricken gaze EJ slowly moved a hand to the front of his jeans and Sami held her breath, the moment stretching out horribly, everything seeming to be happening in slow motion. Lucas was right there… he wouldn't… he couldn't expect… could he? But he was a DiMera after all and forcing her to do something like this would be right up his alley and the fact that Lucas was right there would probably only add to his sick thrill. Sami felt her nerves tighten unbearably as his hand hovered briefly over the front of his jeans before continuing on to his front pocket and pulling out his cell phone with a little flourish.

"Why darling," he said with a mocking smile at seeing the wave of relief wash over her face, "Whatever was that wicked little mind of yours thinking I wonder? I declare Ms Brady… you make me blush you do."

Sami glared at him, hating the sight of his smug face and especially hating how he was laughing at her. He was toying with her like a cat with a mouse that it had cornered and was enjoying himself immensely at her expense.

"What am I meant to do with that?" she asked him suspiciously.

"Why phone for help of course sweetheart," he said, feigning surprise she should even ask, "I was thinking seeing as your Daddy was in the vicinity he'd be an excellent one to call."

"You want me to call my father?" asked Sami sceptically, trying to work out his angle here.

"Of course," said EJ evenly with a little nod, "He'll be able to organise some medical help for Lucas to be at your doorstep in no time."

Sami frowned, wondering what he was doing.

"Of course you'll also feel compelled to mention that I am here with you," continued on EJ blithely, "And how unbelievably grateful you are that I happened to come along when I did. How I was running late for our little rendezvous and who should I see beside the road but the very woman I was meant to be meeting. She was in a state of distress and on hearing her plight and being the compassionate good Samaritan that I am how could I do anything other than come and help rescue her dearly beloved from under a pile of beams that he'd carelessly managed to get himself trapped under?"

"My father isn't going to believe that," said Sami with a shake of her head, "He knows you've already been to the boat house tonight."

"I don't see how," said EJ with exaggerated consternation, "I mean no one actually saw me or my vehicle there so I don't see why they'd be harbouring under that particular misapprehension. I mean the only reason I was going to be there at all was to sail away off into the sunset with you my darling but as I said… neither of us had managed to make that particular date with destiny as it turned out."

"He won't believe any of that EJ!" protested Sami anxiously.

"Oh but he will," said EJ swiftly, standing up now and walking over to her, "Because he's going to hear it from the lips of his own sweet little girl and she is going to be so credible, so utterly convincing that he won't be able to do anything else but believe it. You are such a very talented deceiver Samantha and I'm going to be expecting to use all of those talents to make a convert out of your father. I want you to put as much effort into it as though your life depended on it… well, someone's life anyway."

"I can't do this EJ!" she said shakily and just then Lucas gave a low groan and she looked over at him worriedly.

"Well that is very disappointing news," sighed EJ with mock regret, "For some of us in this room more than others I might add though. I myself would simply be forced to head out of town without further delay and I don't think you really want that Samantha - do you?"

"You wouldn't leave Lucas here to die EJ," said Sami with a desperate shake of her head.

"Wouldn't I?" asked EJ, feigning surprise, "To listen to you I'm up there with Hitler as the worst person who's ever lived. Surely you can't doubt that I would happily leave Lucas to the elements and his own stupidity if I didn't have the right… I don't know…"

EJ waggled his head back and forth a little, looking up at the ceiling and making a show of finding the right word.

"… _incentive_ to do the right thing," finished EJ.

He fixed her with a hard stare then.

"So what's it going to be sweetheart?" he asked her mockingly, "An ittsy bitsy white lie or a turn to play the grieving widow? But then, why do I have the feeling that you will be as sexy as hell dressed all in black eh? Makes me almost want to forget our deal to find out actually."

Sami shook her head in pained frustration, knowing he held all the power at the moment and hating him for it. She held out her hand.

"Give me the phone!" she snapped, just wanting to get this done so he would rescue Lucas.

She went to snatch it off him as he handed it to her but his fingers closed around her hand and held her in place.

"Not that I don't trust you sweetheart," he said with a cold little smile, "But do you mind if I listen in? I just want to make sure that everything is done to my… satisfaction… you understand don't you?"

Sami scowled at him but EJ was unconcerned, simply standing up from where he was lounging casually on the sofa arm and without letting go of her hand came to stand behind her. Sami tensed as she felt him move closer to her, bending down so his head was level with hers as he leant over her shoulder.

"Tick tock darling," he prompted her, his voice low in her ear as his free hand went to her hip and stopped her from moving away from him, "Lucas doesn't look too good I have to say… but then again he never looked good to me so maybe I'm not the best judge eh sweetheart?"

Sami just jerked the phone out his hand, not dignifying his little quip with an answer, instead dialling her father's cell phone number with shaking hands. She held the phone to her ear and took a deep breath, trying to organise her thoughts but it was hard because EJ was now pressing his hard length up against her from behind, his arms wrapped loosely but determinedly around her waist. It was meant to make her feel small and trapped and it was working but she stubbornly wouldn't let him see that. Sami bit her lip, hearing the phone ringing and praying her father was going to pick up - it was Lucas' only hope.

"_Roman Brady."_

"Daddy!" said Sami urgently, unconsciously reverting to the name she'd called him when she was younger.

"Sami? Sami are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she said quickly, "But Lucas… Dad we were in the cabin and then the roof came down and he got trapped under some beams and I couldn't get him out…"

"Whoa, hold on there Sami," said Roman, breaking into her rush of words, "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes Dad," said Sami and keep her voice steady now, "I'm here with EJ and…"

"EJ DiMera is there with you?!" asked Roman, taken aback.

EJ's lips turned up into a humourless smile at the sound of horror in the other man's voice. He deserved it for the pathetic attempt he and the Salem PD had done in setting him up tonight. It was amusing to hear the worry in his tone now. Perhaps next time they'd think twice about organising such a subpar trap to try and take down a DiMera?

"It's alright Dad," said Sami, sounding very calm and confident and EJ silently applauded her for her composure under the circumstances.

But then Samantha Brady always did know how to rise to the occasion.

"I went to get help but my car broke down and EJ came across me by the road," she said evenly, "He was late for the meeting we'd set up and he stopped to help me."

"Sami listen to me," said Roman urgently, "John Black's been shot… and it was EJ who did it!"

Sami's eyes widened with distress at hearing this news.

"Is… is he alright Dad?" she asked anxiously.

"It doesn't look good honey," said her father honestly, "You have to get out of there right now!"

"I'm fine Dad," said Sami, the tears beginning to prick her eyes as she thought of John.

Theirs had been a complicated history to be sure but she didn't wish him dead and it was terrifying to think the man who had his arms wrapped around her was responsible for such a thing. EJ felt her tense even more in arms and tightened his grip on her in a silent warning, pressing his cheek against hers more firmly as he listened in on her phone conversation with Roman. Sami blinked rapidly, clearing her tears and focusing.

"EJ wouldn't hurt me and he… he was the one who got Lucas out from underneath the beams of wood," said Sami, staring at a point on the wall and putting her all into persuading her father, "He saved Lucas' life Dad."

"He tried to kill John tonight!" said Roman, dismayed that she didn't seem to be taking this more seriously.

"He couldn't have Dad," said Sami firmly and EJ's smile widened at how convincing she sounded.

_Hell at this rate he was starting to believe her!_

"His car was coming from the direction of Salem," said Sami earnestly, "Not the boat shed. It must have… have been someone else who shot John."

"Sami…" said Roman urgently but she interrupted him.

"Dad I need you to get help up here for Lucas," she said, her voice starting to raise with distress now, "He's out from under the beams but he's hurt and needs and ambulance. Please Dad - can you send one right away?! I'm so scared he might die here!"

"Of course Sami," said Roman hurriedly, "I'll do that right now. You sit tight and I'll be right there too. Don't do anything to upset EJ - I'll be there soon!"

"Thank you Dad," she said, feeling a wave of relief come over her knowing that he was on his way, "Hurry, please!"

EJ heard the click as Roman hung up and grinned before pressing a playful kiss to her cheek.

"Clever girl," he applauded her efforts, "Very convincing I must say Samantha."

Sami struggled out of his hold and he let her go. She whirled around and faced him, her face angry and distressed.

"You shot John!" she accused him heatedly.

"No Samantha," he said with a shake of his head, "Weren't you listening just then… I never made it to the boat shed - it must have been someone else who did such a terrible thing to poor John."

"You're a monster!" she yelled at him, her voice shaking.

"Be that as it may I'm a monster with some considerable upper body strength sweetheart," he informed her, "So you might try and be a little nicer to me eh darling?"

"You keep away from me!" she shouted at him, backing up quickly.

EJ laughed then to see her reaction and Sami just glared defiantly back at him.

"I was meaning you need my strength to get the beams off sleeping beauty over there," he grinned.

Sami gave a startled gasp and looked over at Lucas, still buried under the rubble and EJ smirked to see her face.

"Forgot about him didn't you?" he asked in amusement and gave her a playful wink, "We'll put that down to the excitement of being in my arms again shall we sweetheart?"

"I did not forget about Lucas!" she hissed at him although to her complete chagrin she had actually for a few minutes even though he was lying just there a few feet away but there was no way in hell she was going to tell EJ that, "I did what you asked and I've already told my father that you've rescued him so do it already!"

"Alright, alright, stop pestering me woman!" sighed EJ with a roll of his eyes, walking around to stand at the end of the beam trapping Lucas, "You know there is a verse in the Bible about it being better to live on the roof then to share a house with a nagging woman."

EJ squatted down at the foot of the beam as he said that and then squinted up at the gaping hole in the roof and then back at Lucas lying under that same hole.

"Say sweetheart?" he said, a thought suddenly occurring to him and giving her a teasing look, "That wasn't how this happened was it - Lucas up on the roof attempting some respite from your constant harassment?"

"Shut up and move the beam EJ!" she snapped at him, crouching down beside Lucas and ignoring his carry on.

"Yes dear," he said, feigning meekness and she would have scowled at him but was more interested in seeing how Lucas was right then.

"It's alright Lucas," she told him urgently, stroking his face, "Everything is going to be alright, just hang in there honey!"

EJ rolled his eyes at the display and grabbed the beam with both hands and lifting with his legs picked up the heavy length of wood and managed to move it off Lucas, falling to one side as he did, taking the weighty beam with him.

"Oh thank god!" exclaimed Sami with a choked sob, holding his still unconscious face in her hands, "Lucas, Lucas honey you're going to be okay!"

"Let's be realistic here Samantha," said EJ wryly, picking himself up and dusting loose bits of snow from his clothing, "The best Lucas Roberts can shoot for is mediocre… okay is way out of his reach."

"Shut up!" she barked at him, "Just shut up EJ!"

"Oh well there's a surprise," he said mockingly, "Got what you want from me and now you've no more use for me eh sweetheart? I think I'm seeing a pattern developing when it comes to you and men Samantha."

Sami tucked the blanket she'd previously put over Lucas more securely around him and prayed that he was going to be alright and ignored EJ's sarcasm. It had cost her dearly but at least Lucas was going to be alright - that was all that mattered.

"Oh Florence Nightingale," said EJ sweetly, "When you're done seeing to little Timmy over there I have a wound that needs tending to as well."

Sami looked up at him with a frown, sick of his teasing of her and now that Lucas was out from under the beam she didn't feel quite the same need to pander to his carry on. Besides, her father was on his way even as they spoke and she felt a surge of courage at that thought. EJ held up his right index finger to her and pouted unhappily.

"I have a splinter," he moaned, "Ouchy."

"I hope you get tetanus and die from it," said Sami bitterly.

"Wow," said EJ, feigning affront, "That bedside manner of yours needs some working on there Samantha. So I take it from that little sentiment that you're not going to be kissing my owwy all better."

"I'd sooner kiss a wart hog," she growled.

"Don't think he's quite up to that yet sweetheart," said EJ straight faced, looking over her shoulder at the motionless Lucas, "Best give it a couple of days eh?"

Sami got up then and walked over to him, her face set in angry determination.

"Leave Lucas alone EJ!" she demanded.

"Help Lucas EJ… leave Lucas alone EJ," he sighed, pretending confusion, "You can't seem to make up your mind about the man sweetheart but then who can blame you really. After all he appears to have the same problem doesn't he? Lucas only seems to be interested in you when Carrie is off the menu - it's hardly the stuff of that legendary love stories are made of is it darling?"

"What do you know about love EJ?" she scoffed at his observations.

"I know that when it's real it never feels like you're second choice," he responded quickly.

"I'm not Lucas' second choice," she protested, giving him a dark look and trying not to examine his observations too closely.

"That's true," agreed EJ readily, "You'd have to move up a few places to make it to number two I think sweetheart. There is Carrie… Nicole and of course Kate to bump off first."

"You're sick," she ground out between clenched teeth, "The thought of being anywhere near someone so perverted as you makes me want to dry retch EJ!"

"And yet you're strangely comfortable being with a man who has yet to cut the umbilical cord with his mother," he noted wryly, "How like you Samantha."

"You don't know anything EJ!" she spat out at him, his words a little too close to things she'd thrown in Lucas' face over the years but she didn't want to hear them from EJ.

"I know a great deal more than you're prepared to accept," he countered calmly, "None so blind as those who would not see after all Samantha."

"What is that supposed to mean?" she frowned.

"It means you're not just good at lying to other people but you're also rather gifted at lying to yourself as well," he said smoothly, "Tragic really when one is hoisted by one's own petard like that."

"Purtard?" repeated Sami in annoyance, "What are you carrying on about EJ - you're making no sense - what are you even talking about?!"

"To be hoisted by your own petard means that you become a victim of your own attempts to harm someone else," he explained dutifully, "A petard is a small explosive charge they used in the 16th century to attach to fortress walls and doors. An extremely unfortunate person would have to carry the petard though a battle and attempt to fasten it to the enemy's fortress. Often times the thing would go off and hence he would be hoisted by his own petard."

"Fascinating," said Sami flatly in a tone that suggested she was anything but.

"You asked," he shrugged.

"Why can't you just talk like a normal person?" she asked him disgust.

"Well I can revert back to clicks and whistles like a cockroach if that would make you feel like you were talking to dear old Lucas again," he suggested coolly, "Would that help sweetheart?"

"You just can't help yourself can you?" asked Sami, her lips curling in loathing at him.

"I have to make a confession to you Samantha," he said straight faced and then gave a rueful smile, "I'm not really trying to help myself when it comes to Lucas."

Sami went to turn on her heel and return to Lucas but EJ stalled her by quickly grabbing her arm.

"Let go of me!" said Sami angrily, trying to shake her arm free of him.

"I just wanted to make sure that you remember that you still owe me one favour Samantha," he said calmly, "You've gotten what you wanted and I'm only halfway towards getting what I want."

"You still expect me to go away with you?" she said, looking at him in disbelief.

"That was our arrangement wasn't it?" he asked her, his voice suddenly hard, "And you seriously don't want to test my patience on this matter Samantha."

There was something in his voice that made Sami shudder a little but she kept a determinedly unconcerned look on her face even as his eyes bore into her.

"I mean," he continued on smoothly, "There is nothing to say that I couldn't simply replace the house that was on top of the wicked witch of the west over there and still make good my escape now is there… my pretty?"

Sami looked over at Lucas still lying there helplessly and then back at EJ.

"You wouldn't!" she said hoarsely.

"Well that would be entirely up to you Samantha," he said calmly.

"Alright," she said hastily, "I'll do it; I'll go away with you like we agreed!"

"Promise me on the life of your son," said EJ, narrowing his eyes at her and correctly pin pointing the one thing that she would never trifle with.

"You leave Will out of this EJ!" she said in horror.

"Happy to," he smiled coldly, "Now give me your word and we can leave this unpleasant talk behind us."

Sami bit her lower lip and hesitated but had no choice to do as he asked.

"I… I promise on Will's life," she stammered, "I give you my word EJ… on my son's life - I'll go away with you."

"Excellent," smiled EJ, suddenly cheery again, "Now that wasn't so difficult was it Samantha?"

Sami just grimaced at him, not trusting herself to speak now.

"Let's seal the deal with a kiss," said EJ playfully and before she could react he'd pulled her into his arms and captured her lips in a hard kiss.

Sami was so shocked she didn't move immediately and her surprised gasp allowed EJ entrance and she suddenly had the taste of him in her mouth, his tongue confidently stroking hers. Sami began to struggle but EJ wouldn't let her go, not until he was good and ready and they were both breathless from the kiss. When he eventually released her Sami took a couple of steps back and roughly wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, giving him a disgusted look. EJ for his part was licking his lips, seeming to be savouring the lingering taste of her in his mouth.

"Just as I remembered," he purred happily to her, "Ambrosia Samantha, you taste of ambrosia - nectar of the gods."

Sami glared at him, hating him with his smug self assuredness. Lucas gave a little groan then and Sami whirled round, rushing to his side and dropping to her knees and ignoring EJ totally.

"Lucas!" she said frantically, "Lucas! Are you alright? I'm here, it's okay!"

"Sa… Sami?" he gasped weakly.

"Oh honey," she said unevenly, "Yes, it's me, I'm here. Everything is going to be fine, just lie still - help is on its way!"

"Ohh," said EJ straight faced, watching the emotional scene, "These family reunion scenes get me all choked up they do."

He cleared his throat then and frowned.

"Oh sorry," he said apologetically, "It was just some phlegm, my mistake."

Sami shot him a death look which EJ seemed particularly unconcerned about. There was a sudden wail of a siren off in the distance which made both Sami and EJ look at the door.

"Ah," smiled EJ, "Here come the cavalry - better late than never I suppose."

"Hang on Lucas," she told him as he closed his eyes again and seemed to fall back into unconsciousness, "Help is nearly here!"

Sami stood up then and went to hurry to the door but EJ grabbed her arm as she went by and stilled her progress. He drew her close to him and leant down so that his lips were at her ear.

"Now best foot forward my little snow bunny," said EJ with a warning arch of his eyebrow as the sound of the sirens drew closer, heralding Roman's imminent arrival, "Be a good girl and make sure you don't disappoint me darling. You wouldn't like me when I'm disappointed."

"I don't like you _period_," she snapped at him, "I wish you were dead EJ DiMera!"

"Can I just say how much I'm looking forward to our trip away Samantha," he said mockingly with a quirk of his lips as he let her go then, "It promises to be quite the memorable little retreat and I for one can't wait."

"That it will EJ," she growled back at him making herself a silent promise that it was going to be memorable for all the wrong reasons, "That it will."

If she wasn't going to like him when he was disappointed then he was going to _hate_ her when she was forced into something.

Sami Brady was going to make sure of that.

**Chapter THREE**** - ****Liar, Liar, Pants On Fire**

Sami leant against a desk in the Salem police department and fidgeted nervously with her coat sleeve. EJ meanwhile looked like he could be sunning himself on a beach in the Cayman's for all the anxiety he was showing which was a little surprising really as he was the one handcuffed to a chair in front of her.

"Don't look so worried darling," he chided her lightly, seeing her unsettled expression, "Anyone would think that you had something to hide."

Sami gave him a disgruntled look at his mocking of her knowing full well she had everything to hide at the moment.

"You know," said EJ with a bit of a pout, moving in his chair a little to find a more comfortable position, "This is not quite the hero's welcome I'd been hoping for."

He jangled his arm and the handcuff attached to it and the chair made a metallic clunking sound as he did. EJ looked around himself and saw Roman and Bo huddled together in a corner and inwardly smirked to himself. He could tell by their body language that they weren't happy; obviously having difficulty pinning anything on him and it was hard not to feel a little smug in the circumstances.

"Since when is handcuffing hero's to chairs been the order of day in Salem?" he posed the question and arched an eyebrow at her in mild exasperation, feeling comfortable enough to have a little fun with Sami seeing as he had little to fear from Salem's finest.

"You're not a hero EJ!" said Sami, her voice low but fierce, "You wouldn't help Lucas until you got something in return - that's hardly a heroic thing to do is it?"

"Psh," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand, "This is a new age Samantha - heroism doesn't come cheap nowadays. I was merely offsetting my costs in requiring a little payment from you. It's a commercial era in which we live Samantha - give a little… get a little."

"Costs?" she snorted at him, "What costs? You lifted a beam off Lucas - where is the cost in that?!"

"Well it required a fair amount of strength to do so," he pointed out reasonably, "I had to gain that strength by working out so there was gym membership, appropriate clothing and footwear and that of course isn't counting the home gym I have set up…"

"Just shut up EJ," she said in disgust, wondering if he would ever tire of teasing her.

"I'm just saying that a quality hero such as myself doesn't come cheap," he shrugged, trying to look serious but the corners of his mouth had turned up a little, betraying his amusement, "You're just fortunate I look upon you as a close personal friend Samantha and offered you a discount."

"What you asked me to do was a discount?" she asked in horror, "What would have been the full fee?!"

EJ's eyes ran over her and his smile turned into a particularly lecherous one.

"Do you really need me to answer that?" he asked her with a little smirk and Sami flushed and looked away abruptly.

EJ smiled, watching that appealing pink hue colour her cheeks and wanting very much to touch the heated skin, feel the warmth beneath his fingers. He wondered what Commander Daddy would make of that and it made EJ want to do it even more. After arriving at the cabin Roman and his uniformed goons had manhandled him and immediately stuck the handcuffs on him. To her credit Sami had tried to protest his innocence and live up to her side of the bargain but Roman wasn't interested and in a very poor display of policing procedure they'd arrested him with no due cause. A fact that his lawyer was currently having a field day with no doubt and was almost certainly the reason for the unhappiness vibe he was getting from Roman and Bo currently. Even as they were hauling him away and throwing him with an unnecessary amount of force into a police car Sami was trying to convince her father that EJ had never even made it to the boat house.

Was it wrong that it got him so hard when she lied for him?

Probably… but he just didn't care.

Samantha Jean Brady seemed to be able to bring out the extremes in his personality for some reason. It was one of the reasons he felt so totally alive when he was around her or even when he was thinking about her. She made everything more intense to him, every emotion, every thought and action. It was like she galvanized everything in his life into this wondrous cacophony that he simply couldn't get enough of… _she_ was something he couldn't get enough of.

Sami frowned at the way EJ was looking at her, her feeling of discomfort only deepening. She'd just spent the last hour lying through her teeth to her own father and felt sickened by what he was forcing her to do. Her dad had asked the same thing so many different ways she supposed to see if she'd slip up but as EJ pointed out… she was good liar and stuck resolutely to her story. Sami had no doubt that the consequences for her and the people she loved would have been dire and she couldn't risk that. EJ was a DiMera and as such capable of anything.

Even thinking that made her sense of betrayal at his hands deepen. She'd thought for months that EJ was her friend, that he cared about her but it had all been a lie, right from the beginning. All of his attention and flattering words had all had a hidden agenda and she knew that now. Not that she knew the full extent of that agenda yet and frankly she didn't want to. All she knew was that a man that she had counted as a friend and something more than that had betrayed her and it was a bitter pill to swallow.

Sami didn't make friends easily and she was even worse at keeping them and then suddenly this handsome stranger had swept into town and for the first time in her life a man had sought her out with no manipulation on her behalf. For a few glorious months she'd allowed herself to entertain the thought that she might actually be someone a man could chose first, over her sister Carrie even. She'd felt an undeniable pull towards him and amazingly he seemed to feel the same way.

Of course it had to be too good to be true, after all, she was Sami Brady and those kinds of things just never happened to her. It made perfect sense that when a man did seek her out, Sami - the anti-Brady, it would have to be a DiMera! There was a kind of perverted logic to it that made Sami despair that she was ever going to have the normal family life she longed for. But all that was going to change now she was sure of it. She and Lucas were together and it was going to stay that way. Lucas represented everything she'd ever wanted in her life - love, stability and acceptance by her family and she wasn't going to let the DiMera's take that dream from her - they'd already taken so much already. So what if she'd had a brief attraction to the man smiling up at her now? It was in the past and she was totally over it. She felt less than nothing for him except disgust of course and now all she wanted to do was be with Lucas.

"I have to go," she said abruptly.

"But I thought you'd be wanting to keep me company sweetheart?" he pouted.

"I've done what you blackmailed me into doing," she said with a twist of her lips.

"I thought we agreed we weren't going to call it that?" he sighed up at her, "Just like I'm not going to call your attempt to set me up as betrayal and calling it instead a momentary lapse in judgement instead."

"The only momentary lapse I had EJ was agreeing to this ridiculous deal," she growled.

"But you did and now here we are," he said smugly, "It was like it was meant to be… like we're fated to keep on crossing paths with each other somehow."

"It isn't fate," Sami disagreed darkly, "It's karma punishing me for all the bad things I've done in my life."

"Well if I'm some kind of karmic pay back for all your wrong doings…" pondered EJ thoughtfully, "… and only half the stories I've heard about you are true… then I'm going to be in your life for a long time to come Samantha."

He grinned up at her with that last part and as much as she hated to admit it, he was right. Damn it! But Sami wasn't one to just accept the hand life gave her - even if it was dealt out by karma. She just needed some time to think and regroup and then she'd be back and ready to wipe that smug smile off his face once and for all.

"I'm going," she said flatly, just wanting to be away from him now.

"Fair enough," said EJ easily, "I expect you'll be wanting to run along and pack for our trip away tomorrow anyway."

"Tomorrow?!" she repeated in horror, his words having caught her off guard again.

"We had a deal remember Samantha," he said calmly, "You promised on your offspring's life if memory serves me correctly."

"And I'll do as I promised!" said Sami, her voice low and urgent, as she leant forward, "But I can't possibly go with away with you _tomorrow_ EJ!"

"Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today sweetheart," he tutted at her with a smile and waggled a finger at her, "Procrastination is the thief of time you know."

"I can't leave Lucas," she said in dismay, thinking she'd have far more time than this to wangle her way out of this deal, "He's hurt!"

"And in hospital," agreed EJ with a nod of his head, "And if I'm to understand the process correctly isn't that the best place for him? Surrounded by doctors and nurses so that if he gets so much as a sniffle he can have someone on hand to blow his nose for him."

"I can't leave him!" she reiterated, "He's still very weak. He could get and infection… he could still die EJ!"

"One," said EJ, leaning back in his chair and crossing his legs, "I don't think my luck is quite that good yet…"

Sami glowered at him for that but he continued on undeterred.

"And two," said EJ, "Only the good die young… the bland and uninspired have nothing to worry about… they're always the last to leave any party. In fact they're usually the ones left to stack the chairs and turn off the lights."

Sami shook her head at his mocking of Lucas.

"If you hate Lucas so much then why didn't you just leave him to die and flee when you had a chance?" she asked him bitterly.

"Again two answers to that question," smiled EJ, "One… I'd do anything you ask of me Samantha… you must know that by now?"

"Good," she snapped, "Drop dead!"

"Anything that you _really_ wanted," he qualified with a little laugh at her vitriol towards him, "And two… I couldn't bear to be parted from you sweetheart. We've been through too much together and you've come to mean so much to me…"

EJ straightened up then and reached out and took her hand in his, bending down and pressing a soft kiss to the back of her hand. Sami tensed, taken aback by his unexpected and demonstrative gesture.

"… more than I think you fully realise yet," he continued on huskily, looking up at her with those liquid brown eyes of his as his lips brushed against the sensitive skin of her hand, "But I'm hoping our time away will change all that. I want you to understand and embrace my devotion to you Samantha… "

"And I want you to _understand and embrace_ my hatred of you EJ," she spat back, pulling her hand free of his gentle hold, "I will never have feelings for you, never!"

"Hatred is a feeling," he pointed out mildly, straightening up, "And it's as good a place to start as any."

Sami opened her mouth to argue the point with him but Roman suddenly appeared over EJ's shoulder and she swallowed the words, smiling up at him instead.

"Dad," she said, a slight frown on her face now, "Have you heard how John is?"

"He's just gotten out of surgery," said Roman tightly, "Your mother's with him now Sami."

"And it went well I hope?" asked EJ, hoping nothing of the kind, "John's pulled through?"

It would be rather inconvenient for EJ if John did happen to do that very thing but there was many a slip betwixt the cup and the lips as they say and as Sami had just pointed out - there can be a lot of complications when you're in a hospital. Somehow if John Black saw fit to rally at this point EJ was quite sure he'd be on the receiving end of one of those complications… he'd make sure of it. After all John had betrayed the family and deserved no less and besides, EJ hated half doing anything. If a job was worth doing it was worth doing right.

"He's in a coma," said Roman flatly.

"Oh no!" gasped Sami in distress, "Poor Mom."

She looked at Roman then.

"Dad," she said quickly, "Do you need me for anything else? I really want to go up to the hospital and check on John and Mom and of course see Lucas."

"That's fine honey," nodded Roman, "We've got your statement; there is no need for you to hang around here. There are some real pieces of scum that you don't need to be having to spend any more time with then you already have."

"If you're referring to Baby Huey over there," said EJ blithely, pointing a finger at the heavily tattooed, long haired, giant of a man with several teeth missing that was currently chained to his own chair over in the corner as police questioned him about god only knows what, "I think you'll find he's just misunderstood and in need of love."

Roman looked utterly unimpressed by EJ's humour and EJ didn't care one whit.

"Not unlike myself really," he said with a mock regretful sigh before looking impishly up at Sami, "I'm sure my whole life would turn around if I could just find a good woman to love me…"

Sami stared coldly back at him, very conscious of her father standing right there and feeling the need to be careful in what she let him goad her into saying. EJ gave her a rakish smile and a wink then before continuing.

"… or better still… a bad woman to love me," he finished with real amusement in his voice now but there was something else as well, some kind of longing under the playfulness that Sami wasn't going to have anything to do with, "What do you think eh Samantha?"

"I think that it's a shame that Cruella DeVil isn't an actual person because then you might have had a real shot at happiness," she said with a sickly sweet smile as she delivered her barb, "But until that happy day when you're out of my life and some other woman's problem I'm going to go and be with the man who loves me and who I love more than anything in this world. So if you'll excuse me…"

EJ's lips twisted into a smile at her humour and her attempt to insert her own reality into the situation. He did so love it when she fought back.

"Bye Dad," she said, straightening up from the desk and pressing a kiss to Roman's cheek, "I'll call you from the hospital and let you know how things are going with John."

"Thanks honey," he said with a little smile, "You just go and be with Lucas and don't worry about anything okay. We've got it all in hand here."

Sami gave him a determinedly bright smile, pretending as though his words had reassured her when she knew it was anything but the truth and it was her lies that were going to make EJ a free man again. It was absolutely galling and the urge to just blurt out the truth to her dad then and there and have EJ thrown in jail was strong but Sami knew that his lawyers would have him out on bail quickly enough. Sami also knew that EJ would not take a second betrayal like that lying down and she shuddered to think what form his revenge would take. EJ turned his head so he could enjoy watching her leave, that wiggle in her walk doing things to him that should be illegal he decided. Roman saw how EJ was looking at his daughter and wasn't happy.

"Uncuff him," he barked at one of the uniformed officers.

"Oh," said EJ, managing to drag his avid gaze away from the door way Sami had just disappeared through, "Come to your senses and releasing me back into the wild eh Commander?"

Roman didn't answer, just waited for him to be uncuffed. EJ rubbed his wrist with his other hand, being quite certain the handcuff had been put on tighter than was strictly necessary.

"A moment of your time Elvis?" said Roman in a tone that suggested it wasn't so much a request as an order.

"Haven't you had enough of those already?" asked EJ in exasperation but then gave a shrug, "Of course - anything to help out the boys in blue you know."

Roman held open the door of his office and EJ walked in, Roman closing the door behind them.

"Alone at last eh Commander," quipped EJ with a grin.

"I don't know how you did it," said Roman, his face hard and uninterested in playing any more games, "But I know you were at that boat house Elvis and I know you were responsible for John getting shot. John Black is a good man, one of the finest men I've ever known…"

"Didn't that good, fine man do your wife on a conference room table a while back?" interrupted EJ innocently, "Or did I get that story wrong?"

Roman's eyes flashed with pure rage at that and EJ smirked internally knowing he'd found the right button to push. As long as he remained calm and in control and the likes of Roman Brady were on the defensive then he had nothing to worry about. EJ knew anger would cloud their judgement, cause them to make mistakes like they had last night and he was happy to add fuel to that fire.

"Oh sorry," said EJ, feigning regret, "Are you not laughing about that yet? My bad."

"You just shut your smart mouth EJ DiMera," said Roman in disgust, "You think you've got all the angles covered don't you?"

"I don't require any _angles_ to be _covered_," said EJ, enunciating his words sharply to make his point, "Because I haven't _done_ anything that requires any kind of _covering_. I simply helped out a dear friend who was in trouble tonight. And on that note can I say I'm a little under whelmed by the response I've gotten for that particular little charitable act."

Roman's face twisted in loathing at the younger man's smug self assuredness. He'd love nothing more than to wipe that gloating look off his face but he simply didn't have any evidence to do just that. Despite their best efforts they didn't have anything to place him at the boat house and his own daughter's statement wasn't exactly helping in that department either.

"Well if you haven't bought me in here to give me the keys to the city I was wondering if I might be able to take my leave Commander?" asked EJ calmly, "Not that I haven't enjoyed spending the night here of course, especially when I had the distinct pleasure of your beautiful daughter's company."

Roman tensed at Sami's name on EJ's lips and EJ saw it and determinedly turned the knife.

"Of course it's not like it was the first night we spent together," he continued on blithely, "But it was the first time handcuffs and an audience were involved… oohmf!"

EJ didn't get to finish his goading because Roman suddenly grabbed him, ramming him up against the window behind him, his eyes were blazing as he was forced to tilt his head right back to keep eye contact with the taller man.

"You stay the hell away from my daughter!" hissed Roman.

"Well now Commander Brady," said EJ calmly, not seeing the need to fight back seeing as he was the one winning this particular skirmish, "That would be entirely up to Samantha now wouldn't it?"

"If you touch her I'll kill you," said Roman, his voice low and EJ knew it was no idle threat.

"Samantha and mine's relationship…" began EJ evenly.

"You don't have a relationship with my daughter!" said Roman, pushing him harder against the window.

"Oh I beg to differ Commander," said EJ smoothly, his eyes hard now, "Samantha and I have a very deep relationship. She's told me things she's never told another soul in this world. I've been her friend when the rest of her so called family turned her back on her so don't tell me that we don't have a relationship Commander Brady."

"You will never be anything to my daughter," said Roman harshly, "Except a piece of murdering DiMera scum!"

"You know without proof those kinds of statements are generally regarded as slander," said EJ coolly, "So if I were you Roman, I'd tread a little more carefully."

"I know in my gut that you were at that boat house and that you were the one who shot John Black," snarled Roman, his face close to EJ's now as he shoved an accusing finger right at EJ's face, "I know it!"

"Well until that momentous day when your gut becomes admissible evidence in court I think I'll just be on my way now if it's all the same to you eh Commander Brady?" said EJ smugly.

The two men faced off but EJ knew ultimately Roman could do nothing to him and EJ could see how that fact was eating the other man up inside.

"So Roman," said EJ with a little smirk, "If you're going to continue to be this up close and personal with me I'm going to have to insist that you buy me dinner first… I'm just not that kind of girl to give it away for free."

"Get out of my sight Elvis!" said Roman in disgust, giving a final push on EJ's chest as he let him go and stepped back.

"Oh now don't be like that Commander," said EJ, gently chiding him as he straightened his jacket after Roman's rough treatment of it and him, "Just because it didn't work out between us doesn't mean we can't be friends eh?"

EJ grinned then, seeing how much the other man would love to take a swing at him right about now and quite hoping he would. It would be worth a bit of pain to see Roman Brady coming up against assault charges but rather disappointingly for EJ the older man managed to contain himself.

"Well I'll see myself out shall I?" asked EJ brightly, "I must dash; I've got a date with destiny."

Roman said nothing, just scowled at the younger man's cockiness. EJ got to the door and turned around and gave Roman an impish wink.

"I'll give Samantha your love when I do eh Commander?" he asked with a wicked smile and then before Roman could respond with more threats he simply closed the door on the other man.

"This ain't over EJ DiMera," said Roman after he was gone, his jaw clenched tightly, "Not by a long shot!"

EJ stood outside the door to Roman's office and straightened his jacket again, a pleased smile on his face. He began to make his way out of the police station, pulling out his cell phone and making a few important phone calls as he went. By the time he was back at his apartment EJ had made all the necessary arrangements and now all that had to be done was organise one last little detail.

"Samantha."

EJ smiled as he said her name and set about getting that last detail organised.

**Chapter FOUR**** - ****Between A Rock And A Hard Place**

Sami fluffed Lucas' pillow and gave him an anxious smile. He was stable but she couldn't help but still worry over him. He had broken ribs, his leg had required surgery that morning to repair the damage, there were after effects from being in the snow that long and he had some internal injuries that the doctors wanted to keep an eye of for a while. It was a miracle it wasn't worse really all things considered.

"Are you sure I can't do anything for you?" she asked him hopefully, "Do you need me to get you something or…"

"It's alright Sami," he interrupted her, "I'm fine, don't worry about me."

"You're not fine," she corrected him, her voice suddenly shaky; "You're in a hospital Lucas. You could have died last night!"

"But I didn't," he corrected her, squeezing her hand, "You saved me."

"Ohh," said EJ, suddenly appearing at the door, bouquet of flowers in hand, "Not technically correct I'm afraid."

Sami tensed at seeing him. She'd only left him an hour or so ago at the police station and now he was back again, clearly a free man. Damn but she wished she wasn't as good a liar as she was some days!

"What are you doing here?" growled Lucas, supremely unhappy at seeing the other man.

"Why visiting my good friend Lucas Horton of course," replied EJ, seeming surprised he should even have to ask, "Why else would I be here?"

"Because you're obsessed with Sami and anywhere she is you just seem to magically appear," said Lucas bitterly, "Or is that crawl out from under a rock?"

"Ah ah Lucas," he tutted at him, "Sticks and stones will break my bones… oh but I guess you already know that after last night's little adventure don't you?"

EJ grinned at that and Lucas just fumed silently.

"Actually I didn't even notice Samantha was here until you mentioned her," continued on EJ blithely, giving her a cheeky wink as she stood beside Lucas' bed, scowling unhappily at him, "You look such a vision in that hospital gown it was hard to notice anything else in the room."

"Go to hell EJ," said Lucas sharply, not in the mood for EJ's games… not that he was ever in the mood for those.

"Does _no_ _one_ in Salem know how to say thank you properly?" lamented EJ with a dramatic sigh and then he brightened, "Oh well, you can still have the flowers I bought you. It's an assortment of lilacs and pansies… I hope you like them, I saw the pansies and thought of you Lucas."

Sami could see that EJ's needling was getting to Lucas and he was about to open his mouth and just start yelling so she quickly leapt in.

"Lucas is really tired right now," said Sami hastily, squeezing his hand and giving him a reassuring look.

"He does look decidedly ragged around the edges now that I take a closer look," said EJ agreeably, pulling up a seat beside Lucas' bed uninvited, "These hospital fluorescent lights do you no favours I'm afraid Lucas."

"Get the hell out of my room _Elvis_," growled Lucas, his face twisted into a ferocious frown, "Or I'll have security throw you out!"

"For doing what?" asked EJ, feigning being greatly wounded now.

"Breathing," said Lucas sweetly.

"Hmm," mused EJ straight faced, "You should join the Salem Police Department Lucas - breathing is about the only thing they didn't try and charge me with last night."

"Sami told me John was shot last night," said Lucas, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at him.

"Yes I heard that too," nodded EJ and made a suitably concerned expression, "Simply dreadful news."

"And you wouldn't know anything about that now would you EJ?" asked Lucas, the look on his face telling EJ that he wasn't going to believe any protestations of innocence from him anyway.

"But how could I Lucas?" asked EJ looking extremely puzzled, "My evening was spent rescuing you after all."

"I don't believe you," snapped Lucas, unhappy at the thought of owing this man anything, "And the Salem PD mustn't believe you either otherwise you wouldn't have just spent the night there!"

"Actually I'm a little uncertain as to why the Salem PD felt the need to hold me over night," said EJ and looked truly perplexed and Sami grimaced internally at how good a liar he was, "Although I do think Roman may have developed the littlest bit of a crush on me."

EJ gave a regretful sigh and threw Sami a quick glance.

"After you left Samantha he couldn't keep his hands to himself," said EJ straight faced, "In fact it got so touchy feely there for a while that in some countries we'd be considered engaged now!"

"Whatever Roman did I'm sure he had a damn good reason for it," Lucas defended the other man.

"Well he certainly seemed to think so," nodded EJ and then gave Sami a vaguely challenging look, drawing her into the conversation, "What do you think Samantha? Do you think your father had a good reason for his wandering hands hmm? And if that's the case then why am I a free man right now? But I'm guessing I know the answer to that seeing as you're the reason I'm standing here rather than in a jail cell… and quite rightly so I might add."

"Sami?" asked Lucas in confusion, looking at a suddenly uncomfortable looking Samantha.

"Didn't she tell you?" asked EJ feigning surprise, "Samantha is my alibi Lucas. I was late heading to the meeting we'd organised… strictly professional of course you understand - nothing for you to worry your pretty little head about Lucas."

Lucas scowled but EJ continued on blithely.

"Anyway," said EJ, continuing in his narrative happily, "Who should I meet stranded beside the road but none other than the very woman I was meant to be meeting. It was quite the co-winky-dink I have to say."

"I asked EJ to help me," interjected Sami quickly, taking over the story for fear of what EJ might say next.

"Which I was more than happy to do," inserted EJ with a quick smile.

"And you're sure he was coming from town honey?" asked Lucas, not convinced at all.

"Of course I'm sure," said Sami, sounding very convincing now, "EJ couldn't have been at the boat house, it's just not possible."

EJ smiled to hear how very persuasive Sami was - talk about backing the right horse there!

"And you just helped me out because you're a good guy?" asked Lucas sarcastically.

"Goodness is its own reward," nodded EJ sagely and Sami rolled her eyes in disgust at that.

"I still think Roman and Bo wouldn't have detained you like they did without a good reason," said Lucas, unwilling to accept this explanation - especially when it meant that he was now indebted to EJ DiMera.

"EJ did lift the beam off you Lucas," said Sami, refusing to meet EJ's eyes and see the smirk in them.

"It just doesn't make any sense," scowled Lucas, "The whole thing… it's just too coincidental."

"I think of it as good fortune," smiled EJ, "For everyone involved… we all got what we wanted after all."

"And what did you get out of helping me Elvis?" asked Lucas sarcastically.

"Why the utter joy of knowing you're still in the world of course Lucas," said EJ wide eyed, looking surprised that he should even have to ask, "Knowing that the world is just that little bit richer for that being the case."

"And that's it?" asked Lucas flatly, "Nothing else?"

"What else could I possibly want?" shrugged EJ and Sami felt herself tremble a little at the way he said that last thing even though he didn't even look at her.

EJ walked up to the little bed side table and placed the flowers he was still holding into an empty vase that was rather handily sitting there. He then turned and had a closer look at Lucas as he took a seat on the bed beside him much to Lucas' displeasure.

"I see they couldn't do anything to fix that broken nose of yours," said EJ as he leant forward and scrutinised Lucas' face carefully, feigning great sympathy as he patted Lucas' chest reassuringly, "That's a shame old boy."

"My nose wasn't broken," said Lucas tersely, shying away from him, "It's fine."

"Oh," said EJ and pretended embarrassment, "Oh I'm sorry Lucas… I just never remember it being that quite that shape before now… my mistake."

"Are you enjoying yourself?" asked Lucas in disgust, "Seeing me hurt and stuck in a hospital bed must be really getting you off Elvis!"

"Lucas," said EJ seeming to be really distressed at that, "How could you say such a thing? I saved your life, how can you think I wish you ill now? In fact I'm still waiting for my thank you kiss from you but just remember… no tongue."

EJ seemed to think about that then and pursed his lips, reconsidering as Lucas just scowled fiercely at him.

"Alright," he sighed and rolled his eyes, "I can't say no to that face… just a little tongue then but keep your hands above the waist eh Lucas?"

Lucas countenance darkened at the other man's flippancy and would have loved nothing more than to just lean over and hit him if he didn't have three broken ribs.

"No kiss?" sighed EJ regretfully and then brightened and looked over at Sami, "Perhaps you'd like to jump in here and fill the breach eh Samantha - how about a thank you kiss from a grateful… what… are we saying girlfriend now or partner?"

"You stay the hell away from her!" said Lucas loudly and then promptly had a coughing fit.

"Lucas!" said Sami in distress, as he groaned in pain from coughing with broken ribs.

EJ calmly walked around and with one hand poured Lucas a glass of water. He handed it to Sami because he doubted the other man would have taken it from him somehow. Lucas gasped and wheezed and at last managed to get himself under control again, lying limply back against the pillows, clearly exhausted now.

"Something I said?" asked EJ innocently when the show was finally over.

"EJ," said Sami giving him a warning look as they both stood at the foot of Lucas' bed now, "I think you should go now, Lucas needs his rest."

"Well of course sweetheart," said EJ happily, "I only came to offer my sympathies for your misfortune Lucas. Which I have now, so I'll be on my way."

EJ started to stand and Sami gave a little sigh of relief but it was to be short lived as EJ sat back down and clicked his fingers and gave a regretful shake of his head.

"Silly me I almost forgot," he said and Sami felt herself tense again, "I also meant to finalise the details about your little trip away Samantha."

"Trip?" Lucas frowned, looking at Sami again and then back at EJ, "What trip? What are you babbling about now Elvis?"

"Oh didn't Samantha tell you about this either Lucas?" said EJ looking surprised, seeing Sami giving him a desperate little shake of her head at him but ignoring it, "I don't know what you two kids must talk about when you're together, I really don't."

"EJ," said Sami warningly but he pre-empted her.

"I'll fill Lucas in darling," he told her with a grin, "I'm rather excited about it myself."

"EJ don't," said Sami, her voice rising in anxiety but he continued on regardless.

"I've been approached by a Mr Rami Devlise a multi-millionaire high flyer who is very interested in investing in Mythic," said EJ evenly, "He is extremely keen to hear more about the possibility of doing business with us and had heard wonderful things about our very own Samantha from the Tampa trip and was wanting to deal with her directly."

"Sami?" said Lucas in surprise.

"The very one," nodded EJ, "I'm afraid he's rather insisting on that it is Samantha with whom he liaises. No one else will do… god knows I've tried to interest him in someone else…"

EJ looked at Sami there and he let her see the tiniest flicker of quiet need in his eyes before he quickly extinguished it and continued on with his narrative.

"But he simply won't hear of it," said EJ with a regretful sigh, "It's Samantha Brady or it's no one - his words, not mine. This has the potential for bringing in a great deal of money for Mythic so he's not someone I feel that we should be saying no to. Not only that, the last thing Mythic needs is any ill will from the likes of Rami Devlise now is it Samantha?"

He gave her a pointed look at that and Sami knew a veiled threat when she heard one. She pressed her lips together and determinedly held her tongue though.

"So what is this about a trip then?" asked Lucas, still not sure what was going on.

Sami knew how he felt.

"I was getting to that," said EJ, "Apparently he's got some big computer pow wow thing going on - that's how he made his money - software. The conference is in Jamaica and he has requested that Samantha fly over to spend the week there so not only can he speak to her about Mythic but so he can introduce her to other movers and shakers who will be there."

"Jamaica!" repeated Lucas in shock, "You want Sami to go to Jamaica? Why can't she just teleconference this guy?"

"He's a bit old fashioned unfortunately Lucas," said EJ smoothly, "Likes the personal touch as it were. Won't do business over phones and the such."

"Isn't that a bit weird for a guy who made his money in technology?" asked Lucas sceptically.

"When you're as rich as Rami Devlise than you get to call it eccentric," noted EJ wryly.

"But a whole week," complained Lucas, looking at Sami, "Do you really want to go away for a whole week by yourself baby and meet up with some man you've never met before?"

"First of all Mr Devlise is a perfectly respectable business man who will have his fiancé with him so there is no need to be worried on that front Lucas," said EJ before Sami had a chance to say anything.

Truth be told she was reeling a little from this latest little web of deceit that EJ was currently weaving and she needed a moment to catch up herself.

"And second of all the week is not negotiable," continued on EJ, "Mr Devlise was _very_ clear on that matter."

EJ flicked Sami a quick glance at that which again she knew was for her benefit.

"But perhaps if we explain to Mr Devlise," Sami paused then and gave EJ her own pointed look, "That this isn't a good time because of Lucas' accident then maybe he might be understanding and reschedule?"

"I already tried Samantha," said EJ and he really did sound regretful which was a complete lie of course - another one to add to the many, "But he basically said it was this week or nothing. I really don't think we can afford to say no to the likes of Rami Devlise right now Samantha do you? I mean I don't think Mythic is in any position to say no to such a generous opportunity right now."

"He's right honey," said Lucas, not entirely happy in saying that but the business man in him couldn't argue with EJ's logic, "It you going to Jamaica and seeing this guy is the only chance your company has of bringing in someone with his amount of capital you really can't say no."

"Thank you Lucas," said EJ triumphantly, "That's what I've been trying to tell Samantha all along. She seems a little hesitant but I say once she's on that plane tomorrow…"

"Tomorrow?" repeated Lucas in surprise, "You have to leave tomorrow Sami?"

"Yes," she said unhappily, "That's why I thought it wasn't such a good idea. I really don't want to leave you like this."

"Don't worry about me honey," said Lucas with a shake of his head, "I'm just worried about you going alone to this thing…"

Lucas trailed off then and gave EJ as suspicious look.

"She is going alone right?" he asked and gave EJ a dark look, "You're not planning on accompanying her on this trip Elvis?"

"Oh heavens no," exclaimed EJ with mock horror, "What would everyone think? There would be no recovering from such a scandal! No, I have business in Paris that will take me away next week so Samantha will be all on her lonesome I'm afraid. Not that I have the least concern about such a thing of course. I have never met a more capable and resourceful woman as your good self Samantha."

"It's still a huge thing," said Lucas, mollified that EJ wasn't going to be on the other side of the globe to Sami but still worried about her.

"I'm sure that if Samantha puts her mind to it that there is nothing she can't do," said EJ calmly.

"I'm not doubting Sami's ability EJ," said Lucas with a scowl.

"Aren't you?" asked EJ sceptically, "Because from where I'm sitting it kind of sounds like you are."

"Lucas believes in me EJ," said Sami hotly.

"You bet I do honey," said Lucas with a confident nod and sent a defiant look EJ's way, "I know Sami will be able to give this Rami Devlise want he wants - isn't that right baby?"

Sami gave a weak smile whilst the tiniest smirk appeared on EJ's face.

"Well I know that's certainly _my_ hope," he said straight faced and only Sami knew what he was really meaning, "I mean, Samantha is the kind of woman that could satisfy any clients' expectations I'm sure."

Sami glared at EJ's double en tondre over Lucas' head again and he just smiled sweetly back.

"It's just that Sami's never travelled overseas before," worried Lucas, looking up at her, "Have you honey?"

"Well no," admitted Sami with a shrug, not seeing the big deal about it herself but if it was going to get her out of this nightmare she was happy enough to play along.

"Well I suppose I could postpone my trip to accompany Samantha," EJ sighed heavily, feigning finding the thought inconvenient, "I mean if that would make you feel better Lucas?"

"You stay the hell away from her Elvis!" spat out Lucas, suddenly enraged at even the suggestion, "The only thing that would make me feel better if I never saw your face again after today!"

"Hm," said EJ with a little shrug, "Well that's gratitude for you. But you're lucky Lucas, I'm in a rather good mood today so I'm going to over look your rudeness and put it down to being a little addled by pain killers."

"And what do you have to be in a good mood about?" bit out Lucas.

"Oh just a little deal I've been working on is about to come to fruition," said EJ blithely and Sami gritted her teeth at his continued needling of her.

"The deal that you need to go to Paris for right?" asked Lucas a little suspiciously now.

"Correct," nodded EJ with a smile, "Well I can see you're on the ball Lucas. No one can pull the wool over your eyes eh?"

"Don't you have somewhere to be EJ?" asked Lucas with a twist of his lips, "I wouldn't want to keep you from anything important - you probably have a million things to do today - pull the wings off butterflies, drown a few puppies, take some candy from a few babies…"

"Oh I did all that yesterday," said EJ blithely, "I'm quite the multitasked you know. But I do need to sneak in some family time before I head off to gay old Paree."

"What do you know about family?" asked Lucas, his lips twisting unhappily, "You were raised by servants and nannies… isn't that right Elvis? The only family you know about is one that was paid to be there. You're hardly one to talk!"

"Hm," said EJ, pursing his lips and considering that statement before fixing Lucas with a bright smile, "I suppose you're right Lucas and while we're on the subject… how was military school? Lots of hot cocoa and hugs I'm guessing?"

Lucas scowled as EJ quite rightly pointed out his childhood had been far from warm and fuzzy as well. EJ grinned, knowing full well he'd won that last little verbal scuffle with Lucas so he decided to leave it there for the time being - too much of a good thing and all that.

"So I'll leave you two lovebirds to it then," EJ gave them both a winning smile at that, starting to walk over to the door, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do now will you?"

"Well that leaves our options pretty wide open now doesn't it EJ?" smirked Lucas.

"Oh Lucas," sighed EJ as he got to the door and turned around, rewarding Lucas' last little barb with a smouldering look, "You complete me."

If it wouldn't have hurt so much Lucas would have thrown the vase of flowers EJ had bought him at the door so he contented himself with glaring angrily at the man which would have been so much more impacting if EJ hadn't already turned his back on him and walked out the door.

_But then again… maybe not._

**Chapter FIVE**** - ****Time To Pay The Ferryman**

EJ had just left a minute ago and Sami knew she couldn't let him have the last word like this.

"You know honey," said Sami, determinedly putting a bright smile on her face so Lucas wouldn't worry, "I forgot - I need to make a couple of phone calls. I was meant to meet Chelsea for lunch today and then I was going to go to grandmas."

"You don't have to cancel everything to be with me Sami," said Lucas with a shake of his head, "You go."

"No," said Sami with a frown, "I want to stay with you Lucas."

"Well I'm very glad to hear that honey," smiled Lucas, taking her hand and squeezing it, "And seeing as you're going to be gone for a week I won't say no to having you around as much as I can until then."

"Lucas," said Sami suddenly sounding urgent, "I don't have to go. I'm sure that we can find a way to re-schedule this conference thing. I don't want to leave you when you're like this."

"Honey you heard what EJ said," said Lucas with a shake of his head, "This is a once in a life time opportunity for the company to bring in some real heavy hitters in the way of sponsorship."

Sami opened her mouth to protest, desperate for Lucas to give her an excuse for EJ but he was being annoyingly understanding and decidedly unhelpful in that regard.

"Sami," said Lucas with a warm smile, pulling her over so she sat on the side of his bed, "I see how excited you get about being involved in the company - about being able to contribute."

"Yes but…" said Sami but he interrupted her.

"You know I have to confess," said Lucas with a little shamefaced grimace, "I didn't think you'd be able to do it… you know, do so well with the clients and getting people interested in the company."

"You… you didn't?" asked Sami, a little taken aback by this new information.

"No," he admitted and gave her an apologetic look, "I'm sorry Sami but you didn't have any experience in doing anything like this but boy, you sure showed me honey."

"I did?" asked Sami, a small smile on her face now.

"You're a natural," said Lucas with a smile, "People are drawn to you and you have this natural way, this excitement about you that gets other people excited too. I'm really impressed."

"Thank you Lucas," said Sami sincerely, "That means a lot to me to have you say that."

"Well it's the truth," shrugged Lucas and then grimaced as the small action reminded him about his ribs, "Ow… and I should have told you that before now. I guess having a roof fall on me has knocked some sense into me huh?"

"I guess," smiled Sami with a little laugh but then frowned, "But I still don't think me going away right now is a good idea Lucas. I'm sure that we can put this Mr Devlise off if we just explain the situation."

"You're just nervous," said Lucas patting her hand comfortingly, "This is the first time you'd be doing something like this on your own and you're worried about it. That's perfectly understandable Sami. But you shouldn't be nervous honey - you'll go away on this trip, work your magic on this high flyer Mr Rami Devlise and by the end of it he will be begging to get into bed with you - I just know it!"

That would be the actual main worry Sami had at this point but she couldn't say that to Lucas who was smiling up at her encouragingly after his little pep talk. The irony had not escaped Sami that Lucas was doing everything in his power to actually encourage her to go away with EJ DiMera for a week - a man that he was always telling her to stay away from!

"Well if you're sure you can manage without me," said Sami reluctantly giving in.

If she made more of a fuss about it then Lucas was going to start getting suspicious and the last thing she wanted was to get him anymore involved in this mess she'd found herself in then he already was.

"I'm sure," said Lucas with a definite nod, pleased with himself for talking her round and feeling a glow of self satisfaction that he could show Sami how selfless he could be and put her interests above his own, "You go and make those phone calls and then hurry back so I can enjoy the last couple of hours with my girl before she heads off and show 'em what she's got on this trip!"

"No one is going to see anything of what I've got!" exclaimed Sami in horror and then realised she'd spoken out of turn when Lucas looked at her in confusion.

"Ah… I just mean it's going to be a strictly professional week," said Sami hastily, trying to back pedal, "I'm not going to mess this up Lucas… trust me."

"Why would you?" asked Lucas with a little frown at how desperate that last statement had been, "You're going to be great baby - don't worry."

"Alright then," said Sami and giving him a bright smile, giving up on Lucas having a way out for her now, "I'd better go make those calls then."

Sami gave Lucas' had a final squeeze and headed for the door. She'd made the excuses about phone calls because she'd wanted to talk to EJ but she'd lingered so long with Lucas now that she didn't have a hope in catching him up now. It didn't matter though she decided as she closed the door to Lucas' room behind her and dug around in her bag for her cell phone. She'd ring him and have it out once and for all with him over this nonsense of her going away with him tomorrow. It was just too soon and basically she needed more time to work out how she was going to be getting out of it.

Sami found her cell phone and started to walk, intending on finding a private corner to make her phone call. It would actually be better this way - not having to deal with the man in person. She could say what she had to say and then simply hang up and not have to deal with the full force of his personality as it were. Sami smiled, happy at that thought but that smile quickly dropped from her face when she turned the corner to find EJ propped up against the wall, arms folded in front of his chest and long legs crossed at the ankles. His head was bent down as he seemed to be examining the top of one shoe for some reason but he looked up when he heard her little gasp of surprise at seeing him still there.

"Ah there you are sweetheart," he said casually and gave her a brilliant smile, "I was beginning to think you'd gotten lost."

Sami blew out a frustrated breath at seeing that smug look on his face. He'd known full well that she would be wanting to speak to him again and she hated being so predictable to him. EJ pushed himself away from the wall and strolled over to where she was standing, a cheeky look on his face.

"But then we always seem to know how to find one another eh darling?" he noted rather pointedly, arching his eyebrows at her as he shoved his hands in his pocket and came to a halt directly in front of her, "It's that irresistible pull thing we've got going on I suspect."

"What the hell are you doing?" hissed Sami, determinedly ignoring that last comment of his - there was no way she was going there right now.

"Well you seem to have a lot on your plate recently sweetheart," said EJ calmly, "So I thought I'd expedite matters re our little arrangement to lighten the load as it where. You don't have to thank me; it was my pleasure to help really."

"Thanking you wasn't exactly what I had in mind EJ," said Sami, her lips thinning ominously, "Kind of the opposite really! How can you think I'd leave Lucas helpless and in a hospital bed?!"

"First of all," said EJ calmly, "Lucas will always be helpless, hospital bed or no. He's one of life's victims Samantha and it puzzles me how you haven't worked that out already."

"Haven't you insulted Lucas enough for one day EJ?" asked Sami in disgust.

"Oh darling that's like asking a chocoholic if they want Easter eggs this year," he replied straight faced, "My only regret is that I have to sleep sometime and can't come up with these little gems 24/7."

"I can't leave Lucas right now," she said through gritted teeth, not even dignifying that last comment with an answer, "He needs me."

"I'm sure Kate will be happy enough to step into the breach whilst you're gone Samantha," he said calmly and then gave an amused quirk of his lips, "And I'm sure Lucas won't mind… he's probably missing his daily sponge baths from Mommy dearest nowadays anyway."

"You are disgusting!" growled Sami, "You/re one to talk about sick and twisted relationships with a parent! Your father is a monster and you worship at his feet like some mindless drone, begging to do his every bidding!"

"Don't talk about things of which you don't have the slightest understanding Samantha," he said, his voice suddenly hard and Sami knew she'd at last found a chink in that DiMera armour and filed the information away for future use.

EJ took a deep breath then, obviously getting himself back under control and Sami watched him transition back into the smooth and in control man of a minute ago in front of her eyes but it didn't matter, she knew she could rattle him now and that was all she needed to know. EJ fixed Sami with a determined smile, intent on getting this conversation back on tract.

"We made a deal my dear," he said smoothly, "And I expect you to honour that deal."

"And I will," she said quickly, "But you can't expect me to just…"

"I expect you to be at that plane tomorrow, 8:30am sharp Samantha," he said determinedly, his eyes slightly hardening now.

"EJ… " she began with a shake of her head.

"Samantha," he interrupted her again, his voice firm and inviting no further argument, "Enough. This is a done deal and even though I do enjoy watching you wiggle about I have to say…"

EJ gave a little smile at that, his eyes full of impish teasing.

"… no amount of squirming on your behalf is going to change the fact that by this time tomorrow you'll be on that plane and heading towards our little rendezvous," he continued on smoothly.

Sami frowned, frustrated that he seemed to have her so utterly backed into a corner at the moment.

"God I love it when you pout," he growled, his eyes fixed on her lips now, desire flaring in their warm depths, "It makes me want to kiss it all better."

Sami gave a horrified little gasp at that and took a little step back, worried that he might actually do just that. She looked around herself at all the people wandering up and down the hospital halls and scowled at EJ.

"Don't you even think about it EJ!" she hissed, giving another nervous look around, "There are people everywhere here. Someone might see us!"

"And from that am I to infer that you'd be more amenable to the idea if we were alone?" he asked with a little quirk of his lips, "Just another reason why our trip away should be so memorable eh Samantha?"

"I don't want anyone I know to think that I have _anything_ to do with a DiMera," she said in annoyance, "So you just keep your distance okay?"

"Well enjoy that excuse while you can," shrugged EJ unconcerned, "Soon enough you won't be able to use it when we're all alone together."

EJ cocked his head at her then and gave her a very considered and rather intrigued look.

"I wonder what excuse you'll come up in its stead?" he mused softly.

"How about my loathing and disgust of you?" she asked sweetly.

"Hmm," EJ pondered this for a moment, "This morning you said all you felt for me was hatred… now we're up to loathing and disgust…"

EJ gave her a devilish smile then.

"I just knew your feelings for me would continue to grow Samantha," he said with a teasing wink at her.

Sami folded her arms in front of her chest and gave him an unimpressed look at that.

"Oh now I could stand here all day and talk to you sweetheart," he said and then gave a regretful sigh, "But I really must push on - things to see, people to do after all…"

Sami frowned as she realised that he'd gotten that last part the wrong way round and she highly doubted that it was an accident on his behalf somehow. Just another little example of him trying to unbalance her and make her worry about what he was up to she supposed.

"But I tell you what," he said, leaning down so that his face was more in line with hers, "If it will make you happy sweetheart we can continue this argument about you coming away with me tomorrow."

"You mean when I get to wherever I'm going?" she asked dryly, arching an eyebrow at him.

"Exactly," nodded EJ with a grin, "We are so simpatico you and I Samantha."

"In that case you should know exactly what I'm thinking right now," she said flatly, her expression one of death and destruction.

EJ threw back his head and laughed at that, the sound coming from deep inside of him.

"Oh Samantha," he laughed down at her, "Once we get where we're going I'm going to let you do all those evil things you're thinking to me… at least twice I hope."

He gave her a particularly lecherous look at that last part which Sami ignored.

"So where is it exactly that we are going?" asked Sami, "I'll need to know what to pack after all."

"I was rather hoping that this week would be a rather clothing optional kind of affair actually sweetheart," he said cheekily.

"Yeah well I'm rather hoping you'll be struck down by the plague," said Sami flatly, "Somehow I think we're both going to be disappointed EJ."

"Oh god!" said EJ, laughing out loud again at her dry humour, "You are so utterly delicious Samantha Brady, if I had a spoon on me now I'd eat you right up with it."

"If you even tried to do that you'd have that same spoon _in_ you Elvis!" she growled to which EJ just laughed harder.

"Have I told you how much I'm looking forward to our little getaway?" he asked with a big grin on his face when he managed to stop laughing.

"Well that makes one of us," said Sami, sweetly sarcastic.

"I have enough enthusiasm for both of us sweetheart," he said with great certainty and then straightened up with a regretful sigh, "But now I really must take my leave of you beautiful girl."

"Yes and I really must be getting back to the man I love," said Sami coolly, intent on making him understand how things really were between them.

EJ just smiled softly, knowing exactly what she was doing and was unfazed by it. He gave a little inclination of his head and gave her a last warm look before turning around and heading back down the corridor.

"EJ!" called out Sami before he'd gotten too far.

EJ turned around and arched an eyebrow at her.

"You never told me where we're going," she reminded him with a bit of a frown.

"Oh you're right," he nodded thoughtfully and then he just gave her a slow smile and turned back around and started walking again.

"Damn you EJ," she said but he'd already turned down a corridor and she could no longer see him.

Sami shook her head in annoyance before setting her jaw determinedly.

"Alright Samantha Jean Brady," she muttered to herself, "Time to get your head in the game."

So Sami stood there for a little while in the corridor of the hospital doing just that.

**Chapter SIX**** - ****Will You Walk Into My Parlour Said The Spider To The Fly****?**

_THE SPIDER AND THE FLY_

_  
A poem by Mary Howitt_

_  
Will you walk into my parlour?" said the Spider to the Fly,  
'Tis the prettiest little parlour that ever you did spy;  
The way into my parlour is up a winding stair,  
And I've a many curious things to show when you are there."  
Oh no, no," said the little Fly, "to ask me is in vain,  
For who goes up your winding stair can ne'er come down again."_

_"I'm sure you must be weary, dear, with soaring up so high;  
Will you rest upon my little bed?" said the Spider to the Fly.  
"There are pretty curtains drawn around; the sheets are fine and thin,  
And if you like to rest awhile, I'll snugly tuck you in!"  
Oh no, no," said the little Fly, "for I've often heard it said,  
They never, never wake again, who sleep upon your bed!"_

_Said the cunning Spider to the Fly, "Dear friend what can I do,  
To prove the warm affection I 've always felt for you?  
I have within my pantry, good store of all that's nice;  
I'm sure you're very welcome -- will you please to take a slice?"  
"Oh no, no," said the little Fly, "kind Sir, that cannot be,  
I've heard what's in your pantry, and I do not wish to see!"_

_"Sweet creature!" said the Spider, "you're witty and you're wise,  
How handsome are your gauzy wings, how brilliant are your eyes!  
I've a little looking-glass upon my parlour shelf,  
If you'll step in one moment, dear, you shall behold yourself."  
"I thank you, gentle sir," she said, "for what you 're pleased to say,  
And bidding you good morning now, I'll call another day."_

_The Spider turned him round about, and went into his den,  
For well he knew the silly Fly would soon come back again:  
So he wove a subtle web, in a little corner sly,  
And set his table ready, to dine upon the Fly.  
Then he came out to his door again, and merrily did sing,  
"Come hither, hither, pretty Fly, with the pearl and silver wing;  
Your robes are green and purple -- there's a crest upon your head;  
Your eyes are like the diamond bright, but mine are dull as lead!"_

_Alas, alas! how very soon this silly little Fly,  
Hearing his wily, flattering words, came slowly flitting by;  
With buzzing wings she hung aloft, then near and nearer drew,  
Thinking only of her brilliant eyes, and green and purple hue --  
Thinking only of her crested head -- poor foolish thing! At last,  
Up jumped the cunning Spider, and fiercely held her fast.  
He dragged her up his winding stair, into his dismal den,  
Within his little parlour -- but she ne'er came out again!_

_And now dear little children, who may this story read,  
To idle, silly flattering words, I pray you ne'er give heed:  
Unto an evil counsellor, close heart and ear and eye,  
And take a lesson from this tale, of the Spider and the Fly._

Sami moved uncomfortably in her chair, staring unseeingly out the little window to her right, lost in her thoughts and wondering how it was that she'd come to be here…

**oooOOOOooo**

_Sami walked up the corridor to Lucas' room having left him for an hour or so to get some lunch but she also used the time to collect her thoughts about EJ. This was not working her just trying to blatantly get out of it – it was too direct. She had to come up with a side approach and half way through a chicken sandwich on rye she thought she may well have. All she needed was to find a way to put her plan into action without looking too obvious about it. _

_Sami knew she had to tread very lightly around EJ. He wasn't Brandon or Austin or even Lucas – he was just as cunning as she was but he did have one weakness and Sami intended to exploit that for all it was worth to get out of this trip away tomorrow. Her heart leapt to her mouth though when she got to Lucas' hospital room only to find EJ emerging from it._

"_What are you doing?!" she asked in horror, "Why were you in Lucas' room EJ? What did you do to him?"_

"_Well hello to you too Samantha," he said with a little chuckle at her sudden panic, "I was just dropping off some magazines that I thought Lucas might enjoy reading whilst he's recuperating and you were out of town. He was sleeping so I let him rest and simply placed them beside his bed so he'd be sure to see them." _

_Sami had pushed past him and opened the door to Lucas' room and looked anxiously in but it was just as EJ had said, Lucas was fast asleep, his chest raising and falling comfortingly and there were a new pile of magazines on the night stand beside his bed. Sami closed the door again and frowned up at EJ as he led her a little away from the door. He arched an eyebrow at her expression._

"_Really Samantha," he tutted at her, feigning being wounded, "There is no need for such concern on your behalf you know. It's not like I went in there and stood over Lucas' unconscious body with a pillow for five minutes contemplating whether I should just smother him to death as he lay sleeping."_

_Sami's eyes widened as the way he said that made it sound as though he did just that and EJ couldn't help but give a little laugh at her expression, relenting._

"_Why would I kill Lucas now?" he asked in amusement, "If I wanted him dead I would have simply left him in the cabin to his fate. It seems like a lot of double handling to me to rescue him and then only have to turn around and off him at a later date. Work smarter, not harder – that's my motto sweetheart."_

_EJ grinned down at her then and Sami had to remind herself not to bite at his obvious teasing of her for her plan to work so she let him have his fun with her for the time being._

"_So am I to assume you've been away packing for our trip away?" he asked her, "I'm certainly all packed and ready to go."_

"_You're not planning on us travelling together are you?" asked Sami in sudden concern, not knowing why that thought hadn't occurred to her before._

"_Alas no," he sighed regretfully, "I'll be meeting you there I'm afraid – I want to make sure everything is set up just right for when you arrive darling."_

"_And you're not going to tell me where 'there' is are you?" she asked in mild annoyance although she didn't know why she was pushing the matter because she had no intention of being anywhere if she could play her cards right. _

"_You've always struck me as a woman who likes surprises Samantha," he grinned down at her._

"_If I'd 'always struck you' then maybe we wouldn't be having this conversation right now and you would have moved on to some other poor unfortunate woman," snipped Sami, the words out of her mouth before she could stop them. _

_She cursed inwardly at her loose lips. For some reason she had even worse impulse control around him then she normally did with anyone else. He didn't seem fazed though, giving a chuckle of amusement._

"_Or perhaps if you did I wouldn't have been able to wait as long as I have for you," he said with a waggle of his eye brows at her and a devilish wink. _

"_Trust you to be turned on by something like that," she grumped, unsure if he was teasing or not and telling herself she never wanted to find out._

"_It's not my fault I lacked discipline as a youth and am looking to make up for it now," he said straight faced but couldn't maintain it when he saw her look of outrage and the way her cheeks flushed pink as she glared at him disapprovingly._

"_So no spanking?" he asked with a regretful sigh, shaking his head and looking truly disappointed._

"_I could be talked round if I was doing it to you and I could use a shovel," she shot back at him, realising that he was teasing her by now and not willing to let him have it all his own way._

"_Hmm," said EJ, pursing his lips and really seeming to be considering it, "That doesn't sound so much erotic as homicidal my darling so we might leave that particular avenue unexplored eh?"_

"_There is a whole city that you and I are going to leave unexplored EJ," she told him sweetly, "Believe me!"_

_This was not helping her with her plan but there was something about EJ that always made her want to argue with him and despite telling herself she needed to focus on winning the war and not these minor battles she still found herself knee deep in their little skirmishes and not wanting to be the one to back down._

"_Well you certainly keep telling me often enough about your complete indifference to me," he said, his lips curving in the barest of smiles as he reached out one hand to stroke her heated cheek with his long fingers, "But this lovely colour in your cheeks tell me another story Samantha."_

_Sami's breath hitched in her throat at his unexpected touch, the light caress causing her blush to deepen and she lamented the fact that she had so little control over such things. EJ moved a little closer when she didn't immediately pull away, taking it as a silent invitation. The world receded so that only the two of them existed and Sami tried hard to remain focused._

"_Samantha," he said evenly, giving her a warm look, his voice low now as his hands went to rest lightly against her neck, "This trip away for us needn't be the chore that you are making it out to be. It's a chance at a whole new beginning for us, don't you see that? We can get to know each other all over again, with no more lies between us."_

_Sami wanted to spit out the words 'I know as much as I'd ever want to know about you EJ!' in his face but she saw the sudden vulnerable openness in his face and decided to go another route. There was no point in pushing him and having him revert back to his wise cracking smart alec ways. No, she had a better chance of winning this little game of his if she pressed the advantage that his feelings for her gave her. She made herself look suddenly uncertain, seeing the way his avid gaze picked up on her expression and there was a flash of hope in his eyes._

"_I… I don't know EJ," she said, looking suddenly nervous._

_Sami knew she had to play this just right. She couldn't just cave in completely because he'd be immediately suspicious but she had to give him enough so that he would start to have hope and drop his guard a little._

"_A lot of things have happened between us EJ," she said, biting her lip bottom lip and not quite meeting his eyes, feigning being torn._

"_And not all of them have been bad," he reminded her warmly, taking a step closer to her, "We have had some wonderful times together Samantha…"_

_Sami met his dark gaze then and felt a little tremor go through her despite herself at the longing she saw there._

"… _and we can again," he finished off quietly, "You just have to give us a chance… that's all I'm asking from you for this week… a chance to show you what you mean to me."_

**oooOOOOooo**

_. _

EJ shifted his weight from one foot to the other and then leant back against the passenger door of the little jeep, checking his watch yet again. He felt like a kid on Christmas Eve, willing away the seconds until it was Christmas morning at last. He hadn't felt this level of nervous anticipation about anything before in his life and it was so strange that one small woman could bring him so utterly undone like this but it seemed to EJ so utterly natural as well.

But then everything about them was a paradox after all from her being a Brady and him being a DiMera to the way Sami fought so desperately against them being together whilst he'd embraced the thought wholeheartedly. The way she made him want to strangle and kiss her all in the same conversation so many times. Sami stirred up so much emotion in him that he could barely see straight, hardly form his thoughts. EJ folded his arms in front of his chest, his mind wandering…

**oooOOOOooo**

"…_A lot of things have happened between us EJ," she said, biting her lip bottom lip and not quite meeting his eyes, feigning being torn._

"_And not all of them have been bad," he reminded her warmly, taking a step closer to her, "We have had some wonderful times together Samantha…"_

_Sami met his dark gaze then and felt a little tremor go through her despite herself at the longing she saw there._

"… _and we can again," he finished off quietly, "You just have to give us a chance… that's all I'm asking from you for this week… a chance to show you what you mean to me."_

_EJ looked the play of emotions move over Sami's face, trying to decipher them. He was wary of this sudden softening on her behalf - he'd be a fool not to be and whatever else he was, EJ DiMera was no fool. But he also knew that deep down that there was a battle going on over the real Samantha Brady - whether or not she'd be true to her own nature and follow her heart or if she'd manage to quash all of that to fit into the mould her family had made for her. It was a battle to the death, EJ knew that and he had no intention of allowing Sami to surrender all the magnificence in her soul for the occasional pat on the head from a family that had never understood or appreciated her anyway. _

"_You… you don't know what you're asking of me EJ," she finally managed._

"_I'm only asking that you allow yourself to be honest with yourself Samantha," he told her earnestly, "Honest with yourself and with me."_

"_And what if I honestly hate you?" she challenged him with a raised eyebrow._

"_You don't," he said with great certainty, "The way you kiss me tells me that you don't."_

_EJ went to bend down then as though to kiss her and Sami made a horrified gasping sound, jerking away from his touch._

"_Stop that!" she hissed, looking around nervously, worried that someone might have seen them._

_All she needed was for Kate to walk around the corner and find her and EJ kissing and her life would be officially over. That woman had been looking for and creating reasons to crucify her ever since they'd met and Sami had no intention of handing her anything further on a plate._

"_Someone will see us!" she reminded him fiercely._

"_You are really hung up on what people think of you aren't you darling?" asked EJ curiously, never having been thusly afflicted himself, "I find that so very odd."_

"_That's because you have nothing to lose EJ," she huffed, a part of her angry at him because she knew he was right, "You're a DiMera."_

"_Whilst the name Samantha Brady is pseudonymous is with piety and virtue," he said mockingly. _

"_I'm working on that," said Sami with a frown, knowing her reputation was not exactly something to be proud of, "That's why I don't want anyone to know about… "_

_Sami trailed off and EJ could see she didn't want to complete that sentence._

"_Us?" he offered up helpfully._

"_There is no 'us' EJ," she said crossly, "There never was and never will be."_

"_On the contrary my sweet girl," he corrected her mildly, "There has only ever been us and only will ever be us."_

"_Why do you say those things to me?" she asked him hopelessly, "When you know it's not true?"_

"_You're wrong Samantha," he told her with a little shake of his head, "They are true, and no one else that has come before in our lives count. You can feel that right… like I do…?"_

_EJ moved closer to her again and ducked his head so that they were eye level again. He looked at light flush that was still on her cheeks, the way her blue eyes were sharp and guarded… but with something else behind them._

"… _like it was just all pretend, make believe until it was time for us to find one another?" he pressed her._

_Sami looked suddenly uncertain and EJ felt his heart start to beat unevenly in his chest._

"_You fight against me so hard Samantha," he told her, his voice low and velvety, "But I have to wonder if it's you yourself that you are fighting the hardest against?"_

_Sami blinked a couple of times, seeming to be thinking hard all of a sudden and EJ pressed his advantage._

"_Have you ever considered that you shouldn't have to work so to fight against something like you and I if it wasn't meant to be?" he asked her seriously, "And that you should have to fight so hard for something that supposedly is, like you and Lucas?"_

_EJ reached out a hand and trailed it lightly down Sami's arm and he saw the flash of anxiousness in her eyes as one of the nurses that had been looking after Lucas walked by. Sami determinedly shook her head and raised her hands, pushing on his chest and making him take a step back._

"_Not here EJ," she frowned up at him and kept trying to push him to move backwards but he was being playfully difficult._

"_Where are we going?" he teased her with an impish laugh and some little spark of optimism hoped it was going to be a spare hospital room – preferably one with a bed but it wasn't a necessity. _

_EJ always felt pretty inspired around Sami so the lack of an actual bed was not something he was particularly concerned with – he was confident he would be able to work round it somehow. EJ remained stubbornly uncooperative as she kept pushing on him, backing him up even though he was moving towards where she wanted him to go but he was definitely dragging it out. Her hands on his body, no matter how briefly and innocently was something he intended to enjoy for as long as possible. Finally she'd backed him up into a secluded corner, out of everyone's way. EJ was a little disappointed that they weren't more alone, not that it was going to slow him down at all._

"_You haven't answered by question sweetheart," he reminded her, tucking a stray piece of blonde hair behind her ear and then smiled down at her._

"_You make everything so hard EJ," she said with a shake of her head, looking up at him accusingly but there was a waver in her voice that gave him hope that she wasn't so much upset with him as herself for the feelings she was so clearly fighting for him._

"_Welcome to my world Samantha," he said huskily, picking up her hand and he felt her nervously twitch under his gentle touch as he wrapped his fingers around hers and brought them up to his chest._

"_You want me to do the impossible EJ," she whispered to him, blue eyes full of anguish, "You want me to turn my back on everything and choose you. That is a huge thing EJ and I don't know how you expect me to just make that choice overnight and go away with you."_

"_Well I'm not sure I can help you with that Samantha," he said softly, "Because loving you wasn't a choice for me."_

_Her eyes widened at that last part and she made a strangled gasping noise._

"_L… love me?" she repeated, looking completely thrown by this new piece of information._

_EJ lifted her hand to his lips, moving her finger tips back and forth his lower lip slowly, watching her track their movements nervously._

"_EJ…" she hesitated, "I don't know what you want me to say to that."_

"_Say you'll come away with me sweetheart," he prompted her, his hot, moist breath playing over the sensitive tips of her fingers, "This time away could open your eyes to so many things… so many possibilities…"_

_Sami bit her lip and EJ held his breath as she really seemed to be thinking about it now and his hopes soared as he searched her face for some kind of indication as to what she was thinking._

"_This is so much to deal with all at once EJ," she told him hesitantly, "I… I don't know what to think anymore."_

"_Then stop thinking and start feeling Samantha," he urged her urgently, his hand tightening around hers unconsciously._

_Sami looked up at him and EJ felt his chest begin a nervous tattoo in his chest although he tried to maintain an outward look of calm…_

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami moved in her chair again and blew out a frustrated breath. It had all been going so well, she had him right where she wanted him… hopeful, vulnerable and that thing about loving her. Sami screwed up her face at the memory. Like a DiMera even knew the meaning of the word! It had taken all her will power not to throw his words back in his face but Sami had bit her tongue, intent on using his supposed feelings for her to get her own way.

She had to admit though he'd caught her off guard with his declaration of love, as had the tiny lurch her heart had given at hearing him say the words. Sami just knew it was because she was so disgusted by him that any decrees of love were bound to cause a visceral response in her – it was the only thing it could be from after all. Sami rested her elbow on the little window ledge and put her head in her upturned hand and sighed heavily. It had all been going so well…

**oooOOOOooo**

"…_This is so much to deal with all at once EJ," she told him hesitantly, "I… I don't know what to think anymore."_

"_Then stop thinking and start feeling Samantha," he urged her urgently, his hand tightening around hers unconsciously._

_Sami looked up at him and could see his suddenly intent look on his face, the little flash of hope and looked to take advantage of that._

"_EJ," she began hesitantly, as though she was struggling to put into words her feelings, "Everything is happening at once all of a sudden. Finding out who you were, Lucas' accident, Will going away, my head is just spinning…"_

_Sami leaned into him a little then, putting the hand that wasn't still trapped by his onto EJ's chest and was pleased to feel how erratic his heart beat was against her palms._

"_Maybe… maybe…," she began tentatively, looking up at him through her long lashes, "Maybe if we just waited for a couple of weeks before going away EJ… I'd be able to clear my head and focus properly…"_

"_A couple of weeks?" he repeated, his gaze suddenly hardening a little, "You want to wait to go away?"_

"_Just until Lucas is out of hospital and is back on his feet," she said with a little nod of her head, "I just need to have some breathing space to take this all in EJ. You've given me so much to think about but if I go away now all I'll be doing is worrying and wishing I was back here and I know you can't want that for our time away."_

"_So you think that in a couple of weeks you'll be more relaxed and less distracted so that you could seriously consider a future with me, is that it?" he asked her, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly but otherwise giving nothing away. _

"_Is that too much to ask EJ?" she asked him hopefully, her eyes wide and pleading now, "We'll still be going away together but it won't have to be so rushed and who knows… in the interim…"_

_Sami trailed off, leaving the rest of her sentence to his imagination. All she needed to do was get him to postpone this trip and then she'd have more time how to plot to get out of this properly. If she dangled the hope of her returning his feelings in front of him he'd hopefully be distracted by that and off his game so she could find a way to get one over on him. Sami knew all she needed was time which was what he was trying to take from her by forcing her hand and making her go away with him tomorrow. Given the precious gift of time Sami was confident she'd be able to trump his blackmail of her but first she had to get him to give up this idea of going away together tomorrow._

"_So you're admitting to feelings for me then?" he asked her softly, his eyes searching her face keenly now, "That you're torn…?"_

"_Yes," said Sami and managed to make that sound a little ragged and anxious._

"_How torn?" he asked her curiously, leaning in so close to her that Sami could now feel his breath on her face, "Samantha, how torn are you?"_

"_Very," she whispered._

_He was so close now, he was all she could see and once again as it had done before the rest of the world faded out of existence._

"_And what would I get as a reward for such a sacrifice on my behalf?" he asked her, his eyes suddenly hooded as they dropped to her lips now._

_Before Sami could stop herself she was licking her suddenly dry lips and she saw his eyes become almost predatory then as they watched her tongue dart out, his eyes flaring with sudden lust. She felt her heart begin to beat wildly in her chest and she worried that he'd somehow be able to hear it. The urge to run was strong but she felt utterly trapped by him somehow all of a sudden, mesmerised by that warm, chocolate stare and even though he only had the lightest hold on one hand she could seem to bring herself to break free._

"_I'd… I'd be grateful," she managed an answer to his question._

"_Grateful?" he said throatily, his head moving ever closer to hers and Sami knew she should put a stop to this._

_She told herself that it was only because she didn't want to arouse his suspicions that she wasn't pulling away and slapping his face as hard as she could. Not because she wanted him to kiss her which was clearly his intent. No, his touch was something she would just have to endure – it was all a means to an end. Although she would have felt better about that justification if her next word wasn't quite so breathless and sounding so full of anticipation._

"_Grateful," she whispered unevenly and nodded weakly._

_He was so close now that she could feel the heat of his skin radiating from him and rolling over her, the smell of him in her nostrils. He didn't favour aftershaves so it was just the scent of whatever soap he used and the rest was all him. Subtle but unmistakably and Sami hated that she knew it so well now but there was nothing that she could do to make herself forget it she found. It was an indelible stamp in her subconscious along with so many other unwanted things when it came to him. Her gaze had been riveted to his lips up until then but he was too close now and now all she could do was stare into those liquid brown depths and pray that she would be able to get through this._

"_Gratitude is good," he agreed, lips brushing hers now ever so slightly as he spoke, his breath in her mouth now._

_Sami held her breath as she waited for him to close that final distance between them but he just continued to look down at her, drawing the moment out unbearably. Later Sami would wonder what she'd been thinking, standing there in some dark corner of the hospital with Lucas only a few feet away, anyone about to round the corner and find them like this but none of those thoughts entered her head just then, instead she just stood there, waiting helplessly for his kiss. If that wasn't bad enough Sami made things even worse for herself because when the seconds began to stretch out and still he made no move to bridge the ever so slight gap between them Sami did the unthinkable…_

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ straightened up from the jeep and walked a few feet in front of him and then turned around abruptly and paced back, checking his watch again as he did, frowning at it like it was the watches fault somehow that time was dragging for him. EJ blew out an impatient breath and went back to leaning against the vehicle, one leg jiggling with nervous energy.

Just for something to do EJ undid his watch strap and held it to his ear, resetting the a few things seeing as he'd crossed a time zone to get where he was waiting so agitatedly. That done he absently strapped the watch back on and looked up to the skies again, trying to imagine that he could see Samantha's plane. When that didn't seem to be happening he went back to his memories, a finger going to his lips unconsciously as he thought about their memorable last meeting…

**oooOOOOooo**

"_..Gratitude is good," he agreed, lips brushing hers now ever so slightly as he spoke, his breath in her mouth now._

_EJ saw the way she was waiting so expectantly for his kiss and felt a thrill race through his entire body. Despite all her words of disgust and loathing she was still here, a hairs breath away and anticipating his kisses. It made him more determined than ever that she was going to be his and he held onto the moment, letting her realise how much she wanted him and was rewarded with her doing the unthinkable. EJ tried not to groan as Sami herself closed that last little distance between them, claiming his lips in a kiss. EJ's free hand went to the back of her head allowing him to deepen the kiss almost instantly his tongue demanding entrance to her mouth and wonder of wonders she allowed it and he feasted deeply on the taste of her. _

_EJ's hand dropped from her head to her neck, long fingers encircling the delicate length of it and stroking the sensitive skin as the kiss continued and deepened. He could feel the way Sami was responding to him and it felt so bloody real, like she needed him as badly as he did her but EJ wasn't completely convinced. He wanted to believe so much that she was as conflicted as she was making out but he somehow doubted that Sami had managed time yet to really think about him or her feelings for him._

_He broke the kiss reluctantly, revelling in the way she was looking up at him with such a dazed expression on her face and he knew he must look no better, kissing her always made his head spin wildly but he had to try and remain focused and make sure that she wasn't playing him – there was just too much at stake. But there was one way to work out if she was serious or not about her supposed conflicted feelings for him. EJ leant back down and he saw her go as though to kiss him again and tried not to let himself be distracted by doing just that. He rubbed his beard roughened cheek against hers instead, his lips are her ear._

"_Come home with me," he whispered in her ear, his cheeks nuzzling against hers._

"_Now?" she squeaked, caught off guard by his sudden demand._

"_Now," he said, his voice low and reverberating through her entire body, "I want you Samantha – come home with me and show me how much you want me too."_

"_EJ!" she gasped, pulling back from him a little, looking up at him with shock, "I can't do that, you know I can't!"_

"_But I thought you wanted me?" he asked her, his sharp gaze on hers now before dropping to her lips still slightly swollen from his kisses, "You kiss like you want me."_

_EJ felt his stomach muscles clench suddenly as he saw the look on her face and knew that it had all been an act for his benefit. Well, not all of it… the way she'd kissed him had told him that despite what she might say to the contrary that she wasn't as unaffected by him as she'd like to make out. The reaction to his kisses hadn't been fake EJ was sure of that but it drove him nearly mad with frustration that she was still hiding behind the delusional world she'd created where Lucas was a saint and he was the devil in disguise. _

_It convince EJ more than ever that they needed this time away so that Sami might actually have a chance to think about things and have her eyes open. But in the meantime he had her little act of defiance to deal with. EJ made an exaggerated frown, as though a thought had just occurred to him._

"_I do hope you weren't attempting to toy with my affections for you again Samantha," he said calmly but there was a definite edge to his voice now, "I'd hate to think that you'd do such a thing after I bared my soul to you."_

"_I… I wasn't," she protested to quickly with an anxious shake of her head, "I do have… have feelings for you EJ… I just need to work them out by myself for awhile – that's all."_

"_Do you know what the really amusing… ironic… maddening… take your pick really… thing about this entire thing is Samantha?" he asked her with an arch of an eyebrow, "You think you're lying to me about having feelings about me right now but the truth is you're lying to yourself that you don't!"_

_Sami scowled at that as it was becoming increasingly clear that her ruse hadn't worked._

"_I have listened to you do nothing but lie through your teeth these last 24 hours," he said with a rueful shake of his head at her, "Did you really expect me not to know when you were lying to me?"_

_Sami looked away and grimaced, wondering when it was exactly that she'd lost her touch at being able to food people but maybe it was just him which was pretty ironic when you thought about it because EJ DiMera was the one person she needed to be able to fool more than anyone else in her life! EJ's hand snaked around Sami's waist now and he pulled her tightly to him and she frowned up at him unhappily, knowing she needed to get away from him now and try and come up with another game plan but it was going to be nigh well impossible now – she'd had one shot at this and she'd blown it… spectacularly. _

_Why oh why had she kissed him?!_

_EJ for his part didn't seemed to be overly bothered by her continuing silence, seeming to prefer doing all the talking at the moment._

"_Do you know what it does to me to hear you lie for me Samantha?" he asked her huskily, eyes dancing wickedly now, "To see those sweet lips drip untruths all to protect me. I'd like to say it makes me all soft and gooey inside but the truth is it makes me more hot and hard… do you want to see?"_

_Sami gave a horrified gasp and shook her head at him as he pressed himself more firmly against her. _

"_I lied for Lucas," she spat out at him, angry now that her plan had failed, "Not you EJ!"_

"_I doubt he'd be as appreciative of your talents as I am sweetheart," he said mockingly._

_Sami just glared up at him now, her lips set angrily._

"_So my darling girl," he said evenly, a hand coming up and his knuckles grazing along her cheeks gently, "We'll have no more of this silly talk about you not being on that plane tomorrow shall we?"_

_A mischievous grin lit his face then as his eyes dropped to her lips again, his fingers trailing to her chin now._

"_Although if you absolutely insist I suppose I could let you try and convince me of your 'feelings' again," he said gruffly, running his tongue over his bottom lip as he did, "You never know sweetheart – you might have better luck the second go round."_

"_I'm never going to be kissing you again Elvis!" she hissed up at him, jerking her head away from where his knuckles had returned to lightly skimming her cheek, "Trust me!"_

_  
"Firstly darling I don't know if trusting you right now is in my best interest," he said with a little smirk, letting his hand fall from her face but only to find a home on one of Sami's shapely hips, "And secondly as you've just discovered darling… I'm really not the man to be making promises to that you can't keep now am I?"_

_EJ's smirk turned into a fully fledged smile at that as he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it._

"_You'll be on that plane tomorrow Samantha," he said evenly but there was definite steel in his voice, "Kick and scream all you want… but you'll be there."_

"_Bite me!" she growled at him, wishing she could come up with something a little more original in the circumstances but that was all her brain came up with unfortunately._

"_Patience my darling," he teased her with a saucy look, "There will be plenty of time for that when we get where we're going…"_

**Chapter SEVEN**** - ****The Eagle Has Landed**

**DAY 1...**

EJ craned his neck, watching the speck in the sky get slowly bigger as the noise of the jet's engine started to be carried over to him, completely oblivious to the dark threats currently being made about his person. Not that he would have cared if he did. Any time Samantha was thinking about him EJ took that as a good thing to be perfectly honest. She'd captivated all of his senses and could find no way to be free of her. Not that he wanted to be. EJ had surrendered himself to the fate that was Samantha Brady and was ecstatic to do so. Now all he had to do was convince Sami to surrender herself to the same fate and everything would be as it should in the world.

He knew it wasn't going to be easy. Sami Brady was the most stubborn person he'd ever met in his life apart from himself. However as EJ had never failed to achieve anything he'd put his mind to before he saw no reason to believe that ultimately having Sami admit to her feelings for him would be any different. Things had always come easy to EJ in his life either through his station, birthright and or just his natural abilities. Now for the first time in his life he'd come across something that hadn't gone his way immediately and initially he'd been intrigued by that fact and loved the challenge but over time something had happened.

His pursuit of Sami was no longer a game to him or to please his father - if it ever had been at all he was beginning to realise. Every day that passed EJ was becoming more certain of the fact that they belonged together and nothing could make him falter in that belief - not even Sami's reluctance to accept the inevitable. A little smile touched his lips as he wondered idly what Sami had planned for this week. He just knew that she was not about to 'go quietly into that goodnight' somehow and EJ's. But EJ was unconcerned - after all what did Cervantes from "Don Quixote" say about this kind of thing - faint heart never won fair lady wasn't it and no one could ever accuse EJ DiMera of having a faint heart.

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami gave a low groan and then looked around herself in embarrassment in case the cabin crew had heard her but the pilot and the flight attendant up front gave no indication that they had so she relaxed a little. She scowled darkly to herself as she remembered her last conversation with EJ.

**oooOOOOooo**

"_Patience my darling," he teased her, "There will be plenty of time for that when we get where we're going."_

"_You're nothing but a smug, manipulative, son of a…" began Sami, her eyes blazing fire at him seeing as she had nothing to lose now._

"_Have I ever told you how hot you get me when you talk dirty?" he asked with a devilish smile, "It makes me very excited to think what other dirty things you can do with that mouth of yours."_

"_Oh you mean like telling my Dad the truth about last night and how you shot John?" she asked him sweetly, not to be outdone._

"_That would not be in your best interest sweetheart," said EJ with an unconcerned shrug._

"_You mean in your best interest don't you EJ?" she asked him sarcastically._

"_Let's split the difference and say our best interest eh darling?" said EJ smoothly._

"_You have way more to lose than I do EJ," said Sami, her lips pressed together in a thin line._

"_That's debatable Samantha," he said and then smiled down at her, "And a moot point really. We both know that you're not going to say anything to anyone about our little arrangement now are you?"_

_Sami would have given anything to throw his words back in his smug face but she knew he was right. She couldn't risk getting on the wrong side of EJ, terrified what the fall out might be for herself and for her family. _

"_Now then my darling girl," he said, checking his watch and grimacing, "I could stand here all day with you but unfortunately I have my own plane to catch so I'll have to force myself to take my leave of you."_

"_Bye," said Sami flatly to which EJ gave a little laugh at her abruptness._

"_Samantha," he said very calmly and waited until she was looking at him, "You will be on that plane tomorrow… don't make me come and get you…"_

_He leaned in closer again and Sami tried not to let him know that she was intimidated by him and looked him back steadily in the eye. _

"… _because I will," he said, his voice low as his eyes held hers, "I'll come back to Salem and throw you over my shoulder and take you kicking and screaming away with me on this trip if you're not on that plane at 8:30am… do you understand?"_

_Sami just tilted her chin up, her expression one of defiance, not willing to admit defeat even though she had been._

"_Unless…" he purred and he had moved closer again and despite her best attempts Sami swallowed nervously, "… unless you'd like me to do that of course hmm darling...?"_

_His hand came up and a long finger ran over her bottom lip gently and the small action made her lip tremble slightly and she hated that it made it appear as though he was affecting her which he wasn't of course. _

"_Would you like me to simply walk in and claim you…?" he mused, his eyes suddenly dark and his eyelids heavy, "… in front of everyone eh?"_

_Sami bit her tongue, refusing to dignify that with a response but he seemed to find his answer he was looking for in her expression and made a regretful tutting sound._

"_Poor Samantha," he sighed, "Too frightened of what everyone might think to admit to the truth."_

"_What?" she scorned him, stung by his criticism, "And what would the truth be EJ? This should be good – a DiMera giving me a lecture about truth."_

"_The truth is that a part of you," he began calmly, his fingers at her throat now, "A part of you that you've buried deep down inside of you wants that kind of wildness in your life. But you're so desperate for your family's approval that you pretend that you're this sweetness and light character when you're anything but Samantha."_

"_You don't know me EJ," said Sami bitterly, not wanting to hear what he was saying, not now, not ever._

"_Actually sweetheart," he said, almost casually, straightening up now and taking a step back, "I'm the only one who knows you… and I'll prove that to you in this next week… you'll see. "_

_Sami opened her mouth to argue with him but EJ had already turned around and was walking away from her so she could either chase after him to continue their argument or let him have the last word… so she chose the lesser of the two evils. _

**oooOOOOooo**

_Damn the man – why did he have to always have to have an answer for everything?!_

Okay, she was on his plane and she was god only knows where right now – all she'd seen was ocean for well over three hours now but that was the very last thing he was going to have go his way she vowed to herself, setting her jaw determinedly. EJ might think he had her right where he wanted her but there was nothing more dangerous than Sami Brady when she was cornered. He wanted her to get 'in touch' with her wild side – well that was exactly what she was going to do and by the end of it he would be begging for the sweet release of death.

_If anyone knew how to make someone else's life a living nightmare it was her!_

"Ms Brady?"

Sami started and looked up at the flight attendant who had introduced herself as Genevieve suddenly materialise at her elbow.

"Ah… yes?" asked Sami, trying to collect herself.

"The pilot tells me that we are about to land," smiled the perfectly turned out woman, "You'll need to fasten you're safety belt Ms Brady."

"Oh," said Sami with a distracted smile, her heart suddenly racing as she realised that the moment of truth was almost upon her, "Thank you."

Genevieve smiled serenely and then went and took her own seat next to the pilot whilst Sami did as the other woman recommended. She looked out the luxury jet window and saw a little island below her and could only assume that she was looking at her destination – the prison that she was going to be stuck on for the next seven days with the one person she hated most in the world. Any hopes of perhaps managing to get away from him was pretty much dashed now, seeing where he'd chosen. An optimistic part of her had hoped that they might go to somewhere heavily populated like New York or Las Vegas and she might be able to give him the slip or at the very least keep other people between them but Sami should have known that EJ would never take a chance like that. The plane circled round and began its descent and Sami gritted her teeth, a look of fierce determination coming over her face.

"Alright EJ DiMera," she muttered under her breath, "You wanted me for seven days well you got me and they are going to be the seven longest, most frustrating days of your life. Believe me – you'll be jumping in that ocean and taking your chances with the sharks rather than spend another minute with me by the time I'm done with you."

**oooOOOOooo**

He watched as the jet touched down, taxing along the small runway as it came to an eventual halt, the noise of its engines lessening as it powered down. EJ wiped his suddenly sweaty palms on the back of his jeans, feeling a wave of nervous anticipation wash over him. Even when Adam the pilot had contacted him to inform him that Ms Brady was on board the jet and they had just taken off EJ hadn't really allowed himself to relax properly. It was only now when she was but a few short steps away that EJ felt the tension leave his body knowing that Sami was at last with him and nothing was going to get in the way of their time together now. He rubbed his hands again on his jeans and took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down so that he didn't babble like an idiot when he saw her.

EJ began to walk over towards the jet just as the door opened and the little stairs stretched out. EJ took in another deep breath and hoped he looked calmer than he felt, the rapid beating of his heart making his breathing a little uneven. It had been less than a day since he'd seen her last but EJ felt like it had been a life time somehow. He was so used to seeing her every day, being around her that even this short time apart had been hard for him.

It had caught EJ off guard actually how many times he'd had the urge to orchestrate a meeting with her in the last twenty hours or so, making him realise how much of a habit it was back in Salem. But he couldn't this time of course because he'd been on the island and she'd back in the States and the separation had been a real wrench for him. Sami appeared at the top of the stairs then and EJ couldn't help the smile that burst out on his face. She started down the little stairs and EJ held out a hand to her to help her which she fully intended to ignore but then the stairs creaked a little and moved. It caused Sami to wobble and almost lose her balance so she was forced to grab onto his offered hand rather than fall down the stairs.

EJ's fingers curled around hers as soon as her hand grabbed his and he steadied her immediately. He helped her down the last two steps and as soon as her feet were on solid ground she tried to pull her hand away but he wouldn't let her.

"Samantha," he said, his voice deep and warm as he kissed the back of her hand lingeringly, "How wonderful to see you - how was your flight?"

"Horrible," she sniffed, finally managing to pull her hand free and glare up at him, "Three hours on that thing taking me away from everyone I love to be dumped on into this nightmare you've cooked up EJ. How do you think my flight was?! I hated it!"

"I think you've hurt Genevieve's feelings sweetheart," said EJ mildly, inclining his head to the long legged blonde woman standing at the top of the stairs.

"Oh," Sami blushed, feeling instantly guilty as she shook her head at the other woman, looking up at her, "Oh not you Genevieve - you and Adam were great - I didn't mean to offend you, I'm sorry."

"No apology necessary Ms Brady," she smiled warmly, far too professional to let on what it was she thought about all of this.

"I accept you're apology too," said EJ very seriously, "In case you're wondering."

Sami gave him an unimpressed look at that.

"_You_," she snapped, "I was _trying_ to offend!"

"Ah," EJ mused and then gave her a brilliant smile, "Think you might have missed the mark then because I am completely unoffended sweetheart."

"Day ain't over yet," she said smugly and looked up at him challengingly.

EJ gave a shout of laughter at that and shook his head.

"I am so happy you're here Samantha," he grinned down at her, "You have no idea."

"What I still have no idea of is where we are," she grumped at him, looking around at the thick jungle on one side of the runway and then how there was a bit of a clearing on the other side and then there was suddenly beach and crystal clear blue waters on the other side of that.

"It's an island," smiled EJ.

"Yes thank you for that," she said flatly, "That part I'd worked out for myself EJ - what is it with DiMera's and islands anyway? Just how many of these things do you have exactly?"

"There was a fire sale at Neiman Marcus one year and we bought up big," replied EJ straight faced.

Sami rolled her eyes at his humour and shook her head.

"You're on an island in the Caribbean sea Samantha," he relented then with a smile, "The island of Ara Caman to be more specific."

"What kind of name is that?" asked Sami with a frown.

"Actually there is a story to it but we'll save that for a later day eh sweetheart?" said EJ smoothly.

"So we're nowhere near Jamaica then," said Sami flatly.

"En contraire mon chéri," said EJ playfully and touched her shoulder to turn her round and point her towards the ocean she'd been looking at before, "Head due west for about one hundred kilometres as the seagull flies and you'll find yourself in Jamaica."

"Then why are we here then?" asked Sami in frustration even though she pretty much knew the answer to that question, "Why don't we just get back on the jet and fly over there? That way I won't have to lie to Lucas quite as much as I am already!"

"See now I wouldn't have thought you would have found lying to be that big a burden sweetheart," EJ mused, almost to himself.

"He'll be expecting to hear from me," said Sami defiantly.

"Not so much seeing as there is terrible coverage where you're staying at the hotel," sighed EJ regretfully, "But on the up side you will be able to email him still."

Sami went to push the point but Adam suddenly appeared, with a suitcase in either hand.

"Excuse me Mr DiMera," he said politely, "Where would you like these?"

"Just in the back of the jeep thank you Adam," said EJ.

Adam looked over at the little vehicle and then back at EJ.

"Ah…," he began hesitantly, "You may need to make more than one trip Mr DiMera."

"Nonsense," said EJ blithely, "They'll fit."

EJ looked at the two suitcases - they were large but they would fit in easily to the open back of the jeep.

"Yes these will," agreed Adam calmly, "But the other four maybe not so much."

EJ's eyebrows shot up at this piece of information and he looked over at Sami, amusement tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"You packed six suitcases worth of clothes?" he asked her, laughing now.

"No!" she said defensively and then grimace a little, "… one of them has shoes in it."

"I'm sorry Samantha but I should have made it clear when I said a week I was thinking of the more traditional seven days," said EJ teasingly, "Rather than a week in dog years which is actually 49 days."

"You're hysterical EJ," she snapped looking anything but amused.

"I think the word you're meaning is that I'll be herniated actually darling," EJ chuckled as he took the two suitcases off Adam and addressing him directly, "I'll take these, you go and get the rest and we'll see about defying the laws of physic and fitting them all in the jeep eh?"

"Yes Mr DiMera," said the other man with a bit of a smile, thinking how they reminded him of his trips away with his wife.

"Well you bought it all on yourself EJ," she huffed unsympathetically, "Seeing as you didn't see fit to tell me where we were going I had to pack for every eventuality!"

"But an entire suitcase of shoes darling?" he questioned her with a grin, starting to walk over to the nearby jeep.

"Different outfits require different shoes," she said defensively, watching as Adam who had come up behind them and EJ tried to fit four of the six suitcases in the back of the jeep.

The two men exchanged silent looks then as they attempted to jam the offending items into the confined space.

"Oh shut up!" she said, reacting to their silent amusement and folding her arms in front of herself.

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami gripped the dash board of the jeep a little harder and sent EJ an unhappy look.

"You drive too fast!" she chastised him as they bumped along the rough dirt track.

"Force of habit sorry sweetheart," he said chirpily, "But it's not like there is any traffic to… ahh."

EJ suddenly slammed on the brakes and Sami was forced to grab the dash with both hands then to stop herself from being slammed face first into the very same. She made a strangled sound as the seat belt she was wearing did its job.

"EJ!" she squeaked, as she jerked back in her seat, "What are you doing?!"

"Sorry sweetheart," said EJ, putting out a hand to her, "Are you alright?"

"Yes," she grumped, rubbing her chest where the seat belt had caught her, "Why did you stop like that."

"Well when I said no traffic on the road I wasn't including the local wildlife," he explained and then pointed a finger at the road in front of him and said very simply, "Snake."

"Snake!" screeched Sami and instinctively pulled her feet up onto the seat which caused EJ some mild amusement, "What is a snake doing here EJ?"

"It's a tropical paradise sweetheart," he pointed out, "It's going to have the obligatory snake now and then isn't it?"

EJ looked at Sami as she looked back at him and he arched an expectant eyebrow knowing he'd given her the perfect opening for a pointed barb aimed at him.

"What?" she sniffed back, "Do you expect me to say something like… of course there are snakes, look who I'm stuck with for the week… or no problem - I'm used to dealing with snakes now that I've met you EJ? Well I'm not going to because it's too easy EJ - it's beneath me."

There was the barest smirk on her face at saying that and EJ shook his head.

"Well I'm glad you rose above the temptation darling," he said wryly.

"So can't you just drive over it or something?" Sami asked him with a bit of a shudder.

"I'm not going to kill it simply because it was in the wrong place at the wrong time," said EJ with a shake of his head.

"But it's a snake," she grimaced and gave a little shudder of disgust.

"It was born a snake and it shouldn't be punished for something it has no control over," said EJ firmly.

He looked over at Sami again and waited if she was going to take that opening and run with it but she shrugged.

"Still too easy," she said with a flick of her hair and then she frowned, "Is it venomous?"

"I think it's just a tree python," said EJ with a shake of his head, "They're harmless."

"If it's a tree python then why isn't it in a tree?" asked Sami flatly, not completely convinced.

"Perhaps it fancied a change of scenery eh?" suggested EJ and then gave her an impish smile, "Or maybe it was simply disoriented by how gorgeous you are Samantha… bedazzled by your beauty. And I for one know how he feels."

"I've changed my mind," said Sami flatly, looking decidedly unimpressed with his flattering words, "Forget about running over the snake, I'll get out and lie on the road and you can run over me instead… anything has got to better than listening to you sprout all this crap."

"You, sweetheart," said EJ with a grin, putting the jeep in gear again, "Need to learn how to take a compliment."

"And you, _sweetheart_," she mimicked him bitingly, "Need to know when they're not wanted!"

"Then you'll just have to stop being so luscious," he said with a regretful sigh, "And until you do I cannot be held responsible for what comes out of my mouth in regards to you."

The snake finally decided to be on its way, letting EJ and Sami pass. Sami blew out an unhappy breath as they drove along, putting her hands up to her hair. It was a desperate attempt to try and stop it from frizzing uncontrollably in the damp tropical air and from the fact that they were hurtling along at a great rate of knots in an open topped jeep. EJ saw what she was doing and grinned over at her.

"You look gorgeous sweetheart," he said happily, "Don't worry about it."

"I look like I've been in a wind tunnel!" lamented Sami and then threw him an annoyed look, "And now I'm stuck here with you on this island in some probably run down old cabin that won't even have electricity I bet so I won't even be able to plug in my hair dryer!"

A sudden thought occurred to Sami then and she grabbed EJ's arm as they drove along.

"But there is toilets right?" she asked him, eyes wide with worry now.

"Of course darling," he said with an emphatic nod, changing gears and avoiding another pot hole in the road, "Located rather conveniently by the back door."

"Good I don't… wait… back door?" queried Sami, her relief short lived, "EJ, are you telling me that this place you're forcing me to stay at doesn't even have an indoor toilet?!"

"You can't have a long drop indoors Samantha," he said casually, sending her a bright smile.

"What… _the hell_… is a long drop?" asked Sami, knowing almost positively that she didn't want to know the answer to that question somehow.

"Well you can't really expect proper plumbing on a little remote island such as this sweetheart," he said calmly, alternating between watching the road and looking at her, "So basically what you do is dig a really deep hole and put a box with a toilet seat over it and then there is a long drop when you…"

"STOP!" she shrieked and EJ slammed on the breaks again and Sami gasped as once again she was nearly choked by her seat belt.

"What?!" asked EJ, looking around at the road ahead, "What is it?"

"… talking," she gasped weakly, looking at him a little stunned, "Stop talking!"

"Oh," said EJ with a sheepish grin, "I thought you were warning me."

"I _was_," said Sami dourly and shook her head at him, "I can NOT believe that you're making me suffer out this week in some kind of… of…"

"Hovel?" offered EJ helpfully.

"Like it isn't going to be bad enough already," groaned Sami in desolation, leaning back in her seat.

EJ smiled at the self pitying picture she made, slumped next to him and calmly started to drive again.

"I knew this was going to be a nightmare," she moaned unhappily closing her eyes, "I just didn't realise how big a one! I can't believe you'd expect me to… to… use something like that EJ! What is wrong with you? No, don't answer that - it will take too long…"

EJ listened to her ranting, not fazed in the least and turned the last bend, the dirt road widening out into a clearing. EJ pulled the car up to the front of the house and turned off the motor.

"We're here Samantha," he informed her, looking down at her still wilting in her seat, eyes tightly squeezed shut.

"Oh god," she groaned, "I can't look!"

"Samantha," said EJ patiently, "You have to open your eyes."

Sami made a deeply unhappy noise at that and turned her head and very reluctantly opened her eyes.

"Oh… my… god…!" she said faintly, looking past EJ to the little cabin that would have been pleased to call itself a garden shed.

It was unlikely her suitcases were even going to fit in that little place let alone her and EJ! They were going to be living on top of each other which she rather supposed was his plan all along.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me EJ!" she said darkly, shaking her head at him.

"No?" he said looking a little crest fallen and then gave a heavy sigh.

"You cannot be serious EJ," she said in horror, "That house is tiny!"

"I suppose it is a bit on the small side," agreed EJ thoughtfully, turning his head and scrutinising the little shack carefully now.

"Ya think?!" she asked him sarcastically.

EJ looked back at her then and pursed his lips.

"I suppose that is why we only keep the generator in it," he mused, almost to himself.

"What?" asked Sami in confusion, looking at the little wooden cabin.

EJ held her gaze steadily then, the barest of smiles on his lips and lifted a finger, pointing to some point over her left shoulder and then made a slight inclination with his head. Sami frowned and slowly turned around, looking in the opposite direction.

"Holy crap!" she gasped, her eyes nearly popping out of her head as she looked at the huge house, well mansion really, sitting in the middle of the clearing.

It should have looked incongruous amongst the tropical surrounds but it didn't, seeming almost at home somehow. Sami looked back at EJ, still too stunned to speak.

"I hope you'll be able to suffer through living in such a hovel Samantha," he said straight faced.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" she asked him bitterly as she realised he had been teasing her this whole time.

"Yes my darling I am," he said, a grin splitting his face, "Thank you for asking."

Sami made a disgusted sound and climbed out of the jeep, gritting her teeth when she heard him give a deep chuckle and all she wanted to do was wipe that smug smile for his face.

"You know," she said, turning around and facing him as she watched him unload the jeep, "It doesn't matter how impressive this place looks…"

"So I've impressed you then sweetheart?" he interrupted her impishly, tugging on one suitcase handle.

Turned out it was just as hard to get the suitcases out of the jeep as it had to get them in and EJ really had to put his back into it, finally tugging it free.

"The only way you'd impress me right now is if you dropped dead," said Sami and gave him a bitter look, "And like I said before you rudely interrupted me… this place, no matter how it looks - it's still a prison and I will be counting the seconds until I can get out of here and be with the man I love - Lucas!"

"Oh I'm glad you bought that up," said EJ calmly, stacking the suitcases by the door, "There is just one rule I'm going to have to insist on whilst you're a guest here on the island Samantha…"

"Prisoner more like," she grumped, looking at him unhappily.

"Guest… prisoner… to_mar_to… to_mate_o," he said with a little unconcerned wave of his hands, "It's all semantics really."

"Says you!" she sniffed, looking at him suspiciously, "So what's your rule EJ even though I'm pretty sure I don't want to know the answer to that."

"It's just one little rule Samantha," he said with a smile, "And it will make our time away together so much more pleasant I think."

"This ought to be good," she said with a roll of her eyes.

"You can't mention Lucas' name ever again on this island," he said evenly, "Let's call it the Golden Rule hmm?"

"What?" she sneered at him, frowning now.

"And if you do then I get to decide your punishment," he said easily, "Fair enough?"

"No!" she exclaimed, "_Not_ fair enough - I'm not agreeing to that!"

"Because you can't do it," he said sympathetically, "I thought you wouldn't be able to."

"Of course I can do it!" she snapped at him, "I'm not some mindless idiot that centres her whole life around a man! It's not like I talk about Lucas 24/7 you know?!"

EJ didn't say anything, just looked steadily back at her and her annoyance with him hit and all time high.

"Like I give a damn what you think!" she hissed, "I don't have to justify myself to you. Lucas is the only man that I care what his opinions are then. Man EJ, if Lucas was here right now he would be kicking your butt! Lucas doesn't feel the need to control me like this!"

"Just so you know," said EJ casually, folding his arms in front of his chest and his face hardening a little at how oblivious she was to how she went on about the other man, "You just mentioned Lucas' name four times in the space of about ten seconds… it makes for quite the convincing argument on your behalf darling… it really does."

Sami pressed her lips together in a thin angry line and looked back at him.

"What do I get out of this?" she asked him finally, "I mean - you're so sure I can't do this EJ - what do I get when I prove you wrong?"

"Ah," said EJ thoughtfully, scratching his cheek with one hand, "A negotiation - I love these! Let's see… how about this Samantha… you don't mention Lucas' name for an entire twenty four hours and I will call up Adam and ask him to come back for you immediately and return you to Salem."

"Really?" asked Sami suspiciously.

"Absolutely," said EJ with a definite nod of his head, "I promise you Samantha. All you have to do is not say the 'L' word for twenty four hours and then you can go back home. Now I can't say fairer than that can I?"

"What's the catch?" she asked him sceptically, knowing there had to be one.

"It's a onetime offer unfortunately," he sighed, not actually sounding that upset about it as he was trying to make out, "If you say Lucas' name in the twenty four hour period you are here for the duration and you have to abide by any punishment I think up for you for breaking the Golden Rule. Now… is it a deal or not?"

Sami narrowed her eyes at him, mulling his offer over. It sounded simple - suspiciously so. But then what did she have to lose? Like she couldn't not say Lucas' name for twenty four hours - like she was _that_ pathetic! If it meant she could get out off this island and away from EJ she would have been prepared to do a lot more but if he was offering, she'd be a fool not to undertake such a simple task when the rewards were going to be freedom from EJ's clutches.

"You're on!" she said and stuck out her hand defiantly for him to shake.

"Excellent," smiled EJ, taking her offered hand and shaking it.

He looked down at his watch and pursed his lips.

"Let's see," he pondered, "It's two thirty one pm exactly in 5, 4, 3, 2... now."

He looked at Sami then who was looking back at him challengingly.

"So twenty four hours from now eh?" he asked her brightly, "How does that sound sweetheart."

"Twenty four hours until I'm away from you sound like heaven," said Sami, very sure that she was going to make him regret his little wager.

When she made it to this time tomorrow without saying Lucas' name she was going to make him eat crow - big time! He'd be able to see her gloating face in the window of the jet as it flew her back to Salem and away from him.

"Well that's settled then," said EJ and smiled at her calmly down at her, "Tell you what darling, the house is open - you go on in and I'll organise the pack horses to bring your bags in."

"I don't think I'll bother with unpacking EJ," she said smugly, "It's not like I'm going to be here for that long anyway."

"Ah well," said EJ unworried, "I'll still bring them inside, just to get them out of the weather eh?"

Sami shrugged, not caring what he did. She did as he suggest then and walked up to the front entrance of the grand opening the door and walking in. She took in the opulent surrounds, shaking her head and this was only the foyer! She kept on walking into the sitting room and looked around, taking in the beautiful and definitely expensive looking furniture, almost colonial in style. Of course anything the DiMera's touched had to ooze money and Sami grimaced, not knowing why she'd let herself believe anything else. EJ appeared at the doorway then, two suitcases under his arm and another two in his hands.

"I'll just pop these in our room shall I sweetheart?" he said cheerily, about to head up the stairs that joined the foyer with the top floor.

"Our room!" squeaked Sami in horror, "Are you telling me a place this big only has one bedroom?!"

"Oh no," said EJ easily, "It has seven actually."

"Then there is no way in hell that we are sharing a room EJ!" she said hotly, "I wouldn't be able to look Lucas in the eye just knowing that…"

Sami stopped then, her eyes widening as she realised what she'd just done.

EJ twisted his wrist with his watch on it upwards and squinted to see.

"Four minutes, twelve seconds," he announced happily and then gave her a bright smile, "You lasted longer than I thought you would sweetheart - well done!"

He turned around then, leaving her there with her mouth hanging open and a growing sick feeling in her stomach.

"Crap," she said weakly and then shook her head in disbelief at her own stupidity, "Crap!"

**Chapter EIGHT**** - ****Let's Get This Party Started**

**EVENING 1**

EJ was just finishing off the dinner setting by lighting the candles and looked up as Sami entered the room to join him for dinner. He blinked a couple of times but apart from that he showed no other sign of emotion. Sami stood there and stared challengingly back as his eyes ran over the ensemble she'd put together for their meal together… and it was certainly that. Sami had decided that EJ wasn't going to have everything his own way and just because she'd blown her one chance to cut this horror trip short with the unfortunate Lucas incident didn't mean that he was going to have everything his own way. On no, she was there with him, alone on the island but that was as good as it was going to get for EJ DiMera!

So she'd dressed for the occasion… and how!

She was wearing so many different items of clothing that it was ridiculous, all mismatched, all designed to make her look as unattractive as possible. Her hair wasn't done and she wore no makeup and her footwear of choice was sneakers. Sami had chosen to wear a pair of jeans and then a pair of sweat pants over the top of those, a pair of shorts over those and finally a skirt over all of that again. Next there was a long sleeve blouse with a short sleeve blouse over the top of that, a singlet was next and then a camisole finally topped it all off. Sami had also opted for a knitted scarf around her neck and a beanie on her head. All in all it was quite the sight to behold. EJ straightened up and calmly blew out the lit match he'd been holding before it burnt his fingers while he took in her outfit.

"Well don't you look…" EJ paused to find just the right word, his lips pursed "… _layered_ tonight Samantha?"

"What this old thing?" she asked smugly, "It's something I just threw on."

"And on…" replied EJ evenly, "… and on… and on it would appear my darling."

"I feel the cold," she sniffed, walking into the room although it was a bit difficult because all of the clothing restricting her movements somewhat.

"It's doubtful you'd feel a nuclear holocaust in that get up," noted EJ dryly, the corners of his mouth turning up as he watched her waddle into the room.

"Well a nuclear holocaust would be preferable to having to spend the next week stuck on this island with you," she snapped at him.

"So I'm a fate worse than death now eh sweetheart?" asked EJ, not seeming to be particularly fazed by that thought, "Well at least I know we're I'm starting from… things can only go up from here I suppose."

EJ pursed his lips then seeming to think about it.

"Although I have to say I wouldn't be completely adverse to _some_ things going down this week I have to say," he said, looking at her innocently but there was a definite gleam in his eye that was just so infuriating.

"The only things going down this week are _your_ hopes!" she growled.

EJ grinned at her pluck and held out a chair for her at the table and Sami defiantly went and immediately sat down in the chair he wasn't holding out for her and gave him an insolent look. EJ chuckled at her outright rebellion, enjoying her fighting spirit immensely.

"I hope you like prawns," he said smoothly, putting the chair back in its place.

"Oh sorry EJ," she said feigning exaggerated remorse, "I'm allergic… didn't you know?"

"No I didn't," he said and looked troubled for a split second and Sami gloated but then he brightened somewhat, "Well it's fortunate that beef is on tonight's menu then isn't it sweetheart?"

Sami's smirk quickly turned to a scowl as he deftly out manoeuvred her. EJ smiled to himself seeing her changing expressions and took himself off to retrieve the salads he'd made from the refrigerator. He just knew she was planning on being as difficult as possible tonight and that was fine with EJ - he did so love a challenge and being around Sami meant he always had to be on his toes. The patio area he'd set up for their evening together was only about ten feet from the kitchen area so it was still easy enough to continue on a conversation with each other as he picked up the salads and did a quick dressing for them.

"I'm not really hungry," Sami called out to him, "Don't bother with anything for me EJ."

EJ shook his head and smiled again, walking back out onto the patio with the freshly dressed salads in hand now and set them on the table.

"But aren't you worried you might become faint with hunger?" asked EJ with an arch of an eyebrow and then his eyes ran briefly over her outfit again, "… and possibly heat stroke and pass out and then I'll be able to have my evil way with you while you're unconscious?"

Sami frowned at little, that particular thought having not occurred to her. She'd planned to go on a bit of a hunger strike while she was there but that scenario, even though she suspected he was only teasing her, was a worrying one. EJ could see her thinking that over and the urge to lean down and kiss her for being so adorable was very strong but he managed to resist the temptation somehow.

_Slowly, slowly, catchy monkey as his nanny used to say to him._

They had time - a whole week in fact and EJ felt a deep surge of happiness at that thought. No Lucas and Will to set off stink bombs, no Daddy Brady to barge in uninvited on them. Just himself and Samantha alone all week, along with all the possibilities stretched out before him and EJ couldn't help but be excited at the prospect. Sami saw his expression and didn't like it, feeling decidedly nervous now.

"Alright I'll eat something," she snapped, "But just like the rest of this nightmare… it's only because I have to!"

"You're so very gracious in defeat aren't you Samantha?" he asked her teasingly.

"I'm not defeated _Elvis_!" she returned quickly with an annoyed look at him, "I'm eating some food so I don't die… I don't think you should rush to send out the wedding invitations just yet?!"

"I want that you know Samantha," said EJ, suddenly very serious, his dark eyes looking at her intently.

"Want what EJ?" she asked distractedly as she gave her salad the once over just in case.

"Marriage, children," he told her quietly.

"Yeah well," snorted Sami, "I'm sure you'll find someone crazy enough to marry a DiMera if you look for long enough."

"I already have," smiled EJ and Sami's head snapped up and she scowled at him.

"Trust me," she said flatly, "You haven't!"

"So you say Samantha," said EJ mildly, "So you say."

He smiled at her then before heading back into the kitchen. Sami frowned when he'd left, not entirely thrilled with how her plan was working out. She picked up the crisp white napkin on the table and began to fan herself, feeling decidedly warm in the balmy tropical night underneath all of her clothes. Sami wasn't really used to dealing with this kind of wet heat, living in Salem and she might have to rethink this particular little plan of attack. EJ reappeared then and placed a perfectly cooked steak in front of her and sat down across from her at the table with his own steak. He'd cooked it just how she liked it of course but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of saying anything. EJ then picked up the bottle of wine that was on the table, masterfully uncorked it and poured them both a glass. Sami looked at the red wine, deeply suspicious. EJ's lips quirked in amusement at seeing her distrust.

"I haven't drugged your wine Samantha," he told her indulgently.

"Oh yeah," she said sarcastically, "Because you'd totally be telling me if you did."

"Fine," he shrugged, "Switch glasses if it will make you happy darling."

Sami frowned and thought about that and shook her head.

"I bet that is what you expected me to say and drugged the one in front of you, knowing I'd ask to swap," she reasoned, her eyes full of mistrust, "It's a double bluff."

"Actually it's a rather impudent Bordeaux sweetheart," he laughed at the way her mind worked, finding her very sexy when she showed her devious logic like this.

EJ shook his head when he saw that she wasn't going to be swayed by his words so he simply leant forward and picked up her glass and took a mouthful of her wine and then did the same with his.

"You see," he said calmly, "I'm still upright - no drugs Samantha. I wouldn't have the heart to do that to such a wonderful wine - it would almost be sacrilegious."

"And yet you wouldn't think twice about doing it to an actual person would you EJ?" she baited him.

"You think me quite the villain don't you sweetheart?" he asked her musingly.

"I _know_ you're quite the villain EJ!" she declared emphatically.

"Perhaps I'm just misunderstood eh?" he asked her evenly, picking up his wine glass and indicating she should do the same, "You of all people must know how that feels Samantha. Now how about we make a toast?"

Sami gave him a defiant look and he smiled.

"Come now sweetheart," he cajoled her, "Don't be churlish. I tell you what - why don't you chose the toast?"

Sami picked up her glass and held it up, giving him an insolent look.

"To a hurricane coming and flattening everything in sight and forcing us to flee back to Salem," she suggested sweetly.

"To uncontrollable forces of nature being unleashed," agreed EJ, his voice all velvety as he re-worded her toast slightly and tapped her glass with his own, "And I for one am truly looking forward to being flattened by them."

Sami rolled her eyes at his spin doctoring. The man was impossible! Everything she did and said he seemed to be able to twist to his advantage somehow, it was so infuriating. She absolutely had to up her game if she wanted to come out on top… not that she wanted to be on top of him of course. Oh damn it! Now he was making her do it in her own head! She hated the man so much! Dinner was more of the same, word games going back and forth, each of them trying to get the last word in and neither one backing down.

"Ready for dessert Samantha?" he asked her when he'd cleared the last of the dishes away and Sami shook her head.

"I don't think I can," she said weakly.

This time she wasn't playing a game with him, she really didn't think she could eat anything else. The evening was so warm and she had so many clothes on that even after the simple meal that they'd just had they felt painfully tight. The red wine had heated her up even more and now she was feeling decidedly faint from the heat, even beginning to perspire slightly.

"Samantha?" asked EJ with a bit of a frown, seeing how pink she'd suddenly gone, "Are you alright?"

He came round to her side of the table to take a closer look at her.

"I just need to go to my room," she said, swatting away his helping hand as she went to stand.

After arriving and the saying Lucas' name fiasco she had been almost sure that he would force her to share a room with him but to her great surprise he hadn't. Taking her suitcases to a beautifully laid out room and informing her that his bedroom was just next door. She'd felt an unbelievable surge of relief at that but it remained to be seen if he was going to stay in his room and leave her alone.

"I just need to lie down for a bit," she said shakily as she stood up.

Suddenly being upright did not agree with Sami in her weakened, heat exhausted state and as soon as she stood up her head immediately began to spin and she promptly fainted. She would have hit the ground very hard if EJ's reflexes hadn't been quicker, simply grabbing her before she'd fallen very far and scooping her up in his arms.

"Impossible, stubborn, crazy woman," muttered EJ as he placed her gently down on the sofa, even as his heart was racing in his chest at seeing her pass out like that.

EJ quickly began to remove her clothing, starting with that ridiculous beanie and scarf. They were in the tropics for God's sake - no wonder she fainted under all that get up! EJ pulled off her camisole and the short sleeved shirt she had on underneath that and threw them carelessly to one side. His hands went next to her skirt and pulled that down her hips in one easy motion.

"Samantha," he said urgently to her as she still hadn't regained consciousness, "Sweetheart, wake up!"

She didn't respond so next were the sweat pants and EJ found them a little more of a struggle, the stretchy material catching on her jeans so he had to wrestle them off her. Through it all Samantha remained perfectly still and EJ was really beginning to worry now. He pulled her sneakers off so he could get her sweat pants off and realised it wasn't going to be enough his hands went to the buttons of her jeans and after a little bit of fiddling around he'd removed them as well, leaving her only in her panties and the long sleeved blouse. The wave of heat that rolled off her body when he took her jeans off deeply concerned EJ and he worried now that she might have done some real damage to herself in her silly act of rebellion.

How like his Samantha to do something like this he groaned to himself, caught between adoring her for it and fretting over her.

EJ quickly got up and grabbed a napkin from the table and dunked it in the now icy water of the ice bucket and hurried back over to where Sami lay stretched out on the sofa. He put the cold cloth on her chest and then moved it around to the back of her neck, holding it there with one hand while with the other he picked up a nearby magazine and fanned her with it.

"Okay Samantha," he said, trying to sound calm but there was definite tension in his voice now, "Enough of this silliness, you are to wake up now do you hear me?"

For a long painful minute Sami still didn't move but then her eyes began to flicker and EJ could have kissed her from the relief but he somehow thought his gesture might be misinterpreted. Sami gave a little groan, beginning to regain her consciousness properly now. Sami's eyes fluttered open and she struggled to focus her gaze. All she could see was a blurry looking EJ looking down at her anxiously and she wondered why he was all fuzzy like that and what was his problem.

"Samantha?"

His deep voice reverberated through her and he was so close that she could feel his breath on her face as he spoke. Sami blinked a few more times and tried to work out what had just happened. She suddenly realised something was different and in a split second she realised that she wasn't wearing any pants.

"What the hell?!" she exclaimed, suddenly finding her strength and pushing against EJ's chest where he was sitting beside her on the sofa, his hand at her neck for some reason, "Get away from me EJ!"

EJ was a little taken aback by her sudden vehemence but obediently leant back a little and Sami scrambled to her feet, glaring down at him.

"What the hell did you do to me EJ?!" she shouted at him, "Where are my pants?!"

"They are right there along with your other pants and your skirt sweetheart," he said calmly, glad to see she was alright, even if it meant that she was yelling at him, "And I didn't do anything to you - you did it to yourself with that ridiculous ensemble of yours."

Sami scowled at him, not sure what to believe now.

"You gave yourself heat stroke Samantha," he explained to her patiently, sitting back a little in the sofa and looking up at her, "I had to take some of your clothing off before you expired completely… it was like peeling an onion I have to say. How are you feeling now? You still look very flushed."

EJ's eyes ran appreciatively all over her body and Sami's flush deepened even more. She looked down at her bare legs and grabbed the bottom of her shirt and pulled it down as far as she could, hiding as much of her body from him as possible.

"Give me my pants back!" she ordered him through gritted teeth, feeling exceptionally stupid right about now, "And I'm fine!"

"I think you should sit back down Samantha," he said kindly, "You still look a little shaky on your pins darling. Why don't I fetch you a cold drink of water eh?"

"I'm fine EJ," she said through clenched teeth, "The only thing I want is my pants back!"

"You can have the skirt," he informed her, reaching over to pick it up from where he'd thrown it earlier, "It's more ventilated."

He passed the skirt to her and she grabbed it, turning her back to him and quickly pulling it on.

"Please Samantha," he said with a little laugh at seeing her attempts at modesty, "I saw more of you than this the very first time we met, there is no need to be so coy now after all that has passed between us."

"How do I know you didn't… didn't do something to me?" asked Sami, deeply suspicious of him although somewhere deep down she knew he wouldn't have but something drove her to accuse him of it.

"Samantha," EJ sighed, "It I'd wanted someone lifeless with nothing to say I would have pursued your sister Carrie when I first came to town."

Sami was taken aback by that and instinctively opened her mouth to defend Carrie but then realised that this was the first time she'd ever really heard anyone speak ill of Saint Carrie. Even after the adultery thing which she'd managed not once but twice everyone had kind of let that slide and it was still 'oh poor Carrie'. For once in her life Sami really didn't know what to say at hearing a man not sing the praises of her perfect sister.

"You… you think Carrie's boring?" asked Sami in disbelief.

"Oh please," said EJ with a roll of his eyes, "I've got more exciting shirts in my wardrobe than your sister Samantha."

Sami didn't say anything to that, pondering it for a moment.

"Samantha," said EJ softly, standing up and walking over to her, pushing a sweaty bang back from her forehead, "You're not a consolation prize to me… you're the only prize that's worth having, worth fighting for."

"I'm not Lucas' consolation prize!" retorted Sami angrily, stung by his words that struck dangerously close to long held secret fears, "He loves me!"

"Keep telling yourself that sweetheart," said EJ calmly, expecting her to react as she did, "One of these days you might even believe it. Oh and by the way - you said the 'L' word so expect to have to pay for that at some point."

"You… you're taking advantage of me!" she said heatedly, "In my weakened state otherwise I would never have said Lu…"

Sami clamped down on wayward tongue and glared up at him.

"You just kept telling me you're perfectly fine Samantha," pointed out EJ mildly, "So which is it? You can't have it both ways you know?"

"I'm… I'm…" Sami stammered and tried to get her brain to work.

She wasn't sure if it was the wine she'd had at dinner or the fact she'd just given herself heat stroke but nothing was coming to her and she just stood there, her mouth opening and closing, looking not unlike a goldfish.

"I often find myself speechless around you as well darling," he teased her.

"Since when?" she asked flatly, suddenly finding her voice, "You've got an answer for everything EJ!"

EJ grinned at that, bending down so his lips were near her ear.

"Jealous?" he purred and wiggled his eye brows at her knowingly.

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ cocked his head and waited for the sound of running water to start; telling him Sami was in the shower at last. He made his way to her room, his bare feet noiseless on the wooden floors. EJ paused momentarily outside her door, thoughtfully scratching his chin with a finger, quietly contemplating what he was about to do for a brief moment.

He pushed open her door and walked in, making sure to leave the door ajar so he could listen out for when the sound of the shower stopped so he'd know that he'd have time to make sure he was out of her room before she returned to it. EJ looked around the room and saw one of her many suitcases open on the bed but it was nearly empty now. Not surprisingly really seeing as she apparently wore just about every article of clothing she owned in the world to dinner tonight. EJ's lips turned up into a smile at the memory, finding her unbearably cute when she was trying to defy him like this but he'd hoped she'd learnt her lesson and wouldn't do anything so foolhardy tomorrow night - in fact he'd make sure of it. After all, he still had yet to decide on her punishment for saying Lucas' name at dinner. Whatever else, Sami was certainly going to make the next six days interesting and he couldn't wait. EJ turned and walked over to the chest of drawers and pulled open the top drawer.

Sami had neatly folded her camisoles and singlets in there and before he could help himself EJ picked up one of the delicate pieces of satin and held it to his face, breathing in the undeniable scent of her. Even though they'd been freshly laundered there was still something that smelt of Samantha to him, delicate and lingering and EJ closed his eyes, imagining the soft scraps of material against her even softer skin. EJ shook his head as he quickly felt himself becoming lost in his fantasy.

This was not why he was here… he had another goal in mind right then.

He tried the next drawer down and found it full of her underwear, panties and bras in all colours and styles and the grin was back on his face again. He wondered which one of these sets he was going to have the pleasure of removing from her body in the next few days. He was feeling rather optimistic tonight so he rather hoped it would be all of them. Attempting to remain focused EJ stuck his hands into the drawer and began to feel about. Sami would not be happy if she came back her and found him elbow deep in her unmentionables and the thought made him smile. He wondered what her punishment would be and that made him smile even wider as he imagined it. His hands connected with something smooth and hard and his fingers curled around it and brought it out and held it to his face.

"Bingo," he said happily, "We have a winner ladies and gentleman."

EJ straightened up and placed the birth control pills on the chest of drawers while one hand went to his sweat pants pocket and pulled out a little phial of white pills. EJ flipped open the disc of birth control pills, seeing all the small white pills neatly arranged in a circle with only a couple missing. He then opened the phial he'd bought with him and began to painstakingly replace the real birth control pills with the placebo he'd managed to get his hands on.

"I don't think we'll be needing you little blighters this week," he muttered to himself as he went about the fiddly task.

EJ had known that this was her preferred method of birth control and come prepared because he'd listened in on a conversation Sami had with Carrie before everything soured between the two women. They'd been chatting as sister's do about such things, comparing notes. He and Austin had been off talking but EJ had managed to be able to maintain the conversation with the other man while covertly listening to Sami and Carrie talk. He wanted to know everything there was to know about Samantha Brady and the littlest detail mattered to him.

Not that this was a little detail of course.

His father had sent him to Salem with a very definite mission… take revenge on the Brady's and choose a Brady woman to have his child. A child that would provide life saving stem cells for his father's waning health. As soon as he'd laid eyes on Sami there had been no choice. She was the one that he wanted… instantly, without question. Being raised as a good, unquestioning DiMera solider he hadn't found his father's request to impregnate a woman he hadn't even met yet strange and would have done so regardless of how he'd ended up feeling about the woman. His father had asked it of him and he had never denied his father anything. Why should he? Stefano had been a wonderful father to him who had given him the world. What else could he do but repay that love with simple obedience? But it would be a complete lie to say that he found carrying out this particular request of his father's anything other than his utter joy to do so.

EJ finished his task and snapped the lid closed again, pocketing the unwanted real birth control pills… at least they were unwanted by him. The thought of fathering a child before he'd met Sami had simply been a means to an end, to help his beloved father. But now it was utterly different. The thought of Samantha bearing his child, carrying it inside of her, nurturing a life they'd created together with her body was something he suddenly found himself longing for. It should have been shocking to him considering his life of devil may care playboy up to that point but it just felt too right to be shocking somehow. He had fallen for this woman, entirely, wholly and he wanted it all with her. He wanted her love and devotion, he wanted her to be his wife and the mother of his children and he wasn't particularly concerned about what order those things came to him in… as long as they came to him.

The sound of the shower water being turned off warned EJ that Sami was almost done and he quickly returned the now defunct birth control pills to her drawer, burying them in her underwear as he'd found them. He silently turned around then and padded noiselessly from the room, closing the door behind her and so Sami would be none the wiser… well not until about a month's time anyway. EJ looked down the corridor at the closed bathroom door and smiled tenderly.

"This week is going to change our lives forever Samantha," he told her softly even though she couldn't hear his words uttered with complete certainty, "Nothing will ever be the same again for us… I just know it."

**oooOOOOooo**

Samantha lay in her bed, sheets pulled up to her chin as she waited on tender hooks. Every little noise she heard outside her door made her freeze and then her heart start to beat wildly. It was here, the moment she'd dreaded ever since she'd realised that she was going to have to go through with her deal with him. Any minute now EJ was going to walk through that door and demand payment in full for his part in rescuing Lucas and the thought sickened her. There was a gentle tap on the door then and Sami immediately tensed, sitting up in bed, bracing herself for what was about to happen.

"_Samantha?"_

EJ's voice came to her from the other side of the door.

"What?" asked Sami sharply, having no idea what she was going to do if he walked through that door, preparing herself for a fight if she had to, to protect herself.

"_There are more blankets if you need them in the bottom drawer of the dresser by the window," he informed her calmly, "Seeing as you feel the cold so terribly I thought you might need them."_

Sami could hear the smile in his voice as he said that and ground her teeth in frustration.

"_Goodnight Samantha," he said to her softly, "Sweet dreams."_

"Goodnight EJ," she returned flatly, "Burn in hell."

She heard him chuckle at that and then there was the sound of him walking away from the door. Sami listened intently for a long time after she heard him leave; sure he'd be back any second. But the seconds stretched into minutes and then they became an hour and still nothing. Sami had lain back on the bed and at some point without her realising it she'd fallen asleep, exhausted by the events of the day.

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ lay awake, sitting up in his own bed, his mind racing as he looked over at the wall that he shared with Samantha's bedroom. She was so damn close and the thought sent a shiver of expectation down his spine. Today had gone well, better than he'd expected actually. Her reactions to him today and tonight had told him that Samantha was anything but indifferent to him as she liked to make out and that was all he needed to know. He had the next six days to get her to open her eyes and to see him and their relationship for what it really was and EJ relished the thought of that.

_Tomorrow couldn't come soon enough for him…_

**Chapter NINE**** - ****All The Kings Horses and All The Kings Men**

**DAY 2...**

Sami woke up in the morning with a fright, forgetting where she was and taking a moment to come to her senses.

"Oh!" she groaned unhappily, flopping back on the pillows and covering her face with her hands.

She'd hoped it had been all some horrible dream but no, apparently it was real. A knock at the door made her tense.

"Yes," she called out.

"_Are you decent?" asked EJ's voice from the other side of the door._

"Why?" she scowled.

"_Because I have a policy about full frontal nudity first thing in the morning," he teased._

Sami rolled her eyes at his silliness and got out of bed, tromping over to the bedroom door and opening it. EJ was standing there, breakfast tray in hand laden with toast, fruit, bacon, eggs and croissants. He looked a little surprised at the door being suddenly flung open but he immediately smiled to see her.

"Let me guess?" she smiled up at him sweetly, "You're for it!"

"Generally speaking," he grinned down at her, "Good morning Samantha, don't you look quite the vision first thing in the morning?"

"What is this?" she asked him with a frown at the tray of food.

"Would you believe breakfast?" he asked with a charming smile.

"I wouldn't believe you if you said the sky were blue EJ," sniffed Sami.

"My little sceptic," he tutted at her, "Now can I come in?"

"What for?" she scowled at him.

"Well breakfast in bed requires two components – one… the breakfast…" EJ held the tray up a little, "… which I have provided and two… a bed…"

He looked over Sami's shoulder at the bed behind her and then back at her.

"… which you seem to have," he finished smoothly.

"I am not letting you in here and I'm certainly not letting you give me breakfast in bed EJ," she said flatly, "Forget it!"

"Hmm," he pouted and gave her an impish wink, "I was rather hoping that the way to the ladies heart was through her stomach."

"Yeah well EJ," she huffed at him, "Take a step inside that door and the quickest way to _your_ heart will be through the gapping chest wound that I'm going to give you!"

"Have I ever told you that it gets me incredibly hot when you threaten me with violence Samantha?" he asked her, a definite twinkle in his eyes now.

"Yes," she said in annoyance.

"And yet you persist in doing it," he purred at her and arched a knowing eyebrow at her, "Interesting."

"I'll meet you downstairs for breakfast," said Sami, not willing to carry on this particular line of banter any longer, "After I get dressed."

"I'll wait and we can go together," he said happily.

Sami put a hand on her hip and gave him an unimpressed look.

"No?" he sighed regretfully, "Alright then I'll let you get dressed alone then. Oh and Samantha…"

Sami looked at him expectantly when he paused.

"Let's limit it to just one layer today hmm?" he teased her, "It's a warm day out we don't want a repeat occurrence of last's night excitement now do we? Although…"

EJ gave her a wicked look, his eyes flicking up and down her pyjama clad body.

"… any time you need help with removing any article of clothing I will be more than happy to help you out sweetheart," he said cheekily.

Sami's expression didn't change; she just wordlessly reached out and slammed the door shut in his face. She turned around and looked back into her room and behind her she could hear him chuckling merrily away to himself and made an unhappy face. Alright, today was a new day and a new game plan. Clearly the clothing idea had not been roaring success so she was just going to have to come up with another strategy. Sami had been a little surprised that he wasn't pushing her more, apart from the outrageous flirting of course. She'd been figuring on him playing much harder ball than he was now that he had her at his mercy. It seemed like he was trying to charm her into his bed but he was sorely mistaken if he thought that she would fall for that little game of his twice.

No, she'd trusted him once, bought into the caring, charming friend routine and it turned out it had been nothing but lies. This time round Sami had promised herself she wasn't going to be that gullible. He wasn't going to play her like he'd done everyone else in Salem. He was a DiMera and not to be trusted and Sami made sure to remind herself of that fact as often as she could. So much of the pain and heartache in her life had been caused by the hand of a DiMera and she would be the world's biggest fool for her to allow another DiMera into her life willingly. Whilst Sami had done some foolish things but she wasn't anybody's fool... least of all EJ's. Her resolve strengthened Sami slowly got dressed, taking as long as she could before joining EJ downstairs for breakfast and suffering through another day with him.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Where are you taking me?" complained Sami as they walked around the side of the large house and down a little track to one side.

They'd just finished breakfast and EJ had informed her that he'd come up with her punishment for last night's slip up with Lucas' name. Sami had rather been hoping he'd forgotten about that but no such luck apparently.

"You're not a morning person are you darling?" he teased her, unfazed by her bad humour.

"I'm not a morning, noon or night person if you're around EJ!" she snapped at him, her anxiety over what he had planned for her making her especially moody, "Now tell me what you are up to!"

"Shh," he told her as they came up to a little barn looking thing at the end of the dirt track they were walking along, nestled in against the rainforest, "You'll frightened him Samantha, no more yelling."

"Him?" asked Sami nervously, watching as EJ opened the door of the barn and walked inside, "Him who exactly?"

The unmistakeable smell of horses met Sami's nostrils as EJ left the door open and then her suspicions were confirmed when he walked out again, leading a horse. Sami's mouth dropped open.

"It's… it's a horse," she said weakly.

"Very good sweetheart," he said with a little laugh, "See – you're not a total city girl after all."

"Wh… what is a horse doing on an island?" asked Sami distractedly, staring at the large animal and ignoring EJ's teasing.

"Jellybean was a present to me from my father," EJ informed her.

"Jellybean?" asked Sami sceptically looking at the giant chestnut horse that looked more like it's name should be Zeus or some other overly masculine and imposing sound name rather than a sweet one like Jellybean.

"It's his name," confirmed EJ easily, affectionately patting the creatures long nose, "He's a real dolly Samantha, you'll love him."

"I wasn't planning on having any feelings about him actually," said Sami a little warily, backing up a bit as the horse flicked its tail and moved its feet, "Nice horsy – you stay there."

"He just wants to say hello Samantha," EJ encouraged her, seeing the way she couldn't seem to take her eyes off the animal, clearly very nervous of it, "Here…"

EJ walked over to where Sami had backed up to and gently moved her forward, towards Jellybean.

"Come on," he told her, his voice suddenly in her ear as he bent down from behind her, "You'll hurt his feelings if you don't say hello sweetheart."

"Ah… hello?" she said to the horse and made a vague, nervous waving hand gesture of greeting to the horse.

"Not like that," he laughed at her, "Haven't you ever been this close to a horse before?"

"Of course," said Sami defensively, "Just not one this big!"

"Don't let his size fool you," he said from behind her and she could hear the smile in his voice, "He's a real pussy cat… just like me."

"I'm allergic to cats," said Sami flatly even though it was a lie, he wasn't to know that.

"Oh well," he sighed, "That's disappointing."

"Not for me," she smirked at him.

"Maybe you just need to get used to it," he suggested, his hot breath by her ear now.

"So what?" she asked him with a frown putting a definite end to that conversation, "Jellybean is alone on the island when you're not around - how does that work?"

"The house and the island have a caretaker who lives here when the family isn't staying," explained EJ calmly, "They take care of the house and of course Jellybean."

"Must be nice to have servants," she sniffed in disdain.

"Enrique has been with our family for many years," EJ informed her, "He's more family than staff."

"Poor man," she said mockingly.

"Not everyone thinks of the DiMera's as the spawn of Satan you know Samantha," said EJ mildly, "This might shock you to know that some people actually like us."

"I don't that!" she said with a roll of her eyes, "If anything I think they like your money or are frightened of you!"

"Money and power can be intimidating to some," conceded EJ, "But not to you eh Samantha?"

"Well not all of us were born with a silver spoon up our…" began Sami in annoyance but he stopped her before she got too graphic.

"Ah ah darling," he tutted and nodded at Jellybean, "Young ears are present."

"He doesn't know what we're saying," said Sami dismissively.

"Jelly understands tones of voices," EJ disagreed, "He knows you're being mean to me and he doesn't like it."

"Well maybe if Jellybean knew the whole story he might take my side," huffed Sami, looking over at the horse, "Just so you know – your owner sucks!"

"You haven't given me a chance to yet," he said playfully giving her backside a quick slap and making her give a gasp of outrage, "But when you do I promise you Samantha…"

EJ walked around from behind her as he spoke, coming to stand beside Jellybean again and gave her an impish look.

"… you won't think that such an insult anymore," he assured her and wiggled his eye brows at her knowingly.

"You're disgusting," she informed him but didn't seem overly put out, she was getting used to his openly flirtatious ways now.

"Here," he told her, reaching into his jeans pocket and pulling out a carrot and offering it to her, "Make friends with Jellybean – carrots are his favourite."

"You have a carrot in your pocket?" asked Sami with an arched eyebrow.

"What darling?" he teased her with a wink, "Did you just think I was just happy to see you?"

"Do you see what I have to put up with Jellybean?" she asked the horse despondently, "He's like this all the time!"

Jellybean seemed more interested in the carrot Sami was now holding than offering her any real sympathy for her predicament. The horse took a couple of eager steps towards Sami and she panicked as the giant creature advanced on her, throwing the carrot at Jellybean's head in a desperate attempt to stop him coming any closer. The carrot caught him harmlessly on his nose and bounced to the ground. Jellybean gave EJ a seemingly bemused look at Sami's odd behaviour and EJ patted his mane reassuringly.

"She'll grow on you," he promised the horse, "Trust me."

Jellybean didn't look overly convinced but there was a carrot to be eaten so he couldn't be bothered worrying about it, simply bending his head and picking up the carrot, chomping on it happily.

"Let's try that again shall we sweetheart?" asked EJ brightly.

"Do we have to?" asked Sami unhappily.

Whilst Jellybean was obviously a beautiful horse Sami couldn't help but fret being this close to such a large animal. She'd never been this close to horse before and didn't realise how big they were in real life. EJ meanwhile seemed determined that she and Jellybean were to be BFF's because he'd disappeared into the barn to return with a bag of what Sami assumed was horse food.

"Here Samantha," he offered her, "Take a handful."

Sami gingerly dug into the bag and got a handful of the feed out. Jellybean's eyes lit up at the sight and he immediately advanced on her again and Sami, once again panicked, throwing the grain at Jellybean and this time managing to get EJ as well.

"Sweetheart," said EJ patiently, shaking his head to dislodge horse food pellets and then running his fingers through his hair to get the last of it, "Jellybean doesn't really enjoy his food when it's an aerosol… and I'm not particularly in love with the concept either."

"I'm sorry!" she said biting her lip, "I'm not used to dealing with livestock okay - so sue me!"

"Just relax Samantha," he encouraged her with a smile, finding her very cute like this, so out of her depths, "Take another handful of grain but please refrain from thinking that you're at one of your many almost weddings eh darling?"

That earned him a scowl but EJ had achieved what he'd intended, distracting her from her fear. Sami gave him a challenging look and grabbed a handful of horse feed and EJ put out a hand to stop Jellybean from moving towards Sami and then gave her careful instructions.

"Just turn your hand over Samantha," he said calmly, "And open out your hand and keep it really flat."

Sami did as he instructed and her face rumpling up anxiously as Jellybean walked over. EJ put his hand underneath hers to steady it when it looked as though she might pull away again as the horse ducked his head and began to eat from Sami's hand. Sami made a little squeaking noise at the feel of his whiskery face on her palm, at once course but also the velvety feel of his nose and the funny sensation of Jellybean's lips scooping the food up quite delicately from her hand. Very quickly he'd finished it all and was looking for more.

"Put both of your hands out," EJ told her and Sami did as he asked and he poured more feed into her outstretched palms which Jellybean instantly hoed into.

Sami grinned at EJ, delighted to have overcome her fears and enjoying this new experience. EJ smiled to see the child like excitement on her face as she hand fed the horse, watching her beautiful face light up. There were so many things he wanted to show her in this world. So many new experiences and sights that this world had to offer rather than her being cloistered away in Salem, not even knowing what it was that she was missing out on. She was surrounded by a disapproving family that made her feel ashamed of who she really was and EJ longed to take her away from their censure. EJ couldn't help the look of longing that washed over his face as he watched her with Jellybean.

He wanted to sweep her up in his arms and they could discover what the world had in store for them together. In so many ways Sami had lived such a sheltered life and he wanted to open her eyes to the possibilities that were out there for her… for them. Jellybean had finished again and was snuffling around Sami's hands looking for any last morsel of food, snorting noisily and making her giggle at the sensation.

"Alright you," said EJ affectionately, scratching him behind his ears, "That's enough for now; time to earn your keep."

"What do you mean?" asked Sami absently, still on a bit of a high from her first experience of hand feeding an animal.

"Your penance, not that I think you can really call it that for the 'L' word indiscretion," said EJ easily, "I thought we'd go for a ride around the island, so you could get your bearings."

"But I thought it was having to feed Jellybean?" asked Sami, taken aback by this new information.

"I never said that Samantha," said EJ with a shake of his head, "I just wanted you to get comfortable with each other before we go on our ride."

"Do you mean on Jellybean?" asked Sami, shocked that he would suggest such a thing for some reason.

"Well I toyed with us carrying him around the island but this seemed the simplest way to go darling," he said seriously.

"I can't get on that thing!" exclaimed Sami anxiously as though he hadn't spoken, "He's huge, he's as big as… as…"

"A horse?" suggested EJ helpfully and rather amazingly, straight faced.

"Your hysterical," she scowled up at him.

"Have you ever actually been on a horse before?" asked EJ with a quizzical look at her.

"Of course!" she said haughtily and then grimaced when she saw the sceptical look he gave her and had to come clean, "On a merry go round."

"Right," said EJ, trying to keep a straight face, "Well I don't know if that quite qualifies you for the Grand National darling but I guess it's a start."

"I don't want to do this EJ," said Sami with a shake of her head, looking warily up at Jellybean.

"Tell you what," said EJ cheerily, "How about we do a few circle laps so you're put in mind of your merry go round past glories eh… get your sea legs back as it were."

"Can't you pick another punishment for me?" asked Sami anxiously, thinking that she'd fall off Jellybean's back and break her neck for sure.

"I could…" said EJ and let his warm gaze drift all over her body suggestively, "… if you really wanted me to Samantha."

He held her gaze then and there was a wicked gleam to his eyes now.

"… I do have some other ideas that we could do if you'd prefer sweetheart," he purred at her, "In fact, instead of riding Jelly here you could always take a ride on…"

"Shut up EJ!" she interrupted him, glowering at him fiercely definitely not wanting to hear the end of that sentence, "Fine, fine! You win!"

"I always do Samantha," he said smoothly and gave her a little wink, "Perhaps it's time you just embrace that little fact and stop fighting me so much?"

"Jellybean?" asked Sami sweetly, looking over at her new found friend and ignoring EJ completely, "Could you tell EJ that he is the biggest creep I have ever met in my entire life?"

"Jelly," said EJ, playing along, "Could you tell Samantha that if she insists on being this adorable I will have no choice but to start kissing her and who knows where that will end."

"Jellybean," said Sami with a sickly saccharine smile, "Could you tell EJ that if he even thinks about trying something like that, that he will be permanently disfigured!"

"Jelly," returned EJ smoothly, "Can you tell Samantha…"

_Jellybean blew out an exasperated breath - seriously, if he was going to have to put up with this kind of carry on all morning he was going to have to insist on more oats… or ear muffs!_

**Chapter TEN ****- ****Tiger, Tiger Burning Bright****…**

**Day 2 (cont)…**

Sami walked down the stairs from the second storey of the house later that afternoon and stood in the foyer. She peeked around the corner into the sitting room and saw EJ sitting on the sofa, nose buried in a book. She'd been avoiding him by staying in her room since their horse ride together that morning but then she hadn't been happy where her thoughts had been taking her so she'd come back downstairs again.

**oooOOOOooo**

_Sami squealed as EJ suddenly picked her up and swung her up onto Jellybeans back._

"_EJ!" she said in horror, "What are you doing? Put me down!"_

_Sami suddenly felt a little dizzy at how high up she was. If Jellybean had looked tall from the ground when she was on his back it was even worse and she immediately crouched forward and grabbed a hold of his mane._

"_I'm going to fall!" she said anxiously._

"_No you're not Samantha," EJ reassured her with a smile, seeing the way she was clinging onto an ever patient Jellybean's back, "Just relax."_

"_Get me off this horse and I'll be able to!" she said through gritted teeth, "He doesn't even have a saddle on!"_

"_Don't need one," said EJ simply, "The harness will do."_

"_I cannot drive this thing!" exclaimed Sami, "I'll be killed!"_

"_I'd never let that happen sweetheart," he told her sincerely, looking at her pale, worried face that was lying against Jellybean's mane, "I'd die before I let you get hurt Samantha. Besides…"_

_He walked around behind Sami, out of her eyeshot but she was too scared to lift her head to see what he was doing._

"_Don't leave me!" she said urgently, tightening her hold on Jellybean._

"_Never," he told her with great certainty and if Sami had been so distracted she might have worried about the way he said that last thing._

_She suddenly felt movement behind her and then EJ's legs appeared alongside hers and she realised that he'd just effortlessly swung himself up behind on Jellybean's back. Sami was still hunched over Jelly's neck and EJ had to reach around her to pick up the reigns that were hanging loosely. _

"_Ah Samantha?" he said and she could hear the laughter in his voice, "Do you want to sit up sweetheart?"_

"_No thank you," she said very politely, having no intention of making herself any further off the ground than she had to be. _

"_We can't start moving until you do darling," he said in amusement, "Jelly's head is going to move as he walks, he'll bang yours and trust me… as hard headed as you are, Jelly is going to win that particular game."_

"_But I'll fall," whimpered Sami._

"_I won't let that happen Samantha," he reassured her, "Come now, just straighten up, you'll be fine, I promise."_

_Sami gingerly did as he said, slowly straightening up. _

"_Am I hurting him?" asked Sami anxiously and EJ peered over her shoulder to see she had a death grip on Jelly's mane._

"_No," he said in amusement, "He'll let you know if you are. I told you Samantha, Jellybean is a very placid and patient horse. Now, just try and relax will you?"_

_Sami made a little strangled noise as EJ made a clicking sound with his tongue and Jelly started to amble down the path. She leant back hard against EJ, his chest at her shoulders as he was the only solid thing that she had to steady herself against now. Instinctively she clamped her legs together, trying to hold on._

"_Relax your legs Samantha," said EJ calmly, "Jelly will think you want him to gallop."_

"_Oh!" she gasped and immediately concentrated on loosening her grip on the horse, that being the last thing she wanted right now. _

_However she felt even more precarious now and when Jelly decided to trot for a few feet Sami relinquished her hold on his mane and grabbed both of EJ's thighs that she was currently sitting between and held on for dear life. _

"_Ah Samantha," said EJ, "Not that I'm not always very excited anytime your hands end up on my thighs but do you think you could loosen your grip just a tad… you're stopping the blood supply to my toes… I don't want them to start dropping off on the trip home."_

"_I'll fall!" protested Sami tensely._

"_No you won't," he told her, "Here…"_

_EJ moved so that the entire length of his body was against hers now and tightened his legs around her a little, one arm snaking out across her stomach and holding her against him. In any other circumstances Sami would have protested the proximity and certainly the familiarity but right now, honestly all she felt was hugely relieved because he had made her feel safer by the simple action. _

"_You're safe with me Samantha," he whispered in her ear and EJ fully expected her to say something curt to him back at that but she just silently nodded, looking nervously at the ground. _

_He tightened his hold on her, urging Jellybean forward and just simply enjoyed the moment. It was a beautiful day, he was in one of his most favourite spots in the world and he had the woman he loved in his arms._

_All in all, not too shabby mused EJ. _

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami took a deep breath before walking back into the living room, knowing EJ was there. The horse ride had unsettled her and she hated that. At some point in the whole experience she'd forgotten herself and actually began to have fun. She'd been horrified when she realised that and knew that she couldn't let herself fall into another DiMera trap that easily. EJ was playing with her and she wasn't going to let him get away with it. She hated him she reminded herself. He was DiMera and the DiMera's had only ever caused pain and suffering in her life. Sami was done with being a victim to the DiMera's. However EJ decided to play this she wasn't going to trust him ever again. He might have made her forget who and what he was a few minutes today but she was back in the game now and if he thought that he'd made some head way with her then he was about to be sorely disappointed! Her resolve strengthened Sami marched into the living room.

"Would you like a lolly?" asked EJ casually, looking over the top of his glasses briefly at her, holding up the white paper bag of sweets he'd been sampling absently whilst reading his book.

"Oh I'm sorry EJ," she said, sounding anything but and giving him a defiant look, "I'm an American, I only eat candy!"

"Well they're at the bottom," he said, not missing a beat, "You'll have to dig for the candy I'm afraid."

"You shouldn't be eating that stuff anyway," she sniffed, "It's bad for you."

"I seem to have a predilection towards things that are bad for me," commented EJ idly, still not looking up, his tongue working to get lose a bit of the sugary substance from a tooth.

Sami didn't have to know what the word 'predilection' meant to know that his last comment was a thinly veiled dig at her.

"Well maybe you should just get over it," she snapped at him.

"Ah would that I could my darling," he sighed, feigning regret as he turned a page of his book, "But I find myself unable to say no to the sweet things of this world…"

He looked up then and gave her an impish wink.

"… or the sour as it would turn out," he teased her for her sullen expression she was currently wearing.

Sami gave him an unimpressed look and shook her head.

"Besides I thought you'd be thrilled to see me doing something that could potentially shorten my life," he commented, going back to his book and absently scratching his cheek with one long finger.

"It's just not quick enough for my liking," she sniped at him, folding her arms in front of her chest.

"Ah," he smiled and looked over at her, "Patience is a virtue Samantha, take it from me… patience is a virtue."

"You don't have any virtues!" she huffed at him.

"Oh please Samantha," he said, a little smile lingering on his lips as he went back to perusing his book although he couldn't have possibly be managing to take anything in with all their toing and froing, "I have virtues up to the wahzoo… in fact I have virtues I haven't even used yet I'll have you know sweetheart."

Sami snorted loudly at that last statement.

"Was that you darling or did a wild boar just wander though the sitting room?" he asked her idly, not looking up from his book.

"Name one!" she challenged him and ignoring his little dig at her, "Name one supposed virtue of yours EJ and I'll name two flaws for every one virtue you can come up with."

"I'm a good listener," said EJ evenly.

"Just so you can gather information to use against people at a later date!" she scorned that particular virtue of his, "And you're a liar!"

"Everyone lies Samantha," said EJ dismissively, "To others… to themselves… "

He gave her a pointed look at that last part.

"… it's a very human condition," he said coolly, "And the saying people in glass houses comes to mind my darling about that particular flaw eh darling?"

Sami just curled her lip at him unimpressed.

"I'm good in a crisis," he continued on with his virtue list.

"Because you usually cause the crisis!" said Sami unswayed by that particular virtue as well, "And you're arrogant and smug!"

"Confident and self assured if you please," he dismissed her analysis of him.

EJ eyed her up and down then, pursing his lips thoughtfully.

"Samantha," he said calmly, "This conversation is like a broken pencil."

Sami frowned at that, having no idea what he was talking about.

"Pointless," he supplied for her with a little smile and she rolled her eyes at his attempt at humour, "We are the two of us impossibly flawed human beings… just like every other person in this world."

"Some more than others," she noted flatly.

"Indeed," he agreed with a little laugh, "But I rather have a sneaking suspicion Samantha that neither of us are quite as bad as everyone thinks but nor are we quite as good as we perhaps think ourselves eh?"

"Well I know you're not," said Sami sweetly, going to take a seat across from him.

"Ah Samantha," sighed EJ and just shook his head at her jab and went back to his book.

He didn't speak for a little bit after that and Sami became bored, fidgeting in her seat.

"I didn't know you wore glasses," she said, not really knowing why she was feeling the need to engage him in conversation.

"There are a great many things about me that you don't know Samantha," said EJ calmly, looking at her over the top of his glasses again, "That is what this week is all about after all… getting to know one another better."

"I thought this week was all about trying to dominate and bully me to get your own way," muttered Sami, determined to paint him as the villain of the piece no matter what.

"No that would be the last thing I'd ever want to do to you Samantha," said EJ simply, going back to his book and popping another lolly in his mouth and casually chewing, "You're thinking about someone else in your life darling."

"Lucas doesn't bully me!" snapped Sami.

EJ took his glasses off and looked at her calmly.

"What makes you think I meant Lucas sweetheart?" asked EJ mildly, "And just so you know you just broke the golden rule again."

Sami blew out an exasperated look, unbelievably frustrated at herself that she kept doing that.

"So what?" she asked him with a frown, "What's my punishment, another ride around the island on Jellybean?"

"You rather gave me the impression you enjoyed that sweetheart," said EJ calmly.

**oooOOOOooo**

"_Can we go faster?" asked Sami and EJ smiled down at her even though she couldn't see it._

"_Someone's gotten cocky rather quickly considering half an hour ago you were sure you were not going to get out of this alive," he noted in amusement. _

"_Yeah well," shrugged Sami with a sniff, "I'm over that now - can we go faster or what?"_

"_Well the next pace up from this is a trot and then a canter," EJ informed her, "But I should warn you - that can be a little bumpy for the first timer - especially without a saddle."_

"_So why can't we just go straight to galloping then?" she asked him, looking back over her shoulder at him with a frown._

"_Oh Samantha," he chuckled and she could feel the reverberation of his deep laughter along the entire length of her back, "That is so like you - you're either full on or full off - no in between."_

"_No I'm not," she pouted._

"_Yes my darling," he said laughingly, "You are."_

_Without realising it at some point in their ride together Sami had begun to relax into EJ and move easily with his body and the movement of Jellybean beneath them both whereas before she'd tensed and fought against each dip and bump, holding herself rigid. She'd quickly worked out that the advice of 'relax' that EJ had been giving her all along was a good idea and as soon as she did that the horse ride became infinitely more comfortable and enjoyable. Sami was also being distracted by her beautiful surrounds. She'd never been on a tropical island before and it was so far removed from anything that she'd ever experienced before that it was hard not to be in awe of it all. To think that just over a day ago she'd been in snowy Salem and now she was here in a tropical paradise - it was kind of mind boggling really._

"_How about we take it slow?" suggested EJ, his hot breath on her face now and she started a little, lost in her own thoughts there for a moment, "We'll get back on the beach and try a trot - how does that sound."_

"_Too slow," she informed him, flush with her success of not falling off Jelly and breaking her neck thus far Sami was sure she could go straight to galloping with no problem, "At least let's canter."_

"_Samantha," he laughed at her enthusiasm and shook his head, "What am I to do with you?"_

**oooOOOOooo**

"I enjoyed _Jellybean's_ company," said Sami sweetly, reminding herself not to let him see her weaken in any way.

"Well he'll be pleased to hear that Samantha," said EJ mildly, giving her a considered look.

"So what?" she asked him with a surly look, needing to change the subject now, "You're just going to sit there and read all afternoon?"

"Oh," said EJ, looking over her with mock surprise, "I'm sorry sweetheart - I didn't realise you needed me to entertain you 24/7. In fact the general feeling I've been getting from you ever since you got here was that you'd be quite happy if I stayed out of your way for the length of your stay here?"

EJ cocked his head and gave her a speculative look.

"Or did I get that wrong Samantha?" he asked her, his eyes suddenly intent, "Is this yet another case of you saying one thing and meaning another I wonder?"

"Don't get me started on that one EJ!" she flared up at him, "That is all you do! I never know where I am with you! I can't believe a single thing that comes out of your mouth."

"Is that right Samantha?" asked EJ calmly, not willing to be drawn into that particular fight just now as she clearly wasn't in the mood to listen to him at the moment.

"You pretend like you are your own man but you're nothing but a good little minion for daddy Stefano!" she taunted him.

"Nonsense," he said, dismissing her claim, "I'm too tall to be a minion I'm sure. The tallest a minion can be is 5ft 9', 5ft 11' tops… like Steve Johnson for example… classic minion."

"Fine!" she said, not giving up, "Underling then!"

"No," he said with a shake of his head, "Patrick Lockhart was more of an underling."

"This is a ridiculous conversation!" exclaimed Sami, her voice rising in annoyance.

"You started it sweetheart," he pointed out quite reasonably.

"And I'm finishing it!" she snapped, "I'm going for a walk."

"Fair enough," said EJ, putting down his book, "Have fun."

"The only way I'll have fun is if I come back to find you've choked on your _lollies_!" she threw back at him.

"Hope springs eternal eh darling," he said mildly, unconcerned by her vitriol towards him as he got up then and poured himself a glass of scotch.

Sami gave up, fed up with him always having an answer for her. Everyone else in her life would have given up by now and just either stormed off or let her have the last word but not EJ - oh no, of course _he_ had to be different. Sami stalked towards the door, needing to be away from him and his constant one upmanship, which, if she'd bothered to give it any real thought was pretty ironic really seeing as Sami was happy to play that game as long as she was winning… which she wasn't at the moment.

"By the way," said EJ casually just before she was gone completely, "I've thought up your penance for breaking the Golden Rule if you're interested."

Sami turned back round, a hand on the door and looked at him uncertainly.

"What is it?" she asked hesitantly, hating being at his mercy like this.

The last thing hadn't been that awful, not that she would ever admit that to him but Sami couldn't help but be nervous as to what the next thing might be.

"Starting tonight we're going to be sharing a bed," said EJ, holding her gaze steadily.

Sami's mouth dropped open and her eyes became huge.

"Have you lost your mind?!" she asked him in horror walking back into the room and facing off against him, "That is not going to happen EJ!"

"Yes it is Samantha," said EJ firmly, "You knew the rule, the _only_ _rule_ by the way that I've set down and you agreed to it. Now you've broken that rule of your own accord so don't make out like I'm the bad guy here. This is simply a consequence of a decision you made."

"A decision you forced me into!" she glared at him accusingly.

"I did no such thing Samantha," he said, having none of that, "Stop re-inventing history to suit your delusions if you please. Let's be perfectly clear here - I gave you an option and you took it. I didn't force you to agree to the wager but seeing as you did I expect you to abide by the terms we set down. Just as I would have done if I'd lost."

"Oh right!" she said derisively, stung by his criticism of her, "Like you would have let me go home if you'd lost!"

"If you didn't believe that I would do that very thing Samantha than one has to wonder why it was that you agreed to the wager in the first place," said EJ, looking at her intently, "Perhaps you wanted to lose and then whatever happens on this island you can try and justify and say that it was me tricking you in some way eh? Absolve yourself of any guilt."

"I'm not going to do anything to feel guilty about EJ!" she informed him haughtily.

"And I certainly am not going to force myself on you at any point," returned EJ, "So I'm uncertain as to why you have such a problem with us sharing a bed. You have told me on many occasions now that you are completely immune to my charms so this should be a simple request for you to abide by."

Sami gritted her teeth, realising he'd backed her into a corner and she couldn't find a way out without going back on everything she'd just said. Sami shook her head and headed towards the door again, needing to be away from him now and get her head straight again. Every time she was around him she seemed to get so confused nowadays.

"Oh and I worked out exactly what you are EJ DiMera!" she said triumphantly, turning at the door, ready to deliver her barb and sweep out of the room, "You're a bastard!"

"Well my parents never married," he agreed casually, not pushing his earlier points any further at the moment, "So I guess you've got me on a technicality there Samantha."

Sami glowered at him; annoyed her comment didn't hit home more. She turned on her heel and prepared to flounce out of the room but he stopped her just as she was about to disappear from sight.

"Don't wander too far will you sweetheart?" he called out to her.

"Why?" she sassed him, "Worried that I might find a way off this hell hole EJ?"

EJ looked around him then at the beautifully tropical surrounds outside the French doors to his left and the gorgeously and tastefully furnished room they were in that had every convenience known to mankind and arched a wry eyebrow at her.

"I'll leave that 'hell hole' comment be for the moment," he said dryly, "And the reason I said not to go too far is that I'm not entirely sure you'll be able to out run the tigers my father had shipped over to guard the compound perimeter."

"_Tigers_?" repeated Sami, her scepticism evident by the way she said the word, "You're telling me that Stefano stuck tigers on this island… as _guard_ _dogs_? Do you really expect me to believe that EJ?"

"I expect you not to wander too far," he said evenly.

Sami gave him an uncertain look which he returned steadily and she suddenly began to have doubts. It wasn't like it was completely out of the realms of possibility - basically anything was possible when it came to Stefano DiMera.

"There are really tigers on this island?" she asked at last and now there was some hesitancy in her voice when before she'd been so certain.

EJ looked at her anxious face and relented.

"Of course not," he said with a twitch of his lips and Sami could have hit herself for being so gullible - what was wrong with her, "… the bears ate them all."

"Oh!" she growled, more annoyed at herself than him for falling for such an obvious lie.

Sami whirled round and this time she did manage to storm out of the room and slam the door shut but not before she heard the sound of his deep laugher rolling out from behind the room she'd just left.

_The man was a complete pig!_


	2. Chapter 11 to 18

**FATED**

**(Chapters 11 - 18)**

**Chapter ELEVEN**** - ****Things That Go Bump In The Night**

**EVENING 2...**

They had just finished dinner and were sitting in the living room together. Sami was pretending to read a book, anything other than talk to EJ and trying not to freak out about the fact they were going to be sharing a bed tonight.

"You know," said EJ absently, scratching at the two day growth on his chin before resting his elbows on the desk in front of him and turning his head to look at her, "I might grow a beard - what do you think Samantha?"

"I think that would be absolutely perfect seeing as only criminals and madmen have beards," she smiled at him sweetly, "You'd fit right in."

"That seems a bit of a sweeping and might I add harsh generalisation sweetheart," said EJ mildly, his lips quirking in a smile and not taking any offence.

"I just call it like I see it EJ," she said defiantly, standing up and intending to sweep out of the room and have the last word finally.

"Abraham Lincoln had a beard," EJ mused, watching her walk out of the room, "Ernest Hemmingway had a beard…"

Sami ignored him, almost at the door now.

"Jesus had a beard," he called out to her just before she disappeared out of his line of vision.

Sami gave a horrified gasp and whirled around, looking at him in shock.

"Did you just compare yourself to Jesus?" she asked, completely mortified.

"No," he said easily, amused by her look of outrage, "What I said was he had a beard… which rather challenges your 'only criminals and madmen' theory somewhat eh darling? Although…"

EJ thoughtfully scratched at his cheek again, his beard making a rough sound as he did and Sami had a sudden and unwanted flash of what that roughness would feel like against her skin and she was shocked at the thought, wondering where it had come from.

"… the leaders of the day would probably have agreed with you that Jesus was actually a criminal and a madman," he pondered, "So you bring up a valid point after all sweetheart."

"Yeah well you look like some scruffy dog with fleas scratching away like that," she said with a smirk, "So like I said - it suits you."

"So you like a bit of rough eh Samantha?" he teased her.

"The opposite actually," she threw back at him, not wanting him to think that she found even on single thing about him attractive, "That's why Lucas always makes sure he is clean shaven for me!"

As soon as the words were out of her mouth Sami knew what she'd done and made a distressed gasping noise.

"Well bully for Lucas," said EJ calmly, a knowing look on his face, "I'm glad you've got him so well house broken Samantha. It must really thrill you to know that you're living with a man you've got so utterly whipped."

"Lucas is not whipped!" she defended him hotly and then clapped both hands over her mouth in dismay.

_God damn it - what was wrong with her?? _

How hard was it not to say Lucas' name around him she wondered hopelessly? Very, apparently if the last couple of days were any indication.

"I do believe you'll be owing me another two little favours now after that particular outburst Samantha," said EJ with a little smirk, "Care to go for the trifecta?"

"You know EJ," she said bitterly, glaring at him, "Just because I can't say his name doesn't mean you can stop me from thinking about him every minute I'm away from him."

"Yes," said EJ simply, giving her a knowing look as he stood up and walked over to her, "But you're not are you darling? Thinking about Lucas, now are you?"

Sami frowned at him, suddenly realising that it was true. She'd barely given the other man a thought all day and the realisation rocked her.

"You've had an entirely different man in your head today haven't you Samantha?" asked EJ quietly, looking up at her with those warm chocolate eyes of his, "I'm all you can think about… just like you're all I can think about… every minute of every day, since the day I first met you."

"And what?" she asked him sarcastically, "Is that meant to make me feel special, to swoon at your feet EJ? That I've got some crazy man to obsess about me?"

"No," he said evenly, holding her gaze steadily, the barest of smiles on his face, "But you like the thought of it don't you Samantha? You like the thought of this obsessed, criminal, bearded, madman lying in his bed at night… thinking about you."

"No I don't," she said in horror, "I hate it!"

Sami cursed the slight waver in her voice at her adamant denial, taking away from its impact somewhat.

"I've told you before Samantha," said EJ, watching the changing emotions on her face intrigued, "You're drawn to the dangerous things of this world. Men like Austin and Lucas… they bore you to tears but you won't let yourself admit it. What you really want is a man you can't dominate and control - one who gives as good as he gets and one you don't have to apologise to all the time for being the magnificent, scheming witch that you really are."

"Am I supposed to be flattered that you just called me a witch?" asked Sami incredulously, her heart starting to beat unevenly in her chest at his words, refusing to believe them for a minute.

"Be all that you can be Samantha Brady," he told her with great certainty, "Don't settle and don't apologise for who you really are."

They held each other's gaze then, Sami looking flushed and upset, EJ typically calm and in control.

"I'm going to bed," she said flatly, not willing to go any further with this conversation seeing as it hadn't had the desired affect and had ended up somewhere she really didn't want to be.

"Good idea," he said mildly, "I'll be up soon darling, you can warm up the bed for me."

"If I had my way I'd set it on fire!" she snapped at him.

EJ's eyes ran up and down the length of her, lingering on very specific body parts and making her feel suddenly nervous.

"That's the spirit sweetheart," he said throatily, his eyes dancing merrily at her, "And I'm sure when the time comes that is exactly what we will do."

Sami shook her head and looked at him in disgust, just turning around and going to leave the room.

"Just for the record I prefer the right hand side of the bed sweetheart," he said casually, 'You can have the left."

"Just for the record _sweetheart_ I'd prefer that I had the top of the bed and you can sleep under it!" she hurled back at him over her shoulder.

"So you like to be on top eh?" he asked her straight faced, "I'll file that away for future reference shall I Samantha?"

EJ grinned to himself when she didn't answer and kept walking but he could hear her little feet stomping their way up the stairs. Today's horse ride had been a revelation for EJ. He knew Sami would love it if she'd only allow herself to. EJ lived for those moments when she forgot who she was forcing herself to be and just let the real Samantha Brady emerge. All the pretext stripped away and only the woman herself left in its wake. EJ looked down, pressing his lips together and his eyes closing as he remembered what it felt like to have her in his arms for such a length of time.

Her softness pressed up against him, the smell of her perfume in his nostrils - delicate but unmistakable - somewhat like the woman herself really. When he'd felt her relax and start to enjoy herself EJ had felt his hope being renewed. She'd been hostile to him for so long now and EJ had expected nothing different once he had her here on the island. What he wasn't so sure of was how long she would be able to keep up her cold façade around him. Not that her façade was all that cool really. Most of the time she was spitting venom at him and that didn't bother EJ in the least because it meant that he stirred her deep inside whether she was willing to admit to it or not.

She was going to be his, EJ just knew it, couldn't accept any other possibility.

He thought of nothing else nowadays and his longing for her consumed him utterly but he didn't just want her body. He wanted that glorious devious mind of hers as well and most importantly her heart. Before everything had soured between them she'd turned to him and only him when she needed someone. He was the only one in her life that Sami had trusted and EJ vowed to himself that it would be that way again. All he had to do was get her to see that nothing had changed between them. So what if she was a Brady and he was a DiMera? What was more important was that she was Samantha and he was EJ - anything beyond that just couldn't compare.

EJ took a deep breath, wondering what tonight would bring. He knew what he hoped would happen but when it came to Samantha she normally managed to surprise him somehow. But it didn't matter what did or didn't happen really. The important thing that he was the man in her bed for the rest of the week. She couldn't ignore him, couldn't pretend he didn't exist. With him lying beside her of a night time he was going to drive the name Lucas Horton so far from her thoughts that she was going to be asking 'Lucas who?' in a couple of days - EJ would make certain of that.

**oooOOOOooo**

Okay, he'd won their last encounter but on her walk Sami had regrouped and come up with some plans of her own. The fact that she had accidentally enjoyed some of the time they'd spent together on horseback had upset her equilibrium somewhat because she hadn't thought that she would ever enjoy being around EJ again after what he'd done to her. But she was ready to get her head back in the game now and ignore the momentary lapse. He was just so… annoying… and frustrating and… sure of himself that she wanted to wipe that smug look off his face permanently. Sami looked at the bed she was to share with him that night and scowled, thinking hard.

Just over half an hour later a freshly showered EJ was standing in the bedroom, his lips pursed thoughtfully as he observed the goings on. He'd given Sami a little time to get herself organised before joining her in the bedroom only to find her hard at work. He shouldn't have been surprised that she'd take this route really. EJ tilted his head and watched her industriously building up the wall of pillows between them on the bed and folded his arms in front of his chest.

"You know one more row of those you're going to need to apply for a building permit sweetheart," he said straight faced and was rewarded for his humour with what he was coming to affectionately refer to as the Death Stare.

Not unlike the Death Star for which it was named after, it too could destroy small planets in its path but fortunately for EJ he was made of sterner stuff than a few measly planets.

"Is this a good time to mention I normally sleep in the nude?" asked EJ innocently, just waiting for the explosion from her.

He really couldn't help himself when it came to teasing her. She just reacted so magnificently, her blue eyes blazing, her skin flushing that enticing pink colour that it made his head swim a little. She was the most mercurial, passionate woman he'd ever met in his life and he loved it.

"Like hell EJ!" she yelled at him, her eyes wide as she fell completely for his bait, "There is no way I want to be anywhere near your… your… you know!"

EJ bit down on the inside of his cheek to stop himself from just simply bursting into laughter at her last statement but he struggled valiantly on.

"Well I hate to break it to you sweetheart," he said with his best attempt at a straight face in the circumstances, "But my 'you know' doesn't detach of a night time. With or without cloths on I still keep it pretty handy."

"Oh I'm sure you do EJ," she said bitingly to which he just had to laugh at her jab at him, "But trust me, the only hand going near it or you this week for that matter will be your own!"

EJ threw his head back and laughed loudly at that, annoying her further.

"I guess we're just going to have to see about that eh darling?" he said with a suggestive waggle of an eyebrow when he could speak again, still laughing slightly.

Sami gave him a disgusted look, not even bothering to answer, simply turning around and climbing into bed. EJ noticed with amusement her deliberately choosing the right hand side of the bed which he'd said he preferred. EJ wondered idly if he should absolutely forbid her to make love to him and see what her response would be as Sami seemed hell bent to do the opposite of everything he said. Depending on how the rest of the week panned out EJ decided to keep that as a backup plan. He watched Sami climbed into bed and fuss with the blankets, her features set in annoyance before he calmly walked around to his side of the bed. Sami felt the bed dip when he added his weight to it and that simple sensation made it suddenly very real to her.

_She was sharing a bed with EJ DiMera._

How had this happened Sami wondered in anguish?!

She thought about what her family would think of such a thing, what Lucas would say and she vowed to herself that no one would ever find out. Sami felt EJ settle himself on the other side of the wall of pillows because now that they were both lying down she couldn't actually see him - which had been the point of course. She held herself tensely, willing herself to fall immediately asleep but of course, that wasn't going to happen. EJ lay on his side of the barrier and listened to Sami's slightly uneven breathing, knowing she was anything but relaxed about the situation and couldn't help himself.

"Samantha?" said EJ, an amused expression on his face as he looked up at the ceiling, fingers linked over his chest, "Are you still there?"

"Of course I am!" she snapped, "Where else would I be EJ?"

"Just checking that you were alright," he said and she could hear the amusement in his voice, "Because if you weren't I'd set about organising the llamas and team of Sherpa's I'd need just to get over the Himalayas you constructed between us."

"That's the idea EJ!" she growled, unamused by his humour.

"But what if there is an avalanche of some kind and I'm buried under the weight of all of these cushions?" protested EJ and she could hear the laughter in his voice.

"Well I'd go for help then of course and maybe Lucas would come along in a car and offer to dig you out in return for two favours!" she snapped sarcastically.

EJ burst out laughing at that and the bed actually shook as he chortled away to himself merrily.

"Ooh good one sweetheart!" he laughed when he could speak again, "I wonder what Lucas would ask for… well obviously a brain would be the first thing…"

"You don't get to be mean about Lucas!" she spat out, sitting up now and looking over the huge barrier of pillows down at EJ as he smiled happily up at her.

"Oh there you are darling," he grinned up at her, "Don't you look lovely. Clearly the mountain air up there agrees with you."

Sami ground her teeth at the way nothing seemed to be faze him. It was just so very infuriating! EJ watched her seething away, her face flushed an enticing pink colour and her bright blue eyes spitting death at him.

_God but she was glorious. _

"Oh and by the way," he smirked at her, "You mentioned Lucas then… twice… so I'll be requiring some further compensation for that."

"But you did too!" she spluttered in horror, wondering if this nightmare would ever end.

"Ah but the Golden Rule doesn't say that _I_ can't mention Lucas' name," he pointed out to her sweetly, "Just you my darling. So now I'm going to lay her quietly and work out what your punishments will be for breaking the rules."

"You are unbelievable!" she hissed.

"Thank you," he smiled smugly, "I do try."

"Not in a good way!" she bit out furiously, "You are a bad man EJ DiMera! A bad man!"

"No I'm not," he pouted, "I'm just complicated. And to prove my good will to you Samantha I will reduce your sentence to only one repayment instead of four if you take down the wall of China you've got going on here. Now then, can't say fairer than that now can I sweetheart?"

Sami just glared at him as he smiled sweetly back up at her. Her eyes narrowed then and she gave him an insolent smirk before grabbing another couple of pillows from her side of the bed and throwing them defiantly on top of the already teetering monolith. EJ grinned at her rebellious act, loving her inability to back down from a fight.

It was yet another thing to adore about her he decided.

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami was awoken by a strange and very loud series of noises. Her eyes flickered open as she came awake, blinking in the night gloom. She wondered if she'd dreamt it but suddenly she heard it again - a weird series of clicking, grunting noises and it was so loud and obviously coming from inside the room. .

_Oh god - what now?!_

"EJ," she whispered nervously, her eyes darting around the room trying to see what could possibly be making that noise.

There was no answer from the other side of the pillow barricade she'd constructed so she tried again.

"EJ!" this time it was a little louder.

She suddenly had this horrible thought - what if what it was that was making that noise had bitten or stung him or something and she was currently lying next to a dead body?! The thought was a horrifying one and made Sami sit bolt upright, looking anxiously over all the pillows. Her eyes widen when she peered over the pillow wall and saw that EJ wasn't even in the bed beside her anymore. The noise sounded again and this time there was an answering call back and the sound of one of the paintings on the wall being knocked and banging against the wall noisily.

Sami squealed and jumped out of bed having no idea what could be making those kinds of noises but quite sure that it was venomous whatever it was and now there appeared that there was more than one! The noise came again and there was more banging of the painting and Sami looked around desperately for something to defend herself with if it came down to it. The first thing she spied was her hairdryer out on top of one of her suitcases and she made a grab for it, picking it up and holding it in both hands out in front of her like she was auditioning for a role in one of the Law and Order franchises!

"Typical!" she muttered under her breath in annoyance as she looked nervously around the room, "For the last six months EJ is everywhere I turn and now when I might actually have a use for him he's nowhere to be found!"

Sami, in between her abject terror, was royally pissed off at him right about now!

Her heart was hammering painfully in her chest as her 'fight or flight' instinct kicked in. Sami was backing up towards the bedroom door, hair dryer drawn and at the ready when suddenly there was the sound of the door being opened behind and her and she simply reacted, not thinking. Sami whirled around and threw the hair dryer with all her might before really checking to see what it was she was throwing it at. EJ gasped as the hair dryer hit his head and bounced to the floor with a clatter. He groaned and grabbed his forehead where the hair dryer had impacted while Sami made a distressed noise, putting her hand over her mouth.

"BLOODY HELL!" cried out EJ, reeling back a little at the unexpected attack, "What the hell was that for?!"

"Oh!" gasped Sami, realising too late what she'd done, "EJ - it's you!"

"Of course it's me you insane woman!" he said in annoyance, scrunching up his face in pain and rubbing the slight bump she'd given him on his forehead, "We're alone on an island together! Who did you think it was going to be - Jellybean?!"

Sami scowled at him, unhappy at his teasing of her but she was still too worried about the creatures in the room to focus too much on it.

"There's something in the room - some wild animals EJ - I was defending myself!" explained Sami hurriedly, looking around herself nervously.

"The only wild animal I see is the crazy woman who just assaulted me with a hair dryer," said EJ with a roll of his eyes and then she shook his head, picking up the offending item from the floor, "And what was the plan exactly eh sweetheart? Blow wave and style whatever this thing is into submission?"

The noise came again, this time more in the form of a chitting noise.

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"There!" exclaimed Sami, looking around wildly at the sound, "There it is again - what is that EJ?!"

EJ laughed and shook his head as he recognised the sound.

"It's a gecko Samantha," he told her, obviously amused now.

"A what?" she asked, still fearful and not overly sure what that was.

EJ put down the hair dryer and flicked on a nearby lamp, walking over to where he'd heard the noise. He carefully lifted one edge of the painting in an attempt to track down the critter.

"Don't EJ!" said Sami fearfully, edging away, not really sure what to expect.

"It's fine Samantha," said EJ calmly and stepped back, revealing the dastardly gecko to her.

It was a sandy coloured lizard looking thing about seven or so inches long, stuck to the wall, upside down in fact. It stared up at EJ unconcerned and Sami grimaced.

"Oh god," she said, screwing up her face, totally creeped out at the thought of lizards being able to walk up walls, "Is it venomous?"

"No," smiled EJ, "They're quite harmless and rather helpful actually. They eat all the bugs around the place - you know mosquitoes, flies, spiders and the like."

Sami eyed the lizard suspiciously. Even though it was pretty big for a lizard it didn't seem possible that all that noise could come from such a relatively small creature.

"They're the only lizard that actually makes a noise," said EJ informatively, as though he could read her mind all of a sudden.

"But it was so loud," said Sami hesitantly, "And it sounded like there was more than one of them."

"Oh most likely," nodded EJ looking around and then pointing at the ceiling directly above Sami, "Look - there's another one. Gecko's are extremely territorial creatures, especially around breeding season so they often have very loud barney's with one another."

"What?" asked Sami with a frown, eyeing the gecko above her nervously and edging away from it slowly.

"Barney's," explained EJ patiently, "You know - fights - like all the ones we have."

EJ gave her an impish look then.

"Hmm," he said, suddenly looking very thoughtful, "I wonder if that is why we fight so much - because it's breeding season?"

If he was looking for Sami to bite at that little dig EJ was to be disappointed because Sami was still too distracted by the close proximity of these geckos to even be listening to him properly.

"What if they come off the ceiling?" she worried, looking anxiously up at the gecko almost directly above again because it seemed to Sami that as she moved away it seemed to be following her.

"They won't," said EJ confidently and then as though to make a mockery of his words the gecko above Sami's head chose that exact moment to lose its grip and plummet towards the earth, stopping short though when it landed squarely on Sami's bare chest.

"Ooh," said EJ in surprise as the lizard made a little fleshy plop sound as it landed on Sami's chest, "That almost never happens."

Sami for her part was beside herself.

Whilst EJ was making his casual observations she was too panicked to even move for a split second, looking down at the animal that was currently on her chest. The gecko looked up at her, dark eyes unblinking and then he licked one eye with a long tongue which was completely horrifying to Sami but she was still frozen stock still. EJ was looking at Sami, quietly impressed at how well she was handling this. He'd rather expected screaming and hysterics but she was just standing there, albeit with an unhappy look on her face. EJ opened his mouth to suggest she just flick it off her but Sami finally collected herself enough to react - especially when the gecko decided to move.

"GET IT OFF ME, GET IT OFF ME!" she screeched.

She was brushing madly at her chest and dislodged the bemused gecko almost immediately but now it was on the floor Sami suddenly panicked again that it would scurry up her leg for some reason. With a scream that could have shattered glass Sami launched herself at EJ, catching him completely off guard. EJ staggered back in shock, completely taken aback by her over reaction and the fact that she had managed to somehow climb up him enough to have her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, all the while screaming to the high heavens. EJ instinctively put his arms under her backside to hold her in place.

"DON'T LET IT GET ME!" she shrieked as she attempted to clamber up him, completely mad with panic now.

"Oh my god!" he exclaimed in shock as he took another step backwards as she wiggled around on him, frantically trying to get further off the ground and put more distance between herself and the killer gecko.

EJ's legs connected with the back of the bed and with Sami thrashing around like a mad woman EJ couldn't regain his balance in time and he and Sami tumbled to the bed in a flurry of flailing limbs. His breath was knocked out of him as Sami landed on top of him and EJ blinked a couple of times, trying to get his bearings again. Sami was still squirming away on top of him but now her breasts were shoved in his face.

"I had a dream like this," he remarked almost casually, his voice muffled a little by her more than ample bosom in his face, "Well… several really."

Sami had begun to calm down now, enough to realise that EJ's face was currently wedged in her cleavage and he didn't seem to be in a great hurry to be moving.

"Get off me!" she ordered him fiercely, trying to clamber off him rather unsuccessfully.

"Technically you're on me darling," pointed out EJ, his voice still muted somewhat by her breasts, "Not that that is a complaint mind you."

"OH!" said Sami angrily, finally managing to roll off him and scrabbling to sit up on the bed.

"Oh," sighed EJ despondently, propping himself up on his elbows and looking over at Sami teasingly, "That was just getting good. Can I just say that you have the most amazing breasts Samantha."

"No you cannot!" she snapped at him, blushing and pulling her pyjama shirt around her more.

EJ grinned at that and her display of modesty.

"Too late," he said happily.

Sami gave him a disgusted look but she was still so frazzled about the gecko attack that she couldn't be bothered with his foolishness right now.

"Where were you?" she asked him, eyes narrowing, suddenly suspicious.

She wouldn't put it past him to orchestrate this whole thing somehow.

"I was in the loo sweetheart," he said with an arched eyebrow, "If that is alright with you?"

"How come there were none of these gecko things in my room last night and now suddenly when you're in here they're everywhere?" she demanded to know.

"I'm very sure they were in your room last night Samantha," said EJ mildly, "Seeing as they're throughout the entire house. You just didn't notice them last night."

Sami eyed him up and down, not looking overly convinced.

"So what?" he asked in amusement, "I've got a pocketful of gecko's that I carry around with me to unleash on you when you least expect it?"

Sami shrugged and looked at him defiantly.

"I wouldn't put it past you EJ," she sniffed disdainfully.

"First carrots and now geckos," said EJ and then gave her a cheeky wink, "You seem inordinately interested in the contents of my pants all of a sudden sweetheart. Perhaps it would make you happier if I simply took them off?"

"Over… my… dead… body!" said Sami flatly.

"Well that would defeat the purpose," EJ sighed, lying back on the bed.

Sami looked around at the floor from her vantage point on the bed and looked suddenly nervous again at not being able to see the gecko anymore. She looked up and saw there was already another one on the roof and she bit her lip worriedly.

"What if one of those things falls on me from the ceiling again while I'm asleep?" she fretted, unconsciously giving a shudder at the thought.

"Then I'd recommend against sleeping with your mouth open," said EJ straight faced.

Sami glared at him for his lack of empathy for her concern.

"Alright, alright," he relented, "How about seeing as I'm such a gentleman you sleep under me all night and I'll protect you with my body?"

"I'd rather take my chances with the rodents!" Sami bit out unhappily.

"They're reptiles actually - little lizards," he corrected her casually.

"Well either is better than a snake!" she huffed at him.

"You know I'm beginning to think you mean to hurt my feelings ever so slightly Samantha with the things you say," observed EJ straight faced.

"Get back on your side of the bed!" she ordered him, pointing an imperious finger at his side of the bed.

"But don't you want me to protect me from the geckos sweetheart?" pouted EJ, looking disappointed.

"I'm not frightened of some little _lizard_!" she huffed, a slight waver in her voice suggesting that wasn't completely true.

"Oh please," snorted EJ, "You scaled me like a demented chipmunk up the last pine tree in the forest just then!"

"I did not!" she retorted, blushing at his description.

"You most certainly did," he smirked and then gave her a knowing look, "Although if it's nuts you're after darling…"

"Just shut up!" she snapped, "Shut up EJ and leave me alone!"

"Fine," sighed EJ, feigning being offended, "Just don't say I never offer to do anything nice for you."

"You sleeping on top of me would not be _nice_ for me!" snapped Sami.

"If it would make you happier I could always stay awake on top of you," offered EJ helpfully but ruining it with a lecherous smile.

"EJ…" Sami began, her lips thinning in an angry line.

"I know, I know," sighed EJ, hauling himself off the bed and heading back to his side of the pillow barricade, "Drop dead."

**Chapter TWELVE**** - ****The Sun Will Come Out… Tomorrow**

**DAY 3...**

_Sami leant back in the car seat and smiled up at him, her face glowing in the moonlight._

"_Okay… so let's change the subject then," she said with a little laugh, "Talk about you."_

"_Ah," EJ grimaced, looking suddenly uncomfortable._

"_You said you were single," smiled Sami, "But obviously there must be a woman out there somewhere for you right?"_

"_Oh," smiled EJ, "There is… I'm with her right now."_

"_Um EJ… I'm with Lucas," said Sami, suddenly looking nervous, "And I love him very much."_

_EJ arched an eyebrow at her and then began to laugh._

"_Oh," he laughed._

"_What?" she frowned up at him._

"_I'm sorry," he grinned, "I just realise how that must have sounded… I was actually meaning my car Samantha."_

"_Oh," said Sami and flushed, looking down at her lap, "Well now I'm super embarrassed! Umm… well I'm glad we got that sorted out. "_

"_Yup," laughed EJ, "I'm glad we got that covered."_

"_Well I wouldn't exactly say that EJ," said Sami with a shake of her head, "You didn't answer the question… is there a woman and I don't mean an inanimate object?!"_

"_No," said EJ calmly, "There's not… there's no woman."_

"_How come?" she frowned, "I mean look at you - you're gorgeous and charming and successful and British… so why don't you have a girlfriend unless…"_

_Sami trailed off and looked uncomfortable then._

_[IMG].[/IMG]_

"_Unless what…?" he prompted her, looking at her expectantly._

"_Are you gay?" she asked him quizzically._

_EJ looked back at her steadily for a few seconds before giving the barest of smiles._

"_Samantha," he said calmly, "I'm not gay."_

"_Good," she said with a little smile._

"_Why is that good?" he asked her, tilting his head at her._

"_Because… because I don't want you to be gay," she finally managed, biting her lip._

"_And why would you care one way or another I wonder Samantha?" he asked her softly, "After all you've got your beloved Lucas… isn't he enough for you?"_

_Sami didn't answer that, just looked down at her lap for a long moment._

"_Samantha?" he prompted her, studying her profile with interest now, "I asked you if…"_

"_How do I know you're telling me the truth?" she interrupted him, looking up and holding his gaze steadily._

"_About what?" asked EJ in confusion._

"_About being not being gay," she said, looking at him intently._

_EJ raised his eyebrows, not quite having an answer for that one._

"_I think you should prove it to me," she said determinedly and EJ's eyes widened at that._

"_And how might I be able to do that sweetheart?" he asked her, his voice suddenly husky._

"_If I have to tell you then we're not off to a great start then are we EJ?" she asked him throatily, looking up at him through her eyelashes, "Hows about we start somewhere around…"_

_Sami unclipped her seat belt then and before EJ knew what she was doing she'd moved from her side of the car to his, straddling him as he sat in the driver's seat._

"… _here?" she suggested and gave him a challenging look, "Any objections EJ?"_

"_None are coming to mind," he rasped, staring up at her in disbelief, hardly able to believe she was taking the initiative like this. _

_Sami leant down and kissed him then and EJ's hands immediately went to her head, fearful she was going to pull away at any moment but Sami lingered over the kiss, her tongue pushing for entry into his mouth which he happily allowed. She tasted every bit as sweet as he remembered._

"_I've wanted you for so long EJ," Sami confessed to him breathlessly, in between their heated kisses, "I thought I'd go mad from wanting you so much."_

"_Is that true?" he asked her, pulling back and searching her face intently._

"_Yes," she nodded, suddenly serious, "Do you still want me EJ? After everything I've put you through do you still want me?"_

"_More than ever," he told her honestly, his voice a little shaky now. _

_Sami held his gaze and slipped her hand between their bodies, deftly undoing his pants and freeing his already straining member from their confines. She wrapped her small hand around his thickness and squeezed._

"_So I see," she purred. _

_EJ groaned and bucked up at her first touch of his swollen manhood. _

"_God!" he grunted, "Samantha!" _

_He looked up at her, suddenly desperate._

"_Is this real?" he asked her urgently, "Or is this just some new game Samantha?"_

_Sami didn't answer, just took one of his hands in hers and guided it up under her evening dress. She held his gaze unblinkingly as she moved his hand upwards until he was at her mound. EJ's eyes widened when instead of the silk of her panties he encountered the soft crinkly hairs covering her mound. _

"_I didn't bother," she said softly, a small smile curving her lips at the look of wonder on his face, "I hope that isn't a problem for you EJ?"_

_EJ mutely shook his head and Sami removed her hand from his, confident he could find his own way now. She braced herself with that hand now on the head rest behind EJ's head even as she still maintained the grip she had on his increasingly turgid manhood. She rubbed her thumb over the velvet tip, making him whimper and was instantly rewarded with some pre-cum dribbling from his tip and she used it to lubricate his distended length, moving up and down his shaft in a slow pumping motion._

"_You're so ready for me aren't you EJ?" she asked him huskily, keeping her strokes determinedly slow._

"_Yes," he told her through gritted teeth, looking up at her in awe._

"_Maybe you should check if I'm ready for you?" she suggested to him throatily, her eyes full of promise._

_EJ immediately moved his hand to directly between her legs and found her to be simply dripping with her own juices and he shuddered at the feeling of them coating his hand and fingers. He couldn't help himself, instantly pushing two fingers up into her wet heat and making her gasp. _

"_So eager," she murmured happily, Sami threw back her head then, beginning to move up and down on his fingers now, "More, give me more EJ."_

_EJ obliged her, inserting another finger into her core and she bit her lip, obviously enjoying the sensation. She leant forward and whispered in his ear._

"_More."_

_EJ growled and pushed a fourth finger into her and Sami made a guttural noise but it didn't stop her from beginning to ride his hand more forcefully. EJ couldn't take his eyes off her even as she began stimulating him harder and faster now in time with her own writhing. She worked them both into an almost frenzy when she suddenly took her hand off his now throbbing and hopelessly distended member and EJ couldn't help but cry out his horror._

"_NO!" _

"_I want you inside of me EJ," she ordered him, her breathing as uneven as his, "Now! No more waiting."_

_EJ instantly withdrew his fingers from her desperate for that exact same thing and as soon as he did Sami sank down on his aching manhood. The sensation of her taking him inside her body like this was excruciating but she was taking too long. EJ's hips bucked up of their own accord, penetrating her completely and making her cry out. _

"_EJ!" she groaned._

"_Oh god sweetheart!" he grunted, closing his eyes and concentrating on not just coming right then and there, "You feel so perfect - I knew it would be like this!"_

_Sami began to move on top of him then, her hips moving up and down and EJ's hands went to their soft roundness, helping her as she wrung mindless groans from deep inside of him._

"_I love you and only you EJ," she confessed to him breathlessly, looking deeply into his eyes as she continued to ride him fiercely, "I only want you, no one else. It's your hands I want on me, your body inside mine - I can't bear the thought of anyone else touching me but you EJ."_

"_Oh Samantha," he groaned up at her, "I feel exactly the same way - you're the only woman for me."_

"_And you're the only man for me EJ," she said, holding his gaze determinedly._

_Sami began to rock back and forward on his hardness now, making EJ sweat, his breathing now ragged and laboured. She leant towards him, pressing her breasts up tightly against his chest, rubbing them back and forward slowly even though they were still hidden from his view. Sami pressed her lips to his ear then, her whisper full of throaty promise._

"_I want your baby growing inside of me EJ."_

"_Really?" he asked her unevenly, pulling back so he could look up into her eyes adoringly._

"_Oh yes," she sighed, clenching her walls around his girth tightly and making him swallow hard, "I want you to come deep inside of me… I want us to make a baby EJ."_

"_I want that to," he confessed to her achingly, "Samantha, so much. I want you to bear my child, my children."_

"_Then come," she breathed in his ear, beginning to move up and down on him faster now, making him groan, "Right now EJ, I can't wait any longer."_

_EJ began to thrust up into her now, eager to do just that._

"_EJ!" she moaned, closing her eyes and meeting him thrust for thrust, "Don't stop… more… more!"_

_He closed his eyes too, concentrating on pleasing her, his body beginning to head towards its own release._

"_Samantha," he grunted, feeling himself starting to go._

"Samantha!"

EJ yelled out her name, waking himself up as he did. EJ propped himself up on his elbows, his breathing laboured and his body covered in sweat, trying to come to terms with that having all just been a dream. He looked over at the façade of pillows beside him and wondered how he was going to explain this to his sleeping companion. He rather thought Sami wouldn't want to hear the truth somehow.

"_EJ."_

EJ needn't have worried because the sound of Sami calling his name came from outside the bedroom door, telling him she was already up and about.

"_EJ did you want me?!"_

EJ grimaced at her unintentionally leading question.

"Endlessly," he muttered under his breath before replying more loudly, "Just wondering where you were sweetheart."

"I'm going for a shower," she replied sharply, "If that's alright with you?!"

"Need someone to scrub your back," he offered again so low that she couldn't hear him before speaking loudly again, "That's fine; I'll see you at breakfast."

EJ looked down at the tent situation he had currently going on down south of the border and grimaced.

"Come on old boy," he chastised himself, "You can do this."

His dreams were becoming more intense the more he was around her and EJ worried that he might not have the self control this delicate operation called for. One wrong move and he knew he could drive Samantha away from him, perhaps forever and he couldn't allow that to happen.

"Right," he sighed, lying back on the bed and looking up at the ceiling, now gecko free in the daylight, "Let the games begin."

A slow smile spread across EJ's face at the thought.

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami wandered into the living room later on that morning and looked around herself. EJ looked up as she entered the room and smiled at her.

"It's raining," observed Sami unhappily, peering out of window at the rain painting the trees and surrounds with a glistening coat.

"And with us smack bang in the middle of the wet tropics," mused EJ idly with a shake of his head, feigning surprise, "This seems almost an unprecedented turn of events really. Do you think we should phone someone sweetheart and tell them that the end of the world is nigh?"

"You're _so_ funny EJ," said Sami flatly, "I guess I just forget to laugh sometimes."

"I have a subtle wit to be sure," he nodded sagely.

"So what do you do when it rains in the tropics?" asked Sami in vague annoyance at this turn of events.

She'd secretly been hoping for another ride on Jellybean but she supposed that was out of the question at the moment.

"Well the local tradition is to stay in bed and make passionate and energetic love to the person you're with until the rain stops," EJ informed her straight faced, "And I've always been a great believer in the 'when in Rome…" axiom."

Sami just stared back at him, clearly unimpressed by his suggestion.

"Okay then," sighed EJ dramatically, "I'm not hearing a great deal of support for option A so how about we go move on to option B… we can play cards."

"I'm not playing cards with you," frowned Sami, "You've probably marked the entire deck."

"I'm beginning to think we have trust issues Samantha," noted EJ, feigning concern, "Or am I just being overly sensitive do you think?"

"Chess," she said and EJ arched an eyebrow at her.

"Chess," he repeated, "You'd like to play chess Samantha?"

"Yes," she shrugged, "Is that a problem EJ?"

"Not at all," he shook his head, "It's one of my favourite games actually… I just didn't know you played that's all."

"Well I do," she said simply, "So are you in?"

"I am most definitely in," he smiled up at her before standing up and pulling out the chess board that was already set up on a nearby table, "My father and I used to play all the time."

"Fascinating," said Sami flatly, not wanting to hear anything about Stefano.

EJ might think that he was a good and loving father who was simply misunderstood but Sami knew better. He was pure evil and she reminded herself yet again that EJ was his son.

"Chose your colour Samantha," EJ offered her as he watched her settle in across from him.

"You pick," she said with a shake of her head, "I don't like to pick the colour."

EJ arched an inquisitive eyebrow at that and Sami shook her head at him.

"It's a thing," she said shortly, not wanting to elaborate beyond that.

EJ moved the board so he had the black pieces facing him.

"Of course you'd choose black," she scoffed, "Black like your heart!"

"Well there's progress for you," said EJ happily, "At least you acknowledge I have a heart now."

"Don't get too excited," said Sami dourly.

EJ just smiled at her.

"You're move sweetheart," he informed her calmly.

Forty minutes later they were still at it and neither one was giving any ground. Sami took one of his pawns with a triumphant flourish.

"Feel free to give resign anytime you want EJ," she told him sweetly.

"Only you could turn chess into a death sport Samantha," he said with great affection.

EJ observed her latest move and thoughtfully scratched at the tip of his nose, trying to work out what to do next.

"You didn't think I'd be this good did you?" she gloated at him, leaning back in her chair and folding her arms in front of her chest.

"Sweetheart," said EJ absently, eyes on the chess board as he picked up a chess piece and then thinking better of it and putting it down again, "I would never underestimate your ability at playing games…"

He lifted his eyes and fixed her with a warm chocolate stare then.

"… ever," he finished off and then made his move.

EJ looked at her with interest then, waiting for her next move.

"So who taught you to play so well Samantha?" he asked curiously.

"John and I used to play all the time when I was younger," she said quietly, studying the chess board, "When I thought he was my real dad."

"Well that's somewhat ironic," noted EJ wryly, "Stefano's pawn being a good chess player."

Sami's head snapped up then and she glared at EJ, suddenly reminded of John lying in a hospital bed in a coma - all because of the man sitting across from her with a smirk on his face.

"Why did you do it EJ?" she asked him bitterly, "Why did you shoot John?"

"Are we back to that sweetheart?" asked EJ mildly, "I told you - I didn't shoot John Black."

"Just stop lying EJ," Sami said with an angry shake of her head, "Tell me the truth!"

"Well according to you I'm incapable of telling the truth," said EJ flatly, leaning back and giving her a considered look, "I mean if I deny it then you don't believe me and if I admit to it just to please you what does that achieve eh? You're hell bent on painting me as the villain of this piece and whatever I say or don't say, confess to or don't confess to changes nothing."

"You are the villain of the piece!" hissed Sami, "You're Stefano's son! You shot John and who knows what else!"

"How does me being Stefano's son make me the bad guy here Samantha?" he asked her calmly, "After all you're the daughter of the esteemed Dr Marlena Evans and the venerable Commissioner Roman Brady and I think we can all agree that apple fell a fair way from the genetic tree so to speak… thank god."

"Don't you dare speak about my parents like that!" she said hotly, "And say that about me!"

"And yet you're allowed to liken my father to Satan?" pointed out EJ flatly, "Hardly fair now is it Samantha? And as for you being like your parents I cannot imagine why you would even want to be when you could be Samantha Brady instead. A woman with more fire and passion then they could ever hope to know."

"My parents love me!" she raged at him.

"Of that I have no doubt," nodded EJ, "But they don't understand you Samantha - not even a little bit. So their solution is to try and make you into a clone of your vapid sister. It's akin to child abuse if you ask me."

"No one is asking you EJ!" she spat out at him, unable to believe that he was saying these things about her family.

She stood up suddenly, the game all but forgotten now.

"I don't have to sit here and listen to the ramblings of a mad man!" she declared, her eyes spitting fire at him.

Sami stormed out of the room then, leaving EJ to his own company.

"I guess that means you're resigning then sweetheart," he mused quietly to himself, laying down her king piece, "I win."

EJ closed his eyes and blew out a frustrated breath.

Clearly he still had a long way to go in gaining her trust but the more she opened up to him about how she was feeling the more they could deal with these things. EJ knew the biggest problem with Sami was going to be getting her to face things squarely. Her ability to reject reality and insert her own was nothing short of staggering. EJ got up and poured himself a scotch, taking a drink from his glass thoughtfully.

They may have a long way to go but they were definitely on the road. EJ smiled to himself, after all - it wasn't just about the destination but the journey as well he told himself.

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami was at the beach before she calmed down enough to take stock of where she'd ended up. Fortunately for her the rain had stopped for a while, not that she would have cared about getting wet as long as she was away from EJ. Just who the hell did EJ think he was passing judgement on her family like that?! Like he knew anything about what a real family was like in the first place! Sami raged at him in her head, marching up the beach and trying to let off some steam. She knew he was just trying to confuse her with all his clever twisting and turning of the facts. The EJ she'd met when he first came to town didn't exist, Sami knew that. The man who'd been her friend, listened so patiently to her worries and wined and dined her like no other man was just an illusion. The real EJ shot John and probably a lot worse again. He was a liar and a manipulator and Sami couldn't let her distract him from that fact.

She knew that was what this was all about - trying to make her believe that he was the same man that she'd had an instant connection with but Sami couldn't let that happen. After all, what did it say about her that she was attracted to a DiMera - it was just too horrible to contemplate? Not that she was attracted to him of course - not even a little bit. Sami had a sudden flash of the two of them on the bed last night, the feeling of his hands on her body and stubbornly pushed it away.

He was an evil DiMera and she was a Brady - nothing could ever happen between any Brady or DiMera - it was inconceivable. Sami looked up at the house through the trees that ran between it and the beach and squared her shoulders. She could do this - it was already three days in - all she had to do was get through another four and then this whole farce would be behind her and she could get back to Lucas. Sami had a sudden jolt, realising that was the first time she'd thought of him all day. She shook her head, mad at herself for the oversight.

_What was EJ doing to her?!_

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami wandered around for another hour or so, going and visiting with Jellybean for a while when the rain started again. He patiently listened to her rant about how awful his owner was, happy to listen as long as Sami kept feeding him his oats. Eventually Sami got hungry and seeing as Jellybean's oats didn't look that appetising she reluctantly headed back inside the house. She walked in to find EJ sitting at the lap top.

"Oh hello sweetheart," he said calmly, "Enjoy your walk?"

Sami just shrugged at him but he seemed unconcerned with her lack of communication.

"I made you a little snack," he said and nodded at the plate with a sandwich and a tub of yoghurt set out on it, "I thought you might be a little hungry after your constitutional."

Sami looked over at the food and then back at EJ, refraining from thanking him for his thoughtfulness but again EJ seemed unfazed.

"So time for you to send a little email home to let Lucas know how much you're enjoying your business trip," said EJ, opening up the lap top and turning it on, "How about it eh sweetheart - ready to drop a line and let your dearly beloved know everything is tickety boo?"

"Bite me!" said Sami flatly, folding her arms in front of her chest, "I'm not doing anything to help with this farce you've organised. I'm here - that's enough!"

"But darling," pouted EJ, "He'll worry about you and we can't have that now can we?"

Sami just looked back at him, her expression telling him there was a snow ball's chance in hell that she was going to do as he asked.

"Well fine then," said EJ cheerfully, "If you're going to be like that I'll do it then shall I?"

"I don't care what you do EJ," she said in annoyance, "As long as you're over there and I'm over here… I'm happy. Every minute you spend wasting your time is another minute I'm closer to going home so knock yourself out!"

"Fine," said EJ, not seeming to be put out at all by her tone or manner, "Let's see where should I start…? I guess the usual standard is - 'The weather is beautiful… wish you were here'."

EJ pursed his lips, seeming to be thinking about that then as he took a sip of water from his glass.

"Although something possibly more apt would be 'The weather is here… wish you were beautiful'," he continued on blithely, putting down his glass and looking at Sami, "What do you think Samantha… which should I go with?"

The Death Stare came out then and attempted to remove his head but it just bounced harmlessly off EJ as he started to type. Sami shook her head and walked over to the couch behind EJ and sat down before picking up the sandwich and taking a bite out of it. She really was hungry.

"How about this then…?" he said to her as his fingers clicked on the keyboard, "Dear Lucas, I've arrived safely and have already settled in. My room is nice enough although it could do with more pillows I think…"

Sami shook her head at his teasing of her and returned to her food, almost violently chewing each mouthful as he continued on blithely.

"I've been running around like a mad thing to get to all the meetings which are going well by the way," read EJ as he typed the email for her, "And I'm looking forward to being on my back soon…"

Sami's head snapped up at that last bit and looked at him in horror.

"Oh sorry," said EJ, not looking up from the key board as he tapped away, backspacing merrily, "Typo there - meant to say '_getting_ on back to my room soon so I can relax and have a long hot shower.'"

"I hate you so much," said Sami in disgust at his never ending toying with her.

"What's that darling?" he called out, still typing away, "Do you have something to add after all?"

EJ stopped then and looked expectantly over at Sami. Sami smiled sweetly and picked up a nearby fork and then viciously and repeatedly stabbed at the yoghurt container in front of her that still had its plastic cover on. There was a flurry of fork and yoghurt going everywhere for awhile then until she finally stopped. She looked over at EJ then and gave him a challenging look.

"Hmm," pondered EJ straight faced, "I'm not entirely sure how to spell that sweetheart so I'll just go with… enjoying the local cuisine eh, how does that sound?"

His answer was a stony silence and EJ nodded.

"I'll take that as a yes then," he said to himself, resuming with the email.

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ walked into the living room to find Sami still sulking in a chair. He pursed his lips thoughtfully before going and sitting down on the coffee table in front of her, the drink he was holding still in one hand. Sami looked at him and as he looked down at the glass in his hand.

"It's stopped raining," he informed her.

"I'll alert the media," she said flatly and EJ lifted his head and smiled at her humour.

"You know I've been tallying up your points from breaking the Golden Rule," he commented, "And can you believe we're up to four favours that you owe me now?"

Sami stood up then and walked over to the middle of the room, suddenly nervous where this might be going.

"So I was thinking," continued on EJ smoothly, standing up and walking over to where she was standing, "Time is ticking away…"

"Thank god!" snapped Sami, her nerves tightening as to what he was going to ask of her next.

EJ looked away briefly and seemed to be deliberately keeping himself calm.

"… and it might be a good idea to get onto whittling that number down," he said mildly as though she hadn't spoken.

"What do you want EJ?" said Sami, gritting her teeth and bracing herself.

"I don't know if you know if you've had a chance to notice this yet but the sunsets around here are really quite spectacular," said EJ, "The clouds have cleared after the rain so I'd like it if we could go for a walk on the beach together and watch the sunset before dinner. I think you'll find the view worth even having to endure the torture of my company."

Sami looked at him suspiciously, his words making her feel suddenly like a petulant child for the way she'd been treating him and she hated that he made her feel like that.

"And that's all?" she asked him warily.

"Well that would account for one point," nodded EJ and then gave her a little crooked smile, "Interested?"

It sounded simple enough and really it could have been a lot worse.

"You look relieved," he noted, watching her face with interest.

"I was worried you were going to make me go skinny dipping or something," admitted Sami, the words out of her mouth before she'd thought them through properly.

She gasped and looked suddenly stricken as EJ's eyes light up.

"Well, well," he noted with an impish smile, "That certainly gives me food for thought for the remaining three points now doesn't it sweetheart?"

EJ grinned at her and then just promptly walked out of the room and Sami turned and watched him leave, horrified at herself.

What was wrong with her lately… was she _made_ of stupid??!

**Chapter THIRTEEN**** - ****Yodellay Eh Hoo****!**

**EVENING 3 ...**

EJ tilted his head as Sami industriously set about rebuilding her wall of pillows for their second night of sleeping in the same bed. He leant back against the wall, folding his arms in front of his chest and crossing one leg in front of the other as he watched her beaver away, adding another layer of pillows and making sure that it was all secure.

"It's like you used to work in the Mob…" he noted idly, scratching one cheek as he watched her secure the pillows tightly in a line, ". this aptitude you have for construction Samantha. It's a side of you I had no idea about."

"Yeah well just be grateful I didn't used to work for the Mob," she said flatly, not rising to the bait, "Otherwise you'd be wearing a concrete over coat right about now and be at the bottom of that ocean outside!"

"You…" said EJ, perfectly straight faced, "… have the sweetest pillow talk _ever_ Samantha."

"Get into bed EJ," she said flatly.

"And I especially love it when you order me to bed," he said, a twinkle in his eye.

Sami huffed and climbed onto her side of the bed, the pillows again completely hiding him from her sight when she lay down. EJ lay on his side of the barricade and looked thoughtfully up at the sheer face of pillows to his left.

"You know," he commented conversationally, "I've got this almost uncontrollable urge to start yodelling."

"Oh shut up!" she snapped from her side of the great divide.

"Heidi?" said EJ earnestly, "Heidi is that you? Your mother said to bring down the goats from the mountains right away otherwise you'll be late for dinner."

Sami gritted her teeth at his relentless teasing of her.

"Well get used to it Elvis," she snarked at him, "Because these Alps aren't going anywhere! At least not while I have to suffer through having you in the same bed with me!"

"But I'm only looking for a little warmth and companionship," he wheedled with a forlorn sigh, "Surely you wouldn't deny me that Heidi?"

"If that's the case I suggest finding yourself one of those goats and snuggling up to it because that's the only _warmth and companionship_ you're going to be getting from anything in this bed!" said Sami in annoyance.

"Hm," said EJ and then Sami blinked rapidly as he suddenly turned the light on.

"What are you doing?" she asked with a frown.

"I'm checking out the goat situation," he told her and she could actually hear the smirk on his face, "After all I want to make sure I get a pretty one don't I?"

"Ohh!" Sami propped herself up on her elbows in frustration at how far he was willing to take this but she was going to get the last word if it killed her one way or the other.

Sami impulsively grabbed at the glass of water she had on the night stand beside her and without allowing herself to think about it she threw the entire contents up and over the barricade of pillows to where she figured his face or at the very least some part of his body would be.

"Ahh!" said EJ in shock when the streak of water suddenly hit him full in the face and part of his chest, "What the…!"

"What's the matter EJ?" she mocked him, a big smile on her face, "It's the tropics - I thought you expected the occasional drop of rain."

Now it was EJ's turn to prop himself up on his elbows and he shook his head, dislodging water droplets everywhere from his face and hair. Despite himself EJ had to smile, she was just so very feisty - god how he loved that about her!

"I'm wet," he noted ruefully, looking down at himself.

EJ gave a dramatic sigh and then sent a wicked sideways look to the wall of pillows towards Sami even though she couldn't see it.

"I'd always rather hoped that it would be _you_ saying those words in this bed Samantha," he said impishly.

Sami's mouth dropped at his cheekiness and she couldn't help herself. She sat bolt upright in bed and moved so she could glare down at him from over the great divide.

"You are the most disgusting, repulsive…!" she began angrily and then seemed to find difficulty in picking the next word so changed tact, "You would have to evolve up to even become a dung beetle EJ DiMera!"

EJ arched an eyebrow at her as he peered up at her, still propped up on his elbows, the last of the water trailing off his body and into the decidedly damp bed sheets now.

"I think dung beetles are given a bad rap in this life," he mused thoughtfully, "They perform an important function in this world, sorting through all the bull shit of this world. I must say I can relate knowing you as I do now Samantha…"

His ponderings were interrupted when one of the few pillows that weren't already playing a part in separating them caught him square in the face as Sami belted him with all of her might with her weapon of choice. EJ blinked rapidly in surprise after her sudden attack but made no other movement.

"So remind me how this goes," he said calmly, looking up at her as she smirked down at him, "After the pillow fight do we braid each other's hair and talk about boys?"

"Shut up EJ," she bit out, "One more word from you and the next thing I'm going to hit you with is…!"

Sami looked around wildly then for something suitably frightening and all she could find was the large book she'd bought into the room from the library earlier that day thinking she might read in bed - anything other than having to talk to him. It had some significant weight to it and while Sami would have preferred a frying pan this would have to do in the heat of the moment. She clambered off the bed and grabbed it, having to use two hands because of its size. She stood by the bed and held it up for him to see.

"One more word EJ and I swear…" she threatened him, "This book is going to become a permanent part of your anatomy!"

EJ looked between the large tome and the deadly serious expression on Sami's face. He opened his mouth and Sami gave him a warning look raising the book higher and he dutifully closed it again. With a triumphant nod at his acquiescence she climbed back into the bed, taking the book with her just in case. EJ lay back down on his side of the bed as well, deciding not to worry about the water - it was a warm night and he'd dry soon enough. A huge smile split his face. He was having so much fun it should have been illegal. Of course it wasn't the fun he'd hoped for in this bed but it was early days and they had time. He closed his eyes, the image of Samantha's outraged face dancing before his eyes and he loved seeing all that fire and passion directed at him.

"Goodnight Heidi," he said softly, his eyes still closed and still smiling like a loon as he imagined the ways her cheeks would be flushing now and her eyes flashing in anger as he got the last word in.

His enjoyment was short lived though as Sami made good on her promise wordlessly launched the book she was still clutching over the wall of pillows and caught him squarely in the stomach. EJ hadn't had a chance to brace himself for the impact because his eyes had been closed and the impact of the weighty book on his unsuspecting stomach wrung a pained grunt from his lips which bought a pleased smile to Sami's.

"Oww!" he complained when he could suck in his next breath and looked down unhappily at the offending item.

"Goodnight EJ," said Sami sweetly, turning on her side and pulling the bed sheets up and smiling happily away to herself.

EJ scowled and then pouted and then lifted the book of his stomach and then rubbed the put upon flesh ruefully before dropping the book down beside the bed with a heavy thud. Well she was going to pay for that little act of defiance he decided with a thoughtful purse of his lips but revenge was a dessert best served cold and tomorrow was a new day after all. EJ reached over and turned off the light beside him that he'd turned on previously and then lay back down on his side of the bed, linking his fingers in front of his still damp chest, the devious machinations of his mind hard at work.

**ooooOOOOooo**

Sami rolled over yet again in bed and blew out a frustrated breath. She just couldn't seem to fall asleep; her mind was racing with too many unwanted thoughts. The steady breathing on the other side of the wall of pillows told her EJ wasn't suffering the same problem - he sounded fast asleep to her in fact. Sami threw back her covers, giving up on trying to find any sleep now. A stray gecko clicked and chitted on the wall to her left and she looked at it warily, uncertain if they also had a tendency to leap off walls and gave a little shudder at the thought.

Sami picked up her pink wrap and walked to the bedroom door. She looked back over her shoulder to see EJ sprawled out on the bed, one arm thrown up over his face as he lay on his back. Sami pressed her lips together, studying him as he lay sleeping. She bit her lip and quickly escaped downstairs to the sitting room, thoughts of their beach walk plaguing her.

**oooOOOOooo**

_Sami looked at the vista in front of her and despite herself she had to admit it was beautiful. Reds, oranges, blues and indigoes lit up the sky as the sun made it's slow decent towards the horizon the ball of fire already looking like it was almost touching the water._

_They stood there silently for a long moment, Sami unbearably conscious of the man standing beside her. She could feel the heat rolling off his body as he stood there. She didn't know if it was because they were in the tropics or the fact that he wasn't wearing his usual suits, rather long shorts and a singlet but he just seemed to very hot to her all of a sudden. Sami blushed then at her own thoughts, grateful for the fading light to hide her sudden colour and the fact that EJ couldn't read her mind although she was arguing with herself internally that she simply meant hot as in temperature wise and in no other capacity. _

_But seeing as EJ couldn't actually read her thoughts it was hard to know who she was really trying to convince. _

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami made a little unhappy groan - why hadn't she stopped it there - suggested a run on the beach instead? Something, anything that would have meant that they couldn't have talked and then he wouldn't have been able to say what he did to her…

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ woke up suddenly from a disjointed dream, his father, Samantha all mixed up together and it left him with an unsettled feeling. EJ sat up in bed and looked over the pillows only to find Sami not there. He frowned, tilting his head and listening for sounds of her but could hear none. He got up and walked out of the bedroom, looking up and down the hallway but still not seeing Sami. A noise downstairs alerted him to her whereabouts and he paused thoughtfully, wondering what it was that was keeping her awake. EJ stood at there in the hall and remembered their beach walk together. He rubbed the back of his head distractedly recalling every detail of their time together.

He felt like he and Samantha were dancing somehow. A dance with intricate steps and a wrong move one way or the other could destroy all that he'd been so carefully working towards. No woman had ever intrigued him so utterly as Samantha. In fact he couldn't even remember his life clearly before he met her. It was like a dream somehow and the first time he'd laid eyes on her it was like he'd woken from a deep slumber. The concept that Sami didn't feel the same way, hadn't felt that same instantaneous and deep connection the moment their eyes met for the first time was unfathomable to him.

She'd felt it too - he was more certain of that fact than any other in his life.

It was so strange that though he'd seen pictures of Samantha Brady before he even stepped foot in Salem - that first meeting, seeing her in the flesh so to speak, it felt like he'd come home somehow. He knew her instantly, understood her utterly before she even spoke a single word to him. EJ had never experienced anything like it before in his life. People would probably say what he was describing was love at first sight but EJ knew it was more than that. It was like this had all happened before and he and Sami were just replaying it somehow. Their connection had been powerful and immediate and almost… otherworldly in its intensity.

EJ shook his head at his fanciful thinking, blaming the lateness of the hour for his wayward thoughts. He looked down the stairs, chewing on his inner lip and deciding what he should do next. Leaving her alone with her thoughts was an option, let her mull over what had already passed between them but then EJ was finding it increasingly difficult to pass up any opportunity nowadays to be near her. Their bed… EJ paused at the realisation of how easily that phrase came to mind… _their_ bed… his and Samantha's. Without her in their bed beside him it suddenly seemed very lonely now, even with the construction job she'd managed to construct separating them.

EJ started down the stairs, unable to stop himself from going to her. He recalled their walk together as he went. He'd given her a lot to think about… and himself. That was probably why he'd reverted back to teasing her earlier that night. They were both comfortable with that kind of interaction, it was familiar and less confronting than what they'd shared on the beach…

**oooOOOOooo**

_EJ walked up and stood beside Sami, looking down at her face to see the enchantment at the scene that she wasn't bothering to hide from him. A little smile touched his lips at seeing her let her guard down again. EJ thought of their future together - a future with many beach walks in it, horse rides, romantic dinners… the possibilities were endless if Sami would only relent in her stubbornness in denying there was anything between them. _

"_It's beautiful isn't it?" he asked her softly, "I think this view alone is reason enough for to justify this being my favourite place on earth."_

_Sami turned her head and looked up at him and he wondered what she was thinking in that moment, the way she was looking at him so pensively. The need to be near her, touching her overwhelmed him. _

"_You have three more penalties to pay off," he informed her, seeing her frown a little at that and continuing on quickly, "How about I give you a chance to lose one of those?"_

"_I'm already going for a walk on the beach with you," said Sami, suddenly tense again, "What else do you want EJ?"_

_EJ didn't answer, simply held out his hand to her. Sami looked down at his outstretched hand and then back at him wide eyed. EJ gave a soft little smile, waggling his long fingers at her. Sami bit her lip, knowing what he was asking for. She shrugged then, seeming to have decided that there was no harm in it. Sami hesitantly reached out and took his offered hand. EJ immediately curled his fingers around her hand. He looked down at their joined hands, feeling how small and delicate she felt to his touch. EJ began to walk, pulling gently on her hand and Sami fell easily into step with him as they walked along, the wet sand crunching beneath their feet as they did. They walked along the water line in silence for a while as the sun dipped ever lower, the colours in the sky changing almost by the second. It suddenly began to feel all too comfortable to Sami… worse than that… too intimate and she hurried to try and break the moment._

"_So exactly how many women have you bought here EJ?" she asked him._

_She'd meant for the question to be sarcastic and off hand but there was a breathless quality to her question that ruined the effect she was going for. _

"_Only you," he answered her casually._

"_Yeah right," she snorted under her breath._

"_I've never bought anyone to Ara Caman," said EJ quietly, "… ever Samantha. You're the first… the only."_

_Sami looked at him uncertainly._

"_Because it was a convenient place for you to isolate me from everyone else," she informed him unhappily._

"_No," said EJ simply, looking down at her as they walked along, still hand in hand, "There are literally hundreds of places in this world I could have taken you to and we would have been just as alone."_

_EJ stopped walking then and tightened his grip on her hand, making Sami stop as well. He went and stood in front of her, looking at her seriously._

"_I wanted you to see the place that means so much to me Samantha," he told her softly._

"_Why?" she frowned up at him, suddenly nervous at how he was looking at her so intently._

_EJ gave the barest of smiles, reaching down and picking up her other hand before bringing it to his lips and pressing a soft kiss to the back of her hand. He repeated the action with her other hand but kept his lips against the sensitive skin as he spoke his next words, the softness of his lips at odds with the slight roughness of his five o'clock shadow._

"_I love this island," he told her sincerely, his eyes never leaving hers, "… and I love you Samantha… it seemed fitting to me somehow that we should be here together."_

_Sami gasped… he'd said it again. _

_In the hospital foyer before they'd left for Ara Caman EJ had told her he loved her. She'd scoffed at him then and she wanted to again but something was holding her back and she just didn't know what. EJ just watched the various emotions flickering across her face, intent on working out her reaction to his statement._

"_You're the one for me Samantha," he told her throatily, his eyes warm in the fading light, "The first moment I saw you I knew. You want me to believe that this is all in my head but I look into your eyes and I know it's not. You feel this as much as I do… you want this as much as I do… you're just afraid to admit to it."_

"_That's not true," she whispered back to him, her eyes suddenly stricken._

"_Yes it is," he told her with great certainty, his jaw hardening ever so slightly, "And I'm going to prove it to you Samantha… you just watch me."_

"_You need to stop this EJ," she pleaded with him unevenly, her heart beating erratically at the way he was talking, "Nothing can ever happen between us for so many reasons…"_

"_It's already happened," he told her with a shake of his head, undeterred, "And neither one of us can undo it now… you're mine Samantha… just as completely as I am yours…"_

**Chapter FOURTEEN**** - ****Strangers In The Night**

**EVENING 3 (cont)…**

EJ blew out a breath as he now stood in the foyer, desperately wanting to know what Sami was thinking right then. He decided there was only one way to find out because sleep certainly wasn't on his mind any longer. EJ walked into the sitting room to find Sami standing there, looking intently out the window at the surrounding rain forest that was full of shadows and darkness on and off as the bright moon must have been going behind clouds and then reappearing. EJ coughed, not wanting to startle her but she jumped anyway, turning around and staring at him wide eyed.

"Sorry," he apologised quietly.

"You scare me," she said breathlessly.

"Excuse me?" asked EJ with a slight frown.

"I mean you scared me," she corrected herself hastily, looking away from him.

EJ's arched an eyebrow, wondering about her slip of the tongue. He walked into the room more, studying her profile carefully.

"Couldn't sleep hmm?" he asked her softly.

"How can I when you're there in the bed with me?" she snapped, upset and EJ was always a good target for her bad moods.

"It didn't seem to bother you last night," said EJ mildly.

"Yeah well I was still in shock from being attacked!" she huffed, not wanting him to be here suddenly, finding it too confronting.

"Attacked?" EJ questioned her mildly with a quirk of his lips, "A tiny lizard fell on you from the ceiling… it's hardly a Freddy Kruger movie now is it darling?"

EJ held up a hand as she opened her mouth and silenced her next words.

"And please don't say you'd rather be here with Freddy Kruger sweetheart," he told her, knowing exactly what she was about to say.

Sami folded her arms in front of her chest and looked at him defiantly. EJ gave a heavy sigh and sat down on the end of one of the arms of the sofa and looked at her thoughtfully.

"I have an idea," he announced suddenly.

"Oh good," said Sami sarcastically, "Because I've _loved_ all your ideas so far."

EJ gave her a pointed look then and she had the grace to look a bit ashamed because there had been parts of their time on the island that Sami had truly enjoyed and she couldn't deny it as much as she'd might want to. Riding on Jellybean, the beauty of the sunset on the beach. EJ saw the truth in her eyes and she looked away quickly.

"So that being said how about we wipe the slate clean?" he offered, "You're remaining two points can be gone if you like."

"What do I have to do?" she asked him suspiciously.

"Well you seem particularly gifted in coming up with things that you detest about me Samantha," he observed calmly, "How about we turn that frown upside down and you have to tell me ten things that you actually like about me. Have we got a deal?"

"No!" said Sami in horror, "Like I could even think of _one_ _thing_ I like about you EJ DiMera!"

"Hmm," he said, pretending to think over her answer, "I suppose we could always go with your suggestion of skinny dipping. It's a lovely, warm night out - a midnight dip sounds like just what the doctor ordered."

"NO!" squeaked Sami, even more horrified by that prospect.

"No?" repeated EJ, feigning surprise this time, "My original idea suddenly sounding more appealing eh darling? I tell you sweetheart, I could go either way at the moment."

"Fine!" she said unhappily, "We'll do the stupid ten things then!"

"Excellent," said EJ brightly.

"I like it when you leave a room," said Sami with a sickly sweet smile.

"Ah ah," said EJ with a shake of his head, "Play properly missy… I've got all night to wait in case you're wondering - I'm not tired at all."

Sami blew out a frustrated breath, realising she was going to have to do this now but anything was better than option B at this point!

"I'll help you out and play along too," he offered with a small smile, "I'll even start…"

EJ paused then, studying her carefully before speaking and Sami felt herself become self conscious under such close scrutiny.

"I love how you never back down from a fight," he told her softly, his eyes warm, "No matter if you have no chance of winning you still give it your all."

Sami scowled at that, unsure if that could be classified as a compliment or not.

"Your turn," he encouraged her, looking at her with great interest as she stood just in front of him.

"I like umm…" Sami struggled with what to say next.

She spent so much time rehearsing the things she hated about EJ that it was a very odd experience to think of things that she liked about him just because she'd been so determinedly suppressing them for so long now. EJ arched his eye brows at her, waiting expectantly.

"Umm…" Sami hesitated, trying to find something suitably neutral, "You're a good dancer… I like how you dance."

EJ smiled and seemed happy enough with that.

"Dancing with you on the pier is one of the happiest memories I have Samantha," he told her warmly.

"Moving on," she said determinedly, "I want to go back to bed - so no more discussion, let's just do this already!"

"I love how you'll lie through your teeth to get your own way," he told her with a grin, "Shamelessly so."

"That's not a good thing EJ!" exclaimed Sami, her cheeks going pink.

"Says who?" he asked her with a careless shrug.

"Everyone!" she said hotly and then shook her head, annoyed at herself for being sucked into prolonging this again, "My turn…"

"Fire at will sweetheart," he told her in amusement.

"I like… I like…" Sami bit her lip and tried to think, "… you're accent."

EJ made a thoughtful face at that.

"I've got others," he offered her with a grin, "Do you want to take another one out for a spin and see if you like it better…"

"No!" she huffed at his teasing as EJ looked like he was about to launch into a whole litany of them.

"Alright then," he conceded looking at her carefully, "I love your skin. It's so pale and delicate… it tells me everything I ever wanted to know about how you are feeling."

Sami looked worried at that, self consciously pulling her robe a little more tightly around her. She cleared her throat nervously, not wanting to give him a chance to dwell on that, quickly finding something else to say about him.

"I like…" Sami took a deep breath then, "… I like that you had faith in me… with Mythic… or at least I thought you did."

"I did and I do Samantha," said EJ earnestly, "To my way of thinking there is nothing you can't do once you put your mind to it."

"Yeah well," she said uncomfortably, not wanting to be pleased by his faith in her but she was anyway, "Not many people think that way… so… whatever."

Sami wasn't liking how this conversation was making her feel. She felt unsettled and nervous about what he was going to say next and even more so about what was going to come out of her mouth next.

"I love how good a mother you are," he told her truthfully, "How much you love Will and want what's best for him."

"I wasn't always a good mother," protested Sami unhappily, "I made a lot of mistakes with him that I regret so much."

"A good mother… a good person is not someone who has never made a mistake," EJ told her wisely, "But rather someone who has learnt from the mistakes they have made and seeks not to repeat them."

Sami looked away and hoped more than anything EJ was right. She felt liked she'd failed Will so many times but all she wanted to do now was make up for that with him.

"I like how you are with Jellybean," she croaked, changing the subject as she felt herself becoming emotional, "You're… umm… you obviously love that horse… and you're good with him."

EJ smiled at that, touched that she'd been taking notice of such a little detail.

"I love your spirit Samantha," he told her warmly, "You just fill any room you walk into with it. It takes my breath each and every time I'm near you."

"Yeah well," she shrugged, trying her hardest not to be swayed by his charming words, "All I know is that spirit has gotten me into a lot of trouble in the past."

This was all a game to him she had to keep reminding herself of that fact. He was just trying to trick her like he had been all along. His sweet words meant nothing to him and she couldn't let them mean anything to her. There was too much at stake. She had a shot at a normal, happy life with Lucas and she was going to take it. No amount of sweet talk from EJ was going to make her forget that. EJ leant forward a little then, his eyes lighting up.

"I adore trouble," he told her huskily and Sami shuddered a little to hear how velvety his words suddenly sounded.

His eyes dropped to her lips, a smile on his face as he watched her nervously whet them.

"… in fact you might even say I live for… trouble," he said, his voice low and smooth now as his eyes moved slowly from her lips to hold her gaze steadily then.

Sami's heart gave a nervous start at what she saw in his eyes, suddenly afraid.

"I like your hair!" she blurted out, not caring how that sounded as long as they got this over and done with quickly and she could escape him and his damn sexy smile.

"My hair?" he repeated with a little laugh.

"Yes it's very…" Sami looked up at his dark locks and then back at him, "… full."

"Yours is like spun gold," he told her huskily, picking up a strand between his fingers and admiring it, "And so soft…"

He let it fall through his fingers then and Sami quivered, as though she suddenly had the sensation of touch in her hair and feeling his light caress.

"I love your mouth," he said, his eyes dropping to her still glistening lips, his eyelids becoming heavy, "It's so luscious and tastes like the sweetest honey with just a touch of spice…"

"I like your nose!" she said hastily, trying to move things onto less sexy ground, "… it's… ahh… straight and… proportional and… and…in the middle of your face…"

"It's my favourite place to keep it," he teased her with a deep chuckle and she blushed furiously.

Sami knew she was babbling but suddenly this whole thing seemed like a very bad idea.

"So you like my nose eh?" he asked, the barest of smiles on his lips as he moved closer to her still.

Sami had thought she was safe choosing to talk about noses but she should have known better with this man. EJ moved so that the tip of his nose brushed teasingly across hers. Sami's breath hitched in her throat as he playfully nuzzled her nose with his.

"Your nose is very cute sweetheart," he told her, almost whispering now as Sami's began to feel herself falling, her head spinning at his close proximity and the web he was weaving around her, "Like a little upturned button…"

Sami put her hands to his shoulder and she'd swear later it was to push him away from her but somewhere the messages her brain was sending became derailed because instead of pushing on his shoulders Sami's hands caught the material of his shirt and closed that last little distance between them.

The kiss when it came at last seared through Sami's entire body, the taste of him exploding in her mouth as EJ confidently sort and gained entrance into her mouth. His tongue found hers lapping at it and making her taste him as deeply as he was tasting her.

_Oh god how this man could kiss!_

It was something that should definitely go on the list but she'd never tell him that. He was confident but not overly so, just the right amount of pressure and seemed to know what she wanted him to do next. As much as she tried to tell herself it wasn't true but no one had ever kissed her the way EJ did and every single time it felt like she would die from the pleasure of this simple act.

EJ felt her respond to him, could feel how she was holding nothing back from him. He moved a little on the arm of the sofa, settling himself more comfortably and delighted in the way she followed him so eagerly, as though she couldn't bear to break their kiss. EJ knew how she felt. He adored kissing this woman and a little shudder of excitement passed through him imagining what it would be like when he was finally making love to her. Her kisses almost destroyed him… what would it be like the first time he claimed her properly he wondered. That first precious moment when his body would at last be at home inside hers. The way her walls would feel around him, the noises she'd make at that first coupling. EJ groaned loudly at the image, one hand snaking around her waist and dragging her closer to him.

Her softness fitted up against his muscular planes perfectly, melting into them, blurring the lines where he began and she finished. EJ's other hand went to her neck, stroking it tenderly as he continued to plunder the delights of her mouth, becoming ever more famished for her. His hand drifted down and along her shoulder before gliding back across her chest, a finger resting in the notch of her collar bone, feeling her pulse flutter against his finger like a trapped butterfly. His body began to throb, urging him on and his hand could no longer be still. It dipped lower, down between the valley of her breasts, pushing the material of her tank top down as he went, and intent on one goal.

Sami felt her nipples pebble, impatient for his touch, shameless in their eagerness for the attention of those skilled fingers. She whimpered when he found one hardened bud, teasing it into ever growing erectness, pleasing them both as he pulled and pinched the sensitive skin gently. EJ had barely begun to discover yet what she enjoyed, what pleased her and made her breathing become as ragged as his was. Their too few attempts at love making had all been interrupted so there was still so much he had to learn about her body, so many ways to find to pleasure her until she could only bare to have one man's hands on her body ever again… his.

Sami felt the moisture pool between her legs, the entrance to her core tighten painfully and then beginning to ache for more. His hand cupped her fully now, his large hand just managing to contain her fullness and his excited groan told her he enjoyed the way she filled his hand so completely. He began to knead her softness, his tongue picking up the same rhythm and before Sami could help herself her hips began to mark the same time with little thrusts as she stood between his legs.

EJ growled at the contact and the hand that was at her waist moved lower suddenly, going to her lower back and pulling her even more tightly against him, letting her feel exactly what it was that she was doing to him. Sami gasped at the feel of that unmistakeable hardness against her stomach, a sudden vivid image came to her of him moving over her, impaling her wordlessly on that same swollen length and making her cry out at having to take so much of him all at once. Her body reacted instantly to the mental image, excitedly pushing out fresh wetness to help her do just that.

Sami gasped, startled by how clearly she could see him taking her in her mind's eye and how wantonly her body had responded to even the thought of it. A new fear washed over Sami and she struggled in EJ's arms all of a sudden, desperate for him to stop touching her, desperate to regain her senses that he'd stolen from her with a few simple touches. EJ let her go but he wasn't happy, a small frown marring his handsome features as he looked at her in confusion, his breathing ragged and loud… much like her own.

"NO!" she said loudly, taking a couple of unsteady steps backwards and shaking her head at him, "No! We can't do this - I can't do this!"

"Why not?" he asked her tensely, more worried by the way he could see her mentally retreating back into herself protective cocoon even as she stood there, looking at him with horror then the actual loss of physical intimacy.

EJ knew that he wouldn't have her body without her mind and he didn't want to anyway. It was all or nothing for him.

"Because I'm in love with another man!" she said and then more to drive the point home to herself then him at that moment, "I'm in love with another man EJ - and I want only him!"

EJ shook his head, closing his eyes briefly and attempting to reign in the raging need in his body and focus on their conversation. He didn't speak for a long moment and Sami could see he was struggling to get himself back under control and she knew how he felt, her own body still throbbing and aching from what he'd already done to it.

"Samantha…" said EJ, finally opening his eyes and looking at her, taking in her flushed cheeks and her lips still swollen from his kisses.

Sami tensed, uncertain of what his next words were going to be, preparing to fight him… and herself.

"Everything you do Samantha you do with your whole heart," said EJ softly, catching her off guard with his sudden change of tact, "It's magnificent, awe inspiring in fact. The way you fight, the way you love, the way you delude yourself…"

"You're one to talk about delusions!" said Sami sharply, finding herself taken aback by his words.

"When you and I first met you spoke endlessly of how Austin was your one true love," EJ reminded her calmly, "He was the only man for you apparently and you would hear nothing to the contrary. And if I remember correctly sweetheart it was actually me who pointed out that you might have feelings for Lucas which of course you vehemently denied… much as you do any feelings for me I might add. And now here we are… Lucas is now your one true love and you cannot allow yourself to see past that in any way, shape or form."

"There is nothing to see!" said Sami vehemently, trying to block out the memory of their heated tryst they'd just shared moments before.

"There's me Samantha," said EJ leaning forward and, his voice low and urgent now as he held her gaze determinedly, "See _me_."

"I do see you," she said shakily, "You're EJ DiMera, Stefano's son and…"

"No!" said EJ sharply with a shake of his head, "I'm the man who just kissed you, the man you just kissed back. Nothing else matters beyond that Samantha."

"Do you just expect me to close my eyes and forget everything that has happened EJ?" she asked him bitterly.

"No Samantha," he said fiercely, his hand going out to cup the back of her head now and draw her face closer to his even as he dropped his head lower, "I expect you to _open_ your eyes and be honest with yourself and with me about how I make you feel."

EJ reached out a hand and cupped the back of her head, dragging Sami to him in an intense kiss that brooked no resistance and to her horror Sami offered none again for a long moment until some part of her brain managed to convince her that this was a mistake. Sami shoved almost violently against EJ's chest and he released her immediately. They looked at each other, both breathing unevenly, the air fairly crackling with the tension between them and Sami did what she should have done when he'd first walked into the room.

_She ran. _

**Chapter FIFTEEN**** - ****What's In A Name****?**

**DAY 4...**

_Sami ran out of the sitting room, into the foyer and out of the front door. She just ran and didn't look back. It had started to lightly rain again but she didn't even notice, intent on escaping what had just happened between her and EJ. Sami ran into the rainforest, pushing past the vines and stumbling a little over the uneven ground. She could hear the ocean ahead of her but she ran out of breath before she got there, coming to a relatively clear area amongst the trees and leaning up against one, gasping for her next breath. Sami leant her head back against the tree and closed her eyes, trying to get herself back under control. _

"_Samantha?"_

_The sudden sound of EJ's voice so close to her shattered what little calm she'd managed to find so far. Her eyes flew open and her head snapped round to see him standing there off to one side, looking at her calmly with those dark eyes of his. Sami gasped and straightened up, going to run again but her foot connected with an exposed tree root and she stumbled, falling to the ground in a heap. _

"_Samantha!"_

_He was beside her in an instant and then there was the feeling of his hands on her, checking to see if she was hurt. _

"_Are you alright?" he asked her, his face full of concern and right there in front of her now as she tried to scramble to her feet and put some distance between them._

"_Yes!" she said breathlessly, on her feet now and going to move away, albeit unsteadily._

"_Don't."_

_Sami froze at the simple request, doing as he asked and not moving. She looked up at him wide eyed as EJ drew closer to her, standing over her so she was forced to tilt her head right back to still look him in the eye. _

"_You're always running from me Samantha," he told her softly, his deep voice sounding so anguished at the thought, "Don't… please."_

_Sami shook her head at him, unable to tear her eyes away from his._

"_I can't," she whispered, "EJ I can't."_

"_Can't what Samantha?" he asked her, looking at her so intently._

_The drizzling rain had all but drenched them both by now and the warmth of his body heated the small amount of wet air between them and Sami could feel that wet heat envelop her somehow. It was a strange sensation - foreign and yet enticing. The rain had wet EJ's hair and darkened it even more as she knew it must have done hers as well. Little droplets of water streaked down the planes of his face and down onto his chest and into the black tank top he was wearing. Sami had this sudden urge to taste one wet drop, the combination of rain water and his skin a suddenly intoxicating thought. _

"_What can't you do sweetheart?" he pushed her, seeing the uncertain look on her face, "Can't want me… can't… love me?"_

"_Yes!" she gasped in anguish, "I can never love you EJ!"_

"_Don't say that!" he growled, moving so suddenly that Sami was caught off guard._

_Sami took a couple of hasty steps backwards but had to stop when her back came up against the trunk of a large tree but EJ didn't. He advanced on her until he was standing so close to her that their bodies were so close to touching but not quite. He put his hands on either side of her head, palms resting against the tree trunk and bent his head even as Sami craned her neck right back to look him in the eye, feeling every inch of their height difference at such close proximity and feeling suddenly very vulnerable._

"_Don't say that," he repeated, this time little more than a whispered plea._

_There was such anguish in his eyes that Sami couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't even look away. EJ closed that last little distance between them and he was kissing her again and this time she didn't have the strength to stop him, returning the kiss just as passionately. It was almost too hard but Sami didn't want him to stop, the little noises she was making in the back of her throat encouraging him on. She gasped when he suddenly stopped; tearing his lips off hers and making her feel suddenly bereft. Sami looked up at him in confusion, her eyes begging him for an explanation but EJ didn't speak, simply held her gaze as he took a step backwards. Still not letting her look away EJ pulled his now soaking tank top off over his head, throwing it in a wet heap to one side. _

_Sami's eyes ran over his naked chest, muscled and tanned with a smattering of chest hair that seemed just right to her somehow. She dragged her eyes from his chest, trying to work out what he was thinking, what he was going to do next and she didn't have long to wait. EJ's hands went to her tank top now and without a single word just pulled it off over her head, exposing her naked breasts to him. His eyes flared at seeing her for the first time and her nipples hardened of their own accord in reaction to that look. Wordlessly EJ bent his head and ran his tongue up between the valley of her breasts, collecting all the rain water that had beaded there already and doing as she'd already fantasised about with him - tasting her skin mixed in with the little droplets. _

_EJ began to lick his way along her collar bone and then suddenly moved lower. Sami cried out as he found her nipple, drawing the hardened bud into his mouth and suckling eagerly. She groaned at the feeling of his velvety tongue running back and forth over the peak, encouraging it to ever greater stiffness and Sami leant back against the tree, arching her back and closing her eyes at the delicious sensation. He stopped again and Sami moaned her complaint, opening her eyes and blinking rapidly as some rain water dripped into them. EJ had only moved away though to remove his sweat pants, riding himself of them quickly. Sami's eyes widened to see him naked and fully erect - magnificently so. Her mouth went suddenly dry but other parts of her body had no such problem, her core instantly responding to the sight of his swollen manhood. The wetness pooled between her legs, adding to what was already there from his ministrations to her breast. _

_EJ moved back to her immediately, claiming her other breast now with a feral sounding growl, repeating his cleverness with it and making her whimper her pleasure for him. Sami felt his hands go to her pyjama bottoms, sliding under the waistband and down her backside, pushing the material down as he went. EJ got the pants to her knees and Sami took over, unable to bear having anything between them now and she simply stepped out of them, even while EJ continued to have his way with her breast, his hand going to the other one now and finding her nipple, pulling and teasing it between his thumb and fingers. Sami groaned loudly, leaning her head back against the tree trunk and tilting her face towards the heavens. The rain fell softly on her face, a stark contrast to the roughness EJ was treating her body with but she welcomed it… craved it and only wanted more. Both of their bodies were slick with rain water and Sami put a hand to EJ's soaked head, fingers curling in his short hair, intent on keeping him at her breast for a little while longer. Sami opened her eyes again then, looking down now and seeing EJ bent over her, mouth to her breast and her body tightened in excitement, pumping out more of its juices in approval of the sight. A slight movement in the corner of her eye distracted Sami from the sight of EJ worshipping her breasts and she turned her head her eyes widening at what she saw and a pained gasp passed her lips._

_Lucas._

_Standing there, a few feet away, silently watching her and EJ together. _

_Sami was horrified but before she could do anything at all EJ released her breast, both hands going to her bare bottom cheeks and he lifted her off the ground, entering her in one hard thrust. He didn't speak, didn't ask for permission and it was so sudden that her head was spinning as Sami found herself impaled on his manhood. She cried out having to take so much of him at once but EJ offered no apology, instead beginning to thrust himself hard and deep inside of her. Sami groaned, wrapping her legs around EJ's waist and it only increased his penetration of her and wrung another groan from deep inside of her, Sami having to squeeze her eyes tightly closed against the rawness of the sensation._

_Her hands gripped his broad, rain slick shoulders as EJ held her in place against the tree with his hands and the force of his penetrations. Sami's eyes met Lucas' over EJ's shoulder, her eyes wide but unable to stop what was happening. Lucas just stood there expressionlessly, watching as EJ took her fiercely up against the tree, listening to their increasingly desperate groans and grunt. EJ had his head buried in her shoulder and Sami's lips were parted, drawing in ragged breaths of air and letting out little cries every time EJ rammed all his thick, hard length into her completely with a force that should have been painful but only excited Sami more. Lucas did nothing, continuing to watch them their frantic coupling, EJ rutting away inside of her with ever increasing force. Sami continued to hold Lucas' gaze for as long as she could, her eyes full of anguish that he should be witnessing this but then EJ moved her hips, penetrating her at a slightly different angle and suddenly he was all she could think of._

"_GOD!" she cried out, the new angle making it feel like he was practically tearing her in two with every remorseless thrust and nothing else in the world existed now except for EJ._

_He lifted his head from her shoulder then, trapping her with his dark gaze and Sami stared helplessly back, her body utterly his to do with what he wanted and they both knew it._

"_You're mine!" EJ rasped the words to her and Sami whimpered, unable to deny it as his penetrations became ever more urgent, pushing them both on to their first climax, "MINE!"_

_EJ came then, his body bursting forth with all that he had for her, flooding Sami's deepest regions with his own seed and howling loudly as he did. With each of his frantic final thrusts EJ seemed to find more to give her and Sami groaned at the sensation of feeling him inundate her with all of his maleness. Her core tightened, desperate for her own release, so close but not quite there yet. All thoughts of Lucas was gone from her head, EJ consuming her utterly and yet still that last perfect crescendo alluded her. _

"_EJ!" she cried out her frustration to him, needing to come so badly she was almost crying from frustration, "EJ!"_

Sami groaned loudly, waking herself up and she sat up suddenly, her breathing uneven and her entire body aching. She nervously turned her head and almost cried with relief to see that EJ wasn't in the bed beside her to witness her shameful display. She sat there, trying to regain her wits and work out what the hell that was all about. She was bombarded with feelings of guilt and shame but more than that, desire and lust. Sami felt as though she was going to burst in to flames any minute and needed to put a stop to this. Sami climbed out of bed shakily and quickly dressed, fearful that at any moment EJ would return and trying to dismiss her all too vivid dream from her mind with limited success. Sami hadn't even heard him come to bed last night after she'd run out on him. It was still pretty dark outside, not even dawn quite yet and Sami couldn't help but wonder where he was.

A search of the downstairs area didn't reveal EJ and Sami frowned, wondering where he was but then, he couldn't be that far away – this was an island after all. She wandered outside and headed down the short track to Jellybean's stable. She'd grown very fond of the horse in her short stay and would often find herself down talking with him when EJ just got too annoying, too smug… too confronting. She'd vent to the horse about his master's many faults and Jellybean would listen patiently, even offering up a sympathetic noise or two. It could have been for Sami to give him more grain of course but she liked to think that it was because he understood and was commiserating with her.

Sami opened the door of the stable and her heart gave a jump when she found that Jellybean wasn't there, fearing the worse that he'd somehow run off during the night but then she noticed that his saddle was gone and it was much more likely that EJ had simply taken him out. She'd noticed that EJ would slip away a couple of times a day and take Jellybean for a run along the beach. Sami supposed the little walk the three of them had been on didn't really cut it for the horse. It was slowly starting to get lighter as the sun began to creep back in the sky.

Was it only last night that she and EJ had watched it set?

His words of last night kept coming back to her… _see me_. Sami felt like he was all she could ever see nowadays, he was everywhere she turned all of a sudden and even her dreams weren't safe from him now it seemed.

_You're mine…_

She shuddered at the memory of his possessive words.

It felt like a lot had happened between then and now even though it had only been a few short hours. Sami started to head towards the beach. She told herself that she was only looking to find EJ so she'd know where he was to keep out of his way. Sami determinedly didn't examine the logic of that particular line of thinking as she walked along. Coming to where the rainforest met the beach she stopped and looked up and down the beach. To her right she immediately saw EJ and Jellybean off in the distance. She watched as they galloped along, Jellybeans hooves thundering along as they went at full speed along the water line until they finally slowed down and simply strolled along, taking in the beauty of the breaking of dawn, man and beast oblivious to their audience of one.

Sami didn't know much about riding a horse but she didn't need to see that EJ really knew how to ride. He and Jellybean were in perfect sync as they had raced down the beach together. He made it look so effortless but then again EJ DiMera made just about everything look easy thought Sami bitterly. Everything seemed to come to him so easily whilst Sami felt like she'd had to fight and claw for everything she'd ever gotten in her life. He was always so calm and self assured in everything he did. Very few things seemed to pierce that charming, roguish exterior. Sami knew a weak spot was his father and he'd spent the last four days trying to convince her she was another for some reason.

Sami just couldn't work out his angle. She absolutely didn't believe that he loved her so he must have another reason for trying this hard with her. The truth, if Sami was brutally honest with herself, was that she didn't believe that anyone other than Eric had ever really loved her and certainly no man that she wasn't related to. She knew her parents loved her but there was always this kind of divide between them somehow. EJ's words about them not understanding her came back to haunt her. She'd never let herself examine her relationship with her parent's too closely for fear of what she might discover.

Sami felt like she'd spent her whole life working for their approval and failing abjectly. She knew she was the problem – the anti-Brady. Impulsive, manipulative and emotional – she was everything a Brady wasn't meant to be and Sami hated it. Hated being the odd one out, the outcast of the family and couldn't stand to be on the outside looking in anymore. Her relationship with Lucas represented a fresh start for her. There was no other woman to try and manoeuvre out of the picture and she loved Lucas and had a child with him. It was neat and perfect and how life should be. The last thing Sami wanted right now was complications. Her life had been full of them and she was sick to death of them. All she wanted now was a normal life and the man on horseback trotting up towards her was anything but the way to that.

"Good morning," smiled EJ.

He looked well rested and relaxed and Sami hated him for it. She felt like she hadn't closed her eyes all night but she knew she must have because of that dream that had woken her. Sami blushed at the memory and was grateful that the light was still low and it wouldn't be as noticeable.

"Morning," she mumbled and then smiled as Jellybean drew near, looking for a pat.

Sami reached up a hand and stroked the horse's long velvety nose and smiled at him as he snorted out some air from each nostril.

"Jelly was a bit anxious for a hit out this morning," EJ informed her, swinging down easily from the saddle in one lithe move, "Lot of pent up energy, he charmed me into an extra long ride."

"I don't think you'd need that much convincing," said Sami, shooting him a quick sideways glance.

EJ's face was relaxed and open, looking decidedly boyish all of a sudden. His breathing was ever so slightly heavier from all the galloping and Jellybean's even more so, his hot breath continuing to blow up the bangs of Sami's hair.

"That's true," EJ grinned and then leant towards her in a conspiratorial fashion, "But don't tell him that – I don't want Jelly to think he's got me wrapped around his little finger."

"You're secret is safe with me," said Sami and smiled despite herself.

When things were like this between them it was hard for Sami to remember that she'd sworn to herself that EJ was her mortal enemy. The instant rapport that she'd always felt with him bubbled to the surface again. She'd told herself that it had died the day she'd found out about his lies but she was beginning to realise that she'd only buried it. Sami despised herself for enjoying EJ's company, even for a minute and would berate herself severely for it but it didn't seem to stop her from continuing to do it.

"You're up early," commented EJ, walking up alongside Jellybean so that he was closer to Sami and put his arm up under the horse's neck and patted the other side of his neck as he did.

"Yeah well," she shrugged, not really wanting to say more than that.

"You had a bit of a restless night," EJ said mildly.

"Did you hear…?" Sami caught herself from incriminating herself further just in time, "Did… did I keep you awake?"

"You've always kept me awake sweetheart," he teased her with a gentle laugh, his eyes twinkling at her.

"Be serious," she admonished him, not sure she was up to his flirting this morning after the events of last night.

"You're being serious enough for the both of us," he grinned at her, "What's the matter Samantha?"

"You cannot be serious asking me that question!" she exclaimed, looking at him wide eyed.

"Oh right," sighed EJ, "Big old mean EJ has whisked you away from all your family and friends and is holding you hostage on this… now what was it… how did you put it… oh yes, _hell hole_. Did I miss anything out sweetheart?"

"The part about you being a smug bastard perhaps?" asked Sami sweetly, annoyed that he'd taken the wind out of her sails by listing his own misdeeds before she had a chance to.

"You like that about me," he told her and gave her a knowing wink.

EJ relented with his teasing though when he saw the expression on her face and smiled down at her.

"Tell you what Samantha," he said indulgently, "Why don't we go for a nice walk together – you can tell me what a cad I am and I can tell you the rest of the things that I adore about you? How's that for a plan eh?"

Sami's eyes widened. The last thing she wanted was more intimate talks with him – the other two had not ended well from her point of view and she really didn't know if she had the strength for another in such a short period of time.

"I want you to teach me to ride!" she blurted out, desperate for something to distract him from his suggestion.

EJ's eyes brows shot up at her sudden and loud announcement. It had been something Sami had been thinking about ever since they'd gone horseback riding that first day but it seemed like a particularly good idea because at least it was a distraction.

"I'm game if you are," said EJ with a little smile that suggested he knew where her sudden urgent need to learn to ride was coming from.

"Of course I'm game," sniffed Sami, "I suggested it EJ!"

"Actually darling," said EJ, wrinkling his nose and giving her a rueful look, "I was talking to Jellybean."

"Cute," said Sami, rolling her eyes at him, "So what comes first?"

"Breakfast," said EJ simply.

"I'm not hungry," said Sami easily, "I want to start now."

"Well I'm famished and seeing as there is no show without Punch you're going to have to wait my love," said EJ, starting to walk with Jellybean back to the stable.

"What was that about punching?" asked Sami, suddenly worried, having to hurry to keep up with EJ's and Jellybean's long steps.

"It's a saying Samantha," laughed EJ, seeing her concerned face, "No show without Punch – you know, the Punch and Judy puppet show? They would always be fighting and seeing as there were only the two of them in the show there really wasn't any show with the other."

"Couldn't you have just said that I have to wait for you?" asked Sami flatly.

"I believe I just did," said EJ smoothly and then shot her a glance, "Now then, a quick brush down of Jelly and I'll get him his breakfast and then we can have ours – how does that sound Samantha?"

"Time consuming," grumbled Sami.

"Got somewhere to be darling?" asked EJ in mild amusement.

"Well if you'd drop dead like I keep asking I could be dancing on your grave," suggested Sami sweetly.

"That reminds me," said EJ unfazed by her dig but planning on getting her back for it, "Speaking of dancing – wasn't that one of the things you said you loved about me – my dancing ability?"

"I never said I loved you!" exclaimed Sami heatedly, "Um..."about you I mean. I said I liked how you dance. Don't read too much into it EJ – I also like how Fred Astaire dances!"

"Yes but I have two great advantages of Fred Astaire," said EJ seriously, "One – I'm here on the island with you and two – I'm not dead."

"Remind me again how either of those things is a good thing?" snarked Sami.

Once she started with the insults when it came to EJ she just couldn't seem to stop herself for some reason and even though she'd never admit it, Sami was kind of enjoying their banter. They were back at the stable now and EJ had led Jellybean inside.

"Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the Himalayas this morning didn't they?" teased EJ, enjoying her quick rejoinders, "Perhaps if you made the trek over to my side of the valley you might find something there to put a smile on your face eh darling?"

"You mean like the fact that you've come to your senses and gone back to your own room?" suggested Sami with a roll of her eyes.

"You don't want me to leave you Samantha," said EJ with great certainty as he pulled the saddle off Jellybeans back and hung it back up on the wall.

"Really?" asked Sami, pretending to be considering this as she stood to one side, "Because I'm pretty sure that is the only thing I want right now!"

"Pretty sure…" grinned EJ, moving right up close to her, making Sami stiffen, worried that he was going to suddenly start kissing her again.

At the last moment EJ reached round her and picked up the brush for Jellybean and gave her a cheeky wink.

"… but not absolutely sure eh darling?" he sassed her.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Back straight, lean forward a little more, heels down!"

EJ called out his instructions to Sami as she sat on the back of Jellybean and trotted around. She'd been a remarkably quick student and was picking it up well. EJ watched Sami as she trotted around, her face set in concentration as she remembered everything he had told her to do. Sami looked up then and smiled at him, her smile lighting up her entire face, clearly pleased with herself. It was a continual source of amazement to EJ that Sami had so little faith in herself. She could orchestrate these schemes of Machiavellian proportion without batting an eye but when it came to much simpler things she seemed to hesitate.

EJ's annoyance with her family grew, wondering why it was that they would want to stifle the spirit of this amazing young woman. If only he'd met her earlier, before they and the other men had done all this damage to her EJ just knew they would already be together. But it didn't matter now, they were in each other's life now for a reason. The more time he spent with Sami the more he felt like they were only a part of a bigger story somehow. At first EJ had figured it was to do with his father's plan for the DiMera dynasty but now EJ was so sure.

What he was sure of though that Samantha was to be his.

The when part though was proving to be a bit more elusive. They were on their fourth day already and even though they were in the same bed together there was still this wall between them… figuratively and literally. To say that they still had some baggage in their relationship was like saying Sami had packed light to come away for the week. A smile curved EJ's lips as he remembered her suitcase of shoes and how she'd dressed that first night for him, giving herself heat stroke in the process. Everything she did made him fall just that little bit harder for her which made his next moves so critical in their little game of cat and mouse.

One thing EJ knew about Samantha for absolute certain was that she was stubborn and pushing her too hard would result in the opposite effect he was going for. He'd learnt that early on when he was trying to counsel her on the lies she'd told in her relationship with Austin Peck. The more he'd reasoned with her, pushed her to be open to Austin the more she'd found reasons not to. It had been quite maddening really. EJ would talk some sense into her and leave her agreeing to talk to Austin and come clean with the whole Lexie/Carrie/fake medical advice fiasco but then he'd return a couple of hours later to find that she'd talked herself back out of it again. Of course it had all blown up in her face in the end and EJ couldn't say he was overly sorry because he'd wanted Austin out of the picture anyway and he got to be the shoulder to cry on.

But here was the rub, something that had worked for his advantage back then was actually working against him now. The challenge EJ had in front of him was that he needed to convince Sami that he was the man for her and let herself acknowledge the feelings she was clearly holding for him. Even if EJ managed this the real test would come when they left the island and she was surrounded by all the nay sayers again. None of them would be overjoyed to hear of her involvement with a DiMera and EJ worried that their opinion would sway Sami if he hadn't laid the ground work properly. There was this magical line in the sand EJ decided – once Sami crossed over to it and became convinced of something there was nothing she wouldn't do to hold on to it – case in point every relationship she'd ever had with a man. Sami had gone to extraordinary lengths to ensure that she would keep those men and EJ just knew that if he could get her to accept the fact that she loved him as much as he loved her then no amount of disapproving censure from those around her would move her one bit – in fact it would probably only make her cling to him more.

But it was a big if.

EJ knew he had to get this just right otherwise they were going to be going back to Salem and all of her barriers that had been slowly crumbling since being on Ara Caman would be back up in force. He thought back to their kisses of last night, the way she'd just melted into him and given herself whole heartedly over to him and EJ closed his eyes briefly at the memory. When she'd run out of the room it had taken all of his strength not to go after her but he was so wary of pushing her too much at this point. Their time was coming, he could feel it and EJ knew Sami could as well, hence the impromptu horse riding lesson. But her choice of distraction had been a telling one to EJ.

Sami could have opted to go for a walk alone or go up to the bedroom and read but she'd chosen an activity that included him and whether she meant to or not that spoke volumes to EJ. As did the fact that she was placing so much trust in him to teach her how to ride. In his dreams Sami embraced her love for him utterly and never looked back but EJ had a sneaking suspicion that it wasn't going to play out like that. Most of Sami's choices in life had been forced upon her rather than being able to choose and more than anything EJ wanted to grant her the freedom to choose the way forward in her life that wasn't mapped out for her by her family. He wanted her to choose him.

"Can I canter now?" she asked EJ eagerly, looking over at him with a big grin on her face, obviously enjoying herself.

"Do you feel up to it?" he asked her, "You've been doing this for a little while now - your legs must be getting tired."

"They're fine," she dismissed his concerns easily, "So cantering?"

EJ smiled, amused by how keen she was and as always finding it hard to say no to her, especially when Sami was beaming at him like she was now. Continuing to stand to one side he gave Sami instructions as she and Jellybean began to canter in ever enlarging circles but she was finding it not quite as easy to master as the trotting.

"You're sending him mixed messages," corrected EJ with a wave of his hand, "Pulling on the reins for him to stop and digging your heels into his side to go."

"No I'm not," frowned Sami, trying to get herself co-ordinated even as she bounced up and down on Jellybeans back.

"Trust me sweetheart you are," said EJ dryly, "I know of which I speak."

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Sami with a scowl, losing her concentration for the task at hand as she reacted to his words.

"I think you know Samantha," said EJ calmly, putting out a hand to Jellybean and getting him to stop cantering and walk over to him, seeing that Sami was getting agitated and distracted from what she was meant to be doing and that being the case the chances of her falling off and hurting herself.

"Well clearly I don't EJ!" snapped Sami, "Perhaps you'd better explain it to me?!"

"Get down off Jelly if you're going to get cranky," EJ said calmly, "Before you fall off."

"I'm not going to fall off!" she huffed but none the less got down, batting his hand away when EJ went to help her, "Don't!"

Sami looked up at him, ever defiant, her jaw tight as she prepared to fight with him over this.

"Well?" she pushed him, hands going to her hips, "How am I sending you mixed messages EJ?! I think I've been pretty clear in telling you that I don't want to be here and that I certainly don't want to have anything to do with you - I hate everything about you EJ!"

"Is that so?" asked EJ, folding his arms in front of his chest and not backing down, "It's funny but I seem to recall a certain young woman listing quite a few things about me that she didn't hate last night."

"That's because you made me!" exclaimed Sami, stamping her foot in frustration that he would actually use that against her now when he'd been the one to force her into that situation in the first place.

"But I didn't make you kiss me," he returned quickly, dropping his arms to his side and taking a step closer to her, "You kissed me because you wanted to and don't stand there and try and tell me anything differently Samantha - you and I both know the truth!"

Sami was hard put to argue with that one so she didn't say anything, just glared up at him.

"You have been having fun here sweetheart," he told her firmly, "Admit it - you like being with me - I'm fun to be with when you're not trying to ruin everything. Stop trying to make out that this is a nightmare for you when we both know it's not."

"You don't know anything about what I enjoy EJ!" raged Sami, "But I'll tell you this - that's one of the reasons I love Lucas so much, _he's_ fun to be around - not you!"

Sami clapped her hands over her mouth in horror as she'd said the forbidden word again. She looked at him wide eyed as she tried to back track quickly. She'd just managed to clear the slate from her last indiscretion and was really frightened now of what he was going to ask of her after last night's little interlude. She _had_ to get out of this!

"I didn't say _the_ word," she said hastily, "I said… I said… carcass!"

"Really?" said EJ with a sceptical arch of his eyebrow, "Carcass? That's why you love _carcass_… because he's just so fun to be around?"

"Um… yes," she said weakly, realising that she was in no way carrying this off.

EJ looked her up and down thoughtfully, shaking his head at how impossible she was being but suddenly finding the funny side to it all, especially as Sami was looking at him like a guilty child being caught with the hand in the cookie jar - too adorable.

"Would you care to have another shot at it?" he asked her helpfully and then gave her a cheeky wink, "We'll just call that first attempt a practice go shall we eh Samantha?"

"Ah…" Sami desperately tried to think of something else that rhymed with Lucas although she didn't really know why she was trying because it was obvious that the jig was well and truly up but she couldn't bear to have him have the last laugh, "Puke fest!"

"Ooh," said EJ, appearing to be seriously considering her latest attempt and then gave a sympathetic grimace, "Don't actually think that's an improvement do you sweetheart?"

Sami groaned and gave up.

"Although," continued on EJ cheerfully, "It would seem that our boys Lucas' name manages to rhyme with some pretty unsavoury things eh Samantha - carcass, puke fest, lard ass…"

"Oh like you can talk _Elvis_!" she spat out.

EJ folded his arms and looked at her expectantly then and she realised that she was actually going to have to back that up with finding unpleasant things that rhymed with his name now.

"Pelvis!" she said triumphantly.

"Strangely enough I'm quite alright with that one," and he gave her a decidedly cheeky wink as he said that, making her grit her teeth.

"Um… umm…" Sami scrambled to come up with another word, "Sh… shellfish!"

"Well I'm not Jewish," pondered EJ, wondering how he was managing to keep a straight face when she was being so unbearably cute, "So I'm pretty much okay with that one too darling."

"I hate you," said Sami flatly, knowing the jig was well and truly up now.

"So you keep saying," said EJ mildly and then pursed his lips, taping a finger to them as he seemed to be suddenly deep in thought, "Now let's see what your punishment is going to be this time…"

EJ trailed off, enjoying tormenting her for a bit, taking some revenge for the book assault of the previous night. Sami gritted her teeth as he made umming and ahhing noises, knowing it was just to be annoying.

"Okay," said EJ after thinking about if for a little bit longer, "Here's your penance for saying the 'L' word…"

Sami held her breath, frightened of what he'd thought up now.

"The Berlin Wall comes down tonight," said EJ firmly, "We're liberating the East Germans."

"What?" said Sami in horror, "No, EJ, NO!"

"Ah, ah," said EJ, wagging his finger at her, "We had an agreement remember?"

"But…but…," Sami floundered, trying to find a way to get out of this but she hadn't found anyway yet and nothing was coming to her again.

"You know," EJ mused with a bit of a smirk at her less than convincing argument, "I never thought I'd say this but I'm actually starting to enjoy the sound of Lucas' name."

Sami glowered at him for enjoying her unhappiness so much.

"This is such a stupid rule!" she pouted, mad at him but more mad at herself that she had let it come to this.

"You only agreed to it because you had no idea how much you twitter on about that idiot didn't you?" asked EJ smugly, pleased with himself, "It's like a you've got a needle stuck in the groove when it comes to Lucas."

"That's because I love him!" she said heatedly, "Of course you talk about the person you love a lot - it's only natural!"

"Or…" said EJ slowly, putting up a different spin on it, "Maybe you're trying ever so hard to convince yourself that you love Lucas by going on about him so relentlessly when you know deep down that your heart belongs to another."

Sami glowered at him for that and he just smiled back calmly before giving her an impish wink.

"… I know which one of those two scenarios _I've_ got my money on!" he said cheekily.

"That's all I am to you isn't it EJ?!" she spat out, taking her fear of what the night might bring now without the protection of the pillows, "Some prize to win and if you were ever to get me you'd be instantly bored and moving on to the next poor woman! This is just a sick game to you and meanwhile this is my life you're toying with!"

"You are not a game to me Samantha!" said EJ urgently, all trace of teasing gone from his voice now, "I love you, and I want to be with you…!"

"NO!" yelled Sami, not wanting to hear those words from him again, not liking the way they made her feel so full of turmoil.

She whirled around and as she had done last night ran to escape him, his presence, his self assurance and most of all, his declarations of love. In her blind need to put some space between them Sami had turned around and just rushed into the rainforest behind her, not caring where she ended up as long as EJ wasn't there.

"Samantha!"

She heard him call out behind her but Sami ignored him, pushing deeper into the rainforest and just praying he wasn't going to follow her.

"Samantha - wait a while!"

His voice was closer this time which meant that he had chosen to follow her this time, unlike last night and her heart began to beat double time, a sudden flash of her dream coming to her as she realised EJ was pursuing her and it only increased her panic.

"NO!" she yelled back to him, looking over her shoulder frantically to see where he was, "I'm not waiting… AAAGGGHH!"

The rest of her sentence was lost as Sami screamed loudly, the sharp pain tearing through her body, her cries galvanising EJ into action...

**Chapter SIXTEEN**** - ****Rose Amongst The Thorns**

**DAY 4 (cont)…**

"Don't move Samantha!" EJ ordered her as he closed the small distance between them.

"Ow ow owww!" she yelled, not listening to him and starting to struggle but that only made the situation worse.

The thorny vine she was caught in dug into her unprotected skin and she cried out, jerking back from the small stabs of pain but only causing herself more grief.

"Samantha!" said EJ and this time his voice was far more demanding, "Do… not… move!"

The authority in EJ's voice finally penetrated Sami's consciousness and she stopped struggling, wincing against little painful jabs that were going on all over her body. EJ was beside her now and grabbed her arm, steadying her as Sami had ended up in a weird, half hunched over position, frozen in place. EJ began to slowly untangle Sami from the vines with their wicked barbs.

"Hold still sweetheart," he admonished her gently when Sami jerked a little as he managed to remove one of the vines but it gave her a vicious little jab on the way out, "I'm trying to be as careful as I can but you can't move Samantha."

"Ohh!" groaned Sami unhappily as EJ continued to free her from her thorny predicament, "What the hell is this stuff anyway?!"

"I told you," said EJ, his brow furrowed in concentration as he worked away, careful not to catch Sami with anymore of the spiky protrusions or himself, "Wait-A-While."

"What?" scowled Sami, not in the mood for his riddles, "Wait for what?!"

"It's the name of the vine," clarified EJ with a quirk of his lips, "Wait-A-While vine - that's what I called out to you, trying to warn you."

"Wait-A-While?" repeated Sami flatly, "That's it name?"

She looked at a piece of the vine that was just in front of her and grimaced at how nasty looking it was. How could she not have noticed it before now? Because you were more worried about getting away from a certain someone then where you were going a little voice inside her head answered her glumly.

"It's also called Lawyer vine," EJ informed her conversationally.

"Oww," complained Sami as EJ pulled on a piece that had her hair caught up with it, "That figures!"

"Sorry," he said yet again, "Here, you're almost done, you can stand up straight now."

Sami gingerly did as EJ suggested and he let go of her arm.

"Just one more piece," he told her, crouching down in front of her and cautiously taking hold of the last vine that had caught on the material of Sami's pants and down a pants leg.

EJ stood with one booted foot on this last section of vine, pinning it under foot.

"Okay," he said, "Step out over it sweetheart and you're done."

Sami moved awkwardly, finding that she had to put a steadying hand to EJ's shoulder as she stepped over the vine. The feeling of one of his broad shoulders under her hand bought a sudden mental image of her dream back to her again, her legs wrapped around his waist, hands gripping EJ's rain slicked naked shoulders as he held her against that tree. Her body responded instantly to the picture in her mind's eye, her heart rate accelerating wildly. Sami gasped and snatched her hand from EJ's shoulder, needing not to be touching him to banish the unwanted vision from her head. Unfortunately she didn't think it through and was at a crucial point of unbalance when she did that and before Sami could save herself she was so overextended that she couldn't save herself, toppling in an undignified heap on the ground beside EJ.

"Samantha!" he exclaimed in surprise, trying to put a hand out to save her but she was too far gone.

"Are you alright?" asked EJ, straightening up before turning around and crouching back down beside her.

"_Samantha!"_

_He was beside her in an instant and then there was the feeling of his hands on her, checking to see if she was hurt. _

"_Are you alright?" he asked her, his face full of concern and right there in front of her now as she tried to scramble to her feet and put some distance between them._

"_Yes!" she said breathlessly, on her feet now and going to move away, albeit unsteadily._

"_Don't," he pleaded with her._

Sami looked up at EJ with wide eyes stricken, the line between dream and reality blurring for an instance as her dream seemed to be playing out before her. She broke out in a sweat at the thought of how that dream had ended.

"Samantha?" repeated EJ, frowning deeply in concern as she didn't answer him, "Are you alright?"

"Y… yes," she said hastily, trying to pull it together.

The way EJ was looking at her was half worry, half bemusement and Sami groaned internally at how incoherent she was being.

"I'm fine EJ," she managed, with a shake of her head and went to stand up.

"Here," said EJ, taking her arm again, careful to stay away from the fresh scratches on there.

"I can do it," she said in annoyance but at the same time found herself leaning heavily on EJ, finding that she was still surprisingly unsteady on her feet.

"Of course you can darling," said EJ smoothly, not letting go of her arm and helping her out through the dense undergrowth.

"Don't you dare laugh at me EJ!" she said in annoyance, hearing the slightest tone of amusement in his calm words.

"Wouldn't dream of it," said EJ very seriously, looking down at her but there was a definite twinkle in his eyes.

The mention of dreams made Sami frown again but he wasn't to know that was the reason.

"Come on little Tar Baby," he teased her, "Let's get you up to the house and get you cleaned up eh?"

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami sat on the sofa waiting for EJ to return with the first aid kit, feeling very sorry for herself. EJ walked back into the room and put the little first aid kit on the coffee table in front of them and proceeded to pull out some gauze and antiseptic.

"This is going to sting a little," he warned her and despite herself Sami hissed at the first touch of the antiseptic to her wounds as he dabbed at them, making sure to clean them out thoroughly for her.

"Sorry," he murmured and Sami made some vague noise in response, gritting her teeth as he went about his self appointed task.

She watched him surreptitiously through her eyelashes, noting the look of concentration on his face as he tended to her wounds.

"Ow," she complained as he started on a slightly deeper scratch on the tender skin of her inner arm.

"Sorry," he said again, looking at her with a small quirk of his lips and shaking his head as he continued on, "You, Samantha Brady, are a full time job."

"Gee thanks," pouted Sami, still feeling very sorry for herself.

"It's alright," he teased her gently, "The pay might be lousy but you can't beat the job satisfaction and working conditions."

"I can't believe you're laughing at me," she said, scowling at him.

"I'm not laughing at you I'm laughing _with_ you sweetheart," he corrected her with a grin.

He looked up to see Sami just staring at him with an entirely humourless look on her face and he grimaced.

"Alright," he conceded ruefully, "I can see you haven't managed to see the funny side of this yet."

"Oh I'm sorry," said Sami sounding anything but, "I just don't see the enjoyment in being scratched half to death in the bushes! Lucas wouldn't be…"

Sami bit her tongue but it was too late and she blew out an exasperated breath, closing her eyes at yet another slip up.

"Do go on Samantha," EJ urged her with a little smirk on his lips, "I don't know about you but I could wax lyrical about that man all day."

"You're taking advantage of me!" she huffed, annoyed at herself and taking it out on him, "I'm hurt!"

"These aren't too bad," said EJ, surveying his handiwork, "Just little surface scratches and I'm not taking advantage of you Samantha."

"They drew blood!" she protested, sounding put out that he wasn't making more of her ordeal and now she had to work off another request from him because of it all.

"Well yes," agreed EJ with a little smile, "Just. Now is there anywhere else that you can feel that is scratched?"

"I'm not sure," said Sami unhappily, in a real mood now.

"We need to be sure Samantha," he said gently, "Those kinds of scratches in the tropics can get infected really quickly. Maybe you should have a shower and check yourself out properly?"

Sami arched her eyebrow at his suggestion and EJ looked back at her and shrugged.

"What?" he asked her, seeing the way she was looking at him so suspiciously.

"No offer to join me and check out the parts I can't see for myself?" she asked him sarcastically.

"Well no," said EJ slowly and then gave her an impish wink, "But I do like the way you think Samantha and if it would make you happy…"

"It wouldn't!" she snapped.

"Let me just clean out that last scratch on your shoulder there," said EJ evenly, unfazed by her annoyance with him, "It looks like one of the deeper ones."

EJ leant over and picked up fresh gauze, soaking it in antiseptic before returning to Sami and applying it gently to the scratch. Sami jerked away a little at the first sting but then stayed dutifully still as EJ wiped away at her little wound.

"You're so very lucky that none of the vine ended up around your face," he commented huskily, his eyes flicking briefly to hers as he stroked the gauze along the line of her collar bone, "This could have been much worse Samantha."

Sami bit her inner lip and didn't say anything as she felt his warm breath on the sensitive skin of her shoulder and neck as he leant so closely into her. He was so close she could see the tiny flecks of green in his brown eyes which she'd never noticed before, always thinking his eyes had been a solid brown colour. EJ lifted those green flecked eyes to hold her gaze steadily.

"You're so very beautiful Samantha," he told her softly, one finger from the hand that was pressing the gauze to her neck reaching up and gently stroking her jaw line, "I can't breathe when I'm this close to you."

EJ was looking at her so seriously, an intense look in his eye and Sami felt her heart rate speed up. She had this sudden feeling that he was going to kiss her at any moment and was scared by how much she found herself wanting him to do just that.

"I should go for that shower," said Sami hastily, she went to stand up then and get away from that dark, all knowing gaze but a sudden pain in her rear stopped her and she cried out.

"What is it?" asked EJ solicitously, putting a hand up to her as Sami froze half standing, half sitting above the couch, "Did you hurt your back Samantha?"

"No," she squeaked, one hand going behind her, "My butt…"

EJ looked down at her backside which was just about level with his face because he hadn't gotten up and quickly grabbed her hand, seeing the problem instantly.

"Don't," he told her, "You've still got some prickles there."

"What?!" squawked Sami, flushing at this latest development.

"I can see some more of the spines from the Wait-A-While stuck in your bum sweetheart," said EJ, trying not to laugh out loud, "I told you that you should have worn jeans to the riding lesson."

"Oh like you knew this was going to happen!" growled Sami unhappily.

"It would have covered all eventualities darling," EJ smirked and then shook his head, "You're going to have to get them out Samantha."

"Gee ya think?" asked Sami sarcastically, straightening up slowly and making a pained expression.

She must not have noticed them when she sat down because of all her other aches and pains but she was sure noticing them now!

"Am I right in assuming you're going to be requiring some help in said endeavour?" asked EJ innocently.

Sami groaned loudly and realised that he was right - there was no way she was going to be able to reach behind her and pull out all those little prickles.

"I'm going to go ahead and take that as a - 'oh yes please EJ I would so appreciate that' - if that's alright with you darling?" asked EJ brightly.

"I wish I was dead," muttered Sami unhappily, shaking her head despondently.

"What's that sweetheart?" asked EJ teasingly, "You'd like me to take you to bed? Well I think that is a simply sterling idea myself!"

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami hobbled into the bedroom, wincing with each step as the barbs seemed intent on working their way ever deeper into her helpless bottom. EJ had just rejoined her after hunting down a pair of tweezers to aid in the prickle removal operation.

"Well this is just a perfect end to my morning!" Sami grumped, extremely unhappy at this turn of events as she crawled gingerly onto the bed and lay on her stomach.

"Maybe next time you'll listen to me when I tell you something," said EJ with a grin which Sami couldn't see but she could hear in his voice.

"Just shut up and do this EJ," she said tightly.

EJ bit his tongue and watched as Sami lifted herself up a bit, her hands going to her pants button and zipper, undoing both and then pushing her pants down to half way down her hips, grimacing against the pain of the little spikes in her backside being disturbed.

"Well look at that," commented EJ, perfectly straight faced as he was allowed his first look at Sami's naked backside, "It's as though you knew this was going to happen Samantha and wore that black thong especially to give me easy access."

Sami gritted her teeth even as she blushed so red that she knew she must suddenly look like a boiled lobster.

"Just do it!" she bit out, wishing to the high heavens that this wasn't happening but knowing it had to be done.

"One moment," said EJ and Sami lifted her head from the bed and frowned.

"What are you doing?" she asked him in annoyance as he walked around to his side of the bed they shared, going to the night stand.

"Glasses," he said, holding them up for her to see, "Don't want to miss any."

Sami rolled her eyes and wondering if this could get anymore humiliating then it already was. She felt the bed dip as EJ took a seat beside her as she lay stretched out, face down on the bed. There was a click and she realised that he'd turned the bedside lamp on to give a little more light and wondered how much worse this could get. EJ looked down at Sami's perfect backside, pale and firm and had this almost uncontrollable urge to lean down and sink his teeth into one tight globe. He somehow doubted that Sami would be appreciative of such a move but it would almost be worth it he decided.

"Speaking of perfect ends," he murmured appreciatively, slipping his glasses on.

"I swear to God EJ…" Sami began to threaten him but he cut her off.

"I'm getting on with it," he told her and then gave a cheeky grin, "Keep your pants on… oh… on second thought maybe not."

Sami made an annoyed grunting sound at his relentless teasing of her, burying her head in the pillow and praying that if he wasn't going to die then she would.

"You know I was thinking," he began conversationally as EJ leant down and put his face close to Sami's right buttock, squinting a little as he began to pluck at the fine little spiny prickles from the Wait-A-While vine with the tweezers.

"I bet," Sami muttered unhappily, "OW!"

"Sorry," he said calmly, continuing to pluck merrily away, "About your latest penance…"

"What now?" asked Sami with a despondent sigh, closing her eyes and burying her head more fully in the pillow.

"Now don't be like that," EJ admonished her lightly at her fatalistic attitude, "This is a simple request and you'll love it."

"Unlikely," snorted Sami.

EJ just smiled back at her smugly which in no way made Sami feel better about what he had planned for her next…

**Chapter SEVENTEEN**** - ****Star Light, Star Bright****…**

**EVENING 4...**

"Do you mind getting out of my way?" snapped Sami, tilting her head back and glaring up at EJ who was standing there in his black robe.

"Of course sweetheart," he said sarcastically, "How can I say no when you ask so politely."

"Whatever," muttered Sami, sweeping past him as he stepped to one side, intentionally banging against him with one shoulder as she headed towards the bathroom to get changed for bed.

Ten minutes later she emerged to find EJ more or less standing where she'd left him. Sami glared at him and walked around to her side of the bed.

"I'm assuming you remember our deal," said EJ, folding his arms in front of him and arching an eyebrow at her, "We're going sans pillows tonight remember sweetheart?"

"How can I forget!" she snapped at him and then promptly picked up a pillow and threw it at him with all of her might.

EJ caught it easily and gave her a tight smile, walking up to her.

"You know," he said flatly, "I seem to recall telling you that I prefer the right hand side of the bed Samantha."

"Yeah well," she shrugged, unconcerned, "Guess you should have used your stupid penance point up on wishing for that instead of what you did!"

"My request didn't cause the delightful events of this evening," said EJ sharply, "I think that was pretty much down to you my love."

"Me!" squawked Sami in disbelief, "Are you kidding me EJ?! You started this - you started this _whole thing _in fact!"

"You're ability to twist the facts of any given event to suit your own purposes is quite staggering sweetheart," said EJ tartly, "You really must tell me how you manage to do it so well."

"Oh right!" she sneered, "Like you need any lessons on how to twist things for your own benefit EJ! I wouldn't even be here if you weren't such a devious, conniving low life!"

"Actually you wouldn't be here if you weren't such a convincing liar," said EJ with a saccharine sweet smile, "If you hadn't made such a good case for my innocence I'd quite possibly be in jail cell right now so really, if anyone is to blame it's yourself."

"Are you kidding me?!" asked Sami in incredulity, "You're doing it right now - twisting things to suit your own warped ideas!"

"You just don't like the sound of the truth when you hear it young lady," huffed EJ, "You've turned self deception into a way of life."

"The truth according to you EJ," she dismissed his analysis of her, "And the only one deceiving themselves here is you!"

Sami looked down at the pillow EJ was holding and grabbed it off him.

"And that…!" she snapped, "… is _my_ pillow!"

**oooOOOOooo**

THREE HOURS PREVIOUSLY…

Sami took a deep breath and nervously smoothed down the material of her dress, looking at her reflection in the full length mirror one last time. EJ had caught her off guard yet again with his latest request of her. After the completely humiliating and extremely undignified events of the morning where Sami had been forced to allow EJ to pull out prickles from her backside she'd kept a somewhat of a low profile. Anymore riding lessons that day were certainly out of the question that was for sure. Sami pressed her lips together and took one final look in the mirror before turning around and heading out of the bedroom.

Like most things he'd asked of her so far it had seemed relatively harmless but then there always seemed to be a sting in the tail somewhere along the line. EJ had told her he wanted to have dinner with her tonight which wasn't exactly a stretch seeing as they were alone on an island together and pretty much had every meal together! He'd then gone on to tell her that he'd bought her a dress and his request was that she was to wear it to their dinner. Sami had been immediately concerned that it was going to be some tarty low cut number that displayed all her wares for him, thinking he'd get off on making her model such a thing for him.

After she'd had her shower that morning and managed to clean out the last of her little scratches Sami had walked back into the bedroom to find a large white box sitting on the bed but no EJ. It was tied up with a black bow and the whole thing looked incredibly classy. Sami had walked up to the bed and looked down, seeing a French label that she didn't recognise but was almost certainly haute couture. Sami bit her lip and couldn't help herself, pulling on the bow and undoing it before taking the lid off the box and seeing what was inside.

The dress was simple, black and with an understated elegance to it. Sami's eyes widened as she looked more closely at it. The scalloped bodice had tiny black beads all through it and the stitching was intricate and clearly done by hand. It was in an A-line style and sleeveless with thin straps and was simply the most gorgeous thing Sami had ever seen in her life. She shuddered to think how much this might have cost and being almost certain that it would be a one off, knowing EJ. When she'd put it on for their dinner tonight it had fitted her perfectly, as though it had been made only for her and Sami had no idea how EJ had managed to get her measurements so perfectly right. Sami knew she'd never wear anything as beautiful as this again and even though she didn't want to she fell instantly in love with it, just as EJ had predicted. She'd used some cover up on all her various scratches and as EJ had said they weren't very deep and in a couple of days they would most likely be gone.

Sami walked out of the bedroom and headed down the stairs, fully expecting EJ to be waiting for her there with everything set up on the patio which had been his usual habit but he was nowhere to be seen. She frowned and walked back into the kitchen, sticking her head in and looking around.

"EJ!" she called out and her frowned deepened.

What was he up to now?!

Sami walked back out in to the living room and tried again.

"EJ!" she called out and this time she received a response.

"Out the side sweetheart," his voice coming to her from outside.

Sami followed the sound of his voice, heading out the side entrance and into the night. EJ turned his head and watched Sami walk towards him, his eyes running all over her admiringly.

"I knew you'd look beautiful in that dress," he said huskily as she came to stand in front of him, "And I was right - you're as sexy as hell in black."

Sami flushed a little under his scrutiny and looked embarrassed.

"I can't keep it!" she blurted out.

"Don't you like it?" asked EJ mildly, arching an eyebrow at her.

"Of course," she frowned, "It's gorgeous but I couldn't possibly accept something like this from you EJ - it's far too extravagant."

"I can afford it," he said simply with a little shrug and then gave her an impish grin, "Besides, what am I going to do with it - it's a little tight around the chest for me."

"I'm sure you've got any number of women in your life that would kill for a dress like this," said Sami dourly, suddenly depressed by that thought and then annoyed with herself for feeling that way.

"But there is only one woman I want to see in it Samantha," he told her huskily, looking down at her warmly, "And she's right here - being difficult as usual."

"I'm not being difficult," she protested in frustration, "I'm being practical EJ! How am I ever going to explain having a dress like this to… to anyone - it's obvious that it's not an off the rack number."

Sami had saved herself just in time from saying Lucas' name but it had been close.

"Well if… _anyone_… asks," said EJ smoothly, making special emphasis on the word so that Sami knew that EJ exactly who she was referring to, "Then you can tell _anyone_ that there is someone in your life that can afford to buy you the beautiful things in this world."

"I'm not impressed by material things!" sniffed Sami and this made EJ actually laugh out loud.

"Oh sweetheart," he chuckled, "I think we both know that is a complete and utter lie!"

"You make me sound like some money grabbing bimbo," said Sami in horror, not liking his take on her at all.

"Darling there is absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying the finer things of this life," said EJ with an indulgent smile, "And you have far too many other intriguing qualities Samantha for a little indulgence to be your defining attribute trust me - you have nothing to be worried about."

"I'm not worried," she huffed, "Like your opinion matters to me anyway."

"Quite," he nodded agreeably and then smiled down at her, "Shall we go?"

"Go?" asked Sami in consternation, "Go where - we're on an island!"

"I thought we could have our dinner al fresco tonight," he said, his smile widening at her confusion.

He made a sweeping gesture at the jeep he'd picked her up in from the air strip.

"You're carriage awaits milady," he told her.

Sami looked at the jeep and the picnic basket that was in the back and frowned.

"I'll need to get a wrap," she told him, not bothering with protesting.

"No need," he said simply, shrugging out of the suit coat he'd worn for their dinner.

EJ saw the look on her face and tilted his head.

"Problem?" he queried calmly.

The real problem was that it was a strangely intimate thing to wear a man's coat, especially one he'd just been wearing. Sami knew it would be still warm from his body and smell of him and didn't want that kind of contact with him, however second hand it might be.

"It doesn't go with my shoes," she said flatly.

"I won't tell if you don't," EJ laughed, suspecting that wasn't the real reason.

He moved behind her and started to help her on with the grey coat and Sami reluctantly gave in, shoving one hand into the coat arm.

"So where is it exactly that we're going?" she asked him, trying to distract herself from the distinct smell of him that was in her nostrils all of a sudden as his coat covered her shoulders.

"I promised to tell you about the name of this island, Ara Caman, on the first day you arrived," said EJ, "Or rather show you."

"It doesn't mean like volcano or something does it?" asked Sami, suddenly worried now.

"No," he laughed at her concern.

"Quick sand?" Sami tried again, "Some kind of man eating wild animal only found on this island?"

"You're a nervous Nellie tonight aren't you darling?" asked EJ indulgently.

"I just have this thing… fear really," admitted Sami distractedly, "Of being eaten alive."

"I'm sure that you're not alone in that fear," smiled EJ, "Most people would put it on their top five list of ways they don't want to die."

"And what would be on top of your list for how you don't want to die EJ?" asked Sami, suddenly curious.

EJ smiled at her then and moved around beside her, putting his hands on her arms and starting to walk Sami towards the car.

EJ leant over and whispered in her ear as they walked, answering her question.

"With regrets," he said softly and Sami felt a little tremor go through her at the feel of his hot breath in her ear and his words that she knew were meant for her.

Their jeep drive was incident free and only about fifteen minutes long with EJ driving too fast yet again Sami noted disapprovingly. He pulled up at the base of a relatively gentle slope and Sami craned her head and looked up and then looked back at EJ in disbelief.

"You had better not expect me to be climbing that thing!" she informed him tartly.

"There's a little path," said EJ calmly, "You'll be fine Samantha, and it isn't far."

Sami watched EJ wide eyed as he climbed out the jeep and grabbed the picnic basket and then walked around to her side of the car, opening the door for her.

"You're serious?" she said flatly, "You want me to climb up some dirt track in the dark… in _these_ shoes?!"

Sami stuck one foot out the open door and EJ looked down, taking in the high heeled, strappy number she was wearing.

"Perhaps you should take them off?" suggested EJ, unfazed.

"I'm wearing stockings EJ," she huffed.

"Perhaps you should take them off?" he repeated, grinning at her, "I won't look, I promise."

"In your dreams mister!" said Sami disparagingly, climbing reluctantly out of the car.

"Quite frequently yes," said EJ agreeably.

Sami grumbled the whole way up the hill and EJ just patiently matched his steps to hers and walked with her. After she nearly fell over for the sixth time because she was more invested in complaining and telling him how much this idea of his sucked rather than watching the ground EJ had had enough. Without saying one word he took Sami's arm, spun her around and bending down, threw her over his shoulder in one effortless move. Sami gasped in surprise, taking a moment to realise what he'd done and then becoming decidedly unhappy when she did.

"Put me down EJ!" she ordered him fiercely, beginning to struggle.

"Stop that!" he ordered her, briefly letting go of her legs and smacking her backside before quickly going back to her legs and holding her in place, "You'll make us both fall down this hill if you're not careful Samantha!"

"OWW!" Sami cried out as his hand contacted with her backside that was already a little tender from the events of earlier that day.

The smack hadn't so much hurt but it was more the indignity of it all that had Sami really outraged.

"I'm going to get you for this EJ DiMera!" she threatened him, her voice muffled and coming from behind him.

"Of that I have no doubt sweetheart," he said easily, walking along and not sounding overly concerned by it though.

It didn't take EJ's long leg to cover the necessary ground despite his reluctant cargo and a short time later he deposited said cargo on the ground, only ever so slightly out of breath from carrying both Sami and the large picnic basket up a hill. Sami, her feet back on the ground now glared at him menacingly.

"Don't _ever_ do that again EJ!" she hissed at him, pulling down her dress that had hitched up a little at such undignified man handling, "I'm not a sack of potatoes to be lumped around at your whim."

"Of course not sweetheart," said EJ smoothly, "For one thing a sack of potatoes is a lot quieter."

"You are the most annoying, smart ass in the world!" she told him in annoyance.

"I think you've just got low blood sugar darling," said EJ cheerfully, not taking any offence of her summation of him, "Why don't we eat something and you'll feel a lot better eh?"

"I'll only feel better if you choke on something!" she said bitterly, still not over being treated in such a way.

"Are we back to wishing me dead sweetheart?" EJ sighed regretfully, setting down the picnic hamper and then opening it, taking out a rug for them to sit on.

"Back to?" repeated Sami sarcastically, "I never stopped EJ!"

"All this sweet talk is going to turn my head utterly Samantha," he warned her teasingly.

Sami just rolled her eyes at him and didn't dignify that with an answer.

Forty minutes later they had finished eating and Sami had calmed down - good food and good wine having lulled her somewhat and she had to begrudgingly admit EJ was good company when he put his mind to it. After the initial rocky start to the evening EJ had kept the small talk up until Sami had finally relaxed and joined in with his easy banter.

"So," said Sami, leaning back against the large flat rock that EJ had set the picnic rug up in front of, "You were going to tell me about Ara Caman EJ?"

"Indeed I was," said EJ with a nod, settling in beside her and leaning back up against the rock as well, "And what's more it's the perfect time of year to show you as well."

Sami gave EJ a little confused look but let him continue on.

"There is a legend that goes with Ara Caman," said EJ easily, "First of all the name. Ara refers to a faint constellation of the southern hemisphere lying in the Milky Way. You can see it quite clearly this time of year in the sky."

"Oh," said Sami with interest, "So what do Caman mean?"

"It's a bit of a nod to your heritage actually Samantha," said EJ with a smile, "It's actually an Irish word for bent."

"How does that make sense then?" asked Sami in confusion, "Constellation bent?"

"Look," said EJ, leaning in towards Sami a bit and pointing directly a head of them, "See those two trees there? See how they are bent over and twisted and make like a rough looking circle between the two of them?"

"Oh yeah," said Sami in surprise, tilting her head and noticing the oddly shaped trees for the first time.

"At this time of year if you look at the skies through that circle it frames perfectly the Ara," EJ informed her, "See that pale swirl out there, that is the Milky Way and the Ara is just towards the left hand side of its tail."

"Wow," said Sami, quietly impressed, "That's really beautiful, it looks like a picture hanging in the heavens."

"I always thought so," smiled EJ, pleased that Sami was as taken by it as he always had been, "And there is a legend that goes with it."

"Oh yes?" said Sami wryly, seeing that he was dying to tell her, "And what might that be EJ?"

"Well," said EJ, turning his head and looking at Sami with a smile on his face, "Legend has it that this is how you'll find you're true love."

"Of course it does," said Sami with a roll of her eyes.

"The story goes that if two people want to know if they are destined to be together forever they are to sit exactly where we are sitting and look through the bent window at the Ara," EJ informed her knowingly, "They then count to ten together, both looking through the 'window' and if before they reach ten they see a shooting star then it's fate telling them they are meant to be together."

"But that must be like a one in a million chance of something like that ever happening under those conditions!" exclaimed Sami.

"At the very least," agreed EJ very reasonably.

"I mean it would almost never happen!" said Sami, unable to believe that anyone would take such a tale seriously.

"In my experience either does true love," said EJ sagely.

EJ looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

"What?" asked Sami and then screwed up her face as she realised what that expectant look was about, "You can't be serious EJ?"

"Why not?" he shrugged, "You said it yourself, it has to be one a million chance at least for us to see a shooting star together when we look at the Ara and count to ten."

"So why bother?" she asked him with a roll of her eyes.

"What are you afraid of Samantha?" he asked her teasingly, "Worried that destiny has your number?"

"Oh yeah," said Sami with amused sarcasm, "That is exactly what I'm worried about EJ!"

"Well if you're so unconcerned Ms Brady then why don't we do this then?" EJ posed the question to her.

Sami regarded him silently for a moment.

"And if I agree to this will you shut up about fate and destiny and come back to the real world?" she posed the question to him now.

"I will certainly attempt it," agreed EJ reasonably.

"Fine," she shrugged, "Let's do this then - prove once and for all you're insane and move on."

"You're such a gracious loser Samantha," commented EJ with a grin.

"There is only one loser here EJ," she said smugly, "So let's count to ten and just prove who that is shall we?"

"Happily," said EJ and then pointed at the trees again, "Shall we?"

"Ready when you are EJ," she said sweetly.

Sami and EJ settled in, both having to lean towards each other a little to get a proper view of the Ara threw the caman shaped trees.

"We have to count to ten together," EJ reminded her, "Ready?"

"Just hurry up," she said flatly, "The suspense is killing me."

EJ smiled and then started to count, Sami joining in.

"Ten… nine… eight… seven… six… five… four…"

Despite herself Sami's heart had begun to beat a little unsteadily and she didn't know why. There was no way in hell that she and EJ were going to see a shooting star in the next three counts - it was just impossible but not the less there was this kind of nervous excitement in the pit of her stomach that she just couldn't wish away.

"Three… two.. on…"

The last part of the word one hadn't quite passed either one of their lips when there was a sudden flare of light and a streak cutting a swath through the night sky directly in front of the Ara and perfectly framed by the window of twisted tree branches EJ and Sami were looking through. The shooting stare burned brightly before winking out just as quickly as it had appeared. Both of their eyes widen and Sami's mouth dropped open, hardly able to believe that had just happened. How was that even possible she wondered dumbly.

"Oh my god," she whispered unevenly.

"Oh my god indeed," agreed EJ, sounding just as in awe as Sami was.

"That did not just happen!" exclaimed Sami.

"Actually," said EJ, a slow smile spreading across his face, "I think it did Samantha. You're one in a million, impossibility just happened."

EJ turned his head and looked at her, the biggest grin on his face ever.

"You do know what this means don't you?" he asked her happily, "It means that we're destined, fated to be together Samantha and…"

"NO!" cried out Sami, overwhelmed by what had just happened, unable to process it all, "No more, no more!"

She jumped up then and obviously having learnt nothing from this morning exploits started to run away from EJ and his crazy legend. She'd barely made a couple of steps though when her foot connected with a rock and she yet again fell over but rather surprisingly she didn't hit the ground this time. EJ had leapt up with her just as quickly and was only a step away when she tripped and as quick as lightening he'd grabbed Sami's wrist and gripped it hard, preventing her from falling as he held her there, half a foot from the ground. Sami made a strangled, startled noise and EJ pulled her back upright. She made a pained face, shaking her injured foot.

"OW!" she complained, her foot really hurting now.

"Come and sit back down Samantha," EJ sighed at yet another impetuous flight on her behalf ending in tears.

Sami hobbled back to the blanket and sat down, grabbing her injured toe and rubbing it when she had. She didn't say anything but her face was very unhappy and EJ shook his head, wondering when she was going to learn that running away from things she didn't want to hear or know about wasn't the way to go about things. EJ leant towards her, reaching out a finger and lifting her chin so that Sami was looking him in the eye. 

"Stop running from me Samantha," he begged her softly, holding her gaze very seriously, "All that ends up happening when you do is that you get hurt."

Sami didn't answer, just gave him a distressed look, wanting to tell him this wasn't what she wanted but the words wouldn't come.

"I'm never going to stop pursuing you," he told her earnestly, "We were meant to walk this world together Samantha, I just know it, with every fibre of my being I know it. My god, even the stars know it Samantha! I'm helpless to do anything else but seek you out. The truth is you've bewitched me utterly and I am completely in your thrall."

"I… I don't want you to be," she stammered, finding her voice at last even though it was a shaky one, "I don't want you EJ."

EJ looked ahead for a moment, absorbing not only her words but the way she'd said them.

"If that were true then you wouldn't have felt the need to run from me… last night, just now," he told her quietly, "You may want to be indifferent to me sweetheart but you're anything but and I think it's time you started to admit that little fact to yourself."

"I don't have to admit anything to you EJ!" said Sami, her voice starting to become raised as she became more agitated.

EJ rubbed his face tiredly with his hand, wondering if he could ever meet anyone more pig headed and stubborn than the woman sitting beside him.

"Headache?" Sami asked him sweetly.

"Yes," said EJ dropping his hand away from his face and fixing Sami with an unimpressed look, "A five foot five inch one."

"Well if I'm such a pain you know you can always call for that private jet of yours and send me back to a man who I really am destined to be with?" she suggested mockingly, "I'm sure you'll be able to find some other desperate woman to spin this garbage to. Not your last girlfriend of course - Kate never was one for star gazing but at her age she probably tries to avoid the elements as much as she can, she's barely holding that face of hers together as it is. I guess you must like that Mount Rushmore look in your women!"

"Hmm," mused EJ taking in her barb and returning the favour, "But meanwhile you're tastes seem to run more to men for whom you're a consolation prize and who leave you to rot on death row for a crime they committed without batting an eyelid!"

"He came forward!" Sami defended Lucas hotly.

"_After_ they administered the lethal injection to you!" said EJ angrily, the thought of how close Sami had come to dying at the hands of Lucas' spinelessness causing a deep rage to flood through him, "I'm not sure if they're giving out awards for cowardice yet but when they do I'm sure your 'true love' will be at the front of _that_ line!"

"Well at least I'm not sleeping with grannies!" spat out Sami with real vitriol in her voice.

"Kate is a fine figure of a woman," said EJ with a smirk, "And there is a lot to be said for a woman who has a little experience to bring to the table."

"Table, floor, trash cans!" said Sami bitingly, "I'm pretty sure that meddling old tramp has done it everywhere there was a flat surface and some brainless, horny guy not too worried about what they might catch from her!"

"What's the matter Samantha?" EJ provoked her, "Jealous?"

"Oh please!" she scoffed, folding her arms in front of herself and screwing up her face, "Disgusted is more like it!"

"I meant of Lucas and Kate," EJ corrected her sweetly and gave her a hard look, "I mean, if you want to talk about men having unnatural relationships with their mother's…"

"You shut up!" shouted Sami in horror, her eyes wide, "Don't say another word EJ!"

"Oh come on Samantha," said EJ acidly, enjoying the look of revulsion on her face and ignoring her order, "You have to admit there is something decidedly unsavoury going on there don't you think sweetheart? I mean a fully grown man being led around by his mother like that. You can't tell me that there isn't a little something twisted about that relationship!"

"Oh you're one to talk about twisted relationships when your father is Stefano DiMera!" hissed Sami, hating him for touching on what was still such a sore point between herself and Lucas - his mother.

"Well at least my father doesn't get jealous of the women I date and try and break them up because he wants me all to himself!" he baited her, "Let's face facts here Samantha, the way Kate comes after you it's more like a jealous lover protecting what's hers!"

"OH!" Sami gasped her revulsion at his words but the extreme lengths that she'd gone to keep both of her sons away from Sami made it almost seem like EJ might have a point but it was too disgusting to even think about.

Sami had no words to refute such a vile accusation so in the heat of the moment she decided actions speak louder than words and without letting herself think about it she pulled back her hand and slapped him as hard as she could across his smug, sanctimonious face. Sami tried not to grimace at the sharp stinging pain in her hand and could only hope it was twice as bad for EJ. He calmly put a hand up to his assaulted cheek and moved his jaw back and forth.

"Not the most convincing of defence arguments now was it eh sweetheart?" he challenged her smoothly, "Looks like I may have hit a bit of a nerve there - what do you say darling?"

His only answer from Sami was the mother of all Death Stares but EJ didn't care - he'd made his point.

**oooOOOOooo **

"Well by all means take your pillow Samantha," he told her back as she stomped towards the bed and climbed, "After all I know how important clinging to some useless item is to you once you've broken it in, telling yourself that you can't live without it when the truth is that you never have and never will actually have a real use for it."

"Oh and I suppose that is meant to be clever?!" sniffed Sami, pulling the sheets up around herself as EJ walked around to his side of the bed and climbed in, "Like I'm not going to be able to figure out exactly who it is you're talking about EJ! You're pathetic!"

"Unlike you who finds great dignity in clinging to a man that is so far below you in every measurable way that it is laughable," sniped EJ back at her.

"Look who's talking about clinging!" she bit back, "Every time I turn around you're there EJ - you're like a rash that I just can't get rid of!"

"Because you've tried so hard haven't you my darling?" he said sarcastically.

"Shut up EJ!" growled Sami, fed up with this conversation that was going nowhere and with him who was definitely going nowhere it would seem.

The two of them lay in bed then, silently fuming away, looking up at the ceiling.

"See," said EJ sarcastically after a couple of minutes, "This is much better without the pillows wouldn't you agree sweetheart?"

Sami shook her head, in no mood for his smart ass comments right then and rolled on her side, pulling on the sheets as she did.

"Stop hogging all the sheets EJ!" she complained loudly.

"I'm not," he told her flatly, "You're the one with all the sheets - how can one small person take up so much room I have to wonder?"

"Just shut up and give me some of the sheets!" she hissed, her back still to him as she gave them a violent tug.

Unfortunately just as Sami did that EJ, lifted his arms that had been holding the sheet across his chest in place and Sami got way more sheet then she'd bargained for. The force with which she'd pulled on the sheet proved to be too much and when it met no resistance from EJ's end the inevitable happened and Sami toppled out of bed, a tangle of bed sheets, arms and legs. EJ heard her squawk and turned his head just in time to see Sami disappear from his view off the other side of the bed. EJ rolled his eyes, moving over to her side of the bed and peered down at her. The cranky look on her face told EJ that she was alright, even more annoyed now but alright.

"Like I said sweetheart," sighed EJ heavily in resignation, looking down at her and shaking his head, "You, Samantha Brady, are a full time job."

**Chapter EIGHTEEN**** - ****Still Waters Run Deep**

**DAY 5...**

Sami peaked around the corridor upstairs, already in her bikini and wrap, checking to see if EJ was around. She'd gotten up earlier than he had with the express purpose of avoiding him for the rest of the day and preferably the rest of the week after last night's little disaster. Truth be told Sami didn't know what had unsettled her more - their fight or that freak incident with the shooting star. Sami had tried not to dwell on it and just dismiss it but despite herself it was beginning to weigh heavily on her mind. As much as she'd have liked to blame EJ for it there was no way even he could have orchestrated such a thing and the coincidence of them sitting there together at that exact moment after talking about the stupid legend… well, it was beyond freaky really. What Sami did know for certain that maintaining her distance from EJ was going to be the way to go if she had any chance of getting out of this week with her sanity intact.

"I'm just going down to the beach to have a swim EJ - I'll be awhile!" she called out, hoping to make good her escape before he could respond but luck hadn't exactly been her friend this week so far.

EJ heard Sami call out to him just as he was about to step into the shower and his head snapped around.

"Oh no you don't young lady," he muttered to himself under his breath, quickly grabbing a white towel and wrapping it around his hips to cover his current state of nakedness and hurried to get to Sami before she got away from him.

EJ pulled open the bathroom door just as Sami was quite obviously trying to creep past and stopped her.

"You're up early," he commented to her, stopping Sami in her tracks and watching as she reluctantly turned to face him.

"Yes," said Sami shortly, not knowing what else to say and his naked chest on full display right in front of her face wasn't exactly helping.

"You know rather than going for a swim in the ocean I thought you and that delicate skin of yours might appreciate another option," EJ commented, tilting his head to one side as he calmly tucking in the end of his towel to secure it while Sami did her darndest not to watch.

"And that would be?" asked Sami, not knowing why she was even asking when she knew she should be running screaming in the other direction but despite her brains best attempts her feet didn't seem inclined to agree.

"There is a beautiful lagoon in the middle of the island," EJ told her with a little smile, "We can take Jelly and pack a lunch. It's a far more protected part of the island and I'll think you'll find it rather lovely."

Sami frowned, not sure if this was a good idea somehow.

"Look Samantha," said EJ, taking a deep breath, "Last night was a…"

"Disaster?" supplied Sami sweetly.

"It had its moments," he smiled at her, "Good and bad but here's what I propose…"

Sami arched an eyebrow, looking at him warily.

"Today is a new day," said EJ simply, "And I say let's bury the hatchet…"

EJ smiled then, his eyes taking on a mischievous twinkle.

"… and not in each other eh Samantha?" he said teasingly, "It's a beautiful day outside, we can go for a ride on Jelly, have a swim and a little picnic - it will be an agreeable way to pass the time… I promise."

Sami knew she should say no, that this was a bad idea but the way he was looking at her so hopefully, eagerly almost was her undoing for some reason and in spite of all her better judgement she gave in.

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami looked around at the little lagoon EJ had bought her to in the heart of the island. She and EJ had ridden on Jellybean for about twenty minutes to get there but it had been a leisurely trip. Jellybean was currently wandering around the water's edge, contenting himself with a long drink and then ambling off to find a patch of greenery to nibble on. Meanwhile Sami was still trying to take in the beauty of her surrounds. The lagoon's waters were crystal clear and there was a little waterfall that fed into it, the white water tumbling down the rocks and giving it an almost too perfect look to the scene somehow. It was exactly like every movie scene Sami had ever seen for this kind of thing. This could have been on the set of "The Blue Lagoon" for the way it just looked with it's clear waters, lush rainforest surrounds and dragonflies darted low over the water in a happy little dance while the surrounding large trees provided dappled protection from the sun overhead. EJ smiled to see the delight on Sami's face that she'd forgotten to hide from him again. He looked at the cool, inviting waters of the fresh water spring and smiled at her.

"Coming in for a dip?" he asked her with a tilt of his head, indicating the pristine waters.

The sound of EJ's voice reminded her that she wasn't alone and she had to work at keeping him at arm's length.

"I don't feel like it," she said with a shrug and turned her back on him and looking at the water longingly.

_Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face._

She was hot and sweaty and a swim sounded like a great idea right about then but she was determined to say black to his white even if it killed her and maintain some kind of distance between them if she couldn't manage to actually have physical distance!

"Suit yourself," shrugged EJ, "But I'm going in. You can keep Jellybean company."

Sami turned back round to look over EJ's shoulder at the horse who was chewing contentedly on some nearby grass. They hadn't bothered with saddling him because EJ had told her they didn't have far to go which had turned out to be true.

"Well at least I'll have some intelligent conversation at last," she sassed him.

"You mean a conversation where you get the last word?" he asked her with a quirk of his lips as he pulled his shirt over his head and carelessly threw it on the ground beside him, "Where's the fun in that Samantha?"

EJ's hands went to his jeans next and he unbuttoned them and began to push them down his hips.

"EJ!" said Sami in horror, whirling around so her back was to him.

He paused in what he was doing and smiled at her back, amused by her reaction.

"What are you doing?" she squeaked at him, her cheeks going pink now.

"Why so coy darling?" he teased her and she could hear the sound of his jeans hitting the ground, "It's nothing you haven't seen before or have you forgotten our first meeting?"

Sami rolled her eyes and folded her arms in front of her chest, trying her hardest not to remember that fateful day and certainly trying not to remember when his towel had dropped away and revealing EJ in all his glory. It had been quite the ice breaker as introductions went.

"As I recall there wasn't much to remember," she taunted him with a smirk, still keeping her back to him.

"Really?" he asked her, sounding like he didn't believe her, "Then maybe it's high time that I refresh your memory I'd say sweetheart."

Sami gasped as she felt his hand on her arm and him turning her around. Immediately Sami's hands went to cover her eyes.

"I don't want anything refreshed about you EJ DiMera!" she said fiercely, determinedly keeping her hands over her eyes despite a little voice in the back of her head telling her to sneak a peek at what was on offer.

EJ looked at the adorable picture she made, standing there, hands over her eyes and raging at him, all the while blushing like a virgin bride and promptly burst out laughing.

"You are the strangest creature Samantha Jean Brady," he told her around his laughter, "At once both siren and school ma'am - I don't know how you do it, I really don't."

Sami scowled behind her hands, unhappy at him laughing at her.

"You can put down your hands Mother Superior," he informed her with a chuckle, "I'm wearing my swimming trunks under my jeans."

Sami spread her fingers and very cautiously peeked through them, almost sure it was a trick and then dropped them when she saw that he was indeed wearing black bathing trunks. She stood there, trying not to look as foolish as she suddenly felt. She scowled at the way EJ was grinning at her, obviously finding her carry on very amusing. Sami tried to give an unconcerned shrug but it was doubtful she pulled it off.

"Well I'm going in," he said easily, "Any time you want to give yourself permission to have a little fun, that's where I'll be sweetheart."

Sami didn't answer him, just watched as EJ walked up to the water's edge and then kept going until he was up to waist deep in the tantalisingly cool looking water and then simply dived in and started to swim. Sami tried not to notice how nice a line he cut through the water with each of his long strokes and of course, making it look easy yet again. He swam out to the middle of the lagoon, his strokes languidly unhurried and Sami watched longingly as he headed for the little waterfall and wondered how much face exactly she would lose if she joined him. Sami decided that the best thing to do was occupy her mind and her increasingly wayward thoughts with something else and set about unpacking the picnic lunch EJ had prepared for them. She lay out the picnic blanket and then set out the cheese, biscuits, bread and various fruits that he'd packed and couldn't help but wonder how he'd gotten this domesticated.

When it became obvious that EJ wasn't going to be coming out of the water any time soon Sami decided that she was going to start without him. He was clearly trying to test her to see how strong her resolve was to avoid him and Sami was going to show him that it was plenty strong! She nibbled away on the cheese and biscuits and then had a couple of slices of cantaloupe for good measure. EJ at last seemed to decide he'd had enough play time in the water and came to join her.

He emerged from the water, his muscles even more pronounced now after the bouts of swimming he'd just engaged in and the water slewed down him as he walked, running down every hard dip and plane of his body. As he walked he shook his head vigorously and water droplets flew everywhere before he ran a careless hand through the dark strands of his hair. He was like some water god, beautiful without knowing it, careless of his own gorgeousness and Sami had to force herself to look away, suddenly finding a rocky outcrop to her right absolutely fascinating. EJ came to a stop in front of her, just off the edge of the picnic rug she was sitting on.

"Started without me I see," he commented mildly and Sami was forced to take her eyes of rocks or look completely ridiculous to address him back.

Sami had to lean right back to look at his face because of her position on the ground, craning her neck right back.

"I was hungry," she said simply.

"I am too now," said EJ, just as simply, crouching down, kneeling on one knee whilst pulling the other one up under his chin.

"Well I've laid it all out," said Sami, standing up now that he'd sat down, "So I'm going for a swim now."

"Don't you think you should wait a little longer seeing as you've just eaten?" asked EJ calmly, "The water's not going anywhere, sit with me while I have something to eat and then we can go back in together."

"No thanks," said Sami hastily, "And I'll be fine, that whole thing about waiting after eating to go back into the water is an old wives and besides, I barely had anything."

Sami didn't give him a chance to argue with her anymore, just quickly moving past him and heading to the water's edge. EJ turned around and leant back on one hand, watching her go. Sami got to the water and went to remove her little light throw over she'd been wearing, not having to turn around to know he was watching her.

"Don't look at me!" she ordered him, over her shoulder with a frown.

EJ casually reached for a carrot stick and then turned back to Sami.

"Okay," he called back and then did the exact opposite, enjoying watching her pull of her top and then dive into the water.

He shook his head at her as Sami began to swim now, enjoying the benefits of the watering hole. She was quite easily the most obstinate, contrary woman… no scratch that… _person_ that had ever walked the face of the earth… _ever_… EJ decided. But the fact that she couldn't bear to be in his company it seemed but then she'd agreed to his idea of coming to the lagoon spoke volumes to EJ. Sami was clearly thrown after witnessing the shooting star last night and was in a lot of turmoil because of it. For EJ it had simply been an unbelievable confirmation, affirmation even that what he'd known in his heart all along about himself and Samantha was true.

When that shooting star had appeared at the very last moment, the legend of Ara Caman coming to life in front of their eyes EJ had a deep sense of validation about not only his feelings but about Sami's as well. He saw the conflict in her eyes now when she looked at him and even though he didn't wish to be the cause of any pain to her EJ just really needed her to open her eyes and see what was right in front of her face… him and his love for her. He could sense she was getting close to breaking point and EJ's nerves tightened in anticipation of what that might mean for the two of them.

He watched her swimming about in the water, like some little blonde mermaid, obviously enjoying herself and smiled, deciding he would never grow tired of looking at her. She was good in the water, confident and had a good swimming style which EJ wouldn't have naturally put her as a swimmer so that was interesting. After having eaten as well EJ was in the process of packing away the food into the picnic hamper when he heard a strange sound from behind him. He straightened up and turned around, looking at the lagoon from where the noise had come from and frowning when he didn't see Sami right away. He waited a few seconds, figuring she may have just dived under the water but when she didn't reappear in that time EJ began to get nervous. He stood up, eyes darting around the water trying to see where Sami might be. Suddenly over to his right Sami's blonde head popped up out of the water and she made a strangled cry before disappearing back under it.

EJ's heart leapt into his mouth seeing that she was in trouble and was galvanised into action, racing to the water and diving in, swimming to where he'd last seen her as fast as possible. He reached her quickly and by this time Sami was back at the surface, crying out in pain, her arms flailing about wildly. EJ moved in, grabbing her around the waist and moving her to her back and swimming with her to the shore line even as Sami still kicked around wildly.

"OWWW… .OWWW!" she screeched, clearly in a great deal of pain.

"Hold on Samantha!" said EJ urgently but it was doubtful she could hear him over her own cries.

As soon as the water was shallow enough EJ stopped swimming and began walking, scooping Sami up in his arms and striding with her out of the water. Sami still wiggled about in his arms, her hands trying to reach her legs and her face still twisted in pain.

"CRAMP… CRAMP… OOWWW!" she chanted, real sentences out of her means right then.

"I know sweetheart," said EJ grimly, having quickly worked out that had been her problem as he carefully laid her down on the picnic rug, "Nearly there, hold on."

"OWW… OW… OW!" chanted Sami, writhing about on the picnic rug in agony from the cramp in her leg.

EJ batted her hands away and knelt down between her legs, his hands going to where he could clearly see the knotted muscles in both her calf and upper thigh. His large hands went to both spots and began to massage them for her as Sami covered her face with her hands, groaning from the pain and not protesting what he was doing at all. EJ didn't say anything, just continued to rub her leg for her. She'd scared the hell out of him just then and his own heart beat was struggling to return to normal after the surge of adrenalin seeing Sami disappearing below the water like that had caused. EJ just didn't know what he'd do if he lost her now.

"Ow…" whimpered Sami, as he worked on her, "Oww…"

Her cries were growing less piercing as EJ worked out the knots in her leg until finally EJ could see her and feel Sami's body beginning to relax. Her eyes were still closed and she lay there on the rug, making the occasional little gasp or cry of pain. EJ's touch became gentler, just as sure but slowly becoming more of a caress as he sought to sooth the last of her pain away. He found he couldn't stop touching her now that he'd started, his hands on the soft, smooth skin of her legs and thighs running all over them. EJ watched Sami's face, the way it was slowly relaxing and the pain disappearing from her face, knowing he'd done his job properly from that. He couldn't help himself now, all the sexual tension that had been between them from that first meeting bubbling to the surface and he was no longer able to make himself back away from it. Sami felt his hands creeping ever higher and she had to say something at last.

"What are you doing?" she asked unevenly, wondering why she simply wasn't yelling at him to get his hands off her but he was making her feel too good for her to do that.

EJ continued to caress her inner thigh as he answered her, looking up at her from where he was sitting between her legs now.

"I'm making you all better Samantha," he said to her softly.

"You have to stop," she said weakly and then sucked in a strangled breath as his fingers had finally moved high enough that the tips of them brushed ever so slightly against the material of her bikini bottoms at the apex of her thighs.

"You're wet," he informed her huskily, his dark gaze never leaving her face, "From the swim or from me I wonder?"

"The swim!" lied Sami hastily, looking a little distressed now.

"I don't believe you," said EJ throatily, moving his hand a little higher again, his fingers stroking the material separating her core from him a little harder now.

Sami's body responded immediately, pushing fresh moisture out of her body and soaking through her bikini bottoms, letting him know she was indeed lying to him. EJ's eyes flared at the feeling of her increased wetness, knowing it was for him and she quivered to see the rampant desire in his face. He cupped her mound then, long fingers rubbing back and forth over the gentle swell while his thumb began to rhythmically press against her opening, thwarted in going too deep by the scrap of material that still separated him from touching her properly. She gave a broken little sigh at how amazing what he was doing to her felt.

Sami watched wide eyed as EJ bent his head, rubbing his one of his roughened cheeks along the sensitised skin of her inner thigh, repeating the process on the other one. Sami tensed and gave a little groan at the strangely ticklish but also erotic sensation. Whilst he was still massaging her mound with one hand he began to nuzzle his way up towards her centre and Sami panicked. She reached out a hand and grabbed a handful of his short dark hair, pulling on it and making him lift his head to look her in the eye.

"Don't EJ," she said with an anxious shake of her head, "I don't enjoy this… this kind of thing."

Sami wasn't actually lying this time. Her other lovers had not paid much attention to this particular aspect of lovemaking and when they had Sami had always found herself faking it just so they could move on. She just figured she was one of those women who didn't get aroused by oral sex - it was no big deal and she doubted that she was missing out on too much anyway. EJ didn't respond only continued to stare at her, he held her gaze then, not letting Sami look away as she felt him hook a finger in her bikini bottoms and slowly begin to pull them down. She knew she should have been screaming at him to stop but she could barely breath all of a sudden. It was like he'd put a spell on her and she was completely under his thrall now, helpless to stop him… or herself.

EJ peeled the offending scrap of material from her body, tossing it carelessly to one side, still not letting her look away from him. He moved slowly, as though they had all the time in the world, building the tension between them. Sami watched helplessly as EJ moved again, so that he was lying on his stomach, pushing her legs further apart so he could settle between them more comfortably. She held her breath as his hands slipped under her, cupping her bottom cheeks and bringing her sex closer to his face. Her legs seemed to naturally find a place on his broad shoulders.

Sami couldn't stop shaking now, laid out utterly exposed to him like this. She held herself tensely, nervous for that first touch but he made her wait, returning to rubbing her thighs with his face, the little bristles of his beard making goose bumps appear all over her body. He took his time much to her surprise, every other man had just dived in as though they wanted to get in and out as quickly as possible but not EJ, he lingered determinedly, drawing out that first intimate touch and for the first time in her life Sami began to crave it. Her core was beginning to ache painfully, the throbbing sensation catching Sami off guard.

"Please."

The word was out of her mouth before she could stop it but she needed for him to do more otherwise Sami thought she might seriously explode from the need he was creating in her body. She felt the smile on his face against her thigh at hearing her say that but she simply didn't care. EJ moved now so that she could feel his warm breath against her core. He breathed in deeply and Sami blushed to think of him doing that but found it very exciting somehow, her body responding yet again and she felt the wetness dribble out of her. She bit her lip, worried what he might think of her wanton display but she didn't have long to worry. Sami jerked a little as she felt the tip of his tongue carefully catch the line of wetness and his hands tightened on her backside, keeping her determinedly still.

"So sweet," he groaned, the noise reverberating against her thighs, "Oh god you taste so sweet Samantha!"

Sami gasped as she felt him suddenly push his tongue into her opening, seemingly unable to contain himself any long and Sami moaned loudly as she felt him begin to lap hungrily at her juices, as though he was a starving man and she was his last meal. She'd never had a man this eager to taste her between her legs before and it shocked her how much it thrilled her, how much it was exciting her. She wasn't the kind of girl who enjoyed this sort of thing… it was wrong… wasn't it? Her body didn't agree with her as she suddenly orgasmed, catching them both off guard as she spasmed and shook against him. EJ just let her go, his tongue deep inside of her as she jerked wildly around him. Her orgasm was quick and intense and left her panting helplessly and groaning against the last little spasms of pleasure rippling out from her core.

"That was so beautiful sweetheart," he groaned and Sami forced her eyes to open and look down to find him looking back up at her, his head still between her legs, "You come so beautifully Samantha."

Sami shuddered at his erotic words, no one having ever said anything like that to her before. She figured that he would move away now, demand some release of his own but he surprised her.

"Do it again for me sweetheart," he said throatily, his dark eyes intent on her face as her eyes widened with surprise at his request, "More."

Sami felt his hands go to the back of her thighs and then he was pushing on them, forcing her knees back towards her chest and opening her up for him even more. Sami sucked in a strangled breath, finding her arousal quickly returning in this new position. Her body gave him fresh proof of this and he purred his satisfaction at finding her so eager for more. Sami's eyes slid shut and she arched her neck as she felt that wonderful tongue of his delve into her folds, moving first up one side and down the other, lavishing the area with attention. His skilful tongue stayed away from her most sensitive areas which only seemed to make them more sensitive somehow as he took his sweet time getting to know every nook, every cranny of her body. It was the most single erotic experience of Sami's life - it was like he was worshipping her body and in that moment she'd never felt more adored. And even though that thought was impossibly fraught with complications for her life she determinedly didn't let herself think past that, losing herself in the moment and in him.

EJ cleverly rebuilt her arousal until she was starting to move underneath him, anxious for more now. Somewhere in the back of her mind Sami wondered how many other women had enjoyed his skills in this area and felt an unwanted flash of jealousy at that thought. Why should she care how he got so good at this? This meant nothing… he meant nothing to her. She would just close her eyes and pretend it was Lucas working this magic on her body and then everything would be right in the world again. For the first time his tongue flicked at her nub and she couldn't maintain the lie.

"EJ!" she cried out, bucking wildly at the almost painful pleasure and she shook her head from side to side as he took the swollen bud into his mouth and began to suckle.

"EJ… EJ… mmm god… EJ… oh…!"

She couldn't stop herself from chanting his name in between her increasingly loud moans. There was no way she could imagine it to be anyone other man other than EJ doing this wonderfulness to her. His presence rolled out of him and over her, consuming her utterly, causing her to drown in the force that was EJ DiMera. Her core was beginning to pulsate and she could feel her body preparing to climax again but she fought against it valiantly, not wanting him to stop what he was doing to her yet but it was no use. Her body's demand for release over took her and she cried out loudly as her second orgasm claimed her, bouncing around helplessly underneath him as he refused to relinquish his prize. EJ nipped and licked at her bud throughout her whole climax, prolonging it for her and making her sob her gratitude out to him, never having experienced anything like this before in her life.

It took her forever to finish and when Sami was finally done she fell back on the picnic rug, feeling like a limp rag doll. EJ loosened his grip on her legs and let them fall back to his shoulders again, feeling how her muscles were trembling from being held in that position for so long and from the after math of her release. Sami reached out a shaky hand, stroking the top of EJ's dark head as he still lay nestled between her thighs, having no words to thank him for what he'd just done for her. She expected him to move away now but again he surprised her. EJ pressed kisses all over her inner thighs, continuing to rub and drag his bearded cheeks and chin over the now extremely sensitised skin. Sami sighed happily at the sensation, at once soothing and yet stirring as well and she encouraged him by continuing to stroke his head, silently letting him know that he was making her happy if the purring noises weren't enough. After a few minutes of this EJ lifted his head and she blinked down at him, disappointed that it was over and trying to work out why she wasn't more horrified at herself for thinking like that… she put it down to an overload of endorphins that she was currently drowning in and tried not to think past that.

"More."

Sami's eyes widened at his single word, more of a demand than a question but either way Sami didn't even have to think about her answer.

"Yes," she breathed, nodding her head eagerly, hardly able to believe how ready she was for this, "Please, more."

He growled then, a guttural sound low in his chest and there was a flare of lust in his eyes, clearly pleased by her eagerness.

"Say it again," he grunted at her, "Say my name Samantha."

"EJ please," she gasped, willing to do anything to get more of the same from him, "Please… more!"

"That's my girl," he growled, appreciative of her obvious enthusiasm.

She should have protested that she wasn't his girl but the point seemed a moot one somehow given their current situation.

"Watch me sweetheart," he commanded her, "Watch me do this for you."

Sami closed her eyes tightly for a brief moment unable to believe how easily he could arouse her with a few simple words. Sami's eyes flew open as felt him suddenly move, sitting up. She looked up at him in horror, terrified that he was not going to do as he promised and knew she should be more ashamed of herself for not wanting him to stop yet but she simply wasn't. Her fear that he might be leaving her was unfounded as EJ just sat up and crossed his legs and simply grabbed her hips, dragging her into his lap. He moved his arms so that her legs were hooked over his elbows and once again she was splayed out in front of him, exposed to his avid gaze. Sami looked up at him uncertainly as she still had her back on the picnic rug with her lower half resting in his lap.

Sami could feel his erection against her back side and quivered, wondering how he was able to maintain this kind of control of himself. Holding her gaze steadily one large hand cupped her mound again, fingers running back and forth over the soft little curls there. Sami's eyes fluttered shut at the gentle caress but he was having none of that. EJ squeezed what was under his hand and her eyes flew open.

"Watch me Samantha," he ordered her but his voice was decidedly uneven and ragged and she knew he wasn't as in control as he was making out.

Sami obediently propped herself up on her elbows so she could better see what he was doing to her seeing as her hips were now actually above her head somewhat in this new position he had her in. EJ nodded approvingly and returned to massaging her mound, making Sami sigh in pleasure at the gentle sensations it caused in her as he milked fresh moisture from her body. Just when Sami didn't think she could get any more relaxed she suddenly felt him push one long finger into her and she gave a gasp of surprise which quickly turned to approving groans as he moved his finger repeatedly in and out of her once again drenched core. A second finger increased the pleasure for her and a third made her start to cry out loudly each time he pushed them into her as far as he could go, her hips lifting off his lap and increasing his penetration of her.

Sami couldn't take her eyes off the sight of his beautiful fingers claiming her again and again, seeing them become slick with her own copious juices. She'd never done anything like this before, suddenly realising she'd not been overly adventurous in her sexual endeavours up until this point but she was starting to want to make up for that. Sami pulled herself up so that she was straddling his lap now, her arms around his neck. She didn't let herself think about what she was doing, just reached down between their bodies and pulled his fingers out of her, bringing them to her lips and sucking on them hungrily.

"God yes Samantha!" said EJ fiercely, watching her and completely enraptured with the way she was so intent on tasting herself.

EJ couldn't stop himself, grabbing the back of her head and crushing her to mouth to him for a searing kiss. He plundered her depths like a man possessed, needing the taste of her sex in his mouth again. He moaned loudly into her mouth, his tongue battling with hers before sucking it into his mouth, his fingers returning to her core, thrusting into her at the exact same moment. EJ sucked on her tongue in time to his penetrations of her body and felt her respond, clinging tightly to his neck, her hips thrusting against his digits, encouraging him to go as deeply as he could. Her breathing was becoming uneven and his new found experience with her told him she was getting close again. EJ crooked his fingers, hitting her G-spot perfectly with each of his penetrations now and Sami screamed, breaking the kiss and arching her back. EJ had to quickly put a hand out to grab her back and she bent back right over it, impressing her with her flexibility, her breasts that were still disappointingly for EJ in her bikini top thrust to the heavens.

Sami's eyes rolled back in her head never having experienced anything like this before in her life. Each time he hit that magical spot inside of her she couldn't stop herself from screaming out ever louder. It was just as well they were on a deserted island really because if anyone had heard he they would have thought for sure that she was being murdered and Sami almost did feel like he was killing her now from the intense pleasure of it all.

"Please!" she sobbed between her cries of pleasure, "EJ… of god, no more I can't stand it!"

EJ took pity on them both then, not sure how much longer he could last himself with her being so gloriously vocal like this. It was beyond exciting to EJ to hear her crying out so loudly, screaming his name and he was starting to shake at the amount of control it was taking him not simply plunge his straining, swollen shaft into the wet heat his fingers were currently probing and give them both what they wanted but he held on valiantly, trying to focus only on Sami's pleasure and not his own raging need. EJ gently laid her back on the ground, not giving up his place inside of her but instead with his now free other hand placing his thumb over her bud and beginning to rub it hard for her.

Sami's body bowed up in an arch at this new assault and she held herself rigid like that even as he continued to work on her body, his fingers plumbing her depths despite how tightly she had clenched around them. She could no longer keep her eyes open, they were squeezed shut as she couldn't even find a scream to help relieve some of the intensity of this new delight. Sami's muscles shook and then she finally dropped herself back down, panting wildly only to tense again, her body unable to stop itself. She repeated this over and over again, surging up to meet him, her backside lifting off EJ's lap, only her shoulders left on the ground, holding it for a long painful second before relaxing again. She continued to bear down on his fingers like that for a little while before the time between her contractions became ever shorter and then it was too late and she had the most earth shattering orgasm of her entire life.

Sami howled, she actually howled throughout her entire release her arms and legs thrashing wildly around as her body convulsed uncontrollably. EJ moved then, eager to taste the fruits of his labours, putting her off his lap as her climax started and pushed open her legs before burying his head and lapping up all the nectar her latest orgasm was creating. He drank deeply from her and Sami sobbed her appreciation, both hands going to the back of his head and holding him in place even as she fought to get her body back under control. It took forever but finally her body began to calm down a little, even as she struggled to fill her lungs with life giving oxygen, sucking in great mouthfuls of the stuff, her face bright red and sweaty from all of her exertions.

Sami felt a great wave of exhaustion sweep over her and every muscle in her body was utterly fatigued, even stroking EJ's head which was still planted firmly between her legs was a display of Herculean strength for Sami at the moment. Satisfied at last that he'd supped from every last drop that Sami's body had for him EJ slowly moved up her body, nuzzling her mound and pressing kisses to her flat stomach. Unable to help himself his tongue flicked out and briefly lapped in turn at a tight nipple bud through her bikini top before finally holding himself above her, arms on either side of Sami's face as he looked down at her, as sweaty and red faced as she was.

"Just for future reference sweetheart…" he said unevenly, his breathing easily as ragged as hers from his own arousal, "That was you _not_ enjoying something was it?"

Sami wished she could give him a smart answer to shut him up but it was completely beyond her at the moment. She was utterly shattered by what he'd just wrung from her body and all she could do was just lie there and stare up at him wide eyed, wondering if she'd ever be able to use her legs again.

"I need to cool off," he rasped, moving off her now and getting unsteadily to his feet.

Sami couldn't help but watch him, the effects of their little tryst extremely evident on his body. She would have blushed to see the way the material of EJ's swimmers were straining around a certain area of his body but she simply didn't have the strength. EJ walked down to the water's edge and stood there for a brief moment before diving into the waters in one swift, powerful move. He grimaced when the cold water hit his rampant erection, finding it a somewhat painful experience. But there was no other choice at the moment. He knew if he'd pushed the matter even a little bit he could have had Samantha right then but he didn't want that. He wanted her to come to him of her own accord and if that meant playing the waiting game a little longer he could do that… he hoped. He'd waited this long and his goal was so close at hand that he could afford to be patient for a little while longer.

EJ dived under the water, powerful strokes taking him further into the lagoon centre and away from the temptation still lying on the water's edge, more than ready for him if he wanted to and god how much did he want to. He knew he was a skilful lover, certainly having never received any complaints from any of the women he'd been with before but no one had ever responded to him the way Sami had. She'd been so ready, so responsive to his every touch that it had actually caught him off guard. He already made her orgasm three times in quick succession and he could have easily given her another one but his self control was all but shot by that stage and he needed to put some distance between them. She made the other women he'd been like seem like lifeless dolls now and he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she'd ruined him for any other woman for the rest of his life. EJ knew that if he was ever to be with another woman that he would always be comparing them to Samantha and they would always come up wanting. All this and they actually hadn't even had sex yet!

EJ had always known they'd be physically well suited to one another from their other aborted love making sessions but even he hadn't realised the depths of how compatible they really were. It was like she was made only for him, that it was only his touch that could wake the sleeping beauty. The gasps of surprise and wonder she'd made during their last little bout of intimacy told him that this was a first for her as well and EJ loved the thought of that. He wanted to be her first and her last lover and in many ways he felt like he was going to be just that. It was clear to him that no man had taken the time to show her how beautiful and desirable a woman she really was and while that made EJ angry to realise that he was also euphoric to think that he was going to be the first man to properly make love to Samantha Brady. That was why he'd stopped when he had when every instinct in his body was screaming at him to continue, to claim her utterly but something told EJ that she wasn't quite ready yet. He could seduce her body easily, they were made for each other after all but he wanted everything from Sami - her mind, body and soul and he couldn't settle for anything less now.

It was all or nothing and life without Samantha now truly would be nothing and EJ could not let that happen.

**oooOOOooo**

The horse ride home was done in complete silence but the whole time Sami was unbearably conscious of the man sitting behind her. She just couldn't believe that she had let that happen between them, Sami was beyond shocked with herself. The thing with the shooting star must have thrown her more off balance than she'd first given it credit for she tried to rationalise it. Otherwise how could she have ever let EJ do something like that to her. A deep red blush crept over her face as she had to face the fact that it had been a little more on her behalf than just letting EJ do anything. She'd been an active and very vocal participant in the whole thing much to her great shame. Sami didn't know how she was going to look EJ in the eye ever again and she certainly didn't know what she was going to do when she saw Lucas again for the first time. She'd never been unfaithful in any of her relationships. Of all her many and let's face it, varied crimes, infidelity had never been one of them and Sami hated the fact that it was now.

They moved from the rainforest and onto the beach now and as was Jellybean's habit he broke into a little bit of a canter. Sami's eyes widened at the sudden increase in pressure between her legs, the unevenness of Jelly's gait causing her hips to roll forward and back harder and faster and to her horror she felt her overly sensitised core respond. Sami bit her lip as a little orgasm shot through her and she swallowed the moan determinedly, desperate that EJ should not know what was happening to her. Jellybean slowed back into walk now as they moseyed along the water's edge back towards the house but the damage had already been done. The slow rhythmic rolling of Sami's hips against Jelly's back was causing little shock waves of pleasure to radiate out throughout her whole body as they walked along.

Oh god what had he done to her Sami wondered desperately as she struggled valiantly to give no outward signs of what was happening to her.

Despite what he'd done for her at the lagoon her body was hungry for more and she fought against the urge to simply lean forward on Jellybean and demand he take her from behind right now. She didn't even think that was possible but in her mind's eyes she could see him doing just that and more moisture leaked from her body. Where was it all coming from and when had she suddenly turned into this insatiable mad woman? When he'd first touched her a little unwanted voice reminded her. Sami swallowed another little moan as EJ made a clicking noise, increasing Jellybeans gait now that they were on a flat part of the track. She hands gripped her legs tightly and she hoped EJ would think it was for better balance rather than the truth.

Sami closed her eyes then, unable to fight it anymore and gave herself over to the indescribable pleasure of what was happening to her body…


	3. Chapter 19 to 27

**FATED**

**(Chapters 19 - 27)**

**Chapter NINETEEN**** - ****Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite**

**EVENING 5...**

EJ walked into the living room, dressed in his gym clothes, black sweat pants and black tank top after having just returned from a run around the island. It seemed he had a lot of pent up energy to burn off and his companion on the island hadn't been exactly forth coming with help in that area. After their picnic by the lagoon and the events that transpired thereafter EJ hadn't seen hide or hair of Samantha all afternoon. They'd arrived back to the house and there had been this one moment when he'd helped her down from Jellybean as he was still seated on Jelly's back. He and Sami's eyes had met time had expanded and stretched out forever. Sami had looked up at him still sitting on the horse, her face flushed and wide eyed, so many emotions flicking across her face all at once that EJ had trouble reading them all.

There was this split second when EJ thought she was going to give in at long last to this thing between them, simply admit defeat against the pull that drew them inexorably towards each other and his heart had leapt in his chest. But then the fear returned to her eyes and Sami had pulled away from him and headed back up to the house without a backward glance. It had been hard to let her go, the urge to pursue her getting stronger every time she ran from him, especially after what had just happened between them. Some instinct still held EJ back though; he just knew she would come to him when she had exhausted every last excuse to stop them from being together.

EJ knew something else for certain as well - that Sami was going to come out fighting after this afternoon. She would find some crazy spin to put on it because slowly but surely she was being backed into a corner about her feelings for him and there was nothing guaranteed more to bring out that fighting Irish spirit of hers than the feeling of a wall against her back. EJ also knew that it would be the last ditch effort of a desperate woman so he was pretty much bracing for anything. Of course he'd hoped that they would have arrived back at the house and Sami would just give herself over totally to him but he hadn't been surprise when she'd yet again run from him - disappointed but not surprised. EJ blew out a thoughtful breath and walked over to the drinks tray and pulled out bottled water, pouring himself a glass of water.

Of course it would have been far preferable to him to have worked up this sweat from infinitely more pleasurable activities than just running but Sami's disappearing act had pretty much put paid to that. EJ wasn't overly concerned with where she'd taken herself off to - it was an island after all and despite her might wanting to he doubted that even Samantha Brady was impulsive and crazy enough to strike out for the mainland by herself. No, she was undoubtedly about having conniptions about earlier and well she might too. EJ grinned to himself as he sat down and took a sip of the water. It didn't matter what she said to him next or ever again really, she'd revealed her true self to him by the lagoon today. Despite his skills as a lover he knew what had passed between them hadn't been all about technique that was for sure. In those exquisite moments she'd given herself over to him utterly and no matter what words fell from those lips of hers now nothing would change that.

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami stood at the top of the stairs and took a deep breath. She'd heard EJ come in about ten minutes ago and she'd been standing there at the top of the stairs trying to work up her nerve ever since to go and join him. Sami knew she had to talk to him about earlier but she so didn't want to. If there had been some way she could have just wiped that time at the lagoon from both of theirs memories than she would have in a heartbeat. At least, that was what she'd been spending most of the afternoon convincing herself. The thought that she'd let her guard down and succumbed to EJ's advances like that was completely mortifying and Sami was deeply ashamed over how she'd been able to betray Lucas like that. But there was some other wayward part of her that every time she closed her eyes she could remember what it had felt like to have his hands on her body and what he'd managed to wring from her body and some deep treacherous part of her craved more. It had taken her until now to get that part of her back under control but it was done now and all that was left was to go down and confront EJ and put him straight on a couple of pertinent facts. Sami took another deep breath and then descended the stair case, heading for the lion's den.

EJ looked up from his chair to see Sami walk in and then go and stand in the middle of the room, nervously tugging on the bottom of her blouse. She stood, feet together, shoulders back and EJ was put in mind of a student about to deliver a little talk to the rest of the class and was all nervous at the thought of public speaking. EJ leant an elbow on the arm of the sofa chair he was sitting in and rested the right side of his face on his upturned palm and watched Samantha with interest. He was almost certain he knew what this was going to be about but like everything to do with Sami he was just intrigued to see how she was going to go about it.

"EJ," she began, trying to sound confident and almost pulling it off.

"Samantha," he returned evenly.

"We need to talk," she said, more fidgeting.

"I've always thought so," he agreed amicably.

"About this morning and the… umm….," she struggled to put a name to it, "Umm… the picnic and… ahh… well… you know… when we ahh…"

The corner of one side of EJ's lips turned up as he listened to her flounder so very badly and he could have sat there all day watching her stammer and blush so adorably but he could see she was getting upset and didn't want that so he decided to help her out. Of course he did it in a way that was guaranteed to annoy her.

"Can I just interrupt there for a moment sweetheart and ask something…?" he began, leaning back in his chair and turning to face her properly, "Will there be bathroom breaks during your introduction or should I go now."

Sami's embarrassment was immediately replaced with annoyance and she glared at him.

"I just wanted to say about this morning!" she snapped, her anger rescuing her which had been his intention of course but she hadn't quite put that together yet, she had other things on her mind, "I just want to make it totally clear to you that it was a… a…"

She seemed to be having difficulties again and he tilted his head, intrigued as to what kind of take she was going to be putting on this now.

"… an accident!" she managed to finish off triumphantly, pleased she'd found the right word to describe it, "It was an accident EJ!"

EJ folded his arms in front of his chest then and thoughtfully tapped a long finger to his lips and regarded her steadily.

"An accident?" he repeated slowly, pursing his lips at her, "You mean like when someone runs over your foot with a car?"

"Yes," she nodded, a little less certainly this time.

"Well that would certainly explain all the screaming you did I guess," he mused, seeming to be seriously considering her take on things.

Sami pressed her lips together and cursed her pale skin as she felt her skin heat as the blush washed over her face but she wasn't one to go down without a fight.

"I was… I was just being polite!" she said defiantly.

EJ's eyebrows shot up so high on his forehead they nearly in to his hair line.

"Well move over Miss Manners," he said ironically, "Because we have a new doyen in the politeness arena!"

"You're enjoying yourself aren't you?!" snapped Sami in annoyance at how he was toying with her.

"Not as much as I could be Samantha," he told her and gave her a pointed look and Sami flushed, knowing exactly what he was intimating to.

EJ leant forward then and rested his arms on his knees, both hands clasping the glass of water in front of him as he stared ahead for a moment.

"Or I might add as much as you enjoyed yourself this morning," he carried on steadily before lifting his head and fixing her with a gaze she simply couldn't look away from.

"You're a complete pig to bring that up!" she said in horror.

"Actually sweetheart," he pointed out quite reasonably, "You bought it up - as soon as you walked in the room in fact. I was just sitting here, minding my own business."

Sami shook her head and looked away in frustration. She looked back then and glared at him.

"It was a mistake EJ," she bit out, "It can never happen again - it _won't_ ever happen again!"

"Is that right?" EJ asked calmly, standing up and walking over to return his now empty glass to the drinks cabinet.

"Yes!" Sami said forcefully but hastily moving out of his way as EJ walked past her to get to the drinks cabinet.

Sami looked at him then and pressed her lips together, stealing herself for the next part of the conversation.

"And to prove it I don't want you in the same bed as me tonight EJ," she said firmly, fixing him with a determined look.

EJ frowned a little then and looked confused.

"But don't you have that the wrong way round darling?" he asked, looking ever so innocent, "Wouldn't you be proving it to me if we shared a bed and then nothing happened? Your way doesn't make much sense."

"Look EJ," said Sami in irritation, "If you were any kind of gentleman you'd do as I asked, no questions asked!"

"Well less than a minute ago you were calling me a pig Samantha and now I'm meant to be a gentleman," commented EJ, feigning confusion, "I have to say sweetheart, I'm getting whip lash from all of these sudden about faces you're wanting me to do."

"Why do you have to make everything so hard EJ?!" she asked him despair, throwing up her hands.

"I could ask you the same question Samantha," returned EJ quickly and then looked her up and down and gave her a considered look, "And in case you're wondering sweetheart - that was a definite double en tondre!"

Sami flushed but didn't back down.

"I'm just asking you for one simple thing EJ," she said tersely, "Haven't I done everything you've asked of me this week so far?"

"With a lot of complaining," agreed EJ calmly.

"But I did it!" she said in exasperation and then tried to calm down, giving him her best cajoling smile, "So how about you return the favour EJ and sleep in your own bed for the remaining two nights we're here."

EJ regarded her calmly for a long moment and Sami felt her nerves stretch out as she held her breath. He smiled at her then and she felt herself begin to relax somewhat as he seemed to be agreeing to her request. Sami went to return his smile and thank him for his understanding but the smile froze on her face with his next word.

"No."

EJ moved past her then and went to take his seat again but she grabbed his arm as he passed.

"What?" she asked him, her face beginning to darken.

"No," repeated EJ, almost cheerfully.

"No?" she parroted, her face decidedly stormy now.

"Yes," said EJ helpfully, "It's the opposite of yes."

"I don't believe you!" said Sami, eyes flashing angrily at him.

"It is," said EJ straight faced, "I can prove it to you… where's that dictionary…?"

"Don't be an idiot EJ!" she growled at him, "You know that isn't what I meant!"

"I seriously don't know how you expect me to know what you meant when you seem to be having a fair bit of trouble in that department yourself Samantha," said EJ coolly.

"I don't want you in the same bed as me!" she shouted at him, "Is that clear enough for you EJ?!"

EJ pursed his lips and then looked back at her calmly whilst Sami gave him an impatient look.

"Well seeing as this morning was…an accident… politeness…," EJ trailed off then and looked thoughtful, "Sorry darling, where exactly did we land with that one in the end, I've gotten a little confused?"

Sami glared at him and EJ shrugged, unconcerned.

"Whatever the reason was Samantha you have been trying to convince me that it meant less than nothing to you and is never going to happen again," continued on EJ smoothly, "So surely that comes down to your complete indifference to me rather than an accident of geography. In the same bed, down the hall… what does it matter when you hold me in nothing but contempt and disgust?

"So you're not going to do it then?" she asked him tightly.

"What would be the point?" EJ asked her innocently as he sat back down, "You're complete apathy to me will be enough to see you through the rest of the week… isn't that right darling?"

Sami ground her teeth, seeing he wasn't going to budge on this point and unbelievably frustrated by that fact.

"You know if the wind changes your face could stay like that," commented EJ idly with a little smile and a nod at the decidedly unhappy expression on Sami's face.

"I only look like this because of how horrible this entire week has been," snapped Sami.

"Well you certainly seemed to enjoy the horse ride home anyway my dear," he said, the barest of smiles touching his lips as he leant forward and picked up the book he'd been reading from the coffee table in front of him.

Sami gave a distressed gasp, realising that he'd known what had happened to her on the ride home and wishing the ground would just open up and swallow her whole. How could things have gotten this badly out of control this quickly she wondered hopelessly?

"Perhaps if you're at a loose end you could go and check on Jellybean?" he suggested idly turning the page of his book and not looking at her and keeping a perfectly straight face, "Maybe you could share a cigarette with him or something?"

"I hate you!" she snarled at him, completely mortified by this turn of events.

"All evidence to the contrary eh sweetheart?" he asked her, looking up at her with a knowing smirk.

**oooOOOOooo**

Dinner was over and done with and Sami was still looking for suitable distractions between her and EJ to see the rest of the evening out. She was still reeling from his last revelation and rather than dwelling on how truly embarrassed she was Sami had decided to try and whittle away at some of EJ's overwhelming smugness.

"How about a movie?" asked Sami suddenly as EJ put the last of the dishes away from the washing up?

EJ looked at her and smiled, happy to do whatever as long as he was with Sami.

"Well there is a state of the art home theatre room that we haven't availed ourselves of thus far," he nodded, "And an impressive array of DVD's that run the gamut so that sounds like an excellent idea Samantha."

"Can I pick?" she asked him with a bright smile which made EJ immediately suspicious with her sudden good humour after her surly attitude throughout dinner.

"Of course," he said calmly, "Why don't you go and have a look at what is on offer and choose one and I'll finish up here and join you in a minute?"

"Alright," agreed Sami readily, handing him the tea towel she'd been wiping dishes down with.

EJ watched her leave and shook his head and smiled. Sami walked into the home theatre room and walked over to the built in wall cabinet that housed the DVD's. EJ hadn't been exaggerating when he said the DVD library was impressive. There had to be over two hundred DVD's all neatly lined up under categories. They ranged from black and white classics to movies that had just come out and covered every imaginable genre. Say what you will about the DiMera's - they certainly didn't' scrimp on the little luxuries of life. Sami lifted a hand and ran a finger over all the various titles, not knowing what she was looking for exactly but certainly knowing what she didn't want to watch. She pulled out a couple of selections before deciding on one.

"So have you decided darling?" asked EJ casually, walking into the room and taking a seat, looking up at her expectantly.

"Aha," she said and handed him the case.

EJ looked down at the case and turned it over and then back again before looking up at her in amusement.

"_This_ is the movie you want to watch?" he asked, leaning back a little and looking up at her as his tongue ran over the bottom of his lip absently.

"Yes," she shrugged at him defiantly.

"_This_ movie," he repeated, "This is the movie you've chosen?"

"Yes EJ," she said in exasperation, "_That's_ the movie I've chosen and _that's_ the movie I want to watch!"

"You do know what it's about right?" he pushed her.

"I can read," she sniffed.

"And you're okay with that?" said EJ sceptically, knowing full well what she was up to.

"Of course I am," she huffed, "Why else would I have chosen it?!"

"Why indeed," he said mockingly as he stood up and went to set up the home theatre system up to play her selection.

"What's the matter EJ?" she said with a sweet smile, "Not your cup of tea?"

"Not usually," he said easily, "But more is to the point I didn't think it would be your cup of tea sweetheart."

"Well then," said Sami blithely, "Just goes to show how little you know about me EJ DiMera doesn't it?"

"Indeed," said EJ dryly as he finished loading up the requested DVD and settling back in the large couch that when you pushed back on it became a joint recliner as well.

EJ patted the seat beside him and smiled charmingly up at her.

"Shall we get this party started darling?" he asked her teasingly to which she rolled her eyes but joined him.

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami pulled her feet up under her, her eyes riveted to the screen unable to look away even though she wanted to so badly. EJ turned his head and looked at her, his lips curving upwards in an amused smile.

"We can turn it off and choose another one if you'd like Samantha," he offered to her, seeing how anxious she was.

"No," she said, shooting him a quick look of defiance, "Why would we do that?"

"Well you don't seem to be enjoying this particular cinematic offering is all," said EJ dryly, "Perhaps something a little less… confronting might be the order of the day eh darling?"

"This is fine!" she snapped, not willing to back down as she looked rebelliously back at the screen, "I really like this… OH MY GOD NO NO NO!"

Sami screamed out and grabbed the first thing she could get her hands on which just happened to be EJ's arm as he sat beside her and buried her face in it before peeping out cautiously to look at the large screen again.

"Is it over?" she asked hesitantly.

"Ahh," EJ frowned and then there was a loud chomping noise and a broken scream from the movie, "I believe now it is, yes."

Sami attempted to loosen her death grip on EJ's arm but she didn't let it go totally. She'd thought she had been so clever in choosing this film because it was as far from a romantic movie as she could find. Her selection had been based on which movie appeared the least sexiest one in the whole collection because the last thing she wanted to do was cosy up to EJ on the couch and watch some romantic comedy with him. However she hadn't quite thought through one little thing - now she actually had to watch the thing!

The movie Sami had chosen was "Rogue" and on the back it said it was about a huge seven meter crocodile hunting down and killing this tour group in the Australian outback. That had sounded decidedly unromantic to Sami so that was the one she'd chosen but now she was stuck with watching it. She knew she was in trouble when in the first few minutes of the movie they'd shown a picture of a boy that they'd removed from the stomach of a captured crocodile. Sami didn't know if it was real or not but it sure looked like it to her! That had pretty much set the tone for the rest of the movie and she'd been growing steadily more anxious as the movie progressed, waiting for the appearance of the killer crocodile. So much so that when it did finally appear and take one of the unsuspecting tourists - and of course it had to be an American tourist - she had jumped so high and screamed so loudly that she'd actually given EJ a fright. The trouble was Sami didn't feel as though she could back down and change the movie now because it felt like EJ would be winning somehow so that meant she had to just try and make it to the end without wetting her pants.

"Do you think the dog is going to be alright?" she fretted, her eyes glued to the screen.

"Hmm," considered EJ and then gave her a rueful look, "Traditionally these things don't tend to work out too well for the four legged friends but I really don't know Samantha."

"Oh," she said quietly and looked upset.

Twenty minutes later and EJ dire predictions seemed to be coming true. Sami had returned to having a strangle hold on EJ's arm and had unconsciously scooted closer to him on the sofa, needing to feel the solidity of his presence all of a sudden.

"No," she said to the screen, shaking her head, "Don't go in there, don't go in there!"

Sami's face became stricken then and she began to hit EJ's arm.

"Oh no!" she cried out, unable to tear her eyes away, "He's going in there, oh no, stop, stop!"

Sami buried her head in EJ's shoulder again, not able to watch.

"Did he go in?" she asked, her voice muffled against EJ's arm.

"Yup," said EJ easily, "But the dog is fine… look."

Sami lifted up her head and warily looked at the screen and relaxed a little, blowing out a heartfelt sigh of relief. Then there was suddenly the sound of a bark/crunch/squeal sound and Sami gave a horrified gasp at what she'd just seen.

"Oh," said EJ, biting his bottom lip ruefully, "Not so much now."

"You told me he was okay!" she said accusingly, hitting EJ's arm in retribution for making her witness that.

"And he was when you asked," protested EJ, pulling his shoulder up to his ear, ready to protect himself if she decided to go for his face, "I haven't seen this movie before sweetheart - I'm as much in the dark as to what is going to happen as you are!"

"Oh my god," groaned Sami, moving even closer to EJ, feeling like she'd run a marathon all of a sudden because of how stressed she'd been throughout the entire movie.

"It's alright sweetheart," said EJ comfortingly, "It's only a movie and you know we can still always turn it off."

"I need to know if the man survives now," said Sami with a shake of her head.

EJ smiled down tenderly at her even though Sami didn't notice, her attention still rapt on the movie. Whilst he didn't enjoy seeing her frightened like this EJ was enjoying how she was snuggling up to him for comfort. He knew why she'd chosen the movie and EJ knew why she had insisted on seeing it through - too stubborn to back down. That stubbornness had thwarted him many a time not just on this trip but ever since he'd met her really. Despite that though EJ still found it to be a very endearing quality of hers even though it had made him want to throttle her on the odd occasion as well. Sami gasped then at the next bit and leant forward before making a horrified noise at what she saw next and the legs that she'd had pulled up under her chin began to creep onto EJ's lap without her even being aware of what she was doing. EJ smiled to himself and hoped this movie would never end.

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami lay in the bed, body completely rigid as she stared up at the ceiling, wide awake. EJ sighed heavily and rolled over onto his side, facing her.

"It was just a movie Samantha," he reminded her calmly yet again.

"I know that!" she snapped, sending him a quick glare.

"So there is no reason to be nervous sweetheart," he continued on.

"I'm not nervous," she said hotly.

EJ lifted his head and looked up and down the length of her body and could see how stiffly she was holding herself.

"Clearly you are the very epitome of calm relaxation," commented EJ mockingly, "I told you we should have stopped that movie."

"I don't need to take advice from you EJ!" said Sami sharply, angry at him for being right but her stubborn nature just wouldn't let her admit defeat and stop the movie.

_Stupid stubborn nature._

"Well here's some advice you should definitely take my darling," he said wryly, "Try taking a deep breath in and out and unclenching a little."

Sami blew out a noisy breath and attempted to do just that but that movie had really freaked her out. She normally never watched anything so graphic and it was not sitting with her well. Every time she closed her eyes she'd see a scene from the movie with someone being eaten or hear a noise that sounded like the crocodiles bark and it was making her very edgy. Even the fact that she was lying in bed with EJ seemed like only a mild bother compared to the suddenly very real concern that a monstrous killer croc was going to burst through those doors at any minute and eat her alive. Sami knew she was being silly but telling herself that just didn't seem to be helping alleviate her fears any!

EJ meanwhile had pretty much given up any idea of romance with Sami tonight after the way she'd reacted to that movie. Sami was clearly rattled and he didn't know if even he could distract her from her anxieties after watching the show. It really wasn't all that romantic watching people fighting for their lives and getting eaten and mauled which EJ had known full well why Sami had chosen it. And all in all he had to admire her for her choice considering that 'thing' she had about being eaten alive. It was obvious that she hadn't just been making that up either - her reaction to certain scenes had been very real and as much as he might like to suggest something to help her take her mind off her worries EJ just didn't think Sami was going to take too kindly to the offer somehow. Sami meanwhile was wondering if she would ever sleep again.

"EJ," said Sami, a thought suddenly occurring to her.

"Samantha," returned EJ evenly, his eyes closed as he lay on his back beside her in bed.

"Are there any crocodiles on this island?" she asked him nervously.

EJ didn't answer he immediately and Sami became automatically suspicious. She propped herself up on her elbows and looked down at him even as EJ kept his eyes determinedly closed.

"EJ!" she repeated, this time her tone was much more demanding.

"Yes," he admitted, opening his eyes and looking up at her, "But…"

"Are you out of your mind?" she asked him in horror, her eyes wide, "What is wrong with you EJ?! What kind of a person would bring someone to a place crawling with man eating crocodiles?!"

"First of all I don't think you can say Ara Caman is _crawling_ with crocodiles Samantha," said EJ ruefully, "And second of all they are all freshwater crocodiles, the movie we watched was about a saltwater crocodile."

"What does that matter?!" asked Sami in annoyance, not willing to give up her horror just yet.

"Freshwater crocodiles don't grow anywhere as big as saltwater ones and could hardly be referred to as man-eaters," continued on EJ calmly, "The worst they could do would be to take a bit of a nip at you."

"And that is meant to make me feel better?" she asked him in disbelief, "How could you let me go swimming around here knowing that there is a crocodile infestation on the island?!"

"Again darling," said EJ indulgently, "No infestation, at most the odd one or two and if you leave them alone they'll leave you alone. Humans are way too big a meal for them."

"Says you!" said Sami hotly, "You're huge! What about me - I'm half your size EJ! I bet I look like the perfect snack to them!"

"Well darling," he purred up at her, his eyes twinkling mischievously, "I know _I_ certainly enjoyed eat… OWW!"

Sami knew exactly where he was going with that and was not in the mood for his flirting right then so she grabbed her pillow and hit him as hard as she could across the face.

"Shut up EJ!" she glared down at him while he blinked a couple of times to get his vision back properly.

"It is so fortunate for you my love that I like a measure of violent tendencies in my women," he teased her, "Otherwise this relationship could be in serious trouble."

"I am not in the mood EJ!" she threatened him, glowering at him unhappily.

"I worked that out pretty quickly my love," he sighed regretfully.

"Go to sleep!" she ordered him huffily.

"Yes dear," said EJ meekly although the impish smile on his lips didn't really support it.

EJ settled himself more comfortably in the bed as Sami lay back down, reclaiming her pillow. Silence settled upon the room and the minutes ticked away but Sami was not feeling any more relaxed as time passed. EJ moved a little again and this time his foot accidentally brushed Sami's leg. Sami screamed and jerked away violently from the light touch, her imagination working overtime now as her nerves were stretched to breaking point after that movie. Her legs flailed wildly and because she'd already put herself as close to the edge of the bed as she could to avoid EJ the inevitable happened and she toppled out of bed. EJ watched her disappear off the side of the bed and shook his head and as he did last night he moved over to her side of the bed and peered down at her.

"So," he said perfectly straight faced, "Should we be investing in some kind of side rail for you darling? You do seem to be having the most frightful trouble with the whole remaining in bed thing."

"This is your fault EJ!" she pouted up at him even as she moved a hand to rub her put upon backside.

"I thought it might be," EJ sighed in resignation.

**Chapter TWENTY**** - ****Ashes To Ashes****…**

**DAY 6...**

EJ lay there quietly as the growing morning light crept into the room and illuminated the peacefully sleeping woman beside him. Sami was lying on her side, with back to him and EJ was on his side, his head on the same pillow as she was lying on and his arm resting across her waist. She looked like a little girl when she was relaxed in sleep like this. EJ couldn't help but wonder if their daughter would like this and he had a sudden vision of he and Sami watching their child as she slept. The image made EJ tighten his hold on her unconsciously. How much did he want that and how much did he want to wake up beside this woman every day for the rest of his life. He dropped his head and kissed her bare shoulder, the softest of touches and Sami gave a little smile in her sleep.

EJ had never really experienced this kind of need to be near a woman before. Women had come and gone in his life but no one had come close to affecting him as profoundly as Samantha Brady. It was a mystery to him what she did to him and all he knew for sure was that he was utterly beguiled by her. The urge to kiss the sleeping beauty properly washed over him and wondered at the response he'd get. She was still fighting him so hard but there were so many chinks in her armour now that it couldn't be long now before Sami succumbed to the obvious feelings she had for him. EJ knew he was as much under her skin as she was under his but the difference was that he'd embraced that fact totally while Sami was still clinging to the expectations others had for her. It was maddening and frustrating and so utterly her.

Sami stirred a little in her sleep and rolled over onto her back, still asleep while EJ remained perfectly still, not wanting her to wake up just yet because she would immediately start working at putting distance between them when she did. How could she keep on denying what was between them was a mystery to him. It was so obvious and so impossible to ignore that it boggled the mind that Sami was still trying so hard to do just that. Sami stirred again and made a little noise, her eyelids beginning to flicker and EJ realised with regret that she was waking up. He quickly closed his eyes so that she would think that he was still asleep.

Sami came slowly awake, blinking groggily in the early morning light. She was immediately conscious of the man sleeping beside her, his long body pressed against her side, an arm casually flung across her waist. Sami tentatively turned her head to see EJ's face right there; fast asleep on the same pillow her head was resting on. She studied his face, the way his impossibly long eye lashes rested on his cheeks - not fair really, giving them to a boy like that. She knew that any moment those eyelids could snap open and she'd be staring into teasing brown eyes, amused at having caught her staring at him like this but for some reason Sami couldn't seem to stop. Her eyes swept down to his long, straight nose. She hadn't lied the other night when she'd told him it was a good nose and then tried not to think about where that conversation had taken them. Despite her best intentions her eyes dropped to EJ's lips and she had this almost uncontrollable urge to close the small distance between them and kiss those lips.

Sami's heart skipped a beat at the wayward thought. A week ago she would never have thought of such a thing but then a week ago he wasn't in her bed, warm and curled up against her, his body all hard planes and angles even in his sleep but somehow comforting. Sami bit her lip, she needed to get away from him and all the things lying like this next to him was stirring up in her. Yesterday's interlude was still too fresh in her mind to be comfortable with being this near. Fresh in her mind… heck, after what EJ had done to her body yesterday it was etched there for all eternity. Just the thought of it made her disobedient body tighten and begin to ache and Sami knew she had to get out of there before she embarrassed herself yet again on this trip.

Sami began to inch her way out of the bed, being very careful not to wake the sleeping giant. She felt a lot more confident in their little battles when she was upright, somehow lying down it definitely felt like a new ball game and Sami wasn't prepared to give EJ any more of an advantage then he already had. She began to slowly wiggle away from EJ, her eyes on him in case he should suddenly wake up. EJ made a half snort, half snoring sound suddenly and Sami froze, her eyes wide and her heart pounding. He moved in his sleep, rolling from his side to face down which unfortunately for Sami meant that she was suddenly almost buried underneath him, making Sami give a surprised squeak. EJ had rolled forward in his sleep and thrown a leg over the top of hers, trapping them in place even as one half of his body fitted itself on top of her, the arm around her waist turning her more into him as his head dropped to rest on her chest. Sami lay there stricken under the heavy sleeping weight of his body, barely able to breathe let alone move. EJ's breath she could feel on her neck, steady and even as he slept, oblivious to her situation.

EJ smiled to himself and would have loved to have lifted his head and seen the expression on Sami's face right then but that would spoil the fun he was having and he was definitely having fun. The feeling of all her softness wiggling away underneath was something he would love to wake up to every morning in fact. Sami meanwhile was trying her hardest not to wake what she assumed was the sleeping EJ while sliding out from underneath him but it was proving to be quite the task. EJ was just so heavy and she was having trouble finding something to leverage herself with to be able to move at all.

Finally she managed to get one leg free of his and started to feel for the edge of the bed, digging her heel into the mattress and at last being able to pull free of EJ somewhat. EJ felt her starting to get away from him and wanted none of that so he went to shift more of his weight onto Sami again, feigning more movement in his sleep but he had to lift most of his weight off her achieve that. Unfortunately for them both as it turned out EJ had underestimated the sort of strength Sami was applying to pulling herself away from him with her one free leg. As soon as EJ lifted himself off her Sami more or less catapulted herself out of bed with how hard she was pulling herself away from EJ. With a little cry she landed in an ignominious heap of tangled bed sheets. Sami lay on the increasingly familiar floor on her side of the bed and gave a groan of annoyance that she'd managed to fall out of bed yet again!

"I see gravity is still being somewhat unkind to you there sweetheart," she heard EJ's voice comment wryly from above her on the bed and she gave another loud frustrated groan.

Today was _not_ off to a great start!

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami walked along the well beaten down track and wondered where she was going. She'd been careful to keep things light between herself and EJ all day today despite several attempts from him to discuss yesterday. She'd been so successful in her endeavours that she could see EJ getting more and more frustrated until finally he just took himself off and she'd seen him disappear down this track nearly two hours ago. Sami knew she should just let him be, after all, this was what she'd wanted right? Nonetheless for some reason that Sami stubbornly refused to admit to herself she found herself taking that same track in search of EJ as the afternoon began to draw to a close.

She rounded a curve and came to an abrupt halt at the sight in front of her. It was a small graveyard and just a quick glance told her the DiMera name was etched on all the tombstones and monuments that she could see. EJ looked up as he heard her surprised gasp and gave a little smile.

"Samantha," he acknowledged her presence calmly.

"There is a graveyard on Ara Caman?" she asked in horror, looking around herself, "You've bought me to an island full of dead people?!"

"It's a family graveyard Samantha," said EJ wryly, "You make it sound like this is where we bury all the people we dastardly DiMera's do away with."

"Obviously," said Sami flatly, "You'd need a bigger island… probably something more like Australia."

"Australia is the smallest continent in the world," EJ corrected her dryly, "Not the largest island darling."

"Whatever," said Sami with a roll of her eyes, "What are you doing here anyway - graveyards creep me out?"

"My father would bring me here and tell me all the stories of our family," EJ told her.

"Wow," said Sami mockingly, "That does sound like fun. What's the matter EJ? Didn't Daddy DiMera believe in Disneyland or the circus for a bit of bonding with his kids? I can't say I'm surprised thought - a graveyard seems about right for that man."

"Family is everything to my father," said EJ, ignoring her jab, "It's important to remember the past so that you don't repeat its mistakes he would always tell me."

"Clearly your father doesn't take his own advice," said Sami bitingly.

EJ blew out a tired breath and turned around to face the large tomb he'd been standing beside. He ran his hand over the top of the stone and felt it's hardness under his hand, ignoring her last comment.

"This is my grandfather's grave," he told her, "Santo DiMera."

Sami raised an eyebrow, surprised he didn't take the bait.

"I never knew him," continued on EJ quietly, "But my father always spoke of him with such love."

Sami frowned, finding it an odd thought that Stefano DiMera could have ever been someone's child somehow.

"You know Samantha we are so alike you and I," said EJ calmly, looking off into the distance, "It's like we're the halves of the same whole."

"You and I are nothing alike EJ!" exclaimed Sami, pulling back in horror.

"We are both deeply passionate, loyal people," EJ argued with her, "We both know what it is to have parents who have high expectations of us and to walk in their shadow. And we both know how to fight for what it is we want Samantha. Neither one of us takes life lying down, we are prepared to do what it takes to make things happen and in being so single minded we can hurt the very people that we love however unintentionally."

Sami looked back at him, stricken by his analysis of them both but not able to argue with it. EJ saw her hesitation and pushed his advantage.

"We believe the same things Samantha," he told her earnestly, "We want the same things. An enduring love, acceptance for who we are, to be totally honest with another person and not be afraid of losing that person because of it, a family, to be first in someone's heart."

"And I have that with L…" Sami stopped herself just in time and continued on, desperate to make him understand, "I have that EJ."

"Look me in the eye Samantha," said EJ and ducked his head so that they were more on eye level, "Look me in the eye and tell me that if Carrie hadn't married Austin and left town and had shown the slightest interest in getting back with Lucas that he wouldn't have turned his back on you and run to your sister without a backwards glance!"

"He wouldn't do that," said Sami shakily, not sounding very certain of that fact, "Not now."

"Yes he would sweetheart," said EJ with great certainty, "You know and I know it. He doesn't love you the way you deserve to be loved Samantha - a blind man can see that!"

"He's Will's father!" said Sami desperately.

"So what?" dismissed EJ, "You can still be parents to Will without being a couple - the two don't have to go together? You've concocted this picture perfect family in your head and come hell or high water you're going to make it happen Samantha but it's not real."

"And what is real EJ?" she sneered at him, "This?"

Sami made a sweeping gesture and looked back at him challengingly.

"You manufactured all of this," she told him harshly.

"But I didn't manufacture _this_," he told her sharply.

EJ moved suddenly then and pulled her into his arms, kissing her hard. Sami struggled but he was too strong for her. She was so mad at him for his high handedness, for the way he thought he could say or do anything to her and that she would just give in. The thunder rumbled overhead, the sky so dark now it was almost as though nightfall had come early but neither of them noticed as they did battle. Sami eventually gave in, knowing she was no match for him and returning his kiss but as soon as EJ loosened his grip on her she pulled back out of his arms and stumbled backwards.

"What makes you think you can just kiss me whenever you want to?!" she asked him harshly, "I'm in a relationship EJ - one that makes me happy and if you care for me as much as you claim to then you should just let me be happy."

"Happy?" repeated EJ roughly, his breathing as uneven as hers after that kiss.

He looked away and grimaced, trying to control his anger.

"Do you expect me to believe that you're happy playing second fiddle to Carrie and Kate in Lucas' life?" asked EJ tersely, "It's not in your personality to settle for being an afterthought Samantha! You're a person that needs to be front and centre in everything you do and there is nothing wrong with that! I know your family tells you that you should be ashamed of that but you don't. It's who you are Samantha and I'm sick to death of watching you apologising and bending over backwards to be something you're simply not!"

"All my family wants is for me to be a good person and to be happy," raged Sami, her face contorting with rage, "And you're one to talk about family expectations EJ! Who knows what that twisted old man expects of you! How could I ever trust a man who is so swayed by a monster like Stefano DiMera?! He snaps his fingers and you come running like some kind of mindless lap dog - it's disgusting!"

"You don't know anything about my relationship with my father!" said EJ angrily, "He's a good man…"

"He's a crazy, twisted, nightmare of a man that has only brought endless misery to my family," yelled Sami, unable to bear hearing anything good being said about the man, "He made sure that most of my life I was without one parent and created that whole mess when we all thought John was my dad! He messed with my entire childhood and still does! He threatens everyone I love and you expect me to stand here and listen to you tell me how wonderful he is! It's beyond disgusting EJ!"

"I agree that my father has made some questionable choices in life," said EJ, his jaw hardening, "But I rather think we could both be pretty understanding of that seeing as neither of us have exactly lived a blameless life thus far eh sweetheart?!"

"There is making a few poor judgement calls and then there is killing people for kicks!" bit out Sami, "You cannot possibly compare me to him - Stefano is an evil old man who deserves the hell that is undoubtedly waiting for him!"

"That is my father Samantha!" said EJ, stung by her comments about a man he loved so much.

"Like I can ever forget that EJ!" she said bitterly, "I look at you and all I see is him and I'm just waiting for you to unleash a new wave of pain and destruction on our family! In fact I'm pretty certain you've already started!"

"Are we back there again?" asked EJ in angry frustration, "As soon as we get to any real truth between us Samantha you trot out that tired little number claiming I'm nothing but evil personified when you know that isn't true! If we were to line up all of your deeds from your less than savoury past I think you would possibly be somewhat disinclined to sit up there on your high horse! You speak so scathingly of the DiMera's but as you once so memorably told me sweetheart you're the anti-Brady. I don't think I'd be reaching to say that you are far more a DiMera than a Brady any day Samantha Jean!"

Sami sucked in a horrified gasp at that, her eyes widening and she was so angry with him for saying that she couldn't even find the words. While they'd been fighting the storm clouds had grown ever lower and were now fit to burst with the rain they carried in the dark midst but so consumed with each other Sami and EJ didn't even notice, not even when some fat drops began to fall from the sky and land heavily all around them.

"The truth is Samantha that you don't care about my last name anywhere near as much as you think you should!" said EJ defiantly, "And that scares the hell out of you and you do what you always do when you're scared - lash out at the one who loves you the best!"

"And that's you is it EJ?" she asked him bitterly.

"Yes it is Samantha," he said with great certainty, taking a step closer to her and holding her gaze determinedly, "I'm the one who sees you for exactly who you are and just embraces that utterly. There is nothing I would change about you - to me you are absolutely perfect. Everyone else in your life loves you with conditions."

More rain began to fall and the sky grumbled noisily but still the pair didn't notice, so wrapped up in each other even as their clothes began to get increasingly wet as the rain fell on their heated exchange.

"How can you say things like that?" asked Sami in despair, "You've only known me for a couple of months and you're making all of these sweeping judgements like you've known me all your life."

"I feel like I _have_ known you all my life," said EJ urgently, looking at her intensely, "I feel like I've been waiting for you my entire life and now that you are finally here I can't imagine my life without you. You have to be feeling this too Samantha, you just have to be!"

"I'm not feeling anything EJ!" she said, refusing to give in.

"Liar," he said flatly, blinking rapidly as rain water began to drip into his eyes.

Sami drew herself up at his stinging comment she opened her mouth to tell him that he was the liar here, not her but a sudden incredibly loud clap of thunder beat her to it and they both jumped. EJ looked around himself, noticing for the first time that while they had been arguing a rather serious storm had abruptly come upon them. The rain began to get heavier and Sami looked at him wide eyed, suddenly worried.

"We need to get out of here," said EJ urgently, taking her arm, "Now."

oooOOOOooo

Sami and EJ made it back to the house far too late to avoid being soaked to the bone. They came to a side entrance of the house, one Sami hadn't been in before but she didn't care as long as it meant they could get out of the rain.

"Hurry up EJ!" she exclaimed, still clutching his jacket over her head but she needn't have bothered for all the good it was doing.

"Hold your horses Samantha," said EJ as he pushed against the door with increasing force, "The door is stuck."

"Well unstick it!" she said in annoyance.

"Brilliant sweetheart," he said in exasperation, "Why didn't I think of that?!"

EJ gave the door one last hard push with his shoulder and the moisture swollen door jambs finally gave in, the door creaking open.

"Quickly," he said, reaching out a hand and grabbing for Sami, "There is a lot of lightening about, we don't need to be hit by that."

"Now who's brilliant?" muttered Sami at his statement of the obvious but let him drag her inside the door.

She looked around herself and frowned, taking in the entire sheet covered furniture.

"Where is this?" she asked him, wondering why she hadn't come across it in her travels.

"It's the east wing of the building," EJ informed her, wiping down his wet face and putting his hand on his hips, "Guest annex. It was actually here long before the main building in fact. My grandfather Santo had it built. My father said Santo loved this island and would often bring him here."

"Why couldn't I have stayed here if this is the guest house?" she grumped, looking up at him, still with his coat over her head, forgetting temporarily that she didn't need it anymore.

"But you would have missed me too much surely darling?" he teased her with a little smile on his face.

"A risk I was willing to take," she sassed him back, still upset from their interrupted argument.

There was another loud crack of thunder and the rain began to pelt down even harder and the dark room was suddenly illuminated by several bright flashes of lightening. Despite herself Sami moved closer to EJ as she looked out the window at the raging tempest outside.

"This storm came up really quickly," she commented, looking a little anxious, "It's not like the other rain we've been having on and off."

"No," agreed EJ with a nod, "It's a proper tropical storm that's for sure."

The wind began to howl now as it picked up speed and Sami looked even more worried.

"You don't think it's a hurricane coming our way or anything?" she fretted, not really having experienced a storm this fierce before.

"Of course not sweetheart," said EJ comfortingly, coming up and putting his arm around her and pressing a reassuring kiss to the top of her head, "I've been keeping an eye on the weather via my laptop and there have been no indications of a hurricane, typhoon, cyclone or any other kind of weather nasty. This is just a storm, albeit a vocal one and it will pass soon enough."

Sami felt better after his words. He really was the most impossible man. One moment she was screaming at him, sure she'd never hated anyone more in her life and then in the next he was the only thing that could make her feel safe. Sami hated how all over the place her emotions were around him but no matter what she did she couldn't seem to keep them just to the relative safety of hatred and disgust. How easy would her life be if she could she thought despairingly?

"You know," said EJ and right away she could hear the teasing tone was back in his voice, "We should really get out of these wet clothes darling before we catch our deaths… do you need a hand with your buttons at all?"

"Oh!" exclaimed Sami in disgust and pushed hard against his chest, making him let her go, "You are just the most opportunistic piece of pond scum I have ever met EJ!"

There was that sudden flip again with her emotions - what was it about this man that drove her so utterly crazy?!

"Trust you to use something like the weather to try and take advantage of me!" she huffed, stepping away from him and turning her back on him.

"I was just concerned for your health Samantha," he protested, "I'd hate to think of you getting a chest cold from all this… and with your chest that would be some cold."

"Are you right?" she scowled at him over her shoulder at his teasing of her, suddenly very aware that the top she was wearing was clinging to her like a second skin from being wet, something she doubted that EJ wasn't fully aware of, "Don't say those kind of things to me EJ!"

"Why not?" he said with a quirk of his lips, "You and I both know that you like the fact that I notice your body."

"What I'd like is for you to go out in that rain and get struck by lightning," she bit out between clenched teeth, turning her back on him again, not wanting to give EJ anymore of a peep show then she already had.

"Is that right sweetheart?" he asked flatly, folding his arms in front of his chest in annoyance, "You wish me dead… yet again."

"Yeah well maybe if I keep wishing it for long enough it will actually happen," grumbled Sami.

"You test a man's patience Samantha Brady," he said tersely, "You really do."

EJ turned around then and decided the situation needed some light on it. He stalked over to the light switch, trying to decide if he loved this prickly woman more than he wanted to strangle her with his bare hands in that moment. He was still deciding when he flipped the light switch. At the exact same moment there was a strike of lightening that hit so close to the house that it shook the very foundations. All that electricity looked for a place to disperse quickly and unfortunately for EJ the fact that he was wet and touching a power switch at that time did him no favours. The force of the jolt knocked him off his feet and onto the floor a good five or six feet from where he'd been standing. Sami screamed at the noise and the sight of EJ's body flying through the air as the room was plunged into darkness again. She looked down in horror at EJ's lifeless body on the ground, frozen to the spot.

_Careful what you wish for…_

**Chapter TWENTY ONE**** - ****The Tempest Within**

**EVENING 6...**

Sami made a choked sound, still hardly able to believe what had just happened. She finally managed to break out of her stunned stupor and rush to the still unmoving EJ.

"EJ!" she cried out, her voice high and not sounding like her at all as she looked down at him with anguish, "EJ are you alright?!"

She dropped to her knees beside him and tentatively put her hands on his chest but he didn't respond or move in anyway.

"Oh no, oh no!" she said in horror, dropping her head to his chest and trying to listen for a heartbeat, "Please no!"

Sami couldn't hear EJ's heart beating but the blood was roaring so loudly in her ears from the panic that she couldn't be sure. She lifted her head and put shaky fingers to the side of his neck but again could feel nothing. Her hands were numb though from the shock of having watched him go down like that and she wasn't sure if she could feel a pulse or not. Sami moved around to his side, bending over him.

"Oh god EJ don't you do this!" she pleaded with him brokenly; "Don't you dare die on me!"

Sami tried to remember her first aid, pinching his nose and tilting EJ's head back before pressing her lips tightly to his and blowing her breath into his mouth. She repeated the action again before beginning to do compressions on his chest.

"You never listen to me!" she raged at him in between her compression, caught as always with him between so many different emotions - fear, anger, desperation, "And _this_ is the one thing you do! What is wrong with you EJ?! Why do you do these things to me?!"

Sami bit back a sob, tears beginning to blind her as she finished her thirty compressions and went back to the mouth to mouth. His lips felt soft and familiar against her own and it hit Sami that this might be the last time she would ever feel those lips against hers again. The realisation almost made her own heart stop beating at the pain that thought caused her. She'd been telling him for so long that all she wanted was him out of her life but not like this. As much as she continually had wished him dead this was not what Sami wanted.

"I don't want you to die EJ!" she said shakily, her tears now streaking down her face, "I know what I said but you have to know I didn't mean it! Please EJ, please, don't die - I'll do anything - just don't die!"

There was no movement or sound from EJ at her sobbed entreaty and Sami felt herself really begin to panic now. She suddenly remembered that EJ had told her there was a two way radio in the generator shack that she'd first thought was where they were going to be staying when she'd arrived. EJ and his stupid teasing but Sami knew for certain he wasn't teasing now. She needed help, EJ needed proper medical attention, more than she could provide and that meant getting help from the outside world. If she could find the two way radio and get it to work she could make a call for help. Sami had no idea how long help would take to arrive but she had to do something, she couldn't let EJ die like this and do nothing.

"I'll be right back," she reassured him urgently, hands going to his chest, "I have to get help - stay with me EJ."

She looked down at him and bit her lip, fresh tears stinging her eyes at seeing him so helpless like this. He always seemed larger than life, a giant of a man not just in stature but in his whole persona - self assured, confident and vital. To think that she might be seeing him in his dying moments was an unfathomable one and moreover a deeply painful one. For so long now she'd wanted him out of her life but now that moment might be at hand and all it did was fill Sami with a sick dread.

"You fight EJ," she begged him, her voice no more than a whisper; "I don't want to lose you."

With a last anguished look at him Sami stood up, her legs shaky but she forced herself to start moving, heading towards the door. She made it to the door they'd come in through which seemed like hours ago now and she looked up at the violent storm still raging and made a distressed face, knowing it was madness to go back out in such a tempest but she had no choice, EJ needed her and she couldn't let him down.

Sami took a deep breath and ran out into the nightmare, running as fast as she could towards the generator shack around the other side of the house. The lightening still flashed around her making her tense every time wondering if she was going to be its next victim and the thunder still boomed, almost deafening her. She made it to the generator shack intact, soaked through but in one piece. She tugged on the door and then realised to her horror that it was locked.

"NO!" she cried out in anguish, tugging on the handle with all her might but it was no good, it was clearly locked.

Why would they bother locking anything around her Sami wondered in anguish - it was a deserted island - what was EJ worried about, Jellybean getting in and making prank phone calls on the two way to his other horsy friends?!

Sami gave a despairing groan, knowing she'd have to find the key but it could be anywhere, the main house was huge and she'd never even seen anything resembling a key rack in the place. Sami suddenly wondered if EJ might carry the keys on him - it was a faint hope but that was all she could cling to right then. Sami turned back around and ran back the way she came, hoping that her hunch was right and EJ did indeed have the keys on him. She made it back to the guest house as the rain began to pelt down even harder, stinging her skin and making it almost impossible for her to see. She'd never experienced rain like this; it was almost brutal in its intensity. She made it to the door of the guest house and ran straight in, desperate to get out of that relentless rain. Her eyes immediately went to the spot on the ground she'd left EJ lying in and gave a dismayed gasp.

He was gone.

She looked around herself wildly but there was no EJ and Sami just couldn't get her brain to work. She was so scared and worked up that Sami just couldn't figure out what had happened to EJ. It was like one of those murder mysteries where the body suddenly goes missing, making everything that much more creepy. Sami's already jangled nerves tightened as she turned back around and looked back at the door she'd just come through, as though somehow she'd come back into the wrong house - one identical to the one she'd just left but with no EJ in it - and it would all start to make sense any minute now. Sami gave a strangled scream as the lightning flashed and EJ was suddenly standing in the doorway. He looked a little bit taken back by her reaction.

"Oh there you are," he said dryly, "I thought you'd taken your chances while I was out cold and made a break for the main land."

"Wh… what are you doing?!" she stammered in horror, her heart beating wildly in her chest from the scare he'd given her as she backed up a little, trying to take this new twist in.

"I was looking for you and checking the windows were all shut properly," said EJ calmly, 'It's really pelting down out there and seeing as the wind is picking up, we don't need windows to be blown in on top of everything else."

"I… I thought you… you were electrocuted EJ!" said Sami, hardly able to get the words out.

"Not quite darling," he said with an arch of an eyebrow at her wild look, walking into the room and regarding her with mild annoyance, "I just received a bit of a shock from the electrics, lightening must have struck nearby at the same time I touched the switch – knocked me back on my heels a bit."

"I… I thought you were dead!" she exclaimed, still trying to get over the shock of it all.

"No," he said ruefully and gingerly touched his finger to his tongue then, "But I bit my tongue and it hurts like buggary now."

"I thought you were dead!" she repeated herself, her eyes so wide she didn't know if she'd ever be able to blink again.

"So you keep saying," he said in exasperation, folding his arms in front of his chest, "I'm sorry to disappoint you sweetheart but if you'd hung around even for a second after I hit the ground you would have seen that I wasn't."

He gave her a put out look then, pursing his lips at her and made a vaguely annoyed sounding noise, taking a few steps closer to her before he continued.

"I mean had my body even hit the ground before you scarpered off to see if there was some way to escape my nefarious clutches…?"

EJ trailed off then as he had gotten close enough to see her face properly in the low light for the first time and he realised she was really upset.

"Samantha," he said with a frown, his voice suddenly urgent, "What's wrong? What's happened? Did you hurt yourself… and why are you soaking wet?"

He fired the questions at Sami but all she could do is look dazedly up at him, so overwhelmed by her emotions that she didn't even know what they were and she didn't want to know but he was looking at her worriedly so she had to answer him.

"I thought you were dead," she said weakly, repeating herself for the third time now, "I… I checked for a pulse and couldn't find one and then you weren't breathing so I tried to give you mouth to mouth but I think I did it wrong and…"

"You gave me mouth to mouth?" he asked her, finding this a surprising and intriguing piece of information.

Somewhere in the back of his mind there was a vague recollection of her lips on his but then he dreamed so often about kissing Samantha that he'd just chalked it up to yet another vivid fantasy of her but apparently that was not the case this time.

"You kissed me?" he asked with an interested tilt of his head.

"No!" she said sharply at even the suggestion, "I gave you mouth to mouth – there is a difference EJ! I couldn't just let you die in front of me could I?"

"Why not?" he shrugged, curious as to what this meant, "According to you it would solve all your problems and that of your family if I was to meet my maker here tonight."

"I'm not a murderer," she said shakily.

"Is that the only reason?" he pushed her, his gaze suddenly intent on her face, "Maybe you just couldn't bear the thought of me being dead Samantha? Maybe despite everything you say your heart tells you a different story when push comes to shove… have you considered that sweetheart?"

Sami shook her head at him, feeling suddenly desperate. She didn't want to have this kind of conversation with him right now. She felt disorientated and vulnerable, as though the ground wasn't solid beneath her feet anymore. This whole week had been so confusing and she had so many conflicting emotions about everything that she couldn't think straight. She was so sure on the plane coming over that she knew what she wanted and she'd been so certain that she could handle him but EJ was unlike any other man she'd ever known in her life. He was not easily swayed or manipulated. He was a force to be reckoned with and now Sami realised she'd been hopelessly unprepared for all of this.

"You're cold," he said with a frown, abandoning his line of questioning for the moment on seeing her start to shake in earnest now.

EJ put a hand up to her face, touching her soaked skin, letting his fingers trail down the cold flesh lightly as he moved a little closer to her. Sami looked up at him wide eyed, unable to move away from the gentle caress.

"I'll get a towel so you can dry off or you really will catch a chill," he said softly and she could see the tenderness in his face even in the poor light, "Stay here Samantha and I'll be right back."

EJ dropped his hand from her face and turned away, heading up the nearby stairs where she supposed he knew towels were kept. Sami stood in the middle of the room, the water dripping off her pants leg and making little puddles around her bare feet but she barely noticed. Everything was just pressing in on her and after the fright he'd given her nothing seemed to make sense or be real anymore. She didn't know why she was so scattered all of a sudden but she was. Undone and exhausted from being constantly on guard around him and their relentless tug of war it was just too much. An entire week where there was no escape from her thoughts and feelings, no one to distract her… only him, everywhere she looked, everywhere she turned… always EJ. Sami supposed that had been his plan all along but she'd been so sure it would have no effect on her other than revulsion and annoyance but once again she'd been caught off guard.

There was something that had always been at the fringes of her consciousness when she thought of EJ that she had determinedly pushed back there when she'd found out who he really was. And she'd left it there, unexamined and unwanted. She didn't know what it was and she didn't want to know what it was. Her life at last was beginning to come together and she didn't want to jeopardise that. She wanted the dream of family and security and acceptance and she was so close to it now and she wouldn't let anyone take it from her again… not EJ DiMera and not any vestigial feelings on her behalf for a man that never really existed in the first place.

That had been the plan anyway, it had looked good on paper but it had been surprisingly hard to maintain when he was always there. She'd spent nearly the entire time on this island wishing him ill but when it had actually happened it hadn't bought the grim satisfaction that it was meant to. She'd been frightened… really frightened. What if he'd died? The thought shouldn't have worried her – he deserved it and much worse probably if the truth be known – her father certainly seemed to think so. But as she'd looked at him lying there, helpless and vulnerable it had brought those fringe feelings to the fore all of a sudden. She didn't want to care about him – not even a little bit - but to her horror she realised she did, had never stopped in fact. It was so wrong of her to feel like that about this man Sami knew that but she'd tried everything to stop those wayward emotions but when it had come down to it in the end it just hadn't been enough.

She cared about this man, God help her and for Sami this was a desperate realisation that threatened her whole world.

EJ returned to find Sami standing in exactly the same spot as he'd left her and gave a little frown. He'd woken up on the floor feeling a little achy but that had soon been forgotten when he'd realised that Sami had deserted him in his hour of need, replaced with a real annoyance at her. He'd been genuinely hurt that she would have abandoned him like that; knowing he never would have done such a thing to her. As soon as he'd seen her face properly though he'd realised that wasn't what had happened. Her face had been almost ashen and her eyes were red telling him she'd been crying and her tears had been for him. Sami had looked at him like he was a ghost but she was the one who looked other worldly standing there, all paleness and shimmering from being drenched in the rain again.

EJ walked around to stand in front of her, raising the towel to start drying her down. He hadn't offered the towel to Sami as she seemed incapable of anything too much right then, still clearly in shock herself. Sami just continued to look up at him wordlessly, seeming to be lost in her own little world and EJ would have given a lot to know what she was thinking right then. The thunder crashed outside and Sami flinched a little.

"It's alright," he said softly, still drying her face and hair with the towel, "It's only thunder Samantha, it can't hurt you."

But it wasn't the thunder that was making her tremble as he gently wiped the rain from her hair. He seemed so intent on his task, every motion so deliberate. He was painfully slow and strangely tender as he did this simple thing for her and Sami felt herself becoming mesmerised somehow as he rhythmically stroked at her hair and face with the towel, his eyes fixed on what he was doing. The lightening flash, briefly illuminating the darkened room and Sami felt herself slipping further under his spell into this madness.

"What are you doing to me?" she whispered up at him in quiet anguish wondering how she was here, like this with him of all people and feeling something she didn't want to feel.

Her soft question made him pause in his self appointed task, his brown eyes almost black in the low light but there was still such warmth to them that if made her breath hitch.

"Nothing you don't want me to," he said huskily.

The hand that had been towelling her hair dry was level with her face now and EJ moved his thumb, stroking along her cheek to then tuck a her hair behind her ear.

"This is impossible," she told him achingly, "We can never be anything to each other EJ."

"Don't say that Samantha," he said with quiet desperation, "Never say that."

Sami gave a little shake of her head, more tears welling up in her eyes.

"Tell me sweetheart," he urged her with gentle desperation, "Talk to me Samantha."

"I… I saw you lying there," she whispered, her eyes caught in his hopelessly, "I thought you were dead… that I'd killed you… that I'd made it happen…"

"You're a force of nature to be sure Samantha Brady," he teased her gently, a little smile on his lips, "And you've bowled me over on more than one occasion but I don't think you really have power over the elements… what happened was an accident, nothing more."

"But you could have died," she said hoarsely, looking up at him with great distress.

"Would you have cared?" he asked her huskily, searching her face and seeing the answer there but wanting to hear her say it.

Sami closed her eyes, her heart pounding erratically. The storm outside was completely forgotten now as they fell deeper and deeper into their own world, everything fading until there was only the two of them. EJ dropped his head and rested his forehead against hers, seeing she was struggling but he couldn't let her stop there.

"You're everything to me Samantha," he said softly, rocking his forehead gently back and forth against hers, "You're my first thought in the morning and the last at night."

Sami took in a shaky breath, her eyes still shut as she listened to his confession, her heart beating rapidly in her chest now.

"Just say the words Samantha," he urged her quietly, "I can see the truth in your face. I know you feel as deeply for me as I do for you."

Sami opened her eyes then and their gazes met and held for a long moment.

"I… I…" her voice came out raspy and foreign even to her own ears, the enormity of what she was about to say overwhelming her.

"Say it," he implored her; his eyes full of aching need to hear those words fall from her lips.

"I… I don't want you dead EJ," she admitted shakily, "You drive me so crazy I can't stand it. No one has ever made me so mad, so frustrated, so out of control as you have…"

"But…" he urged her, not letting her look away from him now.

"But I… I can't stop thinking about you either," she whispered in quiet anguish, "I don't want to but I can't help it and I know it's wrong…"

"No," he said with an urgent shake of his head and a little frown, "Don't say that Samantha - what we have isn't wrong - it's the most perfectly right thing in the world."

"EJ," she said in despair, knowing that wasn't true - it was hopelessly complicated and utterly impossible.

"Let me prove to you how perfect we are Samantha," he begged her, his voice raw and full of emotion, "Let me make love to you."

Sami knew there were a thousand reasons why she should deny him his request, probably more but not a single one came to mind. All she knew was that when he was standing this close to her, looking at her so adoringly that everything faded into the background. Her body stirred and prompted her to answer him, begging her to end its torment and give into what had been an inevitability between them from the very first moment they'd laid eyes on each other.

"Yes," she breathed.

EJ made a low sound in his throat, a half growl, half moaning sound as he closed the small distance between them and claimed her mouth in a molten kiss that instantly set her body on fire.

EJ's hands went to the back of her head, cupping it and deepening the kiss and Sami could taste his desperation in her mouth and knew he could do the same with hers. Her hands went to his still soaking shirt, fumbling fingers undoing the buttons even as he worked on stripping the clothes from her body as well. They both seemed incapable of breaking their kiss even as they worked to discard each other's clothing. There was no need for words right then, it had all been said now and all was left was this urgent need to be naked in each other's arms and find some relief from the never ending tension that was between them.

EJ groaned loudly as Sami's hands pushed down his pants, her hand inadvertently brushing against his painfully swollen manhood. From the first moment he'd held her in his arms he'd begun to harden and now it was almost more then he could bear and they'd only kissed. Months of frustration taking its toll on his body and driving him to simply take what was being offered as hard and as fast as he could but EJ didn't want that. He wanted to pleasure Samantha endlessly, open her eyes as to the kind of bliss her body was capable of. He didn't want their first time to be some kind of quickie that was over before it began. Sami meanwhile had heard his cry and her hand returned to the source of his pleasurable pain, cupping him through his boxers and making EJ jerk suddenly.

"No!" he said tensely, grabbing her wrist and pulling Sami's hand away from him because he knew he wouldn't be able to last with her doing that.

Before Sami could protest EJ bent down and swept her off her feet so suddenly that Sami gave a shocked gasp and threw her arms around his neck, clinging to him for support. EJ immediately dropped to his knees, laying her gently down on the floor. He looked down at her as she looked back up at him wide eyed, a blonde vision of gorgeousness and pure lusciousness laid out before him. Sami still had her bra and panties on - both items plain and white and EJ had never seen anything sexier in his whole life. He quickly pulled his boxers off and enjoyed hearing Sami's gasp of amazement at seeing his fully erect member. She was looking at it wide eyed and EJ felt himself swell even more under her rapt gaze.

God if he didn't have this woman right now he was going to simply die!

Her breasts strained to be held by her bra, Sami's nipple standing tightly to attention he noted with pleasure, begging for his mouth and he actually began to salivate at the thought of being to suckle at those pert teats of hers, making him have to swallow hard all of a sudden.

"EJ!" said Sami tightly, grabbing his arm as he sat beside her, wondering why he'd stopped all of a sudden.

EJ reached out a hand and laid it on Sami's flat stomach and moved it a little lower, to just above her mound. He imagined his seeding flooding her womb that was underneath his hand right then and something deeply male flared inside of him, something base and almost animalistic. He imagined her body opening up to take what he was desperate to give her and the new life their lovemaking might be creating and couldn't stand not being inside her body for a second more. His long fingers hooked themselves into the top of her white panties and dragged them down her body. He disposed of them quickly and moved so that he was kneeling between Sami's legs.

EJ looked down at Sami as she looked back up at him. They held each other's gaze wordlessly, the tension stretching out between them. EJ looked for any uncertainty in her face, any hesitation and Sami saw that and decided to answer his unspoken question. She slowly began to draw up her legs, bending her knees until her heels were tucked against her backside. EJ was watching her wide eyed his breathing so increasingly loud and laboured as his arousal grew with every passing second. Now that Sami had decided to do this she didn't want there to be anymore hesitation between them. She wanted EJ, had always wanted him and now she was about to have him and she didn't want him to hold back in anyway. The way he was looking at her with such enthralled attention made her feel so powerful and unbearably sexy - sexier then she'd ever felt before in her life.

Her heels were now as tightly against her backside as she could humanly manage and then with deliberate slowness Sami let her knees fall to either side, exposing herself utterly to him. There was something deeply arousing to Sami about taking charge like this and after their time at the lagoon it wasn't exactly like this was uncharted territory for EJ. Sami knew she should be embarrassed about being so forward but instead she thrilled to the way EJ's manhood was twitching and pulsating wildly, obviously desperate for what she was revealing to it. EJ swallowed noisily as Sami slowly parted her legs for him, opening her flower for him to adore and there was so little blood around EJ's brain right then he was in real danger of simply blacking out if he wasn't careful. EJ reached out a shaking hand and rested it against her newly revealed glory.

"Do you remember my mouth on you?" he asked her raggedly, his eyes on hers now, "My tongue tasting you, my fingers making you scream out my name?"

Fresh moisture gushed from Sami's core at the question and she made a little moaning sound, moving restlessly under his hand and EJ could take no more. He moved over Sami's body, cupping her face before kissing her deeply and Sami could smell herself on his fingers and it made her shudder. Sami sighed and melted into the kiss, her tongue meeting his and doing battle in a dance that their bodies were soon about to echo and her core leaked out new juices at that thought.

EJ broke the kiss then and took both of her hands in his and holding them above her head, his fingers intertwining with hers, his face just above hers. EJ moved his turgid member to her opening, feeling his tip drowning in all of her juices and made an almost whimpering sound low in his throat. He pressed his tip into her the smallest amount, her scorching heat claiming his tip but he went no further. EJ held Sami's gaze, both conscious of the enormity of this moment. Their breathing was ragged and their bodies flushed as the blood coursed through their veins. Sami rested the soles of her feet on EJ's backside and applied pressure, silently giving him permission to enter her. He pressed for deeper entry into her and Sami's body yielded, her walls stretching to take all of his vast thickness. She made a choked noise in the back of her throat at being invaded so utterly and EJ stopped to give her time to accommodate his size.

"More," she encouraged him breathlessly, still holding his gaze, her heels digging into his buttocks and forcing more of him into her, "Don't stop."

EJ entered her so slowly that it felt like it was taking days to be totally encased in her liquid heat and it was the most profound experience of his life. It was like she was possessing him just as much as he was possessing her. He slid the last inch of himself home and they both groaned, the feeling of completeness like nothing either of them had experienced before. Sami began to move her hips, wanting to feel him inside of her, clenching and unclenching her walls around his steel, wanting to feel him utterly.

"Don't!" he rasped, the sensation of her rolling that wet cavern of hers all over what was the hardest erection he'd ever had almost killing him, "I'm going to come Samantha, stop!"

"Good," she breathed, her need now outweighing any other consideration, she needed to come and she need to come now.

Sami began to move her hips harder and more forcefully against his, making him penetrate her repeatedly even as EJ tried to resist her. His hope of making slow, measured love to Samantha this first time dissolving quickly as her body worked on relentlessly. His own body was howling at him to start thrusting but as soon as he did EJ knew there would be no stopping until he was spent.

"Samantha stop it!" he begged her, the sweat dripping off his body as that only made her pick up her pace, her fingers tightening around his as they were still stretched above her head.

"I want you come deep inside of me!" she said urgently, ignoring his pleas and making one of her own, "Please EJ, now, take me now!"

"God yes!" he grunted, giving up as all control left him totally at her words and thrusting into her so hard that it lifted Sami's bottom off the ground and she moaned her approval.

EJ braced himself with his knees on the ground and proceeded to hammer himself home into her, his body taking over completely. He couldn't slow down, he couldn't even vary his strokes, and all he could do was sob out his pleasure at the way she was taking him so beautifully and pray that he was going to survive this. His whole body was in agony, every nerve ending firing erratically and causing him to spasm even as he pounded his body into Sami's. EJ couldn't even tell if Sami was close to climaxing because of his body's overwhelming hold on him. He couldn't bear it if he didn't bring her to completion this first time but he was powerless to do anything about it as his body began to speed towards its inevitable conclusion.

"Come!" he rasped desperately to her, "God sweetheart please come!"

Sami didn't need to be told twice, she'd never had anyone ride her this fiercely and she was beyond ecstasy, every powerful thrust of his seemed to drive that magnificent manhood of his deeper into Sami until she thought she was going to be ripped in two but the harder he rode her the deeper she fell into a bliss she'd never experienced before. As soon as he told her to come and he rammed himself home into her one last perfect time Sami's world exploded and she came hard, her hips jerking and her legs twitching and flailing wildly as her climax blotted out everything for her other than a riot of glorious sensation. EJ felt her walls clamp around him tightly and with a guttural roar his own dam burst and he emptied himself into her, the exquisiteness of the sensation defying description. His hips continued to pump helplessly into her, making sure she received every last drop of his masculinity and EJ finally allowed his weight to drop down on Sami as his hips did a final desperate dance against hers.

Only when they were both finally spent did they loosen the grip they had on each others' hands and Sami untangled one of her hands and brought it down, pushing on EJ's shoulder when he didn't seem to find the strength to move right away. Her breathing was so ragged from the force of her release that she didn't need all of his weight bearing down on her as well as she fought to catch her breath. EJ withdrew from her obligingly and rolled onto his side, looking over at Sami with rapt adoration even as he struggled to find his own breath. He still had a hold of one of her hands and he brought it to his lips and she could feel how he was still shaking. EJ kissed her hand, her fingers and she turned her head to watch him do it.

"Too fast," he complained breathlessly.

"Mm," Sami mumbled, her eyelids starting to droop after all her exertions.

EJ wanted to tell her that he wanted more, to make love to her slowly and properly next time but Sami was already half asleep and sleep's siren song was also calling him. With the last of his strength EJ pulled at the sheet above him that was draped over the furniture and pulled a few of the large couch cushions from their seats and threw them on the ground. He moved himself onto the cushions and reached for Sami, pulling her into his arms and off the hard floor so she too was on the cushions before covering them both with the sheet. Within minutes they were both sound asleep, utterly content.

**Chapter TWENTY TWO ****- ****Make Love Not War**

**EVENING 6 (cont)…**

A loud crash of thunder awoke EJ and for a split second he was disorientated. He had no idea how long he'd been asleep for, it could have been minutes or it could have been hours - the dark skies outside no help to him in knowing as the house was still buffeted by the fierce weather. What he did know straight away was that Sami wasn't lying beside him anymore. EJ craned his neck and saw Sami collecting her clothes and immediately jumped to his feet.

"What are you doing?" he asked her sharply.

Sami started at EJ's sudden movement, thinking he hadn't been awake yet. Curse the noisy weather she'd been hoping to make good her escape.

"I was… umm…" Sami floundered to give an explanation not least of which because EJ was standing there right in front of her as naked as a jay bird and not seeming to be giving a damn about it but it was very distracting to her.

"You were running," he helped her out, his handsome face marred with a sudden scowl, "Like you always do… isn't that right Samantha?"

EJ felt frustration well up inside of him. They'd just shared this amazingly intimate and life altering experience and all Sami wanted to do was scamper off probably so she could put some ridiculous spin on it. All to rid herself of some ridiculous self imposed guilt she was undoubtedly feeling and he was going to end up being the bad guy again but EJ wasn't going to let her get away with it this time. What they'd just shared was too deep, too important to let Sami just revert back to her old ways.

"I don't _always_ run!" exclaimed Sami indignantly, holding her clothes up in front of her naked body to shield it from him.

"Of course you don't," said EJ bitingly, "So what is this…?"

He made a sweeping gesture at her standing there, clutching her clothes to her body.

"… a sudden fit of housekeeping come over you sweetheart?" he asked mockingly.

"I don't have to explain myself to you!" she said haughtily, drawing herself up to her full height which rather disappointingly was no match for his.

Sami would have flounced out then but that meant she would have had to turn around and expose her naked backside to EJ and it was hard to flounce out of a room backwards so she was a bit trapped really.

"I beg to differ my darling," said EJ, walking up to her and standing directly in front of her, his body tight with his own frustrated anger as he looked down at her, "I was just inside your body and I think that gives me certain rights don't you?"

Sami gave a distressed gasp at his graphic terminology, her face flushing.

"You don't have any rights when it comes to me EJ!" she said fiercely, "None - do you hear me!"

Sami looked up at him angrily, hardly able to believe that only a short time ago they'd been making love and now all she wanted to do was slap him as hard as she could across that smug face of his. Her emotions were all over the place when it came to EJ and she seemed to switch effortlessly from one wayward emotion to the other within the space of a single conversation. It was exhausting and confusing and Sami needed some time alone to think about what all this meant - to make sense of it but it seemed like EJ had other ideas. She needed to push back with him before he consumed her completely and she lost what little sense of herself she had left; the panic began to rise in Sami as their fight continued.

"Is that so?" asked EJ tersely, his jaw clenching and unclenching in his anger, "Is this the same woman who was just begging me to come inside of her a moment ago, the one who said she couldn't wait any longer, that she wanted to belong to me completely?"

"I only belong to one man and that's Lu…!" began Sami defiantly.

"DON'T!" EJ practically roared the command, his face darkening ominously, "Don't you _dare_ say that man's name after what just happened between us Samantha! Don't you dare do you hear me?!"

"Lucas, Lucas, LUCAS!" she threw the name in his face spitefully, knowing it was the only defence she had against him now.

But if Sami had expected EJ to give up in disgust she'd miscalculated… again. He moved so suddenly that Sami had a sudden flash of fear, the livid look on his face making her heart skip a beat as he grabbed her arms his long fingers biting into her flesh painfully. Sami dropped her clothes in an attempt to ward him off, leaving herself standing there naked as well except for the bra that neither of them had gotten around to removing from her body. EJ hauled her against his body, putting his angry face right into hers.

"You heartless pit viper!" he growled the insult out at her, "Why do you do these things to me?!"

"You're hurting me EJ!" she said, struggling to be free of him but he only tightened his hold on her arms.

"Good!" he bit out, his eyes flashing with fury down at her, "Now you know how it feels!"

The sound of Lucas' name on her lips so soon after they'd made love had cut EJ to the quick and he felt completely gutted which he supposed had been her intention but he doubted if Sami fully understood how badly she hurt him every time she said that man's name. He hated that useless, whiny mama's boy with a violence he'd never known before and never more so then right now. Sami didn't know how lucky she was that they weren't in Salem just then because if they had been he would have hunted the other man down and killed him in a jealous fury without thinking twice about it and that wasn't just an idle fantasy. He could feel this violent rage welling up inside him against the man Sami kept claiming to love and he just wanted Lucas dead and out of their lives forever.

Sami meanwhile was oblivious to EJ's dark, homicidal thoughts and he was right, she didn't realise how much she'd hurt him, all she cared about was getting away from him and trying to sort this mess out in her head. Unfortunately Sami's options were limited though because EJ was holding her arms down by her side and too closely for her to knee him in the groin which she would have loved to do - that would have to be one advantage of arguing with a naked man - hard to miss the mark really. Sami was left with only one option and she took it.

"Let me go!" she raged at him before leaning forward and sinking her teeth into his chest as hard as she could.

EJ gave a yelp of pain at her actions and let go of Sami's arms but she was too slow to take advantage of it because EJ promptly wrapped one arm around her waist and held her tightly to him and with his other hand he gave one of her naked butt cheeks a resounding smack. Sami jumped and cried out at the hard sting to her exposed backside. She reacted without thinking, taking another bite of his chest because she had no other option open to her to retaliate and all that earned her was another sharp smack to her derrière.

"You bastard!" she yelled out at him, her bottom cheek still tingling from his latest assault.

"Don't think you can do what you like to me Samantha with impunity!" he snapped back unrepentantly, "I love you but I'm not going to take your crap!"

"You love me?!" she spat out in disgust, "You need a heart to love and you don't have one of those EJ's!"

"If I don't it's because I gave it to you and you ripped it to pieces you vicious little minx!" he threw back at her.

"You're not the wounded party here!" she raged at him, "I am! You took advantage of me… OOWWW!"

Her accusation was interrupted by yet another hard slap to her bottom and she knew it must be bright red by now after all of this rough treatment and she was caught somewhere between pain and the fact that her core tightened every time his hand connected to her flesh. But Sami refused to accept that she could actually become aroused by her rough treatment of her - she was definitely not _that_ kind of girl! EJ on the other hand she had no doubt about because she could feel the evidence of his renewed arousal pressing against her thigh. Like Sami EJ didn't know if it was the heated fight they were having or the fact that they were basically naked and pressed up against each other or the primitive act of inflicting physical pain on one another but he was getting increasingly hard the more she fought him.

"You begged me to take you!" he practically yelled in her face, incensed that she would take that route in defence of what had happened earlier between them, "I took advantage of nothing Samantha - I just claimed what was mine…!"

The hand that had been inflicting the damage on her now throbbing backside moved to her cup her head, his fingers tangling in her soft hair there even as his other arm tightened even more around her, pulling her so firmly against him that Sami could barely breath. Sami was left in no doubt now as to how hard their fight had gotten him as he pressed her up against his swollen manhood. EJ caught Sami's hair with his fingers and made her tilt her head right back so that they could look each other in the eye.

"… and I'm going to do it again," he informed her, his voice no more than a sibilant whisper.

His promise was spoken with such great certainty it made Sami quiver and there was an answering wetness that rushed out of her core at the thought of him doing just.

"Don't you touch me you sick bastard!" she warned him - defiant until the end, trying to ignore her body's treachery.

"Oh I'm going to be doing a lot more than just touching you Samantha," he promised her, the anger gone from his voice now, replaced with a velvet certainty that should have enraged her even more and it did except it also made her even wetter.

In one quick motion EJ bent down and threw her over his shoulder and Sami gasped at his sudden movement - the man was just so very quick she never saw it coming.

"I'm going to show you who you really belong to," he told her sharply, his jaw set determinedly as he stalked over to where he'd laid out the cushions for them to sleep on.

"I belong to… AHHOOWW!" defiant to the last Sami tried to get the last word in but her efforts were rewarded with another hard smack to her backside which he had perfect access to seeing how she was slung over his shoulder like she was.

Her core pulsated wildly and to her horror she almost came right then and couldn't believe it was happening, that she was getting this aroused by his smacking of her.

"You don't get to say his name ever again!" EJ threatened her darkly, "_Ever_ Samantha!"

The jealousy boiled up in EJ again the need to take her and claim Sami as his beyond any shadow of a doubt overwhelmed him, he was going to wipe the name Lucas Horton from her mind forever more. Even saying the other man's name in his head made EJ so wildly jealous he couldn't think straight. He reached up and slapped her backside again feeling the need to punish her for making him love her so much.

Sami gave a choked cry at this latest affront - not having expected it at all - and again her core nearly exploded as fissures of delight raced to her centre, making Sami have to clench down tightly to stop herself from disgracing herself.

"What was that for?!" she raged at him, when she had herself back under some kind of control at least, her face red with indignation.

"Because you deserve it," he told her simply, his breathing uneven, not from having to carry her but from his arousal, "That and a lot worse."

Somewhere in the back of her mind Sami thought that she should have been more afraid of that statement. EJ was a very big man and extremely strong - basically if he really wanted to hurt her she wouldn't stand even the slightest chance against him. Somewhere deep inside though Sami knew that EJ would never really hurt her. Despite all the hateful things they said to each other and no matter how angry she made him Sami had this deep sense of trust that she was safe with EJ - yet another confusing paradoxical element to their already confusing relationship.

EJ bent down and put the two cushions he'd pulled off the sofa earlier end to end and lay Samantha, not all that gently down on top of them as he knelt down beside them himself. Before she could scramble off them though he'd grabbed a third cushion and in one easy movement that had Sami boggling he flipped her on her side, legs out in front of her so that she was basically in the shape of the letter 'L'. He then slid the new cushion underneath her hip so that Sami's hips were now above her head a little and her backside was lined up directly towards him as he knelt there.

"I don't want this!" she cried out to him, even though her body was screaming at her to shut up and just let him have her because it was in so much agonising pain from not having found its release yet that it was beyond enduring.

He held onto her hip with one hand and her thigh a little further along Sami's leg with his other hand and looked down at the hidden delights that she'd displayed for him so willingly before and saw her lie for himself - her own body betraying her utterly.

Not only was she simply dripping with her juices but he could see from how swollen her folds were that she was heavily aroused already and was almost certain that as soon as he mounted her she was going to come and he didn't want that. He was going to give her a quick release now and then make her work for everything that came after that until she was hoarse with screaming her need for him.

"Liar," he purred the word, his finger and thumb finding its way between her slippery folds to her engorged nub and squeezing it hard for her.

Sami came instantly, her hips bucking as a sharp orgasm tore through her and she buried her face into the cushions as it ripped through her. EJ mounted her while she was climaxing, letting himself enjoy her convulsing wildly around his aching staff - why should she have all the fun anyway? EJ gritted his teeth; letting his still raging jealousy carry him through her orgasm maintaining hold of his control so he didn't just join her in her ecstasy and be done with it.

Sami had barely finished climaxing before she felt EJ begin to move inside of her and she gave a loud groan. She'd never been taken like this before and found this position to be incredibly pleasurable. The way he had her angled Sami was entirely at his mercy. She couldn't really move like she had their first time - this time round it was EJ setting the pace, EJ making the rules and Sami could do absolutely nothing about it. There was something darkly thrilling in giving over control to someone so completely, to allowing yourself to be utterly dominated and Sami found herself shocked yet again at herself for finding it so. It was like she didn't know herself at all, at least not the woman EJ seemed to turn her into - she was a complete stranger to Sami.

EJ kept his pace slow and steady inside of her, ignoring the screaming voice in his own head that told him to go hard and not stop until he was blowing every last drop of himself into Sami and making them both yell their heads off. EJ knew that if he was feeling that way then Sami must be as well and the frantic little gasps and frustrated noises she was making confirmed that for him. He might be torturing himself but he was taking her with him! He wanted to make sure after this that there was no question in Sami's mind as to who the man in her head, her heart and between her legs should be. The thought made him start to thrust a little harder inside of her but he caught himself, determinedly slowing his strokes again and enjoying the frustrated sob Sami made at him doing that.

"What is it sweetheart?" he taunted her breathlessly, loving having her at his mercy like this because he felt like he'd been at nothing but hers ever since they met, "Do you need something from me?"

Sami gave a low groan of frustration and bit her lip. He was too slow, she needed more and she knew he knew it. It was maddening, her body was trying to get there but there simply wasn't enough friction for it to happen, especially not after he'd given her that quickie to start with.

"Tell me Samantha," he said roughly, concentrating on keeping his own increasingly arousal in check, the sweat starting to drip into his eyes at the effort it was costing him, "Tell me what you want and I'll give it to you."

"You're… you're not playing fair!" she complained to him achingly, trying to clench down as hard as she could around his continually growing member each time he slid it into her.

God, how much bigger could this man get she wondered in anguish, how much more of him could she take?!

"You've never played fair with me sweetheart," he rasped, unable to stop himself from picking up the pace inside of her, his steel resolve finally faltering.

Sami felt him starting to move faster inside of her and suddenly realise she wasn't completely helpless in this position after all. EJ may have her all but immobilised in their current position but Sami still had one ace up her sleeve that he couldn't control.

"God EJ you're so big!" she gasped, looking up at him as she still lay on her side, her voice dripping seduction, "It gets me so wet… can you feel how wet you've made me?"

EJ's thrusting became a little harder again at her intentionally inflammatory words and she watched as he clenched his jaw, obviously fighting against it but the way he gripped her hip with new urgency told her it was a losing battle. He wanted to show her who was boss… well two could play at that game.

"Come on," she breathed up at him, "I know you want to come right now don't you EJ, come get some relief… you're so big right now… you must be in agony… make us both come EJ… right now."

"Don't," said EJ tightly with a shake of his head, knowing what she was playing at and also knowing that he would in no way be able to stand against it.

She was pulling out the big guns well that was fine… EJ still had a couple of tricks left up his sleeve.

"I'm so ready for you EJ," she told him urgently and was reward with a particularly penetration that made Sami groan happily, "More EJ, give me more just like that!"

EJ moved slightly then, changing his angle, looking for that spot inside of her that would give him back the upper hand because he was quickly losing control of the situation as his body demanded to have full control and for his stubborn mind to shut the hell up and just let him have this woman already!

"Oh EJ," she said seductively, still intent on tipping him over the edge before herself which in her mind would make her the winner of this game between them, "You… OOHHH GOD… OOOOOHHHH GGGOOODDD!"

EJ grimaced triumphantly as he found that perfect place inside of Sami that just removed any ability for coherent thought from her. He held her in place firmly, making sure he hit it again and again and driving himself ever deeper into her. Sami no longer was making actual words, instead there were guttural panting noises being wrung from deep inside her. EJ's plan had worked except for one minor detail that he'd failed to factor in. The sight and sound of Sami experiencing that much pleasure at his hands was an aphrodisiac like none other EJ had ever experienced. He was enthralled by her wild display and had this rabid desire to give her more and more of the same, his own pleasure unbearably heightened by hers. Soon EJ was joining her in those incoherent grunting noises, his body slipping into bliss that he'd never known before.

EJ had heard the expression 'Being screwed senseless' and had even fancied that he'd experienced it himself but now he knew he was mistaken. This was what it was like to be so simpatico with someone, so in tune with them that it was almost like you ceased to exist as a separate entity. EJ had no sense of himself outside Samantha, wasn't even sure if he would be able to survive if she made him leave her body ever again. A perfect union that transcended any other he ever known and would ever know.

"Samantha!" he cried out, finally finding his voice for the only word that would ever matter to him again.

"EJ!" she moaned, unable to believe that her body was capable of this amount of pleasure - she was in the ultimate agony, caught between never wanting it to end and desperate that it should.

EJ's was just lost now, pumping his distended thickness into Sami so wildly now that it was almost painful but he couldn't stop. EJ tightened his hold her on hip and spoke his truth to her just before his agony finally came to an end.

"You're mine!" he yelled out for the entire world to hear a second before he exploded inside of her.

"Yes."

But her answer was said as she sucked in a breath, her orgasm arriving at the exact same moment as his so that it was barely more than a soft gasp. This orgasm was like none other Sami had ever experienced, it was like her whole body turned inside out and then back again. Every tiny inch of her body burst into life, pulsating with the force of what he'd done for her and it made her sob out her gratitude loudly for him to enjoy and he did just that. EJ heard her cries of ecstasy mingle in with his own even as his body continued to squirt great wads of his seed into her; he just kept finding more of himself to give her and couldn't seem to stop. Not that he wanted to. EJ wanted his child growing inside of Sami and it made him howl even louder at the thought that they might be creating that child right now.

EJ slumped back when he was done at last, pulling out of her, utterly spent. He lay his sweaty head down on her hip. Sami squirmed a little at the feel of his scratchy cheek against such sensitive skin but her body was still throbbing so pleasurably from that unbelievable release that it only added to the sensation. Their combined laboured breathing was so loud that it almost drowned out the storm that was still raging on outside, doing its best to get their attention but Sami and EJ were totally oblivious to anything outside of each other. EJ kept Sami in the same position he'd made love to her in for a long time afterwards. For one thing they were both too exhausted to move even a muscle and for another EJ rather hoped that the elevated position he had Sami's hips in might further increase his hope of conceiving a child with her. He nuzzled against the soft skin of her hips and buttocks, kissing at the tender flesh.

"Tickles," complained Sami with a little laugh and EJ smiled at that.

He moved her at last, turning Sami onto her back but she still had that extra cushion but it was supporting her bottom now. EJ stroked the short soft curls covering her mound lovingly and Sami gave a little purr, too tired to open her eyes properly. He could see that Sami was covered in a mixture of both of their juices and he picked up one end of the nearby sheet and began to gently clean away all of the wetness between her legs for her. Sami was a little surprised by his thoughtful gesture, particularly considering how this latest bout of lovemaking had started but he was being so tender and caring and it was in such direct contrast to the he-man who had thrown her down on the floor and taken her so wildly. The man was such a contradiction in terms within himself, no wonder Sami didn't know where she was with him half the time.

EJ continued in his self appointed task, wiping away the last remnants of their lovemaking from her body but certainly from neither of their minds. The material scraped along her highly sensitised folds and caught her still throbbing nub. Sami groaned and bucked up, her orgasm catching them both off guard. It was short but intense and left Sami breathless and moaning. EJ moved up along Sami's body so he could lie beside her, removing the extra cushion from underneath her at long last.

"You are so amazing," he told her in wonder as she looked back up at him wide eyed, still trying to recover from her unexpected jolt.

EJ's hand found its way back between her legs and Sami squeezed her legs shut, not knowing if she could stand anymore right then but EJ was relentless. He sought out her bud and only a quick rub sent her tumbling over the edge again. This time EJ caught her orgasmic moans with his mouth, kissing her deeply as she groaned her pleasure out for him. EJ removed his hand and pulled Sami more fully into his arms, grabbing at the sheet to cover them both as he did. Sami snuggled up against EJ tiredly; sleep almost claiming her when she suddenly remembered something.

"Jellybean!" she cried out, lifting her head from EJ's chest and looking down at him wide eyed.

EJ pulled a bit of a face at that.

"You know I've already got issues about you calling out other men's names when we're in bed together," he informed her straight faced, "I don't have to widened that to include all mammals do I?"

Sami hit his shoulder for that bit of foolishness and clarified.

"Jellybean EJ," she told him, looking worried, "Will he be alright in the storm? Is his stable secure?"

"It's very secure and has weathered many a storm just like this," EJ reassured her, pulling her back down to lie on his chest again, "Don't worry sweetheart - Jelly is a seasoned farer of storms just such as these."

"You're sure?" pressed Sami still slightly concerned as she lay back down, the sound of his heart so comforting against her cheek.

To think the lack of that sound was what had started all of this off in the first place.

"Absolutely," said EJ firmly, "Now go to sleep."

"Alright," said Sami, never having felt this tired and content in her life.

She knew that tomorrow would bring its own problems but right now Sami didn't allow herself to think about that. Right now all she wanted to do was lie here in EJ's arm and fall asleep.

"Be here when I wake up," he ordered her and it was the last thing she heard before Sami fell into the soundest sleep of her life.

**Chapter TWENTY THREE**** - ****What Goes Up Must Come Down**

**DAY 7...**

Sami slowly came awake and rolled over onto her side, struggling to work out where she was. It took her a second to realise that she was lying on a cushions on the floor and then less than that to remember the events of the previous night. She blushed a brilliant hue of red and sat up; looking around herself only to find that she was alone.

"Be here when I wake up indeed," she huffed, "I'm here - where are you EJ?!"

Although Sami wasn't exactly sure if she was up to seeing EJ right then and she certainly had no idea what it was she wanted to say when she did! Sami quickly pulled on her clothes and headed back to the main house, not seeing any sign of EJ on the way. She went upstairs, showered and changed into fresh clothes but when she came downstairs there was still no EJ. Sami put her hands on her hips and blew out an annoyed breath. Deciding he'd probably find her, he always seemed to; she headed out to check on Jellybean. Despite EJ's reassurances she was still worried about the horse. She walked into the stable to find Jellybean there, happily munching on some grain which told Sami that EJ had already visited with the horse.

"Hello you," she smiled, going up and patting his soft nose, "Were you frightened last night?"

Jellybean blew out a snort of air, as though he was offended she should think that a manly horse such as himself should have been bothered by a little wind and rain and Sami smiled, patting his neck. If only she felt so utterly unaffected by the goings on last night. She put her arm up under Jellybean's neck and rested her cheek against his long neck.

"Oh Jelly," she sighed heavily, "I've made such a mess of things, I don't even know where to begin to fix it."

Jellybean gave a sympathetic swish of his tail but didn't stop eating his oats.

"Ah here you are," said a voice over to Sami's left and she turned to see EJ standing there with a bucket of water in his hand, "And you're with Jelly… tell me sweetheart, is there cause for concern for me when it comes to you and Jelly at all? He and I aren't going to have to stage a duel for your affections at midday now that we are together now are we?"

EJ grinned as he walked towards her, teasing her already. All the anxiety that Sami had been feeling about seeing EJ again dissipated as soon as she heard his impish words. Her natural fighting spirit rising to the fore as always when challenged, particularly by him.

"We're not together," said Sami quickly.

"Right," nodded EJ straight faced, "You're just naked in my bed last night because we're passing acquaintances."

"We weren't in a bed!" retorted Sami, her face flushing hotly.

"Oh yes," said EJ with a little laugh, "Because that was the most important part of that statement eh darling? Guess that fixes everything up from your point of view."

"You think you're so smart don't you?" asked Sami in disgust.

"I don't know about smart but I do think I'm a little more truthful about how things are then some people that shall remain nameless," said EJ calmly, putting down the bucket of water near Jellybean so he could reach it easily.

"Oh right," snorted Sami, folding her arms in front of her defiantly, "And you're the truth wizard aren't you EJ?"

"You my darling," said EJ easily, walking past her and stealing a quick kiss from her before she could protest, "Are definitely not a morning person."

EJ looked back at her curiously over his shoulder then, studying her intently.

"And how are you feeling this morning by the way?" he asked her, more to that question then just enquiring after her health, "You look…"

EJ paused then and turned around, looking Sami up and down lingeringly, making her flush under such intense scrutiny.

"… glowing," he finished off huskily.

"I'm fine," she said shortly, not willing to go into any more detail than that.

Truth was she was confused, aching in strange new places, annoyed, torn, guilty and wondering if there was going to be a repeat of last night between them and trying her hardest to fight against wanting that and not really succeeding. EJ for his part was so blissfully happy that he could hardly stand still. He'd woken up beside the woman of his dreams and just stared at her for so long, hardly able to believe she was where she belonged at last, naked and in his arms. If he hadn't felt a pressing need to check on the state of everything after the severe storm of last night EJ would have been still lying next to this little prickly pear of his and making her forget all her doubts that were clearly on her face now.

EJ wasn't worried though; he had the rest of today and tonight to convince her that this was the right thing, that their love for one another was the only thing that mattered. EJ was confident now that Sami did indeed love him after their frantic lovemaking of last night. She'd given herself to him utterly and he knew Sami, she wasn't one to do that without loving the person deeply. EJ's heart swelled in his chest at the knowledge that Samantha loved him and he wanted to burst out singing, he was so happy. The only thing holding him back from doing just that was the unhappy look on Sami's face that told him she was still struggling with all of this.

"Do you want to know how I am?" asked EJ softly, moving closer to her and feeling the need to kiss her again, the quick kiss he'd stolen from her only whetting his appetite for more of her.

"Not really," said Sami hastily, moving away from him quickly when she saw that look in his eye.

"Still running I see Samantha," he noted dryly, going to stand beside Jellybean again.

"I'm not running," said Sami haughtily, drawing herself up, "You… you were the one gone this morning and I just came out here to check on Jellybean."

"Did you miss me this morning?" he asked her, his question only half teasing.

"Of course not," she snapped, "Why would I?"

"Because it's nice to wake up in your lover's arms the first time you make love," said EJ simply, "I know I certainly enjoyed it but I didn't want to disturb you, you looked so peaceful."

"You're not my lover EJ!" said Sami with a gasp of shock at hearing his turn of phrase.

"And yet that ache between your legs that you are undoubtedly feeling this morning would tell a different story eh Samantha?" he noted calmly, not to be put off this morning.

"Oh!" Sami gasped in dismay and blushing yet again and EJ's lips curled up ever so slightly as he knew he'd hit the mark with that one.

"You know what EJ?" Sami retaliated, the fire in her eyes again, "I'd sooner have Jellybean as a boyfriend then you!"

"Well you certainly do seem to have a type Samantha," commented EJ idly, patting Jellybean's long neck, "Long legged, dark haired and you like to ride us hard."

"OOHH!" exclaimed Sami in utter disbelief that he'd say such a thing to her.

She stormed off then and EJ let her go.

"What?" he said a little defensively when he saw Jellybean give him an askew look, "I know what I'm doing Jelly - trust me, that little spitfires likes a good fight - this is foreplay for us."

Jellybean didn't look over convinced and just went back to his snuffling through his feed bag to see if he'd missed anything.

"I know what I'm doing," muttered EJ again, under his breath and praying that was true.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Just stand there, hold the ladder and don't move," instructed EJ, "I'm going to go up on the roof and see if I can get that fallen tree branch off it."

Sami pouted at him ordering her around like that but seeing as she really didn't want to go up on the roof herself she just gave him a glare that told him she was annoyed with him and left it like that. EJ had been busying himself with taking care of the storm fallout all morning and eventually Sami had gotten bored with waiting for him to finish and even though she told herself that she wasn't actually seeking out his company she'd gone outside to see what he was up to.

"Why don't you just leave it up there?" asked Sami, craning her head right back to see where EJ was heading, climbing up the ladder that she was keeping steady for him.

"Because it may have done some damage to the roof Samantha," explained EJ patiently as he hauled himself up onto the roof and looked down at her.

It was a long way down and even though EJ didn't seem to be having any problem, Sami's head swum a little bit to see him up there.

"The weather forecast said we are due more rain," said EJ, "So I want to make sure that we've got a water tight roof for tonight."

The thought of spending another night with EJ made Sami shudder a little bit. She was rather surprised and perhaps just the smallest bit put out that EJ hadn't made any more advances to her other than his usual outrageous remarks and flirting. Sami couldn't help but wonder if he'd lost interest in her now that he'd gotten what he wanted and was shocked at how hurt that thought made her feel. She should be over the moon that EJ seemed to be over his obsession with her, not feeling so dismayed by the fact.

God but this man confused her!

EJ disappeared from her view then and she heard the scrapping of something that sounded very large to her and assumed it was him moving the tree branch. Sami leant against the ladder and wondered idly how she'd managed to get herself into such a mess when she heard a sudden cry from above her head, followed by a swishing noise and then a heavy thud as something big hit the ground and the sound of breaking glass.

"EJ?" asked Sami tensely, wondering what had just happened, "Are you alright? What just happened?"

There was no answer and Sami had a suddenly panicky feeling that EJ had just fallen off the roof.

"Oh no!" she cried out, "EJ!"

There was still no answer so Sami hurried back into the house, heading directly through the house to the other side of the building where she'd heard whatever it was land, her heart racing.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Samantha?" called out EJ, standing at the edge of the roof and looking down, seeing the ladder there but no Sami.

He shook his head and started down the ladder, mumbling to himself. He got to the bottom and looked around again.

"Can't that woman ever do one thing I ask of her?" he grumbled to himself, "Stand here, hold the ladder and don't move - it's not exactly rocket science now is it?!"

No one was there to answer his annoyed question and then EJ figured that Sami must have gone to check on the tree falling. He blew out a frustrated breath and headed off around the side of the house.

"Don't go near it Samantha," he called out as he trudged along, "I broke a window - there will be glass everywhere."

"Which wouldn't be a problem if you'd done as I asked and stay where you were," muttered EJ under his breath.

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami looked around at all the debris with the broken branches, leaves and scattered glass everywhere but couldn't see EJ. She frowned, wondering what was going on. Sami turned around and headed back in through the house to get back to the other side and to where the ladder was propped up outside, wondering if he was there waiting for her now.

"What kind of idiot goes up on a wet roof?" she huffed away to herself to hide her growing concern over him, "EJ DiMera - _that_ kind of idiot!"

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ got to the tangled mess of trees and broken glass and looked around but couldn't see Sami anywhere. A frown darkened EJ's face as he tried to work out where she might be. He'd been so sure that Sami would have come here to check on what had made all that noise. A sudden thought occurred to EJ and made his stomach turn nervously.

"Don't tell me that she's gone up on the roof to look for me?" he asked himself and then shook his head, attempting to dismiss the notion, "No, even Samantha wouldn't be that fool hardy… surely?"

EJ stood there for a split second thinking about it.

"Bloody hell!" he raged, turning on his heel and headed back into the house, making a beeline for the front again, certain now that was exactly what she was doing now, "The insane woman can't even stop herself from rolling out of bed on regular occasions and now she's going to go up on a twenty foot, wet roof!"

EJ felt the sick feeling in his stomach grow and he picked up his speed, heading back into the kitchen.

"She's going to break her neck!"

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami looked up at the ladder and called out again.

"EJ!"

Still no response which either meant that he was unconscious up there on the roof after falling and hitting his head or she'd somehow missed him when she'd looked out the back and he was under that huge tree limb. Sami decided she'd better check again before she braved that ladder to look for EJ, not having the slightest idea how she was going to get him down from there even if she did find an unconscious EJ! Scouting the ground again seemed like the best way to go really before she took her life into her own hands for a man she despised she told herself.

Sami rushed back into the house, moving pretty quickly to check on a man that she supposedly despised but only made it to the foyer when EJ suddenly appeared, heading towards the door she was standing in front of from the living room. He stopped abruptly when he saw her, a mixture of relief and annoyance on his face. Sami meanwhile cried out loudly in shock, putting her hand over her mouth too late to stifle the sound as she looked at him in horror.

"Why do you always scream every time I come into a room lately?" asked EJ in exasperation as he took in Sami's shocked expression, although he was unbearably relieved to see her standing there rather than on the top of a roof, "It's a bit annoying I have to say."

"E… EJ," stammered Sami, extraordinarily comforted to see that he was alright.

The same bolt of fear had ripped through her as last night at the thought that EJ might have been hurt but this time it had been even worse after their shared intimacies Sami was finding. Her heart was hammering in her chest at the fright he'd given her and she didn't know if she wanted to kiss him in relief or hit him for making her worry in the first place. EJ quickly helped her out with that dilemma though.

"Although…" continued on EJ thoughtfully as though she hadn't spoken, "Interestingly enough I enjoy it immensely when you scream as I come inside yo… OW!"

Sami punched him hard in the arm for where that particular line was heading.

"That was a little unnecessary sweetheart," pouted EJ, rubbing his arm but then couldn't help the smile that came to his lips at the way she was looking at him with so much outrage.

"In my opinion it wasn't enough!" she huffed, "What were you doing EJ, why didn't you answer me when I called? I heard you scream and then all that breaking glass and I thought you'd fallen off the roof!"

"Firstly," said EJ, looking a little put out, "I didn't scream - that was a manly grunt on my behalf when part of that tree gave me a whack in the chest on the way down to the ground which unfortunately also took out the glass window directly below it which is a bit of a bother. And secondly, as for me falling I'm not the one who has trouble with gravity around here. You're the one who's always falling off things, not me sweetheart."

"Why didn't you answer me?" asked Sami, glaring up at him accusingly, "You did that on purpose to make me think you'd gotten hurt, didn't you?! Another of your little games wasn't it? Well I'm a wake up to you EJ DiMera! I know you just do these things to get my sympathy and pity!"

"Excuse _me_ Samantha!" said EJ indignantly, "Whilst you are extremely annoying I'll give you that but you haven't quite driven me to the point of throwing myself off a roof but another few absurd accusations like this one and I'm sure it will sound increasingly like a good idea! I didn't answer you because I didn't hear you - simple as that!"

"You expect me to believe that EJ?!" she huffed at him.

"Sweetheart," snipped EJ, "I gave up long ago expecting any kind of rational thinking from you!"

"You're just trying to come up with pathetic ways to make me care about you!" she accused him, "Well it won't work EJ - I'm indifferent to you and your games!"

"Indifferent?" repeated EJ, his eyebrows shooting up with incredulousness, "_That_ was what last night was eh sweetheart? You being _indifferent_ to me?"

Sami crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked back at him defiantly although she didn't have much else to back her words up with but EJ didn't seem to require her to say anything.

"I tell you what Samantha," he continued on mockingly, "Let me know when you develop even the slightest interest in me won't you because I'm going to need a back brace and a saline drip to cope with it if last night was any indication of what your _indifference_ towards me results in!"

"You do _nothing_ for me EJ!" she spat out, incensed by his words, particularly when she couldn't realistically deny them but Sami wasn't one to let the facts stand in the way of a good argument, "And I'll prove it to you!"

With that Sami just launched herself at EJ, catching him completely off guard for once. She wrapped her arms around his neck and dragged his mouth to hers and kissed him as hard as she could, intent on proving to him how little he affected her. EJ quickly recovered from his shock, his hands going to cup her backside and pull her even closer to him.

Sami knew that this was a bad idea as soon as her lips touched his, it was like a bolt of lightning ripped through her entire body at his touch and they were only kissing. She forgot completely the point she was supposed to be making as EJ pressed for entrance into her mouth and the taste of him exploded against her tongue as he hungrily sought it out. Those large hands massaging her bottom cheeks didn't help any she had to say, the growing wet patch between her legs an answer to that and the feeling of his rapidly stiffening member against her stomach. Sami realised that she'd better stop this kiss from going any further and with the last remnants of her self control she pushed hard against EJ's chest as his hands moved from her backside to her waist and she had a fair idea where they were on the way to so she pushed even harder on his chest in an effort to break free.

EJ however was not so willing to let her go, tightening his hold on her waist and plundering her mouth even more deeply. Sami eventually managed to pull away and took a rapid few steps back from EJ, her face flushed with her arousal and she looked almost delirious as she raised her hand and tried to gather her senses to make the point that seemed pretty moot at this junction but Sami was never one to apply too much logic to a situation.

"There!" said Sami shakily, her eyes wide and her chest still heaving erratically as she stared back at EJ, "You see… nothing!"

EJ just stared back at her like she'd lost her mind, his head still spinning wildly from her kisses and his own breathing painfully ragged as hers was.

"I'm going to make lunch," she announced dazedly, valiantly trying to keep up the façade that they hadn't just aroused each other almost to the point of no return just from a few simple kisses, "I'll make sandwiches - we should use up the last of the bread anyway."

With that Sami swept by him on unsteady legs, leaving a bemused EJ standing there.

"That woman is certifiably insane," muttered EJ under his breath, shaking his head at her last little production.

EJ turned around and looked at the kitchen door Sami had just disappeared through and this time shook his head at himself.

"And why does it only make me love her more?" he asked himself in quiet despair.

"_Do you want ham or tuna on your sandwich?"_

Her question was called out to him and he rolled his eyes at the contradictions that were Samantha Jean Brady. EJ didn't answer her, just simply stalked through the living room, into the kitchen to find Sami standing there with a loaf of bread in her hand and a knife in the other.

"Ham or tun… aahh!" Sami gave a little cry as EJ didn't let her finish, simply walking over to her and grabbing both the bread and the knife out of her hand and throwing them on the bench, "EJ!"

"I want something that isn't on the menu," he growled at her and simply bent down, his hands going to her bottom and hauling her up into his arms, her feet lifting off the ground.

Sami had no option but to wrap her arms around EJ's neck to steady herself and EJ instantly took advantage of that, crushing her lips beneath his hungrily.

He moved with her then, depositing Sami on the kitchen table without breaking the kiss and pushed apart her legs, standing in between them as his hands pulled on her backside again, holding her flush too him so she was in no doubt as to where this was heading. Sami felt his hands move from her backside to the skirt she was wearing, pushing it up to her hips before he pushed her back onto the table. His hand moved between her legs and stroked her core through Sami's panties as he leant over her, keeping his weight off her by leaning on one hand he'd placed by her shoulder.

"I've developed the taste for something different," he purred to her and Sami gave a little moan, her traitorous body remembering what it had done for her at the lagoon and begging for more of the same.

EJ felt the sudden flood of her juices soaking his hand and gave a satisfied groan of his own.

"I see you have as well sweetheart," he rumbled, his voice low and full of seduction.

Sami held her breath as he slowly moved back down her body and she couldn't help herself, spreading her legs for him, so eager for what he was about to do that she couldn't stand it. He stripped her panties from her heated body and then supped on what was offered. Sami moaned loudly at the first touch of his tongue to her core. She felt him trace the outline of her opening delicately before thrusting his tongue into her. Sami gasped and rewarded his action with a new burst of moisture which EJ seemed more than happy to lap up. He'd barely started and Sami could already feel her core begin to pulsate, tensing and releasing as it began to build towards an orgasm.

He could feel her muscles contracting and couldn't believe that she was ready to come so quickly, his swollen member begging him to be the one to finish her off but somehow EJ found the strength to deny himself. He quickly inserted two fingers inside of her before attaching himself to her nub and suckling. EJ didn't even get a chance to make her ride his fingers before Sami was exploding around him, crying out as she came noisily for him.

God, hearing her scream out loud like that got him so unbelievably hard - EJ had never experienced anything like it before!

EJ straightened up then and looked at Sami lying there on the table, her face a picture of ecstasy and knew the next time she came he just had to be inside her. Sami managed to open her eyes and saw the way EJ was looking at her so ravenously and just wanted him so badly. She sat up and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him and tasting herself on his lips and it was such a decadent feeling to taste herself in this way.

"More," she breathed into their kiss, not caring that she was not making a very good argument for her 'you do nothing for me' statement, "More."

EJ shuddered at her breathy request, almost screaming at the pain of not being inside her yet. His shaking hands went to his sweat shirt, pulling it off over his head before ridding himself of the rest of his clothes, finding himself suddenly clumsy in his haste. Sami was working on her clothes at the same time until they were both completely naked.

"God you're perfect!" EJ groaned loudly at seeing her breasts naked for the first time, never having quite gotten around to it the last time, "I knew you would be!"

EJ pushed Sami back on the table, holding her hands above her head so he could enjoy these new delights properly. His mouth found a pert nipple and he suckled and teased at it until it was plump and swollen from all of his attentions. EJ lifted his head and surveyed his handiwork through suddenly heavy lidded eyes and gave an approving growl before attaching himself to its mate and inflicting the same treatment. Sami purred under his skilful ministrations, her hands going to his dark head and holding him in place, encouraging him even further.

He finally managed to drag himself away from her breasts, promising himself he'd return to give them the attention they deserved once he had better control of himself. EJ moved up Sami's body, finding her mouth again and kissing her, never able to get enough of her lips under his. Sami met his ardour with a passion of his own and he adored how she was holding nothing back from him.

"I want to make love to you so badly Samantha," he whispered in her ear.

"Oh yes," she sighed, "Please EJ, yes."

EJ needed no further encouragement, moving so that he was now standing at the end of the table again between Sami's legs. He pulled her backside down so it was right on the edge of the table as she looked up at him excitedly and that look alone was almost enough to undo him. EJ hands went to the backs of her knees, pushing her knees back towards Sami's chest. He left his hands there as he pressed for entry into her heat and Sami gave a long, low groan as he impaled her on his thickness. The sound of her moaning as she took him in nearly drove EJ over the edge, particularly as she seemed to be even tighter then he remembered from last night.

"No one has ever felt like you have Samantha," he told her, his voice choked in awe at the sensation of being inside her body again.

"Oh EJ," groaned Sami, revelling in the way he was filling her so totally.

EJ began to move inside of her but Sami stalled him.

"Could you…?" she stopped then, her breathing uneven and flushing a little as she asked him this, "Like last night… could you…?"

EJ smiled, more than happily to oblige her request and moved Sami so that she was on her side now, her legs pushed up to her chest. The whole time he was repositioning her he kept himself squarely embedded insider her, delighting in the sensation of her moving around on him like that. He settled her into position, EJ's hands going to hold onto Sami's hip and thigh again.

"Like that sweetheart?" he asked her, his voice catching a little.

"Yes," she moaned her happiness, "Just like that EJ!"

EJ began to move inside of her now, sure and steady thrusts, angling himself until this way and that and listening to her mews of pleasure. Sami shouted out when he hit that magic spot inside of her and he realised that was what she had been waiting for as he began to move determinedly inside of her.

"Oh god yessss!" she hissed, screwing her face up against the intense bursts of pleasure he was giving her.

"I can do this for you in any position sweetheart," he promised her raggedly.

To prove his point EJ pulled out of her even though every nerve ending in his body was screaming at him not to.

"No!" gasped Sami in despair at being denied what he was doing to her.

It had felt like beyond perfection and she couldn't bear him to stop yet.

"EJ please!" she said desperately, "Don't stop - I need you!"

"I'm not Samantha," he promised her unevenly, hearing her beg for him to take her music to his ears, "I need you too."

EJ grabbed Sami's hips, dragging her down to the table and flipping her over now so that her feet were on the ground as he bent her over the table. Sami felt his hands go to her back side and suddenly that turgid member of his was claiming her again from behind this time and she groaned loudly at having to take his increasingly gigantic girth in this new position. Sami propped herself up on her elbows as she felt him moving around inside her, tilting her hips this way and that. Sami gave little gasping grunts of enjoyment at his movements until he nudged that spot deep inside Sami with his tip and she just screamed out at the top of her lungs.

"Oh there sweetheart," he groaned achingly, "It's there isn't it?"

"Oh god yes!" she gritted out through gritted teeth, "God EJ right there, don't stop!"

EJ began to ride her in earnest then and Sami could do nothing else then begin to scream out her pleasure for him. He hadn't been kidding when he said he could do this for her in any position she decided faintly even as her body throbbed and pulsated around him, rapidly heading for another orgasm. EJ looked down and watched in utter bliss as his body demanded and received entrance to her body with ever growing urgency. Her sobbing cries were driving him insane and he was starting to join her in hollering out his delight. She was coming now, strangled gasps of delicious pleasure and guttural groans of bliss but still he rode her, ever more fiercely. He knew his climax when it came was going to be one of the most intense of his life as the tension continued to grow and grow inside him.

"EJ!" she moaned under him, beginning to roll her hips, teasing his already painfully engorged member now that her release was complete.

"Samantha!" he whispered shakily, barely able to form the word as his body found ever greater delight in hers, "Come with me again sweetheart… pl… please!"

Sami groaned, wanting him to find his end and wondering if her body could sustain any more pleasure. She managed to slip a hand between her legs though and began to rub at the distended nub she found there and EJ couldn't take it. Watching her pleasure herself like that all for him pushed him screaming over the edge. He surged powerfully into her one last time and released his seed, the sensation along with her own stimulation sending Sami into her third orgasm in quick succession. EJ for his part was having all his climaxes at once as wave after wave of his multiple orgasms crashed over him, in ever growing bursts of shattering pleasure and he howled his ecstasy at the top of his lungs.

They were both quivering masses of jelly after they were finally spent and EJ was having trouble keeping his weight off Sami when all he wanted to do was collapse, his wildly shaking legs barely able to hold him upright. He ever so reluctantly withdrew from Sami and she shuddered at the sensation of his hot seed dribbling down her inner leg. EJ laid his sweaty face on her back even as she lay exhausted; face down on the table still. EJ barely had any strength left in him but he managed one word.

"More…" he whispered against her slick back.

"Yes," Sami groaned in exhaustion, already feeling her body begin to pulse back into life.

How was that even possible after what he'd put her through she wondered hopelessly but her answer had elicited a similar response from EJ and she felt him twitch against her leg.

_God, they were going to be the death of each other at this rate! _

**Chapter TWENTY FOUR**** - ****Your Love Is Better Than Chocolate**

**EVENING 7...**

Sami swallowed the last mouthful of the delicious pasta EJ had prepared for them and put down her fork. At least she assumed it was delicious, everything else he'd cooked for in the past had been but she couldn't taste anything right then. She snuck a look over at EJ as he took a sip of his wine and looked out at the surrounding rainforest. He looked as handsome as ever in his grey suit and tie. They had both dressed for dinner without consulting the other, as though they both knew it was important to mark this occasion with a little bit of formality.

His predictions of more rain had come true but this time it was just a gently, steady offering from the heavens rather than the noisy deluge of last night. Sami followed his gaze and tried to wrap her head around the fact that this time tomorrow she was going to be back in a cold, bleak Salem in the middle of winter.

It didn't seem possible somehow.

Actually nothing seemed possible about this trip. She thought of all the things that had transpired between herself and EJ and her mind just boggled, not understanding how any of it could have happened. It was like she didn't know herself at all, like the real Sami Brady hadn't even gotten off the plane seven days ago and she was some counterfeit intent on destroying the true Sami Brady's world. If she listened to EJ though the Salem Sami was the impostor and this was who she was really meant to be and Sami felt a desperate confusion well up in her at that thought. Sami took a sip of her wine just for something to do rather than actually wanting the alcohol. Since this afternoon's latest bout of lovemaking Sami had felt this strange calm settle over her for the most part - like she was having this out of body experience somehow. She didn't know what it meant but for the most part it was a welcome relief from all the internal conflict she'd been experiencing for what felt like forever now.

They hadn't spoken very much over dinner but that didn't matter to EJ. After their perfect unions that after afternoon and the night before they didn't need words. And they had been perfect unions - the way he and Sami had come together it was like there could never have been any other choice for them. EJ was so happy that he could barely speak right then. Everything he'd ever dreamed of since first laying eyes on Samantha was coming true. Now if only their child was starting to grow inside of Sami even now as they sat there his dreams truly would be complete. A surge of love swelled EJ's heart at that thought. He put his hand out and covered Sami's small hand as it rested on the table and held her gaze.

"Let's go to bed," he said huskily.

Sami looked back at him steadily, for once not looking away or running.

"Yes," she said simply.

EJ closed his eyes and raised her hands to his lips, kissing the soft skin of the back of her hand.

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami walked into the room and gave a little gasp to find EJ already naked and very, very hard. He looked back at her steadily; obviously not embarrassed about the aroused state his body was in.

"You're wearing clothes," observed EJ with the faintest hint of censure in his voice, his eyes wandering over the little white satin slip she was wearing with shoe string straps.

"I thought…," Sami hesitated then but then realised they were way past the point of that now.

It was like she'd been on a diet and hadn't had chocolate for months and had allowed herself a little taste and seeing as she'd ruined her diet utterly now she may as well eat the whole damn block!

"I thought you might enjoy taking it off me," offered Sami coyly, looking out at him from underneath her eyelashes.

The way his manhood jumped suddenly at that told Sami that he liked the sound of that very much. EJ prowled towards her; there was no other way to describe it. He was like a giant cat stalking his prey and despite herself Sami backed up, putting her hands up to his chest as her heart racing at the pure hunger and lust in EJ's eyes.

She'd never had a man look at her quite like that before and it was beyond thrilling but it was also a little frightening, particularly when her back hit the wall and EJ kept on coming so that he was standing so close to her that she had nowhere to go. He loomed over her, making Sami feel tiny in comparison before he lifted up one arm and rested his forearm above Sami's head, holding himself over her and making her feel even more consumed by this man.

EJ reached out a finger and traced the neckline of her slip lightly but Sami felt her nipples instantly harden, begging for his attention. EJ listened to their pleas and dragged the same finger over one swelling teat, rolling it around before giving it a hard tweak and moving on to her other breast and repeating the action. Sami felt as though her whole body was on fire as he played with her slowly, every one of his actions slow and measured as though they had all the time in the world. EJ's hand stopped in its torture of her now aching bud and drifted back up to the neckline of Sami's of night dress.

He held her gaze for one long wordless moment before gliding his hand back and forth over the top of her slip in unhurried sweeps. Sam's body tightened, desperate for him to just slip the little straps off her shoulder and stop playing with her like this. EJ bent his head and began to languorously kiss her then, slow and deep, his tongue tasting her deeply. Sami melted into the kiss, relaxing completely as he plundered her depths until he finally straightened up, both of them breathing hard. He gave a little smile and Sami returned it, the moment soft and gentle between them.

With one hard yank of the delicate fabric EJ shattered that calm between them as he tore the night dress from Sami's body in one smooth motion, the rough action so at odds to his previous gentleness that it made Sami cry out and then get unbelievably wet at his sudden savagery. EJ surveyed the bounty he'd uncovered, the front of her slip completely torn away now and only the back of the night dress was still in place, held on by the almost destroyed shoulder straps. There was an animalistic glint in EJ's eye seeing her on display like that. He lifted his head from her pale body with its flat stomach, gently swelling hips, and full breasts with their burgeoning nipples exposed - his for the taking.

"You're right," he growled in her ear, "I did enjoy that."

"EJ!" she groaned shakily.

He bent down and picked her up easily then, scooping her up in his arms and holding her gaze steadily as he walked with her to the bed and placed her carefully down on it and then stood at the end of the bed, looking down at her.

"This is the first time I would have made love to you in a bed," he observed roughly, his eyes wandering ravenously all over her flushed body.

Sami moved a little around on the bed then, the way he was looking at her making her squirm with a growing need for him to do more than just look.

"Tell me you want me Samantha," he urged her, his eyes dark and full of hunger now.

"I want you," she said breathlessly.

His eyes flared at her confession.

"Prove it to me," he rasped, toying with her.

Sami looked up at him and felt a sudden surge of confidence when she saw the little flicker of uncertainty pass over his face. For all his confidence she realised that he was as much at her mercy as she was at his. Sami sat up then, moving so her feet dangled over the edge of the bed. She reached out and put her hands on his waist and began to kiss her way down his tightly muscled stomach.

EJ gave a happy sigh at her touch, her soft blonde hair tickling his stomach as she moved ever lower. His manhood was at full attention by the time she reached it, swollen and eager for her touch but Sami pulled back then and looked up at him coyly through her lashes.

"Samantha," he prompted her tightly, unable to remain silent as she left him standing there, aching for her next touch.

The smallest of smiles touched Sami lips as she realised how utterly desperate he was for her. It was nice to finally feel like she had some power in these encounters. He'd completely swept her away with their previous bouts of lovemaking and now Sami had a sudden urge to do the same for him. Her heart hammered noisily in her chest as she contemplated doing something she'd never done before but suddenly wanting to throw him off balance as much as he'd done her. Sami moved then, kneeling on bed now before sitting back on her haunches. EJ was watching her every move with intrigue but she made very certain that he was watching her as she leant back, resting on one hand behind her and then with the other hand she moved to the front of her panties.

She had EJ's rapt attention as she slowly moved her hand down the front of her panties, her fingers finding her sopping wet core and loading her fingers up with its juices before removing them from her pants and then beginning to cover his engorged member in those same juices. His thick shaft jumped almost violently at her first touch and then began to twitch helplessly under her ministrations. The pained whimpering sounds EJ was making told Sami he was enjoying the show she was putting on for him… very much. She repeated the action several times until she was satisfied that EJ was well lubricated, finding the pre-cum dribbling from his tip very useful for her purposes as well.

EJ waited with bated breath, despite how laboured his breathing was for Sami's next move. He couldn't take his eyes off her and his arousal level was at an excruciatingly painful level. EJ didn't know if it was actually safe to sustain this intensity of arousal for the length of times his encounters with Sami called for but he could honestly say he didn't care. So what if this woman permanently damaged him in some way, it would be absolutely worth it! He quivered with expectation, waiting for her to take him into her mouth at long last after all of this teasing and more of his juices oozed from his tip at the thought.

"Do you want me?" she asked him throatily but it was a somewhat unnecessary question considering his massively distended manhood was on full display, throbbing away in front of her.

"More than I thought humanly possible," he told her through gritted teeth, sweat breaking out on his forehead.

Sami gave a satisfied little smile at that and moved closer to him and began to kiss along his stomach again. EJ held his breath, his whole body coiled tightly as he waited for her to finally claim him properly but Sami had other ideas. She cupped her breasts in her hands and pressed them around EJ's engorged member, looking up at him. She'd never done anything like this before but EJ had left her in no doubt this afternoon as to how inspiring he'd found her breasts and she wanted to know just how far that went. She began to move her breasts up and down on his hardness, stimulating him with the friction. EJ gave a strangled gasp, his eyes wide as he looked down at her doing this for him and amazingly it got him even harder.

"Oh god YES sweetheart!" he said urgently, thrilling to her creativity.

EJ hadn't done actually done this before either but he'd never had a lover with breasts quite as amazing as Sami's either. He found them unbearably arousing and to see them pressed around his manhood, swamping them in their luscious softness was doing things to EJ that he didn't think previously possible - how could he keep finding more and more ways to want this woman?! He began to frantically pump himself desperately into them, all semblance of control completely gone now. He grabbed at her shoulders, steadying Sami as his thrusts became more violent and Sami tightened her breasts around him, increasing the friction between them so that despite all the ample lubrication she'd provided it was still an agonisingly tight fit and EJ couldn't stand it. His desperate grunts began to get louder and louder as his thrusting became more powerful. EJ gave a loud shout, suddenly tensing and Sami felt a warm flood of wetness between her breasts and knew he was coming. EJ quivered and shook as he delivered his seed into the valley of her breasts and Sami couldn't stand it, her own arousal at seeing his wild abandon making her desperate.

Even as he continued to shudder against her Sami dropped one hand from her breast and quickly moved it down the front of her panties again. She was so slippery from her own juices that it should have been embarrassing to Sami but it wasn't. Her nub was easy to find, standing at full attention, engorged from her own arousal and she began to frantically rub it, needing a release of her own. EJ watched her through hooded eyes as he tried to return to his senses, his mouth going dry at her actions and he had to swallow noisily. Sami leant back on her hand again, her head lolling back as soft moans began to escape her lips. She came quickly, her hips bucking frantically as she gave a prolonged groan, her eyes tightly closed. Watching her pleasure herself like that, his sticky seed dribbling down her chest was enough to drive EJ crazy and he wanted her again. He pushed her back on the bed, lying down beside her as she looked back at him groggily, still tingling from the release she'd just given herself.

"God that was so amazing sweetheart!" he panted his praise for her, looking down at her adoringly.

"Had… had you done that before?" she asked him curiously, blinking up at him, her voice roughened and croaky.

"No," he said with a shake of his head, his brown eyes darkening with renewed arousal at just the thought of it, "It was magnificent."

"I'm glad," she said shyly.

"You have the most gorgeous body of any woman I've ever been with Samantha," he told her sincerely, his eyes devouring her again, "I can't bear to take my eyes off you."

"EJ!" she said huskily, enjoying hearing those words from his lips.

Sami's quick climax that she'd just given herself was in no way satisfying and she needed him to do what he'd just done again but inside of her this time and very quickly. She reached up and dragged him down for a heated kiss, rubbing her body against his. Experience told her that EJ would be ready for her again very quickly and she marvelled at this man's stamina. She wasn't entirely sure it was normal, never having been with a man who could recuperate so quickly after making love but seeing as she had no trouble in answering that arousal with a severe need of her own Sami was hardly in any position to judge. The feeling of her body writhing against his quickly had the desired effect and EJ felt his manhood rise to the occasion so to speak. Sami could feel his returned stiffness against her leg now as they kissed passionately, one of his hands cupping her face.

"God you're always so ready!" she gasped in amazement, breaking their kiss and looking up at him wide eyed as she rubbed her inner thigh against his returned erection.

EJ's hand found its way between her legs and found her body just as swollen and wet in an answering state of heightened arousal and in a more than ready state to receive him.

"So are you," he moaned.

"EJ quickly!" she encouraged him, sick of waiting now.

He hooked a finger in her panties and with a hard tug he'd removed them from her body as he'd done her night dress, having no time for any other way to see her naked beneath him at last. Sami's fingers dug into his back, encouraging him in his endeavours. EJ quickly covered her body with his own and entered her with a hard thrust. Sami squeezed her eyes close at the feeling being impaled on his body once again, a heartfelt groan leaving her lips. She wrapped her legs around his waist, encouraging EJ even deeper into her body.

"I love you!" groaned EJ as he began to move rapidly inside her, wondering how many times he would have to have her before he could make love to her as slowly as he wanted to.

He just needed her too much to do that right now. It seemed like every time he possessed her it made his need for her only grow instead of satisfying it. EJ kissed Sami deeply then, the feeling of her breasts scrapping against his chest, driving him mad. Sami's head was spinning, her body beginning to tense around his, shocking herself how quickly she was rushing towards her next orgasm. She was insatiable when it came to him it seemed and the way EJ was pumping himself so desperately into her only drove her more quickly to that edge.

"I love you," choked out EJ again, his body starting to go rigid, his orgasm overtaking, "Samantha!"

"EJ!" she moaned, following him almost instantly, her body milking his as she felt him empty himself into her, her walls clenching wildly around his, bearing down hard on him and prolonging both of their pleasure.

"Can't… can't breathe EJ!" squeaked Sami, his body having collapsed totally from the absoluteness of his release, leaving EJ utterly spent and his weight was crushing her.

EJ gave a low groan, mustering the last of his strength and withdrew from her and rolled to one side, hauling his weight off her in a careless motion. What EJ hadn't realised was just how very close to the side of the bed they'd been and because he didn't even look before he moved off Sami he found that he only had half the bed to land on. His body's momentum carried him over the edge of the bed and because all of his muscles were completely fatigued from working so hard inside Sami's body he had nothing left to save himself with.

"EJ!" gasped Sami in dismay as he disappeared off the side of the bed, landing with a heavy thump on the floor below.

Sami quickly flipped herself over and moved to the side of the bed, peering down at him, half worried, half amused.

"Are you alright?" she asked him wide eyed.

EJ looked back up at her, blinking a couple times and obviously coming to grips with what had just happened.

"Well," he said eventually, looking up at impishly, "That ride was definitely worth the fall!"

Sami's mouth dropped open at his cheekiness and his reward for such talk was a face full of pillow… which EJ made her pay for long into the night.

**Chapter TWENTY FIVE**** - ****There's Got To Be A Morning After**

"Rise and shine my beautiful girl!"

The sound of EJ's happy voice coming from somewhere above her pulled Sami from her sleep and she opened her eyes, blinking groggily in the morning light. She sat up in bed and looked up at EJ who was standing there holding a breakfast tray, just like he'd done for her first morning on the island. Things had certainly changed somewhat between them since then and Sami couldn't help but remember their intense lovemaking of the night before. They'd barely gotten any sleep at all the entire night and new aches and pains in Sami's body testified to exactly how energetic they'd been in exploring their need for one another.

"My _very_ beautiful girl," said EJ huskily, his eyes wandering all over her hungrily, her naked breasts on full display for him.

Sami had sat up without really thinking about it and forgotten that she was naked beneath the thin white sheet that now lay at her waist. She blushed and quickly pulled up the sheet to cover herself.

"Don't," he said quietly, coming to sit beside her on the bed, facing Sami as he put the tray down across her lap.

EJ leaned over the tray of breakfast delights and kissed her, his tongue running teasingly over her bottom lip until she granted him access and he could deepen the kiss. Sami lost herself in his kisses, forgetting everything else but EJ and his hungry kisses. She felt his hand go to the sheet she was still holding up against herself and slowly tug it down as he kissed her. EJ finally broke away and leant back, his breathing ragged as he surveyed his handiwork with warm brown eyes. Sami's lips were swollen from his kisses and her whole body was flushed which EJ had a good view of now that the sheet was back around her waist.

"Breathtaking," he announced to her, his voice sounding tight and uneven.

Sami bit her lip and let him have his way, secretly thrilling to the way his eyes kept dropping from her face to run over the exposed parts of her body. She reached out, picked up a piece of toast and started munching on it, just for something to do really. A little smile touched EJ's lips and he picked up some toast as well, spreading jam onto his though before beginning to eat it. It was a rather strange experience Sami thought, her sitting up in bed like this, her naked breasts on full display as she and EJ ate breakfast together. Mind you, EJ was also naked from the waist up, his only clothing his black sweat pants so Sami certainly had something to look at as well as they breakfasted together.

They had light conversation between the two of them - the weather, it looked like it was going to be fine day, that they should take Jellybean out for one last ride - nothing that mattered but the whole time Sami was unbearably conscious of EJ's eyes on her body. His tone was easy going and casual but from where she sat she could see the ever growing bulge in the front of his sweat pants and Sami doubted that it was their conversation that he was finding so stimulating.

"All finished?" he asked her at last and Sami looked down in surprise at the now empty tray.

She hadn't noticed it but between the two of them they'd managed to finish off all the food EJ had prepared for them. Sami had been so distracted by their easy conversation and EJ's heated looks that she hadn't even realised. She nodded and EJ moved the tray away, setting it on the ground beside the bed.

"You've got crumbs," he informed her throatily and Sami looked down, following where he was looking and saw that she did indeed have a smattering of toast crumbs across her chest.

She went to brush them away with her hand but he caught her wrist easily, staying her hand.

"Allow me," he said huskily, briefly holding her gaze before ducking his head, his tongue finding her body and seeking out all the little crumbs that had fallen.

Sami closed her eyes and leant back against bed head heavily, enjoying his ministrations. The feeling of his hot tongue lapping at her body, running across her chest and then down between the valley of her breasts in search of every last crumb. She could feel herself getting wetter by the second and when EJ lifted his head to look at her, obviously having finished his self appointed task Sami was in no way ready for him to stop.

"You missed a spot," she said, her voice low and eye lids drooping as she looked back at him, her breathing already a little forced.

Her hands went to his head and she buried her fingers in his dark hair, guiding him to one of her breasts. The nipple was already puckered and eager from his 'cleaning' duties and EJ knew exactly what it was she wanted.

"Insatiable," he growled against her skin just before her took her into his mouth.

Sami didn't know if he was referring to her or himself with that observation. The way he latched onto her teat so eagerly and ravished it wildly just then told Sami she wasn't the only one still starving. EJ's skilled mouth was quickly wringing little purring groans of pure delight from Sami and watching through hooded eyes as EJ hastily pushed down his sweat pants, revealing him in all his naked glory. Her other breast received the same treatment before EJ tore away the sheet that still separated them and grabbed her hips, dragging Sami further down on the bed so that she was no longer sitting up but on her back looking up at him.

"We… we just ate," she panted up at him as he held himself above her, the look in his eye as much as his huge straining member he was positioning between her legs telling her what he wanted next.

"But it's not the water I want to get back into sweetheart," he told her impishly even though his breathing was decidedly ragged and she could see that he was already starting to sweat, "It's this…"

Sami groaned loudly as he pushed his thickened shaft into her with one confident thrust, her aching muscles remembering instantly what was required of them to take him this quickly. Their complaints rapidly gave way to eager accommodation as his swollen manhood reminded them of the way it could pleasure them. Sami grabbed at EJ's backside, short nails digging into his flesh and urging him to go deeper, harder as she surrendered herself over to the sheer ecstasy of it all.

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ sat on the sofa in the living room, long legs crossed and looking down at the folder he had in his hands with a little frown.

They were some new business from his father and reports about what had been going on in Salem this last week. The most pressing order of business for EJ was that apparently John hadn't had the good sense to up and die yet. This posed somewhat of a sticky problem for EJ. It would definitely not be in EJ's best interests for John to suddenly rejoin the land of the non-comatosed but his newfound bond with Sami demanded that this annoyance be handled with some finesse. The last thing EJ wanted to do was jeopardise his relationship with Sami now that she was finally his. All it meant was that he was going to have to be very vigilant in keeping his role in the DiMera empire carefully separate from the life he was going to be building together with Samantha.

A smile came unbidden to EJ's lips as he thought about his future with Sami and his heart started to beat an excited tattoo. EJ put away the business paperwork, no longer able to concentrate on it when thoughts of Samantha filled his head. She was upstairs, packing all those ridiculous suitcases of hers in readiness for their departure in a few more hours. EJ propped his elbow up on the arm of the settee, putting his hand to his face and looked unseeingly out the window as his thoughts became consumed with the woman upstairs.

This week away had gone nothing like he'd planned. Of course he'd been expecting for Sami to end up in his bed but he hadn't figured on taking quite so long or how simply absorbing he'd found the whole journey. She'd held his rapt attention through every single moment of their time together and no woman had ever enthralled him so. Everything she did fascinated him completely and their lovemaking… well, that was something even he struggled to find words to describe. Sami had wrung previously unimagined pleasure from his body these last couple of days. EJ didn't know if it was because they were such kindred souls, a physical and emotional match beyond compare or that for the first time he was truly in love with the woman he was making love to. Perhaps it was a combination of both but all EJ knew it was like no other coming together he'd ever experienced before.

Again EJ couldn't help the smile that came to his lips and he imagined the many ways they were going to continue to explore that physical connection between them as they grew ever closer together over time. EJ mused to himself that he could probably cancel his gym membership now because loving Sami Brady and keeping her satisfied was going to more than keep him in shape. He ran his finger back and forth over his bottom lip as he remembered breakfast that morning, squirming a little in his seat at the memories. Something told EJ that the sight of toast from now on was going to be getting him hard and he actually laughed out loud at that thought. The things that woman did to him. His body pulsed and the familiar throb began to insist on his attention. EJ wondered idly if Sami needed some help packing her suitcases or something else far more pleasurable.

He knew they still had things to work out between them - that little nuisance Lucas being on the top of the list of course. The sooner she was out of that apartment and moving into his the better. EJ knew that Lucas was still in hospital recuperating but he also knew that when he got out Sami wouldn't be waiting for him like he no doubt expected. EJ rather hoped that he was going to be in the room when she told Lucas it was over - that thought was probably beneath him but there was something about Lucas that just bought out a less than gracious side to his personality.

God but he hoped she made him cry.

More than likely he'd rant and rave though - that seemed to be his modus operandi for dealing with Sami, that and guilting her into things. That was actually the main reason he wanted to be there for Samantha when pulled the plug on their train wreck of a relationship at last. EJ wanted to protect her from all the venom that would be no doubt spewed her way by the spurned man - getting to see Lucas cry would just be a happy bonus. His father would be so happy to hear that he and Samantha were together at long last and even happier to know that she was quite possibly already carrying the next DiMera heir. When his father had charged him with choosing a Brady woman to bear the next generations of DiMera's EJ had no idea that the fruition of that directive could have made him so utterly ecstatic.

"I've hit a small problem."

EJ turned his head at the sound of Samantha and saw her standing in the doorway, so lost in his happy thoughts that he hadn't even heard her come in.

"What's that darling?" he asked with a smile, standing up to face her, realising that he'd missed her so even after their short time apart - sappy or what?

"My clothes must have swelled with the humidity because I can't get them to fit all back into my suitcases," said Sami with a bit of a frown.

EJ's lips twitched at that and Sami's frown deepened.

"What?" she said, looking back at him defiantly, "That can happen!"

"If you say so sweetheart," he said, the corners of his mouth turning up in amusement.

"I guess I'm just going to have to repack them again," sighed Sami, looking decidedly unhappy at that - she'd already had three attempts at it but to no avail.

"Not necessarily," said EJ calmly.

"Why?" asked Sami with interest, "Do you have another suitcase I can borrow?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of unpacking them altogether and we extend our stay," said EJ, watching her face carefully as he made his suggestion, "Indefinitely if we so choose."

Sami's jaw dropped open and she looked at EJ like he'd just suggested they shave their heads, give away all worldly possessions and join a cult.

"I'm sensing some hesitation to that idea sweetheart," said EJ ironically, taking in her shell shocked expression.

"You can't be serious EJ!" she exclaimed finally finding her voice, "We can't _not_ go home!"

"Our home is with each other now Samantha," said EJ, his eyes suddenly warm and full of love, "You have to see that now. As long as we are together then we're home."

Sami didn't know what to say to that. She'd been up in her room packing and trying to make sense of all this and work out what it was exactly that she wanted to happen next and she hadn't come up with any real answers. EJ obviously seemed to be having no such problem and appeared to be fairly advanced in his thinking about what was come next and Sami couldn't help but feel particularly nervous about that fact. She was at the point of admitting that there was definitely something between them and as much as she'd like to say it was all about the sex she knew it wasn't true. How much of that she wanted to admit to EJ though Sami was still very uncertain about.

"You're getting kind of scruffy," Sami said, just to say something and stop him looking at her like that and change the subject, "You should shave before we go back to Salem."

"Really?" said EJ, running his fingers back and forth the stubble along his jaw line, the action making a small rasping sound as he looked at her mischievously, "I rather thought you enjoyed my scruff darling… you seem to find it especially edifying when it's between your legs and heading for… pfhh!"

A cushion in the face stopped him from getting anymore graphic with that one and EJ grinned as he bent down to retrieve it from the floor and replace it on the sofa.

"I'm beginning to think that you find pillows and cushions to be somewhat a necessary part of foreplay my love," he teased her with an impish wink.

"You are just beyond belief with the things you say to me EJ DiMera!" said Sami hotly, her cheeks flushing.

"And I do so adore how you manage to be so completely outraged each time despite the fact that they are utterly true my darling," he laughed at her.

Sami shook her head and sat down on the sofa, in a bit of a huff now and EJ found that to be very endearing for some reason.

"Well seeing as you're intent on us returning to a cold and bleak Salem and relinquish our island paradise here we should probably discuss some details Samantha," said EJ conversationally.

"Details?" frowned Sami, looking suddenly worried and in no way prepared for this conversation.

"Now I realise that you have a sentimental attachment to that apartment of yours," began EJ easily, "But I do feel it would be for the best if you were to move into my apartment on our return rather than the other way round. Call me old fashioned but I don't really fancy residing somewhere which has already seen Austin and Lucas calling it home. I mean it's all short term anyway, we'll be moving into a house of our own as soon as we can find one that we both like and…"

"Stop!" said Sami, looking up at him in real distress, her voice starting to rise, "EJ, you can't possibly expect me to go home and simply turn my whole life around the moment I get off the plane?! You have to be reasonable!"

"I don't see it being an unreasonable request that you move out of your ex-lover's apartment to be with me Samantha…," said EJ determinedly, "… your _actual_ lover."

"But… but…" this was all moving way too quickly for Sami and she couldn't seem to get her thoughts together in any kind of coherent order, "Lucas…"

"Is your past," said EJ firmly, "I'm your future. Samantha, you can't possibly deny that we belong together after this week!"

"Lucas will need me!" said Sami in agitation, unable to believe that he was wanting to move things along so quickly between them and trying to throw things in the way to slow things down.

"_I_ need you Samantha!" said EJ strongly, "In my apartment, in my life, in my bed!"

"There are a lot of things to think about EJ!" said Sami with a shake of her head, trying not to enjoy the possessive tone in his voice and not quite managing it, "I mean, I don't even know what any of this means yet… if anything!"

EJ stopped then and folded his arms in front of his chest and looked at the ground, her words stinging him. How could she still be in any doubt as to what all of this meant he wondered hopelessly? Their lovemaking spoke of a connection that was impossible to deny. Even the heavens told them that they were to be each other's fate when they'd seen that shooting star together and still she hesitated. It was so blaringly obvious to EJ that it just baffled him how she was refusing to embrace it as fully as he had done. He looked up at her then, tilting his head to one side and running a thoughtful finger along his chin as he gave her a considered look.

"What are you scared of Samantha?" he asked her finally, his voice soft and his tone gentle, "Sweetheart, whatever it is we can face it together. I know you have ties with Lucas and that there are obligations there on your behalf…"

"Lucas is Will's father EJ!" said Sami sharply, "And it's way more than just _ties_ and you know it!"

"Do I?" he asked idly, his arms dropping to his side, "That must be why you've been so utterly inconsolable at being parted from him this last week. That you thought about him nonstop every moment of every day, worrying over him, missing him, aching to be with him again."

Sami swallowed hard at his words, her heart starting to beat erratically in her chest, both of them knowing that hadn't been the case at all and she cursed him for being right.

"What?" he asked her, arching an eyebrow at her, "Nothing to say my love? I thought you'd be falling over yourself to agree with me?"

EJ started to walk towards her then, looming over Sami as she sat on the sofa. He bent down, putting an arm behind her on the back of the sofa so he could lean down and put his face on level with hers. Sami sat there frozen to the spot, wanting to say that it had been only Lucas she'd been thinking of all week but she just couldn't get the lie past her lips.

"Perhaps…" he purred the word, leaning in more so that he could begin to run the scruff she'd commented on earlier up and down the length of her neck in a tickling and erotic caress, "… perhaps it's because there has been only one man consuming your thoughts this week eh darling…?"

EJ moved now so that he was sitting on the sofa beside her, pushing her back on it and quickly covering her body with his own and Sami didn't resist, already under his spell after a few simple touches.

"Only one man making your body ache…"

EJ's hand went to her breast cupping it before beginning to knead it with the right amount of pressure that had Sami melting underneath him.

"Only one man…" she felt his hand go to her jeans now, quickly unzipping them and tugging them down her legs and discarding them along with her panties and then returning to seek out her core, long fingers dipping into her centre, "… to get you this wet for him."

"EJ!" she moaned, feeling him beginning to move his fingers in and out of her steadily and she instantly wanted more.

"That's right sweetheart," he said, his voice decidedly roughened now, "EJ."

He kissed her then, unable to hold himself back any longer. Sami's hands went to his shirt, tugging it off blindly as their kisses grew more heated, only stopping when the shirt needed to come off over his head but then quickly returning to one another. EJ's hand went to his jeans, releasing himself from the painful confines of the denim. She got him so hard so quickly, it was simply astounding. He felt Sami spread her legs for him and took the silent invitation, not needing any more foreplay at this point and slid his throbbing length into her waiting heat.

"God I can't get enough of you!" he ground out through gritted teeth, the feeling of being encased in her tight heat thrilling him endlessly.

"Don't talk," Sami gasped, grabbing EJ's face between her hands and looking at him urgently, "Just… ahhh!"

"That?" he prompted her tightly, plunging himself as deeply into her as he could, watching her face avidly as it screwed up in delight, "Is that what you wanted me to do sweetheart?"

"Oh god yes," she said weakly, not understanding how she couldn't have gotten enough of this man yet but she hadn't.

EJ withdrew himself from her and thrust into her forcefully again, making them both groan raggedly.

"You're always so bloody perfect!" he gritted out, squeezing his eyes closed against the intensity of emotions at being inside of her again as he began to move sharply inside of her, her sudden strangled hiss telling him when he'd found the perfect place.

"EJ!" she cried out and threw her head back.

"Oh that's it!" grunted EJ excitedly, his hips moving like pistons now to intensify her pleasure and his, "That's what my girl likes isn't it sweetheart?"

"Oh yes!" whimpered Sami mindlessly, unable to believe that EJ could continue to make her feel this good each and every time, "So much EJ!"

Their fierce coupling ended noisily, both crying out their pleasure for the other to hear, grunted out cries of ecstasy as their bodies took them to ever greater nirvanas of exquisite release.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Well I managed it," said Sami, walking back into the room and sending EJ a sideways glance as he stood at the drinks bar, pouring himself a final scotch for the trip home, "My bags are packed."

"Excellent," said EJ happily, still facing the bar as Sami took a seat on the coffee table but turning his head to look at her out of the corner of his eye, "Now all we have to do is defy the laws of physics yet again and see if we can't get them all to fit back in the jeep again. Just as well I love a good challenge eh darling?"

Sami looked at EJ who had changed into a suit and tie, his change of attire suddenly making it all the more real to Sami that they were going to be heading back to Salem, back to the real world and back to some very real problems. EJ for his part didn't seem to be holding the same reservations as he sipped at his scotch and faced her. Clearly he thought their little interlude on the sofa earlier had settled any qualms that Sami might have been having… if only he knew.

"So who's ready to go home?" he asked her brightly and gave her a big smile.

Sami gave him a weak smile in return and wondered what it was exactly that she would be returning to.

**Chapter TWENTY SIX**** - ****Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig**

He felt now that he was not simply close to her, but that he did not know where he ended and she began.

~ _Leo Tolstoy _~

"Samantha!" his ragged cry was muffled against the skin of her neck as she felt him push himself deeply into her one last time and then he was flooding her with his hot seed, moaning helplessly against her as his hips worked frantically to deliver himself utterly into her.

Sami leant back against the mirror behind her tiredly, her own walls still fluttering wildly from the two orgasms he'd just given her. She was sitting on the little vanity in the bathroom, legs wrapped around his waist, the two of them barely fitting into the small airplane's amenities. Sami ran her fingers through EJ's sweaty hair, enjoying the feeling of him still spasming inside of her. It seemed to be taking him a long time to be done and his choked gasps testified to the fact that he was enjoying a particularly long climax.

She'd had no intention of having sex with him on the plane ride back to Salem but then he'd looked at her, put his hand on her knee and leant over, whispering impossibly sexy things in her ear about what he wanted to do her. Sami had protested but it had been half hearted at best and she'd quickly found herself being led by the hand into the bathroom. How it was that they could still have such a frantic need for one another after all the sex of the last couple of days and even earlier that day Sami had no idea. She couldn't even understand how EJ was able to continue to perform at this level but the fact that he rapidly had her swallowing her cries of release within minutes of mounting her left Sami in no doubt of his abilities.

There just had to be something wrong with them - this simply wasn't natural - real life wasn't a never ending porno flick decided Sami hopelessly.

Nonetheless Sami gasped as EJ withdrew from her, feeling instantly bereft and wishing him back inside her again and she closed her eyes against how hopeless this whole thing was. EJ meanwhile took a handful of tissues that were on the bench and quickly cleaned himself up before grabbing some more and setting about doing the same for her. As it had done the other night when he'd performed this intimate act for her Sami jerked suddenly as a sharp spasm ripped through her, making her walls contract wildly again in the wake of another orgasm by his hand.

"God but that's the sexiest thing in the world how you do that for me," growled EJ, his eyes flaring as he looked at her hungrily, still flushed and breathless from their lovemaking.

"EJ we can't, not again," said Sami shakily, knowing that look in his eye by now and her protest was as much for her benefit as his, "We have to get out of this bathroom - Adam and Genevieve will think…"

"They're my employees," interrupted EJ, moving in to kiss along her sweaty neck, his hands massaging her thighs, "They'll think what I tell them to think."

Sami looked a bit troubled by that and EJ softened his approach, not wanting to give her any reason to think twice about things.

"I just love you so much Samantha," he said softly, kissing her cheek gently, "I don't want you to ever forget that. When you truly embrace the fact that you love me as well then you're not going to be so paralysed by what everyone thinks of you."

"I'm not paralysed," protested Sami with a frown.

"I'm sorry," apologised EJ quickly, "Poor choice of words - concerned then."

"Is it such a horrible thing to be worried about hurting people EJ?" she asked him, looking serious now.

"Of course not," said EJ quietly, "But it's not a good thing either if you end up denying your own happiness just to please others."

He kissed her then, his lips sure and confident against hers.

"Come on," he said teasingly, "I've worked up a thirst trying to keep my woman satisfied, I need some liquid refreshments."

EJ stepped back then and let Sami down from the vanity and she hastily rearranged her clothing so it didn't look like she'd just had sex in an airplane toilet which of course she just had done. EJ gave her a smile and headed out first back into the cabin, giving Sami some room to fix herself up. Sami leant against the wall and stared unseeingly at the wall.

_My woman._

Sami didn't know what to think or feel about that statement at all.

What the hell was going to happen when they got back to Salem and why did Sami have this sinking feeling that it wasn't going to be any good.

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami looked around airport a little guiltily as though expecting someone to leap out her and scream two timing whore in her face which for the first time in her life she wouldn't be able to deny it. She'd cheated on Lucas – there was no other way to look at it and Sami felt incredibly guilty and ashamed of that. Of all the terrible things she could quite rightly describe herself as – liar, manipulator, blackmailer, forger, black marketer of babies – up until a couple of days ago she could have least said she'd never cheated on a man. Sami blew out a despondent breath at that, her body still throbbing pleasantly from their latest encounter on the plane, making her uncomfortably aware of the truth.

There was no way around it no matter how she spun it – Sami had cheated her brains out the last couple of days.

She snuck a look at EJ who was busying himself with their bags. He looked so happy – damn him! Didn't he know that this was impossible and that what they'd done was only going to hurt so many people that Sami couldn't even bear to think about it. What had she'd been thinking Sami wondered in despair? EJ bent over then to check his bag with his back to her and Sami got a very nice view of his rear end. Oh yeah, she thought ruefully, unable to stop herself from admiring his taunt backside. Sami had a sudden sharp image of the feeling of that firm buttocks underneath her hands, nails digging into his flesh as wave after wave of a delirious orgasm ripped through her.

Sami looked away abruptly. Thoughts like that weren't going to help her think any more clearly about this situation but even still there was a helpless fluttering in her core that was hard to ignore. Sami closed her eyes against the hopelessness of the situation.

"Tired sweetheart?"

His soft question was spoken close to her face and Sami's eyes flew open to see EJ had sidled up to her and was now stretching out a hand to stroke her face lovingly, his eyes warm and tender.

"Perhaps I should take you home and put you to bed eh darling?" he said, his tone light and teasing but there was a sudden heat to his gaze that told Sami that it was doubtful she'd be allowed any rest once she was there.

EJ moved even closer then, his long body pressing up against her side as he bent his head and began to nuzzle along her neck. Sami's eyes quickly darted around to see who might be seeing them in the crowded airport but it seemed like everyone had other things to be concerned about. One of EJ's hands came up and buried itself in her soft blonde hair.

"I want you again Samantha," his voice a low rumble in his chest as he began to nip along her neck now, sharp little bites of growing need.

Sami's body responded immediately and she felt her panties grow damp once again.

"EJ no," she said weakly but tilted her head to one side to allow him better access to her neck, completely ruining the impact of her denial.

"I'm starving for you sweetheart," he told her, his voice sounding raw to her ears as his other hand dropped from her face to drag his fingers lightly down the front of her body until he was at her stomach, fingers splaying out over the material of her clothes possessively.

Sami's hand went to his quickly, trying to remove it from her stomach, the gesture seeming suddenly too familiar considering where they were.

"EJ stop!" she said, her voice starting to raise in panic a little, as her heart began to hammer nervously in chest, "Someone will see us."

"Let them," he said, the tiniest amount of hardness creeping into his voice now, "Everyone will know soon enough about us anyway Samantha."

"But not like this EJ!" said Sami determinedly trying to move out of his grasp.

EJ relented and relaxed his hold on her but didn't release her completely, instead coming to stand in front of her, his arms loosely around her waist.

"What is it Samantha?" he asked her, his face suddenly serious now.

EJ had expected there to be some hesitancy on Sami's behalf once they were back in Salem but he was determined that they should move through her fears together and come out the other side of it so they could get on with building a life together.

"Samantha?" he urged her, tightening his arms around her.

"Don't push me EJ," she said sharply, feeling her tension growing and always finding EJ an easy target, "I've got a lot to think about right now."

"I understand that sweetheart," said EJ calmly, "I know you're not looking forward to ending things between yourself and Lucas and if you think it will help I would be happy to come with you now."

"Now?" gasped Sami, her eyes going wide with shock, "You want me to speak to Lucas _now_ EJ?"

"No time like the present eh darling?" said EJ with a little smile.

"But he's in hospital!" she protested, looking up at him in real horror.

"That's perfect when you think about it sweetheart," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "He's already lying down so he won't have far to fall when you give him the news about us."

Sami pulled back then, breaking free of EJ's embrace as she looked up at him in disbelief.

"You can't possibly expect me to go in there right now and just… just…" Sami faltered then but EJ didn't.

"Just tell the truth?" he offered up helpfully, "That you have to follow your heart and be with the man you love?"

"What kind of a person does that to someone who is lying in a hospital bed after almost dying EJ?" asked Sami in horror.

"Someone who is wanting to put the past behind her where it belongs and move on with her life with the one man she knows she is truly meant to be with?" suggested EJ with an arched eyebrow, "Samantha, you do that man no favours by continuing in this pretence that you actually love him. I know you may not believe this but I do have Lucas' best interests at heart. Once you tell him the truth he can start the process of picking up the pieces of his life and moving on. Every moment you keep the truth about your love for me from him you let him live in a fool's fantasy. All three of us need to have this sorted once and for all so we can move on with our lives sweetheart."

"So you want me to go to the hospital right now and break up with Lucas on his sick bed because you actually have his best interests at heart?" said Sami, folding her arms in front of her chest and looking at him with a great deal of scepticism.

"Absolutely," said EJ firmly and then couldn't help the mischievous look that came to his eyes, "The enjoyment I'm going to get at the look on Lucas' face when you tell him is merely icing on the cake."

"EJ!" scowled Sami, unhappy to hear the obvious delight in EJ's voice at the thought, "How can you be so unfeeling?!"

"Samantha," said EJ wryly, "This might have escaped your notice sweetheart but Lucas and I detest one another. If I were to die tomorrow he'd be wheeling that hospital bed of his out to the cemetery just to do a hoe down on my grave!"

"You're exaggerating EJ," said Sami with a frown.

EJ looked steadily back at her and Sami flushed and looked away knowing that he wasn't.

"I can't do what you're asking," said Sami finally, looking back at him, "I can't do that to Lucas while he's still in hospital, it would be just so wrong of me. We share a child together EJ and there have been many, many years where we were just so rotten and disgusting to one another and I don't want to go back to that… ever."

"I understand that you have a bond in Will," said EJ firmly, "And I don't want there to be any animosity between the two of you knowing it will cause you stress Samantha and I certainly don't want Will to be put back into a war between the two of you. I know you think you are doing the right thing sweetheart but the longer you string him along the harder the fall will be and believe me you – he will not thank you for it. In fact it is guaranteed to cause the one thing you are dreading. If you make the break now, at the beginning, yes Lucas will be upset but he will get over it and he can't accuse you of misleading him. It's the only way Samantha. A quick, clean break is the only answer here."

"Stop pushing me EJ!" said Sami, sounding distressed now.

The trouble was there was sense in what he was saying… if she'd decided that EJ was the man she wanted now which seemed to be the assumption he was working under by what he was saying. But Sami wasn't so certain. She knew she had a lot of turbulent feelings about the man that she'd managed to suppress before and now Sami was having a lot of trouble even identifying what those feelings were let alone working what they meant and what she should do about it. He had them already moved in together and setting up house and EJ's calm certainty was beginning to freak her out completely. She didn't know what she wanted and having EJ tell her how it was going to be was just making her want to go the other way just to try and get some control back.

"I don't mean to Samantha," said EJ quietly, "I really only want to make your life easier."

Despite herself Sami gave a humourless laugh at that.

"When have you _ever_ made my life easy EJ DiMera?" she asked him in exasperation.

"I bought you breakfast in bed," he reminded her cheekily.

Sami shook her head at that, trust him to have an answer for everything.

"And I'd very much like to bring you dinner in bed tonight as well," he said, a little smile on his lips now as he moved towards her again.

"I am not going to say anything to Lucas about anything until he is out of the hospital," said Sami determinedly, "And if you care for me at all you'll respect my decision EJ."

EJ stopped in front of her again and pursed his lips, giving her a considered look at that.

"Alright," he conceded at last, taking her chin in his hand and rubbing his thumb back and forth over her lips, "But as soon as he's out I expect you to tell him Samantha… or I will."

"You're so domineering," Sami criticised him, deeply unhappy at being given an ultimatum like that.

"You love that about me," he said confidently, his free hand going around her waist and pulling her more firmly into his arms, "Just like I love it about you."

"I'm not domineering!" she insisted heatedly.

"God but I love it when you pout like that," said EJ huskily, his thumb running back and forth over her bottom lip then, "All I can think about when you do it how badly I want to kiss it all better."

EJ licked his lips slowly then and Sami shuddered, the sudden predatory look in his eyes telling her that he didn't want to talk anymore. Before she could protest that they were in a public place EJ had managed to move her a few feet away into a little nearby alcove that afforded them some privacy. He moved in, pinning her to the wall with his body but didn't make any other move. They held each other's gaze for a long moment, both breathing unevenly as the tension between them grew until Sami thought she would start screaming from it all.

"Kiss me Samantha," he said eventually, his dark eyes flashing.

Sami didn't think twice about it, going up on her toes to nip at his bottom lip that still glistened a little from when he'd whet his lips a moment earlier. An unnecessary enticement. Sami kissed him with a sense of urgency that EJ quickly echoed. His hand went to the back of her head and held her mouth tightly to his, not willing for her to pull away ever again. The kiss was quickly spiralling out of control until there was a discreet cough off to their right. A middle aged business man was standing there, having passed by their hidey hole and was giving them a decidedly disapproving look which EJ just steadily returned but Sami was immediately embarrassed.

The interloper moved on then under EJ's cool stare but Sami just wanted to be out of there now. She moved to get past EJ but he quickly stalled her, holding onto her waist he turned them both around so that his back was against the wall now and Sami's back was pressed up against EJ's front. He kept his arms loosely around her waist and moved so that Sami was more or less forced to lean back against him. EJ dropped his head and his hot breath was in her ear speaking quiet words that were only meant for her.

"I don't want to stop Samantha," he told her throatily, his breath tickling her ear, "I want us to go home and so I can take you to bed."

Sami's eyelids began to droop a little at that.

"I want to lay you down on my bed… strip the clothes from your body… and worship every little inch of your perfect body."

Sami made a breathy gasp at that, imagining him doing just that, her core tightening in approval.

"I know you're already wet for me my darling," he said, his voice low and gravely, "I know that when I spread your legs and move into you that you will be wet and hot and oh so very tight sweetheart… it makes me want to cry from the sheer pleasure of how it feels to mount you…"

Sami was beginning to shake in earnest now, finding it difficult to breath all of a sudden. She could so clearly see the picture he was painting in her mind's eye with his words and Sami was scared by how much she wanted him to do all the things he was saying to her.

"Every time I claim you it's perfection Samantha," he told her, his voice becoming decidedly ragged now as he inflamed not only her but himself with his words, "Utter…"

EJ kissed her neck again, arms tightening around her waist and pulling her closer to him.

"… perfection," he finished huskily.

EJ felt her body melt into his and knew her resistance was gone now. The need to be alone with her suddenly becoming paramount to everything else to for him.

"Let's get go home Samantha," he told her.

He pressed a quick kiss to her cheek and was straightening up, moving her away from him reluctantly so he could sort out their luggage and get them on their way. Sami knew she should be protesting, telling him that she needed more time to think and that simply going back to bed wasn't going to solve anything but the truth was she wanted that oblivion that came when he made love to her. Nothing else mattered, nothing else existed and her world was suddenly so complicated that it made Sami's head ache just to think of thinking about it.

When she was in EJ's arms she couldn't think of anything else and even though Sami knew it was cowardly of her, she wanted just a few more minutes of blissful diversion to stave off the inevitable train wreck that was coming. Whatever her choices were from here on in it was going to get ugly - there was just no way around it. The sound of her cell phone ringing diverted Sami from any more of her morose thoughts and she retrieved it from her bag. There had been no reception for it on the island so this was the first time it had rung all week.

"Hello?" said Sami into the receiver and EJ watched her out of the corner of his eye as he stacked their suitcases onto a trolley, "Oh hey Mom…"

EJ's jaw tightened slightly - looks like it was starting already with Sami's family wanting a piece of her.

"Oh no!" gasped Sami and EJ turned around to look at her properly with a frown.

"Yes… yes of course," said Sami hastily, "I'll be right there… don't worry Mom."

She hung up then and looked like she was in shock.

"What is it sweetheart?" he asked solicitously while privately wondering if his luck was good enough that her mother had just told her that somehow Lucas had taken a bad turn with his injuries and was currently being wheeled to the morgue as they spoke, "What's wrong?"

"It's… it's John," stammered Sami, clearly upset.

Okay, if Lucas couldn't be on that trolley to the morgue than John would be EJ's next choice he decided but he kept a carefully concerned look on his face for Sami's benefit who was looking very distressed all of a sudden.

"Samantha?"

**Chapter TWENTY SEVEN**** - ****Back To Reality**

"Samantha?" he prompted her, "What about John? What's happened darling?"

"He… he's been rushed back into surgery," said Sami dazedly, this news a harsh dose of reality to Sami, "There was bleeding… his heart failed and… and they had to revive him and take him back to surgery to see if they could stop the bleeding in time."

Sami looked up at EJ then, blue eyes full of distress.

"It… it doesn't look good," she said, her voice wavering, "Mom said the doctors told her not to get her hopes up… that it was unlikely he'd be coming out of surgery."

_One can only hope._

"Oh sweetheart I'm so sorry," said EJ instead of what he was really thinking, pulling the still shell shocked Sami into his arms and hugging her tightly.

As much as it would solve a lot of his problems to have John finally turn up his toes, EJ hated to see Sami so upset.

"I… I have to go and be with Mom," said Sami, her cheek against his chest, still trying to fathom the fact that John might actually be dying.

As rocky as their past history had been John had all she'd known as a father for a long time and it horrified her to think that she might lose him for good. Sami didn't want to think what that would do to her mother either, she would be simply devastated.

"Of course you must go," said EJ smoothly, "I'll call for a cab, don't worry about your luggage, I'll make sure it gets back to your apartment."

"Thanks," mumbled Sami, still distracted by this bad news.

EJ quickly and efficiently organised her taxi and then he was helping her into the back seat, closing the door behind her. He bent down then and looked for her.

"Give Marlena all my bests for a good outcome with John," he said calmly and then looked Sami in the eye, "And sweetheart, don't worry, I'm sure everything will work out."

Sami nodded mutely, not sure her mother would appreciate well wishes from EJ of all people but didn't say anything. EJ watched Sami being whisked away from him in the taxi and decided in vague annoyance the he should have tried harder to convince her to stay on the island a little longer. He wasn't willing to share her with others just yet which their return to Salem pretty much guaranteed he would have to. Case in point they hadn't even been back half an hour in Salem and already she was rushing off to see to her family.

They had a hold on her to be sure which would have to be dealt with sooner rather than later EJ decided. He didn't want Sami to give up her family but he did want her to stop being so dependent on their good opinion. To his way of thinking Samantha Jean Brady had absolutely nothing to apologise for and the fact that she seemed to be endlessly crawling for her family's acceptance was a real source of outrage for him. EJ was sure that once Sami stood on her own two feet and made no excuses for herself than her family would begin to respect both her and her choices for that.

Of course, the acid test was going to be how Sami would have to stand up to them when she told them that they were now a couple. It was a pretty big one to start on for Sami to exert her independence from the Brady's but it wasn't like she was going to have to go through it alone. He was going to be there, right by her side the whole time. It was unlikely that they were going to take the news well… more like guaranteed to cause at least one of them a stroke in fact! When her family found out that Samantha had given her heart to a DiMera rather than the Brady sanctioned Lucas Horton then all hell was going to break loose.

EJ was rather looking forward to it truth be told. Her family would undoubtedly have a very negative reaction which would be in direct contrast to his own father's. Stefano would welcome Sami into the family fold with open arms and EJ was excited to be able to show Sami that he wasn't the monster that her family would have her believe. He wanted Sami to love his father as he did and maybe with the undoubted shunning that was heading her way from her own family she would allow herself to look at his father with fresh eyes.

EJ's dreams of building a life together with Sami and delighting his father with the beginning of the next generation of DiMera's was tantalisingly close.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Mom!"

Sami rushed into Salem University's waiting room, being unfortunately familiar with where it was after many such anxious vigils with so many members of her family.

"Sami," said Marlena as Sami hurried up and hugged her fiercely, "Oh honey, I'm so glad you're here!"

"Of course I'm here Mom," said Sami as she returned her mother's embrace.

She pulled back then and looked at Marlena anxiously.

"How is he Mom?" she asked, her eyes full of worry.

"It doesn't look good honey," said Marlena with a quiet dignity but her eyes were tinged with great pain, "The doctors aren't very hopeful… they've told us to prepare for the worst."

"No!" said Sami, more loudly than she'd intended, "They don't know John - they don't know what a fighter he is. He'll come through this Mom, I just know he will!"

"Oh Sami," said Marlena, her eyes starting to fill up with tears, "I hope so… I don't know what I'll do if I lose John."

"You're not going to lose John Mom," said Sami firmly, her own eyes starting to water at seeing her normally stalwart mother so upset, "John is strong and he's going to pull through."

"You're right sweetie," said Marlena, putting on a brave face and blinking away her tears, "Of course you're right."

"Where is everyone?" she asked Marlena, looking around, "You're not here by yourself are you?"

"Belle and Shawn are in the chapel saying some prayers for John," said Marlena, "And Abe was here too but he got called away. He promised he'd be back though. Your dad is in court but I know he'll come as soon as he's done testifying."

"Well I'm here now," said Sami firmly, "And I'm not going anywhere until we get the news about John going to be okay."

"Thank you sweetie," said Marlena with a grateful smile and then shook her head, suddenly realising, "Oh honey, I haven't even asked - how did your business trip go? Did you manage to get that Mr Devlise to come on board as a sponsor for Mythic?"

"It doesn't matter Mom," said Sami quickly with a shake of her head, feelings of guilt at lying to her mother washing over her, "We'll talk about it later. It's not important right now."

Sami led her mother over to one of the waiting room chairs and made her sit down, taking a seat beside her. She held her mother's hand and just tried to be there for her and all the while trying determinedly not to think about what exactly had happened while she was away.

**oooOOOOooo**

"What is taking so long?" asked Marlena in anguish, unable to sit still any longer she stood up and began to pace.

It had been over an hour now since Sami had arrived to be with her mother. Shawn and Belle had turned up but then they'd had to go again to pick up Claire but they'd both promised to return once they'd dropped their daughter off at Caroline's.

"You said it was a tricky operation Mom," said Sami, quickly getting up and following her mother, "You said it might take a while for the doctors to find exactly where the bleeding was coming from."

"But John's heart has already failed once," worried Marlena, "It's doubtful how much longer it can stand being under anaesthesia like this. It's a lot of stress on it and John might go in to cardiac arrest again… which I'm sure is exactly what you'd love - isn't that right?!"

Sami gasped at Marlena's sudden vitriol until she realised that her mother was not longer looking at her but somewhere over her left shoulder. Sami turned her head and gave another gasp to see who was standing there.

"Isn't that right EJ?" Marlena repeated her question bitterly, "What are you doing here anyway - come to make sure the job you started gets finished?"

"I was here for a board meeting that I thought was on today but I was mistaken," said EJ smoothly, looking between the two women, "I saw you both standing here and wondered if there was something wrong and if I could do anything to help at all."

"Help?!" Marlena spat out the word with such force that Sami looked back at her normally calm mother with surprise, "The only way you can help EJ is by swapping places with my husband… you remember him, the man you put a bullet into the day after Christmas?!"

"Marlena," said EJ, holding up a placating hand to her, "I assure you that I had nothing what so ever to do with the tragic shooting of John, I give you my word."

"Oh and your word as a DiMera means so very much doesn't it EJ?" asked Marlena bitingly, angry tears filling her eyes.

"Despite the Salem police department's very best attempts and your ex-husband's what could only be called a vendetta against me there is absolutely no proof of me being anywhere near John the night of the shooting Marlena," said EJ evenly, "I know that pinning anything that goes wrong in this town on a DiMera is pretty much a way of life here in Salem but this time you are wrong."

"I don't believe a word you say EJ!" said Marlena angrily.

"Well that is very regrettable," said EJ and he seemed so sincere as he said it that it made Sami's head spin to see it, "Mainly because it means that while you are all fixated on me being the mad man who shot John, the real perpetrator of such a heinous act is being allowed to get away with his actions scot free."

"You are unbelievable the way you can just stand there and lie through your teeth like that," said Marlena in disgust, "I bet you're standing there just praying that John won't make it through this latest surgery!"

Sami looked at her mother in surprise at her accusation but EJ seemed unfazed.

"Actually it's quite the opposite Marlena," said EJ determinedly, "I'm praying John does pull through the surgery and wakes up very soon so he can once and for all clear up this matter and tell everyone that I am not the man who shot him."

"You will never convince me of your innocence EJ DiMera," said Marlena angrily, "Never!"

"Obviously this is a bad time," said EJ calmly, "I'll leave you both to your privacy."

EJ straightened his coat and gave Marlena a tight smile.

"I am sorry for what you and your family are going through right now Marlena," he said quietly, "Whether you believe that or not, it's the truth."

EJ inclined his head slightly at both women and turned around, heading back down the hallway.

"That man is a snake," said Marlena bitterly as she watched EJ leave.

EJ turned a corner and was gone from their view and Marlena turned back to look at Sami worriedly who hadn't spoken a word the entire time EJ had been there.

"I hate that he only lives across the hall from you and Lucas," Marlena worried.

"It's fine Mom," said Sami, trying to sound calm but the obvious hatred her mother had for EJ had thrown her for a bit of a loop.

She'd known her mother distrusted him and didn't like EJ but there had been real hatred in Marlena's eyes when she'd looked at the other man. It made Sami almost faint with fear over what her mother would make of what had happened between her and EJ this last week. Sami could just imagine the disgust and revulsion on her mother's face if she ever found out.

"Maybe you should come and stay with me until Lucas gets out of hospital honey?" offered Marlena sincerely, "I don't like the thought of you being all alone in that apartment with that man only a few feet away."

"I can handle EJ Mom," protested Sami with a frown.

"Sami he's a DiMera," said her mother tightly, "You should never underestimate how truly evil that man really is."

Sami swallowed hard and her heart sunk, not answering her mother.

**oooOOOOooo**

Twenty minutes later John was finally out of surgery and back in his room. He'd survived but the doctors had said the next twenty four hours were going to be critical. Sami had left her mother to go and get them both something to drink while Marlena kept a worried vigil beside John's bed. Sami found all the wires and tubes that John was attached to quite frightening and she was happy to have something to do and try and make herself useful. She rounded the corner on the way to the coffee machine and came to an abrupt halt at seeing the person heading the other way.

"Abe," she said, remembering just then that her mother said that her god father had planned on coming back, "Hi."

"Sami," said Abe with a little smile, "Back safely I see."

"Mm," mumbled Sami, not wanting to talk about it, "John's out of surgery."

"That's great," said Abe and he looked as though he'd breathed a giant sigh of relief, "I knew he'd pull through."

"The doctors are still being pretty negative," said Sami unhappily, "Mom's with him now if you want to go and visit for awhile, I know she'd appreciated it."

"I was planning on doing that," nodded Abe before fixing her with a steady look, "But I'm glad I ran into you Sami, I've been meaning to talk to you."

"Oh?" said Sami, suddenly feeling very nervous, "About what Abe?"

"EJ Wells," said Abe flatly, "Or rather EJ DiMera as we now know that is who he really is."

"Wh… what about him?" asked Sami, her nerves tightening.

"Sami new information has come to light about Steve and Kayla's poisoning," said Abe, looking very serious.

"You… you have evidence that EJ was the one who poisoned them?" stammered Sami, a sick feeling rising up in her stomach.

"No," said Abe, "He's too clever for that. But there are some holes starting to appear in things and it's only a matter of time before it all unravels around that smug SOB."

"Right," said Sami weakly, her shoulders slumping.

Talk about a wakeup call, she'd only been back in Salem a couple of hours and already it was being made brutally clear to her what a huge mistake she'd made in forgetting even for a moment who EJ DiMera really was.

"Patrick Lockhart along with Eve Michaels are still missing, presumed dead," said Abe before his face hardened even more, "Along with Lexie and Tek."

"Oh Abe," said Sami compassionately, putting a hand on Abe's arm solicitously, "I'm so sorry."

"EJ DiMera is at the bottom of all of those peoples' disappearances," said Abe harshly, "I'm sure of it."

"But Lexie is EJ's half sister," protested Sami fretfully, "Surely he wouldn't…"

"Don't ever underestimate what a DiMera will do Sami," Abe interrupted her bitterly; "Those people have no morals and no limits."

Sami looked away, her heart thumping erratically in her chest at the harsh reality of who EJ really was staring her in the face.

"I need to ask you a favour Sami," said Abe, looking at her intently, "I wouldn't ask it of you if it wasn't important but seeing as you live so close to EJ I need you to keep an eye on his comings and goings for us. We just need to catch a break with him - his luck can't hold forever."

"You're really sure that EJ is behind all these things aren't you Abe?" asked Sami faintly, clinging to some last sliver of hope.

"I've been a cop for a lot of years Sami," said Abe firmly, "And my gut tells me that EJ DiMera or his father is behind every one of those things we've been talking about."

Abe looked at her enquiringly then.

"So will you do it Sami?" he asked her, "I don't want you to take any risks - make sure you're never alone with EJ but if you can just keep an eye on him for us so we can finally get a head in this game he is playing with everyone in Salem?"

Over Abe's left shoulder Sami saw EJ suddenly appear, keeping his distance but watching the two of them talking with great interest. Sami tried to keep her face carefully unreadable as she looked back at Abe.

"Yes," she whispered, "I'll do it."

"Thank you Sami," smiled Abe, moving in to kiss her cheek, "And remember - no heroics, just watch the man, nothing more. The less you have to do with him the better."

"Of course," said Sami with a weak smile.

"I'd better go and check on John and Marlena," said Abe, going to move past Sami, completely oblivious to EJ's presence behind him.

"Now that you're going to be there could you please tell Mom that I'm going to visit with Lucas for a bit?" Sami asked him and Abe smiled and nodded, heading off down the corridor Sami just came up herself.

As soon as Abe was out of sight EJ approached her, looking at her a bit cautiously as she stood there, her expression inscrutable.

"Are you alright sweetheart?" he asked her softly, "You look very pale."

"I'm fine," said Sami sharply, looking over her shoulder to make sure that Abe hadn't doubled back for some reason and would find her and EJ together.

"Is John…?" began EJ a little hesitantly.

"He's out of surgery and the doctors are very hopeful he'll make a full recovery," said Sami, her lie intending to evoke some kind of response from EJ about how he felt about that but he just looked back at her calmly.

"Well that is good news," he said easily, "Marlena must be very relieved."

"She is," said Sami, almost defiantly, annoyed that she couldn't make out what he was thinking.

"You know you haven't had anything to eat since that snack on the plane sweetheart," said EJ, putting a gentle hand on her arm, "Perhaps now that you know that John is going to be alright you and I could go and get something to eat?"

Sami looked back at him with a bit of a frown.

"I… I have to go and see Lucas," she stalled him.

"Do you?" he asked her mildly but there was the slightest hardening of his jaw as he asked her that question.

"I'm not going to tell him about… about… the island," said Sami quickly, looking up at EJ for his reaction.

"Of course," he said easily, "I understand that Samantha."

"You… you do?" she said in amazement.

"Yes," said EJ, holding her gaze steadily, "I meant what I said before Samantha, I do want to make things as easy for you as I can. I agree that broadcasting what occurred between us on Ara Caman would be unnecessarily inflammatory under the circumstances."

Sami looked at him in confusion over that, completely taken aback by how he was taking this.

"Darling," said EJ calmly, lightly tracing a line down one of her pale cheeks, "All Lucas needs to know is that you no longer want to be with him, that's it. Who you do choose to be with and when is none of his concern past that point."

"There is too much going on EJ," said Sami with a distressed shake of her head, "I can't deal with this right now!"

"Then by all means take a moment Samantha," said EJ, leaning in towards her, "But you have to know that waiting on ending things between you and Lucas is not going to make the task any easier."

Sami opened her mouth to protest but EJ didn't let her speak.

"I will however abide by your decision to do this your way," said EJ smoothly before fixing her with an intent look, "Up to a point Samantha. I know your tendency to drag out unpleasant tasks in the vain hope that they will simply evaporate and that can't happen with this situation. I'll give you a couple of days to get your bearings if that is what you truly want but after that I really am going to have to insist that this is dealt with darling."

EJ moved closer then and pressed a lingering kiss on Sami's forehead and she tensed, concerned at how might be seeing them but the familiarity of his touch and the things it did to her ensured that she didn't move away.

"I love you Samantha," he said with great certainty, "We'll get through this little bit of unpleasantness together. Just don't forget what we shared on Ara Caman - how amazing our time together was. We have such an amazing future ahead of us, just focus on that and everything else will fall into place, I promise you."

Sami gave him a weak smile and nodded. She stepped back and started to head towards Lucas' room on the floor below, leaving EJ standing there. As soon as she was out of EJ's eyeshot she collapsed against the wall and gave a choked sob, closing her eyes in anguish.

Sami was used to her life being impossible and complicated but she'd really outdone herself with this latest mess. All of Abe's and her mother's words about EJ came back to her in full force. If even half of what they were saying was true about EJ it still meant that she'd slept with a complete monster. Sami's stomach churned violently at the very thought of it. On the island Salem and all that had been going on it before she'd left hadn't seemed real but all of a sudden it was very much so to Sami now.

John was barely clinging to life and there seemed to be no end to the evil deeds that could be traced back to EJ… Patrick, Steve and Kayla, Tek and even his own sister. Sami put a hand on her stomach, trying to match up the charming, flirtatious and adoring man that had wooed her so relentlessly on the island with this cold blooded killer that everyone seemed to be certain he was. Sami just couldn't seem to process the information and have it make sense. She wanted to believe that none of it was true, that it was all a big misunderstanding and that she just hadn't given herself to a soulless killer.

And the worst was yet to come to she realised despairingly. How was she meant to go and see Lucas and just pretend like she hadn't betrayed him in the worst possibly way? That day she'd caught her mother and John in the conference room, cheating on her father like that had been a defining moment for Sami. Of all the lines she'd been prepared to cross and there were a lot of them - infidelity hadn't been one of them. When she was with someone she loved them with her whole heart and wasn't looking for anyone else. In fact that had always been her problem in the past, becoming so obsessed with one person that she couldn't see beyond that.

So what was it about EJ that made her just go against something that was so important to her when she'd never been so much as tempted to consider it before now?

Sami wasn't sure that she wanted to know the answer to that - finding it easier to blame it all on EJ and his smooth ways. She'd fallen for it hook, line and sinker and now Sami had to deal with the consequences. She swallowed hard, dreading going and seeing Lucas, knowing she should confess all to him but knowing that she wouldn't. Sami was still so very confused by everything that she just didn't know which way to turn.

All she knew was that nothing could ever be the same again.


	4. Chapters 28 to 39

**FATED**

**(Chapters 28 - 39)**

**Chapter TWENTY EIGHT**** - ****Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't**

Sami took a deep breath and then pushed on the door to Lucas' room and walked in hesitantly. Lucas, who had been watching TV, turned his head when he saw the movement out of the corner of his eye, his face lighting up when he saw her.

"Sami!" he said delightedly, "You're back!"

"Hi," said Sami and trying her best to smile whilst swallowing the huge lump in her throat.

She so didn't deserve the way he was looking at her so happily. What she deserved was him to throw her out of his room and never speak to her again. In some ways it would have almost been easier on Sami if Lucas had done just that but of course, he was completely oblivious to her infidelity so there was no reason for him to do that.

"Come here," he said with a big grin, holding out his arms and wincing as his broken ribs protested the simple movement, "How about a welcome home kiss honey?"

Sami smiled and nodded, hurrying over and bending over to kiss him hello. She'd meant it to be a quick kiss on the lips but Lucas had other ideas, holding her in a long, passionate kiss. Sami's skin crawled as she felt Lucas' tongue press for entrance into her mouth and was nearly sick from guilt at feeling that way, determinedly returning his kiss with what she hoped was equal passion. The memory of EJ's kisses were still seared on her brain and on her lips and it felt so wrong to be kissing someone else and Sami despaired that things had changed to drastically in such a short amount of time. She and Lucas were the ones who were meant to be a couple, not her and EJ – this was all so wrong. They finally broke apart and Lucas pulled back and grinned up at her.

"Well now," he said, looking up at her lovingly, "That's just what the doctor ordered – I've missed you Sami… so much."

"I've missed you too," said Sami, forcing the words out through suddenly numb lips.

"What's wrong honey?" asked Lucas in concern, "You look…"

"What?" asked Sami with a frown, her guilt making her snap at him?

"Worried," finished Lucas mildly, "You look worried Sami – what's wrong? Didn't the trip go well?"

"No," said Sami distractedly and then realised Lucas would want to know why and the last thing she wanted to do was talk about the last week with him, "No… I mean the trip was fine… I'm worried about John and Mom. I've just come from sitting with her while he was in surgery."

"Oh of course," said Lucas with a concerned frown, "How is he? What are the doctors saying?"

"That it doesn't look good," said Sami, tears starting to well up in her eyes at that thought, "The doctors aren't even hopeful that he'll make it through the night."

"Yeah well the doctors don't know John very well do they?" asked Lucas, drawing her to sit beside his bed and looking across at her, "He's tough – I mean they didn't even think he'd survive the initial surgery so what do doctors know right?"

Sami tried to smile, hoping Lucas was right, unable to bear to think what John dying would do to her mother.

"I wish I'd been nicer to him," said Sami softly, her voice full of regret, "I've been so awful to him for so many years and now I might never get the chance to tell him how sorry I am."

"John knows you love him," said Lucas comfortingly.

"Does he?" asked Sami despairingly, more tears coming.

"Yes," said Lucas firmly, "He does. It's like with Will - sometimes he says some hurtful stuff but I know he still loves us."

"Mm," said Sami, looking away, not completely convinced about that fact either.

In fact Sami had no idea how anyone in the world could ever love her after all the things she'd done.

"_I love you Samantha, never forget that."_

Sami shuddered at the memory of EJ's warmly spoken words and the way he'd looked at her when he said it.

"You cold baby?" asked Lucas, rubbing her arm with a hand, "Guess Salem must seem pretty cold after Jamaica huh? Come on, tell me all about it – how did things go with that Rami guy, did you seal the deal? And I'm curious about what you got me – your email said you'd have a big surprise for me when you got back – what is it – did you get me a souvenir from your trip?"

"Who… what?" stammered Sami, her anxiety level suddenly going through the roof.

EJ had continued to email Lucas on her behalf on and off during the trip but she'd stubbornly refused to have anything to do with it. A decision she was regretting bitterly right then. Damn EJ – why did he always have to cause trouble for her she thought angrily, her mind racing as to how to get herself out of this one? Before she had a chance to formulate even a vaguely convincing lie the door was flung open and EJ stood there, grinning at them both. All of the blood left Sami's face and she felt like a cornered rat all of a sudden.

"Well look at that," said EJ chirpily, walking into the room, a white carry bag in hand, a cup of coffee in the other, "Just the two people I wanted to see."

"You're back," said Lucas flatly and then with great sarcasm, "Oh goody."

"I've missed you too Lucas," said EJ with a twinkle in his eye, "Let me count the ways…"

EJ screwed up his face and appeared to be thinking long and hard and then gave up, giving a rueful shrug.

"Apparently there weren't as many as I first thought there were," said EJ thoughtfully.

"What are you doing here EJ?" asked Lucas, unimpressed by the other man's humour as always.

"I'm here for Samantha actually," smiled EJ, looking over at the still rather pale looking Sami, "And I took a punt that she might come directly back to see you."

Sami was looking at EJ, very scared about what he was going to do next.

"Samantha I have heard nothing but good things about you from Rami Devlise," he told her, "In fact it was getting a bit embarrassing listening to the poor man sing your praises over the phone – that man is completely and utterly taken with you. Congratulations on representing Mythic so very well – I just knew you wouldn't disappoint me."

EJ smiled at her warmly then and she had no doubt that there was a lot of subtext in that statement but all she cared about in that moment was the fact the EJ appeared to be sticking to his word and keeping up the pretence of her having been in Jamaica this last week on business.

"So you sealed the deal honey?" asked Lucas, looking at her proudly.

"And then some," nodded EJ sagely and Sami gave him a quick glare that she was careful not to let Lucas see, "Mr Devlise is going to be contributing some major sponsorship deals to Mythic thanks to the lovely Samantha."

"Great job Sami," Lucas praised her, "I can't believe that you managed to get him on side so quickly."

"It was nothing," mumbled Sami, embarrassed at having to accept praise for something that never happened.

"Nonsense," said EJ with a wave of his hand, "The way Rami was talking it sounds like we were lucky he even let you off the island and return to us Samantha. In fact if we're not very careful I can see him swooping in and whisking you off your feet and stealing you away from Mythic all together."

"You're exaggerating EJ," said Sami, giving him a displeased look.

"Actually I think I'm playing down how big a hit you were sweetheart," said EJ with a grin, "Seriously darling, that man couldn't have been more impressed by your moves."

"Well thanks for letting me know EJ," she said, sounding anything but, "Sorry you have to be going now…"

"Indeed," nodded EJ regretfully and turned to go but then stopped, just as Sami was beginning to think that he actually might leave.

"Oh," said EJ, turning back to face them, "Almost forgot…"

He held out the white bag he'd been holding to Sami and she looked at it in confusion.

"I was unpacking from my trip to Paris when your bags turned up at your apartment," he informed her, "I assume you must have had them sent on so you could come directly from the airport to see Lucas. I hope you don't mind but I took the liberty of using the key you gave me for emergencies to put your luggage into your apartment Samantha."

"N… no," said Sami haltingly but was still looking at him in confusion.

"I noticed this bag amongst all those suitcases," he told her and then arched a teasing eyebrow, "Of which there were seven I might add – you're certainly a woman who likes to cover all contingencies now aren't you sweetheart?"

"Sami has never really understood the concept of packing light," agreed Lucas, almost to himself before flashing a smile at Sami, "Just another thing to love about her."

"Couldn't agree more Lucas," said EJ with a calm smile that just made Sami grit her teeth and wonder when this nightmare was going to be over, "Anyway, I saw this bag and rather thought it looked like something that you might be needing so I took a chance that you'd be here and thought I'd deliver it in person to you."

Sami took the offered bag uncertainly, frowning up at EJ in confusion.

"It looks like some souvenirs and what not you picked up in Jamaica," supplied EJ with an easy smile, leaning against Lucas' bed head with one hand, cup of coffee in the other.

Sami looked into the bag and saw that the bag had some T-shirts, jewellery and a few other bits and pieces in it. She looked back at EJ, trying to mask her surprise. Somehow or other EJ had obviously organised for someone to pick up some of these little gifts for her. Jamaica hadn't been all that far from Ara Caman so she supposed Adam or Genevieve could have made a quick stop under EJ's instructions. Sami was struck by the way EJ had planned ahead with all this. It was like he was always two steps ahead of the game when it came to her. EJ had left her in no doubt that he'd been hopeful that she would simply come back to Salem and break it off with Lucas immediately but the fact that he'd had the foresight to do this meant that he obviously had some contingency plans worked out.

Sami didn't know whether to be touched that he'd gone to such an effort to protect her reputation or to be really unsettled at how good he seemed to be at plotting. The irony was not lost on Sami about her concerns. For so many years she'd been the master manipulator, lying, blackmailing and misleading anyone or anything to get her own way. The reality of being the one being manipulated though was not a pleasant one she was finding and all of a sudden she had a lot more empathy for all those people in her life that she'd blithely manoeuvred for her own benefit. To be sure Sami had thought she'd had a good reason each and every time but still, now that the shoe was on the other foot it made her begin to realise what it must have been like for Austin, Carrie and so many other people that it made Sami to cringe to think about it.

"Thank you," she said quietly, not quite looking EJ in the eye.

"You're most welcomed sweetheart," said EJ with a little smile, "I'm only here to make your life easier you know."

Sami looked up and met his gaze at that and there was this silent moment that passed between them until she had to look away.

"Well how about making my life easier EJ?" asked Lucas with a smirk, "You've done your good deed for the day so why don't you get lost now instead of hanging around where you're clearly not wanted like a bad smell?"

"Oh it's moments like these Lucas that makes me see what it is exactly that Samantha sees in you," said EJ sweetly.

"Why don't you just shut the hell up and get out of here EJ?!" asked Lucas bitterly, his voice starting to get louder.

"Don't get upset Lucas," said Sami quickly, "It's not worth it."

"Samantha is right," nodded EJ with a quirk of his lips, "You do look a little peaked I have to say old boy."

"I'm fine," said Lucas through gritted teeth, "In fact I'm getting out of here tomorrow."

"You are?" asked Sami in surprise, looking down at Lucas' still heavily bandaged leg, "What about your leg… and your ribs Lucas? You can't use crutches with broken ribs can you? What if you fall – I wouldn't be able to lift you…?"

"I'd be happy to," said EJ brightly, "Although I'm going to draw a line at getting you in and out of a bath – I'd like for us to keep some of the mystery there between us eh Lucas?"

EJ grinned at that and Lucas' scowl only darkened.

"It would be a cold day in hell before I asked for your help Elvis!" growled Lucas.

"Actually it was a cold day in December," said EJ calmly, "You remember don't you – a week and a half ago – me saving your life and all."

"Don't hold your breath waiting for a thank you," said Lucas flatly and then thought better of it, "No, wait – do hold your breath EJ because I'd enjoy watching you go blue and passing out."

"Can you two please just stop already?" asked Sami, feeling her tension growing with every passing second as she gave them both an exasperated look, "John is one floor away struggling to survive, my Mom's heart is breaking and all you two can do is bicker like children! Enough – you're both giving me a headache!"

"Sorry," mumbled Lucas, throwing her a sheepish look.

"Yes," said EJ sincerely, "My apologies Samantha. It would seem Lucas and I bring out the worst in each other."

"You should just go EJ," said Sami tiredly.

"Of course," nodded EJ, "Well I guess I'll be seeing you both back at the apartment soon enough anyway."

"Not if we see you first," said Lucas and then realised he'd done it again and threw an apologetic look at Sami, "Sorry honey."

"Welcome back Samantha," said EJ quietly, "It's good to see you again – I can't wait to hear more about your trip away. Perhaps we can exchange some notes soon so you can bring me up to speed with a few things."

"Fine," nodded Sami, not looking at him again, "And… ah… thanks for bringing me the gift bag. It was very… thoughtful of you EJ."

"Like I said sweetheart," replied EJ softly, "Anything for you."

EJ inclined his head to them both and then turned around and left without another word.

"Man that guy just never knows when to leave does he?" asked Lucas in exasperation when the door had closed behind EJ.

Sami didn't say anything, just gave him a weak smile.

"So," said Lucas teasingly, obviously not wanting to talk about EJ anymore, "What did my girl bring me back from Jamaica mon?"

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami walked out of Lucas' room after having visited with him for a while and looked around. She'd fully expected to see EJ there waiting for her but he was nowhere to be seen. Sami was surprised by this but decided to take advantage of it, wanting to go back and see how John was doing and to check if her mother needed anything. When she walked into intensive care it was to find her mother quietly crying beside John's bed. He looked no worse, still hooked up to all the leads and wire and deathly still, the machines beeping and dinging away quietly, reassuring everyone that John was still hanging in there. Sami moved away without her mother seeing her, deciding to give her some privacy.

She didn't want her mom to think she had to be strong for her so let her be with her grief for the time being. It tore Sami's heart out to see her mother so upset and she felt unbearably hopeless about the whole thing. Sami walked out of ICU and began to aimlessly wander the halls. She had so many thoughts running through her head all at once that she couldn't seem to put them into any kind of order. She found a vacant room and on impulse went into it, standing there and just trying to make sense of everything that had happened to her in the last week without people around.

Sami was used to her life turning into a disaster at a moment's notice when one of her schemes would fall through but this felt even worse than normal. Usually she only had herself to blame when it all blew up in her face but this time round all she had wanted to do was save Lucas' life and look where that had led. If only she hadn't gone away with EJ to that island and if only she hadn't slept with him then Sami wouldn't be feeling so sick with guilt and worry.

There were so many conflicting things going through her head. On the one hand there was her family whom she loved and only wanted them to be proud of her. Lucas felt like a way forward with all of that and for the first time she was in a relationship that she hadn't lied or cheated her way into and that felt really good. She knew Lucas, understood him and there was a security to knowing that that Sami had never really had before and there was a definite allure to the notion. They shared a son together and Sami did love him. Lucas had been a part of her life for so long now and even though many of those years had been spent hating one another even in that there was a reassuring familiarity, perverse though it was. Lucas represented all that she'd longed for her entire life – security, acceptance and love. Sami shook her head then in quiet anguish.

So why had she gone and risked all that for one man?

It didn't make any sense and it would have been easy to just agree with everyone who called herself destructive but Sami knew it wasn't just that. For the first time in her life a man had pursued her, only her as his first, last and only choice. She'd watched that happen time and time again with her sister Carrie – Austin, Lucas, Mike – they'd all panted after her like mindless puppy dogs, blinded by the light of St Carrie. All the while Sami had been a forgotten after thought at best. No one had seen her until she made them and no one had wanted her.

EJ's words Lucas throwing her to one side if Carrie turned up now and ask him to take her back still stung – unable to deny the ring of truth to it. No matter how hard she tried and no matter what Lucas said she knew she was always going to be his second choice. Before renewing their relationship Sami had promised herself that she would let that go, that there was no good to come out of obsessing over the past. And it had worked, for the most part but there were still moments when she was with Lucas that she wondered if he was thinking about Carrie or comparing her to her sister and finding her wanting. Sami knew she might be being unfair to Lucas and he was doing no such thing but the notion still haunted her periodically.

EJ was so different to any kind of relationship she'd ever had with a man before and Sami just couldn't fathom it. It made no sense that he could want her the way he said he did – she wasn't the type of woman that men went crazy over, that was Carrie. She was the type of woman that drove men crazy with her schemes and behaviour and not in a good way. There had to be an agenda on EJ's behalf, something to make him pursue her like he had because no man in their right mind would really want her like that. The way EJ claimed to love her, the good and the bad bit's equally was simply impossible.

For so long now all she'd craved was someone to accept her as she was but the truth was that was never going to happen. She had to stop living in a fantasy world and deal with reality. Sami knew she needed to grow up and start making better choices in her life, accept responsibility and try and be the kind of person that her family and Lucas could be proud of. She was sick and tired of seeing that look of disappointment and disgust on their faces when they looked at her. If they ever found out about what had passed between her and EJ on that island or that she'd even gone away with him then Sami knew that was exactly how they'd look at her and she couldn't bear the thought. EJ had turned her head, made her lose herself in the fantasy world he'd created between the two of them but now that fantasy was over.

_But it felt so real._

A stubborn little voice in the back of her head whispered to her, not willing to let it go. Sami closed her eyes, remembering the way EJ had looked at her, the way he'd touched her. There had been such an intensity to it all that she'd been utterly swept away by his ardour and to Sami's great surprise there had been this answering passion that had sprung out of her as well. The worst part was it hadn't just been about the sex. As much as she hated to admit it there had been this connection between the two of them and that more than anything terrified her. How could she have any feelings at all other then loathing and disgust for a man that had already visited so much pain on her own family? There just had to be something wrong with her she decided in despair. A normal person would have found EJ's charms easy to resist when they knew what he was capable of but it hadn't stopped Sami from going willingly into his arms.

Sami felt like she was at war with herself. A part of her wanted to be safe and secure and please everyone but there was also this other part of her that wanted that wild ride and adventure, to tell everyone to go to hell and that this was who she was, deal with it. Both things were mutually exclusive and boiled down to one thing – a choice between EJ and Lucas. For so long now she'd been told that her past hellion ways were unacceptable that it had become second nature to Sami to be deeply ashamed about who she was deep down inside.

EJ was telling her that wasn't true and that she was perfect as she was and there was a big appeal to that but Sami simply couldn't believe it. No one who'd ever known her had told her she was okay just as she was so how could she take the word of someone who barely knew her and a DiMera no less over that of the people who knew her best? But the lure of being accepted, no matter by who it was for who Sami knew she really was deep down inside was hard to resist. Despite all the reason in the world, all the logic there was something about EJ DiMera that just made Sami melt and lose herself but then EJ would probably argue that she was at last finding herself by embracing her feelings for him.

Around and around Sami's thoughts went until her head was spinning from the confusion of it all.

"Penny for your thoughts sweetheart?"

Sami whirled around to see EJ standing in the doorway of the room looking at her, the barest of smiles on his lips.

Of course he'd found her, he always seemed to find her and Sami wasn't even surprised anymore – it just felt like that was the natural order of things nowadays. EJ walked a little further into the room when Sami didn't answer him immediately.

"You're looking pale again," he observed but not in a critical fashion but more with concern, "What's wrong Samantha?"

"I've been thinking," she said, her voice strained.

"They don't seem like very happy thoughts," he noted, reaching out a hand and tucking a wayward strand of hair behind her ear before dragging his fingers knuckles ever so lightly down one of her cheeks.

EJ bent his head then, intent on kissing her but Sami hurriedly stepped back, shaking her head at him.

"I can't think when you do that," she told him breathlessly.

EJ let his hand drop back to his side, looking at her intently. Sami knew he was trying to work out what she was thinking and it was hard to hold her composure under such close scrutiny.

"And what exactly have you been thinking to make you look so sad my darling?" he asked her mildly at last.

"I'm not sad," she said, her chin lifting defiantly at the suggestion of that.

"Pensive then," he said easily with a little shrug, "Samantha, talk to me please, you're starting to worry me."

"EJ…"

**Chapter TWENTY NINE**** - ****The Reckoning**

Her lips on his could tell him better than all her stumbling words.

~ _Margaret Mitchell _~

EJ and Sami stood in the hospital room as people moved about outside in the corridor but both were oblivious to such things.

"It's over," she blurted out.

"You and Lucas?" asked EJ in surprise, ever hopeful.

"You and me… whatever it was," said Sami flatly, "It's done… over."

EJ didn't react immediately, just stood there looking at her silently and Sami's nerves tightened to almost breaking point as he looked back at her calmly.

"Just like that?"

Finally he spoke and Sami tensed at the amount of control she could hear in his voice.

"Yes," she said defiantly.

EJ pondered that again for a long moment until Sami wanted to start screaming from all of the tension. She was used to shouting matches, she was good at that but this was something again.

"No."

"No?" repeated Sami in confusion, wrinkling up her nose, "What do you mean no?"

"It means no we are not over Samantha," said EJ simply, "We can never be over – our love is written in the stars remember?"

"And I'm saying yes it is," said Sami with a frown.

"No," said EJ again, very firmly and then shook his head, "You're just a little spooked sweetheart. You've come back to all this drama and it's got you rattled. It's perfectly understandable Samantha, it really is but you've got to realise what is at stake here."

"I do," she said, her voice starting to rise, "What do you think I've been standing here and thinking about all this time? There is a huge amount at stake here EJ and for the first time in my life I'm going to do the right thing."

"And the right thing is resigning yourself to a life full of drudgery and boredom with Lucas Horton is it?" asked EJ tightly, "Is this yourself imposed penance for all those supposedly terrible indiscretions in your past? Is Lucas your ten Hail Mary's eh darling?"

"Lucas loves me!" snapped Sami.

"Oh please," said EJ in disgust, "I'm sure Lucas also loves steak dinners and being able to pick his teeth with a fork afterwards but it doesn't exactly make your heart go pitter patter now does it sweetheart?"

"He does actually," said Sami, defiant as always when presented with something she didn't want to hear.

"He may have," shrugged EJ, not letting her get away with it, "But not any longer, not now that we've made love and you realise just who exactly your body was made for…"

EJ paused then, holding her gaze steadily as his eyes flared warmly.

"… me," he said softly, "Just like mine was made for yours. Every other person will feel like a substitute for us from now on and you know it Samantha."

"That's insane," said Sami unsteadily.

"No it's not," said EJ determinedly, taking a step closer to Sami, "No woman has ever wrung such indescribable pleasure from my body as you have Samantha and I know it was the same for you. And it wasn't down to technique or anything like that."

EJ closed the last little distance between as he said that, cupping her face with his hand and pressing his forehead against hers.

"That first time Samantha," he whispered to her, his voice urgent and sounding awe struck at even the memory, "That first time I entered your body, the way it felt to be inside you, as close as two people can ever be on this earth…"

EJ closed his eyes then, struggling to put into words what he'd felt in that instance, to make her understand the enormity of what had transpired between them.

"It felt as though we were no longer two people," he told her huskily, opening his eyes again as he continued to press his forehead to hers, "And that feeling didn't leave me when I left your body. In fact it only grows stronger with each passing day. Samantha, you have to be feeling this too - this isn't all in my head, I just know it. We are connected in a way that defies explanation. The first moment I saw you I recognised you."

"From photos that Stefano probably showed you when you were hatching your plan," said Sami, abruptly pushing away from him.

It was too hard to be that close to him, to hear him say those words in those low, rich tones. Sami had needed to put some distance between them, physically and emotionally if she was to see her decision through.

"No," said EJ sharply, letting her move a little ways away from him but no further, "It wasn't like that Samantha, you were so familiar, so real to me it was as though we'd already lived a life time together and we were just finding each other again."

His words rang true to Sami and she couldn't bear to think what that meant. There was this strange familiarity to EJ from the moment that they had met that Sami had no answer for. He'd seemed to know who she was deep down inside instantly and that terrified Sami. He'd told her once that she was like a moth to the flame when it came to him and he hadn't been wrong. Despite knowing that it was going to be a disaster Sami had succumbed to EJ's flame and had died the most glorious of deaths in doing so. But now it was time to face up to what she'd done and be strong and for once in her life do the right thing and even more importantly then that, protect her heart. For so long now she'd just thrown her heart open wide to men that had just trampled it under foot and Sami didn't feel as though she could stand one more heart break, certain it would kill her.

"Samantha," said EJ with great certainty, his eyes almost blazing with the intensity of his emotions, "I know that we are meant to be together - you are the one, the only, great love of my life."

Sami looked down then, bitting her lip and reminding herself of all the reasons that she shouldn't be taken in by the words she'd always dreamed of hearing spoken to her.

"Do you want to know what I know EJ?" she asked him, looking up then and pining him with a defiant look, "I know that you are a brilliant liar and I should know what I'm talking about because you've yourself have told me on more than one occasion that I'm particularly gifted in that area as well."

"Samant…" but Sami cut him off with a wave of her hand.

"Let me finish please," she said shortly, "You are such a good liar I can't tell when what is coming out of your mouth are lies or the truth. That's a hard thing for me to admit but it's true. You tell me that you love me and that we are destined to be together and that I am the only woman you will ever love and I look at you and you seem so sincere. But then you tell my father that you were nowhere near the cabin when John was shot and you seem equally sincere when I know for a fact that wasn't true."

"You can believe me when I tell you that I love you Samantha," he told her earnestly, "I've never spoken the truth more so then with those words."

"Would you believe that if you were me EJ?" she challenged him, "You turn up on my doorstep out of the blue, pretending to be my friend, claiming that you're attracted to every part of me, the good and the bad and then I find out that it was all just lies and half truths. It turns out that you are a DiMera, that you belong to the one family that has been determined for years now to destroy mine. How am I meant to feel about that? Am I meant to be happy, to just accept everything you say after that at face value? I don't think so - I'm not an idiot EJ even though you clearly think I am!"

"I think no such thing Samantha!" said EJ, his lips thinning as his ire began to increase, "You are by far and away the most intelligent woman I have ever met - it's you who underestimates herself, not me! You think you need your families and the likes of Lucas Horton's approval to amount to anything and that is complete poppycock!"

"You expect me to believe that all this…" she made an expansive gesture with her hand then, "Your pursuit of me, the island, all this talk of love is because you've fallen for me?"

"Why is that so incredibly hard to believe Samantha?" asked EJ in frustration, "You are a woman that would turn any man's head."

"Right!" snorted Sami in disbelief, knowing that to be anything but true, nothing in her past having shown that to her, "I see how it is EJ, I see the enjoyment you get over having one up on Lucas. It really floats your boat to put him down doesn't it?! You know, best as I can figure it, you're doing all this, this supposed wooing of me just so you can stick it to Lucas and my family, pay them back for how badly you think they've treated you! That's the best case scenario because if it isn't that then it must be some other secret agenda you and Stefano have cooked up between you and I don't mind telling you EJ - that scares the hell out of me!"

"Firstly," said EJ, his jaw working madly as he tried to keep his anger at her accusations in check, "Do you know why I despise Lucas so much - do you Samantha?"

EJ looked away briefly then, trying to get himself back under control.

"It's because he places so very little value in you and that makes you do the same," he told her, his anger at that obvious in his tone, "You are so grateful that that man will even give you the time of day, so much so it turns my stomach to see it when it should be the other way round! You hold Lucas up to be some great pinnacle of virtue when all he is a drunken mama's boy that likes to brow beat and belittle you to keep you in place! Why can't you see this Samantha?! It's unforgivable how your family and others in your life have made you value yourself so poorly. You can't even begin to comprehend that a man might just love you for who you are can you Samantha - it's beyond you at the moment and does that make me have contempt for the people in your life who did that to you… without hesitation I'm going to answer a big hell yes to that!"

"I have done some horrible, unforgivable things EJ!" she defended her loved ones hotly, "It's only right that I should be grateful that they've chosen to forgive me!"

"I can't believe I'm hearing this!" exclaimed EJ, throwing his hands up in the air in disgust, "None of those people are exactly saints Samantha - your father has no compunction about falsifying evidence to make a case against people he deems to be guilty, your mother is an adulterer, Lucas is a man who left the mother of his son to languish on death row for a crime he committed! None of these people deserve the deference you are giving them Samantha! They are flawed human beings, just like you and I but at least we don't pretend to be otherwise, unlike all the nay sayers in your life! They are hypocrites, every last one of them and it drives me insane to see you give their good opinion so much stock in your life!"

EJ moved closer then, grabbing the tops of her arms almost too tightly as he leaned down, looking at her earnestly.

"Samantha I know I'm not perfect and if you're asking then yes, I have done things in my life I'm not particularly proud of," he said, looking at her unflinchingly, "Just like you I aspire to be a good person but also just like you there is this part of me that knows what he wants and will do what it takes to get it. We are a rarity in this world Samantha. Most people are so paralysed by their fears that they never do anything but that isn't us. There is nothing we won't do to realise our deepest desires, nothing! The world tells us that we should be ashamed of that but I say to hell with them! There is no magnificence in a person's soul when they are not prepared to fight to the death for what they truly believe is meant to be! Samantha, your fire, your spirit, burns so brightly that I can barely breath around you! Please, please don't abandon all that for a life of tedium and to please people that will never know what it is to feel that deeply!"

Sami could feel her heart hammering away in her chest at his passionately spoken words and found it hard to believe that he wasn't being sincere with her. She broke away from EJ, turning her back to him so she could collect herself, knowing there was one way she could be certain of his intentions. She turned back around and looked at him, her face set determinedly.

"You love me?" she posed the question to him.

"Yes!" said EJ emphatically.

"You have no ulterior motive for wanting to be with me other than the fact that you love me?" she pushed him, looking at him and trying to keep her voice steady, "All you want is for us to be together, no matter what that takes?"

"Yes Samantha," he told her sincerely, "You're everything I've ever dreamed of in a woman and more. I will do what it takes to make you happy, to make you mine."

"Alright then," said Sami quietly.

"Alright?" repeated EJ, looking at her a little uncertainly.

She'd made such a performance of pointing out her distrust of him just now this about face seemed very sudden, even for Sami.

"Alright," she nodded, "We can be together EJ."

"Samantha!" said EJ delightedly, moving to take her in his arms but she stalled him with a raised hand.

"On one condition," she finished her statement.

"Which is?" asked EJ, suddenly cautious but pretty confident he could meet whatever requirement she asked of him.

"You cut all ties with your father… forever," she told him flatly, "You turn your back on him, his money and his empire and never have anything to do with him ever again."

"What?" asked EJ, taken aback, "You can't be serious Samantha - he's my father!"

"You seem pretty comfortable for me to give up my family, my friends so I can be with you," she pointed out, her tone hardening as she saw the shock on his face, "I don't think it's an unreasonable request EJ. You tell me that your father isn't controlling you, that you are your own man and you're not working any secret agendas with him well prove it to me. Cut him out of your life, permanently and I might begin to believe all the things you've been saying to me."

EJ stared at her and then shook his head, pressing his lips together tightly.

"Samantha I love my father," he told her, "He means a great deal to me and if you give him a chance…"

"You mean like you gave my family a chance?" she asked him sweetly.

"That is completely different," said EJ with a scowl.

"I don't see how EJ," she said calmly but inside her heart was sinking because Sami knew that his reaction to this only confirmed her worst fears.

Everything EJ had ever said to her was a lie. It was clear that Stefano was the most important person in EJ's life and Sami knew she could never be with a man who had such a deep allegiance to the monster that had been the cause of seemingly endless heartbreak and torment to her family. If Sami had ever, even in her wildest fantasies, entertained a life with EJ that hope was gone now.

"My father would embrace you like a daughter Samantha!" said EJ, his voice starting to rise a bit in frustration, "There is no need to cut him from our lives!"

"I bet he would," said Sami bitterly, "Another Brady trophy to taunt the rest of my family with! You know, I've done some really dumb things in my life EJ but I'm not going to add getting caught up with Stefano DiMera to that already long list!"

"This is not about my father!" said EJ tersely, "This is about you and I Samantha!"

"You, your father," said Sami, her own voice starting to get louder now, angry at herself for letting things get to this point between them, "It's the same thing EJ! A DiMera is a DiMera! My mother, whom I _love_ EJ, is up there, crying her eyes out for a man that is at death's door and he's in that condition because of a DiMera!"

Sami made a distressed face at that but forced herself to continue despite the sudden pain in her heart at the thought of her mother.

"You or one of his other lackey's put a bullet in him - it doesn't matter which because it all means the same thing!" she said accusingly, "You must be as crazy as your old man EJ to think for one second that I would willingly join with a man who is a part of all that evil!"

"Is that right?!" bit out EJ, his face clouding with his anger, "I seem to recall some pretty willing joining on your behalf sweetheart only a few hours ago! Or was it just my crazy DiMera imagination the way your legs were wrapped around me in that airplane bathroom, trying not to scream your head off as you came all over me?"

"You just shut up EJ!" said Sami angrily, her face flushing at his graphic, "That was a huge mistake and…"

"NO!" EJ practically shouted the word and Sami started, surprised by his force but she didn't have time to do anything else as EJ closed the distance between them in two quick strides and hauled her into his arms, crushing her lips under his.

Sami struggled briefly but it was no use, EJ had such a tight hold on her that she wasn't going anywhere without his say so. EJ walked them backwards, still kissing her hungrily until Sami suddenly felt the edge of the hospital bed at the back of her knees and then they were both tumbling backwards onto the bed. EJ quickly covered her body with his, holding her in place with his much greater size as he continued to ravish her mouth with a series of bruising kisses. Sami knew she shouldn't find this exciting but she couldn't help herself, giving in to him as she felt one of his knees move between her legs, making himself comfortable between them.

EJ felt her relax against him, her softness yielding to him but he wasn't taking any chances. One of his hands went to the back of Sami's head, his fingers burying themselves in her soft blonde hair and holding her in place so he could plunder her sweetness properly. He felt one of Sami's hands come up and begin to stroke his face and he knew that she was his again.

He managed to drag his mouth from hers, the soft mewing noises Sami was making in the back of her throat driving him insane.

"Don't ever say we that it was a mistake Samantha, that we can't be together," he groaned against her neck, "You belong to me…"

EJ's hand found its way up under Sami's skirt, cupping the gentle swell at the apex of her thighs before his fingers began to stroke at the thin satin barrier of her panties.

"You know don't you darling?" he said throatily, nipping along her jaw line, "You know that you want me inside of you again because that is where I belong… that you're already wet for me…"

Sami gave a little whimper as she felt his fingers sneak under her panties and begin to stroke at her folds that were already becoming swollen as her arousal grew, all slick and plump, crying out for more from him and EJ obliged them, running up and down them even as her core cried out for some attention from him. His mouth was on hers again now, tongue darting out, licking at her lips, teasing her with the promise of more hard kisses but making her wait for it. It was like Sami was paralysed, unable to do anything else but submit as she waited for the next assault on her body with anxious anticipation.

"… that even though so much of my seed is already deep inside of you…" EJ kissed her mouth hard then, briefly stopping talking, "... you're still hungry for more… just like I'm craving to give you more…"

There was something about the way he said that last thing that was particularly confronting for Sami and when she felt his other hand go to his belt buckle, preparing to release himself she was suddenly galvanised into action.

"No!" she said, tearing her mouth from his and pushing on his shoulders, "No, NO, NOO!"

EJ was taken aback by her sudden change of mood and let her push him off her, rolling to one side of the bed. Sami sat up and quickly threw her legs over the side of the bed wanting to put some distance between them. What she really wanted to do was stand up but she knew that her legs were shaking so badly after that encounter that they would be unlikely to hold her up. She pressed her lips together and made a pained expression, closing her eyes.

What the hell had she been thinking she wondered in anguish?!

She'd just told EJ to basically go to hell and then seconds later she was on her back and almost giving in to him all over again. Her body pulsated in frustration at being denied but Sami was even more frustrated with herself for being so weak.

"Samantha," said EJ raggedly, holding out a hand to her as he still lay stretched out on the bed, obviously trying to regain his senses as well.

Sami jerked away, refusing to look at him.

"I… don't… want… this," she said, each word said with great emphasis.

She turned back to look at him then, determinedly extinguishing all the passion from her eyes and leaving them cold and lifeless.

"I want you out of my life EJ," she said, her voice hard.

"That isn't going to happen Samantha," he told her, his voice harsh sounding now as he struggled to get himself back under control.

"Yes it is," she said coolly, finally managing to stand up then and looking down at him with as much disdain as she could muster.

She had to do this, she told herself, there was too much at stake to risk letting EJ into her life anymore than he was already. She watched him as he climbed off the bed, his hands going to redo his belt buckle.

"This is over EJ," she told him tersely, going back to her earlier statement, "You and I… it's never going to happen - deal with it!"

"I'm not the one who is failing to deal with the reality of this situation sweetheart," he returned tightly, "One touch from me and the real truth about how you feel came bursting out of you Samantha. This thing between us is bigger than both of us and the very next time we kiss you won't be able to deny that any longer."

"You are _never_ going to kiss me again EJ DiMera!" she spat out angrily, scared that his words might be actually true and promising herself that she'd never let him get close enough to make good on his threats ever again.

EJ stared back at her steadily, an inscrutable expression on his face. Sami braced herself for more fighting but he surprised her, simply turning around and walking to the door. She held her breath, anxious for him to leave the room before all of her bravado was utterly lost but at the last moment EJ half turned and looked back at her.

"I'm never going to give up Samantha," he told her simply, "You can run all you like but eventually you're going to have to stop… and when you do…"

EJ fixed her with an unblinking stare and Sami determinedly matched it, knowing that backing down now wasn't an option.

"… I'll be there…" said EJ softly, "… loving you."

EJ turned back and exited the room then and Sami counted to ten after the door shut, half expecting him to charge back through it but when that didn't happen she sank back down on the bed, trembling violently. She'd done it - she'd ended this insanity between herself and EJ. Sami waited for the sense of relief at that knowledge to wash over her but it simply didn't come. She looked back over her shoulder to the now crumpled sheets of the bed thanks to her and EJ's frantic carry on.

Now all she had to do was stick to her guns and pray that EJ wasn't going to say anything about Ara Caman. Sami closed her eyes, worrying intensely about both things.

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ closed the hospital room door behind him quietly and walked out into the corridor. He stopped then and stared unseeingly at a potted plant across the hallway.

It would have been a lie to say that this possibility hadn't occurred to him, that they would return from the island and Sami would once again be under her family's influence so he shouldn't have been surprised but he was. Sami had cut him to the quick just then, unable to fathom how she could continue to deny what was between them so vehemently. Her ability to insert her own reality into a situation was simply staggering to EJ but god help him, it only made him admire her more… albeit in a frustrated way. EJ had lied to her when he told her that he'd be there waiting when she decided to stop running. He wasn't a patient man and to sit passively by while Sami continued to live in her deluded fantasy world was something EJ was simply incapable of.

"I guess we're going to have to do this the hard way Samantha Jean," he said quietly, his jaw clenching determinedly and his eyes hardening, "But make no mistake, no matter what you say, you're mine and no one else's but I guess I'm just going to have to prove that to you now aren't I?"

_And so it begins…_

**Chapter THIRTY**** - ****The Keys To The Kingdom**

There is no disguise that can for long conceal love where it exists

or simulate it where it does not.  
~ _Francois De La Rochefoucauld_ ~_**  
(**_1613-1680, French Classical Writer)

EJ drove the route home to his apartment from the hospital on automatic pilot, his thoughts consumed with by one woman but that wasn't exactly a new development for him. No one had ever impacted on his life as fiercely as Samantha Brady had and continued to do. Even now EJ was struggling to comprehend the fact that she'd chosen to return to Lucas over staying with him. In his entire life EJ had never been rejected be a woman and it was an odd sensation to be sure. He knew it was only temporary of course because he'd always gotten whatever it was that he set his mind to… it was just that it had never taken this long before. There was a measure of wounded male ego of course but it was far more than that, much more.

"How could you go back to him Samantha?" he asked the bitter question to the empty car, shaking his head in frustration.

So was the mystery that was Samantha Jean Brady.

All the things that EJ loved about Sami - her stubbornness, her loyalty, her single mindedness was coming back to bite him on the butt. EJ sighed heavily, wondering when the next opportunity for Sami to be anywhere near his preferably naked butt would be again - very, very soon if he had anything to say about - which he did as it turned out. EJ's cell phone rang then and he fumbled in his coat pocket for it, keeping his attention on the road. He snapped it open and held it to his ear.

"Hello?" he said into the phone, steering with one hand, "Oh hi… no I just got back a few hours ago… what?!… when?… no, I've just come from there, I'm not far away… I'll meet you there."

EJ clicked his cell phone shut and threw it carelessly on the passenger seat beside him before quickly changing lanes and turning the car around, heading back the way he came.

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ hurried down the hallways of Salem University and despite the gravity of the situation couldn't help but look for Sami as he went. She was nowhere to be seen but as he entered the emergency waiting room area he instantly saw someone else whom he recognised.

"Tony," he said urgently, his long legs striding over the distance that separated them, "How is he, what have the doctors said?"

"They are still in with him," said Tony, his face set in grave concern.

"What happened?" asked EJ with an anxious frown.

"He started to have trouble breathing all of a sudden," said Tony stoically, masking his obvious concern, "The paramedic thinks one of his lungs collapsed."

EJ put a hand to the back of his neck, rubbing it distractedly.

"Why didn't you contact me if Father was deteriorating?" asked EJ in frustration.

"Father is deteriorating every day Elvis," said Tony bitingly, "And besides, you were on Ara Caman with your brood mare so I thought it was best not to disturb you."

"Don't call her that!" growled EJ, his face becoming suddenly stormy.

"Why?" shrugged Tony, unconcerned at his younger brother's obvious ire, "It's what she is isn't she - the vessel for the next generation of DiMera's? Father gave you two simple tasks Elvis - kill John Black…"

"SHH!" said EJ almost violently, looking around him but there was no one nearby at the time thankfully, "Keep your voice down Tony - we don't need to advertise our business to the entire hospital!"

"Especially not the part of it that will see you warming a prison bunk for many years to come eh brother?" asked Tony, his eyes cold.

EJ glared back at him, eyes narrowing. He'd had little contact with his older brother growing up and he was beginning to be glad of that fact. There was something about Tony that EJ was finding increasingly unsettling, sinister almost and as the days passed and their father got sicker and sicker it seemed that Tony felt less inclined to hide his jealousy of his younger brother from EJ.

"As I was saying before you so rudely interrupted me," said Tony with a pointed look at EJ, "You were tasked with two jobs from our father and seeing as one of those appeared to be beyond your capabilities as John Black is still refusing to die…"

"It's just a matter of time," bit out EJ, "He's at death's door, he can't last much longer."

"Better men than you have made that erroneous assumption when it comes to Father's favourite pawn," said Tony off handedly, "But I guess time will tell. What I really want to know little brother is if you managed to complete the second task that Father set you? I trust that you were successful in impregnating that Brady spit fire of yours?"

"This is neither the time or the place Tony," said EJ, trying to keep his anger in check at hearing Sami being talked about in such terms even though what Tony was actually saying was true but EJ still took offence.

"I disagree little brother," said Tony tersely, "This is exactly the time and the place. Our father is dying and the only chance he has are the stem cells from your spawn - we need to know if you were successful or not."

"That is private business between Father and I," said EJ tightly, "I'm not going to be discussing it with you Tony."

"But I am the head of the family Elvis," pointed out Tony, a little smug smile playing around the edges of his mouth, "Until Father is back to full health of course."

"Father was grooming me to take his place Tony," said EJ sharply, "After all, I am his flesh and blood."

"But I think you've proved that you still require a little more grooming Elvis if your disastrous attempts at ending John Black's life is anything to go by," said Tony mockingly, "I am the older brother, I have the experience and I am the one Father left in charge."

Any further bickering on the subject was interrupted by the emergency doctor.

"Mr DiMera?" he asked, looking between them.

"We're his sons," said EJ quickly, "How is he doctor?"

"He's critical," acknowledged the doctor, "But stable for the time being but I must be frank - your father is living on borrowed time."

"How long do you think he has?" asked EJ stoically, sticking his hands in his pockets and looking solemn.

"Frankly Mr DiMera," said the doctor with a bit of a shrug, "It's amazing he's lasted this long. I can't give you any length of time, it would just be a wild guess on my behalf but time is running out for your father… I'm very sorry."

"Don't be," said Tony sharply, "Our father has an indomitable spirit, this is not how he's going to die."

The doctor nodded, not commenting.

"Can we see him?" asked EJ quietly.

"You may," nodded the doctor, "But one at a time until we get him fully stabilised hmm?"

"You go," offered Tony to EJ, "You've been away all week Elvis, I'm sure Father will be anxious to see you."

"Ah… he's still unconscious," interrupted the doctor, "We are keeping him sedated for the time being."

"I'm sure Father will still feel the presence of his beloved youngest child on some level," said Tony smoothly and only EJ heard the mocking undertones to that comment.

"Thank you Tony," said EJ calmly, knowing this was neither the time or the place to deal with his older brother.

He left Tony standing there, following the doctor to Stefano's room. EJ stood there in the door way for a moment, taking in the sight of his father hooked up to all of those tubes, an oxygen line under his nose. He'd grown use to seeing his father in failing health but the sight of a once such robust and vibrant man in such a state hit EJ hard. He walked into the room and stood by his father's bed, looking down at him. He seemed smaller somehow, almost fragile. Stefano's presence, even when he'd been ill had filled every room he'd ever been in and it was confronting to EJ to see his father so helpless. Stefano DiMera was the Phoenix, the man who could not die… and he was dying.

"Hello Father," said EJ softly, bending over and pressing a kiss to Stefano's forehead before taking a seat beside the bed.

He took his father's hand and held it in his, looking up at him briefly before looking straight ahead.

"Well this was a bit of a too do to come home to," said EJ with a small quirk of his lips, trying to make light of things, "I was coming directly to see you Father, you didn't need to go to all this effort."

There was no answer from the man in the bed, not that EJ had expected on but he'd hoped. He looked back at Stefano and blew out a heavy breath.

"The doctor said you're going to be fine," the lie rolled easily off EJ's tongue because he wasn't at a point of accepting any other truth, "You'll just spend a night or two in here and get your strength back and then we can take you home again."

The instruments in the room hissed and dinged but apart from that there was no other sound other than EJ's voice.

"Samantha and I had a wonderful time on the island," EJ told him, knowing he would be asking if he was awake just then, "And Father, you won't believe it… I can hardly believe it myself… but the Legend of Ara Caman came true for Samantha and I. We stood there, looked through the bent tree at the night sky and counted down from ten and then it happened… a shooting star."

EJ paused then, remembering that magical moment when his hopes had soared so high that there had been no words to describe it.

"It was amazing Father," he said softly, "I wish you'd been there to see it - if I ever needed proof that Samantha and I were meant to be I don't know."

EJ thought on that statement for a moment and on the events of less than an hour ago.

"I've hit a little hiccup in our plan though," EJ conceded, looking over at his father again, "But it's only temporary, I promise you Father."

EJ bit down on his bottom lip then, watching his father sleep.

"I will save you Father," he vowed, his brown eyes very serious, "Samantha might well be carrying your grandchild even now and that means you will have the stem cells you need to save you. You are going to live a long, healthy life and watch all of your grandchildren grow up into DiMera men and women to be proud of I promise you. We will all be a family together, Samantha and I and our children and with you as the head of the family for a very long time to come. Father I want my children to know you as I do, as a loving man, devoted to his family. I want you to teach them pride in the DiMera name and about opera and the fine arts as you did me but you have to continue to fight… to hold on for a little longer… can you promise me that Father?"

There was no answer of course and EJ looked down at his father's hand that was between his two hands, it felt real and reassuringly solid and EJ tried to imagine his world without his father in it and couldn't. Everyone spoke of the monster that was Stefano DiMera but EJ had never seen that side of his father. He'd certainly seen him ruthless and upset at times but hardly the maniacal megalomaniac that people like the Brady's would have him believe. His thoughts instantly turned to Samantha then. He'd seen the fear in her eyes when she talked about Stefano but EJ just knew that if she would only give his father a chance that she would find he was not the bogey man her family had made him out to be to her. It was EJ's greatest desire to have Samantha by his side when he took the helm of the DiMera empire, a beautiful queen to rule the kingdom with, and one who matched him in strength, passion and spirit. EJ was offering Sami a world of unimaginable privilege and excitements would she but open her eyes and move past the jaundiced views of his family. EJ knew it was only a matter of time before Sami embraced her destiny but first he had to work on that stubbornness of hers and make her see reason.

EJ's thoughts turned to the inconvenient fact that Lucas would be out of hospital tomorrow. It would definitely complicate his mission to get Sami to see sense with that waste of space hanging around. No doubt Sami would be waiting on him hand and foot, trying to assuage her guilt over her supposed 'betrayal'. That was going to be pretty hard to watch EJ decided morosely, he'd have to do something about that otherwise Lucas might find himself taking an unexpected dive off the roof of the apartments if that was the case. Apparently the falling part wasn't so bad but the sudden stop at the end of that ride was a killer. EJ's lips curved up in a little smile at that thought, amusing himself for a moment with mental images of Lucas' crumpled body mushed all over the street below.

_Ah… if wishes were horses beggars would ride._

EJ's happy thoughts were interrupted by the hospital room door being open and to reveal Tony standing there.

"Tony," said EJ, acknowledging his brother's presence, "Come in… I'll leave you to spend some time with Father."

EJ stood up then, kissing Stefano on the forehead again before straightening up and heading to the door.

"You're going home?" asked Tony, his eyes on Stefano.

"No," said EJ, "I'll stay as long as Father needs me… until they've stabilised him fully. I was just going to get something to eat. Can I get you anything Tony?"

"From the Salem University hospital canteen?" asked Tony, screwing up his face as though even saying those words together in a sentence was beyond enduring, "Thank you little brother but I think I'll pass."

"Alright," said EJ with a small inclination of his head, "I'll be back in a little while then."

EJ passed Tony in the doorway as the other man went to take the seat he had just occupied by Stefano's bed. He stood in the hallway thinking for a moment.

"Right," he said suddenly, to no one in particular as he organised his thoughts, "Right."

EJ began to stride determinedly down the hospital corridor, doing up his coat jacket as he did - a man on a mission.

**oooOOOOooo**

_EJ's hand found its way up under Sami's skirt, cupping the gentle swell at the apex of her thighs before his fingers began to stroke at the thin satin barrier of her panties. _

"_You know don't you darling?" he said throatily, nipping along her jaw line, "You know that you want me inside of you again because that is where I belong… that you're already wet for me…"_

_Sami gave a little whimper as she felt his fingers sneak under her panties and begin to stroke at her folds that were already becoming swollen as her arousal grew, all slick and plump, crying out for more from him and EJ obliged them, running up and down them even as her core cried out for some attention from him. His mouth was on hers again now, tongue darting out, licking at her lips, teasing her with the promise of more hard kisses but making her wait for it. It was like Sami was paralysed, unable to do anything else but submit as she waited for the next assault on her body with anxious anticipation. _

"… _that even though so much of my seed is already deep inside of you…" EJ kissed her mouth hard then, briefly stopping talking, "... you're still hungry for more… just like I'm craving to give you more…"_

_There was something about the way he said that last thing that was particularly confronting for Sami and when she felt his other hand go to his belt buckle, preparing to release himself she was suddenly galvanised into action._

"_No!" she said, tearing her mouth from his and pushing on his shoulders, "No, NO, NOO!"_

_EJ wouldn't let her up though, holding her in place with all of his weight pressing down on her. Sami struggled valiantly but it was to no avail and in the end she had to stop, exhausted, her chest heaving._

"_Keep going sweetheart," he taunted her, looking down at her with those dark eyes, "I was enjoying that."_

_Sami glared up at him but EJ was unfazed. His hand returned to his belt buckle and it was undone properly this time and then there was sound of his zipper being lowered. EJ pushed down his silk boxers and released himself, not bothering to remove his trousers any further. _

"_Samantha."_

_Sami couldn't help herself, spreading her legs for him at his unspoken command and making room for him. She arched her back and closed her eyes as he pulled aside her now drenched panties and pushed into her, taking his sweet time about it. It felt so unbelievably good that Sami forgot that she wasn't meant to be wanting this for a moment. EJ didn't move once he was fully sheathed in her and Sami eventually opened her eyes to see him staring down at her intently, a little smile playing on his lips as he watched her obvious enjoyment of being taken by him yet again. Holding her wide eyed gaze unblinkingly EJ began to move inside of her, thrusting powerfully and causing his manhood to penetrate her deeply. _

"_I hate you," she declared weakly, even as her hips began to meet his ever increasingly forceful strokes._

"_Yes but you're still going to come for me aren't you sweetheart?" he purred his taunt at her, "You're going to lie there and take this…"_

_EJ thrust extra hard into her, making Sami groan loudly and arch her back at the sudden assault._

"… _and beg for more because this is what you really want isn't it Samantha?" he growled, "Because you know I'm the only man who loves you for who you truly are… the only one who really understands you… "_

_Sami squeezed her eyes shut, feeling herself begin to move towards her climax, each of EJ's penetrations stretching her to her limit and causing her to mindlessly begin to moan aloud. _

"…_and I'm the only man who makes you come so hard that you think you're going to die," he finished off triumphantly._

"_EJ!" she groaned, needing to find her release now but it was annoyingly elusive._

_Every time she thought she was nearly there it seemed to slip away from her._

"_EJ please!" she gasped, her nails clawing at his suit covered back._

"_I'll let you come when you… ahh… when you tell me you love me," he told her, his voice roughened and uneven as he laboured away inside of her, keeping his strokes steady and not letting her excitement build to the point of no return._

"_I can't!" she whimpered, shaking her head at him as she looked up at him desperately. _

"_I know you… ah… want to sweetheart," he said raggedly, his face set tensely as he held himself in check, the delight at being inside her obvious on his face, "It's so… ahh… easy. Three little words Samantha… and then you can come… I… aahh… promise."_

"_EJ," she complained achingly, trying to force him to go faster by rolling her hips against his but it was to no avail, "Don't make me!"_

"_You want to say them Samantha," he grunted, sweat starting to run down his face from all of his exertions and Sami found the sight to be very arousing, knowing it was because of her, "Just like I want to make you come."_

_Her body was screaming at her to give him what he wanted so it could get what it wanted, sweet release. Sami began to sob uncontrollably at the frustration of it all but EJ was unmoved, making her wait for it until he got what he wanted. She clutched at his broad shoulders and felt like she was losing her mind from the intensity of the moment. Suddenly EJ dropped his head, his lips pressed to her ear._

"_Let go…"_

Sami woke up with a start, her pulse racing and her whole body throbbing as she put her hands up shakily to cover her face and gave a little broken sob. She was lying on the bed in her apartment after leaving the hospital at around six that evening, the morning sunlight streaming through the window. Sami hadn't bothered about eating anything because she'd been too upset after her talk to EJ and then exhausted from having to put a brave face on for Lucas for the rest of the afternoon and evening. She'd come home and crawled into bed, not even bothering to take her clothes off. Now Sami had woken with a fright after such a powerfully real dream and felt even worse than she did the night before.

Sami lay there, trying to collect herself, her heart still thumping a painfully erratic rhythm in her chest. Her hands dropped away from her face then and she looked unseeing up at the ceiling. Her body was still throbbing with the need for release which Sami knew she wasn't going to get now.

"Damn you EJ DiMera," she choked the curse out in the empty room.

She'd made her decision and it was the right one so why was he still haunting her dreams?!

Sami had slept lightly all night, tossing and turning, half expecting EJ to turn up at her door like he always did, demanding for her to let him in but he hadn't and Sami had tried to tell herself that she was happy about that. Perhaps at long last EJ had gotten the message that this little game of cat and mouse that had been going on between them had finally run its course and they were over. Now all Sami had to do was concentrate on her future with Lucas and all would be well with her world again. She waited for the feelings of excited anticipation that that thought had induced in her before all of this had happened with EJ but for some reason it just didn't happen. Instead Sami's stomach churned painfully at the thought of Lucas returning home from the hospital that morning.

"It's just guilt," Sami told herself, speaking aloud, "You feel guilty about what you've done with EJ and that's why the thought of being with Lucas makes you sad… because you've betrayed him."

Sami closed her eyes again, willing herself to get a grip.

"It will pass," she said determinedly, "It's going to be just like it was before all this happened…"

A lump came to Sami's throat and she gave another little choked sob.

"… it has to be," she whispered desperately, "It just has to be."

Sami rolled onto her side then and curled herself up into a little ball, tears starting to flow freely down her face.

**Chapter THIRTY ONE**** - ****Dream A Little Dream Of Me**

I have loved to the point of madness;  
That which is called madness,  
That which to me,  
Is the only sensible way to love.  
_~ F. Sagan ~ _

Sami walked down the hospital corridor, working herself up so she could be cheerful and upbeat around Lucas. The last thing she wanted was for him to think that something was wrong and start asking questions. She went to put her hand out to open the door that connected the hallway she was in with the ICU area, intending on checking up on John quickly before collecting Lucas to take him home but the door opened from the other side before she had a chance to. The door swung back and of course it had to be EJ. The two of them stared at each other for a brief moment that seemed to Sami to last forever.

"Wh… what are you doing here?" asked Sami, taken aback.

"You look tired Samantha," he commented, not answering her question, his dark eyes flicking all over her face and making Sami feel even more uncomfortable.

"So do you," she shot back quickly, "What did you do EJ, sleep here last night?"

"I was here but I didn't get much sleep," said EJ with the smallest quirk of his lips, "But thank you for asking sweetheart."

"Why were you in the hospital all night?" asked Sami with a frown.

"My father was taken ill late yesterday afternoon," he informed her calmly, "There were grave concerns for his health."

"Is he… did he…?" Sami hesitated to say the words, her heart starting to beat nervously in her chest at the thought that the world might be at long last rid of Stefano DiMera.

"He's resting as comfortably as can be expected under the circumstances," he informed her quietly.

"So he's not dead," she murmured, more to herself than anyone else.

How much easier would her world be, everyone's world be if Stefano finally had died last night she wondered to herself.

"No," he said mockingly, "But thank you for your concern Samantha, I'll pass your well wishes onto Father when he wakes up."

"Don't expect me to apologise for not wishing that man well," said Sami tightly, "Nothing would make me happier to see him dead."

"That's my father you're talking about Samantha," said EJ, his voice hardening slightly at her words.

"Like I'm ever likely to forget that," said Sami sourly.

EJ closed the door behind him then, indicating they should move off to one side so they weren't in the door way. Sami reluctantly moved to where he'd indicated, not really feeling up to talking with EJ right then but it didn't seem like he was going to give her a choice.

She turned around to face him and once again she was subjected to his close scrutiny. His eyes ran over her face and EJ had this near overwhelming urge to just lean over and kiss. It felt like forever since he'd kissed her but it had only been the afternoon before. Her vow that he'd never kiss her again sent a cold chill down EJ's spine before he dismissed it as preposterous - there was no way that he and Samantha had shared their last kiss - no way.

"You really do look tired Samantha," he told her, "Did you not sleep well sweetheart?"

"I'm fine," she snapped.

She turned away from him then, frightened EJ could see something on her face that would tell him about the dream that had woken her. It was a crazy thought but EJ somehow had this way of being able to see right through her at times and the last thing Sami wanted was for EJ to think that he was in her dreams. EJ studied her profile, tilting his head to one side as he observed her.

"You're not feeling unwell I hope sweetheart?" he quizzed her, watching Sami with great interest, "You really are still quite pale."

"Stop saying that EJ," she said moodily, still refusing to look at him and wishing she'd taken a little more care with her make up this morning.

EJ had no idea had no idea how quickly morning sickness kicked in with pregnant women and seeing as at best Sami could only be four days pregnant it was probably unlikely to be that. EJ decided he needed to do some research on the subject and seeing as he was in a hospital it wasn't a bad place to start he supposed. Despite the unlikelihood of Sami's current paleness being caused by morning sickness EJ couldn't stop himself from getting excited about the prospect. A child between Sami and himself would bind them together forever and give hope for his father's return to good health. They were the two things EJ wanted more than anything in the world.

"EJ!"

EJ blinked rapidly a couple of times, returning to the real world to find Sami looking up at him in exasperation, realising she must have been speaking to him.

"I'm sorry sweetheart," he said with a charming smile, "What was that again?"

"I said I'm here to collect Lucas," she repeated for him in annoyance, "I'm taking him home today remember?"

Sami had brought up the subject to steer things into safer waters and remind EJ how things really were between them but he'd seemed to have zoned out there for a minute and she couldn't help but wonder what it was he'd been thinking.

"Have you mentioned our little tryst on Ara Caman to him yet sweetheart?" asked EJ suddenly, looking at her speculatively, "I'm sure he'd be rather interested in finding out all about it."

"You said you wouldn't say anything about us being on the island together EJ!" said Sami in dismay.

"And you said that we were going to be building a life together once we got back to Salem," said EJ mockingly, "So I think that makes us even eh darling?"

"I never said that EJ!" said Sami in horror.

"I think it was pretty much inferred when you were in my bed screaming out my name at the top of your lungs darling," he said with a bit of a smirk.

"Shut up EJ!" growled Sami, blushing bright red at his words.

"In fact," said EJ casually, checking his watch, "I think about this time yesterday I was licking crumbs off your naked breasts."

Even saying the words made EJ stir, his loins tightening as he had a sudden, sharp visual memory of him doing just that. His eyes drifted down to her breasts and to her horror Sami felt her nipples tighten into little buds, pushing against the material of her blouse under his hot gaze but there was nothing she could do about it, her body helplessly responding to him. EJ watched her nipples harden for him and it was almost his undoing as he clenched his hands into tight fists by his side. A low noise rumbled up from deep inside him, somewhere between a growl and a grunt. Sami took a hasty step backwards at the predatory sound, her dream far too fresh in her mind to allow him to touch her which the look in his eyes suggested he was about to.

"We can't talk about the island ever again EJ!" she said firmly, trying to snap them both out of it and cursing the slight waver in her voice, "Ever!"

"See now darling," said EJ calmly, tilting his head to one side and pressing his lips together, "It's not just up to you to decide such a thing Samantha."

He lifted his dark brown eyes to hers and held her nervous gaze steadily.

"I was there too and I get a say in all this," he informed her coolly.

"You can't say anything to anyone," said Sami, her voice beginning to shake, "Please EJ, you just can't!"

"You know this is a conversation for another time," said EJ suddenly, catching her off guard.

"Wh… what?" she asked him in confusion.

"Well aren't you off to pick up the lovely Lucas now?" he asked her with an easy smile as though the last couple of minutes hadn't even happened, "I don't want to hold you up. I'm sure he's anxiously waiting for you to arrive and take him away from all of this…"

EJ made an expansive gesture with his hand at the hospitals surrounds.

"And who am I to stand in the way of true love eh?" he said mockingly.

"EJ…" began Sami, frowning worriedly, not trusting his sudden change of mood at all.

"We'll talk about it later sweetheart," he said blithely and then before she could protest, "But now I really must dash."

EJ gave her a big smile then and then just calmly walked past her, heading back down the hallway Sami had just come from, leaving a frustrated and deeply suspicious Sami in his wake.

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ lay on his couch fast asleep. He'd gotten home from the hospital that morning and had a quick shower and changed into his comfortable sweat pants and tank top and had sat down on the sofa to catch up on some paperwork but things had quickly caught up with him. He'd been at the hospital all night with his father and the previous two nights before that it wasn't like either he or Sami had let each other get a lot of sleep, finding much more pleasurable ways to while away the night hours then just sleeping. He'd lain down on the couch, promising himself a twenty minute cat nap and had promptly fallen into a deep sleep.

EJ moved on the couch in his sleep, trying to get more comfortable on the couch which was going to be unlikely, his six foot four inch frame not exactly a perfect match for the two and a half seater. EJ came briefly awake, grumbling in his sleep as he moved the throw cushion under his head to a better position. His eyes flicked open briefly as he did he caught a flash of something out of the corner of his eye. He looked over towards the window, trying to focus. The morning light was shining through the window and made it difficult to focus, his eyes rapidly blinking against the burn of the brightness.

"_You look uncomfortable."_

EJ snapped awake then at the familiar voice, sitting up abruptly on the sofa looking over towards the window. The woman who had spoken was leaning against the window frame, palms resting on the window sill, regarding him with gentle amusement. EJ blinked blearily at her, the white curtains blowing gently around her, the sunlight streaming in from behind her but EJ could see that she was only wearing a matching set of white bra and panties.

"Samantha?" he said uncertainly, trying to fathom why she would be there, dressed like that.

"_Hello sleepy head," she smiled at him, "And you can call me Sam."_

"What are you doing here?" he asked her hesitantly.

Sam pushed herself away from the window and started to walk towards EJ slowly, her bare feet noiseless on the carpeted floors.

"_What do you want me to be here for?" she asked the question teasingly, coming to a stop in front of EJ as he sat on the sofa facing her._

EJ couldn't speak for a moment, just staring back at her in amazement.

"You're a dream aren't you?" he asked finally, his sleep hazed brain clearing enough for him to understand that.

"_Do you care?" she asked him with a little pout._

EJ ran his eyes over her body, feeling his own react helplessly to the gorgeously sexy sight in front of him.

"Not right now sweetheart," he confessed huskily, holding out his hands to her, "Come here."

Sam took his offered hand, pushing his knees apart and moving to stand between his legs, smiling down at him seductively. EJ's hands went to her backside, fingers sliding up under the material of panties and massaging the firm flesh of her backside.

"_You know I can't decide if you're a boobs or butt man," she teased him with a little smile._

EJ looked up at her, a cheeky grin on his lips.

"I'm both when it comes to you my darling," he told her impishly.

EJ pulled down her panties then, drawing them down her legs and she stepped out of them for him. EJ straightened up, surveying his handiwork with great interest. He leaned forward then and began to press soft kisses to Sam's stomach, nuzzling against the softness. Sam buried her hands in his dark hair, holding him to her but she soon became impatient. She tightened her grip on his head, fingers tangling in his short hair and pulled back on them, making him stop what he was doing and look up at her.

"_Lie back," she ordered him, looking down at him commandingly._

EJ smiled, happy to comply and leant back against the sofa. Sam climbed onto the sofa then, straddling him, knees on either side of his thighs. She held his rapt attention as she slowly undid her bra for him. EJ groaned loudly as her generous breasts were released from their confines. He couldn't help himself, immediately reaching up and cupping them both in his hands and squeezing them.

"_Mm," Sam sighed, closing her eyes and tilting her head to one side, "Harder!"_

EJ complied, squeezing and releasing her breasts with increasing firmness, making her purr out her pleasure for him.

"_Keep going," she told him, her hand reaching down between them and pulling down his sweat pants, "Don't stop!"_

EJ obeyed her, continuing with what he was doing to her breasts even though he was becoming increasingly desperate to have one of those hard buds he could feel against the palms of his hand in his mouth. EJ lifted himself up a bit so Sam could pull his pants down a little more. His distended shaft sprung free, at full attention and more than ready for what was about to happen. Sam didn't make him wait for it either, she sank down on his swollen manhood and they both groaned happily at the sensation. She instantly began to move up and down on him, quickly lubricating his thick length with her juices.

"Oh god yes sweetheart!" he moaned excitedly, his hands tightening on her breasts to the point that he knew he must have been hurting her but she didn't complain, "That feels so good!"

"_I know," she breathed, finding her rhythm now, "Very, very good."_

"I've missed you," he told her, looking up at her adoringly.

It had only been less than a day since he'd last been with her like this but it already felt like a life time.

"_I miss you too baby," she told him, still moving up and down on him energetically._

Her words more than anything else made EJ need to kiss her. He relinquished one breast so he could cup the back of Sam's head and drag her mouth to his for a series of heated kisses.

"Why did you push me away?" he asked in anguish, already knowing the answer to that question but at least in his dreams he could react on a more basic level without reason having to play a part.

Sami had hurt him deeply yesterday and the pain was still there that no amount of logic could dispel.

"_The girl's crazy," Sam informed him, rolling her hips around and around on his swollen shaft, "You know that right?"_

"The thought had occurred," groaned EJ, his hands going to her hips and starting to move her up and down on him again.

Sam leant forward, bracing her arms on the back of the sofa behind EJ's head which pressed her breasts against his chest, her nipples scraping against his chest hair.

"_Why do you want a crazy woman EJ?" she asked him huskily, beginning to ride him harder now, picking up the pace and making EJ give little moans of helpless pleasure._

"I love her," grunted EJ, arching his back and closing his eyes tightly as that helped him penetrate her even more deeply.

"_You love screwing her," Sam taunted him._

EJ's eyes flew open and he grabbed at her hips, making her stop.

"NO!" he said fiercely, "I love Samantha, everything about her - she's the only one for me - this is not purely sexual!"

"_Says the man with his cock in me," said Sam with a knowing smirk._

EJ pulled back, taken aback by her words. His Samantha would have never said something so crass and even though the beautiful face looking back at him was definitely Sami's this was in no way her. EJ felt a sudden revulsion at what he was doing. He pushed Sam off him and she fell in one corner of the sofa, looking at him with a vaguely amused expression on her face.

"_Something I said?" she asked sweetly._

EJ pulled his pants up and scowled at her. Sam lounged back in the sofa and regarded him speculatively, seemingly unconcerned about her nakedness.

"_You're out of your depths with this one aren't you Elvis?" she asked him, still looking at him thoughtfully._

"I have everything perfectly in hand thank you," said EJ bitingly, throwing her an annoyed sideways look as he sat up straighter on the sofa, "Samantha will be mine soon enough - I'm the one in control of this situation."

"_If you say so," shrugged Sam, not looking in any way convinced._

"I am!" snapped EJ in annoyance at her obvious disbelief.

"_Of course you are honey," said Sam mockingly, "That's why after less than twenty four hours of being denied what was so freely given before you're hallucinating about her."_

"I am not hallucinating," growled EJ, "This is just an annoying dream!"

"_Well if I'm a dream then wake up," she said reasonably, "Come on - master of all he surveys - wake up."_

"I will," said EJ defiantly, closing his eyes and willing himself to wake up right now.

He opened his eyes about ten seconds later and very hesitantly turned his head. Sam still sat there in the corner, legs tucked up under her and with her arms stretched along the back and arm rests of the sofa. She gave him a cheeky little wave and EJ ground his teeth in annoyance.

"_You're not having a good day are you sweetie?" she asked him mockingly, "First your woman blows you off for another man, then poppa bear takes a downward turn and now you can't seem to wake up… but that's probably because you're not asleep."_

"I'm asleep!" said EJ sharply, "I just can't wake up for some reason."

"_You know," said Sam conversationally, "This doesn't bode very well for you when you have to invent an imaginary version of her because you can't cope with Sami saying no to you for longer than one day."_

"I'm coping," said EJ sullenly, throwing her another disgruntled look, "You're just some anomaly brought on by fatigue, that's all! And besides, this situation is going to be only very temporary, you'll see, I'll have Samantha back in my arms and in my bed soon enough!"

"_If you really believed that I don't think I'd be here," commented Sam idly, taking a piece of her blonde hand between two fingers and holding it out in front of her and examining it with great interest._

She looked up from her scrutiny of her blonde locks and fixed him with a steady stare.

"_You're frightened," she announced with great certainty._

"I'm a DiMera," growled EJ, "We don't get frightened."

"_Ah well see that's your first mistake," said Sam sweetly, "First of many I fear."_

EJ just scowled at her and then shook his head.

"What am I doing?" he asked in bewilderment, "I'm not having this conversation with you because you don't exist - you're opinions don't matter because you're not real!"

"_Well you lose your charm pretty damn quickly when things don't your way don't you big boy?" she commented, unfazed by his displeasure. _

"This is the worst fantasy I've ever had," announced EJ, slumping back in the sofa and shaking his head dejectedly.

He looked over at her, unable to ignore her nakedness any longer. The sight of Sami naked was more than EJ could bear, even if this wasn't the real thing, she certainly looked like Sami. Despite his ire at this Sami facsimile EJ felt himself begin to harden again, helplessly in the thrall of what this woman's body did to him.

"Can you put something on?" he snapped at her.

"_Why sure lover," she said with a little smile, seeing his obvious distraction, the way he was having trouble at looking at anything other than her naked breasts that were on full display. _

She looked around and on the little table beside the sofa she was sitting on was a baseball cap of EJ's. She reached out with one hand and picked it up, putting it on. It was too big for her head and she had to tilt her head back to peer out from underneath it which she did, a mischievous smile on her lips.

"_Is that better?" she asked him teasingly._

"You're hysterical," said EJ flatly, not amused by her antics.

"_I'm hysterical, you're hallucinating," she said humorously, "Talk about the perfect couple."_

"We are not a couple," said EJ unhappily.

"_Neither are you and Sami but it doesn't mean you and I can't have some fun now does it?" she asked him coyly._

Her eyes dropped to his crotch where there was a definite tenting situation going on.

"_You certainly seem up for it," she said throatily._

Sam moved suddenly then, straddling EJ again.

"Stop it!" he complained but the hands that went to her hips didn't exactly reinforce his point, his long fingers fanning out over her softness.

It went against every instinct EJ had to push Sami away from him, especially a naked one. Sami Brady, even a pretend one just had too much damn power over him he decided. Sam watched his face with interest, tilting her head to one side as EJ's eyes ran all over her body.

"You even have the same little moles," he commented, almost to himself in a voice a little above a whisper.

Despite himself EJ lifted a hand and ran a finger over the three small brown spots on Sami's body. They lay in a triangle, just below her right breast and EJ traced them softly. When he'd first discovered them he'd found them just so damn sexy for some reason. Sam took his hand that was lightly caressing the small blemishes and put it to her breast, holding it there.

"_You know Elvis," she said casually, "There is no reason that while you're waiting for that master plan of yours to kick in that you and I can't find something suitably distracting to while away your spare time."_

"How?" asked EJ, his voice thick as of its own accord EJ began to massage her breast, his thumb grazing back and forth over her nipple, making it harden.

"_That's not a bad start," she said, her voice all velvety and full of seduction as she leant down and began to nip and bite at his ear, tongue tracing it's outline before EJ felt the hot moistness of the same in his ear and shuddered a little._

"I hate you," he said distractedly, no force to his voice as he said that.

"_You hate me but you still want me," she purred into his ear, rubbing her sex against his and making EJ wince a little at the intensely pleasurable sensation, "What does that say about your twisted psyche I wonder Elvis?"_

"There's nothing wrong with my psyche," grunted EJ, moving uncomfortably in his seat as the need to be back inside her again began to become an intolerable pain.

"_Of course there isn't baby," she cooed, licking down along his neck and down his chest, "This…"_

She'd found his the hard nub of one of his nipples then and bitten down hard.

"Ouch!" yelped EJ, bucking up a bit at the sudden, sharp assault.

"… _is all perfectly normal," she said impishly, pulling back to look at him, "Come on Elvis…"_

Her hand moved between them, pushing down his sweat pants again, her fingers encircling the hard, swollen girth of his aching member. EJ groaned loudly at the glorious feeling of her small hand on his body again.

"… _you may not be able to have Sami's heart but you can have her body," she said huskily and EJ could feel her guiding him to her opening._

Her juices almost stung his tip with how hot they were and it nearly made EJ forget about anything else other than being encased in that wet, tight heat again but her words cut him to the bone and he couldn't do it.

"NO!" he yelled, throwing her off him again, none to gently either.

The dream Sami landed in a heap at the end of the sofa again and glared at him as she settled herself back in more comfortable.

"_What was that?" she complained, pouting at him, "It was just getting good."_

"I don't want just Samantha's body!" he shouted at her, "I want her heart… I _have_ her heart but she's just too stubborn to admit it!"

"_Steady there Mr McScreamy," she said, holding up a disdainful hand at him, "Who are you trying to convince, me… or you?"_

"I don't need to convince you of anything because you don't even exist you… you… crazed phantom!" said EJ tersely, a temple in his forehead starting to stand our rather alarmingly.

"_Well you are not as much fun as I thought you'd be," huffed Sam, folding her arms in front of her and looking put out at being rejected again. _

"I've had it with this!" raged EJ, his face set angrily, "And you - just get the hell away from me - now!"

EJ glared at Sam who just looked back at him calmly, unconcerned at all his vitriol.

"Why are you still here?" he asked her angrily when nothing changed.

"_How should I know?" she shrugged in an off handed fashion, "I'm your delusion - I'll go when you really want me to go I guess."_

"I… _really…_ want you to go," said EJ through gritted teeth.

"_Apparently not," she said brightly, looking down at herself before looking back at him, "Because I'm still here."_

EJ narrowed his eyes at her, frustrated beyond belief and hardly able to believe what was happening. He'd never experienced anything remotely like this before and he had to get back control of the situation.

"Fine," he bit out, folding his arms in front of his chest and looking straight ahead stubbornly, "We'll just sit here in silence until you have the common decency to just buggar off like I asked."

EJ and Sam sat there in silence for a good few minutes, EJ trying to get himself to calm down but the continuing presence of his tormentor out of the corner of his eye was making that very difficult. Sam for her part didn't seem to be in any great rush, examining her fingernails up close to her face and then rubbing the front of her teeth with one finger before running her tongue over her front teeth. She was the picture of casual unconcernedness. EJ ground his teeth, definitely the opposite of that.

"_I have a question for you," said Sam suddenly._

"I'm not interested," said EJ flatly, finding this Sami doppelganger to be even more frustrating than the real thing which was really saying something.

"_There's this burning building," she carried on as though he hadn't spoken, "And inside is Sami and big daddy DiMera and you can only save one of them… so which one do you save EJ?"_

EJ looked back at Sam with a frown and she just smiled serenely back at him, waiting patiently for an answer.

"I'm a strong guy," said EJ shortly, not sure why he was bothering to answer at all but he was, "I'd save them both."

"_But here's the thing EJ…," said Sam, leaning towards him and holding his gaze steadily, "… you can't…"_

EJ frowned but there was a sound outside just then and he turned his head to look at his front door with the sound coming from the other side of it. When he turned his head back Sam was gone. EJ turned around, looking back over his shoulder but he was definitely alone in the apartment. EJ slumped back against into the sofa, trying to work out if he was awake now or still asleep, dreaming he was awake - talk about confusing.

"What… _the hell_… was that?!" he asked himself slowly, shaking his head and trying to clear it.

**Chapter THIRTY TWO**** - ****The Ten Things I Hate About You**

Love is much like a wild rose, beautiful and calm,

but willing to draw blood in its defence.  
_~ Mark Overby ~_

Sami walked into Lucas' hospital room, a smile firmly fixed on her face as she tried to dismiss the last lingering feelings unease from both her dream and her encounter with EJ. It was hard though if EJ was intending on holding their time on the island over her head. Sami knew she'd have to deal with that problem pretty quickly, especially with Lucas coming home today because she could just see EJ taunting Lucas with that information if the mood took him.

"There she is," grinned Lucas as Sami walked over and kissed him hello, "My ticket to freedom!"

"You're in a good mood," commented Sami with a little smile.

"Why wouldn't I be?" said Lucas happily, "I'm finally getting out of here and going home to my beautiful girl - what's there not to be in a good mood about that?"

"Nothing I guess," said Sami, taking a seat by his bed, "I thought you'd be dressed by now actually."

"Ah I'm waiting for the doctor to do his last round and give me the all clear," said Lucas.

"Oh good," said Sami, "I can ask him what special needs you're going to have."

"I don't need you taking care of me Sami," frowned Lucas, not liking how that made him sound, "I'm not an invalid."

"You are a bit," she argued with him, nodding down at his leg which was still heavily bandaged, "It's not like you're going to be that mobile for a while."

"I can use crutches," protested Lucas, "It will be fine Sami."

"With broken ribs?" asked Sami sceptically, "I don't know how that's going to work out. But it doesn't matter, I want to look after you Lucas."

"Well I wouldn't be opposed to some sponge baths I suppose," said Lucas, waggling his eyebrows at Sami in a particularly lecherous fashion and despite herself Sami had to laugh.

"I guess you really are feeling better," she smiled.

"You bet I am baby," he grinned at her, "Just wait until I get you home and I'll show you how much."

Sami's heart lurched at that, a jolt of horror running through her at the thought of Lucas touching her intimately which she determinedly tried to quash to no avail. Lucas was the man she'd chosen to be with, the man she loved so of course they were going to be intimate again so why did the thought fill her with so much dread?

"… _anyone else is going to feel like a substitute from now on Samantha and you know it…"_

EJ's words came back to haunt her and she just prayed that they weren't true. She just knew that the first time she and Lucas made love again that all her feelings for him would return in force and EJ's grim predictions would be put to shame… it just had to be that way.

"We'll see what the doctor has to say about that," said Sami, putting him off for the time being, just needing a little more time, "You did almost die barely a week ago you know."

"And what better way to celebrate the fact that I didn't," said Lucas, shrugging blithely and then having screwing up his face as the simple action aggravated his ribs.

"See," fussed Sami, frowning at his obvious pain, "I think we should take things easy for a while Lucas."

Sami knew she was only putting off the inevitable but she also knew that if she could just have a little more time to get her head in the game she would be happy to have Lucas make love to her again, instead of this awful feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. She just needed some more time. The doctor suddenly making an appearance put pay to anymore discussion on the subject for a little longer.

"Hey doc," said Lucas chirpily, "What's the good word? Can I get out of this place already?"

Doctor Reeves was a man in his early forties, short dark brown hair with hazel eyes. He'd been looking after Lucas since his accident and Sami had found him to be very professional and competent.

"Hello Lucas, Sami," smiled Dr Reeves, walking into the room a little more, "Actually I needed to talk to you about that Lucas."

"Is something wrong?" asked Sami, suddenly anxious on seeing the doctor's expression.

"Not exactly," said the doctor.

"Great," said Lucas, interrupting him, "So I can go home now."

"Actually after reviewing your chart and your latest obs Lucas I think it would be advisable for you to spend a few more days with us," said Dr Reeves, looking down at the chart he had in his hands.

"But you said yesterday I could go home!" protested Lucas, looking upset at this turn of events.

"Like I've said Lucas," said the doctor calmly, "I've reviewed your chart and some of your test results and frankly I'd feel a lot happier if we could keep an eye on you for a little longer. There is still the risk of infection to consider and your wound isn't closing over post surgery quite as much as I'd like."

"So how much longer then?" asked Lucas in frustration, "A day… two… what?"

"I'll review it daily," said Dr Reeves, "But I'd say to expect at least another three or so days with us Lucas."

"Three days!" exclaimed Lucas and then had to grimace as his aggravation caused some more pain in his side.

"Lucas if that's what the doctor thinks is going to be best for you we have to listen to him," said Sami, trying to reason with him, "It's no good for you to go home and then get suddenly worse so you end up having to come back here and stay even longer."

"I suppose," grumbled Lucas, clearly unhappy, "I was just really looking forward to getting out of here and having a little quality time with you."

"Actually that wouldn't have been happening regardless," interjected Dr Reeves, "I'm sorry Lucas but with the seriousness of your injuries it's just going to take some time for you to return to full strength and during that time I would have to recommend as your medical professional that abstaining from anything of a… physical nature… between you and Sami would be highly advisable."

"What?" squeaked Lucas, his eyes wide now as he looked back at Sami who looked a little taken aback by this turn of events herself.

Lucas looked back at the doctor with a ferocious frown on his face.

"For how long are we meant to 'refrain' for?" he asked in annoyance.

"At least three weeks I'd say," replied the doctor, "At least."

"Son of a…!"

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ walked around his apartment, making himself a cup of tea. He was still trying to settle himself down after that crazy dream he'd had. It had been so bizarre and even though he'd been awake for awhile now, the feeling of unease hadn't left him. EJ raised his cup of tea to his lips, musing idly that perhaps Tony had been right and it would be a good idea to stay away from the hospital canteen after all - it was the only possible explanation for such an insane dream. He looked over at the window where Sam had first appeared to him, remembering how she'd looked in those little white panties and bra and gave a quiet groan.

"I am so going to make you pay for all of this torment Samantha Brady," he vowed to the empty room, taking another sip of his tea, "You see if I don't - I won't let you out of my bed for a week once I've made you come to your senses."

EJ's delicious thoughts of exactly how he'd extract his revenge and the very many ways he'd make her scream for mercy were interrupted by the sound of someone in the hallway. EJ put down his cup of tea and walked over to his door, looking through the peep hole and smiling when he saw a familiar blonde head in the hallway. He immediately unlocked his door and walked out to join her.

"Good morning again sweetheart," he said brightly, smiling down at her, "Back from picking up Lucas I see…"

EJ then made a great show of looking around the empty hallway and Sami grimaced, putting her hands on her hips in her own show of annoyance.

"Is it just me darling or has Lucas seemed to have lost a great deal of weight during his stay in hospital?" asked EJ straight faced when he couldn't spy Lucas anywhere.

"The doctor said he couldn't come home just yet," admitted Sami reluctantly.

As much as she was nervous about having Lucas back in the apartment he would have still been somewhat of a shield against EJ being only a few feet away and now that particular form of protection was being denied Sami and she wasn't happy about it.

"Oh no," said EJ, looking distressed, "I'm utterly devastated to hear that Samantha."

EJ paused then, seeming to think about that.

"Wait," he said suddenly, "Did I say devastated or delighted just then?"

"Oh you're so very funny aren't you EJ?" she asked bitingly, unamused.

"I like to think so darling," he nodded, tongue in cheek.

"I bet you planned all of this!" she accused him heatedly, "I bet you orchestrated Lucas having to stay in hospital!"

"Oh Samantha," said EJ, raising his eyebrows at her in disbelief, "Don't be ridiculous darling, how could I have possibly done that I ask you?"

**oooOOOOooo**

"_Right," EJ said suddenly, to no one in particular as he organised his thoughts, "Right."_

_EJ began to stride determinedly down the hospital corridor, doing up his coat jacket as he did - a man on a mission._

_It didn't take him long to locate the person he was looking for and ten minutes later he was smiling back serenely at the bemused looking man._

"_I'm sorry," said Dr Russell in disbelief, "You want me to do what exactly?"_

"_It's very simple," said EJ calmly, "I want you to tell Lucas Roberts that he can't go home yet."_

"_But he can," argued the doctor, "There is no reason for him to have to stay in the hospital any longer."_

"_There is actually one very good reason that he does," argued back EJ with a quirk of his lips, "But I won't bore you with the details. All I require of you Dr Reeves is for you to keep Lucas under your care for a little while longer."_

"_Well I'm not going to," said Dr Reeves flatly, "It would be unprofessional of me to lie to any of my patients in such a fashion. So I'm sorry Mr DiMera but the answer is no."_

"_You're going for the head of staff position aren't you?" asked EJ with a pleasant smile._

"_Yes," Dr Reeves frowned at the sudden change of topic, "What of it?"_

"_The DiMera's have more than a little pull with the hospital board," he said calmly, "I could ensure that this time next week you'd be popping the cork on a celebratory bottle of champers if you'd do me this one little favour. Wouldn't you like to take the uncertainty out of your future plans Dr Reeves and all it will take is keeping Lucas Roberts in for a few more days?"_

_Matthew Reeves stared back at EJ and EJ held his gaze steadily. _

"_Well thank you for the offer Mr DiMera," said the doctor eventually, holding his gaze unflinchingly, "But I think I can get that position on my own merit. I don't require any outside help - my record speaks for itself."_

"_Ah a man with principals," said EJ delightedly, "How very refreshing to see I must say."_

"_If that's all Mr DiMera," said Dr Reeves flatly, "I've got other patients to see."_

"_A man of character," said EJ, tilting his head and regarding the other man with interest and ignoring his last statement, "A rare thing indeed. I'm just wondering what would happen if that character was questioned… how you'd feel about things then?"_

"_What do you mean?" Dr Reeves frowned._

"_I mean what if a former female patient of yours suddenly appeared on the scene accusing you of misconduct?" asked EJ coolly, "I wonder how your character would survive that?"_

"_I have never done or said anything to any of my female patients that could in anyway be construed as being even slightly over the line," said Dr Reeves, his jaw tightening at even the suggestion, "No one would believe it - there would be no proof."_

"_Ah yes," nodded EJ, unmoved, "But what if two women came forward… or three… or even four? Do you think people really trouble themselves with looking for little things like proof when you have four young women all pointing accusatory fingers at one man. Is your wife an understanding woman Dr Reeves… would she stand by your side Hilary Clinton style and weather the inevitable destruction of your career… reputation… lifestyle… I wonder?"_

_EJ fixed him with a hard look then, his dark eyes letting the other man know he wasn't playing around here._

"_I could take everything from you with one phone call," said EJ coldly, "Your career, your family but it doesn't have to come to that now does it Dr Reeves? All I need from you is to keep Lucas Roberts in the hospital for a few more days. It's not like I'm asking you to break your Hippocratic oath or anything doctor. You're not endangering your patient's health in anyway, in fact quite the opposite by having him stay under your care for a few days longer."_

_EJ looked back at the other man and could see he wasn't happy but he could also see that he was going to do as he'd asked._

"_I'm glad we've come to an understanding on that," said EJ with a pleased smile, "And I would heartily recommend you keeping your end of this particular arrangement Dr Reeves…"_

_EJ fixed him with a ruthless stare then._

"… _because I can promise you I will," he said coldly._

_Dr Reeves knew enough about the DiMera's to know that they weren't to be trifled with and gave a reluctant nod. It wasn't like he was really doing anything to hurt his patient but he hated being manipulated like this but the doctor simply had too much to lose. EJ turned around and started to leave but then seemed to have another thought, turning back to address the unhappy doctor._

"_Oh one other little thing doctor," said EJ pleasantly, "You're going to be advising your patient against attempting to engage in any physical intimacies as well."_

"_For how long?" frowned Dr Reeves in annoyance._

"_Until I say differently," said EJ with a quirk of his lips._

"_How am I meant to stop the man from having sex if he wants to?" asked Dr Reeves in exasperation._

"_Not my problem," said EJ blithely but then the hard look returned to his eyes, "But I seriously recommend you don't disappoint me on that particular point - you really wouldn't like me when I'm disappointed."_

_EJ turned to leave then, heading back down the corridor, leaving a vexed doctor behind him._

**oooOOOOooo**

"You're always thinking the worst of me," complained EJ with a pout.

"That's because you keep doing horrible things," growled Sami, "And are always up to something EJ!"

EJ just smiled down at her at that, not saying anything.

"What?" scowled Sami, when EJ just continued to smile down at her, "What's that look for?"

"I'm just enjoying the irony of those particular words falling from _your_ lips," he told her with a smirk, "Considering your history and all."

"Well that's all it is now," said Sami sharply, "History. I'm turning over a new leaf."

"Yes I know," EJ mused, "I've seen the caterpillar that has attached himself to you. Although to be perfectly frank with you darling I wouldn't be holding my breath for Lucas to be turning into a beautiful butterfly any time soon. I rather see his future being more along the lines of becoming some bird's lunch truth be told."

EJ looked back at her and then raised an eyebrow at her teasingly.

"Cheep cheep," he said with a quirk of his lips.

"I don't have time for your games EJ!" she said in exasperation, annoyed at herself for giving him yet another opening to have a dig at Lucas.

Sami walked over to her apartment door and unlocked it, walking through and turning around, intending to close the door behind her but EJ had followed her.

"But seeing as you don't have to do nurse maid your beloved I thought you might have ample time on your hands sweetheart?" EJ said in mock surprise, sauntering over and leaning casually up against her door frame, making it hard for Sami to shut her door.

"I've got plenty to do EJ," Sami said flatly, determined to shut him down, "For one thing I've got to a lot of unpacking to do still, my closets are nearly empty."

"Need a hand?" he offered sweetly, folding his arms in front of his chest as he lounged in her doorway casually, "I'm pretty handy in the bedroom… but then, I'm sure you of all people should know that after our time away eh darling?"

"Ooh!" exclaimed Sami in annoyance at his relentless flirting.

Sami knew she was in dangerous waters with talk about the island and she needed some time to think and plan what she was going to do about keeping EJ quiet.

"Go away EJ!" she snapped, "I've got things to do."

"You can run all you want Samantha but you can't hide from the truth forever," said EJ, his dark gaze not letting her look away, "You love me… our time on the island proved that to me and you can spout as many pretty lies as you like but the two of us Samantha…"

EJ paused then, holding her stricken gaze steadily.

"… we're inevitable," he finished off huskily.

Sami couldn't help but tremble against the great certainty with which he said that – it was terrifying. She didn't answer him, just tried to give him the coldest glare she could manage and simply closed the door in his face. Once the door was closed with EJ safely on the other side Sami slumped against it and closed her eyes. She had always prided herself on her willpower – when she put her mind to something she was pretty nigh unstoppable but keeping EJ at a distance and worse than that, wanting to keep EJ at a distance was going to be a real challenge.

Sami straightened up from the door, her jaw hardening. She wasn't going to let EJ DiMera get the best of her, she could overcome this ridiculous attraction that still lingered after being reminded of who and what he really was, Sami was certain of it. All she had to do was remind herself again and again about all his many sins and it would kill any kind of softness she might be harbouring towards the man. Sami liked the thought of that and started looking around for something to write on. She came across a journal she'd bought awhile back that she'd intended on using to plan for her wedding to Austin and decided it was time to put it to good use. Sitting down on the sofa Sami grabbed a pen and began to write.

WHY I CAN NEVER LOVE EJ DIMERA…

Shot John/knew about John's shooting and lied to my face about it

Poisoned Steve and Kayla???

Blackmailed me into going to that island

Lied to me about who he really was

Pretended to be my friend when we first met but it was a lie

Did something to his own sister??? Killed her????

Made me trust him and then betrayed that trust

Hurt my mother by hurting John

Stopped my wedding to Austin… ??? car breaking down

I never know if what he tells me is the truth

Is arrogant and smug

Is a manipulator

Slept with Kate!

My family hates him

Kept Lucas in hospital????

Stefano DiMera!!!!

Sami wrote her list feverishly in no particular order, just as they came to her and when she could think of no other crimes she put down her pen and read and re-read her list, rehearsing all of his deeds and reminding herself of the folly of ever even entertaining the thought of caring for such a man. Sami studied that list as though her life depended on it and it somehow felt like it did… at least the life she'd always dreamed of did.

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami stood in front of apartment number thirty six a couple of hours later and forced herself to breathe deeply. She knew she had to do this but every instinct was telling her to run but she needed to sort this out with EJ once and for all. Sami needed to get EJ's assurance that he wasn't going to say anything to Lucas about their time away together. She drew herself up to her full height, silently rehearsing what she was going to say and then knocked on his door.

Sami stood there, waiting nervously for EJ to answer the door and she didn't have long to wait. EJ opened the door, his face lighting up at seeing her there. He'd changed from his grey sweat shirt into a grey suit and Sami tried not to notice how handsome he looked.

"Samantha," he said happily, "What a lovely surprise, couldn't keep away eh darling?"

"Can we talk EJ?" she asked him, ignoring his last comment.

"Well it's not the best use of our lips that I can think of off the top of my head but I'd do anything for you Samantha," he said cheekily.

"Is that true?" she asked quickly, looking up at him intently.

"Well yes," said EJ in surprise, "In my opinion the best use of our mouths would be this…"

EJ cupped her face then, his long fingers tickling the soft skin of her neck as Sami looked up at him, clearly stunned by his sudden movement.

Sami's threat about never kissing her again was still ringing in EJ's ears and he just felt like if he could kiss her once then that foolish statement of hers would be put paid to and they could move on. Sami didn't give him a chance to make to do that though, slapping away his hand and glaring up at him, relying on her old defensive anger mechanism to see her through this.

"What are you doing?!" she asked him in annoyance, "I said you were never going to kiss me again EJ and I meant it!"

EJ straightened up, hating her saying those words just as much as he did the first time round.

"I meant is it true that you'd do anything for me EJ?" she explained herself.

EJ leant against the door frame and observed her stoically for a moment.

"Well I'm not going to leap off anything for you or drop dead," he said dryly, recalling her usual requests of him, "If that was what you were hoping for sweetheart?"

"I want you to promise me you won't mention anything about Ara Caman to anyone," said Sami tightly.

"Oh," said EJ calmly, "Is that what this is all about… interesting."

"So?" she pushed him when he didn't add anything else to that, "Will you make me that promise EJ?"

"Have dinner with me and we'll discuss it," said EJ, straightening up, "I'll cook for us."

"I'm not having dinner at your apartment!" exclaimed Sami.

"Well I don't think I'm brave enough to let you cook darling," he said with a quirk of his lips.

"Chez Rouge," she said flatly, wanting somewhere public and where there was no danger that EJ would talk her into doing something she didn't want to do, "Six o'clock."

"Well that sounds delightful sweetheart," smiled EJ, "Shall we go together…?"

"I'll meet you there," said Sami shortly.

"Seems a bit wasteful with the fuel consumption and all seeing as we are starting from the same place and ending up in the same place," shrugged EJ.

"I'll be going from the hospital," Sami corrected him tersely, "I want to spend as much time with Lucas as I can."

"Oh yes," nodded EJ thoughtfully, "You're penance for falling for me… of course."

"I haven't fallen for you EJ," she shot back quickly.

EJ just smiled calmly back at her and that was far more unsettling to Sami than any of his clever words.

**Chapter THIRTY THREE**** - ****A Moment On The Lips****… **

Don't spend your life with someone you can live with.

Spend it with the one you can't live without.

_~ Anonymous ~_

EJ stood watching her unnoticed for a moment, just enjoying being able to watch Sami as she sat at the bar of Chez Rouge waiting for him. She'd dressed soberly for their little get together. Black knee length skirt and a fitted dark grey blouse. He supposed it was meant to make her look unappealing and drab for his benefit but for EJ it had the opposite effect, finding her prim and proper little outfit unbearably exciting. He just wanted to throw her down on the bar and ravage her mindlessly, uncaring of all the people around them. But then again, she could have been wearing a burlap sack and it would have had the same effect on him. He closed the distance between them and came to stand beside her, leaning on the bar and smiling across at her.

"Hello darling," he said happily, "How are you this evening?"

"Oh just great EJ," she said sarcastically, trying to cover her nervousness about this meeting, "Couldn't be better."

"Glad to hear it," said EJ, accepting her words at face value.

Sami pulled a face and then caught the attention of the bartender.

"Martini, extra olives," she said to the bartender, "And keep em coming."

EJ's heart leapt at her request seeing as unlike Sami, he knew that there was a very real possibility that she was already pregnant with his child albeit only by a few days. EJ didn't know a large amount about prenatal care of women but what he did know was that alcohol, especially in the first trimester was a big no-no and could seriously harm the health of the unborn child.

"We should find a table and order," said EJ, eyeing the bartender as he made Sami her martini.

"I told you EJ," said Sami tersely, accepting the glass the bartender handed her, "I'm not having dinner with you."

Sami started to raise the glass to her lips but EJ quickly intervened, putting a hand on her arm and moving the glass away from its progress towards her mouth. Sami turned in her seat and frowned at him.

"Do you think drinking on an empty stomach is wise Samantha?" he asked her with what he hoped was a calm smile.

"I don't need a mom EJ," she said flatly as she went to raise the glass to her lips again, "I already have one!"

"I don't think this situation needs alcohol Samantha," he said hastily, reaching in and grabbing the glass out of Sami's hand as she went to drink it.

"The hell it doesn't!" she scowled, "Give that back to me."

"No," said EJ simply, holding onto it in front of him and refusing to let her have it.

"EJ!" she complained, looking at him unhappily, "What are you doing? Give me my drink back!"

"I think clear heads are called for don't you sweetheart?" he asked her with a charming smile.

Sami glared at him and then caught the bartender's eye, throwing EJ a defiant look.

"Another martini thanks," she requested.

"Certainly ma'am," he said and went to pour it for her.

"Don't bother," EJ intervened again and the bartender hesitated, looking between the two of them in confusion, "She's on medication and unless you want one hundred pounds of raging blonde tearing this place apart you'll bring the lady an orange juice please."

"Stop it EJ!" she said in annoyance and then shook her head at the bartender, "He's only kidding, give me the martini."

The bartender hesitated and then went to start making another martini but EJ stalled him again.

"Alright but on your head be it," he said, shaking his head, feigning casualness as he played with the toothpick with the olives on it in Sami's confiscated drink, "Don't let her size fool you - she's been kicked out of more bars up and down the state then Robert Downy Jr and I suppose if you're lucky your boss won't take _all_ the damages out of your wages."

Sami's mouth dropped open as she stared at EJ in disbelief.

"Look they don't pay me enough to put up with all this," said the bartender unenthusiastically, "What will it be ma'am?"

Sami looked at EJ, the Death Stare on full blast and he just smiled serenely back at her and she could see, for whatever crazy reason that Sami simply couldn't fathom, that EJ wasn't going to let her drink alcohol tonight.

"Orange juice," bit out Sami, still looking at EJ with a very unimpressed expression on her face.

"There you go," he said happily, "It's full of vitamin C goodness that will help you grow up big and strong."

"You're deranged," said Sami flatly.

"You'll thank me for it later," said EJ smugly, pleased he'd won out but there was no way in hell that he wouldn't have given the circumstances.

Even if he'd had to resort to throwing Sami over his shoulder and carrying her away from that bar there was no way EJ was going to let her have any alcohol knowing what he did. He knew Sami would be devastated to think she'd endangered her unborn child in anyway once she found out there was one of course and EJ wanted to spare her the angst and their child any complications. EJ made a bit of a face then, suddenly realising he might have miscalculated somewhat regarding the circumstance he found himself in.

He'd been all but certain that when they returned from the island that Sami would no longer be able to deny that they were meant to be and that they would already be a couple. That meant EJ would have been able to keep a closer eye on things like her alcohol consumption until such a time that Sami realised she was pregnant and would be more careful. As it stood though Sami had no idea that she might already be carrying the next DiMera heir thanks to EJ's shenanigans with her birth control pills and she wouldn't think twice about drinking at the moment.

EJ suddenly realised that he needed to come up with some way to keep closer tabs on Sami until he made her come to her senses or she found out for herself that she was pregnant, whichever came first. He knew Sami wasn't a big drinker but he simply couldn't take the risk that she was going to inadvertently do anything to harm their unborn child. EJ didn't know why he was so certain that Sami was already pregnant with their first child - he liked to think of it that way, first child of many - but he was. It perhaps had something to do with always accomplishing anything he put his mind to or maybe it was something far deeper than that that even EJ couldn't quite fathom at that moment. Regardless, EJ was confident that Sami was carrying their child and that he needed to protect that child anyway that was necessary.

"The only think I'm going to thank you for is if you're going to tell me that you're not going to say anything about you know what to anyone!" snapped Sami, her words pulling him back from his musings.

"And what exactly would be the form this 'thank you' might take darling?" asked EJ with a suddenly lecherous look over her body, "Something that would require us both being naked I'm hoping."

"I hate you!" said Sami bitterly.

"Oh how much easier would your life be if that were only true eh darling?" commented EJ knowingly.

"My life would be easier if I never met you!" snapped Sami, sullenly grabbing a pretzel and munching on it.

"As would mine sweetheart," he agreed with a little quirk of his lips, "But nowhere near as thrilling I'm sure."

"I can do without thrills," muttered Sami, chewing away morosely on her salty snack.

"So is that the plan then?" he asked calmly, studying her profile as she looked stoically ahead at the mirrored wall behind the bar, "For you to live a mundane, mediocre, monotonous life with Prince Charmless until you can't take the tedium anymore and will yourself into an early grave?"

Sami turned her head to look back at him, looking unimpressed with his sarcasm.

"Yes EJ," she said defiantly, "That is exactly what I want. I want a nice normal life, without dramas or crazy plots. I want to come home to a husband that loves me and we live a happy, uneventful life together without anymore wild schemes. I want to be a worthwhile member of society and have my parents be proud of me for a change!"

"Oh sorry sweetheart," he said, shaking his head when she stopped talking, "I must have dozed off there in the middle of that - what was that you were saying?"

"Ha ha EJ," she said sarcastically, going back to her orange juice and taking a sip, "You can mock me all you want but that is what I truly want for the rest of my life."

"Oh my poor deluded little librarian," he sighed, shaking his head.

Sami frowned and looked at him askew at that comment.

"You look like a librarian in that get up darling," he said, waving a finger up and down her and then quirked an eyebrow at her, "Very sexy I must say… it makes me want to sign up for a library card just so I can leaf through your index cards."

EJ's eyes dropped to her breasts then, her cleavage clearly visible where her buttons on her blouse stopped. Sami put her hand up to her blouse, yanking it more closed and glaring at him.

"Stop that!" she bit out, looking around her nervously, "That doesn't even make any sense EJ!"

EJ's lips quirked at her and she looked even more the school ma'am/librarian doing that and he found it unbearably arousing. God if it didn't mean he would end up being arrested for sure he would go with his first impulse and just jump on her right there and then. She'd make a few complaints to be sure but experience told him Sami would quickly give in to him. EJ sucked in a calming breath, trying to rein his wayward impulses back under control as he attempted to remember what he'd been talking about before his thoughts had run away with him.

"As I was saying," he said and was quite proud of how steady his voice sounded considering, "You don't want a normal life Samantha, you've just convinced yourself that it is because that is what supposed good little girls want. You're trying so desperately to be this Stepford wife facsimile of yourself, so much so that you are actually starting to believe that monotony and boredom are your greatest desires in life and it's all to please other people."

Sami shook her head, having heard his take on this all before.

"Samantha," he said, touching her arm and making her face him, "Are you expecting me to believe that if you could have any life, at all, in the world without any repercussions… that a life with Lucas would be the one you'd choose?"

"I've made my choice EJ," she said tersely, "And it's a choice without you in it. I don't want you EJ!"

"Oh you want me!" said EJ sharply, suddenly leaning closer to him and putting his face level with hers so she couldn't look away, "You want me so badly you can't sleep at night, you can't think straight when I'm in the same room and even less so when I'm away from you. I'm the ache inside of you that just won't go away no matter how hard you try Samantha!"

"You're crazy!" she spat out at him but there was a tell tale wobbly to her voice that spoke of her own conflicts.

"Quite possibly," he agreed quickly, "But if that's so then it is a case of a folie à deux my darling… a madness shared by two."

"Well isn't this interesting?"

They both turned their heads to see Kate Roberts regarding the two of them with a smirk on her face and Sami groaned inwardly. Even if it meant a distraction from having to answer EJ's probing Sami still couldn't bring herself to be happy to see the other woman.

"Look at you both sitting there like two peas in a pod," she commented, walking towards them with a definite swagger in her walk, "Or should that be as thick as thieves?"

"Kate darling," said EJ smoothly, ignoring her barb as she straightened up, leaning back from Sami slightly as Sami pulled a less than flattering face at the other woman's appearance, "Gorgeous to see you as always, how have you been?"

"Busy," said Kate coolly, "Working at our company rather than skipping off to Paris…"

Kate gave EJ a pointed look at that which just bounced off him effortlessly.

"Visiting my son in hospital rather than getting liquored up and hanging off another man," she finished sweetly and this time the pointed look was directed at Sami with that dig.

"I've just come from the hospital Kate," bit back Sami, even the sight of Kate enough to make her blood pressure shoot through the roof and that was before the older woman had even opened her mouth.

"After what?" Kate asked her mockingly, "Spending five minutes with him?"

"Actually Samantha has been with Lucas all day," interjected EJ smoothly, throwing a quick smile Sami's way, "That is why I just asked her to have a drink with me so we could discuss some Mythic business quickly."

"So this is what this is?" asked Kate sceptically, pointing a finger back and forth between the two of them, "Business?"

"Yes!" snapped Sami impatiently, "What else Kate?!"

"You tell me Sami," said Kate with a smirk, "In my experience seeing you and a man together usually means that anything but business is going on - usually the opposite in fact when a bar is involved."

"Alright ladies," interjected EJ quickly, "Let's not all say something that we can't take back eh?"

"Oh right!" spat out Sami, ignoring EJ completely and deeply offended by Kate's implication that she was some kind of drunken bar slut, "This from the woman that has been ridden more often than the New York subway!"

"Like that for instance," said EJ brightly, "Samantha I don't think that was called for do you sweetheart?"

"Well as someone who's gotten his stub stamped more than once for that particular ride I'd expect you to stick up for her EJ!" said Sami bitterly.

Sami knew she was probably over reacting but there was just something about Kate that pushed all her buttons and hearing EJ defend her just made Sami want to punch them both out.

"Well I can see you are your usual charming self Sami," said Kate sarcastically, "I'll leave you two to your evening - it looked like you had a lot of… business… to discuss when I walked up."

Kate delivered her latest dig and then before Sami could retaliate the other woman had turned on her heel and walked away, heading towards a table on the other side of the room where a man Sami didn't recognise was waiting for her.

"Unbelievable!" growled Sami, "Did you hear what she said EJ? Did you?"

"Yes I did darling," said EJ in mild amusement, "And I also heard what you said as well."

"What?" she scowled at him, "I didn't do anything wrong! And besides - she started it!"

"Samantha," said EJ in exasperation at her somewhat childish petulance, "You undo me sometimes, you really do."

"Tell you what EJ," she said snipped, "If you're that frustrated by me why don't you go and visit your old girlfriend - emphasis on the old part! I'm sure she'd be happy to listen to you complain about how crazy I am!"

Sami inclined her head to where Kate was sitting over the other side of the room with her male companion.

"I'm sure she also wouldn't mind if you took a running leap at her," said Sami sarcastically, "As long as you don't mind queuing up of course! Oh and you might want to be a bit careful when you do - when you're as old as Kate is those brittle bones of her snap like twigs. I'd hate to think you'd cause her to break a hip or anything!"

EJ couldn't help but laugh at her vitriol towards the other woman.

"Well I'm glad you think it's funny EJ," said Sami in annoyance.

EJ leant over on the bar more, tilting his head so he could look at her properly, the amusement dying from his eyes as something more compelling took over. There was something about her being territorial about him that just made EJ's head swim and his pulse quicken.

"You're so very beautiful when your jealous Samantha," he said huskily as his warm gaze swept over her face, "It makes your skin all flushed and those big blue eyes of your even brighter.

"The word you're looking for is disgusted EJ," said Sami flatly, trying not to be flustered by the way he was looking at her but it was pretty hopeless seeing as she could already feel her skin beginning to heat from his close scrutiny.

Damn those eyes of his!

"Samantha it's perfectly fine to be bothered about the fact that I've made love to a woman other than yourself," said EJ smoothly, unable to help but needle her so that he could enjoy more of her jealousy, "It's normal for a new lover to feel that way."

"This is ridiculous!" snapped Sami, standing up abruptly and throwing her bag over her shoulder and looking back at him angrily, hating when he said things like that.

EJ arched his eye brows at her sudden movement.

"I thought we could have a civilised about… about… _things_!" she said heatedly, pointing to herself, "But it's clear you would rather go on and on about your pathetic conquests to me!"

"Like I'm even the remotest bit interested in who you sleep with EJ DiMera!" she said, her voice starting to become louder now as she became more upset, "You could sleep with every woman in this bar for all I care!"

Sami's stomach twisted painfully at even thinking those words let alone saying them and she wanted to burst into tears at just the thought of it but she resolutely held her ground because this was the only way she was going to be able to make EJ leave her alone. EJ had just been regarding her steadily throughout her outburst, leaning back a bit and resting his elbow on the back of his stool, putting his hand to his mouth thoughtfully.

"Unlike you my darling I'm not interested in cheap imitations," he said finally, his voice calm and considered, a direct contrast to her heated words, "I want the real thing… you and you alone will satisfy me."

Sami swallowed hard and looked back at him, his words affecting her but determined not to show it, her jaw set defiantly.

This was not going at all how she'd planned…

**Chapter THIRTY FOUR**** - ****You Say Potato, I Say Potahto**

What lies behind us and what lies before us

are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.  
_~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~_

EJ walked out of the internal stairwell of his apartment block and stood in the corridor. He turned his head and was just in time to catch a flash of black skirt as Sami rounded the corner in front of him.

Sami had left Chez Rouge in a tizz and EJ had promptly followed her in his own car, working out pretty quickly that she was heading home. She'd arrived just before he had and taken the elevator and EJ had jogged up the stairs, intending on catching her before she disappeared into her apartment. He quickly walked down the corridor to find Sami's door wide open and as Sami leant against the couch, kicking off her shoes. Taking advantage of the still open door EJ strolled in casually and smiled at Sami.

"What the hell do you think you're doing EJ!" she exclaimed in annoyance, "Get out!"

"We haven't finished our conversation sweetheart," he reminded her, watching as she took a seat on the sofa.

"I thought you were going to try your luck at the bar," she said grumpily.

She'd worn new shoes tonight and they were just a bad fit for her foot for some reason but they'd looked great so Sami had worn them anyway. A decision she was now regretting as her feet ached painfully and there was already a couple of little blisters forming on her left foot even after such a short amount of time. Damn her shoe fetish - it was going to cripple her at this rate!

"That looks uncomfortable," noted EJ as he crouched down at the end of the sofa and folded his arms over the arm rest, watching in amusement as she distractedly rubbed her put upon foot, "New shoes?"

"Yes," she said shortly.

EJ looked down at the discarded stiletto shoes by the couch and then back at Sami who was pulling a face somewhere between pain and relief as she rubbed her foot.

"You should invest in some shoes with a shorter heel," he observed, "Save yourself the aggravation."

"Says the guy who is freakishly tall," muttered Sami sourly, "I need the height otherwise I look like a munchkin."

EJ laughed at her comment and shook his head.

"Well you're certainly the most fetching munchkin I've ever seen," he said with a grin.

"Mmfh," Sami didn't really bother with replying to that, standing up now that her feet were a little more comfortable and walking over to the still open door.

She put her hand on it, looked at EJ and then looked out into the corridor encouragingly.

"So sorry to hear you have to leave so soon EJ," she said flatly.

"Oh if that's the case then I'll stay," said EJ brightly, straightening up and perching on the end of the sofa arm rest he'd just been leaning on.

Sami made a groan of frustration and slammed the door shut, seeing she wasn't going to get rid of him that easily.

"Besides," said EJ, watching as she put her shoes in the shoe rack by the door, "We still have so much to talk about Samantha."

Sami walked back and stood directly in front of EJ and frowned at him.

"It was just getting good if I remember darling," he said looking rather serious, "I really think we were getting somewhere. That was of course until you flounced off in a jealous huff."

"Flounced off… huff??!!"

Sami repeated his words with so much disdain in her voice that EJ actually winced to hear it.

"You have to be kidding me EJ!" she growled, "I am anything but jealous when it comes to you do you hear me!"

"Really because we seemed to be getting along swimmingly until Kate appeared," he observed with a big smile on his lips, "And then my little kitten's claws came out pretty quick smartish I must say."

"Don't flatter yourself EJ," she said bitingly, "Kate and I hated each other long before you dipped your pen in that particular inkwell! This has nothing to do with you other than..."

"Other than what sweetheart?" asked EJ curiously when Sami stopped talking abruptly.

Sami looked away, collecting herself as she felt so many emotions churning through her.

"Other than what Samantha?" he prompted her.

"Other than you and your… stomach churning… involvement with Kate reminding me exactly of why we can never be together EJ," she said bitterly.

"Samantha, Kate is in my past…" he began but she interrupted him before he could continue.

"You know that new leaf I was talking about EJ?" she asked him tightly, "Well it includes learning from previous mistakes. You were telling me that you cared for me, that you wanted a life with me and I was the only woman for you…"

Sami held his gaze steadily then but her voice began to waver as she was finally honest about how painful it had been to her to find out about his and Kate's sordid liaison and the timing of it.

"You told me all those things EJ," she whispered, her blue eyes full of hurt, "And then just turned around and made a mockery of any feelings I might have been having for you by jumping on some other woman, no doubt in the same evening. And it wasn't just any woman… oh no…!"

Sami's voice began to become raised as her anger replaced her feelings of betrayal.

"It had to be Kate Roberts didn't it?" she asked bitterly, "The one woman who has done nothing but try and destroy me from the day we first met! And then you have the hide to sit there and look all puppy eyed and confused when I tell you I don't want anything to do with you. You are unbelievable EJ!"

"Samantha everything was different back then," he said earnestly, looking up at her very soulfully, "I was a different man back then… you and I hadn't made love at the time but now that we have…"

"What?" she said sarcastically, "You're a changed man?"

"Yes," said EJ emphatically, "Loving you has changed me utterly Samantha, you have to believe that."

"Do you know what I believe EJ?" she asked him, hardening her heart against the way he was looking at her even though it was gut wrenchingly painful to do so, "I believe that you're probably going to leave here tonight after not getting what you want and go and leap on top of that decrepit old bag of bones or anyone else just so you can have a little fun. And you know what? You can justify it all by saying it was all my fault for being so unreasonable and mean to you!"

"Is that what you think Samantha?" asked EJ, his own frustration level starting to rise, "That I'm just looking for some quick roll in the hay, some little fling? I think I've made my intentions towards you very clear sweetheart and they could be called anything but temporary… or little!"

"I think you have an agenda when it comes to me," she said tensely, "And I don't know what it is but I know it involves your father somehow and this stupid vendetta between our families. I know you're dangerous EJ and I don't want to have anything to do with you ever again! I'm going to build a life with Lucas and Will and I want your word that you won't do anything to endanger that for me EJ - that you won't tell anyone about Ara Caman."

EJ pondered her words for a long moment then, obviously collecting his thoughts and Sami could feel her nerves tightening as she waited for him to answer her. Her heart was pounding in her chest but it always seemed to do that when EJ was around. Why oh why couldn't she just be indifferent to him she wondered in anguish?

"You know," said EJ finally, casually stretching his long legs out in front of him, crossing them at the ankles as he sat on the arm of Sami's sofa, "I can't help but wonder what it is you are going to tell yourself about our little island interlude Samantha. When you're lying in bed next to that block of wood Lucas Roberts, unable to sleep because all you can think of is me. I'm just so very curious to know what you are telling yourself about our days and nights of amazing lovemaking."

"I don't tell myself anything," said Sami flatly.

"I know that isn't true Samantha," he said calmly, "I know they say that couples become more and more alike over time but being with Lucas hasn't made you completely brain dead yet."

"I can't believe how mean you are about him!" said Sami in disgust, interrupting him now, "He's hurt!"

"And the fact that he is only hurt and not dead is because of me Samantha," EJ pointed out reasonably, looking down and picking at some imaginary lint on his pants leg, "A fact everyone seems happy enough to forget I might add."

"You only helped him because I…" Sami swallowed her next words and looked away then.

"You what sweetheart?" he asked her, arching an eyebrow at her, "Made a deal with the devil?"

"Yes!" spat out Sami, her lips curling in disgust but she didn't know if it was directed at him or herself.

"Which brings me back to my original question Samantha," he said smoothly, cocking his head at her and looking up at her intently, "What exactly is it that you tell yourself about our lovemaking on the island again?"

"It wasn't lovemaking!" she snapped angrily, "It was sex - nothing else EJ! You forced me to go to that island and…"

"What?" he challenged her, suddenly straightening up and leaning towards her, "Forced you to have sex? I don't think so sweetheart, I was there remember and there was nothing forced about the way you gave yourself to me. The way you wrapped your legs around me and…"

"Shut up!" she yelled at him and then forced herself to speak more quietly, "Shut up EJ! I wouldn't have even been on that stupid island if it wasn't for you and your twisted deals! If there had been any way I could have gotten out of it I would have, trust me!"

"Well you see I don't know about that Samantha," said EJ standing up abruptly as his voice and face harden now as she tried to make out that he had tricked her somehow.

Sami took a rapid step back as EJ suddenly loomed over her.

"You are a world class, inspired liar and manipulator Samantha Brady," he said tightly, his features severe with his own frustration, "And I know if you had really put your mind to it you could have gotten out of being on that plane if you wanted to. Faked an illness, set up an accident, have Will being admitted to hospital and a whole other array of things I'm sure your devious little imagination could have come up with but you didn't. Do you wonder why that is Samantha? I know I do."

EJ was advancing on her then and Sami was backing up, a distressed look on her face.

"Don't EJ," she said shakily but he didn't take any notice of her plea.

"You see I think secretly, deep down in a place that you won't even admit exists," he told her, "I think you wanted to come to that island. You wanted to be alone with me and you wanted us to make love because from the very first day that we met you knew that was where we were going to end up... with you in my bed."

"You are delusional," she said, her voice wavering terribly as she had difficulty holding out against that fierce look in his eyes, "I was with Austin when we first met…"

"And now you're with Lucas," he finished for her smoothly, "But neither of those lack lustre men have anything to do with us Samantha… never have. They can't come close to what we share sweetheart."

"Can you even hear yourself EJ?" she asked in a sort of amazed horror, wishing she could come up with a better argument then that for what he was saying.

The great certainty with which he'd say those kinds of things was deeply unsettling and Sami wondered if that was why he'd said them or if he in actual fact believed them himself.

"You can't deny that you wanted me on that island Samantha," said EJ determined to get her to admit it, "I mean, surely we can't be back to calling it an accident what with the lagoon, the guest house, our bed, many times over our bed mind you, the living room, the plane flight home…"

EJ looked her up and down then and gave a tight little smile and Sami's obvious discomfort at him having such a damning list at his disposal.

"Because if we are calling them all accidents I have to say that your insurance premiums must be through the roof eh darling?" he asked her with the little smirk that drove Sami so crazy.

His last mocking words were enough to bring out Sami's fighting spirit. He'd backed her into a corner and the only thing Sami knew to do about that was claw her way out and that was what she proceeded to do, sick of being on the back foot in this conversation. She gave an offhand shrug then and sent him a mocking look, gathering all of her inner fortitude.

"Alright," she conceded, tilting her head back and looking him squarely in the eye, an air of total indifference about her, "Maybe I was… curious."

"Curious?" he repeated with an arch of an eyebrow.

"Sure," she shrugged again and looked completely unconcerned, "Maybe I wanted to see what all the fuss was about EJ DiMera and his heart throb status on the European race car circuit. But now that I have I realised that it's not that big a deal and I'm over it. There was a lot of hype but in the end it was a bit of a disappointment I have to say."

Sami gave him a cold smile, throwing the gauntlet down as she challenged him about that time on the island, letting him know it meant less than nothing to her.

"So what, you were faking it?" he asked her, his expression not changing as he asked the question but nonetheless she felt a curl of fear go through her stomach, something about how still he was being.

"What's the matter EJ?" she taunted him, feeling like she at last had the upper hand, "Can't you tell when a woman is faking it?"

"You are a brilliant liar Samantha," he admitted, with a slow nod of his head, "And I agree you could get a man to believe just about anything. But what happened that night, the next day… there was no falsehood there… it was very real. The way you took me into your body, the way you screamed for me to keep going, that look on your face in that final second when…"

"Well maybe my memory of it is a little different," she snapped, not wanting him to go on because it was causing her to have too many vivid memories, "At best it was average and I've had way better… trust me."

"It appears I've been a little lax then," said EJ evenly after pondering her words for a moment before capturing her in his unblinking gaze, "If the memories of our little tryst are starting to fade then I'd better take it upon myself to do something about that hadn't I Samantha? Perhaps I need to work on… driving my point home more often… is that something you'd like me to do sweetheart…?"

He paused then and let his eyes drift all over her body, taking in every inch of her before raising his eyes to her widened gaze again and slowly licked his lips before continuing.

"… _drive_ _my_ _point_ _home_ repeatedly so you don't forget exactly what passed between us on that island?" he finished, his voice velvety and warm, "Because I can promise you darling… I am more than up to that particular challenge."

Sami swallowed hard, feeling trapped under that hot gaze of his.

"Don't tell me Samantha that you don't think about how amazing our lovemaking truly was," he said, moving closer to her and for some reason Sami couldn't seem to make herself move away as he drew very close to her.

EJ ducked his head, his body a hairs breadth from hers and nuzzled one of her cheeks with his own, his hot breath on her ear.

"That you don't ache for my body like mine is aching for yours," he whispered and Sami's eyes began to drift shut as she began to fall helplessly under his thrall.

EJ pulled back then slightly, brushing her nose with his, teasing her with the his words and actions.

"… that you're not craving our next kiss…" he murmured and despite all her best intention Sami's head tilted back a little, silently inviting him to keep going.

"I'm starving for you sweetheart," he said huskily, his lips almost on hers now, "I can't bear it… please Samantha, let me make love to you…"

Sami whimpered at his words, her body screaming out to her to close that tiny distance between their mouths and kiss him and end all of this torturous frustration she was feeling. EJ was all around her, consuming her and Sami only wanted more…

The knock at the door startled them both and they both jumped, so wrapped up in each other that the rest of the world had ceased to exist. The noisy intrusion was a brutal reminder to Sami that that wasn't the case. She hastily took a couple of steps back from EJ, putting her hand to her mouth in horror over how close she'd come to succumbing to his sweet lies yet again. She hated herself for being so weak and shook her head in frustration. EJ swore under his breath in annoyance at the intrusion, knowing that Sami had been a split second away from kissing him, giving herself to him again.

"Samantha," he said in an urgent whisper, "Don't answer it - we aren't finished here."

"Sami it's me!"

"Dad!" she said in real horror now.

"Of course it is," said EJ bitterly, rolling his eyes.

What did these Brady's have - some kind of in-built radar when it came to he and Sami getting closer so they could interrupt at a moment's notice??

"Coming Dad," she called back, dropping her hand from her mouth and composing herself.

She walked to the door and opened it while EJ looked on, a disgruntled expression on his face.

"Hi Dad."

Sami greeted her father with what she hoped was a calm smile.

"Hey darlin'," drawled Roman and then his face hardened when he caught sight of EJ in the background, "EJ - what are you doing here?"

"I was visiting with Samantha," said EJ calmly, tamping down his annoyance and smiling pleasantly at the older man, "No law against that is there Commander?"

Roman walked into the room, looking EJ up and down and looking decidedly unimpressed.

"Not yet," he said flatly, letting his dislike of the other man show clearly on his face.

"You know," said EJ, seeming to muse to himself, "I think it is the general professionalism and the way all people are treated equal that most impresses me about the Salem police department."

"What are you doing hanging around me daughter EJ?" asked Roman coldly, not raising to the bait.

"We're neighbours Roman," said EJ coolly, "I was just being neighbourly."

"Well I think you've overstayed your welcome," said Roman, holding EJ's gaze unblinkingly.

"Dad it's alright," said Sami with a shake of her head, trying to dispel some of the tension in the room, "EJ was just leaving anyway."

She looked at EJ pleadingly behind Roman's back.

"Weren't you EJ?" she pushed him.

"I was," agreed EJ, relenting when he saw the stressed expression on her face.

He walked over towards the door and Roman turned around, watching him go. EJ paused at the door and put a familiar hand on Sami's shoulder.

"We'll finish our discussion at a later date sweetheart," he said calmly, "We still have a few loose ends to tie up wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes fine," said Sami quickly, very conscious of her father standing right there, "Later EJ."

EJ nodded and dropped his hand from her shoulder and exited the room, closing the door behind him.

"What was that man doing in your apartment Sami?" asked Roman tersely as soon as he was gone.

"Just some business stuff Dad," said Sami hastily, the lie falling easily from her lips, "It was nothing."

"Sami you have to be careful around him," frowned Roman, obviously concerned, "We are looking at him for a lot of bad things that have happened in Salem recently, not just John's shooting."

"I know," said Sami softly, feeling her heart sink again, "Abe told me."

"It's not safe to be alone with him Sami," said Roman firmly, desperate to make her understand, "He's a DiMera and is capable of anything. I don't want you letting him in this apartment when Lucas isn't here - do you hear me?"

"But Abe said he wanted me to keep an eye on EJ," protested Sami.

"From a distance," said Roman sharply, "You can't put yourself in any kind of danger Sami. EJ DiMera is cold, calculating killer and he won't hesitate to hurt you if he serves his purposes."

"EJ wouldn't hurt me Dad," protested Sami, turning away from him and walking back into the room.

"Honey that man wouldn't hesitate to do just that if you ever got in his way," said Roman with great certainty, "You can't believe anything he says. It's like this supposed trip to Paris that he just took."

"Supposed?" repeated Sami, her eyes widening and making sure she kept her back to her father, trying to sound casual, "What do you mean by that Dad?"

"Well his private jet landed there as scheduled but apparently he wasn't on it," supplied Roman.

"Do they… do they know where he really was?" asked Sami, turning around and feigning being casually interested.

"No," frowned Roman, looking at her, "That's why I'm here Sami - I thought you might have something to tell me."

"What would I have to tell you?" she asked trying to keep calm but her heart was beating so fast that Sami was sure her father would be able to hear it any minute now.

Sami was almost sick at the thought that her dad might know about her and EJ on the island.

"You work at Mythic with EJ," shrugged Roman, "Maybe you overheard something or EJ said something that didn't quite add up?"

"Oh," said Sami weakly, practically passing out from the relief of her father obviously having no clue about her and EJ being together this last week after all, "Ah no Dad…sorry. EJ didn't say anything to me before I went away."

"A business a rival of Stefano's was murdered in Portobello, Italy last week, Alfonse Di Gorgorio," Roman informed her, "He was holidaying with his family."

"That's awful!" gasped Sami in horror and then frowned, "You don't think that EJ…?"

"The timing of his supposed trip to Paris is mighty suspicious if you ask me," said Roman grimly, "I can see Stefano dispatching his good little solider EJ to get the job done."

Sami's eyes widened, knowing there was no way that EJ could have done what her father was suggesting seeing as the two of them had practically spent every minute together in the last week. The trouble was that she couldn't tell her father that EJ was innocent of the terrible crime without revealing her affair to him and Sami really didn't want to do that.

"I'm sorry honey," said Roman with a sigh, seeing how distressed his daughter suddenly looked, "I didn't mean to put you on the spot and it was a bit of a long shot anyway that you might have seen something. Those DiMera's are a crafty lot and play their cards pretty close to their chest. We'll find out what he was up to eventually - EJ can't keep his whereabouts last week a secret forever."

"I suppose not," said Sami faintly, wondering how on earth she was going to stop her father from barking up that particular tree.

"Now enough of police business," said Roman with a grin, "Is my little girl going to tell me all about her trip away or what?"

Sami put a big smile on her face for her father's benefit as he settled himself on the sofa, obviously wanting to hear all the ins and outs of her supposed trip to Jamaica. Sami was up to the task of lying about that but it looked like she had another thing to worry about with the Salem PD closing in on EJ's activities.

_Damn it - why couldn't anything be simple in her life??!!_

**Chapter THIRTY FIVE**** - ****You Scratch My Back, I'll Scratch Yours**

If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is a compromise.  
_~Robert Fritz~_

Sami closed her apartment door behind her, quickly locking it so she could escape out of the building without meeting up with EJ. It had been three days since her father had visited her and rather amazingly she'd managed to avoid him all that time.

Between staying all day at the hospital and then visiting with her mom until late in the evening Sami had managed to avoid EJ which she had been very relieved about. Sami found that she couldn't think when he was around, all her best laid intentions seeming to dissolve the instant he looked at her or said her name and Sami simply couldn't allow that. Also she had the problem about what to do about her father pursuing EJ over this murder in Italy. Sami knew for a fact that EJ hadn't done it but she had to find a way of convincing her father of that little fact without revealing where he had really spent last week.

There was a part of Sami that couldn't help but be hopeful about the fact her father was wrong about EJ on this one. Perhaps if the police were wrong about this than it meant they were wrong about other things as well? Sami's heart gave an unwelcome lurch at the thought, chastising herself for caring. What did it matter what he did or not do - he was a DiMera and that was enough. He'd lied to her, manipulated her and couldn't be trusted and his first allegiance would always be to Stefano and that meant there could never be any kind of future for them. Not that she wanted one of course she reminded herself quickly. She turned around and gave a little squawk to find EJ standing right there.

"What are you doing standing there EJ?" she asked him in annoyance, taking her frustration at herself out on him.

"Picturing you naked," he admitted happily and then gave her a very satisfied look, "Very nice."

Sami looked around the thankfully vacant corridors before glaring at him fiercely.

"That's not funny EJ," she snapped.

"I wasn't going for laughs sweetheart," he said, clearly amused at her outrage though.

"Are you going into the office?" she asked him abruptly, eyeing his suit and tie outfit and needing to change the subject.

"No I'm going to see my father," he replied calmly, letting her off the hook… for the time being, "He's out of hospital today and has returned home."

"He has?" asked Sami in surprise, "I thought he was on death's door a day or two ago."

"My father is very resilient," said EJ with a smile, "He rallied."

"Yeah well I suppose only the good die young," muttered Sami looking less than thrilled about this information.

"I'll pass on your well wishes for a speedy recovery shall I sweetheart?" asked EJ ironically.

"You know what I wish for that man," said Sami unrepentantly.

"Yes you haven't exactly hidden your feelings on the subject," said EJ dryly.

He looked at her then, his brown eyes suddenly becoming very warm as they ran over her face.

"But then you never one to hold back now were you darling?" he asked huskily, "When I think of how you gave yourself to me on Ara Caman, so completely, so utterly… it was like I saw into your very soul."

"Lucas is coming home tomorrow," she blurted out, needing some kind of barrier between them after such intimate words.

"Is he?" said EJ mildly, letting her change the subject, "Well I'm very happy to hear that sweetheart."

"You are?" she said suspiciously.

"I'm happy if you're happy," he said calmly and then arched an eyebrow at her, "I mean… you _are_ happy aren't you darling?"

"Of course I am," she said flatly, "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Why indeed," nodded EJ, pressing his lips together and looking thoughtful.

"I'm _very_ happy Lucas is coming home tomorrow!" she bit out, looking up at him in annoyance.

"I'm a little uncertain who you are trying to convince here Samantha," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "You or me."

"I've made my decision about the man I want to be with and it's the right one," said Sami, drawing herself up to her full height, "Now all I need from you EJ is your word that you won't say anything to anyone about Ara Caman."

"What's in it for me?" asked EJ, pursing his lips and seeming to be considering her request.

"What do you mean?" scowled Sami.

"I mean you're getting something from me keeping quiet," he said reasonably, "But I'm not really seeing an upside for me darling."

Sami narrowed her eyes and looked at him suspiciously.

"So what do you want EJ?" she asked tightly.

"I thought we could do a deal," suggested EJ brightly, "Seeing as the last one worked out so well between us."

"What kind of deal EJ?" she asked him, her face set as though she was bracing herself.

"Well if I keep quiet about the island and all the little…" EJ paused then and his eyes ran up and down her body lingeringly, "… interludes that we shared than I think I should be compensated duly."

"What do you want EJ?" she asked him tersely, really worried about what he was going to ask of her this time.

"I want a kiss," he said simply and Sami looked at him in real shock.

"A… a kiss?" she repeated in surprise.

"Yes a kiss," he nodded, "One kiss Samantha and I will keep our little getaway just between the two of us, I promise."

"I'm _never_ going to kiss you again EJ!" she said fiercely, "I told you that!"

"Then I guess I should really call in on dear Lucas and fill him in on some details that you might have omitted when you were telling him about your recent travels," said EJ, feigning a regretful shrug, "Remind me sweetheart, what are the visiting hours of the hospital… or better still we could go together to the hospital - what do you say eh?"

Sami ground her teeth, knowing that he'd backed her into a corner. She had made that vow to him in the hospital about him never kissing her again in the heat of the moment but the more she had thought about it the more she'd realised that it was her only way out of this mess. When EJ kissed her any ability on her behalf to think beyond that moment simply evaporated. Nothing else existed during his kisses and Sami had found her ability to fight him completely defunct. It had become like this pivotal thing in her head now that as long as she never let EJ kiss her again then no matter what was happening, she was still in control of this situation. It was a flimsy thing at best but Sami had nothing else to grasp onto at this point and she needed to feel like she had some way of holding back the overwhelming impact that EJ had on her every time they were together, whether she wanted to admit it or not.

"You wouldn't!" she exclaimed, her eyes becoming stricken as his threat of exposing their affair to Lucas.

"Wouldn't I?" asked EJ, ever so innocently, "To listen to the way you tell the story Samantha I'm a heartless bastard… a DiMera so I'm uncertain why you would doubt that I'd do exactly that."

Sami glared at him, not doubting that he was capable of such an act of cruelty and hating him for being so indifferent to her feelings.

"Alright," she said finally, looking at him angrily, "But just know that I won't be kissing you back EJ - you can force me to let you kiss me but I want you to know that it doesn't mean a thing!"

"So we have a deal then?" he asked her quietly, taking in her heated cheeks and flashing eyes, "I'll keep quiet about the island in exchange for a kiss?"

"Yes," she said sharply, "But you have to promise me EJ, promise to keep the island a secret."

"I promise you Samantha," he said calmly and then tilted his head a little and gave her a soft smile, "So may I kiss you now?"

Sami's heart began to beat painfully fast in her chest at his words and nodded mutely, forcing herself to remain cold and hard to him. She couldn't let a kiss from EJ undo all that she was so painstakingly trying to rebuild, she just couldn't. Sami looked stubbornly ahead, refusing to look at EJ and kept her lips tightly pressed together, trying to look as uninviting as she possibly could and willed herself to feel nothing. EJ stepped closer to her, until he was standing directly in front of her but still Sami stared defiantly at a spot on the wall behind him.

EJ slowly bent his head and Sami tensed, holding her breath and praying she could do this. Sami gave a little intake of surprise at the first touch of his lips to her skin. Instead of finding her lips EJ had pressed a lingering kiss to her cheek. It was soft but sure and the smell of him invaded her Sami's senses, the slight scent of the soap he used combined with his own unique masculine scent and made her head spin.

She'd expected him to plunder her lips fiercely, had been ready to defend herself coldly against such an assault but the gentle tenderness of this kiss undid her and Sami didn't know how to feel or what to do. EJ took his time, the kiss was drawn-out for all of its softness and Sami felt her eye lids drooping as it continued. Once again he'd caught her off guard, unbalanced her and Sami didn't know how much more of this she could take. Finally EJ lifted his lips from her cheek but he didn't move away immediately and Sami's breath hitched in her throat as he turned his head so that his lips were near her ear, his slightly roughened cheeks scraping against her soft cheek. He brushed her cheek gently with his and Sami's stomach tightened at the delicate caress.

"I like sharing a secret with you Samantha," he whispered huskily in her ear, "It's binds us together… one of many things that does."

Sami jerked away from him then, his words too confronting, strangely more intimate than any of his usual outrageous flirting. She didn't want to share secrets with EJ DiMera but she did and now there was no turning back for her. A small smile touched his lips at her reaction and he tilted his head a little as he looked down at Sami, regarding her steadily.

"Samantha," he said softly, his deep voice rich and velvety and it was as though he'd touched her again somehow.

EJ didn't say anything else, simply inclined his head and turned around, heading for the elevator and it was only when she heard the ding of the elevator doors closing that Sami released the breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding. She bit her bottom lip, almost causing it to bleed and tried to get her thought processes to work again. Now she was in a real pickle. EJ had given her his word that he wouldn't say anything about the island but now she was more caught up with him than ever - he was right, their lies did bind them together and Sami couldn't afford for EJ to have that kind of power over her.

She needed to fix this.

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ was still buzzing from his contact with Sami as he stood at the front doors of the DiMera mansion, waiting for someone to answer his knock. He closed his eyes, briefly recalling the feel of her soft cheek against his lips and a warmth flooded his entire body, tightening his stomach muscles and making a mockery of the calm exterior he was sporting.

God how he'd missed being that close to her.

For three days EJ had let Sami avoid him but he always knew where she was, what she was doing which wasn't that hard seeing as she was either at the hospital with Lucas or with her mother. Three days had been his limit though, only being able to last that long because he knew that she was only a few feet away at night, somehow that knowledge had got him through that time but this morning he'd woken up and knew that he needed to have another fix of Samantha Brady. She was like crack to him, if he couldn't see her, touch her than he lost all coherency, all ability to think about anything else. So he'd stood, like the love sick fool he was, at his door, looking through the peep hole and waited impatiently for Sami to appear, knowing roughly the time she'd been leaving to go to the hospital for the last three days.

EJ had begun to think he'd missed her but then Sami had suddenly appeared and he'd leapt on the opportunity to be with her again. He wondered if he'd come to regret the deal he'd made with her - his silence for a kiss but the look on her face when he'd kissed her on the cheek suggested to EJ that he wouldn't. It was clear from the expression on Sami's face that she hadn't been expecting him to do that and EJ was glad. He wanted to keep on challenging her perception of him until Sami had no choice but to acknowledge that he wasn't the monster that she wanted him to be. EJ knew that Sami already knew that deep down inside otherwise they would never have made love on the island but now he had the task ahead of him of making her accept the truth her heart was trying to tell her.

It was just as well EJ DiMera enjoyed a challenge he decided ruefully.

The door opened at last and EJ arched an eyebrow at who had opened it.

"Tony," he said smoothly, "Added another task to your job description I see."

"Elvis," said Tony and smiled a cold smile, "I see you've decided to grace us with your presence… better late than never I suppose."

"Actually I went to the hospital first," said EJ with a tight smile of his own, "Only to find out that you'd already taken Father home with you."

"Oh sorry," said Tony, all fake smiles and apologies, "Didn't I mention that I'd be taking Father home first thing in the morning?"

"I guess it must have slipped your mind," said EJ flatly, unimpressed by Tony's little games.

"Yes well running the business for Father while he's been incapacitated has been somewhat diverting," said Tony, clearly baiting the younger man, "But I don't suppose you know what I'm talking about hm Elvis? Are you still tinkering about with that little company of yours? What was its name again… Minuscule, Minor?"

"Mythic," said EJ evenly, not rising to his brother's digs, "And it's going swimmingly thank you for asking. Samantha has proven herself to be quite gifted in the business world."

"Ah yes," nodded Tony thoughtfully, "Grooming your queen to take your side when you inherit the DiMera empire… except of course that you won't be inheriting it."

"Meaning?" asked EJ with an arched eyebrow.

"Meaning little brother that Father intends for me to run the business once he has passed away," said Tony coolly, "He is going for experience and loyalty over youth and someone who is playing both sides of the fence."

"My loyalty to our Father has never been in question Tony," said EJ tightly.

Tony just gave a smirk at that, as though he knew something EJ didn't and EJ couldn't help but find that somewhat annoying.

"Well I'd love to stand here all day and chat Elvis but I have a plane to catch," said Tony.

"Heading out of town when our father is so unwell Tony?" asked EJ with a sweet smile, "How… loyal… of you."

"I am leaving at the behest of our father Elvis," said Tony calmly, "An old business partner of his, Alfonse DiGorgorio, has passed away and he has asked me to represent the family at his funeral."

"Uncle Alfonse?" repeated EJ in surprise, "I didn't know he'd died. I remember Father and I would spend summers at his beach house with his family when I was a child. I haven't seen him in years but I remember him as being a very kind man. I'm saddened to hear of his passing, pass that along to his family for me won't you Tony?"

"Of course Elvis," said Tony smoothly.

"How did it happen?" asked EJ suddenly, looking at Tony curiously, "I remember he had some health problems - was it his heart?"

"In a manner of speaking," nodded Tony casually, "He was shot through it… so I guess you could call that a heart problem."

"He was murdered?" asked EJ in shock.

"Well it wasn't a hunting accident little brother," said Tony mockingly.

"Do they have any leads?" asked EJ, suddenly becoming suspicious of Tony's off handedness.

"How should I know little brother?" asked Tony with a shrug.

"Rolf told me that you were out of the country last week for a couple of days as well," said EJ abruptly.

"What of it?" asked Tony casually, "I had a business errand to run for Father."

"In Italy?" asked EJ shortly.

"Madrid actually," said Tony with a tight smile, "I'm sorry but I didn't have time to bring you anything back little brother."

EJ regarded Tony steadily for a long moment. Tony held his gaze with those almost black eyes of his, not even blinking.

"So may I come in to see Father or do you have him under lock and key?" asked EJ finally, letting that particular line of enquiry slide… for the moment.

"Why of course you must come in Elvis," said Tony effusively, standing back, "I would never deprive Father of the company of his favourite child."

EJ walked through the door as Tony made his way out.

"Enjoy your stay with our Father," said Tony with a little inclination of his head, "But don't stay too long will you Elvis - he tires easily."

With that Tony closed the door behind him, leaving a thoughtful EJ on the other side of it. His distrust of his brother grew daily and was concerned with what plots he was hatching.

"Elvis my son!" Stefano's voice boomed out from the sitting room, "Is that you?"

"Yes Father," he called back, "I'm coming."

EJ gave the door Tony had just walked through one last considered look and then went to visit with his father.

**Chapter THIRTY SIX**** - ****The Ties That Bind**

True love is like a ghost; everyone talks of it, few have seen it.  
_La Rochefoucauld_

EJ watched disapprovingly as his father poured them both a brandy.

"Are you sure that drinking alcohol is a good idea Father?" asked EJ with a fair amount of censure in his voice, "You are barely an hour out of the hospital after all."

It was hard to remember how tenuous the man standing in front of him grip on life had been looking at him now. He was walking around, dressed in one of his usual expensive handmade Italian suits, and immaculately turned out as always. EJ could see he looked a little pale but the fact that he could even stand at all after being at death's door yet again was just another testament to Stefano DiMera's unbelievable intestinal fortitude.

"And perhaps you should sit down Father?" continued on EJ determinedly.

"Hmf!" Stefano waved a dismissive hand at him, "I've been lying flat on my back for days now - I want to stand! Now let us talk of more pleasant things eh my son?"

EJ gave a resigned sigh and let him be, knowing his father could be impossibly stubborn about such things when the mood took him.

"I hope you remember Elvis," his father said as he handed him EJ a snifter of brandy, "This little dalliance you have with Samantha Brady is more than simply a means to an end."

"Of course Father," said EJ smoothly, accepting the perfectly aged amber liquid, "I realise what is at stake here."

"Ah my boy!" smiled Stefano happily and cupped EJ's cheek with a large hand, "My best and my brightest eh. You're brothers and sister have all been such disappointments to me over the years but not you Elvis."

"I would never disappoint you Father," said EJ earnestly, "I love you. You've given me everything in this world. A name to be proud of, my sense of family and my strong character. How can I not repay that with my love and loyalty?"

"I am so glad to hear you say those things my son," said Stefano, dropping his hand to EJ's broad shoulders and patting him, "It does this old man's heart good to know his son feels this way. There is no closer bond than that between a father and his son Elvis… remember that."

"Always Father," said EJ quickly.

EJ watched with concern as Stefano swayed a little then and he quickly went to help him but Stefano waved away his attempts at help in annoyance.

"Curse this old body of mine," he grumbled as he regained his balance, "I would live forever save for its weakness."

"You could never be called weak Father," smiled EJ, reassuring him.

"Eh," replied Stefano with a little shrug, "I am not the man I used to be my son."

He gave EJ a considered look then.

"But I'm hoping that there is something in the horizon that I can look forward to though," said Stefano, his eyes narrowing as he looked at EJ, "Perhaps a grandchild to make me feel young again eh? It would be good to have young blood again in our dynasty would it not Elvis?"

"Ya," agreed Rolf suddenly appearing from nowhere as was his habit, "And it vould be even better for you Stefano if zey came with stem cellz!"

"Ah Rolf," said Stefano with a wave of his hand, "My son and I are talking. There is no need to talk of such base things at the moment… is there Elvis?"

"No," said EJ with a little shake of his head, "And besides, you might already have your wish Father."

"Really?" asked Stefano, his face lighting up with pleasure, "Samantha is pregnant with my grandson?"

"It's entirely possible Father," said EJ and answering grin on his face at the thought of his baby growing inside of Sami even as they spoke, "I don't know for sure yet but I am intending on finding out very soon."

"This is very exciting news Elvis!" said Stefano, beaming happily.

"Don't count your chickens before they hatch Father," laughed EJ, touched by his father's enthusiasm, "I don't know for sure yet but I will."

"But there is a chance?" asked Stefano hopefully, "A chance that I will be able to hold my new grandson in my arms very soon?"

"Yes Father," nodded EJ with a smile, "A very good chance. There is some part of me that just knows that we've conceived a child together - I really can't explain it… I just know."

"A father always knows," said Stefano with great certainty, "The first time I held you in my arms I knew you were going to be special… even while your mother carried you. It is a father's instinct."

"Don't all father's think their children are going to be special?" asked EJ with a little self deprecating laugh.

"Ah but I knew you were going to be something more over and above even that," said Stefano with a certain nod, "I watched over you as you grew into the man I see before me and now I know I was right to think such things."

"Thank you Father," said EJ sincerely, "I take that as high praise."

"No, no," said Stefano with a wave of his hand again, "It is only the truth."

EJ looked down at his brandy and swirled it absently in its bulbous glass and studied the velvety surface thoughtfully.

"You know Father," he said hesitantly, trying to form his thoughts together, "I can't totally explain it but when Samantha and I were together on that island and we made love for the first time… it just felt so… so right, so… I don't know, destined to be I suppose. I've never experienced anything like it before."

Stefano regarded his son thoughtfully after that last statement.

"Rolf," he said suddenly, "Open that drawer over there and fetch me out what is in there."

Stefano pointed to the ornate desk in the corner and Rolf obediently went to the drawer he'd indicated and took out a satchel and handed it to him.

"Now leave us," Stefano instructed the other man, "I want to talk to my son alone."

"Very vell Stefano," said Rolf, "But don't forget to take your medicines vill you? And you should be in bed right now too."

Stefano merely made an annoyed dismissive gesture at Rolf's concerns, more interested in opening up the satchel which he did as Rolf started to head out of the room.

"I'll keep an eye on him Rolf," EJ reassured him.

"Bah," said Stefano in annoyance, "I'm not a child that has to be nurse maided Elvis."

"I know that Father," said EJ calmly, "But you are not a well man and you must make allowances for that."

Stefano looked unhappy to say the least at that prospect but was quickly distracted when he came across the photo he was looking for.

"You spoke of destiny earlier Elvis," he said and held the picture in front of him with a flourish, "Here is your destiny… here is yours and Samantha Brady's love story… where it all began."

EJ frowned and took the offered photo and looked down at it.

"Is this…?" EJ began, looking in confusion at the picture seeing an almost exact replica of himself in the image that stared back at him.

"Your grandfather," nodded Stefano, "My father… Santo DiMera."

"Why have I never seen this before?" asked EJ, holding the picture closer to his face, studying the other man's face.

They really could have been twins except for the fact that his grandfather sported a dashing moustache… rather fashionable in its day. The resemblance was quite striking.

"Our family has secrets Elvis," said Stefano with a heavy sigh, "I thought it prudent to wait to tell you about your grandfather and now… after seeing what has developed between you and Samantha Brady - I know I was right to do so."

"What does my grandfather have to do with Samantha?" asked EJ, perplexed, looking down at the picture again, "Santo had passed away before she was even born."

Stefano gave a little smile at that and then rummaged through his remaining photos until he found the one he was looking for and this one was in a pretty silver frame. He handed it to EJ and EJ accepted it with a curious look.

"Samantha!" he said in surprise when he saw the picture of the beautiful blonde woman smiling serenely back at him, "Father, why do you have a picture of Samantha in amongst your photo's?"

"It is not Samantha," said Stefano knowingly, "It is her Great Aunt Colleen - Shawn Brady Senior's sister."

"I don't believe this," said EJ, shaking his head slowly, still trying to take it in, "They could be twins, the likeness is uncanny."

"It is isn't it," nodded Stefano, his eyes lighting up, "When I saw Samantha again after all this time, saw the fine young woman she has grown into I knew, I knew than that this was all meant to be."

"Father," said EJ slowly, "I'm sorry but I'm not really understanding what you are saying."

"Colleen Brady was a novice in Galway, Ireland," said Stefano, "And Santo, my father, you're grandfather met her on one of his business trips to the area."

"Are you saying…?" EJ tilted his head, starting to put things together, "Father are you saying that Santo and Colleen had a relationship?"

"They fell in love," said Stefano with a nod, "Colleen Brady was the great love of my father's life."

"Was this before or after he married Grandmother Sofia?" asked EJ curiously.

"After," Stefano informed him with a shrug.

"A married man and an almost nun," said EJ, pulling a face, "Now that wouldn't have gone down well at the time."

"That, my son, would be an understatement," said Stefano grimly, "I was only a young boy but I remember so clearly the events of that summer."

"What did happen Father?" asked EJ, with great interest.

"A love story happened Elvis," said Stefano simply and then his voice hardened, "A love story that was destroyed by the Brady's."

"What do you mean?" asked EJ with a frown, "What happened to Colleen and Santo?"

"Colleen was murdered by her own family rather than let her be with a DiMera," said Stefano bitterly, "My father was a broken man after that, incapable of loving again and vowing revenge on any and all Brady's."

"Are you telling me that Colleen's death is the reason for this vendetta we have against the Brady's?" asked EJ in amazement, things suddenly sliding into place for him, "All this time… all this fighting… over an affair?"

"It was not an affair Elvis!" said Stefano, his voice raising, "It was love and there is nothing more deserving of a war than love!"

"Father please," said EJ hastily, putting a hand on his arm, "I didn't mean to upset you… I was just taken aback, that's all. I'm sure you are right, that Colleen and Santo loved one another."

"It was more than that," said Stefano shaking his head, "I was only a child but I saw it even then… right before my eyes… _vero amore_."

"True love," translated EJ easily with a little smile.

"Yes," nodded Stefano emphatically, "True love - the thing the poems are written about, songs are sung, sonnets composed… true love. Though I was but a child I saw how my father looked at Colleen, as though nothing else existed in the world for him and I knew I was witnessing something I had never seen before… or since. They risked everything to be together, everything!"

"And it ended badly," said EJ softly, looking down at the picture of Colleen, his heart giving a painful lurch at the thought of someone who looked so much like his Samantha having died in such a fashion.

"It ended because the Brady's would not except their love," said Stefano harshly, "They took one of their owns life and my father's along with it. He was never the same again after losing Colleen. It was as though a light had been extinguished forever. Gone was the father that I'd adored, the one full of fun and laughter and much love. He was a shell of a man Elvis and I lost my father the day the Brady's murdered Colleen."

"So what happened exactly?" asked EJ greatly intrigued, finding it hard to imagine anyone harming their own flesh and blood.

"My father and Colleen met and fell in love, deeply in love," said Stefano, "And they were going to leave Galway and be together forever but when Colleen's father heard about it he tried to stop them and when Colleen refused to leave my father than he killed her."

"A father killing his own daughter?" asked EJ in horror, "It's unconscionable."

"Yes my son," said Stefano bitterly, "It is. And that is why my father charged me with the task of not resting until every Brady is wiped from the face of the earth. They are a scourge who does not deserve our pity when they showed none for one of their own."

EJ silently took in this information, remembering Sami's horror at the thought of joining with a man who's family wished her family dead. Now that he understood why the vendetta had started EJ doubted that it would make Sami feel any differently about it all. The thing was that EJ knew his father wouldn't go on forever and as soon as the reins of power passed to him then he would end this war with the Brady's, content to let them be if they would do the same for him. The reason he would be willing to do that was for the sake of Samantha's happiness which meant the world to him. He understood her reservations about joining his family but once EJ was in power than that obstacle would be removed because the DiMera's would no longer pose a threat to her family, he'd make sure of it.

"But even so there is a way past all this ugliness," said Stefano and EJ looked at him in surprise having a fleeting thought that his father could suddenly read minds.

"How do you mean Father?" asked EJ hesitantly.

"You and Samantha," said Stefano with great certainty, "It is like Santo and Colleen have been resurrected, given a chance for their love to be realised properly at long last. It is no accident that you and Samantha look so much like your grandfather and great aunt - it is fate! Their ghosts are looking for peace and only the two of you can give it to them. I charged you to find a Brady woman to make your own Elvis, to bring new blood into the family and you picked Samantha Brady, without hesitation. I see how captivated you are by this woman my son. The way you look at her… I have only seen that look once before in my life…"

"Santo," said EJ quietly, still reeling a little from all that this might mean.

"Yes!" said Stefano delightedly.

"But I am not Santo Father," said EJ firmly, "And Samantha is not Colleen."

"I know this my son," said Stefano with an impatient wave of his hand, "But you two are destined to be together, everything is drawing you towards one another, just as it did Santo and Colleen."

"What are you saying Father?" asked EJ with a frown.

"Ah," said Stefano with a wave of his hand and seeing the expression on his son's face, "Enough. I can see that I have given you much to think on Elvis… that is good."

"But Father…" EJ began to protest as he put his hands on his hips, wanting to know more.

"I am tired Elvis," said Stefano and suddenly he did look tired, all the colour draining from his face as he turned away, "I need to rest."

"Of course Father," said EJ quickly, going over to him and helping him to a chair to take a seat.

Stefano grabbed EJ's arm as he sat down and looked up at him.

"We will talk more of this eh?" said Stefano, seeming suddenly breathless, "There is still much I have to tell you my son."

"Yes Father," said EJ, trying not to sound too eager, "As soon as you're strong enough we can talk of it again - I have a lot of questions."

"I'm sure you do my boy," said Stefano indulgently, "But for now I suppose I had better do as the doctor ordered and rest… for the moment."

"That sounds like an excellent idea Father," said EJ warmly, relieved that he was going to be taking things a little easier.

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ sat in his car for a long time after leaving his father, his mind still whirling from all that his father had just told him. The kinship he felt for his grandfather after hearing his story ran very deep and now more than ever EJ knew that he and Samantha were meant to be. He was so excited about the story of Colleen and Santo and longed to share it immediately with Sami but hesitated. He was almost sure of what her initial response would be - rejecting the obvious similarities between their circumstance and that of the doomed lovers and her first instinct would to be to throw herself even more at Lucas.

The thought was a stomach churning one but EJ wasn't so worried about Lucas. He could handle that particular interloper just as he'd handled Austin. No, Sami, as always, was his number one priority. This news that their family history was already so entwined needed to be delivered at just the right time to make if work for his advantage EJ decided. He'd wait and see for a little bit before discussing it with Sami and besides, his father had intimated that there was more to the story and his pragmatic nature demanded that he get all the facts before charging off half cocked.

His practical side also then reminded him that he had a more pressing problem to deal with. Sami had said Lucas was returning home tomorrow and despite what he'd said to her, EJ wasn't pleased. After having his little chat with Dr Reeves EJ was confident that sex would be off the table for a little longer but he still hated the thought of Sami sharing any kind of living space with anyone but him. There was also the not so little matter of protecting Sami from herself when it came to the possibility that she was already pregnant. EJ sat there in his car, his brain percolating all of these problems before coming up with some solutions to his problems. He put his car in gear and then ran a few necessary errands before putting his plan into action.

**Chapter THIRTY SEVEN**** - ****I Spy With My Little Eye****…**

Necessity dispenseth with decorum.  
_Thomas Fuller_

It was later that same day and EJ was listening for Sami's footsteps outside his door, hearing them become fainter and then there was the ding of the elevator telling him that she was gone now. He cautiously opened his door and peeked his head out, looking up and down the hallway. He'd returned home an hour or so ago after making his purchases to find that Sami had come home for lunch from the hospital which had been her habit all week. EJ was also pretty confident that she was heading back to the hospital for the afternoon so he would have plenty of time to put his plan into action.

"Perfect," he said to himself happily, closing his door and retrieving the case that was on his desk and the spare key to apartment 32 that Sami had given him way back when he'd first moved in.

Clearly she'd forgotten that she'd done that and that was fine by EJ, knowing she'd be on his doorstep demanding its return if she ever did. He carried the case over to Sami's apartment and quickly opened the door and walked inside, locking the door behind him.

EJ looked around the apartment and closed his eyes briefly, inhaling deeply. The faintest whiff of her perfume came to him and EJ felt the all too familiar longing for her. He couldn't even remember what his life had been like before Samantha - whatever it had been it seemed dull and colourless despite what others might from the outside looking in might have thought. As fortunate as his life had been up until that point - his wealth, his playboy life style - all of that faded into a bland nothingness now that Sami was in his world, hell she was his world. She overshadowed everything and filled him with so much emotion that EJ didn't know if he would be able to stand it sometimes - the feelings were so fierce. She was his undoing and his saviour all rolled into one breath taking package and EJ couldn't let her go - not now, not ever.

Which was why he was standing in Sami's living room like he was, about to do this somewhat questionable thing.

He looked down at the silver case in hand and grimaced, frustrated that is should have come to this and thinking twice about it. EJ didn't want to this but too much was at stake for him to simply be complacent and allow the chips to fall where they may. His and Sami's future was at stake and quite possibly the health and well being of their unborn child. The thought of Sami being pregnant strengthened EJ's resolved, determined above everything else to protect Sami and their possible child. She had no idea what he'd done to her birth control pills on the island and God willing she never would but EJ had set this chain of events in motion and it was up to him to make sure that Sami didn't come to any kind of harm because of any actions he might have undertaken. EJ pressed his lips together, a fresh wave of determination washing over him.

"Right," he said resolutely, "Let's do this then."

EJ sat down on the couch and opened the case he'd bought with him and inside there were all manner of surveillance equipment, tiny cameras and listening devices designed to be unobtrusive. He looked up and above his head was a smoke detector.

"As good a place as any to start," he said with a nod.

He took out a little lipstick camera from the case and stood up. Because of his height he was able to reach the smoke detector by simply going up on his toes and reaching up above his head. He removed the outer shell of the detector and carefully inserted the tiny camera with its wireless leads. Technology really was amazing nowadays EJ decided. Once he switched these guys on it would feed directly to his lap top or his cell phone if he should so chose and he would be privy to all that went on in the apartment day or night. It was the only way the EJ could think of to make sure that Sami was kept safe and exactly what moves Lucas might be trying. Come hell or high water that moppet wasn't going to be touching Samantha ever again he vowed to himself silently.

Anyway, EJ consoled himself, none of this was going to be necessary for very long because soon enough Sami was going to wake up to how ridiculous all of this denying her true self was and then she'd be back in his arms and he'd be able to take care of her properly at long last. Not that Sami was some frail creature that needed him to run around after her, quite the opposite. She was a strong, wilful woman and that was part of the allure for EJ but amongst that scheming, relentless force of nature there was also a vulnerability and lack of guile to Samantha Brady that just captivated him. She was the most complex, impossibly beguiling woman he'd ever met and their future together promised to be anything but dull. EJ smiled to himself at that thought.

Having now finished installing the first camera he moved from the lounge room into the bedroom. He looked around and spied a handily located air conditioning vent in the wall and headed towards it, removing the grill and setting about installing his next camera. Once he was all done he'd be able to check all the feeds by simply linking in with his cell phone. It meant he'd be able to check in on Sami when and where ever he wanted to rather than having to be tied to a lap top which was what EJ was after. This was so easy to do it should be criminal thought EJ to himself in amusement.

"_So who's a naughty boy then?"_

EJ started so badly at the sound of the voice that he dropped the grill he'd been holding onto his foot but thankfully his shoes protected him from any real damage. He whirled around to see his lingerie clad nemesis from the other morning standing there in the doorway from the bathroom to the bedroom. She was again wearing only silken panties and a little strapless bra that drew a lot of attention to her impressive assets. The picture was finished off with high heels and a sexy little garter on one leg. Her hands were above her head, touching the door frame above her as she tilted her head and looked at him coyly through her blonde tresses.

"_It looks like someone is in need of a good smack," she purred and gave him a knowing little look._

"What are you doing here?" asked EJ in annoyance, his heart rate slowly returning to normal after the scare she'd given him although the sight of Sam in that outfit wasn't exactly helping EJ with calming down.

"_I think that is the question I should be asking you Elvis," she said wryly, strolling casually into the room._

"It's none of your business what I'm doing," said EJ shortly, bending down to pick up the grill and returning to his self appointed task, "So why don't you just go now?"

"_And miss all the fun?" pouted Sam, looking unhappy at the prospect as she sat down on the bed and watched him working away at the air conditioning vent._

"This isn't fun," said EJ tightly.

"_It's illegal," pointed out Sam happily, "In my experience most illegal things are great fun."_

EJ looked back over his shoulder to see that Sam had now stretched out on Sami's and Lucas' bed, making herself very much at home and he frowned in disapproval. Sam lounged on the bed, rolling onto one side to face him and propping her head up with one hand as she observed him with interest.

"_So why don't you join me broad, buff and broody?" she coaxed him teasingly, patting the bed beside her and giving him a sultry look, "Don't tell me it wouldn't float your boat just the littlest bit to have me in Lucas' own bed."_

"You have absolutely no idea of what it is that floats my boat," said EJ curtly, forcing himself to remember this wasn't Sami offering herself to him but a pale, slutty impersonator.

He didn't want imitations he wanted the real thing.

"_Of course I do Elvis," said Sam sweetly, "I've come out of your head… trust me big boy… I know all your dirty little secrets and fantasies."_

Sam gave him a thoughtful look then as EJ returned to what he was working on, turning his back to her once again.

"_Mind you," she said musingly, "I am kinda curious about your take on this latest little endeavour of yours Elvis."_

"It's a necessary evil," said EJ tersely.

"_I think you're only half right on that one my little stink bug," noted Sam in amusement, "So why exactly are you going down this path Elvis - enquiring minds want to know?"_

"Because I love Samantha," said EJ simply, having finally finished installing that camera and turning around to face Sam who was still making herself comfortable on the bed.

"_Yeah," said Sam mockingly, "Nothing says I love you like surveillance equipment."_

"The cameras are an unfortunate necessity," said EJ shortly, not knowing why he was defending his decision to do this to a phantom.

"_Like eating the fat guy first when your plane crash lands in the wilderness and you and the rest of the passengers are all starving to death?" suggested Sam brightly. _

"There is something seriously wrong with you," said EJ in disbelief at her analogy.

"_Says the man talking to his own delusion," she said, unconcerned by his judgement of her. _

"I'm just being practical," said EJ grimly, "I can't take the risk that Samantha and Lucas might…"

"_Play a couple of rounds of hide the one eyed snake in the bushes?" offered up Sam helpfully with a cheery smile._

"Yes," said EJ flatly, looking unimpressed by her graphic description.

"_Oh that's right," nodded Sam thoughtfully as she got off the bed when it seemed clear now that EJ wouldn't be joining her, "You messed with her birth control and that woman is probably as fertile as Nebraska right now."_

Sam wandered up to EJ and smiled mockingly up at him.

"_Another proud moment for you in this relationship EJ," she observed sweetly, "Clearly there are going to be a lot of them."_

EJ glared at Sam for that last dig.

"Samantha isn't 'fertile' right now because she's already pregnant with my child!" said EJ shortly.

"_I think if you were as confident of that as you're making out then you wouldn't be going to all this trouble love monkey," speculated Sam, picking up a loose wire from EJ's box of tricks and examining it closely as she continued on blithely, "Or is it the fact that you just don't like the thought of another man ploughing the field you've already done some planting on?"_

"The only person who is going to be ploughing Samantha ever again is me!" bit out EJ, snatching the wire from Sam's hand, "Give me that!"

"_So it's the second thing huh?" asked Sam knowingly, "And by the way, if you're looking for the perfect sentiment to win your lady love over once and for all then I think you can do no better than that last statement Elvis."_

EJ blew out a frustrated breath at this creature having annoyed him so much that he'd been goaded into being as equally graphic as she was being. He didn't see Sami like that and didn't like talking about her as though she was some kind of commodity to be passed around. She was so much more than that to EJ. He loved her, body and soul and he was only doing this because he loved her so much and he felt this need to defend his intentions to Sam for some reason.

"I'm doing all this…" EJ made an expansive gesture at the room he was currently wiring for sound, "Because I love Samantha and want what is best for her… _me_!"

Sam arched an eyebrow at him at that last part as EJ picked up his case and headed towards the bathroom with her trailing after him.

"_You're what's best for Sami?" she quizzed him as he put the case down on the ground and looked around for the best place for his next installation._

"Yes I am!" he growled back, "I'm a good man who loves her just as she is and wants her to be free to make her own choices!"

"_You're a good man?" she pondered that concept for a moment, "You're a lying, manipulative blackmailer who shot her step father, fiddled with her birth control and now you're going to be spying on her in the privacy of her own home."_

EJ's face hardened, not enjoying hearing Sam putting his list of things he'd done for love in quite that way.

"_Gee Elvis if that's a good guy in your books…" she mused, seeming to be thinking hard, "I'd sure hate to meet your definition of a bastard in some dark alley!"_

"What I did, I did for love!" said EJ sharply, "Samantha, my father… it's because I love them!"

"_In that case can I ask that you never love me baby?" she cooed up at him._

"That isn't ever going to be a problem!" he bit out tersely.

"_So I've got a question," she said, hauling herself up on the bathroom vanity, letting her legs dangle down and looking at EJ with interest as he stood on the toilet seat to plant the next listening device in the casing of the extraction fan._

"Not interested," he grunted, finding the casing hard to get off and struggling a little.

"_You said you wanted her to be free to make her own choices," continued on Sam as though he hadn't spoken, "But didn't she do that when she chose Lucas?"_

"She only chose Lucas because that is what her family expects of her," said EJ shortly, fiddling with the wiring now the cover of the smoke detector was off.

"_So you want Sami's to be free to choose as long as she chooses you," said Sam slowly. _

"That isn't what I mean," growled EJ in annoyance at the way Sam continued to twist his words, "What I mean is once Samantha is completely free of this compulsion to please everyone else in her life than she will be able to choose honestly who it is she really wants and not the one she thinks she should want."

"_So by invading her privacy and then using the information against her at a later point you are actually setting her free," mused Sam, catching on._

"No," ground out EJ, still working on the extraction vent and getting increasingly frustrated by Sam and the job at hand, "It's not like that at all! This is simply a means to an end, to protect Samantha from her own misguided attempts of supposedly doing the right thing. "

Sam pursed her lips and looked EJ up and down.

"_You're one messed up guy do you know that Elvis?" she commented casually, "And I hardly think you're any kind of judge of 'the right thing'." _

"Coming from a thing that doesn't even exist that means a lot to me," said EJ sarcastically.

Sam shrugged at that, unfazed, watching what he was doing.

"_Aren't you going to put a camera in the bathroom?" asked Sam curiously._

"I only need audio in the bathroom," said EJ shortly with a shake of her head, "I don't want to invade Samantha's privacy."

"_Oh yeah," said Sam sarcastically, "I can totally see that."_

EJ gritted his teeth and ignored her jab, continuing to set things up.

"_But what if she and the big L decide to go at in the shower?" she asked conversationally, "I mean what if he's having a bath and gets her to help find his rubber duckie - how will you know?"_

EJ looked over at unimpressed by her question.

"Audio is all I need in here," said EJ firmly, "I'm not interested in being some perverted voyeur with all of this. I simply want to protect Samantha from any poor choices she might make in regards to herself and our possible child."

"_It still seems to be straddling a somewhat dicey moral fence though wouldn't you agree my little turtledove?" Sam commented with an arched eyebrow. _

"None of this would even be necessary if Samantha wasn't so maddeningly obstinate!" said EJ in vexation, "If she would just stop fighting me every single step of the way then all of this unpleasantness could have been avoided!"

"_So this is all Sami's fault?" pondered Sam musingly, "She bought it on herself."_

"Yes if you must know!" snapped EJ in frustration, "I wouldn't dream of doing anything like this if she would just stop being so bloody stubborn about everything!"

"_So you're going to prove to Sami that you're trustworthy and that she can believe what you say by sneaking around behind her back and spying on her?" said Sami thoughtfully, "Interesting tactic I have to say. What would that be - some kind of reverse psychology on your behalf?"_

"I don't have to justify myself to you!" said EJ tersely, collecting his case and walking out of the bathroom now that he'd finished and into the bedroom.

"_And yet you seem to be compelled to anyway," Sam pointed out casually, trailing out after him._

EJ just grunted, deciding to try and ignore her and see if this painful apparition would simply dissipate if he stopped talking to her.

"_You're quite the cat burglar aren't you?" asked Sam conversationally, looking around the room that showed no signs that EJ had ever been there as she followed him as he continued out into the living room, "Or should that be pussy burglar seeing as that is what you're really after?"_

"That is absolutely _not_ all that I'm after!" growled EJ, whirling around and glaring fiercely at Sam, all thoughts of ignoring her disappearing after that little comment, "And could you stop being quite so uncouth when you reference Samantha do you think?!"

"_Oh right," sneered Sam, "This from the guy who's just fixed it so he can listen to his supposed girlfriend pee - let's all stop and listen while that guy gives lesson on being classy shall we?!"_

"I am not having this discussion with you!" said EJ angrily, looking away and trying to get himself back under control.

He hated losing his temper, always held that it was a sign of weakness, that he was handing over power to the other person.

"Look why don't you just…" he began but didn't get far.

"_Shh," said Sam abruptly._

"Don't shush me!" said EJ impatiently.

"_I hear something," said Sam and EJ frowned, turning around. _

There was suddenly the sound of a key in a lock and EJ realised to his horror that Sami must have made a trip back to the apartment for some reason. He grabbed the silver case that had housed the surveillance equipment and bolted out onto the fire escape, through the window on the other side of the room. He watched through the window as Sami walked into the room, struggling with her purse and, being careful to keep to one side so that she wouldn't see him.

Sam followed and looked around at the dusty, bird poop covered metal stair case and rolled her eyes.

"_You take me to the nicest places Elvis," she said sarcastically but now it was EJ's turn to shush her._

"_Oh keep your hair on," she sniffed with a wave of her hand as EJ moved to one side of the window and waved for her to do the same as Sami entered the apartment, "You're the only one who can hear or see me remember?"_

To prove her point Sam started to hoot and holler at Sami as she stood in the middle of the room, dancing around in front of the window but Sami didn't even turn her head. EJ frowned at her and made a frantic hand gesture at her to stop her carry on which Sam did but with a smug 'I told you so' look on her face, as he pulled her over to his side of the window.

"What is she doing here?" hissed EJ in annoyance, looking in through the window and being careful that Sami wouldn't see him.

"_Yeah," said Sam sarcastically, "A woman letting herself into her own apartment at all hours of the afternoon - there ought to be a law."_

EJ scowled at Sam and then went back to watching Sami.

"_What's she doing?" asked Sam, moving around so that she was in front of EJ, "I can't see back here."_

"I'm not sure," whispered EJ, craning his neck as Sami disappeared into the bedroom and then reappeared a few seconds later,

"_You should put a sign up to stop these kinds of intrusions," noted Sam conversationally, "Evil Genius At Work - Please Come Back Later."_

Sami walked over to the kitchen then and grabbed something out from a draw. EJ moved his head quickly, peering over the top of Sam's head to see what it was but in his haste he forgot about the bars in the window and banged his head painfully against one causing him to clutch at his head and mutter a curse word under his breath.

Sam looked back over her shoulder at him and his carry on, rolling her eyes.

"_Well maybe we can take the word 'Genius' out of that sign," she noted dryly, watching as EJ pulled a face and rubbed his bumped forehead._

To which just grimaced in irritation.

"_Hey James Bond," said Sam, nodding her head towards the room and directing his attention back to the smoke detector above Sami's head that had come away and had the camera EJ had just installed in it dangling out of it, "Looks like it's not only your marbles that are loose toots."_

EJ made a concerned face, praying Sami wouldn't look up otherwise his plans were shot to hell. It was a very fortunate human tendency however that people rarely looked up and Sami as it turned out was no exception. She had pulled out her cell phone and scrolled through some messages and remained oblivious to the damning sight above her head. Sami put a couple of items into her purse then and straightened up with a little smirk on her face.

"Right EJ DiMera," she said to the empty room, "You want to play games… well game on!"

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And with a triumphant nod of her head Sami turned on her heel and headed out of the apartment again, locking the door behind her.

"What do you think she meant by that?" asked EJ, greatly intrigued.

"_Don't know," shrugged Sam disinterestedly, "She's your imaginary girlfriend - you figure it out."_

"Mm," said EJ distractedly, all of his attentions focused on what Sami might be up to now.

God but he loved how that woman kept him on his toes.

"_So big boy," she said coyly, looking back over her shoulder at him and fluttering her eyelashes at him as she rubbed her backside against his crotch, "Have you stuffed a pigeon in your pocket or are you just pleased to see me."_

EJ didn't dignify that question with an answer, still thinking about what Sami might have meant by that last comment.

"_You know now that you've gotten your nefarious plan all installed it looks like you've got some time on your hands," Sam commented with a bright smile, not giving up, "How'd you like to put those hands to good use my love gerbil?"_

EJ's lips twisted in irritation at her suggestion and her description of him.

"_We could do it our here," continued on Sam blithely, "I've always enjoyed the wide open spaces and besides, it will give the afore mentioned pigeon's something to talk about when they get together next."_

"I am not having sex with you!" bit out EJ.

"_Now see Elvis," said Sam with a quirk of her lips, "That would be more convincing if your eyes weren't glued to my boobies right now."_

EJ growled unhappily and tried his best to take his eyes off the ample cleavage that was on full display for him out there on the fire escape but it wasn't easy. Whilst this annoying apparition was in no way his Samantha she did have her body and damn but wasn't it taking its' usual toll on EJ's resistance. She was so utterly beautiful and it had been forever since he'd touched her properly, felt her softness in his hands and his hands were actually physically aching to do just that. The situation wasn't being helped either by the fact that apparently delusional hallucinations felt the cold and her tightly budded nipples straining against the fabric of her bra made EJ's go weak at the knees.

"_So how about it?" she asked throatily, sidling up to EJ and pressing herself up against him, "How would you like Sam to take care of that pigeon situation you've got going on there Elvis?"_

EJ swallowed hard as he felt Sam rub herself up against him and squeezed his eyes shut. He knew this was all some runaway fantasy but damn if it didn't feel real, like Samantha herself wasn't offering herself to him and he wanted that so very badly, his body reacting helplessly to her. He opened his eyes abruptly to see Sam looking up at him seductively, brushing her breasts back and forth against his muscled chests and his hands went to her bottom cheeks, grabbing on in each hand and lifted her up off her feet.

"_Oh so strong!" she cooed but EJ promptly turned around with her and dumped her on the fire escape, having just removed her from blocking his way back into Sami's apartment. _

He turned back round then and left a pouting Sam there as he clambered, rather gingerly considering the unfortunate situation that was going on south of the border thanks to her teasing, back over the window sill and into the apartment.

"_Well fine!" huffed Sam, calling out to him from the fire escape and obviously annoyed at being rejected again, "But I'm telling you Elvis - keep stuffing that particular genie back in the bottle and you'll do yourself a mischief - you mark my words!"_

"I'll take it under advisement," said EJ sourly and then grimaced, wondering if she might not be right as he pulled on his trouser pants to alleviate some of the pressure that was going on down there.

He walked over to the dangling camera and went up on tip toes, proceeding to put it all back in its casing and out of sight.

"_This is going to come back to bite you in that firm ass of yours," he heard her sing song from behind him._

"I know what I'm doing," he grunted, fed up having to defend himself to an apparition.

"_Now there are famous last words if I ever heard them," she said smugly._

EJ determinedly kept his back to her while he fiddled with the camera, arms stretched above his head.

"Hey figment of my imagination," said EJ flatly, "I've got some last words for you - piss… off!"

**oooOOOOooo**

THE NEXT EVENING…

EJ leant forward in his chair, watching his computer screen and the two people on it with rapt attention in the privacy of his own apartment. Everything had checked out perfectly with his surveillance equipment the day before and now he was enjoying the fruits of his labour. A crystal clear picture of Sami's living room was currently on his lap top while he listened in on the couple's conversation. He had watched the goings on in the apartment but could hardly dare believe his eyes or ears.

"_I thought you deserved to know the truth," said Sami, looking somewhat pensive and serious as she waited for a response, "I know it isn't what you wanted to hear and I'm sorry about that but it is the truth." _

Oh Samantha, my darling girl," he breathed in awe, his heart skipping a beat before resuming again at a frantic pace, "My darling, darling girl… how much must you love me to do this?!"

A giant smile spread over EJ's face as he continued to watch and listen, falling even more heavily under this woman's spell as her as she took his breath away yet again.

**Chapter THIRTY EIGHT**** - ****Free At Last**

You can discover what your enemy fears most

by observing the means he uses to frighten you.  
_Eric Hoffer_

Sami walked out of her apartment to find EJ standing in the hallway, a newspaper in his hand which he was engrossed reading the front page.

He was wearing dark blue sweat pants but no shirt and there was a fine sheen of perspiration over his skin that told her that he'd been working out. For once he seemed to be oblivious to her presence, absorbed in the paper and the music from the headset he was wearing blaring away. Sami couldn't help but stare at how beautiful he was and felt her heart start to beat nervously. The last time she'd seen his sweaty naked chest had been nearly a week ago now, when he'd woken her on the island. Sami gave an involuntary shudder at the memory and looked away quickly, trying to compose herself.

When she looked back EJ was still engrossed in his paper and didn't look like he was going to be moving any time soon and seeing as the only way out of the building was past him Sami knew she was going to have to move and make her presence known. She briefly considered turning around and going back into the apartment and using the fire escape but then decided that wasn't a great idea in these heels. It would be just her luck that she'd fall and then EJ would take it upon himself to rescue her and the last thing she needed right now was to be in his arms again. Everything was going to be so much easier when Lucas came home for the hospital Sami decided. She'd be able to focus on him and put EJ totally out of her mind, Sami was sure of it. She put her head down and started to move from her doorway into the hallway, moving behind EJ and hoping against hope that he wouldn't see her.

"Hello sweetheart," he said brightly, catching her movement out of the corner of his eye and turning around to face her as he pulled the headphones from his ears, "Don't you look an absolute vision this morning?"

"Which is more than can be said for you," she retorted quickly, not liking how close he was now, "Couldn't you have put a shirt on?"

EJ looked down at his bare chest and then back at her in mild amusement.

"It's nothing you haven't seen before my love," he reminded her with a quirk of his lips.

"Yeah well it's nothing I care to see again!" she huffed, forcing herself not to look down at his muscled chest and make a complete and utter liar out of herself.

"Oh someone's a prickly little pear this morning," he noted with a smirk, "What's the matter Samantha, feeling a little frustrated these days? All alone in that big bed of yours? My poor lonely darling."

"I'm not lonely!" she informed him haughtily, "And after today my bed isn't going to be empty!"

"Why?" he asked straight faced, "Are you getting a pet?"

"No," snapped Sami, "I'm picking up Lucas from the hospital today remember?."

"Oh," nodded EJ thoughtfully and then gave her a feigned look of concern, "Are you sure that's the best idea sweetheart? I mean a nice little dog would be far less trouble and if you get it fixed up nice and early, far less likely to hump your leg in public than Lucas."

"You know EJ," said Sami flatly, "You can say all the mean, disgusting things about Lucas you like…"

"Well I didn't really need your permission but it's nice to know I've got it anyway," he interrupted her cheerily.

"Lucas is coming home today and we are going to be building a future together," continued on Sami defiantly, repeating the mantra she'd been telling herself over and over again the last week, "And we are going to be blissfully happy together."

"Well you look blissfully happy sweetheart," said EJ ironically, taking in her annoyed look and fierce scowl.

Sami rolled her eyes at his observation and continued doggedly on.

"So you just remember your promise to me EJ," she said firmly.

"The one where I promised never to stop loving you and pursuing you until you acknowledge the truth about how much you really do love me in return?" asked EJ innocently, "Or was it the promise that no other man would be able to satisfy you now that we have been together, that I am going to be the only man that you will give yourself to ever again?"

"No!" growled Sami, hating to be reminded of his oh so confident words, "The promise about keeping your mouth shut about the island!"

"Oh," said EJ, pursing his lips, "That's right, we did agree on that didn't we."

"EJ…" said Sami, her face darkening as she looked at him threateningly.

"Relax Samantha," said EJ with an amused quirk of his lips, "I'm going to keep my promise to you…"

"Good," said Sami, looking relieved at that as EJ tucked his newspaper under his arm and began to stroll back towards his apartment.

He stopped just as he got to the door though and turned around her a particularly seductive look.

"… in fact I'm fully intending on keeping _all_ of my promises to you my love," he purred and then gave her a cheeky little wink as he disappeared into his apartment.

He always had to have the last word, it drove Sami insane!

But then a little smirk came to her lips as she thought about what she'd planned for him. EJ was so sure that he had all the power in this little game but Sami was about to challenge that little perception. She looked down at her watch and her face set determinedly. She hadn't been able to get everything done yesterday at Mythic that she'd needed to pull this off and judging by EJ's current state of undress it didn't look like he was rushing to get to the office. If Sami left now she could collect all the necessary things from Mythic that she needed to put her plan into action before EJ turned up. Truth be told this plan had been a long shot and when it had panned out Sami had been taken aback but it was all coming together nicely now and soon she'd have the upper hand in this little tug o war she and EJ had going on. So first to Mythic and then she could go straight on to the hospital and pick up Lucas and know she had nothing to worry about from EJ DiMera. Sami smiled then, feeling like she was back in control of the situation as she made her way towards the elevator.

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami walked into her apartment and slammed the door behind her with an unnecessary amount of force. It made a loud noise which and rattled on its' hinge but Sami barely noticed. She stalked over to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water, her feet complaining bitterly with each step.

_Damn these shoes… damn Lucas… damn everything!_

Sami was not in a good mood and when there was a chirpy knock at the door Sami ground her teeth, in no mood for visitors. She glared over at the door, as though it was somehow responsible and it responded with the sound of knocking again. Sami stomped back to the door, despite the agony the caused her in her new shoes which she was still stubbornly trying to break in and wrenched open the door to reveal a smiling EJ standing there, a bottle of wine in his hand.

"Hello sweetheart," he said cheerfully, "Back from the hospital I see."

"Yes," said Sami flatly, inviting no further comment on the subject but EJ was undeterred.

"I thought I'd bring you and Lucas a little welcome home gift," said EJ with a smile, holding the bottle aloft for Sami to see.

"Lucas doesn't drink EJ," scowled Sami, unimpressed.

"Yes I know," said EJ smoothly, "He's just a girl that can't say no from what I've heard but this isn't wine Samantha it's sparkling cider."

"Oh," said Sami, looking at the label properly for the first time before holding out her hand to him to take the bottle from him, "I'll make sure Lucas gets it."

"Nonsense," said EJ, sweeping past her into the room, closing the door behind him and Sami had to take a few hasty steps back to get out of his way, "We all have to share it together in the spirit of neighbourliness."

EJ stopped then and made a big show of looking around the room.

"So where is the man of the moment?" he asked brightly, "In the bedroom slipping into something more comfortable eh?"

EJ looked thoughtful then.

"Although it's hard to imagine something more comfortable than those backless hospital gowns where your buttocks are allowed to go free range," he mused contemplatively and then more loudly as he called out to the general vicinity of the bedroom, "You've got polite company Lucas so no suddenly appearing in crotchless knickers alright!"

EJ looked back at Sami then with a conspiratorial wink.

"Because if he does then I'm going to need something a little more fortifying than cider to see me through that trauma I think darling," he said teasingly.

"He's not here!" snapped Sami, her patience wearing thin.

"He's still in hospital?" asked EJ in surprise at this information, "They didn't release him today?"

"No," said Sami tightly, "He was released."

EJ's eyebrows shot up at her obvious reluctance to talk about it but was undaunted.

"You left him in the car and he can't work out how the kiddie locks work and is stuck there now?" suggested EJ playfully when she didn't elaborate.

Sami just looked back at him an annoyed look on her face.

"He's been seconded by NASA to find out the effects of zero gravity on people with absolutely no personality?" he offered up and Sami just looked back at him, clearly unamused by EJ's enjoyment of this.

EJ narrowed his eyes and appeared to be thinking hard.

"Don't tell me, don't tell me Samantha," said EJ, holding up the hand that wasn't holding the bottle to still the words that weren't coming from her lips, "I'll get it, just give me a minute."

"A wandering band of ompa loompahs came across him and have whisked him away to make him their king?" he asked brightly.

"EJ," growled Sami, putting her hands on her hips.

"He was abducted by aliens," continued on EJ cheerfully, having great fun with his guessing game, "And even as we speak is enduring painful anal probes to find out what exactly it was that stunted his height so drastically."

EJ paused for a split second obviously thinking about that one.

"Oh my but I hope it's that last thing," he said with a suddenly wistful look on his face, "That would be my birthday and Christmas presents all rolled into one this year."

"Don't be so disgusting EJ!" said Sami, defending Lucas even though she didn't feel like it in that moment, "If anyone needs to be probed it's you to find out why you were born with those freakish giraffe legs of yours - it's not natural!"

EJ's lips quirk at her vitriol but took no offence.

"Oh well seeing as the aliens have their hands full with Lucas you'll have to take over from them," said EJ with a very cheeky look at her, "Tell me Samantha, is there anything in particular of mine that you'd like to probe first… or should we take turns?"

When it became clear that Sami wasn't going to be answering him on that particular one and that there was a very real possibility that she was about to hurt him, EJ decided to return to the original question.

"So the suspense is killing me here sweetheart," he told her, looking at her curiously, "If your lady love has been released from hospital then where exactly is he?"

"He's with his mother," Sami admitted reluctantly, her displeasure written all over her face at that.

"Oh," said EJ, his eyebrows shooting up again, "Oh."

"Don't you dare laugh EJ!" she said, giving him a threatening look.

"Oh darling I would never!" protested EJ but there was a suspicious upward turn to the corners of his mouth, "But sweetheart, I just have to ask… did they check him thoroughly for brain damage before he was discharged I wonder? I mean if I had a choice between going home with my Mum or going home with…"

EJ stopped then, his eyes gliding up and down Sami's body freely then and Sami straightened up, pulling her sweater around her more tightly to ward off that look but the damage was done as she felt her core tighten at such a look from him.

"… you," he finished off huskily, finally dragging his eyes up to meet hers again, "As much as I love my mother… it really isn't something I would have to think about sweetheart."

**oooOOOOooo**

"_I'm sorry," said Sami slowly, "Can you repeat that for me Lucas because I thought I just heard you say that you're going to be going home with Kate rather than me today and I know that can't be right!"_

"_It is," gloated Kate, enjoying the shocked look on Sami's face, "Lucas is going to be staying with me for a little while… that's not a problem is it Sami?"_

"_Why do you always feel the need to stick that fake nose of yours into mine and Lucas' business Kate?!" asked Sami angrily, "What is wrong with you? Can't you have any kind of life of your own without constantly meddling in your kids' lives?! Why can't you just let them be happy?!"_

"_This is all about what is best for Lucas as he recuperates," snapped back Kate, "But I guess you wouldn't know the first thing about putting your wants before others now would you Sami? You're the queen of selfishness and this…"_

_Kate pointed angrily to her nose._

"… _is all mine!" she said tersely._

"_Oh yes," said Sami ever so sweetly, "I forgot… once you pay for something of course it's yours… I just hope you kept the receipt though… quite frankly it doesn't look like a keeper!"_

"_Why you little piece of trashy…" Kate's cheeks went pink as she began to really lose her temper but Lucas got in first._

"_Enough!" he said loudly, looking between them as they stood on either side of his hospital bed, "Can't you two have one civil thing to say to one another… ever?!"_

_Kate and Sami glared at each other and the expression 'if looks could kill' came to Lucas' mind as he looked in exasperation between these two women that he loved. _

"_She started it," growled Sami, still glaring at Kate._

"_Oh Sami," said Kate, looking at her in disdain, "Are you ever going to grow up or are you going to be this infantile for the rest of your life?"_

_Kate made a mock concerned face then as she smiled sweetly at Sami._

"_Oh sorry Sami," she said with so much condescension that it was set Sami's teeth on edge, "Infantile means childish… I try not to use too big a words when I talk to you… I know it confuses you."_

"_Oh thank you Kate," said Sami ever so sweetly, "And here I'd always pegged you as being a completely heinous person…"_

_Sami pulled the same feigned concerned face then that Kate had just seconds before._

"_Oh sorry Kate," she said with a fake smile, "Heinous means utterly evil… or a bitch… I know how you're beginning to struggle with remembering words now that your dementia is really starting to eat away your grey matter…"_

_Sami arched an eyebrow and pointed a vague finger at Kate._

"… _and your face too I see," she said with a cold little smile, "I guess the time isn't too far away before Lucas and I will have to start checking out nursing homes to put you in when the burden of having you around becomes too great."_

"_OKAAY!" exclaimed Lucas, seeing this not coming to an end any time soon and he made a T shape with his hands, "Time out… both of you!"_

_Lucas shook his head in total disbelief at their carry on - it never changed. _

"_Mom," he said, keeping his voice determinedly calm, "Do you mind giving Sami and me a moment alone please?"_

"_Of course honey," said Kate, smiling at her son lovingly, before looking at Sami, the smile dropping from her face, "Whatever you want is fine by me… I only want to make you happy."_

_With her last little dig delivered Kate sailed out of the room and Sami just shook her head in annoyance. _

"_Sami could you please not call my mother a bitch?" asked Lucas in exasperation as he looked up at her standing beside his bed with a sullen expression on her face now that Kate was gone._

"_Well as soon as Kate stops acting like one I'll be right on that!" said Sami sarcastically, still smarting from this turn of events._

_She looked at Lucas and shook her head._

"_Why?" she asked in resignation, "Why are you going home with Kate rather than me Lucas? Don't you want to be with me?"_

"_Of course I do Sami," said Lucas quickly, "But Mom made some good points when she came by last night to visit me. I'm still going to need a lot of help to get around…"_

"_I can help you Lucas!" interrupted Sami, looking a little distressed but she wasn't sure if it was just because Lucas wasn't coming home today or because that meant she'd lost her 'protection' against EJ._

"_I can't use my crutches yet Sami," said Lucas with a shake of his head, "My ribs are still too sore, I'm going to need help with everything and you're simply not strong enough to be able to help lift me when I need it."_

"_But…" protested Sami even though she didn't have an argument for that._

"_And besides I know you're going to be spending a lot of time at Mythic," said Lucas, "You've been spending it here at the hospital but you're a part owner of that company and you need to be there."_

"_Kate doesn't think I should be there… ever," grumbled Sami._

"_So doesn't that make you want to do it even more?" teased Lucas and Sami grimaced, having to admit that was true. _

_She'd been actually keeping in contact with the office since she'd been back, keeping herself up to speed even as she was with Lucas in the hospital. Despite how complicated it was to be in business with EJ Sami really did love the thrill of working, of having input into the running of the company and oddly enough she had a real flare for business, what she'd been up to in Mythic the last couple of days having proved that to Sami. It had all worked out better than she'd ever imagined when she'd started to scheme to keep EJ under control and Sami was quietly proud of herself for that. The downside being though of course was that she couldn't tell anyone what she'd been up to without defeating the purpose of why she was doing it but still, Sami couldn't help but feel a glow of achievement over her work of the last couple of days. _

"_I guess," she mumbled, still not looking happy._

"_Sami," said Lucas sincerely, taking her hand and squeezing it, "I love you, I can't wait to come home to you but right now I have to stay with Mom, she's hired a nurse and everything to look after me."_

"_The nurse could come to our place instead," offered up Sami hopefully._

"_I don't think Mom would go for that," said Lucas wryly and then gave her a cajoling look, "Besides, I think she's a bit lonely only she won't admit it. She was very keen for me to stay with her and I didn't have the heart to say no. I'm sorry Sami but this will probably only be for another week or so… tops. I promise I'm going to work hard on getting my bones to knit."_

_Lucas grinned at her then, inviting her to join in._

"_You'd better," said Sami unhappily, giving him a half hearted smile in return and wondering if the day would ever come when Lucas chose her over his mother._

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami looked at EJ as she finished explaining why Lucas was staying at Kate's for the next few days and braced herself for EJ to use this turn of events to his advantage.

"Well, well, well," said EJ with a straight face, after having sat in silence for a moment when Sami had stopped talking, "It seems your bed is going to be lonely again tonight after all…"

EJ fixed her with a teasingly speculative look.

"… now what do we suppose we should do about that eh sweetheart?"

**Chapter THIRTY NINE**** - ****Vanity, All is Vanity**

The truth is rarely pure and never simple.  
_Oscar Wilde_

"Go on," said Sami flatly, knowing exactly what EJ was thinking after her news about Lucas and closing her eyes, "Get it out of our system - mock away EJ."

"Darling," said EJ, feigning a wounded expression, "Do you really think I'd kick you while you're down?"

"I think you'd kick Lucas while he's down," she said disapprovingly.

"You know?" said EJ brightly, as though the thought was a revelation to him, "I do believe you're right Samantha."

With that he walked further into the room and then turned around to face her and Sami reluctantly let go of the door handle and turned around to, looking back at him in displeasure.

"So Lucas has gone home to Mummy?"

EJ pondered the notion for a moment.

"Interesting," he said, pursing his lips.

"I'm glad you think so," said Sami tersely.

"Oh maybe interesting is the wrong word for it," said EJ with a shake of his head, correcting himself, "I think I meant more that it was… telling."

EJ seemed to be thinking on this new fact a fair amount.

"Do you suppose she's kissing his boo boo all better even as we speak?" pondered EJ innocently.

Sami glared at him for that little dig but let it go, focusing more on the first thing he'd said.

"It's not _telling_ EJ," said Sami defensively, "It just made sense. I wouldn't have been able to do everything that Lucas needed to look after him properly so Kate has hired him a nurse to take care of him."

"And the nurse couldn't come here?" asked EJ, pointing out the same argument Sami had to Lucas.

"It was decided that he'd be more comfortable at Kate's," said Sami, looking away, knowing how weak that sounded as a comeback.

"So Kate laid down the law, Lucas caved like a meringue and you just had to toe the line as Lucas once again chooses his mother over you," mused EJ thoughtfully, "Interesting."

"Would you stop saying _interesting_ all the time EJ!" she snapped at him, her already bad mood not being helped by this interrogation.

"Ah well," said EJ, sounding philosophical, "I guess it is for the best. I'm sure the professional they hired will be able to get into all of Lucas' nooks and crannies far more capably then a layperson."

EJ pulled a face then.

"I hope they are paying him or her well," he said, wrinkling his nose, "I bet that man has crevices that hasn't seen the light of day for years. But on the up side I suppose you won't have to be dealing with those aforementioned crevices any time soon so there is an upside to this eh darling?

"You can talk about crevices!" snapped Sami, not needing him to validate this decision for her and taking out her growing ire on him, "You are pretty intimate with Kate's as it turns out and that hasn't seen the light of day for decades - I'm surprised they weren't covered in cobwebs!"

"I thought you decided Kate was a rampant whore," commented EJ mildly, "Now she's a dried up old spinster. I think you're going to have to pick a side and stick with it on that one darling - you really can't have it both ways."

"I bet you orchestrated this whole thing," said Sami bitterly, looking up at him in disgust.

"Sweetheart Lucas was already a mamma's boy long before I came onto the scene," said EJ in amusement, "I think you're going to have to accept the fact that I'm not the sole reason for everything that goes wrong in your life."

"Yeah but you always seem to be there to take advantage of it," said Sami sourly.

"What can I say?" asked EJ happily, "I have the gift of perfect timing."

"Well that's just super to hear EJ," said Sami with feigned brightness.

She walked over to the door and opened it, leaning on the door knob.

"Because I think now is just the perfect time for you to leave!" she finished sweetly.

"But darling," protested EJ, holding up the bottle of cider, "We haven't had our toast - I mean, we can still toast to the fact that Lucas is out of hospital right?"

"I think I'll take a rain check on that," said Sami flatly, not in the mood for any kind of celebratory toasting right then.

"But this cider should be drunk as soon as it's opened," pouted EJ, "Otherwise it loses its' fizz."

"It's not opened EJ," pointed out Sami calmly.

EJ looked down at the bottle in his hands and then before Sami could protest he quickly twisted the cork out of the bottle.

"Whoops," he said cheekily.

Sami looked down at the now opened bottle in his hand in resigned disgust.

"I'll get us glasses," said EJ cheerfully and Sami grimaced, closing the door behind her with a slam when it became clear that EJ wasn't going anywhere in a hurry.

EJ walked over into the kitchen and busied himself with finding some glasses and pouring out their drink. Sami shook her head. She couldn't get one man to come home with her and another she couldn't seem to get rid of no matter how hard she tried! She watched as EJ stood over her sink and she couldn't help but think back to the island and how'd she'd watched him prepare the meals for them so many times. Sami had a sudden flash of longing to be back on that island where things were simpler and it was just the two of them. If it were just the two of them she could walk up behind EJ right now and put her arms around his waist and hug him, feel his solid male presence and know that he'd make her feel so much better than she did right now and there would be no consequences for her actions. But that was on the island - she was back in Salem now, back in the real world where an affair with EJ would ruin so many people's lives.

Sami immediately began chastising herself for that wayward thought. She didn't want what EJ was offering anyway she told herself determinedly. So what if he acted like he adored her like no other man ever really had - that was all it was she reminded herself brutally, an act. There was a reason he was being so attentive to her and fool that she was she kept letting herself fall back under his allure. It would be so easy for her to just tap EJ on the shoulder right now and ask him to make love to her and her body gave a little quiver of anticipation. As much as she was loathed to admit it, ever since she'd come back from the island all she could seem to think about was making love to EJ again. It was terrible because that wasn't what she'd decided she'd wanted at all but despite her continuing coldness to EJ himself her own rampant thoughts weren't so easy to hide from.

He'd teased her about her bed feeling lonely that morning and though she hadn't shown it, it had hit a nerve with Sami. Her bed did feel suddenly empty, vastly so. After just a week of sharing a bed with EJ the fact that he wasn't in it anymore seemed to leave far bigger hole than it should have. It was crazy, it wasn't like she'd even wanted him there in the first place but now that he wasn't there Sami missed him and the thought horrified her. That was part of the reason she'd been so frantic to have Lucas home again and lying in the bed beside her.

Sami didn't care about the sex but she was desperate for Lucas to fill that emptiness she now felt even though a part of her feared that she'd find him wanting but Sami couldn't think about that right now. She'd made her mind up and she had to see it through to the bitter end, no matter what it cost her. As soon as Lucas was home then things would start to become like normal again and with each passing day the power EJ had over her would fade even more. EJ, having now filled the wine glasses had turned back around and was walking towards her, a glass in each hand and a happy smile on his far too handsome face and Sami prayed for the fading to start _very_ _soon_!

EJ handed Sami her glass and looked down at her with a big smile.

"So what should we drink to my love?" he asked her cheerily.

"That you're about to leave?" suggested Sami just as chirpily as she determinedly hardened her heart against the relentless attraction she felt for this man.

If she could just keep up the icy, uncaring façade around him for long then eventually EJ would have to get the message and just move on… right?

"How about to absent friends instead?" said EJ with a quirk of his lips, clinking his glass against hers.

Sami went to raise the glass to her lips and then thought better of if, looking down at the sparkling cider suspiciously and then back at EJ.

"What?" asked EJ when he saw how she was looking at him and rolled his eyes, "Is this the drugging thing again? Honestly, if there is a more suspicious woman in this world I have yet to meet her! Sweetheart I would never put a drug in your drink and especially not now that you…"

EJ swallowed his next words just in time before he said too much. He had been about to say 'now that you may be pregnant' but that was not exactly how he wanted Sami to find out about their possible impending bundle of joy. EJ rarely dropped the ball on his lying and scheming and blamed it on how utterly fetching Sami looked standing there in front of him and his almost soul destroying need to kiss her.

"Now that I what EJ?" she frowned up at him.

EJ ran his tongue along his one side of his teeth, buying a few seconds of thinking time.

"Why now that you and I have such an understanding between us of course sweetheart," he finished smoothly and smiled at her.

"You mean the understanding by where you keep your mouth shut about the island and I don't kill you in your sleep?" asked Sami flatly, still not completely convinced that that was what he'd been intending on saying.

"Why yes darling," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "That's it exactly… to understandings."

EJ clinked her glass again and took a sip of his drink and Sami gingerly followed suit. It tasted like normal cider and she didn't really think that EJ was going to drug her but she always had to consider all the angles with him. She pulled a face as the throbbing in her feet got even worse. If she didn't get these shoes off soon then Sami was going to start screaming at the top of her lungs!

"What's wrong sweetheart?" asked EJ, tilting his head to one side and taking in her suddenly pained expression, "Don't you like the cider?"

"It's fine," said Sami with a shrug and then confessed, "It's my feet, they're hurting."

EJ looked down at her feet and saw that Sami was wearing the same shoes from her librarian outfit.

"Sweetheart why do you persist in wearing those shoes if they cause you this much pain?" tutted EJ with a shake of his head.

"Because they look fantastic EJ!" grumped Sami, as though it was beyond her why she should even have to explain such a basic thing, "Do you see how great they make my legs look?!"

As soon as the words were out of Sami's mouth she wished she could pull them back in but it was too late, far too late if the suddenly lecherous look in EJ's eyes as he checked her legs out thoroughly was anything to go by.

"I've always thought your legs looked best wrapped around my waist and holding onto me tightly," he said with a sexy smile, "Just my opinion of course."

"I wasn't asking for your opinion EJ!" she snapped, her cheeks heating.

"Actually you were darling," EJ corrected her with a laugh as he sat down on the arm rest of the sofa and regarded her with amusement, "Why don't you take them off Samantha?"

"I will when you're gone EJ," she said tersely.

"Samantha I've seen your feet before," he teased her, "I'm sure I'll be able to contain myself around your naked feet…"

He looked at her and gave her a mischievous wink then.

"… just," he said playfully.

"I have to break them in EJ," said Sami stubbornly, downing her glass of cider in one swig and inviting no further discussion of the subject but EJ wasn't to be deterred.

"But what's the point of that if you end up being crippled?" asked EJ logically.

"I'm fine EJ," said Sami unhappily, sounding anything but.

EJ reached out a hand and took her now empty glass from her and stood up, heading towards the kitchen with it.

"Sit down on the sofa and take those wrenched things off," he instructed her firmly, looking back over his shoulder at her.

Sami opened her mouth to protest but EJ wasn't to be moved on the subject.

"Do it or I will," he said determinedly.

Sami shut her mouth pretty quickly, absolutely sure that he would make good on his threat. She went and sat on the sofa and did as he asked, although she was being very gracious in defeat as she mumbled away under her breath about bossy men not knowing their place as she took off her shoes.

EJ had finished washing out the glasses by then and walked back over to the sofa to see Sami pulling all kind of faces as she grabbed one foot and squeezed it, trying to make the pain go away.

"Good girl," he praised her, "For a moment there I thought I'd have to give you a smack."

A suddenly devilish expression came over EJ's face then as he sat down on the sofa and made himself comfortable beside her.

"Although from memory you seemed to quite enjoy my smacks," he said throatily and waggled his eye brows at her suggestively.

"In your dreams EJ," said Sami flatly and praying that her blushes weren't betraying her as she remembered that explosive coming together.

_Dear God but she'd never come so hard in her life!_

"Quite frequently," said EJ agreeably and smiled at her.

Sami just looked at him and shook her head.

EJ moved suddenly then and Sami tensed, worried about what he was about to do but EJ surprise her yet again and reached down for one foot and gently pulled on it so that Sami had no choice but to turn around on the sofa and put her foot on EJ's lap.

"EJ!" she squawked, "What are you doing?!"

"I'm making you feel better darling," he said with a smile, large hands encircling her put upon foot.

"I don't want you to!" she said hotly, fearful of him touching her anywhere, even her feet.

"Stop being so damn difficult all the time woman," he said to her calmly, "For once why don't you not cut off that pretty little nose of yours to spite your face and let me do this for you."

Before Sami could protest again EJ began to massage her foot and Sami's immediately threw her head back at how exquisitely wonderful it felt. She let out a helpless moan, collapsing against the sofa, her eyes practically rolling back in her head. This was better than sex she decided - not sex with EJ of course but better than sex with just about every other man she'd ever known! EJ smiled to hear her almost orgasmic moans as he rubbed her foot and trying to not get too aroused by her reaction which wasn't exactly an easy thing for him but he wanted to show Sami that he wasn't in it just for sex. Unlike that what that shrew Sam had suggested, he wanted to offer Samantha comfort and friendship and all the other things that went into a worthwhile relationship. Of course the opportunity to touch Sami in anyway wasn't exactly a minus but EJ endeavoured to keep it strictly platonic even as Sami dissolved into the sofa, eyes closed and making happy little mewing noises.

"You need to get rid of those shoes," he informed her with a shake of his head.

All this to look good… women were insane!

"Never!" vowed Sami, not even bothering to open her eyes as she just sank further into bliss.

Sami knew that this wasn't exactly a good idea and kind of went against the whole keeping EJ at arm's length plan but damn but the man didn't seem to know what he was doing when it came to foot rubs! Sami's feet were aching so badly that it was this strangely painful pleasure at having them touched. Rubbing your own feet was one thing but it always felt so much better when someone else did it and despite her better judgement Sami told herself just one more minute of this indescribable pleasure and then she'd make EJ stop… two minutes tops. EJ smiled widened as he felt Sami relax even more and start giving little whimpering sighs.

"You know what your problem is Samantha Brady?" EJ asked her indulgently, "You don't know a good idea when you hear it."

Sami opened one eye and looked at EJ, suddenly suspicious that they weren't talking about shoes anymore but he just smiled serenely back at her like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth.


	5. Chapters 40 to 50

**FATED**

**(Chapters 40 - 50)**

**Chapter FORTY**** - ****The Things We Do For Love**

Oh what a tangled web we weave,  
When first we practise to deceive!  
_~Sir Walter Scott~ _

Later that evening EJ had just finished making himself a cup of tea and some toast and was sitting down in front of his lap top, his eyes glued to the woman on the screen. He smiled when he thought of their time together that afternoon. After rubbing both of Sami's feet for awhile as they bantered back and forth between them and then there had been this moment after he'd stopped and he could see in Sami's eyes that she was wondering what he was going to do next. EJ supposed he could have pressed his advantage but taking his time had worked out so well for him on the island he'd decided to go down that path again.

Besides, he had time now and his smiled widened even more at the thought that Lucas wasn't going to be a bother for a little while longer. EJ had never been more grateful for his rival being such a momma's boy than he was right then. He tilted his head and watched curiously as Sami turned on the coffee maker and put out two mugs. It was past eight o'clock and he knew that Sami didn't like to drink coffee after five o'clock, remembering her complaining to him once that it kept her awake.

Obviously she was expecting company and EJ was very curious to see who it might be. He was also intrigued about what her words in the apartment yesterday had meant. If Sami was all set to play some games then he was more than ready for her thanks to his activities of yesterday thought EJ to himself. Sam's words of censure still niggled at him but he determinedly ignored them, focusing instead on the goal. The ends justified the means in this case, EJ was sure of it and it really was for the greater good. There was a knock at the door to Sami's apartment then and EJ looked over to his own door, knowing he could get up and look to see who it was but deciding to check out the monitor instead. He watched as Sami stood at the door and straightened her blouse before opening the door.

"_Dad," she said happily._

"_Hey darlin'," said Roman with a smile, giving her a quick hug as he walked into the apartment._

"_Thanks for coming to see me," Sami smiled at him._

"_I'm always glad of an excuse to come and see my little girl," said Roman, walking into the centre of the room and turning to face her, "Although I have to say you've got me a bit curious."_

"You and me both Commissioner," said EJ to the screen, wondering what Sami was up to.

"_Coffee?" she asked him, "It's nice and fresh."_

"_Ah my daughter knows the way to my heart," said Roman with a smile, sitting down on the sofa, "I've got to go back to work after this so some nice, black coffee is exactly what the doctor ordered."_

"_You work too hard," his daughter said with a note of censure in her voice as she poured a cup of coffee for him._

"_Well as soon as people stop breaking the law I intend to take a nice long holiday honey," said Roman, grinning up at her as she handed him his coffee._

EJ was relieved to see that Sami had opted for some herbal tea as he'd been doing a bit of reading and found out that too much caffeine in the first trimester was bad for the baby. EJ made a mental note to break Sami's coffee machine next time she was out of the apartment. Even though he didn't know for sure if Sami was pregnant he wasn't the kind of man to take chances on these things. EJ continued to watch father and daughter with great interest, having a very certain feeling that whatever Sami had planned in regards to him would somehow involve her father. His suspicions were quickly confirmed.

"_Actually that was what I wanted to talk to you about," said Sami, putting her tea down and getting up._

_She walked over to where her bag was sitting on the kitchen bench and pulled something out of it that EJ couldn't quite make out before coming to stand in front of Roman._

"_You know how you were telling me about that man in Italy being murdered?" she asked him and Roman nodded, "And you told me that despite what he told everyone EJ never made it to Paris that same week."_

"_I do," nodded Roman, taking a sip of his coffee and looking up at her, "And we've been looking into that discrepancy."_

"_Well so have I," said Sami, fixing her father with a steady look._

EJ straightened up and leant forward, moving closer to the screen, suddenly extremely interested in where this was going.

"What are you up to sweetheart?" he asked the monitor, clearly intrigued.

"_Now Sami," said her father, a worried frown marring his face, putting down his coffee and standing up, "I told you to leave this to us, I don't want you in the middle of this."_

"_I'm already in the middle of this Dad," said Sami in exasperation, "EJ's my partner…"_

_Sami frowned then, realising how that sounded._

"_Umm… my business partner that is," she clarified quickly; "EJ is my business partner… one of my business partners I mean."_

"_I know that Sami but don't think that gives you any kind of protection," said Roman earnestly, "He's a DiMera and you have to take that fact seriously."_

"_I do Dad," said Sami determinedly, "I was careful when I did some digging around at Mythic. I made sure EJ wasn't there and I was discrete."_

_Sami gave Roman a rueful smile then._

"_You know how sneaky I can be when I really want to," she said with a little self deprecating laugh._

"_You do have a knack for it," agreed Roman wryly._

"_Well me and my knack discovered what EJ was really doing last week," said Sami with a little smile. _

"_Oh?" said Roman, looking at Sami curiously, "And what is that Junior was getting up to last week when he should have been in Paris?"_

"Yes do tell Samantha," said EJ just as curiously and having absolutely no idea where she was going with this.

Of course a part of him hoped that Sami was about to come clean with her father over their time away on the island together but the realist in him told him that that was highly unlikely. Instead EJ tried to contain his impatience and wait for Sami to reveal exactly what she'd been up to in Mythic and how that was going to affect him.

"_There is this company," said Sami, "It's called Chiba Engineering and they are a front runner in designing cars. The company is owned by a Mr Shiro Chiba. There's been this rumour out that he's invented this new exhaust system that will make any car 70% more fuel efficient. It's a really big deal."_

"_Considering how much I just paid to fill up that is a big deal," nodded Roman thoughtfully, "But honey, what does this have to do with EJ?"_

"_Everyone wants to sign Chiba Engineering to their company right now," explained Sami, "His company is about to go through the roof - financially and with its' profile - everything. He's got investors and people wanting him to sponsor them or endorse his product clambering at his door."_

"_So I'd imagine," nodded Roman, "But…"_

"_So anyway," continued on Sami, "He put out this press release a month ago saying he wouldn't be speaking to anyone until the end of this month and then he'd considered their offers. But I guess EJ had other ideas. He tracked down Mr Chiba where he was holidaying in the Bahamas and talked his way into a meeting. I guess he kept it hush hush because he didn't want what he was up to being leaked to Mythic's competitors and that Kate would probably try and stop him. Anyway, he somehow managed to wrangle a deal out of Mr Chiba and they've signed contracts to say that he will be coming over to our company with this new technology. I've found all the documentation at the office - the signed contracts, the log of where his private jet went… it's all there."_

_Sami handed her father the paper work she'd bought back from the office and he took it with a frown, looking through it._

"_I thought you deserved to know the truth," said Sami, looking somewhat pensive and serious as she waited for a response, "I know it isn't what you wanted to hear and I'm sorry about that but it is the truth." _

Oh Samantha, my darling girl," he breathed in awe, his heart skipping a beat before resuming again at a frantic pace, "My darling, darling girl… how much must you love me to do this?!"

"_EJ couldn't have been in Italy that week because he was in Bermuda persuading Shiro Chiba to go with Mythic and we've got the signed contracts to prove it," said Sami, watching her father as he carefully went over all the pieces of paper that she'd given him._

"_I'm sorry Dad," she said again, "But EJ is innocent of that murder and you're holding the proof in your hands."_

_Roman grimaced and looked back at her._

"_Looks like you're right darlin'," he said with thinly veiled disappointment, "I guess we can scratch this off his list of potential crimes but it doesn't mean that his family isn't involved somehow."_

"_I guess," nodded Sami, "But just not EJ this time."_

_Sami watched her father scrutinise the paperwork and tried not to look nervous. _

_The only thing that wasn't above board was the signature on the bottom of the contract which with her handy little knack of being able to forge anyone's signature she'd done herself. Sami was still in shock that she'd managed to pull this off. She'd gone to the office looking for something incriminating to hold over EJ's head so that she had some kind of insurance policy as it where so that he'd keep his promise and not say anything about the island. He'd given her his word but seeing as Sami's whole future hung in the balance on that word she needed a little more than that. _

_She'd found out where his jet had gone to after they dropped her off on Ara Caman - Bermuda - so Sami knew she had to weave a story around that. On a whim she began trying to get in contact with Shiro Chiba. Before Lucas had gotten hurt but Kate had vetoed it and it still annoyed her that Kate could be so high handed when she was part owner of the business as well thanks to EJ. Kate kept citing her lack of business experience and that was true but if there was one thing Sami Brady knew how to do it was talking people into things. She'd managed to get onto Mr Chiba himself through several phone calls and many little half truths and after confessing what she'd done to him he'd seemed impressed at her initiative and drive and had let her make her pitch. _

_Even now Sami couldn't believe that she'd succeeded in getting him to sign a contract for Mythic. She'd been so focused on getting EJ and alibi for the murder in Italy and then being able to use that as leverage against him if he started making noises of saying anything about the island that it hadn't really sunk in. It was only this morning after she'd gone to Mythic and made copies of the contract that it had hit her… she'd closed a multimillion dollar deal! She had, Sami Brady, the woman who Kate was so disdainful of and everyone thought wouldn't amount to much in this world. The only downside of it of course was that she had to let EJ take the credit for it for her blackmailing scheme to work but Sami was okay with that. She knew now she could do it and no one could take that away from her. All she had to do now was make sure her father bought it completely and then fill EJ in on the details so he could back up her story, thus giving him an alibi and Sami some much needed power in this tussle going on between them._

_All in all not a bad days work for the anti-Brady…_

A giant smile spread over EJ's face as he continued to watch and listen, falling even more heavily under this woman's spell as her as she took his breath away yet again. She had concocted this amazingly elaborate lie all to protect him from Roman's ongoing persecution of him. EJ had already been questioned by Roman on a casual basis when the other man had dropped round the office asking about his relationship to Alfonse DiGorgorio and EJ had quickly worked out that they wanted to pin that one on him as well. It was obvious that they didn't have anything to substantiate their suspicions with but something had sent them running in his direction and now he knew what. Rather amazingly, considering the ineptitude of the Salem police department, they'd managed to work out that EJ hadn't gotten off that plane the other week in Paris. It appeared Roman had shared that information with his daughter and then Sami had taken it upon herself to cover his back on this one.

EJ was just overwhelmed by the enormity of what this meant. She was standing there, looking her father dead in the eye and lying her head off and it was all for him. And she'd done it all of her own accord, EJ hadn't manoeuvred her into or even asked Sami to do this for him. As much as Sami declared that she didn't care what happened to him, actions spoke louder than words and her actions were screaming at EJ that she loved him so much that she would take this enormous risk for him. His mind was still a jumble though as to how she pulled this off. Still with his eyes glued to the screen EJ reached for his cell phone and dialled the office.

"Joanne it's me," said EJ distractedly, "Can you fax me over the Chiba paperwork to my apartment - right away please."

"One moment sir," said Joanne and there was the sound of draws being opened and paper rustled and then she was back, "I have it here…"

"You do?" asked EJ, surprised to find out that Sami had been that thorough but then quickly recovering, "I mean you do, of course."

"I'll fax them to you now Mr DiMera," she said calmly and EJ smiled.

EJ mumbled his thanks, still watching the screen but having to tear his eyes off it when he heard his fax machine sounding off. He quickly went over to it and picked up the pieces of paper. He skimmed through it and to his utter amazement it looked completely authentic, right down to Shiro Chiba's signature on the bottom next to his. EJ's eyes widened to see his signature there. It absolutely looked like his signature but EJ was certain that he hadn't signed this document. His lawyer instincts made him very careful about what he put his signature to and he'd definitely hadn't signed this contract. He looked back at the screen in amazement.

"How did you do this?" he muttered to Sami's image on the screen, "Is it real? Do we really have that contract sweetheart?"

Sami didn't answer of course but as EJ looked down at the contract in his hand he began to suspect that he was actually looking at a legally binding document - overlooking the forged signature of course but if EJ had a hard time telling that it wasn't his then it was going to be a safe bet that no one else would be able to. He sat back heavily in his chair as he tried to work out what Sami had done. She must have found out the travel log of his jet and found that it had stopped at Bermuda and then taken it upon herself to get in contact with Shiro Chiba. Somehow or other she'd managed to wrangle this potentially multimillion dollar deal out of him on EJ's behalf, usurping much larger companies in the process and thereby providing him with an alibi.

Sami was obviously gambling on the fact that Roman wasn't going to do any further investigation when presented by so much proof of his whereabouts by his own daughter and EJ had to agree with her instincts. Even though he hadn't committed the murder of course Sami had saved him from further police scrutiny by this complex web of lies and half truths. EJ would have been in a bit of a bind to explain his whereabouts that week if they'd pressed him after he'd promised to keep the secret of the island between Sami and himself but now he didn't have to. EJ put the contract down on the desk, still in shock. He looked at the screen to where father and daughter were still talking and it was obvious that Roman had bought it hook, line and sinker. EJ leant forward on the desk and rested his chin on his crossed arms in front of him, a big smile spreading across his face.

Her manoeuvres on his behalf had a Machiavellian brilliance to them and caused something to happen to EJ that hadn't happened in a very long time…

EJ was speechless.

**Chapter FORTY ONE**** - ****Fools Rush In**

Though this be madness, yet there is method in it.  
_William Shakespeare_

It was the next day, a Saturday and EJ was still on a high from what he'd witnessed the night before on his lap top. He whistled happily away to himself as he made himself some cornflakes and waited for his lap top to load. Today was a good day he decided, Samantha had shown him how deeply her feelings really ran for him - however unwittingly, Lucas was out of the picture for another week or so and that meant more quality time for he and Samantha. Of course, EJ also had Sami telling him about what she'd done in his behalf to look forward to as well. After all, for her little deception to work she was going to have to enlighten EJ and make sure he was on board with it just in case Roman started asking some follow up questions. All in all he had a lot to look forward to EJ decided.

EJ sat down at his desk and clicked on the surveillance software and waited for it to uplink. He absently spooned a mouthful of milky cornflakes into his mouth and then promptly choked at the sight in front of him. Sami was in the bedroom and for some unfathomable reason was attempting to move the bed. The bed was a very large king sized one, well made with a lot of wood and metal in it. EJ kept coughing as he watched in disbelief as Sami bent down, grabbed the end of the bed and tried with all of her might to drag it to one side. Her face screwed up with the effort she was putting into it but the bed didn't so much as budge. She gave up to EJ's relief but it was to be short lived. Next Sami tried a different tactic. She put her back against the wall and then lifted both feet onto the side of bed and began pushing for all she was worth, the strain evident on her face as she grunted and puffed to get the thing to move. EJ was aghast, quite certain she was going to burst something if she kept going and terrified that he was doing a mischief not only to herself but their possible child.

"What are you doing you crazy woman?!" EJ squeaked in abject horror before galvanising into action.

He leapt up from his desk, knocking the chair over he'd been sitting on but he couldn't be bothered with that right then. Yanking open the door he bolted across the small space that separated their apartments, practically in two giant strides. He got to Sami's door and immediately started to hammer away on it frantically. He was so intent on getting her attention and knocking loudly that EJ nearly punched Sami when she opened suddenly. She instinctively flinched away.

"What are you doing EJ?" she asked in surprise.

"Oh sorry," he quickly apologised, "Sorry."

"Why were you knocking like that?" she asked in exasperation, "Is there a fire or something?"

EJ took a deep breath and attempted to calm down and look less like a rampaging maniac so that Sami wouldn't cotton on to anything being up. He leant nonchalantly against the door frame and have her a big smile.

"Only in my heart for you Samantha," he told her with a bright smile.

Sami just stared back at him without saying anything for a long moment, looking very unimpressed.

"Right," she said flatly, "As fun as this has been EJ I've got things to do so can you just take your crazy somewhere else for today? I just had a fresh batch delivered today so I don't really need any more."

"Oh Samantha you do make me laugh," he said a little to cheerily, "I think it's so important to have laughter in a relationship don't you?"

"I think it's more important to have sanity," said Sami sarcastically, narrowing her eyes and wondering what he was up to.

He'd turned up on her door step, wide eyed and decidedly manic looking despite the feigned air of casualness he was putting on for her. There was always something going on with this man Sami decided in exasperation. EJ laughed too loudly at her little joke and Sami shook her head.

"I'm going now," she said with a roll of her eyes, "Why don't you just head back to your place and go back to whatever crazy people occupy themselves with EJ?"

"Actually I was just having breakfast and thought you might like to join me," said EJ with a winning smile, 'You know I can make your toast just how you like it now so we could…"

EJ trailed off then as the smell of paint washed over him.

"What… are you painting something Samantha?" he asked her with a bit of a frown.

"Not that it is any of your business but yes," said Sami, "And I want to get back to it… hey!"

Sami put her hand up to EJ's chest to ward him off as he suddenly started into the apartment but EJ wasn't to be deterred.

Sami gave up trying to stop him then as EJ charged past her.

"Gee EJ," she said sarcastically as she closed the door, "Why don't you come on in EJ, don't stand on ceremony or anything EJ."

Sami turned around to see EJ opening her window.

"What are you doing EJ?" she asked in bemusement.

"The smell is really bad in here," scowled EJ and picked up a nearby magazine and began fanning the smell out the window, "Don't you know to open all your windows when you paint Samantha?"

"I know you're unhinged," she said flatly, unimpressed by his over reaction, "Does that count?"

"What are you painting anyway?" asked EJ in exasperation, ignoring her dig.

"I'm repainting the bedroom," frowned Sami, watching as EJ continued to fan away madly, "I want to surprise Lucas when he gets back."

"With what darling?" asked EJ sarcastically, "Your unconscious body on the floor?"

"What's it to you drama queen?" asked Sami with a roll of her eyes.

"I… there was waftings of it in my apartment," said EJ quickly.

"Waftings?" repeated Sami sceptically.

"Paint fumes can be very hazardous to your health," said EJ tightly and Sami shook her head at him.

"There are barely any EJ," she said in exasperation.

"Yes well even a little can… umm…" EJ struggled to find a reasonable explanation for his carry on, "… stunt your growth."

Sami looked him up and down then, having to crane her head right back to take in his six foot four inch frame.

"Is stunted growth a huge concern for you EJ?" she asked ironically.

"I think about it," he nodded, knowing there was no way but forward through this, "Sure."

Sami stared back at him silently for a moment, blinking rapidly a couple of times.

"Are you on drugs EJ?" she asked him flatly, finally speaking.

"Of course not," grimaced EJ, putting down the magazine now, satisfied that the worst of the fumes had disappeared.

"Is it time to start do you think?" she asked him mockingly.

"I'm only concerned for your health Samantha," said EJ, looking a little put out.

"And I'm concerned I'm living next to a mad man," said Sami with a roll of her eyes, "I guess we've both got a lot to worry about EJ."

"So painting means moving things I'm guessing," said EJ, ignoring her mocking of him and more interested in protecting her from herself with this latest DIY urge, "Do you need me to move something for you Samantha?"

"No," she said with a shrug, "I've got it covered EJ."

"Really?" said EJ sceptically, knowing full well she was lying to him, "I've seen that bed of yours, it looks pretty heavy… are you telling me you can move it by yourself?"

"Yes I am," she said defiantly.

EJ arched a disbelieving eyebrow at her and Sami back tracked a little.

"I've got a plan for moving it," she conceded.

"Which involves what exactly sweetheart?" asked EJ looking at her with great interest.

"I'm going to push on it really hard," said Sami stoically, her tone suggesting he give it a rest.

"Ah I see you've thought it through thoroughly," said EJ ironically, "That's quite the plan darling."

"This has nothing to do with you EJ," said Sami in annoyance, "Why don't you scamper off home and return to licking the light sockets or whatever it was that you were doing before you came here and interrupted my morning."

"Why don't I move the bed and anything else that has to be moved for you instead?" offered EJ, letting her jab slide off him easily, "The light sockets will still be there tomorrow."

"I don't need your help EJ," she said sharply.

"Well tough because you're going to get it anyway," said EJ determinedly.

"I'm not letting you help me!" said Sami just as determinedly.

"And I'm not going anywhere until you do," said EJ calmly.

He promptly turned on his heel and marched into her bedroom, wrinkling his nose at the paint fumes in the air. Did this woman have no sense of self preservation at all?! He went directly to Sami's bed that she hadn't managed to move and inch and plonked himself down on it, lying back against the cushions and putting his feet up on the bed.

"What are you doing?" asked Sami in horror as she chased after him.

"I'm staging an intervention for the terminally stubborn," EJ informed her straight faced and folded his arms in front of his chest.

"Are you kidding me?" she asked in disbelief, "You can't do this EJ!"

"I beg to differ my love," said EJ happily, stretching out more comfortably on the bed, his arms going behind his head and crossing his legs at the ankle, "Can and am doing it."

"This is insane!" protested Sami.

"No sweetheart," said EJ firmly, "What is insane is not asking for help when you clearly need it."

"Get off my bed EJ!" she ordered him.

"See reason and I will," said EJ with a nod.

"OHH!" said Sami and ground her teeth in a fit of frustration, "You are the most pig headed, annoying…!"

Sami trailed off when she saw EJ wasn't looking at her anymore.

"Is that the paint you're going to use?" he asked suddenly as he sat up in bed.

"Yes," snapped Sami, "What of it?"

"I think you're going to need way more than that to do a room of this size," commented EJ.

"No I don't," she huffed and went over and picked up a pad and paper handed it to EJ, "I figured it out before I went to the hardware store – see, that's exactly the right amount."

EJ looked down at the calculations and then back at her.

"Soo," he said slowly, arching his eye brows and looking up at her, "You were only planning on doing the one coat then?"

"What?" scowled Sami, grabbing the pad back off him and looking down at what she'd written?

"You've worked out what you need to paint this room once but you need to do two coats," pointed out EJ conversationally, "You need twice the amount of you've got here sweetheart."

Sami grimaced, realising he was right. How could she have been so silly she wondered in anguish? Because you spend every waking minute trying not to think about EJ and in the process end up rather distracted her inner voice gave her the unwanted answer to that question.

"This is the last of this colour," said Sami unhappily, "I'll have to wait until next week to get more of the same."

"Well I think you should put it off until then sweetheart," said EJ cheerily, sitting up, "There is no point moving things twice and I can come and help you and we'll have everything moved and painted in no time."

"Why?" asked Sami suspiciously.

"Because two people means half the work," said EJ, deliberately misunderstanding her question.

"Why are you being so helpful EJ?" she clarified her question, "This is just you trying to get close to me isn't it?"

"Does it matter if it means you get this room done in a couple of hours rather than taking all day with it?" he asked her with a shrug.

Sami thought about that and grimaced.

"Then it's a date!" said EJ happily, moving so that he could swing his legs over the edge of her bed, "A paint date."

"It's not a date," Sami corrected him sharply, "It's… it's an arrangement!"

"We're starting to get a few of those eh darling?" asked EJ with an impish and gave her a wink.

"I don't know what you mean EJ," she said, feigning ignorance.

"Why our little agreement to keep our time away at Ara Caman just between the two of us of course Samantha," said EJ innocently. .

He put up a hand and held onto the bottom of the shirt she'd put on to protect her from the paint, tugging Sami gently towards him. Sami's eyes widened but she didn't resist him.

"Our little secret about the many… many intimacies that passed between us," EJ reminded her huskily, tilting his back to look up at her as he manoeuvred Sami to stand between his legs.

Sami swallowed nervously at finding herself suddenly this close to him. She hated him when he used that rich accented voice against her like this. Each word felt like a caress on her body and Sami wasn't prepared for the way her body was reacting just to the sound of his voice. How was it that they could go from fighting and in the next moment she was struggling against being seduced by EJ yet again wondered Sami in dismay.

"Do you lie in this big bed of yours and think thoughts of me Samantha?" he asked her throatily, drawing her even closer to him, parting his legs so she could stand between them.

Sami knew she should be moving away, telling him to stop but it had been just over two weeks now since they'd last made love and instead of her need for him fading as Sami had so desperately hoped, all it took was one word from him and she was on fire. EJ loosely wrapped his arms around her legs and stroked the back of her legs through the material of her pants.

"I lie in mine and think of you," he said thickly, looking up her longingly.

EJ rested his chin on her stomach then, his head going right back so he could still hold her now stricken gaze.

"I lie there and ache for you Samantha," he whispered, "The ghost of you is everywhere I go and I can never find any peace except for when I'm near you, touching you. Nothing else matters in my life anymore, only you, there is no pleasure for me outside of you Samantha. I eat but the food has no taste because now that I've tasted you nothing else will ever satisfy me again."

Sami quivered at hearing such words from his lips, frightened by their intensity but more frightened because she was experiencing the same thing. Nothing brought her pleasure anymore, her food no longer even tasted right and half the time would turn her stomach, even in her sleep she found no peace, dreams of EJ haunting her. EJ's hands went to her bottom then, cupping each cheek in his hands. When Sami didn't move to stall him EJ became more bold. With his heart hammering wildly in his chest he nuzzled her shirt out of the way with his nose to reveal a little strip of her bare midriff. EJ began to press soft kisses along the pale expanse, his tongue lapping at her exposed flesh. Sami made a little noise, her eyelids drooping and her head lolling to one side as he drew her deeper into the spell he was weaving around her.

"I want to make love to you Samantha," he told her raggedly, "I want to lie you down on this bed and claim your body with my own."

He pulled back and looked up at her then, his voice suddenly very earnest.

"I want you to tell me that you need me as much as I need you," he said roughly, "That you know this thing between us is very real and that you can't fight it anymore."

"EJ," said Sami weakly and shook her head at him, "That is never going to happen. _I_ am never going to let that happen."

"Why not?" he asked softly, looking up at her with those liquid brown eyes of his.

"You know why," she whispered, her voice beginning to shake as she tried so hard not to give in to the promise in his eyes.

"You're afraid to stop fighting me because then you'd have to face the truth," he told her quietly, "If you stopped resisting me at every turn you'd know that these feelings aren't going to go away Samantha."

"I want them to," said Sami tremulously, her voice barely audible.

"No you don't…" he said huskily, wrapping his arms tightly around Sami's legs and gathering her to him.

Sami swallowed hard and couldn't tear her eyes from his.

"… you want me," he told her softly and with such great certainty that Sami felt herself beginning to fall.

**Chapter FORTY TWO**** - ****Tit For Tat**

But seduction isn't making someone do what they don't want to do.

Seduction is enticing someone into doing what they secretly want to do already.  
_~Waiter Rant ~_

Sami looked down into EJ's warm brown eyes and tried to remember why this was a bad idea. EJ saw her hesitation, knew that she was struggling to reign in her feelings.

"Samantha," he said huskily, tightening his hold on her, "I…"

RING RING… RING RING…

They both jumped at the sound of the phone in the living room going off and it was exactly what Sami needed to wake up from the spell EJ had just put her under.

"Leave it!" said EJ urgently, trying to hold onto her but Sami wiggled out of this grasp and with a last desperate backwards glance at him she hurried to get the phone.

EJ gave a growl of frustration and flopped back on the bed. This woman was going to be the death of him. Every time EJ thought they were actually making some progress in getting to the truth of Sami's feelings there was an interruption! He'd seen it in Sami's eyes, the uncertainty, the fear and oh god the longing! She wanted him, of that EJ was certain and somehow if he could just get Sami to admit that out loud he felt like they would be halfway there.

EJ began to contemplate dispensing with all of this carry on and simply throwing Sami over his shoulder, take her back to Ara Caman kicking and screaming and not letting her leave again until she saw reason. The thought was a tempting one but two things stopped EJ from going through with it. First of all his father had tried to do just that with Sami's mother and it had not turned out well for him. Second of all and most importantly EJ wanted Sami to choose him, of her own volition because she knew in her heart of hearts that EJ was the man she loved. He didn't want to force her into anything but then again he also wasn't above giving Sami a nudge in the right direction. After all it was for her own good, that stubborn nature of hers made Sami her own worst enemy EJ decided.

He hauled himself up from the bed and stood up and began walking towards the door. As he did he noticed a basket full of clean clothes and amongst them was a pair of white panties, very similar to, if not the same ones that EJ had removed from Sami's body the very first time they made love. On impulse he bent down and picked them up, shoving them into his back pocket hastily before Sami noticed what he was doing. He needn't have worried because as he immerged from the bedroom Sami was still engrossed in her phone call, standing with her back to him. EJ walked in just in time to catch the end of the conversation.

"No, not at all Mom," she said, glancing over at EJ as he walked past her, "Thanks for calling, it means a lot to me… okay… I will… bye."

Sami hung up and faced EJ, looking at him intently.

"Something wrong sweetheart?" asked EJ mildly, "Is everything alright with Marlena?"

"She was calling about John," said Sami, her eyes not leaving his face, "They are moving him out of ICU."

"Well that's marvellous news Samantha," said EJ smoothly, "You're mother must be so pleased. Does this mean he's awoken from his coma?"

"Why do you want to know EJ?" she asked him, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Well my coma etiquette is a little rusty admittedly," said EJ wryly, "But I've always been under the impression it's polite to ask after the welfare of a patient."

"What if I told you John had woken up from his coma?" asked Sami sharply, "What would you say to that EJ?"

"I'd say I was relieved," said EJ, holding her gaze steadily.

"Relieved?" repeated Sami in disbelief.

"Yes relieved darling," said EJ calmly, "As soon as John is conscious again then he can tell the authorities that I wasn't the one who shot him."

"You were there EJ," said Sami with a shake of her head, not believing him.

"And so was your father, just outside the door practically from what I've been told and yet he didn't see me," he pointed out reasonably, "I'm quite a large man Samantha, I hardly fade into the background now do I? Your father is an experienced police officer who came to that boat house with the express purpose of setting me up and didn't see me. For some reason known only to himself that wasn't enough for your father and he is still trying to pin something on me I didn't do. I'm leaning towards it being this blood lust all Brady's seem to have for the DiMera's myself as to why he would do such a thing."

"And with good reason!" spat out Sami, "They've done nothing but bring misery and pain to our family for years!"

"Well that's your version of events to be sure," said EJ coolly, "I have a somewhat different perspective on the subject but let's say we split the difference and say both families have suffered at the hands of the other eh?"

"In your dreams EJ!" snorted Sami, warming to the subject, "You can't compare the two!"

"Is that right?" asked EJ tightly, annoyed at having to defend his family to Sami yet again while she made out that they were as pure as the driven snow, "You know I would have been nowhere near that boathouse if it hadn't been for you and your feminine wiles Samantha. That was quite the act you and Lucas staged for my benefit now wasn't it? You're doing exactly what your father is doing, convicting me on the basis of my last name alone. I guess when you're a Brady you can dispense with little trifles like evidence!"

Sami frowned as EJ's last remark hit home. Her father had been so convinced that EJ had been responsible for the murder in Italy when Sami knew for a fact he hadn't been. That thought reminded Sami of the need to implement her insurance policy in regards to EJ as well. When he talked like this Sami had no idea what to believe or not to believe but her instincts told her that EJ wasn't telling her everything about that night. She didn't know what it was but she was sure he wasn't being completely honest about that night despite his valid arguments. That knowledge made it even more important to Sami that she have some way of keeping EJ at arm's length. He had way too much power over her and unless she did something about that Sami feared that she would end up succumbing to his allure and she didn't want that. She was trying to get her life back on track and allowing herself to become involved with EJ DiMera would definitely not be a way to do that.

"I need to tell you something EJ," said Sami, looking very serious now.

"You shot John?" offered up EJ mischievously.

"Of course not!" said Sami tersely.

"Yes but you've thought about it before haven't you?" said EJ knowingly.

"No!" Sami denied it sharply despite the fact that she had done just that.

Sami would never have gone through with hurting John but there had been many times that she'd been desperate to keep he and her mother apart that she might have considered coming close. EJ gave her a look which told her that he didn't believe her but didn't say anything.

"I want to talk to you about the island EJ," said Sami firmly.

"You've come to your senses and realised that you can't fight your feelings for me any longer?" he suggested playfully, his hands going to the collar of her shirt and straightening it for her, "That's wonderful news Samantha, let's seal our new understanding with a kiss shall we?"

Before Sami realised what EJ was doing he'd swooped in and cupped her cheeks with his hands, moving in to kiss her. Sami reacted instantly, struggling against him, hands on his chest as she wriggled free of his grasp, managing to stop him just before his lips touched hers.

EJ let her go and just smiled back at her teasingly as she scowled back at him.

"Stop doing that EJ!" she said angrily, as she moved away from him and stood in the middle of the room, "I don't want you to!"

"Oh darling," said EJ turning around to face her again, his lips quirking as he looked at her outraged face, "How much do you wish _that_ was the truth eh?"

Sami blew out a frustrated breath then and attempted to calm herself down and ignore his words.

"My father came to see me EJ," she said, trying to get things back on course.

"I know," nodded EJ, "I was here remember?"

"He told me something interesting," continued on Sami.

"First time for everything I suppose," quipped EJ with a little smile.

"He thinks you murdered someone in Italy," said Sami tersely, annoyed that EJ seemed intent on making a joke of everything.

"You're father thinks I've murdered someone in every country," said EJ dryly, not looking fazed by this information.

"He thinks that because when your jet landed in Paris the other week, you didn't," said Sami, continuing on doggedly, "Dad thinks you were trying to cover up your whereabouts because you were up to no good."

"So we're talking about the week you and I spent together then?" asked EJ, pretending ignorance as to where this was all going.

"Yes," said Sami.

"Oh," said EJ and looked thoughtful, "Well that explains the little impromptu your father paid me last week and his questions about Uncle Alfonse I suppose. Hmm…tricky."

"What's tricky about it EJ?" she challenged him tightly; "You've got the perfect alibi… me. I can vouch for you being on Ara Caman with me all week and that you never left. That would let you off the hook for being a suspect in that man's murder."

"Indeed it would," nodded EJ slowly, seeming to be thinking carefully about this, "But seeing as I gave you my word that I wouldn't tell anyone about our little getaway together that really isn't an option now is it sweetheart?"

"You'd keep your word to me even if it meant you could possibly go to jail?" asked Sami, looking at him sceptically.

"Samantha I would never break a promise to you," said EJ sincerely, "It's extremely important to me that you trust me. I gave you my word and I intend to keep it, no matter what. You don't have to worry sweetheart, I'll sort this. I mean, this is the Salem police department we're talking about after all, how hard can it be to throw them off the trail? I'll give it some thought and come up with a solution, never fear."

"You don't have to," said Sami, taken aback by this turn of events.

She hadn't expected EJ to even consider sticking to his word under the circumstances and was very surprised that it seemed like he was fully intending to. Nonetheless Sami knew that she still needed to put her insurance policy into play.

"What do you mean sweetheart?" asked EJ, giving her his best confused look.

EJ stood there and listened intently as Sami recounted what she had done to ensure that EJ had an alibi other than his Ara Caman one. He made suitably shocked faces, making it appear as though he was hearing all this for the first time. Even though he wasn't it was still mind blowingly impressive to have Sami list off her machinations again for him and EJ wondered if he would ever not be in awe of this woman. Sami finished explaining what she done and then fixed EJ with a determined look. EJ didn't speak for a long moment after she'd stop talking and Sami just stared back at him challengingly, thinking she was letting him digest this new information.

"So let me get this straight," said EJ slowly, "In order to provide me with an alibi for the murder you concocted a convoluted series of lies that had me in Bermuda at the time of crime. You falsified documents, lied to your father's face and oh yes, managed to close a multimillion dollar deal in the process."

EJ looked at Sami with an arched eyebrow.

"Have I got that right darling?" he asked her calmly, "Have I missed anything out at all?"

"Just that you have to stick to that version of events if my father asks you about it," said Sami smugly and then thought of something, "Oh and you should give Mr Chiba a ring at some point and make sure he knows you just in case my dad decides to check that."

EJ shook his head and just stared at her.

"Samantha," said EJ with real awe in his voice, "There is a magnificence to your soul that I have never seen its' equal before in my life."

Sami frowned a little at that, not expecting him to respond that way at all.

"So you know what this means now don't you EJ?" she asked him as she delivered her coup de grace, "That you had better keep your word about not saying anything about the island to anyone, especially Lucas otherwise I am going to go straight to my father and tell him that you forced me to make up the story to protect your whereabouts."

"But then won't I just say that you are my alibi and thereby causing the one thing you're trying to avoid sweetheart?" asked EJ, looking a little perplexed.

"I'd tell them that you didn't stay there the whole time, that you left me alone on the island for a day or two," said Sami triumphantly, having thought of that, "I might be going down but I'm taking you with me EJ."

"Oh now there's a happy thought," said EJ with a cheeky smile, "The two of us going down together."

"So do we have an understanding EJ?" she asked him flatly, ignoring his little comment.

"Oh yes sweetheart," said EJ, a big smile on his face, "Indeed we do."

Sami was starting to feel a bit nervous with how well EJ was taking all of this. She'd expected him to be annoyed and put out that she'd trumped him but instead he just seemed impressed and very happy by the fact.

"Why are you smiling EJ?" she asked him tightly, "I win, you lose. You don't have anything to hold over my head anymore. You have just as much to lose as I do."

"I'm smiling my darling because you've shown me how much you truly do love me," said EJ, looking at her warmly.

"I'm blackmailing you!" exclaimed Sami in disbelief, "In what twisted reality is that an act of love EJ?!"

"It shows me how far you're willing to go to protect me from the police," said EJ with a smile.

"I'm doing it to protect me EJ, _me_!" she said fiercely, "This has nothing to do with protecting you from the police, this is about me finding away to protect myself against you!"

"Is that what you're telling yourself?" he asked with an arch of an eyebrow as he moved closer, his hands going to the collar of Sami's shirt again and fixing it for her, "So many lies Samantha… do you even know the truth anymore I wonder?"

Sami jerked away from his touch, angry that her scheming hadn't had more impact on him and seeming to intrigue EJ even more rather than put him off. Would she never be able to win with this man Sami despaired?

"Here's some truth for you EJ!" she said hotly, brushing past him and heading towards the door, "I want you to leave!"

Sami's hand was on the door and she was opening it but EJ was suddenly behind her, one hand going to her back to stall Sami and the other pushing the door shut again.

"We're not done talking yet sweetheart," he told her firmly.

"Yeah well I am!" snapped Sami and tried to open the door again but EJ simply leaned his weight against the door with the hand that was on it and Sami didn't have a chance of opening it then.

"Look at me Samantha," he instructed her but Sami stubbornly continued to keep her back to him.

EJ's hand went to her arm them, spinning her around pushing her back against the door. His actions were rough but not so as to hurt her and Sami couldn't help but remember their lovemaking and how fiercely he'd taken her each time but always she could feel him tempering his much greater strength, protecting her from its' full intensity. It was an unwanted memory for Sami as he stood so close to her looming over her, his palm still resting on the door behind her head, trapping her there. Sami looked up at him with some trepidation but tried her best not to show him where her wayward thoughts had taken her.

"Everything has to be the hard way with you doesn't it Samantha?" he asked with a shake of his head.

"What do you want from me EJ?" she asked him in anguish.

"You know what I want Samantha," said EJ throatily, tilting his head and leaning more heavily on his hand, keeping her in place with the sheer force of his presence as his other hand went to play with the buttons of her shirt.

"I want you Samantha," he told her huskily, lifting his head and holding her stressed looking gaze, "From the first moment I saw you… I want you."

"Well you've had me remember?" said Sami flatly, trying valiantly not to blush as she said that and not really succeeding.

"Oh I remember," he purred and the way he said that made Sami's toes curl in her shoes.

EJ lifted a hand to Sami's neck, lightly dragging his knuckles down its' long length.

"But it wasn't enough," he said, his voice beginning to thicken, "It can never be enough."

"Well it will have to be," said Sami firmly, hoping she sounded more convinced of that then she felt, "It's never going to happen again EJ!"

"Never is a long time Samantha," EJ told her with the barest of smiles on his face, "You can't deny what is between us forever."

"What is between us is sick and twisted!" said Sami desperately, not knowing how much more she could take of EJ being this close to her.

She needed to put some distance between them, emotionally and physically as quickly as possible.

"We lie and manipulate one another and then sleep together," she told him tensely, "What does that say about us EJ?"

"It says we're not like other people Samantha," said EJ, unconcerned by her description of them, "We're not pedestrian and bland like so many others."

EJ's hand came up to cup her neck then and Sami shuddered a little under the light touch despite her best efforts.

"Scheming, lying, manipulation…" growled EJ, "That's all foreplay for people like us Samantha and you know it."

"You're crazy EJ," said Sami with a frown, wishing she could put more force behind those words.

"Am I?" asked EJ huskily, his finger tracing the curve of one cheek now.

EJ moved closer then, bending his elbow and resting his forearm against the door that he had Sami backed up against.

"You can't deny your true nature forever Samantha," told her huskily as he began to drag his fingers along Sami's cheek again, down her the length of her neck, the tips skimming the delicate flesh there.

EJ's fingers reached the buttons of her shirt and holding her gaze he deftly undid the top couple. Sami's hands went to EJ's wrist to try and stop him but she was no match for his much greater strength. Despite her still tugging on his wrist and trying to stop him, EJ's hand easily found its' way into her blouse, immediately finding a satin covered breast. He cupped its' fullness in his hand and Sami couldn't stop the little whimpering sound that came to her lips. And EJ gave a little satisfied grunt as her breast filled his hand again.

"You're a bad girl Samantha Brady," he purred the truth to her even as his thumb began to brush back and forth over her already hardened nipple.

"No I'm not," she said weakly, frantic to deny it, "Not anymore."

EJ heard how desperately Sami needed to believe that in her voice but wouldn't let her get away with it anymore. He was aching for her, sick of having her push him away and just wanted to remind her what the truth really was. Sami could sit in this apartment and build a fantasy life for herself all she liked but EJ was there to remind her that nothing was going to satisfy her but him. He moved one of his knees between her legs, forcing them apart and applying pressure to the apex of Sami's thighs. Sami gasped and felt herself becoming instantly wet and was thankful for the thickness of her jeans that would hide that little fact from EJ. The look on EJ's face suggested he already had a fair idea of the impact he was having on her body though. He held her distressed gaze as he began to rock his knee back and forth slightly, creating friction against Sami's core, making her whimper.

"Does that feel good sweetheart?" he asked her, his voice beginning to roughen as his own excitement grew, "Don't you want more?"

Before she could answer him there was a sudden knock on the door just by Sami's head made her start violently. EJ blinked but his only other reaction was to tighten his hold on her breast.

"_Sami!" _

She heard her name being called out and tensed, looking at EJ with stricken eyes.

"_Sami it's Lucas!" came the voice again, "I don't have my key… Sami!"_

EJ raised his other hand to his lips, putting a finger to them and indicating she should keep quiet. Sami shook her head frantically, her eyes wide as she pictured Lucas scant inches away on the other side of the door while EJ stood there with his hand on her breast. EJ held her desperate gaze, moving in closer to her and obviously in no hurry to let her go. Sami's heart was thumping wildly in her chest, scared to call out to Lucas, scared not to. EJ ducked his head then and began pressing hot kisses down her neck and then Sami's chest until he was at her breast. Sami was frozen to the spot, a part of her panicking and another part of her craving his next touch.

"_Sami… open up! I don't know how much longer I can stand up!"_

Sami had to swallow a groan when she felt EJ's mouth attach itself to her tightened nipple, suckling on it through the material of her bra. He bit down on it, hard enough to make her hiss and then shudder at the little fissure of pleasure it caused her. The hand at her breast held her fullness to his mouth and her hands that had been half heartedly trying to stop him went to EJ's head, burying themselves in its' thickness and holding him to her. Sami didn't know how long EJ pleasured her like this, not sure if it was seconds or hours, time ceasing to have any kind of meaning but he finally lifted his head and looked down at her with heavy lidded eyes. Lucas was still knocking on the door behind her as Sami returned his look with a mixture of confusion and lust.

"You're _my_ bad girl Samantha," he whispered to her thickly, the possessiveness obvious in his voice.

Sami didn't have an answer for that seeing as he just had his mouth on her breast while Lucas stood inches away knocking on the door and all she'd done was encourage him. EJ suddenly straightened up then and stepped back from her and Sami was left bereft.

"Hold your horses Lucas!" called out EJ, holding Sami's still shell shocked gaze as he slowly did up her buttons again with fingers that shook only slightly.

"EJ – what the hell are you doing there?!" Lucas' angry question came to them from the other side of the door.

"I'm coming Lucas," said Sami, forcing herself to snap out of it as EJ finished with her buttons.

She turned around, shaking her head and forcing herself to calm down so that Lucas wouldn't think anything was awry when she opened the door. Sami put a determinedly cheerful smile on her face, putting one hand on the lock and one hand on the door knob. Suddenly EJ was behind her, taking advantage of Sami's hands being occupied.

He pressed his hard length against her from behind, both hands going to her breasts as he nuzzled his lips against her ear.

"Mine," he growled territorially and Sami made a little squeaking noise at his unexpected action, freezing in place but just as quickly EJ was suddenly stepping away from her, leaving Sami to open the door.

"Lucas," Sami said and knew she must look frazzled but could do nothing about it, "What are you doing here?"

Lucas was standing there on crutches, an unhappy and pained look on his face.

"Trying to get in the door!" grumped Lucas as Sami stepped back and immediately tried to help him, "I need to sit down."

"Here," said Sami, holding out a hand to him but Lucas waved it away, his teeth gritted as he made his way painfully towards the sofa.

He eased himself down into it, his face a mask of pain as he did.

"Oh honey, are you alright?" asked Sami in concern, "You shouldn't be out and about – it's too much for you!"

"I wanted to surprise you," grunted Lucas, trying to make himself comfortable.

He sent an angry glare over at EJ before looking back at Sami.

"What took you so long to answer the door Sami?" he asked her in annoyance.

Sami felt a tell tale flush creep over her face as she struggled to find an answer to that. Somehow 'I was just letting EJ feel me up' didn't seem the way to pour oil on troubled waters.

"Oh that was my fault," said EJ blithely, "Samantha and I were in the bedroom and I hadn't quite finished with requiring her services yet."

Lucas' eyes practically fell out of his head at hearing that as he looked between the two of them not knowing what to think now. EJ so enjoyed yanking this man's chain even though the truth hadn't been far off. Having Sami being so accommodating to his every touch just then had almost been his undoing and the urge to drag Sami back into that bedroom and simply take her despite Lucas' presence was very strong. He wondered idly how long Sami would fight him on that one before succumbing to how inevitable their passion really was. EJ fought his more baser instincts on that one though and annoying Lucas was one way to distract him from how aroused he was after the events of a couple of minutes ago.

"I… I'm painting the bedroom!" explained Sami hastily, seeing the angry flush to Lucas' face, "I asked EJ to help me move the furniture."

"That's right," said EJ smoothly with a little smile, "We were just in the middle of moving the bed when you knocked and I needed Sami to stay put for a moment longer to help me. I hope that isn't a problem for you Lucas?"

"It is actually EJ," said Lucas sharply, "I don't want you hanging around Sami… ever!"

"Well I know when I'm not wanted," said EJ smoothly and Sami tensed, "And when I am..."

The look EJ gave her then made Sam's heart skip a beat as she tensed, frightened what he might say next.

"I'll just go then," said EJ continuing on calmly, "You kids probably have tonnes to talk about anyway."

Sami's head was beginning to spin with all of EJ's abrupt about faces that he was doing today. She just couldn't seem to find her balance around him all of a sudden. One moment they were fighting, the next he was teasing her, the next it was all innuendo and taunt desire between them. It was all just too confusing and Sami missed the days when she was the one in control of her relationships - it all seemed somehow simpler then.

"Bye," said Lucas shortly, grimacing as he touched his ribs, still obviously in a lot of pain.

It had taken far out of him then he'd expected coming to see Sami on his own like this. Lucas had thought that he was doing much better than he obviously was. Right now he felt like taking a handful of painkillers and sleeping the rest of the day away. While Lucas was counting the cost of his impromptu visit Sami was making sure EJ was leaving. She walked with him to the still open door.

"Thank you for helping out EJ," she said politely, for Lucas' benefit.

"You're welcome sweetheart," said EJ just as politely, "Any time I can be of service… you know that."

He leant down then as though he was going to kiss her and Sami put up a hasty hand to his chest to stall him.

But EJ was merely reaching for the doorknob so he could close the door. His action bought his face close to hers though and he used the opportunity to his advantage. EJ turned his head and whispered in her ear so that only she could hear him, a parting shot to remind her of their recent stolen intimacies.

"Is my bad girl wet for me right now?" he asked her huskily in her ear before straightening up without missing a beat and Sami had to take a quick step back as he closed the door for her, giving her a little wink before he did.

Sami stood there, her heart hammering in her chest and was suddenly very afraid that she was in way over her head as she had no argument for his confident statement. And now she was meant to pull it together and play all nice with Lucas after that, how was that even going to be possible she wondered in anguish? Sami closed her eyes, still facing the door and pondered how it was that she managed to find herself in these situations.

**Chapter FORTY THREE****- ****What Dreams May Come**

Come to me, darling; I'm lonely without thee;

Daytime and night time I'm dreaming about thee.  
_~Joseph Brenan~_

_Sami rolled over in bed, slowly coming awake and blinking blearily in the morning light. She lifted her head from her pillow and looked at the man sleeping soundly across from her in the bed. She studied EJ's relaxed profile, listening to his even breathing and felt a great wave of emotion. _

"_You're here," she said softly and reached out a hand to trace his stubbled jaw line. _

_Sami moved closer and needing to near him. She gently guided his face towards her with a hand to his chin, leaning in to kiss him. _

_EJ stirred, reacting instinctively as her lips touched his._

"_Samantha," he whispered, a hand going to cup the back of her head and deepen the kiss without even opening his eyes._

_EJ rolled her over so that he was on top now. He broke the kiss and looked down at her, bracing himself with his arms on either side of her shoulders._

"_Samantha," he said again, his voice husky from sleep and awakening desire, dark eyes warm and loving._

_She let her name on his lips wash over her, envelope her with its richness._

"_EJ," she sighed and reached for him._

_This was a dream, the same one she'd had every morning since returning from the island. It was always the same, Sami would open her eyes in the morning and EJ would be beside her. She'd kiss him while he slept but he would quickly wake up and return that kiss. How she missed his kisses, his touch and it was only in her dreams that Sami would allow herself to succumb to her desperate need for him to touch her. EJ moved over her, kissing her and Sami's hands went to his broad shoulders as his went to her waist._

_Her dreams were so real now; it was like EJ was really there. Sami could feel him, smell his maleness in her nostrils and taste him as his tongue did battle with hers. She moved under him, rubbing her body against his, feeling her nipples hardened against his muscled, bare chest. _

"_Say it," Sami begged him as she broke the kiss, her breathing coming in struggling gasps now, "Say it EJ."_

"_Is my bad girl wet for me?" he asked her with a wicked smile, looking down at her, his breathing as uneven as hers._

_Sami bit her lip, looking up at him with wide eyes, fresh wetness soaking through her pyjama bottoms even more at hearing that question on his lips again, unbearably excited by it._

"_Yes," she panted, quivering under him, "I'm so wet for you EJ."_

"_You know," said EJ, looking suddenly very serious, "I feel I should check that out… just to make sure…"_

_He gave her a cheeky look at that and Sami returned it, eager for him to do just that. EJ ducked his head and began to kiss his way down her still clothed body. Down her neck, her chest, stopping briefly to nip playfully at Sami's tightly budded nipples that were straining against the material of her little white tank top and making Sami hiss and arch her back. Downwards EJ continued until he was at her stomach and Sami closed her eyes, the anticipation building inside of her. _

_EJ lingered over her stomach but even as he did his hands had found their way to the top of her pants and were tugging them down her legs. He got them to her ankles and Sami hurriedly kicked them off. EJ lifted his head then from her stomach and held her gave as one of his hands went to her inner thighs and very slowly began to push her legs apart. Sami swallowed a groan, eager for him to see what he'd done to her already. EJ finally tore his gaze from her face and looked down at her core which was fully exposed to him now and Sami knew she must be absolutely soaking wet, feeling more of her juices dribbling out of her even as she watched him watching her. _

"_God that's beautiful," he said in awe, licking his lips and Sami couldn't help but thrust herself up towards as she watched his enormous hard on twitching wildly at the sight of her so ready for him. _

"_I want to come EJ," she pleaded with him shakily, "Please EJ!"_

"_You know I always do sweetheart," he purred as his hands went to the bottom of her little tank top and he pulled it off over her head as Sami sat up a little to help him._

_She was as naked as he was now and EJ growled his satisfaction at that. Next his hands went to her hips and he was turning her over and Sami's excitement grew. She was lying flat on her stomach as she felt EJ push her legs further apart and then the bed dipped as he moved around on it. Sami tried to look back over her shoulder to see what he was doing but she couldn't see him and then she felt him settling between her legs, his hands go to her hips again. EJ drew her hips up so that she was on her knees and pulled her back towards him and Sami realised that he was actually on his back between her legs. Then he urged her downwards onto his waiting lips and tongue and Sami lost all ability for coherent thought. She buried her face in the pillows to stifle the immediate moans that he was wringing from her. EJ's tongue thrust up deeply into her, tasting her intimately and Sami nearly died from the pleasure of it all. He hungrily devoured her while Sami moaned her pleasure for him into the pillow and very quickly she found she couldn't stop her hips from jerking back and forward on his face and feeling the increasingly desperate need to climax._

"_Ohhh yesss!" she groaned, riding his tongue harder and feeling her peak approaching._

_EJ suddenly moved then much to her horror, flipping them over so that now she was on top of him. Sami pushed herself up, now straddling his chest and EJ grinned up at her from between her legs._

"_My turn," he said unevenly and Sami grinned, happy to oblige._

_She wiggled back on his chest, until she was straddling his thighs and began to kiss her way down his chest, her long blonde hair forming a curtain around her face as she did. _

_EJ gave an appreciative growl which quickly turned into a strangled cry when she reached his straining manhood as just as enthusiastically ministered to that as he'd done for her. She could taste his pre-cum in her mouth, knew he was getting close and wanted him to be deep inside of her when he came. She dragged her mouth from his pulsating thickness and looked down at EJ, the look of delirious pleasure on his face and the way his body was covered in a fine sheen of sweat. _

"_Do you want me to say it?" he asked her, his voice rough and forced from his own arousal._

_Sami nodded her head eagerly at him._

"_Is my bad girl wet for me?" he growled the question._

"_Oh yes," she breathed, "So wet EJ."_

"_I'd better check," he informed her again with a devilish grin, "Just to make sure."_

_EJ sat up then, reversing their positions again so Sami was on her back on the bed. Without further delay he grabbed her behind her knees, spreading her legs wide pulling her legs up over his as he kissed his _

_EJ mounted her in a single motion then, his engorged length sliding into her, straining her walls as it sank ever deeper into her making Sami groan noisily. _

"_Oh yesss," hissed EJ excitedly, "My bad girl is just perfect."_

"_Do it EJ!" she begged him, all the foreplay having twisted Sami into knots and she just needed her release now._

_EJ didn't disappoint, immediately starting to drill himself into her again and again while Sami dissolved into a pool of moaning delight. _

"_OHH GODDD!" she moaned loudly, squeezing her eyes closed as EJ found a fierce rhythm inside of her, "Don't stop… yes… YES… YYESSS!"_

There was a sudden abrasive noise that filled the air, a persistent buzzing that pierced Sami's consciousness and brought her rudely awake.

"NNNOOO!" she cried out in frustration as her dream evaporated around her leaving her aching and unsatisfied.

Her alarm clock continued to bleat away noisily, unsympathetic of her plight and Sami lunged at it, crashing it against the bedside table until the alarm stopped and bits of the unfortunate gadget fell off in her hand.

What the hell had she been thinking setting an alarm Sami wondered in despairingly?

She'd been so close and now she was just on fire, her entire body screaming at her to finish it already. Sami groaned loudly and grabbed a nearby pillow, knowing she had to find some release otherwise she was going to go insane after that dream. She rolled over onto her front, positioning the pillow at her stomach so her hips were propped up. Her hand found its' way down the front of her pants and immediately sought out her aching and swollen bud. She began to rub on it frantically while with her other hand two fingers pushed their way into her dripping core.

Sami moaned into the bed clothes as she frantically began to ride her own fingers, desperate to bring herself to climax and end this torture. It was nowhere near as satisfying as having EJ's distended manhood inside of her but it was all she had and by this stage she was so aroused that it almost didn't matter as her orgasm quickly washed over her. Sami bucked and groaned helplessly into the bed as she rode out the sensations but as soon as she was done all Sami could feel was hopelessly unsatisfied. She lay exactly as she was, unable to move for a long time and all she could think about was finding EJ and getting him to do that again but properly this time, for him to satisfy her like only he could.

oooOOOOooo

_Sami opened the door and looked surprised._

"_EJ," she said, looking up at him in confusion, "What are you doing here?"_

"_This," he said thickly and pulled Sami into his arms, beginning to kiss her hungrily, brooking no resistance as he devoured her mouth with his own. _

_Sami melted into his kisses, offering herself to him without hesitation._

"_It feels like death not being able to kiss you," he said despairingly, his lips still against her._

"_I know," sighed Sami helplessly, "I can't bear it, don't stop kissing me EJ."_

"_I can't stop," groaned EJ, tightening his hold on her and resuming claiming her mouth again, backing Sami up into her apartment as their kisses grew more heated._

_He slammed the door behind him, not breaking his kiss with Sami. They began to tear at one another's clothing, EJ refusing to stop kissing her even when she tried to get his t-shirt off over his head. He simply yanked on the thin fabric and tore it off his own body, throwing it carelessly to one side before both of his hands returned to cupping her face and he deepened their kiss._

"_EJ," giggled Sami against his lips at his impulsive action._

"_Kiss me Samantha," he begged her, hating her to stop for even a second. _

_Sami gladly complied, pressing her lips back to his and EJ's tongue immediately began to plumb the depths of her mouth, doing battle with Sami's own tongue and drawing it into his mouth. Sami shrugged out of her shirt and undid her bra, letting it join the growing pile of clothes at their feet. She undid her jeans and pushed them down but EJ seemed to have forgotten about anything else other than kissing her because he made no move to remove anymore of his own clothing but Sami had other ideas. She pulled her mouth from underneath his and turned her face away._

"_Samantha!" EJ groaned his complaint against her neck, "Don't."_

"_Wait a minute," she purred up at him and gave him an encouraging smile, "You'll like this EJ, I promise."_

_EJ reluctantly loosened his hold on her and then watched, utterly captivated as Sami sank to her knees on the floor in front of him. _

_She undid his button and zipper, pulling down both his underwear and jeans at the same time. EJ grimaced as his rampant hard on sprang free but Sami was soon making it feel all better again as she peppered kisses up and down its' swollen length and purple tip. EJ groaned loudly, enjoying these kisses just as much until he couldn't take anymore. He reached down for Sami, going to grab her arms so he could pull her to her feet and reclaim both her body and her mouth with his. Sami evaded him though and gave a mischievous laugh._

"_Samantha," he growled, his frustration beginning to grow as she again moved away from him as he moved towards her, "Stop it!"_

"_I thought you didn't want me to stop EJ," she said playfully as she stood there just out of his reach wearing only her panties and an impish smile._

_She looked down at his powerful erection and then back up at him._

"_You don't look like you want me to stop," she noted with a quirk of her lips but even so she took a step further away from him._

"_Stop playing games sweetheart," he pleaded with her._

_Sami suddenly fixed him with a serious look._

"_You first."_

EJ awoke with a start from his dream, sitting up in bed suddenly and immediately regretting it as the raging hard on he was sporting let him know about the foolishness of such an action.

"Oww!" groaned EJ, his hand going to the throbbing between his legs, "Damn it!"

EJ kicked his sheets off in annoyance and lay back on the bed and pushed down his sweat pants. His rod sprang free and he immediately wrapped his hand around it and began to pump. EJ's head lolled back on the bed as he began to grunt and moan under his own ministrations. This was a familiar pattern for him now. He woke up so damn hard every morning for Sami that he had no choice but to relieve himself before even attempting getting out of bed. His dreams of her always left him so close to climaxing that all it ever took was a minute or two and he was shouting out Sami's name as he came all over himself and this morning was no exception.

EJ lay there panting, returning from his peak slowly but still deeply unsatisfied and frustrated. Self gratification was in no way the same as making love to a woman EJ decided unhappily and especially now he'd made love to Samantha. Actually loving the woman you were with bought a whole new level of ecstasy and satisfaction to the act that EJ had never known before. To say this was a cheap substitute would have been the understatement of the century.

"I have to do something about this," announced EJ to the empty room with a tired shake of his head, "I need to speed things up before I go completely insane and sustain permanent damage from RSI in the process!"

EJ sat there for a while, his sweat drying on his body as he thought about what he had to do next.

oooOOOOooo

It was later in the early evening that EJ lifted the hood of his sports car and propped it open before taking off his coat jacket and carelessly throwing it on the ground. He'd worked back late at the Mythic, finding it distracting enough. Plus he was following up on Sami's little manoeuvrings of course and EJ was even more impressed now than he was before. There was a real genius to her craftiness and her ability to be underhand and in the process Sami had also managed to land Mythic a very big and much coveted account.

She really was beyond compare to any other woman he'd ever met in his life decided EJ with a smile. He looked down at his car's engine and tucked his tie into his shirt so that it wouldn't get in the way. EJ's good mood couldn't even be dampened by his car's lack of co-operation right then. He'd turned the key and nothing had happened so now he had to give the old girl some of his attention. Unnoticed by him Kate emerged from the Mythic offices and saw him, walking over to where he was. She bent down and picked up his coat, folding it over her arms.

"Car troubles EJ?" she asked him, a small smirk on her lips.

EJ turned around to look at her and smiled happily at her.

"More of car trifles thank you for asking Kate," he said easily and turned back to the engine, his hand going to the top of the hood and resting there as he checked out the motor for any obvious problems.

"You're in a good mood for a man whose car is broken down," commented Kate curiously, "Why is that EJ?"

"What do I have to be in a bad mood about darling?" shrugged EJ and then began to fiddle with the engine then, checking everything was as it should be.

"You're car not working for one thing," said Kate wryly, "Do you need a lift?"

"No thank you," said EJ self-assuredly, "I'll get my girl running again."

He looked back over his shoulder at her then and grinned.

"Confident," noted Kate with a quirk of her lips.

"I am aren't I?" nodded EJ happily, straightening up and going around to the driver's side of the car and leaning in through the window, turning the ignition.

The engine purred into life and EJ gave a pleased smile.

"With good reason as it turns out," he said with a cocky look at Kate as he cut the engine.

He walked back around to the front of the car and closed the hood. EJ turned to face Kate then, leaning against the side of the car.

"Actually I've been having ongoing trouble with this car," he said conversationally, "But I've just gotten word that my favourite car that I've had imported from London will be available for me to pick up in LA in another couple of weeks."

"California?" said Kate, wrinkling her nose, "Couldn't they get it any closer to Salem?"

"I don't mind," said EJ with a shrug, "I'm looking forward to driving her back here through a few states - it will be a road trip and a chance to introduce my girl to her new home country and reform our bond."

"Men and their cars," said Kate, rolling her eyes at how EJ was talking about his car like it was a living person.

"It's a dull man who doesn't have a hobby darling," said EJ impishly, "You should be pleased I've got something to keep me out of mischief Kate."

"Apparently it's not quite working," said Kate flatly, arching a perfectly manicured eyebrow at him.

"Meaning?" asked EJ, arching his own eyebrow at her.

"Meaning I don't appreciate hearing about the Chiba account third hand, especially after it was discussed and we all agreed to leave it be for the time being," said Kate, her voice hardening, "I mean, I'm only part owner in Mythic EJ… why should it be important that I be kept in the loop after all?"

"Oh dear," said EJ with an amused quirk of his lips, "I didn't think landing a multi-million dollar account would get your knickers in such a twist Kate. I rather thought that such a thing would make you happy."

"What would make me happy EJ is being included in these kinds of decisions," said Kate sharply, "Which rather ironically I thought I had been when it was decided to let it be."

"Well the other owner of Mythic and I talked about it and basically we vetoed you," EJ informed her blithely.

Kate ground her teeth, still hating to hear Sami being referred to as an owner of Mythic. The only reason she'd gotten that particular title was because of EJ's infatuation with her and it rankled Kate no end that she had to put up with the little trouble maker, not only in her son's life but at her place of work as well.

"Sami?" said Kate in disgust, "Like she even has an opinion on these kinds of things EJ!"

"Oh I think you can say that Samantha was extremely instrumental in bringing this deal into fruition," said EJ with a little smile, "I can safely say that if it wasn't for her this deal would never have happened."

"You're kidding me right?" frowned Kate, "That little moron doesn't have the first idea about big business… or even little business for that matter!"

"I think you've made the mistake of underestimating Samantha before Kate," said EJ smoothly, "So remind me again… how did that turn out for you?"

Kate pursed her lips and made an unhappy face. Her many encounters with Sami had always ended badly at some point and well EJ knew it. The thought of EJ and Sami working together behind her back was a deeply concerning one though and Kate was not about to sit back and just let it happen.

"What are you up to EJ?" asked Kate, tilting her head back and looking up at him suspiciously.

"Why whatever do you mean Kate?" asked EJ, feigning great surprise.

"Something is going on," said Kate, her eyes narrowing.

"Is it?" asked EJ with great interest, "How very exciting but I really have no idea about what you are talking about Kate."

"Of course you don't," said Kate sardonically.

She looked him up and down again then and EJ just smiled back at her calmly.

"You seem very pleased with yourself," she noted, "I just know you're up to something and it's got something to do with that little tramp Sami Brady."

"I'll thank you not to refer to my future wife in such a manner Kate," said EJ coolly.

"Future wife," snorted Kate rather inelegantly, "Didn't you get the memo EJ - Sami hates you, she hates all DiMera's."

"I'm thinking she's going to be making an exception in my case," said EJ smugly.

"You're up to something and I'm going to find out what it is," said Kate, not letting it go.

"And here was I thinking you'd have your hands full looking after that little ankle biter of yours," said EJ, clearly unconcerned by her interest.

"And that's another thing," said Kate, folding her arms in front of herself, EJ's coat still over her arm, "You come to me last week begging me to take in Lucas when he was released from hospital… what was all that about EJ?"

"Begging you?" repeated EJ with a little laugh, "As I remember darling I merely suggested it and you leapt on the idea like a pouncing tigress - any excuse to keep your baby boy close by - so please don't make out like you were doing me any favours."

"Whatever you and that little whore are up to I don't want Lucas to get hurt in all of this," said Kate fiercely.

"Then keep your vapid son away from her until I tell you otherwise and everything is going to be tickety boo darling," said EJ, his voice hardening, "Samantha is going to be mine and I will do what I have to do to make that happen."

"Are you threatening my son EJ?" asked Kate, scowling up at him.

"Just make sure he doesn't feel the need to leave the nest again anytime soon Kate," said EJ, holding her gaze unflinchingly, "Cry, beg, blackmail, coerce… I really don't care… just make sure he stays put and you're never going to have to find out."

"If anything happens to Lucas…" began Kate threateningly.

"… then you'll know it was your fault Kate," interjected EJ coldly.

He smiled then, changing moods abruptly.

"Come on darling," he cajoled her as he reached out his hand for his jacket, "I don't see what the problem is here…"

Kate handed him the coat, looking decidedly unhappy as EJ put it back on and pulled his tie out of his shirt.

"… you and I want the same thing," he told her calmly, straightening his tie, "Lucas away from Sami for good. We're on the same side here Kate; there really is no need for any unpleasantness between us."

"I don't want any more surprises EJ," Kate warned him, not exactly mollified by his take on things.

"Of course not darling," said EJ brightly and kissed her on the cheek as he moved past her to get into his car, "Trust me."

Kate watched EJ climb into his sports car and give her a jaunty wave before driving off at great speed.

"Not likely EJ DiMera," she muttered as his car disappeared around the corner.

This whole deal thing and Sami's involvement seemed very fishy to Kate and she was going to get to the bottom of it, one way or the other. And as for EJ's plans in regards to Lucas, well, she was going to keep a very close eye on that to be sure.

Kate was not happy about this turn of events… not happy at all.

**Chapter FORTY FOUR**** - ****Surprise, Surprise**

Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire and begin at once,

whether you ready or not, to put this plan into action.  
_~Napoleon Hill~ _

Sami hastily gathered up a few items and shoved them in her bag and she was just looking for her cell phone when there was a knock on the door.

She pulled a face and went over and answered it.

"Hello my love."

"EJ," said Sami flatly and nodded at him.

It had been three days since Lucas had visited so unexpectedly and it had taken Sami a while to calm him down about EJ. It hadn't helped that he was in pain of course and in the end she'd had to go with him back to his mothers just to make sure that he made it safely. It seemed that his little impromptu visit had set back his recovery somewhat and Lucas had been in bed ever since. Kate blamed her of course for it which was really annoying to Sami but there wasn't much she could do about it. Sami had promised Lucas she'd spend the day with him today and she was already running late and she really didn't have time for EJ and his games, not least of which because their last encounter was still fairly much emblazoned on her memory.

Her breasts actually began to ache seeming him standing there looking so utterly gorgeous and sexy. The wayward part of her that was becoming increasingly hard to control wondered if he'd touch them again, put his mouth to her breast, pleasuring her and Sami's hand that was holding onto the door tightened its' grip at the thought. She didn't want that Sami reminded herself tensely, she wanted Lucas and all the things he could offer, stability, security, acceptance. This would be a hell of a lot easier if EJ didn't look so damn hot all the time decided Sami moodily. It wasn't right that a man had to look this sexy first thing in the morning while she felt tired and frustrated.

"I'm busy," she said shortly, her failing self control making her rude, "Make it quick EJ."

"Now there is a request I rarely get," said EJ with a cheeky grin and a wink, obviously in a good mood for some reason.

Sami was not in a good mood however and after that little quip she simply slammed the door in his face and turned around, intending to continue looking for her phone when EJ started to knock noisily on the door again. Sami ground her teeth and turned back, ripping open the door and catching him in mid knock.

"What?!" she asked him in frustration, glaring up at him.

"Is everything alright sweetheart?" he asked her mildly.

"Except for some loser that I can't seem to get rid of no matter how hard I try coming and banging on my door every five minutes everything is peachy keen EJ," said Sami tersely.

"Yes Lucas really should ring ahead if he's going to pop in on us unexpectedly," EJ mused, deliberately misunderstanding her, "It was just getting interesting between us I thought."

"What do you want EJ?" groaned Sami, leaning tiredly against the door, not in the mood for his games.

"You naked in my bed, screaming your head off as you…"

SLAM!

Sami slammed the door in EJ's face again but again all that did was make EJ start to bang on it.

"_I have quite a lot of upper body strength Samantha," called out EJ over his knocking, "I can do this for a long time before I get tired… and then there is always my other arm!"_

Sami stamped her feet in a childish display of frustration at how annoyingly relentless EJ was being this morning. She jerked open the door and scowled up at him and EJ just smiled charmingly back down at her.

"Say what you have to say and just go EJ," she bit out.

"Now is that anyway to talk to your favourite neighbour darling?" asked EJ with a quirk of his lips.

Sami gave up then and shook her head, seeing EJ had no intention of making this a quick visit.

"Are you feeling alright sweetheart?" he said, scrutinising her face closely and looked concerned, "You look tired."

"Gee," said Sami sardonically as she turned around, walking back into the apartment and started looking for her phone again seeing as EJ was going to taking his sweet time about this obviously, "Take me now big boy!"

EJ moved suddenly from behind her and grabbed her arm, spinning her around and Sami gave a frightened squawk, worried now that he had taken her sarcastic words seriously.

"Is that an offer sweetheart?" he teased her, his eyes running freely all over her body, "Because you really don't have to ask me twice you know."

She yanked herself free of EJ's hold and scrambled to get away from him but in the process her shin connected with the coffee table that they were standing beside and she gave a howl of pain, clutching at it.

"Samantha," said EJ with a shake of his head and immediately came to her aid, helping her hobble over to the sofa and sit down.

He brushed her hands away and rubbed her bruised shin for her as Sami pulled an unhappy face, blaming him for her latest injury. EJ watched her with great affection as Sami sat there on the sofa and pouted as he rubbed her shin. She really did look tired and EJ couldn't help but wonder if she was having as much trouble sleeping as he was nowadays and for the same reasons. He really hoped it was. It was why he was here actually; EJ was putting his plan to speed up things between himself and Sami before he lost the will to live at being denied her for so long. Even Sami couldn't deny the physical attraction between them and the memory of how she'd let him touch her so intimately with Lucas on the other side of the door made a smile come to his lips but there was more to overcome than that. EJ wanted to show Sami that there was a world more to their compatibility then simply being good in bed together. Which was why he was in such a good mood today, he had a surprise for Sami that was going to show her just that.

"What's the matter Trouble?" he asked her softly, "Why so grumpy?"

"I'm not grumpy," she said grumpily.

"Well I've got something that will turn that frown upside down," smiled EJ at her less than convincing declaration.

"You're moving to Alaska?" asked Sami sweetly.

"No," grinned EJ, "I'd miss my best girl too much."

"Yeah well she wouldn't miss you," said Sami sending him a sideways glance.

"So what is this surprise EJ?" she sighed when he just smiled back at her happily.

"Shiro Chiba is going to be joining us for lunch today," said EJ, looking well pleased with himself.

Sami's eyes flew wide open and she jumped up, her painful shin completely forgotten about when she heard that.

"How did… when is… why are… what?" she rambled off coherently, wondering what on earth was going on here.

"Hm," said EJ playfully as he stood up as well, "A bit of a mixed bag there, I'm not sure what to answer first really."

"Just start at the beginning EJ," said Sami, still looking flabbergasted, "Are you telling me that Shiro Chiba is in Salem right now?"

"No," said EJ.

"But…" began Sami, looking more confused than ever.

"But he will be in another hour;" continued on EJ smoothly, "His plane arrives at eleven."

"But why?" asked Sami in consternation, "Why is he coming to Salem?"

"Why to meet you of course," said EJ with a grin, "The woman who smooth talked her way into his heart."

"Me?" she squeaked, "But…"

"Look Samantha," said EJ steadily, "We may disagree on the reasons as to why you pulled the wool over your father's eyes but the fact remains that you did land Mythic its' biggest account yet. Mr Chiba is a savvy business man and he wants to meet the people that he is going to be doing business with. He's been sold on the business by you but l thought it was important that he and I actually meet seeing as the story is going to be that I closed this deal. It will all add to the authenticity of your little deceit darling. Besides, Mr Chiba was more than keen to come and meet you in person and I rather think he is intending on checking out the cut of my jib while he's at it."

"What does that mean?" asked Sami wide eyed, thinking it sounded like some weird male expression she'd never heard of before.

"It means he's going to size me up," said EJ with a laugh, "That's all sweetheart and so he should considering he's putting a considerable amount of faith in our fledgling company."

"Oh," said Sami and then frowned at him, "So you organised all this?"

"Of course," nodded EJ, "It worked out rather nicely actually because he was intending on going to New York this week so it was just a little by pass for him. We'll all have lunch together"

"And he wants me to be there?" Sami quizzed him, sounding uncertain.

"But of course darling," exclaimed EJ, "You're the reason any of this is even happening."

Sami still looked a little unsure and EJ moved to reassure her.

"Samantha," he said determinedly, "There is no need for you to feel intimidated by this in any way."

Sami frowned, not really convinced.

"Sweetheart," said EJ sincerely, "You were simply magnificent in securing this deal for Mythic. Have you really stopped and thought what it is that you've accomplished here… it really is quite staggering you know?"

"I guess," said Sami slowly, blushing a little from EJ's praise, "But what if I make a fool of myself? What if I say something wrong to him?"

"Well you didn't before," pointed out EJ reasonably as he perched himself on the edge of the table he'd been standing in front of, "You were obviously very impressive to Mr Chiba and from what I've read and heard about the man that is no mean feat. You must learn to give yourself some credit Samantha. You've done an amazing thing for our company in securing this deal and I hate that you can't be given the acknowledgement for it properly."

"I don't care about that EJ," she said dismissively and it was true, at the time she'd been more interested in having something to hold over EJ's head.

"Yes well I do," said EJ adamantly, "It doesn't sit well with me and I want you to be heavily involved in this entire project - I want you to take the lead in fact."

"But I've never done anything like that before," protested Sami worriedly.

"You my darling girl have the most fantastic innate business instincts that I've ever seen," said EJ and for once Sami really felt like he was telling her the truth when he said that, "You have sold yourself short for way too long Samantha and I think it's time you expected a little more of yourself. Sweetheart, when I look at you it seems to me that you are a young woman capable of doing anything she sets her mind to. If you want to do well at Mythic then you will - it's as simple as that."

"But I don't have any experience with all the ins and outs," said Sami, not sure she was worthy of all this trust EJ was putting on her.

"And that is where I come in," said EJ smoothly, "I do know all the ins and outs of business, I've been groomed to take over the family business since before I can talk. Together Samantha we can be a formidable team. Nothing will be able to stop us. I seriously believe that you and I working together… well, the sky's the limit."

"You know I have had a few ideas about the Chiba account," admitted Sami shyly.

"Excellent!" said EJ enthusiastically, "You can pitch them at Mr Chiba over lunch and see what he makes of them."

"So who's going to be at this lunch?" asked Sami curiously.

"Just you, me and Mr Chiba," EJ informed her.

"Not Kate?" asked Sami sceptically, "She is the other owner after all."

"You know Kate has been a little less than enthusiastic about this whole thing," EJ said with a bit of a smirk, "I was thinking she isn't really going to be an asset to us with this project."

EJ gave her an amused look then.

"I hope that's not a problem for you Samantha?" he asked teasingly.

"Nope," said Sami with a smirk of her own, "So Kate was upset when she heard that Mythic had gotten the account without her being involved?"

"I think it's safe to say that there was some definite unhappiness there," said EJ with a bit of a laugh at Sami's obvious enjoyment of this news, "Especially when I told her that you were instrumental in securing the whole deal. She turned a rather unappealing shade of green at hearing that."

"Oh I wish I'd been there to see that," gloated Sami, just imagining what Kate would say if she knew Sami had done it entirely by herself.

Her head would probably explode Sami decided in glee and despite the security of her lie about EJ being the instigator of all this provided her Sami couldn't help but seriously contemplate doing just that.

"It was rather special," nodded EJ enjoying watching the pleasure Sami was getting from all of this.

"I was going to spend the day with Lucas," said Sami, suddenly remembering and frowning, "I promised him… he's been a bit down with his recuperation taking so long…"

"Samantha I'm sure Lucas will understand," he told her firmly, "After all he is a businessman too and he knows how important these schmoosing lunches are to solidifying new deals."

"I guess," said Sami with a sigh.

She was really excited about this business lunch but she was very reluctant to break her word to Lucas. Sami already felt unbelievably guilty about so many things when it came to Lucas and she wasn't really keen to add to the list.

"So it's all sorted then?" EJ pushed her, "I'll see you at the office at eleven Samantha and we can talk about a few strategies and ideas and then Mr Chiba is due to arrive at twelve. I've booked as at a table at my favourite Japanese restaurant here in Salem. It's surprisingly good and I'm rather keen to see what our honoured guest thinks of it."

"I'll ring Lucas and get organised," nodded Sami, a little smile on her lips, "I'll meet you there EJ."

"Excellent!" said EJ enthusiastically, "Sweetheart I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to this."

Sami just smiled and hoped that all this faith EJ had in her wasn't going to turn out to be misguided.

**oooOOOOooo**

"No well I guess I have to understand don't I?" said Lucas with a sigh as he talked into the phone, "Yeah I know it's a big deal and I'm happy for you honey but I was just looking forward to seeing you is all. I'm so bored being stuck here all the time - if I watch one more episode of "Days of My Lives" I'm going to kill myself."

Lucas listened a bit more and sighed again.

"Of course I wish you luck Sami," he said, "You'll be great, just be yourself and don't worry… ring me when you're done and let me know how it went… okay… love you too… bye."

Lucas hung up the phone and grimaced. He'd really been looking forward to spending the day with Sami. It felt like ever since they'd gotten back together he never saw her anymore. Lucas couldn't wait until he was able to get around better by himself and he could move back into the apartment and share a bed with Sami again. He missed her and wanted to be near her and as great as his mom had been it just wasn't the same.

"So she cancelled huh?" said Kate, not looking up from where she was doing some paper work at the table as Lucas lay back down on the sofa, "That's a shocker, Sami letting you down. I'll say one thing about that trashy little blonde - at least she's consistent."

"She had a good reason Mom," said Lucas, tired of constantly having to defend Sami to her, "She had a business meeting with a new client."

"She what?" asked Kate, her head snapping up now and Lucas really having her attention now, "This is the first I've heard of it - which new client?"

"That Japanese car genius guy," said Lucas with a wave of his hand, the name escaping him temporarily.

"Shiro Chiba?" asked Kate in horror.

"Yeah that's him," nodded Lucas, picking up a magazine and flipping through it distractedly, "She and EJ are having a big lunch thing with him today while he's in town."

"Sami and EJ?" bit out Kate, "Why don't I know anything about it - I'm an owner of Mythic as well - if he's meeting the owners I should be there!"

"Well take it up with EJ then," shrugged Lucas and grimaced as the simple action still hurt his ribs, "He's the one who organised it all."

"Don't worry," said Kate determinedly, "I will."

She put a hand to her chin, absently rubbing it as she wondered what it was exactly that EJ was up to this time. Whatever it was Kate was determined to put a stop to it, that much was for certain. No one played Kate Roberts for a fool, not even someone with the last name of DiMera.

**Chapter FORTY FIVE**** - ****Lady In Red**

A good indignation brings out all one's powers.  
_~Ralph Waldo Emerson~_

Sami stood in the Mythic elevator and took a moment to compose herself. She smoothed out the skirt of the dress she'd chosen to wear and just prayed she could do this. Sami stepped off the elevator and went directly to EJ's office. She smiled and nodded at Joanne his receptionist as she went by who waved her on with an answering smile as she spoke on the phone, knowing EJ was alone in his office. EJ was indeed in his office, sitting behind his desk and absorbed with something that was on his computer. He looked up as Sami walked in and said his name, his eyes widening. EJ looked from the tips of Sami's high heeled shoes all the way up to her calmly smiling face and simply stylish up do she'd opted for with her hair. The red dress Sami was wearing fitted her like a glove, clinging to all of EJ's most favourite bits, not the least of which was her ample bosom displayed very nicely by its' rather plunging neckline.

"Wow," he said, almost rendered speechless as he took in the vision standing before him, "WOW!"

He looked at her wide eyed.

"Now _that_ sweetheart," he said, clearly in awe, "Is a _dress_!"

"I went with red because it's lucky in Japan," said Sami calmly, trying not to be pleased by EJ's reaction.

EJ certainly had a way about him that always made her feel like the most beautiful woman in any room and it was hard for Sami not to enjoy that particular talent but she gave it a shot anyway.

"I had a similar thought darling," said EJ with a little smile, indicating his red tie and handkerchief that was poking out of his coat pocket, "Great minds think a like it would seem."

"We'll look like we're going to prom," said Sami in dismay.

"Nonsense darling," said EJ, quickly getting up and walking over to her, "We'll look like a team and that my love…"

EJ was behind her now, helping her out of heavy coat.

"… is exactly what we are," said EJ happily, draping her coat over his arm.

EJ's eyes ran freely over Sami's body now as he had a better view of it in that dress without her coat on.

"You know," he said throatily as he walked back around to face her, "I think red is my new favourite colour."

Sami ignored that comment, cursing at the tell tale blush she could feel heating her face and walked determinedly into the room. She perched herself on the arm of one of the armchairs there while EJ walked round and leaned on the edge of his desk, her coat still draped over one arm.

"So do we have a plan?" she asked him, crossing her legs.

"Mm?" mumbled EJ distractedly, his eyes glued to the way the paleness of her breasts contrasted to the brilliant red of the dress, drawing his eye in to their soft and enticing fullness - not that he needed any particular encouragement in that area of course.

"EJ!" said Sami in exasperation as she caught him ogling her shamelessly.

"Sorry," said EJ, managing to tear his eyes from her breasts and blinking at her and looking somewhat disorientated, "Sorry sweetheart, all my blood left my brain there for a moment."

"You have to focus EJ!" said Sami determinedly.

"Oh believe me I was Samantha," he said with a wicked little smile and wiggled his eye brows at her.

"EJ!" said Sami and gave him a warning shake of her head, "I don't want you flirting with me throughout this lunch!"

"You may as well ask me to stop breathing my darling," said EJ with a charming smile, "It is simply beyond my capabilities to not flirt with my ravishing girl."

"First of all I'm not your girl…" said Sami determinedly.

"_Is my bad girl wet for me?"_

Sami gave a little shudder as the unwelcome memory of her what he'd said to her the other day.

"… and secondly," said Sami, having to clear her voice a little and try and keep it steady, "This is an important meeting EJ, I want to make a good impression on Mr Chiba!"

"Darling you already have made a good impression on him," said EJ reasonably with a wave of his hand, "If anyone should be nervous it should be me."

"Nothing makes you nervous," grumped Sami, lamenting the fact that EJ very rarely ever seemed to get his feathers ruffled and envying him that talent.

No matter what was happening EJ seemed to be ahead of the game and in control. Sami meanwhile felt like she was continually playing catch up. Even when she thought she might derail him a bit with news of her scheming minutes later he had her up against the door of her apartment squirming under him as he ravaged her body mere inches from where Lucas was standing. The worse part about that was not only that Sami let him but if he'd have demanded more Sami was pretty sure that she would have given it, letting him take her right there on the floor if it had come down to it.

"I wouldn't say nothing Samantha," said EJ quietly and fixed her with such a piercing look that made her heart skip a beat, "You make me very, very nervous."

"I do?" said Sami in complete surprise, having never seen him show it before around her.

"You're my undoing," said EJ softly, his eyes warm, "Always."

"I don't want to talk about this now EJ," said Sami, hurriedly standing up and grabbing her coat off him, "Mr Chiba will be here any moment and I can't think about that right now."

"Of course," said EJ with a little grimace, watching as she pulled on her coat and fixed the collar, "I don't mean to make you uncomfortable Samantha."

Sami gave a disbelieving snort at that and turned around to look at him with open scepticism written all over her face.

"What?" said EJ ever so innocently, "I don't."

"EJ all you do all day everyday is find ways to make me uncomfortable," said Sami flatly, "It's like your career and hobby all rolled into one!"

"Well that certainly isn't my intention sweetheart," said EJ mildly.

"Oh right," said Sami with a roll of her eyes, "You live to torture me - admit it EJ!"

"I do no such thing," protested EJ, his eyebrows shooting up, "If anyone is doing any torturing around here it's you Samantha."

"Me?!" squawked Sami, "How do you figure that out?! I didn't blackmail you into going away with me; I'm not threatening the first healthy relationship you've ever had in your life…"

EJ gave a burst of laughter at that last bit.

"What?" said Sami angrily?

"You and Lucas is the healthiest relationship you've ever had in your life?" he chortled, challenging that little statement of hers.

"Yes!" said Sami defiantly, holding her ground.

"You're having the healthiest relationship of your life with a man who even as we speak is probably being burped by his mummy?" said EJ mockingly.

EJ wrinkled up his face then and seemed to be thinking hard.

"I wonder if he's being bottle fed these days or if he's back on the breast?" pondered EJ perfectly straight faced.

"That is beyond _disgusting_ EJ!" said Sami angrily.

"Yes it is," agreed EJ readily, "And this is the man you won't give up for me! I mean not counting what else the sex is between us alone should be enough to blow that little twerp out of the water but no, you cling to Lucas… sorry chalk that, the little fantasy world that you think being with Lucas can deliver… like stink on a dead horse."

Sami looked all set to defend Lucas but EJ didn't give her a chance. He straightened up from where he'd been leaning against his desk and walked around to the other side of it, sitting back down in his chair and looking up at her calmly.

"You know Samantha," he said, almost conversationally, "I'm just so very curious as to when you're going to get around to stop flogging that particular dead horse I have to say. I mean, surely you realise it's dead by now right? There is no way that you will be able to go back and be with Lucas now that you and I have consummated our relationship."

"Lucas is the one I love, the one I want to be with!" said Sami heatedly.

"Darling," said EJ fixing her with a cool look, "Lucas is so far beneath you as a suitable mate that the fact we are even talking about the possibility is simply laughable. The only things you find attractive about the bland little offering that is Lucas Roberts is that he is Will's father and you like that thought of keeping everything neat and tidy and that you can control him."

"That is not true EJ!" she said in horror.

"It is absolutely true Samantha," said EJ determinedly, his face hardening a little as he thought of Lucas and Sami ever being together again, "The only way that man challenges you in any shape or form is when he is constantly trying to get you to change into someone you are not!"

"You don't know what you're talking about EJ," said Sami bitterly.

"Good come back sweetheart," said EJ dryly, "I'm reeling from that one."

"I said I didn't want to talk about any of this!" said Sami hotly, "You're just trying throw me off so I'll make fool of myself in front of Mr Chiba aren't you?!"

"Now why on earth would I do that?" asked EJ in exasperation, "Unlike you my love I rarely feel the need to cut off my nose to spite my face."

"Meaning?" scowled Sami suspiciously.

"Meaning no one wants this lunch to be a success more than I do," said EJ firmly.

He reached into his drawer then and rummaged around until he pulled out a manila folder. EJ stood up then and walked around and handed it to Sami.

"What is this?" she asked suspiciously.

"Take a look," he prompted her.

Sami made a bit of a face but went and sat back down on the armchair and began leafing through the paperwork contained inside the folder. EJ perched himself on one arm of the chair, a hand going to the back of the chair behind Sami's head as he watched her closely.

"EJ what is this?" she asked him in confusion.

"What does it look like?" he said with a quirk of his lips.

"It looks like the initial paperwork for a big project, including a huge expense account," said Sami slowly.

"And that is exactly what it is," said EJ simply, "This account with Mr Chiba is the biggest thing our company has ever had to handle and I want you to be the project leader for whatever route we end up taking on this one. You'll have whatever you need to get the job done Samantha - all the money, resources, people… whatever is needed."

"You want me to run the project?" she asked him in disbelief.

EJ had said something to that effect before but Sami hadn't really taken him seriously.

"Of course," said EJ with great certainty, "Samantha there wouldn't even be any deals or projects to make if it wasn't for you. There would be no one else I would even consider for the job."

"And what does Kate say about all this?" asked Sami, narrowing her eyes as she looked up at EJ.

"Not a thing," said EJ blithely.

"Can I assume that is because you haven't told her this is what you're intending to do?" asked Sami dryly.

"That assumption would not be completely without merit," agreed EJ straight faced and Sami shook her head at him.

"Where is all this money coming from?" questioned Sami in exasperation, going back to look at the frankly staggering amount that was allocated for expenses.

"Why that big account you landed with Rami Devlise of course," said EJ brightly.

"You mean you," said Sami flatly.

EJ gave her a bit of a look then and she rolled her eyes.

"Rami Devlise is an anagram of Elvis DiMera," she said in exasperation, looking up at him, "I'm not a complete idiot you know EJ."

"You are not any kind of idiot from where I'm sitting sweetheart," said EJ as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head, delighted that she'd sussed him out, obviously long ago.

"This is a big risk you're taking EJ," said Sami with a shake of her head and a frown, "What if I stuff this all up - I have a habit of doing that you know?"

"That is why we'll be doing it together," said EJ easily, "You'll be calling all the shots but I'll be there for any advice or moral support you might need. It's like I said Samantha, if we combine forces there is nothing and no one that will be able to stop us."

"You're a very confident person aren't you?" asked Sami wryly, looking up at him.

"You know sweetheart," said EJ with a grin, "You are not the first person to point that out to me in recent times but I don't see confidence as a bad thing."

"_Yes well you know what they say EJ…"_

EJ and Sami both turned their heads towards the doorway to look at the newcomer.

"… it comes before a fall," finished off Kate angrily.

"Actually I think that is pride darling," said EJ in amusement as he address the older woman as both he and Sami stood up to face her.

"Pride, confidence, vanity - call it what you will," bit out Kate as she walked into the room, "It's all going to end you up in the same place."

"LA?" offered up EJ innocently and Sami just had to give a little smirk at that.

"Sending this company down the toilet!" said Kate angrily, in no moods for playing games, "And leaving me destitute!"

"Do you want some cheese with that whine Kate?" said Sami with a roll of her eyes at Kate's histrionics.

"I want to know what is going on here!" she demanded of them, stabbing an angry finger at the two of them, "And someone had better start talking quick otherwise things are going to get very ugly, very quickly!"

"Uglier than those shoes?" asked Sami straight faced, looking down at Kate's shoes, "Because it's hard to imagine anything uglier than those shoes Kate. What did you do - lose a bet?"

"At least I'm not dressed like a whore," bit out Kate, looking Sami up and down.

"I guess you'd be in the position to know," said Sami sweetly, "Seeing as you actually used _to be _a whore… one of the many, many, many positions I'm sure that you have been in over the years."

"This from the woman who is only here because Junior here is trying desperately to get into your pants if he hasn't already!" said Kate hotly, "If you want to talk about women exchanging sex for favours then why don't was start there Sami!"

Sami's mouth dropped open and EJ could see a full scale war was about to erupt and seeing as Mr Chiba was probably on the way from the airport even as they stood there he thought he'd better get this situation under control.

"Ladies please," he said, holding up a hand and trying to placate the waring women, "Why don't we all just calm down, order up a lovely batch of soothing tea and we can all have a nice, civilised chat eh?"

EJ looked between the two women and saw the way they were still glaring at each other with murder in their eyes and grimaced.

"On second thoughts," mused EJ calmly, "Maybe having boiling water in the room would be a mistake…"

**Chapter FORTY SIX ****- ****Hell Hath No Fury****… **

He who angers you conquers you.  
~_Elizabeth_ Kenny~

Kate looked back and forth between EJ and Sami angrily, irked that they seemed to be finding this whole thing amusing.

"All of my money is in Mythic," Kate reminded them heatedly, "If this company goes down I'll be out on the street!"

"Ah home sweet home," said Sami sweetly, "Don't worry Kate; I'm sure it will be like you never left. And speaking of going down, I'm sure you're quite the expert at…"

"Samantha," said EJ, interjecting quickly and putting a hand on Sami's arm before she could finish that particular sentence, "I don't think that is going to be helpful do you?"

"Not trying to be helpful EJ," said Sami dourly.

"Do you think you can just waltz in take over?" asked Kate bitterly, "You don't have the first clue about what you're doing Sami!"

"Oh don't I?" asked Sami tersely, "If that's the case then why…"

Sami stopped abruptly, realising she was about to say too much.

"Why what Sami?" Kate goaded her.

"Why am I going to lunch with Mr Chiba and you're not invited?" she finished off flatly, annoyed she couldn't use the truth against Kate this time.

"I don't know," said Kate with a feigned casual shrug before fixing Sami with a bitter stare, "Because EJ had just come and would say yes to anything you asked after that?"

"That's _enough_ Kate!" said EJ sternly, looking down at the other woman fiercely, "I won't have you talk about Samantha like that do you hear me! Samantha has earned her right to meet with Mr Chiba today…"

"I bet she did," said Kate snidely to a still outraged Sami.

"No more Kate!" said EJ, starting to get angry now, "If you want to know why you're not joining us for lunch today I think you can take this as a prime example!"

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" asked Kate with frown.

"It means that you lose your professionalism around Samantha and I don't particularly want to showcase our particular brand of dysfunction to our newest and biggest client," said EJ sharply.

"_I_ lose _my _professionalism?" repeated Kate in disbelief, "Am I hearing this right EJ?"

"Try turning up your hearing aid that might help," interjected Sami, still smarting from Kate's comment that she'd slept with EJ to get in on the deal.

Rather ironically Kate had somewhat of a point because the only reason there was a deal and a lunch to go to in the first place was because Sami had slept with EJ but there was no way in hell that Sami was going to be letting Kate in on the joke with that one!

"And _this_ is what he wants to use to represent Mythic!" exclaimed Kate, looking to the heavens as though for strength after Sami's latest little dig, "How is this even a possibility?!"

"Samantha is very good with people," said EJ calmly, "People gravitate towards her and Mr Chiba has already had some dealings with her…"

"What?" squawked Kate, "I haven't even done that yet!"

"We didn't want to frighten him off," said Sami knowingly, "The Japanese aren't fans of witches."

"I'm handling this thank you darling," said EJ holding up a hand as Kate's face darkened at Sami's last jab.

"I don't want you to handle me EJ!" said Kate, getting angrier by the second.

"First time for everything," observed Sami snidely.

"Samantha please!" said EJ in exasperation, "Mr Chiba is going to be here any minute and I don't want him walking in on the three owners of Mythic involved in a brawl. That is hardly the image we are going for here."

"And you think this… this…?!" Kate was obviously struggling to find the right words, "… this two bit, cheap, manipulating, blackmailing, cheating tramp is the image we want to present is it EJ?"

"I'm not going to warn you again about speaking about Samantha in such terms," said EJ tersely.

"Oh right," said Kate in exasperation looking away, "Because Sami so needs you sticking up for her doesn't she EJ, she's so helpless and weak!"

"I can't believe you're buying into her bull," said Kate with a shake of her head, "For the son of Stefano DiMera you sure are stupid EJ."

"EJ isn't stupid!" said Sami, defending EJ before she knew what she was doing.

"Oh what now you're protecting him?!" said Kate in disbelief, "Last time I checked honey you were setting him up with the Salem police department or did I get that wrong?!"

"That is all water under the bridge now," said EJ calmly, "Like we say in my family - forgive and forget."

Both Sami and Kate turned their heads to stare at EJ in open disbelief at that statement.

"Or is it an eye for an eye?" pondered EJ straight faced, "I always get those two mixed up."

"The fate of our company is hanging in the balance and all you can do is make jokes," said Kate, not finding his humour amusing, "I'm not finding that very reassuring EJ!"

"You know," said Sami, moving closer to Kate and facing off with her, "You have no right to question what EJ does."

"Or _who_ he does it would appear," said Kate sweetly.

"You should talk Kate," spat out Sami in annoyance, "EJ knows what he's doing and if he thinks I'm a better choice to represent this company to Mr Chiba then I think you should take that lawsuit waiting to happen nose of yours and shove it into someone else's business for a change!"

"So now EJ has gone from the villain of the piece to your knight in shining armour!" exclaimed Kate, "Have I got that right?"

"You obviously trusted EJ enough to go into business with him," said Sami tightly, "So why won't you trust his judgement call in this?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?" asked Kate mockingly, "I'm not going to let a man who is currently taking orders from his testicles make such important decisions as these!"

"Say what you like about EJ," said Sami tightly, "But when it comes to business he's a professional and he is not going to do anything to jeopardise this deal! EJ has faith in me and I'm not going to let him down!"

EJ just stood there smiling and listening to Sami defend him so heatedly.

It was doubtful that Sami was even thinking this through, just reacting and for EJ that made it even sweeter. It meant she wasn't tempering her feelings any and it was very obvious right then where her passion and her feelings lay and that was with EJ. She was defending him like a woman on a mission and EJ could have stood there all day and watched that but regrettably he knew that Mr Chiba would be just about walking through the door now.

"I'm sorry ladies," he said regretfully and he really was, "But I'm going to have to break this up. Samantha, you and I need to be downstairs to greet our guest who should be arriving any minute."

He turned his head and looked at Kate then and gave her a little smile.

"And you my dear are just going to have to deal," he told her calmly.

And as simply as that the discussion was over and Sami gave Kate a triumphant look as EJ took her by the elbow and started to direct her from the room.

"For your sake I hope he's a breast man," said Kate coolly, delivering her parting shot as Sami and EJ started to head towards the door to go and greet Mr Chiba, "It's your only hope Sami."

Sami grimaced and stopped as EJ held the door open for her. She turned back around and walked back to Kate.

"Tell you what Kate," she said brightly, "If he has a wattle fetish then we'll come right back and get you - how does that sound?!"

With her parting shot delivered Sami walked back to EJ who was still holding the door open for her. He shook his head indulgently at Sami as she gave him a self satisfied smirk and then followed her out of the room. Kate was left standing there, still fuming when EJ suddenly reappeared in the doorway. She looked at him in confusion, wondering why he'd come back.

"I just want to make one thing abundantly clear to you Kate," EJ said as he walked back into the room so he could talk to her without Sami being there.

"And what would that be EJ?" asked Kate with an arch of an eyebrow.

"Don't get in between Samantha and I on this," he told her calmly, "I don't want you getting in the way."

"Or else?" she challenged him.

"Or else you won't like the consequences very much," said EJ darkly, "Your son in particular will find them decidedly unpleasant."

"You leave Lucas out of this EJ!" said Kate tightly.

"Happy to darling," said EJ, his voice hard, "Just stay the hell out of my way and there won't be any need for any unpleasantness between us. Leave the Chiba account to Samantha and I. I know what I'm doing and Mythic is in no danger… unlike you Kate if you continue to make waves about this little arrangement, do we understand one another?"

Kate just looked back at him silently and EJ gave a cold little smile.

"I see we do," he said, "Excellent."

And with that he turned on his heel and hurried to catch up to Sami so they could meet Mr Chiba together. Kate let out the breath she'd inadvertently been holding while EJ had threatened her and found these turns of events to be very disturbing ones.

oooOOOOooo

EJ and Sami walked out of the elevator of Mythic together into the foyer to find Mr Chiba waiting patiently at reception for them. He was well dressed with thick greying hair and looked to be in his early fifties but EJ knew he was more into his early sixties from the background research he'd done on the man.

"Mr Chiba," said EJ with a big smile as he and Sami approached him and held out his hand for the other man to shake, "We're sorry to keep you waiting… I'm EJ DiMera and this is Ms Samantha Brady."

"Ah Ms Brady," smiled Mr Chiba with a smile that instantly made Sami relax more as she took her turn in shaking his hands as well, "You look exactly as you sounded on the phone."

"Is that a good thing?" asked Sami with a rueful smile, "And please Mr Chiba, call me Sami."

"That is a very good thing considering what you managed to wrangle out of me in our phone conversations," said Mr Chiba with a playful look at her, his English practically flawless, "And please, both of you, it is Shiro."

"It's a great pleasure to meet you in person Shiro-san," said EJ with a smile, "And thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to come and visit us at Mythic, we appreciate how busy a man you are, particularly with your new invention about to be launched."

"You are as determined as your lovely counterpart it would seem EJ," said Shiro-san with a quirk of his lips, "You are both hard to say no to."

"Well I for one am very glad to that you said yes," said EJ with a grin, "Now if you'd like we could do a quick tour of Mythic for you and then I thought we'd try a favourite Japanese restaurant of mine here in Salem – Azuma. I think it has a very authentic style to it and reminds me of when I was living in Tokyo a few years back."

"You lived in Tokyo?" asked Sami in surprise, looking up at EJ.

"For about eight months," nodded EJ, "Long enough to have a rudimentary grasp of the language and fall in love with the food."

"Have you ever been to Japan Sami?" asked Shiro-san curiously.

"No," sighed Sami, "I haven't been much of anywhere truth be told."

"Ah then you will have to come and visit," said Shiro-san, "You would be my honoured guests."

Sami's eyes widened at that, taken aback. She hadn't really considered that international travel might be a part of this job and couldn't help but be excited at the prospect.

"So shall we begin the tour?" asked EJ with a smile, enjoying the fact that Sami was beginning to realise the possibility of their partnership.

The sky really was the limit between the two of them.

[IMG].[/IMG]

**Chapter FORTY SEVEN**** - ****Would You Like Fries With That?**

Success is when reality exceeds expectations.  
_~John D. Gerhart~_

The three of them walked into the Azuma and Sami looked around admiringly. It was simply and tastefully designed and some wonderful smells met her at the door and Sami wondered why she'd never thought to come here before.

They were seated quickly and then it was time to order. Sami screwed up her nose in deep concentration, not recognising any of the dishes on the menu and trying to work out what everything was.

"Would you like some help in translating sweetheart?" asked EJ, seeing her struggling a little.

"Yes," she admitted reluctantly, "What's this?"

She pointed to the menu and EJ translated.

"Katsudon," he said evenly, "It's rice topped with deep fried crumb pork and egg."

"Oh," said Sami, "That sounds good, what about this?"

"Inari-zushi," EJ informed her, "It's a type of sushi wrapped with sweet bean curd."

"Oh," said Sami again and realised she was going to have a lot of trouble choosing something at this rate as she looked back down at her menu.

"Have you eaten Japanese food before?" asked Shiro-san in amusement.

"Not really," admitted Sami.

"Then perhaps you would permit me to order for you Sami?" he offered, "I was thinking a little taste of several things to give you an idea of the Japanese cuisine - it is called bentos."

"That sounds wonderful," smiled Sami enthusiastically, eager to try something new.

EJ and Shiro-san both gave their orders to the waitress in Japanese and Sami had absolutely no idea what she would be getting but was willing to trust the older man. She'd taken a liking to him over the phone, finding him straight forward and astute and he had only risen in her estimation on meeting him. While they waited for their food EJ encouraged Sami to share some of her ideas with Shiro-san for promoting his products. Sami was a bit shy at first but soon got into it when Shiro-san listened so intently and seemed very interested in what she was saying. Soon the ideas were just rushing out of Sami as she became more and more enthusiastic about the ideas.

"… and then I was thinking that we could do a kind of fund raising thing for something a bit different," said Sami, even more ideas flowing out of her, "Shiro-san I know you support a lot of children's charities…"

"I do," he nodded, impressed that she would know such a detail, "It has always been a cause close to my heart."

"Well we will have branding of your product going on with all of the big motor racing circuits of course her in America and internationally, "But I was thinking that we could do something a little more accessible to the everyday person as well to get your name out there. We could organise a car rally across several states, have people dress up their cars however they like as a bit of fun and people would sponsor them for every mile they managed to travel. You could put it through some off road stuff or more remote areas of states and the money raised could go to a children's charity. Chiba Engineering and Mythic could sponsor it and have your company put out there amongst the people on a more one to one basis. It would involve a lot of media coverage of course and maybe include areas of America that don't often get show cased. I mean the event could be really huge and get nationwide coverage."

"You could award prizes and get a lot of exposure, even have a documentary crew tagging along," nodded EJ, catching on with Sami's vision, "And if it works out well in the States there is no reason why we couldn't make it more international. A kind of Dakar race thing but it would be for charity and it would be open to anyone. We could change to locations from year to year…"

"And have different categories perhaps?" suggested Shiro-san, very intrigued by this idea, "Perhaps for different classes of vehicle, fancy dress, professional drivers, amateurs…"

"Yes!" said Sami, utterly delighted that the two men seemed to like her ideas and she couldn't help but feel a glow of pride.

"You have a very good imagination Sami," said Shiro-san with a smile, seeing the young woman's pleasure at being taken seriously, "Lots of ideas in that head of yours I see."

"Yup," admitted Sami guilelessly, "And this time I'm using my powers for good instead of evil."

Sami stopped short then and realised what she'd said.

"Not that I've ever done anything evil," she said hastily and then had the grace to look chagrined, "Depending on your definition of evil I suppose."

Shiro-san laughed aloud at that and shook his head.

"I see I am going to have to keep a close eye on you Ms Brady," he said in amusement.

Sami flushed a little and smiled sheepishly which Shiro-san seemed only to find endearing. EJ reached under the table and took Sami's hand, squeezing it gently and gave her an encouraging smile, his eyes warm and full of admiration which only made her blush harder. Sami was saved from embarrassing herself any further when their meals arrived.

"You like?" asked Shiro-san as he watched Sami look in wide eyed wonder at all the different morsels of food on her plate.

"Oh yes," she nodded enthusiastically, "It all looks so wonderful Shiro-san - I don't know where to start!"

Sami looked over at EJ's plate and then back at him curiously.

"What do you have EJ?" she asked him with interest.

Pale, almost translucent strands of something that Sami was sure what it was beautifully arranged on EJ's plate, fanned out in a carefully arranged display.

"Fugu," EJ told her cheerfully.

"Which is?" she asked him in consternation.

"Blowfish," supplied EJ readily, "I developed quite the taste for it when I was in Japan and can't resist having it every time I come to the Azuma."

"Isn't that the one that is poisonous?" asked Sami, wrinkling up her nose.

"It has to be cut just a certain way to make sure all the poison is removed," nodded Shiro-san, "One blowfish has enough poison in it to kill thirty grown men - very fast, very painful. There are about seventy to a hundred deaths in Japan every year from fugu."

Sami's eyes widened at this information.

"So you could die?" asked Sami hesitantly, looking down at EJ's plate and then back at EJ, "Why would you eat something that could kill you?"

"Because it tastes wonderful," said EJ with a grin, "Besides, I hold to the mantra of living each day as though it were your last because one day you'll be right."

Sami looked down at EJ's plate, not completely convinced.

"Apprentices train for three years just to learn how to prepare this," said Shiro-san, "It is an art form in my country and only the best chefs ever attempt to prepare it."

"But we're not in Japan," pointed out Sami reasonably and then looked at EJ again, "Are you sure you want to risk it?"

"I like to live life on the edge," EJ informed her teasingly as he popped some in his mouth using his chopsticks and began to chew, "But I understand how that concept might be frightening to some people."

"I'm not frightened," said Sami with a pout.

"Of course you're not darling," said EJ knowingly and the way he said it just made Sami's fighting spirit rise to the fore.

"I'm not!" she said determinedly, "Here…!"

Sami grabbed her chopsticks and rather inelegantly managed to pick up a couple of strands of the fugu and defiantly shoved in her mouth. She chewed it and swallowed while the other two men watched her act of defiance with amusement.

"What do you think?" EJ asked her as he continued to eat the delicacy.

"It tastes like… fish," said Sami and then pulled a rueful face, "But I guess that makes sense."

"I guess it does," said EJ, pretending to be serious but his eyes were laughing at her teasingly.

"I like it," decided Sami thoughtfully.

"I'm glad to hear that sweetheart," said EJ, "Because I… ahem… ahem…"

EJ began to make little coughing noises in the back of his throat then and looked away briefly.

"Excuse me," he said, lifting a hand to cover his mouth, "I…ahem… "

"Are you alright EJ?" asked Sami, starting to get a little worried as EJ leant over the table a little then and now he seemed to be having difficulty breathing, "EJ?"

He didn't answer her as his shoulders slumped a little and he continued as though he was having trouble clearing his throat.

"EJ!" said Sami anxiously, her heart starting to pound as she began to fear that something was terribly wrong, "EJ are you alright?"

Sami put a concerned hand on his arm and leant in to try and get a better look at his face which he had turned away from her. His shoulders began to shake then and Sami was very worried now, suddenly fearful of exactly how carefully EJ's poisonous fish had been prepared. He'd eaten a lot more than she had and Sami started to feel a little dizzy herself.

_Oh god, they'd been poisoned - they were going to die! _

"EJ should I call a doctor?!" she exclaimed, starting to panic but then she caught sight of Shiro-san's face and how he was determinedly trying to not smile and Sami realised something was up.

She grabbed EJ's chin and yanked it towards her, making him look at her and when she did Sami found that EJ had an impish grin on his face and she was caught between wanting to hit him for playing such a terrible trick on her and kiss him in relief at finding out he wasn't dying after all. Sami went with her first impulse and hit EJ as hard as she could on the arm as he began to shake in earnest from his laughter.

"You ba…" Sami swallowed the cuss word she'd been going to use as she hit him again, "You're a bad man EJ DiMera, a bad, bad man!"

"I'm sorry sweetheart," chortled EJ, looking anything but, "I just couldn't resist… your face… it was priceless."

Shiro-san had put his hand to his face to cover his own amusement sensing that it wasn't going to be well received by the young woman who looked fit to be tied right about then.

"I cannot believe you just did that!" she raged as much as she could as Sami kept her voice down in the crowded restaurant, "I hope you choke on it now!"

"It was just a little joke Samantha," he tried to cajole her, obviously still very tickled by it all.

"Then why aren't I laughing?" huffed Sami.

"Probably because you couldn't see your face," EJ grinned, not exactly helping himself but not caring.

Sami's death stare came out to play but EJ was unfazed and she looked over at Shiro-san in exasperation.

"I'm sorry for EJ's behaviour," she apologised to the other man, "Sometimes EJ forgets he's meant to be a grown up!"

"Shiro-san thought it was funny too Samantha," protested EJ with a laugh and looked to the other man for support.

"Old Japanese saying," said Shiro-san, the edges of his lips curling up as he enjoyed watching the young people playing together, "Always take the side of the beautiful woman in a fight."

"That is probably good advice," EJ grinned and gave another laugh.

"Here's another saying for you," huffed Sami, "Don't fake illnesses for a laugh otherwise you could find yourself with a set of chopsticks becoming a permanent part of your anatomy!"

"Wow," said EJ attempting a straight face, "That's quite the saying."

"You are unbelievable EJ!" she said in vexation, conscious of the fact that she couldn't really let loose with the other man sitting right there even though she would have dearly loved to.

"Thank you darling," EJ grinned, "I feel exactly the same way about you."

"Eat your poisoned fish," she grumped, picking up her chopsticks and attempting to use them.

Both men watched her clumsy attempts at using the tricky implements with varying degrees of amusement. Sami looked up to see them watching her failed attempts at using the chopsticks to get her food anywhere near her face.

"My chopsticks are broken," she said with a bit of a pout and a small self-depreciating smile.

"Well something is not right," agreed EJ straight faced as he looked down at the carnage on Sami's plate that used to be her beautifully presented meal, "It's like a bomb just went off on your plate."

Sami rolled her eyes at his observation.

"Please to allow me…" said Shiro-san and picked up his chopsticks, showing Sami the right way to do it.

Sami copied his grasp and technique, her brow furrowed in concentration as she tried to mimic what Shiro-san was making look so easy.

"We can always ask for a fork for you sweetheart," said EJ kindly when she continued to have problems with getting the food in her mouth, "A lot of people don't bother with the chopsticks."

"I can do it," she said stubbornly, working hard at it.

And then suddenly Sami got it and managed to pick up some of the food and it made it all the way to her mouth. She looked up then with a triumphant look on her face to which the other two men had to laugh.

"See!" she said, well pleased with herself, "Told you I could do it!"

"I never doubted you for a minute sweetheart," said EJ with a laugh, greatly endeared by how happy Sami was that she'd mastered this somewhat tricky skill.

Now that Sami had the rudimentaries of chopstick usage down she settled back and began to enjoy her meal. The conversation flowed easily and Sami was fascinated to sit and listen to both men's travel tales as they compared notes. It was a new experience for Sami - being treated as an equal. Wherever she was she always felt she had something to make up for but despite not being anywhere nearly as wide travelled as the other two men they didn't make her feel any less because of it. Instead they seemed to be enjoying her questions and all and all for Sami it had been a long time since she'd enjoyed a lunch so much.

"So Shiro-san," said Sami as she managed to clear the last of her plate, "Shiro means fourth son in Japanese doesn't it?"

"Indeed," nodded Shiro-san, impressed that she should know that.

"So does that mean you are the fourth son?" she asked with interest.

"I am," he nodded again.

"That's a large family in Japan isn't it?" asked Sami with interest.

"My family came originally from the country," Shiro-san told her, "It is more common to have greater numbers of children in the country - more hands to work the farms. But certainly for living in the city yes, it is more than is usual. What about you Samantha - do you come from a large family?"

"I come from a complicated one," said Sami ruefully, "I've got a twin brother Eric, a half sister Belle and a step brother called Brady."

"Would you like a big family yourself?" he asked her curiously.

"I already have a son, his name is Will," said Sami thoughtfully, "I had him when I was very young but I wouldn't mind more children at some point - I haven't really thought about it though."

"And you EJ?" he asked.

EJ had been listening with rapt attention to Sami's reply and gave him a big smile.

"I have Mediterranean blood coursing through my veins," said EJ cheerily, "The more the merrier I say."

"Good luck finding a woman willing to agree to that," said Sami flatly, feeling her stomach drop a little at the thought of some woman having EJ's babies but didn't let herself examine that feeling too closely.

"Oh I can be rather persuasive when the need arises," said EJ impishly.

Sami grimaced, knowing firsthand how true that statement was.

"Well if you gentlemen will both excuse me for a moment," said Sami with a bright smile, "I have to powder my nose."

"Of course sweetheart," said EJ as both men stood up as Sami did and EJ pulled out her chair.

She gave them both a last smile of thanks for their courtesy and then started towards the bathrooms. EJ couldn't help but watch her leave and the older man watched him watching her go.

"Samantha very stubborn young woman," noted Shiro-san in amusement.

"I like to think of it as a degree of single mindedness rarely seen in the average person," said EJ with a quirk of his lips as he turned his attentions back to his guest.

"You know I've always believed that in business you don't do business with companies but with people," observed Shiro-san.

"That's a good philosophy;" nodded EJ thoughtfully, "Any company is only ever as good as the sum of the people making it up."

"Exactly," nodded Shiro-san, "I have been in business a long time now, since before you were born."

"I know," said EJ, "And you have nothing but my respect because of it Shiro-san. I'm excited at the prospect of working with you. I know we are a small company compared to the many that you deal with…"

"Size is not important," said Shiro-san with a wave of his hand, "What is important is amount of heart that goes into the business."

He fixed EJ with a determined look then.

"I see you and Samantha," he said, "And I see big hearts, lots of fire and passion. Business must be driven by passion otherwise it will not last. You work well together… I can see that."

"We fight a lot," said EJ honestly with a little smile.

"Fighting is good," said Shiro-san, "It is more dangerous to not say what is in your head or heart."

"I think that is a rather good rule of thumb for life as well as business," said EJ ruefully, wishing Sami had been there to hear that.

"Fighting means you care," said the older man, "If you do not care enough to fight then you have to ask… why I am doing this?"

"My father always taught me the value of not letting go of your dreams," confided EJ.

"Ah your father," nodded Shiro-san, "An interesting man with an interesting way of doing business at times."

"I'm not my father Shiro-san," said EJ determinedly, "I'm my own man and I'll do business my way."

"I think you have a chance of correcting a lot of your father's mistakes," nodded Shiro-san thoughtfully, "You have one powerful thing that he never seemed to find."

"Which is?" asked EJ curiously, interested to hear the older man's take on things.

"A strong woman by his side that understands him and his equal," said Shiro-san, "It brings balance to everything in life… including business."

EJ sat back in his chair and gave a little smile, very pleased at Shiro-san's insight. It just echoed his own sentiments on the subject. He and Samantha together could change the face of the DiMera empire utterly. EJ felt like it was their destiny and Shiro-san's comments only made him believe it even more.

oooOOOOooo

Sami walked into her apartment early that evening after having just finished a workout at the gym. She went straight to the fridge and grabbed herself a bottle of water and walked back into the middle of the room as she took a drink. She was still on an absolute high from how well things had gone at lunch. Shiro-san had loved her ideas and had been so enthusiastic and EJ had been so supportive with everything she suggested that Sami felt like she was walking on air. At that moment Sami felt like she could do anything and she walked over to the calendar that was on the wall to start planning some things. There would have to be a lot of initial prep work and research to work out which would be the best way to get started with everything and Sami couldn't wait.

She checked the calendar, intending to map out some general time scheme and then frowned. She hadn't realised today was the 18th; she thought it was the 15th. She always got her period on the fifteenth of every month without fail, she could set her watch by it in fact but it was the 18th already and she hadn't gotten it which was why she was so off with the date. Sami put a nervous hand to her mouth, rubbing her lips as she thought this through.

This was no big deal she decided at last, lots of woman were irregular with their periods and just because she normally wasn't didn't mean that her body clock wouldn't get it wrong on the odd occasion. Sami felt a little nervous flutter in the pit of her stomach. A pregnancy right now would be a complete disaster for her because even though she and Lucas had slept together the night of his accident the odds really had to be stacked in favour of EJ being the father of any baby that might have been conceived.

Sami's heart dropped at that thought, knowing it would only complicate an already impossible situation and she hurried over to her bag and pulled out her birth control pills. She checked the little circle, making very sure that she hadn't missed any days and breathed a sigh of relief to see that she hadn't. Sami was very careful about her birth control after Will and she knew she wouldn't have made a mistake like that. This was just because she was under so much pressure Sami reassured herself, her body was just having a bit of a blip, it was completely understandable and no doubt they would come in the next day or two. Sami determinedly put the thought out of her head and busied herself with making herself some dinner.

oooOOOOooo

Next door EJ watched Sami in the kitchen on his lap top as she made herself a sandwich. He'd seen her go to the calendar and start counting, her look of concern and the way she'd hurried over to check her birth control pills.

EJ leant back in his chair… a slow smile spreading across his face.

**Chapter FORTY EIGHT**** - ****Tea For Two**

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.  
_~George Santayana~ _

"How is that you grow ever more breathtakingly beautiful every time I see you?"

Sami looked up to see EJ smiling down at her as she sat alone at a table in Chez Rouge.

"EJ," she said with a shake of her head at his continual flirting, "Are you ever going to stop being so inappropriate with me?"

"Oh my I hope not," said EJ very seriously and then broke into a cheeky grin, "In fact I'm rather hoping for a lot more inappropriateness very soon."

"Hope away EJ but it's not going to happen," said Sami flatly although there was a decided tingling feeling in the pit of her stomach at the thought of it.

"You know darling," said EJ, still standing in front of her, "You really do look absolutely radiant tonight, and it's like your glowing from within. I can hardly bear to blink and miss even a second of such gloriousness."

"Are you drunk?" she asked him sceptically, used to his effusive compliments but this was a bit over the top, even for EJ.

"Only on my love for you sweetheart," he said happily, giving her a playful look.

"You're in a good mood," Sami commented and then gave him a bit of a frown, "Stop it - it's creeping me out."

EJ just gave an unconcerned laugh at that because he really was in a good mood. The business lunch had gone so well with Shiro-san and Sami had blossomed before his very eyes and it had been wonderful to share something like that with her. EJ knew Sami's eyes were beginning to be opened to the possibility of what working with him rather than always against him would be like and that was very exciting to EJ. Almost as exciting as watching Sami count days on the calendar. All in all EJ felt he had a lot to smile about right then.

"So are you going to sit down or stand there with that goofy grin on your face?" asked Sami in vague annoyance.

It always made her nervous to see EJ this happy because it usually meant he was up to something and as it would turn out Sami was right.

"So what have you been up to all day?" he asked her chirpily, taking a seat across from Sami.

"I was at Kate's," said Sami and couldn't help but pull a bit of a face at knowing she was having to have anything to do with the woman.

"Oh yes visiting… ah… oh what's his name…?" EJ made a great show of trying to remember Lucas' name, his brow wrinkling as he thought hard, "Don't tell me… don't tell me… it's right there… oh it's on the tip of my tongue…"

"_Lucas_ is feeling better by the day," said Sami, unimpressed by EJ's carry on.

"Lucas!" he exclaimed happily, clicking his fingers, "That's it - I knew it rhymed with doofas but I was thinking of Poopus."

"You're an idiot," she said, shaking her head at him and rolling her eyes, "I hope you're getting all of this out of your system before Mr Chiba arrives to talk business."

"Mr Chiba is coming?" asked EJ, looking surprised, "Since when?"

"Since you rang me and told me that he wanted to have dinner with us to discuss some more business with us EJ," said Sami in exasperation.

"I don't believe I said that darling," said EJ smoothly, "What I said was that we should have dinner together to discuss some important business."

"But you said that Shiro-san had something he wanted to talk to us about," protested Sami with a frown.

"And he does but he's back in Japan now and we'll have to do a conference call with him on Friday," said EJ easily, "Sorry, I didn't mean to give the wrong impression when I spoke about the two things together to you. Obviously I didn't want you to be here under false pretences Samantha."

"Oh that's _exactly_ what you wanted to do!" said Sami hotly, throwing her napkin on the table, "You deliberately rang me and made it sound like you were talking about the same thing EJ!"

"I did no such thing sweetheart," EJ protested, looking wounded, "It's hardly my fault that you misunderstood me now is it?"

"Well I'm not having dinner alone with you EJ!" said Sami sharply and went to stand up

"Darling we're hardly alone," said EJ reasonably, stalling her and waved his hand around, "Look around you - half of Salem is here tonight. You're perfectly safe with me."

EJ gave her a sultry little smile then.

"Unless you don't want me to be of course," he purred and Sami flushed, standing up abruptly.

"I'm leaving!" she declared heatedly.

"Darling wait," said EJ, holding up a conciliatory hand, "Don't go, I really do have something very important I need to discuss with you."

"You do?" asked Sami sceptically, looking down at him as she gripped the back of her chair.

"Yes I do," nodded EJ calmly, "It's incredibly important - potentially life changing in fact."

Sami looked openly disbelieving of that and EJ smiled sweetly up at her.

"I promise you sweetheart," he told her very earnestly, "I'll be on my best behaviour - it will be like you're eating dinner with a choir boy."

"A choir boy?" scoffed Sami, "Yeah right EJ!"

"Okay that might be a bit of a stretch," agreed EJ with a teasing smile on his lips, looking up at her.

"But I do promise to be on my best behaviour Samantha despite how hard it is for me to control myself around you," said EJ with some very convincing sincerity to his voice, "It is exceedingly important that I talk to you about something I've just discovered. Please sweetheart, sit down."

Sami frowned and looked a little uncertain. This was almost definitely a bad idea but EJ had piqued her curiosity which he no doubt knew he would with all the hints he was dropping about having something big to tell her.

"Alright," she relented, sitting back down and then throwing him a warning look, "But one more inappropriate word or look from you and I'm gone - do you understand me EJ?!"

"Like no one else in your life," said EJ cheerfully and Sami scowled at that but technically he hadn't broken their agreement so she let it slide.

"So what are we drinking?" asked EJ brightly, reaching over and grabbing Sami's glass and taking a sip from it.

He was instantly relieved to find that it was only soda water.

"I see we're into the hard stuff tonight darling?" he teased her over the top of the glass.

"Why are you so fixated on what I drink all of a sudden?" asked Sami in annoyance, going to grab the glass back off EJ but he moved it to one side, just out of her reach.

"I hope you're not drinking soda water because you're feeling a little queasy sweetheart?" he said, giving her a searching look.

"Only since I found out that I'm stuck with you all night," said Sami sweetly and managing to get the glass back off him.

EJ just smiled then, happy to think that Sami might be at last entertaining the thought that she might be pregnant and playing it safe. That was a huge weight off his mind and would mean less impromptu visits to her apartment and looking like a complete idiot. He'd caught her on camera earlier that week about to clean her oven and EJ had had to race over and nip that in the bud with all of those toxic chemicals which had earned him more than one weird look from her.

"So shall we order?" asked EJ with a smile.

Sami pulled a face and nodded. Forty minutes later Sami still hadn't managed to get what it was that EJ wanted to talk to her about out of him. He kept saying at the end of dinner.

"There!" said Sami, swallowing her last mouthful and putting down her fork, "I'm done - now are you going to tell me what your big mysterious secret is EJ?"

"I do love your eagerness Samantha," said EJ, settling back in his chair and regarding her with great affection.

"You mistake eagerness for frustration," said Sami coolly although she really was dying to know what he was up to.

"I have something to show you," said EJ and reached into his coat pocket.

He drew out a couple of photos and handed them to Sami who was looking a little suspicious. She took the offered pictures and looked down at them, her eyes widening when she saw what they were of.

"What is this EJ?" she asked, clearly shocked.

"Your great aunt, my grandfather," said EJ, watching her reaction with interest.

"What?" asked Sami, looking back down at the pictures?

"Your Great Aunt Colleen, my grandfather Santo," clarified EJ.

"I don't have a Great Aunt Colleen," said Sami with a shake of her head and then scowled at him, "This is some kind of trick, I just know it - what are you up to EJ?"

"Nothing," said EJ and looked very sincere, "And it's no trick Samantha and believe me - I was as taken aback as you were to see those photos."

"They could be us," she said weakly, looking down at the pictures again and trying to get this to make sense.

"There is a story," offered up EJ.

"A story?" Sami frowned, "What kind of story?"

"A love story," said EJ simply.

"You expect me to believe that your grandfather and my great aunt were… were involved in some way?" asked Sami flatly, "This is some ploy on your behalf - it has to be!"

"I'm going to tell you the story my father told me," said EJ determinedly, "Your Great Aunt Colleen was a novice in Galway and my grandfather Santo was bought into the church she was with after a bar fight…"

"Sounds about right for a DiMera," interrupted Sami with a goading little smile, "Always getting into trouble."

"Oh yes sweetheart," said EJ dryly, "And you're so very unfamiliar with trouble yourself now aren't you?"

"Just tell your story EJ," said Sami sourly, knowing she couldn't really refute that.

"She tended to his wounds and one thing led to another and they fell in love," continued on EJ.

"Santo seduced an innocent nun?" asked Sami in horror, "Is there nothing you DiMera's won't do?"

"First of all Colleen wasn't a nun yet," said EJ smoothly, "And second of all Colleen was a willing participant - they fell in love Samantha, deeply in love. They were going to run away together so they could be together forever but…"

"But?" prompted Sami expectantly.

"But something happened," admitted EJ.

"Colleen came to her senses?" asked Sami bitingly.

"Colleen died Samantha," said EJ softly.

"Oh," said Sami, sitting back in her chair and looked down at the picture of the smiling beautiful young woman in her hand, "What happened?"

"Ah now it gets a little hazy with that," said EJ, "My father was only a child when all of this happens but he swears that Colleen was killed by a Brady to stop her running off with Santo."

"That would never have happened!" exclaimed Sami in horror, "If anyone had done something to Colleen it would have been Santo! Maybe she told him that she wasn't going to go away with him and he killed her?"

"No," said EJ with a definite shake of his head, "My father said Santo worshipped the ground Colleen walked on and would never hurt her."

"And yet her family would?" asked Sami in disbelief.

"I don't know what happened all that time ago in Galway Samantha but I do know that it left my grandfather a broken man and it is where this whole vendetta nonsense started," said EJ with great certainty, "Santo vowed revenge on all Brady's for the loss of the love of his life and my father has been fulfilling that vow ever since."

"I don't believe this," said Sami faintly, looking at the picture of the couple in her hands.

Their eyes held so much hope; it was horrible to think it had ended so badly, not just for them but everyone in their families. She couldn't take her eyes off Santo, amazed at how closely grandfather and grandson resembled one another.

"There's more," said EJ.

"More?" repeated Sami faintly.

"I spoke to my father the other day and apparently there are letters," said EJ, "Letters between Colleen and Santo."

"Love letters?" asked Sami with an arch of an eyebrow.

"Yes," said EJ and looked very excited by this news which he was, "Samantha the letters could give a real insight to what happened between Colleen and Santo but there is only one problem."

"Which is?" asked Sami, struggling to keep up a bit, she just had to keep staring at the pictures and wondering why no one in her family had never mentioned Colleen or this story to her before.

"They're lost," admitted EJ ruefully, "My father has some ideas as to where they might be but someone is going to have to go looking for them… he mentioned New Mexico."

"New Mexico!" exclaimed Sami, "You're going to go to New Mexico and look for love letters between two people that have been dead for how long now?"

"Two people whom we bear more than a passing resemblance to Samantha," said EJ with a nod of his head, "And I thought we could go looking for them together."

Sami gave him a horrified look at that but EJ pressed on regardless.

"Don't you see what this means Samantha?" asked EJ earnestly, leaning over the table towards her.

Sami looked up at him dazedly, still trying to comprehend all of this and answer that very question.

"It means that we might be able to find a way to end this vendetta that has been raging between our families for over fifty years now," he said urgently.

"By finding old letters between people who have been dead for years?" asked Sami sceptically, "What would even make you think that EJ?"

"Because to find understand the present you have to understand the past Samantha," said EJ, sitting back in his chair, "The two are inextricably linked."

"Samantha you and I may have a chance to right a great wrong and bring peace between our families," he told her, "I don't see how either one of us can turn our back on that opportunity. If we are able to find these letters together I truly believe they are going to give us a way to end this ridiculous feuding between our families and then there will be nothing standing in the way of us being together."

Sami looked at him in amazement at that.

"That's what all this is about isn't it?" she asked in slowly dawning comprehension, "You're not interested in righting old wrongs at all - you're just looking for another way to get me into bed!"

"I don't believe I need to resort to trickery to do that my love," noted EJ wryly, "From memory you came quite willing… and quite often if I remember correctly."

"OH!" Sami gasped in horror at his words and stood abruptly up and EJ followed suit, glad that he'd already paid the bill because it looked like they were about to make a sudden exit.

"I cannot believe you just said that to me EJ!" she said hotly, her face flushing as she began to storm towards the door.

"And yet I'm not exactly hearing a denial now am I?" he asked with a little smirk, enjoying having her cornered like this and with no come back seeing as he was only speaking the truth.

"Do you want to hear something EJ?" Sami bit out to him through clenched teeth, "Well listen to this! I don't care what happened fifty years ago, it has nothing to do with me or you or anything for that matter! And if you think that I'm going to go schlepping around the country with you looking for some letters that may or may not exist then you've got another thing coming!"

"Don't you want to end this vendetta between our families sweetheart?" asked EJ calmly, shoving his hands in his pockets, "We may be the only chance of that ever happening before both sides are wiped out."

"EJ," said Sami coldly, "Read my lips - I… don't… care! If you really want this vendetta over then tell that blood thirsty maniac of a father of yours to stop trying to destroy the Brady's - it's that simple!"

"Nothing will ever be simple between the Brady's and DiMera," said EJ softly, "There is too much between us, it runs too deep. But the love we share could change all of that Samantha; our love for one another could unite our families and end the bloodshed at last."

"I keep telling you EJ…" said Sami tersely, her heart beating erratically from their fight and the way EJ was talking with such certainty and needed to put some kind of barrier between them, "I _don't_ love you!"

EJ stepped suddenly closer to her and took her arm making Sami very glad that they were in the foyer of Chez Rouge now and there was no one around to see them. He ducked his head so that his lips were against her ear.

"You tell me that with your lips Samantha," he said huskily, "But I've been inside your body, I know the truth by the way you gave yourself so completely to me… again… and again… and again…"

"You bastard!" she said in horror as she jerked her arm from his light touch, "I'm done talking about this and I'm done with you EJ!"

With that Sami turned on her heel, determined not to hear another word on the subject. She didn't want to know about this new strangeness. Sami was having enough trouble keeping EJ at bay in her life as it was, she really didn't want another connection with him. She had far too many already. EJ watched her scurrying away from him, his lips quirking.

"You and I are never going to be done Samantha," he informed her even though she was out of earshot by now, "Never."

**Chapter FORTY NINE**** - ****Tough Love**

Be still when you have nothing to say;

When genuine passion moves you,

Say what you've got to say, and say it hot.  
_~D. H. Lawrence~_

Sami stormed off ahead of EJ as they headed out of the restaurant, not bothering to wait for him and EJ shook his head at her stubbornness and strolled after her letting her cool off. Besides, his vantage point gave him ample opportunities to admire the view and EJ did, unabashedly enjoying the sight of Sami's bottom in that dress. She'd reacted more or less how he'd expected her to with the news of Santo and Colleen. EJ knew it would unsettle Sami greatly because it was yet another sign of their intertwined destinies and Sami was still stubbornly not prepared to accept that little fact. He knew though that Sami was feeling it all closing in on her - the inevitability of their being together - and knew that she would run from it.

And run she had.

Sami wasn't even sure where she was going seeing as she'd gotten a taxi to the restaurant from Kate's house but all she knew was that she wanted to put as much distance between herself and EJ as she could and quickened her pace. He was about to call out to her and tell her to be careful on the uneven ground when his warning became redundant. Sami had stepped down onto the curb and hit some loose gravel and her now infamous shoes that she insisted on wearing despite how uncomfortable they were did their worse. They lost traction and Sami's foot slide out from under her and because she had been walking so fast there was a fair amount of energy to displace so it did that by throwing Sami's foot up in the air, her shoe flying off as her other leg quickly joined its twin and Sami was suddenly airborne.

Sami then kind of twisted in mid air as she fought uselessly to regain her balance, which wasn't going to happen when no part of her body was touching the ground for a couple of split seconds of course and ended up landing face down on the ground, the top half of her body on the sidewalk, the bottom half on the road and her midriff squarely catching the curb painfully. She made a strangled hissing sound as the air was knocked totally out of her. EJ had watched in horror, too far away to do anything and had started to run towards Sami even while she was still in flight.

"Oh my god Samantha!" said EJ, rushing over to her and dropping to his knee, "Don't move sweetheart, I'll call an ambulance!"

Sami lay on the ground blinking rapidly and trying to work out what had just happened, still in a bit of shock as you are when you fall unexpectedly. As awkward as her fall had been it had actually ended up not being too bad though as Sami was slowly finding out as her senses returned. She'd been saved from banging her head or even getting a graze from the way she'd landed over two different levels of ground. Her stomach had taken the brunt of the fall but apart from a moment of pain and having the wind knocked out of her Sami didn't feel that bad. She began to push herself up but EJ immediately stalled her.

"Don't move darling," he counselled her urgently even as he had his phone to his ear, "You might have broken something, stay still."

"I didn't break anything," grumbled Sami, swatting away his hand that was attempting to get her to lie still, "And I _don't_ need an ambulance."

Despite EJ's attempts Sami managed to sit up and turned around, sitting herself on the curb now as she caught her breath.

"Hang up EJ!" she ordered him, looking at him in annoyance, "I don't need an ambulance, I just need a moment to collect myself!"

EJ reluctantly did that, putting a concerned hand on her back and rubbing it for her as he crouched down beside her.

"Are you sure sweetheart?" he asked with a frown, "That was a hell of a tumble you just took."

"It's nothing," said Sami dismissively, feeling like an idiot now as she put a still shaky hand to her face, "I'm fine EJ; you don't need to worry over me."

Was she never going to stop making a fool in front of this man Sami wondered in dismay?

"What happened Samantha?" asked EJ, his eyes running all over her body, checking for any signs of injury that she wasn't telling him about but Sami seemed alert, if somewhat annoyed and there were no obvious marks on her, "One minute you were walking along and then the next it looked like you were training to be a gymnast for the next Olympics!"

Sami scowled at him for that particular analogy, knowing she must have looked pretty ridiculous but not pleased with him pointing it out to her.

"I slipped," she said begrudgingly, "And lost my balance. It was nothing EJ."

"It's those ruddy shoes!" exclaimed EJ grimly, glaring down at the one remaining one on her foot menacing, "They are an accident waiting to happen!"

"No they're not!" protested Sami, defending her beloved shoes, "It was an accident!"

"An accident that happened because you were wearing those demon shoes!" retorted EJ and then a determined look came over his face, "Right, enough of this, I'm going to sort this once and for all!"

Before Sami realised what he was doing EJ grabbed the remaining shoe off her foot as she sat there on the curb, stood up and then stalked over to the other discarded one. He bent down and retrieved it and then turned around, heading back towards the restaurant.

"What are you doing EJ?" asked Sami in surprise.

"Saving your life," bit out EJ determinedly, striding purposely down the side of the restaurant.

Sami leapt up and hurried after him, her stocking feet finding that a bit uncomfortable but she ignored their complaints. She rounded the corner of the restaurant into the side alley just in time to see EJ stopping in front of the huge industrial sized dumpster that the restaurant discarded all of its garbage into. He reached out a hand to open the lid of it and to her horror Sami realised what he was up to.

"Don't you dare!" she screeched at him, running up to him as fast as she could, "Don't even think about it EJ!"

"I'm going to do more than think about it Samantha," said EJ determinedly, lifting up the lid.

Sami flew at him and kicked him hard in the shins before EJ could throw the disputed shoes into the dumpster. He yelped and dropped the dumpster lid back down again and it made a heavy metal clang as it did. He looked at her in amazed anger.

"I can't believe you just did that!" he said to her loudly, bending down and rubbing his shin and being rather thankful that he had her shoes in his hand otherwise that could have been way more painful.

"Give me back my shoes EJ!" she raged at him, uncaring of his disbelief, "They are mine and you have no right to throw them away!"

"No!" snapped EJ, straightening up, "They are a menace and I'm going to do the sensible thing and get rid of them before you end up breaking your neck all over a pair of silly bloody shoes!"

"Give them back!" yelled Sami and lunged at EJ and tried to grab the shoes from his hand but he was too quick for her and held them above his head with one hand.

Sami began to jump up to try and grab them but seeing as she was only 5ft 4 and EJ was a full foot taller than she was and with his arm stretched up over his head it made the height difference closer to two feet so Sami had no chance whatsoever of reaching those shoes.

"Stop it EJ!" she ordered him as she stubbornly still kept jumping up, trying to grab the shoes but EJ easily held them out of her reach with a smirk on his face.

She stopped then and glared her best Death Stare at him and EJ recognised that look in her eye.

"Don't you even think about kicking me again young lady!" he ordered her, holding up an imperious finger in front of himself with the shoes still above his head, "Or there will be consequences, dire ones!"

"Give me my shoes you maniac!" she hollered at him at the top of her lungs and went to make another grab for the shoe but then suddenly clutched at her stomach, doubling over and making pained groaning sounds.

"Samantha!" said EJ in horror, immediately concerned, his heart pounding as he put a worried hand on her back, "Samantha are you alright sweetheart, what's happening…?"

EJ didn't get any further than that because Sami suddenly straightened up and made a grab for the shoes, catching EJ off guard as she jerked them out of his hand. She rapidly back up then and looked over at him mockingly.

"What's happening EJ is that you're a sucker," she said with a smirk.

"Why you little buggar!" exclaimed EJ in annoyance, realising it had all been a trick.

His heart had practically leapt out of his chest at seeing her in pain like that, fearful that she really was hurt but it was all a ruse and EJ could have cheerfully wrung her pretty little neck for scaring him like that. It was then that Sami realised that she'd made a tactical error by hanging around to gloat as EJ began to stride towards her, his face set determinedly. She turned around, intending to make a run for it but she was still only in her stockings and they afforded her neither protection from the concrete of the alleyway nor any kind of traction and before she could even take two steps EJ was grabbing her arm. He spun her round easily and then suddenly Sami was being swept off her feet and was in EJ's arms.

"What are you doing?" squawked Sami, struggling to get free but EJ just held onto her even more tightly and began striding back towards the dumpster, "Put me down!"

He stopped beside it again and by putting his knee up he was able to support Sami between his knee and one arm while his other arm went to the hinged lid of the dumpster. He lifted the lid up until the arm that kept it open clicked into place and the lid stayed up. EJ then dropped his knee down and resumed holding the still wiggling Sami in both arms and hauled her up higher so that half of her was now over the edge of the dumpster and she was peering down into the icky contents of the dumpster and immediately stopped struggling.

"Lose the shoes Samantha," said EJ determinedly.

"Never!" vowed Sami, clutching them tighter to her chest, as she glared back at him.

"It's either the shoes go into the rubbish," said EJ unwaveringly, "Or it's the shoes _and_ you… you're choice Samantha but I'm telling you - it's going to be one of those two options."

"You wouldn't dare!" she hissed at him.

EJ tilted her a little more in over the edge and Sami grabbed at his arm with one hand while the other clung onto her shoes for dear life.

"I would highly recommend you not testing me on this one Samantha," said EJ flatly.

"But there is broken glass and everything down there!" exclaimed Sami, looking over her shoulder.

"No there isn't," said EJ with a quirk of his lips as she tried to fake him out again, "It's all in the recycling over there."

Sami turned her head and saw where EJ had nodded at and there was indeed a recycling area for bottles. She looked back down at the contents of the dumpster he had her dangling over and cringed. It was dark in the alley but it was obviously full of rancid food scraps and left over's from the restaurant meals. The smell was appalling and making Sami gag a little.

"Make a decision sweetheart," said EJ firmly, "You're not getting any lighter you know - I'm not sure I can hold you up much longer and if that's the case I'm going to make the decision for you and you and those precious shoes of yours are going to discover the delights of this dumpster together!"

That was a falsehood on EJ's behalf, he could have easily continued to hold her like this for some time but he really didn't fancy a waiter or one of the kitchen staff coming out into the alley to find him dangling some woman over a dumpster. Even EJ DiMera might have a little difficulty explaining that one away! Sami looked up at him with fire in her eyes and opened her mouth and sucked in a deep breath.

"And if you scream I'll be forced to kiss you to keep you quiet!" he warned her quickly.

Sami immediately closed her mouth, her blue eyes spitting damnation up at him and EJ was rather disappointed that she hadn't tested him out on that particular threat.

"Shoes… in the rubbish," he instructed her, "You've got until the count of three."

"OHHH!" said Sami, clutching them ever tighter to her chest, "Don't make me do it EJ, please!"

"One…"

"EJ I'm begging you!" she said, trying a different tactic, letting her blue eyes fill up with tears as she looked up at him pleadingly, "Don't do this."

"This is for your own good Samantha and those crocodile tears of your have no affect on me," he said firmly, "Two…"

"I hate you!" she raged, giving up on the sympathy angle completely, "You are by far the most disgusting human being I've ever met in my life!"

"Thr…" EJ ignored her ranting and began to raise Sami up to make good on his threat.

"NO!" screeched Sami and hastily threw the shoes over into the dumpster, "Stop it EJ, I've done it, stop!"

The shoes made a disconcerting plopping noise as they landed in something squishy in the dumpster and EJ gave an approving nod.

"Good girl," he said, moving to put Sami down, "I knew you'd see reason."

As soon as Sami's feet were on the ground she whirled around to face him, her face a picture of outrage.

"You…" she hissed, glaring at him fiercely as EJ calmly let the lid of the dumpster back down and turned to face her, "You… smug, arrogant, soulless, lunatic, piece of dog poop, smug, granny humping, black hearted, deranged, deluded, twisted, elongated _bastard_!!!"

"You said smug twice," pointed out EJ helpfully, unfazed by her vitriol, "And I'd rather be all those things than a spoilt, unreasonable, silly, stubborn, doesn't know what's good for her, irrational, fickle, disturbed and childish brat!"

Sami sucked in an outraged breath at that.

"BRAT?!" she repeated, "I'm not a brat; if anyone is a brat here it's _you_ EJ! You're the overindulged son of a maniac who's never had anyone say no to him in his life!"

"You know," said EJ conversationally, holding up a thoughtful finger, "I'm beginning to think I made a mistake here… I should have thrown _you_ into the dumpster and kept the shoes."

"Who do you think you are that you think you can just barrel into my life and start laying down the law?" Sami huffed.

"I'm your lover," said EJ calmly, "I think that gives me a little say in your life don't you sweetheart?"

"You are not my lover!" gasped Sami, looking around herself nervous that someone should be listening in but they were all alone in the alley.

"Well we made love," pointed out EJ reasonably, "Many times in fact so correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't that make us lovers Samantha?"

Sami just looked back at him stonily, not saying anything because she had no way of refuting that last statement.

"Actually while we're on the subject sweetheart," continued on EJ smoothly, "I don't want to appear pushy but I can't help but feel that you have one too many lovers at present and I'm really going to have to insist that you get rid of Lucas, sooner rather than later. I'm a reasonable man but there are some things I just won't budge on and this is one of them."

"What is wrong with you?" asked Sami in desperate exasperation, "You can't possibly think that I would choose you over Lucas EJ - you just can't!"

"But you already have," said EJ, moving a little closer than and having to duck his head quite a bit because in her stockinged feet she was far markedly shorter than he was now, "I just need you to make it official by telling Lucas that his services as a comfy pair of slippers for you are no longer required. I mean I think we both know who it is that knocks your frilly little socks off in the bedroom sweetheart. In fact I would be willing to bet this argument has already gotten you wet…"

EJ's head snapped back as Sami's palm connected with his cheek with a satisfyingly loud noise. Her hand stung from the force she'd put behind her action but not anywhere near enough as his words had done… because they were true. Standing here arguing with him had been exciting her Sami realised in despair, hating that he would be able to predict such a thing. What was wrong with her that a heated argument felt like foreplay she wondered in horror? All Sami knew was that this conversation had to finish _now_.

"You're disgusting," she hissed at him as she pushed past him and headed back out of the alley.

EJ raised a rueful hand to his cheek and rubbed it as he watched her go.

"Oh well," he said philosophically as he dropped his hand and pulled a self deprecating expression as he pressed his lips together, "It was worth a shot I suppose."

EJ stuck his hands in his trouser and wandered out of the alleyway, his cheek still tingling from her slap.

"So I'll see you at home shall I darling?" he asked but Sami was too far ahead by this stage to answer him.

EJ just smiled and started to whistle a happy tune as he headed towards his car, looking forward to round two.

**Chapter FIFTY**** - ****Walk a Mile in another's Shoes**

Don't get mad, get even.  
_~Robert F. Kennedy~  
_

EJ folded his arms in front of his chest and leant back against his apartment door, crossing his legs at the ankle as he patiently waited in the corridor. He only had a couple minutes to wait before there was the ding of the elevator door. EJ turned his head to see a still stormy faced Samantha alight from the lift and giving him a silent death stare as she stalked past him to her apartment.

"I would have driven you home from Chez Rouge you know sweetheart," he commented calmly as he watched her fish through her purse for her keys, "There was no need for you to take a taxi."

"I would rather sit in a nest of vipers than in a car with you EJ DiMera!" she spat out, throwing him a furious look, "You are completely demented!"

"Are we still on the shoe thing?" asked EJ with a sigh as he straightened up from the door, walking over to her, "I thought we were over that."

"Over it?!" repeated Sami incredulously, her face flushing with anger, "It only happened half an hour ago! So no EJ, I'm not _over it_!"

"Samantha they were only shoes," EJ tried to reason with her, "Shoes that were going to be the death of you I might add and I'm more than happy to pay for a more sensible replacement pair."

"First of all they were _my_ shoes!" said Sami heatedly, not at all mollified by his words, "And second off all I don't want your money… I want my shoes back!"

"Well darling that isn't going to happen now is it?" he asked reasonably with a quirk of his lips, "Unless you're happy for them to have a putrefying food motif about them of course."

"You enjoy making my life a living nightmare don't you EJ?!" she said, looking up at him accusingly, "This is really ringing your bell to see me this upset isn't it?!"

"No Samantha," said EJ firmly, "Strangely enough upsetting you isn't 'ringing my bell' as you put it. The last thing I want is to see you unhappy. Sorry, check that, the last thing I want is to see you in hospital with a broken leg which was what was going to happen if you persisted in wearing those death traps. And while we're on the subject I would still feel a lot happier if you would let me take you to the hospital to make sure that you really are alright. That fall looked extremely nasty Samantha and I don't want to take any chances."

"I'm fine EJ!" she bit out, "I don't need your solicitous concern for my well being!"

"Well if volume is anything to go by then I'd have to agree with you," said EJ wryly as Sami continued to shout at him, "I just worry about you Samantha, I can't help it."

"You know what you should be worrying about?" she asked him heatedly, "You should be worried about what kind of man assaults a woman and destroys her personal property!"

"I did not assault you Samantha," said EJ with a roll of his eyes at her histrionics, "I simply picked you up. Those shoes were a killer and just like with a rabid dog, the kindest thing to do was to put them down."

Sami's eyes flashed death at that and EJ grimaced, holding up a placating hand.

"But I can see that you're still a tad upset about the whole thing sweetheart," he asked, giving her a charming smile, "So tell me what I can do to make it up to you and I'll do it, no questions asked."

Sami's eyes narrowed then, looking at him thoughtfully for a moment, her mind racing with possibilities on how to exact her revenge seeing as EJ more or less just handed her a blank cheque on that one.

"Alright," she said decisively, giving him a challenging look, "An eye for an eye… a pair of shoes for a pair of shoes."

EJ frowned a little at that and they both looked down at his shoes.

"Your shoes… in the trash," said Sami, looking well pleased with herself, particularly when she saw the sudden hesitation on EJ's face.

Sami pointed to the nearby garbage chute that was in the wall, the one that you pulled on the handle and a chute opened up so you could put your bags of trash into and it would send it directly down to the large dumpster located in the alley beside the apartment. EJ looked for the garbage chute, to his shoes and then back to Sami.

"But these are Italian," he protested, looking stricken, "I find it incredibly hard to find shoes that fit me properly because of the size of my feet so I have to have them made especially. These were hand made by a little man in Naples. Mr Bianchi is an artisan when it comes to shoes, he's practiced his craft for over sixty years now, and each shoe is like a piece of art Samantha. Destroying these shoes would be like throwing a brick through one of the stain glass windows in Notre Dam… a crime against humanity."

"So is this you not asking any questions EJ?" she asked sweetly, unmoved by his emotional plea, "Because if it is it needs a little work."

"Mr Bianchi is going blind," said EJ desperately, still trying to find some sympathy, "He will not be able to make shoes for very much longer… these shoes are like an endangered species!"

"Gee EJ," she said mockingly, enjoying the turn around, "They're _only_ shoes… I don't see what the big deal is."

EJ pulled a face, realizing she was using his own logic against him and he wasn't happy about that fact.

"But my shoes are very comfortable and they've never once tried to kill me!" protested EJ, still pleading for his shoes life.

"You said you'd do anything I asked of you to make it up EJ," she told him with a smirk, enjoying his pain, "Well what I want is to see your wonder shoes in the trash… period."

"But…" EJ tried again.

"No," said Sami, not letting him get any further.

"I could just…"

"No."

"There are…"

"No."

"Why don't I…"

"No."

EJ stopped then and Sami looked back at him with a triumphant expression.

"You're really going to hold me to this aren't you?" asked EJ in defeat finally.

"Oh yes," said Sami, looking like all her Christmas' had come at once now.

"What if I gave you say… three thousand dollars to buy more shoes with instead?" he asked, giving it one last go.

"Some things are more important than money EJ," said Sami gleefully, "Like watching you ditch those miracle shoes of yours and knowing that you bought it all on yourself."

"I got rid of those shoes for _you _Samantha!" said EJ heatedly, starting to realize that she was really going to make him go through with this, "It was for your own good!"

"And you know I think it's working EJ," she said cheerfully, clearing enjoying herself now, "Because I'm feeling pretty good right about now!"

Sami gave a pointed look at EJ's shoes and then over at the garbage chute.

"Ready when you are," she informed him happily.

EJ scowled at her but Sami just smiled back at him sweetly and he realized that he'd just cooked his own goose.

"This is a travesty," he huffed, bending down and undoing his laces, "I can't believe you're being so childish about all this Samantha!"

"Less talk more hurling of Italian shoes down garbage chutes if you please," smirked Sami, enjoying herself immensely now.

EJ straightened up then, his beloved shoes clutched in one hand. He looked down at her and gave it one last shot.

"This is _so_ wrong Samantha!" he told her heatedly.

"And yet it feels so right," said Sami smugly, folding her arms in front of her chest, "Go figure."

She arched an eyebrow at him then and EJ grimaced, walking slowly over to the garbage chute. He pulled down the handle and looked unhappily into the abyss waiting for his incredibly expensive, hand crafted, one of a kind shoes.

"Go on," she prompted him, "I can give you to the count of three if it helps."

EJ threw her a dark scowl at that mocking offer to which Sami just smiled sweetly back. He reluctantly lifted his shoes and put them in the recess.

"Forgive me," he begged of the shoes and then squeezed his eyes shut as he quickly closed the lid and then there was the sound of his shoes disappearing down the long chute to their fate.

He turned around and glared at Sami then who had a giant, amused smirk on her face.

"There!" he said bitterly, "Are you happy now?!"

"I'm getting there," said Sami cheerfully, enjoying the look of rampant displeasure on EJ's face, "Now if I could just work out a way to fit you into that chute I'd be ecstatic."

"You know that punishment did not fit the crime Samantha," said EJ sourly, walking back over to her in his now socks only condition, "Your shoes were a cheap knock off - there were undoubtedly thousands of pairs of that exact same shoe - mine was one of a kind! Your shoes had never caused you anything but grief whilst mine were comfortable and never once sent me tumbling ass over tit!"

"That's because you've got huge clown feet and falling over is practically impossible for you," said Sami, looking up at him mockingly.

EJ just looked back at her steadily, trying to restrain his temper and get back control of this situation.

"What's the matter EJ?" she taunted him, "Are you having difficulty coming to terms with your loss? Are you wishing you hadn't started all this?"

"Do you know what you really hate about me?" asked EJ finally, "Why you get such pleasure from these little games of one upmanship?"

"Do you have pen and paper?" she hurled back at him, "It's going to be a long list - in fact bring me two pieces of paper!"

"You hate that you can't control me like you do all those poor excuses for men that have been in your life before now," continued on EJ, ignoring her last words, "You've met your match in me Samantha Brady and you don't know what to do about it!"

"Says the man who isn't wearing any shoes!" snorted Sami defiantly, "You know EJ - if anything that's true about you. You hate that you can't control me and get you to do what you want like every other person in your life!"

EJ scowled at that and looked taken aback that she should turn his observation back onto him.

"I'm too much for you to handle EJ!" she said defiantly, pressing her advantage as she headed towards her apartment, "And you, well you can't handle that!"

With her last dig delivered Sami gave him a last triumphant look and disappeared into her apartment, closing the door firmly behind her leaving an incredibly annoyed EJ just standing there.

"Well that's just great!" said EJ, his face darkening as the remainder of this evening looked like turning out nothing like he'd hoped.

He'd planned to meet with Sami and press his advantage about this new information about Colleen and Santo and what it meant for them. Instead he'd just sacrificed a pair of perfectly wonderful, irreplaceable shoes to placate a crazy woman!

EJ was not happy.

He turned sharply on his heel and marched over to his apartment, unlocking the door and stalking through. He slammed the door behind him and it made a satisfyingly loud noise before leaning back heavily on it.

"_Oh good you're back… I was getting bored."_

EJ turned his head to see Sam sitting up on the sofa and smiling at him brightly. This time she was dressed in a little white strapless bra and matching panties number, her hair swept elegantly up on her head.

"I'm not in the mood," EJ growled his warning.

"_When are you ever?" she asked with a roll of her eyes but other than that didn't look fazed by his tone, "So dinner sounded like a lot of fun huh? Sami certainly seemed to be enjoying herself, especially when you held her face first over a dumpster."_

"She drove me to it!" EJ huffed, pushing himself a way from the door.

"_Isn't that the same excuse you used about the surveillance camera thingies?" she asked him innocently, lounging on the sofa and watching in amusement as EJ began to pace back and forth in his sock covered feet. _

"I mean what is _wrong_ with the woman?!" asked EJ in exasperation and ignoring Sam's observation as he stalked back and forth in front of her, just beside himself with frustration.

He stopped then and shoved an angry finger at his chest.

"I'm a god damn bloody catch!" he raged, "Ask anyone!"

"_I know," said Sam, feigning consternation, "What woman wouldn't fall desperately in love with a man who invades her privacy in the worst way possible and dangles her over trash? It's beyond comprehension really."_

"I had women throwing themselves at me you know!" EJ informed her heatedly.

"_Perhaps you should have caught a few more?" suggested Sam pragmatically, "You'd probably be less uptight right about now." _

"You know it would serve that ungrateful little chit right if I just packed it in and went back on the racing car circuit!" growled EJ, thoroughly caught up now in how hard done by he was.

"_Ohh Monte Carlo!" said Sam, sitting up and clapping her hands in excitement, "I've never been! I hear they sunbake topless over there…"_

Sam sat up, kneeling on the sofa and struck a pose as she gave EJ a simpering look, jiggling her rather exposed breasts at him.

"… _Europeans are soo naughty," she breathed but EJ was oblivious to her charms in that moment, still so incensed from his encounter with Sami. _

"She thinks I'm going to take whatever crap she hands out just because I love her!" he said with a scowl.

"_No she thinks you'll take whatever crap she dishes out because you're insane," said Sam helpfully, "And possibly a bit of a masochist."_

"I have options you know!" he raged, starting to pace again and still basically ignoring everything she said, "I could go into any bar in Salem and pick up half a dozen women with nothing more than a smile and a hello!"

"_You know I think it's your modesty that I'm most attracted to," said Sam ironically, "That and your really tight ass."_

She leaned back on the sofa then and gave him a sultry look.

"_But why get takeout when you can dine in?" she asked him huskily, displaying her body in all its' glory for him, "Dinner is served big boy."_

EJ stopped pacing and looked Sam up and down as she looked up expectantly with a pout on her full lips.

"I mean she's not the only woman in the world you and it's about time Samantha realised that!" he continued his rant, starting to pace again as Sam rolled her eyes and slumped back in the sofa.

"_Then why is she all we ever talk about?" complained Sam, propping her elbow up on the sofa arm and resting her chin in her hand sullenly, "Why don't you ever ask how my day was?"_

EJ stopped pacing then and looked at her in disbelief.

"Because you _don't_ exist!" he exclaimed in exasperation.

"_See now you're just being mean for no good reason," she pouted, folding her arms and leaning back in the sofa. _

"I'm not going to continue to let her get away with this!" fumed EJ, "I'm getting fed up with these games of hers!"

"_I wasn't aware Sami was playing games," commented Sam calmly, "You're the one doing all the shady underhanded stuff her Elvis, not her. She's been pretty straightforward in telling you what she wants… Lucas."_

"Samantha doesn't want Lucas!" shouted EJ, his face going a red now.

"_Okay, okay," said Sam wrinkling her nose and brushing her leg, "Say it, don't spray it Elvis."_

"I need to come up with a way to cut through all these stubborn delusions of her," said EJ, frowning fiercely, "Something that will make her face up to her feelings about me properly."

"_Well you'd better get on that one tiger," said Sam knowingly, "Because I don't know how much longer your ex can keep Lucas away."_

"Kate's not my ex," mumbled EJ distractedly, thinking about what to do next.

"_Well whatever she is I think she isn't as on side as you'd like her to be," commented Sam idly as she rearranged her breasts in her bra just for something to do. _

"I've got something planned for Kate if she steps out of line," muttered EJ darkly.

"_Oh sounds like my boy has got a nefarious plan in the works… blackmail and threats perhaps?" she queried with interest, "Those things sound right up your alley."_

EJ didn't comment but Sam had grown bored with this conversation now and threw EJ a sly look. She settled back in the cushions, making sure she was on full display for him and put a coy finger to her mouth.

"_But enough of that," she said huskily, batting her eyelashes at EJ, "How'd you like to be up my alley right about now Elvis?"_

She gave him a seductive wink as EJ just stared back blankly at her.

"I'm going to get my shoes back," he announced determinedly, his head still obsessing over his argument with Sami.

"_But…" Sam began to protest but EJ was already out the door, closing it behind him. _

Sam propped herself up on her elbows and shook her head.

"_You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him mount you and ride you like there is no tomorrow," she observed in annoyance, "There is something seriously wrong with that man."_

EJ quietly closed the door behind him, concentrating on not making any unnecessary noise. He was just about to turn around when a voice came from behind him.

"Going somewhere EJ?"

EJ started and turned around to see Sami leaning against her door frame, arms crossed in front of her chest and looking at him knowingly.

"Oh sweetheart," he said hurriedly, "I was just…ah… um…"

EJ stalled, nothing coming to mind for some reason which was unusual for him.

"Yes EJ?" she prompted him, looking at him expectantly.

"I was just taking the rubbish out," he managed to finish off quickly.

Sami arched an eyebrow and made a show of looking at EJ's empty hands.

"Doesn't that require some actual trash to throw out?" she asked him ironically, "Or are you keeping all your garbage in your coat pockets nowadays?"

EJ looked down at his empty hands and made a rueful face, realising as soon as the words had come out of his mouth that it was a stupid lie.

"Hm," he said brightly, "It seems I've forgotten my rubbish in my haste… silly me."

"Very silly you EJ if you think for one minute that I'm going to let you go and get those shoes of yours back," said Sami flatly.

"Sweetheart I would never!" protested EJ, his eyebrows shooting up as he gave her his best wounded look, "The thought never crossed my mind."

"Sure it didn't," said Sami sarcastically, "We made a deal EJ - no welshing on it now."

"Of course not," said EJ and smiled calmly back at her even though he was annoyed with himself for blowing his one chance of rescuing his shoes.

There was no way Sami wasn't going to be keeping a close vigil on his door now and EJ ground his teeth in frustration.

"So I guess I'd better go back to my apartment then," said EJ eventually.

"I guess," said Sami laconically, enjoying very much the sensation of having one up on EJ DiMera at last - she could get used to this.

EJ turned slowly around and put his hand on his door before looking back over his shoulder at Sami unhappily.

Sami just smiled brightly back at him and waved. EJ grimaced and walked back inside his apartment. Sam was where he'd left her, sitting on the sofa and she just shook her head at him.

"_Boy you are off your game tonight my love quesadilla ," she noted, "It's like watching a monkey drive a car - you know it's going to end in disaster but dang but if it isn't fun to watch!"_

EJ just threw her an annoyed look for her trouble and kept walking.

oooOOOOooo

Sami leant back against her door, a big grin on her face. Oh but she'd enjoyed that - the look on EJ when he'd dumped those shoes of his was going to keep Sami warm tonight! Her smile slipped though when she looked over at the photos of Santo and Colleen that were on the table that she'd somehow managed to bring back from the restaurant with her. She walked over and picked up the two photos and looked at them, pulling a worried face.

"I don't need you two on my case as well," she admonished the two in the photographs.

Sami put the pictures back down on the table and wrapped her arms around herself.

"I'm having enough trouble as it is keeping this together," she admitted to the empty room and then sighed heavily.

This strange Colleen and Santo connection had Sami worried.


	6. Chapters 51 to 62

**AUTHOR'S NOTE****: **Okay, so I'm sorry it takes me so long to post updates but real life intrudes unfortunately. LOL

I've actually written up to about chapter 155 for this story and it all posted over at "Forbidden Love" – the EJami lovin' website but as I've said, it takes me a while to convert it for .

There are going to be lots of twists and turns in this story and I hope you're enjoying the build up to EJami. A lot of the fun is always in the chase I think. ;)

So how are you all handling Sam by the way? Is she too weird for you? If you're not a fan hopefully she'll grow on you because she is very much a part of this story now. I rather like what it says about EJ that he's got a creature like Sam inside of him. Too funny! I like my hero's complicated and grey with no easy answers and I think Sam is a good indication of dysfunction on an outwardly with it EJ.

These chapters get particularly steamy at points – some of my smuttiest smut yet but hopefully it doesn't cross too many lines for people. 

Oh and the more reviews I get, the more I try and find the time to update these and my other stories. A bit of blackmail there but what are you gonna do right? LOL

**FATED**

**(Chapters 51 - 62)**

**Chapter FIFTY ONE****- ****The Whole Truth and Nothing But The Truth So Help Me God**

The strength of criticism lies in the weakness of the thing criticized.  
_~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow~  
_

"_Watcha reading?" _

EJ looked up from where he was stretched out on the sofa, book in hand.

"A book," he said shortly, going back to it and wondering if he should be more concerned by these visits from Sam.

He did a double take then when he saw what she'd chosen for her outfit on this particular visit.

"You're wearing pink," he commented, eyes running all over the little pink slip she was wearing with matching sheer short over coat - a departure from her usual white.

"_I felt like a change," she said blithely and leant on against the end of one of his arm chairs, "Do you like it?"_

"I don't have an opinion on it," lied EJ, trying not to notice how the little scraps of material covering her bodice barely contained her breasts and concentrating on not getting aroused by the sight.

"_You're a hard man to please," Sam sighed and gave a thoughtful little pout, "Of course, you'd be easier to please if you were hard."_

Sam gave him a little knowing wink at that but EJ resolutely ignored it.

"Are you still here?" asked EJ flatly, concentrating on his book for all he was worth even though he'd read the same sentence six times now and still had no idea what it said.

"_So it would seem," she said brightly and walked over to where he was sitting, tilting her head and reading the book title for herself, "Let's see… 'What To Expect When You're Expecting'…"_

Sam straightened up and arched an eyebrow at him.

"_Who's a confident boy then?" she asked him mockingly._

"Why is everyone saying that lately?" asked EJ in exasperation, looking up from his book, "I'm merely basing my opinions on things I know for a fact - like the fact that Samantha is late."

EJ had been doing his research on the subject - he liked to be prepared.

"_Maybe it's because she's got really short legs?" suggested Sam helpfully to which EJ just looked at her in confused exasperation so she explained, "It takes her longer to get places and that is why she's late."_

"She's late with her period," said EJ through clenched teeth, not even knowing why he was having this conversation but he couldn't seem to help himself with Sam.

"_You know," she said casually, going and taking a seat in the armchair she'd been leaning against previously and tucking her legs up under her, "Instead of all this speculation you could just ask me if one of your swimmers managed to cross the line so to speak."_

EJ's eyes widened as he looked at Sam sitting there in the arm chair, regarding him coolly.

"You know if Samantha is pregnant or not?" he asked her eagerly, his heart skipping a beat as he looked at her wide eyed, hope springing up in him.

Sam looked back at him coolly for a moment and EJ's nerves tightened as he held his breath and then she grinned at him.

"_Of course not," snorted Sam, clearly amused that she'd been able to sucker him, "I'm your delusion remember idiot? How would I know anything about that?"_

EJ scowled at her, annoyed at himself for being taken like that. It was just that he was at the point of really needing to know one way or the other and was beginning to get a bit humourless about the matter.

"_Boy, you get kinda dumb when you're not getting any," observed Sam with a quirk of her lips._

"Go… _away_," bit out EJ tersely to which Sam just gave a tinkling laugh.

Just then there was a noise outside the door and EJ leapt up, going to the peep hole. He looked out into the corridor and saw that it was Sami. EJ had given her a full day to cool down and for himself to get his act together again. Now that his head was back in the game he was ready to continue the pursuit because as annoying as Sam was, she was right about one thing, Lucas couldn't be too far away from returning home and EJ wanted to make some real progress before that happened. Without a backwards glance EJ opened the door and went to intercept Sami.

"_Just as well I'm not the jealous type," commented Sam to the now empty room as EJ deserted her for Sami without a word._

EJ closed the door behind him as Sami headed towards her door, two large plastic bags worth of groceries in each hand.

"Good morning Samantha," he called out to her and Sami turned around and pulled a face at seeing him.

"Oh look who it is," said Sami bitterly, "The grim reaper of shoes! What's next EJ? You going to wrestle my bag from me and throw it down the garbage chute?"

"If it was posing you some physical danger… in a heartbeat," returned EJ unapologetically, thinking that maybe he should have given it another day as Sami still seemed pretty upset, "Those shoes were a menace Samantha."

"I'll tell you who the menace is EJ!" she said in annoyance, moving the load of her shopping bag a little in her hands, "You are! What person in their right mind rips the shoes off another person's feet and throws them in a dumpster?!"

"What person in their right mind persists on wearing shoes that are painful and cause you to fall down all the time?!" asked EJ, just as annoyed, "It's beyond comprehension Samantha."

"No," bit out Sami, "What is beyond comprehension is why I'm even standing here talking to you!"

Sami turned around to leave then but he stalled her, putting a hand on her arm.

"Wait Samantha," he said quickly, "Have you thought anymore about what we talked about the other night - about Santo and Colleen and their lost letters."

"Yes," snapped Sami, "And I've decided I'm not going to think about it anymore. It's in the past and I want to leave it there!"

The truth was Sami felt like she'd done nothing but stare at those two photos ever since EJ had given them to her, trying to convince herself that it meant nothing and it was all some weird coincidence and failing miserably. Some instinct told Sami that if she was to stick to her plan and keep EJ at arms length than she had to ignore this entire Colleen and Santo thing but as usual, EJ wasn't making it easy for her.

"But it's not Samantha," said EJ with a shake of his head, "It's very much in the present thanks to this ridiculous vendetta raging between our two families."

"A vendetta started by _your_ family!" said Sami heatedly.

"We don't know that," said EJ determinedly, "No one really knows what happened between Colleen and Santo. My father and your grandfather were just children and they saw things through a child's eyes. If we could read the accounts of their love story from both Colleen and Santo's own hands… well we'd know the truth at last."

"And what good would that do?" she asked despondently, "It wouldn't change the past."

"But it could change the future," countered EJ, "Those lost letters might be the only way to finding out a way to end this vendetta."

"You don't really believe that do you EJ?" Sami asked him in exasperation.

"What I believe is that things can't go on as they have between our families," said EJ determinedly, "We're destroying each other and it has to stop."

"Then get your whack job of a father to stop tormenting and killing us Brady's!" exclaimed Sami, "It's simple!"

"Well he's not going to do that while he believes a Brady was responsible for the death of Colleen," said EJ calmly.

"Brady's don't hurt other Brady's," said Sami stubbornly and shot EJ a dark look, "It's DiMera's who eat their own young… alive!"

"We need to talk about this some more," said EJ and moved to take the bag of groceries from Sami, "Here, they look heavy, let me…"

"I don't need your help EJ!" Sami said sharply and tried to jerk them away from EJ but he already had a grip on them so in the end all they succeeded in doing was spilling the entire contents of the bag onto the floor.

EJ grimaced as he saw everything scattered.

"Why do you have to be so bloody difficult about everything?" he muttered as he crouched down and started collecting up the bits and pieces.

"Why do you have to stick your nose in when it's not wanted?" countered Sami, crouching down and starting to pick things up and shove them back in the plastic bags.

They both quickly began to collect up all the items and return them to their plastic bags and as he did EJ picked up a box and looked down at it and frowned. Sami saw him looking at the box of tampons and flushed.

"Do you mind EJ?" she asked, her face going red with embarrassment although she wasn't entirely sure why.

"You have your periods Samantha?" EJ asked and he didn't quite manage to keep the dismay out of his voice.

"That's none of your business EJ!" she exclaimed, her face flame red by now.

"Samantha?!" he said, grabbing her arm urgently.

She grabbed the two bags and stood up again and EJ followed suite.

"Samantha?" he pushed for an answer.

"Yes alright!" she snapped at him, unsure why he was going on about it, "I do okay? Happy now?!"

EJ was far from happy actually as all his hopes of Sami already being pregnant with his child were dashed. He'd managed to almost convince himself utterly that she had already conceived and this was a devastating blow for him. It meant disappointing his father for one thing which he'd never done before but more than that for EJ he was genuinely bereft at the thought of Sami not carrying his child. It would have been yet another way that they were bound to one another and he'd so been looking forward to watching his son or daughter growing inside the woman he loved. EJ felt utterly gutted in that moment. Sami on the other hand had almost cried with relief when her periods had come that morning after being nearly six days overdue. She hadn't realised how nervous she'd been getting about their continued absence until they'd arrived. At least she could rule being pregnant off her lists of things to worry about. She looked at EJ's fallen countenance and frowned.

"What's up with you?" she asked him sharply, "You look like someone just killed your dog."

"I thought…" EJ cleared his voice then as it cracked slightly before admitting the truth to her, "I thought there might be a chance that you were pregnant Samantha… that you were carrying my child."

"You couldn't have possibly wanted that?!" asked Sami in real horror.

"Why wouldn't I want the woman I love to bear my children?" he asked simply and gave a sad little smile.

"Because we're not together!" she informed him hotly, taken aback by what EJ was saying, "I'm with Lucas and you don't really love me EJ. This is just some passing fancy for you and the last thing you really want is to be lumbered with children - I just know it."

"Our child wouldn't be a burden," said EJ sincerely, moving closer to Sami, "It would be loved and wanted utterly… by both it's parents."

"You want to have children now?" Sami asked in disbelief, not having pictured EJ to be so eager to settle down right then.

"I want to have children with _you_ now," he corrected her, "Only you Samantha."

"Well that's not going to happen because I happen to be on the pill," said Sami, her mouth feeling suddenly dry under that intense gaze of his, "And you and I are never going to… you know… again."

"Aren't we?" asked EJ quietly and continued to look at her steadily.

He may have been down but there was no way he was out.

"EJ," said Sami, putting down the groceries and fixing him with her own steady stare, "Even if there wasn't Lucas there is no way I would ever consider having a child with you, do you understand me?"

"Why?" he asked her, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Two words," she said harshly, "You're father."

"My father has nothing to do with such a thing Samantha," said EJ hotly.

"He has everything to do with something like that EJ!" said Sami bitingly, "I would never bring a baby into the world with a father who doesn't put that child's interest first! Stefano has a hold over you and you're completely blind to it. I could never be with a man that I couldn't trust to protect our child over every other thing!"

"There is nothing I wouldn't do for my own child!" said EJ, strung by her criticism.

"Really?" she said in disbelief, "What if it meant going up against Stefano, not doing his every bidding and whim? If you had to chose I'd have to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you would always chose that child over your father and I don't believe you would EJ. You'd hesitate and I would never allow that."

"That is ridiculous Samantha," said EJ tersely, "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Alright, look me in the eye and tell me one time you've ever gone against your father," she challenged him, her eyes flashing fire as things suddenly became brutally honest between them.

EJ looked back at her, his jaw clenching as he realised he didn't have an example to give her.

"I'm my own man Samantha," he told her determinedly.

"No you're not EJ," said Sami flatly, "You're a Stefano in training but you don't even see it do you? He has you doing his bidding without so much as a single question from you. You talk about me being desperate for approval from my family well you're just as bad, worse in fact because my family has never asked me to break the law or hurt people, in fact just the opposite. You keep telling me that you love me and that you want me to trust you, to give into my feelings well I could never even contemplate doing something like that when I know how under your father's thumb you are EJ."

Sami stopped then, her words having just come out in a rush as she spoke what was in her heart to EJ. It was true what she'd said, every word of it. As strong as her pull towards EJ was Sami just couldn't trust him to be his own man that he claimed to be when push came to shove. That more than anything else told Sami that they could never be.

"You're wrong about me," he told her tightly, her words cutting him like a knife.

"Am I?" she asked coolly, "Tell you what EJ, let's do a little experiment shall we? The next time Stefano asks you to do something, why don't you try telling him no and then see how that loving father of yours handles a little backbone in one of his children?"

"I can say no to my father," said EJ firmly.

"Of course you can," said Sami mockingly as she bent down and picked up her groceries again, "You just don't want to."

Sami turned around then and left EJ standing there in the hall yet again and this time he was even unhappier than he had been after the shoes incident.

EJ walked back into his apartment and leant back heavily against the door. Sam who was still there for some reason looked up from the magazine she'd been flipping through as she lay stretched out on the sofa and regarded him with interest.

"_Didn't go well huh?" she asked sympathetically, seeing EJ's grave face._

"Samantha's not pregnant," said EJ dully, still in deep shock over that revelation - he'd just been so damn sure.

"_Oh," said Sam and pursed her lips before trying to help. "Perhaps you were doing it wrong Elvis? You know, the sex."_

"I know how to get a woman pregnant!" said EJ tersely, pushing himself away from the door.

"_All evidence to the contrary," muttered Sam under her breath._

"What was that?" scowled EJ, in no mood to play games now after this latest discovery.

"_Nothing," said Sam brightly and then looked thoughtful, "Maybe you've got a fault in the equipment - you know, all show and no go? Your boys aren't so much into swimming as floating belly up… or maybe there just not that many of them in the pool to begin with…?"_

"There is nothing wrong with my _equipment_!" bit out EJ, a vein starting to throb in his temple at Sam's theorising, "I'm perfectly healthy thank you very much!"

"_Just because you're firing blanks in the old shotgun there doesn't make you unhealthy Elvis," pointed out Sam reasonably, "It just means that you're not going to win any wars is all. The ability to impregnate women isn't everything you know." _

"I can impregnate a woman!" bit out EJ fiercely and then pulled a face at how clinical and kind of weird sounding that statement was.

"_Well if it wasn't your baby making juice at fault or your delivery system…" continued on Sam blithely, rather enjoying all the postulating, "And we know Sami can come up with the goods seeing as she's already got a kid then maybe something happened to the baby?"_

"What do you mean?" asked EJ with a scowl, a bit worried about where this was going.

"_I don't know," she shrugged, "Maybe when Daddy dangled Mommy over a dumpster it wasn't only her shoes that came loose if you know what I mean?"_

"Are you suggesting that I harmed my child in some way?" asked EJ in horror, a sick feeling rising up in him as he looked at her challengingly.

"_Well Sami did just take a bad fall and then the next thing you know you're manhandling her," said Sam calmly, "Who knows what that did to any on board passengers on the good ship Samantha."_

"I was extremely careful when I was holding Samantha!" exclaimed EJ heatedly, the sick feeling in his stomach spreading now even as he defended himself, "I would never hurt her, not in a million years!"

"_Alright calm down," sniffed Sam, "I was just trying to help."_

"How?" asked EJ bitterly, "By telling me I caused Samantha to miscarriage? How does that help me eh?! Do you have any idea what even the thought of such a thing is doing to me… do you?!"

"_Oh look, stop being so melodramatic," said Sam with a casual wave of her hand, "This is all speculation on our behalf. There is still nothing to say that Sami was even pregnant in the first place which would make all this grief over nothing and secondly that book thingy of yours says that about 60% of pregnancies result in a spontaneous miscarriage without the woman even knowing she was pregnant. It's obvious Sami didn't think she was pregnant so I don't see what the big deal is here."_

"The big deal is Samantha doesn't know about her birth control," said EJ shortly, "She didn't know that the odds were good that she might have been pregnant these last three and a half weeks. She doesn't know that she may well have just miscarried!"

"_Well EJ I guess this is just a case of you reaping what you sowed," said Sam giving him a pointed look, "You chose to fiddle with Sami's birth control and now you're the only one who knows that Sami could have actually been pregnant so you're going to have to carry that secret and that uncertainty around forever now because of the choices you made. It's called a consequence - you might want to look it up sometime - it's just between comeuppance and cretin in the dictionary."_

Sam arched a challenging eyebrow at EJ and for once he had nothing to say, knowing she was right. He'd bought this on himself and now he was the only one who had this cross to bear.

Karma could be a real bitch when she wanted to be EJ decided bitterly.

**Chapter FIFTY TWO**** - ****Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't**

It is a wise father that knows his own child.  
_~William Shakespeare~_

Sami stood at the door to EJ's apartment and weighed up if what she was about to do was a good idea or not. She was almost certain it wouldn't be and she stood there trying to talk herself out of doing this.

After about a minute she knew it wasn't going to happen and she turned and faced EJ's door, knocking on it.

"I am so going to regret this," she muttered to herself.

_If only Sami knew how true those words were going to turn out to be._

She took a quick step back when EJ opened the door, hair mussed and his blue dress shirt not done up properly. He was normally immaculately turned out but today, not so much. She looked him up and down in surprise.

"Is there something I can help you with my love?" asked EJ calmly as he looked back at her with the barest of smiles on his face.

"You look really rough EJ," commented Sami, wrinkling her nose at him, "What did you do, sleep in those cloths?"

He had actually, after the revelations of yesterday. Finding out Sami wasn't pregnant and Sam's decidedly unhelpful words of solace had weighed heavily on him. So EJ had done the only sensible thing he could think of - he got drunk. So drunk in fact he'd passed out on the sofa which was something he very rarely did. His head was pounding as stood there looking at Sami, caught somewhere between hating her for making him feel such devastation and loss over a child that may have never been while she was still blissfully ignorant and her continuing resistance of his advances and loving her because she was his Samantha. The love won out in the end… like it always did.

"Is that why you knocked on my door?" asked EJ quizzically, tilting his head to one side and admiring how the morning light caught all the different colours of blonde in her hair, "To ask me how I slept last night? Because if you're that curious I'm more than happy to provide you with first hand information on the subject… say tonight for instance?"

"I don't care how you slept EJ," said Sami flatly, a frown touching her brow as she remembered the times she'd done just that and the wonderfulness of being woken by his kisses, "I was just here to ask you a favour."

"Yes," said EJ simply.

"You don't know what the favour is yet!" she said in exasperation, "What if the favour was that you moved out of the building? What would you have done then?!"

"You wouldn't ask me to do that," said EJ confidently, leaning his head against the edge of the door he was still holding and looking down at her with eyes that were still a little sleepy, "You won't admit it but I know you can't bear to be apart from me, just like I can't bear to be apart from you."

Sami shook her head at the gall of the man. EJ's confidence was something Sami always found a little overwhelming about him.

"This was a mistake," said Sami flatly and turned to leave.

"No wait sweetheart," said EJ, straightening up quickly and grabbing her arm, "Ask me your favour."

Sami looked back up at him, his hand still holding onto her arm.

"Ask me sweetheart," he said huskily, his thumb beginning to caress the soft inner skin of her elbow where he was holding onto her.

"Lucas is coming home on Monday," she told him quickly, knowing she should shake his hand off but not doing it.

"Oh good," said EJ evenly, holding her gaze as he continued to stroke her softness, "This place hasn't been the same without him. It's been like a garden without its' gnome."

That snapped Sami out of her inertia and she jerked her arm away from under his gentle touch as she scowled up at him.

"So I wanted to get the bedroom painted before he does," said Sami tersely, "Where you being sincere when you offered to help me last week?"

"I'm always sincere when I talk to you darling," said EJ with a little smile, "I'd love nothing more than to come over and help you paint."

"I was thinking tomorrow seeing as it's a Saturday," said Sami shortly, "I've got some things I've got to do in the morning but if we start at around two or three we should get it done right?"

"It's not a huge room," nodded EJ thoughtfully, "I don't see that being a problem."

"So Saturday afternoon then?" asked Sami even as she frantically tried to convince herself that she would be able to control this situation she was creating.

"I…"

EJ began to answer her but the phone started to ring.

"You going to get that?" asked Sami with an arched eyebrow.

"I'll let the machine pick up," said EJ easily, "I'm talking to my girl right now, nothing is more important than that."

Sami shook her head at how he referred to her but then they both looked over at the answering machine when a familiar baritone voice filled the room.

"_Ah Elvis," boomed the voice, "I must speak to you my son."_

"Looks like you should pick up," Sami said, looking up at him challengingly, "No doubt he has some secret DiMera business to discuss with you."

"My life is an open book Samantha," said EJ coolly, "I have nothing to hide from you."

"_I have a request of you Elvis. I need you to run an errand for me tomorrow afternoon. It should only take a couple of hours of your time. It is important that you come and see me so we can discuss it… ciao my son."_

"Well," said Sami steadily, leaning against the door frame and looking up at him challengingly, "Looks like I've got to find someone else to help me now seeing as you've got a double booking all of a sudden."

"I said I'd come and help you with the painting and I will," said EJ firmly, "Nothing has changed. I will simply explain to my father that I have a prior commitment. It's not going to be a problem."

"So you're going to tell Stefano DiMera no are you?" asked Sami mockingly, "This should be interesting."

"I can assure you Samantha that I will have no problem saying no to my father and he will have no issue with hearing it," said EJ evenly.

"You are about to get a rude awakening EJ," she told him flatly, "And I won't be holding my breath about seeing you on Saturday."

"I'll be there Samantha," said EJ confidently as Sami straightened up and began to walk away from the door.

"Aha," she said, open disbelief in her voice now as she looked back over her shoulder at him, "Of course you will EJ."

oooOOOOooo

"Oh hey there Mr D."

"Hello Bart," EJ smiled his greeting to Stefano's general dogsbody, "I'm here to see my father, he's expecting me."

"Sure thing," nodded Bart happily and opened the door wider so EJ could come in.

They walked together to the living room.

"It's your son for you boss," announced Bart rather unnecessarily.

"Father," smiled EJ as he walked into the room, "You're looking well."

"Rolf gave me a blood transfusion yesterday," admitted Stefano, "I feel twenty years younger today."

As EJ walked into the room his eyes dropped to the glass of scotch his father was holding.

"No lectures," said Stefano firmly, "I intend to live until I die."

EJ grimaced; wishing his father wouldn't chose to drink considering his fragile health but knowing there would be no way of stopping him once his mind was made up.

"And how have you been my son?" asked Stefano, taking a swig from his glass.

"Well, thank you Father," said EJ, crossing to the other side of him and pouring himself a glass of scotch too - if you can't beat them join them he supposed.

"Is that right?" asked Stefano sceptically, having seen a little flash of something in his son's face as he said that.

"Aha," said EJ calmly.

"What is wrong Elvis?" asked Stefano.

EJ stopped what he was doing and looked over at him in surprise.

"Nothing is wrong Father," he said quickly.

Stefano arched a disbelieving eyebrow at him.

"I know you my son," said Stefano firmly, "You are holding back something from me, something you are unhappy about."

"It's nothing," said EJ with a shake of his head, not eager to tell his father about Sami not being pregnant yet.

"Elvis," said Stefano determinedly, not giving up, "You are my son, I am your father. You are clearly upset about something. Have I not always told you that you could come to me about anything eh?"

"Yes you have," nodded EJ with a sad little smile.

"And have I not always been a worthy confident eh?" asked Stefano, "Tell me your troubles and we will talk about it and fix it together my son."

EJ looked down at the scotch in his hand, touched by his father's concern. He felt another wave of loss come over him at knowing that there was no baby between Sami and himself and the role he might have had in causing that.

"Samantha's not pregnant," he told his father, the corners of his mouth turning down at admitting the painful truth.

"I see," said Stefano quietly, "I am sorry Elvis, I can see that this news pains you."

"I failed you," said EJ softly, "You were relying on for the stem cells that could save your life Father."

"Pst," said Stefano with a wave of his hand, "That doesn't matter."

"How can you say that?" asked EJ in anguish, the fear of losing his father making his pain especially sharp, "Your health is failing…"

"So everyone keeps telling me," said Stefano with a roll of his eyes, "And yet here I still stand before you… decidedly not dead eh? Do not trouble yourself Elvis, I am confident that the stem cells will be there when I really need them. After all, the devil looks after his own eh?"

Stefano smiled then, encouraging EJ to join in which he tried to but didn't quite succeed.

"Elvis," said Stefano tenderly, putting a fatherly hand on EJ's arm when he saw his son's continuing distress.

"I really wanted for there to be a child Father," EJ admitted to him despondently, "I was so sure Samantha was pregnant and then…"

EJ trailed off then, stopping short of telling his father his deep fears that he'd actually caused the loss of his child. His Victoria's Secret apparition was right - that was his cross to bear and his alone.

"And now I know she isn't," he finished off sadly.

"I can see you're disappointed my son," said Stefano, patting his arm comfortingly.

"I really wanted this Father," he told Stefano honestly and then looked down at his scotch, swirling it in his glass, "But I guess it wasn't meant to be."

"Let me tell you something Elvis," said Stefano knowingly, "Your disappointments will be the making of you… or rather what it is you do with those disappointments eh? You are a DiMera and you have the DiMera spirit… we are indomitable. We go on when others would falter. If I teach you knowing else my son it is that you must go on, always, no matter what it is that you are fighting for - it is a measure of a man as to how hard he is willing to fight for what he truly wants."

EJ looked at his father, stirred by his passionate words.

"You're right Father," he said decisively, "I'm not giving up on Samantha, not now, not ever."

"That is the spirit," said Stefano happily, "You must hold fast in trying times and believe me, I know how difficult these women can be. Samantha's mother was even more than I could handle."

"It's hard to imagine," said EJ with a half smile.

"Yes well I do not have to imagine it," said Stefano wryly, "She is a very stubborn woman and I expect nothing less from her daughter."

Stefano made a thoughtful face then.

"You know Elvis," he mused, "If things had turned out differently between Marlena and myself than Samantha may have well been your sister."

"Well thank goodness they didn't then," laughed EJ, suddenly feeling better after talking to his father, "That's an obstacle not even the indomitable spirit of the DiMera's could have overcome eh?!"

"True," agreed Stefano with a laugh of his own, "That would have been a rather large fly in the ointment."

"Thank you Father," said EJ sincerely, smiling at him lovingly, "You always seem to know what to say to make things better."

"I am your father," said Stefano indulgently, "That is what I am here for… as you will find out when you become a father in the not too distant future my son."

"Thank you for your faith in me," smiled EJ.

"Bah," said Stefano with a wave of his hand, "What woman could resist the charms of my handsome son for long eh? Samantha Brady will be yours soon enough."

"She will be," said EJ with renewed certainty, "I promise you that Father and that is why I wanted to talk to you about the errand you wanted me to do for you."

"Ah yes," nodded Stefano, "The errand. I have a task for you Elvis. A man I have been doing business with has become… difficult… of late. I need some kind of insurance that he will continue to be as accommodating as he has been in the past."

"Do you need me to rule up a contract Father?" asked EJ, "I can make sure it's tight one - no loop holes for him to wiggle through."

"There is a time for the law and then there is a time for action," said Stefano firmly.

"And what kind of action did you have in mind Father?" asked EJ calmly.

"He has an office in a warehouse on the south side," said Stefano, "The man in question is a Derek Martinez, he owns a few packing firms and I've had him do some work for me in the past. Lately he has been getting a little pushy for my liking so I need you to go to retrieve some information for me that will keep him a little more respectful in his dealings with me. Martinez and I had some mutual dealings with a Greg Weston and there will be records on his computer in the warehouse. I need you to access those details, make a copy and bring them to me. It will be a little insurance policy against any escalating unpleasantness eh?"

"I see," said EJ slowly, "So you just need someone to get into the warehouse, download the information and get out again - is that correct Father?"

"That is right," nodded Stefano.

"And is there some reason that it has to be tomorrow?" asked EJ evenly, "Couldn't it be done tonight or Sunday?"

"There is only one guard on Saturday night and he will be distracted by a shipment that is coming in," said Stefano, "It is the perfect time to gain access."

"I'm sorry Father," said EJ with a bit of a frown, "This seems pretty straight forward, I'm uncertain why you need me to be the one to do this."

Stefano stalled in raising his glass to his lips, looking at EJ over the rim of his glass.

"Excuse me?" he asked; his voice steady as he put his hand back down and regarded EJ unblinkingly, "Are you refusing my request Elvis?"

"It's not that Father," said EJ earnestly, making a placating motion with his hands, "I'm just not seeing why you need me to do this job when any number of the men on your payroll would be adequate to do such a simple job."

"If it appears so simple then I am unsure of why you are hesitating my son," commented Stefano coolly.

"It just doesn't seem necessary that I should be involved," shrugged EJ, "I really do think that one of your paid men could do the job easily."

"So you're denying my request then?" asked Stefano, his face beginning to darken.

"I'm asking if there is someone else who can do it," said EJ with a bit of a frown, not having expected this much resistance from his father, "That is all."

"And all I am asking is for my son to do as I request," said Stefano, his voice hardening, "As you said Elvis, this is a simple task and I'm unsure why you are hesitating like this. Is there something you want to tell me my son?"

"Of course not," said EJ quickly, "It's just that you haven't really explained to me why it is so desperately important that I am the one that does this for you."

"Your place is not to question little brother, it is to simply obey."

EJ jaw tightened at hearing Tony's voice coming from behind him.

"Do you mind Tony?" said EJ tersely, not bothering to turn around, "Father and I were just having a private conversation."

"Is that right?" asked Tony laconically, strolling into the room, "From what I heard it sounded like you were being a rebellious son."

"This has nothing to do you with you Tony," said EJ tightly, still keeping his back to him as the other man came up behind him.

"You know if I were you I'd be far more eager to prove my worth to Father than you seem to be," commented Tony idly.

"Meaning?" asked EJ sharply, closing his eyes and willing himself to remain calm around his older brother.

"Meaning that you have a lot to prove little brother," said Tony indolently, "So far to date your achievements have been racing cars around in circles, bedding numerous pretty but sadly stupid little girls and doing some paperwork with that law degree of yours. And you think that is enough to hold you in good stead to inherit the empire our father has spent his entire life building up? You're audacity is breathtaking Elvis."

EJ whirled around then, his face set angrily at his brother's disparaging words.

"Oh I do beg your pardon Antony," he said tersely, "But my father didn't create some mindless drone when he raised me. He has always encouraged me to question and examine things and that is all I'm doing. Now I'm sorry that you are not your own man…"

"Not my own man!" scoffed Tony and looked genuinely amused by EJ's barb, "To hear those words come from your lips is like seeing the personification of irony standing right there in front of me in a cheap pair of shoes."

EJ's eyes narrowed at that, Tony didn't miss a thing apparently and had caught that EJ wasn't wearing his favourite pair of Mr Bianco shoes but rather another famous Italian designer. To Tony however if something wasn't handmade especially for you then it was cheap.

"Well seeing as there is already one mindless thug in the family I thought Father might appreciate some finesse to go with the brute force," said EJ tersely, "I'm going to go right ahead and assume that you are responsible for Alfonse DiGorgorio early demise shall I Tony? Very subtle I have to say. Can I ask though, did you bring the sledgehammer back through customs or did you carry it as onboard luggage."

"At least the people I kill stay dead little brother," countered Tony with a humourless smile, "I believe your one is still dallying in hospital. That wasn't exactly a triumph on your behalf now was it Elvis?"

"John is as good as dead," said EJ sharply, "It's just a matter of time."

"Is that in the same way that Samantha Brady is as good as pregnant?" asked Tony, turning the knife, "I'm beginning to see a pattern developing her Elvis… and it's not exactly a good one now is it?"

"Just how long were you standing outside the door listening into our conversation?" asked EJ bitterly.

"Long enough to hear that you've disappointed our Father," said Tony sweetly, "Yet again."

"Enough!" said Stefano loudly, coming to stand between his two sons, "Enough of this!"

He looked between the two of them angrily as EJ looked at Tony and the older man leant one arm on the back of a chair, lounging against it unconcernedly.

"You sound like old women bickering in the market place!" said Stefano in annoyance, "You are brothers and you are DiMera's and I demand that you act like both! I will not stand for dissention in the family do you hear me?!"

"I'm sorry father," said EJ quietly, frustrated at himself for letting Tony get to him, "I didn't mean to upset you. It seems Tony and I don't bring out the best in each other."

"Well it is enough!" said Stefano firmly, "No more. You are brothers and you will be brothers long after I am dead and buried. It is important that you find a way to get along with one another!"

"Of course Father," said Tony coolly, "And like Elvis, I didn't mean to upset you. I was just concerned at seeing Elvis' lack of loyalty to the family and reacted badly I suppose."

"My loyalty to this family has never been in question Tony," said EJ curtly, watching as Tony walked around and poured himself a glass of scotch that the other two men were drinking, "I was merely asking some questions of Father, of course I will do as he asked."

At this point EJ didn't really feel like he could refuse his father's request and felt a swell of frustration rise up in him.

"Excellent," said Stefano happily, "Than that is settled. Elvis, you will stay for dinner no?"

"I'm sorry but I can't Father," said EJ with a little smile, "I've already made some plans."

"Hopefully plans that will result in Father being able to have some stem cells sooner rather than later eh little brother?" said Tony indolently, "You really need to get a move along with that you know. What's the matter, your little brood mare a bit more of a handful than you first thought?"

"I don't care to discuss my relationship with Samantha with you Tony," said EJ curtly, looking down at his drink rather than at his brother for fear he would really lose his temper, "And I'll thank you not to refer to Samantha in such crass terms."

"Elvis is right," said Stefano sharply, "Samantha will one day bear the name of DiMera and is to be given the respect that privilege demands."

"Thank you Father," said EJ quietly, giving him an appreciative look even as Tony pulled a face at the thought of Sami becoming a DiMera, "But I really must be going now."

He put down his drink and hugged Stefano.

"I enjoyed our talk," he told him.

"As did I my son," nodded Stefano affectionately.

"Tony," said EJ tersely as he turned to leave.

"Elvis," Tony responded in kind and watched the younger man leave the room.

"You shouldn't trust him," said Tony dourly once EJ had left.

"Why wouldn't I trust him Tony?" asked Stefano calmly, walking over and pouring himself a scotch, "He's my son and he is loyal to me."

"His loyalties are divided Father," said Tony shortly, "That Brady woman is turning his head. She's become his weakness… his Achilles' heel."

"I seem to recall you having similar weaknesses in the past Tony," said Stefano calmly.

"I learnt from my mistakes Father," said Tony sharply, "The only thing that matters is family. I fear my little brother hasn't learnt that lesson yet."

"I raised Elvis," said Stefano with great certainty, "His loyalty has always been to me… and it always will."

Tony pulled face then and looked away, taking a sip of his own scotch.

"Something to say my son?" asked Stefano coolly, seeing the displeased look on his eldest son's face.

"Yes as a matter of fact," said Tony tightly.

"Then speak," said Stefano with an expansive wave of his hand.

"I think you trust my little brother more than you should," said Tony bitingly, "You look at him and see your father and it blinds you to certain realities."

"So I am blind now?" asked Stefano, his suddenly ominous tone cautioning Tony to tread lightly.

"Perhaps," said Tony defiantly, not backing down, "You have to admit that his reluctance this evening should give you pause for thought Father but you don't seemed concerned at all."

"I know my sons," said Stefano coolly, "I know their virtues and I know their downfalls. Do not mistake my failing health to be an indication of my failing capacities to control my family Antony - that would be a grave mistake on your behalf."

"I only want what is best for you and for our family," said Tony quickly, seeing that he'd annoyed his father, "Please Father, you must believe that."

"Of course I do," said Stefano, suddenly smiling as he patted Tony's face lovingly, "Do not worry about your brother. He is a DiMera first and foremost - he will never betray us."

Stefano put down his glass than and looked suddenly tired.

"I need to rest," he said and looked unhappy at the thought.

"Of course Father," nodded Tony, "Do you need me to help you to your room?"

"I am not dead yet," frowned Stefano, annoyed at the thought of being seen weak by anyone.

Stefano turned around and began to slowly walk out of the room.

"I will see you at dinner no?" he asked him, looking back over his shoulder.

"You will," nodded Tony with a smile and Stefano nodded, heading slowly towards the stairs.

The smile slipped from Tony's face once his father was gone from the room.

"You may have our father's trust but you don't have mine little brother," he muttered as he took another sip from his drink, "I'm going to do what it takes to protect this family - even from one of our own if need be."

oooOOOOooo

EJ sat in his car after leaving his father and Tony, contemplating what had just happened. He really hadn't envisaged such a reaction from his father when he'd try to deny him his request. EJ had seen this side of his father before but never directed towards him. He understood that underlings had to be kept in their place but he was Stefano's son so surely that made a difference. It would seem it did not though and Sami's mocking words came to his head.

"_You are about to get a rude awakening EJ…" _

EJ leant back in the car seat and looked unseeingly out the window. He'd always known that his father was a complex man with many sides but EJ had always thought he understood him completely. There had been something in his father's eyes when EJ had tried to tell him no that he hadn't seen directed at him before - a decided coldness. For an instant EJ couldn't see the loving father and wise counsellor that he had always known. In that split second he'd seen the glimpse of a man who would not stand for anyone to do his bidding, regardless of who they might be.

EJ shook his head impatiently at his sudden doubts. He was not going to dismiss the experiences of the last twenty six years of his life with his father over a little disagreement. No matter how hard Sami might try to convince him otherwise EJ knew his father and he wasn't the soulless monster that she made him out to be. He was just a man who knows what he wants and how to get and EJ respected that because he was the same way. Now all he had to do was come up with a plan that would enable him to be in two places at the same time so he could prove himself to both Sami and his father.

_How hard could that be... right? _

**Chapter FIFTY THREE**** - ****The Devil Is In The Detail**

In baiting a mousetrap with cheese, always leave room for the mouse.  
_~Saki~_

_EJ lay on his back, one arm flung above his head as he slept soundly. He stirred slightly as he felt something tickle along his chest and then trail down his chest and lower as his stomach muscles tensed._

_He opened his eyes and blinked blearily as the blonde woman sitting up beside him facing towards him smiled down at him lovingly._

"_Samantha," breathed EJ, looking up at her, "Is that you?"_

"_Yes of course EJ," she said with a little laugh, "Who else?"_

_She'd called him EJ, not Elvis and EJ blew out a sigh of relief. This was the real Samantha, well, the real imaginary Samantha that is, not that crazed witch Sam. _

"_Who else do you dream of?" she teased him with a smile._

"_You," said EJ happily, reaching out a hand to her, "Only you my darling, only ever you… always."_

_EJ pulled her over so that she was lying on top of him, capturing her mouth in a fierce kiss, hungry for the taste of her. While his tongue plundered the depths of her mouth EJ's hands went to the bottom of the little slip she was wearing and grabbed the ends, pulling it back up her body and having to break the kiss for a moment as he pulled it over her head and discarded it carelessly. Sami was naked now, obviously having not bothered with the trifles of underwear which EJ was very pleased about. He rolled her over then, resting his weight on his elbows as he held himself over her._

"_I can't wait for you Samantha," he told her urgently, one hand going to his pyjama pants and pushing them down hurriedly, not even bothering to discard them properly._

_Sami parted her legs for him and EJ instantly drove himself home into her. _

"_Oh yes!" she sighed, arching her back and helping him penetrate her more deeply._

"_Oh god sweetheart!" hissed EJ, "That feels so good!"_

_She wrapped her legs around his waist, hooking her ankles together._

"_Hurry!" she begged him, her nails digging into his back as she squirmed under him._

_EJ made a little growling noise and immediately began to thrust hard into her, setting a quick rhythm. _

"_I need this so badly sweetheart!" he groaned, feeling his climax already starting to build, "You have no idea!"_

"_So do I!" she gasped as EJ's thrusting became decidedly more urgent, "Oh god don't stop!"_

_EJ moaned and buried his face in the crook of Sami's neck, breathing in the smell of her skin even as his lower body began a near frantic dance inside of her. _

"_God I'm so close!" he grunted, his head swimming as he felt his balls tighten and EJ knew his release was drawing tantalising near._

"_Is there room for one more?" _

_EJ's eyes snapped open and he turned his head to see Sam kneeling on the bed beside them, dressed in her usual lingerie and smirking down at them. Samantha turned her head to look as well from underneath EJ and her eyes widened in surprise when she saw the other woman on the bed._

"_EJ?" she asked in confusion._

"_Go away!" bit out EJ through clenched teeth, his hips still rapidly driving his aching manhood into Sami, not needing EJ's brain at this point._

"_But it looks like it's just about to get good," pouted Sam, sitting on the bed now and giving Sami a wink, "Hiya cutey, having fun?"_

_Samantha turned back and looked up at EJ, her face full of uncertainty._

"_Ignore her!" he pleaded with her desperately, needing to keep going more than anything. _

"_I can't," she said wide eyed._

"_Don't go!" he begged her but it was too late, all of a sudden EJ was lying face down on the bed with no Sami underneath or around him for that matter._

A little fact his painfully swollen manhood was complaining bitterly about to EJ as he lay there, a sweaty mass of thwarted passion.

"SON OF A BITCH!!" raged EJ, pounding the bed with both hands as his frustration grew to almost titanic proportions.

He buried his head in the bed sheets, his shoulders heaving as he fought to bring himself back under control. His ragged breathing filled the air as he lay there, an agony of desperate need and soul destroying frustration. Sam however seemed oblivious to his plight.

"_Alone at last hmm?" she sighed, snuggling up to him on the bed and EJ jerked away, pulling his pyjama pants up as he did._

He rolled out of bed, grabbing the bottle of water that he kept on the night stand and threw it all over his face, determined to find a way to banish her from his dreams once and for all. He opened his eyes and blinked away the water that was streaming down his face to find Sam looking back at him in amusement.

"_You're doing it wrong sweet cheeks," she told him with a smirk, "I'm the one who's meant to get wet."_

Sam paused then for effect, a sultry look coming over her face.

"_Which I am," she purred up at him sexily, "In case you're wondering. You put on a good show."_

"I'm not wondering!" snapped EJ, wondering in despair what he'd done to deserve these continual visits from his scantily clad tormentor.

"_Ug!" said Sam with a roll of her eyes, "This goody two shoes version of you Elvis is boring the ass off me."_

Sam's lips quirked then as she looked up at him.

"_I mean that figuratively not literally," she clarified with a smirk, her hand going to one firm bottom cheek as she lay on her side and slapping it hard so that it made a rather enticing sound, "Obviously… I've still got my ass… if you're interested Elvis."_

"Which I'm not," rasped EJ, his tone and the way his eyes were riveted to her shapely behind pretty much making a mockery of that statement.

"_Clearly," she said mockingly, taking in his rapt attention of her backside. _

She looked him up and down then and shook her head at him in vague disgust.

"_So exactly how much longer do you think you'll be able to keep this up for Elvis?" she asked him conversationally but then her eyes dropped to the rather obvious bulge in the front of EJ's pyjama bottoms and gave him a wicked look, "Or should that be how much longer you think you can keep this down for?" _

"I can last out as long as Samantha can," said EJ sharply, knowing there was nothing he could do about the tenting situation going on downstairs, particularly with Sam lying there like that, practically naked.

"_Doubtful," sniffed Sam, "You're hanging by a thread Elvis, a very, very thin thread - it's only a matter of time before you snap."_

She sat up then on the bed so that she was kneeling and walked over on her knees to where EJ was standing, now empty water bottle still in hand. She reached out a hand and dragged her knuckles down the centre of EJ's chest, over his corded stomach and lower still until she was rubbing the back of her hand against his straining erection. EJ made a grunting noise as Sam caressed him lightly over the material of his pyjama pants, his hard on jerking wildly at her soft touch. His fingers curled, crushing the plastic water bottle noisily in his hand without him even realising it. Sam continued to fondle him as EJ made no move to stop her like he usually did. She moved closer and began to press kisses to his still damp chest as EJ's eyelids began to droop. He looked at the blonde head peppering kisses to his chest, hissing slightly as she bit playfully down on a tight nipple and let himself believe it was Samantha and for a desperate moment he couldn't deny himself this phantom's touch. As EJ continued to remain still under her ministrations Sam grew more bold, increasing the pressure of her touches on his now fully distended manhood.

"_Come on baby," she purred, rubbing her full breasts against his chest now, "Wouldn't you like to snap right now? Wouldn't you like to take this body…slide yourself deep into me… end all this agony and take what you need?"_

EJ's hands suddenly gripped the top of Sam's arms so tightly that had she been real there would have been bruises left. He hauled her up his body so that Sam's knees were lifted off the bed and caught her mouth in a punishing kiss that brooked no resistance. When he was done assaulting her mouth EJ pushed her roughly back onto the bed where she looked up at him in surprise.

"I need Samantha," he said harshly, "Not a cheap copy!"

EJ turned on his heel then leaving a pouting Sam on the bed and stalked towards the bathroom towards yet another cold shower to start his day with.

"_A very thin thread," muttered Sam as she watched him disappear into the bathroom._

oooOOOOooo

Sami opened the door later that afternoon to find EJ lounging against the door frame.

"Hello sweetheart," he said brightly, "Ready for our paint date?"

"I thought you had other plans," said Sami, giving him a considered look, "Didn't your father book your services today?"

"And I told you that I was going to deny his request," said EJ calmly, "And here I am."

"And Stefano was alright with that?" asked Sami sceptically, "You saying no to him?"

"He was perfectly fine with it," lied EJ smoothly, "He really isn't the ogre that you make him out to be you know darling."

"Yes he is," said Sami flatly, "But I suppose even ogres have their good days."

"So is that your version of an apology for underestimating my father?" asked EJ wryly.

"Trust me EJ," said Sami sourly, "I would never underestimate what that man is capable of."

EJ let that slide, in too good a mood about how this was turning out to quibble with her.

"So do you want to be on the top or the bottom?" he asked her straight faced.

"What?!" exclaimed Sami, her eyes widening at the question.

"With the painting sweetheart," he clarified looking at her ever so innocently, "Do you want to paint the top or the bottom bits?"

The little smirk on his face told Sami he knew immediately where her mind had gone with that question and if she had any doubts about that then his next words removed them.

"If memory serves Samantha," he said, his smile becoming decidedly wicked now, "You enjoy both positions."

"This is going to be a long day isn't it?" asked Sami with an exasperated sigh as EJ began his flirting early.

"Quite possibly," agreed EJ happily as he moved into the room, closing the door behind him, "But how hard it's going to be will be completely up to you sweetheart."

EJ gave her a cheeky wink then and started to head towards the bedroom.

"This could be a mistake," said Sami to the no one in particular but even knowing that she turned and followed EJ into the bedroom.

oooOOOOooo

TWENTY FOUR HOURS PREVIOUSLY:

"_So do you understand what you have to do Bart?" asked EJ, after having gone over the plan for the third._

"_Sure thing Mr DiMera," nodded Bart accommodatingly, "I'm to wait until eight o'clock and then go to the warehouse on King Street and break in…"_

"_Pick the lock Bart," interrupted EJ with a little grimace, "You told me you could pick the lock - I don't want any mess left behind."_

"_Sure thing," nodded Bart eagerly, "I meant pick the lock. So I pick the lock, find the office area and access the computer with the code thingy you gave me and download the Weston file and copy it to a disk."_

"_And?" prompted EJ, becoming vaguely impatient with the man now. _

"_And then I leave," finished Bart triumphantly._

"_After shutting down the computer and making sure it looks like no one was there," EJ reminded him in exasperation._

"_Oh yeah boss," nodded Bart with a big grin that EJ tried to find reassuring._

"_Now remember Bart," said EJ firmly, "This is just between you and I. I don't want you discussing this with anyone else - this is our little secret alright?"_

"_You can count on me boss," said Bart, tapping his nose and winking at him, "Bart knows what he's doing."_

"_Bart better bloody know what he's doing because I'm not going to stand for any cock ups," said EJ, his tone hardening, "Do you understand me?"_

_Bart pulled a little bit of a confused face then._

"_Not really," he said honestly._

"_A cock up is a mistake Bart," said EJ tersely, "I don't want there to be any mistakes!"_

_EJ had weighed up Bart's loyalty to the family against his rather limited intelligence and it had come out on the side of his loyalty being more important to keep EJ's secret. Comments like that though made EJ wonder if he should run the numbers again._

"_No problem Mr D," said Bart happily, "Consider it done."_

"_Mm," said EJ and gave him a measured look, hoping he was backing the right horse with this one._

oooOOOOooo

Sami walked back into the room and gasped with horror when she saw what EJ had done in her absence. He'd taken the base coat and written 'EJ loves SB' on the wall, complete with a love heart encircling it and all.

"What are you doing?" she asked in horror, her eyes going wide at the huge piece of graffiti that took up nearly half the wall.

"I remember you were complaining to me once that your sister had these littered all over Salem," said EJ with a grin, "I thought I'd even it up somewhat."

Sami looked at the giant declaration of love and despite her best intention there was just something about that gesture that deeply touched Sami. It had been an old wound of hers that so many men had felt the need to openly inscribe their love for Carrie in door posts whilst Sami had been left out in the cold. It surprised Sami that EJ should remember their conversation and care enough to do something about it but then again, EJ always was full of surprises.

"From what you've told me Carrie may have more of these," said EJ conversationally, looking back and admiring his handiwork before looking at her with a teasing grin, "But yours is bigger."

"Size doesn't matter EJ," said Sami, trying not to be beguiled by his playfulness.

"Oh I think we both know _that_ isn't true sweetheart," said EJ with a decidedly devilish smile and a wink.

Sami flushed and had a sudden image of EJ naked and aroused, moving over her and she couldn't help but shudder.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking Samantha?" he asked her throatily, walking over to where she was standing blushing so prettily.

Sami looked up at him uncertainly as EJ came to stand right in front of her and she swallowed hard, suddenly very nervous.

"I'm thinking we'd better get this base coat on otherwise we'll be here until midnight," said EJ straight faced and Sami realised he was playing with her and she sent him a disgruntled look.

"What?" he asked innocently, "That was what I was thinking about sweetheart. Why… weren't you?"

"Bottom," said Sami flatly and EJ's eyebrows arched up at that as Sami smiled sweetly up at him, "I'll take the bottom half of the walls and you can do the top half - it would seem the most sensible thing don't you think EJ?"

"If you say so darling," said EJ with a grin, "But can I say I've never minded being on my knees in front of you… in fact I've always rather enjoyed it."

"Paint EJ!" said Sami firmly, turning away before he could see her blush again.

Five and a half hours later and they were finally starting to look as though they might be finished that night. It had taken way longer than Sami had thought it would by the time EJ had moved all the furniture and she'd covered it and then they'd had to prepare the walls, cleaning them all down and then there was the base coat and of course two top coats. EJ as it turned out had been quite the meticulous workman - his mantra being that if a job is worth doing it is worth doing right. They'd stopped for dinner at around six and EJ had ordered Chinese take out which they ate straight out of the box as they waited for the base coat to dry and despite herself Sami had begun to relax and enjoy their time together. As soon as dinner was over with though EJ had ordered her back to work and Sami had grumbled about him being a harsh taskmaster but seeing as she was the one benefiting from all this work she couldn't really complain.

"You missed a bit," observed EJ as he stood back and looked around the room as they finally finished the second coat.

"I did not!" said Sami indignantly, looking where EJ was pointing.

"Yes you did," argued EJ, "Look, that spot in the corner is lighter than the rest of the wall. See, I told you this would happen with that slap dash technique you had for applying paint to the wall."

"It was not slap dash!" pouted Sami, putting her hands on her hips in mock outrage, "It was a clever series of intricate brush technique designed to cover the most amount of wall in the least amount of brush strokes. It was just too complicated for someone like you to appreciate."

This little battle had been raging on and off all afternoon and into the night when EJ had looked at horror at Sami's rather laissez-faire approach to painting. All of EJ's strokes had been meticulously neat and even whilst Sami's… not so much.

"Complicated?" smirked EJ, "Sweetheart you adopted the same technique as those elephants at the zoo that the keepers give them a paintbrush to hold in their trunks and they slap paint on a canvas with it."

"Are you calling me an elephant EJ DiMera?" asked Sami with feigned indignation.

"Absolutely not darling," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "I'm just saying that an elephant taught you how to paint a room."

Sami slapped his arm for that piece of insolence to which EJ just laughed and Sami couldn't help the corners of her mouth turning up.

"I see that smile," EJ said knowingly and wiggled his eyebrows at her playfully over his shoulder as he crouched down and fixed up the missed bit, "You're having fun."

"I absolutely am not!" huffed Sami and quickly turned away so that he wouldn't see her smile widen, "The fumes are just making me light headed is all."

"Is that right sweetheart?" laughed EJ, not buying it for a moment.

"Yes," she sniffed and tried to look stand offish but in no way pulling it off.

She had enjoyed herself today… damn the man.

"Speaking of fumes," said EJ, straightening up now that he'd painted the little corner bit and turning around to face her, "You can't sleep here tonight Samantha. Even with the windows open you'll do yourself a permanent mischief from the fumes."

"I'm going to sleep in the spare room," said Sami unconcernedly.

"It's nearly as bad," protested EJ, "You're whole apartment reeks sweetheart!"

"I'll just go over to Kate's then," said Sami with a shrug.

EJ glanced down at his watch and then back to Sami.

"It's a quarter to nine at night Samantha," he pointed out reasonably, "Kate probably already has Lucas tucked up in bed with his bottle."

"Cute," said Sami with a roll of her eyes.

"Look it's obvious," said EJ casually, "You'll stay with me tonight."

"Oh right," snorted Sami, "That isn't going to happen EJ!"

"It will be strictly platonic I promise," said EJ with a charming smile, "I'm merely offering you a bed for the night - that's all."

"And will you be in that bed EJ?" she asked him sweetly, folding her arms in front of her chest and arching a challenging eyebrow at him.

"Well yes," said EJ looking very innocent, "It is my bed after all."

"No deal," said Sami flatly.

"Samantha it's late," argued EJ, "And I don't know about you but I'm knackered. All I'm offering you is a fume free place to lay your head."

"And can I expect that to be the only laying that is going to be attempted EJ?" she asked him sweetly.

EJ couldn't help but burst out laughing at that little quip.

"On my honour sweetheart," he vowed to her, laying his hand over his heart and looking very sincere.

"Shouldn't you promise on something you actually have EJ?" she baited him with a smirk.

"Alright," he grinned, playing along, "I promise on my black heart instead - how does that sound sweetheart? I'd swear to you on my soul but I've already promised that to Satan so I guess we'll have to make do."

Sami narrowed her eyes, looking at him suspiciously.

"Okay," she said finally, "But no funny business EJ - got that?"

"Absolutely," said EJ looking very serious but there was a definite twinkle to his eyes that was exactly reassuring to Sami.

oooOOOOooo

EJ finished brushing his teeth and looked back at his smiling reflection. It had been wonderful sharing the day with Sami and he could see her resolve weakening all the time against her ridiculous stance about them never having a relationship. Whether she was prepared to admit it or not they were in a relationship right then and all EJ had to do was convince her of that little fact. He walked from the bathroom down the hall to his bedroom where he knew Sami was waiting for him, his body tight with anticipation. EJ had let her shower and get ready for bed first, ever the gentleman and now all he could think about was that he was going to be sharing a bed with the woman he loved again after nearly a month apart.

EJ entered his bedroom, about to make some little teasing comment but it died on his lips at the sight that met his eyes. Sami was already curled up in bed and fast asleep. He knew she wasn't foxing either, the way her face was utterly relaxed and her breathing slow and regular told EJ that she really was asleep. She'd been yawning her head off for the last half hour when they'd been finishing cleaning up the room so EJ wasn't exactly surprised that the exhaustion from all that painting had over taken her. He walked over to the bed and sat beside her, looking down at her.

"God but you're beautiful," he whispered adoringly to the sleeping Sami.

Sami didn't even stir and a tender smile touched EJ's lips. He wanted a life time of this, her sleeping in his bed, waking up next to her and knowing that she was his forever. EJ knew that today had impacted on Sami, the fact that they could have real fun together and get along when needs be. It had to give her a glimpse into what their future would be like together and EJ just didn't know how she could continue to turn her back on that. Every moment that EJ was with her it felt like he had come home, that he'd found his rest and contentment. It was impossible to believe that Sami didn't feel exactly the same way but was stubbornly holding onto a fantasy. And the infuriating thing was that it wasn't even her fantasy but rather one others had for her. EJ tucked the covers in around Sami as she lay soundly sleeping.

"Goodnight sweetheart," he whispered to her, bending down and kissing her cheek gently.

EJ lay down on the bed beside Sami, spooning his body up against hers as he put his arms around her. Sami was so deeply asleep that she didn't even stir, even as EJ tangled his legs with hers. He blew out a happy sigh, snuggling in closer to her, just thrilling to having her in his arms again.

And for the first time since coming home from the island the two of them slept the deep, uninterrupted sleep of two contented people.

oooOOOOooo

"Oh no, oh no, OH NO!"

Bart stood over the unmoving body of the security guard, the smoking gun still in his hand and tried not to panic. Everything had been going so well and he had the disk EJ had asked him to retrieve safely in his back pocket and then suddenly this guy had walked around the corner and Bart had panicked, pulling his gun and shooting the man. He made a pained expression and tentatively reached out a foot and nudged the unmoving man, hoping for some sign of life but it wasn't to be.

"Uh oh," said Bart, looking stricken, "Boss man is not going to be pleased about this."

Working for the DiMera's as long as he had he had no doubt about how one of them would react to a plan not going to… well, plan. They paid well but you had to deal with a lot of crazy and Bart knew that both Stefano and Tony would kill in a heartbeat if it suited him and although the youngest DiMera talked all fancy like Bart was pretty sure that particular fruit didn't fall far from the tree. Bart made a quick decision not to say anything about this little mishap to EJ, hoping it would all come out in the wash. After all he had the disk so there was no reason for EJ to ask any more questions… right? Bart hoped so at least.

"Sorry," he apologised to the dead man on the ground and really was, "My bad."

With that Bart turned around and made a bolt for his car, intent on putting as much distance between himself and the scene of the crime as he could. His car roared away into the night as a man emerged from some nearby bushes and shook his head.

"You're not exactly the sharpest tool in the tool shed now are you Bart?" he asked aloud to no one in particular as the other man didn't exactly make a quiet getaway, "I don't know where Father finds them… I really don't."

He walked over to the dead security guard and looked down at him with interest.

"Well, well Elvis," said Tony mockingly, "You should take a leaf out of your big brother's book it would seem. If you want a job done right…"

Tony reached into his coat pocket and drew out a single man's glove, crouching down and carefully lifting the security guard's body up and putting the glove underneath him.

"… do it yourself," finished off Tony as he straightened up and gave a satisfied smirk at his handiwork.

**Chapter FIFTY FOUR**** - ****I Spy With My Little Eye**

We do what we must, and call it by the best names.  
_~Ralph Waldo Emerson~_

Two days later it was about seven o'clock at night and EJ was returning home for the evening. He quickly opened the door to his apartment and walked in, carelessly throwing his car keys on the kitchen counter as he immediately went to his lap top and fired it up. He'd had to go out for most of the afternoon until now and he was eager to see what had been happening in apartment 32 while he was gone. Sami had been continuing to avoid him ever since waking up in bed with him and being clearly flustered by that fact in the cold hard light of day. She was doing quite well at avoiding him too considering they worked together and she only lived a few feet away. Sami was a talented girl alright and even though it was frustrating the hell out of him at the moment he still couldn't help but admire her for it.

The other little annoyance that EJ was currently dealing with was that Lucas had come home yesterday. The only thing that made that in anyway acceptable to EJ was that he still had that doctor from the hospital under his thumb and the ban on sex was still firmly in place. Sami had been very insistent about following doctor's orders and even though she claimed it was because she wanted what was best for Lucas EJ knew it was really because she couldn't bear the thought of any man but him touching her. The screen of his lap top flickered into life and EJ immediately opened the software he was interested in. The computer screen split into four separate pictures as the surveillance cameras he'd installed in Sami's apartment came to life. Sami suddenly appeared on his screen, walking from the bedroom and out into the living room.

"Hello sweetheart," he smiled at her image, reaching out a finger to stroke her face on the screen, "I've missed you today. How's my best girl eh?"

Sami didn't answer of course but she did turn around and smile brightly as Lucas emerged from the bedroom, still on crutches. EJ grimaced then, his happiness at seeing Sami instantly dissolving on seeing the other man. If he tried really hard he could just about block out the fact that Samantha was sharing an apartment with this man again but it was getting harder to do when he kept cropping up in the video feed. EJ blew out an annoyed breath. Lucas spoke but he didn't quite catch it so he immediately turned up the sound.

"… _so I shouldn't be that long," finished off Lucas._

"You'll never be long," EJ smirked, enjoying being mean to Lucas just for the sake of it, even if the other man couldn't hear it, "I think at your age we can rule out a growth spurt eh Stumpy?"

"_Oh," replied Sami with a bit of a frown, "Are you sure you'll be alright to go by yourself Lucas?"_

EJ perked up at that. So Lucas was heading out for the night, excellent - he could do with a little alone time with Sami. As much fun as their little games had been the few weeks or so he was starting to feel the need to get this show on the road. Samantha could run all she liked but she couldn't hide… especially not while he had The Samantha Brady Show streaming into his apartment 24/7.

"_Do you want me to come with you?" asked Sami._

"_To see my Mom?" asked Lucas sceptically, moving over to the door to get his coat, "I don't think that's going to work out well do you Sami?"_

"_I guess not," she grimaced, "But will you be able to manage?"_

"_I've called a cab," said Lucas with a smile, "Don't worry honey."_

"_Okay," she said, going to help him with his coat, "Give Kate my love."_

"_Really?" asked Lucas in surprise._

"_Of course not!" snorted Sami in disgust, "What is wrong with you Lucas?!"_

"Oh," sighed EJ shaking his head, listening to every word, "_Such_ a good question Samantha - perhaps you should take some time to think about the answer to that eh my love?"

EJ watched as Sami opened the door for him and he leant over to kiss her good bye. EJ's lips curled up in distaste at the familiar gesture. He hated the thought of Sami kissing anyone but him… hell, he hated the thought of anyone other than himself looking at her, let alone touching her. Lucas hobbled through the door on his crutches.

"Bye bye Lucas," he muttered, "Have a lovely evening and don't let the door hit your ass on the way out will you."

EJ could hear them in the hall now and quickly turned down the sound on his computer - no sense in advertising the little set up he had here now was there? Sami and Lucas said their final goodbyes and EJ could hear Lucas heading towards the elevator, his crutches making a clumping noise as he went. The ding of the elevator doors told EJ that he was gone and he turned the sound back up even though Sami no longer had anyone to talk to.

"So just the two of us now eh my darling?" he smiled at the computer screen as Sami locked the door behind Lucas.

Sami looked around the room and sighed, seeming a bit lost all of a sudden. She sat on the sofa and picked up a magazine from the coffee table and flicked through it listlessly but quickly became bored with that and threw it back from whence it came.

"What's the matter sweetheart?" EJ asked of her curiously, seeing her unsettled behaviour and was immediately intrigued, "Something on your mind… or maybe some_one_ perhaps?"

Sami got up then and wandered back into the bedroom before making her way to the bathroom. EJ switched screens so he could watch her but he only had audio once she was in the bathroom. He'd meant what he said to Sam - the cameras were all about fact finding and even though it was doubtful that Sami would believe him if she ever found out what he'd done, he didn't want to invade her privacy. The sound of the shower running told him she was showering and he nodded.

"Good idea Samantha," he said, getting up, "I think I'll join you."

EJ quickly headed off into his own bathroom and took a shower as well, emerging less than five minutes later damp and refreshed, wearing only low slung black sweat pants.

He immediately headed back to the computer to find that Sami was still in her shower and he smiled, remembering her love of long showers from the island. At least another five minutes later Sami emerged from the bathroom and headed down the little hallway and out into the living room again. She was all pink and glowing from her shower and EJ closed his eyes briefly and inhaled, imagining himself able to smell the scent of her soap on her skin. He opened his eyes again to see her checking the lock on her front door again. She hesitated and unlocked it, peaking out and staring directly across the hall at his front door. EJ grinned and looked over at the door.

"I'm thinking about you too Samantha," he told her, happy to know he was on her mind.

Sami quickly shut the door again and locked it up tight, as though she was intent on keeping the devil himself out. But EJ couldn't help but wonder if she was more concerned about keeping herself in then him out. Sami wandered back to the sofa then and picked up the previously discarded magazine and tried again to have it hold her interest but she quickly gave up, throwing it back on the coffee table with disgust.

She lay back on the sofa then, stretching herself out and looking up at the ceiling as she sighed heavily, the bathrobe she was wearing falling open. The little pink satin slip she had on underneath as pyjamas rode up as she swung her feet up onto the sofa and settled back against the cushions and EJ's eyes were drawn to the pale flesh on display. He remembered how her thighs felt under his hands, how it felt to have them wrapped around him, holding him deep inside her. Involuntarily his hands clenched, feeling the blood start to quicken in his veins at the memory. She lay there for a few minutes, looking up at the ceiling and EJ would have given a lot to know exactly what it was she was thinking about right then.

Sami touched her fingers to her lips then and rubbed them back and forth over their softness. EJ tilted his head, watching her, completely intrigued. The breath caught in his throat then as that same hand started to drift downwards, over her chin and throat and down between the valley of her breasts. The camera he'd purchased for the surveillance was of very good quality, excellent resolution and because of that he was able to see her nipples harden, clearly outlined against the clinging material of her satin negligee. EJ moved in his chair, his body suddenly uncomfortable as it began to react helplessly to what he was seeing on the screen.

Sami's eyes fluttered shut as her hand moved up again to her shoulder and pushed first one and then the other spaghetti straps of her negligee off her shoulders. She pulled her arms out from the arm holes and then grabbed a handful of the material at her waist and then ever so slowly began to pull on it to expose her breasts to the cool night air. Sami gave a little shudder at the sensation of her the satin scrapping over the top of her sensitive nipples and she deliberately took her time, enjoying each second of it. She imagined it to be a velvety tongue, lapping at her, twirling at them and making them peak even harder.

She bit her lip and gave a little whimper at the sensation, beginning to lose herself in the fantasy. Soon her breasts were fully exposed and it felt decadent to know she was lying there on her couch, her breasts on display. Not that there was anyone to see them of course but she imagined warm brown eyes watching her, avidly noting every full curve and dip of her breasts. Sami gave a little moan and cupped them both with her hands. Her hands were too small to cover them completely but she squeezed and rolled them around, letting her nipples rub against her palm and enjoying their sudden hardness.

EJ's breathing had become ragged now, watching mesmerised as Sami began to touch herself. He hadn't expected this and knew should get up and walk away but he simply couldn't bring himself to do it. He'd been without her for too long now, his body craved her like a drug and unbidden his hand drifted to his flat stomach. He ran his fingers back and forth over the little smattering of fine black hair that was there, unable to take his eyes off the woman on his screen.

Sami settled back against the cushions more comfortably and gave a little groan of frustration. One hand left her breast and travelled over her flat stomach, over the satin that had pooled there and lower still, reaching the junction between her thighs. She wiggled down a bit, the hem of her short slip riding up even more and EJ could now see the little white panties she was wearing. He gave a groan, wondering if they were the same pair he'd had the pleasure of removing from her body on the island, the image very sharp in his mind now. His hand dipped lower, under the elastic band of his sweat pants and wrapped his hand around his growing erection even as Sami's hand slipped down her panties. She moaned and arched her back at the first touch of her fingers to the wetness she found there.

EJ released himself from the confines of his pants, no longer able to take being restricted in anyway. His throbbing member pulsed into life under his hand as he began to stroke the length of it, matching his actions to where he could see Sami's hand moving back and forth. She was a vision beyond compare and the only thing that would have made this better for EJ was if he'd been in the room with her, replacing her hand with his own, his fingers causing the whimpers of pleasure that were beginning to fall from her lips.

"Samantha," he said unevenly, picking up the pace with which he was working on his own body as he watched her do the same.

He imagined how wet she was right now, how glorious it would be to be able to slide his swollen length into all that moist heat, his aching member drenched in all her glorious juices. EJ moaned louder then, feeling a little of his seed already begin to dribble out of his tip and he used it to help lubricate his stroking. It had been so long since he'd been inside her now and the desperate need to return to that wet heat of hers was beginning to send him utterly mad.

Sami's finger had found her swollen nub and she was working on it frantically, needing to find some kind of release now. She closed her eyes tightly and imagined EJ sliding into her, stretching her walls and making her cry out. Her lips part as her breathing started to come in short pants, her excitement building. She imagined the excited grunting noises EJ made when he was getting close to climaxing inside of her, how he'd be working to find that magical spot that just drove her wild. Sami's hips began to thrust upwards, her body taking over even as she wished more than anything that she was impaled on his thick staff right then.

"EJ!" she groaned loudly just as her orgasm over took her and she bucked up wildly, trying desperately to continue to massage her nub and find some kind of lasting satisfaction.

As soon as EJ heard her cry out his name, letting him know for sure the it was him that she was fantasising about while pleasuring herself he couldn't hold on any longer.

"Samantha!"

He returned her cry even as his own frenzied pumping ensured his own release. Streaks of his hot seed spurted from his tip and hit his sweaty, heaving chest as EJ moaned helplessly throughout his climax, not caring how noisy he was being. He continued milking his slowly softening member, trying to prolong the sensations currently rioting through his body. Experience told him that as soon as he was done he would be filled with a hollow dissatisfaction from the act and he was trying to prolong it. Only Samantha could satisfy his desire nowadays and EJ knew that no sooner would he have cleaned himself up but that he would be aching for her again. He slumped back in his chair, willing his breathing to return to normal. EJ forced his eyes to remain open even though they were beginning to droop from the force of his release. He wanted to watch Sami enjoy the last minutes of her climax, her obvious pleasure adding to his own enjoyment.

Sami lay on the sofa panting madly as she came down from her high but it was only to find that the ache between her legs had increased rather than been abated by her actions. She groaned unhappily, pulling up her panties and rolling on her side as she drew her knees up to her chest. Sami was so frustrated that she could scream but she was afraid that if she started then she'd never stop. She looked over at the door of the apartment and knew EJ was a few short steps away and shuddered. It would only take a knock on the door and one word from her and EJ would be ready for her, Sami just knew it.

His responsiveness and stamina when it came to her seemed to know no limits. It was a little fact that despite all her best intentions not to, Sami enjoyed very much. She loved knowing that she could bring him to his knees with just a look if she wanted to and while he was on his knees get him to do anything she wanted. The trouble was that EJ had the same effect on her which was a bit tricky. They were both insatiable when it came to each other and that fact scared Sami. She'd never thought there was anything wrong with her sex life before she'd met EJ but now Sami didn't even know that she could call what she had before a sex life. What she had with EJ was so raw and passionate that it made everything that had come before seem like no more than holding hands.

Sami hated to admit it but it was with a real sense of relief that she'd been able to put Lucas' advances off these last two days. She so wanted his touch to thrill her, stir her blood but it just didn't anymore. The most passionate kiss from Lucas almost felt like a handshake to Sami nowadays and Sami despaired at what that might mean for them. She didn't want to lose Lucas and she kept praying that these feelings for EJ would just dry up and disappear for good. Sami had hung all her hopes on the fact that when Lucas was back home with her that it would have the magical effect of making her feel nothing for EJ. The horrible truth was that it hadn't of course and now Sami was really worried. All she figured that she could do though was to persevere and eventually her feelings for EJ would fade and her love for Lucas would be renewed and more passionate than ever after having been tested this way. It wasn't much of a plan as far as a Sami Brady plan went but at this point it was all that Sami could come up with.

EJ watched Sami balled up on the couch then and just knew that she was as frustrated as he was right then. He shook his head angrily, fed up with this continuing separation between them and for no good reason other than Sami's rampant stubbornness. EJ quickly cleaned himself up and then stood up, intent on going over to her apartment and claiming what was his and not interested in taking no for an answer. Sami wanted him and that little show she'd unwittingly put on for him more than confirmed it. EJ's whole body was on fire, needing a proper release, one that only Sami could give him and he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was feeling the same way. EJ's stalked over to his door, a man on a mission and opened the door only to hear the ding of the elevator. He poked his head out to see Lucas alighting from the lift a little clumsily with his crutches and he quickly closed the door again before the other man saw him.

His face clouded over, a wave of almost uncontrollable anger towards Lucas welling up inside of him. The man was like a dose of the clap decided EJ in annoyance, every time you thought you'd managed to get rid of it, it would suddenly rear up it's ugly head again. EJ wished that getting rid of his rival could be as simple as a dose of antibiotics. He blew out an angry breath and returned to his lap top, seeing as he been thwarted with his initial plan and to see if he had an explanation for only being gone half an hour or so. Sami heard the key in the lock and her breath hitched, thinking for a minute that it was EJ but then there was the sound of Lucas' crutches and she realised that she'd been silly. Sami leapt up from the sofa, feeling very ashamed that she'd just been pleasuring herself on their sofa while thinking about another man and very grateful that Lucas hadn't returned home a few minutes earlier.

"_What are you doing back?" she asked in surprise._

"Another very good question darling," muttered EJ as he watched on in what was now a foul mood.

"_I was halfway there and Mom rang me to say not to bother, that Phillip had turned up and she was going out to dinner with him," explained Lucas._

"I'm going to remember this Kate," vowed EJ, his frown deepening, not that it was Kate's fault per se because he hadn't organised with her to get Lucas out of the apartment but EJ was in no frame of mind to be reasonable right then.

"_Well that was nice of Kate," said Sami sarcastically._

"_I don't mind," grinned Lucas, moving over to her and standing in front of Sami, leaning on his crutches, "It means I get to spend some quality time with you instead… which I'd much rather do by the way."_

EJ sat up straighter in his chair as Lucas managed to support himself with his crutches under his arms and yet still lean in towards Sami, drawing her towards him as he slipped his arms around her waist.

"_What's say you and I have an early night Sami?" suggested Lucas, his hands dropping down to her backside. _

"Like hell!" bit out EJ furiously as he watched the other man's hands roam freely all over Sami's backside, "Get your hands off of her!"

Lucas didn't of course because he couldn't hear EJ and he leaned in even close to Sami, whispering in her ear. The only reason EJ heard what he was saying at all was because they were standing directly under one of the cameras he'd rigged up.

"_I'm feeling much better," Lucas said throatily, squeezing Sami's backside teasingly, "I've missed you so much baby and I want to show you how much."_

EJ felt sick to his stomach watching the display and the way Sami wasn't doing anything to stop him. If she was half as frustrated as EJ was right then, then it might be conceivable that she'd let Lucas have his way just to see if it would help any. EJ knew it wouldn't but he also knew that Sami felt a lot of guilt when it came to her relationship with Lucas and that guilt might drive her to do the unthinkable… Lucas! It was him that had started that fire that was undoubtedly raging inside of Sami right than and EJ was determined that he was the only one who was going to reap the benefits! EJ looked around himself and made a grab for the phone, a desperate plan coming to him.

oooOOOOooo

"I don't care," said EJ harshly, "Just make it happen… now!"

He hung up the phone and turned around and gave a little start at seeing Sam sitting there, watching him with interest.

"_Just so you know," she said conversationally, "You're going to hell - you do realise that don't you?"_

"I don't need to be taking lessons in morality from you," said EJ shortly as he walked around to the kitchen and pulled out one of the drawers, fishing around in it, "I have everything well in hand thank you."

"_Yes I saw that," said Sam mockingly, "Well in hand indeed - clearly you've had a lot of practice to get your technique down to such a fine art."_

EJ just grunted in response to that little observation, not feeling the need to justify himself to her on that particular front.

"_You know I saw you the other day," Sam said conversationally, "Swapping out Sami's birth control pills… again."_

"Bully for you," said EJ shortly, still rummaging around in the drawer.

"_Do you really think that this is the way to go about things Elvis?" asked Sam with a raised eyebrow, "You know William Shakespeare said that love sought is good but love unsought is better. Don't you think that you are forcing things between yourself and Sami just a tad? I mean, I think old Willie would say you were."_

"So now you're not only putting words into my mouth but the immortal bards," said EJ dryly, "You really don't impose too many limits on yourself now do you?"

"_Hark who talks," said Sam mockingly, sending him a pointed look at his observation. _

"Buggar off you," muttered EJ, not interested in her take on things just then as he finally found what he was looking for and held it aloft triumphantly, "Aha!"

Sam looked at the screwdriver he was proudly displaying and wrinkled her nose.

"_What's the plan?" she asked curiously, "Drive that threw Lucas' heart?"_

"Don't tempt me," growled EJ, enjoying the thought of doing just that now that Sam had mentioned it, "But no, I've got something a little less thirty years to life in mind."

"_Mm," said Sam, pursing her lips and looking at the screwdriver, "Whatever it is why do I get the feeling that someone is about to get screwed?"_

EJ just looked down at her and smiled a secret smile then, not saying anything.

"_You're a bad boy Elvis," tutted Sam and then gave him a teasingly seductive look, "But just as well I like a little wicked in my men hm?"_

"Just as well," agreed EJ, his smile widening as he looked forward to putting his plan into action, "Just as well."

**Chapter FIFTY FIVE**** - ****You Light Up My Life**

Dreams pass into the reality of action.

From the actions stems the dream again;

and this interdependence produces the highest form of living.  
_~Anais Nin~_

Lucas pulled Sami closer and began to kiss along her neck, heading towards her mouth.

"Lucas," she protested, pushing gently against his chest, conscious of his injuries, "We can't! Remember what the doctor said?"

"That guy is a quack," grumped Lucas, "He kept me in hospital way longer than I should have and this no sex thing is a load of hooey!"

"You almost died Lucas!" she exclaimed, trying to convince her discomfort about being in his arms was all about her fear of Lucas getting hurt, "We can't take any chances."

"Some things are worth taking a chance about Sami," he said with a teasing wiggle of his eyebrows, "And trust me, this is _definitely_ one of them!"

"No Lucas," said Sami firmly as one of his hands went to her breast, squeezing it playfully, "No sex until you get the okay from the doctor!"

"But…" protested Lucas, not liking this one bit.

"I am not going to do anything that might see you back in that hospital and give Kate another reason to hate me," said Sami determinedly, "No nooky until we get a green light from a professional… alright?"

Sami was just praying that she'd be over this ridiculous fixation on EJ by that time and that being with Lucas would excite her like it once did.

"Alright," said Lucas grudgingly, "But the doc didn't say anything about kissing now did he?"

"No," said Sami with a determined smile, needing to prove something to herself as Lucas leant in and began to kiss her.

She returned his kisses whole heartedly, desperately willing herself to feel something. The sense of frustration from her little turn on the couch still lingered and she squeezed her eyes closed, putting all that she had into kissing Lucas, just wanting to find something comforting and familiar in his kisses. His kisses were familiar but Sami couldn't help but continue to compare them to EJ's and hated herself for that. Lucas finally broke the heated kisses and grinned down at her.

"Wow," he said teasingly if somewhat breathlessly, "Someone's keen aren't they? I guess you really do miss me huh?"

"Of course I do Lucas," said Sami seriously, "We're going to build a life together… right? That's what you want isn't it? You, me and Will being a family again?"

"More than anything in the whole world," said Lucas with a definite nod of his head, "Sami you mean the world to me, I love you and I hope you love me."

"You know I do Lucas," said Sami quickly, "We've been through so much together and I never want things to go back to how they used to be between us - all that fighting and the things we did to each other. I regret all that I did to you so much and most of all what it ended up doing to our son. I've made so many mistakes and I just don't want to make anymore."

"And you're not honey," said Lucas with a little frown at Sami's suddenly impassioned statement, "You've been doing so great and I'm very proud of you. You've turned your back on all your old tricks and that more than anything tells me we have a real future together… a future with no more lies between us."

Sami nodded mutely, feeling a fresh wave of guilt wash over her at the horrible truth that she was holding back from Lucas right then. How could she possibly confess her infidelity with EJ to him after he'd just said all that? Lucas would end it with her on the spot, Sami was sure of that and she couldn't have that. Lucas symbolised the new and improved Sami Brady, the one that everyone was proud of and accepted. She couldn't risk all of that on a playboy who was under his father's control and most likely had an agenda that Sami couldn't even begin to fathom right then.

But then why did knowing all that make absolutely no difference to the raging need inside of her to seek out EJ and have him quench this burning fire within her? Lucas' kisses had done nothing to her but remind Sami that he wasn't EJ and the war between her head and her wayward emotions was driving her insane. Lucas moved in to kiss her again and Sami let him, forcing herself to relax under his touch. He began to grow more bold and Sami could feel his hand inching back towards her breast when suddenly the lights went off. They broke apart and looked around themselves in confusion.

"Is it a blackout?" asked Sami in surprise.

"No," said Lucas with a shake of his head even though Sami couldn't see it, "See, there is light under the door from the corridor. We must have blown a fuse or something."

"I'll go and fix it," said Sami, moving away from Lucas and heading towards the door.

"No Sami," Lucas stalled her, "I'll go."

"On your crutches, down all those stairs in the basement?" asked Sami sceptically, "I don't think that is a great idea do you?"

"Do you know how to fix a fuse?" asked Lucas dubiously.

"Of course I do," said Sami in exasperation, "I'm not just a pretty face you know?!"

"I know," said Lucas with a grin, "You've also got a knock out body."

"Funny," said Sami with a quirk of her lips, "I'll be right back."

She pulled her pink wrap around her more securely as she went out into the corridor and made her way down to the basement. When she got there she opened the door and flicked on the light switch at the top of the stairs which did little to illuminate the situation. Sami headed down the stairs, wishing she'd thought to bring a flash light with her now. Once she was at the bottom Sami made her way towards where she knew the fuse box was. The basement was dingy and full of old furniture and bits and pieces from previous tenants. She shook her head and made a mental note to talk to the building super about cleaning the place up at some point - it was a real fire trap.

As she walked by a table that was on it's side her robe got caught on one of the upturned legs and she made an annoyed sound. The light was too dim for her to work out how to unhook it when a few hard tugs on it was no help. She shook her head in frustration and just slipped out of it, deciding to come back with a torch later. Sami got to the fuse box and squinted at it, looking for the switch to apartment 32.

"I've got the fuse wire."

"AARRGHH!"

Sami screamed and whirled around, staring wide eyed at EJ who was standing there off to one side beside a large wardrobe, fuse plug in one hand and screwdriver in the other.

"Sorry," he apologised with a lopsided grin, "Didn't mean to scare you sweetheart."

"Then why the hell are you lurking in the shadows like that?" asked Sami, adrenalin making her speak too loudly.

"I was just standing here," protested EJ, "I hardly call that lurking."

"What are you doing here EJ?" asked Sami with a frown.

He was the last person she wanted to see right then, especially after her little fantasies on the couch. Sami flushed at the thought of it and was happy for the low lighting that hide that little fact from EJ.

"The lights went out in my apartment and I thought it might be the fuse," said EJ smoothly, "Can I assume that is why you are here as well sweetheart?"

"Yes," she said shortly, "And I bet it was you that blew the fuse in the first place EJ!"

"What possible motive could I have for doing that Samantha?" asked EJ, looking very innocent.

"Because you wanted to get me alone," said Sami in annoyance, "It's like everything that goes wrong in my life you're at the bottom of!"

"Well if you thought that then one has to wonder at your choice of clothing," said EJ with a little smirk, his eyes running approvingly up and down her black slip, "I do love it when a woman dresses for an occasion."

"This wasn't for you EJ!" she said tersely, "Lucas is home remember? I dressed like this because Lucas likes it."

"Well I guess the man can't be quite as stupid as I first thought," said EJ mockingly, reaching past Sami to take out the fuse switch to apartment 32.

He quickly changed the fuse and replaced it for her.

"I could have done that," said Sami shortly.

"But I did because I had the fuse wire," said EJ simply, "And you're welcome."

"I'd better get back to Lucas," said Sami abruptly, very conscious of the fact that EJ was just wearing his silk boxers and nothing else.

"Wait," said EJ quickly, moving to block her way.

Sami put her hands up to his chest to ward off any further advances but EJ just looked down at her intently, not attempting to get any closer.

"I've missed you these last two days," he admitted to her huskily, "My days are empty if you aren't in them Samantha."

"I don't want to hear this," said Sami but her voice shook a little at his sudden close proximity and the fact that they were both practically naked.

His chest felt impossibly muscled under her hands and she quickly removed them, needing no reminder of just exactly how hard EJ's body could be.

"I think about you day and night Samantha," he said softly, ignoring her words, "Do you think of me I wonder?"

"No!" lied Sami sharply, "I never think of you EJ!"

"I don't think I believe you sweetheart," said EJ with the barest of smiles, moving closer to her, "I think you think of me all the time too…"

EJ cupped her face then with one hand and drew closer still, holding her anxious gaze steadily.

"I'm consumed by you," he almost whispered the words to her now, "Did you know that Samantha? You're this ache inside of me that just won't go away, no matter how hard I try and make it."

"Don't do this EJ," she pleaded with him, starting to shake a little, "I can't do this… please."

"I can't help it sweetheart," he said achingly, "I want you so very badly."

"Well you can't have me," said Sami, trying to inject as much certainty into her words as she could muster.

She felt his hand tighten its grip on her cheek.

"You sound very certain," he commented, almost mildly.

"I am," said Sami emphatically, "Lucas…"

"_Sami… Sami are you still down there?!"_

"Lucas!" Sami said his name again but this time in horror and began to panic, "Hide EJ!"

She pulled away from the hand that was cupping her cheek and looked really anxious now.

"Why?" asked EJ in consternation.

"Lucas can't keep finding us together, he'll think something is going on!" she hissed and swatted at him frantically, "Hide EJ!"

EJ let her push him down so that he was crouching down behind the table that was on it's side that they'd been standing beside, muttering about insane women.

"Yes I'm still here Lucas!" Sami called back, sending EJ a warning look as he settled himself on the floor his back against the large table to which he just grinned back at her cheerfully.

Lucas suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs, silhouetted in the doorway, crutches and all.

"Is everything alright?" asked Sami, trying to act normal, "Did the lights come back on?"

"Yeah they did but you'll never guess what has just happened!" said Lucas, talking to her from the doorway because he still had a lot of trouble with stairs.

EJ meanwhile had decided that if he was being forced to hide he should have something to occupy himself with. He turned his head and looked at Sami's bare legs and how her night dress stopped short at her thighs and a little smile touched his lips. While Sami and Lucas were talking above his head EJ moved closer to Sami and reached out a hand, running it from her calves up the back of her legs until he was under her little slip. He felt Sami tense and try and shake of his hand but it was a bit hard when she was trying to look completely normal for Lucas who could still see the top half of her body. EJ's smile widened and his other hand joined it's mate as they stroked up and down Sami's legs, first at the back and then moving towards the front.

"Wh… what happened?" asked Sami, still looking up at Lucas with a fixed smile on her face while she tried to discretely dislodge EJ's hands from her body with little success.

"I just got a phone call from the police," Lucas told her, unawares of the goings on behind the upturned table and intent on telling his story.

EJ's hands were now at her panties and he hooked his fingers into the scrap of satin and began to pull them slowly down Sami's legs. Sami frantically tried to stop him by pressing her legs together as tightly as possible but EJ was relentless in his quest.

"My car has been stolen," Lucas called down to her.

"I don't believe this!" said Sami in frustration as EJ managed to wrangle her panties completely off her body.

She felt the smile on his lips as EJ began to press kisses to the front of her legs, heading determinedly upwards.

"I know!" exclaimed Lucas, "And it gets better - wait until you hear this!"

EJ had pushed the bottom of her slip up now and was holding the bunched up satin at Sami's hips while he began to nuzzle her mound. Sami's hand went to the top of EJ's hair and grabbed a handful and tugged on it as hard as she could to get him to stop but EJ was undeterred. Sami was so grateful that all of this was so completely hidden from Lucas but she was terrified about the fact that EJ wasn't seeming to be inclined to stop anytime soon. One hand slid down the back of her leg and began to stroke her calf gently as Sami felt EJ begin to press kisses to and continue to nuzzle at the soft curls of her mound.

"My car has been used in a ram raid!" Lucas informed her in disbelief.

"NO!" cried out Sami loudly as EJ suddenly gripped the back of her knee tightly and slung it over his shoulder as he positioned himself more squarely between her legs, her sex directly in line with his face.

Sami had to grasp the edge of the up turned table with both hands to steady herself at his abrupt action.

"I know!" replied Lucas, thinking her horror was on his behalf, "Shocking isn't it?"

"What are you doing?" Sami asked desperately as she felt EJ's tongue begin to run up and down her now slick folds.

She'd basically gotten wet when he'd turned up half naked and having him touch her like this had only made her practically over flow with her own juices.

"I have to go and make a statement at the police station," said Lucas, still thinking she was talking to him because as far as he was aware it was only the two of them.

EJ's tongue sought out her rapidly swelling nub, already bulging out from its' little hood and flicked at it playfully with his tongue.

"I don't want you to do this!" said Sami, sounding panic stricken but as soon as EJ attached himself to the little bud and began to suckle on it hard new moisture burst from Sami's core, wetting his chin and making an utter liar out of her.

"I have to Sami," called back Lucas, "The police are already sending a car for me. I won't be long, don't worry baby. You've got the lights back on upstairs and just make sure you lock the door behind you if you're nervous."

Sami could feel her orgasm being to build deep inside of her as EJ continued in his enthusiastic ministrations and she knew she didn't have much longer before she just exploded in a noisy climax and Lucas couldn't be here when that happened.

"Okay," she called out brightly, even as Sami struggled to control her breathing, her knuckles going white as she clung onto the table edge for dear life, "You go Lucas, I'll be fine."

"You sure?" asked Lucas a little uncertainly, was it him or did she soundly sound a bit strained.

"Yesss," said Sami, gritting her teeth as both of EJ's hands went to her bottom and began to knead its' firmness.

"Okay well I'd better go then," said Lucas, still a little unsure, "The car is probably here already."

"I'll see you later," said Sami brightly even as her hips began to rhythmically push themselves against EJ's face of their own accord.

"I shouldn't be too long," said Lucas again and then he gave her a little wave which Sami somehow managed to return and then he was gone from the top of the stairs, closing the door behind him.

"OHH GODDDD!" moaned Sami desperately as soon as he was gone, dropping down so that he was half hanging over the table, no longer able to control herself in anyway shape or form as she squeezed her eyes shut against such pleasure, "OOOOHHHH GGGOOOODDD!!"

She immediately began to come and EJ was rewarded for his hard work with a fresh burst of moisture from Sami's core which he tore his mouth off her nub to drink from her nectar. Sami clung helplessly to the table edge, it and EJ were the only thing keeping her upright as her orgasm ripped through her. Sami shuddered helplessly against him, her walls still fluttering wildly from her release. She felt one of EJ's hands leave her backside and she looked down through half opened eyes to see that it had gone to his black boxers and he was dragging them down his hips as he sat there on the ground. His glorious hard on was freed and Sami moaned to see it in all it's swollen glory.

"Please sweetheart!" EJ begged her, eagerly pulling on her hips and the need to have that raging beast back inside of her was just too much for Sami.

She sank down on shakily legs and as EJ guided her opening to his painfully engorged manhood with perfect accuracy. His tip was at her core and then EJ pulled down hard on her hips and jammed Sami down on himself in one almost brutal movement. Sami cried out and bit down on EJ's shoulder - his punishment for making her take him so suddenly when he was this big. The pain in his shoulder from Sami's bite and the feeling of being encased in her wet heat again was too much for EJ. EJ tore at her satin slip, pushing it off her shoulders so that he could see her beautiful breasts again and fell them against his skin. He began to frantically thrust himself into Sami, completely losing control, unable to stop himself, just knowing he needed to be as deep as he could be inside this woman when the inevitable happened. Sami clung to him, her arms around his neck, feeling his frenzied desperation and her body's answer to it. Another orgasm began to build inside of Sami as EJ rutted mindlessly away inside of her. There was no other way to describe it, there was no finesse only savage need and it found an answering hunger in Sami.

"GOD!" grunted EJ, his arms tightly around Sami, his large hands spread out over her back, "GODDDD!"

He'd barely been inside her a minute and EJ was done. One last powerful thrust saw himself deliver his seed into her as Sami continued to ride him energetically, helping to milk every last drop from his body. It felt so good to EJ to come inside of her again, to know that Sami's body was taking all of his maleness so eagerly. He moaned helplessly throughout his climax and only got louder as Sami joined him, convulsing around his still squirting manhood. Sami collapsed against EJ, her head on his sweaty chest and her ear against his thunderously beating heart. They lay there, not moving except for the way they were both struggling to suck in great lung fulls of air and waited for their senses to return.

"How could I have forgotten how gloriously tight you are sweetheart?" marvelled EJ with a groan, moving ever so slightly inside of her so he could enjoy the benefits of the way her walls were gripping him so fiercely.

He was still sitting up with his back against the upturned table as Sami slumped against him, head on his chest and still with his manhood buried deep inside of her.

"It drives me so crazy sweetheart," EJ told her raggedly, his hands drifting up and down her back underneath her night dress which was bunched at her waist now, his touch a soft caress.

Sami sat up shakily then and EJ moaned as it caused her to clench more tightly around him. Some part of her brain was screaming at her that she had to put a stop to it but Sami could barely hear it through the endorphin soak haze she was currently in. Sami turned her head a little as EJ moved to kiss her so that his lips instead ended up on her cheek. Somewhere in the back of Samantha's mind there was still this vain hope that as long as she kept her vow to him and didn't let him kiss her on the mouth again that all of this wasn't real. It was just some fevered imagining that she would find a way to explain away in the cold hard light of day… as long as he didn't kiss her then she could keep the illusion of control in check.

EJ was undeterred, simply pressing soft kisses along her cheek to her ear, his breath suddenly warm and moist in it, tickling the little stray hairs around her ear and making her shudder a little. He continued on, down her neck, with the open mouth kisses and she could feel his tongue darting out and tasting her skin as he went. Sami's eyes began to drift shut and her hands went to the back of his sweaty head, running her fingers through his damp locks.

"I'm still so very hard for you beautiful girl," he groaned against neck.

Sami could feel the proof of that, still impaled on wonderfully swollen shaft despite his recent release. It had been too quick for both of them after such a long wait to be truly satisfying after such a short encounter.

"I know," sighed Sami, wrapping her arms around EJ's neck and pressing herself up against his chest, "I know."

"_I told you that there is something going on!" _

Sami and EJ both froze at the sound of the woman's voice coming from the top of stairs. They held onto each other tightly, not moving a muscle and confident that no one could see them from the doorway at the top of the stairs but if she should decide to come downstairs then the newcomer was going to get a right eyeful.

"EJ," whimpered Sami.

"Don't move," he whispered back and tightened his hold on her.

The lovers sat there and held their breath for what was going to happen next.

**Chapter FIFTY SIX**** - ****Stairway To Heaven**

Without passion man is a mere latent force and possibility,

like the flint which awaits the shock of the iron before it can give forth it's spark.  
_~Henri-Frederic Amiel~_

"_What do you mean there is something going on?"_

This time it was a males voice and Sami recognised them as the old couple from down the hall from her, Enid and Johan Plasky. She stifled a groan to imagine that sweet old couple finding her in such a position and worst of all they knew Lucas as well.

"_The light is on," said his wife._

"_The light is on?" repeated Johan with a roll of his eyes, "We don't need to call out the national guard for a light Enid!"_

"_But there was a police car earlier," argued Enid, "I saw the young man from number 32 get into it."_

"_Perhaps they were arresting him for leaving the light on?" commented Johan wryly._

After forty one years of marriage he was used to his wife's hysterics and wasn't fazed by them.

"_You won't be laughing when we all get murdered in our beds," sniffed Enid, hating it when he did take her concerns seriously._

"_As long as I get to stay in bed while it happens I'll be happy," said Johan stoically, "Enid, please, can you leave it be and come back to bed already?"_

Sami and EJ held their collective breaths and waited to see what her response was going to be.

"_Fine," Enid huffed, "But I'm telling you Johan, something is going on in these apartments!"_

"_Whatever it is it isn't sleep," commented Johan dryly as he ushered his wife from the door way._

"_Lights!" said Enid imperiously and Johan dutifully flicked the switch, plunging the basement into darkness._

Neither EJ and Sami moved a muscle for a good minute afterwards, waiting to make sure that the old couple had indeed left.

"Oh my god!" gasped Sami when she was sure they were safe.

She leant back and put both of her hands over her mouth and looked at EJ with stricken eyes. There was just enough light coming in from the small windows at the top of the basement for them to be able to see, be it all a bit dimly.

"Oh my god!" repeated Sami in distress and stood up suddenly.

"OWW!" complained EJ, grimacing at her suddenly removing herself from a still delicate and swollen part of his body.

"How can you still be… be…?" Sami waved her hand and tried not to look at EJ's manhood standing unconcernedly erect as she stood over him.

"Happy to see you?" offered up EJ helpfully.

"Yes!" she hissed, "After _that_!"

"Apparently very easily," said EJ ruefully, looking down on the rampant hard on he was still sporting.

"I have to get out of here," said Sami, suddenly desperate.

The Plasky's arrival had been like a bucket of cold water for her and the magnitude of what she'd just done was beginning to hit home to Sami. Sleeping with EJ on the island was one thing, she'd almost managed to convince herself that it didn't count but doing it again in the same apartment block that she shared with Lucas… well that was a little harder a truth to massage. Sami didn't even bother trying to retrieve her panties, she just knew she needed to get out of there as quickly as she could before she was tempted to indulge in a repeat performance.

"Samantha!" EJ called out as she started to make a run for the stairs.

EJ jumped up and cursed the way his boxers had tangled around his knees so he just kicked them off, determined that he wasn't going to be needing them for the next little while.

"NO!" yelled Sami and grabbed at the first thing she could see as she headed towards the stairs which was an old baseball glove and threw it in the general direction of EJ as he stood up behind the table to give chase.

She was way off though because Sami was more intent on getting the hell out of Dodge then aiming properly and it missed EJ completely and flew past him, hitting the wall. Unfortunately it was the part of the wall that housed the switch for the fire sprinkler system in the basement and jets of water began to rain down on them both but neither one barely even noticed. Sami had made it to the bottom of the stairs by the time EJ caught up with her but he made sure she got no further. Sami had one hand on the stair railing and one on the basement wall as she put one foot on the steps in front of her and then suddenly she felt EJ's strong arms around her waist, and his hard length against her back.

"I'm not done with you yet Samantha," he growled in her ear, tightening his arms around her, "We have some unfinished business here."

EJ rubbed his swollen manhood against her backside and Sami was left in no doubt as to what that business was. They were both completely soaked now from the water sprinklers and Sami shook her head to try and get water out of her eyes.

"Let me go EJ!" she said desperately, her hands going to his arms and trying to get him to loosen his grip on her.

"Never!" he vowed, tightening his arms around her and pressing his lips against her neck, "I'm never letting you go Samantha!"

Sami began to wriggle against him, desperate to get free before her will to leave him dissolved completely.

"Yes!" he hissed against her shoulder as he became more excited at having her struggling against him.

Sami gave up then, knew she'd lost her chance at escape because even a few seconds of being in his arms made all of her hastily constructed walls just come crashing down. EJ felt her suddenly sag against him and knew he had won their tussle and gave a relieved groan. He was actually frightened about what he might have done if Sami had really tried to leave him. He was so desperate to make love to her again EJ feared he wouldn't have been able to let her go if she'd seriously told him no.

"I need more," he moaned in her ear, his hands running back and forth against her chest, "Don't deny me Samantha, I'm starving for you."

"Yes," she said with a shudder, closing her eyes and leaning more heavily back against him, her head lolling back on EJ's shoulder.

His hands went to Sami's hips, the water from the sprinklers misting the whole basement over so it had a dreamlike quality to her. It had been a long month of denying herself EJ's touch and Sami simply couldn't do it anymore. She needed what she knew only EJ could give her. Nothing else mattered when he was touching her like this and Sami let the outside world just fade into the background and gave herself over completely to this.

"Tell me what you want Samantha," he purred in her ear.

"I want you," whispered Sami.

EJ's hands suddenly moved to the bottom of her now saturated night dress and grabbed the bottom of her skirt, pulling the sodden scrap of material over her head and discarding it carelessly to one side, leaving her as naked as he was now. The water from above hit Sami's bare breasts now, the sensation making them bead into little hard pebbles as did the way one of EJ's hand had reached down the front of her and found its' way between her legs. His other arm retuned to encircling her waist.

"Say it again," he ordered her, his voice roughening now.

"I want you!" she gasped as his fingers sought out her still distended nub and began to rub slowly on it, "Oooohhh!"

Sami squirmed against him again, her face screwing up tightly as the pain of him touching such a sensitised part of her body quickly gave way to pleasure. Water continued to rain down from above and course down both of their bodies but EJ was completely oblivious to anything other than the woman in his arms.

"Step up for me sweetheart," he whispered in her ear and Sami shakily complied so that both her feet were on the first step of the stairs even while EJ continued in his slowly relentless stimulation of her.

Sami knew he was about to make her come again like this despite how slowly he was massaging her nub and didn't want that. She wanted to come around him like she had before, craved being filled by him again. She reached down and grabbed EJ's hand, pulling it away from her body. He reluctantly let her even as he'd been enjoying her increasing wetness against his fingers. She soon had him groaning though as Sami lifted his hand to her mouth and began to suck on his fingers that he'd been pleasuring her with, licking her own juices from them.

When she was done Sami guided his hand to her breast, needing his touch there. EJ rolled her nipple around between his thumb and fingers while his other hand guided one of legs up to the next step.

"I want to come inside of you again sweetheart," he moaned in her ear.

"Yes!" exclaimed Sami excitedly, pushing her bottom back towards him, eager for him to do just that.

EJ guided his straining manhood to her swollen opening and fed himself unhurriedly into her. Sami made a strangled gasping noise at the feeling of him working his way into her so agonisingly slowly. They'd come together so quickly before Sami had forgotten what it was like to feel him mount her like this, feeling each rigid inch of him claim her. Her walls protested the intrusion, particularly in this position but it was all Sami could do to maintain her impatience as EJ took his sweet time to find his place inside of her. The last of him slid home and Sami whimpered, her legs beginning to shake. EJ immediately wrapped an arm around her waist, his fingers splaying out over her stomach and his other hand tightening on her breast.

"I've got you sweetheart," he said roughly and then began to move determinedly inside of her.

Sami gasped and quickly reached for something to hold onto because EJ's thrusts were growing more powerful by the second. One hand found the railing of the stair case she was standing on and the other found the wall, her palm going to brace against it to steady herself. The sprinkler had stopped now but neither noticed, too wrapped up in each other.

"Oh god EJ!" she groaned, feeling her core already beginning to tighten, "I'm going to come!"

"Already?" asked EJ excitedly, finding how quickly he could bring her to climax an aphrodisiac in of itself.

"YES!" she gasped, her walls starting to contract rhythmically with each of his strokes.

EJ continued to plunder her body mercilessly and Sami couldn't hold her orgasm at bay any longer, crying out her release for him. The sound made EJ hammer himself even more frantically into Sami, desperate to join her. Sami was still reeling from the aftershocks of her release when she felt EJ suddenly tense behind her and then his grunting groans as he delivered himself into her waiting heat. The feeling of him doing that caused a fresh ripple of sensation through Sami and her knees buckled.

EJ dropped to his knees with her, refusing to give up his place inside of her as he planted the last of his seed into her. They were both kneeling on the steps now, EJ covering her body with his as his strokes gradually slowed, finally spent. Sami felt his hands go to her hips, stroking them even as he bent down over her, pressing hot kisses along the curve of her back, licking at the little deposits of sweat he found there, mixed with the sprinkler water. Sami gave a low groan, placing her elbows on a couple of steps up from the one she was kneeling on and leaning forward. As she did she made sure to squeeze down hard on his length that was still embedded deep inside of her. Contracting and releasing around it, encouraging it back to it's former glory because as good as the last couple of orgasms he'd given her had been she still craved more.

EJ made soft, continuous moans low down in his throat as he felt her body working on his, coaxing it back to life and he marvelled at this woman stamina and was so grateful her need matched his own great hunger. One hand left her hip as he nuzzled at her neck, nipping and licking his way round from one side to the other, brushing the sweat dampened strands of blonde hair out of the way with his nose. His hand found one of her breasts, cupping it's weight and squeezing it in time with her squeezing of his rapidly swelling member. She began to bear down harder on him, hips pushing back and down as she did, feeling him come to life inside of her again. It made her feel powerful and wild to know that she could make his body do that so easily.

"Oh god yes sweetheart," he groaned, straightening up then and pushing his now rigid length into her as deeply as it would go in response to her contracting so tightly around him, "That's it, keep going - you feel so good, so tight - I want more, don't stop!"

Fresh wetness gushed out of her core at hearing his desperate words and she gave a gasp at feeling him impale her more fully on his shaft, her insides quivering at the sensation. She attempted to obey him, clenching around him as tightly as she could and he gave an ecstatic moan at that. EJ squeezed his eyes closed and tried to control himself. He was ready just to erupt inside her right now, the very next time she bought her walls to bear against his hardness. He'd never experienced anything like it before. She was so tight, so wet and it was all for him and it made him want to claim her, mark her as his own. He leant forward again, pressing his chest along her back as both his hands this time cupped her breasts. EJ found her nipples and rolled them around between his thumb and forefinger, making her gasp again.

"I want to make you come again Samantha," he rasped in her ear, fingers squeezing her nipples, "Do you want that sweetheart?"

"Please," she groaned, nodding her head desperately as each time he squeezed on her sensitised nubs a little harder and longer so that when he released it again the blood coursed painfully back into the peaks, causing her a fissure of pleasure down deep inside of her.

The line between pleasure and pain began to blur as he continued in his ministrations, holding on tighter and longer every time until she was almost sobbing from the intense sensation.

"I want us to come together this time Samantha," he purred throatily into her ear, not quite realising how close she already was because of what he was doing to her, "Make sure you wait for me beautiful girl."

Sami grimaced as he held on for a particularly long while with her nipples this time as he told her what he wanted and knew that she wouldn't be able to do as he asked. Sure enough, as soon as he released his hold on those now swollen nubs Samantha came, choking back her cries as her body convulsed around his.

"Bloody hell!" he shouted, completely caught off guard by her sudden and violent orgasm.

EJ bit down on his lip until he tasted blood, trying to stop himself from falling over that ledge with her. She writhed and bucked on his distended shaft and it damn near killed him to hang on but he managed it somehow. Sami was shaking and gasping for breath after she had finally finished, her body aching more than she ever thought possible. EJ's breathing was equally strained after having to endure the torture what of she'd just done to him and he struggled to be able to speak again. He leant back down over her again, his lips pressed directly up to Sami's ear now.

"Oh bad girl," he rasped shakily, his hands returning to her bottom cheeks, squeezing them before pulling them apart and then together again, determinedly unhurried as he repeated the action again and again, "You're going to have to pay for that piece of disobedience now."

Sami shook her head desperately, unable to bear this much pleasure. He'd been inside her for so long now, her core ached from having to accommodate his size even as a part of her begged for more. So many orgasms over such a short period of time had left her weak and trembling, her body unbearably sensitised. As he began to move inside her properly now she emitted a long, shaky moan.

"Please," she begged him weakly, even as she dropped her face a little lower to the step, "I can't take it EJ, no more! I can't do this again!"

"Yes you can sweetheart," he rasped, his voice as uneven as hers was, knowing the painful state of arousal she was in because he was right there with her.

It was too much, his senses were overloaded with her, his whole body a tortured mass of nerve endings as he began to move inside her in earnest now. It transcended pain into some other realm that he'd never experienced before. He was incapable of stopping now even as his body begged him for some respite. He had no option but to continue and even though she protested he could feel the way her body was taking his, the way it instinctively moved to accommodate each of his thrusts and knew she was as desperate for this next orgasm as he was.

"Oh god!" she panted as he started to move harder and deeper inside of her, "EJ! Please!"

This time it was a plea for him to continue, he heard it in the catch in her voice as she cried out his name.

"That's it!" he praised her excitedly, pushing her knees further apart now, making her take every last inch of him even as his own body protested against such delights, "Oh god you're doing so well sweetheart, can you feel what you've done to me?!"

"You're so big!" she sobbed, never having felt anything like this before, her whole body shuddering at having to take so much but not wanting him to stop, "So hard EJ, I've never… oh god… it's so hard… I can't… I can't take any more!"

"Do… do you want me to stop?" he panted, having no idea how he was going to manage that if she said yes, his thrusts only becoming more desperate and fierce now.

"NO!" she screamed, her fingernails leaving marks in the wooden step as she was ridden harder than she'd ever been in her life, "Make me come… oh god make me come EJ!"

"Samantha!" he howled, his body completely taking over now.

The force of his penetrations were actually lifting her knees off the step each time he drove himself into her and all she could think was that she wanted him to go harder, deeper, anything to stop this crippling hunger inside of her. Her body was voracious, it couldn't get enough of him, devouring him whole over and over. EJ had never been this rough before with a woman but he was no longer in control of his actions. His body was shrieking at him to keep going and it felt like it was going to be his life's work to bring this woman to climax again and he surrendered himself to his fate utterly.

At the exact same second it finally came for them, their mutual release. A bright white light enveloped them both as their bodies at last took pity on them and granted them that final nirvana. It was too much to even scream, the pleasure was too excruciating. Sami actually thought she may have lost consciousness for a moment, her body so completely overwhelmed by what he'd wrung from it. EJ felt himself release all that he had for her as his orgasm continued, stretching his nerves to breaking point, wondering if this was going to be his last act this side of the grave because of how violently he was coming inside of her. He'd never experienced anything like it before in his life. He didn't know how long it took him to pump all of his seed deep inside of her but it felt like hours, days even. But for as long as it lasted he still wished it could be longer because now she was going to make him leave her body and the realisation crippled him even as he continued to shudder and moan his pleasure for her.

Sami blinked blearily, completely overwhelmed, her walls and stomach muscles still contracting wildly, as her orgasm continued to wreak havoc with her body as she collapsed against the stairs. It was even better than she remembered it being between them and despaired at how that could be the case. Sami gave a despairing little sob at her inability to deny him any longer and wondered how on earth she was going to keep EJ at bay now… or if she even wanted to.

EJ wanted to kiss her.

As completely as he'd just had her, as amazingly intimate as their time together had been he still was desperate to kiss her because then he knew that she'd was willing to tell the truth about what this was. Sami wanted to believe this was come kind of lust spinning out of control but EJ knew better. Only two people who loved each other could wring such things from the others body - that want, that need wasn't because of lust, it was love. He found the strength to pull out of her, collapsing on the stairs beside her.

"Samantha," he managed, his voice hoarse sounding from all his laboured breathing.

EJ put a hand out onto her naked back and Sami slowly turned her head to look at him and the two of them held each others' gaze for a long minute…

**Chapter FIFTY SEVEN**** - ****Catch Me If You Can**

Life is a quest and love a quarrel  
_~Edna St. Vincent Millay~_

"We… we should get dressed."

Sami finally spoke, breaking eye contact with him. EJ was studying her face carefully, trying to work out what it was that she was thinking but Sami turned away, looking for her discarded night dress. EJ didn't immediately follow suit, watching her from where he was still leaning back on the stairs, uncertain if his legs were quite up to holding him up after the force of his last release.

"This was just about sex Samantha," EJ attempted to pre-empt the inevitable arguments that were undoubtedly about to be thrown his way.

Sami didn't answer as she found her slip and was struggling to get into it seeing as she and it were soaking wet. EJ watched her, finding her lack of response to be puzzling. Normally she would be yelling at him that she loved Lucas, that this was a mistake but for once, Sami wasn't saying anything. EJ got up slowly, retrieving his silk boxers and quickly slipped them on, never taking his eyes off Sami who was currently trying to find her underwear with little success. EJ had tossed them over his shoulder after removing them and they could be anywhere, the low light and the mist from all the water of the sprinklers making it a real job to find them. EJ walked over to where Sami was still hunting around for her underwear and looked at her with a bit of a frown.

"Samantha," he said but she didn't turn her head, still looking for her panties.

EJ's frown deepened, finding this uncharacteristic quiet on Sami's behalf to be troubling.

"Samantha!" he said more loudly and she finally turned around to look him.

"Yes EJ?" she said evenly and once again EJ found her expression difficult to read which wasn't like him.

"We need to talk about this," he said determinedly to which Sami just looked back at him without saying anything.

EJ made a slightly frustrated noise in the back of his throat, deciding he liked it better when she was yelling at him.

"I wanted you, you wanted me and we made love," he told her firmly, wanting to elicit some kind of response from her.

"Yes," said Sami and EJ couldn't put his finger on the emotion behind that single word.

Sami went back to looking for her underwear than but EJ stalled her, putting a hand on her arm.

"Samantha," he said, almost urgently, "Tell me what you're thinking sweetheart."

Sami turned around then and faced him squarely, tilting her head back and holding his gaze steadily.

"I'm thinking I'm a whore EJ," she said evenly, "I'm a whore that cheats on her injured boyfriend even while he's in the same room with her. I've become exactly what everyone has always thought about me and I hate it."

Sami looked away then, her own words settling heavily on her heart and she just simply turned around, abandoning her search for the rest of her clothing and walked calmly back up the stairs, heading towards her apartment. EJ watched her go, dumbstruck by what she'd just said to him. Never in a million years would he have thought that Sami would have such an opinion of herself and it cut him to the quick to think that he was the reason for it. EJ stood there, now alone in the dark basement and tried to collect his thoughts, this having come completely out of left field for him.

There had been a terrible sadness underlying her calmly spoken words that was just like a knife in EJ's heart. He hadn't expected her to sound so defeated and undone. The last thing he wanted to do was see Sami upset like this and certainly not thinking about herself in such terms. A sudden anger welled up in EJ as for the first time he really came to grips with the damage her family had done to her. She was only forcing herself to go through with this stupid thing with Lucas because it would garner her their approval at long last. That and the fact that her life had been so unstable up until now that Lucas represented some kind of safety net, familiar and tested. Mind you, he'd failed those tests on more than one occasion in EJ's opinion.

She was upstairs now in her apartment obviously full of self loathing and guilt because of what her family had imposed on her about how she should be feeling. Sami loved him, EJ knew it with every fibre of his being. The utter abandonment to their love making told him how much she longed to just give herself to him completely but that her family held her back from letting herself go completely. EJ couldn't leave things as they were, a fierce mixture of needing to protect Sami from her family's negative opinions of her and real anger that she should be buying in so willingly to letting them run not only her life but how she thought about herself. EJ ran up the stairs, storming down the corridor and threw open the door to Sami's apartment, stalking through it determinedly.

"You are _not_ and _never_ have been any kind of whore Samantha Brady!" declared EJ angrily.

Sami started at his sudden and loud appearance. She grimaced as he made his declaration for all to hear as he starred back at her fiercely, all glistening and slick from their recent indoor rain shadow.

"Close the door EJ!" she admonished him hurriedly.

EJ did as she asked and then walked determinedly over to where she was standing.

"Did you hear what I said?" he asked her curtly.

"The entire apartment block heard what you said EJ," she said somewhat sourly, turning around and looking through the pile of washing she had by the couch for something to dry herself with.

"And do you believe it?" pushed EJ tersely, watching her.

"No," said Sami simply, finding a towel and beginning to dry herself with it as best she could.

"Samantha," said EJ urgently, turning her around to face him.

"EJ I'm in a relationship with Lucas and I slept with you," she said flatly, "What's your definition of a whore?"

"It's not that simple Samantha," said EJ stubbornly.

"Yes it is," returned Sami just as stubbornly, "Lucas thinks he's in a loving, monogamous relationship with me and meanwhile I'm sleeping with you behind his back."

"Lucas thinks that what he has going on with his mother is perfectly normal and healthy," said EJ mockingly, "I don't think you should base too much on what Lucas thinks sweetheart. He's always been somewhat of a dullard."

"Lucas isn't the one sneaking around," said Sami tightly, "I'm the one cheating on him."

"You and Lucas aren't sleeping together," protested EJ which earned him a frown, "You can't technically cheat on someone if you aren't having sex with them."

"What makes you think we aren't having sex?" asked Sami, suddenly suspicious.

"Because he's still hobbling around like an invalid," said EJ smoothly, covering for himself, "I just made a fairly basic assumption that if he can't stand up by himself that he probably isn't up to any funny business."

Sami seemed to accept this but not what else he was saying.

"It's still cheating EJ," she said with a shake of her head, "Lucas and I are a couple."

"No you're not," snorted EJ.

"You just saying that doesn't make it not true!" exclaimed Sami, her voice raising in vexation, "Lucas and I made love the night of his accident, we are talking about a future together, we love one another…"

"You don't love him!" said EJ, his voice starting to get louder as well, "You love all the things he represents Samantha - the father of your child, acceptance from your family, the secure family that you are so desperate for!"

"I do love Lucas EJ!" exclaimed Sami, angry at him for not listening to her properly, "I've known him since I was 16 years old, we have this huge history together…"

"Alright so you love Lucas," interrupted EJ, not wanting to hear her list things off, "But you're not in love with him Samantha… because you're in love with _me_."

"It would be a disaster if I ever loved you EJ!" retorted Sami hotly.

"A disaster?!" returned EJ in annoyance, "How could two people loving each other body and soul be a disaster Samantha?"

"I saw firsthand what it does to a family when my Mom and John had their affair!" yelled back Sami, tears starting to well up, "They ruined so many people's lives through their selfish lust for one another, mine included! I won't do what my mother did, I won't EJ!"

"You are doing exactly what Marlena did!" EJ threw back at her, "The reason things got so terribly messy was because she wasn't truthful about her feelings until it was almost too late. She tried to force herself to do the right thing and stay with your father but in the end she couldn't deny her love for John. If she'd been honest from the start with herself about where her heart truly did lie then the break would have been quick and as clean as possible and everyone could get on with their lives! Instead it was a god awful mess that like you said Samantha, hurt a lot of people. You don't want to be like your mother sweetheart well that's great, _don't_ be like your mother! Be honest with yourself for once about what you really want! Stop denying your true nature to please others and for the first time in your life give yourself permission to be happy!"

"Do you think it's going to make me happy to break Lucas' heart over some twisted fantasy I have with you?!" asked Sami in horror.

EJ couldn't bear to hear her talking about them in such terms. His jaw hardened and his eyes flashed angrily.

"Kiss me," he demanded, suddenly advancing on her.

"No," said Sami, startled by his sudden movement and backing up.

"Kiss me and prove to me this isn't real, that it's just a fantasy," he said harshly, continuing to follow her.

"NO!" said Sami stubbornly, even as her back came up against the door suddenly and she had nowhere to go.

EJ kept coming, standing directly in front of her and much as he did the other day placed both hands either side of Sami's head and leaned in close to her.

"Kiss me," he commanded her, his face very close to hers now and Sami could feel his breath on her face, making her quiver as he seemed to surround her utterly.

"No," she said but there was a waver in her voice and EJ heard it.

He moved closer still and Sami could feel the heat rolling off his body and washing over her.

"You want to so badly Samantha," EJ told her, his voice rough, "Just give in sweetheart."

"Never," she vowed but her voice was barely above a whisper.

It was the last thing she had to keep EJ at bay, her refusal to kiss him and Sami clung to it like a woman drowning. The hurt from her mother's infidelities were still so very fresh to her that Sami just couldn't bring herself to cross that line even though technically she had seeing as she and EJ had already had sex. But it was the emotional intimacy that Sami was doing her best to try and keep only for Lucas seeing as she was no longer able to claim physical intimacy with Lucas alone now. It was her only chance to protect herself and everyone she loved from the undoubted devastation a relationship between herself and EJ would cause.

"This isn't real," she said, her voice cracking under EJ's intense scrutiny.

She saw a muscle in EJ's jerk wildly at her continuing assertion that there was no validity to their relationship. An angry frustration welled up in EJ and he took it out on his tormentor. He bent down a little and grabbed one of Sami's legs, bending it at the knee and directing it to his waist. As he did that EJ ground his returning erection against her now highly sensitive core. He'd been getting slowly harder during their argument, fighting with Sami always got him hard and having her looking so sexy, all wet and flustered certainly helped as well.

"Don't!" said Sami quickly, feeling immediately the sudden change of tension between them.

"Don't what sweetheart?" he taunted her, quickly releasing his hard on from his boxers.

EJ grabbed it with one hand and began to rub his rapidly swelling member between her folds which were already gratifyingly wet which he had easy access to as Sami never had found her underwear. Clearly Sami enjoyed fighting with him as much as he did.

"Don't do this?" he asked her huskily, moving in and kissing the place where her neck and shoulder met.

"Yes," she said weakly but made absolutely no move to stop him.

He found her nub with his tip and rubbed it almost aggressively across it, wanting her to be unable to deny what was between them any longer. Sami gave a pained squeal because that part of her body was so incredibly delicate after what EJ had put it through. She jerked and went up on the tip of her toes, throwing her arms around EJ's neck even as her other leg tightened reflexively around his backside, drawing him even closer to her.

"GOODDD!" she moaned, squeezing her eyes closed and clinging to EJ helplessly as he relentlessly continued with his stimulation of her.

The pain was quickly dissolving into something much more worrying and Sami felt a burst of wetness from her core as pleasure began to radiate out into every cell of her body. She wanted to scream from the exquisite torment of it all. EJ could feel how excited Sami was getting, her new wetness covering his tip as he tortured them both mercilessly. It was too much for him then and both of his hands went to Sami's bottom cheeks as he hoisted her up off her feet and impaled her with his newly engorged length.

"Don't do this?" he asked her hoarsely, gritting his teeth against the terrible sensitivity his own aching member was enduring thanks to their extended lovemaking session.

As painful as it was though EJ knew it would be fleeting and as soon as he began moving inside of Sami again it would be replaced with an indescribable pleasure.

"YESSS!" she hissed, throwing her head back as EJ penetrated her particularly deeply in this position.

Sami wrapped her legs around his waist as EJ began to thrust up into her, both groaning from the unbearable friction of it all, despite how wet Sami was.

"Oh god it's so good!" howled EJ as he began to pump in earnest, the pain subsiding now and just adding another dimension to their lovemaking, a base note that just ripped more pleasure from their bodies.

Sami whimpered her agreement, unable to do anything but hold onto EJ and concentrate on not screaming the apartment block down. In this position EJ was in complete control and Sami could do nothing but surrender to him completely. Each thrust seemed to put him deeper into her and all Sami could think about was she wanted him deeper still.

"More… harder!" she begged him desperately and EJ wanted to come right there at hearing that.

Despite how much they'd just had of one another Sami craved more just as much as he did.

"We're real… Lucas is the fantasy," he growled at her in her ear, giving Sami what she wanted and driving his turgid manhood into her as deeply as it would go, "Say it Samantha!"

But Sami couldn't speak, that last thrust had caused her to climax and she was moaning incoherently, bucking against him. Sami was bearing down so hard on EJ during her orgasm that he had no choice but to follow her. He dropped his head down onto Sami's shoulder and let his own grunting moans of release join hers.

"EJ," whispered Sami as her hands went to his sweaty head, feeling him jerk into her, feeling the now very familiar flood of his seed spurting into her as he shuddered against her, "EJ…"

**Chapter FIFTY EIGHT**** - ****He Who Hesitates Is Lost**

My love as deep; the more I give to thee,  
The more I have, both are infinite.  
_~William Shakespeare~  
_

Sami just clung to EJ weakly, returning from the high of her latest climax. EJ was slumped against her, pinning her to the wall with his weight and the fact that he was still deep inside of her with Sami's legs wrapped around his waist. She could hear and feel his laboured breathing from all of his exertions against her neck and loved knowing she was the reason for his breathlessness. Sami didn't know how much more of this she could take but all she knew was that she was desperate for EJ to stay just where he was.

"Don't move," she implored him faintly, tightening her arms around his neck.

"Every time you make me leave your body it feels like death," EJ told her raggedly, his emotions as raw as his voice as he lifted his head to look down at her.

"EJ," she gasped, shuddering at his words.

He ducked his head and rested his forehead against hers, searching her face intently.

"I love you so much Samantha," he told her fiercely, "It's this ache inside of me everywhere I go. I think of you every moment of every day and I think I'm losing my mind from the want of you. I can't stand to be separated from you any longer, I have to have you, to know that you are mine and mine alone."

"You're asking for the impossible EJ," she whispered to him shakily.

"The only impossibility I see is ever being able to let you go again," said EJ determinedly, "I can't do it and neither can you so stop pretending Samantha."

Sami groaned at that, fearing his words were true and not knowing what to do about that. EJ straightened up then, taking her with him and Sami gave another groan, her body protesting the sudden change in position. EJ's hands went to her backside, supporting her weight properly as he was still inside of her.

"Take your clothes off sweetheart," he instructed her huskily, "I want to see you properly again."

EJ's boxers had fallen down to his ankles during their last love making session and he'd stepped out of them easily when he'd moved Sami away from the door. She shakily let go of EJ's neck, obeying his command without question. It was like he'd bewitched her and all of the reasons she'd found to keep him at arm's length had ceased to be important. The only important thing that mattered was this intense feeling of intimacy between them that continued to grow. Sami pulled her still damp slip up over her head and just dropped it to the ground, uncaring of where it landed.

EJ was still damp as well, from the impromptu shower in the basement but also from the sweat of his labours. There was something about seeing EJ's body raise a sweat as he pleasured her that Sami found very arousing and she couldn't help herself, leaning forward and pressing more of her naked body against EJ's as she licked hungrily at his salty skin. She only stopped when EJ started to walk with her towards the couch, giving a little yelp at the inevitable friction that action caused.

"Sorry sweetheart," he apologized to her, kissing the side of her neck even as his own body complained at such treatment.

"It's okay," she sighed as EJ lay her down on the sofa, almost reverently and despite no longer being hard, managed to keep his place inside of her.

He settled himself more comfortably as Sami did the same, sitting up a bit with the cushions behind her. EJ leant one knee on the sofa while his other foot was on the floor, bracing his weight. He looked down at Sami's body, stretched out before him in all its pale glory and felt his breath hitch. Every time EJ saw her like this it felt like the first time, the sense of awe and wonder never seeming to leave him. Her body still had the faint flush from their last bout of love making and just added to her allure. EJ's eyes drifted to her breast, full and pert for their size. Her nipples that crowned the twin perfections looked swollen and heavy and EJ knew it was because of all that he'd put them through tonight. His manhood stirred inside of Sami at the thought, remembering how she'd climaxed just from him squeezing them. Every time they were together she seemed to find new ways to enthral him and EJ knew in that moment more than any other how utterly lost he was in this woman. He reached out a hand and very lightly dragged his knuckles over one of the put upon peaks.

"Are you sore sweetheart?" he asked her huskily, the concern in his voice evident.

"A little," she admitted but couldn't help the burst of moisture her body produced as she remembered how they had got that way.

Sami had never been as turned on by a man playing with breasts as when it was EJ. He seemed to find different ways every time to coach a new delight out of her they made love and Sami couldn't help but ache for his next touch there. EJ slowly moved forward, leaning down over her while Sami held her breath for that first touch of his mouth to her breast after so long. He very tenderly took one of the engorged buds into his mouth and began to suck on it gently, his tongue and mouth working to sooth the tortured flesh. Sami gave a grateful groan at his ministrations, his touch instantly soothing. EJ took his time, his tongue gently salving her swollen peak, warm and caressing. She felt her eyes starting to droop a little, relaxing more and more against him as he pushed her ever deeper into a state of ultimate bliss. Sami's hands went to the back of EJ's head, her nails gently raking his scalp and then down his long back as far as she could reach.

Sami continued to drag her nails lightly over EJ's body, wherever she could reach, his back, neck, arms and scalp, even over his cheeks and face, pushing his thick dark hair back off his forehead. She watched through half opened eyes the goose pimples rise on his flesh from her touch telling her of his enjoyment of her doing that, as were his quiet groans around his mouthful of her breast. EJ finally lifted his head and looked down at her, leaving her glistening bud that had been in his mouth proudly erect and tightening even more from the touch of the cool night air.

"You're breasts get me so hard Samantha," he told her thickly and then proceeded to rub a scratchy cheek against the underside of the breast he had just been pleasuring.

The sensation made her shudder a little as she clamped her wall muscles tightly around EJ's manhood that she could feel him starting to stiffen again inside of her.

"Oh god EJ," she groaned in despair, as his mouth sought out her other breast, "How could you possibly be hard again so soon?"

"Because I love you," he almost growled the words, settling himself a little deeper inside her now that he was harder, "I crave you endlessly sweetheart."

His mouth was on her other breast then, before she could answer him and Sami groaned helplessly. Any minute Lucas could walk through that door and find them naked on the couch, EJ's body inside of hers as he suckled at her teat and Sami just couldn't bring herself to care. She knew she would later but right then no one else existed in the world. Sami didn't even know how long EJ tended to her breast, all sensation of time passing leaving her. EJ was beginning to move inside of her now, very slowly but surely. Sami welcomed each gentle thrust by tightening her muscles around him when he was his deepest inside her. At one point EJ threw back his head and moaned loudly as she managed to bear down on him particularly hard.

EJ knew he would have come then if it hadn't been for how many orgasms he'd already enjoyed in the last hour and a half. Instead it was a delicious fissure of pained pleasure that rocketed through him and EJ ground himself into Sami as hard as he could, needing to have all that she offered. He straightened up then, looking down at Sami as she lay spread out beneath him. Still moving purposely inside of her EJ reached out a hand and ran his finger tips down the centre of her chest, between the valley of Sami's breast until he was at her stomach.

EJ rested his hand against the flat softness, feeling Sami's muscles working to take him each time he thrust into her. EJ gave a little groan at the thought that one day their child would be growing inside of Sami and his next penetrations of her were particularly long and hard, his body responding of its own accord to EJ's desire for her to bear his children. Sami gasped but accepted it willingly and that only aroused EJ more. His hand drifted lower so he was at the tuft of light brown hair covering her mound as he continued to work himself purposely in and out of her. EJ lightly pulled and tickled at the short hairs, a little smile on his lips as he watched Sami enjoy that.

"Sit up a little sweetheart," he rasped, his voice tight as his arousal continued to build, "Watch me."

Sami struggled to sit up a bit and EJ leant over her and pushed another cushion behind her back to help her. When she was comfortable EJ, who had never stopped stroking inside of her leant back. He looked down at where his body was gliding in and out of hers and Sami couldn't help but look as well.

"It's so perfect," he said unevenly, his voice full of awe, "It's utterly perfect the way you take me Samantha. I feel like I'm only fully alive when we are like this."

EJ pulled all the way out of her then and Sami shuddered to see him so big and glistening with her own juices. He rested his swollen head against her opening and they both watched as he pushed himself slowly into her until he was buried completely in her before repeating the process all over again. Sami had never really done something like this before, watched her body take a man's penis and the way EJ was doing it so slowly and deliberately it was as though he was marking his territory, staking his claim inside of her somehow.

They lasted for a long time doing this, their many previous orgasms ensuring a longevity to this last round of lovemaking. As the minutes ticked by they both fell deeper and deeper into one another and the boundaries between them dissolved until it felt like they were no longer two people but rather one new being which found their completion in one another. Neither one of them wanted it to end, holding back from that final release for as long as possible, not wanting to give up this state of oneness. Sami's hands had come to rest on EJ's flat stomach as he powered away in side of her and he was still sitting up, oscillating between watching their bodies come together and Sami's face, as she was doing with him.

Finally it was too much and EJ's hands went to Sami's hips, holding on tightly as his strokes became faster, more desperate, pushing them both to the brink. Then, just as it was on the stairs, they came at the exact same moment, perfectly in sync and it was too an emotional a moment to even cry out as their bodies peaked together, the delirium and utter completeness of the moment overcoming them both. EJ fell forward, beyond spent after such intensive labours. He lay his sweaty head on Sami's chest as her walls milked the last of his seed from him and listened to her thundering heartbeat that found an answering call in his. They lay there, silent and unmoving except for the sound of their combined ragged moving, neither one wanting to separate from the other but EJ knew in the end that he had to. He grimaced as he withdrew from Sami's body, missing her already.

Sami for her part squeezed her eyes close as she felt him leave her, a rampant hollowness seeming to consume her now. EJ pressed a shaky, lingering kiss to her cheek and tears stung the back of Sami's eyes even as one hand came up to the back of his head and held him tightly there. She knew he wanted her to kiss him now but she was practically out of her mind with fear of doing just that, knowing there would be no going back if she did. Instead Sami kept his lips to her cheek for a long moment, just allowing herself this one moment. EJ finally broke the kiss and sat up and Sami opened her eyes in time to see him going to get his boxers and knew she should follow suit. They got dressed in silence, it didn't seem like there were any words left to say after what had just passed between them. Sami picked up the discarded towel and wrapped it around her shoulders, suddenly cold now that she was away from the heat of his body.

"So do you want me to pack a suitcase while I wait?" he asked her suddenly and Sami looked at him wide eyed, his softly spoken question suddenly making this all seem very real, waking her up from the dream like state she'd been in.

"Wh… what?" she stammered.

"I assumed that we were going to be together now sweetheart," he said with a bit of a frown.

EJ was a bit taken aback by her hesitancy, particularly after that simply amazing last bout of love making. It had been unbearably intimate and EJ felt as though she now had his soul on top of everything else after such a coming together. To see the sudden uncertainty in her eyes cut through him like a knife.

"Please," pleaded Sami, her eyes desperate as she looked up at EJ, his jaw already setting in a hard line, "Please EJ I just need some time to think."

"The last time I allowed you that sweetheart you tried to end it with me," he bit out but there was a definite underlying current of pain to his words, "And you've put us both through a month of unnecessary agony because of it."

"This is a huge thing you're asking of me EJ," she said shaking her head at him and pulling the towel around her more tightly, "I just have to work out how I've got to do what needs to be done."

"Come back to my apartment with me now," said EJ tightly, "We can work out all that kind of thing together."

"You can't fix this for me EJ," said Sami with a little shake of her head, "I have to be the one to take responsibility for this mess."

"Fine," nodded EJ, not to be put off, "As soon as Lucas gets back you can tell him that it is over and that you are moving on with me."

Sami winced at the thought of that but EJ wasn't to be swayed.

"I know you don't want to hurt the man, not that he doesn't deserve a little heartbreak in my books," said EJ grimly, "But you will only hurt him more by pretending to have feelings for him while you're really in love with me Samantha."

"I keep telling you it's not that simple!" exclaimed Sami in frustration, "Will…"

"Is going to understand… in time," finished EJ smoothly, "I promise you Samantha, I will do everything in my power to help him come to terms with our relationship. I don't want you to feel as though you're choosing between me and your son. Will loves you and as he gets older he is going to understand better, just like you did with your own mother."

Sami's shoulders slumped at the thought of Will feeling about her like she had about her mother for so many years. It wasn't a very palatable thought for Sami.

"Samantha this situation needs you to make some clear cut decisions and act on them," said EJ determinedly, when he saw her suddenly worried look, "You just need to be honest with yourself about what you really want."

"This is all happening too fast," said Sami, with a stricken look, "Please EJ, I just need some time…"

"And during that time are you going to have Lucas in your bed?" asked EJ bitterly, his jealousy rising to the fore even though he knew they weren't having sex.

It didn't matter, just the thought of the other man being able to so much as touch Sami in anyway just about drove EJ insane, especially now.

"How can you get back into a bed with that man after what has just happened here tonight?" he asked her angrily.

Sami looked away, not knowing what to say to that.

"I… we're not having sex," she tried to placate him with that but EJ wasn't to be soothed.

"How am I meant to be alright with you in bed with another man Samantha?" asked EJ, his voice starting to get louder, "He's lying right there next to you, he can reach out and touch you, smell your skin, kiss you and meanwhile I'm alone in my bed longing for you endlessly! I won't have that man touch you ever again Samantha! I'll kill him before that happens!"

Sami's breath hitched at that impassioned statement and she looked at him wide eyed.

"You promise me that you'll never do anything to Lucas EJ!" she said, fear starting to rise up in her at the suddenly murderous look in EJ's eyes, "You promise me that you won't lay a finger on Lucas EJ!"

"As long as he doesn't lay one on you," ground out EJ and Sami felt a quiver of nerves at how hard EJ's face had suddenly become, "I won't share you with him for a minute longer do you hear me Samantha?"

"I'll never forgive you if you hurt Lucas in anyway EJ," said Sami determinedly, squaring off against him, "He's Will father and I could never be with anyone who would willingly rob a child of his father!"

EJ looked away, grinding his teeth in frustration. She'd driven him to the point of near madness with this continuing hesitancy and the words had just slipped out. Some primitive male instinct had pushed the threat out of his lips before he could censure it and EJ thought that there was a real chance that he could go through with it too if he saw Lucas touching Sami now.

"EJ?!" she pushed him, grapping his arm and looking at him nervously as she waited for his promise.

"I promise I won't harm a hair on his vacuous head," said EJ finally, turning back to face her, his expression one of rank frustration, "Of course I'd never hurt you Samantha by taking away the father of your son. I love you too much to ever do such a thing to you."

Sami looked suddenly relieved by that but EJ wasn't finished.

"And I'd ask the same courtesy from you Samantha," he continued on grimly, "Don't continue to torture me with seeing you and Lucas together. It's like a knife in my heart and I don't know how much longer I can bear it."

"EJ I'm just asking for one night," she said desperately, "One night to get my head straight and then I'll do what I have to do, I promise. I'll come and see you first thing in the morning. Please EJ, I'm begging you."

EJ opened his mouth to answer her when there was a sudden clump and banging sound at the door. EJ's eyes went immediately to it while Sami whirled around, looking at it with horror.

Lucas was back obviously and struggling with the front door.

"Oh look," said EJ mockingly, still in a lot of pain over Sami's continuing uncertainty and taking it out on her, "The love of your life is back. Shall we include him in this little discussion we're having sweetheart? What do you think eh? Do you think this conversation would interest him at all?"

"Please EJ no!" she whispered to him frantically as she looked back at him desperately.

EJ didn't say anything, just looked down at her as Lucas hobbled through the door on his crutches. He stopped short though when he saw the two of them standing there, still damp from their misadventures in the basement and in their underwear.

"What the hell is going on here?" asked Lucas angrily, looking between the two of them.

Sami held her breath and waited for what EJ was going to do next, utterly at his mercy…

**Chapter FIFTY NINE**** - ****A Chance Meeting**

If you wish to strengthen a lie, mix a little truth in with it.  
_~Zohar~_

"So is anyone going to answer me?" asked Lucas, his frown deepening as he looked between Sami and EJ, "What the hell is going on here?"

Sami was frozen to the spot, terrified to open her mouth only to have EJ contradict whatever she might say. She knew EJ had the power to just blow this whole thing up in her face and Sami just prayed that he wasn't going to do that. It seemed to take EJ forever to say something and Sami's nerves tightened to breaking point.

"You know I was just commenting to Samantha here that I thought you'd find the answer to that very question rather interesting," said EJ smoothly, looking down at her, "Wasn't I darling?"

Sami just looked back at him, wide eyed and too frightened to say anything.

"Why are you both wet?" scowled Lucas, "And what are you doing here EJ… dressed like _that_?!"

EJ looked down at his silk boxers and then back at Lucas.

"This is what I normally sleep in," he said evenly and then pursed his lips, "Actually, I normally sleep naked but I thought modesty would suggest I at least put on boxers when out and about."

Sami looked away and couldn't meet either men's gaze then.

"And why are you _out and about _in this apartment EJ?" asked Lucas, looking at Sami who was being uncharacteristically quiet.

This was it, Sami held her breath, waiting for EJ's reply and trying not to look at him.

"I wasn't… at first," shrugged EJ, "It seems we've been having a few electrical problems in the building."

"I left Sami fixing that nearly two hours ago," said Lucas suspiciously and looked at Sami, "You said you had it under control."

"And I'm sure she did Lucas," interjected EJ calmly, "Only about half an hour ago they went out again and this time my electricity went with it. We met, quite by accident in the basement and then when we were trying to find out what the actual problem was we pushed one button too many and the fire sprinklers came on… hence our somewhat soggy appearance."

Sami tried not to look as relieved as she suddenly felt as it looked like EJ was going to do as she asked and give her one more night to sort this out in her head.

"Really?" asked Lucas, looking somewhat sceptical.

"We've just come back up here to check if it worked," finished off Sami hastily and made a weak smile, indicating the lit room, "And it looks like it has."

"So I guess you'll be going now EJ," said Lucas tersely, not happy about the state of undress of the two of them, "I guess I should thank you for helping Sami out."

"Oh don't mention it Lucas," said EJ with a pleasant smile but Sami knew him well enough to know that it was fake, "I always find it very helpful to pleasure Samantha."

Sami nearly passed out at that comment and she jerked her head round to stare at EJ fiercely.

"What did you say?!" growled Lucas.

"I said I always find it very pleasurable to help Samantha," said EJ, feigning the utmost innocence, "Why Lucas, what did you think I said?"

Lucas' eye narrowed, not liking this one bit.

"Shouldn't you be going now Elvis?" asked Lucas tightly, "You must be cold standing there practically naked and wet."

"Fortunately I'm quite hot blooded," said EJ with a humourless quirk of his lips before looking down at Sami, his eyes lingering on the material at the bodice of her slip, "But I can see you're feeling the cold sweetheart so I'll leave you to change…"

Sami jerked the towel that she'd been holding loosely around her shoulders more tightly to her and covered up her clearly protruding nipples in the clinging night dress. They were that way in part from the cold but mainly because of EJ's treatment of them that night and didn't he just know it.

"I know firsthand how very, very wet you are right now sweetheart," said EJ, his eyes suddenly full of blatant lust that Sami could only pray Lucas didn't notice as EJ let her know that this wasn't over yet in no uncertain terms.

EJ just wanted to scream at Sami to stop this madness and drop the clueless wonder standing over there and come back to his apartment but the relief on her face when he'd come up with a cover story for them tonight told him she wasn't going to do that. EJ just wanted to punish Sami for being so indecisive when to his way of thinking there was nothing to think about. He cursed himself that he hadn't made her kiss him at the end of that last round of love making because it would have just meant that there was nothing left for Sami to keep them apart. He'd held off, thinking that Sami wouldn't be able to stand against all of this emotion that was between them but EJ should have known better by now to underestimate the limits of her stubbornness. She was hurting him deeply right now by even entertaining the thought of spending one more night with Lucas and he wanted to make her pay for that by giving Sami a little fright and reminding her that he wasn't without power in this relationship.

"Yeah well you should just go then so she can shower and get into some dry clothes," said Lucas shortly, seeming to be missing the undercurrent of tension between EJ and Sami.

"That sounds like a sterling idea Lucas," said EJ, not taking his eyes off Sami, "I'll just go and do just that - leave you two love birds to it."

Sami couldn't help but hear the blatant sarcasm that edged his words but if Lucas noticed it he didn't say anything. EJ tore his eyes from Sami and headed towards the door.

"I'll see my own way out," he said simply.

Lucas didn't turn around to watch him go, his eyes on Sami instead who was looking decidedly flustered now. EJ got to the door and turned around, putting his hand on the door with a particularly fierce look at Sami to let her know that this was only going to be a very temporary situation.

The door closed firmly behind him then and Sami nearly crumpled to the ground, that last look from EJ practically searing the flesh from her bones and to her horror, causing the blood to heat in her veins yet again.

"Are you alright Sami?"

Sami dragged her attention back to Lucas and gave him a bright smile.

"Of course," she said easily, surprising herself at how normal she sounded, "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You just look a bit freaked out," said Lucas, looking at her intently.

"Yeah well I was worried I was going to get electrocuted in the basement with all the water and flicking switches," she said with a hopefully careless shrug.

"So EJ wasn't bugging you?" asked Lucas, narrowing his eyes.

"No more than usual," said Sami and forced a little laugh and then frown, "But none of that is important now - what happened at the police station Lucas? How is your car?"

"It's a write off," sighed Lucas and looked none to pleased about that fact.

"Oh," grimaced Sami, pleased to be talking about something else other than EJ with him, "I'm sorry but at least your insurance will cover it right?"

"I guess," said Lucas but still looked annoyed, "It's just a hassle I don't need right now."

"Well you can't drive right now anyway," reasoned Sami, "So that gives you time to pick out a new car."

"_We_ can pick out a new car," Lucas corrected her with a grin, "It will be our first couple purchase together."

"Right," said Sami weakly and tried to appear excited about that suggestion.

"First of many," smiled Lucas confidently, "I'm just so glad your in my life honey. I really don't know what I'd do without you."

Sami returned his smile valiantly and felt the sick feeling in her stomach grow.

oooOOOOooo

Sami lay stiffly in bed next to Lucas, feigning sleep until she could be certain that Lucas had fallen asleep properly. He was still on a lot of pain medication so he tended to sleep pretty soundly nowadays but Lucas had always been a deep sleeper. Sami felt like she was holding her own breath, waiting for him to start breathing deeply and evenly which would tell her that Lucas was finally asleep.

oooOOOOooo

EJ sat at his lap top, watching the dully glowing screen unblinkingly, his muscles clenching and unclenching wildly as he held himself in check. He'd sat there and watched as Sami and Lucas had climbed into bed together fighting the almost violent urge that was welling up inside of him to simply storm over to apartment 32 and rip Sami out of that bed and claim what was his. EJ hated feeling all of this raging emotion, finding himself no longer in control of faculties like he was used to but such was the power this woman had over him. He was undone by her and could simply find no other way to be.

He watched her get up out of the bed she was sharing with Lucas after about ten minutes and then send the other man a troubled look before walking out into the living room.

She stood there for a minute in the darkened room, seeming uncertain of what to do next. For one blind, exhilarating moment EJ thought Sami might actually walk out of her apartment and knock on his door but no. Instead he watched her walk into the kitchen and microwave a glass of milk for herself.

"Trouble sleeping sweetheart?" he asked her with a tinge of sarcasm, "Join the club."

Sami took her hot drink over to the couch where they had wrung so much pleasure from each other tonight and sat down on it, taking a sip from her drink before resting it on the coffee table. He could tell she was remembering their stolen moments together and her next action proved it to EJ. Sami lay back down on the sofa, in the exact same position he'd placed her in just hours ago. EJ gave a little approving growl at seeing her like that, a definite throb starting between his legs at the sight. His body was aching from all that he'd asked of it that night and EJ could only imagine what Sami was feeling. They had made a lot of love over a short space of time and much of it hadn't exactly been gentle. Despite that though EJ could feel himself hardening yet again as he watched her – his need for her was utterly relentless.

EJ's prediction that Sami must be feeling particularly tender right about then also proved correct as Sami suddenly sat up a bit and picked up her drink again. She lay back down and pressed the warm glass to first one swollen nipple that EJ could see clearly protruding underneath the material of her tank top and then the other. Sami gave a grateful sigh as the warmth from the heated glass obviously bought her some relief. EJ's mouth had gone dry as he watched her shamelessly, no longer having the slightest qualms about it after their many intimacies of that night. He watched transfixed as she then moved her impromptu heat pack to between her legs and pressed it to her core. She was wearing pyjama bottoms now, having changed into something else after showering before bed.

Sami had to shower of course because EJ knew his scent would have been all over her and there was no way that Lucas wouldn't have noticed it. It gave EJ a very male sense of satisfaction to know that his seed was still inside of her though, that he'd marked his territory in the most primal way possible even as Sami lay down next to Lucas. Before Samantha EJ would not have considered himself into such base things, preferring to think of himself as far more sophisticated and civilized than that. But then Sami had come along and shown him that all his civilization was just a thin veneer. Scratch beneath it and he was a raging caveman when it came right down to it. No other woman had spoken to his most basic instincts as Sami did. It was like he reacted to her on a purely instinctual level, like animals that mated for life EJ had found his mate and now she was all that existed for him.

"Samantha," he said, his voice a hoarse groan as he watched Sami settle back on the sofa more comfortably, a look of relief on her face as the warmth did its' job, "God sweetheart I could make it all better for you… just knock on my door… please sweetheart knock on my door and I'll make all of your aches go away I promise."

Sami didn't of course and the urge to simply go over there and retrieve his woman began to build in EJ again. He'd tacitly promised Sami though that she had until tomorrow and he had been trying so hard to prove to her that he was worthy of her trust that EJ didn't feel like he could renege on that, no matter how much he might want to. Sami gave a loud sigh then and then sat up a bit more. She took the warm glass of milk from between her thighs and in a move that EJ found deeply arousing Sami began to drink from it. His manhood protested loudly at being engorged yet again that evening but EJ couldn't help it. Everything Sami did turned him on – hell, some days he felt like she could blow her nose and he'd come all over himself.

EJ frowned when Sami finished her drink, tensing for her to go back to Lucas and uncertain how he was going to be able to deal with that but instead Sami rearranged the cushions on the sofa, placing a couple at one end before lying her head down on them. It was obvious she was intending to spend the night there rather than go back to Lucas and EJ felt a flood both of relief and deep satisfaction.

"That's my girl," he purred in satisfaction, watching her curl up on the sofa and pull up the throw rug over herself, "You know who you belong to don't you?"

The irony didn't escape EJ that he found himself in exactly the same position at the end of the night that he had at the beginning – hard and watching Sami on the computer screen. EJ had to wonder if a glass of milk might help him out of his current predicament because he honestly didn't think he could go another round without causing permanent physical harm to himself. Plus if he had to take one more cold shower he was going to lose his mind. EJ shifted uncomfortably on his chair as he watched Sami settle in for the night, trying to get settled. It looked like it was going to be an uncomfortable night for the pair of them at this rate.

oooOOOOooo

Sami stepped into the elevator at Salem University Hospital and pressed the button for the floor that John's room was in. She was doing it on automatic pilot which was pretty much how she'd been operating since her and EJ's explosive coming together the night before. After getting up very early, sleep not really a possibility for her at the moment, she'd decided to visit with John and maybe clear her head before going to see EJ. Sami felt like she was in some kind of daze, overwrought from trying to sort out everything in her head while maintaining a façade of normalcy. It had been so hard for her to lie in the bed next to Lucas last night when every cell of her body still felt the aftershocks of EJ's possession of her and that had been what it felt like, like he'd possessed her somehow. That was why she'd had to get out of bed and had ended up sleeping on the sofa. EJ's jealous words of what the thought of her being with Lucas in anyway haunting her so much that she'd been unable to stay with Lucas in that bed.

In particular that last coming together had been the single most intimate experience of Sami's life. It was unlike anything she'd ever experienced before in its rawness and intensity that it frightened her. It also didn't help Sami any in trying to put this all out of her mind when she was still so unbelievable tender from their many heated trysts last night. Every movement she made reminded Sami of the things she and EJ had done together, her body a testament to the fierceness of their lovemaking. The way he'd made love to her, the things he'd said to her – Sami couldn't get them out of her head.

EJ's claim that she was making the same mistakes that her mother had was resonating deeply with her. Sami had come as close as she'd ever had to hating her mother when she'd seen her and John on that conference room table. Truth be told though Sami could never bring herself to hate her own mother so much of her vitriol had been transferred to John, making him take the brunt of responsibility for the affair. If he'd just stayed away Sami had reasoned at the time then her mother and father would have lived a long happy life together and her life wouldn't have take the many downwards turns that it had. Now that she found herself in a similar position to her mother Sami knew it wasn't that simple though.

Sami loved Lucas, she really did and couldn't bear the thought of hurting him like this. They'd already had such a tempestuous relationship for years that it made her stomach turn to think of going back to the days when they hated each other with a passion. They shared Will and for that reason above all others Sami wasn't going to let things deteriorate to like that again between them. But as much as she loved Lucas and they shared such a deep history there was no way Sami could deny the connection she felt with EJ any longer. She wanted so badly not to feel it, knowing her life would instantly be simpler if it wasn't true but there was just something about EJ that drew Sami in, time after time.

Her head knew all the reasons why they could never be together but not a single one of them seemed to matter when they were in the same room together though. Despite all her best efforts EJ intrigued her, fascinated her… excited her. He was the first man that she couldn't manipulate easily, the first man who had ever claimed to love every part of her, the good and the bad. When she was with him lately Sami would find herself wondering what a life with EJ would really be like. It was a fantasy she'd never allowed herself before but when they'd painted the room together that day and that business lunch with Shiro-san had given Sami pause for thought. Sami remembered what it had been like between them before she found out about his lies, how she would thrill to the way he would listen to her so intently when she spoke, how reassuring it was to see him walk into the room she was in.

Could everything EJ saying be true, could it be like that again Sami had to wonder? Was she making too much of their families? After all, EJ had said no to Stefano about whatever errand it was he'd wanted him to do and opted to be with her instead. Didn't that mean that he wasn't as under his father's thumb as Sami perhaps first thought? Sami put a shaky hand to her chest, suddenly realizing what she was doing – she was actually contemplating a future with EJ DiMera, something she'd never allowed herself to do before. She closed her eyes and leant back heavily on the wall of the elevator and gave a choked sob.

He was all she ever thought about and before last night Sami had always been able to blame it on EJ, that he was forcing herself into her world on a daily basis. There was a truth in that but the real truth ran deeper. EJ had spoken of only feeling alive when he was inside her and Sami knew what he meant. She felt everything so much more intensely around EJ - frustration, desire, anger, passion, annoyance and when Sami would allow it, fun. All things were heightened with him and despite her desperate attempts to make it otherwise all other elements of her life were fading away into the background… even Lucas. Sami was so petrified to put a name to all the emotions that ran riot through her body, paralysed at the thought that what she might be feeling could be called love. Because if this was love Sami knew that she'd never loved any other person in the world like she did EJ DiMera and she simply didn't know what to do with that information.

It would be impossibly messy and she would become an immediate pariah yet again in Salem if she acted on any of these feelings publicly. Sami didn't relish that thought but she also didn't know how she was going to keep on denying what there was between herself and EJ either. Against all her reason and better judgment Sami wanted him and not just as a lover either. It would be so easy to just dismiss this as sex between them but when Sami was being brutally honest with herself she knew it wasn't just about sex. She was just drawn to EJ, inexplicably and uncontrollably and Sami was getting tired of fighting against it.

But what did that mean then? That she should break Lucas' heart to take a chance on EJ? What if EJ was only interested in the thrill of the chase and despite what he'd said once he'd had her for a while would tire of her? Sami wanted to build a life, a future with a man she loved and she had to wonder what a future being with a DiMera would be like. EJ said they wanted the same things but Sami wasn't so sure. If she admitted to EJ about these feelings that she still didn't want to put a name to it would mean the end of her world as she knew it. Her family would turn their back on her, quite possibly forever so it felt to Sami as though she had to make a choice between her family and EJ and she didn't know if she could do that. She loved her family so much but Sami could no longer deny that the thought of not having EJ in her life left her equally as bereft.

It was hopeless.

The doors of the elevator swung open and a well dressed older man got onto the elevator with Sami, giving her a polite smile. To her embarrassment Sami realized she'd ridden the elevator all the way and then down again to the foyer where she'd gotten on, so wrapped up in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed that elevator doors opening and closing. She hastily pressed the button again and this time concentrated on watching for the floor that John was on to light up so she wouldn't miss it again. Her thoughts kept going around and around in her head, making Sami's head spin. Whichever way she looked at it people were going to get hurt and Sami was sick of always being the one to do that to the people that she loved. It really was hopeless but Sami knew that she had to make a decision and fast. Whatever she decided had to be final because Sami couldn't keep living like this, it was killing her inside. She stepped off the elevator and stuck her hands in the pockets of her coat, lost in her own thoughts as she walked down the corridors to John's room.

She was just at his room and unfortunately, still having no idea what she was going to do next except perhaps going to EJ and asking for more time. The thing was that if she went to see EJ know Sami was all but certain the first thing she'd do is just kiss him and then she knew for certain all would be lost. She wanted to kiss EJ so badly, to have that last barrier between them lifted but Sami just still wasn't sure of where EJ was at. She had to believe his declarations of love and gave a little shudder, remembering the way he'd been deep inside her that last time, swearing his love for her. She'd looked into his eyes and had seen that he'd been in earnest.

But what did a DiMera really understand about love Sami had to wonder in despair?

Could a man who had been raised by Stefano DiMera ever really understand what real love was? Would there come a time when the DiMera training would cause EJ to really revert to form and Sami would suddenly find herself involved with Stefano the second? It was a chilling thought but it was so hard to conceive that EJ could ever be as could blooded as his father. Even though she knew he was capable of some pretty horrible stuff if she was being honest here Sami couldn't exactly claim to be as pure as the driven snow either. Most people would call many of the things she'd done in her life pretty horrible as well… and they'd be right. Sami grimaced, not getting anywhere with this despite how much she was thinking about it. She was at the door to John's room now and she put up a hand to open it when it was suddenly opened.

"Why Samantha," said Tony, standing there in the doorway with a smooth smile on his lips, "How wonderful to see you. Don't you look well?"

"What are you doing here Tony?" frowned Sami, looking nervously over his shoulder into John's room, immediately suspicious of his motives.

"Why John Black is one of my oldest and dearest friends," said Tony calmly, "Of course I had to come and visit him. And you're here being the dutiful stepdaughter I see - very commendable… especially when a less charitable person might hold John responsible for the destruction of your parent's marriage."

"That was a long time ago," said Sami shortly.

"Ah yes," nodded Tony, looking to one side thoughtfully, "Time heals all wounds…"

Tony looked up then and gave her a considered look then.

"But then again Max Frisch the Swiss playwright tells us that time does not change us… it just unfolds us," commented Tony.

Sami scowled, not sure what he was trying to imply with that.

"I'm glad to see that you hold family in such high esteem Samantha," said Tony, continuing on casually, "It will serve you well once you join the DiMera fold - it is all important to us."

"Wh… what?" stammered Sami, taken aback by his words.

"Oh dear," said Tony, feigning concern, "I do hope I haven't spoken out of turn."

Sami swallowed hard, wondering what it was exactly EJ had told Tony, her stomach tightening nervously.

"I don't know what you're talking about Tony," frowned Sami, trying to work out what it was Tony knew about her and EJ.

"Why I'm talking about you and Elvis carrying on the DiMera legacy of course," said Tony easily.

"What would make you think that anything like that was happening between EJ and I?" asked Sami warily.

"Well after everything Elvis told father and I about your time away on Ara Caman it wasn't hard to see where this was going Samantha," said Tony with a little smile.

"EJ told you about the island?" asked Sami in horror, her cheeks blushing bright red.

"Of course," shrugged Tony casually, "My little brother has become quite smitten with you my dear but I'm sure you can be in no doubt about that. After receiving our Father's blessing he has been pursuing you quite relentlessly I believe."

"EJ asked his father for permission to… to…?" asked Sami, her eyes wide as she was bombarded with this less than appealing information.

"But of course," said Tony, feigning surprise, "He is a dutiful son and would know not to go against his beloved father's wishes… about anything. After all, we could not just have any one being mixed in with the DiMera blood lines now can we? You are a Brady like none other Samantha and I think my brother has made a worthy selection from the Brady women."

"What… what does that mean?" asked Sami in consternation.

"Why Elvis was bought to town by Father and set with the task to take a Brady woman for his bride," said Tony innocently, "Surely he has told you this Samantha? I mean your relationship has been become quite intimate of late I understand, surely Elvis has informed you of his intentions?"

Sami couldn't speak; she was in too much shock. She couldn't believe the things she was hearing. Had EJ really come to town and picked her out of the rest of the family like some catalogue bride? Had his deceit really been that cold and calculating?

"Wh… why?" asked Sami faintly.

"For the reason I just said of course," said Tony, taking a lot of enjoyment from the distraught expression on the young woman's face, "Our family needs fresh blood in it, a new generation of DiMera's to rejuvenate the blood lines."

Tony knew that EJ was favoured by their father to take over the reins of the family business once he was gone. He liked the idea of EJ with this Brady woman leading his empire into the future but there was no way in hell that Tony was going to let that happen. He'd worked too long and too hard and he was not going to have that all taken away from him by Stefano's favourite who deserved nothing. There was no way in hell that Elvis and this Brady upstart were stealing his birthright from him and Tony was going to make sure that didn't happen, one way or the other. The last thing he wanted was EJ and Sami to have some kind of united front against him so the first order of business was to ensure that never happened. Of course, their father still needed stem cells but Tony had his own plans for that.

"So I'm meant to be some kind of baby machine to pump out more soldiers for Stefano DiMera to warp?!" asked Sami, her horror only growing.

"You will be handsomely compensated for your efforts Samantha," said Tony with a smile that made Sami cringe, "We are generous to a fault when it comes to rewarding those who have provide such a valuable service to our family. You will have anything you could dream of, whatever money can buy. Of course you will be moving into the mansion once you and Elvis are married and I think you will find it extremely comfortable and you will be surrounded by family which is very important. You will want for nothing."

Sami just stared at him, unable to believe that this could be true but then it somehow confirmed all her deepest darkest fears about EJ and his family. But surely this couldn't be something he wanted, Sami just couldn't believe it of him.

"Mind you from the way Elvis tells the story you seem more than willing to provide that particular service free of charge," said Tony with a slight smirk, "I believe the words he used was wonderfully gifted and couldn't wait to tell us all about your little trysts."

Sami made a distressed gasp at that, unable to bear the thought of EJ bragging to his family of all people about their intimacies.

"Why so shocked my dear…?" asked Tony throatily as he reached out a hand to her.

Sami flinched but Tony's hand went to the necklace she was wearing, turning it over from where it had fallen wrong side up against her chest. Her skin crawled under his light touch, finding that he was suddenly standing far too close and Sami felt like she was going to start screaming and never stop.

"… we DiMera's share everything," he said huskily.

Tony drew his hand away but not before lightly running his fingers along the line of her bodice in the briefest of caresses before capturing her stricken gaze.

"Everything," he repeated huskily and his meaning was clear and Sami nearly threw up at the thought of this man ever touching her again.

"I'm so looking forward to getting to know you better Samantha," he said warmly, his almost black eyes making Sami shiver uncontrollably with the deadness in them, "I'm sure it will be quite the thrilling adventure."

With that last little comment made Tony inclined his head in a silent farewell and moved past Sami and down the corridor Sami had just traversed. She turned around and watched him leave, falling against the wall heavily and suddenly in a desperate need of a shower and a lot of bleach. Sami felt dirty and sick to her stomach at what had just transpired and she couldn't stop shaking.

Tony stepped onto the lift and pressed the button for the ground floor and as the doors slid shut a self satisfied smile touched his lips.

"Now that was fun," he murmured to himself, "Honesty really is the best policy."

Tony's smile widened at that thought.

**Chapter SIXTY**** - ****The Betrayal**

Anybody can become angry, that is easy;

but to be angry with the right person, and to the right degree,

and at the right time, and for the right purpose, and in the right way,

that is not within everybody's power, that is not easy.  
_~Aristotle~_

EJ bustled around in his kitchen in his black robe, making himself some toast and a morning cup of tea. After the disappointment of last night EJ had woken up in a much more positive frame of mind. Despite last night not turning out quite as he hoped the fact that Sami had been unable to go and lie in the same bed with Lucas was a huge encouragement to him. Of course he'd been upset at the time but now he'd had time to calm down EJ realised that this was possibly better. Sami was going to sleep on it and wake up as he had done with a clear head and of course she wasn't going to at last come to her senses and realise they were made for one another.

If she'd left with him last night Sami could always have thrown the old - I was overwrought from all that had happened - excuse at him but not now. He'd let her be and Sami had quickly realised that she couldn't go back to how things were, case in point, sleeping on the sofa rather than with Lucas. He may desperately want her body but above all other things EJ wanted Sami's head and heart and today was going to be the day that Sami gave both to him, EJ was just sure of it. He took his toast and tea and sat down on the couch, taking a sip from his drink.

"_You look pleased with yourself."_

EJ turned his head to see Sam leaning against the wall and observing him with interest. She was wearing a dusk grey body suit with matching suspenders and stockings and had even accessorised with an interesting beaded necklace.

"Well hello there," said EJ quite cheerfully, "Don't you look lovely today Sam."

Sam's eyebrows lifted up so far on her forehead at that comment that they nearly disappeared into her hairline.

"_Did you just compliment me…?" she asked him, eyeing him suspiciously, "And did you just call me by my name Elvis? That's the first time you've done either of those things… you do realise that right?"_

"Is it?" asked EJ with a casual shrug, not seeming to be bothered by that fact, "Oh well, you can call it my parting gift to you."

"_Are you going somewhere?" she asked in amusement, crossing her arms in front of her chest. _

"No sweetheart," said EJ talking around a mouthful of toast.

He picked up his tea then and took another sip, turning around a little so that he was facing Sam more as she leant up against the wall near the apartment door.

"But _you_ are," he said happily, pointing a finger at her with the hand that was holding his cup of tea.

"_I am?" she said, pursing her lips, "And why would I be going anywhere Elvis?"_

"Because clearly you are some kind of…" EJ paused to find the right words.

"_Be nice," Sam warned him with a pointed look, coming to sit over on one of the nearby chairs and crossing her legs._

"… manifestation of some of the subconscious anxieties I might have been harbouring about Samantha and I," finished EJ smoothly.

"_That or you're having some kind of psychotic break," mused Sam thoughtfully._

"I'm not crazy," said EJ coolly.

"_Of course you're not," said Sam in exaggerated agreement, "This…"_

She waved a hand at herself and then back at EJ.

"… _is the epitome of normality," she said mockingly, "Everyone I know conjures up lingerie clad facsimiles of the woman they want but can't have… who then proceeds to give you an ass whipping every time you talk with her."_

"You don't whip my ass when we talk," said EJ with a roll of his eyes at her version of things.

"_But I could if you wanted me to big boy," she said huskily, giving him a seductive wink, "If anyone needs a good spanking it's you Elvis."_

"I'm so going to miss these conversations," said EJ with a sarcastic smile.

"_Again, what makes you so sure that I'm going anywhere?" asked Sam, pursing her lips. _

"Any minute now Samantha is going to knock on my door and admit to all the feelings she's been holding back from me," said EJ confidently, "And then I won't be needing your little Devil's advocate thing that you take so much delight in. I'm never going to see you again because I'll have the real thing, Samantha and we will be blissfully happy together."

"_You're really used to things going your ways all the time aren't you?" asked Sam with a small note of censure in her voice, "You know, life isn't always that simple."_

"Do you get some kind of perverse thrill from trying to rain on my parade?" asked EJ with a roll of his eyes.

"_I'm just trying to warn you my little love bumpkin," shrugged Sam, "I think this brimming enthusiasm thing you've got going might be a little premature. I mean, sure, you guys can go at it like bunnies but that doesn't change any of the facts. At some point you two are going to have to deal with the reality of the situation."_

"What do you think the chances are that last night Samantha and I conceived a child together?" asked EJ, looking thoughtful and excited by the idea, clearly not taking on board anything Sam was saying.

"_What is this?!" asked Sam in exasperation, "Am I just talking to myself here?!"_

Sam thought about that statement for a moment and then pursed her lips.

"_Actually I suppose that is exactly what I'm doing," she mused as she took into account that she'd popped out of EJ's subconscious._

She frowned then and waved an annoyed finger at EJ.

"_But that's not the point!" she huffed, "You have to wake up and smell the oncoming tidal wave of reality my peach blossom. I think you and the blonde have a lot more to deal with than you realise."_

"I tell you what," said EJ calmly, taking another sip of his tea and not looking the least bit concerned by Sam's dire predictions, "Why don't you just disappear down the rabbit hole from whence you came and leave Samantha and me to the long and happy life that is ahead of us."

"_Why do you conjure me up if you're not going to listen to my words of wisdom?" asked Sam in exasperation, throwing her hands up in the air._

Before EJ could answer that though there was a knock on the door and a huge smile split his face.

"Ah," he grinned, standing up and walking over to the door, throwing a smug look at Sam, "If you'll excuse me my dear, destiny is knocking on my door."

EJ opened his door to see Sami standing there and the old familiar tightening of his stomach muscles. God just being in the same room as her made his head spin and his stomach flip in nervous excitement. If it was possible she looked more beautiful to him today than ever before after the wonderful events of last night. Pink was definitely her colour he decided although if he had a choice EJ would have preferred her naked and in his arms.

"Hello my gorgeous girl," he beamed down at her, his whole face lighting up at seeing her, "I've been waiting for you."

Sami walked past him and into the room, turning around to face him.

"I'm here now," she said shortly but EJ didn't seem to notice.

EJ's eyes swept over her freely and it felt to Sami as though he had actually touched her.

"And definitely worth the wait sweetheart," he told her huskily and then a sexy little smile came to his lips, "I hope you don't mind but I didn't dress for the occasion…"

A little knowing smile touched his lips as EJ quirked a seductive eyebrow at her.

"But I was rather hoping that the rest of the morning wouldn't be requiring clothing of any kind," he said throatily as he went to put his arms around her.

"Don't!" said Sami sharply, pushing on EJ's chest and stepping back.

EJ frowned a little then, taking in the determined set of her face and the hard blue light in her eyes.

"It's a little late to be coy don't you think Samantha?" asked EJ mildly, "After last night's marathon love making session I think we can safely say we are past that don't you my love?"

"We're done," said Sami, the two words bitten out harshly.

EJ's eyes narrowed at her sudden about face from last night when he could see in her eyes that she was through with denying her feelings for him.

"We're done?" he repeated back slowly, enunciating each word precisely before fixing her with a hard stare, "And what does that mean exactly sweetheart?"

"It means we're done EJ," she said tersely, holding her body stiffly, "That this craziness is over and we are both going to go our separate ways and pretend that nothing ever happened."

Sami turned away from him then, presenting her back to him and crossing her arms in front of her chest almost protectively.

"Is that right?" asked EJ coolly, wrapping his dressing gown around him more securely and doing up the belt, "Just like that?"

"Just like that," repeated Sami flatly, setting her jaw determinedly before turning back round to face him.

"Well this is a rather perplexing turn of events," commented EJ, almost idly.

He may have sounded calm but on the inside his stomach was churning violently and he wanted to just hit something very hard from frustration of it all. How could she have gone from last night back to what felt like square one again?! EJ was beside himself with anger and a desperation that was threatening to overwhelm him and make him just fall at Sami's feet and beg her not to leave him. EJ maintained his control, just, and continued to stare at Sami steadily, completely unwilling to accept this.

"Because if memory serves sweetheart last night you were begging me to make you come and that you didn't want me to leave your body," he remarked very calmly but there was a muscle in his cheek that was ticing wildly that gave away his growing turmoil.

"That was last night and today is today," said Sami unflinchingly although there was a decided pinkish hue to her cheeks now.

"And I'm meant to just accept that am I?" asked EJ mildly, arching both of his eyebrows at her, "That you say it's done and it's done?"

"Yes," said Sami and there was a decided lack of emotion to her voice that worried EJ.

He could deal with angry, passionate Sami but this cold façade she was putting up was another thing.

EJ walked into the room and stood there with his back to her for a long moment, not speaking until he finally turned around to face her, his face as serious as hers now.

"What is this?" he asked at last, his voice rasping slightly.

"It's me coming to my senses EJ," said Sami flatly and even though EJ was searching her face intently he couldn't see any kind of crack in the hard façade she was presenting him with.

They could have been talking about the weather for all it seemed to be bothering Sami, a fact which only made EJ want to scream in bitter frustration.

"No," he said with a shake of his head, still feeling as though he was some kind of bad dream, "I don't accept that Samantha. Last night…"

"Was a horrible mistake," she finished bluntly, keeping her voice steady.

EJ processed Sami's words silently, afraid that if he spoke just then he would say something he would really live to regret. To hear Sami refer to what had transpired between them last night in such a way made EJ feel as though she had ripped his still beating heart from his chest. He tried to get his brain to work, to fathom what had happened between last night and now to make Sami behave like this. There had to be more than what she was telling him, there just had to be.

"What happened Samantha?" he asked her, taking a step towards and putting his hands on her arms, bending his head and looking at her intently, "Something has happened since last night, I just know it. Whatever it is we can deal with it together, it doesn't have to stop us from being together."

"I asked you for some time to think about it and I thought about it," she said unemotionally, pulling away from his light touch and giving him a disgusted look, "Lucas is the man I want to be with – end of story."

"You're angry with me," commented EJ, his eyes narrowing as he ignored that last statement and looked carefully into her eyes, "What have I done Samantha to make you like this?"

"I'm angry with me EJ," said Sami coldly, "For letting this insanity get as far as it did but for once I'm going to learn from my mistakes.

"Stop calling last night a mistake," said EJ tersely, the muscle in his cheek beginning to tic wildly again as his eyes hardened, "It wasn't a mistake Samantha and you know it."

"It was one of the biggest mistakes of my life EJ," denied Sami tightly, "And that's really saying something when you consider my life. I was being an idiot but I'm done with that now. I'm done with turning my life into a train wreck. If you want to get your kicks EJ I suggest you start looking for someone else's life to ruin because mine is no longer available."

"This has never been a game to me Samantha," bit out EJ to which Sami gave a humourless little laugh.

"I'm going," she said emphatically, clearly not believing him, "And I don't want to have anything more to do with you EJ – this is it. If you push it I will tell my father about what really happened at the cabin. The only thing keeping you out of jail is my alibi for you that night so if you want to keep walking around a free man I suggest you keep the hell away from me!"

"If you remember sweetheart I've got some information on you," said EJ, his voice hard as she threatened him, "I'm sure Lucas would love to hear all about our little island interlude and your father for that matter would be pretty interested as well I'm guessing."

"Tell them," she said, calling his bluff, "Tell the whole world for all I care EJ because whatever the price is I have to pay to get you out of my life it is going to be worth it!"

"You'd rather lose everything that you've purported to be so important to you rather than give into your feelings for a man who loves you more than life itself?" asked EJ bitterly, his eyes darkening at the way Sami was attempting to summarily dismiss him.

"Yes."

The word was said so coldly, so devoid of emotion that EJ couldn't contain himself any longer. He grabbed at the top of Sami's arms, dragging her towards him.

"You _love_ me!" he growled and bent his head to capture her lips in cruel kiss.

He wanted to punish her for saying such things, for denying all that was between them yet again. EJ crushed her lips under his until he could taste blood but he wasn't sure if it was his or hers and didn't care. He just wanted to make her admit that what she was saying was a lie, that the thought of being without one another was as crippling to her as it was to him. EJ had been expecting Sami to resist him in the beginning, to fight against his initial cruelty but she once again caught him off guard. Even as his mouth moved roughly over hers, demanding and gaining entrance to her mouth Sami remained perfectly passive underneath him. She didn't move, didn't react to his hard kisses, just standing there as though this wasn't even happening.

This for EJ was the most devastating thing she could have done.

Sami had always responded to his kisses, always, no matter what had been going on between them, she'd been as helpless as he was to resist. To feel her just being so completely impassive to him now was making the sick feeling rise up in his stomach again. EJ couldn't stand it any longer and broke the kiss. He still had a death grip on her arms, so much so that there would most likely be bruises on her pale skin come tomorrow as he looked down at her, breathing unevenly. Her lips were swollen from his violent kisses but she made no protest at that or how his hands must be hurting the tops of her arms.

"Are you done?" she asked; her voice completely without emotion as she stared back at him with lifeless blue eyes.

It was as though her soul had somehow been extinguished for all that EJ could see in those normally expressive eyes of hers. He took a step back as though she'd slapped him and her words were far worse than any physical assault. If she'd hit him then there still would have meant there was passion but to have Sami looking at him as though he no longer existed was a fate worse than death for EJ. Without another word Sami turned on her heel and headed out the door, leaving EJ reeling from this turn of events. He snapped out of his shock induced inertia and bolted to the door just in time to see Sami heading down the corridor towards the lift.

"This is not over Samantha!" he called out after her, "It will _never_ be over between us, do you hear me?!"

Sami gave no indication that she did indeed hear him but she couldn't have failed to. Regardless she stepped onto the elevator without a backwards look at him and then she was gone. EJ had considered going after her then and there but he needed to regroup for a moment before attempting such a thing. She'd completely floored him with that little performance and EJ couldn't quite get his head around how his high hopes had been so utterly dashed. He closed the door and turned around, staring sightlessly ahead while Sam stood up and turned around to face him, having listened in on the whole thing.

"_Ohh," said Sam, wrinkling up her nose in sympathy with EJ, "That had to hurt. Destiny really kicked you in the nuts with that one huh? Seriously honey, I've seen less brutal executions."_

EJ couldn't speak, still unable to fathom how Sami could have made such a drastic 180 degree turn in her feelings for him. He's seen in her eyes last night that Sami had all but stopped fighting him. She'd given herself to him last night during that last act of intimacy, more fully than she ever had before and EJ had felt the shift between them and he couldn't believe that it had all been in his head.

"_I feel like I should say something," mused Sam, seeing EJ's still devastated expression._

She thought about it for a second and then clicked her fingers, an idea coming to her.

"_I know!" she said happily and grinned at EJ in excitement, "How about this…"_

EJ's eyes flicked over to her but the stony expression on his face didn't alter.

"_I told you so… I told you so… I so so so told you so…" _

Sam began to chant a little sing song version of her words.

"Shut up!" growled EJ, in no mood for her as he stalked back into the room, not looking at her as his inertia finally left him.

"_But wait," protested Sam, "You haven't seen the best bit – there is a dance that goes with it."_

Sam began to sing her 'I told you so' ditty again but this time adding a funky little dance that EJ in no way found amusing. He grabbed the nearest thing he could find and threw it with all his might at the gyrating Sam, yelling at her to shut the hell up. Shock was giving way to anger and right then EJ really wanted to hurt someone and Sam was as good a place to start as any. Of course, it would have helped if Sam was actually real but because she wasn't the book went straight through her and sailed out the open window she was standing in front of. EJ then got his wish about hurting someone though when a woman screamed.

"_Oh no!" said Sam wide eyed and shaking her head at EJ, "What did you do Elvis?"_

EJ grimaced and rushed to the window and out onto the fire escape and looked down to see who his accidental victim was. He looked down on the alley way below him to see the neighbour who had almost interrupted his and Sami's little adventures in the basement.

"Sorry Mrs Plasky!" called down EJ, a little red faced and then anxiously, "Are you alright?"

"Yes no thanks to you!" she huffed, "Why are you throwing books out the window Elvis?"

Mrs Plasky was one of the few people outside his family that referred to him as Elvis. She told him at the time that he was too old to have initials for a name, it was undignified. Johan had said that if he wanted to be called EJ than she should call him EJ to which Enid had retorted that she could call the young man whatever she wanted. EJ had quickly interjected before things deteriorated any further and said he didn't mind which name he was called, he answered quite happily to both.

"It… umm… slipped," offered up EJ weakly, not really having a sane explanation for throwing a book out the window.

"_Ooohh – good save," nodded Sam with a bright smile, "That was very convincing. You're like the smartest crazy person I know Elvis."_

"I could have been killed!" continued on Mrs Plasky, determined to play out the dramatics of the situation.

"_If you had killed the old girl that could have solved all your problems," Sam noted and then explained when EJ gave her an irritated look, "When you're in prison for offing little old ladies you could find yourself a new girlfriend and all your troubles will be over."_

Sam gave that some thought then before continuing.

"_Just no one with a hairy ass," she counselled him, "Hairy asses really disturb me."_

Johan appeared on the scene then and saved EJ from dignifying that last comment of Sam's with a reply. Johan took in the scene in front of him, his annoyed and flustered looking wife and then looked up at EJ speculatively, quickly putting together what had happened. Johan bent down and picked up the book that was lying on the alley way pavement, reading the title.

"Standing Firm – A vice presidential memoir by Dan Quayle," he read out and then looked up at EJ in amusement, "You made the right choice in hurling this one into the street son."

Despite his anger at Sami and general frustration at this latest little drama EJ had to smile a little at that. He'd always enjoyed Johan's somewhat dry sense of humour.

"He could have killed me!" exclaimed Enid in annoyance, "Don't you care that you could be standing there a widower right now?!"

"I'm not sure," said Johan straight faced and then looked up at EJ, "Do you have another book?"

"How is that funny?" asked Enid, transferring her ire onto her husband who looked more amused than concerned by his wife's vexation.

Clearly they were about to get into it and EJ had his own problems right then.

"Ah sorry," he apologised, "Again, Mrs Plasky I'm very sorry, it won't happen again, I promise."

Enid made a disgruntled noise but now she was more upset with her husband than EJ right then. Johan sent EJ a quick wink and started to lead his wife away. EJ climbed back through the window and back into his apartment, instantly forgetting about the Plasky's as the reality of his situation began to hit home. He walked over to the sofa and sank down on it, not saying anything as a million different emotions raged inside of him over what had just happened between himself and Sami.

EJ sat there for a long time in silence as he tried to process what their last conversation. A part of him felt utterly devastated and confused by her sudden coldness. Every time Sami denied her feelings for him it felt like she was destroying a part of his soul and it was in excruciatingly painful. He'd never been denied anything he'd wanted before, never and his need for Samantha to love him was beyond anything EJ had ever experienced before. And her love was the one thing he couldn't seem to secure for himself no matter how hard he tried and it left him feeling unbelievably distraught. But there was another part of him was filled with rage at Sami that she could be so cold and dismissive after he laid himself bare before her last night. He'd meant every single word he'd said to her and all he'd been given in return for that honesty was a cold dismissal with no real explanation. Did she really think that he was going to just let her walk away from him like that, after all that had happened between them?

"_So watcha thinking?" asked Sam, looking at him curiously. _

EJ turned his head slowly and looked back up at her, his lips pressed together in an angry line.

"I'm thinking that Samantha has no idea who she is dealing with if she thinks she can come in here and lay down the law like that to me," said EJ, his jaw hardening, "I'm thinking that if she wants to play rough than I can play rough too and we'll just see who comes out on top with this little battle of wills."

"_And I'm thinking that I'm not going anywhere in a hurry after that little comment," said Sam with a roll of her eyes, "Why do I have the feeling that this is going to get worse before it gets better?"_

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami heard the elevator doors close behind her and just stood there, not moving, half expecting EJ to suddenly tear open the doors after her but it didn't happen. Finally she pressed the button and the lift lurched its way to the roof. She got out and climbed the last flight of stairs to the secluded spot. Sami walked out onto the roof and looked out unseeing at the view of Salem, her face devoid of emotion. A long minute passed and then suddenly her face crumbled knees buckling. Sami fell to the ground as she finally let loose her feelings that she'd kept under such tight control when she'd gone to see EJ. The pain ripped through her and she closed her eyes, an anguished groan left her lips, one of unbearable desolation.

Ending it had been the only thing Sami could do now that she knew the truth about all of EJ's lies. She had to protect herself, it was the right thing to do and Sami knew it.

_Now all she had to do was find a way to live with it…_

**Chapter SIXTY ONE**** – ****Walking The Walk**

Ever has it been that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation.

~Kahlil Gibran~

"You look tired," commented Lucas, taking in Sami's paler than normal face as she loaded her bag up with the things she was going to need for the day, "Perhaps you should forget about going up to the hospital today honey?"

"Mom's expecting me," said Sami and smiled brightly for him, "Besides, I've got a few errands to run but I'll be home in time to have lunch with you."

"Well that sounds like a good idea except I've got a physio appointment, remember?" said Lucas with a half smile.

"Oh I'll have to drive you," frowned Sami, realising she was going to have to reorganise a bit, "Sorry, I forgot."

"I think you're doing too much Sami," said Lucas with a concerned look at her, "Between Mythic and running up to the hospital all the time and then there is having the burden of me to look after…"

"You're not a burden Lucas," said Sami quickly, "I want you here with me and I want to be able to look after you."

"Yeah well it's not exactly the sexiest thing is it?" lamented Lucas and pulled a rueful face, "Having to nursemaid your boyfriend."

"That's crazy Lucas," said Sami with a shake of her head, "And not important."

"It's important to me," said Lucas looking suddenly serious as he put out a hand and rested it on Sami's hip, balancing quite easily on his crutches now, "I want to make love to my girl again. It feels like forever since we been together like that. Doesn't if feel like forever to you Sami?"

Sami used all of her willpower to remain still under Lucas' light touch, having an almost violent urge to swat his hand away. She felt dirty when he touched her, like she wasn't worthy of his attentions and more over than that it just felt unbearably wrong that any man other than EJ should be touching her. Sami's stomach tightened painfully at the thought of EJ and his betrayal of her. The crushed look on his face when she'd ended it yesterday haunting her, as did his anger. Sami worried over what she'd unleashed on herself as she gave EJ the perfect excuse to let loose his DiMera genes when she'd so brutally rejected him.

But there had been no other option for Sami, she'd had to because God only knows what would have been her fate if she'd allowed herself to be pulled into the debauchery of the DiMera clan. Her skin still crawled where Tony had touched it yesterday and she couldn't help the little shudder that went through her as she remembered the way he'd looked at her, those calculating black eyes of his sweeping over her and making her feel like some little bit of amusement to be passed around the DiMera household. The thought made her want to dry retch.

"Hey," said Lucas softly when he felt her begin to shake, "What is it Sami, talk to me."

"It's nothing Lucas," Sami said determinedly, "Someone just walked over my grave, that's all."

"Maybe you're coming down with something?" offered up Lucas, putting a worried hand to her forehead and feeling for a temperature, "You tossed and turned all night."

Sami had indeed tossed and turned all night, terrified about what EJ was going to do next and even more terrifying to Sami was how desperately she missed him at the same time and was angry at herself for being so weak. More than ever her feelings towards EJ could only be described as conflicted and all Sami wanted was for them to go away.

"I'm not coming down with anything Lucas," she tried to reassure him with a bright smile, "It was just one of those nights I guess."

The truth was when Sami had managed to fall asleep her dreams were full of EJ and they didn't exactly give her any peace either. She looked at Lucas and wondered what it was she was really doing here. He deserved better than all this and Sami was unsure of how she was ever going to be able to feel the same way about Lucas as she used to and felt a real grief at that thought. Yet another thing EJ's lies had taken from her. Sami was beginning to think the right thing to do was walk away from Lucas. She was almost certain it would be the best thing in the long run for him because how unfair was it to him to have a girlfriend that could only seem to think of one man and it wasn't him? Ending it with Lucas would most likely be the most honest thing she could do because despite still loving Lucas it was just as EJ had said, she was no longer in love with him.

The guilt she felt now that she had realised that was near overwhelming for Sami but it was true.

The thing was that Lucas made her feel safe; he was a known quantity unlike EJ who clearly she didn't know at all after Tony's revelations. He was also a very handy buffer against EJ and whatever he was planning right now. Sami knew that one way or the other EJ wouldn't be giving up on her - whether it was to still try and convince her of the truth of all his pretty lies or to exact his revenge Sami didn't know. It was wrong of her she knew but Lucas was a safe guard against EJ and his advances because despite knowing how incredibly twisted his plans for her had been Sami wasn't entirely sure that she could resist him, despite her convincing display of indifference towards EJ yesterday.

The truth was that Sami couldn't turn her feelings off for EJ as easily as all that. Even though she knew now of the level of his deceit towards her Sami had this awful feeling that if she was single again that she would be unable to find the resolve to stand against him. He undid her completely and as she thought back on the way she'd described her feelings for Austin, Franco, Brandon and Lucas - all the men she'd claimed to love over the years she knew now that nothing she'd had with any of them had come even close to what she felt about EJ. The irony of the situation she found herself in didn't escape Sami. For so many years now she'd plotted and schemed to keep the men she'd thought herself in love with. Now Sami was in the position of plotting and scheming to keep a man that moved her more than any other _away_ from her. And despite her many skills at both plotting and scheming Sami feared she simply wasn't up to the task.

Karma clearly had a sense of humour.

"I still think you should take it easy today," protested Lucas, "Otherwise you really will get sick."

"Don't worry about me Lucas," said Sami and couldn't help but think she didn't deserve any kindness from him after what she'd done behind his back with EJ, "And I'll be back in time to take you to your physio appointment, I promise."

"It's a date," grinned Lucas.

"Okay, I'd better get going then," said Sami, picking up her bag and slinging it over her shoulder.

Lucas walked with her to the door and she turned around to say goodbye to him, her back to the corridor.

"Maybe after my physio we can grab a late lunch?" suggested Lucas hopefully.

"That sounds great," nodded Sami even though food was the last thing on her mind just then.

She saw Lucas' eyes flick over her shoulder and she knew immediately that EJ must have just opened his door. Sami didn't have to turn around to see him, she felt the force of his presence rolling off him and all but enveloping her but stubbornly she refused to turn round. She gave Lucas a simply brilliant smile, moving closer to him.

"I'll see you later then?" she asked him huskily, making the question sound as loving as she could, well aware that EJ was listening to every word.

"You will," Lucas smiled down at her.

Sami leaned in even closer than and kissed Lucas with all of her might. Lucas was a little taken aback by her sudden passion but readily returned it, having missed her more than words could say in this last month. He leant heavily on his crutches so that one hand cupped her face and the other could go around Sami's waist and hold her even closer to him.

Lucas' hands then dropped to her bottom and squeezed their firmness and the fact that EJ was standing there watching them added to his enjoyment of the moment. EJ just bought the worst out in him for some reason and Lucas thoroughly enjoyed rubbing his face in the fact that Sami was his girl and not EJ's. Perhaps if EJ hadn't been so in his face about his desire for Sami Lucas might have felt differently but EJ had tried every trick in the book to try and woo Sami and she'd still chosen him. Now if only the poor sap would buy a clue and get over it. This was getting old already.

Sami finally broke the kiss, both of them breathless now but it was doubtful that it was for the same reason. Lucas was grinning at her happily, obviously pleased at her show of affection but meanwhile all Sami could feel was EJ's eyes on her back, searing the flesh from her bone. It was crazy because she couldn't even be sure that he was still there only Sami knew that he was, impossible as that seemed. She could feel his eyes raking over her and she knew she was playing with fire but Sami figured that if she hurt him enough he'd just decide that she wasn't worth the trouble and give up. It was a pretty vain hope she knew but right then Sami didn't have too much else.

"I love you," said Sami calmly as she hugged him one last time, knowing full well what hearing her saying those words would do to EJ.

"Love you too honey," said Lucas, leaning down and kissing her cheek, "Give Marlena my love."

"I will," said Sami and steeling herself to turn around.

The only way out of the building, short of going down the fire escape but this would undoubtedly elicit a few questions from Lucas as to what she was doing. Sami turned around to find EJ standing in his doorway, the same black robe he'd been wearing yesterday morning on. His hair looked tussled as though he'd just gotten out of bed and Sami tried for all that she was worth not to picture that.

She kept her face determinedly devoid of expression as she walked by him, flicking up briefly to meet his unblinking gaze as he simply stood there, watching her walk by. Sami had a momentary fear that EJ might be about to do something, his unnatural stillness very worrying to her but despite the fact that she knew she'd must have just wounded him deeply with that little display Sami was somehow confident that he would keep his word about not hurting Lucas. Oddly enough she was also certain that he wouldn't hurt her either and Sami couldn't help but wonder if she was living in a fool's paradise with that belief. After all, she was pushing him pretty hard and he was the son of Stefano DiMera. Sami knew for a fact that they'd killed people for far less in the past. Sami didn't know why she continued to have faith in EJ's intrinsic softness when it came to her seeing as she clearly was only part of an agenda on his behalf but she did.

"Enjoy that did you EJ?" smirked Lucas as EJ continued to stand in his doorway, unmoving after Sami had left, "Because I can promise you there is plenty more where that came from."

If he'd been expecting some crack from EJ in response Lucas was to be disappointed because EJ simply turned around and went back into his apartment, not saying a word. Lucas was a little surprised by the other man's lack of response as he usually never passed up an opportunity to be a smart ass.

"Guess he's finally worked out when he's beaten," muttered Lucas in satisfaction.

Lucas closed the door and hobbled back into the apartment, grimacing as he did. His leg still hurt like hell and truth be told, the thought of a physiotherapy session didn't exactly thrill him. He went over to the kitchen and pulled down his bottle of pain medication and took two of the pills, washing them down with a glass of water. Lucas leant back heavily on the counter and waited impatiently for them to take effect and tried to remember what his life was like before he was in constant pain.

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami walked into the little church and looked around, surprised to find that she was totally alone. She'd gone to visit with John and her mother at the hospital as she'd told Lucas and there had been no change in John's condition. It was hard to see her mother suffer this way; caught in this awful limbo of just having to wait and not be able to do anything to help the one you loved. Her mom tried to put a brave face on it all but Sami could see that it was eating her up inside. Fresh guilt rocked Sami as she once again tried to come to terms with how willingly she'd become intimate with the very man who had most likely caused John to be in this condition in the first place and in turn, caused her mother's pain. There really was something wrong with her Sami decided because a normal person would never have gone there but she had and on more than one occasion in fact. It seemed to Sami she was in the perfect place for all the shame she was feeling right then.

Sami walked down the aisle to the little altar and knelt in front of the altar, closing her eyes as she tried to put words to the raging torrent of emotion she was feeling right then. It had made her physically sick to end things with EJ the way she had yesterday even though she'd told herself over and over that he deserved it and much worse. Sami couldn't get the look on his face out of her head, there had been real pain there and it hurt to think that she'd been the one to put it there although she should have been rejoicing after what EJ had done to her. The other night had unleased this flood of emotion when it came to EJ that Sami had been denying for so long now. After that last bout of lovemaking Sami could no longer seem to hold back her feelings and now she was in this impossible position of trying to keep EJ at arm's length again with this riot of emotion about him.

She knew it had to be done, she knew EJ was untrustworthy, a liar, someone who was using her for his own little agenda but knowing that made no difference to Sami and that terrified her. Sami's head knew that she should hate him bitterly for all his tricks and lies but her heart was another matter. Her heart cried out that it had to be some kind of mistake, that everything he'd said to her was true and that he really did love her. She wanted to believe that their lovemaking hadn't been some kind of twisted game on his behalf and the cries of her heart were relentless, not allowing Sami any peace about her decision.

Her whole life Sami had let her heart rule her head and all that had ever resulted in was unbearable heartbreak and pain and she couldn't keep on going through that. She needed to use her head for once because her heart only seemed to lead her down the path to destruction and now more than ever the stakes were too high for Sami to let that to happen. EJ was a DiMera and that alone should have been enough to make this easier but the truth was that it didn't. Nothing seemed to dampen the feelings she'd finally admitted to herself about him and now Sami was simply desperate. She couldn't go on like this.

After only one day she already felt like she was going insane and Sami didn't know if she had the strength to keep this up. For the protection of herself and everyone she loved Sami knew that she had to make sure that EJ understood it was totally over between them. She knew that there would be repercussions but she only prayed that they would be limited to her and EJ wouldn't take his anger out on anyone else she cared about. Just knowing that EJ was capable of doing such a thing should have been enough to kill any feelings she might have towards him other than disgust but to Sami's abject despair they didn't.

"Please," Sami whispered raggedly, looking up at the altar with the cross on it that she was kneeling in front of, her face crumpling with her pain, "Please."

That one word was a heartfelt plea on her behalf to take all this emotion from her so she could feel nothing when it came to EJ DiMera other than the loathing and disgust that he deserved. Sami didn't know how she could go on feeling the way she did about him even after finding out what his plans for had been for her but she was. She felt like only divine intervention could save her from her reckless heart this time because Sami knew for a fact that she was in too deep with EJ to be able to do this in her own strength. These feelings for EJ had to pass, they just had to and all Sami needed to be able to do was hang on for long enough for that to happen which seemed downright impossible to her right then.

"Well, well, well… there's a familiar sight - Samantha Brady on her knees."

Sami's heart practically leapt into her mouth at hearing EJ's mocking voice and she leapt up and whirled around staring at him wide eyed, staring at the very man she'd been praying for release from.

"What are you doing here EJ?!" she asked him accusingly, her voice too loud in the quiet as fear about what he was doing there gripped her.

"Why visiting with my best girl of course," he said easily but there was no mistaking the hardness in his eyes.

"How did you know I was here?" asked Sami with a frown, knowing she should just leave but he was blocking the only way out of the church, standing in the middle of the aisle.

"Is that important?" shrugged EJ, walking down the aisle towards her.

"Are you following me?" asked Sami, suddenly suspicious.

"Now that is a question with no right answer," commented EJ almost casually, "If I say no and this was all a coincidence you'll call me a liar and if I say yes I was then you'll call me some kind of deviant so I'm going to let you make up your own mind on that one Samantha. After all, both ways you get to paint me as the bad guy and I know how much pleasure that gives you sweetheart."

EJ paused then, looking her up and down before biting down on his bottom lip, his look suddenly very sexy.

"And you know how I love to give you pleasure now don't you darling?" he asked her throatily, his look predatory now.

Sami glared at him for that last remark, finding refuge as she always did in her anger.

"I'm glad you didn't try and deny that sweetheart," he said with a quirk of his lips, "Otherwise I would have felt the need to remind you of that little fact."

EJ thought about that then, pursing his lips together.

"Maybe I should just do that anyway?" he mused, taking a step towards her, "Just to make sure the knowledge is fresh in your head."

"We're in a church EJ!" she reminded him, hastily backing up in case he was being serious.

"Correction darling," said EJ with a slightly menacing smile, "We're _alone_ in a church which is far more interesting state of affairs wouldn't you agree?"

"I'm leaving," announced Sami, determinedly making her way down the aisle, avoiding looking at him.

She went to brush past him but EJ's hand grabbed her arm as she went by and Sami tried not to flinch at the sharp bit of his fingers in her flesh.

"You'll leave when I say you can leave Samantha," said EJ, his voice suddenly hard.

Sami slowly lifted her gaze to EJ's unflinching brown one, his face set in an expression that told her that he wasn't going to brook any arguments on the subject.

"We've got a lot to talk about you and I sweetheart," he said grimly.

EJ leaned in closer then so that Sami could feel his hot breath on her face.

"_A lot_ to talk about..."

**Chapter SIXTY TWO**** – ****Chapel O Love**

Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you'll ever regret.  
_~Laurence J. Peter~_

EJ had watched Sami go into the little church that was across from the hospital and had stood outside for a few minutes, thinking. He'd listened in on her conversation with Lucas that morning via his lap top so he knew that Sami had planned to visit John at the hospital. So after getting dressed he'd followed her there. EJ had kept carefully out of sight as Sami had headed over to the church and knew he had a perfect opportunity to speak to her alone. But what did he want to say exactly? So many emotions warred for a place that despite having thought about it nonstop since Sami's little visit yesterday EJ was still no closer to understanding the riot of emotion currently creating turmoil in his heart.

He was deeply hurt by Sami's seemingly casual dismissal of his love for her along with a fair portion of wounded male ego that she should throw back in his face something he'd never offered any other woman. EJ was still confused as to what had happened exactly to cause Sami to make such an abrupt face and he was beyond frustrated by this woman he just simply couldn't seem to get a handle on. She was a vexation like none other before in his life. He ached for her, the sudden emptiness that her rejection of him causing EJ a new level of pain he'd never experienced before. There was also real fear at Sami's coldness towards him yesterday. It was so unlike the passionate woman he knew and loved so dearly. But on top of all that there was one burning emotion that eclipsed all other, especially after what EJ had been forced to witness this morning in the corridor...

Anger.

He had stood there and watched Sami go willingly into Lucas' arms, the other man putting his hands all over her and it had all he could do not to just kill them both for such treachery. The thought of any man other than himself touching Sami just made EJ insane with jealousy. He'd heard about crimes of passion but had always dismissed them as a lawyer's gambit to get their clients off going to jail but it was only now that EJ understood what that really meant. A white hot rage had flooded through him and it was actually frightening to EJ how easy it would have been to just take that violent anger out on both Sami and Lucas. He was a DiMera and as such was not used to be denied anything but this was something else again. EJ knew he had to get his emotions back under control so he could deal with whatever this was and then ultimately be able to claim his prize, Samantha's love.

EJ needed Sami and she needed him, why couldn't she see that?

To deny them both what they both so desperately needed, which was each other, was a brutality that EJ simply couldn't fathom and one that had risen up an answering cruelty in him. He wanted to hurt Sami the way he was hurting. She'd tried to crush him yesterday and such a thing could not go unpunished, not when EJ had laid himself bare to her more completely than anyone else before in his life. He'd walked into the little stone church just in time to hear her heart felt plea of 'please' and knew she was wishing him out of her life and that was just the last straw for EJ, his control snapping as a pain unlike any other ran through his entire body. He was still raw from hearing Sami say those three words earlier he'd been longing to hear from her to Lucas but had comforted himself with the fact that she'd done it for his benefit and not Lucas'. It had still felt like Sami was ripping his heart out from his chest and stomping it under foot though and her crimes against him were now just too great to go unpunished.

"You and I don't have anything to talk about EJ."

The coldness was still firmly in place as she looked back at him, Sami's initial surprise at seeing him being replaced by that dreaded blankness that just drove EJ to distraction. He couldn't endure her indifference to him; it was the cruellest blow of all and demanded an answering cruelty.

"Granted our forte hasn't always been talking," nodded EJ thoughtfully, "I think our real talent lies in screwing each other's brains out wouldn't you agree sweetheart?"

Sami looked around her quickly at his words, double checking that they were indeed alone if EJ was going to say things like that. She could see how angry he was and Sami braced for this getting very ugly.

"It's just the two of us Samantha," he told her with a slight smirk on his lips seeing her look around, "Although you never seemed that opposed to an audience if I remember correctly sweetheart. In fact I seem to recall you finding Lucas' presence in the basement while we were getting... reacquainted shall we say... to be most edifying at the time."

His little dig delivered EJ looked at Sami expectantly, waiting for her indignant eruption but was disappointed yet again as all his words were met with were a stony look.

"There is no point in rehashing the past EJ," she said flatly, only the slight pink hue in Sami's cheeks giving EJ any kind of indication that his words may have found their mark, "I can't undo it no matter how much I might want to."

"And is that why you're here darling?" asked EJ, his voice hardening even as a cold little smile touched his lips at her ongoing show of indifference to him, "To pray to the Almighty for a do over? I can't help but think that if He does hand those out then you've probably already used up your quota darling... and then some."

"What I pray about is none of your concern EJ," she said emotionlessly, "Just like everything about me is none of your concern. I thought I made myself abundantly clear to you yesterday but I guess I'll just have to make it as simple for you as possible. We... are... done."

Sami knew she was playing with fire being this harsh with EJ but she needed to get him out of her life and quickly. She could see how her current attitude was getting under his skin and knew it gave her power and Sami used it without hesitation because it was all she had. She forced herself to picture Tony standing there, to imagine it was the older man she was dealing with or worse still Stefano. Sami couldn't let herself see EJ, the man who was her lover and had showed her so much tenderness and adoration; otherwise it would have been impossible to keep doing this. Her ravaged heart could take no more treachery so Sami put all of her energies into protecting herself because she knew now that no one else would. Sami turned away then, her eyes drawn to the cross at the end of the aisle, praying for the strength to do this.

"I don't want anything more to do with you EJ," she said, her cold words belying the way her heart was beating wildly in her chest, "It turns my stomach to think of the things we did together and all I want to do is forget they ever happened and you along with it."

The expression on EJ's face didn't change but his hands that hung at his side curled into tight fists as Sami set about trying to destroy him with her words. EJ just wanted to shake her, scream in her face that she was lying and for her to admit to it. He didn't know what had happened to make Sami say all these things to him and in that moment EJ couldn't bring himself to care. The only thing he needed to do was break through that icy veneer she was sporting and find the real Samantha underneath that coolness and then EJ knew he'd be able to deal with anything. Of course, in a more rational moment he might have contemplated being gentle and loving with her but right then he was in agony and couldn't think beyond that, using his anger and clever words as a weapon.

"No doubt you'll think that an easy task because of your previous run of lack lustre lovers," he commented with a little off handed shrug, "I don't think you'll find me quite so easy to get out of your head Samantha."

"Yes I will because it's the right thing to do EJ," she said emotionlessly, turning back round to face him.

"But sweetheart," he pointed out with an arched eyebrow, "You've never been very good at doing the right thing now have you? Your strength is in doing the wrong thing... repeatedly... and still begging for more."

"Guess I'm done begging," she said flatly.

"Oh dear," said EJ, moving closer to her with a predatory look in his eye, "I do hope that isn't the case Samantha. I can't tell you what it does to me to hear you begging me for more."

EJ studied her face intently after that little barb, wanting to see if he was getting a reaction from needling her like this but Sami's face remained disturbingly impassive.

"I'm sure you'll find some other poor woman to do that for you," Sami noted coldly and felt physically sick at the thought of EJ with another woman but kept her expression determinedly neutral.

"To be sure," he nodded easily, "But none so accommodating as you were in that department I suspect darling. You really are something when you're screaming out the orgasms I'm giving you for the whole world to hear."

Sami turned away abruptly again, finding it hard to listen to him say such things, not least of which because she knew it was true. She was very vocal when she was with EJ, way more so then with any other man she'd been with and the truth may have been galling but it was the truth. She looked up at the cross again, praying that she could remain in control as EJ continued on talking.

"It seems as though you're memory is a little hazy darling..." he remarked almost idly as he moved closer to her while Sami resolutely kept her back to him.

EJ just kept on pushing her, needing desperately to break through Sami's icy façade despite his outwardly calm exterior. He could deal with anything other than her indifference to him. It ripped his heart from his chest and caused a pain inside of EJ that there were no words to describe. He needed to get a reaction from her, to find that feisty, passionate fighter that he knew she was keeping determinedly hidden from him. EJ stopped directly behind Sami and tangled his hand in strands of her white blonde hair, toying with them as he toyed with her.

"... perhaps I should remind you of that little fact by just bending you over one of these pews and taking you once again eh Samantha?" he said, leaning forward and purring in Sami's ear, "You always seemed to enjoy that position from memory sweetheart. In fact I'll wager that me just saying the words has gotten you wet..."

Sami whirled around then, unable to take anymore and pushed hard on EJ's chest, making him take a slightly surprised step back.

"You're disgusting!" she raged at him, her face flushed bright red at indignant anger from his suggestions and something else far more interesting.

EJ thrilled to see the fire back in her eyes, to see Sami reacting to him again and it felt like a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders to have her eyes flashing death at him again. He continued to press his advantage, unwilling to let her go back to that calm indifference that she'd been sporting earlier towards him. It was like a living death to be subjected to that.

"Come now Samantha," said EJ with a humourless quirk of his lips, continuing to harass her and refusing to let her return to her coldness towards him, "You and I both know that when it comes to sex you're completely insatiable."

Sami's chin came up at that, her eyes shooting angry flames of disgust at him and EJ couldn't have been happier, turning the knife even more.

"When I say that I mean sex with me of course," he continued on almost casually, his words designed to hurt and inflame, "You could take or leave it with all those other men in your life but when it comes to me I think it would be safe to describe your behaviour as voracious. You simply can't get enough of what I've got to offer you now can you sweetheart?"

"Maybe it's because you can't satisfy me the first time round and you need to have several goes at it?" offered up Sami bitterly, willing to play just as down and dirty as he was.

EJ actually gave a sharp burst of laughter at that, his lips twisting in humourless amusement.

"Sweetheart even you can't believe that," he said mockingly, his eyebrows rising, "When I'm pleasuring you, you come harder than a..."

EJ didn't get to finish that particular analogy as Sami let loose with a left hook that had as much power to it as she could muster. His head snapped back as her fist connected with his jaw. The sudden sharp pain was a welcome relief to EJ though from the pain he was suffering inside right then. He didn't want to be reducing their breathtaking, heartfelt lovemaking to such coarse terms but he couldn't seem to help himself. The raging ache inside him just wanting to hurt her like she'd hurt him. EJ knew that he was being counterproductive in his long term goal of having Sami admit to her love for him but right then he was the scorned lover and he couldn't bring strategies into this heated fight. He needed her to feel the crippling pain he was enduring and couldn't think past that right then.

"Hm," said EJ his mild tones at odds with the beast raging inside of him as he dabbed a finger to his lip and found a speck of blood there, "You hit like a girl Samantha..."

He made the comment almost idly while Sami was still trying to get herself back under control after having let loose like that. She wished there had been more satisfaction for her with the impulsive act of violence, something to make the painful throbbing in her hand worthwhile but EJ seemed unfazed by her punch as he advanced on her slowly. Sami took a hasty step back, coming up against a pew behind her and having to stop then but EJ kept coming. She tried to turn around and escape but EJ had advanced on her, closing the small distance between them and coming to loom over her from behind. Bending down slightly EJ put his hands on either side of Sami, grabbing the back of the pews and effectively hemming her in even though he wasn't touching her. He lifted one hand and picked up a strand of her blonde hair again, letting it fall through his fingers as he leant over Sami's shoulder and spoke to her in a low voice.

"... but guess what sweetheart... I don't," he purred, his hot breath causing the little stray hairs around Sami's face to tickle her and it was a strangely sensuous feeling, "You think you can just keep pushing me and pushing me and there be no kind of repercussions don't you Samantha?"

"You wouldn't dare!" she hissed looking back up at him red faced.

"Hit you sweetheart?" he asked with an arched eyebrow, managing somehow to make his face hard yet seductive looking, "Now why would I do that darling when I can think of far more enticing ways to make you scream..."

EJ leaned right in then and Sami quickly looked forward again, frightened that he was going to try and kiss her again. She'd stood against him one time doing that but she didn't know if she had it in her to do it again. Her emotions were raging out of control as she finally came out of the shock from Tony's revelations yesterday and the timing couldn't be worse. The numbness she'd experienced after talking to Tony had given her the strength to do what she had to with EJ, had allowed her the luxury of shutting down and it was almost like Sami had been outside herself, watching it all happen to other people.

Now though with the force of EJ's presence all around her the blessed numbness was fading and Sami was struggling to keep him and more worryingly herself, at bay. Sami closed her eyes and just managed to swallow a whimper as EJ began to rub his cheek against the one she'd presented to him to avoid a kiss. He hadn't bothered with shaving that morning and the coarse little bristles of his morning beard scratched across the delicate skin of Sami's cheek, the smell of his soap assaulting her nostrils. The man just exuded sexuality and Sami was drowning in it.

"... oh look," he said throatily, moving in even closer so that his body was very lightly touching her back, the heat of EJ's body rolling off him and enveloping a helpless Sami, "... a pew..."

EJ pressed her forward against it a little so Sami could feel the hard wood in front of her and his muscled length behind her and she tried not to shiver. He began to nip gently at line of her jaw, the bristles from his beard adding to the caress.

"Would you like to take your punishment now sweetheart?" he asked her thickly, the little biting

kisses continuing down her neck now, "Do you want to scream for me Samantha?"

What had begun as revenge on EJ's behalf had quickly changed into something else now that he was this close to Sami again. The lure of her body had him in its thrall again and a pulsating heat was developing between them, something that could only know one resolution. EJ lifted his head and took a little step back, turning Sami around to face him even though she tried to resist him. He backed her up against the pew again, making sure she wasn't going anywhere but needing to see her face now. EJ looked down at Sami who had stubbornly turned her face away from him. He put a hand to her face, gently but firmly turning it so she had to look at him. They held each other's gaze for a long moment and EJ was near giddy with relief at seeing all the emotion running through Sami's expressive eyes again. He couldn't quite make sense of it all but that didn't matter right then, all that did matter was that he had proof that her show of indifference around him was just that, an act.

Sami knew that her skin should be crawling like it had with Tony at EJ's touches, now that she knew the truth but it wasn't. EJ's touch was nothing like Tony's and despite knowing the despicable lies he'd told to get her into his bed Sami couldn't find the strength to pull away, instead just wanting EJ to keep going. EJ felt the shift in Sami, so attuned to her that he actually felt something give in her. His body that had already been holding itself tensely from their fight tightened even more as a delicious throbbing began to over take him. Suddenly the threat of taking her right where they stood which was meant to put Sami in her place was feeling less like a power play and more like a burning necessity. EJ was desperate to claim her again and reassure himself of the way they were bound together forever.

"Samantha," he said raggedly, his eyes not leaving hers as EJ's head slowly began to move down to claim her mouth and Sami made no move to stop him.

The loud bang of the outer doors of the church being closed broke the spell they'd both fallen under and Sami and EJ both started at the sound. Sami panicked, realising someone was coming into the church and was about to find her in a very compromising position and struggled to be free of him. EJ cursed under his breath at the untimely intrusion even while he let her get past him. These continuous interruptions were going to be the death of him he decided bitterly as he turned around to see who their unwelcome third party was going to be. He watched as Sami quickly straightened her top and smoothed her hair, trying for her best mask of normalcy and had to admire how she could pull herself together so quickly. For his part EJ wasn't even sure how it was that he was still standing because his legs felt so shaky but such was the power Samantha Brady had over him... damn her. The inner doors to the church opened and Sami gasped to see who it was.

"Dad!" she exclaimed in surprise at seeing him there.

"But of course," muttered EJ sarcastically, rolling his eyes at the identity of their interloper and shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Hey honey," said Roman, looking a little surprised to see her there, "What are you doing here?"

"She's getting her nails done," said EJ mockingly, not really in the mood to place nice today with anyone.

Sami sent him a withering look and then smiled at her father.

"I just came in to pray for John," said told her father, "Mom's really down even though she's trying not to show it. I don't know how much longer she can go on like this..."

Sami trailed off then, remembering his possible part in that series of events and looked over at EJ who was standing there with an inscrutable expression on his face.

"Your Mom's a strong lady," Roman comforted her, "She's going to be fine Sami, she has a lot of people around her to support her and I know how much you're support has meant to her these last weeks."

Sami gave a weak smile, wondering how supportive her mother would think her if she ever found what she'd been up to with the man that most likely put John in the coma.

"What are you doing here Dad?" asked Sami, changing the subject, "Did you need to see me?"

"Actually you're not the one I wanted to see honey," said Roman, his gaze turning to EJ as he stood down the other end of the aisle, "I saw your car parked outside the church EJ."

"Don't tell me," said EJ flatly, "Someone is dead and instead of doing any real police work you figured that pinning it on a DiMera would be less of a bother?"

"Now that's interesting that you should go there EJ," commented Roman, his eyes narrowing suspiciously, "I didn't mention anything about a murder now did I? If you ask me it seems like someone's got a guilty conscience."

"Actually _someone_ has reasonable short term memory," returned EJ dryly, "The last time you saw fit to seek me out it was in regards to a murder in Italy and if memory serves the time before that it was to accuse me of shooting John Black. Call me crazy but I'm seeing a decided pattern developing here Captain Brady."

"You've got an answer for everything, haven't you EJ?" asked Roman with a twist of his lips, finding the younger man's confidence to be particularly annoying.

"Everything except for the reason for the huge popularity of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in your country," said EJ straight faced without missing a beat, "I fear I never did learn to appreciate that little culinary offering."

"Dad what do you want to see EJ about?" asked Sami with a little bit of a frown, having been almost forgotten by the two men as they squared up to one another.

Sami knew EJ was not in a good mood right then and she didn't want her father to provoke him into saying something that she was going to regret! Also, she was a little concerned about the lies that she'd already told her father regarding EJ and was worried that they might be coming back to bite her in the backside... more than they already had of course.

"I've got some questions for him," said Roman, looking EJ up and down.

"Oh no," said EJ, feigning concern, "It's not about sex is it? Because honestly Roman, if you haven't figured it out the birds and the bees by now I'm not seeing a point by this late stage of the game."

"EJ!" Sami admonished him as he baited the older man, seeing her father's jaw harden at EJ's continuing impudence, "Stop it."

"It's alright honey," said Roman with a little knowing smile, "Let him have his fun. That smug smile of his is going to be gone from his face soon enough."

"Oh an attempt at adroit psychological manipulation from the Salem police department," said EJ acerbically, "Now my day really is complete."

"EJ," said Sami, her frown deepening as she shook her head at him in vexation for his relentless sarcasm, "Will you stop already?!"

"Alright then," said EJ with a defiant shrug at Roman, his mood only worsening as he was denied more alone time with Sami with the other man's presence, "Thrill me Captain Brady, what exactly is it that I've meant to have done now?"

"There was a murder down at the Martinez warehouse down on the south side, a security guard," Roman informed him, watching his face carefully.

EJ made no outward sign of that information meaning anything to him at all but he was instantly on guard now seeing as that was the very place that he'd sent Bart to be his proxy. When Bart had given him the disc so that EJ could then pass it on to his father he had been remiss in mentioning anything about a dead security guard. This meant one of two things. One, that someone had followed after Bart and killed the guard for som-e reason or two, which was sitting a little higher on the probability stakes for EJ, that Bart had indeed been home when Mr Cock Up came a calling.

_God damn it – just how hard was it to get good help these days... or even mediocre help?!_

"So EJ," said Roman, allowing himself a small smirk, "Do you have an alibi for your whereabouts last Saturday night at all?"

Sami's heart leapt up into her throat as her very own father handed EJ all the ammunition he needed to crucify her with. Last Saturday night had been their paint date which had ended up with Sami falling asleep in EJ's bed. She'd woken periodically throughout the night to find EJ sound asleep beside her so Sami knew for a fact that EJ hadn't gone anywhere that night. Yet again Sami was turning out to be EJ's alibi and she knew that he could completely destroy her world with his next words. He was angry with her and looking for revenge for her treatment of him yesterday and now he had the perfect way to do that. Sami looked over at EJ who had the barest of smiles on his face as he looked steadily back at her.

"It's interesting that you should ask me that Captain Brady," said EJ smoothly, taking his gaze from Sami's stricken one and looking at Roman steadily, "Incredibly so in fact..."

Sami held her breath and waited for EJ to continue, hating that yet again her fate was being held in his capricious hands...


	7. Chapter 63 to 75

**AUTHOR'S NOTE****: **Okay guys, so the story continues eh? 

For those of you who want more details on where to read more of this story with my wonderfully fascinating preambles before each chapter and of course, screen caps illustrating the chapters then just PM me here on and I'll direct you to the EJami fan site of "Forbidden Love". It's chock full of EJami wonderfulness which I'm guessing you guys must be EJami fans otherwise you wouldn't have read this far into the story right? 

So enjoy this next little slice of the story won't you and hopefully I'll be back soon to update and thanks so much to those who have taken the time to tell me how much they are enjoying the story – I really appreciate your kind words. Reviews are sustenance to writers – even pretend ones like me. ;)

**FATED**

**(Chapters 63 - 75)**

**Chapter SIXTY THREE**** – ****Twenty Questions**

One of the most striking differences between a cat and a lie

is that a cat has only nine lives.

_~Mark Twain~_

Sami hurried down the corridor of the Salem police department, trying to look like she wasn't. She opened the door into the main area of where all the detective's desks were and her father's office. As she did she practically knocked down the reason she was even there. EJ turned his head and looked down at her as the door she'd just opened narrowly missed hitting him. Sami put a bright smile on her face for the benefit of her father who was just emerging from his office.

"Hello sweetheart," said EJ mildly, looking vaguely amused to see her there, "This is a surprise. I wonder what could have possibly compelled your impromptu visit eh? I do hope you weren't worried about little old me?"

EJ was feeling much more at ease and in control of the situation now that he'd elicited the desired response from Sami and she was no longer doing her ice queen routine with him. This was despite EJ now being bought into questioning for a murder that he did actually have a vicarious involvement in. The truth was though that Sami was always his primary consideration and knowing that he'd been able to break through the frightening icy façade made everything else pale into insignificance for EJ. Sami being mad at him was far more familiar ground for him and he felt confident in being able to deal with that.

"I'm here to see my Dad," said Sami through gritted teeth even though both she and EJ knew full well that she was lying.

"You only saw him five minutes ago at the church," pointed out EJ reasonably as Sami swept by him to stand in front of Roman who was looking at her a little confusedly as well.

"Hey honey," said Roman as they both ignored EJ's last remark, "Can I help you with something?"

"No," said Sami with a cheery smile as she studiously ignored EJ who was standing behind her and watching the goings on with interest, "It's just that when I saw you at the church I realised how long it's been since we've had lunch together and thought it might be nice to do it today. I feel like I never see you anymore and I miss you."

A sarcastic snorting noise came from above Sami's head and she turned around and glared up at EJ for his reaction to her words.

"Sorry," he apologised, looking anything but, "Allergies."

He made a cheerful waving gesture with his hand then.

"Do go on sweetheart," he said breezily, "I find these daddy/daughter moments to be most endearing. It brings a lump to my throat and a tear to my eye."

EJ tilted his head and considered that for a brief moment.

"But then I laughed my way through 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre'," he continued on blithely, "So maybe I'm not the best judge of these things eh?"

"Just ignore him honey," Roman instructed her as Sami spat daggers at EJ with her eyes.

A fact that just made EJ feel like a million dollars, anything was better than seeing a cold deadness to her gaze when she looked at him.

"Ah would that she could Captain Brady," observed EJ with a quirk of his lips as Sami turned back round to face her father.

Sami took a deep calming breath and smiled determinedly at her father.

"So what do you say Dad?" she went back to her original question.

"I'm sorry Sami," said Roman and meant it, "But I'm expecting a big breakthrough in a murder case I've been working on..."

Roman gave a pointed look at EJ then and Sami turned to look at EJ then as well. EJ for his part feigned ignorance and looked over his shoulder as well, searching for this mystery person. He turned back to find both Sami and Roman looking at him with a decided lack of amusement.

"Oh," said EJ and then pointed to himself, "You're meaning me. Well I'm always more than happy to help out the local constabulary when I can. Put me down for two tickets to the next Policeman's Ball..."

EJ pulled a thoughtful face then before continuing on.

"Do they still do that?" he asked innocently, "Tell me Commander Brady – do police men still have balls?"

Sami gave an internal groan at EJ's carry on. He made her really nervous when he was in a mood like this. He was a wild card at the best of time but when he was in this playful, cat and mouse mode then the potential for all hell breaking loose at any moment was particularly high and Sami didn't know if she could take it after what had happened at the church.

**oooOOOOooo**

"_...So EJ," said Roman, allowing himself a small smirk, "Do you have an alibi for your whereabouts last Saturday night at all?"_

"_It's interesting that you should ask me that Captain Brady," said EJ smoothly, taking his gaze from Sami's stricken one and looking at Roman steadily, "Incredibly so in fact..."_

_Sami held her breath and waited for EJ to continue, hating that yet again her fate was being held in his capricious hands. _

"_Know let me think," said EJ, drawing it out and Sami's nerves along with it, "Saturday night, what or who was I doing Saturday night...?"_

_Sami gritted her teeth as EJ toyed with her, unable to do anything but wait on what he was going to do. He could provide himself with an alibi and get his revenge on her for rejecting him in one foul swoop. Sami knew she could deny it of course but it was going to seem pretty darn suspicious even if she did. _

"_The View!" announced EJ happily, clicking his fingers together as though he just remembered._

"_The view?" repeated Roman blankly._

"_Yes you know that television show that is on during the week with all the women sitting around and chatting," EJ said perfectly straight faced, "I tape the show during the week and then enjoy sitting down and indulging in my penchant for feisty women with too many opinions on things."_

_EJ looked over at Sami then and gave her a knowing little wink._

"_I just can't seem to get enough of argumentative, sassy women it would seem," he said with a mock regretful sigh, "It's a vice I see getting me into a lot of trouble... or rather should I say failing to get me out of said trouble as it turns out."_

_EJ's thinly veiled meaning behind that pointed comment was not lost on Sami. He was giving up his alibi to protect their little secret from getting out. Of course nothing had happened that night but it was going to seem exceedingly strange that she was okay with sleeping in the same bed with EJ DiMera and even Sami didn't think she could explain that one away somehow. Sami knew however that this magnanimous gesture on EJ's behalf wasn't coming without a price. It was another thing that he could hold over her and it made the task she'd set herself of removing him from her life all that more difficult again._

"_So you're alibi for that night was that you were watching TV?" asked Roman flatly, oblivious to the undercurrent of tension going on between the two young people in the room, "Did I understand that correctly EJ?"_

"_That seems to be the gist of it," nodded EJ with a smile, "I can see why you soared to the heady heights you have in the department Commander Brady."_

"_Is that right?" said Roman with a smile of his own, "Well seeing as I've soared to such heights as you've put it how's about you see your way clear to come down to the station with me and help us with our enquiries?"_

"_Ohh," said EJ, wrinkling his nose and checking his watch, "Ordinarily nothing would make me happier Roman but I've got a water aerobics class starting in twenty minutes..."_

_EJ looked up then to see the way Roman was looking at him._

"_But then that wasn't actually a question now was it?" EJ continued on smoothly._

"_Not really," agreed Roman straight faced._

"_Well then," sighed EJ, a little forlornly, "I guess my gluts will have to forgo their workout today eh?"_

_Sami's heart sank as she imagined what was going to go on in an interrogation between her father and EJ, particularly when he was in this mood._

_This was not good; this was not good at all._

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ smiled serenely at Roman, waiting for an answer to his question, the two men facing off. Sami knew she needed to get some control of this situation. She couldn't have her fate resting in EJ's somewhat manic hands. There wasn't a whole lot she could do right then but at least Sami thought she'd be able to keep up with what was happening.

"Maybe you'll have time after you're done talking with EJ Dad?" suggested Sami brightly, "For lunch I mean."

Sami figured that if EJ didn't blow her completely out of the water while talking with her father, which she would pretty much know instantaneously anyway, that she'd be able to extract some information from him as to where he was at with the case against EJ. Perhaps her dad might tell her something that Sami could use against EJ at a later date. It was all getting hopelessly complicated and convoluted but at this point Sami had no choice but to just try and keep up.

"I'll see honey," said Roman, more interested in having a little alone time with EJ at that point then his daughter, "You go and I'll give you a call."

"Oh that's okay," said Sami, feigning casualness, "I don't mind waiting."

"It could be a while," warned Roman, looking over at EJ with a knowing little smile.

"It won't be," said EJ confidently, straightening his tie.

"I guess we'll see about that Elvis now won't we?" said Roman, unimpressed by EJ's bravado.

"Indeed," said EJ easily and then wrinkled his nose, "All this male posturing is making me thirsty. Any chance of a cuppa before we start the ball rolling Roman?"

Sami's shoulders sagged as she tried not to panic about what her father's interrogation of EJ was going to reveal if EJ was going to carry on like this. At this rate her father was likely to punch out EJ which would make him very happy no doubt, seeing it as a sign that he'd well and truly gotten under the older man's skin.

"You're looking a little strained sweetheart," noted EJ with a quirk of his eyebrow, "Can I suggest more roughage in your diet?"

Sami wished her hand still didn't hurt so much from the last time she'd hit EJ otherwise she would have cheerfully done it again right then.

oooOOOOooo

EJ settled more comfortably in the chair in Roman's office as the other man sat back in his chair behind the big desk between them and regarded him steadily. EJ smiled back brightly, making it abundantly clear that he was unfazed by being there.

"Perhaps you can help us out EJ," said Roman, reaching into his desk draw and taking out an evidence bag with a man's glove neatly sealed inside, throwing it to the younger man, "And tell us what that is?"

"It's a glove," said EJ without missing a beat and then arched a mocking eyebrow at Roman, "Exactly how much training is required to become a member of the Salem police department one has to wonder if members of the public are hauled off the street to help them identify everyday objects? Perhaps an extra year or two cracking the books wouldn't go amiss eh? Just a suggestion."

"It doesn't seem familiar to you at all Elvis?" asked Roman, ignoring his sarcasm.

It did of course, EJ instantly recognising it as one of his gloves and having a pretty certain idea where all this was heading but his expression gave nothing away.

"It looks incredibly similar to a pair of gloves I have," he said smoothly.

"That _is_ your glove," said Roman, delivering this tit bit of information with real enjoyment.

"Well that would certainly account for the similarity," nodded EJ with a wry smile.

"It's taken us a few days but we managed to track the maker of this glove seeing as it was handmade in Italy and guess what Elvis?" asked Roman, pleased to have an upper hand with him, "He identified it as one of a pair of gloves he'd made for you."

"Mr Giancolo," confirmed EJ easily, "A delightful fellow, makes an excellent coffee, as well as simply splendid gloves."

"You like to have your fancy, expensive handmade things don't you?" asked Roman with a raised eyebrow.

"It's funny but I had a surprisingly similar conversation with your daughter on this very subject but to do with shoes," EJ pulled a rueful face at that, "It didn't end well... for anyone concerned as it turned out and least of all my shoes."

"Yeah well Elvis I don't see this ending well either unless you can come up with an explanation for where we found this glove," said Roman, looking a little self satisfied, "Care to guess where we did find it?"

"I have no idea where you found the glove seeing as I lost it two weeks," said EJ with an off handed shrug.

"Two weeks ago?" repeated Roman sceptically, "Well that's a mighty convenient little fact now isn't it?"

"Not really," said EJ straight faced, "This chilly February weather called for a decent pair of gloves and it's been a bit of an inconvenience to be without it truth be told."

"And do you have some kind of proof that it went missing two weeks ago EJ?" asked Roman, sitting back in his chair and folding his arms in front of himself, clearly not believing a word EJ was saying.

"Do you mean as in did I lodge a police report for one missing glove?" deadpanned EJ, "Well no Commander Brady, I didn't. Seeing as I have yet to see this department actually solve any real crime – who shot John Black, the disappearance of my sister and her lover, that nasty poisoning business with the Johnson's to name but a few – my hopes weren't exactly high that this was the place to come about a missing glove."

Roman's jaw tightened at the blatant dig on EJ's behalf, especially seeing as it was EJ he suspected having a hand in all those things.

"Although," said EJ, pursing his lips thoughtfully, "To give credit where credit is due, you did actually find my glove for me so kudos' for that are in order for that I suppose."

EJ looked suddenly contemplative then, enjoying himself now and figuring he deserved it after the miserable last 24 hours Roman's daughter had just put him through.

"Maybe that's the way to go about it?" he pondered, "Try and remain ignorant about crimes and then you may well solve them without trying. Maybe you should give that a crack and see what that does for your crime solving rate eh Roman?"

"You know EJ," said Roman, almost conversationally, "I'd be a lot more focused on coming up with an explanation for how my glove was found under the body of a dead man then running your mouth off if I were you. You don't seem like a guy who would do well in prison to me."

"You can't be serious in thinking I had anything to do with that unfortunate security guard's untimely demise?" asked EJ, raising both his eyebrows and shaking his head at Roman.

"And why would that be?" asked Roman, quirking an eyebrow back at him.

"Because if you were serious I'd be finding it extremely difficult not to be offended right about now," said EJ flatly.

"Offended?" repeated Roman wryly.

"Do you really think that if I were to ever branch into criminal activity, which for the record I haven't I might add," said EJ coolly, "But if I ever did, do you really see me as the kind of pedestrian, inept criminal that would be so hapless as to leave a piece of their clothing behind at a crime scene and thus implicate themselves? Like I said Roman – I'm trying hard not to be offended at even the suggestion of such incompetence."

"Everyone makes mistakes EJ," said Roman with a shrug, "Even a DiMera."

"Not this DiMera," said EJ smoothly, "I've tended to live what some might call a charmed life up until now and I can assure you, mistakes like that simply don't happen to me."

"So your defence in the absence of any real alibi is that you're too smart to have done this?" offered up Roman dryly, "Have I understood that right?"

"A somewhat crass and self important way of referencing it for my tastes but nonetheless an accurate take on the situation," nodded EJ.

"It's funny EJ but the law doesn't take being cunning as an adequate defence in a murder investigation," commented Roman, leaning forward in his chair.

EJ was growing impatient with this line of questioning. It was obvious to him that apart from the glove which was circumstantial at best and his family's business dealings with the owner of the warehouse the dead man was found in there was nothing linking EJ to this crime. Of course other than Roman's rampant desire to nail a DiMera for a crime, any crime. Right then EJ had more pressing things to tend to which in one word was Samantha. They had far from resolved things between them and EJ needed to get to the bottom of what had happened to turn Sami so against him this suddenly. She'd had cold feet about their relationship before but they were in way too deep now for it simply to be that. Right then EJ needed to get out of this office and sort out things between himself and Sami... and then he'd deal with Bart.

"Perhaps but I'm thinking the law does take into count the absolute lack of actual evidence, other than utterly circumstantial of course which I've given you a perfectly reasonable explanation for," said EJ shortly, "Can I assume that the glove is the sole rabbit you've got to pull out of your hat or whatever orifice you keep these things in nowadays Commander? Because I know you don't have finger prints or any such other little gems to try and pin this on me."

"You've very certain of that fact," noted Roman, his eyes narrowing, "Is that because of the clever type of criminal you are EJ?"

"It's because I've never stepped foot in that warehouse or laid eyes on that security guard," said EJ in annoyance, "That's how I know that you won't find any physical evidence of me being there... unless you plant it there yourself of course."

"Are you accusing the Salem police department of trying to set you up Elvis?" asked Roman mockingly.

"Well it wouldn't be the first time now would it Roman?" asked EJ caustically, "And last time you prostituted out your own daughter to do it so my opinion of what this police department and in particular the Brady's that run it isn't exactly stellar on that front!"

"Why you son of a bitch!" growled Roman, leaping to his feet and his face flushing an angry red colour, "You sick bastard!"

"I'm not the one using his own daughter as some kind of Marta Hari femme fatale to try and seduce a man you think capable of murder!" said EJ, his eyes darkening menacingly as he felt his bad mood return in force and having no qualms in taking it out on the man in front of him.

EJ had real disgust for the family that had made Sami feel so utterly unworthy of anyone ever really loving her just as he was. She was something they used when it suited them and ignored when it didn't and that just drove EJ insane to think about anyone discounting the glorious creature that was his Samantha.

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about DiMera!" spat out Roman, barely hanging onto his control.

"I know that Samantha is worth far more than you or any other member of your family has ever given her credit for," said EJ angrily, happy to vent his frustrations in defence of Sami, "And I know that when I'm blessed with children I would never make them feel second best or use them to further my little power plays."

"That's all a DiMera does," scoffed Roman bitterly, "You were raised exactly as that EJ, a good little soldier that follows his daddy's orders! You're just so blind that you can't even see it. It's pathetic to see!"

"Well that's rich coming from you," said EJ shortly, "I don't think a man who can't even keep his own wife under control and not running around town having affairs with any man with a pulse should be giving lectures on being pathetic. You're a laughing stock in this town Roman; it just seems to add to the tragedy of it all that you haven't quite figured that out yet."

A pulse beat wildly in Roman's cheek at that last crack and EJ smirked, looking up at him calmly from where he'd remained seated when Roman had stood up.

"How badly do you want to hit me right now eh Commander?" he goaded him, "Go on – why don't you do it? Is it because that this sad little job of yours is all you've got left in your life and if you lose it well... well, what are you exactly without your tin badge to make you feel like a big man?"

Roman's knuckles whitened as he gripped the edge of his desk, desperate to get himself back under control but EJ's smirking face wasn't exactly helpful in doing that. Roman knew he had to get out of there otherwise he was going to do the very thing EJ wanted him to do and he wasn't going to give the other man the satisfaction. Without a word Roman just moved out from behind his desk and stalked out of the room.

"If you're going for my cup of tea I take it white, no sugar," called out EJ cheerfully after him, not bothering to turn around, "I'm sweet enough as I am."

Not surprisingly Roman didn't answer him and EJ winced to hear the door slam behind the other man.

"Something I said?" he asked the empty room innocently.

Now that Roman was gone and had stopped wittering on EJ could have some time to think. He stood up and turned around, sitting on the edge of Roman's now vacated desk as he pondered this new turn of events.

"Bothersome," he concluded, running his tongue along his bottom teeth as he thought this through.

The first thing he needed to do was find out what exactly was going on here and that meant speaking with Bart. Once EJ had a clearer idea of what happened last Saturday night, because obviously Bart had omitted one or two somewhat pertinent details, the better position EJ was in to work out who was behind all this. There was no reason for Bart to betray him unless there was someone else pulling the strings. There were a few possibilities for that but only one that made real sense and that had to be Tony. Of course EJ couldn't entirely rule out the possibility that the Salem PD hadn't had a hand in all this either.

Sometimes it was a real nuisance to have this many enemies decided EJ, pulling a face.

But all that could wait because right then EJ needed to deal with the situation between Samantha and himself because there was no way in hell that he was going to let her have a chance to revert back to that frosty persona that just undid EJ completely. EJ looked over at the closed door and pursed his lips, some instinct telling him that Sami hadn't gone anywhere and would still be waiting out there when he opened that door. EJ pressed his lips together, his resolve strengthening to get things sorted.

_His 'to do' list today was filling up rather rapidly... _

**Chapter SIXTY FOUR**** – ****Tell Me A Story**

No matter how much you cats fight,

There always seem to be plenty of kittens.

_~Abraham Lincoln~_

Sami paced nervously up and down in the detective's room, continually throwing anxious glances at the closed door of her father's office. What was going on in there she wondered despairingly? Sami hated being so helpless in these kinds of situations. EJ could be saying anything in there and the next time those doors opened it could be to reveal her father's utter disgust and loathing of her. She knew he'd go completely insane at the thought of her and EJ and of course, there would be the quite rightful outrage on Lucas' behalf seeing as Sami had cheated on him.

Her father more than anyone knew how that felt and she doubted he would be offering her much sympathy over doing such a thing, even if she was his daughter and Sami couldn't blame him. She deserved his scorn... she deserved everyone's scorn for what she had done. Sami threw yet another worried look over at the door to her dad's office and wondered if it would be strange if she knocked on the door and asked if they wanted anything. Probably but Sami was becoming beside herself to know what was going on inside that room and she knew one look would tell her. She jumped when her cell phone rang, startled by the sudden noise. She fished in her bag and retrieved it before answering it.

"Hello?" she said absently, her eyes still on the door.

"Hello Sami," said Lucas' calm voice.

"Oh hi Lucas," said Sami distractedly and there was this moment of obliviousness before she suddenly realised, "Lucas!"

"Aha," and Sami could hear him nodding.

"What time is it?" she asked anxiously, scrabbling to look at her watch, "I was meant to take you to the physio!"

"Yes you were," agreed Lucas evenly, "But judging by that I'd say you've clean forgot."

"I'm sorry," groaned Sami, closing her eyes and annoyed with herself, "I... I got caught up and I did forget. I'm so sorry Lucas."

"So are you on your way now?" asked Lucas, "I could still make it if you're not too far away."

"Um..." Sami paused and looked at the door again.

She couldn't leave now, she needed to know what the outcome of her father's and EJ's conversation. Sami needed to know if she still had any semblance of a life left.

"Um... Lucas," she began hesitantly, "I... I've gotten caught up at Mythic and there is an important teleconference I have to do just now. It came up suddenly and I wasn't expecting it but I really have to be there. I'm sorry but are you able to get a taxi to your appointment?"

"Well I can," said Lucas and she could hear the frustration in his voice, "But I was really hoping you'd be there honey. I hate those things and you being there just makes it seem better."

Sami felt a stab of guilt at hearing that but she knew she couldn't leave right then.

"I'm sorry Lucas," she said again, "I'll make it up to you I promise."

"That's alright," sighed Lucas and she could hear the disappointment in his voice, "I guess I'll see you at home later right?"

"Yes," said Sami quietly.

That was as long as EJ wasn't in there currently spilling his guts to her father in which case Lucas would never want to see her again for as long as he lived. They said their goodbyes and hung just as the door to Roman's office was suddenly thrown open and her father stalked out. Sami's heart leapt into her mouth at seeing the stormy expression on his face. Had EJ actually gone ahead and told him where he was Saturday night? That would certainly explain the outraged look on her father's face. She held her breath anxiously, not taking her eyes off Roman as he stood in the middle of the room, his jaw clenching and unclenching madly.

"Dad?" asked Sami anxiously, so scared that she was the reason for that look on his face.

Sami wanted to hate EJ forever for revealing their secrets if that was what he'd done but she couldn't even do that, knowing full well that she hadn't exactly put up a fight about where she'd slept on Saturday night. Roman waved a hand at her then, clearly still trying to get himself under control and Sami started to get a sick feeling in her stomach that all was lost. EJ appeared now from Roman's office and Sami glared at him for upsetting her father like that and he just gave an easy smile in return. EJ walked around to face Roman, his back now to Sami as he leant against one of the desks casually.

"So are we done Commander Brady?" he asked calmly, "I think I provided you with all the information you needed to be confident that I'm an innocent man."

Sami looked worriedly between the two men, her hand tightening on her cell phone which she was still holding.

"You could never be called an innocent man EJ," snarled her father.

"I think the law might disagree with you on that one," said EJ mockingly and then gave a little smile, "Mind you, the Salem police department has never let a little thing like truth get in the way of a good story before eh Roman?"

Sami saw her father's face darken even more at that and hurried over to break whatever this was up.

"Dad are you okay?" she asked him nervously.

Roman looked over at her, still looking angry but Sami didn't know if that was left over rage at EJ or if he was indeed mad at her.

"Your father's just got the hump because his dastardly plan to fit me up for yet another crime I didn't commit fell through," said EJ with a bit of a smirk, "Isn't that right Commander?"

"You're one smug bastard aren't you DiMera?" bit out Roman tightly.

"I prefer self assured product of parents who never got around to marrying myself," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "It's harder to fit on the business cards but has a nicer ring to it I feel."

Sami turned around and joined her father in glaring up at EJ which he only seemed to find mildly amusing at best.

"Are you done EJ?" she asked him tersely.

"Oh you'll know when I'm done sweetheart," he said, a sly little smile touching his lips at that, "Trust me."

Sami flushed, very conscious of her father standing directly behind her. She turned back round, desperate to find out what had happened in his office and if the disgust on his face was meant for her as well as EJ.

"Dad..." she began but then another officer called out Roman's name, indicating he needed him.

"We'll talk later Sami," said Roman shortly, still barely hanging onto his temper after his encounter to EJ and not wanting to take it out on her.

He gave her a tight smile which in no way was reassuring to Sami and then followed the officer that had just called out his name out of the room. Sami whirled around and looked fiercely up at EJ who was picking some imaginary lint from his coat jacket.

"You!" she hissed.

EJ looked up, his eyes brimming with innocence.

"Me?" he returned mildly.

Sami looked around and all the people that were in the room and then back at EJ, knowing this was not going to be the place for the conversation she wanted to have.

"We need to talk," she said curtly.

"Amongst other things," agreed EJ dryly watching as she started to head out of the room and then following after her at a casual pace.

Sami led them down several twists and turns, obviously knowing where she was going until they were at a door right down the end of the corridor. She opened the door and walked through, EJ following suit. He looked around, taking in his surrounds. It was obviously an interrogation room with one wall being a large window which he assumed people would listen in on interviews beginning done. There was a wooden table in the middle of the room with a chair on either side of it.

"Well isn't this charming?" he said straight faced, "I take you to you to a gorgeous, tropical island and you take me to a dinghy room that has a rather disconcerting odour of feet about it. I can't help but feel that that rather sums up our relationship to this point now doesn't it sweetheart?"

"We don't have a relationship EJ," she said coolly, "Now what did you say to my father to make him that upset?"

As she'd walked to the room they were currently standing in Sami had quickly regrouped and come up with a plan. She'd seen how crazy it had made EJ when she feigned indifference to him and figured that was the strongest defence she had against him right then. EJ held all the power and she needed to get some back and work out just how much of a mess she was in right then.

"Why simply the truth my love," said EJ as he leant back on the table behind him, his eyes narrowing as he was once again treated to an unemotional Sami.

"And which version of the truth were you going with today EJ?" she asked him flatly, keeping her face carefully neutral.

EJ could fell his blood pressure increasing as she looked back at him stony faced, frustrated because he'd thought he'd managed to break through the ice queen routine but apparently not. It was back in full force and driving EJ absolutely insane. He needed to break through it again in the worst possible way, unable to handle this coldness between them.

"Why the version where we've been banging each other's brains out since Christmas of course sweetheart," said EJ calmly, giving her a challenging look, meeting her gaze unflinchingly.

Sami's stomach dropped at that but she somehow managed to look outwardly unmoved by this information which only made EJ want to push her harder.

"He seemed very interested in that little fact," continued on EJ blithely, intent on eliciting some kind of response from her, "Wanting to know all the ins and outs of it."

EJ pursed his lips then and pretended to be thinking then.

"Actually it got a little weird there for awhile," he commented, looking for the right buttons to push, "Tell me Samantha, has your father always been so intensely interested in your sex life? I mean, I know the man has issues but still, I don't mind telling you that I was finding it a little creepy towards the end."

"You're lying," said Sami abruptly, proud that she'd kept her voice so steady when she felt like she was shaking so badly inside that it was actually making her feel sick.

"I am," he nodded but before Sami could feel any relief at that admission EJ continued on, "Actually truth be told it was turning me on and making me want to seek you out so I'd have new stories to tell Daddy dearest."

"Do you get off on being this sick EJ?" asked Sami bitterly, trying her best to hold her anger in check.

It was a new skill for her, one she'd never really mastered before but EJ was clearly intent on giving her a lot of practice at it.

"I get off on you Samantha," said EJ unapologetically, "From the first moment I saw you I wanted you, just like you did me."

"And now I've had you and I'm over it," shrugged Sami, hoping to build up some more distance between them with her cold words.

"Is that right?" asked EJ, suddenly standing up and reminding Sami of just how much bigger he was than her, making her pulse suddenly start to race, "I'm thinking we should test that little statement out don't you darling?"

"I'm thinking you need to tell me what you said to my father," she told him coldly, not rising to the bait, "Tell me EJ or I walk out of this room and ask him myself."

"You're full of ultimatives nowadays aren't you sweetheart?" he asked mildly, looking down at her from his vantage point.

"Welcome to my world EJ," she said mockingly, "Ever since you turned up in it anyway. Now did you tell him about us or not?"

EJ smiled at that and reached up a hand, intending to trace her lips with one finger but Sami quickly turned her head so instead EJ stroked her cheek with the same.

"I like it when you call the two of us an 'us' Samantha," he told her huskily, "I find it very sexy."

"If you've told my Dad anything that has gone on between us I will never forgive you EJ," she said tightly.

"Well I'll just add it to the list of the unforgivable things I've done to you shall I?" he asked mockingly.

"That's it!" bit out Sami and went to get past EJ and head for the door but he grabbed her arm, swinging Sami around and stopping her.

"Alright," he said calmly, "You win sweetheart, I didn't tell Roman anything about us."

"Then what did you tell him about Saturday?" she asked him with a frown, "And why does he even think you're involved in the first place?"

"He thinks I'm involved because they found one of my gloves under the dead man's body," said EJ dryly, "And the blood rushed to your father's head or some part of his body anyway as he got all excited and thought that would be enough to have me confessing to a crime I didn't commit. I'd put his somewhat surly frame of mind at the moment down to the fact he didn't find me inclined to put my hand up for a murder I didn't have anything to do with."

"Someone is trying to set you up?" Sami quickly put the pieces together.

EJ gave a genuine smile at that, loving how her devious mind immediately went there, just like his did.

"I think that would be a fair assumption," he nodded calmly.

"But who?" she frowned, thinking this thing through.

Sami gave it some thought for a moment and then shrugged,

"I guess it's a long list," she noted.

"Unfortunately that was my conclusion as well," said EJ not without some amusement, "I pretty much have to suspect just about everyone in Salem with one notable exception."

Sami looked up at him with an uncertain little frown to which his lips just quirked.

"The only person I know for sure who isn't responsible is you Samantha," said EJ with the barest of smiles as he reached a finger and lightly traced her collar bone, "Because you were in my arms all of that night."

"Don't touch me EJ," she said sharply, slapping away his hand, "You have no right."

"No right?" asked EJ, his face hardening at that, "I'm your lover Samantha. I have every right to touch you whenever the mood takes me."

"Like I'm some kind of commodity you mean?" asked Sami harshly, his words reminding her of what Tony had said to her previously about EJ's intentions for her.

"I don't believe I've ever done anything to make you think of yourself in such terms Samantha," said EJ, eyes narrowing as he looked at her after that harsh statement, "I've only ever offered you my love and devotion and all I want in exchange is for you to be honest with yourself and with me."

"I hate what we've done together," said Sami emotionlessly, "There, is that honest enough for you EJ?"

"You make yourself hate it because you think that you should," said EJ, his voice hardening, "That isn't how you really feel about our love making or about me now is it sweetheart?"

"What's the point of telling you the truth when you won't listen EJ?" she asked him bitterly.

"Your mouth may say one thing but your body tells me an entirely different story sweetheart," he said and Sami had a sudden flash of fear at the suddenly predatory look in his eyes.

She knew she had to get out of there and quickly. Sami turned around and began to head for the door but EJ pre-empted her, coming up behind her and grabbing the tops of both her arms, stalling her.

"I'm tired of this game Samantha," he growled in her ear, "And I'm not going to play anymore."

"I'm not playing a game," said Sami shakily, the heat of his body rolling off him and enveloping her as he stood so close behind her.

"That is all you've done since I first met you," he said tartly, "You delight in torturing me."

"Yeah right!" she said, trying to get free but EJ held onto her tightly and refused to let her go, "You're the one whose sole purpose in life is to torment me EJ!"

"Then I guess we're as bad as one another then sweetheart," he said throatily, his lips suddenly at her ear now, "I think it is more than time for you to embrace your dark side Samantha and admit that you love torturing me just as much as I love torturing you. It makes our unions that much more... satisfying... don't you think?"

"That's sick EJ!" she protested, no longer trying to break free and trying as best she could to revert back to being impassive but it was practically impossible with him being this close.

"It's not sick it's passion," he told her, his breath hot in her ear, "A passion that neither one of us has ever known before with anyone else and it scares you Samantha. It scares you that it could possibly be alright to feel this deeply about someone who feels the exact same way about you."

"I don't feel anything for you EJ," she said and even as Sami said the words she knew they rang hollow, even to her own ears.

"I know you lie awake at night and wonder what new pleasures I can wring from your body," he informed her, his voice a velvety purr as he nuzzled at her neck, "I know you ache to feel my hands on your body… to feel me push inside of you and claim you as my own. I know you are craving my hardness like I'm craving your heat Samantha."

Sami closed her eyes and despite herself felt her body begin to react to his words. She leaned back more heavily against him and he instantly responded, his hands finding her hips and beginning to massage them now.

"Are you wet now my darling?" he growled, "Do you need me to satisfy that ache between your legs? The same ache that steals your rest and your peace of mind?"

"Don't," she whispered weakly, even as she felt him begin to rub his growing erection against her backside and she began to move her hips in time with his little movements.

"Don't?" he whispered against her ear, "Don't what Samantha? Don't start… or don't stop?"

Sami shook her head, unable to find the words to answer him.

"I want you in my bed," he rasped, the growing need obvious in his voice, "I want to feel you lying next to me. I want to be able to reach out and touch you, smell you, taste you all night long. I want that so much. Samantha… tell me you want that too."

"EJ," she groaned and leant back more heavily against him before unevenly pleading with him, "Please."

"Oh I will," he whispered against the skin of her neck, taking turns licking at the pale skin of her neck and nipping on it gently, "You know I will. No one has ever pleased you like I have… have they Samantha?"

One hand drifted up then and found its way into her blouse and bra, cupping her breast before beginning to massage it for her. EJ needed her to admit her desire for him, to stop hiding behind this wall of indifference and he wasn't going to let her be until he'd torn it down completely and made sure that Sami could never rebuild it.

"Have they?" he pushed her, grinding himself into her backside a little harder with the question, his long fingers finding her nipple and beginning to roll it between his thumb and forefinger, experience telling him how much she enjoyed that if her soft, panting moans weren't enough.

"Do you want to make you come right now to prove my point?" he rumbled throatily against her neck.

"EJ," she gasped and shook her head but offered up no other resistance to his proposal.

The hand that wasn't at her breast moved from her hip to the front of her skirt but it was too tight for him to get his hand down the waistband properly and be able to manoeuvre as he'd like.

"Undo the zip," he rasped the ordered and Sami quivered, the demand in his voice exciting her even more.

Even though it was crazy, even though this was the last thing she told herself she wanted and would only continue to complicate an already impossible situation none of that mattered as her hands went to the front of her jeans in silent submission. Her hands shook wildly but she managed to undo the top button of A-line skirt that was on a side seam and push down the zipper. All the while EJ moved impatiently behind her, his hard length rubbing against her back as his hand made circling motions across her stomach, eager for her to be done. She felt as though she had a wild beast behind her, some giant cat to her helpless mouse. She felt his power and his strength encompass her, drowning her in his masculinity and force of presence. As soon as she'd completed her task his hand moved down the front of her skirt, seeking out his prize and moaned when he did, the sound vibrating through his body into hers.

"Oh god so wet," he gasped, "You're so wet Samantha, so ready for this… it's unbearable."

Sami couldn't answer because her breath was stolen from her. She leant her head back on his chest, her neck arching as his fingers dipped into her molten core and all thought of resistance leaving her. Sami went up on tip toes at the feeling of his long digits entering her body, instinctively lifting her arms over her head and grabbing hold of his broad shoulders, needing something to brace herself with because already her legs were beginning to shake.

"The things I want to do to you," he groaned against her ear, "You have no idea Samantha, how badly I need to make you climax, how much I need to hear my name on your lips when you do. Say my name Samantha… please!"

"EJ!" she moaned, helpless to do anything else, "Oh god EJ!"

"More?" he asked her unevenly, his fingers starting to move more deeply inside of her now, "Does my darling girl need more?"

"Oh yes!" she gasped, her heart hammering painfully in her chest now, the blood coursing through veins at a ferocious rate of knots now, "Please EJ, more!"

EJ was beginning to shake now, his control starting to leave him and as much as he'd like to pleasure her like this for the much longer he knew he had to end it soon otherwise he was going to disgrace himself like some over sexed, unskilled teenager.

"Open your legs wider," he demand of her and although it was tricky in their current positions with her still on the tips of her toes she managed it and was immediately rewarded with him inserting a third finger into her wetness and him placing his thumb on her swollen nub.

The whole time his other hand had maintained its hold on her breast, tweaking and massaging her roughly, just how she liked it. Sami cried out as he crooked his fingers a little and found that spot inside her that just drove her wild and her hands moved from his shoulders to his neck, arms stretched up over her head, clinging to him helplessly.

It barely took him anytime to bring her to climax and Sami knew she'd be embarrassed about it later but at the moment all she could do was sob her pleasure for him as she convulsed wildly around his fingers. EJ closed his eyes as he felt her core tighten around his fingers and listened to the broken panting noises she was making and wanted nothing more than to just remove his fingers and replace them with his painfully engorged member right now. Take here where she stood and damn the consequences. She'd just come for him but he knew she'd take whatever else he had for her happily and the thought was excruciatingly exciting.

A woman that matched him in every possible way, even down to sexual appetite.

She was still shuddering against him when he reluctantly removed his fingers from inside of her and withdrew his hands from inside her panties. Sami at last let go of his neck and leant back limply against him, totally spent.

"My turn," he growled in her ear, his breathing as uneven as hers...

**Chapter SIXTY FIVE**** - ****Laying Your Cards On The Table**

Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs.

_~William Shakespeare~_

EJ guided her to the nearby table that undoubtedly interrogations were done on lifted her up on it with Sami offering no resistance. He pushed her little skirt up to Sami's waist and rubbed his hand back and forth against the sopping wet material of her black panties.

"Nice," he purred and Sami shuddered to hear the way he said that.

EJ pushed her legs wider apart and came to stand between them before taking her hands and directing them to the front of his pants.

"Undo me," he commanded her and Sami whimpered but couldn't help looking at the gigantic bulge in the front of his trousers.

She needed him inside of her or she was going to die.

With shaking hands she undid EJ's zipper and then reached in to his boxers. EJ hissed noisily at the first touch of her hand to his throbbing manhood and watched with rapt attention as she freed his raging hard on from its' confines. The air was cool on his heated staff as it jerked wildly in Sami's hand, eager to claim what was his. Sami caught him off guard then, bending down suddenly and taking him into her mouth. EJ bucked up, shoving even more of himself into her mouth inadvertently but Sami seemed to be able to take it as she immediately began to suck on him and pump hard on his staff with both hands. EJ's hands flew to her head, his fingers sinking into her blonde hair as quiet, continuous moans were forced from his throat from her ministrations. EJ was already so close to climaxing after bringing Sami to orgasm that this was nearly the end of him.

"NO!" his voice was harsher than he intended as he pulled away; making Sami release him from the confines of her mouth but he couldn't help himself.

EJ knew he couldn't last much longer in the state he was end and was desperate to plant his seed deep inside of Sami. He still craved to make a child with her, wanting to cement that bond between them forever so that Sami could never again claim indifference again or that they were in any way over. She gasped as EJ pushed her legs wider apart again and then he was roughly pulling her panties to one side and claiming her. Sami's short nails dug into the material of EJ's coat at that first penetration, both of them making strangled noises of pleasure at the sensation. EJ immediately began to drive himself into her hard and fast, unable to do anything else but. Sami's arms were around his neck, clinging to him while his hands went to her backside, holding her steady for each of his fierce penetrations.

There was a desperation to EJ's stroke that spoke of exactly how terrifying he'd found her supposed indifference to him. It had been like a living death to have her look at him so coldly now and now all EJ wanted was to have her bring him back to life with her body, to know that all that had gone before was a lie and that this was the truth, would always be the truth between them. There was no sound in the room other than their combined laboured breathing and the sound of her body taking his again and again. Sami could feel her own arousal rebuilding quickly and she clung to him ever tighter but then suddenly EJ gave a strangled grunt, tensing and then there was the sensation of him spurting his maleness deep inside of her. He shuddered against her helplessly, gasping out his release to her.

"God!" he grunted breathlessly, "It feels like forever since I last did that."

In reality it had only been two days but with the way Sami had been behaving towards him it felt like those two days had gone on for months. Sami meanwhile could tell that he wasn't done with her yet, that he was still rock hard inside of her and she groaned helplessly, lying back on the table and bracing herself because she knew he was about to make her come again. EJ felt her acceptance of her fate, that he wasn't going to let her out of there without another shared orgasm and the way she was looking at him told her she was anxious for just that to happen. He pulled out of her heat before plunging himself back home into her, watching with rapt attention as Sami bit her lip and arched her back accommodatingly, letting him find his place even more deeply within her.

Somewhere along the line the anger and need to prove to Sami that resistance was futile had given away to something else. The inevitable tenderness that EJ felt around her surfacing and claiming them both as he began to labour away inside of her. Every single time they did this EJ fell a little more in love with her, the lines between where he ended and Sami started blurring for him. In these moments they were at last of one mind and that more than anything was the exquisite pleasure for EJ. It was what drove him to pursue Sami so relentlessly, just knowing that if Sami would only let herself, they could have this kind of amazing unity all the time and not just when their bodies were driving each other towards their next climax.

"EJ," she said raggedly, his name pushed past her lips as her hands grabbed at the tops of his arms that EJ had placed either side of her body, "Don't stop."

The tension that had been denied satisfaction just before was beginning to rapidly build up again in Sami's body and this time she very much needed to find a release for it. God but the way he made her feel, the things he did to her body – it made Sami unable to think on anything else other than the delights he could offer her. It was just as enjoyable to Sami to see EJ's pleasure as well, it clearly written all over his handsome face. His dark brown eyes looked down at her so adoringly that it seemed impossible to Sami that this was all a game to him but she knew it was. Sami determinedly didn't think about that now though, all she wanted to think about was how close she was to coming and how close she was to feeling EJ's seed flooding her body. She didn't care that they were at her father's work or even that anyone could walk in on them at any moment. All Sami cared about was that they finished what they'd started.

"I'll never stop," EJ ground out the vow to her, picking up his pace now.

EJ took her hands in his, threading his fingers through Sami's and then leant on his elbows over her, holding her hands above her head. He leant right down so that their noses were practically touching as he determinedly held her wide eyed blue gaze. Their forced breaths mingled together in the short distance between them and tasting each other that way as they both dragged in their next laboured breath. It was strangely intimate, subtle yet arousing seeing as the denied kiss still hung between them. The tension began to build between them again and Sami couldn't help but give a stifled groan every time EJ pushed as deeply as he could into her. Their bodies, so familiar with one another now, began to drive the other towards their peaks.

"God EJ," whimpered Sami, looking up at him in anguish as the pleasure began to become too much for her.

"Just let it happen sweetheart," he grunted, quickening his thrusts and increasing the friction between them, "Stop fighting."

EJ was talking about much more than what was about to happen between them in the next couple of minutes and they both knew it. His words seem to be enough for Sami because she suddenly threw her head back, beginning to moan helplessly as her walls bore down hard on him, pushing EJ over the edge with her. Once again EJ felt himself pumping his essence into Sami and he buried his head in her shoulder, groaning out his pleasure for her. Every time he did that EJ felt like he was giving Sami yet another piece of himself and he had to wonder if this kept up would there be anything left of him? Contentment claimed Sami's body as she lay panting underneath EJ's still heaving body, enjoying the last pleasurable throbs of her own climax as EJ finished his.

EJ shakily lifted his head then, looking down at her with passion bleary eyes. Small beads of sweat peppered the bridge of Sami's nose, proof of her exertions and EJ's tongue came out, catching each little droplet and tasting its salty goodness. He moved around to her mouth then, his tongue tracing the curve of her lips before EJ moved closer, nibbling on her bottom lip. Sami knew what he wanted, knew he was craving that first kiss and despite the fact that he was still inside her body she just couldn't do it.

"No," she said, turning her head and feeling her heart break into a thousand pieces as she did.

It was killing her to keep refusing him this last intimacy and quite possibly laughable seeing what had just passed between them but Sami was utterly terrified of kissing EJ. She knew that as soon as she did all would be lost. She'd never be able to deny him ever again and that even though she knew the horrors that would be awaiting her at the DiMera mansion it wouldn't be enough to stop her from giving herself to him completely. EJ made her lose all reason and sense of self preservation and that had never happened to Sami before. No matter what she'd always found a way to protect herself against the men in her life. She'd had to because she'd been so relentlessly disappointed by them all. The only reason she was still standing after all that had happened to her was because she'd found an internal strength, a way to keep everyone at bay and never let them completely in. It was a skill she'd had a lot of practice at but now when she needed it most it was failing her. Sami felt laid bare in front of EJ, every pretence ripped away when they were like this and she was so frightened as to where that would leave her in the end when EJ grew tired of her.

EJ felt the pain of her rejection as though Sami had actually driven a knife into his heart as she refused to look at him despite the intimacy of their current positions. He had no idea how she could continue to deny them this last act of intimacy considering all that had just passed between them. A surge of angry frustration swept through him, displacing the blissful contentment he'd just been feeling. EJ lifted himself off of her, withdrawing from Sami's body at the same time before turning around and rearranging himself back into his pants. By turning away he missed Sami sitting unsteadily up and brushing away the silent tear she'd cried as EJ had left her. Sami got down from the table, willing her shaky legs to support her as like EJ she straightened her clothing, pushing down her skirt. EJ turned around to see Sami now fixing her hair which had been sporting a pleasingly tussled look but now she was pulling it back into a regimented bun again and it seemed to EJ as though her transformation was complete with that.

"I love you," he announced into the quiet of the room, unable to help the way he was looking at her with such tenderness.

Sami froze momentarily at that and then turned around to look at him, taking in his own tussled look.

"No you don't EJ," she said with a sad sigh, "Please stop saying that."

"Why can't I love you Samantha?" asked EJ, his eyes narrowing as he attempted to get to the bottom of why she had tried to cut him off so abruptly.

"Because you're a DiMera and they don't know how to love," she told him, trying desperately to get her head back in the game and return that icy façade which EJ hated so much but it was pretty difficult considering her whole body was still throbbing from his touches.

_And I'm the anti-Brady and no one could ever really love me._

Sami thought those last words but didn't say them. EJ had enough of her already without giving him her darkest fears as well. It seemed so incongruous that she'd just let him make love to her, no, begged him to make love to her and now she was trying to resurrect the walls she herself had scaled but Sami had no other choice. At the moment her only game plan was to deny EJ his kiss and try with all her might to resist his allure. Not that she was off to a particularly auspicious start with that of course, given the events of the last half hour but then no one ever accuse Sami Brady of being a quitter.

EJ's face darkened at her last words, hardly unable to comprehend how she could be so cold towards him after what they'd just shared. A red hot rage pulsed through him and he took it out on his tormentor as she turned to leave. EJ came up behind Sami and wrapped his arms around her waist, dragging her back against him and not allowing her to struggle free. One hand went to her breast again, slipping inside her low cut cup and under her bra, cupping the soft flesh possessively.

"I'm not done with you Samantha," he told her unevenly, his hand beginning to caressing her breast, "I want you naked in my bed tonight and every night from now on… and I always get what I want."

Sami shook her head weakly, knowing that was an impossibility.

"You need that as much as I do," he purred unsteadily in her ear, "I walk away from here and leave you and you're going to be hungering for more of this as soon as I'm gone. Every time we meet in the corridor, every knock on the door, I'll be all you can think of."

EJ tightened his hold on her breast, massaging it roughly and making Sami shudder.

"And if you think that for one moment that I'm going to allow you continue with this ridiculous protestations of indifference to me then you've got another thing coming," EJ said, his voice thick with emotion as touching her had the inevitable effect on him as it did on Sami, "No more lies Samantha."

Before Sami could protest this EJ suddenly removed his hands from her body and was walking towards the door. Sami turned her head in surprise only to see him disappear out the door.

Oh god what had she just done? EJ was all fired up and they were still at the police station and he could walk out and find her father and say whatever he wanted to blow her out of the water. Sami tried the best she could to collect herself and hurried off after EJ, eager to stop him before he found her father if that was where he was heading. His long legs had carried him back down the corridors and out into the detective's room before Sami could catch him though and breath hitched in her throat to see EJ and her father talking out the front of his office.

"Ah there you are sweetheart," said EJ with an easy smile as the two men looked over at her, "I was wondering where you'd gotten to."

Sami gave a stressed smile and quickly came to stand beside EJ and faced her father, trying to work out if EJ had had the time to say anything just yet. Roman looked annoyed but then he always looked annoyed around EJ so that was no help.

"Were you looking for me Dad?" asked Sami brightly, fixing a determined smile on her face for her father's benefit and then had to work not to gasp as EJ slipped his hand down and cupped one bottom cheek as they stood there.

The way he was standing Roman wouldn't have been able to tell what he was doing but Sami was unbearably conscious of the way EJ's hand was currently firmly massaging one buttock cheek. Sami shot him a look out of the corner of her eye and saw that his face was completely impassive, giving nothing away to Roman about the kind of shenanigans going on right in front of him.

"Yeah," nodded Roman, with a half smile, "I'm sorry honey but I won't be able to have lunch with you today – some other time perhaps?"

"Oh of course," said Sami cheerily and tried to look as casual as EJ did right then as he adjusted his tie with one hand and enjoyed the firmness of her backside with the other.

She knew exactly why he was doing that, EJ wanted to know who was in control with this situation, to put her in her place and Sami felt her fighting spirit rise to the fore. If he was trying to unnerve her in front of her father then he was going to have to try harder than that Sami decided. She maintained an as outwardly calm demeanour as EJ was and just smiled at her father.

"I'm not the hungry anyway," she continued on.

"Probably because you've just been satisfied," commented EJ innocently.

Sami looked over at him and didn't flinch as she met his ever so slightly mocking gaze.

"What does that mean?" scowled Roman, not liking the tone in the other man's voice as he said that.

"Nothing Dad," interjected Sami before EJ could reply and giving him a challenging look, "EJ just saw me have a donut earlier."

"More than one if I remember correctly sweetheart," he said and now there was a definite smirk on his face.

He looked over at Roman then and gave him a mischievous look.

"Our girl certainly seems to enjoy those donuts," he continued on smoothly, his hand still fondling her butt cheek as he spoke, "In fact, she can't seem to get enough of them – donut crazy I'd call her... although I have noticed that she only seems to go for the one flavour of donut to satisfy her which I can't help but feel is rather telling."

"What are you going on about?" frowned Roman as he listened to the younger man witter on about donuts.

Of course Sami knew that EJ wasn't talking about donuts right then but her father didn't need to know that.

"Ignore him Dad," she said flatly, "It's probably some weird DiMera attempt at humour."

Before Roman could reply to that he was called away again and as soon as he'd left the room Sami moved away from EJ and out of reach of his wandering hands. She walked over to one side of the room and glared up at EJ as he followed her and leant casually against a desk.

"What the hell was that EJ?" she growled at him.

"I have no idea what you could mean sweetheart," said EJ straight faced, "But all this talk of donuts has gotten me peckish again..."

He looked at Sami then with an impish gleam in his eyes.

"How about it darling, care for another nibble?" he teased her, "I mean I really enjoyed the last donut we shared to be sure but..."

"Shut up about donuts EJ!" she snapped at him.

"Ah you want to cut right to the chase at long last eh sweetheart?" he asked her with a quirk of his lips, "Excellent. How's this then for straight talking? As much as I loved having you on that table Samantha... and believe me – I did... the next time I want you in my bed and naked so I can touch and taste every glorious inch of you."

Sami flushed but didn't back down, shooting a quick glance around to check that no one was listening in to their somewhat intimate conversation.

"I keep telling you we are done EJ," she bit out, "I'm sick of this conversation coming up all the time."

"Yes but you're not sick of me just making you come now are you darling?" he posed the question almost mildly, "In fact you rather give me the impression that you enjoyed that very much. So when should I believe those luscious lips of yours – when you're begging me to stop... or to start?"

EJ gave a sultry little smile then.

"I'm never going to give up on us Samantha," he told her throatily, "And do you know why...?"

Sami looked back stonily at him, not wanting to know the answer to that question and wishing she could just turn off the effect he was having on her but it was a bit hard when her core was still pleasingly tender from their last coming together. EJ held her gaze steadily and then as a final reminder of what they'd just shared he lifted the fingers he'd pleasured her with to his mouth and sucked each one clean, his eyes sweeping over her body as he did.

"Addicting," he made the observation in thick tones, making Sami's toes curl in her shoes, "Utterly addicting."

"Stop," Sami, whispered to him shakily, her eyes pleading with him as she didn't know how much more of this she could take.

"I can't."

**Chapter SIXTY SIX**** - ****Coward's Advance**

Lying is done with words and also with silence.

_~Adrienne Rich~ _

Sami walked into her apartment and leaned back heavily on the door. She'd just left the police department and EJ and she only wished it was as easy to get EJ out of her head as simply leaving him. It was still astounding to her that she'd allowed herself to give in to him so utterly and at her father's workplace of all places. It would have killed her to have her father walk in on her and EJ and yet at the time it seemed monumentally unimportant. How was that even possible she wondered in despair? What was it about this man that just so undid her completely?

Sami knew the answer to that question but she couldn't face it right then. She'd turned into the very thing she'd sworn she never would – a cheater. Of all the horrible things she'd done Sami had always promised herself that was one line that she would never cross and now she seemed to do nothing but. It was so unfair to Lucas and her guilt over that was near crippling her. She looked up as the door opened and she quickly tried to compose herself, wondering if she would ever feel normal again. Lucas limped through the door, leaning more heavily than before on his crutches after his physiotherapy session.

"Hey," she said tentatively, getting up to help him with his bag.

"Hi," grimaced Lucas, making his way determinedly towards the sofa and then practically falling down on it, "Ow."

"You okay honey?" she asked him worriedly, seeing him in pain like this only adding to her self hatred.

"My leg is sore," complained Lucas as Sami took his crutches from him, "She really worked me hard today."

"Well that's good right?" asked Sami, coming to sit beside him and giving him an encouraging smile, "It means that she thinks that you're up to it."

"I suppose," grunted Lucas, not looking particularly impressed by that logic, "Honey can you get me my pills?"

"Of course," said Sami quickly, happy to have something to do.

She bought back the requested pain medication and a glass of water and watched as Lucas gratefully took them.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice wavering on that, "For not being there for you today."

"That's okay," he said with a lop sided smile, "I know how important Mythic is to you and I'm just glad you've found something that you enjoy doing."

Sami gave him a weak smile at that, trying not to think about exactly what she'd enjoyed doing that afternoon... or rather who. She looked at Lucas as he finished his glass of water and felt a rush of emotion for him. They'd been through so much together and he'd seen her at her best and her worst and he was still there which Sami found to be amazing. Of course he'd leave her in a heartbeat if he found out how she'd been carrying on with EJ behind his back and Sami couldn't blame him for that. Fresh guilt washed over her and Sami wished for all the world she could go back to when there was just the two of them. Her life had been so uncomplicated then even though she hadn't realised it. EJ had burst into her world and now nothing seemed to make sense anymore.

She was looking at the man she should be hopelessly in love with. They'd been in each other's lives forever, they had a huge history, shared a child together and her family loved Lucas, approved of him and wanted them to be together. They were all the ingredients that should have come together to make Sami blissfully in love and content but right then she was anything but and it was all because of one man. EJ had stormed into her life and torn apart all she'd worked so hard to build up in her life and now she was in real danger of losing it all and for what she had to wonder? A man that she was little more than a play thing for and that would no doubt lose interest in her once she gave in completely? Sami didn't even know if she believed that anymore but she held onto it anyway, too scared what a close examination of that thought might yield. There were too many conflicting things to take in account when it came to EJ.

There was the adoring lover that he showed her when they were together but there was also a ruthless relentlessness to him that she couldn't deny. Tony told her that this was all a game for EJ and that it was all because Stefano was pulling the strings and for Sami that had seemed to make sense because why else would a man seek her out so persistently. No one else ever had and it didn't make sense that someone with EJ's looks, charm and charisma would honestly find her that captivating. But again he just had this talent of making Sami feel like she was the only woman in the world and it scared Sami how much she craved that after a life time of coming off second best to Carrie.

It was all too hard and Sami's head was spinning from trying to separate her head from her heart and finding she just couldn't do it. It was all EJ's fault; his words about seeing him every day and not being able to get him out of her head frightened Sami because she knew it was true. It was hopeless to think that she could have any chance of breaking free of this spell EJ had her under with him just a few feet away. She was asking for disaster by keeping Lucas and EJ in such close proximity and Sami couldn't bear the thought of Lucas being hurt by her selfish actions.

The thought that she should end it with Lucas and spare him any more pain came to her again but Sami knew she couldn't do that while he was so low with trying to recover from his injuries. Lucas was trying to put a brave face on it for her but she knew him well enough to know that he was struggling with the continuing pain and getting quite down about how slow his recovery was. Lucas deserved her support in this tough time for him and Sami was determined to give it to him. The trouble was she couldn't do it properly with EJ always around, doing her head in every five minutes so as was often the way Sami came to an impulsive decision.

"We should move," she announced to Lucas abruptly and he looked at her in surprise over the top of his water glass.

"Move?" repeated Lucas in consternation, "Why?"

"Well I was thinking that this was the apartment I used to share with Austin and then of course there was you and Carrie down the hall," said Sami, trying to sound casual about it, "It's got a lot of mixed memories for us."

"That hasn't ever been a problem before," said Lucas and then frowned at her, "Has it?"

"It's kind of weird when you think about," said Sami with a bit of a shrug, "Your brother and my sister bumped uglies upstairs on the roof when they were with us."

"Yes," Lucas grimaced, "That's not a particularly happy memory."

"And this apartment has seen some almighty showdowns," said Sami wrinkling her nose, "Like that time I got you arrested for hitting me or when I punched you and then there was the time…"

"Okay honey," said Lucas with a quirk of his lips at what looked like being a long list, "I've got it – we've had our ups and downs here. But it has always been that way – why move now?"

"I just thought that we're doing this whole new beginning the two of us," said Sami, looking a little wistful, "We've given each other a blank slate so I was thinking that maybe it would be good to have a new apartment to go along with it – one that has no memories for us except for the ones we make."

_No memories like EJ making love to her up against that door or on the sofa they were sitting on for example._

Sami knew that distance alone wasn't going to solve her problem with EJ but surely it had to help. Every knock on the door Sami wouldn't have to tense, wondering if it was going to be EJ. At least if their apartments weren't within feet of one another Sami could be able to use that physical distance to try and create some emotional distance between them. Sami was sure then that she'd be able to focus the attention on Lucas that he deserved.

"I guess that could be good," said Lucas thoughtfully and then pulled a face, "And we'd be out of EJ's orbit as well – I hate how that guy is always sniffing around you. It just makes me want to punch that smug look right off his face."

Sami swallowed hard and smiled weakly, trying not to think what Lucas would do if he found out exactly how far she and EJ's relationship had gone. Yet another wave of guilt washed over her at that thought.

"So does that mean you'll think about it?" she asked hopefully, avoiding referencing EJ directly because even Sami couldn't bring herself to tell Lucas that he had nothing to worry about.

Even Sami had limits to the lies she could tell apparently.

"I say let's do it," said Lucas with a grin, "What the hell."

"Really?" asked Sami cautiously, "You're sure Lucas?"

"Yeah," he nodded, "It's like you said honey – a fresh start for us both. A change of scenery could be just what the doctor ordered. It shouldn't be too hard to find another apartment, I'll check the paper. If all goes well we could be out of here by this time next week."

"Oh," said Sami, her eyes widening at that thought, "That fast?"

"Well if we've made up our minds we may as well just go for it right?" he posed the question to her.

"Yes," said Sami and gave him a reassuring smile, "Of course you're right – that sounds great to me – the sooner the better in fact."

"Alright," grinned Lucas as he leant over and gave Sami a happy kiss, "This is going to be great."

"It will be," nodded Sami and returned his kiss.

Sami had just won that round so why did she feel so utterly bereft?

_Because no matter all the things you know about EJ you still don't want to leave him. _

The little voice in her head whispered an unwanted truth into Sami's ear. The separation from him was going to kill her but it was her only chance of breaking free of the hold he had over her. Whenever he was around Sami couldn't think straight with all the emotion coursing through her body. This was going to be very hard to go through with but it was going to be harder again to stay where she was and keep EJ at bay.

She'd done more difficult things in her life then cutting EJ out of her life Sami was sure… she just couldn't think of what they might be right then.

oooOOOOooo

EJ leant against the door frame of the kitchen at the DiMera mansion after having let himself in and watched as Bart busied himself with making dinner. He had a rather disconcerting frilly apron on and was talking aloud to himself over the recipe as he prepared some kind of soup for dinner that night.

"Hello Bartholomew," said EJ calmly, making the other man start and drop the spoon he'd been using to stir his soup with back into the pot.

"Oh," said Bart in disappointment as he saw his spoon disappear into the rich creamy mixture, "That's the second one I've done that with."

He looked over at EJ and smiled then, never down for long.

"Hey boss man," he said happily, "What can I do ya for?"

"Oh I was in the neighbourhood and just thought I'd drop by and say hi," said EJ, smiling a very controlled smile as he watched Bart get another spoon from the drawer and go back to stirring his sauce.

Bart looked over at him as he stirred his soup, surprised at that explanation but taking it at face value as he did most things.

"Hi," continued on EJ smoothly.

"Hi," grinned Bart, returning the greeting innocently, unaware of the tidal wave of unhappiness that was about to be unleashed on him.

"Bart do you know where I just was?" asked EJ, strolling into the kitchen and looking at Bart with a deceptively mild smile.

"The foyer?" offered up Bart knowing it was the only way into the kitchen from the door EJ had entered through.

"Before that," said EJ flatly.

"The front door," said Bart, concentrating as he back tracked what he assumed were EJ's footsteps.

"Okay clearly this is going to take a while using this tact," noted EJ through gritted teeth, "Let me expedite matters here. I've just come from the police station and do you know what I was doing there Bart?"

"Ah... getting your driver's licence renewed?" guessed Bart breezily, still oblivious to what was about to happen, "Turning in a watch you found.... bailing someone out of jail..."

"I was being questioned about the murder of a security guard at the Martinez warehouse on Saturday night," interrupted EJ tersely, seeing that Bart didn't seem to be going to stop anytime soon.

Bart blanched and froze, dropping yet another spoon into the soup he was stirring.

"Uh oh," he said, looking stricken.

"Uh oh indeed Bart," said EJ, his eyes narrowing menacingly, "I can't help but think that you may have omitted one or two pertinent minutiae when it comes to the night in question."

"Huh?" asked Bart, not understanding half of the words EJ had just used.

"It appears that you were indeed at home when Mr Cock Up called Bart!" ground out EJ at the other man's obtuseness, "And now I want to know if answering that door to that particular person was an accident or someone paid you to set me up?!"

"Wait," said Bart looking thoroughly confused now, "Who's Mr Cockup again – was that the name of the security guard because if it is then that's a real embarrassing name, even worse than mine."

"No, that wasn't the guard's name!" said EJ in exasperation as he began to just now plumb the depths of how stupid Bart really was and then he frowned suddenly, "And what's wrong with Bart as a name?"

"Nuthin'," shrugged Bart, "But I used to get called Barf."

EJ rolled his eyes at this unnecessary piece of information.

"Yes well children can be cruel," he said tersely, not interested in the damage the other man had sustained in his childhood right then.

"Children?" said Bart in confusion, "That was what my parents used to call me."

"Well that probably explains a lot," said EJ dryly, "But what I really want is an explanation about Saturday night."

"Yeah I feel bad about that," grimaced Bart, still stirring his soup.

"Not as badly as the security guard I'm thinking," said EJ with a twist of his lips.

"He did look surprised," noted Bart thoughtfully.

"Why did you shoot the man Bart?" asked EJ in exasperation.

"He startled me," said Bart, scrunching his brow.

"And that's it?" said EJ suspiciously, still entertaining the thought that Bart had divided loyalties.

"And I was a little gassy," he volunteered.

"I'm sorry?" said EJ in confusion.

"It's alright it wasn't your fault boss," he shrugged easily, "I shouldn't have eaten that day old burrito before I went on the job."

EJ closed his eyes and counted to ten before trusting himself to speak.

"What does you being gassy have to do with you shooting a man Bartholomew?" asked EJ tersely as he opened his eyes again.

"I get jumpy when I'm gassy," Bart informed him.

"Good to know," said EJ flatly, "And you weren't perhaps working under anyone else's orders at all?"

"You told me to keep it a secret boss man," he reminded him, "Bart can keep a secret to himself."

"But apparently not his gas," said EJ dryly, coming to the conclusion that Bart had been working alone.

The other man just didn't have the ability to play off two people against each other EJ was sure of that. If there had been another party that Bart knew of involved he would have been able to see it in Bart's earnest expression. So that meant that EJ would have to work out for himself who had been responsible for planting his glove on the dead man but EJ had one last question to make sure.

"So you're telling me you don't know anything about a misplaced glove then Bart?" he asked, fixing him with a hard stare.

"I know you should always check they are a woman before trying to place anything anywhere," said Bart knowingly, "This one time I thought I was talking to a woman in a bar and when we got to my place I found she had boy bits as well as girl bits. Man – did I feel dumb! Oh well, at least I know to ask now... fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me... that's what I said to myself the second time it happened..."

EJ was trying to keep abreast of what Bart was going on about and not connecting the dots until he realised that the other man must have misheard him.

"_Gloves_ Bart!" said EJ in exasperation, interrupting what was probably going to be a story he really didn't want to hear, "Not love – gloves!"

"Oh," said Bart, his forehead wrinkling, "Sorry – what was the question again?"

EJ shook his head, wondering if this was his payback for taunting Roman during their interview but he was hard pressed to imagine that anything could be more frustrating than trying to get the facts out of Bart.

"Alright let's recap then," said EJ, his temper stretched thinner than usual these days, "Were you alone at the warehouse? Did you see anyone else there?"

"Yes I saw someone," nodded Bart, eager to help and hopefully stop the youngest DiMera from doing what DiMera's did when someone had upset them.

A plot six foot under – with only a 50/50 chance of being actually dead when they put you in it – Bart didn't like those odds.

"Really?" said EJ, very interested in this piece of information as it might give him an insight as to who was setting him up, "Did you see who it was?"

"Aha," nodded Bart again and looked back at EJ expectantly.

"Who was it Bart?" ground out EJ at the man's eager unhelpfulness.

"The security guard," supplied Bart happily and EJ had to bite down on his tongue hard to say the word that came to his mind just then.

"I meant anyone other than the man you shot," bit EJ tightly once he trusted himself to speak again.

"Oh," said Bart, finally comprehending, "No, no one boss – just me and Mr Cockup."

EJ just looked back at him and blinked a couple of times, not having the strength to correct his misunderstanding about the guard's name again. A continued interrogation revealed no further information for EJ except to confirm beyond a shadow of a doubt that Bart was indeed an idiot. The sound of his father calling out Bart's name saved EJ's sanity.

"Uh oh the big boss is awake," said Bart, quickly taking off his apron and heading out of the kitchen to answer his call and EJ tagged along.

He was in need of some sane conversation after his little chat with Bart anyway. The two walked into the living room together to see Stefano standing in the middle of the room, swirling a snifter of brandy.

"Yes boss?" asked Bart a little nervously, rubbing his hands together.

Stefano hadn't been in the best of moods lately with his failing health so Bart never quite knew what he was in for around him. Stefano looked up and his face broke into a smile at seeing EJ.

"Ah my son," he said happily, ignoring Bart's question, "You've come to see your old father at last eh?"

EJ crossed over to the older man and gave him a hug.

"I'm sorry Father," he said, "I've been a little preoccupied these last couple of days."

"No matter," said Stefano with an easy wave of his hand, "But you will stay for dinner this time no?"

"That sounds lovely Father," nodded EJ with a smile, "Thank you."

"Bart is all in readiness for the meal tonight?" asked Stefano the other man.

"Yes boss," he nodded eagerly, "No problems."

"Good," said Stefano with a dismissive wave of his hand, "You can go now."

Bart blew out a relieved breath and made good his escape from both the DiMera men, feeling like he'd gotten off pretty lightly considering.

EJ watched the other man scurry away and shook his head.

"It is surprising but Bart is quite a good cook," noted Stefano as he offered EJ a drink to which EJ shook his head.

"Yes I've seen first course," said EJ dryly, "Spoon soup – it should be delicious."

Stefano gave EJ a bit of a quizzical look at that statement but didn't comment. EJ meanwhile was still trying to wrap his head around the vapidness that was Bart.

"Do you know anything about Bart's family at all?" asked EJ, still exasperated from his encounter with the other man, "His parent's weren't cousins were they?"

Stefano gave a little laugh at that, amused by his son's humour.

"Bart is perhaps not… shall we say… plagued with ideas," said Stefano with a quirk of his lips, "But he is loyal and loyalty is everything my son."

"So is the ability to count past ten without having to take your shoes and socks off," scowled EJ, "Seriously Father – I've eaten sandwiches with more impressive IQ's than that man."

"You are in a mood," commented his father mildly, taking in EJ's displeased expression, "What is wrong Elvis? Perhaps I can help eh?"

EJ looked at his father and debated as to whether he should tell him about the mishap at the warehouse. EJ was pretty certain that he wouldn't be pleased – both at the complication and the fact that EJ hadn't done as he asked. He'd always freely told his father everything before this, not feeling the need to withhold anything from him but this situation was a little trickier. Besides, no matter the brave face Stefano put on it he was still a very unwell man and EJ was loath to add to his stresses with a miscalculation on his behalf.

"I think my little brother is frustrated."

Tony's voice came behind EJ and he turned around to see Tony standing the doorway, a smirk on his face.

"I don't think his little brood mare is being as co-operative as he would like," said Tony with a happy smile at that thought as he sauntered into the room and shoved his hands in his pockets as he did, "What's the matter Elvis – not as much fun for you when a woman simply doesn't fall at your feet in adoration? You never were very good at handling rejection now were you?"

"You know you might be a lot less obsessed with my love life if you got one of your own," said EJ curtly, scowling at his comments, "Samantha and I are doing just fine thank you."

"Well in that case why don't you invite your lady love to dinner?" asked Tony, his dark eyes looking up at him in amusement, "We already have one guest coming to dinner, I'm sure Bart has made enough for one more."

"What is wrong with you two?" growled Stefano, "Why can't my sons be in the same room and not squabble like children eh? Is this how I have raised you?!"

"Of course not Father," said EJ quickly, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder as he saw the other man beginning to get upset, "I'm sorry, I guess you are right and I am in a bit of a mood. My apologies."

"So why are you moody hm?" asked Tony with a quirk of his lips, "Don't tell me your charmed life has finally started to unravel somewhat little brother?"

EJ's eyes narrowed at that comment, trying to read Tony's face but the older man simply maintained an inscrutable smile on his face. There was a tauntingly smug air to Tony's manner that told EJ that he knew more than he was letting on. EJ was suddenly very aware of the precarious position he was in. If Tony had indeed been the one to set him up with the glove then that meant he also knew that EJ hadn't done as their father had asked. All he had to do was say one word to Stefano and EJ would be dropped right in it. It would be just like Tony though to hold onto that piece of information until he could use it to his utmost advantage. EJ knew he had to find out if Tony was behind his glove being planted on the dead man and quickly. Of all EJ's potential enemies Tony would far and away the most dangerous.

"Don't fret Antony," smiled EJ, an inscrutable mask of his own coming down across his face, "I'm as charming as I ever was – never fear."

"Oh I never do Elvis," said Tony with a smile that didn't touch his eyes, "I never do."

The door bell rang than and Stefano smiled.

"Ah," he said happily, "Our other guest has arrived. Elvis would you be so kind as to see her in?"

"Her?" asked EJ curiously as he started towards the door.

"Celeste," supplied Stefano easily, "I was in the mood for a beautiful woman's company tonight."

EJ opened the door of the mansion and smiled down at the other woman, perfectly turned out as always.

"Elvis," she purred in that rich accented tone of hers, "Hello dahling."

"Hello Celeste," he said with a quirk of his lips, "Don't you look a vision tonight?"

Celeste gave a little inclination of her head at the compliment and then swept into the room as EJ stood back and held the door open for her. There was always an element of the theatre about the exotic woman that EJ quite enjoyed. EJ took her coat and then leaned down and kissed her cheek in greeting. Celeste started and drew back from him, a stricken look on her face as she looked at EJ wide eyed. EJ looked back at her in surprise, taken aback by her reaction to him.

"What's wrong Celeste?" he asked her with a bit of a frown, having greeted her on many occasions in just such a manner.

Celeste put her hand to her throat and seemed to be attempting to compose herself, blinking rapidly.

"A darkness is coming for you Elvis," she said, looking a little freaked out, "Elvis DiMera is going to be no more soon."

EJ's eyebrows arched at that little comment.

"Well you certainly know how to set the mood for a dinner party sweetheart," he said mockingly, not unused to little outburst.

"I am not joking Elvis," said Celeste earnestly, putting a hand on his arm in concern, "Something is about to happen, something... catastrophic."

"That's entirely possible," dead panned EJ, "Bart is cooking for us tonight."

Celeste pressed her lips together and gave EJ and unimpressed look at his flippancy.

"You should take my visions more seriously Elvis," she warned him.

A darkness is coming for me?" said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "I'll tell you what sweetheart, I'll start carrying a flash light from now on eh?"

Celeste rolled her eyes, not finding the humour in EJ's comment.

"Why do you never listen to the women in your life Elvis?" she asked him, fixing him with a hard life, "Sam and I are only trying to tell you the truth."

EJ frowned at that, Celeste having his full attention at last.

"You mean Sami and you?" he said, looking at her a bit hesitantly now as she Celeste used the name of his lingerie clad nemesis.

It was a jolt to hear Sam's name being referenced by someone outside his own head.

"Of course dahling," said Celeste smoothly but there was a little knowing look in her eye that EJ didn't know what to make of, "Who else?"

EJ decided he was being ridiculous and there was no way Celeste could know about Sam and her unwanted visits – after all, she was just a figment of his own imagination.

"Indeed," said EJ with an easy smile, recovering his composure quickly, "Shall we join the others?"

It didn't take long before everyone was seated and Bart was ladling out the first course, the infamous soup.

"Isn't this nice eh?" asked Stefano happily, looking around the table, "Family sharing a meal together – just as it should be."

"Very true Father," said Tony smoothly, "There is nothing more important."

EJ gave him a telling look, not utterly convinced that he was being included in that statement. He'd always known about Tony's jealousy of him but it was beginning to appear that his brother was wanting to up the ante between them which was just fine by EJ. He wanted to get along for his father's sake but if push came to shove EJ was more than happy to shove back if needs be. Bart walked around to serve Celeste her soup now and as he ladled out the hot liquid a spoon plopped noisily into her bowl and she started, jerking away from the splashes and glaring up at Bart.

"Oh there it is," said Bart happily, "I knew there was another spoon!"

"Ah," said Stefano with a quirk of his lips and smiling over at EJ, "Spoon soup indeed eh my son?"

Tony watched the Stefano and EJ share a private joke and his jaw hardened, not enjoying seeing their closeness before a cold smile touched his lips, thinking of what the future was going to hold for his little brother.

**Chapter SIXTY SEVEN**** – ****It's In Her Kiss**

Love takes off masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within

_~James Baldwin~_

"So I think we should celebrate our decision to move," said Lucas, watching as Sami brushed her hair after her bath, the two of them just about to go to bed.

"Like go out to dinner or something?" asked Sami a little distractedly as she looked over at him in the mirrors reflection.

"Actually I was thinking something a little more here and now," grinned Lucas, limping over to her.

He was able to walk short distances without his crutches lately as long as he didn't over do it.

"Like ice cream in bed?" hedged Sami, worried about where this was going.

She didn't know if she could go through with Lucas touching her after what had happened between herself and EJ at the police station that afternoon. Sami still blushed to think about how wanton she'd been; giving herself to EJ right there where her father worked, knowing at any minute someone could have walked in on them. She had to get a handle on this self destructive behaviour; it was going to be the ruin of her. She was trying to cut EJ out of her life and move on with Lucas but today hadn't exactly been a great example of doing that. Sami cursed her weakness around EJ, not knowing why she couldn't control herself in the least little bit when it came to him.

"I was thinking of _something_ in bed," said Lucas teasingly, coming up behind Sami and pressing a kiss to her neck as she stopped brushing her hair.

"Lucas the doctor said..." she tried to put him off but he interrupted, turning Sami around to face him as he did.

"The doctors don't know squat," said Lucas firmly, "I feel great Sami and the one thing that would make me feel even better is being able to make love to you again."

Lucas began to pepper kisses down Sami's jaw, heading towards her lips.

"I want to make love to you Sami," he groaned, "It's been so long... I can't stand it."

Sami heard the need in his voice and closed her eyes. Perhaps this inability to resist EJ stemmed from the fact that she and Lucas hadn't been intimate since before his accident Sami reasoned. Maybe once she'd made love with Lucas again the hold EJ had over her would be broken? Sami had never made love to two different men on the same day but she was desperate to have some kind of control of herself back when it came to EJ and letting Lucas make love to her again might well be the way to do it. Lucas was kissing her now and Sami returned it whole heartedly, trying to conjure up all the emotions she used to feel when Lucas would kiss her.

Lucas felt her soften and knew Sami was going to let them do this and he gave a grateful groan against her lips. Not breaking the kiss Lucas walked them to the bed and they both sat down on it. His hands went to the bottom of the silky slip she was wearing and pulled it up over Sami's head, leaving her only wearing a pair of white panties. Lucas groaned to see her naked breasts and put a hand to cup one as he pressed kisses to Sami's neck.

"You're so beautiful," Lucas murmured against her skin as he laid her back on the bed and covered her with his body.

Sami closed her eyes and tried to lose herself in Lucas' caresses, willing herself to feel even half of what she felt when EJ even so much as looked at her. This whole thing felt so wrong and Sami couldn't believe how much her feelings towards Lucas had changed in such a short amount of time. But then she rationalised, if they'd changed that quickly they could change but just as quickly. Once they'd made love again all those feelings she used to have for Lucas would come flooding back, they just had to.

Lucas was kissing his way down her body now and Sami lay back on the bed and determinedly try to conjure up all the emotion she used to feel when they'd done this together in the past but that night at the cabin seemed like a million years ago to Sami now as her body remained indifferent to his touches. A loud banging noise made them both start and look over to the bedroom door. Sami gave a horrified gasp to see EJ silhouetted in the door way after flinging open the door, a look of utter fury on his face. Lucas looked as equally as shocked as he stared at EJ wide eyed.

"What the hell...?!" he exclaimed but that was as far as he got as EJ just stalked over to where the two of them were on the bed and grabbed Lucas off Sami in one violent action.

EJ dragged him back to the door he'd just come in through and forcibly ejected Lucas from the room. Sami had a glimpse of Lucas hitting the floor and sliding down the hallway before EJ slammed the door shut, locking it behind him. He turned back around and pinned Sami with a furious look, walking back over to where she was still lying on the bed, too stunned to do anything else. EJ had the predatory look of something about to devour his prey as he loomed over Sami. His eyes swept over her near naked body, his gaze burning wherever it touched on Sami's defenceless body.

"What did I tell you about other men touching you?" he snarled down at her, his face full of jealous anger.

"EJ... I... I..." Sami stammered, unable to form any kind of coherent sentences right then as she looked up at him with eyes full of trepidation.

"_Sami, Sami! Are you alright?! Sami!"_

The sound of Lucas' frantic voice calling out to her came to them as he banged on the door but neither one even turned their heads to acknowledge it. Sami felt like a little trapped animal under EJ's enraged stare and couldn't seem to move, not even to cover herself.

"Answer me Samantha!" he bit out, a muscle in his cheek twitching wildly as he barely held himself in check.

"That... that they couldn't," she whispered, her throat suddenly dry.

"That's right," growled EJ, the hardness in his eyes not relenting yet, "Only I get to touch you. Say it Samantha – say the words."

"_Sami answer me, what's going on in there, is he hurting you?!!"_

Sami couldn't bring herself to answer Lucas, too mesmerised by the look in EJ's eye, a look that would brook no further resistance on her behalf after such a betrayal.

"Only you get to... to touch me," she said haltingly, the way her heart was pounding in her chest so wildly Sami could barely hear herself say the words over the roar of blood in her ears.

Sami knew she should be jumping off the bed, screaming for him to get out and running into Lucas' arm, the sound of the other man's pounding on the door and calling out of her name reminding her of his presence on a few short feet away. But Sami literally couldn't move; it was like she was frozen to the spot on the bed, the force of EJ's rage keeping her there so she was utterly immobilised. She'd started this whole thing to try and break the hold he had over her and instead Sami was finding herself becoming even more caught up in it.

"_Don't you lay one finger on her you son of a bitch or I swear I'll kill you!"_

"Oh I'm going to do a lot more than just lay a finger on her," purred EJ, a hard little smile coming to his lips as he held Sami's gaze steadily, "Aren't I sweetheart?"

"EJ," she said, her voice trembling in fear but more than that, excited anticipation.

Sami felt her panties becoming soaked at EJ's territorial aggression. One look from him was getting her wetter than the most passionate kiss from Lucas. The throbbing between Sami's legs that had burst into life as soon as he'd stormed into the room was impatient for EJ to do more than just look now. EJ heard his name on her lips so full of trepidation and a humourless smile touched his lips. He reached out a hand to the front of her panties; curling his fingers into the top of them and feeling Sami give a little shudder of anticipation. In one hard motion he jerked on the scrap of material, tearing the flimsy cloth and ripping them from her body.

"Samantha," he growled back at her.

Sami gasped at his sudden violence but felt her nipples harden shamelessly at his forcefulness, her body betraying her as it always did around him. EJ looked down at her as Sami's nakedness was on full display for him and he made an approving guttural noise in the back of his throat. EJ's hands went to the sweat pants he was wearing and pushed them down, making himself as naked as she was then.

Sami swallowed hard to see how aroused he already was and couldn't tear her eyes away from his straining member. Had it only been that afternoon that she'd enjoyed the delights his body had to offer her? Sami felt like it had been months, suddenly desperate to be impaled on his swollen length again. EJ didn't let her wait for long, climbing onto the bed and pulling apart her legs almost too roughly so that he could settle between them. He covered her body with his and immediately pushed into her waiting heat, not bothering with foreplay, neither of them needing it. All thoughts of Lucas and what he must be thinking banging on the door outside and getting no answer left Sami's head as EJ penetrated her fully. She groaned and arched her back, helping him in to her even more completely.

"Oh god!" she groaned shakily as her knees came up and her legs hooked themselves over EJ's thighs, intent of holding him inside her as deeply as she could.

EJ braced himself with one hand beside her shoulder and with the other one he grabbed tightly at Sami's backside to hold her steady as he began to forcefully pound his engorged manhood into her. Sami gave a broken sob at how good it felt, it was like he was completing her with every stroke. Somewhere far off in the distance she could still hear Lucas calling out her name but all that Sami really knew was this man above her and inside her, pushing himself into her again and again and making her lose herself completely. His harsh breathing filled the air along with the sounds of her body taking his and Sami just wanted to start screaming and never stop at how good it felt.

"You're body belongs to me," he gritted out behind clenched teeth, thrusting into her particularly hard with that statement, making Sami whimper and arch her back, "Tell me why Samantha."

EJ withdrew his length all the way out of her before slamming it back into her again and it almost made Sami come right then but not quite.

"Tell me!" he demanded of her roughly, grinding his hardness into her and making Sami's eyes roll back in her head and her toes curl, "Tell me why your body belongs to me!"

"Because I love you!" she groaned loudly, her hands clutching at his back wildly.

"Again!" he ordered her, repeating the same action and this time making Sami squeal loudly.

"I love you!" Sami cried out, forcing her eyes open to see EJ looking down at her with such a primal fierceness that it took her breath away.

She felt him pull out of her again and Sami held his gaze wide eyed.

"I love you EJ," she said breathlessly and was rewarded with once again being impaled on his length in one hard thrust, making her nails dig into the flesh of EJ's back again.

He withdrew from her and Sami knew what he wanted from her.

"I love you EJ," she purred and again was repaid for her honesty when he slammed himself as deeply as he could go into her.

"Samantha!" EJ growled his approval even as buried himself up to the hilt into her wetness.

"Oh god but I love you so much," she said shakily as he remained motionless inside of her, in as deep as he could go, "This is killing me EJ."

"Only because you keep fighting me," he told her throatily and Sami couldn't take her eyes from his dark brown ones in the low light of the bedroom as their dark depths promised her untold pleasures, "Let me have you completely sweetheart. Give yourself to me Samantha... give yourself to me..."

His warm voice caressed her as much as his body was and Sami couldn't take it any longer. She lifted her head off the bed and found EJ's mouth, kissing him passionately. His tongue was immediately pressing for entry into her mouth and she granted it without hesitation. His unique taste exploded in Sami's mouth and she almost cried with the joy of being able to taste him again. The kiss was hard and desperate, too long denied to be anything but. EJ immediately began to thrust into her again, neither one breaking the kiss as he began to hammer himself home into her repeatedly, driving them both towards a powerful release.

Sami was starving for the taste of him and her hands went to the back of EJ's head, desperate to deepen the kiss although that hardly seemed possible right then. Their tongues did battle, mimicking the actions of their lower bodies as the drive towards completion became more frantic. Sami could feel her body preparing for its release, the throbbing inside her beginning to build into ever more intense sharp spasms of pleasure as EJ rode her with increasingly hard. She was moaning mindlessly into their kiss now, beyond any other thought, even the sound of Lucas calling out her name frantically.

"_Sami, Sami, Sami!"_

Sami groaned in annoyance as Lucas wouldn't relent, his voice seeming to get louder.

"_Sami, wake up!" _

Sami came suddenly and brutally awake, her dream dissolving abruptly and leaving her dazed and disorientated. She blinked groggily over at Lucas who was looking down at her with a look of concern that Sami could see, even in the dark room.

"Are you alright Sami?" he asked worriedly, "You were moaning and thrashing about."

"I... I was having a nightmare," she said breathlessly, her heart still pounding from the intensity of that dream.

"What was it about?" asked Lucas with a frown, "It looked really bad."

"I don't remember," lied Sami hastily, the dream emblazoned in her mind's eye and her aching body a testament to how real it had seemed, "It's all jumbled up and hazy."

Lucas looked at her uncertainly, feeling how she was still shaking like a leaf.

"Can I get you something honey?" he asked solicitously, rubbing Sami's back and she gave him a weak smile.

"No, thanks," she said with a shake of her head, "I think I'll just make myself some warm milk to settle myself down. You go back to sleep."

"I can do that," Lucas offered but Sami just smiled at him then.

"You always end up burning the milk to the bottom of the pan," she said indulgently, glad for this conversation and the distraction it was from her dream.

"Not always," protested Lucas with a pout and then gave a sheepish look at Sami when he saw her expression, "There was one time I didn't."

"Thanks for the offer but I'll be fine," she said with a shake of her head and a quirk of her lips.

Sami got out of bed with legs that still felt shaky and walked to the bedroom door. She looked back over her shoulder and smiled at Lucas who was making himself comfortable again but as soon as she was out of his eyeshot the smile dropped abruptly from her face. Sami walked over to the sofa and sank down on it, dropping her head in her hands in despair.

"Oh god," she whispered in complete and utter desolation from behind her hands, "I love him."

_This was the worst possible thing that could have happened for Sami. _

**Chapter SIXTY EIGHT**** – ****Let's Talk About Sex Baby**

The important thing is this:

To be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are

for what we could become.  
_~Charles DuBois~_

EJ stepped off the elevator and walked down the little hallway to his apartment, pausing at his door briefly to stare at number 32's door that was firmly closed. He pursed his lips together and contemplated knocking on it just for the hell of it and to see Sami's face when she opened the door but thought better of it. After their explosive union at the police department that day EJ rather thought he may have given her a lot to think about and he'd attack whatever this new problem was between them tomorrow. He unlocked his apartment door and threw his keys carelessly on the kitchen counter, shrugging out of his coat and pulling loose his tie as he made his way to the bathroom.

Dinner had been a more than interesting affair. He and Tony had exchanged thinly veiled barbs throughout it all and more than ever EJ knew that his older brother was going to be someone that he'd have to deal with soon. EJ's suspicions that it was Tony who had planted that glove in the dead man was stronger than ever after their dinner together and he knew that he'd have to give that problem some priority soon. The trouble was that as usual he was finding it hard to think of anything but Sami and it was becoming a struggle to focus on the possibility of a deranged, jealous older brother in a power struggle with him for the keys to the kingdom. Before Samantha EJ wouldn't have had to think twice about where to put his energies if it had come down between a woman and the DiMera empire but those days were long gone now unfortunately. EJ walked into his bathroom and stopped short when he saw Sam perched on the top of his bathroom vanity, painting her nails and in her usual white lingerie.

"_Hey love gibbon," she said chirpily, looking up briefly from her nail painting, "How was dinner?"_

"It was fine," said EJ shortly, unfreezing himself from the doorway and continuing into the bathroom, starting to pull his shirt off and intent on showering.

He threw his shirt in the hamper by the door and kicked off his shoes and socks before starting on his pants.

"Love gibbon?" he repeated dryly at her choice of endearments as he removed his pants, unconcerned with her presence as he did so.

"_You've got those crazy long arms and legs," said Sam with an unconcerned shrug, "It makes you look like a gibbon."_

"Cheers for that," said EJ flatly, now only clad in his boxers.

"_What do you think?" asked Sam suddenly, sticking her foot out towards him, "Do you think this colour says 'perky and fun' or 'trashy and whorish'?"_

"I think I don't care," said EJ with a roll of his eyes.

"_I was kind of going for whorish," she mused thoughtfully, "Perky and fun has been done to death."_

"Whilst whorish is still new and fresh," said EJ sarcastically.

"_What's the matter Elvis?" asked Sam, unfazed by his remarks as she went back to her nail painting, "You feeling a little pre-menstrual or is it just more Sami grief?"_

"I'll have you know that Samantha and I had a very intimate and satisfying encounter today," said EJ, sounding pleased with himself, "Several in fact."

"_I don't know if banging her at her Daddy's work kind of qualifies as a Hallmark moment honey," said Sam wryly, in between blowing on her wet toe nails. _

"Don't make it sound cheap and dirty because it wasn't," growled EJ, discarding his boxers and stepping into the shower, turning on the water and trying to drown out the sound of his tormentor's voice.

"_Yeah there is nothing about interrogation table indents on your ass that says cheap and dirty that's for sure," said Sam mockingly, "You're a real catch Elvis."_

"Look I would be more than thrilled to whisk Samantha away for weekends in Paris, shower her with gifts and make love to her every night on a bed of roses…"

"_Ouch," interrupted Sam with a wrinkled nose, "Think of the thorns in that scenario! But then again I think it's safe to say our girl isn't afraid of a little prick…"_

Sam turned her head and took in EJ's naked body as he soaped himself up, taking her time in looking him up and down admiringly.

"… _or impressively large ones for that matter," she purred throatily and arched a seductive eyebrow at him. _

"Do you always have to be this crass?" asked EJ in exasperation and turning around to put his back to her as despite his best efforts he felt a stir of arousal at having her look at him like that.

It was very difficult when someone you despised looked exactly like someone you absolutely adored thought EJ as he willed himself to think unsexy thoughts. Sam meanwhile was just as happy with the back view of EJ as the front.

"_I don't have to be," acknowledged Sam easily, eyes still firmly on his butt, "I just enjoy it. Speaking of enjoying things why don't I come in there and help you get to the bits you can't reach?"_

EJ turned around quickly at that and scowled at her as she looked up at him coyly.

"No," he said firmly, "Stay where you are!"

"_It's such a waste," sighed Sam, leaning against the shower cubicle and still watching him shower, "All that equipment and no inclination to use it."_

"Correction," said EJ tightly, rinsing off the last of the soap, "No inclination to use it with _you_."

"_Mm," murmured Sam, "We'll see."_

And then she looked at his crotch and quirked a knowing eyebrow.

"_And I wouldn't exactly say that you have no inclination to use it with me," she informed him teasingly at the semi aroused state EJ was in. _

"It's not you," she EJ tightly, "I was thinking about Samantha."

"_Oh yeah," she nodded, not looking like she believed him, "You were telling me about your 'hot date' with the little woman. So you really connected huh?"_

"We did," nodded EJ, stepping out of the shower and beginning to towel himself down, "We really did."

"_So she kissed you then?" asked Sam, leaning against the wall now and watching him with interest._

"We made passionate, meaningful love," hedged EJ, determinedly not looking at her.

"_But no kiss?" she pushed him._

"We were as intimate as two human beings could be," said EJ tightly.

"_But no kiss?" Sam was relentless. _

"NO alright!" exploded EJ, whirling around to face her, "There was no bloody kiss! Are you satisfied?!"

"_A little more than you right now it would seem," said Sam mockingly, watching as EJ threw on his sweat pants and stalked from the bathroom._

He stood there in his living room and took a few deep calming breaths, willing himself to get a handle on his frustrations. Sam had strolled out as well and he turned around to face her, keeping his face determinedly neutral.

"_Oh didn't mean to upset you there sugar lumps," said Sam sweetly, not looking like she really was, "I mean you still got a little tongue action from your girl… just not in your mouth."_

EJ clenched his jaw, the muscles ticking wildly at that latest dig.

"_You alright?" she asked him innocently, "You look a little blocked up there Elvis."_

"I'd be a lot more alright if you stopped with your endless commentaries on my relationship with Samantha," said EJ tersely, walking past her and going to sit down in one of his arm chairs.

"_I'm just trying to help you honey beaver," protested Sam as EJ leant his elbows on his knees and pretended to look through one of his car magazines on the coffee table and attempting to block her out. _

His head snapped up though at that comment and he looked at her in disbelief.

"How exactly are you helping me?" he asked, clearly disgruntled, "And don't call me honey beaver!"

"_Because I'm like your very own, on call 24 hours a day Dr Phil my little love otter," said Sam happily, effortlessly finding another endearment for him, "Only I look better in crotchless knickers."_

Sam paused then and pursed her lips thoughtfully.

"_Although to be fair to the man I have no idea how Dr Phil looks in crotchless knickers," she mused, "Maybe he would give me a run for my money – who knows? What do you think Elvis? Me or a balding Texan sans a little crotch action?"_

Sam looked over at EJ to see a vaguely startled look frozen on his face and gave him a worried look.

"_Ah you okay Elvis?" she asked him in concern as he didn't speak for a long moment. _

"I'll only be okay if we don't pursue this line of conversation any further," said EJ faintly, vainly trying to not picture Dr Phil in a pair of crotchless knickers and failing miserably.

"_You look ill," she commented with interest, "Do you think it was Bart's cooking?"_

"No I think it's an annoying blonde menace that I can't seem to get rid of for love nor money!" said EJ shortly, standing up abruptly and walking over to the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water.

"_I'm not a menace," huffed Sam, "I'm trying to help you with your woman problems Elvis."_

"I don't need your help!" spat out EJ, his patience gone now, "Samantha and I are fine."

"_Really?" asked Sam mockingly, "You're fine are you? Silly me – just because the woman won't kiss you, won't acknowledge any kind of feelings about you other than disgust and a fair bit of lust and is currently sleeping in another man's bed… why on earth would I think you'd be needing any kind of help?!"_

"She's not disgusted by me," said EJ, grimacing at the pain in the truth of Sam's word but feeling the need to protest them anyway.

"_Yes she is," said Sam simply, "And she's even more disgusted with herself for still sleeping with you. You're never going to get anywhere with Sami if you keep making her hate herself this much!"_

"So what?" growled EJ, slamming down his glass and marching over to where Sam was still standing by the door, "I do nothing and just let Lucas get the girl by default because Samantha is so paralysed with the need for approval from those around her that she would be prepared to throw her whole life away and be with that loser Lucas Roberts?!"

"_You can't fight Sami's battles for her," protested Sam, "You can only show her what the fight is for and then trust her that she'll make the right decision. The right decision for her that is, not for you."_

"I _am_ the right decision for her!" raged EJ, "We're fated to be together!"

"_But you can't force that on her otherwise it will no longer be the right decision my thick little whale omelettes," she said in exasperation, "How can you not know that? It's like that saying – if you love something set it free and if it comes back to you then next time get better locks for_ _the door… no wait, that doesn't sound right."_

EJ rolled his eyes at Sam's attempts to moralise to him.

"_Okay I've got another one," she said, waving an imperious finger at him, "The more you tighten your grasp on something the more it slips through your fingers."_

"Who said that?" asked EJ with a bit a frown, "The Dalai Lama?"

"_Princess Leia to Darth Vader in Star Wars," admitted Sam and then gave him a challengingly look, "But it's still valid! I mean, look how it turned out for big black and wheezy in the end!"_

"How do you know that?" asked EJ in dazed disbelief, "I haven't even seen that movie! How could you know about something that I haven't experienced seeing as your being spewed out of my subconscious?!"

"_I don't know," shrugged Sam off handedly, "Life is a mystery, wrapped in an enema."_

She slapped his arm then.

"_And HEY about the being spewed out of your subconscious," she huffed up at him, "Just what a girl wants to hear – that's she's projectile vomit!"_

"The expression is life is a mystery, wrapped in an _enigma_," bit out EJ, ignoring that last part, "You don't even know what you're saying anymore!"

"_Oh I know exactly what I'm saying," said Sam with a defiant look, "Because trust me EJ, your life is on the verge of turning to shit!"_

"Really?" asked EJ in vexation, "More shitty than having to put up with these interminable visits from you?! That's pretty hard for me to imagine sweetheart!"

"_You won't have to imagine it soon my passion armadillo," she smirked, "In the very near future you're going to be looking back on this time in your life and be referring to it as the good old days!"_

"Oh what you're psychic now?" asked EJ sarcastically, "Sorry to disappoint but I don't believe in all that bunk!"

"_Hey I don't believe in Regis Philbin but he's still on all 140 channels when you flick on the TV!" returned Sam roundly, "What's that got to do with anything?!"_

"I'm done!" announced EJ, throwing his hands up in the air and looking down at Sam with a determined smile.

"Tell you what sweetheart?" he said tightly around his smile, "Why don't you take your bag full of crazy and peddle it to someone who might actually have a use for it?!"

"_You can't possibly be this dumb," said Sam with a roll of her eyes, "Do you really think that this entire situation between you and Sami needs is brutal force on your behalf? That if you just screw her enough times she'll wake up from this fog of family obligation and realize she loves you? Well let me tell you EJ, she might be coming but it won't be to her senses!"_

"She won't be able to deny our love forever," said EJ determinedly, his eyes narrowing at Sam's barb.

"_She's scared EJ," said Sam, "And you're coming at her like a bull at a gate and not being exactly upfront about your intentions in the process!"_

"I have been nothing _but_ upfront about my intentions with Samantha!" growled EJ.

"_Oh really?" she asked mockingly, "Because I must have missed that conversation you had with her about you wanting to impregnate her with the DiMera seed so you could extend Daddy dearest's already unnaturally drawn out life! Does she know that you picked her out of the Brady catalogue like you would a pair of ear muffs from Sears?" _

"That is not how it is between us!" said EJ angrily, a pulse in his temple starting to beat erratically as Sam pressed all his buttons, "I love Samantha!"

"_I'm telling you the bare facts of the situation Elvis," she said determinedly, "Something you've been conveniently not managing to think about all this time. Well it's time that you start being truthful with yourself and with Sami. Who are you really doing all this for – you, Sami or Stefano?! Until you can answer that question with 100% honesty you and this supposed relationship you have going on with Sami is totally screwed!" _

"I don't need to justify my relationship with Samantha with you!" retorted EJ.

"_Clearly you do," argued Sam, "Otherwise I wouldn't be here in the first place."_

"This is insane," muttered EJ, stalking past her and throwing himself down on to the sofa in a huff.

"_I'm just trying to get you to think about the consequences of your actions Elvis," said Sam determinedly taking a seat across from him on the coffee table._

She wrinkled her nose then and pretended anxiety.

"_Oh wait," she said, feigning helpful concern, "You're the DiMera Prince, the favoured youngest son of Stefano DiMera who has never had to deal with such trifles as consequences in his so far charmed life. Hmm… let me think how to explain this to you Elvis. A consequence is when you do something that causes something else to happen in turn and it could be a good thing or a bad thing but either way you just have to wear it because you caused it to happen in the first place. You know, like when you made the choice to mess with Sami's birth control pills, then you made the choice to sleep with her and then you made the choice to dangle her over a dumpster and the consequence of that is now you'll never know if you caused her to lose the possible child that was between you. See how that works?"_

"Are you done?" asked EJ bitterly at her sarcasm, not really needing to be reminded of that particular cross he was bearing which he still thought about regularly.

"_Only starting my hamster hottie," said Sam sweetly, "What do you think the consequences of riding Sami so hard will be hmm, no pun intended? Do you think she is going to thank you for backing her into such a tight corner, for making her feel like she is trapped by the man who is supposedly trying to free her? You don't think she might find your offers of being her saviour just a little hard to swallow when at the moment she feels like you're the one she needs rescuing from? You're making your own bed EJ and if you don't come to your senses soon you're going to be lying in it for a long time, all alone."_

"Samantha doesn't feel that way," said EJ curtly.

"_Well if she doesn't feel that way why isn't she knocking on that door right now and throwing herself into your arms?" asked Sam sweetly, "You keep assuming the problem with this relationship is Sami and her hang ups but let me tell you mister, you've got a lot of your own garbage to deal with before you two crazy kids can even begin to have a real shot at this. You can't force other people to change but you can change yourself and I think you really need to have a long hard look at yourself and your motivations for putting Sami through all this."_

"I'm not the one denying my feelings!" EJ practically shouted, his frustration boiling over.

"_Oh aren't you?" asked Sam with an arched eyebrow, "You may have embraced your love for Sami but you're in total denial about your father."_

"My father and I have an excellent relationship," said EJ bitterly, "That isn't the problem!"

"_You know a relationship is a lot like building a bridge Elvis," said Sam knowingly, "People might work hard at building it and to anyone looking in it might look great but until you put it under pressure and try and actually put it to the test you'll never know if it's as good as you think it is." _

"Well that's just fascinating sweetheart," said EJ flatly, "Thank you so much for your insight."

"_You know now might be a good time to get a little less defensive with me while you work on getting a less offensive with Sami," noted Sam mockingly, "Before this all comes back to bite you in that rock hard ass of yours."_

"Me and my ass are just fine," bit out EJ unhappily.

"_Well no arguments from me about your ass being fine," said Sam with a mischievous laugh, "But you might want to ask yourself what Sami's next move might be. Clearly she's very upset about something and your responses to that were to growl at her and then leap on top of her. I'm going to have to consult my new age man booklet but I'm thinking that is not the most evolved thing you could have done now is it butter monkey?" _

EJ felt a pang of guilt as Sam's words hit home. He'd just been so hurt and devastated by Sami's coldness towards him that EJ had been unable to think past his own pain. He hated to admit it but Sam might have an actual point. His whole life he'd been raised to consider his own needs first before any others. Samantha was the first person that had made him want to try and break the habit which in all honesty, EJ had been quite enjoying up until now. It was hard work to consider others first, hard and often times thankless work. It would have been alright if Sami would have fallen at his feet in gratitude for continually trying to put her needs first but that wasn't happening. More times than not she would throw his acts of kindness back in his face and it was wearing EJ down. Being utterly selfless was not something that came easily to human beings EJ decided and it was not a natural state of being. What was the point if all he got was grief in return?

"_Because you're not doing it to get the girl you're doing it because it's the right thing to do," supplied Sam calmly, "That's the definition of being selfless – giving with no other motivation other than to give and expecting nothing in return."_

EJ looked at her in surprise.

"You know what I'm thinking?" he asked in amazement, knowing he hadn't spoken any of that aloud.

"_How is that a surprise to you?" asked Sam in exasperation, "I sprung out of your subconscious remember?!"_

"Oh," said EJ, sitting back against the sofa distractedly, "I suppose that makes sense."

"_You got some hard thinking about the man you want to be Elvis DiMera," said Sam evenly, "And until you figure that out I don't really see a future for you and Sami."_

"That is all I see," said EJ quietly, "The two of us, being together forever, raising our children and living a long and happy life together."

"_Mm," said Sam, eyeing him up and down, "Well you've got a lot of work to do between now and then and the first thing I recommend is finding out what spooked your girl this time round because I seriously think she was warming to us after the basement escapades."_

"Something definitely happened," nodded EJ thoughtfully, his anger dissipating now as he allowed himself to consider Sam's words, "I need to find out what that was immediately."

"_Yeah and you might want to do something about that homicidal brother of yours," said Sam knowingly, "If anyone has got crazy written all over his face it's him!"_

"I can handle Tony," said EJ absently, still thinking about what they'd been talking about.

"_Now those are famous last words if ever I heard them," said Sam with a roll of her eyes, "Maybe you should put more stock in Celeste's warnings?"_

"Oh please," said EJ mockingly, "I don't think I'm quite at the point of listening to the ramblings of a woman who imagines herself psychically endowed!"

"_Yeah well early days yet," said Sam, tongue in cheek, looking at EJ in amusement. _

EJ looked at Sam and grimaced, looking like he was going to say something.

"_You want to say that you've found our little chat helpful don't you?" she smirked at him, "But you're choking on the words."_

"Whilst you make things very hard sometimes…" admitted EJ reluctantly but was interrupt by Sam who immediately sprang off the coffee table and into his lap, straddling him.

"_YAY!" she announced, wiggling her bottom into EJ's lap, "Finally!"_

"Does it always have to come back to sex with you?" asked EJ with a resigned groan.

"_No but if I have sex on my back I can guarantee that I'll come," she said brightly._

"And so ends the intellectual portion of our conversation," sighed EJ wryly as he shook his head and looked up at Sam as she looked down at him sexily, "Get off me you maniac."

"_Make me."_

oooOOOOooo

EJ yawned to himself as he walked out of his apartment with a bag of trash in his hand. He hadn't gotten much sleep last night, unable to switch his brain off after all that he and Sam had talked about. He'd woken up today determined to try and put his 'Sami first' policy into action today, more so than he ever had before. EJ knew that Sami was feeling put upon and if he could just get to the bottom of what was troubling her and show her that he only really did want what was best for her then there was no way that she'd be able to hold back her feelings for him any longer. He put down the bag he was carrying and went to open up the garbage chute, a forlorn sigh coming to his lips as it always did as he remember the fate of his beloved shoes down this very orifice.

"What was that for?"

EJ turned his head, still bent over and looked at Lucas standing there in the hallway, regarding him with vague curiosity. EJ straightened up slowly and gave Lucas a smile that didn't involve his eyes.

"You're crotch free I see," he observed, not answering his question about the sigh, preferring to keep it a secret he shared with Sami.

"I'm _crutch_ free," growled Lucas, his eyes narrowing, clearly annoyed already.

"That's what I said," said EJ innocently, "You must have misheard me with my accent and all."

"You know I'm really going to miss these accidental meetings," said Lucas mockingly.

"Oh really?" asked EJ brightly, looking hopeful, "Are you going somewhere? Nowhere close by I hope Lucas? Back to mummy maybe? I have to say nobody tucks like Kate."

"WHAT?!" exclaimed Lucas, his face darkening as he was unsure of what EJ had just said then but suspected the worst, "What did you just say?!"

"I said no one tucks like Kate," said EJ calmly, knowing he was being petty stirring Lucas up like this but he'd promised himself to try harder with Sami, not with his rival, "You know, tucks you into bed at night. At least I'm assuming she does. Our little heated trysts rarely involved tucking in afterwards. Well truth be told they rarely involved a bed. Just my car, a desk, a couple of sofas and one time the bathroom at Chez Rouge. I tell you Lucas, the things that woman can do in a confined space – she should really write a book. Or maybe do an instructional video but then again if I'm to understand her history correctly she's made several of those already."

"Are you finished?" asked Lucas snarled, the anger written all over his face.

"For now," nodded EJ casually, knowing he shouldn't be enjoying this quite as much as he was but by his reckoning Lucas deserved everything he got because he was part of the reason he and Sami were not together yet, "I'll let you know when I think of some more things to say. Now where exactly will your new address be? I want to make sure to send you a Christmas card this year."

"_Our_ new address will be none of your business EJ," said Lucas and now it was his turn to enjoy the look on EJ's face.

"Our?" questioned EJ, keeping his voice very steady at great personal cost.

"That's right," gloated Lucas, "You don't think I'd be going anywhere without Sami, after all she is my girl. We're going to be moving out of this building as soon as possible."

EJ stood stock still, taking in this new information with Sam's warnings about consequences ringing loudly in his ears. It looked liked her warnings may have come just a little too late to help but then again, EJ never was one to take these things lying down. He fixed Lucas with a cold stare, looking down at the other man from a great height.

"Is that right?" he purred, finally speaking and giving nothing of his inner turmoil away as he did, "I guess we'll just have to see about that now won't we?"

**Chapter SIXTY NINE**** – ****I'm Moving On Up**

You come to love not by finding the perfect person

but by seeing an imperfect person perfectly.  
_Sam Keen_

"There is nothing to see about Elvis," said Lucas tersely, still smarting from EJ's comments about his mother, "You're crazy if you think you can stop us and if you try then you're going to have me to deal with."

EJ's lips twisted in a humourless smile.

"Settle down there Lucas," he said wryly at the other man's obvious ire, "No need to get your big boy panties all in a bunch. I just meant that you might have difficulty finding a suitable apartment in such a short period of time. It's better to take your time and get exactly what you want."

"The only thing Sami and I want is to be as far away as possible from you EJ," said Lucas flatly, "It could be a hole in the ground for all I care."

"Mm," said EJ mockingly, "You really know how to take care of your women don't you Lucas. Perhaps that is why you have such success with keeping them, what do you think?"

"I think it's going to be a happy day when I can walk out of my apartment and not have to worry about running into your sorry self," said Lucas and then gave him a smirk, "And at least I can get the girl in the first place. You can't even do that. Not with your supposed good looks, money and big racing driver fame. You're beyond pathetic, sniffing around Sami like some complete loser."

"Well Lucas, those words coming from you are utterly crushing," said EJ seriously and then pursed his lips thoughtfully, "Or at least they would be if I had one iota of interest in your opinion about anything. The fact that I'm being called a loser by Lucas Roberts is pretty damn amusing from where I'm standing."

"Meaning?" scowled Lucas.

"Meaning you're hardly a beacon of what success looks like now are you?" said EJ coolly, just wanting this man gone now so he could deal with this latest development between himself and Sami, "You're career is going nowhere, you're one tottering step away from being an invalid, you're an alcoholic who hasn't been able to hang onto any woman he's managed to get to show an interest in him, however fleetingly and that thing you and Kate have going on..."

EJ paused then and arched a knowing eyebrow at him.

"Just so you know Lucas," said EJ conversationally, "It's not normal for a grown man to be led around like that by his mummy. You two have something decidedly unhealthy going on there."

"Yeah right," sneered Lucas, "I'm going to take advice on normal from Stefano DiMera's son! Give me a break Elvis. You and he bring a whole new meaning to the words sick and twisted!"

"Is that a little daddy envy I hear in your voice?" asked EJ sweetly, "After all, I actually knew who my father was growing up and we have a close relationship. Unlike you Lucas I'm not still struggling to define my masculinity due to lack of a suitable male role model in my life."

Lucas' jaw tightened as that barb hit home and the little smirk on EJ's lips told him he knew it.

"Say what you will EJ but I'm still the guy that has Sami in his bed every night," Lucas goaded him, "I'm still the man she wants to start a whole new beginning with and soon you'll be nothing but a distant memory for both of us."

With that Lucas pushed past EJ and limped his way to the elevator, leaving EJ standing exactly where he was.

"We'll see about that," muttered EJ, looking over the door to apartment 32, his lips turned down in unhappily as he realised that once again Sami was trying to run from him, "We'll see about that."

oooOOOOooo

Sami walked out of the bedroom and sighed heavily. Lucas had left ten minutes ago to go and see Kate. Normally Sami would have begrudged him spending any time with the woman she loathed but today she was happy to have a break from pretending she was fine for Lucas' benefit when she was anything but. Sami rubbed her face tiredly, having gotten next to no sleep last night after that dream. It had been so real and it was still haunting her all this time later. If she closed her eyes Sami could conjure up the feeling of EJ's hands on her body. How it had felt as he moved inside of her and she gave a little shudder, wrapping her arms around herself at the vivid memories and to her resigned horror felt her body moisten at just the thought of it.

"_Tell me why your body belongs to me..."_

Sami gave a little moan as she remembered that part of her dream.

"_Because I love you..."_

She put shaking hands to her face at the memory.

"_Again..."_

She dropped her hands away from her face then.

"I love you," she whispered into the empty room and felt her heart breaking at the knowledge.

Wasn't the truth meant to set you free then why did she feel more trapped then ever? The only way she and EJ could ever be together is if they both gave up their families forever and Sami didn't think she could do that and she knew EJ wouldn't think it necessary to do so with his. The spectre of family loomed large over both of them and it pretty much guaranteed for Sami that this could go no further than it already had. EJ wouldn't chose her over his father so there was no way she could trust him enough to give herself utterly to him. EJ didn't even see the danger his father posed to everyone who got in his way and Sami knew she couldn't live her life like that.

No, the only thing to do was try and find a way to forget EJ and move on with Lucas. It seemed impossible to her right then but Sami was praying that a little distance between herself and EJ would at least help in some way. Sami closed her eyes and imagined what EJ's reaction would be when he found out. She had this vain hope that somehow she and Lucas would be able to slip away without him even knowing about it before hand but EJ had this uncanny knack of finding out information somehow. She blew out another sad sigh and wondered why she couldn't be wiser about the people she chose to fall in love with. Why couldn't she just love Lucas the way she was meant to, then her life would be perfect but no, she had to fall in love with the son of Stefano DiMera.

She really did have the worst taste in men Sami decided in despair as she headed out of the apartment to check the mail box on the first floor. She opened the door and came to an abrupt halt when she saw EJ leaning back on his front door, looking particularly broad shouldered in a grey sweat shirt, arms crossed in front of his chest. Sami gasped to see him just standing there, staring at her and immediately her heart began to pound wildly in her chest. For some reason he looked particularly gorgeous to her today and Sami didn't know why that was. Perhaps it was because she was finally putting a name to all the feelings he'd stirred up in her from the very beginning or maybe it was because she was just letting herself see him properly for the first time in a long time. Either way Sami suddenly found that just looking at him stole her breath away. Sami dug deep to find some kind of intestinal fortitude to get through another conversation with EJ.

"Ah there you are sweetheart," he said and Sami got the impression he'd simply been standing there waiting for her to come out, "I believe you have something to tell me."

All the blood drained from Sami's face as she had this horrible feeling that EJ somehow knew about her revelations of last night. The look on his face was hard to read and she looked at him with real trepidation.

"Wh... what do you mean?" she asked him hesitantly.

"The hamster you're choosing to share your bed with just informed me you were planning on moving," said EJ curtly.

"Oh," said Sami, unbelievably relieved, "That."

"Why?" asked EJ suspiciously, his eyes narrowing at the look on her face, "What did you think I was talking about Samantha?"

"Nothing," said Sami quickly and she went to head towards the elevator, planning on sweeping past him, "And it's none of your business where I chose to live EJ."

EJ moved away from his door and stalled Sami, coming to stand in front of her and blocking her way.

"Move EJ," she ordered him, putting her hands on her hips and hoping he'd say something to get her mad so she could get through this, "I don't want to discuss this with you."

"Well the way I see it there is nothing to discuss Samantha," said EJ evenly, looking away from her briefly and his jaw setting in a hard line, "Because you're not going anywhere unless it's with me."

"Who the hell do you think you are EJ?" asked Sami bitterly whilst silently thanking him for providing her with the necessary ire she was looking for.

"I think we've played this game before and it was decided that I was your lover," said EJ with a hard little smile, "And then if I recall correctly I then proceeded to reinforce that point... repeatedly to both of ours great satisfaction."

"Are you done EJ?" she asked him flatly, hoping her face didn't betray what the memories of yesterday's stolen moments at the police station were doing to her.

"Are you still moving out?" he asked her coolly.

"Yes," said Sami tightly.

"Then no, I'm not done," said EJ calmly.

"This is a pointless conversation EJ," said Sami stubbornly, "Lucas and I are moving out of this building and starting a life together. A life that doesn't include you."

"We seem to have a lot of pointless conversations sweetheart," noted EJ dryly, "Just as well as a professional racing car driver I'm used to going around in circles otherwise I might have been inclined to give up by now."

"I wish you would give up EJ," said Sami quietly, her voice shaking with emotion now.

EJ closed his eyes then, not speaking for a long moment and it seemed to Sami like he was struggling hard with some great inner turmoil.

"I can't give up on us Samantha," he finally said, opening his eyes and looking down at her seriously, "I love you and I truly believe you love me too. We were meant to be together. Remember on Ara Caman and the shooting star? Remember Santo and Colleen? If any two people in this world were meant to be it is you and I sweetheart."

Sami took a deep breath, trying not to be impacted by his heartfelt words and failing miserably. But despite how she felt Sami knew that it wasn't as simple as he was making it sound.

"Life isn't a fairy tale EJ," she said hoarsely, "Real life doesn't have destinies written in the stars and riding off into the sunset together. It's hard work and it's messy and people can get hurt."

"Maybe it's only been like that for you up until now because you've been trying to choose the wrong life," said EJ, his brown eyes burning into hers, "Have you ever thought of that Samantha?"

"I don't want to keep doing this EJ," she said determinedly, "I'm moving out of this building and away from you and that is that."

"No you're not," said EJ harshly, the look on his face telling her that he wasn't happy with her response to his emotional plea, "I forbid it Samantha."

"Excuse me?!" gasped Sami, looking up at him in shock, "You _forbid_ it?!"

"That's right," said EJ, not backing down, "The only way you are going to move out of that apartment is to move into mine!"

"You don't own me EJ!" she spat back at him for his high handedness, "I'm not one of your cars! You can't tell me what I can and can't do!"

"I don't care what you say Samantha," bit out EJ, his voice starting to rise, "If you think for one second that I'm going to let you go off with that poor excuse for a man then you've got another thing coming!"

"You have to be kidding me with this?!" said Sami in disbelief, "Are you really that spoiled that you think you can just order people around in your life and they'll do it, no questions asked?! That isn't how the real world works EJ! I don't care if your last name is DiMera there is no way in hell that I'm letting you run my life like this!"

"Because you've done such a great job of running it yourself so far haven't you sweetheart?" EJ goaded her as he lost his temper completely.

"That is not for you to judge EJ!" she retaliated, "My choices are just that, _my_ choices and I choose to live somewhere else rather than at your doorstep alright?"

"Oh yes and how shocking," said EJ bitter sarcasm, "Samantha is running away from the things she doesn't want to face. Well that's certainly something new and unusual for her."

Sami's gave him an angry look at that dig and knew she had to get out of there now before things really got out of hand. These kind of arguments usually ended up with them having sex on the nearest available flat surface and in her highly vulnerable state Sami couldn't risk that; almost certain she'd blurt out her love for him during the heat of the moment. EJ would never give her up if he ever heard her say those words, Sami was just sure of it and she couldn't have that. Without another word Sami turned on her heel and stormed back into her apartment, slamming the door shut behind her and willing herself not to break down completely.

oooOOOOooo

EJ marched into his apartment after his fight with Sami, slamming the door shut behind him so hard that it rattled the walls.

"_Careful," said Sam, looking up from her magazine that she was reading, all stretched out on the couch, "You'll void the warranty on that thing doing that."_

She looked him up and down casually, taking in his furious expression and pursed her lips.

"_Problems with the little woman?" she asked him innocently._

"Samantha thinks she's moving out!" bit out EJ, still trying to fathom how she could even consider such a thing and even more puzzling was the she would think for one moment that EJ would allow such a thing.

"_Well I guess that answers my question to you last night about what Sami's next move will be with you pushing her so hard," commented Sam idly, "Ah consequences, gotta love 'em."_

"Samantha is _not_ going to leave me," growled EJ, "Even if I have to tie her down or throw her over my shoulder and take her back to Ara Caram and be done with it!"

"_Love thy name be bondage and kidnapping," remarked Sam mockingly, "And if this is you taking a softer approach with Sami I'm just thinking it may need a little more work my sex walrus."_

EJ ignored Sam's comments, so incensed he could barely see straight. The thought of Sami leaving him was causing a knee jerk reaction in EJ and all his good intentions of being less confrontational with her had been all but forgotten. EJ was used to getting what he wanted and what he wanted was easy access to Sami to continue his campaign for her love. He turned on his lap top, watching impatiently as it loaded the surveillance software. EJ needed to find out what steps Sami was taking in trying to move out so he could quickly veto them. Come the afternoon no real estate agent in Salem was going to rent to either her or Lucas, EJ would make sure of it.

"_I don't think you got the full thrust of what I was driving at in our conversation last night," said Sam in exasperation as she got up and stood behind EJ, looking at the screen that was flickering to life, "You're meant to put Sami's needs first over your own remember?"_

"Samantha needs _me_," ground out EJ, not looking up from the lap top screen, "She just won't admit it."

Sam rolled her eyes at that but didn't comment further as Sami's face appeared on the screen. She was still standing just inside the door, a traumatised look on her face.

"What is she doing?" asked EJ with a frown.

"_Well I'm no expert but I'd say nothing," remarked Sam, "Unless standing in one place and breathing is considered something which I suppose it is." _

EJ gave a grunt at that but kept watching the screen as Sami suddenly made a bee line for the book case, reaching around the back of it and pulling out a little book.

"_Ohh a secret hidey hole," commented Sam perkily._

"This is interesting," murmured EJ, watching intently.

"_If you think that is interesting sugar buffalo than I've got a secret hidey hole that you'll find absolutely riveting," purred Sam in his ear seductively._

"Stop that," said EJ distractedly batting over his shoulder at Sam, "I'm trying to see what Samantha is doing."

Sami sat down on the sofa and started to scribble madly in the little book.

"What is that sweetheart?" he asked softly to the screen, leaning forward to try and get a better look.

Sami finished what she was writing and then quickly put it back behind the book case again before heading back into the bedroom.

"Well," said EJ, sitting back in his chair, "You know what this means don't you?"

"_That we're going to respect Sami's privacy and let her have her secrets?" asked Sam brightly._

EJ looked back up over his shoulder at Sam with a slight smirk on his face.

"_Pearls before swine," sighed Sam in resignation, "All my good advice is like pearls before swine."_

**Chapter SEVENTY**** – ****Mission Possible**

Information is not knowledge.

_Albert Einstein_

The next day EJ was watching his lap top screen with great interest as once again Sami was writing in her intriguing little book. There had been no chance yesterday for him to go and retrieve it but today EJ knew she and Lucas were going to check out an apartment on the east side so they would be out for a couple of hours today. EJ also knew that they wouldn't be getting the apartment thanks to a timely phone call to the real estate but of course they didn't know that yet.

"_Ready to go?"_

EJ watched as Sami started and stood up, shoving the book she'd been writing in under a cushion on the sofa just as Lucas limped out of the bedroom.

"So lover boy doesn't know about it either then?" EJ mused to the monitor, finding this to be very interesting.

"_Do you need your crutches?" she frowned at him._

"_I'll be fine," said Lucas with a wave of his hand, "I'm sick of those things."_

"_But..." Sami went to protest._

"_I'll be fine Sami," said Lucas shortly and then grimaced, "Sorry, didn't mean to snap."_

"_It's okay," she replied softly._

EJ scowled to see Sami so submissive. She was a hellion, a fighter who didn't back down and he hated seeing her cow towing to Lucas this way.

"Why him sweetheart?" he asked the monitor in despair with a shake of his head, "He's so mundane and bland and you're just so very glorious."

"_Maybe he's good in the sack?" a voice behind him suggested._

"I find that highly unlikely," growled EJ, not bothering to turn round knowing full well who it was.

"_Maybe he makes her laugh?" Sam offered up, "That can be sexy as well."_

"You might have a point," said EJ straight faced and still not turning around, "If I saw Lucas Robert's naked I'd probably burst into laughter as well."

"_Ohh," laughed Sam, "I do love it when your Alexis Carrington comes out to play my love teapot. All you need are the shoulder pads and you and Krystal can bitch slap each other till the cows come home." _

EJ rolled his eyes at Sam's comments but didn't bother to retaliate, instead remaining fixated on the couple on his screen. Sami and Lucas were locking up the apartment now and EJ could hear them just outside his door heading towards the elevator. The ding of the doors told him that they were being whisked away to what would be a fruitless apartment hunt leaving EJ to do a little scouting mission of his own.

"_So are we getting our stalker on?" asked Sam brightly from behind him._

"I'm not a stalker," said EJ firmly, giving Sami and Lucas time to get to their car and leave, just to be safe.

"_Of course not," said Sam sounding very serious, "It's not like you've got surveillance equipment that you watch her on 24/7 and regularly break into her apartment... oh wait... remind me again – why aren't you a stalker?" _

"Very amusing," said EJ flatly, finally turning around to face Sam, his eyes widening as he caught his first look at her today, "What... _the_ _hell_... are you wearing?!"

"_Seeing as we were going to be doing a little espionage I took a leaf out of Tom Cruise's book in Mission Impossible," said Sam happily, lounging back on the sofa rather provocatively._

EJ took in the sheer tank top Sam was wearing that left absolutely nothing to the imagination, the tiny little black panties and a garter belt holding up black stockings and very high heeled shoes completed the look.

"If this is what he wore then thank god I never saw that movie," said EJ faintly, finding it a little difficult to avert his eyes for some reason.

It was hard to know where to look first because it all looked so damned good to him as he eyes swept hungrily over her. It was just so damned difficult to remember sometimes that she wasn't really Sami – at least until she spoke that was.

"_I think this little ensemble works on me for sure," purred Sam with a little pleased smile at the bug eyed look EJ was giving her, "It certainly seems to be working for you my little romance turtle."_

EJ blinked a couple of times and forced himself to look away.

"Right," he said and swallowed hard, trying to remember what he was about to do just then.

"_What's the matter Elvis?" she teased him knowingly, getting off the sofa and walking over to where he was still sitting in front of the lap top, "Not enough blood around your head anymore to remember what you were doing?"_

"I..." EJ's voice cracked and he cleared it, slightly embarrassed at the sound as he fixed Sam with a determinedly steady look, "I'm going to get that diary or whatever it was of Samantha's, if you'll stop being distracting and let me get to it."

"_I'm not stopping you," said Sam innocently, as EJ's eyes once again slid to her breasts that were clearly on display, "Let's go then."_

"Oh no," said EJ firmly, putting his hand up to her, "You're staying here."

"_But I got all dressed up," pouted Sam, looking down at herself, "Now what am I meant to do?"_

"Hang out on the docks and wait for a lonely sailor?" suggested EJ sourly.

"_Oh right," snorted Sam, crossing her arms in front of her chest, "Sorry to cause you such moral outrage Mary Worth. Especially as you are clearly so turned off by my outfit."_

"I'm going," announced EJ shortly, grabbing the key to Sami's apartment off the counter top and heading out the door.

"_May as well," sniffed Sam looking put out, "With that attitude you're not going to be coming any time soon."_

EJ gritted his teeth at her comment but worked valiantly at ignoring his distracting nemesis. He quickly let himself into Sami's apartment and retrieved the book that Sami had stashed behind the cushions before going out and returned to his own apartment.

"_That was quick," observed Sam with surprise, "I thought you might have stayed for a bit and tried some of her panties on."_

EJ scowled at her at that little dig but Sam was unfazed, continuing on blithely.

"_But then again you've already got a pair of her knickers to have your evil way with when the urge takes you," she said thoughtfully, "That pair you stole from her when she was attempting to paint her bedroom the first time."_

Sam gave him a rather lecherous smile then.

"_You're such a dirty boy Elvis," she said throatily, "I do love that quality in my men."_

"I don't do anything weird with them," scowled EJ, "They just remind me of our time on the island is all."

"_And there is nothing weird about that statement," said Sam mockingly, "I'm telling you, if you keep on like this you're one step away from getting naked, standing outside her bedroom window and having her wake up to you doing a pressed fruit bowl on the window. And trust me, no matter what the time of year it is those fruit will be out of season!"_

"Where do you come up with these things?!" asked EJ dazedly as he shook his head at her in amazement.

"_Oh don't act so innocent," said Sam with a roll of her eyes, "Sometimes you carry on like butter wouldn't melt between those firm ass cheeks of yours."_

EJ just looked at her then and didn't say anything for a long moment.

"I'm going to stop speaking to you now," he announced flatly, taking a seat and opening the book he'd just retrieved from Sami's apartment and becoming instantly engrossed in it.

"_You can try I guess," said Sam thoughtfully, "But I'm darn interesting even if I do say so myself."_

EJ didn't answer, a frown touching his face as he began to read. Intrigued, Sam walked around behind him and stuck her head over his shoulder and began to read as well.

_WHY I CAN NEVER LOVE EJ DIMERA…_

_Shot John/knew about John's shooting and lied to my face about it_

_Poisoned Steve and Kayla???_

_Blackmailed me into going to that island_

_Lied to me about who he really was_

_Pretended to be my friend when we first met but it was a lie_

_Did something to his own sister??? Killed her????_

_Made me trust him and then betrayed that trust_

_Hurt my mother by hurting John_

_Stopped my wedding to Austin… ??? car breaking down_

_I never know if what he tells me is the truth_

_Is arrogant and smug_

_Is a manipulator_

_Slept with Kate!_

_My family hates him_

_Kept Lucas in hospital????_

_Stefano DiMera – his first loyalty will always be to the monster trying to destroy my family!!!!_

EJ's eyes widened as he read the list, hardly unable to believe that Sami would even write such a thing and finding the a list of his crimes like this to be rather confronting, even if some of them weren't correct.

"Oh my god," muttered EJ in disbelief as he continued to read.

"Oh my god is right!" exclaimed Sam, from where her chin was perched on his shoulder, "That woman has the handwriting of a ten year old!"

"I'm not talking about Samantha's penmanship," ground out EJ in annoyance, "Look at what she's written!"

"_See I told you that you have to choose between your father and Sami otherwise she'll never trust you," said Sam smugly, "Ding ding ding! I've just hit the bull's eye at the fair. Now what should my prize be I wonder?"_

Sam suddenly moved around to the front of EJ and jumped onto EJ's lap, straddling him.

"_How about a ride on the main attraction?" she suggested, giving him a sultry look and rubbing her breasts against EJ's chest seductively. _

"Stop that!" growled EJ, in no mood for her games right then after what he'd just discovered.

"_Come on Elvis," she cooed, wiggling away on his lap, "Wouldn't you like to stuff my panda?"_

EJ pulled back and looked at her in disconcerted disbelief.

"What the hell does that mean?" he asked in annoyance.

"_I'm not sure," said Sam, wrinkling her nose, "I was going for those stuffed toys that you win at the fair kind of analogy and it got a little derailed somewhere along the way."_

"More like deranged along the way," he bit out, unceremoniously dumping her off his lap and going back to what was obviously some kind of mantra Sami was compiling against them ever being together and it was certainly a damning list.

EJ turned the page of her notebook and started to read what he suspected Sami had written last night after their encounter.

_REMEMBER WHAT HE IS DOING TO YOU__!!! _

_He came to town to trap you – picked you from a list of Brady women_

_Doesn't love you, Stefano is behind his interest in you_

_Wants me just to breed the next generation of DiMera's and probably worse – SICK SICK SICK!!! _

_Trying to make you love him so he can do what he wants with you!!_

_If you give in you're going to be handed around that family like a piece of meat!!!!_

_Tony touching you – disgusting – need a bath – that's your future if you give in!!!!_

EJ sucked in a pained gasp as though he'd been physically hit at that last line. What the hell had gone on between Sami and Tony he wondered in horror? A red haze actually passed in front of his eyes at the thought of Tony touching Samantha and his hands began to shake as he held the notebook, his knuckles going white. EJ closed his eyes, willing himself to remain in control when every instinct was screaming at him to hunt his brother down and kill him for laying a finger on Sami. The thought of Sami being terrorised by his brother which clearly seemed to have been the case caused a wave of guilt to wash over him at not having protected her from Tony's growing instability.

"_I..."_

"Don't!" ground out EJ, holding a finger up to Sam even as his eyes remained close, still struggling to control himself and not up to another wise crack from her.

Sam grimaced and perched herself on the arm of the sofa, waiting for EJ to compose himself. Finally EJ opened his eyes and looked at a point on the wall, struggling with all the emotions running riot through him.

"_Well at least we know why she ran screaming for the hills," offered up Sam, seeming to be trying to help._

"Tony," EJ ground out the single word, his lips twisting bitterly.

"_Ahh... no," said Sam, looking at him like he was an idiot._

"Tony has obviously approached Samantha and told her all these things," said EJ sharply, "Otherwise she could never have known them."

"_And that would be my point fluff gerbil," said Sam in exasperation, "Nothing of what Tony had said would have been news to Sami if you'd just been honest with her from the beginning."_

"Oh so I should have just opened with 'Hello there, I'm EJ DiMera who's been sent to Salem by his father and I plan to impregnate you with the DiMera seed so the stem cells can save his life'," said EJ acerbically, "I could really see that getting me the girl now wouldn't it?!"

"_Okay I wouldn't have opened with that but in the interest of this relationship having a shot I think I would have broached the subject before the DiMera big rig pulled into the Brady docking bay don't you?!" asked Sam roundly, to which EJ just scowled at her terminology, "If you'd come clean with her before actually just coming then Tony wouldn't be in the position to pull this kind of number on you and obviously scare Sami like he did. You practically handed that man the stick to beat you with and then went about giving him instructions how to use it! You keep telling me how smart you are but honestly; I'm still waiting to see any evidence of that so called brilliance!" _

EJ's scowl deepened at that, having to admit that Sam might have a point even though he hated to admit it. He had given Tony all the ammunition he needed to cause problems between himself and Samantha but the thing was it hadn't quite occurred to EJ that he might want to seeing as he was as desperate to save their father's life as he was. It was damning information that Tony had told Sami to be sure but it just wasn't that simple anymore. EJ might have come to town with a clear plan in his head but that had all gone out the window as soon as he'd laid eyes on Sami. Their relationship may have started for one reason but it was something so much more than EJ had ever imagined even could exist between a man and a woman.

"_I keep telling you Elvis, you have to be honest with this woman and not just honest about the bits that make you look good!," said Sam, seeing that she might at last be getting through to him, "Your brother, who by the way hit every one of the crazy branches when he fell out of the DiMera family tree, means business and you need to get your head out of whatever orifice it is currently lodged up and get it in the game. The first thing you need to do is come clean with Sami and take that particular little stick out of his hand. I would if I may offer up one further piece of advice on that subject, when you do tell Sami the truth I'd recommend being naked when you do."_

EJ looked at her askew then; obviously not wanting to ask where this was going but Sam didn't need any encouragement.

"_It is very hard to stay angry at a man when you can see his pee pee my little marshmallow octopus," said Sam knowingly, "And besides, every time Sami does see Mr Winky there she seems to jump on it which can only be helpful in getting her over the lies that you've told so far. I guess I can't blame her... you are mighty purty lookin'... you make gibbon arms and legs work for you."_

"I hate you so much," said EJ with real vitriol in his voice as he looked at her decidedly unimpressed with her last piece of advice.

"_Hey don't shoot the messenger there Elvis," said Sam with a shrug, "I'm only trying to help you here."_

EJ looked down at the last entry she'd made and felt his heart give a painful lurch.

_DON'T GIVE IN HE DOESN'T LOVE YOU HE DOESN'T LOVE YOU_

_LIAR_

_LIAR_

_LIAR_

He slammed the book shut, his jaw hardening.

"I'm going to make Tony pay for this," ground out EJ.

"_You know," said Sam hesitantly, "I don't think that is the take home message here Elvis."_

But EJ had stood up abruptly and stalked off to his bedroom.

"_So close and yet so far," sighed Sam with a shake of his head as she watched him go. _

**Chapter SEVENTY ONE**** – ****He Is Heavy He's My Brother**

Family quarrels are bitter things.

They don't go according to any rules.

They're not like aches or wounds;

they're more like splits in the skin that won't heal

because there's not enough material.

_F Scott Fitzgerald_

EJ stood by his car, looking at but not seeing the bright yellow police tape that was strung around the place. His mind was in another place after the revelations of that morning. Sami's notebook had given him all the information he needed to put this mess right he'd decided as he'd carefully replaced the book where he'd found it before Sami had gotten home. The most pressing thing for EJ right then was to find out exactly what had transpired between Tony and Sami and to ensure that it never happened again. EJ's hands curled into fists as he stood there at even the thought of Tony laying so much as one finger on Sami. It made him start to shake and he fought to get himself back under control because losing his cool at this point would help no one. The most important thing for EJ was protecting Sami, nothing else mattered beyond that.

"Well you certainly choose the most interesting of places for family get togethers brother."

EJ looked up to see Tony standing a little distance away, surveying the area with interest.

"I thought you'd appreciate the familiar surrounds brother," returned EJ evenly, crossing his arms in front of his chest and leaning back against his car in a display on nonchalance as Tony approached him.

"You must be getting somewhat addled in your current love struck state," said Tony wryly, coming to stand in front of him, "But this is hardly my end of town now is it?"

"It was your end of town last Saturday night," commented EJ mildly, straightening up from leaning on the car.

"I'm sorry," said Tony, looking a little bemused, "But I have no idea what you are talking about Elvis."

"This is the Martinez warehouse that the security guard was killed in front of on Saturday night," said EJ evenly.

"Well that would explain the police tape motif," said Tony dryly, "But I'm still a little uncertain as to why you would as to meet with me here little brother."

"You take me for a fool don't you Tony?" asked EJ, his face hardening, "You think you're two steps ahead of me in this game, isn't that right?"

"You see that's the difference between you and me Elvis, one of the great many differences actually," said Tony coolly, "Because you're still playing games and I can assure you that I'm not playing at anything. This is a deadly serious business to me."

"A business that would see you cut down your own brother to get what you want?" asked EJ tightly, putting his hand to his chest, "You tried to set me up Tony."

"I have no idea what you're bleating on about Elvis but it is getting very tedious," said Tony with a roll of his eyes, "I'm going now and next time could you please pick a more civilised place for our little tête-à-têtes?"

"I'm not finished talking to you Tony," said EJ determinedly, stalling his departure with a firm hand on Tony's arm.

"Well if that is the case can you please _start_ making sense," said Tony in vague annoyance, "I do have more stimulating places to be than some dingy warehouse in the lower end of town you know."

"Like setting me up for yet another crime I didn't commit perhaps?" asked EJ sweetly.

"Excuse me?" asked Tony, drawing back and looking at him like he'd gone mad, "What is that comment supposed to imply exactly?"

"There is no implication in that statement," said EJ coldly, "You took one of my gloves and planted it under the body of the dead security guard to make it look like I was the perpetrator of the crime."

"You always were careless with your things little brother," sniffed Tony, unfazed by EJ's accusations, "I suppose that comes from you never having to earn a single thing of what is showered down upon your head."

EJ's eyes narrowed as he looked at Tony and that rather telling comment he'd just made. If he ever needed proof that his brother was fundamentally jealous of him and his position in the household then that statement was pretty much it. As their father became increasingly unwell and the reality of the control of the DiMera empire being up for grabs became a more and more relentless truth it was obvious that Tony was upping the ante between them in the power struggle. Tony was clearly playing a much more ruthless game then EJ had given him credit for. EJ hated being caught out like this, used to being two steps ahead of people and not enjoying playing catch up like he was currently being forced to.

"Besides I was under the impression that you were meant to be here Saturday night retrieving that information Father asked of you," commented Tony challengingly, "How do I know that you simply didn't kill the guard yourself, leaving your glove behind and am now simply looking for someone to blame for your own ineptitude?"

"I outsourced," said EJ grimly, "Delegation is the sign of a good leader."

"The sign of a good leader is not getting implicated in murder cases I would have thought," said Tony dryly, "And I'm assuming you haven't told Father about your bungling of this matter yet?"

"There was no bungling," said EJ shortly, "He got the disk he wanted."

"With more than a few loose ends," said Tony with a roll of his eyes, "But then that seems to be your forte now doesn't it little brother? In fact I was up visiting one of your little loose ends not that long ago. John Black still clings to what I would laughingly refer to as life which must be a bit of an annoyance for you I have to say. If that bird with the broken wing happens to come to at some point and start singing well..."

Tony trailed off and gave EJ a mock regretful look.

"That could be very unfortunate for you Elvis now couldn't it?" he said giving him a considered look, "That is why I'm not a fan of loose ends myself."

"Is that where you ran into Samantha?" asked EJ, his eyes suddenly going very dark and cold as he ignored the other digs from him, "When you were visiting John at the hospital?"

Tony gave the briefest notion of being impressed before it was instantly gone from his face and replaced with a smirk.

"I do believe our paths crossed there," nodded Tony mockingly, "It's easy to forget how beautiful a woman that scrappy teenager I once knew has grown into. I can see how her more than ample charms have you utterly beguiled..."

"Enough!" bit out EJ, his control snapping at that last comment.

He'd wanted to be cool, calm and collected throughout his encounter with Tony because he knew his brother saw emotion as a sign of weakness but that was utterly impossible when he heard him talking about Sami in such a way.

"I was merely trying to compliment you on your choice of Brady women Elvis," said Tony mildly, pretending to be taken aback, "Up close with her mouth shut she really is quite lovely. Although I could imagine her being just as gratifying with her mouth open if it was put to good use..."

"You shut your filthy mouth!" raged EJ, lifting a hand and pointing a threatening finger at Tony's chest.

It was too much to hear him talk about Sami like that. EJ knew he was revealing his soft underbelly to Tony in his heated defence of Sami but he couldn't help himself. It was all he could do not to simply pound Tony into the ground for his contemptuous words about Sami. EJ was more than prepared to go head to head with his brother but there was no way he was going to allow Sami to be caught in the middle of them. He'd always thought that it would be family first, no matter what but that was before he'd fallen so in love with a woman who just mesmerised him utterly. His first thought every day and his last was of Sami and when it came down to protecting her from whatever sick game Tony was playing there was simply no contest.

"If you ever go near Samantha again I'll..." began EJ angrily.

"You'll what?" laughed Tony in real amusement, "Run to Father and tell on me?"

He knocked EJ's accusing finger away and gave him a disgusted look.

"Don't waggle your finger at me Elvis," he said shortly, "I don't know what your little whore told you but nothing untoward happened between us."

"I don't believe you," growled EJ.

"And you see this is why my concerns about you continue to grow," said Tony, his face creasing in disgust, "You would take the word of an upstart Brady over your own brother."

"You need never question my loyalty to the family Tony," said EJ harshly.

"That is all I do now that Samantha has come into your life," said Tony flatly, "Our father can't see it because he's blinded by his love for you but soon enough it will be evident enough to him. Our father is no fool, so don't play him for one."

"You're the one trying to play us both for fools," said EJ sharply, "And don't think for one moment that I'm going to stand idly by and let you manipulate either one of us!"

"Making threats shows a lack of commitment little brother," said Tony coolly, "Don't warn people what you are going to do, simply do it. Your biggest problem is that you lack any real convictions Elvis and that is going to put you in a very bad place soon enough."

"Now that _does_ sound like a threat," said EJ tightly.

"Nonsense," shrugged Tony casually, "I'm merely talking about cause and effect... consequences if you will."

EJ's expression didn't change but inside he couldn't help but be amazed that Tony was bringing up the very thing that Sam had harangued him about only last night.

"I don't need advice from you about either my relationship with my father or my love life," said EJ sourly.

"Don't weaken yourself by imagining yourself in love Elvis," sneered Tony, "Samantha Brady is a commodity to this family, nothing more and you would do well to remember that little brother."

"She is nothing of the sort!" snapped EJ, "She's the woman I'm going to marry and the woman who will be by my side when I inherit the DiMera empire! And I swear to god Tony that if you try and sabotage our relationship again I will finish what you have so foolishly started!"

"More threats," said Tony with a twist of his lips, "This is becoming tiresome Elvis. Besides, I meant no harm."

"You meant no harm when you told Samantha that I was with her for the express purpose of garnering more DiMera heirs?" asked EJ in disbelief.

"She seemed like a woman who could handle the truth," shrugged Tony unconcerned, "Who knew that Samantha Brady of all people could be so fragile. But I actually was trying to help you Elvis. If you really love her there should be no secrets between you. Isn't that what real love is, holding nothing back from the other person so that they see who you really are... and chose to love you anyway."

"My relationship with Samantha is none of your concern Tony," ground out EJ, "And I will handle it how I see fit!"

"Mm," said Tony, looking him up and down, "Judging by the look on her face when I finally told her the truth about you, which by the way I think she actually appreciated, I'm thinking you won't be handling anything of Samantha Brady's for some time to come."

EJ almost blurted out about his and Sami's encounter at the police station just to prove his brother wrong but caught himself in time, realising that would cheapen something that had been very intimate and personal between himself and Sami. He wouldn't give away that kind of secret between them simply to win a game of one upmanship between Tony and himself.

"Just know this Antony," said EJ, his whole face becoming deadly serious, "Samantha is off limits to you in every way."

"Off limits," scoffed Tony, "You sound like the child that you are saying things like that Elvis."

"I know why you're doing all this," said EJ challengingly, raising himself up to his full height.

"Well why don't you enlighten me little brother," he said disdainfully, "I'm sure you're take on things will be so very insightful."

"You're afraid," said EJ calmly.

"Afraid?!" repeated Tony with a shout of laughter, "Of what... of you Elvis? Oh my, that statement was worth the price of admittance right there!"

"Laugh it up Tony but it doesn't make in any less true," said EJ confidently, "You've seen the writing on the wall. Father is grooming me to take over the family business, not you. I'm the way forward and you're simply a useful accessory to our father. You're the hammer to be wielded when something particularly messy needs to be done but you don't get the hammer to run the business, to make the decisions."

"Listen how the young prince talks so confidently of things he has not the slightest idea about," said Tony bitterly, turning away from him.

"What's the matter Tony?" said EJ tauntingly, standing behind him, "The truth leave somewhat of a bitter aftertaste in your mouth? You and I both know that you wouldn't be the least bit concerned about my affairs, professional or personal if you were half as confident as you are trying to make out. That thing that won't let you sleep at night and when you do wakes you in a cold sweat, that dear brother is fear because you know that you're time of what little influence you have with Father is rapidly coming to an end. Isn't that right?"

"Oh Elvis but you are entertaining," said Tony with a little laugh, looking to the heavens, "You must get that from that deranged mother of yours."

Tony turned back around then and faced off with EJ.

"And they say insanity skips a generation," he said mockingly.

"Not in our family it would appear," returned EJ straight faced.

Tony's lips turned up at that but it wasn't a smile as he regarded EJ steadily for a long minute and EJ held his gaze unblinkingly.

"Well this has been most edifying little brother but I have tickets for the opera tonight and I really don't want to be late," said Tony at last, "We must get together soon and do this again."

"Go near Samantha again and you can count on it," said EJ, his voice hard.

"And on that less than inspired note I'll leave you to enjoy your evening," said Tony mockingly, looking bored now.

With that Tony simply turned around and walked back out the way he'd come in with EJ watching him go. EJ stood there for a long moment after Tony was gone, going back over their conversation, a seriously pensive look on his face.

He'd thought long and hard about what to do about Samantha and had already come up with a plan to reassure her of his intentions towards her. Those words would ring pretty hollow though if Tony was still carrying on like this and there was no way he would want Sami anywhere near Tony anyway when he clearly had EJ in his sights. He couldn't take the risk that Sami might be hurt in the fallout. No, EJ knew he had to deal with Tony once and for all and remove him from the equation for he and Samantha to be able to have a real chance at making this work. Perhaps Tony had been right and the time for threats had passed.

"Alright brother," he muttered to himself, "I guess we're going to have to do this the hard way after all."

**Chapter SEVENTY TWO**** – ****Best Laid Plans of Men and Mice**

...The more I see you, more that I want you  
Somehow this feelin' just grows and grows  
With every sigh I become more sure about you  
More lost without you and so it goes...

_~Peter Allen~_

Sami stepped off the elevator at Mythic and determinedly walked down the corridor to EJ's office. She hoped that she was giving off a more confident appearance then the turmoil she felt inside as she strode along. Sami was about to do something she really didn't want to do but felt she had no choice. A woman approached her coming the other way and smiled at her.

"Hello Ms Brady," she said pleasantly at her.

"Hello Molly," returned Sami, liking how people knew who she was here.

So far Lucas and she hadn't had much luck finding another apartment but they were still looking. Sami had a sneaking suspicion that they had EJ to thank for that. Not that there was any point in asking him about it of course, he'd just deny it. EJ had been strangely keeping to himself the last two days which Sami hadn't expected. She'd expected EJ to be on her doorstep, demanding that she not move out and perhaps even trying to make love to her again. Sami's hand tightened on her bag at the thought of them making love again. She knew it could never happen but there was a quiver deep inside of Sami that said she wished it wasn't the case. Sami shook her head at herself in frustration. She really did have no sense of self preservation. This man had done horrible things to her family, lied to her and she was only now beginning to know the sick plans he had for her and still it did nothing to quench her desire for him. She was as sick as he was Sami decided. Why couldn't she just be disgusted with him and be done with it? But there was simply no answer to that question, at least not one Sami liked. She was just outside his office now and her footsteps slowed.

She stopped in front of the door to EJ's office and took a moment to collect herself. Sami knew this had to be done otherwise there really was no chance of her ever being able to put some proper distance between herself and EJ. Sami had been dreading doing this but she knew that there was no real choice for her other than to give up her job at Mythic. She'd loved every minute of it and it made her so sad to think that she wouldn't be back here again but there was no way she could continue working side by side with EJ and keep her wayward emotions in check. It was the only way Sami knew of having a chance of getting over her feelings for EJ, by putting as much distance as possible between them.

Kate would be over the moon of course and Sami's lips twisted unhappily at the thought of the other woman thinking she'd gotten the best of her but Sami didn't really have an option at this point. She simply couldn't trust herself around EJ these days. Everywhere Sami turned EJ was there and she couldn't take it anymore. Even in her dreams he haunted her relentlessly, taunting her, declaring his love, making love to her. Sami didn't know how much more of this she could take. She oscillated between just wanting to scratch EJ's eyes out for tricking her into making her feel this way and simply throwing herself at his feet and telling him that she loved him and that the nothing else mattered. Of course that could never happen because other things did matter. It mattered that EJ was at his father's beck and call, it mattered that she was going to hurt so many people if she gave into her feelings for EJ. There was a lot to consider and no matter how many times Sami went over it things just kept coming back to the fact that she couldn't totally trust EJ and ultimately without that they were doomed before it had really started.

"Those thoughts look like they may be worth more than a penny," a familiar accented voice commented."

Sami started and turned her head to see EJ standing in his doorway, looking at her with a little smile on his lips. She had no idea how long he'd been standing there for, just quietly watching her. Sami swallowed hard to see him again after two days of missing him despite her best attempts not to.

"I haven't seen you around," she blurted out and then flushed bright red, knowing that was not what she should have said at all.

She was moving out of the apartment and quitting her job so that she wouldn't be seeing EJ at all and now she was intimating to him that she might have missed him. This wasn't off to a great start.

"I've been a little busy organising some work things," said EJ mildly, looking a little surprised by her words but not commenting on it, "And I had some family business to attend to."

"Oh right," said Sami a bit deflatedly.

His family, of course, they were a huge part of why she was doing this in the first place.

"So did you hear anything more from my father about that... incident?" asked Sami, not quite meeting his eyes.

Sami knew she was stalling, not wanting to quit her job. She should just get it over and done with but technically this would be her last link with EJ once she and Lucas found a new apartment and it was turning out harder than she'd thought it would be to let it go.

"Not a dicky bird," said EJ easily and then at Sami's confused look he clarified, "No, not a word. I guess they're going to attempt to find the real killer rather than just someone with the last name of DiMera."

Sami nodded, not commenting on that. It bothered her about EJ's glove turning up under the dead man like that but she also knew for a fact that EJ had been with her that night and couldn't have done it. Sami worried at what sort of trouble EJ must be in with people trying to set him up like that but then determinedly pushed those feelings to one side. EJ was a big boy and could take care of himself she told herself.

"I've got something I need to speak to you about EJ," said Sami, determinedly gathering her courage to do this.

"Well why don't we go to my office then Samantha?" he said calmly, walking over to her and putting a hand to her back to steer her towards his office.

One of EJ's fingers accidently touched an exposed piece of Sami's waist as he did that, where her blouse had pulled away from her pants and an electric shock ran through the entirety of her body. She had a sudden image of EJ simply grabbing hold of her and throwing her down on the nearby desk and simply taking her despite the other people milling around. Sami's wayward body responded instantly to her vivid fantasies and she felt her core tighten shamelessly, wanting him to do just that.

"No!" she said sharply, jerking away from him and making EJ's eyebrows go up in surprise again.

Sami was terrified that if they were alone then she'd be the one who'd end up jumping on top of him and tearing his clothes off. She'd never been this out of control with her emotions before and certainly not so physically wayward. She'd loved the other men she'd been with and wanted them but this was something else. There was a rabid hunger burning inside Sami for EJ's touch and it frightened the hell out of her. She had absolutely no control around him and it had only seemed to get worse now that she'd acknowledged her love for him. She craved his touch, wanted to feel his body against hers, moving into her and claiming her.

"Samantha are you alright?" he frowned down at her, "You're shaking like a leaf."

"I'm alright," she said unevenly, "I just haven't eaten this morning."

"Are you feeling unwell?" he asked and seemed highly interested in the answer to that question.

"I've just been busy looking for an apartment," she said shortly, not really wanting to talk about her sudden lack of appetite.

Unfortunately her hunger was for one thing only nowadays and she was determinedly trying to keep that off the menu.

"You should never skip breakfast you know Samantha," commented EJ with a small note of censure in his voice, "It is the most important meal of the day."

"I didn't come here for dietary advice EJ," said Sami in annoyance.

"Alright," he said evenly, taking a seat on the corner of a desk and facing her, "Why exactly did you want to see me about Samantha?"

His face was more level with hers now as his warm brown eyes held her gaze steadily. Sami suddenly realised that EJ had been calling her 'sweetheart' or 'darling' as he usually did and wondered if that meant anything. He hadn't even flirted with her yet she realised with a pang. Usually he'd made some outrageous comment or double entendre by now but all he was being was pleasantly civil. Sami had a sudden feeling of pained nausea that EJ might be finally taking her at her word and leaving her alone. It was what she'd told him she wanted all along but Sami had a sudden urge to burst into tears.

"Samantha?" asked EJ with another frown, reaching out a hand and touching her arm lightly, "What's wrong, has something happened?"

"I'm quitting Mythic," she blurted out, just wanting to get this over and done with now and suddenly mad at EJ for apparently doing as she asked and stopping flirting with her.

"And what bought this on may I ask?" asked EJ, arching an eyebrow at her but other than that showing no real emotion.

"You know what bought this on EJ," said Sami sharply.

"No I don't," he said firmly, "I mean this can't be about us because I can't see why we can't business and pleasure separate."

"There is no us EJ," said Sami tersely, bracing herself for a fight over that one.

"Even more reason not to quit," shrugged EJ easily.

Sami looked at him in surprise at his lack of reaction to her news and the fact that he hadn't argued with her over there not being an 'us'.

"I have to quit EJ," she said determinedly.

"Hm," he said and seemed to be considering that statement carefully.

He looked at her again then and gave her a quizzical look.

"Sorry Samantha," he said evenly, "I just don't see why you feel the need to quit a job you clearly enjoy and are very good at."

"I need to do it for mine and Lucas' sake," said Sami, trying to keep her voice even.

"Oh yes," said EJ, "Lucas. So what's the plan then Samantha? Are you going to stay home and keep the home fires burning while your man goes out and keeps you in middle class mediocrity?"

EJ closed his eyes then, seeming to be concentrating hard.

"What are you doing EJ?" she asked him in exasperation.

"Picturing you in a frilly little apron making cookies in between working on your needlepoint," said EJ straight faced, opening his eyes and looking at Sami with the smallest of smirks on his face, "Very Martha Stewart I must say."

"Very funny EJ," said Sami flatly, "You can laugh at me all you want but it is what I want."

"Is it now?" asked EJ coolly.

"Yes it is!" said Sami defiantly.

"So Lucas is opposed to his women working is he?" asked EJ thoughtfully, "Interesting."

"This isn't about Lucas," said Sami sharply, "This is what I want! I don't want my shares in Mythic anymore. I'll give them back to you and you can do what you want with them EJ!"

Sami was feeling very upset now by EJ's half hearted attempts to talk her out of this and it was becoming increasingly irksome to her that he just continued to call her by her name and no terms of endearment.

"Hm," said EJ again, looking way and seeming to be giving the matter some unhurried thought.

Sami's nerves continued to tighten as she waited for EJ to speak again. It was crazy that she felt that way, after all, she didn't need EJ's permission to quit her job. He finally turned back to look at her and smiled at her.

"No," said EJ calmly.

"No?!" scowled Sami even as she felt a flood of relief that EJ was at least going to fight her on this, "You can't stop me from quitting this job EJ!"

"Of course I can't," he agreed readily, "And I wouldn't dream of doing such a thing."

"So it's settled then?" said Sami, swallowing her disappointment at how calmly EJ was taking all this, "I'm going to give my shares of Mythic back to you."

"No," repeated EJ steadily.

"Look EJ," said Sami in exasperation and tilting her head at him, "It's either you or Kate who gets my shares and rather surprisingly you're the lesser of two evils in this case."

"Well thank you so much for that glowing endorsement Samantha," said EJ wryly, "But you won't be giving your shares to either one of us because you're not quitting Mythic."

"Says you EJ!" said Sami tersely, feeling a strange sense of relief that he was at last fighting her about it.

"No," said EJ calmly, "Says the contract you signed when you took the shares and became a partner."

"What?!" exclaimed Sami in shock.

"The contract you signed said that you weren't allowed to sell or give away your shares in Mythic for twelve months after the transfer of them to you," said EJ matter of factly, "It's a pretty standard clause in these kinds of contracts. It also says that your services are bonded to Mythic for that twelve month period and that if you were to terminate your involvement with the company you wouldn't be able to work for anyone else in that time period."

"But I have to work," gasped Sami, suddenly realising that things weren't going to be as simple as she'd hoped.

"And you are," said EJ simply, "Here at Mythic."

"But..." protested Sami, her thoughts all in a whirl now because this was the last thing she'd thought about and didn't know what to do next.

Sami remembered signing some papers when she'd gotten the shares but had been too excited at the time to read them as carefully as she thought she had. Now she really was in a bind. It looked like she couldn't get out of working with EJ now even if she wanted to... which she did of course.

"You're timing as always is impeccable Samantha," continued on EJ easily, obviously deeming the matter closed, "I need to talk to you about some upcoming Mythic business so you coming to see me is fortuitous timing."

"What do you mean?" Sami frowned, still reeling from the news that she was going to be stuck working with EJ whether she liked it or not.

"I've been arranging a little get together to showcase what Mythic has to offer companies," EJ informed her, "There are a lot of potential investors that I think will be very interested in us, especially now that we have Shiro-san on board with us. Over this weekend I've put together a meet and greet type thing where we can give some presentations about Mythic and do some networking. I think you've already proven your skill in this area with Shiro-san so I think it is important that you be there Samantha."

Sami couldn't help but feel a little excited at the prospect of promoting Mythic. She really did love being involved with the company and knowing she had shares in it made it even more thrilling for Sami.

"I guess so," said Sami, trying to seem casual about EJ's proposal.

"Excellent," said EJ happily, "You'll fly out Saturday morning, Joanne has your ticket."

"Fly out?!" repeated Sami in horror, "Fly out where?"

"Oh sorry didn't I mention?" said EJ innocently, "I've organised it all to be in LA."

"LA?!" said Sami in disbelief, "You think I'm going to go away with you to LA?! Are you out of your mind EJ?!"

"It's strictly business Samantha," said EJ calmly, "It's been all set up in LA to try and give our company more exposure."

"So what, I suppose we are going to be flying back and forth in your private jet I suppose?" asked Sami with a twist of her lips, "And then we're going to be staying in the same hotel and of course the rooms will be conveniently side by side. I'm right aren't I EJ, this is just another ruse on your behalf isn't it?"

"Actually I'll be flying to LA this afternoon," said EJ evenly, "As I said, Joanne's booked you a ticket, first class of course, to LA the day after. I'm uncertain about the hotel arrangements. We will be at the same hotel simply because that is where I've set up all the presentations and will be a good place to do the entertaining afterwards. I have no idea about the room arrangements because Joanne has organised those as well. If you're at all concerned Samantha then you should speak to her directly and make sure that you are happy with the arrangements she's made."

"Lucas is not going to be happy with me going away with you EJ," said Sami, not sure what else to say seeing as EJ seemed only vaguely interested at best in this whole set up.

"Well bring Lucas then," said EJ with an easy smile, "I don't mind. I can't remember off the top of my head what the maximum weight is for carryon luggage but we'll just stow him in the overhead compartment. It won't be a problem in the least."

"You're hysterical," said Sami flatly at EJ's comment.

"Look Samantha," said EJ casually, "This is strictly a business affair, nothing more. I believe it is important for you to be there to represent the company, simple as that. Now then, can Mythic count on your support or will I be forced to take Kate with me?"

"Alright," said Sami after a long minute of consideration, "I'll do it."

"Wonderful," smiled EJ and patted her arm, "Just catch up with Joanne and she'll give you all the details."

"Right," said Sami faintly, a bit deflated now.

She'd come to Mythic with all these grand plans to throw EJ's job back in his face and make a big show of cutting all ties with him and now suddenly they were going to LA together.

"Ah... bye then," she mumbled.

"Bye," said EJ brightly as Sami started to move towards the elevator.

Sami stood in the elevator and waited for the doors to close, totally confused now. The whole time she'd talked with EJ he hadn't flirted with her once, hadn't called her by any term of endearment. It really did seem like suddenly all business between them. This had to be some kind of trick, Sami was just sure of it. There had to be more to this business trip then EJ was letting on. It was funny though because Sami found herself obsessing more over the way EJ had been with her during that encounter than the thought of going away with him for the weekend. She'd grown very used to his shameless flirting and didn't know what to make of this total casualness around her. She'd been telling him and herself that was what she wanted from him but now that she had it Sami was finding herself not liking it at all. She grimaced then, wondering what would upset her more, something happening this weekend or nothing. It wasn't an enjoyable experience to have such diametrically opposed feelings about the same thing. Sami wrinkled her nose then as she contemplated telling Lucas. Something told her he was going to be decidedly unhappy about these turn of events and Sami couldn't blame him. She wasn't feeling great about them herself.

**oooOOOooo**

EJ sat on the edge of the desk where Sami had left him, thinking about their conversation. A satisfied smile spread over his face as he remembered Sami's obvious confusion at how he was treating her.

It had been a terrible strain on him not to tell her how gorgeous she looked or how badly he wanted to kiss her right then but he'd somehow managed it and he could see that it was throwing Sami off balance which was what he wanted. It seemed to EJ that he and Sami made their best progress when they were left to their own devices rather than having the annoyance of both of their families around. A couple of days in LA would give him a chance to clear the slate with her without interruptions. He'd been mulling over Sam's words and even though it grieved EJ to admit it the lingeried menace might have a point about one or two things. His encounter with Tony also told EJ that he needed to be a little more up front with Sami otherwise his brother was going to continue to have ammunition against him.

Besides, this bull at a gate approach really wasn't getting him anywhere; Sam was at least right about that. EJ needed a new tactic and he'd come up with pulling back a little and he could see already that it was perplexing Sami. That was good from where EJ was sitting. They were currently at a stalemate with how things were and he knew something had to change between them for there to be any forward progress so EJ had altered his way of doing things. He had high hopes that LA would be a new beginning for himself and Sami, especially when he put his proposal to her. He was prepared for it to be a hard sell but EJ could never be called a quitter and would certainly never be one when it came to winning Sami over.

"I'm going to get my kiss Samantha," he promised himself quietly, "You wait and see if I don't."

As it turned out EJ would get his kiss but just not how he expected... which was pretty much how everything went for him in regards to Sami...

**Chapter SEVENTY THREE**** – ****Welcome To The Hotel California**

Not everything that is faced can be changed.

But nothing can be changed until it is faced.

~_James Arthur Baldwin_~

EJ stood off to one side, watching Sami with great interest. True to his word EJ and she had travelled separately to LA and he had been at pains to conduct himself in a professional manner around Sami the whole day so far. It was damn near killing him, the almost voracious need to flirt with her was eating him up from the inside but it was working, Sami was growing more and more confused by his change of tack. EJ was trying desperately to convince Sami that she was safe with him for the next part of his plan to work. It was a long shot but for some reason EJ felt quietly confident about his latest machination.

He couldn't help the smile that came to his lips as he watched Sami holding the group of business men circled around her in her thrall. They were hanging off her every word and why wouldn't they? She was beautiful, enthusiastic and spoke with quite considerable confidence whilst still seeming to maintain an appealing shy sweetness to her. It was a deadly combination that currently had the potential investors eating out of her hand. Despite Kate's disdain for EJ giving Sami shares in Mythic and the fact that it hadn't been wholly altruistic on EJ's behalf, it really had been a smart move.

She was a natural business woman, engaging and confident and able to put people at ease quickly. If she wasn't in that stifling gold fish bowl of Salem Sami would have blossomed professionally long ago EJ decided in annoyance. But then he was very happy that he was the one who got to be there as she did come into her own in the business world. It was yet another thing to share with one another.

Sami finished her presentation, smiling and chatting with the men and EJ just kept standing off to one side, letting her have her moment. He wanted to build Sami's confidence up so that she could see the potential in herself that EJ had spotted a mile off. She was so much more than anyone in Salem gave her credit for and EJ was more than happy to be the one to open Sami's eyes to that. EJ would have been content to stand there all day and watch Sami work her magic but one of the younger men had sidled up to Sami and seemed to be taking more than a professional interest in the young woman.

Not that EJ blamed him of course, understanding Sami's allure better than anyone but that didn't mean he was going to stand for it. Sami turned to the young man, facing him more squarely and beamed a breath taking smile up at him and EJ felt his stomach muscles tighten as an unwelcome flash of jealousy ripped through him. Sami then turned back to the table, leaning over it slightly and picking up several pamphlets for the man to read. The man's eyes wasn't on the literature though but on Sami's ample cleavage and that was if for EJ, his control snapping as he fought back the urge to simply march over there and knock the other man out. It probably wouldn't be great for business or exactly support the whole softly softly approaches EJ was trying to cultivate with but it would certainly be satisfying. EJ's jaw hardened as the man moved even closer to Sami, putting a hand on her arm.

oooOOOOooo

EARLIER THAT DAY:

Sami walked into the hotel and looked around, vaguely disappointed that EJ wasn't there to meet her. She'd half expected him to be at the airport to pick her up and whilst he'd sent a car for her, he hadn't come in person. Sami just didn't know what to make of his sudden casualness towards her. She'd told herself for so long now that was all she wanted, for EJ to leave her alone but now that he was it didn't feel as liberating as Sami had thought it would. It would be just like her luck to fall in love with EJ just as he fell out of love with her she thought sourly and then felt instantly guilty about being so disappointed by that, thinking of Lucas. Sometimes Sami thought her head was going to explode with all the mixed feelings she had about just about everything in her life at the moment. If only she could get her head to match up with her heart then she wouldn't be in this constant state of turmoil.

Sami was very worried about what might happen this weekend. Despite EJ's suddenly stand offish approach to her she found it hard to believe that EJ wouldn't try to work having her to himself to his advantage in some way. She honestly didn't know if she could trust herself to be able to keep him at arm's length with Lucas so far away and she and EJ together in a hotel. That was why she'd come up with a backup plan if it came down to it, a kind of plan B if her will power failed her which Sami was beginning to suspect it might. Sami just knew that if she could make it through this weekend without any slip ups between her and EJ then she would be on the way to getting him out of her head and her heart. Well, that was her fervent hope anyway. Sami was determinedly ignoring the little voice of doubt. After all, she was flying out Sunday lunch time back to Salem so that was barely 24 hours, what could possibly happen in that short amount of time?

Sami rather wisely didn't answer that question, even to herself. EJ had come to see her before the event had started and he'd been strictly professional with her, talking only about what he wanted to have happen during the presentations and asking for her input in various matters. It hadn't taken Sami long to get swept up in the excitement of it all and even though she'd been initially daunted when EJ suggested that she should give some of the presentations herself she surprised herself with how much she enjoyed doing them.

At the last presentation of the afternoon Sami had the largest group of potential investors yet and by then had gotten her spiel down pat. They all seemed very attentive and interested about what she was saying about Mythic which boosted her confidence hugely. Sami felt so empowered and pleased with herself for actually doing this that she couldn't believe it and the men she was talking to seem to pick up on her excitement and enthusiasm, giving her a lot of positive feedback, personally and for the company.

The whole time though Sami was very conscious of EJ watching her, even though she didn't look at him. She felt his eyes on her as she talked to all the businessmen and couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking. She really didn't know what to make of his sudden change of attitude towards her and it bothered her how much the thought of EJ not wanting her anymore bothered her. When the young man had approached her after the presentation and showed more than just an interest in Mythic Sami couldn't help herself. While she didn't exactly flirt with the man she made sure that she put her brightest smile on for him, under the guise of professional courtesy of course, knowing full well EJ was watching her the whole time.

A perverse part of her wanted to make him jealous, to elicit some kind of response from him, and knock him out of this annoying neutrality that he'd seemed to have adopted around her of late. Sami didn't let herself examine too closely why she was doing this when EJ's disinterest in her was supposedly something she was supposed to be garnering. She was pretty sure she wouldn't like the answer to that question anyway. The man put his hand on her arm then and out of the corner of her eye she could suddenly see EJ making his way towards them. Sami widened her smile and gave the man a look of rapt attention, all for EJ's benefit, steadfastly pretending not to notice his approach the whole time. Her whole body began to throb when EJ was suddenly standing beside her, the heat of his body rolling off him and enveloping Sami as though he'd embraced her.

"EJ DiMera," said EJ cheerfully and extending his hand to shake the other man's hand, forcing him to release his hold on Sami's arm and to step back to return the gesture.

"Damien Walsh," replied the young man quickly as they shook hands.

"Damien was very interested in some of the marketing aspects of Mythic," said Sami, looking up at EJ innocently.

"Well that's good to hear Damien," said EJ smoothly, a calm smile on his face, "I trust Samantha here has been able to answer all of your questions?"

"She has," smiled Damien warmly, looking at Sami with interest, "But I've got a lot more. I was thinking that maybe she and I could perhaps have a drink together before dinner to discuss it?"

Before Sami could give the other man an answer she suddenly felt EJ put his arm around her, his hand resting on her waist and she had to fight for all it was worth not to shudder under his light touch, feeling her body respond helplessly.

"Oh well that does sound lovely," said EJ evenly and then smiled down at Sami, "But unfortunately I have to steal my partner away between now and then. We have some business to discuss, you understand how it is Damien I'm sure?"

Sami looked on as EJ gave Damien a very certain male look and the other man took in the way EJ was touching her so casually and how comfortable they looked together before nodding, a silent communication passing between them. Sami wasn't exactly sure how it had happened but she was pretty sure that she'd just been claimed by EJ just then. She felt a little thrill of pleasure at that thought, feeling a resurge of confidence that EJ still wanted her whilst still reserving the right to be outraged at his high handedness. It was complicated being a woman sometimes.

"Sure," said Damien, looking between the two a bit regretfully, "I understand."

"Excellent," said EJ cheerfully, "But I'm sure we'll find time to talk some more over dinner. I do hope you'll be joining Samantha and I Damien?"

Again EJ had carefully structured that sentence to make it sound like they were a couple, albeit it subtly and Sami looked up at him and just managed to stop herself from rolling her eyes at him.

"Sure I'll be there," said Damien, giving in gracefully, "It was nice to meet you both and I'll save my questions for the dinner."

"I'll see you there," said Sami quickly and gave him a bright smile, "And it was nice meeting you too Damien."

The young man gave Sami one last lingering look and then turned around, making his way off into the milling crowd.

"What was that?" asked Sami, giving him a defiant look after the man had gone.

"What was what?" asked EJ, looking innocently back at her.

"I was in the middle of doing some business and you march over here and act all cave man like," huffed Sami, trying to make it sound as though the thought annoyed her.

"I merely wanted to meet a potential new investor," said EJ easily.

"You were jealous," Sami challenged him, feeling her stomach flutter at even the thought, the memories of her dream when he'd stormed into her bedroom in a jealous rage still very fresh in her head.

"Wasn't that the point Samantha?" he asked her wryly.

Sami stiffened at being found out, wondering if she'd really been that obvious.

"I can't help it if Damien found me attractive EJ," said Sami tensely.

"Mm," said EJ, obviously deciding not to comment on that one.

He gave Sami a thoughtful look then.

"So how do you think it has been going?" he asked her with interest.

Sami's heart sank a little bit as EJ went directly back to work and had to try hard not to let her disappointment how on her face at EJ continuing to keep his distance from her. No matter how many times Sami told herself that this was what she was meant to want she just couldn't quite convince herself of that fact.

"I think we've generated a lot of interest," said Sami truthfully, "Everyone seems really enthusiastic and upbeat about Mythic which can only be a good thing."

"And a big part of that is down to you Samantha," said EJ sincerely, "You really are a natural at all this you know."

Sami flushed under his praise and couldn't hide her smile from him.

"I don't think it hurts to have a world famous racing car driver fronting Mythic either," said Sami, a little embarrassed by his praise, "People take to you EJ."

"You sound quite amazed by that fact Samantha," observed EJ in amusement.

"That's because I know you," said Sami, speaking without thinking and EJ's amusement seemed to grow as he arched an eyebrow at her.

"Am I so very awful Samantha?" he asked her teasingly.

"Sometimes," said Sami defiantly.

"I guess you'd be a position to know," commented EJ mildly.

"What does that mean?" scowled Sami unhappily.

"It means you have your prickly moments yourself my dear," he noted wryly.

"I'm only that way because you provoke me!" she protested hotly.

"So it's my fault that you're prickly?" asked EJ calmly.

"Yes!" said Sami sharply.

"Hm," said EJ again and just looked steadily down at her.

"Stop saying that," said Sami in annoyance, "What does Hm mean anyway?!"

As much as Sami protested EJ's shameless flirting with her she at least had gotten used to handling it. This new demeanour of his where he viewed her with what seemed like mild amusement or thoughtful interest was throwing her totally off balance and she simply didn't know how to deal with it. Before EJ could answer her though Sami's cell phone began to ring and she moved to answer it.

"Ah," said EJ easily, "That will be the little woman checking up on you."

Sami frowned at him for that; apparently he was still intent on belittling Lucas whenever he got that chance, so that hadn't changed.

"Hello?" said Sami into her phone.

"_Hi honey," said Lucas, "How's it all going?"_

"It's good," said Sami throwing a look over at EJ who had a knowing smirk on his face, "The presentations all went great."

"That's good to hear," said Lucas and Sami frowned, thinking his voice sounded a little strange as he said that, "So what are you doing now?"

"I've just finished my last presentation and I was going to go up to my room and have a quick break before dinner tonight," Sami told him, watching out of the corner of her eye as EJ fiddled with his tie.

"_And what is EJ doing?" asked Lucas flatly, "Is he there with you?"_

Lucas had not exactly been thrilled when she'd told him about her weekend in LA and the main reason for that had been EJ of course. Lucas had only calmed down after she told him that they wouldn't be travelling together and that she was going to be far too busy with company business to do anything other than fall into bed tonight and then she'd be on the plane back to him the very next day. Lucas was still deeply suspicious of EJ's motives and Sami couldn't blame him but rather amazingly EJ had lived up to his promise and behaved like a complete gentleman around her. Of course, Sami had serious doubts about how the rest of the weekend and particularly that night was going to pan out but she didn't want to admit that to Lucas.

"Yes he is," said Sami, throwing EJ a look.

EJ's lips quirked into a smile, knowing full well they were talking about him.

"Give Lucas my love won't you?" he asked Sami brightly, "Tell him he really should have accompanied you Samantha. The weather is to die for."

"You know Lucas can't fly right now," said Sami between clenched teeth.

"Oh right," said EJ as though he'd forgotten, "I'd forgotten, the teetering invalid thing."

"_Did EJ just call me a teetering invalid?" asked Lucas and Sami could hear the scowl in his voice._

"No," lied Sami hastily.

"Yes I did," called out EJ cheerfully, having correctly guessed what Sami's 'no' was in response to.

Sami turned away from EJ in vexation then and yet at the same time happy about how familiar this all felt after feeling out of sorts with him up until then.

"I miss you Lucas," said Sami determinedly, making sure EJ heard her, "What have you been up to today?"

"_Not much," sighed Lucas, "My leg is acting up again."_

"Have you taken your painkillers?" asked Sami solicitously, trying to concentrate on Lucas and ignore the man standing beside her, who was currently fiddling with his coat jacket, absently doing up the buttons.

"_They don't seem to help nowadays," said Lucas moodily._

"Maybe it's time to go back to the doctors and see about getting some different one?" suggested Sami, "But are you even meant to be in this much pain still?"

"Don't worry about me Sami," said Lucas and she could hear him put a determinedly upbeat tone to his voice, "I'll just go to bed early and sleep it off, I'll be fine."

"I wish I was there," said Sami guiltily.

"_I don't need a nurse maid Sami!" snapped Lucas and Sami looked a little taken aback which seemed to catch EJ's interest at last. _

"I… ah… sorry," she stammered.

"_No I'm sorry," sighed Lucas regretfully, "I didn't mean to lose my temper. I guess it's just as well you're doing this work thing this weekend. I don't think I'd be that much fun to be around just now."_

"Don't say that," said Sami quietly, "You know I'd rather be with you than anywhere else."

There was a brief pause on the end of the phone which worried Sami before Lucas answered her.

"_I know," he said at last, "Look, I'll talk to you tomorrow okay? You'll be back by two won't you?"_

"My flight lands at one fifteen," confirmed Sami.

"_Alright," said Lucas and again he seemed to be forcing himself to sound cheerful for her benefit, "I promise I'll be in a better mood by then and we'll do something together okay?"_

"That sounds good," said Sami softly, "I'll see you tomorrow then. I love you."

"_Love you too honey," said Lucas and then there was the quiet click in Sami's ear telling her that he'd hung up the phone. _

"Trouble in paradise?" asked EJ calmly.

"Lucas is in pain," said Sami unhappily.

"Did you say Lucas is in pain or Lucas _is_ a pain?" asked EJ innocently.

"EJ…" began Sami in exasperation but he stalled her.

"I just don't want there to be anymore misunderstandings between us Samantha," he informed her and Sami eyed him sceptically at the sudden change in direction in the conversation.

"What does that mean?" she asked him, wondering where he was going with this.

"Samantha," said EJ, suddenly looking rather serious, "I was wondering that if after dinner tonight I could have a moment of your time?"

"Why?" asked Sami suspiciously.

"I have some things I want to tell you," said EJ quietly, "Some important things."

"About work?" she asked, fishing for more details.

"No," said EJ simply.

Of course that only left their relationship that he wanted to talk about and Sami instantly felt her nerves tighten.

"Please Samantha," said EJ softly, "I just want to talk, nothing more. Can I come to your room after dinner…"

Sami pulled a face at that as EJ at last revealed his hand.

"It's not like that Samantha," he continued on quickly at seeing her knowing expression, "We can leave the door open if you like or go to my room, I don't mind. I just really need to talk to you."

Of course Sami knew that she should say no; that it would be utterly insane to do anything but. To go to EJ's room tonight would be playing with a fire that she'd already been burnt with on more than one occasion, Sami knew that. This should have been the easiest decision in the world for her to make but still she hesitated. Her innate curiosity couldn't help but be piqued by EJ's behaviour of late and how casual he'd been around her all of a sudden. Perhaps he was going to give her an explanation for it all. The last time they'd had dinner together he'd shocked her with the news of a previously unknown great aunt and his grandfather being involved in a forbidden love. Sami couldn't help but wonder what new surprises he had in store for her. She cursed herself for her interest, calling herself all kinds of fools but in the end it did no good.

"Alright," she said finally, lifting her chin defiantly and meeting EJ's steady gaze, "But I'll come to your room and only for a couple of minutes, long enough for you to say what you have to say."

"That's wonderful Samantha, thank you," said EJ with a warm smile, "Well I'd best let you have a moment to yourself before you have to get ready for dinner tonight."

With that EJ gave a slight inclination of his head and then simply turned around and headed for the elevator that was just behind them. He smiled at her as the doors slid shut, leaving a rather stunned Sami in his wake.

She stood there for a long moment after EJ had gone, trying to figure him out. He was acting as though they were no more than casual acquaintances at best all of a sudden and Sami couldn't help but be a bit miffed by that fact. She made have just made a tactical mistake by agreeing to go to EJ's room but she had to find out what he was up to. Forewarned is forearmed Sami argued with herself, trying to convince herself that was why she was doing this. Besides, she'd come prepared and had a plan so that things weren't going to get out of hand tonight, no matter what happened.

Sami swallowed hard at that thought, trying not to wonder if that was what she really wanted.

**Chapter SEVENTY FOUR**** – ****Trust Is A Two Way Street**

If you are out to describe the truth, leave elegance to the tailor

~_Albert Einstein_

EJ sat in his hotel room, trying to settle his strained nerves. He and Sami had spent the last three hours with all the potential investors, wining and dining them and just basically charming them. Many had signed up to Mythic and EJ knew he should be more excited by that fact but right then all he could think about was what he was about to do. Sami would be here a few minutes and EJ was about to gamble hugely with his next move. He stood up from where he'd been sitting on the couch, no longer able to sit still. He paced nervously, waiting for Sami to arrive and organising his thoughts.

EJ walked over to the table where he'd set up two wine classes and a bottle of non-alcoholic wine and moved the wine glasses closer together, just for something to do. He'd intended on toasting their success tonight to break the ice but in the back of EJ's head he was still very conscious of the fact that he'd again tampered with Sami's birth control after she'd failed to become pregnant the first time. After their extended and extremely energetic lovemaking both at the apartment and at the police station last week EJ wasn't ruling out the possibility that Sami might be indeed pregnant this time round. That meant no alcohol for her. He'd asked her not to drink over dinner, citing professionalism as his reason then and Sami had seen to accept that at face value fortunately. EJ knew he'd have at least another three weeks to know for sure whether Sami was pregnant or not but that was why it was so important that the little talk he was going to have with her went well.

He was desperate to get this right, rubbing suddenly moist hands on the tops of his trousers absently. This could either make or break their relationship and EJ couldn't fathom it breaking it. He wanted Sami to understand how seriously he was taking their relationship and what it was he really wanted from her. EJ knew this was going to be a hard sell and that he had to keep his head in the game. A task that would have been made a lot easier if Sami hadn't opted to wear that same red dress that she'd worn to lunch with Shiro-san EJ couldn't help but muse. There hadn't been a man with a pulse that hadn't practically fallen over themselves to be near Sami when she'd walked into the restaurant in that dress.

She was breath taking and EJ found it very hard to collect his thoughts around her when all he really wanted to do was tackle her to the ground and do unspeakable things to her right there in the middle of the restaurant. Of course he wasn't the only one thinking that exact thought and EJ grimaced at how hard it had been for him to sit through dinner and the socialising afterwards with so many men who were lusting after his woman. A situation made all the more difficult because EJ couldn't lay claim to her like he wanted to and warn everyone else off.

Mind you, there had been a grim satisfaction in sending that Damien fellow packing to be sure. It had been an exercise in torture not letting his feelings for Sami show in all of his actions and words but EJ had been determined to get through it. He could see that his change in behaviour was confusing her and EJ needed that element of unbalance from Sami to gain the upper hand with what he was about to do. A knock at the door caused EJ's nerves to tighten even more.

"Show time," he muttered under his breath and went to open the door.

Sami stood in the door way, looking up at him with those big blue eyes of her, clutching her evening purse to herself nervously.

"Come in," he said, smiling down at her and feeling that same rush he did whenever he was this close to her.

EJ stepped back to let Sami walk into the room.

"Thank you for coming," he said with another warm smile.

"Yeah well I'm only here for a minute," she warned him, looking around his room, obviously comparing it to hers.

EJ's lips quirked as she looked at the bed, her cheeks suddenly flushing as Sami looked quickly away.

"I thought we could toast to our success?" suggested EJ, walking over to the non-alcoholic wine and quickly uncorking it and pouring them a glass each.

Sami took it a bit hesitantly and looked up at EJ.

"It's not drugged Samantha," he said with a little laugh, "Do we have to do through this every time I offer you a drink?"

"No," said Sami with a pout, "I suppose not."

"So let's drink to a bright future eh?" suggested EJ, holding his glass up to hers.

"For Mythic you mean?" she asked him suspiciously.

"But of course," said EJ easily, "What else?"

He tapped her glass with his own and then took a sip of his drink and Sami did the same.

"That's not wine," she said in surprise, looking up at EJ.

"No," said EJ easily, "It's non-alcoholic wine."

"What is with you and alcohol lately?" asked Sami in exasperation.

"I'm on a liver cleansing kick," lied EJ effortlessly.

His cell phone ringing saved him from giving any more details.

"Excuse me," he murmured, sending Sami an apologetic look.

EJ wandered off into one of the corners of the room when he saw that it was his father, turning his back on Sami and thinking she probably wouldn't be too thrilled with a reminder of exactly who EJ's father was right then. It was just a quick business question Stefano had for him and EJ was able to answer it with no trouble and then bid his father a goodnight. When he turned back around it was to find Sami just where he left her, sipping her drink thoughtfully.

"Sorry about that," he apologised again, switching off his cell phone and throwing it on the table, "No more interruptions I promise. Now, shall we go and sit down?"

"One more toast," said Sami, clearly stalling for time and held up her glass, "To the possibilities that tonight might bring."

Sami suddenly realised what she'd said and hastily set about trying to fix it.

"I meant possibilities for the company after the dinner and all the networking we did," she explained quickly, "Nothing else."

"But of course," said EJ smoothly, clinking his glass against hers whilst being secretly pleased that Sami's mind had obviously gone to places other than business if she'd felt the need to clarify her words.

EJ drank his drink while giving Sami a considered look and trying to decide if he was about to make the biggest mistake of his life. Then again, his approach hadn't exactly yielded the results he'd been hoping for up until then so there really was nothing to do but attempt a change of tack.

"Shall we take a seat?" he offered again, taking Sami's drink for her hand as she nodded at him and EJ could see the nerves on her face.

EJ took her coat and rather tellingly Sami took a seat in the arm chair so EJ couldn't sit beside her but he opted to sit on the sofa arm instead, wanting to make sure that Sami didn't feel hemmed in by him in anyway.

"So," said EJ, trying to make himself as casual as possible, "I suppose you're wondering what all this is about eh?"

"Yes," said Sami, trying not to look nervous but not really managing it.

EJ pursed his lips, trying to collect his thoughts as best as he could when all he really wanted to do was just kiss her and peel that utterly beguiling dress from her body.

"I want to tell you the truth Samantha," said EJ evenly, holding her gaze unblinkingly, "I know you've made your decision to be with Lucas but I wanted you to know it anyway."

"Truth about what EJ?" asked Sami cautiously.

"About everything," said EJ simply, giving her a tight little smile as he felt his nerves begin to start in earnest as he took another sip of his drink and wished for all he was worth that it actually was alcoholic.

"Everything?" repeated Sami, arching an eyebrow at him, "And what is everything exactly EJ?"

"It was no accident I came to Salem Samantha," said EJ, holding her gaze unflinchingly now, "It was no accident that I ended up in the hallway across from you or that I became so quickly ensconced in your life."

"What are you saying to me EJ?" asked Sami stiffly.

EJ already knew that she knew all this courtesy of Tony but he had come to the reluctant conclusion that Sam was right and he needed to be the one to tell Sami how this had all started.

"I'm saying that I came to Salem at my father's behest," said EJ evenly.

"To do what exactly?" asked Sami, her eye's narrowing.

"The plan was to take a Brady woman for my bride," said EJ, telling her the truth at last.

"Why?" asked Sami tightly.

"My father wanted a union between our two families," said EJ calmly, "It was only fully understood why recently when I found out about Colleen and Santo."

"And what?" asked Sami challengingly, as she looked at him angrily, "You just went along with that, no questions asked?"

"More or less," said EJ, studying her face carefully for Sami's reaction to that.

"You didn't think it was a bit... I don't know, strange, weird, _sick_ even that your father would get you to do something like that?!" asked Sami bitterly.

"Arranged marriages are not uncommon in Italian families," said EJ easily, "Besides, my father let me chose the woman I wanted."

"Like we were some kind of commodity to be bought and sold?" asked Sami, her eyes flashing fire at him.

"I wouldn't have put it quite like that but I could see how someone might interpret it like that," said EJ ruefully.

"Why are you telling me this EJ?" asked Sami, looking at him disgust, "Why tell me now after all this time?"

"I'm telling you what the plan was Samantha," said EJ, looking down at his now nearly empty glass.

He downed the last of his drink in a gulp and took Sami's wine glass which was also empty now and set them both down on the coffee table between them before continuing on, not wanting anymore distractions.

"Now let me tell you what _actually_ happened," said EJ with a sad little smile.

He looked down at his hands and tried to remember the time before he knew Sami and it was a struggle. She'd filled his world to overflowing now and it was hard to remember a time when Sami wasn't in his life.

"I read your bio along with Belle's and even Chelsea's," he informed her, "I chose you Sami because even on the printed page you'd lived such a spirited life thus far that I couldn't help but see the potential between us. I thought we would be a good match, we are both passionate, spirited people who know what they want and aren't afraid to go out and get it."

"You can't know me from reading about me!" said Sami sharply, obviously finding this hard to hear.

"I know that now," nodded EJ with a half smile, "You see I had this image of you and how things would be. I had it all worked out in my head but then..."

"But then what?" asked Sami curtly when he hesitated.

"But then I met you and everything changed," said EJ simply, "Everything I knew and understood changed for me the moment I met you Samantha."

"Because you fell in love with me?" asked Sami sarcastically but her voice wavered tellingly.

"Yes," said EJ sincerely, "Completely and utterly, head over heels, hopelessly in love with you."

"That doesn't happen EJ," said Sami with a shake of her head but he could see his words were affecting her, "You're just talking about lust at first sight!"

"No," said EJ firmly, "Absolutely not. I didn't believe it possible either until it happened that day to me but the moment I saw you I loved you Samantha. God knows I want you but I love you even more."

"That isn't how you love someone EJ," said Sami with a frown, "It takes time for feelings to develop, to get to know one another."

"By the end of that first encounter I knew you utterly Samantha," said EJ earnestly, meaning every word he was saying, "I can't explain it properly but it was like I'd known you all my life and had just forgotten until I saw you again. I know why you do things, what your heart longs for. I understand your passions and dreams and your fears. I knew what made you tick instantly; it was like some kind of instinct to me."

"So I'm that simple I can be worked out in a couple of minutes?" asked Sami acerbically, "Gee thanks EJ!"

"Hardly darling," said EJ with a little laugh, the endearment slipping past his lips without realising it, "You are by far and away the most complicated, perplexing creature I have ever met."

"How can I be both perplexing and yet you know me so well?" she challenged him, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"We are a Brady and a DiMera in love Samantha," smiled EJ wryly, "We are nothing but paradoxes."

"I never said I loved you!" said Sami quickly.

"Hm," said EJ thoughtfully, giving her a considered look then.

"Don't start that again!" scowled Sami in annoyance, "So what, you and I get married and I start popping out DiMera heirs, good little soldiers for granddaddy DiMera to warp?!"

"My father would like grandchildren to be sure," nodded EJ calmly, "I don't think that is a particularly odd desire on his behalf. And as for warping them well, first and foremost they would be our children Samantha and we... we..."

EJ trailed off then and shook his head, suddenly feeling a little light headed.

"EJ?" asked Sami with a frown, tilting her head at him expectantly.

"I'm alright," said EJ, waving a dismissive hand at her as he composed himself again, "Just suddenly had a bit of a head rush. What I was saying was that any children we had would be for us to make decisions about, no one else."

"We're not going to have any children together EJ!" said Sami shakily, suddenly looking stricken, "And I don't know why you're telling me all this. Don't you know how bad this makes you look?! The whole thing is sick and twisted, don't you see that?!"

"I didn't but I'm beginning to," said EJ honestly, "Sweetheart I want to be honest with you, about everything and that is why I'm doing this. I love you and I don't want there to be anything more in the way between us."

"So you're going to tell me the truth if I ask you a question then?" asked Sami defiantly, "In the interest of being honest with one another right?"

"Absolutely," replied EJ without hesitation even as he felt like his tongue was suddenly too big for his mouth.

"Are you fixing it so that Lucas and I can't get another apartment?" she asked him directly, giving him a hard look.

"Absolutely," replied EJ without hesitation again and was surprised to hear himself slur a little on that one.

"You ask me to trust you EJ," said Sami in desperate exasperation, "But you keep doing these things that prove to me I can't!"

"I'm only doing it because you're so ssstubborn," said EJ sharply.

Okay, there was definitely something going on there but he couldn't worry about that now, needing to get his point across. EJ leant forward urgently, an earnest frown marking his forehead.

"Samantha I know I've made mistakes when it comes to what has passes between us already and I regret them deeply," he said huskily, "I just want you to give us a chance to start overrr."

EJ shook his head in annoyance as his tongue still refused to cooperate and now he was having some trouble focusing, Sami suddenly looking a little blurred to him.

"I can't EJ," said Sami desperately even as EJ tried to valiantly to focus on her, "Too much has happened between us to start over!"

"But don't you see?" asked EJ, making a clumsy grab for her arm and almost missing her despite the fact Sami was sitting directly in front of him on the armchair, "That is the very reason that we have to because so much has... hasss... happened tween us... it'sss the peffectt ttime to sstartt trus... trusting one another ag... agai... againnn... "

EJ trailed off then as he began to lose the capacity for coherent thought and any kind of motor control. He looked at Sami blearily, as the room began to close in on him.

"Sssmtha," he mumbled in quiet surprise before he slumped drunkenly to one side, falling off the sofa arm he was perched on and crashing heavily down onto the sofa.

Sami looked down at EJ's unconscious body face down on the sofa and grimaced.

"Or not," said Sami, biting her bottom lip and wrinkling her nose guiltily.

**Chapter SEVENTY FIVE**** –**** A Moment On The Lips**

I deal with temptation by yielding to it.

_~Mark Twain~_

Sami looked down at EJ's unconscious body, flooded with guilt.

"Sorry," she mumbled although it was a wasted effort because EJ was dead to the world thanks to her.

She did feel badly about what she'd done but Sami felt like she'd had no choice. Being alone with EJ always ended up one way and Sami knew that if she and EJ made love again she wouldn't have a hope of keeping her feelings from him. She just knew she'd been screaming out her love for him at the top of her lungs if it came down to it and that would ruin everything. When EJ had invited her up to his room to 'talk' Sami had feared the worse. She just didn't trust herself to be strong enough to resist any of his advances nowadays so Sami had bought along a little insurance with her.

When EJ had gone to answer his phone she'd taken his moment of distraction to mix some of the tranquilliser she'd secured before leaving Salem into his drink. She hadn't been exactly sure how much to dose him with and had added what she thought it should be and a bit more besides. Sami had double checked that there would be no chance of really harming him. She just wanted him out for the count so Sami had a prayer of sticking to her guns. Thank goodness she only had to get through this one night with EJ. Somehow she didn't think he'd fall for this trick twice in a row and Sami was trying not to think what might happen once the sleeping tiger actually woke up.

Sami bit her lip again as she looked down at the uncomfortable looking position EJ had landed in a little uncertainly. She couldn't just leave him like that Sami decided. He was going to wake up tomorrow in agony with his neck at that weird angle and besides, half his face was buried in the sofa cushions and Sami worried he might suffocate himself. Despite her many claims to the contrary she didn't want him dead, just immobilised. Sami knew she didn't have a chance in hell of being able to move EJ to the bed but she could set him up a bit more comfortably on the floor. Maybe he wouldn't be as mad at her tomorrow if he saw she'd put a little effort into looking after him she reasoned.

Grabbing the sheets and pillows off the bed Sami set up organising them on the floor just beside the sofa, intending to simply roll EJ gently off the sofa and onto the make shift bed. That turned out to be easier said than done though. Sami took one of EJ's arms and pulled on it, thinking he would easily roll over off the sofa but he didn't budge at all. She pulled harder and harder, finally bracing one leg against the sofa and straining for all she was worth but with EJ as a dead weight she made no progress what so ever.

"How much do you _weigh_?!" she asked the sleeping man in vexation when all her attempts to move him came to naught.

Sami was getting frustrated now and tried a different tack. She clambered over the gently snoring EJ now and stood up on the sofa itself, standing behind him. With her hands Sami grabbed the back of the sofa, bracing her back against it and then put both of her feet on EJ's side as he lay almost face down on the sofa. She then began to push with all of her might against EJ, using all of the strength in her legs and the sofa back as a brace to move EJ.

"It's like trying to unbeach a whale!" she muttered unhappily through clenched teeth as her face went red with the exertion as she pushed against EJ's body with her feet.

Sami gave one last Herculean effort and finally Moby Dick rolled off the sofa, fell the short distance to the ground and giving a disconcerting thump noise when he made contact with the floor.

"Sorry," grimaced Sami again, looking gingerly down to see if the sudden stop when EJ had hit the ground had woken him.

EJ was on his side now, facing her but still completely out to it and Sami gave a sigh of relief. She stumbled down off the sofa and went to move EJ onto his back, finding this almost as difficult. After a few hard shoves EJ finally rolled over onto his back, his breath escaping his body in an almost sigh but his eyes remained steadfastly closed. Sami moved a pillow under his head and then had to stop to catch her breath.

"Guess I don't have to worry about not getting to the gym today," she panted, leaning back against the sofa as she sat of the floor beside EJ's prone body, "You know EJ of all the unconscious men I've had to move around in my time you are by far the heaviest."

Sami paused then, thinking about that.

"How weird is it that I've had to deal with more than one man I've drugged?" she pondered to no one in particular.

She shrugged then, there was no way around it, she wasn't her sister Carrie and that was just that. So she'd drugged the occasional man here and there, these things happen and she had a good reason for doing it each time. The great irony though was that last time she'd drugged Austin to get him to sleep with her and this time she'd drugged EJ so they wouldn't sleep together. Sometimes Sami couldn't help but feel that her life was nothing more than one giant punch line. Sami pursed her lips thoughtfully as she took in EJ's fully clothed state.

"I suppose I can't leave you to sleep in that right?" she mused to herself.

Telling herself that she was just being kind Sami removed EJ's shoes and socks, his tie and coat jacket and then his shirt. She hesitated when she came to his pants but then told herself she was being silly and removed them as well. It took her a bit of time but eventually EJ was lying there sprawled out on the floor in only his boxes. Sami had this wild urge to remove them as well but that might be hard to explain to EJ tomorrow why she'd bothered to do that. She'd have enough explaining to do as it was. Unable to help herself Sami ran her hand back and forth over EJ's lightly hair covered chest, enjoying feeling his hardness under her hand again as she knelt beside him. She snuck a look south of the border as she did that and was a little disappointed to see that there was no reaction going on to her touch. This was a first for Sami when it came to EJ but she had just doped him up with enough tranquillizers to fell a bear so it wasn't exactly unexpected. It just bruised Sami's female ego was all.

Her hand drifted to EJ's face, relaxed in sleep. He looked almost boyish like this but still very much a man somehow. She traced his perfect features delicately, remembering how she'd felt the first time she'd laid eyes on him. He was the most gorgeous man she'd ever seen in her life and even though Sami had been with Austin at the time there had definitely still been this attraction towards EJ even though she liked to deny it. EJ had just told her that it was love at first sight for him but for Sami it was more complicated. She'd been focussing all her attention on getting Austin to be hers for so long she couldn't really say the same thing. What she could say though was that that there definitely had been that pull towards him that EJ was always talking about. She'd been instantly attracted to EJ and it wasn't because he was good looking. There had been something far less tangible to her feelings when he'd opened his apartment door that day and changed Sami's world forever.

"So you're really out to it aren't you?" she asked him a little wistfully, looking down at EJ's peacefully sleeping face.

Sami leant a little closer, her thumb now brushing back and forth over EJ's full lips.

"Can I tell you a secret EJ?" asked Sami softly, her heart pounding wildly in her chest now.

EJ didn't reply of course and Sami took heart at that and said the words that had been yearning to get out for what felt like forever now.

"I love you EJ," she whispered achingly, "So much but I can never tell you that."

Tears stung Sami's eyes then as she said the words aloud and felt an incredible loss at knowing that they could never be together. There were just too many things in their way. He'd caught her by surprise telling her all those things earlier, never having expected EJ to come clean like that. Of course EJ had no way of knowing that she already knew it but it really meant something to her that he'd volunteered the information freely. It was almost as though EJ really did want to be open and honest with her but Sami couldn't help but worry that she wasn't getting all of the truth and if there was still a bigger agenda going on. After all EJ had denied for months now he'd had any kind of ulterior motive coming into her life, looked her in the eye and swore to her that he didn't. Now he was telling her that there had been one which made Sami wonder what else he was going to reveal to her down the track.

Sami sighed heavily, wishing his scheming repulsed her more than it did. It had been horrible hearing it from Tony and the way the older man had said so much more without using words. It had really disturbed her. To hear EJ confess all, or some version of all anyway felt entirely different. As unhappy as Sami was to have her suspicions confirmed there was a part of her that understood EJ and why he'd done it, a sense of kinship even. Sami had certainly had her fair share of ulterior motives for the things she'd done and schemed up with the best of them. She knew what it was to manipulate situations for her own benefit and as try as she might she couldn't hate EJ for doing the same. But what would a relationship between two shameless manipulators turn out like Sami had to wonder in despair? It would have to be a disaster from start to finish for sure.

"We can never be EJ," she said aloud this time and choked a little over the words.

If only things had been different and they'd met under different circumstances and her name hadn't been Brady and his DiMera thought Sami desolately. This was quite possibly the last chance she would ever have to do this. Sami stroked EJ's face, relaxed in sleep and felt her heart swell with love for this man. Sami bent her head, closing that last little distance between them and pressed her lips to his. The familiar feel of his lips against hers, however passively, washed over Sami, the experience particularly poignant as she knew she could never allow this to happen again.

A part of her just prayed that EJ would suddenly wake up and deepen the kiss, his hand going to the back of her head and holding her to him. With a flash of disappointment for Sami that didn't happen though and she lifted her head, the taste of him still on her lips to see EJ's still soundly sleeping countenance. Sami sat back on her heels then and carefully tucked EJ in, making sure that he was as comfortable as possible and then with a last regretful look at him she got up and left him to sleep it off, blinking away her tears.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Ah there you are my son," said Stefano happily as he walked in the living room of the DiMera mansion, "I missed you at dinner."

"I'm sorry Father," said Tony evenly, "I had some business to take care of. I'm here now though and I'll be able to sort out the paperwork on that docking shipment for you."

"It is already done," said Stefano in satisfaction, "Your brother had the foresight to organise everything before he left for Los Angeles."

"Well bully for him," said Tony flatly, not as impressed by that information as Stefano obviously was.

"Something the matter Antony?" asked Stefano with an arched eyebrow, walking over to where his son was leaning on a chair.

"I just don't think now is a good time for Elvis to be gallivanting off around the country side," said Tony dourly, "You need him, the business needs him."

"He has his own business to consider," said Stefano dismissively, "And I am fine, Rolf has been taking good care of me. Besides, he is very importantly securing his future with Samantha."

"And we're thinking that is a good thing are we?" asked Tony dourly.

"You don't approve of your brother's choice in women?" asked Stefano with interest.

"I just don't see why it is necessary to bring her into the family," said Tony disdainfully, "We only need her to conceive a child so we can harvest the stem cells. I don't see why Elvis is putting so much energy into supposedly winning Samantha's heart. It is wasting precious time, time you don't have Father."

"There is far more to this than what you are suggesting Antony," said Stefano evenly, "Elvis is doing a wonderful thing."

"What is he doing other than trying to bed a woman?" asked Tony in consternation, "I didn't realise they were giving out medals for that nowadays Father."

"Getting a headstrong woman to cooperate with you can be quite the task," observed Stefano in amusement, "And I speak from experience. I am very proud of how EJ has pursued Samantha."

"Is that what this is?" asked Tony, narrowing his eyes, "Elvis finishing what you started with her mother, managing what you could not?"

"Every father wishes for his son's to surpass his achievements to be sure," nodded Stefano, "When Elvis makes Samantha his bride then things would have moved full circle. Marlena's daughter will love a DiMera and Santo and colleen's love will at last be realised. The Brady and DiMera union will at last happen, fulfilling my father's deepest desire."

"So Elvis and Samantha will ride off into the sunset together?" pondered Tony, thinking that might not be too bad.

"Hardly my son," said Stefano and Tony stiffened as he gave him a considered look, seeming to be choosing his words carefully now, "I am looking to the future Tony."

"And what does that future look like Father?" asked Tony tightly, sensing he wasn't going to like this.

"You and I are dinosaurs my son," said Stefano, putting a fatherly hand on Tony's shoulder, "This is the 21st century and we must move with the times. The old ways will no longer do."

"The old ways got us where we are today," said Tony shortly.

"Eh," said Stefano with a half shrug, "They have but it is important to change with the times."

"So what?" asked Tony with a scowl, "The DiMera Empire is turning over a new leaf, everything on the up and up? Is that what you are saying Father?"

"Of course not," said Stefano with a little amused laugh, "But it is becoming time for a new face to head up my empire."

"So you are looking at EJ as being a figurehead?" Tony quizzed his father.

"No," said Stefano firmly, "Far from it. I have much bigger plans for Elvis than that."

"So you are going to hand everything over to Elvis to run, is that right Father?" asked Tony tersely, his worst fears being confirmed, "What about me? Have I not been a faithful son to you, loyal to a fault for many, many years? I have done all that you have asked of me, no matter what it was without question or comment. Does that count for nothing?! Now Elvis gets everything simply because he had the genetic good fortune to look like your father?!"

Tony couldn't keep the bitterness out of his voice at that.

"You are upset so I will let that pass," said Stefano but there was a warning in his voice that told Tony that it would be the last time, "Elvis and Samantha are going to run the DiMera empire, a DiMera and a Brady, two strong families uniting and creating a whole new legacy. It was what my father wanted and it is at last coming into being. I have groomed my son to take over me from birth. He will be a new force to be reckoned with in the DiMera empire and with Samantha by his side he will be practically invincible."

"Samantha Brady?" asked Tony, the disdain obvious in his voice, "Really Father?"

"Do not underestimate what having the right woman by your side can do for you my son," Stefano counselled him, "I am not as blind as you seem to think about Elvis' short comings but a union with a strong and cunning woman such as Samantha will cause those weaknesses to become strengths, this I know. They are a perfect compliment for one another and will shore up each other's shortcomings."

"So you're telling me that Samantha Brady is Elvis' trump card?" asked Tony, keeping his tone carefully neutral as he processed this new information.

"In a manner of speaking," said Stefano with a familiar waggle of his head before fixing Tony with a certain look, "But that doesn't mean there isn't a place for you Tony. You are a strong man, a man who knows how to get things done and Elvis will need you once I am gone. I want to know that I can count on both of my sons to do what is right by the legacy I leave them."

"You can count on me to do right by the trust you place in me Father," said Tony smoothly and even managed a smile.

"Ah my boy," said Stefano delightedly, patting his cheek affectionately, "I know that my plans have disappointed you Antony but I also know that you are a good and faithful DiMera soldier who will always do what is asked of him. What more could a father want eh?"

"What more indeed Father," said Tony keeping his smile firmly fixed on his face.

"Well I am going to bed," said Stefano with a weary sigh and sent Tony a smile, "I am very proud of you my son for how well you have taken this. I knew I could count on you... always. And I promise you, you will not be forgotten or all your efforts not rewarded. You are my son and will enjoy all the benefits that affords."

With that Stefano turned around and headed out of the room and up the stairs to his bedroom.

"All the benefits apart from taking my rightful place at the head of this empire don't you mean Father?" asked Tony bitterly once his father had gone.

All of EJ's smug predictions had come to pass and that made Tony angrier than he could find words to say. There was no way Tony was going to stand by and let his little brother simply waltz in and take what he'd worked so long and so hard for just because he looked like Santo and happened to be able to bed Samantha Brady.

"Well then this changes a few thing little brother," muttered Tony, his face hardening, "I guess when you return to town the gloves will be off."

Tony gave a smirk then.

"Oh no," he chuckled to himself, "I've already done that and I'd hate to repeat myself. I guess it is time to change tack a little."

Tony shoved his hands in his pocket and looked into the fireplace thoughtfully.

"Enjoy your time away with your beloved Samantha Elvis," he said with a self satisfied smile as a devious plan came to him, "Because once you are home again I can promise you that everything will be different."

Tony paused again, enjoying a moment's anticipation of things to come.

"_Everything."_


	8. Chapters 76 to 88

**AUTHOR'S NOTE****: **Okay longwaytohappy, this one is for you, some chapters for your weekend – enjoy 

**FATED**

**(Chapters 76 - 88)**

**Chapter SEVENTY SIX - To Dream The Impossible Dream**

The best thing about dreams is that fleeting moment,

When you are between asleep and awake,

When you don't know the difference between reality and fantasy,

When for just that one moment you feel with your entire soul that the dream is reality,

And it really happened.

_~Anonymous~_

_Sami closed her eyes and tilted her head back, enjoying the feel of the warm sun on her face. A soft, salty breeze tussled the hair around her face lightly. She opened her eyes and smiled, walking down the last few steps of the sandy beach until her feet were in the clear water. Sami wiggled her toes contentedly in the wet sand, feeling the ocean water lapping at her ankles, languid, teasing caresses and gave a contented sigh. There was only the noise of the lightly breaking waves on the shore and her own breathing for a long moment until there was the sound of something approaching. She turned her head, squinting down the beach to see what it was. Sami instantly could make out the figure of a man on a horse galloping towards her at a mad speed. _

_Sami's smile widened at the sight and turned to face the oncoming man and beast. They galloped right up to her, stopping just in front of Sami. The horse snorted hot air from its exertions, dancing with happy excitement from being allowed to run at full speed for awhile. Sami lifted a hand and patted his velvety nose and was rewarded with another noisy snort. _

"_Hello Jellybean," she said quietly, enjoying the feel of his softness under her hand. _

_The horse pricked its ears to hear his name and shook his head, his chestnut mane flying everywhere as he did. There was definite recognition in his dark brown eyes as he made an excited little horse noise at seeing Sami._

"_He saw you off in the distance and just insisted on coming to say hello," the man on the horse spoke._

"_Is that right?" smiled Sami, resting her cheek against the horse's broad cheek and looking up at the man._

"_So don't I get a hello too?" he teased her._

"_Hello EJ," she said huskily, taking in how good he looked shirtless and just wearing faded blue jeans that had been worn so much that they fitted his shape effortlessly. _

"_Hello Samantha," he returned with a little smile and took his time taking in her bikinied appearance with a sarong wrapped casually around her hips. _

_Sami felt her nerves tighten as his gaze heated her more than the sun ever could._

"_Would the lady like to go for a ride?" he asked her throatily._

"_She would," smiled Sami, moving away from Jellybean's head and taking the hand EJ offered her. _

_He swung her effortlessly up onto Jelly's back with the one hand and suddenly the entirety of Sami's front was pressed up against EJ's long, naked back and she revelled in the feeling of how hard and muscled it was, forcing her softness to yield to it. Jellybean began walking back up the beach at a casual pace and his gait caused a wonderful, rolling friction between the two of them. EJ hadn't bothered with a saddle for Jellybean, only having a bridle so Sami had to hold on tightly to EJ and made sure her breasts rubbed continuously his back. She'd always ridden in front when she and EJ had been on Jelly together in the past and as much as she loved having his arms and legs around her Sami was finding the reversal of the positions to be very satisfying as well. _

_She let her hands that were linked around EJ's waist drop lower, down to the front of his jeans as Jellybean walked along and found that he was enjoying the ride as much as she was. Sami rested her cheek against his back and revelled in the feeling of his warm skin against hers. She became lost in the moment and it was with some surprise that Sami realised they'd stopped at last. She loosened her grip on EJ as he easily dismounted from Jellybean and held his arms up to her, indicating she should do the same. Sami took the offered help and slide down off the horse's back, looking around._

"_You bought me back here," she smiled up at him._

"_I have happy memories of you and me at this lagoon," he told her throatily._

"_So do I," said Sami and knew she was blushing. _

"_This was where I tasted you for the first time," said EJ huskily, putting a hand to Sami's neck and fanning his fingers along its length. _

_Sami's blush deepened at that but her body instantly reacted to the memory. _

"_I want to taste you again," said EJ huskily, moving his hands to her hips. _

"_Yes," said Sami breathily, wanting that too, so badly. _

_Jellybean had taken himself off then, wandering down to the water's edge and drinking his fill, leaving the two lovers to their own devices. EJ kissed her then, slowly and deeply, as though they had all the time in the world. _

"_I miss kissing you so much," sighed Sami happily when he at last broke the kiss, "I wish it could be like this always."_

"_It can," EJ told her, his hands moving up and down her almost naked back and making her shudder, "If you'd let it sweetheart."_

"_It's not that simple EJ," she said quietly, a feeling of hopelessness washing over her._

"_Don't be sad," he implored her, seeing the change in her expression and kissing the tip of her nose. _

"_Then make me happy EJ," she said with a sultry look up at him through hooded eyes, determinedly banishing any thoughts of consequences._

_A smile came to EJ's lips then at her request. _

"_Yes ma'am," he purred, ducking his head and beginning to kiss his way down Sami's neck. _

_She tilted her head to one side to grant him better access to the sensitive skin and Sami felt his hands go to the tie of her sarong that was slung low around her hips. The thin cotton dropped to the ground leaving Sami only in her black bikini now. As EJ's mouth progressed lower down Sami's body his hands found their way up under her bikini bottoms and began to massage her bare backside. His mouth was at last her breast now and Sami felt her nipples peak in eager anticipation of his touch. _

_Sami couldn't stop her hands going to EJ's head as he drew one hard bud into his mouth through her the material of her swimsuit. She felt the material of her bikini top immediately become soaked as he suckled at her teat and Sami was torn between wanting his talented mouth to stay exactly where it was for a little while longer and wanting him to move lower yet again. She pushed her breasts forward, wanting more of herself in his mouth but EJ stayed at her peaks, teasing and playing with them almost too hard until Sami thought she was going to just melt into a puddle from what he was doing to her. Her world began to spin, sensation rioting through her body as Sami felt one of EJ's hands begin to work its way to the front of her pants and held herself in tense anticipation of what was about to happen next. _

"_Door," mumbled EJ around a mouthful of her breast._

"_What?" asked Sami distractedly, forcing the eyes that had slid shut as soon as he'd started to open? _

"_Door," EJ repeated and this time he took his mouth from her breast, much to Sami's disappointment. _

_She frowned then realising he was referring to the knocking sound she could hear off in the distance._

"_You should answer it," EJ informed her, straightening up and rather disappointingly removing his hands from her body._

"_No," she said in agitation, her dream starting to fade as the knocking became more insistent, "NO!"_

But it was too late and the intrusion had shattered the illusion and Sami found herself waking up, however reluctantly, leaving EJ, the lagoon and his talented mouth to their own devices. Sami opened her eyes and propped herself up on her elbows and made a noise of absolute frustration.

"Damn it!" she growled and groaned, "It was just getting good!"

Sami glared at the door, blaming it for being knocked on and disturbing what was about to be a very good dream. She still felt the throbbing between her legs of unrealised passion and could feel her body's shameless response to her fantasies. Even as a dream EJ could get her wetter than any other man ever had... damn him!

"I should have drugged myself while I was at it," she muttered to herself only have joking, knowing she wasn't going to be getting much rest tonight if those dreams persisted.

Sami got off the bed and straightened down the red dress she was still wearing before answering the door. She'd gotten back from EJ's room, wracked with guilt that she'd done what she'd had to him even as he was telling all and asking for there to be a new trust between them. Sami had come back to her room and lay down on the bed, trying to sort out all of her jumbled thoughts. At some point Sami realised she must have fallen asleep for the lovely Ara Caman dream to have happen but now reality was rudely knocking on her door. She supposed it was housekeeping, they kept wanting to know if she wanted an extra blanket and couldn't seem to convince them that she didn't.

"Fine!" huffed Sami, her hand on the door as she flung it open, eager to get rid of them so she could maybe try and get back to her dream, "Give it to me then!"

Sami's face froze in a picture of horror then as instead of housekeeping standing there it was an unimpressed looking EJ.

"Hello Samantha," he said calmly, leaning against the door frame in a show of nonchalance that Sami knew was just that a show, "I do believe you have some explaining to do my dear."

"EJ," she squeaked, all the colour draining from her face at seeing him there.

He was wearing black jeans and a black shirt that he hadn't bothered doing up either up properly, his shirt gapping and the top button of his jeans undone. Obviously he'd been in a hurry to get to her room and discussed what she'd done and hadn't bothered with dressing properly. Sami swallowed hard as she faced the repercussions of her actions a little sooner than she'd expected.

"But in light of that last request sweetheart I'm willing to forgo the answer to my questions and do as you ask," he continued on, a devilish little smile coming to his lips as EJ casually straightened up and started to advance into the room.

For a split second Sami didn't know what he was talking about and then realised what she said as she'd opened the door might have sounded.

"But I wasn't... I didn't..." Sami stammered, blushing furiously as she backed up from his predatory look.

EJ stopped then and put his hands on his hips, raising both eyebrows at her enquiringly.

"What's that sweetheart?" he asked her mockingly, "Are you going to try and tell me that you didn't purposely but a mickey in my drink? That it was some kind of accident?"

"Ahh..." Sami's mouth had gone dry and she couldn't think of a single thing to say in her defence.

He'd been trying to come clean with her and she'd drugged him, clearly their timing needed a little work.

"So that is the entire defence's case is it?" asked EJ with a quirk of his lips and started towards her again, "Well in that case if the defence rests than it's the prosecutions turn eh darling?"

Sami gave him a distressed look as he continued to advance on her. She couldn't understand how he was even standing after all the tranquilliser she'd given him. Sami had a vain hope that he might still be a little groggy and she might be able to out manoeuvre him but the burning light in his eye that was currently stripping her naked even as she stood there told Sami that wasn't the case.

"You drugged me," he said accusingly, drawing ever closer and Sami began to feel hemmed in not only by his much greater size but by the sheer force of his presence.

"I had to EJ!" she said hurriedly, stopping in her reversing when she felt the bed come up against the back of her legs.

"Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly and Samantha Brady has to have her tricks hmm darling?" he asked her with a challenging arch of his eyebrow, clearly not buying her story.

"You forced me to do it EJ!" she said heatedly, knowing it was a weak argument when all she had to do was show a modicum of self control and it wouldn't have even been necessary.

"Forced you?" repeated EJ, almost laughing at that, "So you think I forced you eh Samantha? Well I tell you what sweetheart, let me show you what that word really means."

"EJ," said Sami hesitantly, looking up at him wide eyed as he came to a halt less than a foot from where she was standing.

"Strip," he ordered her, holding her gaze steadily.

"EJ!" she gasped, her heart immediately beginning to race wildly at the command.

"Strip or I'll strip you myself," he told her, the look on his face told Sami that he wasn't kidding, "And I can't promise you what that pretty dress of yours will look like once I'm done if it is left up to me."

"I don't want to," she whispered even as her body heated rapidly from the inside out.

EJ leant right in then at her protest, his lips brushing her ear as he spoke then.

"_Liar."_

The single word vibrated through Sami and to her shame she knew it was true, closing her eyes against how badly she wanted this.

"It's time you suffered a few consequences of your actions Samantha," he told her, his lips still at her ear, EJ's hot breath teasing the delicate flesh and making her skin goose pimple helplessly.

He straightened back up then and regarded her with an unwavering gaze.

"Strip," he repeated and his tone brooked no further argument from her.

Sami knew she didn't have the strength to deny him, finding him hard to say no to at the best of times but there was something about when he was this authoritative that had her undone. She lifted shaking hands to the zip at the side of her dress and slowly began to tug it down. Sami told herself it was the after affects of the dream he'd woken her from that was making her so pliant to his demands but couldn't quite manage to convince herself of that. As soon as Sami's lips had touched EJ in his room she'd wanted this, wanted him again, had never stopped truth be told. Now that he was right there, Sami knew that there was no way she could stand against him now, not when he was looking at her so demandingly with his hot gaze devouring every new piece of skin she exposed to him. The red dress fell to the ground, pooling around her ankles and Sami was left just standing there in her matching red bra and panties.

"Don't you dare," he growled when he saw her move to cover herself with her hands, feeling suddenly self conscious under such close scrutiny.

Sami forced her hands to remain by her side, strangely reluctant to go against him all of a sudden. If she'd drugged him earlier than Sami was certainly feeling the same way now, unable to break free of the force of his will, feeling like she was helpless to obey his every whim.

"Naked," he grunted after taking his sweet time to observe every inch of her pale skin, "Strip naked."

"What are you going to do EJ?" she asked him shakily, knowing full well the answer to that question and feeling her panties become exceedingly damp in anticipation.

"Why I'm going to do what you asked of me when you opened the door and give it to you of course sweetheart," he said almost casually but the uneven quality to his voice betrayed him as did the increasingly obvious bulge in his pants, "Isn't that what you want?"

Sami's heart was pounding so hard in her chest that she could barely breathe.

"Strip," he commanded her yet again and before Sami knew what she was doing she'd done as he'd asked, standing there naked in front of him and feeling incredibly vulnerable and yet unbearably aroused at the same time.

"Get on the bed," he rasped and now there was no mistaking the rawness to his tone as arousal thickened his voice.

Again Sami did as he asked, wondering how she'd ever found the self control against him before now as she lay back down on the bed and looked up at him. She knew her face was a picture of eagerness but didn't care, just wanting to find some relief from the tension that had been growing inside of her ever since that last time they'd made love. She watched him wordlessly as EJ then began to peel his own clothing from his body, quickly becoming as naked as she was. Sami swallowed hard to see how gloriously rigid he already was. They were both intensely aroused by this stage and so far they hadn't so much as laid a finger on each other. EJ certainly knew how to raise the bar when it came to foreplay it seemed. He knelt on the bed beside Sami then and looked down at with a considered look.

"Are you ready to suffer the consequences of your actions Samantha?" he asked her thickly.

Sami thought she knew what he meant and shamelessly nodded her head, needing him now more than any reason that she could think of to put a stop to this. A little smile touched his lips at how expectantly Sami was looking up at him. He suddenly reached over to beside the bed and picked up the phone that was sitting on the bedside table. EJ held the phone out to Sami and she looked up from the bed at him in confusion.

"Call Lucas and tell him you're done," he instructed her, "That you're mine now."

"I can't do that EJ!" said Sami in horror.

"You can and you will," said EJ almost casually, "I'm done playing games with you sweetheart. You started this when you tried to drug me and I'm finishing it. Either you tell Lucas it's over now or I'm going to leave a recording on his answering machine of me taking you roughly and you screaming for more the whole time. I think somehow sweetheart that Lucas will take the news more kindly coming from you... rather than you just coming..."

Sami swallowed hard and trying to see if there was some way that she could talk EJ out of this but his expression told her that it wasn't going to happen this time.

"I don't want to do this EJ," she said shakily, throwing herself on his mercy.

"Please Samantha," said EJ with a twist of his lips and unmoved by her plea, "It's all you've wanted to do since the first time I had you on Ara Caman... admit it."

Sami didn't actually have a defence for that, it was like EJ could suddenly see into her soul and knew every little thought she'd ever had. Sami wordlessly took the phone from him, unable to look away from his sharp dark eyed gaze. She dialled in the number for Lucas' cell phone without breaking eye contact with EJ. Still holding her gaze EJ reached out a finger and trailed it down her body, from the notch in her collar bone, down between the valley of her breasts, over Sami's flat stomach and then lower even still.

"It's... it's ringing," she told him breathlessly and then had to swallow a groan as his finger found its way between her thighs and penetrating her without warning.

"_Hello?" _

"Lu... Lucas," said Sami shakily as EJ began to push his finger in and out of her with a steady rhythm, one her hips responded to of their own accord.

"_Oh hey," said Lucas happily, "I was just thinking about you. I was going to ring you and tell you I was sorry about how I was earlier. I didn't mean to take my frustrations out on you._

"Lucas," repeated Sami unsteadily, barely able to concentrate on what she was saying as she watched helplessly now as EJ suddenly moved again.

She gripped the phone more tightly, completely riveted by him as EJ moved around between her legs, pushing them apart and simply sliding his swollen length into waiting and dripping heat. Sami had to quickly move the phone away from her face as she couldn't stop the guttural noise that EJ ripped from her throat as he mounted her while she was actually talking to Lucas. Sami felt him push as far as he could go into her and she completely forgot anything other than what he was doing to her.

"Finish it," EJ growled, impaling her even more fully onto his engorged member and Sami remembered then that she still had Lucas on the phone.

With a hand that was shaking so wildly Sami could barely press the phone to her ear she answered her name that she could hear Lucas calling out.

"_Sami... Sami?" _

"Yes," she breathed as she felt EJ begin to withdraw from her, bracing herself instinctively for his next possession of her body.

He didn't disappoint, forcing his way back into her body and Sami couldn't help but arch her back accommodatingly as he did.

"_I thought I'd lost you there for a moment," he told her._

"I'm sorry Lucas," she said even as she held EJ's gaze unblinkingly and felt her arousal growing to fever pitch already, "You have... it's over."

"_Wha... what?" asked Lucas in confused horror but Sami was already hanging up on him. _

"It's done," she said, throwing the phone to one side without taking her eyes off him.

"Good girl," he purred approvingly, his dark eyes flaring hungrily at her as he claimed her body fully once again, "Now that wasn't so hard now was it?"

She shook her head wordlessly at him, too far gone now for any real coherent thought especially when EJ settled over the top of her more fully, capturing her mouth in a series of ardent kisses as she hooked her legs over his, allowing him to open her up to him totally.

EJ suddenly broke the kiss and withdrew from her body, going back to kneeling between her legs. Before Sami could protest the sudden loss she felt his hands on her hips and he was flipping her over onto her stomach. She went to go up on all fours, thinking that was what he wanted from her but EJ pushed her down on the bed so that she was lying flat on the mattress.

"Like this," he said roughly and Sami felt his hands pushing apart her backside cheeks and then he was mounting her from behind now as she lay there and immediately starting to ride her hard, his body lying over the top of hers completely.

"God but I love how tight you are like this!" grunted EJ excitedly, picking up his pace inside of Sami and all she could do was give an answering groan of exhilaration in return at being filled so completely by him.

There were no words for how much Sami loved being taken like this by EJ so she didn't even try, letting her choked sobs tell EJ exactly what he was doing to her. Sami clawed at the sheets in delirious pleasure as EJ plundered her depths relentlessly even as he held her in place with his weight pressing down on her. He kept finding new angles to penetrate her at and Sami didn't know how it was that she was enduring this much exquisite sensation. She felt his hand move between her and the bed, slipping down her body until he was at her already heavily distended nub and to Sami's absolute ecstasy he began to rub it energetically for her even as he continued to penetrate her deeply with rapidly increasing vigour.

"Yesss!" she hissed excitedly, really at his mercy now and loving every moment of it, "Oh god yes EJ, don't stop!"

Sami could feel herself beginning to bear down on his marauding hardness, knew that her release wasn't far from finding her. She was almost crying in gratitude about that fact, not knowing how she'd managed to last this long already with all that he was doing to her.

"You need to answer the door," EJ suddenly panted in her ear.

"Wh... what?" asked Sami dazedly, unable to think past how close she was to finding her peak right then.

"The door," he prompted her, his voice almost hoarse from his frantic exertions inside her.

Sami blinked blearily as the weight of pressing down on her abruptly disappeared and she realised that she was face down on the bed alright but most definitely alone.

"You are _kidding_ me!" she groaned in despair as she fell victim to yet another incredibly vivid dream.

Sami pushed herself up on the bed and looked over at the door with nervous trepidation.

"Who is it?" she called out, wondering if this was yet another dream within a dream because Sami was beginning to doubt that she could any longer tell fantasy from reality.

"Housekeeping Miss Brady," came the woman's reply, "Would you like an extra blanket at all?"

Sami groaned loudly and dropped back face down onto the bed.

"Crap," she mumbled into the mattress in frustrated distress, "Crap, crap, crap."

**Chapter SEVENTY SEVEN**** – ****Reaping What You Sow **

While we are free to choose our actions,

We are not free to choose the consequences or our actions.

_~Stephen R. Covey~_

EJ came slowly awake, his brain trying to tell him something wasn't right. He forced incredibly heavy lids open and grimaced against the bright orange type light all around him. He propped himself up on his elbows, realising that he was on the floor for some reason. EJ looked around to see a pair of legs in black high heel shoes. He followed the length of the legs upwards and gave an unhappy groan at what he saw.

"_Mornin' poodle," said Sam chirpily._

"What happened?" groaned EJ, rubbing his face with one hand, "I feel like I've been hit by a truck."

Sam took a seat on the sofa beside where EJ was lying on the ground. She put her elbows on her knees and her face cupped in her hand and looked down at him happily.

"_You were," said Sam conversationally with a bright smile, "One driven by Sami. I like that girl so much, she's just so very feisty. You know when I think about it she reminds me of me in a lot of ways."_

EJ blinked then, looking at Sam a bit askew, trying to clear his fogged brain and then it finally came to him what must have happened last night.

"She drugged me!" said EJ in disbelief, slowly sitting up and shaking his head in an attempt to clear it.

"_Yup," nodded Sam smugly, "You should have seen yourself, it was hysterical. It was like watching a giant red wood being felled in the forest. It was all I could do not to yell out 'timber' at the top of my lungs!"_

EJ ignored her glee at his expense and pulled up the covers, looking underneath the sheets.

"I'm only in my boxers," he announced, dropping the sheet back down and looking at Sam, "Did Samantha undress me?"

"_Aha," nodded Sam cheekily, "But that was only the beginning. After that she…"_

Sam stopped then pursing her lips.

"She what?" asked EJ, sitting up straighter and looking very interested now.

"_I don't think I should say," Sam mused thoughtfully, "Female solidarity and all."_

"You're not a female," said EJ in aggravation as Sam held out on him when he was just desperate to hear what Sami had done while he was out to it, "You're an extension of my psyche. That makes you a man."

"_Well for a guy I have a pretty impressive rack," said Sam knowingly, jiggling the same at him. _

"Stop that!" he ordered her with a frown but didn't exactly look away.

"_Made ya look," Sam teased him._

"So what did Samantha do last night?" asked EJ, at last forcing himself to look into her eyes.

"_Wouldn't you like to know my candy badger?" she teased him coyly. _

EJ shook his head at in annoyance at her teasing.

"I can't believe she drugged me!" EJ repeated in shock, still trying to get it to sink in and more than a little put out by the fact, "Samantha drugged _me_!"

"_Oh please," snorted Sam, poo poohing his outrage, "You love it when that girl plays rough with you."_

Sam's eyes dropped to the rather telling tenting situation going on underneath the sheets as EJ lay there, propped up on his elbows.

"_Apparently," she said with a knowing smirk. _

"It's just a morning thing," said EJ grumpily, grabbing a cushion and putting it over the bulge of in his sheets.

"_I very impressive morning thing sugar butt," said Sam with an arched eyebrow and suddenly straddled him as he lay there, "And I say waste not want not!"_

"Stop that!" grumped EJ, trying to push her off him but Sam was surprisingly strong for an apparition and EJ couldn't get her off him.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" asked EJ moodily, giving up and leaving Sam astride him.

"_Depends Elvis," said Sam thoughtfully, "Are you going to let me ride you like the last bull at the rodeo?"_

"No," said EJ shortly, glowering up at her.

"_Then I'm going to have to say no to your request as well," said Sam smugly. _

EJ did not need this; he was already in a less than chirpy mood at finding out what Sami had done to him and the missed opportunity of where last night could have led if he hadn't ended up passed out on the floor.

"I don't need your help, I can remember without you!" said EJ defiantly and his brow creased in concentration as he tried to recall what had happened last night between himself and Sami.

He remembered her coming to his room, Sami rather ironically challenging him about drugging the drinks, the toasting and then talking to her about why he'd originally came to Salem. EJ remember being in the middle of a plea to Sami that they should start again and build some trust between them and then after that it was all totally blank up until waking up on the floor just then.

"_Are you thinking or constipated?" asked Sam, tilting her head at him and taking in his intent expression_.

"If you're not going to help me than why don't you buggar off?" asked EJ moodily.

"_You'd miss me too much if I left," said Sam confidently._

"And yet it's a risk I'm willing to take," said EJ sourly.

"_I can't go yet," said Sam, unoffended, "We have to debrief about last night."_

EJ looked up at her as she still straddled him with a glimmer of hope that Sam was finally going to come through for him.

"_Okay," she said brightly, "How about I debrief you first and then you can do me?"_

Her hands then went to find EJ's boxers under the sheets and EJ realised she was taking a very literal interpretation of that term.

"Would you stop that!" he said in aggravation, batting her hands away.

"_Do you want to do me first?" asked Sam innocently, sitting back and wiggling around on top of EJ, "Help yourself and feel free to use your teeth if you want my love éclair."_

"That's it!" snapped EJ and finally managed to haul Sam off his stomach and stand up.

He swayed badly as he did the abrupt action and had to grab hold of the back of the sofa for support.

"_Oh careful," said Sam and almost sounded solicitous until she continued on cheekily, "We don't want all that wood to come crashing down again."_

"You're not helping," growled EJ, putting a hand to his throbbing head, "I've got enough problems right now, why don't you just get the hell out?"

"_You, my little Oreo flavoured iguana, are not a morning person," observed Sam a little huffily at EJ's continued belligerence._

EJ looked at her in frustration, still massaging his temples as he realised that Sam wasn't going to tell him what happened between himself and Sami last night.

"Stupid subconscious," muttered EJ unhappily at being gypped of a memory of some kind of intimacy with Sami even as he continued to struggle to remember what happened.

Clearly he must know on some level because Sam did and Sam was in his brain after all. Unfortunately EJ just couldn't bring it to the front of his consciousness and remember it for himself.

"I'm going for a shower," he said moodily and began to gingerly make his way towards the bathroom.

"_Good idea," said Sam, sounding very chipper, "Everything is better when you're wet... well, that's always been my experience anyway... maybe guys are different."_

Her only answer was a grunt as EJ took himself off to try and regain some feeling of normalcy. Twenty minutes later EJ was back and feeling a little better as he ate some toast and tea that he'd had room service deliver for him. Sam watched him eat and could see that he was still in a mood and tried to make him feel better.

"_Cheer up Elvis," she said brightly, coming to sit beside him on the sofa, "Isn't today when you get to catch up with Geraldine again?"_

"Yes," said EJ and actually smiled then, "It is. I've made arrangements for later on this morning to go and pick her up. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to seeing her again. I've missed her so very much."

"_Yeah but the big question is how Sami is going to take to her," said Sam giving him a pointed look, "After all Gerry features pretty hugely in your plans for you and her. Not that she knows that at this point of course."_

"It's Geraldine not Gerry," he corrected her pointedly, "And what isn't there to love about her?"

"_I don't know," shrugged Sam, "Sami seems like the jealous type. I don't think she is going to take competition for your affections too kindly."_

"It will be fine," said EJ dryly, "At the moment introducing Geraldine to Samantha is the least of my problems. I still have to work out how I'm going to handle last night."

"_Yeah," nodded Sam thoughtfully, "You cocked it up pretty badly."_

"I did?!" exclaimed EJ, "The woman drugged me! How am I at fault here! I've got a good mind to go right over there and make Samantha pay for that little stunt she pulled last night!"

"_Well I suppose our girl did poke the bear," mused Sam, "I guess she can't be surprised that now the bear wants to poke her now."_

"That isn't what I meant," said EJ in annoyance, scowling at her.

"_Oh really?" said Sam sceptically, "How else were you going to make her pay other than with a serious ravaging? Make Sami write out a hundred times 'I must not drug the lying bastard trying to get into my pants by fair means or foul?'"_

"Excuse me!" said EJ loudly, "I am not the bad guy here! I was coming clean with Samantha, telling her everything when..."

"_Oh please!" snorted Sam, "Pull the other one, it plays Jingle Bells!"_

"I was!" said EJ indignantly, "I told her why I came to Salem, my father's wishes..."

"_Yeah, yeah," scoffed Sam, "All very interesting but I didn't hear any talk about surveillance cameras or Tic Tacs for birth control in amongst your 'heartfelt confessions' Elvis."_

"I was getting to it," he hedged defensively.

"_Oh bollocks you were!" said Sam and gave him a challenging look, "Who do you think you're trying to kid here? You had no intention whatsoever of telling Dr Narcotics the whole truth. You and I both know that you were only planning on telling the parts that you could put your spin on!"_

"I was not spinning anything!" said EJ defensively.

"_Oh please you were a spinning top on a rotating stage while taking a spin class Mr Spin Me Round Round Baby Right Round Like a Record!" said Sam derisively. _

"I don't know if it is the drugs or what but you are making even less sense than usual," said EJ flatly.

"_If anything I'm making a little too much sense for you," said Sam defiantly, crossing her arms in front of her scantily clad chest, "By only telling Sami the bits of the truth that suit your purposes you are manipulating her as much as you ever where! This supposed confession of yours last night was a sideways move at best!"_

"I'm trying to do the right thing here!" protested EJ.

"_The right thing for you; is what you mean I think," Sam challenged him, "How can it be that you still don't get this Elvis? You're still putting your needs and agenda before Sami's and it's doomed to failure I tell you!"_

"So what are you saying?" asked EJ tightly, "If I don't come clean completely with and risk her shutting me out of her life permanently once she hears what I've done then there will be more disasters along the lines of the drugging last night?"

"_Sami drugging you was the only positive thing that came out of last night," said Sam in exasperation, "Just how thick are you Elvis? I mean at this rate you'd have to borrow IQ points to be a sandwich!"_

"Even you can't think having a woman drug you is a positive sign in a relationship?!" growled EJ.

"_Of course it is," said Sam with a roll of her eyes, "Why do you think she did it in the first place?"_

"Because... because she didn't trust me I suppose," frowned EJ, unhappy to think that.

"_No you idiot," she scoffed at him, "She did it because she didn't trust herself! You've never given her any reason to think that you'd do anything to her that she didn't want you to do so the only reason Sami went ahead and drugged you was because she didn't trust herself not to want you to!"_

EJ looked at her in slowly dawning comprehension.

"Oh my god you're right!" exclaimed EJ, suddenly looking very pleased.

"_If you could remove the element of shocked surprise in that statement that would be swell," said Sam mockingly, "I keep telling you Elvis, all this stuff I'm telling you is gold. Why you aren't writing it all down I'll never know."_

"So right about now Samantha is probably feeling pretty guilty about what she did," EJ mused, his eyes lighting up as his brain finally whirled into gear.

"_I suppose," shrugged Sam._

"This could work in my favour," said EJ thoughtfully, "With Samantha feeling at fault about what she has done, particularly considering I was going for the higher ground and all then she might be in a more agreeable frame of mind. I can use her guilt to help in getting her to agree to my proposal."

"_Mmm, healthy," commented Sam dryly at EJ's plans._

"I'm merely using what I've got," said EJ with a frown at Sam's censure.

"_So what's the plan peanut brittle thighs?" asked Sam with interest, "Rock up on Sami's door and tell her to pack her bags, she's going on a guilt trip?"_

"It's not a guilt trip," said EJ in annoyance and then looked at her in consternation, "Peanut brittle thighs?"

"_Something nutty that I'd like to get my teeth into some day," said Sam, fluttering her eyelashes at him._

"Am I ever going to be rid of you?" asked EJ in quiet exasperation.

"_I dunno," shrugged Sam, "I can't see myself going anywhere too soon with how badly you're handling all this. You need my help something fierce."_

"If you want to be helpful then tell me about last night," said EJ aggrieved, "Did Samantha..."

"_Help herself to a little of the all you can eat Elvis love buffet?" filled in Sam sweetly._

"Yes," said EJ through gritted teeth at her turn of phrase.

"_Hm," said Sam thoughtfully, "I don't think you're ready for that piece of information just yet Elvis."_

"You are worse than useless to me," announced EJ dourly.

"_That's not true," pouted Sam, "And to prove you wrong I'll come and help you out when you visit your little pharmaceutically inclined girlfriend."_

"The hell you will!" growled EJ, "You're staying here!"

"_But..." Sam went to protest but EJ was already heading towards the door. _

"Stay!" he said, pointing an imperious finger at her.

"_Party pooper," she said petulantly as EJ closed the door behind him and started to make his way to Sami's room on the next floor. _

EJ knew this was a particularly delicate conversation he was about to have and he needed desperately to get it just right for the next part of his plan to work. He had a lot riding on this weekend and to say that it hadn't exactly gone completely to plan would be somewhat of an understatement. EJ was at Sami's room now and he took a moment to compose himself, deciding a certain nonchalance was called for in the circumstance particularly as the offhand way he'd been treating her this weekend had certainly seemed to be ruffling Sami's feathers. EJ decided that continuing in that vein would be the best way to go for the time being. He knocked on the door then and waited for her to come to the door.

"Hello Samantha," said EJ calmly when she answered, leaning on the door frame and tilting his head at her with an air of feigned coolness, "I do believe you have some explaining to do my dear."

Sami gave an audible gasp before all the blood drained from her face and she just fainted dead away on the spot in from of him.

"Samantha!" said EJ in shocked surprise, immediately straightening up and all thoughts of playing any games with her leaving him as he rushed to her side.

"Samantha!" her repeated her name urgently as he pulled her into his arms, cradling her to him.

Sam poked her head around the corner and looked into the hotel room, clearly ignoring his orders to stay out of this and shook her head at him.

"_What did you do Elvis?" she tutted, shaking her head at him and giving him a censuring look. _

EJ looked up at Sam and then down at the still unconscious Sami in his arms and had to wonder the exact same thing.

**Chapter SEVENTY EIGHT**** – ****The Proposition**

Life is either a great adventure or it is nothing.

_~Helen Keller~_

Sami rolled out of bed the next morning, groaning at how badly she'd slept. Her entire night had been plagued with dreams of EJ and she was more exhausted now then when she'd gone to bed the night before. Her hope had been that she'd wake up with a clear head, ready to do battle with EJ over what she'd done the night before. It had all seemed a perfectly reasonable plan at the time but in the cold light of day Sami didn't feel as certain as she once did. It didn't help that the dream about EJ throwing her on the bed and taking her roughly from behind as a punishment for her misdeeds kept on playing relentlessly in her head.

She gave a little shiver at the memory and wondered if her dreams were not going to be so far off the mark when it came down to it and Sami tried not to want that. The more she pushed him away the more Sami was realising that she wanted to do the exact opposite. It was like the harder she pushed him away the more she wanted EJ. It was hopeless and the only chance she had was getting back to Salem and somehow trying to put some distance between herself and EJ.

The knock at the door told Sami her room service had arrived. She pulled on a robe and walked over to answer it, still distracted by her thoughts. She was exhausted and light headed from not having eaten yet that day and just hoped that after breakfast she'd be feeling a lot more in control of herself and everything else. She was just so frazzled and at her wits end about how to get herself back under control when it came to EJ. Sami was very stressed about what kind of mood EJ was going to be in when she saw him again that she could hardly think straight. She should at least have some time over breakfast to collect herself. When she swung open the door it was to again find not who she expected standing there though and Sami felt her all the blood drain from her face.

"Hello Samantha... it looks like you've got some explaining to do my dear."

Sami gasped at hearing the exact same words come out of EJ's mouth as he stood there leaning on her doorway, just as she'd dreamed. A sudden rush of vivid memories tore through her and Sami felt all the blood leave her face at the shock of it all before the whole room began to spin and then there was only darkness.

oooOOOOooo

EJ's heart was pounding away painfully in his chest as he held Sami in his arms, intensely worried about why she would have just fainted dead away like that.

"_Maybe she took some of the stuff she doped you up with?" offered up Sam, leaning over the two of them, "Ohh... how Romeo and Juliet of her... or Pamela and Tommy Lee."_

"You don't suppose Samantha is pregnant and that is why she fainted?" asked EJ and felt a surge of happiness at that thought.

"_She wouldn't even be two weeks gone Elvis," said Sam dismissively, "Women don't faint when they are less than two weeks pregnant."_

EJ gave her a look as she imparted that information.

"_What?" asked Sam a little huffily, "I was paying attention when you read that pregnancy book... unlike you who were obviously just checking out the dirty pictures."_

Sam paused then and gave him a cheeky look.

"_Okay," she admitted with a grin, "I was totally checking out the dirty pictures as well but I'm a female, we can do two things at once."_

EJ shook his head in exasperation at his unhelpful helper but his attention was diverted back to Sami as she began to stir in his arms, her eyes flickering open and looking up at him dazedly.

"What... what are you doing EJ?" she asked him shakily, obviously confused as to why he was holding her.

"_Not being unconscious hon," said Sam knowingly, "You might want to try it."_

EJ frowned and tried to determinedly ignore Sam and her wise cracking observations.

"You fainted Samantha," said EJ and loosened his hold on her as Sami struggled a little in his arms.

"I did?" she asked, looking bemused as she sat up.

"How do you feel now?" asked EJ with a little frown.

"Fine," said Sami quickly and stood up, EJ moving to help her, "I guess I just need some breakfast."

"_A likely story," said Sam knowingly as she went and sat on the bed, bouncing up and down on it as EJ and Sami stood together by the door, "That was a guilt faint if ever I saw one."_

"A guilt faint?" repeated EJ, forgetting himself for a moment.

"No it wasn't," said Sami hastily, colour suddenly coming to her pale cheeks, "What would I have to be guilty about?!"

EJ arched an eyebrow at her and gave Sami a pointed look.

"I'm going to assume that you think the drug you gave me last night was also going to affect my memory of events Samantha for you to make a statement like that," he said dryly, "I think you have plenty to be guilty about."

"Well I'm not," she said defiantly but couldn't quite meet his eyes.

Sami gave him an uncertain look then, obviously trying to work out his mood.

"I suppose you're mad at me?" said Sami, squaring off against him.

"Well I must admit to waking up less than happy this morning," said EJ with a quirk of his lips.

"_That's not true," interjected Sam cheerfully, "A part of you was happy this morning... very, very happy if I remember correctly."_

EJ gritted his teeth and did his best to ignore her. He wasn't sure why she was still there, having never had her around when he was talking with someone before. EJ could only assume his brain was still a little under the weather from the drugs Sami had given him and that was why his subconscious apparition was being annoyingly persistent.

"Can I ask just what exactly was the drug you used Samantha?" he asked her, wondering if he'd perhaps sustained permanent damage in some way and tried not to think what his life might be like with Sam as a fixture in his life every minute of every day.

It didn't bear thinking about really.

"It was some of Lucas' painkillers," admitted Sami, "I don't remember the name."

"Well they certainly did the trick," said EJ ruefully, "And I suppose I have you to thank for being made so comfortable Samantha?"

EJ paused then, knowing it was a vain hope that she'd tell him exactly what she'd done but he thought he'd throw it out there anyway.

"You looked uncomfortable," said Sami, looking away.

"It's pronounced unconscious my dear," said EJ mockingly, "I looked unconscious."

Sami squirmed a little under that observation and EJ continued on smoothly.

"But that isn't why I came to see you," said EJ calmly.

"It's not?" asked Sami in surprise.

"No," said EJ evenly, "It's not. I have to go and pick up Geraldine today..."

"Geraldine?" frowned Sami at the unfamiliar name, "Who is Geraldine?"

"I've told you all about her Samantha," said EJ, keeping his face carefully neutral, "She is the great love of my life. The one who captured my heart totally."

Sami's frowned deepened and EJ couldn't help but enjoy the sudden look of jealousy on her face.

"_Oh my god but you're a child," said Sam in disgust from where she was now stretched out on the bed, flipping through a magazine of Sami's, "Tell her already will you, I'm not getting any younger over here you know!"_

"You've never mentioned this Geraldine person before EJ," said Sami and looked very unhappy about the fact he was now.

"Of course I have Samantha," said EJ easily, "You've just forgotten."

"I'm sure I'd have remembered you talking about 'the great love of your life' somehow EJ," said Sami flatly, folding her arms in front of herself.

"What's the matter Samantha?" he said with a little smile, looking down at her teasingly, "Jealous?"

"Bored actually," said Sami sweetly, "Get to the point EJ. What's Geraldine got to do with me exactly?"

"Everything," said EJ warmly, "I want you two to become good friends."

The expression on Sami's face told EJ is was going to be a very remote likelihood of that ever happening.

"So I've got to go out in an hour, collect her and drive her back here," continued on EJ, "I thought you two could get to know each other because I'm rather hopeful that the three of us are going to be spending some quality time together very soon."

"Why would I want to spend any time with you and your latest hoochie mama EJ?!" snapped Sami angrily, "I'd rather have all of my fingernails pulled out one by one!"

"Oh but Samantha you misunderstand," said EJ looking his most innocent, "Geraldine is the name of my sports car that I've had shipped over from England. Remember, I was telling you about her at dinner the other night, just before the great shoe culling of 2009?"

"You're talking about a car?!" asked Sami in disbelief and to EJ intense pleasure, relief.

"Geraldine in not just a car Samantha," said EJ happily, "She is a 2002 XK-series Jaguar and quite the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

"You sound like you want to marry the thing," said Sami with a twist of her lips.

"Ah would that I could Samantha, would that I could," he smiled down at her.

"So why is it so important that I see this car of yours EJ?" asked Sami with an arched eyebrow.

"_Apparently Elvis likes for things he regularly takes a ride in to get along," commented Sam from the bed, now looking through the in house movies list._

EJ determinedly ignored that comment and moved to answer Sami who was looking at him expectantly.

"Why don't we have some breakfast together and we can talk Samantha?" asked EJ with a charming smile.

"Why would I want to do that EJ?" she challenged him.

"Well some might argue that you owe me a few minutes of your time after your little stunt from last night," said EJ calmly, "I'm curious Samantha, did you drug me because you didn't think I could keep my hands off you? Or was it that you didn't think you could keep your hands off me?"

Sami gave him an angry look at that but didn't answer him.

"Samantha there were things I didn't quite get around to finishing saying last night due to extenuating circumstances and I don't think it is an unreasonable request of mine to be allowed to finish them now," said EJ almost casually which he could see was confusing to Sami, "We will be in the restaurant downstairs, in a public place, so you needn't be concerned with anything untoward happening at all."

"Alright," she said begrudgingly, "I'll meet you downstairs in fifteen minutes."

"Very good," smiled EJ, "We'll just be going then."

"We?" asked Sami in confusion.

"I mean I," EJ corrected himself hastily as he realised he'd inadvertently referenced Sam in that statement who was now standing behind Sami and smirking up at him, "_I'll_ just be going then."

EJ gave her a determined smile then and turned around and walked out the door he'd come in hand stood out in the hall.

"_Smooth," noted Sam mockingly, "It's probably a good idea on your behalf, play the mentally unstable pity card early on and build on that."_

EJ just gave her a dark look, conscious of not being caught talking to himself in a hotel corridor.

"It's complicated," muttered EJ under his breath.

"_Yup, you and Sami are up there with the great love stories of all time alright," said Sam mockingly, "Romeo and Juliet, Heathcliff and Cathy, Hansel and Gretel."_

"Hansel and Gretel were brother and sister," said EJ in exasperation, forgetting himself and replying.

"_Oh," said Sam in surprise, "Kinky."_

oooOOOOooo

Sami watched EJ nervously as he collected some fruit from the buffet table wondering what had to tell her. His reaction to the events of last night had not been what she'd expected at all. She'd expected him to be mad but he only seemed mildly put out at best. Sami knew she should have been relieved and happy about that but it seemed to her that EJ was losing interest in her and that should have made her happy too but it didn't. Every man she'd ever known had lost interest in her eventually and for a brief shining moment Sami let herself believe that EJ was different but now it seemed like he wasn't. Mind you, she'd told him over and over that this was what she wanted and now it seemed like he was listening at last so she really had no one else to blame but herself.

The talk of Geraldine had unnerved Sami earlier. She'd been focusing so much energy on trying to get over EJ and move on she hadn't stopped to think what EJ might do on his side. Geraldine had just turned out to be his stupid car but Sami knew for certain that if EJ didn't want to be alone for long than he wouldn't be and the thought struck painfully at her heart. She didn't want EJ being with someone else and she knew that was unreasonable. Circumstances made it so that they could never be together but that didn't mean she wanted him to be with anyone else.

"Those look like serious thoughts," commented EJ as he came and took a seat across from Sami, "Care to share at all?"

"I was just thinking about all the work that following up this weekend will be," Sami lied quickly, "It will be huge but more than worth it."

"I agree," nodded EJ, picking up a slice of cantaloupe and chewing on it thoughtfully, "This weekend has been an unqualified success... apart from a minor hiccup or two."

EJ gave Sami a pointed look at that last comment.

"Why aren't you mad about what I did?" asked Sami in confusion, still trying to work out this new EJ.

"Would you like me to be?" asked EJ mildly.

"No," said Sami sharply, "I was justified."

"You know that is what I've always admired about you Samantha," said EJ with a little smile, "Your almost pathological ability to convince yourself of any truth that suits you at the time."

"I hope you don't expect a thank you for that compliment," said Sami flatly, her unhappy musings not putting her in any kind of good mood as she chewed on a croissant.

"At this point I don't expect anything from you Samantha," said EJ calmly.

Apart from a brief aberration just before EJ went down for the count and he called her 'sweetheart' he was still managing to call her by her name only and Sami couldn't believe how much she missed the endearments from him.

"I do however have a proposition," said EJ and then held up a finger before she could protest, "As I said in your room Samantha, you did drug me so the least you could do is hear me out please."

"Okay," said Sami after thinking about that for a moment, "Go on then, what is your proposition EJ?"

"You remember me telling you about there being lost letters between Santo and Colleen?" he asked her, looking at Sami expectantly.

"Sure," nodded Sami.

"Well I've gotten a lead and it turns out that they ended up in the hands of a priest," said EJ, "The story goes that he hide them away in his church, never to see the light of day."

"Okay," shrugged Sami wondering what this had to do with her.

"So I thought that seeing as we are in the neighbourhood you and I could duck across and get them?" suggested EJ.

"Look EJ," said Sami with a sigh, "I know you think that they might hold the key to ending stupid vendetta your father has against the Brady's but I just don't see how exactly."

"I don't either," said EJ truthfully, "But it may come clear once we are able to read the letters. I don't know, I can't explain it other than I feel like those letters are calling to me, like my grandfather is desperate for me... for us to read them and know the truth. Samantha you can't tell me that you haven't thought about those letters and wonder what passed between Santo and Colleen."

Sami bit her bottom lip and frowned. The truth was that she had been wondering about those letters ever since EJ had told her about them. It was so strange to think of Colleen and Santo and their doomed love, especially when she and EJ had such a freakish similarity to them.

"So where is this church exactly?" asked Sami, thinking that EJ had said they were in the neighbourhood so maybe it wouldn't be out of the question to go and get them while they were in LA and satisfy her curiosity.

"Mexico," said EJ evenly.

"Mexico?!" repeated Sami in shock, freezing halfway with the forkful of eggs she was about to put in her mouth, "How is Mexico _in the neighbourhood_ to Los Angeles EJ?"

"It's more in the neighbourhood than Salem," he pointed out reasonably.

"Just," said Sami incredulously, "You can't be serious? You want me to drive to Mexico with you to some little church and find letters that are supposedly there from dead relatives that we've never even met?"

"That's about the size of it," nodded EJ, "So what do you say Samantha?"

"I say you are insane EJ!" she said hotly.

"Sorry Samantha," he said straight faced, "I'm still a little groggy from last night. Is that Samantha speak for yes or no?"

"No of course!" said Sami sharply, "I can't drive to Mexico with you EJ! And even if I did and then what exactly?"

"I thought we could just keep on going back to Salem," said EJ casually, "That was why I wanted you to met Geraldine and get acquainted. We can find the letters, Geraldine can stretch her legs and get her bearings and we'll see a bit of this grand country of yours. I promise you Samantha it will be a very comfortable trip."

"How far would that even be?" asked Sami in disbelief, having never dreamed of covering that kind of distance before in a car.

"About four thousand kilometres, give or take," said EJ, "That's about twenty five hundred miles to you yanks."

Sami's eyes widened at that.

"I'm not driving two and a half feet with you EJ let alone twenty five hundred miles!" exclaimed Sami, "That will take forever!"

"I'm thinking a week," said EJ, "I'll navigate us some short cuts and you'll be back home in good old Salem before you know it."

"I can't be gone a week EJ!" said Sami in horror.

"Why not?" asked EJ calmly, "It's not like you've got anything pressing waiting for you back in Salem."

"There is Lucas," Sami reminded him pointedly.

"I said pressing not depressing," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "I'm sure Lucas will still be the annoying little twit that he always was once you get back."

"I have nothing to wear," said Sami quickly, ignoring his dig about Lucas, "I only packed for an overnight stay."

"Oh please," said EJ with a little laugh, "You bought two large suitcases with you this weekend. I've worked out your system Samantha. You back a week's worth of clothes for a weekend, a month's worth for a week and I shudder to think what you would pack for a month away. I'm thinking you'd simply move into a department store of where ever it was that you were going."

"You're a laugh riot EJ," said Sami dourly, "But that doesn't change the fact that I can't possibly go away with you to Mexico."

"Why not?" asked EJ innocently, "I mean, we cleared the air last night didn't we? At least from what I can remember of it so why should you hesitate to come with me to retrieve letters that involve both of us to perhaps end a sixty year old feud between our families? A lot of blood has been spilt on both sides and I think it would be nice if our children didn't have to grow up with that hanging over their heads."

"_Our_ children?" said Sami sharply, feeling her stomach twist nervously at the thought of her and EJ having a child together.

"I meant the children I have one day and the children you have of course," said EJ smoothly and again Sami felt that stab of pain at the thought of EJ moving on to some other woman.

EJ leant over the table then, looking at her intently.

"Look Samantha," he said and sounded so sincere, "I accept that you've made your choice and I'm not it..."

"You have?" asked Sami and to her horror there was real disappointment in her voice when she did.

"Of course," said EJ easily, "Your happiness means everything to me and you've convinced me that Lucas is the one that is going to make you happy."

"Oh," said Sami weakly, "Ah... good."

"Haven't I been a perfect gentleman this whole weekend?" he asked her intently, "I haven't done anything untoward at all this whole trip... unlike you who felt compelled to drug me."

"You can't make me feel bad about that EJ," said Sami defiantly although she did feel terribly about what she'd done, especially as EJ had been so easy going about it all.

It made her feel like a silly child for even thinking up such a thing but it had seemed like a good idea at the time somehow.

"So how about it?" asked EJ with a little smile, "Up for a little road trip adventure so we can delve into the annals of the past?"

"I can't EJ," said Sami quietly and feeling real regret at refusing him, "It's just impossible."

EJ pursed his lips and Sami braced herself for a fight but again he surprised her.

"Very well," EJ sighed, appearing to accept her decision, "But at least let Geraldine and I drive you to the airport this afternoon eh?"

There are certain moments that you look back in life and wonder what if and Sami was about to have one of those moments.

"I don't think so," said Sami flatly, pretty certain that any time spent with EJ in a confined space would be a mistake, "I'll take a taxi."

"But you hate taking taxi's," pointed out EJ reasonably, "You say they smell of wet feet."

"The good ones do," grumbled Sami who really wasn't a fan.

"So I'll drive you," offered EJ again, "You'll meet Geraldine, it will be a lovely little jaunt out to the airport and I can promise you that Geraldine does not smell of feet."

"I don't know," hedged Sami, thinking how much she enjoyed riding in luxury cars, it was somewhat of a vice of hers.

"I tell you what Samantha," said EJ, reaching into his coat and pulling out his wallet and digging around in it for a moment, "I'm always happy to let fate to decide my future, how about we flip for it?"

He held up the quarter he'd scrounged out of his wallet for her to see.

"Heads I'll drive you, tails you'll catch a cab?" he suggested.

Sami hesitated, knowing she shouldn't be doing this but not stopping herself.

"I want to be heads," she said defiantly and then made certain to check out the coin that it wasn't a trick one which made EJ give a little laugh.

"Satisfied?" he asked her with a quirk of his lips after her inspection of the coin, "So heads you'll take a cab and tails I'll drive you then? Are we agreed?"

"Alright," nodded Sami, "It's a deal."

EJ smiled and then flipped the coin, both of them watching it tumble up into the air, Sami holding her breath...

**Chapter SEVENTY NINE – Come Fly With Me**

Self-sabotage is when we say we want something and then set about making sure it doesn't happen.

_~Alyce -Selby~_

Sami watched as EJ took her luggage from his car and wrinkled her nose in annoyance.

"You rigged that coin toss," she said accusingly and not for the first time either.

"How Samantha?" asked EJ wryly, "You saw that it was a perfectly normal coin, as was the one that you supplied and tossed yourself after demanding a do over. A do over mind you that yielded the exact same result."

"It was bad luck," scowled Sami.

"It was fate," corrected EJ calmly.

"If you don't shut up about that it will be fate that I beat you to death with my suitcases!" said Sami in annoyance.

She didn't know why she was so upset with EJ right then. After all he hadn't made any kind of move on her the entire weekend and even though he'd suggested the Mexico trip he hadn't push at all, seeming to accept her decision. So now Sami was getting what she wanted, to go home to Lucas so there really was nothing to be annoyed about really. But she was, violently so.

"I'm going to have to take that threat seriously with the weight of these suitcases," said EJ, tongue in cheek, "You've never really grasped the concept of travelling lightly have you Samantha?"

"If they are too heavy for you EJ I'll carry them," offered up Sami sweetly.

"No, no," said EJ easily, "You're short enough as it is. I don't think we need to weigh you down anymore Samantha."

"You're so funny EJ," said Sami tightly.

EJ just smiled at that and then turned back around to address his car.

"Alright my darling," he said, giving the car an affectionate pat on the hood, "Daddy won't be long. Be a good girl now won't you?"

Sami rolled her eyes at the display and once again marvelled over what was it with men and their cars. She also felt yet another surge of unhappiness as the car was treated to EJ's affectionate endearments when Sami was still left waiting. It was ridiculous to be jealous of a car but the unwanted emotion reared up in her as she saw the way EJ was looking at and talking to the vehicle.

"Isn't she lovely?" gushed EJ, looking back over his shoulder at the silver car as he picked up her suitcases and they began to walk out of the parking lot and towards the check in area of LAX, "I can't believe how wonderful it is to drive Geraldine again. You know I think I'd actually forgotten how lovely she is, if you can believe that."

"Yeah yeah," said Sami flatly, "She's a peach."

EJ looked at her with an arch of an eyebrow.

"Didn't you enjoy the drive to the airport Samantha?" he asked in her in surprise.

"It was alright," said Sami grumpily.

It had been more than alright actually but she wasn't prepared to tell EJ that. The rich purr of the finely tuned motor that had the feeling of understated power as the car just glided along. Sinking into the luxurious leather seats and just feeling like you were gliding along on a cloud had been very, very nice and something she could easily get used to but Sami was damned if she was going to admit to any of that. EJ didn't comment on that, just kept pace beside her annoyed little scurrying steps easily. Sami made a beeline for the check in counter as soon as they were in the terminal.

"Hello," she smiled at the woman behind the check in desk, "I'm sorry, I'm a bit late."

She handed the woman her ticket and the check in attendant smiled back at her. She had auburn hair with startling green eyes and a smattering of faint freckles across her nose which her perfectly applied make up didn't quite hide but which seemed to only add to her attractiveness anyway. The woman tapped away at the keyboard and then made a regretful face.

"Oh I'm sorry Ms Brady but that flight is fully booked," said Sami in horror,

"How can it be?" asked Sami in horror, "I'm not on it?! And I've got a ticket!"

"You're meant to be here an hour before check in Ms Brady," she reminded Sami gently but firmly.

"So?" said Sami with a bit of a shrug, "I figured everyone would have checked in already and it wouldn't take me long to just go through at the end."

"There are reasons why we ask people to check in earlier Ms Brady," said the woman with a slight note of censure in her voice, "As it turned out today there was heavy smog earlier today and flights were delayed and held over. We had a lot of people stranded so we've been filling up all the spare seats on planes to try and clear the back log."

"What?!" squawked Sami, "You're kidding me?! But my seat wasn't spare, I've got a ticket!"

Sami waved it wildly around in front of the woman to demonstrate her point.

"But you weren't here for check in at the proper time," said the woman patiently, "So we gave your seat to another passenger."

"You can't do that!" said Sami in disbelief.

"We'll refund your ticket Ms Brady," she said, "But unfortunately it is already done."

"I don't want a refund I want to get to Salem!" said Sami hotly, feeling her dislike of this calm, too perfectly groomed woman growing.

"I am terribly sorry but there is nothing I can do about it," she smiled serenely, "Now if you don't mind stepping to one side Ms Brady so I can serve the next customer?"

"Yes I do mind!" said Sami, taking the frustration she'd been feeling all weekend out on the other woman, "I need to get to Salem! Don't you have another flight I can be transferred to?"

"Unfortunately no," said the woman with a calm smile, "The last flight to Salem today is fully booked."

"But..." Sami was about to burst into a full rant when EJ took her elbow and began to steer her away from the desk.

"Thank you," he smiled politely at the other woman.

"Can you believe this?!" asked Sami angrily, jerking her arm away from EJ as he pulled her to one side.

"It is unfortunate," mused EJ calmly.

"They gave my seat away because of smog," she said, still grappling to believe it and then glared up at EJ who was looking very innocent to her all of a sudden, "I bet you organised this whole thing somehow EJ!"

"I organised smog?" asked EJ in bewilderment, "Really Samantha? I mean certainly I let Geraldine idle for a little bit after I bought her back to the hotel and I will admit to using the air conditioner briefly this morning but I think it's a bit harsh to suggest I was the cause of all the smog in LA today."

Sami pulled a face, knowing he was right but not willing to admit it. It was just that everything seemed to be going wrong in her attempts to get back to Salem and it was very hard to believe that EJ was as innocent as he was trying to make out.

"This is a disaster," said Sami hopelessly.

"Let me try," offered EJ and then waited for a break in the line so he could speak to the check in attendant again.

He moved to stand in front of the woman and gave her a brilliant smile.

"Hello..." EJ paused and squinted at her name badge, "Wendy is it?"

"That's right," smiled the woman and Sami immediately saw the interest in the other woman's eyes and couldn't stop her feelings of dislike continue to grow.

"Do you know that name was first coined in the Peter Pan story for the heroine of the piece?" asked EJ with a smile, "Wendy Darling."

The woman's smile widened at EJ's attentions and Sami made a gagging noise behind him at the display.

"It's alright," said EJ easily as the woman looked past him to see an unimpressed Sami, "Unfortunately my friend here suffers from Tourrette's. Such a tragedy in one so young and beautiful."

Sami scowled at him and his back handed compliment.

"So Wendy Darling," said EJ smoothly, his voice rich and particularly lyrical to Sami's ears which she didn't appreciate one bit, "My friend here has just informed me she has been bumped off her flight to Salem due to a double booking and the smog problem and I was wondering if you'd be able to work a little magic for her and find a place for her on the last plane to Salem today?"

"It's fully booked," said Wendy again but this time sounded truly regretfully, checking her screen and obviously trying to please EJ.

"Ah yes Wendy Darling," said EJ charmingly, leaning closer to her over the counter in a conspiratorial fashion, "But there is fully booked and there is fully booked isn't there? Now I know that it's the habit of most airlines to keep a seat spare just in case a pilot or an employee needs to use it. Now what say that we just sneak my friend on instead eh? She doesn't take up much room and I can't tell you what it would mean to me."

Sami snorted again at EJ's shameless charming of the woman and rolled her eyes so much that it actually hurt. Wendy looked at her again and then back at EJ in confusion.

"It's the Tourette's," EJ reminded her, "Uncontrollable tics and noises are unfortunately a curse they have to live with."

"Will you stop saying that you jerk!" growled Sami unhappily, "If you don't shut up about tics I'm going to make that suitcase a permanent part of your anatomy!"

"Oh," EJ grimaced and feigned concern, "It looks like we're going to have to adjust the dosage of your meds again Samantha."

"Why you..!"

"I can get your friend on the last plane into Salem," Wendy interrupted her and looked at Sami worriedly, obviously concerned about upsetting her with her 'condition' and Sami just wanted to smack both her face and the amused one of EJ's so badly that her palm actually ached.

"Well Wendy," said EJ delightedly, "It looks like you really are a darling."

He winked at the other woman then who simpered and Sami couldn't take it anymore. She was so jealous in that moment she didn't allow herself to think just react.

"Oh please!" said Sami in disgust, "Give me a break!"

"Aren't you going to thank Wendy Darling for being so accommodating?" asked EJ innocently.

"Don't you mean _nauseating_ for falling for that line?" asked Sami in annoyance.

"Samantha I'm only trying to help you," said EJ calmly which only made Sami more annoyed and frustrated.

"Since when?!" she snapped and then eyed him suspiciously, "And what is with this sudden rush of yours to get me out of LA? What are you up to EJ?"

"But you wanted to leave," protested EJ in exasperation.

"I did until I saw how eager you were for me to go!" said Sami unreasonably.

"Then stay Samantha," said EJ, rolling his own eyes then.

"I'm not staying!" exclaimed Sami, "That is just what you want me to do and you can forget it mister!"

"Oh for heaven's sake!" said EJ as their conversation circled around again, "Go, don't go, I don't mind what you do. I just want to make you happy."

"Do you know what would make me happy EJ?!" she asked him, her voice starting to become louder and she was so upset at him for his supposed flirting with the other woman that she didn't even notice the attention she was beginning to attract, "What would make me happy is to have a pack of rabid wolves set on you and dismember you slowly and painfully!

EJ's eyebrows arched in mild amusement at Sami's carry on but Sami wasn't done yet.

"Then I'd keep your head to use as a vase so that when people come over and ask me about it I can tell them that I've finally found a use for you!" continued on defiantly, annoyed that EJ wasn't looking more perturbed by her threats.

"Excuse me miss," said a voice from behind Sami.

"WHAT?!" she snapped, turning around to be faced with a man in the uniform of airport security.

"I need you to come with me," said the man, holding her gaze without blinking.

"I'm in the middle of something here," frowned Sami, "Can't it wait?"

"No," said the man flatly, "Now are you going to come with me quietly or are we going to have a problem?"

"Am I under arrested?" asked Sami in horror, "What for?!"

"Making threats in an airport is unacceptable behaviour Miss," said the security guard, his face set into a hard expression.

"It wasn't my fault," said Sami quickly, pointing an accusing finger at EJ, "You can't arrest me for _him_ being a jerk!"

"No he wasn't," interjected Wendy into the conversation and batting her lashes at EJ, "He was being very lovely in fact."

"Why thank you Wendy Darling," smiled EJ at her, clearly enjoying himself now, "It's nice to know someone appreciates me."

Sami saw the looks the other woman was giving EJ openly now and it made her grind her teeth together in frustration. She may have told EJ that they couldn't be together but that didn't mean he was free to go off and pick up the next floozy who crossed his path either! Not that EJ was exactly doing anything per se but he knew full well as Sami did that just a smile and a kind word from a man like EJ was enough to send most women falling at his feet and Sami was having none of that!

"That's just an act!" said Sami, her voice starting to rise, "And what the hell do you know anyway _Wendy_?!"

"And now you're being abusive to a staff member," said the guard, taking a firm grip of her arm and starting to lead Sami away.

"EJ!" said Sami in horror, "Do something!"

"Like what?" asked EJ wide eyed.

"Like stop this!" she bit out.

"But I'm not doing anything," pointed out EJ reasonably, "It's all you Samantha."

"You're coming with me," said the guard, tightening his grip on her.

"But... but I've got Tourette's!" cried out Sami, starting to realise that she might actually be in some real trouble here, "I can't help it and your victimising me over it! EJ tell them!"

"She doesn't have Tourette's," said EJ straight faced and gave Sami a censuring look, "And I think it's very poor form on your behalf to make light of people who are afflicted by such a terrible disease Samantha."

"I am going to _kill_ you!" she yelled at him, so angry now at his toying with her that she could barely see straight.

"Right," said the guard and took out a pair of handcuffs, quickly cuffing Sami.

"EJ!" she screeched as things continued to escalate from bad to worse and she looked to EJ to help her out.

"Don't worry sweetheart," called out EJ cheerfully, "I'll catch you up."

"You are the biggest pile of...!"

Sami's next words were rather fortunately muffled by the elevator door closing but there was no doubt that her sentiments weren't going to be kind ones.

oooOOOOooo

EJ watched the elevator doors close on Sami and couldn't help but feel a surge of joy wash over him. It was painfully obvious that Sami was insanely jealous of Wendy and that was why she'd lashed out as she had and the realisation did things to EJ that he had no words for. The way her eyes had flashed death at him when she'd seen the clear interest the other woman had given him had been a thing of beauty. It was easy to get disheartened sometimes with the progress or lack thereof with Sami so it was very nice to have tangible proof that he was as much under her skin as she was under his.

EJ had no interest in Wendy but liked Sami's reaction to the thought that he might. It really did amaze him that Samantha thought that another woman would hold the slightest of interest to him but then that was what a life time of feeling like she was in her sisters shadow did for you he supposed. It made him more determined than ever to show her just exactly how loveable she really was, by the right man of course which was him.

"Your friend seems to be a bit of a handful," said Wendy choosing her words carefully but obviously pleased to have EJ all to herself now.

"I know," grinned EJ, turning to face her, his eyes shining, "And I'm going to be marrying that handful very soon if all goes to plan."

"Oh," said Wendy and she didn't bother to hide the disappointment on her face, "I didn't realise you were together."

"Either does Samantha sometimes," said EJ with a little self deprecating laugh.

"It's just that she seems a little..." Wendy trailed off, clearly struggling to find a polite term to describe Sami right then.

"Crazed?" asked EJ with a quirk of his lips.

"Yes," admitted Wendy, wrinkling her nose.

"I know," sighed EJ blissfully, "It's simply glorious isn't it?"

Wendy looked back at EJ with an expression that told him that wasn't the word she would have used but EJ didn't care. It was like everything was falling into place for Samantha and himself. He didn't know how this all going to play out but EJ had this strange sense of calm settle over him that fate wouldn't let him down.

"Well I'd better go and rescue the damsel in distress," said EJ cheerfully and smiled down at Wendy, "Thank you Wendy, you'll never know how helpful you've been."

"You're welcome," said Wendy and then gave him a coy look, "And if things don't work out then you know where I am..."

"They'll work out," said EJ with great conviction, "Our love is written in the stars Wendy."

With that EJ gave her a playful wink and went off to retrieve Sami from her fate.

"I wish someone would rescue this damsel in distress," sighed Wendy heavily under her breath as she watched EJ stride purposely towards the elevator that Sami had disappeared into.

**Chapter EIGHTY**** – ****Hit The Road Jack**

About the only time losing is more fun than winning is when you're fighting temptation.

_~Tom Wilson~_

(American actor, writer and comedian)

Sami squirmed on the hard metal chair she'd been given to sit on, finding it hard to get comfortable. The situation wasn't helped by the fact that she was actually handcuffed to the chair. She looked up as EJ walked in through the door of the little holding room she'd been placed in.

"How did I know that you'd look incredibly sexy in handcuffs?" asked EJ playfully, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

"You're just loving this aren't you?" she asked bitterly, her mood having not improved any in the last forty five minutes.

"I'm not hating it," admitted EJ with a grin, "It's one way to pass a Sunday afternoon."

"This is ridiculous!" growled Sami, "I can't believe that they think I'm any kind of threat to anyone!"

"Nowadays they have little to no sense of humour about such things Samantha," said EJ calmly.

"And you'd do well to remember that," said the security guard that had detained her, coming in behind EJ.

"It was a joke," said Sami in exasperation as EJ just stood there, calmly looking on and not saying anything.

"You think threatening to dismember someone is funny?" asked the guard flatly.

"It depends who it is," grumbled Sami with a pout, giving EJ a death look, still having not forgiven him for the way he'd flirted so shamelessly with that Wendy woman, "What took you so long anyway EJ? Had to untangle yourself from that red haired hussy long enough to remember I still existed! I've been sitting her for nearly an hour while you were doing whatever it is you do with cheap women you pick up in airports!"

The security guard looked between Sami and EJ and sent EJ a sceptical look.

"Are you sure you want her released into your custody Mr DiMera cause she seems like more trouble than she's worth?" he asked to which Sami gave an outraged gasp.

"Ah love is blind," smiled EJ, enjoying himself immensely at this point.

"It would need to be deaf and dumb too with this one," said the man knowingly.

"I'm sitting _right here_!" growled Sami and then realised what the man had said.

"Wait," she said in bemusement, "What did you say just then?"

"I said I'm releasing you into Mr DiMera's custody on the understanding that you both leave the airport terminal now," said the security guard, giving her a hard look, "You can go."

Sami looked at EJ, perplexed by this sudden about face.

"I... I can?" she asked, having expected that to be a lot harder for some reason.

"Is that a problem?" asked the guard with an arch of an eyebrow.

"No... no," said Sami hastily, "I'll get the first flight to Salem and I'll be out of your hair, believe me."

"You're not flying anywhere today," said the guard shortly, "Or for a while. You've been flagged."

"What does that mean?" scowled Sami.

"It means that you are persona non grata when it comes to flying in this country thanks to your behaviour earlier," said the man calmly.

"For how long?!" asked Sami in horror.

"Until we say so," said the man flatly.

"But..." Sami went to protest but EJ quickly stalled her.

"Thank you Officer Tremaine," said EJ smoothly, "You've been most understanding and helpful. We'll just be going now."

"Collect your suitcases on the way out," grunted the officer as he removed Sami's handcuffs.

"We will," nodded EJ with a charming smile, "And again, thank you."

"You're welcome," he said and then looked down at Sami before looking back at EJ and shaking his hand, "Good luck."

Sami frowned at the implication that she was the reason EJ might need good luck.

"And you," said the man, fixing Sami with a warning look, "Behave yourself."

EJ ushered Sami out of the room before she could give voice to the outrage on her face over that statement. They walked along the corridors; EJ knowing the way back out into the terminal, collecting her suitcases along the way.

"What happened?" she asked him, grabbing his arm as they walked, "Why can I go all of a sudden?"

"You're lawyer vouched for you and basically sorted it," he informed her.

"My lawyer?" she repeated in confusion, "I don't have… oh no, EJ you didn't?!"

"Didn't what?" he asked her innocently.

"Did you pretend to be my lawyer to get me out of here?" she asked in horror and then groaned, coming to a halt, "When they find out you're not a lawyer we are both going to be in jail!"

"I am a lawyer," said EJ calmly, stopping as well and putting down her suitcases to face Sami.

"No you're not," she dismissed him, her brows furrowed as she thought furiously about how to get them both out of this mess he'd just made even worse for them.

"Yes," said EJ in mild amusement, "I am."

Sami looked up at him and made a decidedly unladylike snort.

"Yeah," she said sarcastically, "And I'm an astronaut. Be serious EJ, you're not helping!"

"Samantha," said EJ mildly, "I went to Cambridge remember?"

Sami stopped then and looked at him a little uncertainly.

"What did you think I was doing there?" he asked her in growing amusement, "Taking pottery classes?"

"You never said anything," said Sami accusingly, "You said you raced cars for a living!"

"And I did," EJ said simply, "But I did it with a law degree from Cambridge. I do work for my father and I set up most of the legal stuff with Mythic as well."

Sami just looked at him in disbelief at this new piece of information.

"How could I not know that?" she asked faintly.

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me Samantha but there will be plenty of time for you to find them all out during our drive to Mexico," said EJ with an easy smile, "So come along, we'll just go back to Geraldine and..."

"I'm not going anywhere with you EJ!" said Sami hotly, finally starting to realise the spot she was in but not going down without a fight.

"Then how are you going to back to Salem?" asked EJ patiently.

"Your private jet," said Sami, suddenly remembering, "I can fly back in it!"

"It's out of the country and will be until the end of next week," said EJ and almost managed to sound regretful about that fact.

"Then bring it back," said Sami stubbornly.

"You want me to recall the jet from Italy, inconveniencing some business associates of my father, fly all the way to LA just to take you to Salem and then fly back again?" asked EJ wryly.

"Yes," said Sami defiantly but knew it wasn't going to happen when he put it like that, "Fine! I'll take the bus."

EJ laughed openly at that suggestion.

"Somehow you don't seem like a bus kind of girl to me Samantha," he chortled and then shook his head at her, "Now stop being so unreasonable won't you? I'm driving to Salem and you need to get to Salem. The answer seems pretty obvious to me."

"I don't believe this," said Sami faintly, wondering how she'd lost control of the situation so quickly.

An hour ago she was determined that nothing would entice her to take that trip with EJ and now it seemed like she really didn't have any options. EJ seemed to notice her bemusement.

"It seems fate has once again stepped into throw us together," said EJ with a smile, "Fate and your poor impulse control of course."

"This is all your fault EJ!" she raged at him, having nowhere else to put her frustration but at him.

"I didn't make you threaten me in a crowded airport Samantha," pointed out EJ reasonably, "Now then, should you make a quick call to Lucas and tell him of your change of plans or shall I?"

Sami made a dismayed face at the thought of how Lucas was going to react to all this.

"Oh no," she sighed.

oooOOOOooo

"Aren't you hungry?" asked Kate, noticing the way Lucas was picking distractedly at his entre.

"I guess I'm a bit distracted," said Lucas, putting down his fork and pulling a face.

"About?" asked Kate with an arched eyebrow.

"Sami rang and she's not coming home today," said Lucas, sounding dejected.

"Remind me how that is a bad thing darling?" asked Kate mockingly.

"Don't start Mom," sighed Lucas giving her a less than impressed look.

"Alright," said Kate with a roll of her eyes, "So what's the problem, did the little airhead miss her flight?"

"Not exactly," Lucas grimaced, "There was a problem at the airport with them giving away her seat and then when Sami got upset she..."

Lucas paused, not really wanting to give his mother anymore fodder for her Sami bashing.

"It's a long story but basically Sami can't fly," said Lucas shortly.

"What?" asked Kate in disbelief, "Ever again?"

"I'm not sure for how long but certainly not for the next week or two," said Lucas grimly.

"That girl is always in trouble," said Kate with a roll of her eyes, "Talk about attention starved."

"It wasn't her fault," grumbled Lucas, "EJ got her all worked up."

"Yeah he'll do that," said Kate wryly as the waiter cleared the table and set down their main meals.

"I still can't believe you let that snake EJ into your bed," said Lucas with a twist of his lips, looking at his mother disapprovingly over the top of his water glass as the waiter left them with their meals.

"Oh please," said Kate unapologetically, picking up her fork and stabbing at her lettuce, "You're going to be thrilled getting a woman twenty years your junior into your bed when you're my age."

"The only woman in my bed in twenty years time will be my wife," said Lucas firmly, "Sami."

Kate had just taken a big sip of her tonic water then and began to choke at his words.

"You're wife?!" Kate gasped in horror when she could finally speak again, "Why would you buy _that_ cow when you're already getting the milk for free?!"

"I love Sami," said Lucas firmly.

"Oh please," snorted Kate, "You also loved eating dirt when you were a child but you grew out of that as well."

"I'm going to marry Sami Mom," said Lucas determinedly, "So you'd better just get used to the idea. I love her and she's Will's mother."

"Look I've resigned myself to the fact that vicious, scheming little tramp is in my life for the duration because of that little inconvenient truth," said Kate tightly, "And don't think I don't pray every day for some kind of miracle whereby it turns out Sami isn't the mother of Will at all and it's some kind of giant mix up!"

"Mom," sighed Lucas with a roll of his eyes at her theatrics.

"Just don't expect me to burst into song when you talk about marrying that bleached schemer," said Kate curtly, "That woman has bought you nothing but misery and heart ache and how you can even stand to be in the same room as her I'll never know!"

"Sami and I have a complicated history," agreed Lucas hotly, "But it only means that our love is all the stronger for it! We're soul mates."

"Yeah right," sneered Kate in disdain, "I believe that you need a soul in the first place for that to happen and one thing I know for sure that cheap little manipulator doesn't have one or a heart for that matter!"

"You have to get over this Mom," said Lucas angrily, "Don't make me choose between Sami and you otherwise you may not like the choice I make!"

Kate looked taken aback by that and Lucas felt a grim satisfaction at seeing that. Sami had often complained to him that a lot of trouble in their relationship came from his mother and Lucas had only half believed her but what he did know for sure was that his Mom didn't make things any easier between them. He just didn't like having to make a choice between his mother and Sami. He loved them both and just wished they could get along better so he didn't have to.

"So how is your _soul mate_ getting back to Salem then?" asked Kate flatly?

"She's driving," said Lucas half heartedly, still hardly able to believe it.

Sami had rung him earlier and told him the bad news of her not coming home that day and then followed it directly with the even worse news that she'd be driving back with EJ. Lucas hated the thought of them in a car together, spending all that time on the road and especially hated the thought of them staying in hotels together which they'd have to seeing as it would take at least four or five days to drive the distance between LA and Salem. Lucas had argued with Sami to take a bus but knew it was a losing battle.

Somehow Sami had talked him round which seemed to happen more often than not and he'd given her his blessing, begrudgingly. He didn't even know why she'd asked really seeing as Sami had all but decided on going with EJ it seemed to Lucas. She'd been so distracted, blowing hot and cold all the time and Lucas couldn't help but wonder if EJ might be behind it somehow. There was no denying that he unnerved Sami for some reason, like no one else Lucas had ever seen and despite Sami's many assurances that he was the one for her Lucas couldn't help but have that niggle of doubt that just wouldn't go away.

"By herself?" asked Kate in surprise and then suddenly it dawned on her, "Oh no, not by herself... with EJ, of course."

"Why of course Mom?" scowled Lucas unhappily.

"Honey that man has been panting after her from the moment he hit town," said Kate with a shrug, "No accounting for taste I suppose."

"Don't you think I know that?!" snapped Lucas, "But it doesn't matter because Sami isn't interested. He can pant all he wants but it won't do him any good."

"So you're not worried about this impromptu road trip then?" asked Kate sceptically, giving him a considered look.

"I trust Sami," said Lucas firmly and wished he didn't feel the stab of anxiety that he did as he said that.

"Well more fool you," said Kate dryly, "And definitely more fool you if you trust EJ to be a gentleman during that trip."

"He'd better," growled Lucas, his face darkening with jealousy.

He hated the thought of Sami being anywhere near EJ ever and now this had happened and it really didn't sit well with Lucas, no matter the brave face he was putting on for his mother's benefit. It felt like his relationship with Sami was the only positive he had going in his life right then and Lucas didn't want to lose it and especially not to the likes of Elvis DiMera. An anxious feeling tightened Lucas stomach then as he considered his mother's words.

"I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost Sami," said Lucas quietly.

"Well I'd throw a really big part but that is just me," said Kate casually, "Probably something with fireworks."

"I can't lose her Mom," said Lucas, his jaw setting determinedly, "And I swear I'll do whatever it takes to make sure that doesn't happen. Whatever it takes."

oooOOOOooo

Sami suddenly shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself as they drove along in Geraldine.

"Are you cold?" asked EJ solicitously, moving to turn down the air conditioner.

"No," said Sami with a little frown, "It's not that, somebody just walked over my grave is all."

She saw how EJ was looking at her with vague concern then and gave him a determined smile.

"It's nothing," she said dismissively but the feeling of foreboding lingered annoyingly and Sami wrapped her arms around herself more tightly to ward it off.

**Chapter EIGHTY ONE – Cover Me, I'm Going In**

If we are together nothing is impossible.

If we are divided all will fail.  
_Winston Churchill_

Sami walked along beside EJ the next afternoon and snuck a glance up at him as she did. He was looking around happily enough, taking in the sights of the town. It had been just over six hundred miles to San Carlos which was where they were now and EJ had done it in record time. He'd driven late into the night yesterday when they'd left from the airport and had stopped in some town along the way that she couldn't remember the name of for the remainder of the night. As luck would have it there actually been two hotels across the road from each other and Sami had stubbornly insisted on EJ staying in one and she'd take the other. He'd rolled his eyes at her but hadn't argued which Sami found to be pretty disappointing. She'd then sat up almost half the night expecting a knock on the door and EJ to be standing there but it never came. The next morning she'd woken up cranky and tired, something EJ had realised very quickly.

"Why didn't you park closer?" grumbled Sami, adding this to the long list of things she'd already complained about that day.

"I thought after all that sitting down it might be nice to stretch our legs," said EJ easily, taking her mood in his stride as he had done all day.

"You know it wouldn't kill you to ask me about these things rather than just making all the decisions yourself," said Sami in annoyance even though it did feel good to stretch her legs, damn him.

"Of course Samantha," said EJ mildly, "The very next time we drive from Mexico to LA and then roll up to a church that we intend on pillaging for hidden away love letters between two forbidden lovers I'll be sure to consult you more fully."

"You're such a smart ass," growled Sami, looking up at him with an unhappy look on her face.

"Careful," said EJ, pointing to the church they'd just come to a halt in front of, "Remember where we are Samantha."

Sami frowned but couldn't really argue with him.

"So what's the plan?" asked Sami flatly.

"Well hopefully it will be empty so we can have free reign," said EJ calmly.

"And if the priest is in there?" asked Sami, determined to be difficult.

"Then one of us will distract the priest while the other one has a bit of a nosey around," said EJ confidently.

Sami couldn't find something to complain about with that plan so she just nodded and they climbed the stone steps of the quaint little church together. When they opened the doors though it was to find that they had more than just the priest to worry about. The church was filled to over flowing and Sami quickly worked out that they'd just walked in on a baptism. She went to back out again quietly but EJ grabbed her arm and determinedly moved her into the church and sat them up the back on one of the pews.

"What are you doing?" hissed Sami under her breath, "It's a baptism, and we can't stay!"

"Why not?" EJ whispered back, "A church is a public place, now quiet, you're disturbing the service."

Sami scowled at him for being shushed like that but couldn't really make a scene. One last dark look saw her settle down beside EJ and then her attention was caught by the ceremony going on in the front of the church. Sami watched as the priest held up the squeaking little infant in front of the baptismal font and began to speak the blessing which was in Spanish of course. The proud parents stood side by side, their adoring eyes on their child and Sami felt a well of emotion at seeing this hopeful little family during such a joyous time. EJ shifted a little in the pew, half turning towards her while Sami continued to watch the lovely scene in front of her, letting the priest's blessing wash over her even though she didn't know what he was saying. She jumped a little as she suddenly felt EJ's hand on her stomach and she turned to look at him wide eyed at this totally unexpected and intimate touch.

"I think about what our children would look like," he whispered into her ear as his hand splayed out across her stomach and gently caressed her through the material of her dress, "Would they be dark like me or fair like their mother? Would their noses wrinkle when they laugh and have your pretty upturned nose…?"

Sami moved uncomfortably under his touch, his words painting a picture she didn't want to see.

"Do you ever think about that Samantha?" he asked her, his voice low and his breath hot and moist in her ear, "What our babies would look like?"

"No," she said sharply, keeping her voice quiet so she wouldn't disturb the service going on around them but trying to interject as much vehemence into the single word as she could even as she reeled from what he was saying and doing.

"But you will now," he growled, nuzzling at her ear with his nose and she bit her lip, cursing him because she knew he was right.

Sami felt her body respond helplessly to the tone in his voice, a shudder going through her. He'd been playing it so cool now for what felt like forever when in fact it had been less than a week but he'd almost lulled her into a false sense of security but on tender hooks at the same time as to when he was going to make his move. This was not what she'd expected at all from EJ and even though she knew she should be mad at him for taking such liberties her most overwhelming emotion was one of relief.

Sami had really started to entertain the thought that he'd lost all interest in her and if she was truthful that was the real reason for her foul mood all day. It broke her heart to imagine that EJ was over her when she was so not over him that it wasn't funny. She loved him so much which made it easy to make out as though she hated him of course. Sami had all this passion for EJ that she had to put somewhere and as she'd denied them the chance of ever being together there really wasn't anywhere else to go but anger.

The weight of EJ's hand pressing against her stomach was an oddly erotic one, especially considering his throaty words that went with it. This was neither the time nor the place for such a discussion but her body didn't seem to care and Sami felt her nipples harden shamelessly at EJ's touch again after what felt like forever. The heat of his hand radiated out from her stomach and seemed to somehow warm her entire body and Sami didn't know how much more of this she could take.

She determinedly put a hand to his, trying to remove it but EJ stubbornly wouldn't budge, leaving his hand exactly where it was as Sami tried to discretely struggle against him doing just that. In the end she had to give up or risk creating a scene. EJ moved closer to her again then and suddenly his thigh was pressed up against hers as he put his arm along the back of the pew behind Sami. His hand remained in place and Sami's stayed on top of his for some reason, even after she'd given up and began to slowly move back and forth again while with his other hand EJ's fingers brushed against Sami's shoulder in a little circular caress. She felt her nipples bead even harder at his light touches and saw EJ look down at her and then at the tell tale signs of her body's treachery. EJ's arm tightened around her and drew her even closer and it was all Sami could do to keep herself in check and simply not jump on him right there in the middle of the church service! The service finally came to an end and EJ kept her in his arms the whole time. It was only when everyone had filed out of the church and they were alone did EJ loosen his hold on her.

"I guess we should do it now," he said huskily, not releasing her totally but turning more to face Sami.

"W... what?" asked Sami breathlessly, looking up at him wide eyed, her imagination running wild at that statement.

"Look for the letters," EJ prompted her and there was the smallest of smiles on his lips that told her that he knew she'd gone to another place when he'd said that, "That's why we're here after all."

"Of course," said Sami sharply and abruptly standing up, annoyed at herself for being so distracted by him.

EJ stood up as well and looked around.

"So where should we start?"

Fifteen minutes later they were working their way methodically through the church. Both Sami and EJ were currently on their knees, checking under each pew on the off chance that the letters might be taped to the bottom of one of them. EJ straightened up then and put a hand to his back, grimacing.

"This is a shorter man's game," he lamented and Sami had opened her mouth and was about to answer him from where she was crouched way down to look under the pews they were in between when she heard another voice.

"And what game might that be my son?"

She saw EJ's head snap around in surprise and then immediately a charming smile came to his face.

"The kneeling and praying business," said EJ smoothly, getting to his feet and making a subtle gesture to Sami to say where she was, out of sight of the priest.

"We do have cushions to kneel on," pointed out the priest mildly.

"Ah well," said EJ, not missing a beat, "I'm old school, like to press the knees to the stone as it were."

"Were you here for the baptism?" asked the priest eyeing EJ up and down and it was clear that he thought he didn't exactly blend in with the other guests.

"Actually I was just driving through your delightful town and had a hankering to visit a church," said EJ and Sami shook her head at how easily he could lie, he was almost as good as she was, "I hope that is alright?"

Sami began to move along on her hands and knees to get to the next pew and EJ moved then, stepping out from the pews and into the aisle, deftly managing to turn the priest so now his back was to Sami.

"My name is EJ," he said, offering his hand to the other man, "And you are Father...?"

"Cruz," supplied the other man readily, taking his hand, "And of course it is alright EJ. All are welcome in the house of God."

"That is good to hear," said EJ happily.

EJ smiled charmingly at the priest, determinedly keeping the older man's attention fixed on him as Sami crept along the pews and made her way up to the altar behind the man's back.

"So have you been here long Father Cruz?" asked EJ, appearing to be very interested.

"For nearly twenty years now," nodded the Father, "It is my home."

"I suppose it is now," nodded EJ thoughtfully, looking at the man but managing to see Sami start fossicking through the various pieces of furniture up the front of the church, the pulpit, the lectern, the table with all the candles on it.

She looked back at him and shook her head in frustration but then EJ saw out of the corner of his eye that Sami went back to looking.

"Tell me," said EJ easily, "Do you ever regret your choice of profession Father?"

"Being a priest is a vocation," said the man, "A calling and I can say that I've never regretted being called by God into this life."

"That's interesting to hear you say that Father," mused EJ, "Not many men can say they have no regrets for the choices they've made."

"I wouldn't say that I don't have regrets," corrected the older man with a little smile, "Just not about the priesthood. Tell me my son; are you interested in the priesthood in more than just an intellectual way?"

"Well I've certainly considered the priesthood," said EJ straight faced to which Sami stopped her searching and looked at EJ in mocking disbelief and rolling her eyes so hard at that statement it was almost comical.

"We don't hear that as much as we used to my son," said the priest happily, looking down and rooting around in his bible for something.

EJ took the man's momentarily distraction to frown fiercely at Sami and jerk his head at her to keep going. The priest caught him doing that and EJ instantly broke into an endearing smile.

"Sorry," he said smoothly, rubbing the back of his neck and making it look like that was what he'd been doing all along, "Bit of a stiff neck from all the driving, trying to stretch it out."

"And do you have much of drive ahead of you?" asked the priest politely.

"To Salem," nodded EJ, "So about another two thousand miles as the crow flies."

"That is quite the distance," noted Father Cruz, "And are you doing it alone?"

"I like to think that I'm never really alone when you've got love in your heart," smiled EJ, evading a direct answer to that question and looking up at the cross at the end of the church with a suitably spiritual look on his face.

Sami mimicked dry retching at EJ's last statement and for a moment she thought EJ was going to lose it and burst into laughter. He collected himself though so Sami resumed her searching and was now on her knees in front of the lectern. On a strange hunch she pressed against the wood panelling of the well made piece of furniture and it gave a little. She pushed a little harder and it gave way all together, sliding into a cleverly designed slot and revealing a hidey hole that probably hadn't seen the light of day since the priest assigned with caring with the letters had put them in there. Sami pulled out the dusty large yellow envelope and peaked inside, seeing many papers inside. Apparently Santo and Colleen had been prolific letter writers.

"Here is a brochure outlining some details about the priesthood," said Father Cruz, handing EJ the piece of paper he'd pulled from his bible earlier, "It should answer any questions you might have if you are seriously considering such a vocation my son."

"So tell me Father," said EJ, taking the offered brochure and quickly glancing at it, "How are they about that whole celibacy thing, still a goer is it?"

"I believe so," said the priest with a quirk of his lips.

"Ah," grimaced EJ, "That could be problematic. You see I'm insanely in love with this woman."

Sami's heart lurched painfully in her chest at hearing that. He'd been acting so coolly towards her of late that it was a balm to her ravaged and deeply confused heart to hear EJ talk of loving her again. She clutched the newly found letters to her chest and waited for what EJ was going to say next.

"That is a bit of a problem," agreed the priest with a little laugh, "And does this woman feel the same way?"

Sami held her breath waiting for EJ to answer, wondering what that answer would be.

"Now that's the million dollar question isn't it Father?" posed EJ quietly, "One that keeps me awake at night."

Sami had popped her head up over the lectern and bit her bottom lip at EJ's admission. If only he knew how many sleepless nights he was giving her too she thought in anguish.

"Well, not the other night of course," said EJ continuing on and there was a suddenly impish look in his eyes which told Sami that he knew she was listening in, "The other night the love of my life drugged me. I was out cold for the duration."

"No!" said the priest in shock, "Why would she do such a thing?!"

Sami swallowed her cry of outrage at EJ divulging those kinds of details to a priest of all people.

"She has an odd way of showing affection," said EJ, tongue firmly placed in cheek.

"She sounds a little... volatile," offered up the priest hesitantly.

"Well you wouldn't want life to be dull now would you Father?" said EJ with a smile, "And life with this woman could never be called dull. She keeps me on my toes for sure."

"Are you sure it is worth it?" asked Father Cruz sceptically, "It sounds like a lot of hard work to me."

"Nothing worthwhile is ever easy..." said EJ softly and even though his eyes never left the Father's Sami knew he was speaking directly to her, "... or uncomplicated."

Sami couldn't hear anymore of this, she waved the discovered papers around to show EJ she'd found them and then quickly exited the church, finding a side door by the altar. She walked down the side of the church and waited for EJ down the bottom of the stone steps they'd climbed together earlier. Sami was just a chaos of emotion over everything that had gone on in that church, the way he'd touched her, the territorial sound in his voice as he spoke of their children and then the horror of what he'd said to the priest about her. So many emotions warred for a place inside of Sami but when EJ appeared at the top of the stairs after obviously having made his goodbyes to Father Cruz Sami let the most uncomplicated of emotions win.

"What the hell was that?!" raged Sami as soon as EJ joined her at the bottom of the stairs before she grabbed his arm and dragged him to one side.

"What was what?" asked EJ ever so innocently.

"You telling all to the priest like that!" said Sami hotly, her cheeks pinking in embarrassment.

"But Samantha," said EJ calmly, "Confession is good for the soul."

"Only when it's your wrong doings that you're confessing!" growled Sami, "Not someone else's!"

"So you admit what you did was wrong," said EJ thoughtfully, "Interesting."

"The only thing I did wrong was that I didn't use arsenic!" said Sami roundly, mortified by what EJ had just done.

"Are we back to wanting me dead?" sighed EJ in resignation, "Didn't the incident at the airport teach you anything?"

"I never stopped wanting you dead EJ!" bit out Sami in aggravation.

"You stopped the many times I had you on your back and giving you multiple doses of happy... OWWW!" EJ made a pained sound as Sami's hand connected with his cheek and caught him off guard, cutting off what he'd been about to say.

At that exact moment Father Cruz chose to walk around the corner from the side alley of the church and caught Sami letting one fly on EJ's face. He came to an abrupt halt and gave Sami somewhat of a censuring look as EJ rubbed his put upon cheek.

"I take it this is the woman we were discussing earlier?" asked the good Father wryly of EJ.

"The one and the same," said EJ ruefully, still rubbing his cheek.

Sami by now had gone a brilliant red colour and was beyond horrified at being caught doing such a thing by a priest of all people.

"He... he was being mean," she stammered weakly, putting up a very weak argument.

She looked over at EJ who had managed to put an expression of wounded long suffering on his face and it just made her want to hit him all over again.

"My dear perhaps it is time to consider why it is that you are so angry?" asked the priest in an almost fatherly way, "This young man seems to only want what is best for you."

"I was just saying that Father," said EJ and making Sami grind her teeth together at how he managed to make himself sound so reasonable, "All I want to do is make her happy... over and over and again."

Sami knew exactly what kind of 'happy' EJ was talking about then but couldn't say that to the priest of course.

"I'm sorry Father," said Sami tightly, just wanting the man gone now so she could punish EJ properly for the situation he'd just put her in.

"I'm not the one you should be apologising to my dear," said the priest giving a pointed look to EJ who smiled serenely down at her.

"I'm sorry EJ," she said and smiled a smile that would have terrified Satan himself.

"There you go then," said Father Cruz, "Well I'll leave you two young ones to sort this out for yourselves shall I?"

"Thank you Father," said EJ sounding very pleased with himself and then the priest was turning back around and leaving the way he came.

"I'm sooo sorry that I couldn't hit you harder and even more sorry that I didn't hit you lower!" finished off Sami once the priest was out of earshot.

"Now play nice Samantha," tutted EJ but still took a precautionary step backwards just in case.

"You are just the most smug, worthless, annoying..."

"So you got the letters I see," interrupted EJ which is just as well because Sami had planned on that being a long list, "Excellent! What say you and I find a hotel for the night and get down to it eh?"

"If you think that you and I are going to be doing '_it'_ with you after that little performance EJ than you really are as crazy as your last name suggests!" said Sami in disbelief.

"Actually I meant getting down to reading the letters Samantha," said EJ straight faced, "I mean that is the whole reason for this trip isn't it? Besides, your constant death threats against me makes me strangely reluctant to be naked with you. Too many vulnerable bits fully exposed."

"Are you kidding me?!" asked Sami in disbelief once again as EJ began to casually start to stroll back down the street in the general direction of where they'd parked obviously deciding the conversation was over but Sami didn't agree, "You can't keep your hands off me! All you ever want to be is naked with me and sexing me up!!"

Sami finished yelling after EJ who didn't even turn around, simply shoved his hands in his pockets and continued at his unhurried pace. Sami had been so focused on her outrage that she hadn't noticed the people who had come to have their photos taken at the foot of the stairs of the church. She turned around to see the parents of the newly baptised baby standing there, the new born in their arms and grey haired grandparents, aunts and uncles, nephews and nieces all looking at her in varying ranges of horror. Sami died a thousand deaths of embarrassment but managed to find the internal fortitude to bluff her way out.

"Hola," she said with a weak smile to which she only received disapproving looks, "Ahh... Tourette's??"

**Chapter EIGHTY TWO – Once Upon A Time**

What you need to know about the past is that no matter what has happened,

it has all worked together to bring you to this very moment.

And this is the moment you can choose to make everything new.

Right now.

_~Anonymous~_

EJ stood in front of his mirror in the hotel room and looked sightlessly at his reflection. He'd just had dinner alone, Sami rather childishly EJ thought, refusing to join him after what he'd done at the church. He looked down at his hand that he'd placed over Sami's stomach during the service and opened and closed it as it tingled wildly at the memory. EJ didn't know what had come over him because he'd been so controlled around her for a week now. Somehow though, sitting there beside Sami and looking at that young couple and that baby had stirred up so many feelings in EJ and he longed so badly for that to him and Sami. He hadn't been able to stop himself and the feeling of her stomach under his hand made EJ's heart ache with longing for a child with her. The truth was Sami could already be pregnant and it had been with a desperate need he'd prayed that it would be the case in that church today.

Maintaining a front of coolness toward Sami was almost killing EJ. He didn't know how much longer he could hide away his feelings from her because that was the last thing he wanted to do. EJ wanted to scream out to anyone who would listen how much he loved Sami but so far that had done him no good. At least now he could see that Sami was unbalanced somewhat now that he wasn't declaring his love for her every five minutes. For so long now she'd been pushing back against him, so much so it was almost a knee jerk reaction on her behalf but now that EJ had stopped pushing it had left her floundering. Which was all well and good but spending every minute with Sami now on this road trip was really testing EJ's resolve. Right now Sami was in her room and EJ knew he should let it be but he also knew that he was going to be knocking on her door in a few minutes on the pretext of wanting to get started on reading the letters.

"_Well howdy there beaver butt," said a voice from behind him and suddenly EJ felt two hands grab his sweat pants covered backside and squeeze. _

"Oh goody," he said less than enthusiastically as Sam peeked her head around from behind him and grinned up at him in the mirror, "It's you."

"_In the flesh!" said Sam happily, "Well, metaphysically speaking that is."_

"Could you stop calling me those ridiculous names?" asked EJ grouchily, not in the mood, "What the hell is _beaver butt_ meant to mean anyway?"

"_It's because I'd like to get my hands on your nuts," said Sam cheekily and went to move her hands around to the front of EJ's pants._

"No!" said EJ, swatting her hands away, "Stop that and for your information beavers don't eat nuts, that's more of a squirrel thing."

"_Somehow squirrel sac doesn't have the same ring to it," mused Sam and then wrinkled her nose at EJ, "So what do beavers eat anyway smarty pants?"_

"Wood," said EJ distractedly and then realised too late his mistake as a decidedly wicked look came over Sam's face at that piece of information and she opened her mouth but EJ held up a warning finger, glaring at her in the mirror, "Don't even think about it!"

"_I don't know what Sami sees in you," said Sam with a roll of her eyes, "You are absolutely no fun."_

"What makes you think Samantha sees something in me?" asked EJ quickly, turning around to face Sam.

"_Oh please," snorted Sam, "She practically jumped on you in the church! Did you see the high beam action that was going on there when you were touching her?"_

A shudder ran through EJ as he remembered all too well Sami's response to his touch. He hadn't wanted to stop, had wanted to slide his hand between her legs and touch her like he knew both of them wanted. He should be awarded a medal for his self restraint EJ thought dourly.

"I don't want her body," said EJ quietly and then had to qualify that statement when Sam gave him disbelieving look, "I don't want _just_ her body. I want her heart as well."

"_I thought we agreed that you were going to play it cool?" asked Sam wryly, jumping up on the vanity and looking at EJ disapprovingly, "Give her time to come to you. Instead you're feeling her up in a church. That wasn't part of the plan Elvis."_

"I had a momentary lapse," said EJ tightly, "It won't happen again."

"_How can you be so tall and yet manage to be so completely over your head on this one?" mused Sam thoughtfully, "It really is a puzzle."_

"I'm not in over my head," said EJ tersely, "I've got Samantha exactly where I want her."

"_In another hotel room to you hating your guts?" asked Sam with pursed lips, "Although at least she's in the same hotel as you which is an improvement on last night I suppose. At the rate of progress you're making I confidently predict you and Sami will be together just in time to move into a retirement village together. It will be sweet; you can sit on you rocking chairs on the porch and talk about the old days when your bones didn't crumble when you hugged."_

"Your pep talks are woeful," said EJ giving her a displeased look, "And Samantha and I are far closer to being together than you are giving us credit for!"

"_And you base that statement on what exactly?" asked Sam, crossing her arms in front of her chest._

"I don't need to justify the state of my relationship with Samantha to you," said EJ heatedly.

"_You know what?" asked Sam defiantly, jumping down from the vanity and looking up at EJ in annoyance, "Until you can be nicer to me and appreciate me more you're on your own bud!"_

"Finally!" said EJ, throwing his hands up in the air, "Why don't you take your lingerie covered bottom and your trendy psycho babble and hit the road eh? I can take it from here!"

"_You don't deserve me!" said Sam huffily._

"You've got that right!" growled EJ and then suddenly he was alone.

EJ shook his head and wondered if he'd ever truly be rid of his tormentor but put it out of his mind as he walked out of his room and down the hallway to Sami's. He knocked on the door and Sami opened it quickly, almost as though she'd been expecting him.

"What do you want?" she asked him, glaring up at EJ.

"I thought we could get a start on those letters," said EJ mildly, "Now that you've had a chance to calm down."

"Why do you think I have calmed down?!" asked Sami angrily, "You left me to be lynched by a Mexican family!"

"You're being melodramatic," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, thinking how beautiful she looked in her pink pyjamas and her freshly brushed hair.

"You didn't see how they were looking at me EJ," scowled Sami.

"Samantha you'll never see those people again," he said easily, "Let it go. So can I come in now and we can start sorting out those letters?"

EJ could see Sami was torn but then her innate curiosity seemed to win out and she stepped back, letting him into the room. There was nowhere else to sit really so they both sat cross legged on the bed and Sami emptied the contents of the large envelope she had retrieved from the church between them onto the bed. She picked up one and then gave a dismayed cry.

"It's in Italian," she said and then wrinkled her nose, "I think."

EJ took the letter from her and looked at it, nodding.

"It is," he agreed, "It looks like me grandfather wrote his letters in Italian and your great aunt..."

EJ delved through the pile to pick up a letter with different handwriting.

"... wrote in English," he mused, "Interesting, I suppose they were both practicing their languages... or didn't want other people to be able to easily read their letters after they were sent."

"I guess you have to think of these things when you're doing what they were doing," said Sami and there was a definite note of disapproval in her voice.

"Why don't we read the letters and find out exactly what it was that they doing before we pass judgement eh?" suggested EJ calmly.

"How can we?" asked Sami in exasperation, "All of Santo's letters are in Italian!"

"Which I can read," said EJ casually and then gave a little laugh at Sami's surprised expression, "What? Do you really think my father would raise a child that couldn't read and speak his native tongue Samantha?"

"I guess I never really thought about it," said Sami ruefully, "But I guess not."

The two of them then set about putting the letters in order and then began to read them. They read how Santo and Colleen met, how he'd been bought into the church after having been injured in a fight. They read the story of Colleen tending to his wounds and then how Santo had returned to invite her to a picnic to thank her. The letters told of Colleen's uncertainty and worry over accepting the invitation but then they also told of how she'd agreed in the end and that had led to a night time rendezvous where she wore a dress to meet him as he'd asked her to. In that letter EJ and Sami discovered that was the night that Santo had first kissed Colleen and spoken of faraway places.

"They wrote a lot of letters," said Sami quietly, looking at the huge pile that she and EJ had barely made a dent in despite having been reading aloud to each other for the last two hours.

EJ would read Santo's letters, translating from the Italian into English for Sami and Sami would read the ones from Colleen.

"It was what you did back in the day," said EJ thoughtfully and then looked at Sami, "So do you think time for one more?"

Sami nodded slowly and he could see she was as reluctant as he was to stop reading the story between these two. It was oddly intimate going through such personal letters together and EJ was both fascinated and drawn to the two people he was getting to know by their letters. He would have loved to have met them; somehow knowing he would have liked them both, very much.

"I think the next one is from Colleen," he prompted her and Sami nodded again, picking up the next letter that they'd placed in chronological order.

Sami began to read her great aunt's account of what happened next.

oooOOOOooo

_Colleen walked along the well beaten track, knowing it like the back of her hand having walked that track all of her life. Colleen shifted the weight of the basic of the basket of food she was carrying into her other hand, momentarily taking her eyes off where she was walking. _

"_C__iào__ Colleen." _

_Colleen gave a surprised star at the man's voice and she stumbled a little, making herself drop the basket she was holding, bread and potatoes rolling out onto the ground. She immediately went down on her knees and tried to retrieve everything that had escaped._

"_Oh scusi," said Santo, immediately going down on his haunches to help her, "I did not mean to scare you Colleen."_

"_Den why are ya lurkin' in da bushes like dat!" said Colleen feeling her face flush as he leaned in closer to her to retrieve the loaf of bread and dust it off, "And I wasn't scared, I slipped is all."_

_He just smiled at her outrage and said nothing, taking her arm to help Colleen stand up again. His touch, even through her novice's robes seared her flesh and she jerked her arm away from his light hold. _

"_I will ave to remember to maka more noise nexta time," he smiled down at her, "I wouldn't want youa slipping again."_

"_What are ya doin' here Santo?" asked Colleen, looking around nervously and trying to avoid his warm gaze._

_The memory of their last meeting still burned brightly inside of Colleen. He'd kissed her, without warning, without invitation and in those brief moments her whole world had stopped. Colleen had never experienced anything like it. It was as terrifying as it was wonderful and she had no idea what to do about it. There were no words for how wrong it had been. She shuddered to think what the good Father would say about such a thing or her own father for that matter. _

"_I should go," said Colleen sharply, not waiting for Santo to answer her question, "I'm already late."_

"_Please Colleen," said Santo urgently, "There isa something important I needa to talka to you about."_

_Colleen swallowed hard and looked at him anxiously but tried her best not to show it. _

"_Santo," she whispered, "We can't keep bein' alone like dis. It's unseemly."_

"_I ave to go away Colleen," he replied, not answering her comment._

_Despite what Colleen had just said her heart sank to the bottom of her shoes hearing him say that. It was the right thing to do but in that moment she didn't know how she could bear never seeing this man again._

"_Dat is probably for da best," she managed to somehow put a brave face on it, "When... when are ya leavin' us Mr DiMera?"_

"_Tomorrow," he said quietly, watching her face closely._

"_Tomorrow?" she repeated in dismay, unable to hide her horror at such a prospect, "But why so soon, I thought..."_

_Colleen trailed off, not knowing exactly what it was she thought seeing as she had been determinedly trying not to think about this man since they'd last met and failing miserably. _

"_What dida you think Colleen?" he asked her curiously._

"_Nutin'," she mumbled, hanging her head and then drew herself up to her full height and looked Santo in the eye determinedly, "So dis is goodbye den?"_

_Colleen stuck out her hand to Santo, for him to shake it. A small smile came to his lips as he took her hand but instead of just shaking it Santo held onto it, trapping it like a little bird in his hand and stepped closer to her._

"_Willa you missa me Colleen?" he asked huskily, putting his other hand over the top her hers._

"_You... you've been very kind," stammered Colleen, already feeling herself starting to reel at being this close to him, "To da church I mean. You've been very generous Mr DiMera."_

"_I thought you werea going to calla me Santo Colleen?" he said softly, his hand now rubbing back and forth over hers as he held onto her. _

"_It doesn't matter now does it?" she asked a little shakily, "You're goin' away."_

"_You didn't answer mya question Colleen," he pushed her, "Willa you miss me, you, not the church."_

"_I... I've enjoyed our talks," she said swallowing hard as Santo continued to hold onto her hand, the heat of his hands warming her suddenly clammy ones. _

"_And that isa all?" he asked, tilting his head at her._

"_What do ya want me ta say Santo?" she asked him despondently. _

"_Thata you willa be counting the minutes until I returna to Galway," he said earnestly._

"_You... you're comin' back?" asked Colleen in surprise._

"_But of course Colleen," frowned Santo, "How coulda you thinka I woulda ever be able to leavea you now? I havea to go to back to Italy and sorta out somea business matters but I willa be back Colleen, of course I willa."_

"_Oh," gasped Colleen, feeling her heart beating wildly in her chest as she was flooded with relief. _

_Santo lifted a hand and touched her flushed cheek gently with two long fingers. _

"_I willa missa you so much Colleen," he said throatily, "I willa missa youra beautiful face while I'm away froma you."_

"_Santo don't," said Colleen quickly, her hand going to his and pushing it away, "Someone will see you."_

"_Whena I return we willa talk Colleen," he said earnestly, letting her move away from him._

"_Dere's nutin' ta talk about Santo," said Colleen desperately, "I'm about ta take my vows..."_

"_Pleasea Colleen," said Santo urgently, "Do nota takea your vows yet, pleasea!"_

"_Ya can't ask such a ting of me Santo," she said weakly, finding it hard to meet his piercing gaze, "It's not fair of ya."_

"_Buta I aska it anyway," said Santo simply and then before Colleen realised what he was doing he was pressing his lips to hers and she was lost completely..._

oooOOOOooo

"He should have gone away and never come back," said Sami, abruptly stopping her reading and looking upset, "Why couldn't he just leave her alone? Colleen was happy with her life and he was just ruining everything for her."

"If she was that happy then why did Colleen find Santo so compelling?" asked EJ quickly, "It takes two to tango and she wasn't exactly running to the hills screaming now was she Samantha?"

"She was young and innocent," protested Sami with a frown, "Santo took advantage of that."

"He loved her too much to take advantage," denied EJ with a shake of his head, "He merely wanted Colleen to be free to choose what it was that she really wanted. To consider the possibilities of life."

"He should still have left and not come back to Galway," said Sami stubbornly, "If he really did love her Santo should have done as she asked."

"Santo couldn't leave Colleen," said EJ firmly and held up a letter, "It's here in his letters. He was in love with her, she had consumed him utterly and there was no thought of life for him outside of her."

"He was being selfish," whispered Sami shakily.

"Love is selfish," shrugged EJ and gave her a little smile, "And utterly selfless as well, it is both at times. Santo gave himself over to Colleen completely; it was an act of selfless devotion on his behalf."

"But she didn't want his love," said Sami faintly, putting her arms around herself as she began to shake a little.

"Yes she did Samantha," said EJ with great certainty, "Otherwise she would never have allowed him to kiss her. Colleen felt their connection just as strongly as Santo did but wasn't prepared to be honest about it like he was being. I ask you Samantha, who was the selfish one really."

"I've had enough of this," said Sami sharply, suddenly getting up from the bed, "I'm tired. You should go EJ."

EJ got off the bed more slowly and came to stand in front of Sami.

"That's probably a good idea," he said quietly as Sami looked up at him a bit uncertainly, "We've got plenty of time to read those letters, we don't have to do it in one sitting."

"He should have let her be," whispered Sami, blinking rapidly and EJ felt a surge of protectiveness come over him when he saw how upset she was.

"He wanted to save her Samantha," he whispered back, "He wanted to save them both."

"From what?" asked Sami shakily.

"From walking this world without each other at their side," said EJ quietly, "It would have been a living death and both of them knew if from their very first meeting."

"It was impossible EJ," said Sami unevenly and he knew they were no longer talking just about Colleen and Santo, if they ever had been.

"Being apart was impossible Samantha," said EJ, cupping her face and feeling the softness of her skin against his palm.

EJ ducked his head then, pressing a lingering kiss to Sami's forehead, feeling his head spin at being this close to her again, the smell of her shampoo filling his nostrils. He so wanted to kiss her properly then but knew tomorrow she'd accuse him of taking advantage of her in a weakened state or even worse, refuse him his kiss. For some reason EJ didn't feel as though he could handle Sami rejecting him in that way just then. As strange as it was he was pretty confident that he could get Sami to sleep with him right then but somehow getting his kiss from her seemed far more important in that moment.

"He couldn't live without her," said EJ huskily and then forced himself to drop his hands from Sami's face and step back, "I should go."

EJ left Sami standing there in the middle of the room, a bewildered look on her face.

oooOOOOooo

"What?" asked Sami with a scowl when she saw how EJ was looking at her.

"Don't you think you should finish that before you get in the car?" asked EJ, looking at the smoothie Sami had just gotten from the gas station he'd refuelled at after they'd left San Carlos earlier that morning.

Sami had endured another restless night last night and was yet again in not a very good mood. Reading those letters with EJ last night had unnerved her, being privy to the love story unfolding between Colleen and Santo had affected her deeply, as had how EJ had left things between them last night. Sami was confused and tired and not sure how she was going to last the rest of this trip without losing her mind completely. In the meantime though she always had her quick temper to shield herself against the impact EJ was having on her, at least in the short term.

"I'm not five EJ," said Sami flatly, "I can eat in a car without spilling things everywhere."

"It's just that Geraldine isn't used to people eating in her," fretted EJ.

"It's just a car EJ," said Sami in exasperation, "Get over it. Nothing is going to happen, you're being an idiot."

With that Sami got into the car and looked up EJ defiantly through the window.

"So are we going or what?" asked Sami challengingly.

"Just hold onto the drink tightly will you Samantha?" requested EJ nervously.

"Yeah, yeah," she muttered as EJ went and got into the driver's seat and started the car, "Whatever. You worry too much, like I said EJ, I'm not a child."

EIGHT MINUTES LATER:

"That was not my fault!" said Sami defensively as she stood on the road watching as EJ was crouched inside the passenger seat, desperately trying to get ice cream and milk out of his carpet, "You braked suddenly!"

"I gently pressed down on the brake pedal as we rounded a corner," bit back EJ, throwing her a dirty look over his shoulder as he continued to mop up the gloopy mess.

"You were driving like a maniac!" said Sami accusingly, determined not to take all the blame for this.

"There was a maniac inside the car alright," said EJ in annoyance, his voice muffled as he did his best to get the mess out of the carpet, "But it wasn't me!"

"Hey!" said Sami in outrage.

"It's no good," said EJ, pulling his head out of the car and shaking it, "I need more than just tissues to undo this mess you've made."

"Oh stop being such a drama queen EJ," huffed Sami, "You can barely see it."

"Are you kidding me Samantha?" asked EJ in disbelief and pointed down at the milky mess staining his once pristine, "It's like Mr Whippy exploded in here!"

EJ shook his head in frustration.

"We'll have to go back to that gas station and just pray they have something that will help get this out," he announced.

"What?" asked Sami in amazement, "You're not serious EJ? We can't go back the way we came!"

"It's less than a ten minute drive Samantha," said EJ, straightening up, "And there might be a way to undo the damage you've done."

"Well I am not going!" said Sami defiantly, crossing her arms in front of her chest and glaring at EJ.

It was so nice that she could always manage to find a refuge in her anger when it came to him, much less confronting then dealing with the real problem.

"Don't be ridiculous Samantha," said EJ with a roll of his eyes, "Get back in the car."

"I will not!" exclaimed Sami angrily at the way he was just ordering her around.

"So what?" asked EJ with a twist of his lips, "Do you want me to just leave you beside the road in the middle of nowhere then? Stop being a child and get back into the car."

"I'm not going back to that gas station!" said Sami stubbornly.

"Well you have to," said EJ in exasperation, "Because that is where I'm going and you have to go where I go."

"Like hell!" said Sami sharply, "I don't need you to get where I am going, I'll find my own way to the hotel!"

"It's somewhat of a walk," said EJ dryly of the forty mile distance they were talking about.

He then looked down at her high heeled shoes before looking back at Sami.

"Especially in those shoes," he said in amusement.

"Don't laugh at me!" said Sami hotly.

"Then stop being so funny," said EJ wryly and then opened the passenger door for her, "Come along, enough with the temper tantrum already. If you're a good girl and hop in now I'll buy you an ice cream when we get there... that you have to eat outside the car of course."

Sami grabbed the door from EJ's hand and slammed it shut at his condescending offer and making him wince in the process. She glared up at him defiantly.

"NO!" she bit out.

"You know what?!" asked EJ, his temper finally breaking, "Fine! You want to stay here and act like a child well be my guest! I'm going back to the gas station and I'll be back in twenty minutes and perhaps in that time you'll have managed to grow up!"

With that EJ stalked around to his side of the car and climbed in but still was careful not to slam his door before turning on the engine and roaring away and doing as he'd threatened and left Sami standing there by the road.

"FINE!" she yelled at the car as it sped away, "GO! SEE IF I CARE!"

EJ wouldn't have heard that of course but if he'd happened to look back then he would have most likely seen the choice hand gesture she was giving him. EJ and Geraldine disappeared off in the distance and Sami watched them go.

"I'm not a child," she muttered, "You are!"

She looked around herself, taking in the deserted, long stretch of road and wrinkled her nose.

"Crap," she sighed.

oooOOOOooo

THIRTY FIVE MINUTES LATER:

EJ looked up and down the road, his heart beating wildly in his chest as he prayed for some glimpse of Sami. He was absolutely sure this was where he'd left her, recognising the tree beside the road. The tree was still there but Sami wasn't. A sick feeling began to well up inside of EJ and he called himself every kind of fool under the sun for having left her. What had he been thinking he wondered in despair? What possessed him to leave Sami beside the road like that? He should have just bundled her up and thrown her into the car despite her noisy protests and been done with it. Guilt washed over EJ at what he'd done but over ridding all that was a fear over what had happened to Sami while he was gone.

"_Is it just me or has Sami lost weight?" asked Sam, getting out of the car and looking around._

"She's gone," whispered EJ in horror.

"_Oh," nodded Sam casually, "I guess that could explain it too. Bummer."_

"Oh my god," said EJ shakily, putting his hand to his head, "This isn't happening, this can't be happening!"

"_Yeah," observed Sam thoughtfully, "How much does it suck to be you right now Elvis?"_

EJ wasn't even listening to her, his only thoughts of were of Sami and the fate that might have befallen her and found that he suddenly couldn't breathe.

"Samantha," he whispered, his eyes filling with anguish, "Samantha."

**Chapter EIGHTY THREE**** – ****The Long and Winding Road**

Just think how happy you would be if you lost everything you had right now

and then got it back again.

_~Frances Rodman~_

THIRTY FIVE MINUTES PREVIOUSLY:

EJ pulled up at the gas station he'd just left twenty minutes ago and the man who had served him the first time ambled out to greet him.

"Back again," he said with a quirk of his lips, "I didn't think these XK-series Jags were such a gas guzzler."

"It's not that," said EJ with a sigh, getting out and walking around to the passenger side and opening the door.

"Ohh," the man grimaced and gave EJ a sympathetic look as he took in the milk stains on EJ's previously spotless carpet and upholstery, "I saw that coming when that little girl of yours got into the car with that smoothie."

"So did I," said EJ morosely and then looked at the man hopefully, "I don't suppose you have anything that might be able to help?"

"We can try," nodded the man who then went to retrieve some cleaning stuffs for EJ.

The two men bonded over the carpet cleaning and EJ soon discovered he had a kindred spirit in Gil.

"So what happened to your friend?" he asked with a smile as they did the best they could with the milky stain.

"She had what is popularly known in this country as a hissy fit and wouldn't come back with me to your gas station so I left her beside the road," EJ gave Gil a vaguely nervous look then, "That should be fine right? I mean we haven't seen much traffic on the road at all."

"It's a slow time of year," agreed Gil, "She'll be okay."

He gave EJ a sideways look then.

"I don't like what your chances on what you'll be driving back to though," he said with a chuckle, "Women don't like it when men chose their cars over them."

"Seeing as Samantha was the one who caused all this in the first place with her insistence that 'she wasn't a five year old' and could eat in the car then I don't see what right she has to be upset about me taking care of Geraldine," said EJ, sounding indignant even though he was pretty confident that Gil was right and he'd be going back to one unhappy camper.

"Geraldine?" queried Gil with a little laugh.

"Ah... it's the name of the car," admitted EJ a little sheepishly.

He looked at the grizzled older man and grimaced.

"I suppose you think that is a little naff, naming your car and all," said EJ ruefully.

"Come with me," said Gil, straightening up and starting to walk around the side of the gas station and EJ followed him.

They'd done the best they could with the stains anyway. EJ followed the other man into a darkened garage and then Gil turned on the lights.

"There she is," he announced proudly, going over to the red car that was sitting there in the very neat garage and running his hand lovingly over the hood, "My pride and joy... Cate and that's Cate with a 'C' mind you. She's my red haired beauty, a Chevrolet Corvette... I always was a sucker for a red head."

"I know what you mean," grinned EJ and shook his head, moving in to admire her close up, "This is the 1962 model unless I'm very much mistaken isn't it?"

"You know your cars," nodded Gil impressed, "It was a good year for the Chevrolet Corvette."

"Absolutely," nodded EJ appreciatively, "Those gorgeous curves on her are enough to turn any man's head."

Gil and EJ then spent a few happy minutes talking cars and classic vintages, a passion shared between the two men.

"I did all the rebuild myself," said Gil happily, "Look at the rear end of her, same as it was the day it rolled off the assembly line. They don't make 'em like this anymore, more's the pity."

"She's a classic alright," agreed EJ in admiration, going over the car in great detail now, "You know I have a bit of a passion for collecting cars... have you ever considered selling Cate? I promise she'd go to a good home and Geraldine would love the company."

"Ah it would break my heart to be parted from her," sighed Gil, patting the car affectionately, "She's my pride and joy she is."

"I can understand that," said EJ ruefully and couldn't help but lust after Cate a little, "I don't think I could bear to be parted from Geraldine either but I'll give you my business card just in case you change your mind.

After chatting for a few more minutes EJ gave a bit of a sigh.

"Well I'd better get back to Samantha," he said and there was a definite note of trepidation in his voice.

"Oh yeah," laughed Gil, "Good luck with that."

"Mm," said EJ pursing his lips, "I don't suppose you have any advice for me?"

"I've been married thirty two years," Gil informed him dryly, "I'd have gotten less time if I murdered someone. The only advice I can give you is have a sense a humour about women."

"Is that what has seen your marriage last so long?" smiled EJ.

"That and the fact I'm a lot faster than I look and can dodge the buckshot when I have to," said Gil straight faced and EJ wasn't entirely sure he was kidding about that.

"So have a sense of humour and get fast at running," said EJ in amusement, "Is that it?"

"It helps if you're crazy in love with them," noted Gil matter of factly, "So is your smoothie welding girl worth it do you think?"

"Without a doubt," smiled EJ, suddenly anxious to see Sami again, "I'm already a pretty fast runner, I think I have a good sense of humour and I am unquestionably head over heels in love with Samantha."

"You sound all set then," grinned Gil, "Just keep her away from your Geraldine until she calms down. Don't give her anything wet... or sharp... or heavy... or sticky..."

"I get where you are going with that," said EJ wryly, holding out his hand for the other man to shake, "Thanks for all of your help Gil and remember my offer about Cate, I'll always be happy to give her a good home, I know how to take care of the beautiful women in my life."

"Except for the one you left beside the road I'm guessing," said Gil calmly and EJ felt a stab of guilt at the other man's teasing.

"I should really be getting back to her," agreed EJ ruefully, "I'm sure she would have calmed down by now."

"So young, so naive," Gil sighed with a shake of his head at EJ's statement.

After saying a last farewell EJ went back to Geraldine and quickly started her up, anxious now to return to Sami as he turned the car around and headed back the way he'd come from.

"_He seemed nice," said a voice in the back seat and then suddenly Sam was popping her head between the seats, much to EJ's annoyance._

"I thought you were done with me?" EJ grimaced at her unexpected return.

"_I got bored," she shrugged unapologetically. _

"So you thought you'd start torturing me again to pass some time then?" growled EJ.

"_Well it's a cheaper hobby than cross country skiing and doesn't require special shoes," said Sam blithely before looking at EJ a little askew, "I see you've managed to get yourself into all kinds of trouble without my sage like advice being whispered into your ear."_

"I'm not in trouble," said EJ shortly.

"_Well correct me if I'm wrong tortoise tassels but didn't there used to be two of you on this little trip of yours?" and then Sam made a show of looking around, "You seem to be down one. Have you considered employing some kind of roll checking off system before you leave anywhere so you can keep tabs on everyone Elvis? Apparently keeping an eye on one person seems a bit beyond your abilities."_

"I know where Samantha is," bit out EJ, annoyed at her disparaging comments, "She was being a child so I let her be a child. I've given her a little time out to consider her behaviour."

"_I bet the only thing she's been considering is whether or not to make your love maracas into earrings or a necklace," said Sam mockingly, sitting back in her seat and arching a knowing eyebrow at EJ._

EJ couldn't help but think that Sam might be right about that little observation and grimaced.

oooOOOOooo

"Crap," said Sami again.

Sami kept her eyes on the road where EJ had just disappeared down in a huff with his beloved car and as the minutes ticked by she realized that he wasn't coming back directly. She'd assumed he'd have just driven out of sight and then waited a few minutes before turning back around to collect her. Apparently that wasn't his plan.

"Unbelievable!" she bit out as it became clear that EJ was indeed driving back to the gas station to try and find something to clean up his beloved Geraldine, "The nerve of that man! How dare he pick his stupid, ugly car over me?"

Sami immediately felt guilty about maligning Geraldine because honestly, it was a beautiful car and simply wonderful to drive in but she couldn't let herself dwell on that while she was busy being outraged at EJ's behaviour.

"He begs me to go on this stupid trip with him and when I do he abandons me!" she said angrily to the tree that was waving its branches sympathetically as the breeze blew through them, listening patiently as Sami vented, "What is wrong with that man?! He's all over the place! One minute he's telling me he wants me, then he seems to get over it, then he's talking about our children in a church and then he throws me out of his car and leaves me stranded! He's a lunatic!"

If the tree could have talked it might have gently pointed out to the young woman that it was in fact Sami who was currently talking to a tree in the middle of nowhere and should probably think twice about questioning someone else's sanity while she was doing that. Then again, the young woman didn't look she was in any mood to take constructive criticism so all in all it probably was just as well that the tree couldn't talk as it turned out.

"I mean that's not normal right?" asked Sami, throwing her hands up, "What does he want from me?!"

Sami knew she was being a bit unfair about how she was portraying EJ but didn't care in that moment. He drove her simply insane and no matter how she tried Sami couldn't work the numbers on him like she'd done all the other men in her life. He continually caught her off guard. It was maddening when he pursued her and even more maddening when he stopped and Sami was unbearably confused about it all. What she did know was that he was going to pay for his cavalier treatment of her right now. One way or another she was going to make him pay for stranding her by the road. Her little voice of reason did try and argue with Sami that he'd tried to get her to come with him but it had been her that had refused but she didn't want to hear any of that. Sami was good and mad and had absolutely no intention of being reasonable about anything when it came to EJ.

It was while she was working out how exactly to exact her revenge that Sami began to notice the sound of engines coming closer. She looked up the road and to her growing nervousness she saw that a large number of motorcycles ridden by leather clad and helmeted riders were coming her way. Sami suddenly felt rather vulnerable, standing out there all by herself. Whilst the tree was a good listener it wasn't exactly huge and Sami couldn't even hide behind it until they were gone. She prayed that they would keep on going but to her growing nervousness the band of probably twenty or more bikers pulled up around her and Sami was suddenly surrounded. One of the bikes pulled up directly in front of her and turned off its motor. Sami drew herself up to her full, less than impressive height and prepared to do some fast talking... or fast running, which ever was going to work out best for her really...

oooOOOOooo

"_Still not picking up huh?" asked Sam, leaning over from the back seat as EJ drove with one hand and kept his cell phone to his ear with the other one. _

"No," said EJ tersely as he dialled Sami's cell phone number again and waited impatiently for her to pick up.

"_That's probably not a good sign," Sam mused thoughtfully and was treated to a glare from EJ in the rear vision mirror for her troubles._

"Would you shut up!" bit out EJ tightly, really not in the mood now.

After having not found Sami by the road all EJ could think of was driving to the next town where they'd originally been heading. He'd found a restaurant in the town on his lap top earlier that morning and he and Sami had been planning to have lunch there. All he could hope was that Sami was going to be meeting him there. EJ couldn't believe Sami would be so foolish as to hitchhike with some stranger who might have stopped and picked her up but then the alternative didn't even bear thinking about. A new wave of nauseous worry washed over him and EJ's foot began to press down harder on the accelerator unconsciously at the thought. If anything had happened to Sami he would never forgive himself.

"_So you're more of the ilk that likes to be told lies to dress up the truth in these kinds of things huh?" said Sam thoughtfully, "In that case I'm sure she's fine, people go missing all the time from deserted roads and it all turns out tickety boo."_

"I hate you so much," growled EJ, throwing his phone onto the passenger seat as yet again, Sami didn't pick up.

All EJ could think of was what he would do if Sami wasn't waiting at the restaurant for him like he was praying she was. Of course he'd have to go immediately to the police but then what? It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack and EJ's hand's tightened on the steering wheel. EJ couldn't think about that right then though, imagining Sami hurt in anyway because it did his head in the worst possible way. He was driving into town now and he forced himself to slow down, not wanting to be slowed down by attracting police attention at this point. His in car GPS easily guided EJ to the restaurant he'd told Sami about and to his utter dismay Sami didn't seem to be anywhere around.

"She's not here," he said in dismay, his hopes dashed.

"_Remind me snuggle albatross," said Sam casually, looking over her shoulder, "Does Sami still look like me?"_

"Of course," said EJ distractedly, his mind racing as to what he had to do next.

"_Well in that case isn't that our girl across the road with all those bikers?" asked Sam casually, nodding where she was looking._

EJ quickly turned in his seat and almost cried in relief to see that Sami was indeed across the road with a group of bikers at another gas station. But his relief was short lived as he wondered what the hell she was doing with such a rough looking crew.

"_Ohh," said Sam, "They look mean. But don't worry I'm sure you could take them… or at least tire them out while they beat you to a bloody pulp and Sami can make her getaway."_

EJ looked at her with a frown.

"I'm not frightened of a couple of bikers," he scowled.

"_Then that would make you an idiot," said Sam flatly, "There are way more of them then you Elvis, do the maths."_

"I'll just go and reason with them," said EJ firmly, undoing his seat belt and keeping his eyes resolutely on Sami, frightened to look away from her for a second in case he lost her again.

"_Cause they look like the kind of guys you could reason with," said Sam wryly, "I think it's the big bikes and all that black leather that scream reasonable to me."_

"This is ridiculous," said EJ determinedly, getting out of the car, "I'm just going to go over there and get Samantha and there is not a damn thing they can do about it."

"_You remember my bloody pulp comment from earlier right?" asked Sam less than helpfully, "I tell you what, I'll keep the car motor running just in case you need to make a break for it shall I?"_

EJ immediately turned around and went and retrieved the keys from the ignition. He was pretty sure that figments of the imagination couldn't drive but why take the change right? Today had not been going to plan so far and tempting fate any further seemed like a bad idea. EJ walked resolutely over to where Sami was standing with a leather clad man who had his back to him. Whilst not as broad as EJ he was still quite tall and EJ mentally prepared himself for a fight if that was the only way to get to Sami. Sami looked past the man with short cropped, sandy coloured hair and her expression didn't change much which EJ couldn't work out if that was because she was in fear of her life and not wanting to show it or if unbelievably, she was still mad at him.

"Samantha," said EJ, keeping his eyes fixed on her, "I think it's time to go sweetheart..."

**Chapter EIGHTY FOUR**** – ****Birds Of a Feather**

Before you embark on a journey of revenge be sure to dig two graves.

_~Confucius~_

Sami's eyes flicked away from the person she was talking to as EJ pulled up across the road. She'd been waiting for him to show up for over half an hour now and had started to get nervous that he might not think to come to the restaurant they'd talked about.

"Is it him?" her companion asked without turning around.

"Yup," said Sami flatly, her lips twisting in annoyance at him whilst still being very relieved that he'd found her.

It seemed like forever and Sami had no idea what he was doing in his car all that time but eventually EJ got out and crossed the road to where she was standing.

"Samantha… I think it's time to go sweetheart."

Her heart leapt excitedly in her chest when Sami heard him use that familiar endearment with her but she somehow managed to maintain an icy façade.

"Why would I want to do that when I'm enjoying my new friend's company so much?" she asked him coolly and enjoyed seeing the flash of jealousy in his eyes as she said that.

He wanted to play games then bring it on; Sami was the queen of game playing!

"Samantha are you alright?" he asked her and Sami watched as his eyes darted to the friend who hadn't turned around yet.

"Oh so now you're concerned with my safety after you dumped me beside the road?" asked Sami acerbically, "Better late than never I suppose."

"I think we should talk about this privately," said EJ determinedly, "Excuse me sir but..."

"Excuse _me_?!" said the biker, turning around and for the first time EJ saw that it was actually a woman that had been talking to Sami.

Her height and the fact that she belonged to a biker's gang had made EJ assumed that this was a man but now that she was looking at him it was hard to think how he'd made the mistake. The short pixie hair cut only served to make the woman look more feminine and she was really very attractive in her own right. EJ's face when the woman spoke at last and turned to face him was a complete classic. He tried to cover it but there was shock, relief and annoyance all vying for a place on his face as he realised that Sami's new friend was actually a woman.

"Oh I'm sorry," he said hastily, "I made a mistake, I do apologise miss..."

"One of several today," interrupted Sami, "And her name is Robyn!"

"I prefer Rockchic," said the woman.

"Well Rockchic it is then," smiled EJ charmingly, "I'm EJ..."

"I know," said Rockchic, exchanging a look with Sami, "You've been mentioned."

"Not kindly judging by that look," said EJ ruefully.

"Do you think you deserve it?" asked Rockchic disapprovingly, "What kind of man leaves a woman alone beside a road anyway?"

"One driven to the end of his tether," said EJ, giving Sami a pointed look which she took umbrage at.

"I wasn't the one having a melt down over a stupid car," grumbled Sami, "It's not natural your attachment to that car."

"Again Samantha," said EJ smoothly and smiling at Rockchic politely, "Perhaps this is a discussion we could have privately, no offence."

"I don't offend that easily," said Rockchic with a quirk of her lips.

"A handy skill if you're going to be spending any time around Samantha to be sure," said EJ dryly, "But I do want to thank you for taking such good care of her for me but we really must be going."

"Stop being so rude and stop ordering me around EJ," said Sami, cross at his high handed behaviour towards her, "You've been doing it all day and I'm sick of it!"

"Well fat lot of good it's done me because I haven't managed to get you to do a single thing I've asked all day," said EJ in annoyance.

"You're welcome to hang out with us for a while Sami," offered Rockchic with a smile, "Always glad to make new friends."

Sami smiled back at her gratefully. Truth was she'd been terrified when all those bikers had ridden up to her but all they'd wanted was to check she was alright and offer her a lift to town. Sami had been going to refuse them but then she pictured EJ's face when he came back and found her gone and had changed her mind. He'd deserved to suffer for choosing his car over her and this seemed the perfect way to get her revenge. The anxious look on EJ's face as he'd crossed the road to get to her told Sami that she'd given him a bit of a fright and there was a grim satisfaction to that for her.

"Well that sounds great," grinned Sami, intent on making EJ suffer.

"Just how long do you intend on being this annoying?" asked EJ in frustration.

"Until you learn some manners," said Sami snippily.

"I think I managed to keep my manners very well thank you today," said EJ with an arched eyebrow, "Considering what you did to my car!"

"You did something to his car?" asked Rockchic, looking over at Sami.

Obviously Sami had omitted one or two details when filling Rockchic in on how horrible EJ was.

"It was nothing," hedged Sami.

"It was a bucket load of smoothie emptied on my once pristine carpets," grumbled EJ.

"Oh come on," huffed Sami, "It was a couple of drops EJ, don't exaggerate!"

"It was a couple of drops the way Niagara Falls is a couple of drops," said EJ a little huffily.

"And that's your car?" asked Rockchic, "The Jag?"

"Yes," said EJ and looked back over his shoulder at the car, "That's my girl."

"Sweet ride," nodded Rockchic approvingly, "I can see why you'd be upset. I don't know what I'd do if someone trashed my bike like that."

"Thank you Rockchic," smiled EJ, obviously feeling vindicated, "It's nice to talk to another person who understands what it is to have real care for their vehicle and not be so cavalier about defacing someone's pride and joy."

Sami's face darkened as EJ seemed to be winning over her new friend and was sick of how he was always able to charm everyone over so easily.

"That being said I don't think I'd ever get mad enough to leave a woman by a road all by herself," said Rockchic with a shake of her head, "That was really dangerous."

"Ha!" said Sami triumphantly at seeing EJ's guilty expression, "She thinks you're a bad person EJ!"

"I don't believe I said that," said Rockchic in amusement at Sami's triumphant vitriol.

"It was the general gist of it," said Sami with a dismissive wave of her hand and more intent on rubbing it into EJ, "For once you can't turn on that ridiculous English charm of yours and have every woman fall at your feet so suck it EJ!"

"Suck it?" said EJ, bewildered, "It's like arguing with a child, it really is. And I only left you because you refused to get back in the car and I was only gone half an hour. Rather foolishly I thought even you couldn't get yourself into any trouble in that amount of time Samantha."

"Yeah well you can justify it all you like but what I _accidentally_ did to your car because of your bad driving was nowhere as bad as you _purposely_ leaving me to beside a deserted road in the middle of no man's land!" said Sami defiantly, "Admit it EJ, you're a much worse person than I am!"

"Did Samantha happen to mention she drugged me a couple of nights ago?" asked EJ of Rockchic sweetly, clearly ready to play that game.

"Really?" asked Rockchic looking interested, "Why would you do that Sami?"

"I had a very good reason for doing that," said Sami, suddenly put on the back foot and scrabbling to cover for herself.

"Which was?" prompted Rockchic.

"Actually you never really answered that question to me either Samantha," said EJ enjoying the turnaround, "Why did you feel it necessary to drug me?"

"Because you're a jerk!" growled Sami, not willing to go into it just then.

"So you guys are heading to Salem huh?" Rockchic mused as she watched them bicker back and forth, "Man that is going to be one long, long trip at this rate."

"Don't I know it," grumbled Sami, intent on making her new friend understand she was the hard done by one in this story, "He forced me into this trip against my will."

"You got your flying privileges revoked when you threatened me with dismemberment in the airport terminal," protested EJ and obviously just as intent on letting his new friend know that he was in fact the innocent victim in all this.

"Oh stop making it sound worse than it is EJ!" said Sami hotly, "Face it, Rockchic thinks you're a jerk, deal with it and stop trying to make yourself look good!"

"That was exactly what happened Samantha and I believe if the lovely Rockchic here thinks anyone is a jerk it is you," said EJ snippily, not to be outdone, "You're acting like a complete child!"

"How about if I say I think you're both weird and vaguely unnerving and call it even eh?" asked Rockchic, interjecting as they fought over her good opinions.

"I'm sorry…" began EJ.

"At last he apologies!" said Sami grumpily, "Took you long enough!"

"I'm sorry _Rockchic_," said EJ, giving Sami a pointed look as he tried again, "That you have to witness this unseemly behaviour."

"I'm not unseemly," pouted Sami, "_You're_ unseemly."

"Clearly you guys have issues," said Rockchic who appeared unfazed by all this bickering, "A lot of issues, more issues than 'People' magazine in fact. Perhaps the road trip thing you've got going on will be a good chance for you to straighten things out between you both… or one of you will kill the other and bury the body beside the road. Either way there will be some resolution of your problems."

"That was my hope too Rockchic," said EJ, regaining his composure and Sami hated how he could do that so easily when all she really wanted to do was hit him.

"Well one of those two things sound appealing to me," said Sami sweetly and the look in her eyes as she gazed up at EJ made it clear which one it was.

"You know I do think we've taken up of your time already Rockchic," said EJ smoothly, taking Sami's elbow, "I think it's time we were going and once again, I'm sorry for all this."

"That's fine," she smiled easily, "That's why I love the open road so much. You never know what kind of whack job you're going to meet next."

"She means you," said EJ and Sami to each other in unison and making the other woman laugh.

"I tell you what," said Rockchic throatily, "If you're ever this way again then make sure you look me up. I'm sure we could have all kinds of fun."

"Well that's a very tempting offer Rockchic…" began EJ, obviously intent on letting her down easy.

"I wasn't talking to you," she interrupted him and then gave Sami a seductive look, "I was talking to Sami."

"Oh," said Sami, a little taken aback but flattered anyway, "Well thank you Rockchic that is very sweet of you but I'm not gay."

"If you keep hooking up with guys who leave you beside deserted roads you might want to be considering a change of scenery sometime soon," she said with a knowingly look at Sami, "I know I would be."

With that she gave Sami a cheeky wink and was walking back to join the rest of her biker friends who as it turned out were all women as well. EJ hadn't taken too much notice of them when he'd pulled up, all his attention focused on Sami but now he had to wonder how he missed that little fact.

"Ha!" said Sami triumphantly as EJ began to walk Sami back to the car, "She like me better than you! I knew it!"

"She wants to sleep with you Samantha," said EJ wryly, "That doesn't necessarily means she likes you better."

"But I'm the one she'd rather see naked," said Sami, determined to get a win some way or the other.

"Well I can't blame her for that," said EJ dryly as they crossed the road and were back beside Geraldine again.

"So are you going to yell at me now?" asked Sami, squaring off against him but there was a little waver in her voice as she steeled herself for another fight with him.

EJ just looked at her steadily for a long minute, his expression inscrutable and Sami felt her nerves tighten as she had no idea what he was thinking.

"Look just yell if you're going to yell," said Sami, unable to take it any longer, "I…"

She didn't get any further as EJ suddenly pulled her into a fierce bear hug that actually knocked a little of the wind out of Sami.

"Oh god sweetheart," he groaned in her ear, thrilling her again with the endearment the rawness of his voice, "I died a thousand deaths today when I came back and you were gone. I thought I was going to lose my mind if anything had happened to you."

Sami was taken aback by all this fierce emotion that EJ was displaying because up until then all he'd shown her was mild annoyance and vexation. She felt his arms tighten around her more.

"Promise me you'll never do something like that again," he begged her unevenly and Sami didn't know if it was her imagination but it almost felt as though EJ was suddenly shaking a little, "Never leave me like that again."

Sami almost pointed out that he was the one who had left her as he straightened up, keeping her in his arms but she could now see the obvious anguish on his face and the words died on her lips. She'd impulsively gone with Rockchic and her lady bikers to get back at EJ but she hadn't thought for one minute that her actions would have this kind of impact on him and she instantly felt truly horrible about what she'd done.

"Promise me Samantha," said EJ hoarsely, putting a shaking hand to her face and touching her cheek, "Never leave me again."

"I… I promise," said Sami shakily, feeling a little overwhelmed by all his raw emotion.

EJ hugged her tightly again at her promise and Sami couldn't help herself, relaxing into his touch and wishing they weren't in a crowded street. Obviously EJ didn't feel as inhibited Sami suddenly jumping and giving a little squeal as his hand landed firmly across her backside, in a sharp, short smack. It hadn't hurt so much as shocked Sami and she pushed against his chest and stared up at him in outraged horror.

"What the hell was that?!" she yelled, both her hands going to her backside and rubbing it as it tingled fiercely, more from EJ's hand having been on it rather than the force behind the action.

"Far less than you deserve," said EJ firmly, obviously having some conflicting feelings about what she'd done, torn between relief and frustration, "I should put you over my knee and paddle that gorgeous backside of yours red after what you just put me through Samantha Brady!"

"How dare you!" Sami hissed as yet again their mercurial relationship took them from tenderness to open war fare again.

"How dare you endanger yourself like that by accepting a ride from a complete stranger!" said EJ roundly, not backing down.

"Rockchic was lovely," protested Sami.

"Yes she was, fortunately," said EJ tightly, "But she might not have been. You just got lucky Samantha."

"Gee I got lucky did?" asked Sami bitterly, "Do you think my luck started when you left me beside the road and drove off without a backwards glance, do you think that was where my luck started EJ?"

"You brought that on yourself Samantha," said EJ determined not to take all the blame for this, "But you can rest assured I'm not letting you out of my sight for the remainder of this trip. Now I think it's time we had some lunch and then worked out the next leg of our journey."

"Are you kidding me with all of this handing out orders like they were candy business?" asked Sami, a scowl darkening her face even as her cheeks began to heat angrily.

"You would try the patience of a saint Samantha," said EJ in exasperation.

"And what?" asked Sami mockingly, "You're suddenly a saint, is that it EJ?"

"I'll tell you what I am and that's hungry," said EJ calmly, "Apparently nervous breakdowns give me quite the appetite."

"I'm not hungry," said Sami, not even sure now why she was still being so difficult but too stubborn to stop.

"Samantha you have one of two choices," said EJ unflinchingly and obviously intent on making good his promise of not letting her out of his sight again, "You're either going to have one of the chairs from this restaurant against your bottom or my hand again... your choice sweetheart."

"You wouldn't dare," hissed Sami and then gave a little gasp as EJ took a determined step towards her and she hurriedly back up, scampering up the steps of the restaurant they'd been standing in front of and not willing to risk it.

"_I'm definitely seeing progress in this relationship," said Sam chirpily as she stuck her head out of Geraldine's passenger side windows._

"Shut up," growled EJ as he followed Sami up the stairs.

"What did you just say to me?" asked Sami in annoyance, glaring up at him as he opened the door for her.

"I was talking to my other thorn in my flesh," said EJ cryptically and Sami looked at him in confusion but EJ was already ushering her into the restaurant.

oooOOOOooo

EJ gracefully swung Geraldine into the parking space on the dock and smiled at the still fuming Sami. They'd had lunch but Sami hadn't uttered one word throughout it all after informing EJ that she was never going to speak to him again for all of his high handed behaviour today.

"Samantha both you and I know that you'll never last keeping quiet for the rest of the trip so I don't even know why you're trying sweetheart," said EJ in amusement as he took in her sullen expression.

Sami felt her pulse begin to race as he called her sweetheart again. Apparently EJ had lifted his embargo on that word around her and she couldn't help but be thankful for that but a few sweethearts weren't going to get him off the hook for all he'd put her through today.

"Well I'm going to find a map and see if I can navigate us the most direct path back to Salem as possible seeing as I'm such a terrible burden to be around," said EJ smoothly when she didn't answer him, "Can I trust you to leave you alone and still be here when I get back Samantha or should I chain you to something just to make sure that you don't flag down another lesbian biker gang while I'm gone?"

"You're just got your nose out of joint because your little plan to _teach me a lesson_ back fired," Sami shot back at him, unable to keep silent any longer, just as EJ had predicted.

"You know on second thought," continued on EJ as though she hadn't spoken, "Perhaps I'll put up a sign instead – 'Free to a Good Home'."

Before Sami could come up with a suitable retort to that EJ was climbing out of the car and closing the car door behind him carefully. He started to head down the street and was quickly out of sight as he turned a corner and leaving Sami sitting fuming in the car. Sami was just so mad she couldn't even think straight by that point. She hauled herself out of his car and slammed the door shut so hard that it actually jarred her shoulder but she gave a smirk at her little act of defiance. It was a smirk that quickly left her face however when the force of her action caused the car to judder a little, then lurch and then slowly but inexorably begin to roll forward. After their little back and forth between herself and EJ apparently it had ended up with him being distracted and not putting it on. Now thanks to her little hissy fit and the fact they were on a bit of a downhill slope EJ's beloved car was now beginning to take itself off for a morning stroll.

Sami gasped in horror as Geraldine began to pick up some momentum and looked at the end of the dock which it was inevitably advancing on and made a kind of whimpering noise. Even though she knew it was an impossibility she grabbed hold of the bumper bar and tried to stop her that way but all that managed to do was drag Sami a couple of feet before she gave up. By this stage the car had rolled the necessary ten feet or so and hit the end of the dock. Geraldine had not picked up much speed because she hadn't rolled very far so when her two front tyres went over the edge the car actually came to a stop, teetering on her belly as it where. Sami blew out a relieved breath, hardly able to believe her luck. All she had to do now as go and get someone with a tow truck and real disaster had been averted – thank god! She didn't know what EJ would do if anything happened to his Geraldine.

She turned around to see if EJ was heading back yet and saw that he wasn't. She wondered if she might even have time to have this all sorted before he got back. That may have been pushing her luck a bit but she was due a change of luck any minute now she decided. A squawk behind her made her turn round and she flinched to see that a seagull had taken it upon its self to inspect this new waterfront view as possible new real estate. It sat on Geraldine's hood looking around, looking quite pleased with itself that he managed to snag such a great perch. The car made a smallest of creaks and the hood dipped ever so slightly under the weight of the small creature but apart from that the status quo was maintained and Sami let out a strangled breath of relief.

"Nice birdie," she said to the seagull that looked down its beak at her as she turned around to face it, unhappy at the prospect that Sami might be trying to move in on his newly acquired patch, "Now you just sit there and don't move okay."

Sami cajoled him with quiet desperation figuring as long as the thing didn't scrabble about everything should be fine. Things were still going to be fine – she just knew it. The seagull gave her a warning squawk to keep her distance which Sami was happy to do under the circumstances. However the noise the bird was making had alerted someone else to this exciting new perch and a pelican that was perched onto of a post on the pier looked with interest at the seagulls fancy new look out point. The pelican obviously decided that this was a far better idea than the tops of the wooden poles he'd been previously perching on and went to join the seagull.

Sami's eyes widened as she watched with a kind of fatalistic resignation as the big bird stretched its wings and flapped, taking to the air and covering the necessary few feet to get him to where the seagull was sitting quite happily. Of course though as soon as the pelican tried to settle on Geraldine the extra weight was simply too much for the poor car and her equilibrium was lost and she began a graceful nose dive into the waiting water below. The seagull and the pelican both took flight of course when it became apparent that this possibly wasn't as good a location as it first looked. Sami was sure she felt her whole life flash before her eyes as Geraldine, as though in slow motion made her plunge into the ocean. She hit the water with an almighty splash, spray shooting up to past Sami's head as she stood on the dock and looked down at the spectacle as the car slowly disappeared into the depths.

"Oh," squeaked Sami, not having really the words to articulate what she was feeling just then, "Ohh."

**Chapter EIGHTY FIVE**** – ****Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow**

You should treat all disasters as if they were trivialities

but never treat a triviality as if it were a disaster.

_~Quentin Crisp~_

Sami watched Geraldine slowly sinking out of sight beneath the waters depths and had no words for what she was feeling right then. She had no idea what EJ's reaction was going to be; only that it wasn't going to be good. Sami considered just making a run for it but she didn't have any money on her so it wasn't like she'd get very far.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw EJ walking back to her after having just come out of the shop. His head was buried in the map he'd just bought and was quite oblivious to anything else as he walked back to her. Sami just watched him approach, having no idea how she was going to tell him what had just happened. EJ came to a halt beside her, wrinkling his nose as he turned the map this way and that, working out where they were.

"You know I think we should keep to the coast line," he informed Sami distractedly, eyes still on the map, "I think that is probably the most direct route back to Salem. We're in Corpus Christi now and I think we can make Beaumont, Texas by a reasonable time tonight. It's only mid afternoon and that is about a four hour drive so that will get us there at a respectable hour. It will be a nice drive."

"It might not be as nice as you think," said Sami with a grimace and braced herself for the oncoming storm.

"No really," said EJ with a shake of his head, still not having noticed the sudden absence of his car, "I'm thinking we might even be able to press on a little further if we want."

EJ looked up from his map reading then and smiled down at her and then frowned when he saw the guilty expression on Sami's face. He looked around and EJ's face suddenly went pale as he noticed that something rather important was awry with this picture.

"Where's my car?" he frowned, turning completely around now and when he didn't see his car he looked at her with a growing fear, "Samantha… where's my car?!"

"Don't get mad," she said hastily.

"Oh god," he said weakly, "What have you done Samantha?"

"There's been a little accident," she admitted to him reluctantly.

"What kind of little accident?" he asked her faintly, having a very, very bad feeling about this.

"You're car it…" she trailed off, trying to work out how to break the news to him.

"My car… what?" he prompted her with a look of dread on his face.

"Fell," she offered up hesitantly.

"Fell?" he repeated flatly, "What does…?"

EJ didn't finish that sentence as he slowly turned his head and looked to his right at the waters at the end of the dock.

"Oh… no…"

"Okay," she said hurriedly, rushing to put a better spin on this, "It's not as bad as it looks EJ!"

EJ turned his head slowly to look at her, his eyes so wide in disbelief that they were nearly popping out of his head. He didn't say anything, just made an exaggerated gesture at the water and continued to look at her as though she'd lost her mind.

"Okay," she conceded, biting her lip, "It _might_ be as bad as it looks."

EJ turned from his speechless staring at her to return to his speechless staring of the water's surface where bubbles where still breaking the surface with frightening regularity.

"EJ," said Sami worriedly, looking up at him as he just stood there looking down at his car's watery grave for a long time, "Say something."

"I think…" he said, talking very slowly and very carefully, closing his eyes, "… that it is entirely possible I'm having a heart attack right now. There is a pain in my chest and my left arm is tingling… they're all symptoms of a massive coronary aren't they?"

"Oh don't be so melodramatic!" said Sami in exasperation, feeling bad about what she'd inadvertently done but not wanting to let him know that, "You're not having a heart attack EJ!"

"I feel like you've drowned one of my children," said EJ faintly, shaking his head in disbelief.

"It was just a car," said Sami with a roll of her eyes.

"Could you at _least_ not speak ill of the dead Samantha?!" said EJ in agitation, finally turning to look at her, "Why would you do this – what did she ever do to you?!"

"It wasn't me!" she defended herself hotly and then jabbed an accusatory finger at the pelican which was standing idly by, watching their exchange with interest, "It was HIM!"

EJ looked at the pelican and the pelican looked steadily back at him unblinkingly and then Sami could have sworn that the thing rolled his eyes at EJ as though mocking her version of events.

"This was _not_ my fault EJ!" she said defensively.

"I don't know Samantha," mused EJ, straight faced, "I leave you alone with my car for five minutes and when I come back its at the bottom of the ocean and you're blaming the local wild life… it's a little suspicious don't you think sweetheart?"

"I wouldn't do something like that!" she declared and he arched a disbelieving eyebrow at her which only made her madder, "What's the point if you're not strapped in it and I can get rid of _you_ at the same time?!"

"See now darling," sighed EJ, pursing his lips, "Statements like that aren't making the strongest argument for your innocence now are they?"

"It was an accident," pouted Sami, folding her arms in front of her chest and looking uncomfortable now.

EJ looked over at the pelican and tilted his head at him.

"And is that your story too?" he asked the bird and the creature just looked back at him with an inscrutable expression on its face.

"Oh well," said Sami weakly, attempting to sound positive, "At least that stain I put on the carpet doesn't seem so bad any more huh?"

EJ just turned slowly and looked down at her, his expression hard to read.

"Yes it's amazing what a little water can do to get rid of stains," he said flatly, "Especially if it's the entire Gulf of _Mexico_!"

Sami grimaced; realising there really was no good spin to put on this. She felt horrible about Geraldine's fate. She'd been such a beautiful car and now she was sleeping with the fishes. Sami also felt for EJ even though she'd never admit it to him. He'd really loved that car and now she was gone, very, very gone.

"Are you mad?" she asked him hesitantly.

"I'm still at shocked and stunned," said EJ faintly, "Get back to me in a couple of hours and I would have probably made it to mad by then… or be crying… it's a bit hard to tell which at the moment."

"Not that this was my fault," she said hastily, coming to stand beside him and looking down at him at the new burial site of his beloved car, "But I'm sorry."

"You are an expensive hobby to have Samantha Jean Brady," EJ sighed deeply in quiet resignation, his eyes still on the water surface as the last few bubbles broke the surface, seeming to be laughing at him somehow.

"So... ah... what do we do now?" asked Sami hesitantly as they both stood watching the now calm waters surface.

"I don't know," said EJ dejectedly, "Some kind of memorial service perhaps, where I can remember the good times."

Sami wrinkled her nose and turned her head to look up at EJ.

"Actually I kind of meant how do we get out of here?" she said wryly.

"I need a few minutes to mourn Samantha," said EJ tightly, "Is that too much to ask?"

"It's just that we can't really do much for Geraldine now," shrugged Sami, "And we still have to get back to Salem."

"Oh you'd like it if I just abandoned her now wouldn't you?" asked EJ, clearly moving on quickly from the denial stage of grief to the anger.

"EJ she's at the bottom of the ocean," said Sami, trying to be reasonable, "Do we really have an option here?"

"You never liked her from the beginning!" said EJ, pointing an accusatory finger at Sami, "You did this on purpose! You killed her because you were jealous!"

"Are you insane?!" said Sami in outrage, "It wasn't me it was that pelican!"

She went to jab her own accusing finger at him again but the large bird must have grown bored with them because he was no longer around.

"Where did he go?" asked Sami, looking around.

"Does it matter Samantha?" asked EJ in annoyance, "You blaming a bird for this isn't going to change the facts that I've lost Geraldine... forever. I bought her over from England... to her death!"

Sami pursed her lips and tried to think of a tactful way of saying that EJ was being a little melodramatic now but couldn't think of one.

"You're being an idiot," she said flatly, "I mean sure it's sad and all but you're really going to just have to move on EJ."

EJ turned his head and looked down at Sami, clearly unimpressed by her lack of empathy for his stricken state.

"You do realise that it's not only Geraldine that has been lost don't you Samantha?" asked EJ coolly, arching an eyebrow at her.

"What do you mean?" Sami frowned, not really having thought past that.

"All our luggage was in Geraldine," he pointed out coolly and it was then that Sami realised the true extent of what had been lost.

"My shoes!!" Sami gasped in horror, her hands flying to cover her mouth in absolute distress, "Oh my god NO! Some of my favourites were in there! This is a disaster."

"Oh _now_ she's upset," said EJ in annoyance, looking less than impressed by Sami's reaction, "Couldn't give a toss about my $82 000 car being destroyed but when it comes to a couple of sling backs and stilettos it's the end of life as we know it!"

"You don't understand about women and shoes!" said Sami hotly.

"And clearly you don't understand about men and cars!" retorted EJ, "I loved Geraldine, I was going to spend the rest of my life with her, my children were going to go for rides in her and now the only thing that is going to be able to take a ride in her is the occasional cod!"

"Don't be ridiculous EJ," scowled Sami at his histrionics, "Fish don't even have legs, how could they drive a car?"

"I do believe you're missing the point sweetheart!" said EJ bitterly, grimacing and trying to keep his cool, "Thanks to you Geraldine is gone forever!"

"Well what about my shoes?!" returned Sami in dismay, "You're not the only one who's lost something here you know!"

"But I didn't cause it to happen," bit out EJ angrily.

"I didn't either," Sami defended herself in annoyance, "It was the pelican and the seagull!"

"Oh so now there is a seagull involved as well eh?" asked EJ sarcastically, "What is this kind of ocean wild life conspiracy going on now? What's next Samantha? Are you going to tell me that this was all orchestrated by a manatee with a grudge against me?! Or a dolphin with an axe to grind?!"

"Now you really are being an idiot!" snapped Sami, "Even more than usual that is! I keep telling you EJ, it was an accident! A terrible, shoe destroying accident!"

"I think I want to be alone now Samantha," said EJ tightly, turning back to look at the water and obviously giving up on trying to convince Sami of any wrong doing, "I think I need to say my last goodbyes in private if you don't mind?"

"It's alright to cry EJ," said Sami, putting a hand on his shoulder, "I won't think any less of you."

"Well that's a huge weight off my mind," said EJ sarcastically, "Because as we know, no matter what happens it's always about you isn't it Samantha?"

"Bite me!" growled Sami, removing her comforting hand from EJ's shoulder and glaring up at him, "You started all this!"

"How did _I_ start all this?" asked EJ in bemused annoyance.

"You came to Salem!" snapped Sami and then promptly turned around, intending to march off in a huff after delivering that barb, wanting the last word but it wasn't to be.

"And don't think I'm rethinking _that_ decision even as we speak sweetheart!" called out EJ after her in vexation.

Sami ground her teeth and kept walking, knowing he wasn't going to let her win this one.

oooOOOOooo

Sami walked into the car salvage yard where EJ had told her to meet him and looked around. She'd been charged with renting them another car to finish driving to Salem in seeing as flying was still off the menu for her and EJ flatly refused to take a bus, saying it wasn't his style. Things had deteriorated when Sami pointed out that he'd said the same thing about her and now he was being precious about it and things had gone badly after that. Some harsh words were exchanged and both parties had left in a huff, Sami to sort out another car and some clothes for them and EJ to organise Geraldine's retrieval from the Gulf of Mexico. She was destroyed of course but EJ couldn't bear to leave her languishing in the briny deep and was organising for her to be salvaged and then shipped back to Salem. EJ was shaking the hand of the man who looked like he owned the place and then he walked up to Sami.

"Have you organised everything?" he asked her shortly.

"Yep," she said, still smarting from their last fight.

He'd called her spoilt and self obsessed amongst other things and Sami hadn't appreciated it. So much so that she'd felt the need for a little revenge for all the besmirching of her character.

"I guess we're all set to go then," said EJ with a maudlin sigh, "I hate to leave her all alone like this."

Sami rolled her eyes but didn't comment and the two of them walked out to the street, ready to continue on their so far less then successful trip. EJ came to a halt and looked around and asked the same question he had a couple of hours ago.

"Where's the car?" he asked, looking down at Sami.

"There," said Sami straight faced, pointing across the road.

EJ followed where she was pointing with her finger and then visibly blanched.

"That is not a car," said EJ in horror, staring at the little car, "It's what a _real_ car dislodges from its throat first thing in the morning!"

"So it will be cosy," smiled Sami, enjoying EJ's appalled reaction.

"If by cosy you mean that I'm going to be wearing my knees as earrings than yes, yes Samantha, it looks _very_ cosy indeed!" said EJ tartly.

"It has great fuel economy and is kind on the environment," said Sami smugly.

"I've seen bigger ride on mowers," said EJ faintly, clearly still trying to fathom the thought that this could actually be considered a car.

"I'll drive shall I?" asked Sami brightly, crossing the road to the tiny car and opening the driver's door.

EJ followed more slowly, his eyes riveted to their new mode of transport.

"You know I thought it would get bigger the closer I got to it," he said in horrified bemusement, "But it hasn't. Samantha are you sure that this is the actual car and not just the toy on the end of the key chain for the real car?"

"Get in drama queen," said Sami with a quirk of lips.

"You know I think I'm actually taller than this car is long," said EJ, still in shock, "What would possess anyone to make a car that tiny? Was it built by Smurfs or something?"

"Get in EJ!" called out Sami, opening his door for him.

EJ dazedly climbed in and immediately put his seat as far as he could back but it was of little use to EJ, his long legs still having to be bent up quite significantly.

"There you go," said Sami happily, starting the engine and pulling away from the curb.

"This has to be a nightmare, a horrible, horrible nightmare," mumbled EJ to himself, "And I'm going to wake up at any minute... I'm sure of it."

Sami smiled as EJ muttered away to himself. It looked like at long last that she'd finally gotten the last word in with one of their encounters and that felt pretty good to her.

Of course, if Sami knew what the rest of the trip had in store for her then she probably wouldn't be feeling quite so smug right about then...

**Chapter EIGHTY SEVEN**** – ****The Long and Winding Road**

Bad is never good until worse happens.

_~Old Danish Proverb~_

"You'll need to slow down a little," said EJ, nodding up ahead at the uneven road surface, "It looks like there is some loose gravel on the road."

Sami threw him a dark look as EJ gave his two hundredth piece of driving advice in the last two and a half hours. He was driving her insane with his 'slow down here, you're drifting a little to your left, you're gear shifts are a little rough' comments and she was balancing on the precipice of a real melt down if he gave her one more 'helpful suggestion'.

"You know seeing as this car doesn't actually have a back seat I would have figured it would have been hard to give advice from it," ground out Sami, keeping her eyes determinedly fixed on the road.

"This car doesn't have a lot of things," complained EJ dourly, seeming to miss the meaning behind her pointed comment.

Sami rolled her eyes but didn't comment, just concentrating on the road.

"There is a bicyclist up ahead, you may want to do a wide berth around him... but not too wide," EJ informed her and Sami looked at him in disbelief.

"He's a speck in the distance EJ!" said Sami in annoyance, "I think I've got time to prepare myself!"

"I wasn't sure if you saw him or not and just wanted to help you out," said EJ blithely.

"I see him EJ," said Sami tartly, "I'm not blind you know!"

"You wear contacts," pointed out EJ reasonably.

"And so do you!" said Sami hotly, "What of it?!"

"Two pairs of eyes are better than one Samantha," said EJ simply, "I'm just trying to ensure we get where we are going safely."

"If you keep this up then you're certainly not going to!" bit out Sami, "Because I'm going to push you out of this car and then reverse back and forward over you a couple of times just to make sure I get the job done!"

"You have me quaking in my shoes Samantha," said EJ dryly, "Being run over by a car this size would be like being trampled by a bunny rabbit."

"The car isn't that small EJ!" snapped Sami, her patience all but gone now.

"No a hummingbird isn't that small," returned EJ smartly, "But this car really is _that_ small!"

"I can't keep having this conversation with you all the way back to Salem!" said Sami in exasperation as EJ once again bought up the size of their car.

"You should have thought of that before you decided to play games and rented this Tonka toy of a car," sniffed EJ, "You've brought it all on your own head Samantha. Careful of that bend in the road."

"RIGHT!" yelled Sami, slamming on the brakes and making EJ have to quickly grab the dash board to stop himself from hitting the dash board.

"Samantha!" he said in shock and glared at her, "What the hell was that?!"

"This is me not having to dig a shallow grave by the road," she bit out and turned around in her seat, fumbling for her bag.

The one saving grace about all this was that Sami had had the foresight to be carrying the letters from Santo and Colleen in her bag and they'd been with her rather than in Geraldine when the car had met her rather unfortunate ending. Sami grabbed out the large envelope of letters and shoved them at EJ.

"Here," she said tersely, "Read the next Santo letter or become coyote food – your choice!"

EJ pulled a face but took the offered letters and began to sort through them, finding where they'd left off last night as Sami started the car up again.

"Okay," said EJ, folding out a letter, "Here's the next one from Santo..."

EJ stopped then and frowned, looking a little confused.

"What is it?" asked Sami curiously, glancing over at him before returning her attention to the road.

"The envelope wasn't opened," pondered EJ, "I don't think Colleen ever got to read this letter, I wonder why?"

"Maybe he never gave it to her?" Sami mused.

"It's possible I suppose," agreed EJ, "I wonder why he wouldn't have given it to her."

"Read it," suggested Sami, "Maybe that will give us a clue."

EJ nodded thoughtfully and then began to translate from the Italian Santo had written it in into English for Sami.

"It's appears as though Santo wrote this the next day after telling Colleen he was going back to Italy," said EJ, having a quick scan of the letter and noting the date, "Here goes..."

oooOOOOooo

_Santo sat on a rock along the track that he'd met Colleen at the day before and waited for her his eyes fixed on the path. _

_He felt like from the moment he'd first met her that was all he was ever doing now... waiting for Colleen. Santo knew he should have left for the airport by now but he couldn't bring himself to leave without one last stolen moment with Colleen. She had become as breathing to him now, he needed her to survive and the thought of being away from her even if only temporarily was making his heart beat painfully in his chest. _

_From the first moment Santo had opened his eyes in that church up and looked into the face of his beautiful angel he had never wanted to leave her side again. In those first breath taking moments of meeting he hadn't even seen her novice's attire, seeing only the women behind those captivating blue eyes and nothing else. Santo's heart had sank when he had at last let himself see her clothing and realised she was promised to God because he'd known instantly that he wanted this vision to be promised to him and none other. He had been patiently drawing Colleen out of all the expectations of her family and station to find what the woman underneath that all really wanted for herself and although it had been painfully slow the rewards were beyond measure as his rose bloomed, one perfect petal at a time unfurling before his eyes. _

_Santo rubbed the back of his neck distractedly, a habit he had when he was upset. He didn't want to leave Colleen and a little smile touched his lips as he remembered her reaction when she'd thought he'd been going for good. Santo had seen the dismay on her face and it had made him so happy to see proof that she was as indifferent to him as she was desperately trying to make out..._

"Sounds familiar," said EJ, shooting Sami a sideways glance as they drove along, "It appears you and your great aunt have a lot in common Samantha."

"Shut up and keeping reading," scowled Sami at him, not wanting to go there and when he arched a mocking eyebrow at her contradicting orders she went on huffily, "You know what I mean!"

"Mm," said EJ wryly, going back to the letter, "More often than you'd like to admit I'm thinking sweetheart."

EJ tried and failed to settle more comfortably and then began reading again.

_... that she wasn't as indifferent to him as she was desperately trying to make out. Of course Santo had always known Colleen's feeling in his heart but as she continually tried to push him away it felt good to have some proof of the real truth behind her words. Santo wished more than anything that he could put off his trip back to Italy but he had matters that just had to be dealt with. He knew that Colleen was the only woman for him now, that being with anyone else would be a desecration of what he knew absolutely was a perfect love and that meant having to make sure that Sofia was settled and would be taken care of. Whilst he respected and cared for his wife she was not the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with but Santo was determined to make sure that she was looked after, even once he and Colleen were married. Perhaps... AAAGGHH!_

EJ cried out and had to grab the dash again as once more Sami slammed on the brakes. He looked at her wide eyed.

"Samantha!" he said in aggravation, "Will you please stop doing that?! If I had been in anyway able to move in this coffin sized car I could have been done a mischief!"

"She's not dead!" exclaimed Sami, totally ignoring his complaints, "He told Colleen that his wife Sofia was dead and now it turns out it was a lie! Santo told Colleen that his wife is dead just so that he can get her into the sack!"

"Firstly I don't think that is the reason he told that falsehood," said EJ firmly and held up a finger as Sami opened her mouth to disagree with him, "This letter tells us that for Santo there was simply no other woman for him other than Colleen so in a manner of speaking she was dead to him."

"Oh for Pete's sake!" snapped Sami, "That's convenient isn't it?! Whichever way you spin it EJ that was a horrible thing to do! What kind of person says that his wife is dead when they are not anyway?!"

"I'm guessing the same kind of person that tells her sister that if she marries the man she truly loves then their children will be born with birth defects," said EJ calmly.

"That was different!" said Sami, flushing and EJ had a terrible urge to lean across the short distance between them and kiss those pink cheeks of hers and simply not stop.

As uncomfortable as this car was for him it did mean that Sami was very close to him and the gentle scent of her perfume and the warmth of her body had been driving him steadily more insane each passing mile. As upset as he was with her over what had happened with Geraldine and as much as he mourned her passing Sami was still all EJ could think about. And just like it had been with Santo, this Brady woman consumed him utterly and nothing else really mattered in the world beyond that.

"No it wasn't," EJ shook his head, "It was passion. Life altering passion Samantha and you and I both know what that is."

He could see that his words were getting to Sami and wanted to press his advantage but Sami was starting the car again.

"Just read," Sami mumbled as she steered the car back on the road.

EJ gave a little smile at her obvious discomfort but did as she asked, going back to his reading.

"_... Perhaps many would judge what he was doing as wrong but to Santo it was only because those people had never experienced such a deep and timeless love as the one he felt for Colleen. It was simply an impossibility for Santo to consider going back to his wife now that he'd experienced love fully with Colleen. There was no hope for happiness in this life outside her so being without her was simply no option at all..."_

"Which is why he killed Colleen when she found out about his wife and wouldn't go away with him," interjected Sami knowingly.

"Santo would have sooner cut off his own arm then hurt a hair on Colleen's head," said EJ confidently.

"How do you know that?" scoffed Sami.

"Because you just drowned the $80 000 love of my life in the Gulf of Mexico and I'm still here," said EJ dryly.

He turned his head and swept his eyes over Sami then and he watched her squirm a little under his heated gaze before continuing on huskily.

"... wanting desperately to kiss you... to make love to you," he finished off roughly and saw how her hands tightened on the steering wheel as he did, "To have you take me into your body again and complete us both."

"Don't EJ," said Sami shakily, determinedly not looking at him.

"The heart wants what the heart wants," said EJ softly and unapologetically, "Against all reason, against all hope."

"Just read the letter EJ," Sami begged him unevenly, clearly affected by his words but not wanting to talk about it.

"As you wish," said EJ calmly, resuming reading.

_Santo pulled out his fob watch, grimacing at the time and realising that he would have to leave now without seeing Colleen and felt real grief at that prospect. He bent down to pick up his suitcase but as he did Colleen suddenly appeared from around the corner and he immediately straightened up, thanking the Madonna, probably inappropriately, that he would have one last moment with her before he was forced to leave her. She stopped short when she saw him but there was something in her eyes that told Santo she was glad to see him even though she tried to hide it. He quickly closed the distance between them._

"_Colleen."_

_Her name left his lips as though it was a prayer and then he was reaching for her. There were a thousand things he wanted to say to her, that he wanted Colleen to think about him as he was going to think about her while he was gone, that he loved her and couldn't wait to return to her but all those words died on his lips at the sight of her. Santo took her face between his hands and without another word kissed a stunned Colleen that nonetheless didn't resist him. He lost himself in the taste of her, trying to imprint every last sensory image of her into his very psyche so he could survive this separation from her. Santo let Colleen taste his desperation, his need of her and the pain at the thought of being apart from her and to his great joy she returned that wholeheartedly. _

_Yet again Santo was amazed by this woman's great spirit. He knew he was a terrifying prospect to her, that he threatened the very fabric of her existence just by his presence but still she answered his kisses with a need of her own. A need to be free, to be herself wholly and Santo revealed in this silent honesty between them. At last he broke the kiss, feeling his heart break along with it from losing the intimate contact with her. _

"_Don't takea youra vows while I ama gone Colleen," he begged her hoarsely, the taste of her still in his mouth even as he did. _

_She looked back at him, eyes wide full of trepidation and longing before silently shaking her head at him and Santo's heart soared. _

"_I won't," she whispered, seeming to be as uncaring of the fact that they were doing this out in the open for anyone to walk by and see them as Santo was. _

_Santo groaned at her promise and couldn't stop himself from claiming her mouth once again in a fiery, demanding kiss that was seared into both of their memories..._

oooOOOOooo

EJ walked up to the counter of the little hotel they'd chosen to stop at in Rose City, just outside of Beaumont almost crying with relief at being able to stretch his legs at last. They hadn't stopped in Beaumont as planned because he and Sami had gotten into yet another argument and had managed driving right through the place before realising what they'd done. After the explosive revelations of Santo's last letter and more importantly, what had passed between him and Sami whilst reading the letter rather unsurprisingly she'd had been on the defensive ever since. EJ wasn't sure just how much longer Sami could continue to push him away like this but he was confident there was a definite expiry date on all this prickliness. She was picking as many fights as she could with him because she was terrified of what would happen between them when the fighting stopped. She knew, he knew it and it was that knowledge that gave EJ the strength to get through this.

He put both hands to his back and enjoyed the feeling of being able to stretch it out in all directions, giving a happy sigh. Whilst things hadn't gone exactly to plan, EJ grimaced at the thought of Geraldine, he was alone with Sami and they were reading Colleen and Santo's letters which were affecting her deeply as they were him. All he needed to do was give a couple of extra little nudges in the right direction and Sami would no longer be able to deny her feelings for him. They still had several days left in the trip but EJ fully intended to extend that with _accidentally_ getting lost at some point. Sami didn't seem to be great with directions and EJ had no compunction about using that to his advantage. The desk clerk appeared then, walking out from the office behind the counter and smiled at EJ.

"What can I do you for?" he asked the question with a smile.

"I was hoping you had a room available?" asked EJ.

"One or two?" asked the man, spying Sami milling around in the foyer area.

"One," said EJ confidently, "With a double bed if you've got it."

In bed was the one place EJ didn't mind being cramped and the thought of Sami having to snuggle up to him was a delicious one.

"I do," nodded the man, "And for how long?"

"Just the night thanks," said EJ and then leant forward over the counter a little, lowering his voice, "And I was wondering if you could do me a favour?"

"What kind of favour?" asked the clerk.

"Well I was just wondering if you wouldn't mind saying that there is only one room left in the hotel and we've gotten it?" asked EJ with a charming smile, handing the man a generous wad of bills.

"Trouble in paradise?" asked the man with a quirk of his lips but nonetheless taking EJ's money.

"You could say that but nothing a little one on one time won't sort I'm sure," said EJ confidently, "If you know what I mean?"

The man looked past him to where Sami was approaching them now and nodded.

"I know what you mean," he said and they shared a smile between men.

"So did you get us some rooms yet?" she asked him shortly, still obviously mad from their last fight.

"Unfortunately sweetheart there is only the one left," said EJ, making himself look disappointed, "We'll have to share."

"What?!" asked Sami in annoyance, "No way! We'll just go to another hotel!"

"There's a big conference in town," said the clerk, obviously deciding to help out EJ and give him his money's worth, "I reckon you got the last hotel room in town. The only other option would be to sleep in your car at this point."

"That really isn't an option," said EJ firmly, throwing the man a grateful look without Sami seeing it, "It's impossible to do anything in that car other then suffer."

"I don't believe this!" said Sami grumpily; glaring up at EJ as though this was his fault which rather ironically it was.

She stomped off to wait over by the elevators, with the two bags of clothing in her hands and not looking like a happy camper.

"Are you sure you want to be locked in a room with that woman?" asked the guy sceptically, folding the money EJ had given him and pocketing it as he looked at Sami throwing things around rather violently, "I mean I know this is Texas and all and we have the death penalty but we don't normally encourage it in a hotel."

"Whatever doesn't kill you, makes you stronger," EJ grinned at the man's concern, "That's my motto!"

"Yeah well that's great and all," shrugged the guy looking at Sami warily, "But there is a pretty good chance from where I'm standing that she _will_ just actually kill you before you can get stronger."

"The thought had crossed my mind," admitted EJ ruefully as Sami threw what he assumed was his bag of clothes into the elevator and against the wall with such force that all the contents spilled out everywhere, still clearly unhappy about the news of only one room.

She then turned around and folded her arms in front of herself, impatiently tapping her foot on the ground and glaring at him.

"I don't know if you're the bravest or the craziest man I've ever met," said the man ruefully, shaking his head at the angry and impatient figure Sami was currently cutting over by the elevators.

"I like to think it's a little from column A and a little from column B," said EJ ruefully and then smiled at the other man, "I think I should be going. My turtle dove seems to be getting impatient."

"I've seen less vicious expressions in a starving tiger shark about to devour a seal then in your turtle doves," commented the man wryly as EJ grinned at him and began walking over to where Sami was waiting for him.

"And if you think I'm sharing that bed with you then you're as crazy as you look!" she snapped at him, "You're on the floor mister!"

"Yes dear," said EJ calmly, knowing it was only a matter of time before Sami gave up on this particular game and was happy to wait it out.

"Ain't no cure for stupid," said the man behind the counter again, shaking his head again as the two of them stepped into the elevator.

oooOOOOooo

Sami watched EJ as he stood in the middle of the room they'd shared the night before, leaning this way and that, trying to stretch out his back. She'd made good on her threat and EJ had slept on the small sofa last night and was clearly paying for it today. Between the cramped car conditions and the uncomfortable sofa EJ had to be feeling it by now and the wincing expression on his face told Sami that he was. Sami felt a flash of guilt over what she was doing to him but determinedly tried to ignore it. She couldn't let any kinder feelings about EJ in otherwise the flood gates were going to be opened and Sami simply couldn't allow that.

"I don't know what possessed you to rent what I'll laughingly refer to as a car," complained EJ yet again, putting his hand to his back and leaning backwards, still trying to stretch himself out, "I gave you my card, money was no object."

"It's kind to the environment," smiled Sami sweetly as she collected the last of her things and shoved them in the bag all of her things were in now.

"Whilst having the benefit of being cruel to me a suspect," said EJ with a twist of his lips.

"That was the final selling point for me yes," nodded Sami unapologetically.

"Why couldn't I have fallen for a nice, sweet girl," lamented EJ with a sigh, bending down to pick up the two canvas shopping bags that now contained all of their worldly possessions, "My life would be AAAGGGGHHHRRR!!"

Sami started at EJ's scream of pain and she looked at him wide eyed as he remained bent over at the waist, frozen in position.

"What's wrong?" she asked, hurrying over to him and looking down at him.

"My back," whimpered EJ.

"What about your back?" asked Sami in consternation, looking up and down it?

"It's gone out," groaned EJ, "I can't move."

"Yeah right EJ," snorted Sami, confident this was another trick of his, probably wanting her to rub it or something after stripping them both naked, "You've never mentioned any back problems before."

"I never _had_ any back problems before this trip," ground out EJ behind clenched teeth.

"Look those bags weighed nothing," said Sami, still pretty sure he was faking it but giving him the benefit of the doubt, "Just straighten up slowly. You've just probably got a bit of a cramp."

As Sami said that she put a hand on EJ's back, intending to help him straighten up but it didn't have the desired effect. EJ gave a scream that could have stripped the paint from the walls, his knees buckling as he dropped to all fours on the floor which only elicited more screams of agony from him. Sami pulled her hand away quickly and looked down at him in horror as he knelt there on all fours moaning softly now.

"EJ?" she said uncertainly, starting to entertain the fact that this might not be a trick on his behalf, "What do you want me to do?"

EJ slowly and painfully turned his head to look up at her wide eyed, his face pale and sweaty.

"Kill me," he said faintly, "Kill me now."

Sami pursed her lips at his anguished request and tried to work out if he was joking or not...

**Chapter EIGHTY EIGHT**** – ****Oh How The Mighty Have Fallen**

In this world full of pain and sorrow,

maybe once in a lifetime you will find someone who makes you feel wonderful.

Hang on to that someone no matter what.

_~Anonymous~_

"Okay," Sami grimaced, "I'll go and get you a doctor. Stay there."

"As though I have an option," ground out EJ from his position on the ground.

Sami started to head towards the door but there was a knock on the door and a man's voice called out.

"Hey there," he said, his Texan drawl quite prominent, "It's Larry, the manager. Y'all okay in there? I heard screaming.''

Sami opened the door and gave Larry a regretful look.

"We've had a slight problem," admitted Sami and then opened the door wider to reveal EJ on his hands and knees in the middle of the floor.

"Oh," he said with a frown, "We're not really that kind of establishment to allow... ah... you know..."

He trailed off and eyed EJ's current position warily.

"I mean I'm not judging y'all," he said hastily, "Different strokes for different folks and all but I can't allow this kind of um... sexual preference to disturb my other guests..."

"OH!" said Sami, flushing bright red as she realised what the man was trying to say however badly, "We're not doing... um... ah... _that_!"

"Really?" asked the man sceptically, "Because I heard the screaming and I kind of got the impression yesterday that your man here enjoys his women to get a bit rough with him..."

"EJ!" said Sami in horror, glaring down at him, "What the hell did you say to this guy?!"

"Does it matter?" gritted EJ so beyond caring what anyone else might be thinking right then, "I'm in agony here!"

"But he thinks we're some kind of sexual deviants!" exclaimed Sami totally embarrassed by the thought.

"I don't care if he thinks we hump trees for a living," said EJ tightly, "Just. Get. Me. A. Bloody. DOCTOR!!"

"What has she done to you?" asked Larry, wrinkling his nose and turned his head sideways to look at EJ as he was still bent over to the floor.

"I didn't do anything!" said Sami defensively.

"Samantha has been systematically trying to destroy me physically, mentally and emotionally this entire trip and now she can mark one more thing off her list," said EJ sarcastically.

"I have not EJ!" exclaimed Sami and then gave Larry and apologetic look, "He's just kidding, really. Stop being melodramatic EJ!"

"She's drugged me, abused me, drowned my gorgeous Jaguar, put me through hell and now has finished off the job by making my back go out!" raged EJ, obviously beside himself now and losing all control as he ranted at her from the floor, "That woman standing there looking like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth is a bloody menace to society! She's the love child of Lizzie Borden and Jack the Ripper, I'm sure of it!"

"He's a little het up," said Sami flatly, rolling her eyes at EJ's carry on, "Ignore him."

"I'm in agony!" EJ bit out the correction tersely, "Now will someone for the love of god get me a doctor and make sure he has drugs... a lot of drugs!!"

"I think he might need a doctor," agreed Sami ruefully to which EJ only groaned loudly as his complaints were finally given some credence.

"I'll go get one," nodded Larry and then gave EJ a worried look, "I suppose you'll be wanting the room for a little longer?"

"Oh," said Sami, having not really thought about that, "I guess we will, thanks."

oooOOOOooo

Sami bit her lip and walked up and down the living room of the little hotel room while EJ and the doctor were in the bedroom. It had taken both Larry and Dr Pearce as he'd introduced himself, to move EJ to the bed and there had been a fair amount of screaming from EJ while it was being done. In between the screaming EJ was calling down curses on her head; clearly blaming Sami for his current condition which she thought was a bit unfair. It wasn't her fault that EJ was ridiculously tall and couldn't fit into a slightly reduced sized car and who hadn't slept on a sofa before anyway? Sami was trying to assuage her feelings of guilt over how this whole thing had turned out and was only partially succeeding.

She wasn't really a terrible person Sami tried to reason with herself. So she'd drugged EJ... and destroyed his beloved car... and then made him ride in a car that was too small for him... and then made him sleep on the sofa... that didn't make her a horrible right? Sami grimaced, waiting for the doctor to come out and pass his verdict on EJ's condition and realised that there was a slim chance that it might actually be possible that she'd gone too far. She'd always figured that EJ had gotten what he deserved for lying to her about who he was; what his intentions had been coming to Salem but now Sami wasn't so sure.

It was so much easier when she was just being mad at him for whatever stunt he'd just pulled but the truth was that he'd been nothing but a gentleman with her for over a week now, just like he'd said. Even the loss of Geraldine he'd handled remarkably well all things considered and it only served to make Sami feel worse about how she'd been behaving. The point had been to keep him at arms lengths but she may have gone a little too far with that particular campaign Sami realised ruefully. Just then the doctor came out of the bedroom and Sami immediately hurried over to him.

"How is he doctor?" asked Sami, still clinging to the vague hope that this might all be an elaborate ruse on EJ's behalf.

"He's in a considerable amount of pain," said the doctor, confirming Sami's worst fears, "Backs are always fairly tricky things but I'd say there has been a compression of the T2 and T3 vertebrae that has caused a protrusion of the spongy material between them."

"What does that mean?" asked Sami in horror, thinking that sounded very bad.

"In laymen's turns it's a slipped disc," said the doctor, "Very painful."

"So how do you fix it?" asked Sami with a frown?

"Only one things going to really fix this," said Doctor Pearce knowingly, "And that's time."

"Time?" repeated Sami in annoyance, "Can't you give him some drugs or something?"

"I have given Mr DiMera quite a dose of painkillers yes," nodded the doctor, "They should be taking effect very soon which will make him a little more comfortable. Perhaps tomorrow when the swelling has gone down you will be able to massage some liniment into his lower back but until then all I can recommend is keep the painkillers up to him, heat packs and let Mr DiMera try and rest."

"How long is this going to take?" asked Sami, looking worried now and thinking about what Lucas was going to make of this latest development.

"How long is a piece of string my dear?" asked the doctor cryptically, "As I said my dear, backs are tricky things and it will take as long as it takes for your husband's back to heal."

"Oh," said Sami distractedly, not even bothering to correct the doctor's assumption about her and EJ, "So it's really bad then?"

"It's not really good," agreed Doctor Pearce ironically, "You'll have your hands full looking after him for the next little while, that is for sure. Just try not to let him move around too much and rest that back. He'll need you to take care of him a fair amount in the next little while. I can't stress enough how important it is that he doesn't get out of that bed unless absolutely necessary for the next couple of days."

"Right," said Sami with a sigh and trying not to think that this was karma getting its own back on her for what she'd done to EJ, "Thanks for coming out doctor."

"Call me if there are any problems," said Doctor Pearce, handing Sami his card, "Otherwise I'll be back tomorrow afternoon to check on the patient. I've dosed him up pretty heavily on the painkillers but he might need some more in tonight, just see how you go. I've left everything you need and the instructions for the pills on the bedside table."

"Thank you," said Sami again as she opened the door for the doctor, "I appreciate you being able to come to the hotel to see EJ."

"Not a problem Mrs DiMera," said Doctor Pearce with a smile, "I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Okay," nodded Sami and then with a last smile at the older man closed the door and leant back against it.

She looked over at the door to the bedroom and knew she had to go and talk to EJ but really didn't want to. He'd been pretty mad with her and somehow she didn't think that had changed in the half hour or so. She walked reluctantly up to the door and pushed gently on it, peeking her head around the corner. EJ was sprawled out on the bed, flat on his back on top of the covers. Sami walked into the room and looked down at him as he lay there with his eyes closed.

"EJ," she said softly and put out a hand to touch his shoulder but then thought better of it when she remembered his reaction the last time she'd touched him.

He didn't open his eyes so she tried again.

"EJ."

This time she said it more loudly and EJ's eyes slowly opened and he blinked up at her blearily, clearly having a lot of trouble focussing.

"Sssaamtha," he slurred, "Whattt are you doing heeere?"

"I've come to check on you EJ," she said quietly, looking at him worriedly after all that the doctor had said, "How do you feel?"

"Like yellow," he said slowly, blinking up at her and still not seeming to be able to focus on her.

"Yellow?" repeated Sami uncertainly, not sure what to make of that.

"Yellow," echoed EJ brightly, waving an unsteady greeting to her.

"No, _yellow,_ EJ," said Sami with a shake of her head, "Not hello."

"Not hello?" asked EJ bemusedly, "Goooodbye then?"

"No, not goodbye," said Sami in exasperation, "I'm not going anywhere."

"Am I?" asked EJ in confusion, looking suddenly worried.

"No," said Sami with a shake of her head, "You have to stay here and rest. Okay?"

"Are you going?" he asked with a pout of his bottom lip, looking very much like a little boy right then.

"No," said Sami firmly, determined to stop this circular conversation, "I'm not going anywhere and you're not going anywhere EJ."

"Good," said EJ happily and then promptly closed his eyes, "I'm going to sssleep now, night night."

"I think we should get you more comfortable EJ," said Sami, taking in his button up shirt and trousers.

She'd done well with getting the right sizes for him and was secretly pleased with herself for that but Sami knew that EJ was going to be stuck in that bed at least for a couple more days and he'd be better off in just his boxers. Now seemed as good as time as any to get him stripped down because once the drugs wore off Sami doubted she'd have quite as happy camper on her hands as she did right then. EJ was lying there peacefully with his eyes shut so Sami began to undo his shirt buttons. She managed to easy it off him without EJ stirring and she thought he might have fallen completely asleep but when she began to unbuckle his belt EJ's eyes snapped open and he looked down at her warily.

"What arrre you doing Ssmantha?" he slurred.

"You're pants have to come off EJ," she told him determinedly.

"Okay," he said accommodatingly, not seeming to find that a strange statement but not moving to help her in anyway.

Sami was glad he wasn't making a fuss and for the second time that week she began to remove EJ's pants while he was drugged out of his mind. Sami grimaced, wondering if this was going to become a habit between them but at least this time she wasn't the one who had done the drugging... she was just the one who'd caused the need for drugging in the first place.

"You're hair is so pretty," said EJ groggily, looking down at her dreamily as she as carefully as she could worked his pants down his body, very conscious of his back, "All fluffy…"

EJ patted her head clumsily as he said that.

"It's the damp air," said Sami, stopping in her task and smoothing down her hair self consciously.

"It's like an angel vomited on your head," said EJ, waxing lyrical and completely out of it.

Sami grimaced and shook her head, trying not to be offended by that.

"Ah thanks," said Sami wryly, "Now lie still."

"Do you think I'm pretty?" asked EJ, blinking blearily down at her hopefully.

"Sure," said Sami shortly, concentrating on getting EJ's pants off without hurting his back anymore which was a little difficult with EJ just lying there and her trying to inch his trousers off.

"You like my nose," said EJ with a very happy smile at that thought, "You told me ssooo."

"Yes you have a good nose," nodded Sami distractedly, almost done now.

"Our babies will have good noseses," said EJ confidently, the dreamy look back on his face even as he struggled with the plural of that world, "Good noseses will run in our family."

Sami rolled her eyes at the old gag but was doubtful that EJ even knew he'd made it at the way he was rambling incoherently.

"I want lotsss of babies with you," EJ confided in her as Sami at last managed to get his pants free from his longs legs.

"Do you now?" asked Sami, humouring him and letting him talk about babies as she pulled up the sheet to tuck him in.

"Hundredsss of 'em," EJ confirmed with a drunken nod, "Hundredss and thoussandss of 'em."

"Well that does sound like fun," said Sami sweetly as she tucked him in more securely, "But first you have to get some sleep."

"Then can we make babies?" he asked her hopefully, looking up at her with those big brown eyes of his.

Sami swallowed hard and tried to remind herself that he was totally out of his mind and didn't know what he was saying right then and wouldn't remember any of this. Besides, it wasn't exactly news to her that he wanted children with her after that interlude in the church and it was certainly no surprise to Sami that he was keen to do the thing that got you babies in the first place. It just did something to Sami to here EJ asking to do that so innocently and a fresh wave of confusion and guilt enveloped her.

"We'll talk about it when you wake up," Sami hedged, knowing he wouldn't remember any of this, "But before you go to sleep I'll just take your contacts out."

She knew by now that EJ always wore contacts and didn't like the thought of him sleeping for heaven only knows how long in them.

"No thank you," said EJ politely and Sami was sure he hadn't really understood what she'd said then.

"It will only take a minute," said Sami determinedly, moving in to take them out anyway.

"Stop poking me!" complained EJ loudly, screwing up his face and blindly batting at Sami's hands.

"EJ I have to take your contacts out," she said in frustration as he kept grabbing at her hands, "Stop it or I'll end up blinding you!"

"Don't be mean to me!" he pouted, his mood suddenly changing to petulant as he threw his head from side to side and was still swiping at her hands, "You're always being mean to me!"

"EJ!" she said in frustration, "I'm trying to help you."

He obviously wasn't processing what she was saying though so Sami could only think of one thing to make him behave. She grabbed his hands by the wrists and guided them to her breasts.

"Boobs," EJ sighed happily, squeezing them, instantly settling down and preoccupied.

Sami rolled her eyes at how predictable guys were and now that EJ was just lying there with a big dopey grin on his face, looking up at her adoringly and she was able to quickly take out his contacts for him. When she was done Sami put her hands to his and tried to get EJ to let go but not unsurprisingly he was reluctant to.

"Let go EJ," she said firmly but he only tightened his hold on her breasts in response.

"Sstay," he slurred up at her, now looking more unfocused than ever before.

"I have to make a phone call EJ," she said with a grimace, thinking about how Lucas was going to take all of this.

"Sstttaay," he pleaded with her and Sami didn't have the heart to refuse him.

She managed to dislodge EJ's hands from her boobs and carefully lay down beside him on the bed, very mindful of his back even if EJ was no longer feeling any pain right then.

"Sank you," he mumbled, closing his eyes and immediately settling down.

Sami turned her head and looked at EJ's suddenly restful looking countenance and bit her lip again.

"I'm sorry EJ," she whispered to him, looking at him guiltily, "I never meant for any of this to happen EJ, I swear. Things just got out of hand and I wish I could take it all back, I really do."

EJ gave a little snorting sound in response, obviously fast asleep already and Sami sighed heavily.

"You're so much easier to talk to when you're unconscious," she confided in him, making herself comfortable next to him, "I can tell you I'm sorry, that I love you, we can kiss."

Sami looked up at the roof and swallowed down her regret hard.

"Why does everything have to go to hell when you're awake?" she lamented, already knowing the answer to that but wishing she didn't.

As much as Sami had worked on making out that she hated EJ and this whole trip had been a terrible burden it was not as simple as that. This whole trip had been a terrible burden but not for the reasons she'd been telling EJ. Being with him day in and day out was just wearing Sami down and her only hope had been getting to Salem quickly and putting some much needed distance between herself and the man she now knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was insanely in love with. If she didn't love him so much he couldn't drive her this crazy.

Now instead of getting home quicker it looked like all her best efforts had actually prolonged the trip. Sami pulled a face at that thought and the thought of the unpleasant task she now had to do. She reached for the phone beside the bed even as EJ began to gently snore beside her and dialled up the familiar number. The phone was answered after only two rings and Sami took a deep breath as she heard a voice say hello in her ear.

"Lucas?" she said and wrinkled her nose, "There's been a slight problem..."


	9. Chapters 89 to 102

**AUTHOR'S NOTE****: Thanks for the reviews guys – it's always wonderful to hear your thoughts on what you are reading. The thing about EJami I love is that they have such range – they can be passionate, vexing, funny and so many other things beside that they are a joy to write for. In this next group of chapters we have some fun with them while starting to unravel the story of Santeen and the reason for the vendetta. So in this chapter we get not only some of Santeen stories but some foreshadowing for EJami's story that is coming up as well. **

**So here is the next part of the story – hope you enjoy it. **

**FATED**

**(Chapters 89 - 102)**

**Chapter EIGHTY NINE**** – ****No News Is Good News**

A bizarre sensation pervades a relationship of pretence.

No truth seems true.

A simple morning's greeting and response appear loaded with innuendo

and fraught with implications.

Each nicety becomes more sterile and each withdrawal more permanent.  
_~Maya Angelou~_

"Agh!" growled Lucas in disgust, "I _knew_ this would happen! Sami he's set this all up just so he can be alone with you – don't you see?! This is typical EJ – I can't believe that piece of manipulative scum!"

Lucas ground his teeth in frustration as he took in the fact that Sami was now stuck somewhere in Texas with EJ DiMera.

"Actually," said Sami with a bit of a wry grimace, "This time it may not be entirely EJ's fault."

"Can't you just come back anyway?" asked Lucas in aggravation.

"I can't leave him Lucas!" said Sami in horror, "He really is completely incapacitated."

"I'm sure," said Lucas sarcastically, "I bet you he is just playing you Sami."

"The doctor didn't seem to think so," said Sami sharply, not liking the implication that she couldn't see a ruse, "And right now he's in bed, drugged out of his mind."

"Well that's convenient isn't it?" asked Lucas darkly, hating the thought of Sami having anything to do with EJ.

"He really is in a lot of pain Lucas," said Sami with a frown.

"Good!" bit out Lucas, "He deserves it but he doesn't deserve you waiting on him hand and foot!"

"What else can I do Lucas?" asked Sami in exasperation, "He can't move and he's in agony."

"Hire a nurse," suggested Lucas, "That way he can have proper medical care and you can come home – problem sorted."

"I can't leave him Lucas," said Sami, biting her bottom lip.

"Why the hell not?!" growled Lucas, feeling himself really start to lose his temper as Sami seemed to show no inclination towards finding a way out of this mess.

"It's kind of my fault EJ's like this," she admitted guiltily, "I can't just abandon him now."

"How is it your fault that his back went out?" asked Lucas in exasperation.

"It's kind of complicated," Sami grimaced, "And then what with the Geraldine thing..."

"Wait, what?" asked Lucas in confusion, "Who is Geraldine, is there someone else on the trip with you?"

The thought of another woman travelling with EJ and Sami instantly made Lucas feel better although it was strange she hadn't mentioned her before now.

"Not anymore," said Sami wryly, "Geraldine was EJ's Jag."

"Was?" asked Lucas with a frown.

"There was kind of this accident," hedged Sami, clearly not eager to go into the details, "With a seagull and a pelican and well... now she's at the bottom of the ocean."

"Sami!" groaned Lucas, not really wanting to know anymore than that.

He'd known her for far too long to really be surprised by anything that happened around Sami. She seemed to be a catalyst for a lot of disastrous events somehow.

"So what?" asked Lucas in aggravation, "I suppose EJ is holding it over your head and making you feel guilty now?"

"Actually he isn't," said Sami and Lucas could hear the note of surprise in her voice, "EJ's been remarkable restrained about the whole thing."

"Which is just making you feel guiltier right?" asked Lucas in agitation, knowing exactly what EJ was up to and not liking it one little bit.

"Lucas," Sami sighed and sounded a bit defeated now, "I can't leave him, I'm sorry but I just can't. I'm sure EJ's back will be fine in a couple of days and then we'll head straight back to Salem, I promise."

"And you're not even going to consider my suggestion of getting a nurse to look after EJ and you come back alone?" asked Lucas tightly.

"It wouldn't be right," said Sami softly and Lucas could hear the regret in her voice but it didn't stop the painful stabs of jealousy that were currently attacking him.

"Since when have you been concerned with what's right?" asked Lucas bitterly, the words out of his mouth before he could stop them.

There was a long pause on the other end of the phone and Lucas closed his eyes, cursing himself for his thoughtless words.

"Look I'm sorry okay?" he told her tersely, "But you can't expect me to be thrilled about you and EJ shacking up together!"

"We're not _shacked up_ together," said Sami sharply, "He's in pain and I'm just trying to help."

"I suppose," said Lucas grumpily, "It's not like you're sharing a room after all."

"Of course not," said Sami quickly but there had been the briefest of hesitations before she'd said that and it made him instantly suspicious.

"Sami?" he asked, his frown deepening, "You're not sharing a room are you?"

"Don't be silly Lucas," said Sami firmly, "Why on earth would EJ and I be sharing a room? I'm your girlfriend remember?"

"Barely," said Lucas unhappily, "I feel like ever since we got back together I never see you anymore."

"Our timing has just been a little off," said Sami reassuringly, "You had your accident and then all that time in hospital... and at your mothers."

"Sami," he sighed, hearing the note of censure in her voice.

"It's alright," she said hastily, "I know why you stayed there but I'm just saying that a lot of things have happened in the last couple of months."

"I miss you," said Lucas huskily, "I want to make love to you again so badly, you have no idea Sami."

"I want that too," said Sami and there was a definite waver in her voice, "So I'll call you tonight? See how you're going."

"Sure," said Lucas in resignation, "Whatever."

"Please don't be like that Lucas," she begged him, "This was just one of those things. I'll be home soon, I promise you. Don't make it harder than it already is."

Lucas ground his teeth, not keen on making it easy for Sami to spend all this time alone with EJ but tried to be reasonable.

"Just remember what is at stake here Sami," he told her determinedly.

"What does that mean?" she asked him in confusion.

"Our future together," said Lucas tightly, "You still want that right Sami? For you and me to have a future together?"

"Of course Lucas," she said quickly, "How can you even ask me that?"

"I guess sometimes I'm not that sure what it is you do want Sami," said Lucas and was proud of how calm he sounded when saying that.

"I want to be happy Lucas," said Sami and the sentiment sounded rather wistful to his ears.

"With me?" he pushed her.

"Who else?" she answered his question with a question and it wasn't quite as satisfying an answer as Lucas was hoping for.

"I love you," he said simply, wondering why it was nowadays why it was always him who said that first.

"I love you too Lucas," she returned and again, the words didn't satisfy him.

They said their last goodbyes then and Lucas hung up his cell phone, absently pocketing it. He limped painfully over to the kitchen, his leg still throbbing uncomfortably. The doctors had told him that it should have settled down by now and all there was to do was be patient and keep up his physical therapy. It was easy for them to say, they weren't in constant agony. It seemed so unfair to Lucas that he was in all this pain and yet it was EJ who was benefiting from Sami's compassion and not her actual boyfriend. Everywhere he turned EJ seemed to be there and it was slowly driving Lucas insane. At first he hadn't been sure about moving out of the apartment but the lure of not having to see EJ's smug face every day was beginning to have growing appeal.

He knew EJ got under Sami's skin and he didn't like it. She kept saying that she hated him but to Lucas' way of thinking he'd rather her have no feelings for him at all. After all, he and Sami had hated each other for a good portion of the fifteen years they'd known each other and now they were together. Of all the things Sami was Lucas knew she wasn't a cheater but that still didn't make him feel any more comfortable about the situation in Texas. EJ had a way to him that could get just about anyone to do just about anything, even Sami and Lucas couldn't help but worry. A desperate feeling well up inside of him at the thought that he might lose Sami and he shook his head in frustration, trying not to dwell on his increasingly dark thoughts.

Lucas pulled out his vial of painkillers from his pocket and got down a glass to pour himself a juice into. However he misjudged putting it on the counter and it toppled off the edge, the glass shattering into a thousand pieces on the floor. Lucas swore under his breath at the mess, angry at himself for being so clumsy. He opened up the cupboard doors under the sink to retrieve the dustpan and brush to clean up all the glass and as he did his eye was caught by a bottle of scotch that had been stashed away under there. Sami had undoubtedly meant to put it out of view of Lucas, knowing about his problem with alcohol but it did Lucas little good right then. His mouth went dry, looking at that tall bottle of amber fluid. He reached out a suddenly shaking hand and picked it up, the weight of it feeling all too familiar in his hand, even after all of this time.

Lucas stared down at the bottle in his hand and gritted his teeth as he imagined what it would feel like to have that alcoholic warmth flood his body, the first hit after so long without. It would be smooth and glide down his throat and banish this never ending pain in his leg once he'd drunk enough of it. Lucas couldn't take his eyes from the bottle as it whispered sweet nothings in his ear, promising oblivion from his pain and from the loneliness of Sami not being there. No one was there to see him, a couple of sips wouldn't do anyone any harm right? Lucas began to shake all over as his body screamed at him to relieve its suffering and take a drink and it was all he could do to stagger to his feet and slam the bottle into the sink, breaking glass everywhere for a second time. The wondrous smell of the scotch assailed Lucas' nostrils and he quickly turned on the tap, flushing the alcohol with its siren's call down the sink.

He turned around shakily, leaning heavily back on the kitchen bench, his heart pounding erratically at how close a call that had been. On reflex Lucas' hand went to his cell phone, intending on ringing Maggie, his sponsor which was the rule in AA after a close call or if you were feeling tempted. It was a long time since Lucas had come that close to having a drink and calling Maggie was the right thing to do. He began dialling her number but then abruptly hung up, changing his mind at the last minute. Did he really need to bother his aunt Lucas rationalised? After all, he'd gotten rid of the scotch by himself so in reality he'd just shown how strong he really was right? There was a rather loud voice in his head trying to protest that that wasn't how it worked but Lucas determinedly ignored it, intent on trying to forget anything had ever happened. He'd been tempted but had overcome it so it was no big deal. Besides, Sami would be home soon and then everything would be back to normal. Lucas expelled a heavy breath and then went back to cleaning up both of his messes now.

oooOOOOooo

_Sami walked back into the darkened bedroom, her bare feet practically noiseless on the carpeted floor, the only sound was the ice cubes gently chinking together in the bucket of ice she'd just collected from the hallway. She came to a halt by the bed where EJ was stretched out on the bed, the sheet riding low down on his hips as he slept peacefully. Sami felt her heart turn over as she watched him in such a restful repose, unaware of his great beauty to her, sleeping or awake for that matter. _

_Sami thought she could stare at EJ for years and never grow tired of it. He fascinated her completely, in every way, physically and emotionally and right in that moment she would have given anything for things to be different between them. EJ suddenly turned his head, his eyes snapping open and looking up at her. Sami gasped, caught off guard by his abrupt alertness._

"_Ice," she mumbled uncertainly, knowing there were more words needed in that sentence but not seeming to be able to find them. _

_She'd gone to get a bucket of the stuff before she went to bed and that was why she as just wearing a little tank top and boy leg briefs, having not bothered with anything else seeing as she was just about to go to bed. Sami had thought that EJ might need some for his back, a little uncertain as to where you were meant to ice or heat these kinds of injuries or both. EJ's eyes went to the ice bucket she was holding and then he looked back up at her, holding his hand out to Sami. Sami took it without thinking and didn't protest as EJ pulled her towards the bed, making her sit down on the edge of it beside him. He took the ice bucket from Sami's hands and put it on the bedside table but not before grabbing a piece for himself. _

_Sami held her breath, mesmerised as EJ slowly lifted the ice cube to one of her breasts, rubbing it against the nipple that had already tightened at EJ's first touch. Sami swallowed a moan as he began to tease the bud into ever greater hardness, the thin material of her tank top becoming soaked around the area as he did. Her other breast was treated to the same torture, the ice cube rubbing back and forth over the delicate area, making them bead almost painfully from the coldness of the ice. She heard EJ's breath roughen, as did her own as he continued to stimulate her until the ice had melted into nothingness. _

_EJ stopped then, looking up at Sami expectantly, not saying anything but Sami knew exactly what he wanted her to do next. Unsteady hands found the bottom of her tank top as she pulled it off over her head, revealing her pleasingly pert breasts to EJ, her nipples pink and tight from what he'd done to them already. Wordlessly EJ reached for another piece of ice and began to work on her just as he'd done before but this time on Sami's bare flesh. She sucked in a pained gasp as the ice made contact with her already puckered flesh and despite the discomfort of such coldness pressed to such sensitive flesh her buds strained eagerly for more of EJ's attentions and he didn't disappoint. Around and around, back and forth he toyed with first one hardened peak and then the other, causing Sami to whimper mindlessly even as she felt her panties become hopelessly soaked from his ministrations. _

"_Take them off," he ordered her roughly, as though knowing what she was thinking and Sami's eyes widened at the request._

_He just looked steadily back at her and to her surprise Sami found herself obeying without complaint. She peeled the now soaking underwear from her body, enjoying the hungry look EJ was giving her as he looked over her now naked body. _

"_And me," he commanded her next and Sami swallowed hard, thinking that there was a hundred reasons she should be denying him even as her hands went to his boxers._

_EJ was a full attention, his manhood standing proudly erect as Sami carefully removed his boxers. It twitched wildly at her every touch and Sami couldn't take her eyes off his engorged length, wanting him desperately. _

"_Come here," he said unevenly and pulled on her arm, indicating she should straddle him._

"_Your back."_

_They were her first words of protest throughout this whole interlude. _

"_Will be fine," said EJ confidently and Sami offered up no further resistance as she climbed on the bed, straddling his stomach. _

_EJ gave a half smile at seeing her so compliant and reached for another ice cube. Sami braced herself for the touch of frozen water to her still rigid nipples but EJ had other ideas. He slipped the ice between her legs, confidently seeking out her nub and beginning to make small circular motions against it with the ice. Sami gave a strangled cry, instinctively going up on her knees to escape such sweet torment but all that did was grant EJ better access to her. Sami groaned loudly, her hands reaching behind her as she grabbed onto EJ's now bent knees, needing to steady herself as the ice cube now traced her swollen folds unhurriedly before circling the opening to her core. Her breasts were thrust forward as her head fell back; her whole body tense from what EJ was subjecting her to. _

_He teased her nub relentlessly with the icy cube until Sami's panting groans filled the small room, the pleasure he was giving her hard to define but nonetheless exquisite for its lack of definability. She could feel his hardness rubbing against her thigh, knew he was fully erect and waiting for her and she shuddered helplessly at the thought. Sami made herself open her eyes, looking down at EJ dazedly as she felt him insert the ice cube into her now, just a little._

"_EJ!" she gasped at the feeling of being penetrated, however lightly, by such a thing._

_EJ withdrew the ice then and removed his hand, raising the somewhat diminished ice cube to his lips. Holding her gaze he made Sami watch as he rubbed the ice that had been so intimately inside of her against his lips, knowing there must be a lot of her own juices mixed in with the melting water and shuddered uncontrollably as he then took it in his mouth. EJ rolled the cube around in his mouth, savouring it until the end and Sami felt as though he was devouring her along with it._

"_Samantha," he purred at last when the ice cube was at last consumed, her name a taunt promise on his lips. _

_EJ's hands were at her hips then, impatient to complete their coupling. Her body gave its usual resistance to having to take him when he was this big, a resistance that EJ clearly loved by the way he grunted contentedly as she struggled to take him. Sami sank down on him at last, feeling him stretch and fill her perfectly. Sami closed her eyes, savouring the moment and just wanting it to never end. She could hear the EJ scooping up some more ice cubes but didn't bother to look, more than happy with everything he'd done up until now to trust him. Her eyes flew open in utter shock though as EJ took the handful of ice and placed them between her bottom cheeks, his hands quickly pressing the firm globes together to keep them in place. _

"_OH GOD!" Sami screamed as the mixed feelings of being impaled on EJ's rigid, hot manhood was coupled with the sensation of the freezing ice between her bottom cheeks, the delicate skin reacting almost violently to the extreme sensation. _

_Sami collapsed forward, her hands going to either side of EJ's shoulders, her palms flat on the bed even as her body convulsed and writhed about at the confusion riot of sensations being inflicted upon it._

"_Ride me," EJ encouraged her excitedly, "Ride me hard Samantha!"_

_Sami moaned loudly but her body instantly obeyed, her hips beginning to energetically move up and down, back and forth on EJ's increasingly swollen length, feeling like he was going to split her in two if he kept on growing like this. But Sami didn't care; she was beside herself and just starving for the climax that only EJ's body could grant her. _

"_God... god... god..." she chanted mindlessly, her breasts scrapping back and forth against EJ's lightly hair covered chest as she rode him like he'd ordered her to, adding to Sami's stimulation. _

_Her face was just above his and she was staring into EJ's eyes, unable to look away as he looked up at her almost fiercely. She felt his hands tighten on her bottom cheeks, keeping the ice in place and driving Sami to the point of madness in the process. _

"_Good girl," he grunted, his face showing his own great arousal, "Take what you need, take it sweetheart!"_

"_I'm coming," moaned Sami through gritted teeth, feeling her body begin to tighten in that uniquely delicious way, "Oh god I'm coming!"_

_Sami's hips took over completely as she began to ride him in earnest now, desperate to push herself over that last little edge, unable to think past that. She was sobbing her need out to him, begging him to help her get there before she lost her mind completely. Sami was covered in sweat by this point, as was EJ from all of his own fierce exertions inside of her. The sight of EJ sweating as he pleasured her did things to Sami that there were no words for. To know that he was labouring that hard inside of her to bring them both their release made Sami's arousal only build to an unbearable level. _

_Her body was so heated now the ice between her bottom cheeks had all but melted, the water flooding down over her and EJ's thighs, adding to the wetness her own body was supply as her tight heat repeatedly consumed his thickness hungrily. Sami was frantic now as she rode EJ as hard as she could, making them both moan and grunt frantically. She squeezed her eyes shut as the feeling of wetness grew, Sami's body intensely excited by EJ's. Suddenly though the wetness seemed to be everywhere and something changed, confusing Sami and making her stop moving on top of EJ. She forced her eyes open, frustrated that she hadn't found her release yet when she'd been so very close._

_Sami's eyes widened as she did though as she realised that she and EJ were no longer in bed. She quickly recognised the lush surroundings of Geraldine's interior and she turned her head to see EJ sitting in the front seat when she was for some reason in the back. Before Sami could open her mouth to ask EJ what the hell was going on the car lurch wildly and she had the sensation of falling before there was the hard impact of the car impacting. Water rapidly began to fill the car and Sami had no doubt as to the fact that the impact had been with water rather than the land. _

"_EJ!" she called out in horror as he just sat there, the water filling the front of the car a lot faster than the back. _

_He didn't move or respond, just sitting there at the wheel with his back to her as the car slowly sank into the murky depths. Sami went to shake him and get his attention but she found that there was some kind of glass petition between the front and back seat. Sami began to bang on it frantically, desperate to get EJ's attention. It didn't work though and Sami was forced to watch in horror as the water moved quickly up the petition, enveloping EJ completely. _

"_NO!" she screamed as she watched him drown before her very eyes, "NO, EJ, NOO!!"_

_The water was now edging its way up Sami's body as well, already at her neck. She was sobbing hysterically at having witnessed EJ's death and couldn't breathe even before the water lapped at her face. She flailed around frantically, unable to understand what was happening to her and her heart breaking at the thought of having just lost EJ forever. _

"_NO... EJ... PLEASE... NO!"_

"Samantha."

The sound of EJ's voice and then the calming touch of his hand on her shoulder, reassuring solid and real finally woke Sami from her nightmare. She sat up in bed, looking around wildly as she tried to work out what was real and what was dream. The room was still light which meant that she must have fallen asleep next to EJ when she'd laid down next to him at his request, before the drugs had claimed him. Sami was uncertain of how long she'd been asleep but figured it must be early afternoon by now. She looked down at herself, still fully clothed and EJ was just in his boxers as she'd left him and she shook her head dazedly, trying to make sense of it all.

"You had a bad dream," croaked EJ, still half asleep himself as he looked up at her blearily, "It's alright sweetheart."

Sami put a hand on her wildly beating heart and nodded slowly, realising that he was right.

"Lay back down," he encouraged her huskily, EJ's eyes already closing as he took her wrist and tugged on it lightly.

Sami let EJ pull her back down on the bed, suddenly just needing to be near him more than anything else after that frightening dream. She laid her body along the length of his and reached out gingerly with one hand, conscious of not disturbing EJ's back and laid it on his chest. His heart beat reassuringly steady against her sweaty palm, the sensation a comfort in of itself.

"I've got you," said EJ sleepily as he rested his cheek against the top of her head and covered her small hand with his much larger one.

Almost instantly EJ's breathing became slow and measured and Sami knew he'd fallen back asleep.

"Yes you have EJ," she whispered to him hopelessly, snuggling into the security of the warmth of his body, "Yes you have."

**Chapter NINETY**** – ****The Heart Wants What The Heart Wants**

Loving is a feeling that brings both joy and pain to my heart.

Joy from being with you, being filled with an emotion so deep and tender

that no other feeling can compare.

Pain from knowing that I'm so in love, that I'm more vulnerable than I've ever been.

_~Anonymous~_

EJ came awake slowly, his mouth dry and completely disorientated. He forced his eyes open, looking around the darkened room blearily, his brain not supplying him with the necessary information to tell him what was going on. When he went to move however he was given a very painful reminder.

"Bloody hell!" he swore loudly and groaned as an excruciating pain ripped through his lower back.

EJ quickly lay back down on the bed, breathing unevenly as he fought to overcome the painful sensations running riot through his body, his eyes squeezed shut.

"_A little stiff huh?"_

An all too familiar voice asked him that question and garnered another complaining groan from EJ.

"_And not in that good way either which is a bit of a bummer."_

"What are you doing here?" bit out EJ, really not in the mood for a visit from Sam right then.

"_I'm here to help of course," said Sam blithely._

"Well I guess there is a first time for everything," ground out EJ unhappily, opening his eyes and glaring across at his unwelcome visitor who was lying on her stomach, a pillow under one cheek as she smiled back at him easily.

"_What's the matter my puckered platypus?" asked Sam chirpily, "I thought you'd be over the moon. I mean, haven't you always fantasised about being on your hands and knees with Sami in a hotel room?"_

"This wasn't exactly what I had in mind," growled EJ.

"_Well if I were you my little ray of sunshine I'd take what I can get," observed Sam calmly, "At least you got to cop a feel out of all this."_

"What?!" asked EJ in surprise, going to sit up and then grunting in pain as his back reminded him why that wasn't a good idea.

EJ struggled not to scream out a like a little girl and managed to find his voice after a few agony filled minutes.

"What do you mean?" asked EJ at last unevenly, "What happened with Samantha and I?"

"_You mean you don't remember again?" asked Sam in exasperation, "What is this, some kind of early onset dementia?"_

"No," said EJ in aggravation, "This is me being consistently drugged on this little trip of horrors!"

"_Yeah," nodded Sam thoughtfully, "You should probably go on some kind of liver cleansing kick once this is all over."_

"So what happened exactly?" asked EJ looking at Sam with intense interest, not caring one whit about his liver right then and desperate to know what had transpired between himself and Sami.

"_You got a little over the sweater action," said Sam knowingly._

"I did?" asked EJ in consternation, frustrated beyond words that he couldn't remember, "Why would Samantha do such a thing?"

"_Not really sure," pouted Sam, "All I could hear at the time in your head was... boobs... boobs... boobs..."_

"I'm sure I had more going on than that," said EJ dourly, not liking to think of himself being quite that base.

"_Trust me you didn't," said Sam wryly, "You were in love bazonga's heaven."_

"I don't believe this," said EJ in annoyance, still unable to fathom how he couldn't remember any of this and still at a loss to know what Sami had been doing.

"_Say what you will about the neurotic, Jaguar drowning bundle of pain in the ass who is unfortunately the great love of your life," said Sam conversationally, sitting up beside him now, "But she's got a great set of tits on her... well on us really."_

"Yes she has," groaned EJ, broken hearted at being cheated out of yet another memory of an encounter with Sami before glaring up at Sam, "And I'll thank you not to be so crass when you refer to the future mother of my children!"

"_Recipe for rabbit stew big, bronzed and bedridden," snorted Sam unconcerned, "First catch yourself a rabbit!"_

"I've caught my rabbit," EJ grumbled unhappily at any suggestion to the contrary that Samantha was his and his alone.

"_And then the rabbit promptly removed your ability to walk," said Sam with a smirk, "You kinda have to wonder who trapped who in this little scenario. It seems like your bunny has the upper hand in all this."_

EJ scowled at that unhappy truth.

"_So I suppose you're going to work the guilt angle on this one?" asked Sam easily._

"I don't need to work any angle on Samantha," said EJ grumpily, "What do you think I am?"

"_Desperate and horny," said Sam without missing a beat._

"I'm not..." EJ stopped then, not sure he could really complete that sentence in all good faith so went down a different path instead, "... going to discuss this with you any further."

"_It's a wise man who admits when he's defeated," said Sam in satisfaction. _

"Go away," ground out EJ, flinging an arm over his face tiredly, "I can't do this right now."

"_Hey hey hey," said Sam in annoyance, "You pulled me out of your subconscious you loser in love. I've got other places I could be you know, rather than sitting here listening to you whine like a little girl!"_

"Oh right like where?" said EJ disdainfully, scowling up at her from underneath his arm, "You're figment of my imagination! What, did you have to cancel high tea at Buckingham palace to be here?!"

"_I've got a life!" insisted Sam loudly, "Unlike you I might add!" _

"My life is full to overflowing thank you very much," said EJ indignantly, "It's a never ending whirlwind of excitement and pleasure!"

"_Really?" asked Sam sarcastically, "Okay Mr Whirlwind, why don't you sit up then?"_

EJ threw here a challenging look then and attempted to sit up and had to bite back a yelp of pain.

"_So shall I tell Paris and Lindsey that you'll be a bit late picking them up?" asked a sweetly sarcastic Sam as she watched EJ writhe around noisily in obvious pain, "Talk about a train wreck! Why FEMA hasn't come and roped you off as a natural disaster I'll never know! That kitten breath alone has to alert people that something is rotten in the state of Denmark!" _

"There is nothing wrong with my breath!" said EJ, putting a suddenly self conscious hand to his mouth and breathing on it and trying to smell for himself if there was any validity in Sam's words.

"_Seriously Elvis," said Sam with a shake of her head, "It's like the gerbil you normally have wedged up your ass escaped, crawled into your mouth and then promptly died from the trauma of it all."_

"How can you be any part of me?" asked EJ in dazed astonishment, "You can't possibly be inside of me with the things that come out of your mouth!"

"_Yeah well trust me," said Sam flatly, "If you don't do something about that breath of yours you'll never be inside anyone else either."_

"Where is Samantha?" asked EJ in agitation, done with this conversation now.

"_Probably gone for a gas mask," said Sam, clearly not done with it, "And some breath fresheners."_

"She cripples me and then deserts me," grumbled EJ, determinedly ignoring Sam's comments, "What is it exactly that I see in this woman?"

As though he'd conjured her out of his dark thoughts Sami suddenly appeared in the doorway, tentatively looking into the shadowy room.

"EJ?" she said hesitantly, switching on the light and making them both blink in the sudden glare, "Who are you talking to?"

EJ swallowed hard at the sight of Sami standing there, his heart beginning to beat a nervous tattoo at just the sound of her voice. His stomach churned and his pulsed raced and he knew he'd answered his own question. No matter what happened between them Sami was always going to be his undoing. He loved her, completely and utterly and nothing else mattered beyond that for EJ. She was all he could see, all he ever wanted to see and being apart from her was a far worse pain then anything he might be enduring now.

"_Well I'll leave you kids to it then," said Sam calmly as EJ continued to stare wordlessly at Sami, clearly lost in her, "I'd say you two have a lot to talk about, just try not to exhale while you do hmm Hiroshima breath?"_

And with those parting words of advice Sam was gone but EJ barely noticed, seeing only Sami.

"EJ?" asked Sami with a frown.

"I... ah..." EJ coughed, clearing his suddenly dry throat, "It was just the television you heard."

"There isn't a TV in this room," pointed out Sami, walking over to the bed and looking down at him worriedly.

"Must have been next doors then," said EJ, fighting to remember he was meant to be mad at this vision of womanhood for all that she'd put him through these last few days.

Was it possible that she'd gotten even more lovely since he'd last seen her a few hours ago? It didn't seem possible but EJ was convinced she was. He was beginning to fear he'd never really get the upper hand in all their dealings when he was just so completely unravelled by her and the longer he knew Sami for the more she undid him. Everything about Sami fascinated him, drew EJ deeper into the mystery that was this woman. It was a mystery that EJ was convinced only he could solve completely because of their entwined fates, written in the stars.

"So... ah... how are you feeling?" she asked him uncertainly, looking uncomfortable.

EJ forced himself to remember that he was meant to be mad at Sami for all that she'd put him through and despite his earlier protests to Sam to the contrary he wasn't exactly above working the guilt angle with her.

"How am I meant to feel Samantha?" asked EJ and was pleased at how cross he managed to make that question sound, "I'm in mourning _and_ agony, thank you for asking."

Sami pursed her lips and to EJ's great surprise didn't make any angry defensive comments to his words. She really must be feeling guilty about what had happened and the thought was a happy one for EJ.

"Can I get you anything?" she offered up hesitantly.

"My lovely Jaguar from the bottom of the ocean and the ability to walk again," said EJ straight faced.

Once again to his amazement Sami didn't rise to the bait on that one either.

"It's just about time for more painkillers," offered up Sami meekly.

Sami was making it very hard for EJ to maintain his angry façade with her behaving this way when all it did was make her want to just grab her up and hug her to him but he did his best.

"And would these painkillers be doctor prescribed or are they the same ones you got from the back alley for when you roofied me?" asked EJ acerbically.

Sami bit her bottom lip and looked down, uncharacteristically taking yet another dig from EJ without comment. EJ immediately felt terribly guilty about what he was doing. It was no fun pushing her buttons if Sami didn't fight back he decided. Right about then all he felt like was a bully despite him having more than a little right to be miffed about the events so far. He never wanted to be the one to bring that unhappy look to Sami's face, regardless of the circumstances. EJ loved her too much for that and was just about to open his mouth to apologise to her when Sami beat him to it.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, lifting her eyes from the floor to look at a surprised EJ, "I never meant for any of this to happen... for you to get hurt like this."

"What did you mean to happen Samantha?" asked EJ, looking at her intently and curious over her sudden change of attitude since they'd last spoke and wondering what had happened in the interim to cause such a change.

Sami shook her head silently, obviously not prepared to answer that right then.

"I'll order us some room service and get you a heat pack for your back," she said, avoiding the question altogether.

EJ frowned at that, wanting to know what had happened while he'd been sleeping to cause such an about face in Sami.

"Did you call Lucas?" he asked her, "Told him what happened?"

"Yes," she said simply.

"And I'm assuming he was less than thrilled?" asked EJ wryly.

"He understands," said Sami vaguely.

"Well that's big of him," said EJ mockingly but then gave Sami a considered look, "Did he upset you?"

"No," said Sami with a shake of her head.

"But you're upset," EJ correctly interpreted her reserved manner.

"No I'm not," she denied unconvincingly, looking away.

"Samantha," said EJ determinedly, not prepared to have it left at that.

"I had a bad dream alright," she said, annoyance creeping back in her voice at EJ's insistence.

"What about?" he frowned.

"I can't remember," she said dismissively, "It just left me feeling... off I suppose."

EJ looked up at Sami, his eyes narrowing as he mulled over those words and very curious about that dream now. He went to sit up, sick of lying on his back now and grimaced as his back complained violently at such an action.

"Here," said Sami, hurrying over to help him.

She grabbed his arm and tried to help pull EJ upright but all Sami managed to do was wrench his back in the process and made him let out a blood curdling scream. The scream was so loud that Larry downstairs stopped balancing him books and looked up at the ceiling in concern.

"Don't _do_ that!" squawked EJ when he could speak again.

"Sorry," grimaced Sami apologetically.

EJ's head was still spinning a little from that last painful spasm but none the less he had more pressing matters to attend to right then as he began to inch himself out of bed.

"What are you doing?" Sami frowned, going to stop him, "You've got to stay in bed EJ. Whatever you need I'll get it for you."

"I need the bathroom," said EJ with an arched eyebrow up at her.

"Oh," said Sami, looking awkward, "Well... um... in that case – god's speed."

It took EJ a fair little while but he at last managed to get himself off the bed and standing on very shaky legs. He wasn't exactly upright but it was enough to get him where he needed to go.

"I'm going to order us room service," Sami told him as he shuffled painfully along, "What do you want?"

"Surprise me," mumbled EJ, deciding to live life on the edge.

EJ was gone a little while as everything he did just took that much longer and by the time he was easing himself back onto the bed he was covered with a fine layer of sweat from the exertions of it all. He'd heard the knock at the door while edging himself back into the room and realised it had taken him so long to perform this simple function that their room service had actually arrived in the interim. Sami walked back into the room with a tray full of food.

"I got you chicken soup," she told him, walking carefully so as not to spill anything.

"Wonderful," EJ grimaced as he lay back down on the bed, the drugs and lack of anything to eat all day making him feel a little tired now.

Sami brought over the tray of food which had the soup and some sandwiches on it and rested it on the bedside table. She handed EJ his bowl of soup which he took gratefully. Taking a spoonful he nodded his head.

"It's good," he said appreciatively, "Thank you."

"You need a napkin," said Sami and moved to lay one across his lap but misjudged a little and knocked the bottom of the bowl, spilling hot soup into EJ's lap and eliciting yet another loud scream from EJ.

Larry looked up at the ceiling again and shook his head.

"That guy will be leaving here in a body bag at this rate," he muttered under his breath.

"Oh I'm sorry!" exclaimed Sami, dabbing at EJ's groin now with the napkin but doing it too hard and causing EJ more pain in his back.

"Samantha!" said EJ tightly.

He grabbed her wrist with one hand and holding the soup in the other, stopped her from cleaning up as he grimaced against the pain she'd inadvertently caused him yet again,

"I never thought these words would come from my mouth but please keep your hands away from my crotch!" he ground out, wondering if it would be worse or better if he blanked out from the pain right about then.

"I'm just trying to help EJ," Sami scowled, obviously getting fed up with not seeming to be able to do anything right.

"Sweetheart I'm not sure when you're more lethal," said EJ dourly as he mopped up the last of the soup himself from his lap with the napkin he'd taken from her, "When you're intent on hurting me... or helping me."

"You're such a jack ass," announced Sami unhappily, finally starting to be more like the spitfire EJ was used to, "It would serve you right if I did what Lucas said and got you a nurse and left you hear to wallow in your own self pity!"

"He's a compassionate guy that Lucas," said EJ mockingly, "So why didn't you take him up on his suggestion then Samantha?"

"It wouldn't have been right to abandon you," said Sami defensively.

"And that's the only reason you stayed?" asked EJ, giving her a pointed look, "Your strong sense of right and wrong."

"And I wanted to finish reading the letters," she said snippily and as though to prove her point she walked over to the bedside table she'd left them on an picked up the large envelope, "We should read some more while we have dinner."

"Why not?" said EJ smoothly, "I may as well be doing something while I wait for the skin over my groin to heal up from the third degree burns you just gave it."

"You're such a drama queen," said Sami in disgust coming to sit back down on the bed with the letters in hand.

"I have no choice when I'm with a woman whose primary role in life is to create drama," said EJ dryly.

"Shut up and eat your soup," said Sami dourly as she drew out a letter, "The next letter is from Colleen."

EJ settled gingerly back against the bed head and did as she said. When he was settled Sami began to read her Great Aunt's letter out loud to him...

**Chapter NINETY ONE**** – ****A Kiss Before Dying**

In time of sickness the soul collects itself anew.

_~Latin Proverb~_

_Colleen sat in the hard wooden pew of the church, her mind full of hectic thoughts. Sister Mary walked out of the confession box and taking a deep breath she stood up, walking into the little wooden box and drawing the curtain. She sat down as the partition between her and the priest was slid open._

"_Bless me Father for I have sinned," she began tentatively, knowing what she should be confessing to but not sure she could do it, "I have been impatient wit my little brother..."_

_She paused then, gathering her courage._

"_Go on my child," said Father Michael calmly._

"_I have had... unworthy thoughts," Colleen said softly, "My mind has strayed Father from da tings that are pleasin' to Our Lord."_

"_The mind has a tendency for such tings to be sure," agreed the Father steadily, "It can only be remedied by faithful prayer and readin' of da Holy Word. Dese tings will put ya back on da straight and narrow my child."_

"_Yes Father," said Colleen quietly, her hands twisting together in her lap unhappily._

"_Four Our Father's and two Hail Mary's will be your penance my child," said the priest, "But da opening of da good book is da ting dat will keep dese thoughts at bay."_

"_Yes Father, thank you Father," said Colleen quietly and then stood up, leaving the confessional. _

_She picked up her Bible on the way out of the church, walking slowly down the well beaten path to her room at the convent. Colleen stopped halfway, taking herself off into the woods a little and finding a favourite flat rock of hers she sat down on it, biting her lower lip anxiously. Santo had been gone a full week now and she could barely function with how badly she missed the dark haired foreigner. It was so wrong of Colleen to feel that way but she was wishing away her life, desperate to see him again regardless of how wrong that was. The right thing to do would be to pray that Santo never returned and for her life to return to how it once had been but no matter how hard she tried Colleen couldn't bring herself to pray that prayer. _

_She missed Santo, despite all the confusion and angst he bought into her life Colleen would have given anything for him to suddenly step out from behind those trees and say her name in that richly accented voice of his. She loved the sound of her name on his lips. The way he lingered over it every time he said her name, almost seeming to caress it somehow. Colleen shook her head at such a fanciful thought. That man stirred up so much in her that even the thought of Santo made her heart pound erratically in her chest. Colleen opened her bible, determined to follow Father Michael's advice but as she did an old letter of Santo's fell out, one he'd written to her just after they'd met, when he'd returned to Italy for the first time and was writing in response to her letter requesting one of those fine handkerchiefs from him. It fluttered to the ground and Colleen bent down to retrieve it, grimacing as she did as even the Good Book offered no solace from her thoughts of Santo as the Father had promised. _

_Colleen opened the letter, beginning to read it for probably the hundredth time by now. He was talking of his city, describing the delights that were to be found there to her. She smiled softly, being able to picture in her mind's eye exactly his enthusiastic hand gestures as he spoke of his home country, the light in his eyes as he'd excite her imagination about all there was to see in the world outside of her little part of it. Santo's accent would thicken as he became more passionate about something and when they spoke of such things Colleen would have to concentrate to understand him, desperate not to miss a thing that he might say about such wondrous places. Santo made everything sound so amazingly breathtaking that when she was with him she almost believed anything was possible. Of course away from him the reality of their situations set in for Colleen. She was a novice, about to take her vows and they could never be. It was impossible, Colleen knew that but it didn't stop the longing inside her. She closed her eyes and dropped her head, wishing she knew how to find some peace._

oooOOOOooo

"Poor Colleen," said Sami quietly, really feeling the other woman's pain and knowing exactly how she felt, "She's so unhappy."

"She's growing up," EJ corrected her as he sat beside her, propped up in bed, "Allowing herself to consider other possibilities for her life other than those that had been thrust upon her. All growth and change has a measure of pain to it Samantha but that needn't be a bad thing."

"Santo has upended Colleen's world totally," said Sami angrily, "Nothing is the same for her anymore!"

"One has to ask themselves just how truly content Colleen had been in that world when the presence of a single person can do such a thing Samantha," said EJ knowingly, "If Colleen had been as blissfully happy with the choices in her life as you are trying to imply then I think she would have found Santo's advances to be of very little concern."

Sami looked unhappily at the letter in her hand, not having an answer to that that but not ready to admit to it that either.

oooOOOOooo

The next day Sami was seeing the doctor out and thanking him for visiting again.

"Just keep doing what you're doing Mrs DiMera," he told her, "Your husband will be back on his feet eventually but make sure not to rush things. I can recommend a good physiotherapist who will come out to the hotel to speed things along."

"That would be great," smiled Sami, accepting the card he offered her.

"The heat pack and anti inflammatories seem to be doing the trick with the swelling," he noted, "So keep them up but you can also rub some of this liniment on his back as well."

Sami took the liniment the doctor was holding out to her.

"Thank you," she said and looked down at the bottle, "How often should EJ use this?"

"A couple of times a day should do the trick," said the doctor, "Play it by ear and see if it is helping."

Sami thanked him once again and showed him to the door before heading back to EJ who was still stuck in the bedroom.

"The doctors gone," she told him, "He seems quite happy with your progress."

"Bully for him," mumbled EJ grumpily, his face muffled in the pillow as he was still lying face on the bed from where the doctor had been examining him, turning over too much of an effort right then.

"So I have something to rub into you back," she informed him, ignoring his surliness.

"What is it," he grumbled, "Broken glass?"

"Keep this attitude up and it might be," said Sami with a roll of her eyes, "It's a liniment."

Sami opened the jar and sniffed at it, wrinkling her nose at the strong smell of camphor and menthol.

"A very stinky one," she said, pulling a face, "But it is meant to be good for your back. I'll put some on for you."

"Really?" asked EJ, this at last seeming to gain his interest as he lifted his head and looked back over his shoulder at her, "You'd do that for me?"

"Of course I would EJ," she said in annoyance, "I'm not a monster and I'm here to help you however I can."

"In that case how about you help me into the shower and you can rub that stuff on my back in there?" he made the suggestion with a little lecherous smile on his lips.

"Why do you say things like that?" she asked him in exasperation as yet again he seemed to swap between annoyance and outright flirting with her, "You are in no condition to follow through on that statement at the moment."

"It's my happy place," pouted EJ, "Don't take that away from me Samantha."

"So do you want this or not?" asked Sami, finding untapped reserves of patience.

"Want," mumbled EJ, "Want."

"At last you're being sensible," said Sami, going to grab a towel, "Like I said, I'm here to try and help you EJ."

"I just get confused sometimes when you empty hot soup onto my groin," said EJ straight faced.

Sami let that dig go and came and sat beside EJ on the bed and taking some of the ointment onto her fingers began to rub it gently into EJ's lower back. He made a muffled noise of pain at even her light touch and Sami immediately stopped.

"No," said EJ quickly, "It's alright, the heat feels good, keeping going sweetheart."

Sami very gently continued to rub the rest of the ointment into EJ's back and could feel his muscles beginning to relax a little under her hands. Sami figured she'd be able to give EJ a proper back rub at some point, once the worst of the swelling was gone but for now this seemed to be helping him anyway.

"I thought we'd read another letter," she told him, wiping her hands on a towel once she was done, "I'm dying to know what happens next and it is a Santo letter so it would be great if you could read it before those painkillers made you fall asleep again."

"You're not reading Colleen's letters while I'm sleeping are you?" asked EJ, suddenly suspicious.

"Of course not!" said Sami in affront, "I would never think of doing such a thing!"

EJ managed to give her a sceptical look over his shoulder and she relented.

"Okay I thought about it but I didn't do it," she admitted begrudgingly, "So do you want to read?"

"Give me five minutes to turn over sweetheart and I'm in," he grimaced, clearly just as curious as she was as to what happened next.

oooOOOOooo

_Santo checked his pocket watch again before pocketing it back into his vest pocket distractedly and then looked out the window unseeingly._

_Barely five minutes had gone by since his last check of it and probably even less would have passed before he'd check it again. Time had no meaning when she was away from him - each second dragging by as he wished them frantically away so they could be together again. Nothing had any meaning for him now outside of her, nothing made sense and nothing fitted. It was only when they were together that his heart would stop aching and he could be happy. The same heart gave a lurch in his chest and then began to beat an erratic rhythm as he heard the sound of children drifting upstairs to his little room at the inn. _

_She was here._

_At last._

_For the previous two weeks he'd been in Italy, seeing to some business matters and the separation from her had been an agony that he'd had to endure each moment he was gone. But now she was but a few short steps away. Colleen didn't know he was back already, having said he'd be gone at least three weeks but he could bear it no longer and had returned earlier. It was midday now and he knew that she would be coming to the inn to teach the orphan children as Mrs Fitzpatrick had organised. Normally he would have kept away, not wanting to draw too much attention to the fact that they might be spending any inappropriate time together but the waiting was too much. He could not bear to wait until tonight and then only hope she could get away. He had to at least see her, have her look at him and now that all his dreams and hopes for the future still lived. Santo's hand was on the door to his room before he even thought about it._

_Santo walked down the stairs, conscious that each step took him closer to her. On the outside he looked calm and composed but inside he was anything but. If anyone had cared to look closely they could have seen a fine layer of sweat on his forehead, a nervous clenching of one hand and a heart that was racing so that there was a constant roaring in his ears that practically drowned out everything else. Aside from the intense excitement at being able to see her again finally Santo was also terrified, terrified that this time apart had given her cause to reconsider their relationship and think better of it. _

_It had taken him so long to coax her out of the locked room her family and the church had placed her in to be with him. He worried that without him there to remind her to fight for her freedom she would retreat back into that dungeon and he'd never be able to be with her again. That was why he'd put off for so long returning to Italy, scared that he might lose her forever and not knowing if he'd be able to withstand such a blow._ _Even though they had only exchanged a few kisses Santo knew that he had found his soul mate in Colleen Brady and no one else would ever be able to stir the feelings that this stubborn little novice did in him._

_In a few short seconds he'd have his answer, he'd be able to look into her eyes and know the truth of her feelings for him and that like him, Colleen had been unable to build the walls up between them again. His hands began to shake at the thought as he entered the makeshift classroom with the ten or so children gathered around the table. She had her back to him as she knelt beside one of the smallest children, doing up their shoelace for them. All he could see was the black and white habit, her head ducked down, concentrated on her task. He held a finger to his lips and winked at the children who had all seen him enter and they grinned back at him, joining in on the surprise. He playfully tapped the shoulder of the young novice, meaning to give her a little start. The woman's head whipped around and looked up at him in surprise and his next words died on his lips._

"_Mr DiMera!" she exclaimed, straightening up and arching an eyebrow at him, "What's all dis then?"_

"_Scusei Sister Rose," said Santo, quickly trying to recover from the shock of finding her there, "I thought you werea Colleen, my apologies."_

"_Is that right den?" asked the older woman, "Well as ya can see I'm not. What brings ya back to our shores so quickly Mr DiMera? I thought I heard our Colleen say you'd be gone da best part of a month."_

"_Si, si," nodded Santo distractedly, "I was able to, how you say, wrap things up earlier than expected and I 'ad more business to do ina Galway."_

"_Right you are den," said Sister Rose, seeming to accept his answer, "Well I'm sure we're all happy to see ya back - particularly seein' as your such a generous supporter of da church and all."_

"_I am 'appy to 'elp in any little way I can Sister," replied Santo and then unable to keep the question in any longer, "Scuesi Sister Rose but where isa Colleen, does she no longer teach the bambino's on a Wednesday?"_

"_Oh you haven't heard then?" said Sister Rose with a sad frown, "About poor Colleen I mean."_

_The room suddenly felt as though all the air had been sucked from it and Santo couldn't breathe and the heart that had been so frantic in its beating up until that point suddenly stopped dead in his chest. The way the other woman was sadly shaking her head and tutting to herself he knew that it must be bad news and he couldn't bear it. She had to be alright, she just had to be. If she had somehow died and even thinking the words made him feel like screaming from the pain, then he'd know, he was sure of it, he'd feel her leave this earth and him. _

"_Ees something the matter witha Colleen?" he asked, his mouth suddenly so dry that the question came out more of a rasp than anything else._

"_The poor wee girl is ill and has been for over a week now and gettin' no better despite the doctor's best attempts," said Sister Rose with a worried shake of her head, "We've all been praying for her but she seems to be getting worse if anytin'. The poor child, it's enough to make ya weep to see someone so young so close to death's door, it really does."_

_Santo took a shaky step back, as though the other woman had physically hit him, so overcome by her words he needed to put some distance between him and the reality that he might be going to lose Colleen forever. _

oooOOOOooo

"Colleen died of illness?" asked Sami, a hand flying to her mouth in horror and interrupting EJ's reading.

EJ looked up from the letter and frowned.

"I don't think that would make any sense," he said with a shake of his head, a thoughtful finger going to his lips as he sat propped up in the bed reading the letter, "A vendetta isn't caused by someone dying as a result of an illness."

"Who knows what would set off a DiMera," said Sami snippily.

"Yes we can be such unreasonable creatures can't we Samantha?" he said mockingly, giving Sami a pointed look to remind her of what he'd been enduring more or less gracefully on this trip.

Sami scowled at that but knew she was on shaky ground here.

"Shall I read on?" asked EJ calmly.

"Yes," nodded Sami, eager to find out what exactly what had happened to Colleen, "Don't stop EJ, keep going!"

"Ahh," EJ sighed wistfully.

"What?" asked Sami in confusion, looking at him a bit askew?

"You have no idea how much I've missed you saying things like that to me while we've been in bed together," he told her, a little cheeky look on his face.

Even in pain EJ somehow managed to find the energy to flirt with her.

"Just keep reading the letter or do I need to order more soup!" she threatened him but couldn't stop the vivid mental image that came to mind at his teasing.

"Please no," said EJ, pretending to be stricken, "Anything but that!"

"Then read," she ordered him, trying not to smile at his silliness.

EJ grinned over at her and picked up the letter and began to read again...

**Chapter NINETY TWO**** - ****On The Wings Of An Angel**

The way to love anything is to realize that it might be lost.

_~G.K. Chesterton~_

_The room was dark, the only light coming from the glow of the slowly dying fire in the corner. Santo walked over to the bed and to the little form tucked tightly into it - the handy work of Sister Rose no doubt, not even allowed any freedom on her sick bed he thought to himself grimly. It had taken some doing but Santo had managed to sneak into Colleen's room to see her. As soon as he'd heard about Colleen being struck down with influenza he had only one thought in his head, to see her again and Santo didn't care what he had to do to make it so. _

_There was a chair already by the bed, no doubt where the nuns had been keeping vigil over her and Santo sat down on it shakily, never taking his eyes off the pale form in the bed. Colleen's blonde hair was free and some of it clung to her sweaty neck and Santo immediately reached out a hand, smoothing it back. She felt cold to his touch, a world away from the vibrant, warm woman he'd held in his arms only two short weeks ago. Her skin which had always been pale now seemed almost translucent in comparison to his tanned skin as he stroked her hair tenderly. _

"_Colleen," he whispered, the anguish evident in his voice, "I ama here mya darling girl."_

_Some vain hope in Santo had hoped that the sound of his voice would somehow miraculously heal Colleen and she would sit up in bed and throw her arms around him and tell him how much she loved him. The only sound in the room though was the last crackling embers from the dying fire and Colleen's laboured breathing. Santo picked up one of her clammy hands, lifting it to his lips and squeezing his eyes closed as he willed some of his strength into Colleen's suddenly frail looking body. Sister Rose had told him that she'd abuptly been taken ill, the influenza that killed so many nowadays ravaging her body. Colleen was young and strong so she should have been able to fight it but there had been complications and now she was fighting for her life. _

_Santo opened his eyes and looked around himself in frustration. As well meaning as the Sisters were this was not a hospital and the medical care offered in a place like Galway was simply not enough for what Colleen needed right now. There was no way that Santo was going to sit here and let the woman that held his heart simply fade away due to lack of proper care. Even on the way to seeing Colleen he had come up with an idea, an idea he knew would have much opposition but Santo didn't care. All that mattered to him was making sure that Colleen recovered from this and he would fight tooth and nail to make sure it happened. _

"_I ava missed you so Colleen," he said softly, his lips against the palm of her hand still._

_Santo held her hand to his face, cupping her hand between his cheek and his own hand as he fought back the panic at the notion of losing her. Santo was terrified at the thought of losing this woman and he couldn't allow himself to even entertain such a horrific thought. If he had been in any doubt about his feelings for Colleen before then they were completely gone now. She was the reason his heart was inclined to beat and without her Santo knew for certain that his own life would be lost. _

"_Youa musta fight Colleen," he pleaded with her achingly, "I cana nota losea you... I willa not. You musta come back to mea my love... non posso vivere senza voi (I can't live without you) Colleen."_

_There was this long moment where there was no response from Colleen but eventually her eyes flickered and to Santo's great delight she managed to force him open, those blue eyes of hers which he adored so much looking up at him blearily._

"_S... Santo," she rasped and even though he was sitting so close Santo could barely hear her._

"_Si, si," nodded Santo anxiously, his heart pounding wildly at the sound of his name on her lips and moving in closer, so his face was just above hers, "I ama here amore mio."_

"_I'm dreaming," she said faintly, seeming to not believe what she was seeing._

"_Then we dreama together cara mia," said Santo, his hand tightening on hers and kissing her palm again while never taking his eyes off her. _

"_Mi manchi (I miss you)," she said so quietly Santo had to strain to hear as her eyes filled with tears, seeming to think he was still some kind of fevered dream as she spoke to him in his native tongue. _

"_Colleen!" he said, his voice raw and tears stinging his own eyes at her words, "Il mio cuore è per voi Colleen! (My heart is for you)."_

_A soft little smile touched Colleen's lips at that, obviously remembering her Italian lessons despite how gravely ill she was but then her eyelids slid shut again and she passed into the same fitful slumber that he'd found her in. _

"_Staya witha me Colleen," he begged her urgently, "I willa maka this right, Ia promise you." _

_A sound outside the door told Santo that they were about to have company and he knew that being discovered with Colleen right now would not be what was best. He quickly stood, after pressing a last lingering kiss to her forehead and promising to return soon and then unfortunately had to make good his escape by climbing out the window. _

_Santo remained by the window once he was outside, listening in on the conversation going on around Colleen. The doctor and Sister Rose had returned and there were worried murmurs going on. The doctor had clearly done all that he was capable of and now there was nothing left to do but wait and see. Santo's jaw harden, not accepting this and knowing he had resources far and away beyond that offered by a small village in Ireland. He had a plan and nothing on this earth would stop him from seeing it come to fruition. _

oooOOOOooo

"What was the plan?" asked Sami who had been hanging off EJ's every word, or rather Santo's.

"The letter is finished," said EJ thoughtfully, looking up at her.

"We need the next one," said Sami urgently, eager to find out what it was that happened next and starting to go through the pile of letters, looking for the next one.

"You're really getting into this aren't you?" asked EJ with mild amusement, watching her scrabble through the papers impatiently.

"Like you're not," snorted Sami dismissively.

"But I never claimed to be anything other than captivated by Colleen and Santo's love story," he pointed out mildly, "You've stated on more than one occasion that you didn't care and whatever happened in the past should stay in the past."

"Yeah well that was before we started reading the letters," mumbled Sami, not meeting his eyes, "When I read Colleen's letters I..."

She stopped abruptly and EJ's interest was instantly piqued.

"You what sweetheart?" asked EJ curiously.

"I... I feel bad for her I guess," she hedged, unwilling it seemed to say more.

"You identify with your great aunt don't you?" asked EJ softly, his eyes on her intently, "Just like I do with my grandfather."

"Maybe," she admitted reluctantly, finally looking at him, "I know it's going to end badly but..."

She trailed off again and seemed suddenly awkward.

"But you are still drawn to the story," he finished off for her.

"I suppose," said Sami quietly and looked down at the letter in her hands, "The next letter is from Colleen."

"Well that's good," said EJ with a half smile, "Clearly she improved. Read it sweetheart."

Sami nodded slowly and then began reading her great aunt's words aloud.

oooOOOOooo

"_Tank you," smiled Colleen weakly at the nun who had just drawn the curtains to her room._

"_Mais oui," smiled the nun kindly, coming over to stand by Colleen's bed, "__Je m'appelle Sister Frederique."_

"_Oh hello," said Colleen, her head still spinning a little from the newness of all this, "Ah Colleen Brady."_

"_Oui," the other woman's smile widened and she nodded at her but beyond that the language barrier created a bit of a problem._

_The nun tucked her in more securely as Colleen sat up a little in bed, her head spinning from lying down so long._

"_Je vais revenir plus tard (I will be back later)," Sister Frederique informed her, the French words sounding very lyrical to Colleen._

"_Ah... tank you," said Colleen, not having any idea what she'd just said to her but smiling politely anyway._

_The Sister returned her smile and glided from the room in that nun like fashion, leaving Colleen to her own devices. She looked out the window at the pretty scenery and knew for a fact that she was no longer anyway near Galway but beyond that she wasn't sure. She'd woken up yesterday afternoon in a strange bed and room, completely disorientated. She was exhausted and confused and the nuns around her although very sweet had been of little help. There had been a hundred questions buzzing around in her head but very quickly she'd found herself exhausted and falling back asleep. She'd just woken up again to find Sister Frederique smiling down at her but not being very helpful on the information front. Colleen was beginning to feel like she was caught up in some surreal dream, unable to make sense of all of this. __There was a soft knock at the door and Colleen thought it might be some food._

"_Come in," she called out and then had to stifle a gasp as Santo filled the small doorway, having to duck his head a little to do as she asked, "Santo!"_

_She'd thought she'd dreamed him, she'd been in and out of consciousness for so many days and there were times Colleen could have sworn he was there, holding her hand, whispering words of love and support to her as she battled against this terrible illness. After having woken yesterday and not seeing Santo when she had Colleen didn't know how to go about asking really, even if she had been able to speak French. He smiled at her then, his whole face lighting up at seeing her sitting up and looking at him. Santo hurried over to her and took her hand, squeezing it tightly._

"_C__iao bella ragazza come ti senti (hello my darling girl, how are you feeling)?" he asked her earnestly, pulling up a seat to sit beside the bed._

"_I... I feel better," she managed, still getting over the shock of him being there and finding herself able to translate his excited Italian much more easily then the French._

_Colleen frowned then, looking at him in confusion._

"_Did... did you do dis Santo?" she asked faintly, still not exactly sure what this was._

"_Si," he said distractedly, his eyes roaming all over her face and seeming to be drinking in the sight of her, "But 'ow do youa feel Colleen, really? You ava beena sick for soa long now. There werea so manya times I feared youa might bea lost but the God Lord above has spared us botha. Tella me honestly Colleen, 'ow are youa feeling?"_

"_I feel tired," she admitted, still hardly able to believe that he was sitting there beside her bed right then. _

"_I prayed Colleen," he said tightly, "I prayed so 'ard that God woulda not takea you from me. I was soa very scared Colleen."_

"_Where am I Santo?" asked Colleen unevenly, feeling herself beginning to shake at the sight of all of the emotion on his face._

"_Più tardi (later)," he said, as he must have felt her begin to tremble, "You must rest for now."_

"_No Santo," said Colleen determinedly, even as her voice shook, "Please tell me what happened."_

_Santo relented, seeing she wasn't going to be deterred and told her how he'd known of this place in France, Colleen didn't manage to catch the name, so overwhelmed by all that she was hearing. Apparently it was famous for treating patients with influenza using the most modern techniques._

"_But how did ya do all dis Santo?" she asked him weakly._

"_There wasa benefactor toa the church," he explained with a little smile, "Money was offered toa make sure that you were flown from Galway toa here."_

"_I flew?" asked Colleen in amazement._

"_Youa were very sicka Colleen," said Santo, his face darkening as he said that, "It isa alrighta that you don't remember."_

"_How long have I been here?" asked Colleen, still struggling to come to terms with all this._

"_Just over a weeka," Santo told her._

"_Were you here wit me?" asked Colleen, having to know if it had all been a dream._

"_Si," said Santo softly, kissing the back of her hand lovingly, "I only left yesterday fora day because I ad business I couldn't delay."_

_He gave her a playfully censuring look then, teasing her gently._

"_And thata was when youa woke up Colleen," he said with a smile, "Always soa difficult eh?"_

_Colleen had to smile a little at that. _

"_And dey let you stay with me?" asked Colleen curiously then, "Dis hospital is run by da church isn't it?"_

"_Si," nodded Santo easily, "Da church here is a little morea... forwarda thinking in 'ow they go abouta thingsa Colleen."_

"_I've heard dat about da church in Europe," said Colleen, a little note of censure in her voice which made Santo smile._

"_Youa disapprove Colleen?" he asked her indulgently._

"_It's unseemly," said Colleen, drawing the bed sheets up around her a little higher. _

"_I 'ad to be with you," said Santo simply, "I 'ad to make sure youa gota the besta care you could." _

_He held her gaze then and the familiar feeling of falling washed over Colleen as he looked at her._

"_I can't believe you did all this," said Colleen softly, marvelling at what he'd done for her._

"_I would ave done anythinga to hava helped you Colleen," said Santo sincerely, "Nothing would ave stopped me."_

"_But nobody knows it was you do dey?" asked Colleen with a little frown, "Da benefactor?"_

"_No," he said, shaking his head, "I was afraid your Da woulda not allow it ifa he knew I wasa behind it so I mada sure it wasa anonymous. Your Da, the church, they willa never know Colleen... unlessa you want them to."_

_Colleen looked back at his earnest face and knew he'd only been thinking of her but it still meant that the people she cared for in her life had been deceived and she hated the thought of that. _

"_So many lies," said Colleen sadly, lying back against her pillows and looking out the window._

"_Colleen I willa not apologise fora doing all withina mya power to sava your life," said Santo firmly, "It wasa the only waya."_

"_I know," said Colleen quietly, looking back at him with such regret, "Lies seem ta be da only way you and I can be Santo."_

"_Do nota say that Colleen," said Santo sincerely, "You ara the only trutha I know nowa."_

"_Da tings you say Mr DiMera," said Colleen hopelessly._

"_Seea I know youa feeling better now," he smiled at her, "It isa Mr DiMera again."_

"_It's your name," said Colleen shakily._

"_Santo isa my name Colleen," he said indulgently, "Buta I will nota fighta with you about it today. Today isa a very happy day."_

"_Is it?" asked Colleen, suddenly worried about what the future now held._

_She was far from home, from everything she knew and the only familiar left was the man sitting by her bed and smiling at her lovingly. _

"_It willa be alright Colleen," he promised her, obviously seeing the concern on her face. _

"_I don't know if anyting will be alright again," said Colleen with quiet despair and wondered what new twist her life was going to take from here._

**Chapter NINETY THREE**** – ****A Walk In The Black Forest**

When we are happy we are always good

But when we are good we are not always happy.

_~Oscar Wilde~_

"This is such a sad story," lamented Sami unhappily, looking down her great aunt's letter and feeling her uncertainty very deeply.

"It's a real story," EJ corrected her, "It's not a Hollywood special with all glib answers. Colleen and Santo were real people dealing with real problems between them."

"I still say he should have let her be," said Sami, clinging to her mantra helplessly.

"And if he had Colleen would have died of the influenza," EJ challenged her.

"You don't know that EJ," she protested with a frown.

"Maybe not but Colleen was at death's door when Santo returned from Italy," said EJ firmly, "There was a very good chance that she would have died if he hadn't have intervened."

"But she did die," said Sami unevenly.

"They both did," EJ pointed out calmly, "But that doesn't mean they didn't live before that. You have to face the facts Samantha, just as your Great Aunt Colleen appears to be doing. There is a choice to be made and we both know that she ended up choosing Santo and following her heart."

"You make it sound easy," said Sami tightly.

"Nothing worthwhile in this world is ever easy Samantha," said EJ emphatically, "Do you think that it has been easy for me to follow my heart, to follow you Samantha? It would have been so much easier if I had fallen for another woman, any woman other than you."

"Then why don't you?" she asked him, feeling a pang at even the suggestion.

"Because my heart is no longer my own," said EJ simply, looking at her intently, "You stole it from me."

"I could give it back," she said to him shakily, feeling her own heart start to beat erratically and even as she said it Sami knew that she didn't want to.

"It doesn't work like that sweetheart," said EJ with a soft smile, pulling Sami a little closer to him, his next words husky and full of emotion, "Lo sono il vostro e il mio cuore batte solo per voi sempre."

"Wh... what does that mean?" whispered Sami, almost not needing to know because of how he was looking at her, his brown eyes full of adoration.

"I am yours Samantha and my heart beats only for you," EJ translated for her throatily, "Always."

"You'll stop loving me," she said, the pain evident in her voice, "Everyone does in the end."

"No Samantha," said with such certainty that it made it hard for her to breathe now, "Ti amo con tutta l'anima, I love you with all my heart and that will never change, I swear to you."

EJ was so close to her now, Sami knew all she had to do was lean in a little closer and then they'd be kissing and she knew she'd be lost forever if that happened. When they were together like this, when he spoke to her in such a way nothing else was beginning to matter for Sami. Not Lucas, not the impossible family situation and EJ's shady past. All that mattered was the two of them, together, here and now.

"Samantha," said EJ achingly, putting a hand to her face and cupping her cheek gently, "Kiss me."

"I can't," she whimpered, so scared of what would happen to her life if she did.

Sami was exhausted from all the drama that she'd endured in her young life and to so willingly throw herself into what would undoubtedly be a whirlwind of trouble was something she just couldn't face right then.

"Please EJ," she begged him, her eyes filling with tears, "I can't."

EJ seemed to relent at seeing her tears, knowing that they were real and he leant his forehead against hers and gave a soft little laugh.

"Oh Samantha," he sighed, "What am I to do with you?"

"I don't know," said Sami shakily, closing her eyes and just letting herself enjoy the comfort of his touch for a moment even as it stirred up so many feelings inside of her.

Always the paradox with him.

She felt him press a kiss to her forehead, warm and tender as he lingered over the simple caress.

"Come on," he said to her, pulling back a little, "We'll read another letter."

Sami looked at him a little dazedly, unsure why he hadn't pressed his advantage right then except that maybe he didn't want her to accuse him of doing such a thing later.

"It's from Santo," he informed her, picking up the next letter before looking up at her, "Ready?"

Sami nodded dumbly and EJ began to read.

oooOOOOooo

"_Are you sure you are warm enough Colleen?" asked Santo fretfully._

"_I'm sure," she said and gave him a look that told her of her exasperation over his continual fussing over her._

_Santo couldn't help it. He'd come so close to losing her forever that it was hard to not become a little obsessive over Colleen's well being. He pulled her coat a little more securely around her shoulders and buttoned the last button for her. _

"_You needa scarf," he informed her and went to go and find her one but Colleen stalled him._

"_Santo," she said in mild frustration, "I've not been outside for weeks now. Can we just go please?"_

_Santo hesitated, still a little uncertain._

"_I don't wanta you to geta a chill Colleen," he said solicitously and then suddenly grinned at her._

"_What's dat for?" asked Colleen, eyeing him suspiciously, "Why are ya grinnin' like an idjit at me?"_

"_You called me Santo," he informed her, leaning in closer to her in a conspiratorial fashion._

_Colleen tried not to smile at that and look annoyed instead._

"_And dat's enough to make you dat happy?" she asked him, trying to sound disapproving but it not working._

"_It makesa me so 'appy Colleen," he said delightedly, making an expansive hand gesture and then putting his hand to his chest, beaming down at her._

"_You're an idjit," she told him again but couldn't help but laughing now, "You're soft in da head you are."_

"_You ara my undoing Colleen," said Santo unapologetically, smiling down at her lovingly, "How can I not be 'appy arounda you?"_

"_Santo," she said hopelessly, looking around herself nervously, "You can't say tings like that, what if someone hears you?"_

"_You ara very beautiful when youa worry Colleen," Santo said with a half smile. _

"_You don't take me seriously," said Colleen with a displeased frown._

_She looked so adorable saying that and Santo couldn't help himself. He stepped closer to her, turning Colleen to face him. He searched her face wordlessly, taking in each beloved feature, the impossible blue eyes, the skin still too pale after her illness and lips that called to him endlessly. Santo felt his heart turn over in his chest, a strangely painful and yet pleasurable sensation as she overwhelmed him once again. Santo bent his head, resting his forehead tenderly against hers. His hands came up to cup her face, revelling in the softness of her skin beneath his touch. _

"_Colleen," said Santo huskily, "I taka you so seriously, you ava no idea."_

_Santo knew why she worried and tried to remember that this was still an overwhelming thing for Colleen but it was hard because he was just so certain that she was the woman for him, regardless of the obstacles that stood between them. He felt her relax into his touch for one perfect moment that made Santo long for the time that she would come freely into his arms but then Colleen abruptly stepped back, her pale cheeks at last flushed. _

"_We should go," said Colleen, nervously smoothing down her simple dress. _

"_Ofa course," nodded Santo calmly and walked over, opening the door to her bedroom so they could go for the walk he'd promised her._

_She had woken up a week ago but it was only now that she could convince the doctors that she was ready for some light exercise. Santo had suggested a stroll around the villa's gardens and Colleen had readily agreed. She was a country girl she'd told him and all this being indoors did not hold well with her. Watching Colleen grow stronger every day was a singular experience for Santo, he felt like he was coming more fully alive each day along with her. He now felt as though he and Colleen's fate were inextricably intertwined, one of their fates would be the others now. That was certainly his experience since she'd taken ill and had a strong feeling that Colleen was feeling the same way, hence the often times apprehensive looks she would give him. They walked out into the garden and Colleen gave a happy sigh, blinking in the sunshine. _

"_Dis feels so good," she said, smiling up at the sky and closing her eyes, enjoying the feel of sunshine on her face._

"_We willa not go far," said Santo, taking her arm, "Anda you musta tella me ifa you feel tired Colleen."_

"_Santo," said Colleen, pulling her arm away from him and giving him a horrified look, "No."_

"_Everyone walks arm anda arm ona the continent Colleen," said Santo indulgently and then nodded at two nuns walking over on the far side of the garden doing just that._

_Colleen looked up at him a little suspiciously as though he'd somehow planned the display which made Santo give a little laugh. _

"_I willa be a perfect gentlemen Colleen," he assured her, taking her arm again, "I givea you my word."_

_Colleen reluctantly let him take her arm, still a little self conscious. Santo knew such familiarities, however benignly they were intended were not the norm where she came from but was glad that she had agreed to it anyway. They began to walk, Santo carefully matching his steps to her much shorter one, very conscious that this was Colleen's first real attempt at walking around and she would undoubtedly tire easily despite her eagerness to do this. She was a great prize that he'd been unexpectedly blessed with in his life and Santo wanted only to protect her and keep Colleen safe, even from her own enthusiasm. _

"_It is so beautiful here," Colleen breathed, interrupting his rapturous thoughts of her._

_Santo managed to tear his eyes from her and look at where Colleen was looking. They were walking down a dirt road; long willowy poplars lining the way in that typically casually ordered French way. _

"_Si," nodded Santo quietly, his eyes back on Colleen's up turned face._

"_Where exactly is Saint Sebastien sur... sir," Colleen faltered over the name of the town they were in._

"_Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire," Santo supplied the rather lengthy name for her, "It isa ona the south eastern outskirtsa of Nantes."_

_Colleen wrinkled her nose, not finding that overly helpful, not being very familiar with French geography._

"_Saint Sebastien," she mused, "Da patron saint of soldiers and athletes."_

"_Yes," said Santo with a smile, "Archers in particular ifa I am nota mistaken."_

"_It doesn't seem a very likely place for healing," she said thoughtfully. _

"_The doctors ara very good hera," said Santo simply, "I knewa they could 'elpa you."_

"_You saved my life," said Colleen, looking up at him seriously and he felt her hand tighten on his arm._

"_God hearda my prayers," said Santo earnestly, "Hea took pity on me and dida not taka you froma me."_

"_I suppose it was hard for you," said Colleen quietly, ducking her head, "So soon afta losing ya wife like dat."_

_Santo felt a stab of guilt at hearing her say that, knowing full well that Sophia was alive and well and caring for their son Stefano even now. To Santo this was the biggest obstacle that stood in their way because when Colleen learnt of the truth she would be very upset with him for telling such a lie, this he knew for certain. He also knew Colleen would have to know the truth sooner or later but also knew as improved as she was it was doubtful that she was up to such a shock. He hated having this hanging between them though and only wanted for there to be nothing else to keep them apart. Santo stalled Colleen's progress and went to stand in front of her and took her hand in his..._

oooOOOOooo

EJ stopped reading Santo's letter abruptly, his eyes widening as he continued reading to himself.

"Oh my god," he whispered in shock, "Oh my god."

"EJ?" asked Sami in concern at his suddenly ashen appearance, "What is it? What's wrong? What does he say?"

EJ didn't answer her immediately, just continuing to read the rest of the letter silently himself.

"EJ!" said Sami in exasperation, hitting his arm and momentarily forgetting about his back in her anxiousness to hear the rest of the letter.

"Sorry," mumbled EJ distractedly, looking up at her and still clearly in shock, "Samantha, this is simply unbelievable."

"What is EJ?!" asked Sami in frustration as he continued to keep her in the dark.

"I mean I can't believe it... Colleen," he muttered almost to himself, "I never dreamed... "

"EJ tell me already will you!" said Sami, very agitated now as EJ continued to make no sense, "What happened? Did Santo tell her about Sophia? Did Colleen get worse? Did she die? What is it already??!"

He looked up at her then, his brown eyes suddenly very serious and Sami felt her stomach muscles tighten anxiously at the look on his face. She couldn't even begin to imagine what EJ could have read to have garnered such a shocked reaction in him and the suspense was killing her, desperate to know what had happened next. EJ opened his mouth then and spoke the words that were going to change everything between them forever...

**Chapter NINETY FOUR**** – ****Everything Old Is New Again**

Love simply cannot spring up without that self-surrender to each other.

If either withholds the self, love cannot exist.  
_~Dr. E. Stanley Jones~ _

"Santo took Colleen to Ara Caman."

EJ's words hung between them and seemed to suck all the air from the room.

"What?" said Sami faintly when she could at last speak again, "But... he... he couldn't have!"

"The letter goes onto say how overjoyed Santo was when Colleen agreed to go away with him to Ara Caman," confirmed EJ, looking down at the letter again, "On the way back to Galway."

"But..." Sami had so many questions she couldn't even settle on one to follow up that one word, her mind was just reeling from this completely unexpected development.

EJ mind was obviously racing as well.

"The island has been in our family for many generations," said EJ thoughtfully, piecing it all together, "And my grandfather had the house built on the island by the time this was written."

"The house?" asked Sami dazedly.

"Yes," said EJ huskily, his brown eyes suddenly warm, "You remember Samantha, it's now the guest house... the house we sheltered in from the storm... the house where we made love for the first time."

Sami flushed at his words and needed no help in being reminded about what it was exactly that went on in that house, the events haunted her dreams enough.

"I can't believe Colleen agreed to such a thing," said Sami in disbelief, "She was a nun!"

"She was a novice," EJ corrected her calmly, "Not the same thing."

"He was a married man!" said Sami hotly, determined to find fault.

"Colleen didn't know that," said EJ ruefully, "She thought he was a widower."

"Another reason why it was so wrong!" said Sami in distress, "He had her there under false pretences!"

"Santo told Colleen that he wanted to show the island that he loved to her," disagreed EJ, looking back down at the letter and then back at Sami, "He told her he just wanted to spend some time with her, just the two of them. Both of those things were absolutely true."

"He wanted to get into her pants!" said Sami sharply.

EJ's eyes narrowed then and he looked at her intently, making Sami suddenly uncomfortable.

"Tell me the truth Samantha," he said suddenly, "Do you believe that sex was the only reason I took you to Ara Caman? Well do you?"

Sami knew what the safe answer would be, to tell him yes and that would most likely lead to a fight which would hopefully create some much needed distance between them. That was the sensible thing to do right then but even for Sami it was hard to come up with such a lie with EJ looking at her so intensely, as though his very life depended on her answer to that question.

"That's exactly what I thought going over to the island," she hedged, hoping that would be enough to put pay to this conversation.

No such luck.

"I can understand that," said EJ evenly, "But what about now, looking back and knowing all that was said and done on the island? Do you still believe that I only wanted sex from you?"

"We weren't talking about us," said Sami, turning away, "We are talking about what Santo was doing to Colleen."

"You make her sound like a victim," said EJ grimly and she could hear the annoyance in his voice that she'd avoided answering his question, "Is that how you feel Samantha, like a victim?"

Sami looked at him with a frown, not liking how that sounded. The truth was that was exactly what she'd been telling EJ she was, accusing him of orchestrating this and that, manipulating her. It made her sound weak and defenceless though and Sami didn't see herself that way. The truth was that around EJ she lost nearly all her resolve so the real situation was more that she was a victim of the love that she had for him rather than of EJ himself but there was no way she could tell him that.

"Santo was taking Colleen to the island so he could have sex with her," said Sami accusingly, her voice shaking, as she desperately tried to throw him off this line of questioning, scared of what it would reveal, "Just like you did with me!"

"Santo took Colleen to the island so he could be with her," corrected EJ steadily, his dark eyes watching Sami intently, "My grandfather craved to be alone with the woman he loved, with none of the complications of their lives interfering for once... just like I did with you."

"So what?" asked Sami challengingly, throwing him a defiant look and determined to fight her way through this, "Are you telling me that neither you or Santo wanted sex on the island?!"

"I'm saying neither myself or my grandfather wanted_ just_ sex on Ara Caman," said EJ huskily and the deep timber of his voice as he said that resonated throughout Sami's body, making her skin goose pimple helplessly, "We both wanted the same thing – the women we were hopelessly in love with to admit their feelings for us, to be honest with one another about what they really wanted."

"This is too weird!" said Sami sharply, standing up abruptly and putting some distance between herself and EJ's words.

A part of her really wanted to believe that somehow EJ had orchestrated this all from the very beginning, that he'd known about Santo and Colleen escaping to Ara Caman and had set them up to do the same. But Sami knew that was impossible. There had been too many complicated twists and turns that had lead them to this moment for that to be the case. Lucas' accident for one, EJ couldn't have set that up and that was what had gotten her to the island in the first place, that deal she'd made. Besides, EJ's shock at reading this latest twist in this tale had been genuine, Sami was sure of it.

"I'm going for a walk," she said sharply and then without another word Sami made a beeline for the door and walked out into the hotel corridor, closing the door behind her.

"Why won't you just give into this Samantha?" asked EJ in despair, leaning back heavily against the bed and closing his eyes.

Sami heard EJ's frustrated question and thought she could give him a thousand answers to that question. The name DiMera had filled many of her nightmares growing up and being with EJ meant being linked to Stefano and the thought of that sent a cold chill down Sami's spine. There was still the question of who shot John and somehow deep down inside, Sami knew EJ had done it, despite his clever side stepping. As horrified as she was by that fact Sami was even more horrified by the fact that it was her parent's reaction to that being the case that weighed most heavily on Sami and not the fact that EJ may have actually shot John. She knew that was all kinds of wrong but she'd done her own fair share of wrong doing in the past and just couldn't hold the act against him as much as society probably dictate she should. Sami knew what it was to do terrible things and as much as she might want to tell EJ a different story she did empathise with him over that, feeling justified in a less than noble action.

No, what really concerned Sami was her parent's reaction to her being with a DiMera. She could just picture the revulsion on their faces and she knew that they would never accept her being with EJ which meant she would have to give up on any chance of ever being accepted by the two people that she'd craved that from the most in the world her entire life. Of course there was also Lucas and the thought that she was cheating on him both physically and emotionally made Sami sick with regret. That was the one thing she'd promised herself she'd never be, one line she'd never crossed and now with EJ she'd more than crossed it, she'd obliterated that line altogether and that was hard for Sami to reconcile with.

EJ's beautiful words came back to her, stabbing deep at her heart, him telling her that she'd stolen his heart, that he would never stop loving her. This probably more than anything else was what stood between them being together if only he knew it. It opened up so many old wounds for Sami to hear him say those words to her. Her entire life she'd been inferior to her sister in so many ways and none more so than in the way men loved her. She wasn't the one in the family that got that kind of devotion, she always got the crumbs; it was the natural order of things. If she was brutally honest with herself she knew that EJ was right and that was what Lucas was. He'd only chosen Sami when he couldn't have Carrie and that was the bottom line. She didn't doubt that he loved her but it wasn't with the single minded adoration that EJ offered her. The enormity of EJ's devotion was almost too much for Sami to bear, it was too overwhelming and Sami knew that she didn't deserve it, not even from a DiMera, life had certainly taught her that lesson well.

More than anything Sami wanted to believe that she could be loved the way EJ claimed to love her, the good and the bad and everything in between but it was almost too painful to contemplate such a hope. Nothing in her life up until now had suggested to Sami that she was worth that and it was a frightening thing to contemplate altering her perception of herself, even into a more positive one. If this turned out to be some kind of game on EJ's behalf as she always feared and Sami had allowed herself to truly embrace all that he was telling her she knew it was a blow that she would simply never recover from. It was her finely honed instinct for self preservation that was now all that was really standing between her and EJ being together. Sami knew she'd be destroyed utterly if EJ turned out to be another Franco in her life and she couldn't allow that to happen, she just couldn't.

oooOOOOooo

Sami had gone for a walk to try and clear her head and when she returned it was to find EJ sitting on the sofa.

"You're out of bed," she said in surprise, seeing him sitting there.

"It took a while," he admitted with a grimace and Sami could still see the fine sheen of perspiration on his forehead from his exertions.

"I'll get you some painkillers," she offered but EJ shook his head.

"Let's read another letter instead," he suggested, looking up at her, "It will distract me from the pain."

Sami bit her bottom lip, uncertain that such a thing was a good idea, finding herself stirred up even more with each letter. It was hard to say no to EJ though as he looked up at her with those big brown eyes of his.

"Alright," said Sami reluctantly, walking into the room more.

"Take a seat," said EJ, patting the cushion beside him on the sofa and not making any comment about their earlier conversation which Sami was very grateful for.

He handed her a letter then and gave a half little smile.

"It's a Colleen one," he informed her, "Your turn."

Sami blew out a nervous breath, worried about what was going to happen between Colleen and Santo on the island but she began to read anyway.

oooOOOOooo

_Colleen looked out of the window of her room into the lush, tropical rain forest and felt like she was still in one of her fevered dreams. The landscape was like nothing she'd ever seen before, nothing she'd even imagined before. Everything was so different from her home in this place, the smell of heavily scented flowers hung in the oddly thick air, full of moisture that seemed to cling to her skin somehow. The warmth of the place was all around her, emanating from the ground, the walls and the very air she breathed. Everything was so green but a completely different green to what she was used to in Galway. The strange noises of animals Colleen couldn't even begin to guess at rang out all around her, adding to the alien quality of this land. The only familiar sound was to her overwhelmed ears was that of the ocean but even that was different somehow. The crashing of the waves onto the sandy beach different to the sounds of her home where the waves found a pebbled beach instead to bear down upon. Colleen had never felt more far from home then she was right then but instead of scaring her as it probably should the thought was a thrilling one to her. _

_The plane ride over to this little island had been a revelation in of itself. She'd been deep in the throes of her illness on the trip from Galway to __Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire and had no recollection of that flight so this time it had been simply amazing to sit by the window and see God's creation from a completely new perspective. Colleen had been unable to help her cries of delight and pointing out every little thing to Santo even though she supposed that this was all pretty old hat for him with the amount of flying he did. He'd sat beside her though, indulging her excitement and Colleen knew it was a memory she would take with her to her grave. The first sight of Ara Caman had stolen her breath, the little island sitting so serenely in such a big blue ocean, a blue she'd never seen the likes of before. _

_When they'd landed Colleen had been so excited, she'd wanted to see everything at once, to walk and walk and discover each new delight but Santo had been very firm with her, insisting that she rest after their journey. Colleen had tried to argue with him, telling Santo that for eight hours she'd been forced to rest on the plane over from France. Santo was not to be swayed though, insisting that it was not the same. Colleen felt almost like her old self again, having recovered remarkably quickly once she'd woken up properly at the villa but Santo was less easily convinced. He still was very careful around her, making sure that she did not tire herself out and Colleen had to admit that she did tire more readily than she ever did before. In the end Santo would not be moved on the subject and he had shown Colleen to her room, insisting she stay there and rest. Colleen had been unhappy about that but could do little about it. She had lain down on the bed to have a half hour sleep to appease him but she must have slept much longer than that she realised on waking._

_With one last look out the window Colleen walked out of her room, still amazed on Santo not insisting they share a room but perhaps he knew she would have fought him tooth and nail on that one and thought better of it. Even though she'd agreed to this Colleen wasn't prepared to entertain the thought of their friendship going past what it had. Of course she knew she was deluding herself but Santo had promised her that this trip was simply about her getting her strength back, to put some colour back in her cheeks as he'd claimed at the time. They both knew it was more than that but neither acknowledged it. Colleen walked down the stairs of house, wondering what it was exactly that she'd gotten herself into and trying not to think of what her Da would say if he could see her now. She found Santo in the kitchen and her eyes widened to see him cooking. _

"_What are ya doin'?" she asked in amazement._

_Santo looked up at the sound of her voice and a smile split his face to see her standing there._

"_You ara awake," he said delightedly, pausing in what he was doing, "Ow are youa feeling Colleen?"_

"_Alright," she said distractedly, her eyes still on the food Santo was obviously preparing but she still had to ask, "Are ya... are ya cookin' Santo?"_

"_Si," he nodded, obviously amused by her amazement at such a thing, "Isa thata problem Colleen?"_

"_Ah... no," she said uncertainly, walking over to where he was standing in the kitchen, "I just... I mean..."_

"_I thinka perhaps your Da does nota cooka much eh?" asked Santo with a little laugh._

"_He makes a cuppa tea when he has ta," said Colleen wryly._

"_I thinka I can doa little better thana that," smiled Santo, "You ave slept a longa time Colleen, it isa almost dinner time and I thought we could ave it al fresco."_

"_What does dat mean?" asked Colleen curiously._

"_Ina the fresha air," he said indulgently, "The nighta isa warm. I thinka you willa be fine."_

_Colleen drew closer then to see what it was that Santo was actually preparing for them. Her eyes widen in surprise as she saw what was boiling happily away in one pot._

"_What is dat?" she asked in amazement, wrinkling her nose a little, "It looks like worms!"_

_Santo burst out laughing at that, his deep, resonating laughter filling the small room and despite herself Colleen had to smile._

"_Don't," she said around her smile, hitting his arm, "What is dat anyway?"_

"_It isa spaghetti Colleen," he told her in amusement, "A staple of Italian cuisine."_

"_What does it taste like?" asked Colleen, intrigued despite herself and taking a closer look at the pot._

"_Ita tastes lika the sauce you puta it with," said Santo affectionately and lifted the lid of another pot on the stove to show it to her._

_Colleen senses were instantly assailed with the smell of a rich, meaty tomato sauce, burbling away madly. _

"_Dinner willa be soon," he told her, "Go, sit."_

_Colleen looked up at him and realised for the first time in her life a man was going to wait on her and it was a strange feeling. There seemed no end to the firsts that this man introduced her to and dinner was no different. When they had sat down to eat together Colleen had found this spaghetti thing almost impossible to eat despite how delicious it smelt and how hungry she was. It was Santo who had shown her how to take her fork and spoon and to brace her fork against the spoon while twirling it, capturing the long lengths of the spaghetti neatly around her fork so she could eat it easily and with far less mess. By the end of the meal Santo had declared her an expert and Colleen was quietly pleased with herself for mastering this new skill. After dinner Santo had suggested a walk down to the beach and Colleen had readily agreed, ready to explore despite it being dark now. Santo had taken her arm as they walked along._

"_The grounda is uneven," he said smoothly as she shot him a wary look, "I would not wanta you toa fall Colleen."_

_Colleen doubted that was the reason but allowed the familiarity despite her better judgement. Santo's proximity was temporarily forgotten though as they walked out of the trees and were sudeenly on the beach. She gasped in amazement at the sight before her. The moon was absolutely h-uge, so full that it seemed to be having difficultly staying in the sky, the luminous globe dipping low in the skies. It illuminated the whole beach, almost making it too bright for it to be still night. The waves had stilled a lot from when Colleen had first been listening to them and they were just gently breaking against the beach now, a rhythmic gentle crashing sound, like the oceans sighs almost. _

"_Oh Santo," breathed Colleen in awe at the sight and looked up at him in amazement._

_She saw his face light up at her appreciation of the beauty around her, obviously holding this place dear to himself as well. Without thinking about it Colleen kicked off her shoes and walked to the water's edge. She braced herself for the chill that she was used to stepping into the sea back at home but instead the ocean lapped at her feet with a soothing warmth that just delighted Colleen._

"_It's warm!" she announced in excited amazement over her shoulder to Santo._

"_Of course," he smiled, in the process of removing his shoes so he could join her at the water's edge. _

_He walked up and stood beside her as Colleen madly wiggled her toes in the shifting sand, enjoy the feeling endlessly. _

"_Dance with me," Santo requested of her huskily and Colleen looked up at him wide eyed at such a request._

"_Dere... dere is no music," she protested feebly._

_Santo turned to face her and taking one of Colleen's hands he placed it against his chest and over his heart, his hand trapping hers there. She could feel it beating a little faster than it should against her palm and she looked up at him, her own heart quickening in response._

"_There isa always music ina my heart when you ara neara me Colleen," said Santo softly and without waiting for permission from her he pulled her into his arms, one of his arms circling her waist and the other pressing her hand to his chest more firmly. _

_Colleen was instantly enveloped in the man holding her, not just because of his impressive physicality but also the force of his being and as he drew her closer to him she couldn't help but begin to shake. The smell of the ocean mingled with Santo's distinctive cologne and the scent of his skin in Colleen's nostrils, the feeling of his strong arms gently but firmly holding onto her was almost too much for her. _

"_You ara cold," said Santo with a little frown as he felt her begin to tremble in his arms._

_Colleen silently shook her head; quite certain she would never be cold again as the warmth of his body rolled off him and enveloped her totally. Nonetheless Santo pulled her protectively closer to him, intent on shielding her from the coolness that was being carried on the night air. He began moving then, a delicate little waltzing step that Colleen instinctively followed. She'd grown up with dancing, it being a staple of Irish entertainment. But it had always been frenetic reels and raucous group dancing and this was something totally different. This was just herself and Santo, with no one for literally miles around._

_The sound of the ocean was in her ears and the feel of Santo's heart under her hand and for once Colleen didn't let herself think past that. The warm ocean lapped at their feet as they danced together in the shifting sand, their bodies moving against one another's slowly. Colleen looked up at Santo and felt her breath hitch in her throat at how handsome he looked in the moonlight, his eyes so dark but she was still clearly able to read the adoration in them. Colleen closed her eyes and rested her cheek against his cheek, just letting the ocean and the night take her and Santo into its embrace as they danced together, no distance between them at last. _

oooOOOOooo

Sami stopped reading unexpectedly then, leaving EJ hanging.

"And?" he prompted her impatiently, "What happened next?"

"They danced for a long time and then Santo escorted Colleen back to her room and they said their goodnights," said Sami shortly.

"Well keep reading then," said EJ but Sami shook her head.

"I need some fresh air," she said distractedly and stood up abruptly.

"Samantha," said EJ earnestly, vexed that he was unable to follow her, "Wait."

"No," she said without looking back at him and then she was gone from the room for yet another walk EJ supposed.

EJ made a noise of frustration as Sami remained true to form and ran from her feelings, from him. He knew that she was coming more undone with each letter they read. EJ didn't know how he knew it but he was sure that Ara Caman was going to the first place that Colleen and Santo made love, just as it was for himself and Sami. As confronting as Sami was finding all of these parallels between Santo and Colleen's romance, EJ was finding it to be very compelling and like seeing the shooting star on the island, an affirmation that they were meant to be. Up until now EJ had never had to fight this hard for a woman and as frustrating and aggravating as it had been at times he knew he would fight forever to be with Sami. He'd told her once that they were inevitable and he'd meant it.

Sami could run all she wanted but she couldn't hide from that truth, not forever...

**Chapter NINETY FIVE**** – ****Behind Closed Doors**

When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts.

A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.

_~Sophia Loren~_

"So have you thought about my suggestion?" asked Lucas, pretty certain he didn't want to know the answer to that question, "About the nurse for EJ?"

"Lucas I can't," said Sami and he could hear the exasperation in her voice through the phone.

"It's been three days Sami," said Lucas in annoyance, "Just how much longer is this going to go on for?"

"I don't know," Sami sighed, "The doctor said backs were tricky things."

"I'll tell you what a tricky thing is – EJ DiMera!" said Lucas in aggravation, "For sure he is milking this for all it is worth! I bet his back is fine now if it ever was hurt and he's just working the situation so he can be alone with you!"

"He can barely get out of bed Lucas," said Sami, her own frustration clearly mounting, "If he is faking it he's going to a lot of trouble to make it look real!"

"And that is what a DiMera is Sami," said Lucas in agitation, "Trouble!"

"They kind of make a perfect pair when you think about it," mused Kate as she continued to look over her menu.

"Not now Mom!" said Lucas tersely.

"I see you're with Vampira," said Sami, unimpressed, "What is she hiding out from the villagers with torches and pitchforks with you?"

"Sami sends her love," Lucas translated, rather loosely for his mother.

"I bet she does," said Kate flatly, "Tell her I hope some Texas rancher comes and carrels her and reunites her with the rest of the herd."

"Mom says hi," Lucas translated back, beginning to think he'd never have peace between the two women in his life.

"So where are you?" asked Sami with a bit of a frown.

"Mom and I are at Chez Rouge," he said, "Having dinner."

"Oh," said Sami and there was a pause, "Are you having the chicken?"

Lucas ground his teeth in frustration. He didn't want to talk about menu items with Sami, he wanted to talk about the fact that she was still holed up in a hotel with EJ DiMera and was showing no inclination to do anything about that.

"Why won't you leave him Sami?" asked Lucas in aggravation, his patience wearing thin.

He knew it wasn't a good idea to push Sami because more often than not she'd go in the opposite direction just to be difficult but Lucas couldn't help it. It was hard not to be insecure about EJ, especially when he'd made his interest in Sami so unapologetically obvious. Lucas felt helpless being stuck in Salem while EJ and Sami were in some hotel room together in Texas.

"I'm just trying to do the right thing Lucas," said Sami quietly, "I promise you all that is happening is EJ hobbles from room to room and we read the letters between Santo and Colleen, that's it."

"I thought you said he was bed ridden?" Lucas scowled.

"He's slowly getting better," said Sami in exasperation at him being so nitpicky, "That's what you want isn't it? For EJ to get better so I can come home?"

"Of course it is!" said Lucas sharply but at the same time he didn't exactly want a full strength EJ alone with Sami either.

Lucas looked away in frustration, trying to collect himself.

"So what do the letters say?" asked Lucas, blowing out a calming breath and trying to steer the conversation to safer waters.

"Oh you know," hedged Sami.

"No I don't know and that's why I asked," said Lucas, his ire rising again as Sami avoided giving him a straight answer yet again, "What happened between them, how did Colleen die?"

"I don't know," said Sami honestly, "We haven't got that far with the letters."

"How can you not have gotten that far yet?" asked an aggrieved Lucas, "According to you all you've been doing is reading letters for three days!"

"Don't be too hard on her honey," said Kate casually, taking a sip of her wine, "I should imagine Sami has to sound out all the words with more than three letters in it, that has to be time consuming."

"Tell Kate to bite me!" said an annoyed Sami who'd heard Kate's comment and wasn't pleased.

"Mom please!" said Lucas, his head starting to throb now as he glared at his mother.

"Sweetheart I'm just trying to help," said Kate, looking ever so innocent.

"If she wants to help then tell her to crawl back under the rock she came from," said Sami in annoyance, still able to hear Kate, "The other scorpions are probably missing her by now!"

"I can't take this!" exclaimed Lucas, over having two bickering women, one in each ear, "Sami, I'll talk to you later."

"I suppose you'd better go," agreed Sami sweetly, "If you leave your mother alone for too long she'll probably be humping the leg of one of the poor unsuspecting bus boys. We both know she likes them young."

"What did she just say?" asked Kate with a frown, sitting up straighter in her chair when she saw the expression on Lucas' face.

"She said goodnight and hopes we have a nice meal," said Lucas firmly, hanging up on Sami and fixing his mother with a disapproving look.

"What?" asked Kate, feigning ignorance at why he should be looking at her like that.

"Why can't you two just ever get along?" asked Lucas tiredly, rubbing his temple.

"Because she is a vicious, manipulative tramp who is intent on ruining your life," said Kate simply, "She doesn't deserve you Lucas and I think you could do so much better than Sami Brady."

"I love Sami Mom," scowled Lucas.

"I never understood that," said Kate with a roll of her eyes, "But the question is does she love you honey? I mean, I don't know exactly what is going on between her and EJ but whatever it is it's not healthy which is pretty much the hallmark of any Sami Brady relationship I have to say. She doesn't put you first Lucas, never has and I want more than that for my son. Sami is always up to something and can't be trusted. I want you to be happy sweetheart."

"I am happy!" growled Lucas.

"Clearly," said Kate mockingly, leaning back in her chair and regarding her son carefully, "You know there is no shame in admitting when you are wrong. Sami is one the biggest mistakes of your life Lucas and now would be as good a time as any to fix that mistake. She doesn't seem to want to be with you so just cut her loose why don't you?"

"I want Sami in my life Mom," said Lucas intently, "She gives it meaning!"

"The only meaning Sami could ever give to a life is pain and suffering," said Kate tersely, "I don't know why you can't see that."

"I'm done," said Lucas loudly, standing up much to Kate's surprise.

Lucas looked down at her, his face fierce.

"If you can't accept Sami in my life Mom then I can't have you around, do you understand me?" he asked her sharply.

Kate looked really taken aback by that threat and it bought Lucas a sense of grim satisfaction to see it.

"Call me when you can accept Sami as part of my life," said Lucas tersely and with that he limped off, leaving his shocked mother to have dinner on his own.

Lucas walked out of Chez Rouge and got into his car, feeling himself beginning to shake. He fumbled in his coat pocket, bringing out the vial of painkillers and downed three of them without even blinking. Lucas leaned back heavily in his seat and waited for the blessed numbness to take him.

[center]**oooOOOOoooo**[/center]

The next morning Sami was walking up and down the aisle of the little shop, picking out some items for herself and EJ. It was mainly food but her eye was caught by a display of sunglasses by one of the check outs and she stopped to look at them. Due to the unfortunate incident with Geraldine her sunglasses which had been on the dash board were lost, amongst other things. Sami felt a familiar pang of guilt at the car's fate but tried to ignore it. What was done was done after all and no amount of regret was going to change that. Her cell phone rang and Sami thought it might be EJ wanting her to add to the shopping list.

"Hello," said Sami distractedly into the phone, starting to try on some sunglasses.

"Hello Sami."

Sami groaned at the sound of Kate's voice, really not in the mood.

"I'm sorry but Sami isn't in right now but if you'd like to leave a message after the beep she'll get right back to you," said Sami brightly, just wanting to put Kate off, "BEEEP!"

"Cute Sami," said Kate flatly in a tone that suggested she thought it anything but, "Could you stop being a child for even one minute, just for something different?"

"What do you want Kate?" asked Sami in annoyance, rolling her eyes and trying on the next par of sunglasses she'd just been looking at.

"That's a very good question and one you might like to ask yourself," said Kate a little haughtily.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" asked Sami in exasperation, deciding against the glasses and putting them back.

"It means like always you just can't be satisfied with what you've got can you?" asked Kate bitterly.

"You've started early," said Sami, sounding amused, "I keep telling you Kate, vodka isn't good for you first thing in the morning even if you do pour it over your cornflakes."

"I want you to stop yanking Lucas' chain," said Kate tightly.

"Oh I'm sorry Kate," said Sami sweetly as she started to unload her items at the check out to the bored looking young girl behind the counter, "I believe it is you who likes to lead Lucas around on by a leash, not me."

"I have a wonderful relationship with my son," said Kate sharply.

"You have a weird and twisted relationship with your son," Sami corrected her tersely, "Its sick how you keep on butting into his life Kate."

"I care enough about my son to be involved in his life," Kate said unapologetically, "Unlike your parent's hm Sami? I guess they've given up on you as a lost cause and just let you wreck havoc with gay abandon now. I mean just how long were they meant to put up with your crap before they stopped caring about what happened to you?"

Sami's grip on the phone tightened and she had to look away, tears stinging her eyes as Kate cruelly hit a raw nerve. She knew she was a disappointment to her parent's and it was a bitter pill to swallow and she didn't need the likes of Kate Roberts rubbing it in her face.

"My relationship with my parents has nothing to do with you Kate," said Sami tightly, paying the girl now and collecting her bags for the short walk back to the hotel, "Why can't you leave me and Lucas alone?"

"Because I know you are going to hurt my son and I won't allow it," said Kate haughtily.

"Does Lucas know you are calling me?" asked Sami suddenly, "Do you think he'll appreciate it when he hears how you've been talking to me?"

"Are you threatening me?" asked Kate angrily.

"Are you done sticking your nose job into my relationship with Lucas?" she asked her roundly, "Lucas and I are adults and we can deal with any problems we might have between ourselves."

"So you admit you have problems then?" asked Kate, quickly jumping on Sami's words.

"I'm talking to one of them," said Sami flatly as she walked along, now at the hotel and walking inside.

"And you're sleeping with another one of them," said Kate sweetly.

"And what is that crack meant to mean?" asked Sami stiffly as she climbed into the elevator to take her to the room she shared with EJ.

Kate couldn't know about what had already passed between EJ and herself because she would have used it against her by now but nonetheless, Sami was nervous.

"I know there is something going on between you and EJ DiMera Sami, don't deny it," said Kate.

"I don't have to deny or confirm anything to you Kate," sniffed Sami, "And I think you are the last person to talk about fidelity. Correct me if I'm wrong but you used to be a whore right?"

"That was a long time ago Sami," said Kate bitingly.

"So you say," said Sami, sounding unconvinced as she walked along the corridor to her room, "But I don't think you can claim the moral high ground when you talk to me Kate. I know what you are capable of so you thinking you are somehow better than me is laughable, it really is."

"I'd never intentionally hurt Lucas," said Kate, clearly frustrated that she wasn't winning this particular battle, "Unlike you who has made a career out of it!"

"Look Kate," said Sami tersely as she hunted around in her bag for the room key, "I don't have to explain myself to you. Why don't you get a life and butt out of mine for a change?!"

"I would if you hadn't infected every damn aspect of my life like some virus!" bit out Kate tersely, "You've got your hooks back in my son and you've wheedled your way into my company! I'd be thrilled if you stayed in Texas forever and were their problem!"

"I'm hanging up now Kate," said Sami tightly, sick of having the same conversation with her over and over again.

"Don't you dare!" she snapped, "You don't get to hang up on me Sami Brady! We are done when I say we are done! If you hurt my son again I will claw your eyes out!"

Sami rolled her eyes at Kate's carry on as she opened the door and walked into the hotel room.

"Okay Kate..." she said, about to really give the woman a piece of her mind but then every thought left her when she took in the scene in front of her as she walked into the room properly.

Sami's eyes widened, the colour draining from her face before it becoming wildly flushed as a shot of raw emotion ripped through her and stole all of her words except for four.

"Son of a _BITCH_!!"

**Chapter NINETY SIX**** – ****Whoops A Daisy**

Jealousy would be far less torturous if we understood that love is a passion

entirely unrelated to our merits.

_~Paul Eldridge~_

ONE HOUR PREVIOUSLY:

EJ was sitting on the sofa, several cushions behind his back and paperwork on his lap. He looked up as Sami walked into the room, peering over the top of his glasses at her.

"Oh good there you are sweetheart," said EJ easily, "I'm just filling out the forms for the insurance claim for the incident with my car."

He looked down at the paper work and pursed his lips thoughtfully.

"Let's see now," he mused, "Reason for accident… hmm…"

EJ tapped his pen thoughtfully against his chin and made a great show of thinking hard about that question.

"How odd," he said, perfectly straight faced as he looked down at the paper again, "There is no box to mark 'Act of Pelican'. I wonder how that can be?"

"Don't think that just because your back is sore that I won't hurt you," Sami said flatly.

"Did you and the pelican exchange insurance information at all?" asked EJ blithely, taking his life into his own hands, "Or was it the seagull that started it all? I get a little confused."

Sami just scowled at him, apparently not in the mood for his humour right then.

"I'm going out to the shops," she announced shortly, still clearly upset about what the letter reading was stirring up for her, "Do you want anything?"

EJ pursed his lips, tempted to say a 2002 XL-series Jaguar but the expression on his face made him think better of it.

"Ice cream please," he said with a charming smile.

"Peppermint?" asked Sami collecting her bag.

"That's right," he said, his smile widening.

"What?" asked Sami with a slight frown as he grinned up at her.

"You know what flavour of ice cream I like," EJ announced happily.

"Is that a big deal EJ?" asked Sami defensively which was pretty much how she'd been ever since reading the latest letters.

"I like to think everything between us is a big deal sweetheart," said EJ with a quirk of his lips.

"You like to think a lot of things EJ," said Sami sourly, walking to the door, "None of which are going to come true."

"We'll see," said EJ easily which earned him another disgruntled look from Sami before she walked out the door, closing it behind her.

EJ went back to the paper work he'd had sent to him from the insurance company that morning but after only a couple of minutes he was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"It's open," he called out, not really able to get up and answer it at this point.

He knew it wasn't Sami as she wouldn't have knocked so EJ assumed it was either Larry or the doctor come to see him. He looked over at the door and was surprised to see that it was neither man walking through the doorway but in fact a lovely looking young woman.

"Hello," she said and smiled at him.

"Hello," returned EJ calmly, "Can I help you?"

"Are you EJ?" she asked him, "I'm Teri DuBois, I'm the physical therapist that Doctor Pearce recommended to you for your back."

"Oh of course," said EJ quickly, remembering now, "I didn't realise he was going to be quite this efficient. Do come in."

The woman walked into the room, carrying a folded up massage table in one hand and EJ had the urge to offer to help her with it but realised that was pretty foolish seeing as he could still barely stand and that was the reason she was there in the first place.

"I'll just set up over here if that is okay?" she asked him with another smile.

"That will be fine," nodded EJ, glad he was already in his sweats and didn't have to bother with changing.

Since hurting his back he'd gone with comfort over fashion and besides, that was all that was really on offer since his suitcase had taken a dip in the ocean along with his car. EJ watched Teri set up patiently, hoping this might actually be helpful for his back. He had big plans for himself and Sami and many of them involved him being able to use his back, repeatedly and rather forcefully if he had his way. It was all well and good to have Sami to himself in a hotel room and EJ was loving reading the letters with her but it was also incredibly frustrating watching her walk around and knowing there was little he could do about revisiting their love making sessions while his back was in the condition it was in.

"All set," she announced and EJ began the mammoth task of standing up and getting on the massage table with her help.

Teri was reasonably tall for a woman, with an athletic build, small breasts, long legs and stomach, capped off with good muscle definition and a nice tan. She had light brown hair that was pulled back into a sensible pony tail for the work she did. She turned more than one man's head in her time but EJ barely noticed, truth be told. He always used to appreciate beautiful women but since Sami it was as though they'd all become somewhat faded somehow and certainly less appealing then they used to be. Teri was nice enough though and clearly good at her job as she immediately began working on alleviating EJ's pain, asking him pertinent questions to make sure she was doing it right. As she worked on him EJ chatted with her and it turned out that she was about to be married soon to a man named Lance.

"So you must be very excited," commented EJ, lying face down on the massage table as Teri worked on loosening the muscles of his lower back.

"Oh I am," she said happily, "I love Lance so much I can barely stand it sometimes."

"I know what you mean," said EJ with a soft smile, "All you can think of is seeing them again and when they are there they are all you can see."

"It sounds like you've got a special someone," she said and he could hear the smile in her voice.

"I've got _the_ special someone," EJ corrected her throatily, "The woman I'm going to spend the rest of my days with, the woman who is going to have my children and grow old with."

"What's she like?" asked Teri, obviously curious about the woman that made EJ's voice catch like that.

"Impossible, wilful, difficult, gorgeous, unpredictable, kind hearted, loyal, impetuous," EJ listed off Sami's trait's easily, "Fierce, wild, passionate, adorable, funny..."

"Wow," laughed Teri, interrupting him when it didn't seem like EJ intended on stopping any time soon, "She really sounds like something."

"I'm doing Samantha a disservice," said EJ huskily, "You have to meet her to really appreciate the simply spectacular woman she is."

"So things are serious between the two of you huh?" asked Teri, getting EJ to turn over now so she could check on the range of motion he now had by moving his legs this way and that, "Marriage?"

"Absolutely," said EJ determinedly, finding his back to be somewhat improved after Teri having worked on him for the last half hour or so now, "There is no way I'm letting her slip through my fingers."

"Is Samantha here with you?" asked Teri, still moving EJ this way and that and seeming pleased with his progress so far.

"Yes," nodded EJ happily, "She's out at the shops."

"It must be nice to have her here with you while you are incapacitated like this," observed Teri.

"It almost makes is worth it," agreed EJ, "Particularly when it keeps her away from her useless boyfriend back in Salem."

Teri's eyes widened at that piece of information.

"Have I shocked you?" asked EJ teasingly.

"No," said Teri and gave him a defiant look, "Time to sit up."

She bent down over EJ and he put his arm around her shoulder as Teri carefully helped EJ sit up from the massage table.

"I'll let you in on a secret," she said with a grin, "I totally stole Lance from a little skank that so didn't deserve him."

"Teri!" said EJ delightedly, grinning at her as he was forced to lean rather heavily on her as he slowly sat up, "You are a woman after my own heart!"

"Yeah well she didn't appreciate him and I did," she said with an unrepentant shrug and a devilish grin, "I seduced him shamelessly."

"Any pointers?" asked EJ with a laugh, enjoying the young woman's candour.

"I recommend using sex," she said cheekily, "It worked for me."

"That was the corner stone of my plan too," chuckled EJ, "Before the back incident anyway."

"Oh I'm sure a man like you can get creative," she said impishly, "I'd tell you what I did to Lance to get him to be putty in my hands but I'm frightened you'd be shocked."

"I'm incredibly difficult to shock Teri," said EJ with a laugh, "But don't worry, I never run out of ideas about what I'd like to do to my Samantha."

EJ went to stand then before she could warn him not to and to his great surprise his legs suddenly felt like jelly after the physio session and EJ's knees buckled as he fell to his knees. He grabbed at Teri's waist to try and stop himself from falling but it was no good. EJ ended up on his knees in front of Teri, his face temporarily buried in her stomach as he tried to catch his breath from the stab of pain his stumbling had caused him.

"Careful," said Teri, too late of course, her hands on his arms as she'd tried to stop him from falling but it had been to no avail.

"Ow," mumbled EJ distractedly into her stomach, his head still reeling from what had just happened.

"Son of a _BITCH_!"

The sound of Sami's loud voice filled the room and EJ instantly pulled his head away from Teri's midriff and looked over at where she was standing in the doorway, phone pressed up against her ear, a bag of groceries in the other hand and a look of pure shock on her face.

"Samantha," said EJ in concern, thinking she'd just received some terrible news on the phone to elicit such a dramatic response, "What's wrong, what's happened, is everything alright?"

"Are you kidding me?!" asked Sami, obviously agitated as she walked into the room, hanging up her cell phone distractedly and throwing it on the sofa and dumping the groceries on the ground.

"Let's get you up," said Teri, realising far more quickly than EJ how this must look.

"Oh I'm sure you've already managed that," said Sami bitingly, folding her arms in front of her chest and glaring first at the other woman and then at EJ, "Who the hell is this?!"

"This is Teri," said EJ, getting slowly to his feet with Teri's help and finding himself now able to walk a little straighter over to the sofa, despite his unfortunate fall, thanks to her ministrations, "She's a physical therapist."

"Oh is that what they call it in Texas is it?" asked Sami sarcastically, giving her a scathing look.

"Samantha!" said EJ sharply, "What is this all about?! Doctor Pearce sent Teri over to help me with my back."

"Oh really?" said Sami disbelievingly, "Well I've seen what physiotherapy looks like and it doesn't look like you kneeling in front of some random woman kissing her stomach!"

"EJ wasn't kissing my stomach," said Teri hastily, "He just stumbled is all."

"Stumbled?" repeated Sami sceptically, looking between the two of them.

"I should go," said Teri with a grimace, starting to fold up her massage table.

"Thank you for all of your expertise today," said EJ with a grateful smile, "I think it has really helped. Can I see you again?"

Sami made a snorting noise at that but he ignored her.

"Sure," said Teri, handing him her card which he took, "Just give me a ring and we'll set up a time."

She looked over at Sami then and gave her a little smile.

"You can be there next time if you'd like?" she offered to Sami.

"And intrude on your special time with EJ?" asked Sami mockingly, still looking very unhappy, "I wouldn't dream of it."

"Well I'll be going now," said Teri a little awkwardly, "Ah, nice to meet you both."

"You too Teri," smiled EJ cordially as she left.

Teri pulled a sympathetic face behind Sami's back and mouthed 'good luck' to him and then she was disappearing out the door. EJ meanwhile was sitting on the sofa and looking up at Sami thoughtfully, taking in her stormy face.

"You're jealous," he informed her and couldn't help the grin that accompanied that statement.

The thought of Sami being territorial about him just made EJ so happy.

"Don't be ridiculous EJ!" she snapped but he could see she was struggling to come up with an explanation for her outbursts, "I was just surprised. Why didn't you tell me that you had someone coming over for your back?!"

"I didn't know," said EJ calmly, "Teri just turned up."

"Teri," said Sami in disgust, "What kind of woman has a boy's name anyway?"

"I'm uncertain _Sami_," said EJ, giving her an amused look as he made a special point of emphasising the diminutive of her name that he never used, "But from where I'm sitting a damn sexy kind of woman."

"Oh what," said Sami angrily, "She gets you all worked up and now you're looking for some action from me well you can forget about it mister!"

"The only woman who gets me worked up is you Samantha," said EJ indulgently.

"Shut up EJ!" she said in aggravation, "Was that woman really a physiotherapist?"

EJ wrinkled his nose.

"What?!" asked Sami in agitation.

"Am I shutting up or am I answering the question?" asked EJ, knowing he shouldn't be stirring her up like this but just loving the way her eyes were currently flashing death at him.

There was nothing more beautiful than Sami in full battle mode except for perhaps in the throes of passion, EJ loved that as well. Basically there wasn't anything or any mood that didn't captivate him utterly about her.

"Samantha," he said affectionately, "Do you really think that I'd invite a woman of _ill repute_ to the hotel room we shared, knowing you could be back any minute? Why would you think I'd do such a thing?"

EJ could see that Sami didn't really have an answer for that and he adored the fact that she'd just reacted like a jealous lover, not giving any thought to anything other than staking a claim on her man and being totally irrational in the process. It was how EJ felt every time he saw her with Lucas or she said his name even. It tore at his heart and made EJ want to do simply crazy things.

"I just assumed you had a bit of a thing for women of 'ill repute'," said Sami sweetly, in typical fashion not backing down, "After all you tapped Kate's bony and ancient ass."

"I am sorry I wasn't a virgin when we met Samantha," said EJ with a knowing look, always finding it amusing when she'd throw Kate in his face, "But you always gave me the impression you rather enjoyed the expertise I brought to the bedroom."

"Oh you...!"

EJ had the pleasure of watching Sami's face flush in outrage at that but to his great satisfaction she didn't actually deny it. He felt himself stir at the picture of irate gorgeousness she made and couldn't help but wonder how far that angry blush actually went as coloured her cheeks and neck, disappearing into the neckline of her blouse. EJ felt a flash of frustration that he couldn't do more to find out right then.

"You're looking a little heated sweetheart," he said huskily, "If you remembered my ice cream we should retire to the bed room with it and see if we can't... cool each other down."

The pause EJ made before he said that let Sami know that cooling things down between the two of them was the last thing on his mind.

"You want your ice cream?!" asked Sami, still obviously very upset by this all and she bent down and retrieved the requested ice cream from the bag of groceries she'd thrown on the floor at walking in on EJ and Terri.

She picked it up and glared angrily at EJ then.

"_Here's_ your ice cream!" she spat out, obviously deciding that hiding in her anger was better than facing her feelings right then.

Sami threw the tub of ice cream at EJ then and stormed off, catching him a little off guard. The lid came partially off, slopping some of the now partially melted ice cream into his lap. EJ grimaced as the sticky coldness soaked through his pants.

"Well at least she doesn't repeat herself," he said to himself wryly at now having something cold in his lap rather than hot, "Never a dull moment with my girl."

**Chapter NINETY SEVEN**** – ****Whispers in the Dark**

What we call chaos is just patterns we haven't recognised.

What we call random is just patterns we can't decipher.

What we can't understand we call nonsense.

What we can't read we call gibberish.

There is no free will. There are no variables.

There is only the inevitable.

_~Chuck Palahniuk~_

"Permission to come aboard?"

Sami looked up from where she was sitting up in bed, her lips twisting at EJ's attempt at humour. She'd been determinedly frosty towards him for the rest of the day. She wanted to tell herself it was because EJ had been an idiot with how he teased her for her embarrassing display over Teri but Sami knew it wasn't really that. The person she was really mad at was herself. She'd walked in and found EJ with his hands all over that woman, innocently as it turned out but it didn't matter. It had driven Sami insane to see him like that and she'd just reacted without thinking. All she wanted to do was claw out the woman's eyes and then make sure EJ never forgot who he really belonged to.

The primitive female urge to secure her mate had just sprung out of Sami and more than anything it made her realise just how deeply she was in love with EJ. She'd been jealous of the other men in her life before to be sure, usually because of her sister Carrie but the emotion she'd thought was jealousy back then seemed silly and childish to the avalanche of raw emotion Sami had experienced seeing EJ in such a compromising with another woman. Sami was beginning to despair that she'd ever be able to control this thing between them. She'd thought she could, thought she could go back to Lucas after her revelation of loving EJ but every new day seemed intent on proving to her just how hopelessly lost she was in this man. He was looking at her with that teasingly expectant look on his face, waiting for permission to join her in bed.

"Just get in EJ," said Sami shortly, looking away as he did just that.

His back seemed a little better with the way he was moving. Clearly Teri had helped, curse the woman thought Sami dourly. The bed dipped as EJ climbed into it and there was the smell of soap he'd used in the shower filling the air, warm and masculine smelling on his skin. Sami tried to determinedly ignore it, wishing he didn't have such a dominating physical presence to him. EJ as always had opted just to wear boxers to bed and they left very little to the imagination. Not that Sami had to imagine very hard of course. She was well acquainted with EJ's body by this stage, just like he was with hers and Sami couldn't help but give a little shudder at the thought.

"Samantha," said EJ calmly as he lay down on the bed, her propped up beside him.

When she didn't look at him immediately EJ tried again.

"Samantha."

Sami gritted her teeth and looked down at him, not wanting to deal with any more fun at her expense tonight.

"About earlier," he said softly, "What you thought you saw..."

"I don't want to talk about it EJ," she said tightly.

"I just want you to understand something," he said huskily, captivating her with those warm eyes of his, "You are the only woman for me, now and always. There could be a roomful of women throwing themselves at me and all I wouldn't care. All I want is you Samantha..."

He pressed a tender kiss to her shoulder then as she half sat up beside him, lingering over the caress, his lips moving back and forth. He'd shaved so there was a pleasing smoothness to his touch because of it and Sami felt herself respond helplessly to it.

"Do you believe me?" he asked her throatily, his lips still against her shoulder, brushing against them as he asked her the question.

"I thought we'd read another letter," said Sami quickly, desperate to change the subject.

She felt his smile against her shoulder, knew what she was doing but didn't call her on it.

"What a wonderful idea," he said smoothly, his eyes still on her.

"It's another Colleen one," mumbled Sami, settling down to read it.

"Can't wait," said EJ happily as he slipped down a little in the bed, putting a couple of pillows on under his head and looking up at Sami expectantly.

She took a deep breath and braced herself for what new revelation this letter might reveal.

oooOOOOooo

_The last four days on the island had been like a dream for Colleen. Santo had taken her around, showing her so many new things that she could barely comprehend it. The plants, the little animals, they were all so different that Colleen couldn't help but marvel at each new strangeness. They were sitting down to lunch now which once again Santo had prepared and Colleen was feeling guilty now._

"_I'll make dinner," she informed him as he they drank the last of their wine._

"_No, no," said Santo with a shake of his head, "There isa no need. Youa must collecta your strength Colleen."_

"_I feel fine Santo," said Colleen, feeling like a broken record as she said that, "Besides I'll be doin' all dose tings soon enough when I'm back at da convent."_

_She watched as a shadow suddenly came over Santo's face at her words and instantly regretted them. Colleen had said them to remind him and herself that as lovely as this all was it wasn't real, couldn't last and it would not be very much longer before they both had to return to reality. Santo slowly put down the dishes he'd picked up and sat back down, his face very serious as he looked back at her._

"_Isa that whata you want Colleen," he asked her quietly._

"_What do ya mean?" she asked with a little frown although secretly she knew the answer to that question._

"_I mean isa going back toa the convent whata you really want?" asked Santo steadily._

"_It isn't about wanting Santo," she said in exasperation, "It's about doin' da right ting."_

"_Why can it nota be about whata you want Colleen?" he asked her huskily._

_Colleen looked back at him then, not really sure what to say to that. Santo's eyes narrowed then, as he suddenly realised something._

"_Youa have never hada anyone aska you whata you want before 'ave you Colleen?" he asked her perceptively. _

"_Of course I have," said Colleen hastily._

"_I do nota mean ifa you woulda lika cup of tea or whata you would like for dinner," said Santo intently, "I meana has anyone ever asked you whata Colleen Brady really wants froma this world?"_

"_I've made my own choices," said Colleen stiffly._

"'_Ave you?" asked Santo, leaning over the table towards her as he scrutinised her carefully, clearly trying to gauge the truth of all this. _

"_I chose da church," said Colleen defiantly._

"_You chose out ofa the limited options youra Da gave you," Santo corrected her firmly, "Ifa you could 'ave anything ina the world, be anyone ina the world… I wonder Colleen, whata would be youra choice then?"_

"_I love da church," said Colleen sharply, "I love training ta be a nun. It's what I want, to serve God."_

"_There ara many ways thata you cana serve God Colleen," said Santo calmly, "He does nota require you toa wear the veil toa serve him. I thinka there ara many mora things ina this world you desire other than just being a nun."_

"_Bein a nun is a great honour," she said defensively, "And I won't have ya makin' light of such a serious vocation Santo!"_

"_No, no," said Santo quickly, sitting back in his chair and putting an earnest hand to his chest, "Youa misunderstand me Colleen. To be a nun isa noble aspiration and I woulda never say otherwise."_

"_Good," said Colleen shortly, feeling some of her indignation leave her, "You shouldn't mock a person's vocation Santo."_

"_I was nota doing that Colleen," he assured her and then that intense look came back into his eyes as he leant over the table again, "I woulda never doa that. Whata I wasa saying is that maybe youa would 'ave chosen something different if you coulda."_

_Santo reached across the table then and took her hand in his, cupping it between his much larger hands and Colleen suddenly had the feeling of being a trapped little bird. _

"_Doa you know whata I want Colleen?" he asked her throatily._

"_Santo," she said hesitantly, feeling her heart begin to race painfully in her chest at his light touch and the look in his eye, "Don't."_

"_I wanta to stay 'ere, witha you ona the island," he said quietly, "Justa the two ofa us. I thought thata might bea something you woulda want too Colleen?"_

"_Life isn't about gettin' what ya want all da time," said Colleen sharply and tried to with draw her hand from his, frightened where this might end but Santo tightened his grip and wouldn't let her go. _

"_My entire life I 'ave done what other's 'ave expected of me Colleen," said Santo urgently, "My whole life. I 'ave never chosen anything before but I choose youa Colleen."_

_He bent his head then and raised Colleen's hand to his lips and she couldn't but gasp as he tenderly kissed the back of her hand, both of his hand's encircling hers. _

"_I lovea you Colleen," he said earnestly, "Ti amo. Whena I opened mya eyes ina the church that first time and sawa you, mya angel I fell and 'ave been lost ever since."_

"_You can't talk to me dis way!" said Colleen and she could hear the panic rising in her own voice as she tugged desperately to get her hand free of his, "I tank you for savin' my life but dat is all I can offer you Mr DiMera, my gratitude. I'm promised ta God and ya can't be sayin' dese tings to me!"_

"_Don't saya that!" said Santo but by now Colleen had managed to her hand free and she stood up, eager to put some distance between herself and Santo's confronting words._

_He grabbed her arm though, almost too roughly and swung her around to face him, his face flushed and his eyes full of so many emotions Colleen couldn't decipher them all – anger, fear, passion and fierce determination. _

"_I 'ave to say these things toa you Colleen," he said roughly, "I almost losta you forever."_

"_I'm not yours ta lose Santo," she said shakily. _

_Santo didn't answer her then, just looked at her unblinkingly until acting suddenly, pulling Colleen into his arms and just kissing her like a man possessed, as though his life depended on it. She wanted to struggle against it but Colleen had quickly found how addictive Santo's kisses could be and she couldn't help but yield to it unconditionally even though it was incredibly dangerous to do so now considering she didn't have the convent to run back to any more. _

"_Colleen."_

_He breathed her name into her mouth and it was a heady experience, tasting her name on his breath. Colleen's hand came up to bury her fingers in his dark hair, clinging to him and wondering if there could be anything better than kissing this man. Santo eventually broke the kiss and she could feel his reluctance to do so and it was all she could do to beg him not to stop. _

"_I wanta you Colleen," he said urgently, "I want us to bea together, to makea love to you."_

_His words made everything incredibly real for Colleen and she knew that he was asking for more than just her body and that if she allowed such a thing to happen then everything in her world would be changed forever. She wrenched herself free of his hold, assailed by feelings of guilt and confusion but also of longing and desire. She had to think and Colleen knew she couldn't do that when Santo was standing in the room looking at her with such hungry need. She turned on her heel and made a run for the door._

"_Colleen!"_

_He stopped her as she put her hand on the door knob and Colleen turned to look back at him almost fearfully but it wasn't Santo that she was afraid of._

"_I can't!" she exclaimed and then Colleen disappeared out the door before running as fast as she could._

oooOOOOooo

EJ regarded Sami steadily as she finished reading the letter, watching as she carefully put it away.

"Aren't you going to say that Santo shouldn't be pushing her like that?" asked EJ calmly.

Sami bit her bottom lip, not answering him.

"He loves her Samantha," EJ said urgently, needing her to understand why Santo was doing this, "And he knows that she loves him. How can you expect any man to turn his back on a love like that?"

"But it's wrong EJ," she whispered to him achingly.

"According to whom?" he challenged her, sitting up a little more in bed, "Society, family?"

"Yes," said Sami in anguish, "All those things!"

"So they should sacrifice their happiness just for everyone else?" asked EJ bitterly, "They should deny their feelings to please others?"

"So they won't hurt other people," Sami corrected him, looking down at hands that were twisted on her lap now.

"We hurt people in this world Samantha," said EJ intently, "Purposefully, accidentally. It is a fact of life that cannot be escaped. Santo and Colleen didn't want to hurt anyone but the reality was that they met each other at a time when they'd made commitments to other things, to other people. You know as well as I do that if Colleen and Santo had met before she had entered the church and before he married then they would be together, without a second thought."

"But it didn't happen like that," said Sami sadly.

"No it didn't and now they have to deal with it," said EJ grimly, "Samantha do you have any idea how often I wished I'm met you years ago, before all those things had happened in your life to hurt you? I wish I'd met you as a teenager, that Will was my child and that it was me you shared all those memories with and not Lucas."

Sami looked at him, clearly surprised by this information.

"Samantha you have to know by now that I want it all with you," said EJ urgently, "To be in your future, your past. That is part of the reason the story of Santo and Colleen resonates so strongly with me. I feel like we were together in them before anyone else in our lives."

"That's crazy EJ," said Sami shakily.

"But you feel the same way too don't you?" said EJ with great certainty, "That connection with them, it's something more than just empathy for the positions they find themselves in, it runs deeper than that."

"So what?" asked Sami unevenly, "You want me to believe that you and I are the reincarnation of Colleen and Santo; is that it?"

"I don't know," said EJ in exasperation, "I don't even believe in reincarnation but it's like their love, their energy, I don't know what you want to call it but I feel like we've inherited it somehow and it makes the love we share all that much richer because of it, deeper, more layered if that makes any kind of sense at all?"

EJ was having difficulty explaining what he was experiencing with every new revelation of Santo and Colleen's story but the similarities were undeniable. They were bound together somehow, the past and present intertwining seamlessly and drawing he and Sami ever closer to one another. EJ braced himself for her heated denials of what he was saying but to his great surprise Sami didn't say anything, just listening to what he was saying.

"I'm not going crazy am I?" he asked softly, taking her hand in his, "You feel it as well don't you Samantha? This connection between the past and our present."

"EJ," said Sami desperately, "I don't know what you want me to say."

"Just tell me the truth Samantha," he urged her eagerly, "Tell me that what is between us is unlike anything you've ever experienced with anyone else in your life."

There was this long pause then and EJ could swear that his heart didn't beat once in the entire time it took Sami to answer him which he was quite certain was hours.

"Yes," she finally admitted and EJ actually felt himself get a little dizzy from the rush of excited blood all over his body.

"Samantha," he said joyously but she shook her head determinedly at him.

"It doesn't change anything EJ," she said firmly.

"This changes everything Samantha!" he disagreed with her urgently, "You've finally admitted to their being something real between us, that you want me."

"I didn't say I wanted you," said Sami, typically defensive, "Besides even if I did what does it matter? I wanted to be a ballerina when I grew up, dreamt about it for years, even took lessons but at some point I just had to face the fact that it was never going to happen."

"Samantha I know you've had a lot of dreams crushed in your life," said EJ intently.

"And then some," said Sami flatly, looking away from him unhappily.

"Perhaps they were just the wrong dreams?" he offered up huskily.

"And you'd be the right one?" she asked him dryly.

"Why not?" he asked her, his eyes intent on her face, "Samantha I love you."

EJ shook his head then, feeling a surge of frustration.

"In fact love seems too small a word for what I feel about you," he said hopelessly, "Too mundane."

He looked up at her then, seeing how she was looking at him so seriously.

"I think of you every minute of every day Samantha," he told her quietly, "I can't bear it when you aren't near enough for me to touch, to smell your perfume or hear your voice. Being without you, being separated from you is like a living death that makes life unbearable unless you are there."

EJ could see Sami's bottom lip beginning to quiver as he said that.

"That's obsession," she said unevenly, as though trying to put some distance between herself and his words.

"You and I only know how to love with every fibre of our beings," said EJ, not even bothering to deny it, "And that frightens the rest of the world so they call it obsession. I think they are just jealous because most people don't know what it is like to have found the one person in the world who was meant for them and them alone."

"So you're saying we complete each other?" asked Sami and there was definitely a derogatory undercurrent to that question.

"I'm saying we perfect each other," EJ corrected her softly, "Being together, the two of us, it takes all of those less than noble things about us and gives them meaning."

"What does that mean?" asked Sami in confusion.

"It means I was born stubborn, strong willed and argumentative because I was meant to butt heads with you on a regular basis," said EJ simply with a half smile, "Tell me the truth Samantha, no other man has ever been able to hold their own against you like I do have they?"

"You make the other men sound like wimps," said Sami defensively, "They weren't."

"But they were no match for you," said EJ knowingly, "And that's what I mean. We were both given devious minds that have gotten us into trouble before today but now I know it was so we could understand each other perfectly. Sweetheart I accept every one of your so called flaws as an intimate part of you and frankly I wouldn't change a single thing about them. You are a glorious creature and utterly perfect for me in every way. You've spent so much of your life pursuing men who couldn't hold a candle to your magnificence, men so far beneath you it is laughable."

"You make us sound like horrible people," said Sami unhappily.

"We're flawed people," said EJ unapologetically, "We have good and bad qualities to us just like everyone else. My point is that our good and bad qualities match, perfectly. When I'm with you Samantha I understand myself so much better than I ever could alone."

"So we do what we want and the rest of the world can just go to hell?" she challenged him, "Is that what you are saying EJ?"

"I'm saying that you need to work out what it is you really want Samantha," said EJ determinedly, "It's like Santo was trying to tell Colleen – consider the possibilities when you don't have to please other people."

"I'm trying to be a less selfish person EJ," she told him shakily.

"The two things don't have to be mutually exclusive you know," he said with a soft smile.

EJ lay back in the bed then and gave her a wry look.

"At least we know the apple hasn't fallen far from the genetic tree when it comes to you and your Great Aunt sweetheart," he said with a quirk of his lips, "She ran. I swear; you Brady women are part gazelle."

"That's because we've got pushy DiMera men always getting up in our faces," said Sami, not backing down on that.

"So shall we see what Colleen did with Santo's challenge?" asked EJ calmly.

"We already know what she did," said Sami firmly, "She said no."

"There are more letters from the island," EJ pointed out, picking up the stack of letters and looking back at Sami, "I don't think it ended there somehow."

EJ gave a little smile then.

"You want Colleen to hold out against Santo don't you?" he asked her perceptively, "Because that gives you hope that you will be able to resist me."

"Could you have more of an ego?" asked Sami, her lips thinning, "I've got will power EJ."

"Some might say you've got will power you haven't even used yet," he said teasingly and giving her a seductive look, thinking of all of their wonderful encounters so far.

"I guess there is only one way to find out," said Sami with an arched eyebrow and defiantly picked up the next letter, "Why don't we find out what happened next?"

"Bring it on," said EJ, his smile widening.

He could sense that Sami was teetering on the edge right now and the fact that she was willing to continue reading rather than stop altogether told EJ that more than ever she was starting to run out of reasons to keep on running. He felt them drawing inextricably closer, just like Colleen and Santo. EJ could hardly wait to read the next letter and be given the next piece of the puzzle.

**Chapter NINETY EIGHT**** – ****Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head**

Passion, it lies in all of us, sleeping... waiting... and though unwanted... unbidden... it will stir... open its jaws and howl.

It speaks to us... guides us... passion rules us all, and we obey.

What other choice do we have? Passion is the source of our finest moments.

The joy of love... the clarity of hatred... and the ecstasy of grief.

It hurts sometimes more than we can bear. If we could live without passion maybe we'd know some kind of peace... but we would be hollow...

Empty rooms shuttered and dank.

Without passion we'd be truly dead.

_Joss Whedon_~

_Colleen looked up in surprise at the suddenly dark skies. The clouds had come up so quickly and now there were fierce rumblings going on and the air was heavy with the burgeoning rain. She wasn't used to this mercurial type of weather and besides, her mind had been in other places after her talk with Santo. His challenge to her asking what it was that she really wanted had unnerved Colleen. He'd been right; she'd never allowed herself to really imagine the possibilities of all that life had to offer her because there had been no point. Colleen knew the reality of her situation and had accepted it. Until that was Santo had stormed into her life. He'd flung open doors that she'd never dared open before and now she was being forced to deal with it. Her life had been simple before Santo; she'd known what it was she wanted and what her life would be like. All that had changed now and the storm gathering momentum around her was no match for the tempest inside. _

_Colleen knew what she should be doing, or rather what she shouldn't be doing. She shouldn't have agreed to come to Ara Caman, she shouldn't have let Santo kiss her and she certainly shouldn't have enjoyed it like she did. His touch did things to Colleen that she had no words to describe and even though the force of her feelings frightened her it was also the siren's call to discover more of the delights he had to offer her. It was more than just physical delights though, his words excited her like none other when he spoke of the world and all it had to offer and even more profoundly for Colleen his words of what he wanted to offer to her. The look on his face when he'd told her he loved her had stolen her breath and Colleen had yet to catch it. Santo overwhelmed her every sense leaving her feeling light headed and dizzy and yet somehow managing to make her feel suddenly weighty in a world that she'd had no substance in before. The way he spoke to her, the things he said, it made Colleen feel as though she was the only important thing in the world and that had never happened to her before. _

_The crack of thunder was almost deafening when it came, actually shaking the ground beneath Colleen's feet. The heavens opened up then and fat, warm droplets of rain began to bear down on her and Colleen knew she had to get out of this weather. She'd wandered down to the beach after leaving Santo and had found a little cleft in the rock and had sat there for who knows how long turning everything over and over in her head. In the end she'd given up, knowing she'd never be able to find peace between her head and her heart. Her head told her that she should turn her back on Santo and never see or think of him again but her heart near broke in two at the thought. As impossible as it was Colleen loved him too and she couldn't think past that any longer. She only felt alive, felt real when he was there and suddenly the thought of being separated from him by any kind of distance was too much. _

_As the heaven's opened up their bounty Colleen ran, ran without any other thought but to get back to Santo, to have his arms around her and promise her that it would be alright, that they would find a way through this together. She ran into the house, out of breath now, her long illness taking away her usual reserves of energy. The air crackled with the energy of the storm, fiercely demanding her attention as the awesome majesty of nature let loose it's full force but Colleen had only one thought in her head right then and no storm could compare to that._

_Santo. _

"Samantha?"

EJ looked up at Sami as she stopped reading, noticing how her hands had tightened on the page she was holding.

"Samantha are you alright?" he asked huskily, putting a hand out and resting it on her thigh as she sat propped up a little in the bed beside him.

EJ had managed to roll onto his side, finding being on his back continually to be a bit uncomfortable and his head lay on the pillow as he listened to her read the unfolding tale between Colleen and Santo.

"I'm okay," she said shakily, clearly affected by all she was reading.

"I can take over," he offered her softly but Sami shook her head.

"I can do it," she said determinedly and tried to look as though this wasn't bothering her but EJ knew differently.

He knew that Santo and Colleen were about to make love, that Colleen was dropping her guard and giving into her feelings for his grandfather and Sami knew it too. No matter what she said to the contrary this had to be confronting to Sami because Colleen and Santo's love had been just as supposedly impossible and forbidden as theirs and yet her Great Aunt had found the courage to embrace it. Sami couldn't help but make the comparisons between herself and Colleen and EJ watched in fascination the many emotions running over her expressive face just then and moved himself a little closer to her, the length of his body now resting lightly against Sami's, his face at her stomach level as she sat up in bed.

EJ let his hand begin to gently caress her thigh, meaning to sooth her obvious unease but the feel of her silken skin beneath his hand again as he did caused his eyelids to droop. The oh so familiar need for her that was always bubbling beneath the surface bursting into full life at the touch of Sami's skin to his. EJ held his breath, waiting to see if she'd allow the familiarity and to his great joy Sami simply began reading again, letting his hand stay where it was.

"_Santo!" she called out into the dark, still house, the storm having turned day into night._

_There was no answer and she looked around, confused as to where he might be. He certainly wouldn't be out in that weather that had already soaked Colleen but the rain wasn't cold like she was used to but warm instead, feeling almost like an embrace. She ran up the stairs to the bedrooms and went to Santo's first but when she didn't find him she went to her room, flinging open the door to find a startled Santo there._

"_Colleen!" he exclaimed and then crossed the distance between them in two giant strides, gathering her up into his arms and holding her tightly that the already out of breath Colleen couldn't get her next one. _

"_Oh mio Dio il mio cuore è stata frenetica la mia bella ragazza in cui lei è stato?!" _

_Once again Santo forgot himself in his agitated state and spoke in Italian but Colleen had become quite proficient in the language under his consistent tutelage in the last month or so and had no trouble translating._

"_Oh my god my heart has been frantic my beautiful girl, where have you been?"_

"_S-Santo," she gasped, trying to get him to loosen her grip on him so she could catch her breath again. _

_He immediately did just that and Colleen dragged in a grateful gasp of air. Santo took a step back but put a hand to her face and to her amazement she could feel that it was trembling. _

"_Colleen were 'ave you been?" he asked in despair, "I 'ave been losing my mind trying to finda you!"_

"_I-I didn't mean ta make ya worry Santo," she said, taken aback by the fierceness of the look on his face as he'd obviously been doing just that._

"_Youa ran off anda I couldn't nota finda you," said Santo in anguish, "I thoughta the worst!"_

"_I'm sorry Santo," said Colleen, "I just needed ta tink."_

_Santo digested this piece of information and then clearly decided not to push her just then. _

"_You ara soaked toa the bone," he said unevenly, "Come sita by the fire."_

_Colleen saw that he'd started a fire and the room was bathed in a warm light because of it. She obediently went and sat by the fire as Santo retrieved a towel and came to sit down beside her, towelling her hair dry for her. He made short work of her hair and then the two of them were just sitting there by the fire._

"_Don't ya want ta know what I was tinkin' about Santo?" she asked him softly, thinking how unbearably handsome he looked in the firelight. _

_Santo looked back at her intently at that question and she held his gaze steadily and for the first time since they'd met Colleen saw uncertainty in his eyes. He had always been so sure of everything and now he seemed to hesitate, as though his heart might not be ready to hear her answer that question._

"_We need to geta you intoa dry clothes first," he said, suddenly standing up and catching Colleen off guard with the abruptness of his actions, "I willa leavea you to change Colleen."_

"_Santo wait!" said Colleen, quickly standing up as well, "Wait."_

"_You needa toa change Colleen," said Santo quietly, not looking her in the eye, "You ara stilla recovering from youra illness."_

"_My illness isn't why my heart is poundin' twelve to da dozen in my chest," she said hurriedly._

"_Colleen youra clothes," said Santo raggedly, as though he was fearful of what she was about to say and trying desperately to put it off, "You 'ave to change them."_

"_Why don't cha help me wit dat Mr DiMera?" she asked him, pleased how calm her voice sounded as she asked that question despite the way she felt like she was about to burst out of the skin at any minute._

"_Colleen," said Santo uncertainly, his eyes scanning her face urgently, "Ara youa sure... whata it isa you ara saying..."_

"_I know what I'm sayin' Santo," she said quietly, "And I know what I want."_

"_And what isa that cara mia?" he asked her just as softly but she could see the hope flaring in his eyes._

"_You," she said simply, "I want you Santo."_

_Santo's eyes lit up at hearing that and that gave Colleen courage to undo the buttons of her dress and let it fall to the floor, leaving her only in her white slip. Santo seemed frozen almost, as though he was frightened to move in case this was all a dream he would wake up from any minute. Colleen surprised herself, taking another initiative and stepped closer, beginning to undo his white shirt for him. She looked up at him to see him looking back at her with the same awestruck expression. _

_This seemed to break the spell for Santo because he quickly shrugged out of his shirt and pulled Colleen into his arms. She could feel his madly beating heart under her hand and then he was wordlessly picking her up, his eyes never leaving hers and carrying Colleen to the bed and she realised that this was really going to happen between them._

EJ's hand began to drift up Sami's leg as she read, moving between her thighs so that his fingers could now brush against the material of her panties that hid her womanhood from him. She was gratifyingly wet already, the cotton soaked through from her own arousal and EJ felt himself swell in response to that, his manhood stiffening painfully of its own accord. He kept his eyes fixed on her face, watching the play of emotions moving over it as she continued to read the letter, not commenting on what he was doing. Sami's nipples were budded tightly, pushing out hard against the thin material of her tank top, proof if EJ had needed it of her arousal.

EJ slipped his fingers up under her saturated panties, stroking the wet folds he found there. He watched as Sami's lips trembled, her knuckles going white as she held on tightly to the letter, determinedly continuing to read Santo and Colleen's first sexual interlude. It added to the intensity of the moment somehow and EJ felt himself falling ever deeper into this dream like state that they both seemed to be sharing as they read of the connections of the past whilst indulging in their own intimacies.

EJ found her nub, teasing it from its hiding place and began to pull gently on it, feeling the tiny piece of flesh swell under his fingers as he did. Sami's breathing was becoming uneven now as he tugged and twisted on the delicate peak. His own breathing began to become forced, touching her like this and seeing Sami's own excitement never failing to arouse EJ to an almost fever pitch. He inserted three fingers into Sami's waiting heat without warning and she cried out brokenly at that, stopping her reading as he head lolled back with pleasure.

"Keep reading," he instructed her raggedly.

"EJ," she said around a swallowed groaned.

"Keep reading," he told her determinedly, beginning to slowly move his fingers in and out in a slow stimulation of her most delicate parts.

Sami gave him a desperate look but to EJ's amazement she didn't deter him, instead going back to reading the letter, albeit in a somewhat shaky voice.

_Santo held himself over Colleen, looking at her very seriously._

"_Colleen," he said huskily, "Ara you sure?"_

"_I'm sure Santo," she said, putting a hand to his face and know it was true. _

_Whatever else she was confused about she wasn't about that. _

"_Colleen," he said with a delighted groan, cupping her face and capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. _

_He peeled the rest of the rest of their clothing from their bodies and for the first time in her life Colleen was able to see a man naked, a man who wanted her very badly. She gave a little gasp at the sight of Santo's naked body, unable to take her eyes off him. She reached out an unsteady hand and put it to his chest, revelling in how hard and muscled it was. Santo was content to let her explore his body and Colleen did, unable to hold back her wonder._

"_You're beautiful," she whispered in awe to him._

"_No," he said with a little shake of his head, his hands and eyes having explored her body just as freely, "It isa you who ara the beautiful one Colleen. Ci si ferma il mio cuore da battere."_

Sami paused then, not knowing what the words meant as Colleen hadn't bothered to translate them.

"You stop my heart beating in my chest."

She looked down at EJ who had just translated for her and he could see how close she was to losing all control. EJ placed his thumb against her nub and began to lightly massage the now engorged nub while continuing his slow pace inside of her. It was enough to stimulate but not drive her over the edge and that was what EJ wanted right then.

"Ci si ferma il mio cuore da battere Samantha," he said huskily, letting her see the truth of that on his face, allowing all the love for her he had to shine through.

Sami bit her bottom lip and he could feel her start trembling in earnest but EJ wasn't done yet.

"Keep going," he urged her throatily, "Finish it."

Sami seemed to have to call on some inner reserves to do just that and EJ couldn't blame her. If it wasn't for his back the letter would be long forgotten and all he would know was Sami all around him as they made love again at long last. But there was still something almost otherworldly about what was passing between them at the same time. Almost like a shared experience, as though he and Sami were there with Santo and Colleen for this first encounter between them. Sami wet her lips and he could see her trying to focus so she could keep on reading and admiring her for it seeing as EJ rather doubted he'd even remembered how to read right then.

_Santo move over the top of her, holding most of his weight off her and gently pushed her legs apart before settling between them. Colleen looked up at him wide eyed. Even though her virtue was intact she knew what was about to happen. She came from farming stock so even though her mother had died when she was too young to talk of such things with her Colleen knew how a man and a woman made love. _

_At least she thought she did. _

_She could feel that Santo's amazing hardness pressing against her and it would have been easy to fell swamped by the sheer size and force of his physical presence but he was being unbearably gentle, taking great care with her as though she was a prize beyond measure and Colleen felt her heart swell with love for this man. _

"_Do nota be frightened Colleen," he whispered to her, "The pain willa only bea for a moment."_

"_I'm not scared," she breathed and it was true._

_Her stomach was knotted up but it was in anticipation, not fear. Santo had taken his time, lovingly preparing her, worshiping every part of her body and right then Colleen felt like her entire body was on fire and the ache between her legs was all but consuming her._

"_Please Santo," she said, putting her arms around his neck and just wanting to complete their union now. _

_Colleen had tried to imagine what this moment would be like but she knew now that it wasn't something you could really prepare for. Santo hesitated, searching her face for that final confirmation that this was indeed what she really wanted. She was about to give him her virtue, a gift she could never give again and they both knew the enormity of that act. _

"_I want it ta be you Santo," she whispered her reassurance to him, "I want ta be yours."_

_She felt rather then heard the groan that her words ripped from him and then he was pressing himself into her. Colleen tensed, gasping at the completely alien sensation, wonderful and yet very confronting at the same time. She felt completely vulnerable as Santo joined his body with hers, the act of receiving his body into hers an act of faith and supplication to him but she felt him shaking as well and somehow knew that she was possessing him as much as he was her. Colleen felt him meet the barrier of her maidenhood and then it was gone, a sharp pain that quickly dissipated against the greater pleasure of Santo filling her completely. She tightened her grip around his neck, clinging to him desperately._

"_Colleen," he groaned unevenly, resting his forehead against hers as he let her adjust to his size, "Lo sono il vostro (I am yours)." _

_He began to move inside her then, gentle thrusts that just caused Colleen to just dissolve into a previously unknown ecstasy. _

Sami let out a long moan, unable to continue reading as her body succumbed to EJ's touch. The letter fluttered from her hand to the bed. She looked down at EJ, her eyes wide and her breath coming in short pants now.

"Come closer sweetheart," he instructed her roughly and once again she surprised him, doing as he asked, the letter forgotten now and only seeing one another.

She straddled him, being careful to remain her on her knees and not put any weight onto EJ's stomach and in turn his back. Sami's hands went to her head, pulling her hair up off her shoulders and stretching, giving EJ an uninterrupted view of her body, knowing that was what he wanted. His hands went to her stomach, enjoying the scenery and very appreciative of how her breasts looked in that little tank top but it quickly became not enough.

EJ's hands began to pull on her panties, wanting to see her properly now and without being asked Sami helped him dispose of them and then his boxers, returning to her position over him when she was done.

"I-I don't think we can do this EJ," she said breathlessly, leaving it a little late to protest, "Your back..."

"We'll be creative," he promised her hoarsely, "I'm starving for you Samantha; I have to have you."

He felt her shudder under the hands that had returned to her waist and then nod wordlessly and that was all the encouragement EJ needed. He slipped a hand between her legs, impaling her with three of his fingers again, her wetness making it easy for him to penetrate her but she was still very tight in this new position and EJ had to swallow hard as he imagined being inside that taut heat once again. He knew it wasn't going to happen this time but that knowledge didn't make it any easier to contain himself as his erection swelled yet again and EJ found himself harder than he'd ever been with any other woman.

"Come here," he growled and she did as he asked, leaning down over him, her hands grasping the wrought iron bed head behind him so she could hold herself above him.

"Show me your breasts," he ordered her roughly, enjoying having Sami doing his bidding for once, adoring how compliant she was being to his every need.

Sami pulled up her t-shirt as he'd commanded her too, eager to let him feast on what were now her clearly aching breasts. EJ quickly obliged, attaching himself to one full orb and hungrily suckling on the swollen peak. The three fingers that he still had deep inside of Sami felt her walls begin to contract wildly almost immediately and knew she was enjoying a climax, the first of many EJ planned to give her. He might not be up to performing actual intercourse right then but he had a wealth of tricks at his finger tips, quite literally and he wanted nothing more than to use them all on Sami. She was still panting heavily after that sharp and intense orgasm as EJ latched onto her other breast, pushing his fingers in even deeper into Sami and forcing another climax from her. Sami cried out in surprise, not having expected that to happen so soon even as she helplessly rode his fingers into ever greater pleasure.

"Oh god EJ!" she moaned loudly and the sound of his name on her lips as she climaxed made his jaw clench as he tried to keep himself in check, "OOHH!"

She cried out again as he'd unwittingly bitten down on the turgid bud in his mouth in his attempts to control himself and EJ instantly made amends, his tongue lavishing remorseful attention to the put upon peak. One of Sami's hands went to his head to his head then and pushed it harder onto her breast.

"Again," she commanded him unevenly and to his surprise EJ realised that she'd very much enjoyed that so what could he do but oblige her.

He pulled back, releasing her breast from his mouth and without warning nipped hard at each flushed bud, one after the other in quick succession. Sami groaned appreciatively and began to ride his fingers harder, fresh moisture gushing out of her at this new stimulation. EJ repeated this several times, making sure to catch her off guard each time and feeling Sami squirm with delight over him. Unbelievably he felt her climax again against his fingers and EJ groaned loudly as her walls clenched wildly around his digits and Sami moaned out her latest release for him.

"God but you're so ripe!" he ground out, not know how else to explain her responsiveness to his every touch.

EJ had always thought of himself as a good lover but the way Sami responded to him was something else again and wanted to believe it was all for him, that no other man could give her this amount of pleasure.

"Oh EJ," she panted shakily, her face flushed as he rested back on her haunches over him as she finally withdrew his fingers from inside of her and clearly exhausted.

"I'm the only one aren't I?" he growled, cupping possessive hands to both of her pleasurably tortured breasts now, "The only one who makes you feel like this?"

Sami nodded tiredly, her eyes half closed from the huge endorphin overload he'd just given her but EJ was by no means done.

"Come here," he purred and Sami's eyes flew open, looking at him in disbelief.

"No more EJ," she said unevenly, shaking her head at him but he could see the flare of renewed desire in her eyes despite her protests, "I can't take anymore."

"You can and you will," said EJ forcefully, "Now come here."

Sami groaned but as with everything else in this encounter she complied. EJ moved her up his body until she had one knee on either side of his face. His hands went to where the tops of her legs swelled out to become her hips and began to determinedly pull her towards him. The smell of her arousal assaulted his senses and he felt his manhood jerk wildly at that. He needed desperately to taste the fruits of his labour and at the first touch of her copious nectar to his tongue EJ had to swallow a howl of delight. Sami cried out again and he could see that she was now gripping the bed head again and EJ settled back, wanting nothing more to feast on this woman's gloriousness.

It was during the second climax that his skilful tongue had given her in this position that EJ at last lost control. Sami was just mindlessly screaming out her pleasure now, panting groans for him to stop, to keep going, to go harder, that he was killing her, all garbled together as he pleasured her endlessly. Sami was still sobbing from her last climax, new nectar filling EJ's mouth from her body's seemingly endless supply and EJ was lost. He felt his balls tighten, warning him of what was about to happen and then he had no choice as his own release came for him.

EJ buried his face into Sami's inner thigh, moaning his pleasure into the soft flesh. His fingers dug in hard to her thighs and he worried that he might be bruising her but couldn't get his grip to loosen as every muscle in his body tensed, fighting against such intense sensations. EJ felt a twinge in his back as he convulsed but it paled into nothingness compared to what else was happening to him. He felt his hot seed burst out of his aching rod and hit his chest but didn't care right then about the mess or the fact that he'd been sixteen the last time he'd just come from touching a woman and nothing else.

"Samantha," he managed at last, his muscles going limp as he lay back on the bed and then he suddenly felt Sami move.

He was reluctant to let her go; allowing it anyway though but then she surprised him. Sami looked down at him, wordlessly taking in his sated expression, her own face carrying the same look. She gave him a knowing little look and then to EJ's great delight she bent down and began to lick all of that salty maleness that he'd just shot all over himself from EJ's body. He quivered helplessly under her as she did this service for him, lapping up every last drop and making EJ give little approving groans of gratefulness.

"God but that is sexy," he told her throatily when she was finally done, "The things that you do to me sweetheart."

"I still think I got the better deal this time," she said with a half smile and then somehow managed to blush as well, "Is there anything... I mean... with you back would you like..."

"There is one thing you could do for me darling," said EJ huskily, tucking a stray strand of pale hair behind her ear, "Something that I'd enjoy very much."

"Okay," said Sami, looking vaguely nervous but intrigued nonetheless.

"I want to sleep beside you tonight," he told her softly, "Both of us naked."

"Oh," said Sami, looking surprised by his request.

"It feels like forever since I had you naked in my arms Samantha," he said huskily, "Not since the island have I woken up with you beside me and I want to have that again so badly."

Sami just looked at him for a long moment and he knew what he was asking of her. Despite what had just had passed between them this was a different intimacy that he was requesting of her and no doubt from Sami's point of view a much more dangerous one. EJ held his breath, waiting for her answer. She didn't respond with words though, instead pulling the last remaining item of clothing between them, her t-shirt, off over her head. EJ's eyes glazed over to see her beauty and Sami looked suddenly self conscious. She lay down on her side and despite the protests from his back EJ rolled onto his side, spooning her and just loving the feeling of being with her like this again. He put his arm around her waist, pulling her back a little more securely to him.

"Perfect," he whispered in her ear contentedly before they both fell asleep, "Utterly perfect."

**Chapter NINETY NINE**** – ****Tell Me a Secret**

What is love? Love is when one person knows all of your secrets... your deepest, darkest, most dreadful secrets of which no one else in the world knows... and yet in the end, that one person does not think any less of you; even if the rest of the world does.

_~Anonymous~_

Sami opened her eyes slowly, thankful for the darkness of the room, the morning light not yet infiltrating the bedroom fully. The first thing she saw was EJ, propped up on one elbow, looking down at her with a little smile and she instantly remembered the events of last night and couldn't help but blush wildly.

"I love it when you do that," he said happily, his smile widening.

"Do what?" asked Sami, feigning ignorance as to what he meant although she could feel how heated her face had become.

"Remember me making love to you," he said throatily, taking her hand and raising it to his lips before looking at her seductively from behind it, his lips brushing against it as he spoke, "I love it when you think of me in any capacity."

"I wasn't thinking about you at all," said Sami huffily, needing to find some way to regroup after last night but it was pretty difficult seeing as they were both lying there in bed naked, "I was thinking that I need to buy some more toothpaste when I go out today."

"And toothpaste makes you blush does it?" asked EJ teasingly, knowing full well she was lying to him.

"I'm not blushing," she said shortly, "You need your eyes checked."

"If I do it's only because I'm blinded by your beauty my love," he said with a little chuckle.

"It's too early in the morning for that," she grumbled.

"It's never too early in the morning to tell a woman she is gorgeous," EJ corrected her knowingly, "Trust me."

"Mm," said Sami, looking away quickly and feeling a pang at the thought of all the other women who had woken up next to EJ in the past and even more disturbing was thinking about all those women who would do it in the future.

"Tell me something about yourself," he requested of her suddenly, "Something no one else knows."

Sami looked back at him in surprise at that request. He just never seemed to stop catching her off guard.

"EJ I just woke up," she complained to him, still trying to clear the sleep fog from her brain plus work out what his angle might be.

"All the better," he smiled, "You won't have the ability to censure it."

"What kind of story?" she asked in exasperation, seeing the dogged look on his face behind the smile and knowing he wasn't going to give up.

"Any kind," said EJ simply and then reached out a long finger, beginning to trace the delicate features of Sami's face, lingering over her lips, "Just as long as no one else in the world knows it."

"And what do I get out of it?" asked Sami with an arched eyebrow.

"What would you _like_ to get out of it sweetheart?" he asked her huskily and Sami's eyes widened at that making EJ give a throaty laugh.

"I'll tell you a secret of my own," he offered up in amusement, his fingers brushing back and forth over Sami's lips now and making them tingle madly, "How does that sound hm?"

"Alright," she said challengingly, "But it has to be embarrassing for you."

"Alright," he agreed calmly, "Now ladies first."

Sami pursed her lips and tried to think back to something in her past that no one else knew about her.

"I had a best friend Janey when I was seven and she had this doll that I really loved called Claudine," said Sami, "One day when I was playing over at her house I borrowed the doll…"

"Stole the doll," EJ corrected her with a quirk of his lips.

"Who's telling this story?" asked Sami flatly and EJ inclined his head, silently indicating she should go on, "Yeah well I _borrowed_ the doll, fully intending to give Claudine back… at some point."

"At some point," agreed EJ teasingly and Sami glared at him for that.

"But when I took it out at home and was playing with it in my room our dog Buster came in and he got a hold of it and well…" Sami trailed off guiltily.

"Claudine was suddenly in need of a good plastic surgeon's number?" offered up EJ helpfully.

"You could say that," said Sami unhappily, "I certainly couldn't give her back to Janey anyway."

"So what did you do?" asked EJ curiously.

"I didn't do anything," admitted Sami and felt ashamed to think about it now, "And Janey thought her big brother Tom had taken it. He denied it…"

"Well he would," commented EJ in amusement.

"Janey didn't believe him and she melted one of his plastic soldiers in the microwave for revenge," said Sami, wrinkling her nose at the memory.

"Ah women," tutted EJ mischievously, "Dangerous to cross at any age. So you never told Janey what you had done?"

"No," said Sami quietly, "I haven't thought about that for years. I guess I started being a horrible person pretty early in life as it turns out."

"Don't," said EJ firmly, giving her a censuring look, "You wanted something and you went for it Samantha. That kind of can do attitude is one of the great many things that I adore about you."

"But it was really wrong of me," protested Sami.

"Your passion was merely directed in the wrong area," EJ argued, "That kind of drive when put to good use can change the world."

"You think I can change the world?" asked Sami in wry amusement at his comment.

"Why not?" he asked her huskily, putting a hand on her stomach and caressing it gently and holding her gaze steadily, "You changed my world utterly sweetheart. It will never be the same again thanks to you."

Sami felt that delicious tension return between them and felt her nerves suddenly tighten. She marvelled at how one moment they could be chatting almost normally and she felt perfectly at ease with him and then in the next minute there was the return of a tangible force, pulling them inexorably towards one another.

"Your turn," she said shakily, trying to change the subject and despairing over how she was ever going to keep her feelings for him hidden from EJ when he kept saying things like that to her.

EJ blinked and he looked to have temporarily forgotten their deal but then a smile came to them as he remembered.

"When I was eight," said EJ, leaning towards her in a very conspiratorial fashion, his voice low, "I was madly, irrevocably and irretrievably in love… with Wilma Flintstone."

"Wilma Flintstone?" repeated Sami in bemusement, "You mean like in the cartoon, Fred Flintstone's wife – that Wilma Flintstone?"

"The one in the same," he said with a dramatic sigh, putting his hand on his chest, "She sent my eight year olds heart a racing every time."

"You're making this up," said Sami with a roll of her eyes.

"I most certainly am not," said EJ, looking indignant at the suggestion, "I would imagine what it would be like when we married and she'd become Mrs EJ DiMera-Flintstone."

"You'd hyphenate?" asked Sami in amusement.

"I'm a modern man," nodded EJ sagely, "I thought it might be something Wilma appreciated after being married to that Neanderthal Fred for all those years."

"Even back then you couldn't get a woman of your own," said Sami sweetly, "You had to take someone else's."

"Ouch," commented EJ dryly with an arch of an eyebrow and Sami felt suddenly guilty for the rather mean swipe at him.

She looked at him warily, seeing if they were going to start arguing now and rather regretting having ruined the moment even though it was probably for the best she thought despondently.

"It would seem that both of us struggled with wanting things that weren't ours from an early age," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, obviously deciding not to take offense, "Yet another trait we share sweetheart. We are halves of the same whole you and I."

"You're crazy," said Sami defiantly.

"Am I?" asked EJ mildly.

"Yes," said Sami huffily, returning to their hopefully safer earlier topic, "Wilma would never leave Fred, she loves him."

"Maybe Wilma only thinks she loves Fred because she'd never experienced the real thing?" argued EJ calmly, "Maybe once she does find her true love then she'll realise that by staying with Fred only hurts them both?"

"Maybe Wilma believes in keeping her promises?" said Sami tightly, "That her commitments mean something to her."

"And is that what Wilma wants you think?" asked EJ evenly, "A life time full of commitments and doing her duty, even at the expense of her own happiness."

"Maybe!" said Sami defiantly, momentarily forgetting their Flintstone analogy, "I happen to take my commitments to Lucas very seriously!"

"Hm," said EJ straight faced, "That would be a little more convincing an assertion from you if you weren't naked and in my bed right now."

"This isn't your bed it's the hotels," said Sami, determined to be difficult.

"Oh yes," said EJ drolly with a roll of his eyes, "Because _that_ was the most important part of the sentence and so necessary to refute."

"Wilma loves Fred," said Sami doggedly, returning to the slightly safer grounds of Fred and Wilma and choosing not to comment further on his statement.

"Yes but I don't believe she's in love with him," continued on EJ, not letting it go, "You can love a lot of people in this world but to find the one that is home to you, your rest, your peace... that is so rare a thing that people never stop writing about it, dreaming about it because it hardly ever happens. The feelings Wilma has for Fred are based on familiarity, a shared past and a child."

"And that's not nothing EJ," said Sami heatedly.

"Yes but it's not everything either," countered EJ easily, "For a beautiful, passionate and spirited woman like Wilma it will never be enough no matter how much she might try and convince herself it is. All that will end up happening is that Fred and Wilma will end up sucking the life out of each other and end up bitter and twisted because of it."

"So you were all set to save Wilma from that fate where you?" asked Sami grimly, hating that she could hear the truth in his words that she could no longer deny like she used to.

"I was eight but I still had access to a private jet," said EJ, his lips curving up in amusement, "I was all set to swoop in and rescue her."

"Even if she didn't think she needed rescuing?" asked Sami, smiling despite herself.

"Especially if she didn't think she needed rescuing," agreed EJ throatily.

"But it would have been wrong," whispered Sami.

"That's the clarity of being a child," said EJ, "We just see what we see."

"But it doesn't make the complications go away," said Sami softly, feeling very sad all of a sudden, "Wilma would have hurt a lot of people."

"For a short time," agreed EJ, "But if her friends and family really loved Wilma they would have seen how happy she was and have been happy for her. It may have taken time but real love is always looking for an opportunity to forgive a transgression."

"You were pretty switched on for an eight year old," commented Sami wryly.

"I had a wonderful male role model to show me what loving a woman was really all about," said EJ simply.

"Oh please," snorted Sami in disgust, "Stefano DiMera is the very last man in the world you should be taking tips from in that department! He locked up my mother in a cage on more than one occasion trying to get his 'Queen of the Night' to fall in love with him! There is nothing that man could have taught you about love that would be right."

"I wasn't talking about my father," said EJ evenly and Sami looked at him in surprise.

"So who was this 'wonderful male role model' then?" asked Sami, curious despite herself.

"Edmund," said EJ simply, "My mother's husband."

"Oh," said Sami, realising then how very little she did know about EJ's past.

"Edmund and my mother married when I was a baby," said EJ with a half smile, "My mother can be a little eccentric at times but Edmund never saw that as a negative, it was simply another thing to delight in about her for him. His whole face would light up whenever she walked into a room, even if they'd only been apart for a few minutes. He saw my mother like no one else did or even could, not even me I suspect and he adored every single part of her, without hesitation or question. Watching Edmund and my mother together showed me what a love between a man and a woman could be... should be and it set a rather high bar for me. I didn't know if I'd ever feel the way about a woman the way Edmund feels about my mum..."

EJ trailed off then and looked up at Sami, a light in his eyes then that heated her from within.

"I was wrong thankfully," he said huskily, "So very wrong."

Sami found it hard to concentrate when he looked at her like that and all she really wanted to do was to lose herself in his kisses but her innate curiosity won out in the end.

"What's your mother like?" asked Sami inquisitively, thinking she'd rarely heard EJ talk of her and wondering what exactly his mom could possibly be like.

"My mother," he said, pausing then and giving Sami a thoughtful look, "Is unlikely to be what you'd expect."

"That's not very helpful," said Sami in exasperation.

"Alright," said EJ with a little smile, "My mother is kind and generous, a free spirit who most definitely cha cha's to the beat of her own maracas."

Sami had to give a little laugh at that description and EJ joined in with her and there was a nice moment of relaxed sharing between them.

"My mother is terribly good fun," said EJ, an affectionate smile spreading over his face, "She and Edmund taught me to follow my dreams."

"Your father must have loved that," said Sami flatly.

"It's true that my parents have somewhat, shall we say opposing parenting styles," agreed EJ in amusement, "I learnt a lot from both of them. Susan Bates is a singular woman to be sure but I adore her and more importantly then that she is my mum."

"It must have been so strange growing up in two such different worlds," said Sami, feeling a pang of empathy for him.

"It taught me the value of being able to adapt to any given situation," said EJ with a shrug, "A lot of people might say I had a blessed childhood being able to see two such different worlds and be a part of both."

"I guess that is why you can be such a contradiction," mused Sami softly and then realised she'd spoken those words aloud.

"Am I?" asked EJ softly, looking at her intently.

"Sometimes," nodded Sami, "Sometimes I think I know you better than myself and then other times I just have no idea about you at all."

She saw the smile that came to EJ's face at that and raised a challenging eyebrow at him, not sure why she was being this honest with him when she knew it was dangerous ground.

"What?" she asked him.

"I feel the exact same way about you," he confessed, leaning down and kissing Sami's bare shoulder, "My familiar sphinx."

"That's an oxymoron," said Sami a little unevenly at the feeling of his lips to her bare flesh, "We'd be a disaster together EJ, we'd do nothing but fight."

"I don't think we'd _only_ be fighting," said EJ with a warm look at her and Sami looked away quickly at that.

"It would be a nightmare," she tried to assert to him, looking back at EJ determined to convince her and him of the folly of even entertaining a real relationship between them.

"I like my women to be a handful," grinned EJ and then a slyly seductive look came over his face as his gazed dropped to Sami's breasts underneath the thin sheet, looking at them appreciatively, "More than a handful if possible."

Sami did blush bright red then at that.

"You and your hyphenated hussy Wilma Flintstone-DiMera might appreciate that kind of crudeness but I don't," said Sami, trying to look affronted, "And you can forget about me ever being Sami Brady-DiMera either!"

"I wouldn't let you hyphenate," said EJ, as though he'd already given this a great deal of thought which was a bit unnerving for her, "Once we are married I will share you with no one except our children and that includes last names. You'll be Samantha DiMera, full stop."

"You're insane EJ," said Sami, even though her heart began to beat erratically at the possessiveness she heard in his voice as they discussed the impossibility of them ever being married in the first place.

She loved it when he was territorial about her, God help her.

"The Brady's have had you all to themselves for twenty six years," said EJ unapologetically, "Once I've had you all to myself for twenty six years then I might consider relenting on the subject."

"We're not getting married; we're certainly not having children so stop saying those ridiculous things!" Sami said shortly, trying to ignore the way her imagination leapt into overdrive at the thought of having both of those things with EJ.

"If you say so," said EJ mildly which told Sami that he was only humouring her.

He moved a little then and Sami caught the brief grimace on his face.

"So how is your back after last night – I mean – umm, on the bed, how did you sleep?" asked Sami not really wanting to draw attention to the events of last night but it was a little too late now.

"I slept the slumber of a divinely happy man curled up next to the great love of his life," said EJ with a warm smile.

"Why can't you just say fine like an ordinary person?" asked Sami flatly.

"Because you make me feel extraordinary sweetheart, not ordinary," he told her, his smile widening.

"I should get up," said Sami shortly, going to get out of bed.

"Why?" asked EJ, quickly stalling her.

"We can't stay in bed all day," argued Sami in exasperation.

"Why not?" shrugged EJ, "What else is there to do? Besides, it's still early. We can afford a few more minutes in bed."

"Doing what exactly?" asked Sami, looking at him suspiciously, "As though I didn't know."

"You misjudge me my love," said EJ smoothly, "I thought we could read another letter – I believe it is another Colleen one."

Sami regarded him a little uncertainly and EJ just looked back at her innocently. The truth was she didn't want to get out of bed either but she couldn't let EJ know that because for sure he'd take advantage of that fact.

"Just one more letter," she agreed, trying her best to appear reluctant.

"Excellent," EJ grinned, reaching over to beside the bed and picking up the next letter and handing it to her.

Sami rolled over onto her side, thinking that maybe if she wasn't looking at EJ that this might be a little easier but as soon as she did she felt EJ spoon himself in against her, his arm lying as a pleasant heaviness across her waist.

"Don't read over my shoulder," she instructed him, "It's rude."

"Yes my love," said EJ indulgently but still wrapped his body around hers more fully, resting his cheek against hers as she held the letter out in front of her, "I'll close my eyes."

EJ did just that and Sami could feel him relaxing against her but there was still the feeling of coiled readiness to him, like a lion about to pounce that never seemed to leave him, even in sleep. She swallowed hard, knowing she was playing with fire reading another letter like this or perhaps more correctly after that last thought of hers, walking into the lion's den but it didn't stop her from starting to read Colleen's letter anyway.

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED**** – ****From Here To Eternity**

Your feet will bring you to where your heart is.

_~Irish Proverb~_

"_Shall we goa for a swima?"_

"_In da ocean?" asked Colleen in surprise, looking up at him and then blushing as she realised the silliness of that question._

"_Si," laughed Santo, "Ina the ocean." _

"_I meant won't it be cold," she said quickly, glaring up at him for laughing at her but couldn't quite hold it, breaking into a matching smile, "It's night time."_

_They'd made love for the first time that afternoon while the thunderstorm had raged outside but when they had finally risen from their bed it was to find the storm had passed as quickly as it had arrived. After dinner Santo had suggested a walk along the beach and Colleen had willingly agreed. She'd always loved the ocean and had found the fierce beauty if the Atlantic Ocean to be mesmerising but there was something wildly wonderful about this crystal clear water as well that just sang to Colleen. _

"_This is nota Galway Colleen," he told her indulgently, "The water, she isa always warm."_

"_We don't have swimmin' costumes," she protested, "It's not proper Santo."_

_Again Colleen realised as soon as she'd said that it was probably a little late for such concerns about decorum considering what had already passed between them that afternoon. She saw the barest of smiles touch Santo's lips and then he was reaching out with both hands and capturing her face between his hands and looking down at her in the moonlight, his dark eyes studying her face carefully._

"_Ow doa you feel Colleen?" he asked her softly, "About what 'appened between us today?"_

"_I feel-" Colleen stopped and tried to collect her thoughts, overwhelmed as she always was with his touch, "I feel happy and free, like I never knew I could be Santo."_

"_Really?" asked Santo and to her surprise she saw the relief on his face, "Colleen I never wanta you toa regret anythinga that passes between us."_

"_I don't regret makin' love wit you Santo," said Colleen softly, "I never imagined dat sometin' could be dat wonderful."_

"_Il mio bellissimo angelo (my beautiful angel)!" declared Santo happily at hearing that and closed the distance between them, claiming her lips in a soul destroying kiss._

_His moustache tickled her nose pleasingly, a contrast to the hungry demand of his lips and he'd made them both quickly breathless. She could feel his arousal already pressing against her and Colleen's own body responded in kind. She wasn't sure how often it was that a man and a woman should want to make love, what was normal but almost as soon as they had finished their first encounter Colleen was craving the next. She was fearful that such desires made her depraved but she couldn't help how she felt..._

Sami stopped reading abruptly, knowing exactly how Colleen felt. She felt like she was starving for EJ's next touch, for his next look and her name on his lips all the time. It was terrifying to have this desperate need clawing away at her all the time but at the same time Sami didn't know if she could live without that need any longer.

"Why did you stop?" he asked her, his deep voice right in her ear and just the sound of EJ's voice could send chills through her body that reverberated deep into her core.

"You're getting..." Sami swallowed noisily then, regretting having started that sentence but it was all she could think about right then.

"Hard?" he finished for her throatily and to prove his point he moved himself even closer and she could feel the undeniable length of his growing erection against her backside.

"Yes," she said shakily, looking back at him over her shoulder warily.

She hadn't meant it consciously but her observation was a silent one to him to find out if she shared his condition. She felt the hand at her waist move between her legs and seek out her core.

"And you're very wet," he purred in her ear and she could hear the pleasure in his voice as he withdrew his hand again and rested it back on her stomach.

"Is it the letter?" she asked him unevenly, uncertain why she was even asking that question.

"No," growled EJ and possessively tightened his arms around her, drawing her back more firmly against him, "It's because I've got you naked in my arms."

He began brushing his stubbled chin slowly back and forth across her bare shoulder then in a gentle scratching caress.

"What about you?" he breathed in her ear, "Why are you wet Samantha?"

"Because I'm naked in your arms," she said breathlessly, the honest words just bursting out of her.

EJ hissed his delight at hearing her say that and she felt his hardness twitch wildly against her, clearly now as full attention. She so wanted to make love to him properly right then but knew that wouldn't be possible with his back in the condition she was and Sami had to bite back the bitter disappointment that knowledge brought her. One word from Lucas' doctor and she had easily, no, even worse, gratefully fobbed off his advances but with EJ she was seriously considering injuring him permanently just so she could get the satisfaction that she knew only he could give her.

She was a bad person alright, no doubt about it.

Sami tried to distract them both from their current predicament and continued reading from Colleen's letter, wondering if it would help or worsen their plight.

_She was fearful that such desires made her depraved but she couldn't help how she felt. Santo at last tore his lips from hers, managing to rest his forehead against hers as they both struggled for their next breath. _

"_Ara you sore Colleen?" he asked her unevenly and she knew she must have blushed wildly at the question._

_The memory of him first pushing into her, the feeling of her body struggling to take him and then the blessed euphoria of having Santo completely sheathed inside of her made Colleen's knees go weak and a pleasurable throbbing begin between her legs, the likes of which she'd never felt before. _

"_N-not really," she stammered, still overwhelmed by her memories of that encounter. _

"_The warma water," he told her softly, "It willa 'elp to sootha you."_

"_Oh," said Colleen, her blushing deepening as she realised that was not the kind of soothing she'd been hoping for._

_Then Colleen suddenly realised that there was no need for all of this bashfulness on her behalf. Santo knew here more intimately than any person on this earth now and that had been her decision to make. She had no idea how many more moments like this were left between them when the reality of what they had done would hit home fully once they'd returned to Galway and suddenly Colleen didn't want to waste one moment of the time they did have left. _

_Colleen gently disentangled herself from Santo's embrace and he looked worried for a moment, as though he'd gone too far but she gave him a reassuring look before her hands went to his coat and began to slowly undress him. She saw his eyes flare with an approving look before his own hands were making short work of her dress and slip as well. Very quickly they were both naked and Colleen was left in no doubt of Santo's great desire for her. He took her hand then and raised it to his lips, kissing each knuckle in turn before beginning to pull her gently towards the water._

_Despite Santo's reassurances of the water being warm Colleen still braced herself for the cold shock of the water, old habits dying hard but was pleasantly surprised yet again by the warmth of the waiting ocean. He lead her into deeper water until another step would have meant that Colleen's feet could no longer touch the sandy bottom. She looked over at Santo and saw the water was only half way up to his chest and he smiled down at her and she grinned back. She dove under the water then starting to swim further out, feeling the ripples of water beside her as Santo did the same and it wasn't too long before they were a good distance from the shore. _

"_You ara good swimmer Colleen," Santo commented admiringly as they tread water side by side in the moonlight waters. _

"_Of course I am," she scoffed, "I could swim before I could walk ya know?!"_

"_I do nota doubt it," said Santo in amusement. _

"_Race ya back to da shore," she challenged him cheekily._

"_No," said Santo with a little frown, "Your 'ealth Colleen, we musta be careful with ita still. No racing fora you."_

"_Afraid are ya den?" she said, arching an eyebrow at him._

"_Fora your wella being," said Santo with a quirk of his lips, "Nothinga more."_

"_I tink your frightened of losin' to a woman now Mr DiMera," she said knowingly, "Isn't dat da truth?"_

"_It would be an honour toa lose toa woman such asa yourself Colleen," said Santo teasingly, "Buta I woulda nota lose."_

"_Is dat right?" sniffed Colleen playfully, "You very sure of ya self now aren't ya? But ya won't put all dat pride to da test I notice so it rings somewhat hollow if ya ask me!"_

"_It isa not pride Colleen," said Santo impishly, "It isa confidence that makesa me say this thing toa you."_

"_Confidence untested is pride in my book," said Colleen defiantly. _

"_You doa not back downa doa you?" asked Santo, clearly admiring of that fact. _

_Colleen swam over closer to where Santo was and smiled up at him, thinking he looked just as handsome in the water as he did on dry land. _

"_Not from a fight and certainly not from a challenge," she told him firmly and then without warning she grabbed at his bare shoulders, pushing Santo under the water before turning quickly around and striking out for the sure. _

_She was a strong swimmer but Santo had recovered quickly from her treachery and immediately started to chase her down. Colleen had gotten quite close to the shore when she suddenly felt a vice like grip on her ankle and then she was being pulled under the water only to have the same strong arms wrap around her and bring them both to the surface._

"_Dat's cheatin'!" she complained laughingly, still a little breathless from her energetic swim._

"_Looka who isa talking!" laughed Santo, trying to scowl at her but failing miserably, "I seea I ava to watcha you alla the time eh?"_

"_Do ya now?" asked Colleen huskily, putting her arms around his neck and brushing her lips against his seductively._

"_Colleen," he rasped, all playing gone from his voice now as he claimed her mouth in a series of hungry kisses. _

_He was always so needy when he kissed her, as though it he was fearful it would be the last time and Colleen could do nothing but return his ardour in full. She felt one of his arms go under the back of her legs and she realised that Santo was actually standing under the water while she still couldn't touch the bottom yet. He scooped her up in his arms and without breaking their kisses he began to walk them determinedly towards the shore. Santo's tongue was beginning to rhythmically thrust into her mouth and he knew he was promising her the delights of things to come. Colleen felt as though she'd turned to liquid in his arms as he knelt with them both onto the edge of the water. Her legs couldn't support her weight, whether from the exertions of her swim or from Santo's kisses but her knees buckled underneath her and it was only Santo's quick actions that saved her from falling completely. Colleen ended up kneeling on the beach, Santo's arm around her waist as supported her as she clung to his waist. _

"_Colleen?" he said in concern._

"_I'm alright," she panted, "My legs – it's nutin."_

_Santo stroked a soothing hand down her back while the other one remained at her waist. The hand at her back continued on down until it was cupping the apex between her thighs and Colleen could do nothing but shudder helplessly under his light but sure touch. _

"_Ara you stilla sore Colleen?" he asked her huskily, concern and desire all mixed up in his voice. _

"_No," she said breathlessly, pressing back on his hand and Santo responded in kind, pressing back and causing a shuddering groan to be ripped from her throat. _

"_I want toa make love toa you again Colleen," said Santo urgently._

_Colleen somehow managed to straighten up then so that she was facing him, both of them kneeling on the sandy beach now as she looked up at him lovingly._

"_I've wanted dat ever since dis afternoon," she confessed to him. _

_Santo groaned to hear her say such a thing and crushed her to him, a hand going to her face and cupping it as he began to kiss her again. Suddenly Colleen found herself lying down on top of Santo, his arms wrapped around her._

"_Colleen?"_

_He asked permission and she nodded eagerly, just needing to be that close to him once again. She cried out as he claimed her once again, not from pain but from pure pleasure. _

"_Santo!" she gasped, looking down at him wide eyed. _

_She hadn't really considered that there could be different positions in which a man and a woman could make love before and she was shocked by how different and yet the same the sensations were in this position. Santo began to move urgently inside of her, as though he couldn't help himself and it was too much for Colleen. Her body exploded in a flurry of sensation and light and she couldn't stop herself from convulsing wildly on top of him. Almost instantly Santo was following her and she was shocked at the force of his release but loved every moment of it. When they were both done Colleen collapsed down on top of Santo, her head on his still heaving chest._

"_Oh," was all she could manage in the end and to her amazement she could still feel a very hard Santo inside of her._

_She felt Santo's fingers comb through her hair and then he was lifting her head gently to look up at her adoringly._

"_Scusei," he said with a lop sided grin, his breathing still very uneven, "You undid me mi amore."_

_Colleen wasn't exactly sure what he was apologising for because he'd just made her feel unbelievably good right then. _

"_Comea 'ere," he said throatily, pulling her down for another kiss, "Anda we willa trya that again."_

_Santo began to move determinedly inside of her again and to her disbelief Colleen could feel the tension inside her rebuilding almost instantly despite her very recent release._

"_Oh," she whispered in amazement as Santo did untold things to her body, "Ohh... OHHH!"_

Sami had to stop reading then as she felt EJ push one of her legs forward, obviously unable to contain himself any longer and then there was the feeling of his arousal between her thighs properly now.

"EJ your back," complained Sami shakily, "You'll hurt... ohhHHH!"

He'd pushed his way into her then, not letting her protest any further, his massive swollen length parting her folds and violating her core in the most breath takingly perfect way possible. Sami clutched at the sheets as his hands found her breasts, squeezing them tightly.

"Oh god," moaned EJ helplessly into her neck, as he made her take all of him at once, "Oh god it's like coming home. Nothing in the world feels this good sweetheart, nothing!"

"Yes," she said around a groan as he completed her invasion of her after weeks of being apart.

When he claimed her like this, particularly when she wasn't ready for it her body had the exquisite task of having to accommodate his vast size quickly and though it complained it was a sweet one that begged for more of the same.

"You're going to have to do the work for me beautiful girl," he urged throatily, his lips at her ear now, "Can you do that for me sweetheart? Can you pleasure us both?"

Sami nodded eagerly, desperate to do just that.

"Show me," he demanded of her and the forcefulness in his voice, born of a starving hunger just made her insides melt and all she could do was comply.

Sami began to move her hips up and down on him, slowly at first but quickly gaining momentum as her excitement overtook her almost completely. She was desperate for a climax with EJ inside of her again. As amazing as last night had been nothing compared to feeling that hard, quivering length inside of her and Sami closed her eyes, falling into the bliss of being impaled on it once more. EJ's increasingly loud gasping hisses each time she rocked back on his rigid staff though began to make Sami worry that she was hurting his back with her forceful thrusting and she slowed her movements, making him penetrate her more shallowly now.

"No!" groaned EJ sounding utterly desperate, "Oh god no sweetheart! Don't stop, I'm begging you!"

His raw need was like a drug to Sami and she couldn't resist tormenting him some more to excite more of that same deliciousness from him. It thrilled her more than words could say to have this kind of power over him, just as he had the same power over hers. She slowly rolled her hips around his swollen hardness deliberately drawing out the sensation and friction between them.

"God, god, GOD!" EJ chanted mindlessly into her shoulder, his face screwed up against the pleasure she was giving him but craving something more, something harder, "Oh god, I need it, I need it so bad! Please sweetheart!"

Sami couldn't deny his grunting pleading groans any longer and she began to move her hips up and down on his now rock hard member again. His frenzied response to her ministrations caused Sami to lose control very quickly and it barely took any time before she was convulsing around him, her walls clamping down on his rigid length tightly as she moaned out a long and satisfying climax for him. Sami worked hard to keep her hips moving during her noisy orgasm, knowing EJ still needed her to bring him to his own end and it wasn't long before she was rewarded with the feeling of him filling her with his warm maleness and grunting out his own ecstasy, his hands tightening on her breasts almost painfully as he pumped himself into her.

Sami felt him flood her with his seed and suddenly had this need for some of it to find a place deep inside of her and create a new life. The feelings shocked Sami, a baby being a complication their already complicated relationship didn't need but the feelings remained. She wanted to carry a part of EJ inside her, under her heart and keep it safe. She wanted that kind of permanent tie between them even though everything about it would be possible. Sami sobbed out her confusion at such a torrent of emotion into the pillow even as he cried out the last of his delirium for her, his own sobs matching her own.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," he whispered shakily into her ear, his sweaty cheek against hers now, "Oh god that was glorious sweetheart, utterly perfect."

"Yes," she said unevenly, still overwhelmed by her own release and her wayward thoughts.

She felt him go to withdraw from her and she suddenly panicked.

"NO!" said Sami desperately, her hand moving behind her to grab at EJ's thigh, "Don't leave me EJ, not yet!"

"I never want to leave you – _ever_," groaned EJ, delighting in her request and settling his only now softening member deeper into Sami, "I want to stay like this forever."

"Me too," whispered Sami but she didn't know if EJ had heard her over his still ragged breathing.

She lay perfectly still, imagining a child between them and how EJ had talked so lovingly of that possibility at the church in Mexico that day. Sami knew it wasn't possible seeing as she'd just finished her period two days ago but that wasn't the point. The thing that scared her was this sudden desire to be carrying EJ's child. It told that more than anything that told Sami that she was in so deep now that there was likely to be any way out ever. The thought made her despair of all the hurt and suffering that such a thing was going to cause but it didn't stop her hand going to her belly unconsciously rubbing it as the idea of she and EJ creating a new life together persisted. EJ covered her hand with his, pressing it in against her stomach and she wondered if he was thinking the same thing she was but was too afraid to ask.

She was losing herself and finding herself at the exact same moment and Sami didn't know whether to laugh or cry about that fact.

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & ONE**** – ****And So It Goes**

I want to feel passion, I want to feel pain.

I want to weep at the sound of your name.

Come make me laugh, come make me cry... just make me feel alive.

_Joey Lauren Adams_

_Santo's arms tightened more fully around Colleen from behind as he determinedly thrust his body ever deeper into hers as she straddled his lap. He'd bought her to the lagoon to show her its great beauty before stripping them both naked and swimming out to the waterfall and now they were hidden behind it, not that there were any prying eyes to see them but there was something rather profound about having the thunder of watery syncopation all around them even as their own bodies produced a rhythm all of their own. _

"_Colleen!" he groaned, his voice echoing around the small cave and bouncing back off the walls and curtain of water. _

_Santo had never known ecstasy like when he was with Colleen this way. He was a man of the world. He had been with other women before he married but none of those encounters could begin to hold a candle to the depth of emotion and rawness that being with Colleen brought to this intimate act. One look from Colleen and Santo found that he couldn't breathe, didn't even need to because that look sustained him somehow and he needed nothing else in this world. She was beginning to sob now, knew that she was rapidly approaching her end and he loved knowing the signs of her rapidly approaching peak. Everyone woman was slightly different and to know that he was the only man in the world who had the joy of experiencing Colleen in those secret moments made him feel more complete than he'd ever thought possible. _

_When she'd offered herself so trustingly to him during that storm it had almost made Santo want to cry with joy from the magnitude of what she was offering him. It made him more certain than ever that they were destined to be and vow to himself that he would let nothing stand between them ultimately being together forever. It was all he could think of, to know that Colleen was his without question, just as he was hers for the rest of their lives. _

"_Santo," she moaned and he thrilled to hear his name on her lips in that moment. _

_He held her tighter to him, feeling himself fall with Colleen and wanting to stay like this forever with her._

"Did these two do anything else but go at it like bunnies on that island?" groaned Sami in despair even as she felt her own desires stir as they sat on the sofa later that morning reading Santo's letter.

She had at last convinced EJ that they had to get out of bed even though Sami had rather wanted to stay there as well. She had figured fully clothed and upright she might have a better chance of saying no to him but reading yet another letter of the heated lovemaking between Colleen and Santo was beginning to make Sami less sure of that. Now she wished she hadn't let EJ talk her into reading another letter but as always, she just couldn't seem to say no to the man nowadays. She'd interrupted his reading of a Santo letter just so she could catch her breath.

"How could any man resist a woman such as Colleen?" said EJ calmly before giving her a heated look as he looked up from the letter in his hands, "I know I was unable to. I'd still be having you ten times a day if we hadn't made the mistake of leaving that bloody island."

"The mistake was going to the island in the first place," sighed Sami, thinking how much simpler her life would be if she'd never heard of Ara Caman.

"Don't say that Samantha," said EJ firmly, "Admit it, it was paradise, just you and me together on an island. It was all I ever wanted, to be alone with you."

EJ gave a half smile then.

"And Jelly," he corrected himself and then looked thoughtful, "At least until the children started to arrive of course."

"What is this?!" asked Sami in agitation, "Blue Lagoon?!"

"I loved that movie," EJ grinned unapologetically, "If I'd had my wits about me I'd have stranded us both on Ara Caman and just be done with it."

"Why didn't you?" asked Sami, suddenly curious because she'd half expected him to do just that, being Stefano's son and all.

"Because you have to choose me," he said simply, looking her squarely in the eye, "With your whole heart choose me Samantha, from every other person who lives in this world... just like I did with you. It's the only way."

"And if I don't?" she whispered shakily.

"Then you doom us both to a life full of misery," he said quietly and Sami had to look away then when she heard the pain in his voice.

"Keep reading," she croaked, not wanting to think about that right now so she chose what she hoped was the lesser of two evils.

EJ nodded slowly and she could feel his eyes on her for a long moment but then he began to read again.

_Santo smiled softly as he felt Colleen settle back more fully in his arms and he wrapped his arms more tightly around her, his cheek against hers as they looked out over the lagoon together. _

"_I 'ave something I want toa showa you Colleen," said Santo when at last he could speak again. _

"_What is it?" asked Colleen softly, the contentment obvious in her voice. _

"_Something very special," he told her, "Something thata isa very special toa me."_

"_Are ya goin' to tell me Santo?" she asked him, looking back over her shoulder at him with a smile._

"_You 'ave to wait my love," he told her, returning her smile. _

"_Can I have a hint den?" she teased him. _

"_No," he said firmly, "But I do wonder what youa will make ofa it?" _

"_Well tell me den and I tell ya what I make of it," she said in exasperation._

"_We 'ave to wait," he told her, "You 'ave to be patience Colleen."_

"_Patient," she corrected him, something she rarely had to do with his English._

"_Patient," he agreed with a little smile and inclination of his head, "We willa both 'ave to bea patient Colleen."_

"_Or I can try my best ta get it outa you sooner rather den later," she said playfully. _

"_I thinka I would lika that very mucha," he grinned back at her, feeling himself stir already at the promise behind her teasing and knowing he would never get enough of this woman, "Very mucha indeed Colleen."_

"So what do you think Santo has planned?" asked Sami curiously.

"I guess we'll have to be patience like the man said," said EJ teasingly, "Or then again, we could just read the next letter."

"I really need to go to the shops otherwise we'll have nothing for dinner tonight," said Sami reluctantly.

The hotel room had a little kitchenette for preparing food but the fridge in it was very small and really only kept enough for daily essentials.

"Well go and we'll read another one when you come back?" suggested EJ.

"You won't read ahead will you?" asked Sami suspiciously, "I'll only go if you promise not to read ahead."

"You can take the letters with you if it would make you feel better sweetheart," he said in amusement and then suddenly he looked suspicious, "Although I'm not sure you'd be able to contain yourself and not read ahead either."

"I've can control myself EJ," she sniffed.

"I feel badly that you have to run around and do things like the shopping for us both Samantha," said EJ with a bit of a frown, "I wish I could pull my weight more."

"It's not anything EJ," she dismissed easily, "I like to get out of this room for a bit anyway and housekeeping does the rest. I don't know how you can stand it being cooped up in this room all this time and not being able to go outside."

"As long as you are cooped up with me then this is as close to heaven on earth as I'll ever get," EJ declared and meant it.

Sami rolled her eyes at that but made no further comment.

"I'll be back soon," she told him, "And we'll read the next letter then."

"Alright," smiled EJ as they both stood up.

Sami reached to help EJ as he grimaced a bit doing the simple action.

"How's your back feeling?" she asked him worriedly and then there was definite colour in her face and EJ knew she was thinking about their energetic lovemaking of earlier that morning and last night.

"I'll live," he smiled down at her, still bent over a bit as he limped with her towards the door.

Sami collected her purse and turned back to face EJ as she got to the door. EJ kept moving towards her, coming up right close and backing Sami up against the door. Resting an arm above her head and forcing her to crane her head right back to look up at him.

"How about you sweetheart?" he asked her huskily, putting a hand to her throat, letting his fingers fan out over the delicate flesh, "You must be sore today as well."

Sami looked up at him wide eyed, a little uncertain of what he meant. EJ's eyes dropped to her breast, feeling the blood quicken in his veins as he remembered what she'd encouraged him to do to them last night. Sami evidently remembered as well because they hardened into enticing peaks underneath her blouse and it was an enticement EJ simply couldn't resist. He pushed up the material of her t-shirt and found to his delight that her bra had a clasp at the front. He deftly undid it, freeing her breasts and then his lips found one tortured peak and he drew it eagerly into his mouth, wanting to make up for his roughness of the previous night.

Sami groaned, jerking against him as she clearly was a little sore that morning but she quickly relaxed and gave a grateful sigh, her hands going to his head and holding him in place as he appeased the delicate skin with gentle attentions. He'd sort only to soothe but at his first touch of her EJ wanted her again, never able to get enough of the drug that was Samantha Brady.

"I was so rough," he said hoarsely as he kissed and licked his way to her other breast, "Do you forgive me sweetheart for hurting you?"

EJ had found her other nipple now, tight and anxious for his attentions and he didn't disappoint as he took her into his mouth without hesitation.

"Yes," hissed Sami and EJ didn't know if he was being granted forgiveness or simply encouragement and didn't care.

He continued his gentle suckling, enjoying mistering to her like this and listening as Sami's breathing roughened. Suddenly the thought of having dinner that night was a very unimportant one and all EJ wanted was to keep doing what he was doing and never stop. His hands dropped to her backside, enjoying cupping the fullness there and squeezing the firm flesh. Her body did things to EJ that he simply could not explain. He knew what it was to desire a woman, not having exactly led what you would call a chaste life before Sami but the other women simply weren't in the same league as the woman pressed against him right then.

EJ understood utterly Santo's words claiming that Colleen was his undoing like no other woman before her, just as Sami was EJ's. She just had to feel the same way about him as well otherwise EJ knew there would be no point to him drawing his next breath. Sami often accused him of being relentless in his pursuit of her and he made no apology for that fact. He felt as though he was fighting for his life in the battle for this woman's heart because without Sami EJ knew that he would never know real happiness or peace. It was all or nothing for him and he was never going to give up on them.

Never.

He finally lifted his head, releasing her sweet flesh from his mouth and looked down at Sami with heavy lidded eyes, his breathing just as rough as hers now. They held each other's gaze for a long moment, wordless communications passing between them and EJ knew he could stare into those liquid blue eyes for the rest of his life and never tire of it. His hands went back to her breasts, pulling the two pieces of her bra back together again and redoing the clasp with hands that were visibly shaking.

She watched him do this strangely intimate thing for her without protesting and EJ just knew that he was closer than he'd ever been before from getting her to finally admit her feelings for him out loud. Sami continued with the exquisite torture of making him wait to hear those three words that would change both of their lives forever but EJ didn't even mind in that moment. He'd wait forever because he already knew the truth and the delicious anticipation of knowing that Sami could finally confess her love for him at any moment sustained EJ endlessly.

"I think you should always wear those kinds of bras," he informed her into the soft skin of her neck as he nuzzled his way along the long line of the same, "I like the easy access feature... or better still you could just stop wearing one at all around me."

Sami shuddered wildly against him at that suggestion and it took all EJ's inner reserves of strength not to simply strip her naked now and the shopping be damned. But there was sweetness in making himself wait for her as well, particularly when he knew that from the way she was responding so unreservedly to his every touch that Sami wasn't going to deny him anything he asked any longer.

"I-I should go," she stammered and EJ barely recognised her voice so thick with desire it was.

Desire for him... that knowledge thrilling him unbearably.

"Should you now?" he asked throatily, playing with one strand of blonde hair now, admiring how the blonde strands caught the light, showing him so many different colours.

"D-do you want anything EJ?" she asked him breathlessly, "From the shops I mean?"

Sami was still obviously trying to recover her senses and get back some kind of control over the situation but EJ was having none of that. He was allowing her to leave his side for a few minutes, torturing them both but he was going to make damned sure that he was all she could think of while they were apart.

"I want for you to come back to me," he told her, his voice rough with desire as he placed a hand between her legs, cupping the gentle swell of her womanhood he found there.

EJ leant right in then, putting his lips to Sami's ear then so that even if there had been other people in the room she would have been the only one to hear his next words.

"And then I just want you to come," he growled, pressing his hand more firmly against his prize while Sami whimpered helplessly.

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & TWO**** – ****The Circle Completes Itself**

We plan our lives according to a dream that came to us in our childhood,

And we find that life alters our plans.

And yet, at the end, from a rare height, we also see that our dream was our fate.

It's just that providence had other ideas as to how we would get there.

Destiny plans a different route, or turns the dream around, as if it were a riddle, and fulfils the dream in ways we couldn't have expected.

_~Ben Okri~_

"God Samantha!" EJ gritted his teeth against the impossible pleasure she was giving him right then.

They were both on their side again, EJ having claimed Sami from behind, their preferred position while his back was still recovering. Sami had returned from the shops and EJ found he'd had to have her the moment she'd stepped back in the door. They'd both basically attacked each other in the living room, their coupling then fierce and needy after the foreplay he'd tortured them both with before Sami had left for the shops. It was hard and fast and very, very pleasurable. They'd managed to make it through dinner after that but as soon as the dishes had been cleared away they had fallen back into bed and EJ was heading towards another powerful release.

"EJ!" screamed out Sami and he could feel her starting to succumb to her fate, her orgasm making her spasm wildly around him and EJ could only follow her helplessly over that precipice.

They both cried out their pleasure to each other endlessly and EJ marvelled that each climax could continue to be so powerful, no matter how many they seemed to share. They were both insatiable for each other and having one another only seemed to make the cravings deepen rather than go away. He hugged Sami to him tightly, kissing the back of her sweaty neck and shoulders and knew the one thing that would make this moment perfect would be for her to turn to him and kiss him. It was still a struggle for EJ to believe that in all this time Sami hadn't kissed him and he longed so badly for her to finally give in and do just that. A kiss freely given from Sami would mean that she had at last accepted her feelings for him. A kiss would be his 'I love you' from Sami but EJ was greedy, he wanted both of those things from Sami before they left that hotel room and headed back to Salem and he was going to make sure that was exactly what happened.

There was no way he would be able to let them return to Salem and have Sami simply walk back into Lucas' arms. Sami had to choose him before they returned, she just had to. Every touch, every look from her told EJ that she longed to let down her guard at long last and be his completely and he was going to make sure that happened before he let them go anywhere. Other people always seemed to muddy the water of their relationship. When it was just the two of them alone things just seemed to fall into place naturally like they had in the hotel room. Sami came willingly to his bed and his arms without hesitation and neither one seemed to feel the need to question the absolute rightness of this new development and that was how it should be EJ decided. Sami had run out of reasons to keep him at arm's length and she was quickly running out of reasons and more importantly any desire to not to tell him how she really felt.

"The letter," gasped Sami at last as they both lay there after they'd disentangled themselves from each other, looking up at the ceiling and trying to remember how to breathe again.

"What?" asked EJ dazedly, barely able to think past what had just happened between them, his body slick with sweat.

"We never read the letter," she said shakily, "Santo's surprise for Colleen."

"Oh right," panted EJ, "The letter."

Sami reached for the letters by the bed and sorted through them and handed the next one to EJ.

"It's a Santo one," she informed him, "You'll have to translate."

"Right," said EJ, barely having command of the English language after the force of that last release and wondering if he could handle Italian as well, "I may need a minute."

Sami gave him a quizzical look at that comment.

"You've done me in sweetheart," he said with a quirk of his lips, "I can barely remember my own name right about now."

"EJ," she said with a shake of her head at his impish words.

"Oh that's right," he nodded playfully, "It's EJ, thanks for the reminder darling. How nice to know my name still slips so easily from your lips."

She gave him a pointed look at that and EJ just grinned.

"I know, I know," he sighed teasingly, "Just read EJ."

"_So why did ya bring me here den?" asked Colleen, looking around herself curiously._

"_I 'ave mya reasons," said Santo, determined to be mysterious._

"_You made me climb dis hill in dis skirt so you can be tellin' me what your surprise is tank ya very much Santo DiMera," sniffed Colleen, trying to look annoyed at him._

"_Very well," Santo grinned, "I 'ave a..."_

"Oh," said EJ in surprise, continuing to read but no longer aloud.

Sami frowned at him for that.

"That is really annoying how you keep on doing that," she told him with a disapproving look.

"Sorry darling," said EJ distractedly, dragging his eyes from the letter and then grinning at her, "You're going to love this Samantha."

"I might if you ever get around to reading it out loud," she said in frustration.

EJ's smile widened and he gave her a playful wink.

"Brace yourself," he said before going back to the letter.

"_The island's name, Ara Caman," Santo told her, "It 'as a special meaning."_

"_What do you mean?" asked Colleen inquisitively and Santo proceeded to tell her about the bent tree, the Caman and the Ara, the stars and more importantly the legend of the shooting star. _

"_Ifa two people counta backa from ten and ina that time there isa shooting star ina the 'eavens then they are bound together forever," he told her warmly, "That what they share isa true love thata can never bea broken."_

"_What kind of fanciful talk is dat Santo?" said Colleen but he could see that she was intrigued._

_The Irish loved their superstitions and legends and Colleen was no exception. _

"_Care toa testa it outa Colleen?" he challenged her playfully._

"Oh!" Sami gasped.

"Told you," said EJ knowingly at her response to that.

"Colleen and Santo are going to watch for a shooting star just like we did!" she said in amazement.

"Well technically we did it just like they did seeing as this happened about forty years before our star gazing turn," pointed out EJ practically, "But yes, you're right Samantha. It seems that the lives of these two people are more intertwined with ours than we'd ever imagined."

"So what happened?" asked Sami urgently, "Did they see a shooting star like we did?"

"Hold your horses sweetheart," said EJ in amusement at her rabid interest, "I can only translate so fast."

"So translate already," she griped, clearly anxious to hear what happened next.

EJ smiled and returned to the letter.

"_Come," said Santo as he sat down on a nearby log and pulled Colleen into his arms, sitting her in his lap, "We will 'ave a gooda view of the 'eavens sitting here."_

_Colleen looked at him a little uncertainly but didn't protest, going and sitting in his lap and looking out between the branches of the tree at the sky that was supposed to tell them if they were really meant to be._

"_So now we just count den?" she asked and Santo could see her nervous excitement which matched his own._

"_Si," he nodded, "Backa froma ten... we coulda do it ina Italian perhaps?"_

"_Alright," she nodded and Santo smiled. _

_The two looked out at the bent tree and at the stars between its gnarled branches, holding onto each other tightly._

"_D__ieci... nove... otto... sette... sei... cinque... quattro... tre... due... uno...."_

_The 'uno' hung in the air for a full breath and there was a palatable disappointment between the two that they hadn't gotten their magical shooting star. Suddenly the heaven's were lit with a bright blur of light, streaking across the sky and illuminating the heavens briefly._

_Santo gave a delighted cry to see it but Colleen was less excited._

"_We 'ave our sign Colleen," he told her animatedly, hugging her to him, "The star, ita came to showa us that we willa always be together."_

"_It was late," she said quietly, looking quite crest fallen._

"_No, no," protested Santo, "It wasa just a longa way a way. The lighta, she tooka a little longer to reacha us isa all Colleen."_

"_But dat wasn't da legend Santo," fretted Colleen, "Da legend said da shooting star had to appear while we were countin' and we'd finished counting."_

"_Italian is a quicker language than English," he dismissed her concerns blithely, "Thata was all ita was."_

"_I have a bad feelin' about dis," she said, looking very anxious now._

"_Please Colleen no," said Santo, desperate to convince her this was a wonderful sign for them, "The chances of a falling star, whena we are sitting here, ina the exact righta place soa we could see it between the Caman branches... it wasa an impossibility and yeta it stilla happened. This means we were meanta to be Colleen, this I know."_

"_But da legend Santo," Colleen couldn't seem to get past her deep feelings of unrest so Santo did what he'd wanted to do from the first moment he'd met her._

"_Marry mea Colleen," he blurted out, unable to keep the words inside of him for any longer. _

_He knew that in the eyes of the law he was still married to Sophia but that would be a problem for another day. Right then all Santo could think of was securing a promise from Colleen that she would be his and his alone for the rest of their lives. The stars had seen the depth and breadth of their love so how could she not?_

"_Marry me," he whispered again, looking into her eyes as she looked back at him with a kind of anguished wonder._

"_Santo," she breathed and then her lips were all Santo could think of, calling to him as he moved closer to claim them once again._

Sami sat up in bed, pulling the sheet more tightly around her and looked suddenly very worried.

"What's wrong sweetheart?" asked EJ in surprise.

"What do you think is wrong EJ?" she asked in aggravation.

EJ wasn't entirely certain.

"Are you upset because they shared yet another experience of ours?" he tried to hazard a guess, thinking she might not like this stark reminder of yet another tie to the love of their relatives, "Or because Santo proposed?"

"Colleen died!" exclaimed Sami in distress, the proposal not seeming to be a problem for her right then, "Santo and Colleen saw that shooting star just like you and I did and then she died! You keep going on and on about how our fates are entwined with Santo and Colleen's well what if that means one of us are going to die EJ?!"

"We are not going to die Samantha, at least not until we are both very old and surrounded by our children and our children's children," said EJ firmly, "As linked as we are to the past this is still our story, not Colleen and Santo's and I won't ever let anything happen to you."

"And what if it isn't meant to be me?" argued Sami emotionally, "What if this time round it is you EJ! Have you thought of that possibility at all?!"

EJ suddenly had a vivid memory of Celeste and her strange predictions at the family dinner last month.

"_A darkness is coming for you Elvis... Elvis DiMera is going to be no more very soon."_

He shook his head at the annoying memory, quite certain it meant nothing and it certainly wasn't going to be something he'd share with Sami in her currently upset state.

"I can't do this!" she announced, obviously very agitated as she got out of bed now and began to get dressed.

"Samantha, sweetheart," said EJ, sitting up in bed and watching her with concern, "There is no need to get this upset. We knew before we began reading the letters that Colleen died at some point so I'm not sure why this is affecting you like this?"

"You're the one who keeps droning on about destiny and fate," snapped Sami, pulling a t-shirt on over her head and glaring at him as she pulled it down, "That our fate is intertwined with Colleen and Santo's and now with this shooting star thing..."

"You're starting to believe it," he finished for her, "But sweetheart just because we have a similar story it doesn't mean that it is the same."

"I don't want to talk about it," she said shortly and EJ could see the need to run in her eyes and didn't want that.

"Samant-," he began, intent on stopping her but she was already at the bedroom door and practically running through it.

"I can't EJ," she said tightly and then she was gone, leaving EJ to his own devices.

EJ growled and threw the pillow beside him against the far wall in frustration as once again Sami ran and this time he couldn't follow. Every step forward seemed to be followed by at least one back and EJ was ready to start screaming out his annoyance at the situation.

oooOOOOooo

Sami ran out into the night and just kept running, not even knowing where she was going. She stopped finally when she could run no further, her chest aching and her lungs burning from the sudden exertion. She bent over, putting her hands on her knees and sucked in great breaths of air as her eyes stung with tears and all she could think about was Colleen and how she couldn't have known it at the time but her fears for the future had been justified. Colleen had died soon after seeing that shooting star. Sami still didn't know how but Colleen had been right, the destiny that Santo had spoken of had not been perfectly timed and because of it the two had lost everything. Sami began to shake and she was forced to squat down, wrapping her arms around herself tightly.

She'd told EJ that she'd didn't believe in things like fate and destiny and that witnessing that shooting star as they'd counted back from ten, just like in the legend, had meant nothing to her but it wasn't true. It had unnerved her deeply at the time because at heart Sami really was a romantic and she believed in dreams and destinies written in the heavens. After all if she didn't she would never have been able to pursue Austin with quite as much focus as she'd done for so many years if she hadn't convinced herself that it was she that he was destined to be with, destined to love and not Carrie. This time round though it was the universe that seemed intent on pushing EJ and herself together, not any complicated machinations on her behalf and not even EJ could have gotten that shooting star to appear at exactly the right moment and that had been what was so confronting for Sami and still was.

But what good was a destiny to be together also meant that you were destined to be apart, to be separated by death. EJ had been at pains to point out how Santo and Colleen's romance so closely mirrored their own, the trials and tribulations they faced and their love for one another and after having read so many of the letters now Sami was hard pressed to disagree. So what did all this mean exactly Sami had to wonder in despair. Were she and EJ doomed to a tragic end just as Colleen and Santo had been? She'd fought against her feelings for EJ for so long now because of the pain it would cause others but what if her giving in to the love that was practically screaming for release inside of her meant that she was dooming one of them to death?

The thought of EJ dying made a panicked feeling well up inside of her and she couldn't breathe again. Sami stood up on shaking legs and felt hot tears prick her eyes. For so long she'd told EJ that she wished him dead but she'd never meant it, not once. The thought that by pursuing a relationship with him might actually result in just that made Sami want to throw up. He'd infiltrated every part of her life, her being starting from the very first moment they'd met and Sami could no longer imagine her life without EJ in it and the thought of him no longer being around was a very scary one for Sami. She couldn't pin point the exact moment when it had happened but EJ had become a part of her, a necessary part and she was suddenly fearful of what the future might hold in a way entirely different to her previous fears.

Sami walked slowly back to the hotel room, her thoughts turning over and over on top of themselves until she thought her head might explode from them all. She let herself back into the room to find EJ now standing in the middle of it, a phone to his ear. He heard her come in and whipped around and looked at her with a thousand emotions but the strongest one was of relief. Sami was a bit surprised to see that but EJ was hanging up then and striding towards her and dragging her into his arms in an almost painfully tight hug and she felt him press a desperate kiss to the top of her head.

"Samantha!" he said raggedly into the top of her head, "Oh god sweetheart I was going insane with worry!"

Sami was surprised to hear the level of concern in his voice. She had no idea how long she'd been gone for but she would have thought no longer than twenty minutes or so.

"You've been gone over an hour Samantha," he told her achingly as though he could read her thoughts, "I thought something had happened to you! You ran out of here without so much as your cell phone. I couldn't reach you, you hadn't told me where you were going and it's the middle of the night! I went looking up and down the streets but when I couldn't find you I was about to contact the police..."

"I'm sorry EJ," she interrupted him as he became increasingly emotional, "I didn't mean to scare you, I just needed to think."

He loosened his grip on her slightly so he could look down at with concern.

"Samantha there is no need to get so upset about the letters," he told her earnestly, "Colleen and Santo's fate is not going to be ours."

Sami wanted to ask him what made him so sure of that but worried what has answer might be. EJ tenderly tucked a stray strand of blonde hair behind her ear as she looked up at him, her eyes still wet from her previously shed tears.

"Doesn't what happened with Colleen and the shooting star bother you at all?" she asked him shakily.

"No," said EJ with his usual certainty, "And you shouldn't bother you either sweetheart. We already knew that Colleen and Santo's love affair ended tragically before we began reading the letters. If it hadn't then there would never have been this ridiculous vendetta between our families."

It was true that Sami had known that but after reading the account of Santo and Colleen's encounter with the legend of Ara Caman and seeing it mirror so closely her and EJ's experience it had thrown her more than she could put into words right then.

"Besides," EJ comforted her, "Their timing was a little off whilst ours was perfect. That has to mean something eh sweetheart?"

"I suppose so," she said softly and wondered if that split second of difference in timing would indeed make any alteration to the fate that lay ahead for EJ and herself.

It was crazy to think how invested she'd become in Santo and Colleen's story and this notion of legends and fates but Sami found that she couldn't help it.

"What's going to happen to us EJ?" she whispered fearfully into his chest.

"Nothing bad as long as we stay together Samantha," he told her grimly determined, tightening his arms around her again, "Just don't leave me like that ever again. You scared the hell out of me sweetheart. Promise me you won't do that again."

"I promise," she promised him, hardly knowing what she was saying but just knowing she never wanted to leave the protective circle of his arms ever again.

Sami just buried her face in EJ's chest and willed the rest of the world to simply let them be.


	10. Chapters 103 to 118

**FATED**

**(Chapters 103 - 118)**

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & THREE**** – ****Oops I Did It Again**

Please don't lie to me, unless you're absolutely sure I'll never find out the truth.

_~Ashleigh Brilliant ~_

EJ shuffled out from the bedroom and looked around for his shoes. He'd spent the night simply holding Sami in his arms, trying to get her to calm down after reading the last letter. EJ hadn't expected for Sami to be so disturbed by what had happened with the shooting star and Colleen and Santo. EJ had a far more pragmatic response to Sami's surprisingly emotional one. Whilst he believed there was a link between the past and the present he didn't think that they were doomed to follow in Santo and Colleen's tragic footsteps. He and Sami were still architects of their own destiny and would make a future for themselves that had been denied the other couple. EJ stepped into his sneakers and began to try and do them up, grimacing in pain as he tried to bend over.

"I'll do it," offered Sami quickly, walking out of the bedroom and bending down in front of EJ, doing up his shoe laces for him.

EJ smiled down at the top of her blonde head as she bent over her task industriously.

"I'm sorry I'm such a nuisance," he apologised to her huskily.

"You're not a nuisance EJ," she corrected him hastily and he could see the guilt on her face.

He held out a hand and helped her to her feet when she was done, tightening his hold on her hand.

"I do appreciate all that you are doing for me you know," he said throatily, "I know you could have left me here. I know that is what Lucas wanted you to do."

"I couldn't abandon you EJ," she said, looking a little upset now, "Not after I-"

She stopped abruptly then, her look of guilt deepening.

"Me hurting my back wasn't your fault Samantha," he reassured her and Sami gave him an outright disbelieving look at that and EJ had to adjust his statement, "Well, apart from making me ride in a matchbox and then sleep on the sofa of course."

Sami looked very unhappy now and EJ couldn't bear it, even if he was only teasing her.

"But I had an old back injury from my racing days," he told her, wanting to comfort her.

"From a crash?" she asked him with a concerned frown.

"Actually it was from a Swedish woman named Hilda," he said straight faced, "An admiring fan but the Swedes are a robust race and she did me a bit of a mischief whilst showing me her admiration this one time."

Sami slapped his arm both for teasing her and for that story.

"I don't want to hear things like that!" she hissed, glaring up at him, "I don't need to hear you've done half of Europe in the past and only didn't do the other half because they were guys!"

"You're jealous," he said in satisfaction.

"Disgusted," she said sweetly, "But I suppose if we are talking about old lovers now I could always bring you up to speed on Brandon and Austen and Franco and..."

"Alright, alright," EJ grimaced, just the sound of the other men's names making him want to hit something, "Point taken. No discussion of ex's allowed."

Sami was still looking at him with a troubled expression on her face though.

"Samantha I'm sorry," he apologised to her sincerely, "I can promise you that thoughts of other women are the furthest thing from my head when I am within a ten mile radius of you."

"It's not that," she said, biting down on her bottom lip, her frown deepening, "It's been six days EJ and your back seems to have gotten to a certain point but isn't getting any better beyond that. I'm worried that our... um... you know, when we are..."

"Cuddling?" offered up EJ huskily, reaching up and running a long finger lightly down her arm and making them both shiver.

"Yes," said Sami, blushing now, "I think we have to stop because it must not be good for your back."

"Oh I disagree sweetheart," said EJ hastily, stricken by that thought, "I think it does my back the world of good our cuddling, not to mention the ecstasy it gives my front!"

"But you're not getting any better," fretted Sami even as her blush deepened at that comment from him, "What if this injury is even more serious then we first thought. I mean only the one doctor has looked at you and you've never had any kind of checks done beyond that like an x-ray. I really think we should get a second opinion EJ."

"Is Lucas harassing you to come back to Salem?" asked EJ, his eyes narrowing in annoyance at the thought of the other man intruding on their little sanctuary and wondering if this was where this sudden uncertainty from Sami was coming from.

Sami was so close to admitting her feelings for him that EJ wasn't going to take any interference from that little twerp now that all he ever wanted was just within his grasp.

"No," said Sami with a shake of her head and then relented, "Well yes but that isn't what this is about EJ. I'm scared you are seriously hurt and we are just making things worse. I really think we should go to a hospital where you can get x-rays and things done and we can make sure that you really are okay and that there isn't something more seriously wrong with you."

EJ loved how Sami kept saying 'we' all throughout that sentence and he loved that she was worried for him but he didn't love that this was upsetting her.

"My back is improving," he told her softly, putting gentle hands on her shoulders, "It's just takes time with these kinds of things. You're not to worry yourself Samantha. I'm on the road to recovery and in a few more days I'm sure I'll be as right as rain."

"But-" Sami seemed determined to fuss though but EJ couldn't help but think it was something else again.

"Sweetheart this sudden concern on your behalf," he said slowly, "This doesn't have anything to do with the letter we read last night does it?"

It had taken a long time for EJ to settle Sami down after she'd come back from her night wanderings and it was clear it was still a shadow over her this morning.

"I don't want anything to happen to you EJ," she whispered shakily, "I don't want you to get hurt."

"Then never leave me."

The words were out of his mouth before EJ had a chance to even really think them. He knew there was only one thing in this world that had any real power to hurt him and it was the young woman looking so pensively up at him right then.

"I meant physically," she hedged, "I don't want you to die EJ."

"Well either do I," he smiled, trying to lighten her mood, "So we're both in agreement then, I won't die."

"I'm being serious EJ," she scowled at his sudden flippancy.

"Sweetheart nothing is going to happen to me," he said confidently, "My back is improving all the time and I promise you that there is nothing for you to worry about on that front."

He gave her a cheeky grin then.

"Not that I don't love you fretting over me of course," he teased her, "It makes a pleasant change from all the times you wished destruction to rain down upon me."

"Which you deserved at the time," Sami scowled, not willing to be cajoled out of her worrying just yet.

"Look Teri is due round at any minute and I'm sure she'll be able to continue to get me back on the road to recovery in no time," said EJ happily, enjoying seeing the look of annoyance in Sami's eye at the mention of the other woman's name, "She helped me no end last time."

"I bet," muttered Sami, "Well tell her I said hi won't you?"

"You're not going to be here?" asked EJ in surprise, watching as Sami went and got her coat and bag.

"I need to go and shop for some more clothes," she told him, "I'm sick of only having a couple of different blouses."

"I thought you might want to stay," protested EJ and then gave her an impish look, "You know, to lay claim to your man."

"Like I'm worried," snorted Sami, looking decidedly unconcerned as she headed towards the door.

"You look worried the other day," said EJ mischievously, unable to help himself stir her up a little.

"You were imagining it," sniffed Sami defiantly.

"I have a pretty vivid imagination in that case," said EJ in amusement.

"I'll see you later," said Sami, throwing him a disinterested look which made EJ a little curious as to why she was being so casual about a visit from Teri when she'd been anything but the first time.

Perhaps she'd at last taken him at her word when he said that she was the only woman he had eyes for? EJ watched as she left, giving her a little wave and then he was alone in the hotel room. He looked around himself and then down at his shoes that Sami had so kindly done up for him. Without missing a beat he easily bent down and retied one shoe, preferring them to be a bit tighter than Sami had done.

"_I thought you had a sore back."_

EJ quickly straightened up at the sound of the familiar voice, his lips twisting in annoyance.

"Oh it's you," he said flatly, going back to his shoe laces, "I thought I'd gotten rid of you."

"_Not yet," said Sam, "You clearly still need me."_

"I don't need you," said EJ confidently, starting on his other shoe, "Samantha is going to tell me that she loves me any day now."

"_Are you sure that's going to happen when she finds out you've been talking out of your butt re your supposed injuries?" asked Sam sweetly as she admired EJ's backside from where she was leaning against a chair, dressed in her usual lingerie. _

"I've merely downplayed the speed of my recovery," said EJ straightening up and frowning when he saw Sam openly ogling his backside, "It's not a lie."

"_It's a lie of omission," she informed him, "And it's going to get you the same ass kicking from Sami as the regular kind."_

"Can we please leave my backside out of this?" asked EJ in frustration.

"_Then stop showing off the merchandise my love omelette," she said unapologetically and then pinched his backside cheekily as she went by to sit on a winged back chair._

EJ grimaced and shook his head.

"I so shouldn't have been able to feel that," he lamented, more confused than ever as to what exactly Sam was.

"_Why don't you ever play it completely straight with that woman?" asked Sam curiously._

"I do," said EJ shortly and then at her pointed look had to qualify himself, "About the big things."

"_Some might argue that it's the little things that make or break a relationship," said Sam with an arched eyebrow._

"We'll they'd be wrong," said EJ confidently, "The only important thing is that Samantha and I love one another and that she is going to admit that very soon and our lives together can begin properly."

"_It seems to me that we've been here a couple of times before," commented Sam idly, "You confident you were about to win the fair maids heart but then you always manage to cock it up somehow. Usually by not listening to my good advice truth be told."_

"You know I rather enjoyed the fallout from Teri's last visit," said EJ with a smug smile, remembering what it had lead to between himself and Sami and ignoring Sam's comment entirely, "Perhaps another repeat performance for Samantha to walk in on might be just what the doctor ordered? Teri seems like a good sport, I'm sure she'd play along and I do love it when my girl gets territorial."

"_So your plan is to poke the bear in the hopes you'll get to poke the beaver?" asked Sam innocently._

"Crudely put," said EJ, his face twisting in disapproval, "But in the ball park, yes. Sami just needs these little nudges I provide to get her where she is going. If I don't push she'll stay where she is at, wallowing in ridiculous catholic guilt. We are meant to be together."

"_And you're going to prove that to her by pretending to flirt with another woman," said Sam dryly, "It's a plan whereby by its stupidity is only superseded by the idiocy of the moron who came up with it."_

"My plans have gotten me where I am today," growled EJ.

"_With your back practically snapped in two, your eighty thousand dollar car currently being driven by mermaids and lying through your teeth to the woman you love who by the way is still technically dating another man?" she asked him sweetly, "I can see why you're so keen to stick to such a winning formula."_

The knock at the door signalled Teri's arrival.

"I know what I'm doing," said EJ, sending her an angry look at her mocking of him and going over to the door.

"_So you're going to go with the make Sami jealous thing huh?" she asked him with a roll of her eyes, "Just to let you know I've got my pom poms all ready to shake at you when I do my 'I told you so' dance."_

EJ just glared at her and opened the door, the smile he'd put on his face for Teri freezing in place when he saw it wasn't the lovely young woman who had last visited him but rather a very beefy young man who stood almost as tall as EJ.

"Hi, I'm Jamie," he smiled, extending the hand that wasn't holding the fold up massage table, "I'm your physio for today."

"_On second thought," said Sam cheekily, taking in the broad shouldered and very manly looking Jamie, "I think you should totally go with that jealousy idea of yours. Girls like it when you keep them guessing... particularly about your sexual orientation I hear."_

EJ didn't dignify that with a response, mainly because it would be a little hard to explain to Jamie that he wasn't talking to him when screeching out 'leave me alone you annoying cow' at the top of his lungs. EJ shook the other man's hand, recovering quickly and trying to ignore Sam's amused commentary.

"I'm sorry Jamie," said EJ, stepping back to let him come in, "I was just expecting the woman who came last time, Teri."

"Oh but your wife rang up and said you preferred a man," said Jamie in surprise.

"Oh did she now?" asked EJ wryly, Sami sudden lack of concern about Teri visiting making sense now.

"Is there a problem?" asked Jamie a little uncertainly.

"_Not from where I'm sitting," said Sam, checking out the buff young man appreciatively, "Meeoow!"_

"Not at all," said EJ smoothly.

An hour later EJ was done with his appointment and seeing Jamie off.

"_That girl of yours is a wily one to be sure," commented Sam in amusement once he was gone, "It must be great to have a relationship built on trust."_

"I don't care what you say," said EJ smugly, "I take this as a good sign. Samantha is so jealous of me she can't bear the thought of another woman touching me."

"_I suppose that is one way of looking at it," she said, "But I still don't think it's the sign of a healthy relationship."_

"You don't even exist," said EJ distractedly as he bent down and picked up the stack of letters he and Sami still had to read, "What do you know."

As he picked up the letters one escaped and fluttered rather inconveniently under the couch.

"Damn," muttered EJ and went down on his hands his knees, putting his cheek on the floor to see where it had landed.

He tried to put his hand under it to retrieve it but the couch was too low to the ground and his arm didn't fit. EJ stood up then, knowing there was nothing else to be done other than move the sofa. He walked to one end of it and picked the whole thing up easily with one hand, intent on simply moving it to one side to get the letter.

"EJ!!"

EJ started at the sound of his name practically being screeched and looked up to see Sami standing in the door way, looking at him in horror as he held the sofa easily off the ground with one hand and with no sign of pain as he did so.

"_Uh oh," said Sam in amusement, "This should be interesting."_

"Good news sweetheart," said EJ, giving her a bright smile and trying to think fast as he stood frozen to the spot, the incriminating sofa still up on one end, "I appear to be enjoying a small miracle and my back has spontaneously healed itself. Isn't that marvellous?"

Sami's face darkened to a decidedly typhoon quality about it while EJ determinedly tried to bluff his way clear of being caught out.

"_I'll just go get my pom poms shall I?" asked Sam delightedly, "No one move." _

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & FOUR**** – ****Hit The Road Jack**

You can do anything in this world if you are prepared to take the consequences.

_~William Somerset Maugham~_

"You have to talk to me sometime," he said, looking over at Sami from the passenger seat of their newly rented Lexus sedan that had plenty of room for both of them this time.

Sami didn't answer him, just stared stonily ahead, her eyes on the road. It was still dark outside, Sami somehow managing to silently insist they leave before sunrise the next day after discovering him with the sofa and had slept on that same sofa that night, not saying one word to EJ in the process.

"It's been sixteen hours already," commented EJ, "You can't just not speak to me for the rest of the trip home Samantha. You'll have to say something at some point."

No answer still, Sami just kept on driving and EJ wrinkled his nose, trying to think this through. Granted she'd been pretty upset when she'd discovered the slight over exaggeration of his symptoms yesterday but he didn't think it warranted being sent into Coventry like this.

"So can I have an estimated time as to how much longer you think this shunning might go on for?" asked EJ, trying again.

Sami just drove, not looking at him.

"I mean should I start having an imaginary friend just to have someone to talk to for the rest of the trip?" asked EJ straight faced.

"_Leave me out of this," said Sam from the back seat where she was lounged out across the seats, "You made your bed Elvis, you can lie in it - alone. Besides, I'm knackered from all the 'I told you so' dancing I did. I've got pom pom fatigue."_

EJ ignored her and continued with his attempts to get Sami to talk to him.

"Samantha please," he cajoled her, "You're being unreasonable and childish."

That at last got EJ a reaction as her head whipped round and she stared at him for a brief moment, her eyes wide. Sami pulled over by the side of the road, turned in her seat to face EJ and opened her mouth. Four minutes later she closed it again and then turned back in her seat, crossing her arms in front of her chest and staring ahead of herself in cold silence.

"Well," said EJ when he could at last find his voice again after her outburst, "I had no idea you knew quite that many profanities sweetheart."

"_Wow," said Sam, also impressed with Sami's vocabulary, "I thought it was her Uncle Bo who used to be a sailor. When those two get together the paint must peel off the walls." _

"You got off lightly," growled Sami, turning to glare at him.

"If you say so sweetheart," said EJ with an arched eyebrow, still pretty surprised by her outburst.

Sami had always been fiery but apparently there were yet untapped levels to her fieriness which EJ had to confess to finding a pretty intriguing thought. There never seemed to be an end to the ways in which Sami could fascinate him he decided with pleasure.

"I can't believe Lucas was right!" bit out Sami, the floodgates having been open now and all her hurt anger spilling out, "He said you were playing me and you were! I'm such an idiot! I should have known you couldn't have been trusted EJ! You made the whole thing up!"

"I most certainly did not make up the whole thing!" exclaimed EJ, just glad that they were at least talking again, even if it meant they were shouting, "I was in agony!"

"So much agony that you went around lifting up couches with one hand to overcome it?!" said Sami bitterly.

"So I recovered a little more quickly then I might have led you to believe," said EJ with a little shrug, "It didn't mean the injury wasn't real in the first place."

"How could you lie to me about something like that?" asked Sami, her voice caught somewhere between angry recrimination and what definitely sounded like pain to EJ which surprised him.

"You make it sound like the first time one of us has 'massaged the truth' to the other," protested EJ, "We've both done our fair share of twisting some pertinent facts to suit ourselves."

"But that was before," said Sami and now there definitely was distress in her voice and EJ's heart tightened painfully to hear it and know he was the cause.

"Before what?" he asked, still a little confused as to why this was affecting her so badly.

"Before... before," Sami looked away in vexation then, obviously reluctant to say it but then she looked back at him, "Before we started reading the letters, before we-."

"Shared a bed again?" he filled in for her huskily.

"Yes," she said shakily and looked upset, "It was different this time EJ…"

"How was it different?" asked EJ, leaning a little closer to her then, wondering what it was exactly that had changed so much for Sami since the island and when they'd last shared a bed that learning of his white lies was affecting her so deeply.

EJ hoped it was because she'd acknowledged her feelings for him and that was why she was acting like this but that hope was a kind of double edged sword. There were no words for the feelings of elation that EJ was experiencing at the thought that Sami might have finally admitted to herself that she really did love him. It was euphoria like nothing else he'd experienced previously but with that hope came the downside. If Sami had admitted her feelings for EJ to herself then more than ever he had the power to hurt and disappoint her and it looked like he'd done just that. She was at last learning to trust in her feelings for him which in turn meant trusting him and EJ had then waded in then with his size twelves and just trampled all over that fledgling trust with his lies.

"_Oh hallelujah," came Sam's sarcastic voice from the back seat, "The strategically shaved chimpanzee finally gets it! I feel like we should celebrate – I'm thinking you'll be doing that by dying alone, a miserable old man and wishing you'd taken the advice of your good friend Sam back in the day."_

Of course Sam could hear the thoughts in his head but EJ really didn't feel in the mood to put up with a commentary from her about this latest mess.

"Never mind," said Sami curtly, her hands going to the wheel, intending to start the car again, "I get it, I'm a clueless idiot. Let's just leave it at that."

"No!" said EJ urgently, stalling her from starting the car, "Please Samantha, no."

Sami dropped her hands back down on her lap and just stared expressionlessly ahead again.

"Do you know why I didn't tell you that I was getting better as quickly as I was?" asked EJ quietly.

"Because you enjoy making me feel like a horrible person and getting your revenge?" she suggested with a little hopeless shrug of her shoulders.

"Samantha, no, never!" he said emphatically, "Please sweetheart, I never want to cause you pain."

"And yet you're so very good at it," said Sami tersely, "Funny how that works out isn't it?"

"I didn't tell you about my back improving because I was so blissfully happy and I didn't want it to end," he told her earnestly.

"You were cooped up in a hotel room pretending you couldn't do anything!" she said in exasperation, "How on earth could that have made you happy EJ?!"

"I was happy because you were with me Samantha," he said softly, "You're all I need in this world to be happy."

Sami didn't seem to know what to say to that so EJ just pressed his advantage.

"I don't know if you understand what it means to me, what it does to me to have you all to myself Samantha," he told her huskily.

"You get sex," said Sami flatly.

"I get you," he corrected her firmly, "Samantha even if you and I were never able to make love again but I knew that you would be by my side for the rest of my life, loving me like I love you then I'd be the happiest man on earth and that would be enough."

"Really?"

EJ heard both Sami and Sam's voices asking the question in unison and he realised that he was just as surprised as they obviously were to discover that it was true. Even though he and Sami had a fiercely sexual relationship EJ was only realising now how much deeper than that it ran for him. It seemed like every day that passed he found another way to love Sami, a way to fall deeper into her and now the physical aspect of their relationship, as mind blowing as it was, it was only a very small part of his feelings for her. EJ had said the words to appease Sami but as he did he realised they were true. To spend his life with Sami, even without sex between them, EJ knew it would be enough for him as long as he had her heart. Mind you, he was still pretty happy that there would be sex as well but it was in no way the primary motivation for him to be with her.

"I don't want your body Samantha," he told her huskily and she gave him a disbelieving look at that and he gave a rueful smile, "I don't only want your body I mean. Your fire and passion, your spirit and intelligence – these are all the things that captivate me about you Samantha. The fact that there is an extremely gorgeous woman wrapped around all those heart stopping qualities is simply icing on an already delicious cake."

"It comes to you so easily doesn't it?" asked Sami, not looking as though she believed him, "All those pretty words."

"I mean them Samantha," said EJ sincerely but she wasn't convinced.

"How do I know that what you are saying is the truth EJ?" she asked him hopelessly, "You're always lying to me."

"_She makes a good point snoodle poodle," nodded Sam knowingly, "And Sami doesn't even know half of your lies yet. Now would probably be a good time to come clean with the little issue of the surveillance camera and oh yeah, the fact that she's taking breath mints instead of birth control. Follow up that grand declaration with the truth and put your money where your mouth is."_

EJ knew he couldn't do that. Right now he and Samantha's relationship was hanging by a thread and if he told her about those things he knew that the thread would snap completely and EJ couldn't bear the thought of that.

"_Do it now," Sam urged him, "The timing is perfect, confess everything and trust that Sami will understand and forgive you. You keep saying she's in love with you and that love looks for an opportunity to forgive so let's put both of those assertions of yours to the test! Do it Elvis, tell Sami the truth and get it all out in the open so you can start this relationship properly!"_

EJ could hear Sam practically screaming in his ear as she leant forward eagerly, encouraging him to do her version of the right thing but he simply couldn't do it. Too much was at stake and EJ couldn't risk losing Sami, not now.

"I promise you sweetheart," he told her earnestly, "On the life of my mother, I will never lie to you again."

"_But you've got some old lies to confess…" Sam prompted him but EJ remained resolutely silent on that point._

Sam made a disgusted sound and flopped back against the car seat and shook her head at EJ as he continued to hold Sami's gaze, letting her see the earnestness in his eyes.

"_Well it's official!" she declared, "There ain't no cure for stupid!"_

"Forgive me?" asked EJ, taking Sami's hand and kissing the back of it gently while looking at her imploringly, "You drive me so crazy that I don't know what I'm doing half the time sweetheart. I'm sorry I hurt you and I'll never do anything like that ever again, I swear to you."

"I want to believe you EJ," said Sami, her voice strained, "But I feel like we keep ending up back in the same place again and again."

"_It's because you keep taking the trip with the same idiot," said Sam knowingly from the backseat even though Sami couldn't hear her, "The Elvis 'I'm so stupid I think lying about my lies will get me the girl' Express. Next stop Moronville and Becoming A Bitter Old Drunk As I Wallow In the Bitter Regret of All My Mistakes Junction… all aboard!"_

"I don't want us to keep on repeating our mistakes either Samantha," said EJ honestly and still ignoring Sam's barbs, "I want us to start fresh, to forget all the negative things that have passed between us before and just look to the future. Those things don't have to have any impact on us unless we let them."

"_Oh yeah that will work," said Sam mockingly, "Because it's not like trying to get a woman pregnant without her knowledge so you can give your dying father stem cells could possibly have any kind of repercussions in the future."_

"It doesn't matter anyway EJ," she said tiredly, "We'll be in Salem soon enough."

"And what?" asked EJ and now it was his turn to sound bitter, "You'll be back in the arms of your true love is that it? Even after all that we shared?"

"Apparently a good portion of what we shared in that hotel room was a lie," said Sami bitterly.

"Not the important things," he told her sharply, "Not you running into my arms and never wanting to leave them, not us making love again and again. Those things were real and powerful Samantha and I won't let you deny that."

"Just read another letter so we can find out what happened in the end with Colleen and Santo and get this over with," said Sami tightly, going to start the car up now.

"I want us to talk about this," said EJ stubbornly, not willing to let this go when they were so close to a break through.

"You gave up your rights to have a say in what happens next when you decided to lie to me," said Sami flatly and gave him a censuring look, "Now read the damn letters so we can be done with this already."

"_Can I just say again Elvis how deeply admiring I am of the strategies you have in place to win this woman's heart?" came Sam's mocking voice from the back seat, "Clearly they are working a treat. You should write a book on the subject... no really."_

If Sami hadn't been in the car with them right then EJ would have had a lot of things to say to that but she was so he was forced to bite his tongue and do as Sami had asked of him and read another letter.

oooOOOOooo

_Santo paced back and forth across the room in his room in the bed and breakfast, rubbing the back of his neck distractedly as he waited for Colleen to arrive. He felt that all he ever did was wait for Colleen and as frustrated as that thought made him Santo knew that he would continue to wait forever for her if needs be. He walked over to the window and looked out of the window, thinking he might spy her coming up the path to the bed and breakfast but saw no one. _

_They had returned from Ara Caman a week ago, Colleen insisting that he wasn't to accompany her back to Galway, after all, what would people say? Santo didn't give a damn what anyone would say but he couldn't seem to deny Colleen any request she made of him. _

_He was hopelessly in her thrall and there was nothing he could do about it. _

_Colleen hadn't given him an answer to his proposal of marriage yet, having studiously managing to avoid talking about it somehow for the rest of the time on the island. She'd told him it was hard for her, a huge decision and Santo understood that and sympathised. Even though Colleen didn't know it yet, asking her to marry him had thrown his own life in chaos because marrying Colleen would mean having to divorce Sophia. Santo cared for Sophia and was loath to hurt her or upset his son Stefano but for him there was simply no choice. Colleen was the one for him, no matter how difficult it might make his life and Santo could consider no one else to go through this life with now that he'd met her. _

_For him the choice was simple despite the obstacles in his path so that was why it hurt him so that Colleen still hesitated. Santo was prepared to give up his entire life for her and hurt people he cared about, even though she didn't know it and he wanted Colleen to do the same. Her uncertainty cut him to the core even though he understood it. She was much younger than he was and had always answered to her family whilst he'd made his own way in the world for a long time. Santo took that into consideration and was trying very hard to be patient but it was hard to be patient when it felt like your entire fate was in someone else's hands. Santo was almost paralysed with fear at the thought that Colleen would talk herself out of meeting him in his room that night as they'd organised. It had been an entire week since he'd last held her in his arms and Santo could feel his nerves stretching painfully because of that. If she didn't come to him tonight he was fearful of what he might do. The urge to go and claim what was clearly his building up inside of him with every passing second. _

_Santo couldn't take it anymore, his hand was on the door knob when suddenly there was a tentative knock at it and that little sound was the sweetest noise Santo had ever heard. Colleen had come but he still couldn't help but worry that she might have come to end things with him. With his stomach churning with nerves Santo opened the door to see Colleen standing there. Their eyes met and Santo's nerves were quickly quietened when she walked into his room and threw her arms around him. It was as though they'd never been apart, all the trials of separation melting away in that first kiss. They kissed as though they were starving for one another and the truth was they were. _

_There were a million things to say, questions to be answered but none of that matter to Santo in that moment now that Colleen was back in his arms. The whole world faded away as it always did and all he knew was her, all he wanted to know was her. _

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & FIVE**** – ****Decisions, Decisions**

I think that somehow, we learn who we really are and then live with that decision.

_~Eleanor Roosevelt ~_

"There are only two more letters after this one," said Sami and she sounded a little sad about that.

"I guess we're about to find out what happened to Santo and Colleen at long last eh?" asked EJ, quickly taking his eyes off the road and looking over at Sami.

They had stopped briefly for lunch and then just kept on driving, EJ taking over the driving now. Sami was still being somewhat reserved around him and EJ wasn't sure if it was because of their fight, the letters coming to a close or the fact that every minute that passed took them closer to Salem.

"It's getting harder reading these knowing that Colleen dies in the end," observed Sami quietly, pretty much answering EJ's silent question.

"You've really identified with Colleen haven't you?" asked EJ, throwing her a quick sideways look.

"She's my great aunt," said Sami evasively.

"It's more than that," said EJ with great certainty.

"She's got a really hard decision to make," said Sami quietly, "It's hard not to sympathise with her over that."

"Just like you have a really hard decision to make?" EJ prompted her.

"We weren't talking about me," said Sami, clearly not keen to bring the conversation around to her.

"You know Colleen ended up choosing Santo," EJ told her, "Your great aunt was a strong woman who followed her heart."

"We don't know what Colleen chose in the end," argued Sami, "All we know is that she died and both sides blamed the other. Colleen could have said no to Santo's proposal for all we know and he killed her in a rage because of it."

"Do you really think that Santo would have done that Samantha?" asked EJ grimly, "After reading all those letters and seeing how much my grandfather worshipped the ground Colleen walked on, do you really see him hurting her in anyway?"

"No," admitted Sami quietly and EJ at least felt happy that she was compelled to admit to that.

She looked down at the letter in her hand and sighed heavily.

"I suppose we should just read this then," she said, it not really a question.

"It's important Samantha," agreed EJ, "It's why we went looking for the letters in the first place, to find out what happened in the end between Santo and Colleen."

Sami made a reluctant little noise, obviously not looking forward to reading about what the already knew would be a tragedy unfolding but she began to read regardless.

oooOOOOooo

_Colleen rolled over in bed and felt Santo's dark gaze on her immediately. She smiled up at him, the sweat from their repeated lovemaking still drying on her skin. He didn't return her smile but instead looked down at her seriously. _

"_Soa you willa be leaving me now I suppose?" he asked the question softly but there was a wealth of emotion behind it._

"_I have to be goin' back to da convent," nodded Colleen, hesitant to break the mood between them so soon by talk of such things._

"'_Ow do you do it Colleen?" he asked her and there was bitterness in his voice now, "Ow do youa go from my bed backa to that place?"_

_It had been a month since they'd returned from the island and since first seeing Santo again back in Galway they had continued their love affair ever since. Colleen knew she should have ended it, that it was the right thing to do but she simply couldn't. She loved Santo too much and so she felt as though her heart was being torn in two by her love for both him and the church. The only time the pain stopped was in his arms and Colleen just wanted to stay in that protective shelter for a little bit longer and find some peace but it seemed Santo's patience with her was coming to an end. _

"_Ya don't tink it kills me ta leave you every night Santo?" she asked him in anguish. _

"_You killa us both Colleen," said Santo, obviously trying to keep tight rein on his emotions and finding it difficult, "Every time youa leave me Colleen you takea another piece ofa my 'eart witha you."_

_Colleen felt a pain in her own heart at hearing that. it was getting harder and harder to leave Santo all the time and it really did feel like death every time she did leave him, just as he said. _

"_You 'ave not answered my proposal Colleen," he reminded her, his voice roughened with tension now._

"_I love ya Santo," she said earnestly._

"_Then be witha me," said Santo urgently, "Forever. Bea mine Colleen, marry me!"_

"_It's not dat simple Santo," she whispered, "You're askin' me ta give up everytin' in da world dat I care about, dat I love."_

"_But youa lovea me Colleen," said Santo unevenly._

"_I do," she said in heartfelt agreement, "But I love other tings as well."_

"_You are the only important thinga to me Colleen," he told her sharply, "There isa nothing I would nota give up fora you!"_

"_Really?" asked Colleen quietly, "And what if ya had to give up your son Santo? What den? What if the only way we could be together was for you ta never see Stefano again?"_

_Santo looked stricken at that thought and Colleen continued to try and make him understand. _

"_Dat is what you are askin' of me Santo," she told her earnestly, "If I marry you I can never come home again, my Da will disown me, da church will turn its back on me..."_

"_Your Da willa understand ina time Colleen," he tried to reassure her._

"_No he won't," said Colleen hopelessly, "He will never forgive me Santo. I will never see him or Shawn again and dat breaks my heart it does."_

"_But Shawn could come and live with us," said Santo excitedly, "Stefano would love to havea a brother and wea could show him a world he never dreamed of before."_

"_I couldn't cause my Da to lose both of his children Santo!" said Colleen in anguish._

"_He will calm down eventually," Santo tried to reason with her._

"_No he won't," she whispered, "I'd be breakin' his heart Santo and I can't do dat lightly. If I agree ta marryin' you I won't see Shawny grow up and dat thought hurts so badly."_

"_Mio amore," said Santo in despair, putting a shaking hand to her face at seeing her pain, "I don't wanta you toa do thisa to youra self."_

"_I have to tink of dese tings Santo," said Colleen quietly, "I know ya don't want to hear dat but I do. My family, da church, I was going ta spend my life surrounded by both."_

"_We willa make our own family Colleen," said Santo, his voice sounding emotional now, "Anda the church willa always be there for youa but you don't ava to be a nun to serve God."_

"_I know," said Colleen quietly, "But dis is a huge ting ya askin' of me Santo. I just need more time."_

"_Time," he repeated and the word seemed to be a bad taste in his mouth as his face twisted, "I 'ave given youa time Colleen, dying a little more inside with each moment that passes while I waita to finda out ifa your 'eart truly lies witha me." _

"_Don't push me Santo," said Colleen, feeling hemmed in all of a sudden as she got out of bed, needing a little breathing space._

_She began to quickly pull on her clothes and Santo got up as well, uncaring about his own nakedness. _

"_You cana not leave likea this," he told her almost angrily, "You need toa make a choice Colleen!"_

"_I will Santo," she said, "But I need more time-"_

"_NO!" said Santo fiercely, "No morea time Colleen – yesa or no – will youa marry me?"_

"_Don't do dis Santo," she begged him._

"_If I don't doa this then we willa never move past where we ara!" he exclaimed, his frustration evident, "I know you ara frightened Colleen but I promise youa, I willa be there fora you, that I willa not leave you but you 'ave to make a choice!"_

"_And if I can't?!" she asked him in despair, "How does you harassin' me like dis help Santo?!"_

"_I do not want toa 'arass you Colleen but you cana no longer be ina two worlds likea you 'ave been," he said determinedly, "You musta decide whether it isa me ora the church thata you cannota live without!"_

"_Or you'll leave me?!" she challenged him shakily but her chin went up defiantly, "Is dis an ultimatum Santo?"_

"_This isa me telling you I can no longer bear toa share you witha anyone else," said Santo fiercely, "Things cana not go ona like thisa Colleen!"_

"_I'll make a decision," she told him, "I promise. Tomorrow I'll give ya my answer."_

"_Putting ita off will not make it any easier Colleen," said Santo in agitation._

"_And what if I can't leave da church Santo?" she asked him hopelessly, "What den?"_

"_Then I willa leave this place and never come back," he told her defiantly._

"_Just like dat?" said Colleen and felt such a wave of sorrow as she thought of never seeing him again._

"_No," he said with a shake of his head, "Because I willa not let that happen Colleen."_

"_It's my decision ta make Santo," said Colleen unevenly as she saw the sudden spark of fire in his eye that made her back up a little, "Not yours."_

"_Then per'aps I should make your decision a little easier eh?" asked Santo grimly, starting to advance on her. _

_Colleen wasn't frightened per se of Santo but there was such a wild look in his eyes that she couldn't help but take a step or two backwards. He didn't let her get far though, pulling her into his arms and kissing her as though it was to be his last act this side of the grave. He ground his mouth into hers; making no apologies for feasting so deeply on her and Colleen couldn't help but give into him. _

_His every touch made her helplessly his and there was no way she could fight it. Santo's hands went to her clothing, tearing it roughly from her body and all Colleen could do was cling to him and pray that he never stopped touching her. _

"_You ara mine Colleen," he ground out raggedly against the skin of her neck, having dragged his mouth down now to press hard kisses along its long length._

_Before Colleen had a chance to respond to that he was picking her up and placing her on the bed and she didn't fight him, wanting this, wanting him like she always did. Santo sat back a little, running his hand up one creamy thigh of hers, pushing her slip up with it before peeling this last obstacle between them from her body._

_Colleen held her breath, the anticipation of the first seconds of their coming together making her practically scream out. It was always like this, no matter how many times they made love each time was like the first time and her excitement was at a fever pitch after only a few kisses and his hands on her body. Santo moved over her and she looked up at him wide eyed, a look of expectant need on her face as he looked down at her, his face full of fierce possessiveness. The heated touch of his gaze on her body branded her just as much as the feel of him pushing his swollen hardness into her wet heat. Santo hissed noisily at the feeling of her tightness claiming him just as he was claiming her. He didn't wait for her to adjust to his impressive swollenness like he usually did, instead beginning to thrust fiercely into her. It was like he was punishing her for even thinking of leaving him but if it was a punishment what a sweet one it was. Colleen was overcome by how quickly her body responded to his wild possession of her, responding shamelessly._

"_You belonga to me Colleen!" he grunted unevenly, his voice shaking from the force of his own arousal, "Say it!"_

_Colleen groaned loudly, clinging to him helplessly as his thrusting became ever more powerful. She wanted to scream out that it was true, that she was his alone but a powerful orgasm was ripping her body apart and she couldn't speak, only feel. Colleen hadn't expected such a forceful release when they had just made love not long ago but there was something about his wild demandingness of her that just made her lose all reason. It felt as though her body was turning inside out as she climaxed noisily around him. _

_Her nails raked his back as she spasmed hopelessly and was sure she must be drawing blood but Santo didn't seem to notice as her pleasure tipped him past the point of no return and he joined her in his own loud release. Colleen had the joy of feeling him flood her with his maleness once again, exploding inside of her and making her feel more of a woman then she ever thought possible. _

"_Santo," she gasped weakly at the end of it all, not sure she would ever have the strength to stand again._

_He was still jerking helplessly against her and she hugged him tightly to her, enjoying the lingering moments of his climax as much as his muffled moans told her he was. Santo kissed her then, a hand cupping Colleen's face as they simply revealed in what had just passed between them. _

"_Please Colleen," he begged her raggedly as he at last managed to tear his lips from hers, "Do nota make mea leave you."_

_Colleen didn't know if he was talking about their intimate coupling or if he meant in a broader sense of refusing his proposal and it didn't matter. In that moment she didn't have the strength to refuse him either._

"_I won't," she breathed, bringing her walls to bear around his member that was only now starting to soften. _

_He groaned at her answer and what she was doing to him, dropping his sweaty head into the groove of her neck and barely seeming able to keep some of his weight off her so that she wasn't crushed beneath him. Colleen didn't care though, having Santo all around her and deep inside of her made her feel more safe and loved then she'd ever felt before in her life. _

_Colleen had no idea how long it took them to reach a climax that next time. They worshipped one another with their bodies, with their whispered words of adoration and all the time Santo was deep inside of her, moving with determinedly slow thrusts, both of them lingering over the act this time, savouring it and each other. Days could have passed for all Colleen knew and cared as Santo became her whole world and he was so unbelievably tender with her after the fierceness of their last round of lovemaking that it brought tears to her eyes. Neither one of them wanted it to end; when one would become too excited the other would quieten them, wanting this exquisiteness between them to last forever. They climaxed together at long last and for Colleen it seemed as though the sensations flooding her body was transforming her into a new creation, one shining and glowing, awash in the love of the man she was holding in her arms. _

_The moment was perfect, strung out in all of time as a glistening moment of pure flawlessness between them that would never be forgotten._

oooOOOOooo

Sami wordlessly picked up the next letter without comment on the last one. There was too much to say or maybe everything had already been said anyway. Sami didn't know which of those things were true. It was another Colleen letter and it felt as though time was standing still inside the car and to her surprise EJ pulled over by the side of the road, as though he knew this was going to need his full attention, that the end of this love affair deserved at least that. They both looked at one another, an expectant tension in the air and Sami took a deep breath, beginning to read.

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & SIX**** – ****Questions Answered**

Behind every exquisite thing that existed, there was something tragic.

_~Oscar Wilde ~_

_Colleen stood in the foyer of the church and took a deep breath. She had planned to see Santo that night and give her answer to his proposal of marriage but it seemed that he couldn't wait. Colleen looked down the aisle to see Santo standing in front of the altar, looking up at the cross and with his back to her. She knew she was about to change everything between them and her nerves tightened at that thought. Her body was still tender from last night, when he'd made love to her so fiercely and Colleen gave a little shudder at the memory. He'd needed her so badly it had stolen her breath from her body and had found an answering need in her. _

_She had no idea how he was going to react to what she was about to tell him and couldn't help but worry over the outcome of all this. She took another deep breath and gathered her courage determinedly. Almost noiselessly she walked down the aisle and came to a halt behind Santo who was so caught up in his own thoughts that he hadn't even heard her approach. She reached out a hand and placed it gently on his broad back. Santo whirled around, his face one of anxious anticipation and joy at seeing her standing there._

"_Colleen," he said unevenly. _

"_Santo," she said softly, "I said I would see ya tonight."_

"_I could nota wait," confessed Santo, looking at her very seriously, "Colleen, I 'ave to know what youra decision is."_

_Colleen looked back steadily at him, taking in the strained lines on his face and regretted being the one who had put them there. _

"_Dis was so hard for me Santo," she told him quietly, wanting him to understand why it had taken her so long to make her decision._

"_But you 'ave made your choice now?" he asked her, the tension obvious in his voice. _

"_I have," she said softly and felt her stomach begin to flop nervously._

"_Colleen please," said Santo, closing his eyes, "End mya suffering and tella me what you 'ave decided."_

"_I love da church Santo," she told him, her own eyes very serious, "I always will – "_

"_Enough!" said Santo tightly, holding up a hand to stop her next words, "No more Colleen, I cannot beara to 'ear this."_

"_I will always love da church Santo," she continued on determinedly, ignoring his plea, "But as much as I do it is nothing compared ta da love I have in my heart for you. I can't live wit out you Santo and I can no longer pretend dat I can."_

_Santo's eyes widened at that, stunned by her words and obviously having trouble with comprehending what she had just said to him._

"_Co-Colleen," he stammered uncertainly, clearly to frightened to hope still._

"_I'll marry you Santo DiMera," said Colleen, a slow smile spreading over her face, "I'll marry you tomorrow if ya want."_

"_Colleen!" he exclaimed delightedly and then just grabbed for her, swinging her around and around in excitement until she had to tell him to stop. _

"_Scuesi," he said as he put her feet back on the ground, both of them laughing, "Oh Colleen."_

_She was in his arms then and being kissed by a man beside himself with happiness, a happiness that Colleen shared completely. It had been so hard for her to let go of all the expectations of her family and allow herself the freedom to love Santo and choose to be with him. But know that she had it was like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders and Colleen knew that she'd made the right decision, that being Mrs Santo DiMera was her destiny and that they would be blissfully happy together, come what may. Colleen wasn't so naïve to think that there weren't going to be huge trials ahead of them but having Santo by her side made her so confident that together they could overcome anything. _

"I wonder if Colleen would have still thought that if she'd known that Santo was still married this whole time?" asked Sami tightly, "That she hadn't died like he'd told her."

"I think she would have," said EJ evenly.

"_You seem pretty certain for a guy who won't take that same risk with your own Colleen," commented Sam dryly, still lounging in the backseat of the car, "It all rings pretty hollow if you ask me."_

"I didn't!" ground out EJ.

"You didn't what?" asked Sami, looking at him in confusion.

"_Ohh good idea," said Sam approvingly, "Go for the insanity angle. Chicks dig the crazies and she can't hold all the icky stuff against you if she thinks you are mentally unstable."_

"I didn't think that it was the important thing right then," said EJ, trying to recover from his gaff.

Sami looked a bit uncertain by that explanation but was more distracted by the letter.

"You don't think that Santo is about to become a bigamist is a problem?" asked Sami flatly, "That he is luring Colleen in under false pretences."

"There is nothing false about the way Santo feels for Colleen – I mean felt for Colleen," said EJ sharply, having to remind himself to talk about them in the past tense seeing as they were both dead now.

It was hard though because through reading the letters the couple had become very real to them both and they each identified strongly with the embattled lovers.

"I'm sure Santo would have told Colleen the truth and made sure to secure a divorce before he actually married Colleen," said EJ determinedly.

"The church considered divorce a mortal sin," said Sami doggedly, "Colleen would never have agreed to Santo doing such a thing on her behalf."

"I think Santo thought as I do that God wouldn't have given them the great love between them and allowed them to find each other if he hadn't intended for them to be together," said EJ, not backing down, "It would have been too cruel a thing to do for a god of love."

"But Colleen doesn't know all the facts," said Sami unhappily, "How can she choose Santo properly if she doesn't know the facts?"

"She chose him with her heart," said EJ earnestly, "That was all that mattered. Logic and reason has no place when it comes to true love. Santo only wanted Colleen to choose him and then they would deal with the rest of it together but he needed her to be honest with herself first before they could do that."

"_Gee emote much?" observed Sam wryly, "Are we still talking about your grandfather here Elvis? All I know is that apple didn't fall too far from the old tree when it comes to withholding pertinent pieces of information from the women you claim to love."_

"I do love you Samantha!" said EJ, a little more loudly then he intended and getting more and more annoyed by Sam's continual interruptions.

"You keep saying that like it fixes everything," said Sami in exasperation, not seeming to find his comment out of place fortunately.

"It doesn't fix everything but it puts everything into perspective," said EJ, trying to keep his voice calm sounding now after that last outburst.

"I just think that if Santo had told Colleen about still being married then things might have worked out differently," said Sami stubbornly.

"How do we know he didn't?" argued EJ, "We haven't finished the letters yet."

Sami arched a sceptical eyebrow but went back to reading the letter to see which one of them was right about that particular matter.

"_Colleen I am so 'appy!" exclaimed Santo, his whole face beaming as he waved his arms around excitedly and making her laugh, "You 'ave no idea!"_

_He stopped then and looked at her quizzically because even though she was smiling Santo could see the hesitation in her eyes._

"_But you ara 'appy too yes?" he asked her, suddenly worried._

"_I am Santo," she said, letting her love for him show through on her face, "I'm very happy."_

"_But stilla you ara worried eh?" he asked her with a little frown before pulling her into his arms, one hand going to her head and pressing it against his heart, "But you must nota worry Colleen, I willa make everything right again, I promise. Do nota be afraid ofa the future, I willa never leave you."_

_Colleen pulled back a little then and looked up at him, her stomach flopping about madly as she gathered her nerve to confess this one last thing to him. _

"_You may want ta hold off makin' such promises until I tell ya everyting Santo," said Colleen, her voice wavering a little._

"_What is ita Colleen?" he asked her in concern, "Whatever ita is there isa nothing ina this world that would make mea want toa leave you – ever."_

"_I'm pregnant."_

Sami gasped in utter shock as she read that, unable to keep on reading for the moment. She looked up wide eyed at EJ who looked similarly surprised by this latest revelation. No one had ever spoken about there being a child before now and it had caught them both off guard. EJ's eyes dropped unbidden to Sami's flat stomach and she caught him.

"I'm not pregnant!" she blurted out, feeling flustered by his close scrutiny.

"Are you sure?" he asked huskily.

"Very sure," said Sami firmly.

"But-" EJ began to protest.

"I had my period nearly a week ago now EJ," said Sami, thinking she should be more embarrassed discussing such things with him but she simply wasn't nowadays, too much had passed between them for her to feel that way anymore.

"Oh," he said quietly and she heard the disappointment in his voice and had to swallow hard then.

"I keep telling you EJ I'm on the pill," she said shakily, "Why do you think I let us have all that unprotected sex?"

"Because you need me so badly that you can't think of anything else then just having me, consequences be damned?" he asked her, only half jokingly.

Sami tried to look unimpressed at that observation of his but all the while she knew it was true. Every time EJ touched her Sami couldn't think beyond that moment. It was reckless of her she knew on so many levels but thankfully unlike Colleen she had the benefit of modern contraceptives. Even though Sami had fantasised about a child between her and EJ she knew it was the last thing the situation needed right then. It wouldn't be fair to bring a child into such a complicated state of affairs. Sami had done it all wrong with Will the first time and if she was to have more children she wanted to do it properly the next time.

"So what was Santo's reaction?" EJ prompted her when it became clear she wasn't going to answer his last observation, "I'm guessing he was thrilled."

"Why would you say that?" asked Sami in bewilderment, "A pregnancy would just make things even messier for them now."

"Because if I found out you were pregnant I'd be thrilled," said EJ evenly.

"Why on earth would you be happy about that?!" she asked in horror, "It would be a disaster EJ!"

"How can two people in love creating a child together be a disaster?" asked EJ calmly, not backing down, "I want to have children with you Samantha, I've told you that before. You are the only one I'd consider ever bearing my children, period."

"That's a huge statement to make EJ," said Sami, feeling flustered, "You can't say that you would never want any other woman to have your children, you don't know how you'll feel in the future."

"I'll be in love with you in the future," said EJ confidently, not missing a beat.

"You don't know that!" said Sami in exasperation.

"Yes I do," EJ said, holding her gaze steadily, "I've never felt like this about anyone before in my life Samantha. I've lived long enough and been with enough women to know that this is completely unlike anything else I've ever experienced. You're the one for me, without question."

"But how can you say that you know how you'll feel in a year's time?" asked Sami, undone by his great certainty.

"Samantha sweetheart," he said mildly, "I realise you've been with men in the past who for them love is rather like a virus – they get over it but I can assure you I am nothing like those other men. I am not going to get over you, not now, not ever."

"But-but what if I do something really horrible to you?!" she asked him unevenly and thinking back to all the times one of her many misdeeds had seen the men in her life simply turn their back on her.

"You mean like drugging me or drowning my beautiful car or crippling me or making me throw away shoes that were a work of art or setting me up with the Salem PD or using your considerable charms to hold me in your thrall while all the time you continue to run back to Lucas a man who isn't fit to scrub your toilets and break my heart every single time in the process or-"

"Alright, alright!" exclaimed Sami as obviously he was far from finished listing her past crimes against him, "I may have done all those things but you've done worse!"

"_Never a truer word spoken," commented Sam dryly, having remained silent for quite a while now. _

Sami was feeling overcome now as she listened to him reel off all the things she'd done to him. She had done some really horrible things to EJ and he hadn't even blinked about a single one of them, if anything he gave her the impression that it only made him love her even more because of them which was totally baffling. No one in her life had ever reacted that way. They'd always told her that she was a screw up and that she had to change. Sami's heart stirred with hope that it could actually be true what he was saying, that there was nothing she could do to lose his love. Even her own son had turned his back on her at times so it seemed impossible to Sami that this man could be offering her the one thing she'd craved all her life, unconditional acceptance.

She was never going to be Carrie, in her more honest moments Sami knew that but she couldn't remember a time in her life when she hadn't tried to be the good girl in the family but it just never seemed to work out. In fact all it ever seemed to do was guarantee that her bad girl image only deepened somehow. Sami felt like her entire life she'd been fearful of people stopping loving her and heaven only knows she'd disappointed so many people enough times that they were right to turn their back on her but even so it hurt more than she thought she could bear sometimes. And now here was EJ, promising her that no matter what his feelings for her weren't going to change and it was very hard to turn her back on that seeing as it was all she'd ever wanted her whole life.

"I'd say it was a draw," said EJ with a quirk of his lips and Sami had to struggle to remember what they'd been talking about before her mind wandered.

Sami shook her head and leant back in the car seat.

"We're sides of the same coin sweetheart," he told her confidently, "No one will ever understand you like I do and my feelings for you will not change except for maybe deepening. They say the bond between two people when they share a child is something very special."

"I'm not pregnant EJ and can we please stop talking about it," she said with an uneasy frown.

"I just want you to know that I'm in this for the long haul Samantha," he said softly, "Just like Santo was with Colleen."

"But they didn't get a long haul," Sami reminded him sadly.

"I know," said EJ with a grimace, "But we're going to be different sweetheart, I promise."

"Don't make promises you can't keep EJ," she told him seriously, "You can't control everything in this life no matter what you might like to think. I'm sure Santo thought he had everything in hand and then whatever happened happened and Colleen ended up dead."

Sami made a stricken face then as that realisation sunk in.

"Colleen and her unborn child that is," she said, upset at the thought of two lost lives.

"It's heartbreaking," agreed EJ quietly, "Perhaps we should find out exactly what did happen in the end eh? Finish these last two letters?"

Sami nodded but she was still very reluctant to hear how it all ended. Colleen and the unborn child she'd been carrying had died but how and why were still huge questions hanging over the whole story.

"I can read it if you like Samantha," he offered, seeing how hard this was for her.

"No," said Sami determinedly, looking down at the letter in her hand which held all the answers to those questions, "I can do it."

She took a deep breath and began to read…

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & SEVEN**** – ****My Cup Overflowth**

Each moment of a happy lover's hour is worth an age of dull and common life.

_Aphra Behn~ _

"_I'm pregnant."_

_Colleen held her breath, waiting for Santo's response to her confession. This wasn't probably the most appropriate place to bring such a thing up seeing as they were standing in a church but then nothing about their relationship could be classified as appropriate Colleen supposed. She'd only been to the doctor that morning, out of town and had it confirmed. Colleen hadn't been able to believe it but it was like a sign from God, one she'd been begging Him for to help her with this impossible decision. It meant she could never be a nun now and it was only having that certainty before her that Colleen realised she wasn't as devastated by that as she thought she would be. She would always love God and the church but it was no longer the only important thing in her life anymore. _

_As soon as she'd found out she was pregnant Colleen's first reaction had been of joy before any other consideration. The thought that she was now carrying Santo's child was a heartbreakingly wonderful. She had no idea how he would react because they hadn't really discussed children between them and Colleen wasn't sure what Santo wanted along those lines. The thought of never being a mother had been the hardest thing for Colleen to give up when first entering into the convent but she'd reconciled herself with it. At least she thought she'd had but the doctor's news and her reaction to it told Colleen that she would always have regretted not being a mother, no matter what she had told herself. _

"_Pr-pregnant," Santo stammered and there was a look of complete shock on his face for a split second and Colleen's heart sank._

"_You don't have ta marry me Santo," she said, raising her chin and squaring her shoulders and letting him know that he wasn't to feel obligated to her just because there was a child now. _

_Colleen didn't even think Santo heard her say that last thing because suddenly his face was lit up with so much joy that it almost seemed to glow. He grabbed her arms, staring at her almost fiercely._

"_You ara sure Colleen?!" he asked her urgently, almost as though he was too frightened to let himself really believe such wonderful news in case he'd misunderstood and his heart would be broken, "Sei incinta... you ara pregnant?"_

"_Yes," she said a little unevenly, saying the words aloud making them very real all of a sudden. _

_Santo made this delirious cry of delight then and picked her up in his arms, swinging her around and around._

"_Ya makin' me dizzy!" she protested laughingly and Santo immediately stopped, putting her feet back on the ground and looking at her with great concern._

"_Doa you feel sick Colleen?" he asked her in concern, cupping her flushed cheeks, "Was I being toa rough witha you?"_

"_No," said Colleen with a laugh at his sudden worry, "I'm not a delicate flower ya know Santo, never have been and dis changes nothin'."_

"_This changes everything!" said Santo joyously, hugging her to him, "Oh Colleen I did not think I coulda be any 'appier after you said you woulda marry me buta I was wrong! We ara going to 'ave a baby! A child Colleen!"_

_He drew back then and looked down at her adoringly._

"_Thank you Colleen," he said, his voice choked with great emotion, "I cannot find the words to tell youa how 'appy this news makes me!"_

"_Really?" asked Colleen, still a little uncertain as she looked up at him, "We never discussed havin' children Santo, I didn't know if you'd want dis."_

"_But of course I do!" said Santo and looked shocked that she should think otherwise, "I love you Colleen and I want nothing more than to 'ave a family witha you. 'Ow coulda you 'ave thought otherwise?"_

"_I don't know," said Colleen, feeling the relief flood her body at Santo's obvious joy at the thought of being a father again, "I guess I wasn't expectin' dis – any of dis and didn't know what ta think."_

"_You are toa think thata you 'ave made me the 'appiest man on earth – twice over Colleen," said Santo huskily, drawing her closer to him and resting his forehead against hers, "But you ara happy to yes? Thisa baby, you wanta this baby?"_

"_I do," whispered Colleen with a tremulous smile, leaning into him, "More den anytin' Santo." _

_Santo smiled to hear that, bending his head to kiss her, his kiss warm and gentle and just full of adulation for her. Colleen melted against him, knowing only joy and peace in that moment. _

"'_Ow far along ara you Colleen?" asked Santo shakily, as he broke the kiss and looked down at her lovingly. _

"_Da doctor tinks six weeks," said Colleen shyly._

_Santo moved his hand and placed it on her still flat stomach, beaming down at her delightedly. _

"_We made our child ona Ara Caman," he told her knowingly, a please smile on his lips._

"_We did," nodded Colleen with an answering smile._

"_Ah you see!" he exclaimed delightedly, his eyes twinkling down at her, "I knewa it! It wasa written ina the stars, just asa I said whena we sawa the shooting star!"_

_Colleen felt a little stab of fear at his words, suddenly overcome with a feeling dread._

"_What is it?" he frowned down at her, feeling her give a little shudder under his hand and then shook his head, "Colleen, you cana not be worried about the timing witha the star still?"_

"_Maybe," she admitted hesitantly, finding it difficult to explain the sense of unease she had about the whole thing. _

"_Colleen you must nota worry," said Santo huskily, "I willa take care of you anda this baby, I willa keep both of you safe forever."_

"_I know," she breathed, looking up at him and letting his great certainty settle her nerves, "I know ya will Santo."_

"_We are going toa 'ave a baby Colleen!" he declared again, obviously still trying to get his head around the concept but just as clearly thrilled to be doing just that, "A child Colleen, this isa more then I could havea 'oped for!"_

_He bent down and kissed her again and Colleen just let herself go, trusting in Santo's love and the love she had for him. This was right, no matter what else the world might say she knew in her heart that what she and Santo were doing was absolutely the right thing to do. Colleen didn't have much experience with the world but there was some instinct deep inside of her that told her that this kind of love didn't happen every day and it was worth sacrificing everything for. _

Sami stopped reading and bit down hard on her bottom lip, Colleen's words resonating deeply inside of her. For so long she'd told herself that to give in to what was between EJ and herself was not worth the pain it would cause but Colleen had battled with the same problems as Sami had and had reached a different conclusion. She was ready to risk it all for love; that loving Santo trumped all other things in her life and Sami couldn't help but admire her courage. Sami understood exactly what Colleen was giving up because she was basically facing the same choice but Colleen's choice had resulted in tragedy.

"Samantha?" prompted EJ quietly when she didn't continue reading for a long moment and watching her gnaw away on her bottom lip.

"I wonder if she regretted it?" asked Sami tightly, looking at EJ with eyes full of concern, "I mean in the end, if she had a chance before dying to think about it – I wonder if Colleen regretted choosing Santo knowing in that split second that she was going to die?"

EJ studied her face very seriously for a moment before asking her the one question she was too frightened to ask herself.

"Would you?" he asked her, his dark gaze never leaving her face.

Sami couldn't answer that, not sure what to say. Logic told her that there would be regret and wishing to turn time back and do things differently but then her heart told her something completely different. She'd been very young when she'd given birth to Will, young, silly and impulsive. She'd hurt her son a lot and been hurt by him – no one could wound you like your own child and there were times Sami didn't think she'd ever be able to get over the pain of having let Will down, disappointing him again and again and having him ultimately reject her.

There were things she would definitely do differently if she had her time over but Sami knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she could never regret having Will. She loved him with a mother's love and he would always be the thing she was most proud of in her life. As much pain as being a mother had caused her it in no way compared to the life altering joy that had come with that same role and Sami knew she could never wish it away. This felt like the same thing somehow to Sami and she knew the Colleen she'd gotten to know so well in her letters would never have regretted giving her whole heart to Santo.

"I don't think either one of them regretted the love that they shared Samantha," said EJ huskily, answering for her, "Some things are simply worth the pain."

There it was, laid out bear before her – _some things are simply worth the pain_.

So simple a sentiment but Sami knew that by taking that on board and deciding that the love she had for EJ really was worth all the pain she knew she'd be changing her whole world and the world of so many around her. It was incredibly daunting and Sami envied Colleen her courage to do such a thing. Sami's heart felt like it was going to explode from all of the emotions rioting through it, a million thoughts demanding to be heard and all the while there was the great emotion of knowing she was reading the last minutes of the love story between these two people that she'd grown so attached to. She couldn't find an answer to EJ's statement so she simply went back to reading.

_Santo broke the kiss at last, when neither of them could breathe and Colleen couldn't imagine a day when his kisses wouldn't make her head spin and her knees go weak. _

"_Colleen," he said excitedly, fumbling in his coat pocket for something as he looked down at her happily, "This isa for you."_

_He found what he was looking for, holding out a black box to her that he carefully opened to reveal the biggest diamond ring Colleen had ever seen in her life._

"_A proposal requires a symbol of my intent," he told her, his eyes sparkling mischievously at seeing Colleen's stunned expression, "You 'ave accepted my proposal Colleen now you must accept this token to go with it, so thata everyone willa know that you 'ave promised to bea mine."_

"_I can't wear dat Santo!" she said, her eyes still riveted on the glittering rock._

"_But you 'ave nota even tried ita on yet," protested Santo, "I'm sure ita will fita you Colleen."_

"_It's not dat Santo," she said with a shake of her head and at last looking up at him, "It's far too extravagant a ting for me ta be wearing."_

"_Nonsense," dismissed Santo easily as he took the ring out of its case and picked up her left hand, sliding it on her ring finger, Colleen still too shocked to stop him, "You seea – it isa perfect fit!"_

_Colleen looked down at the amazing ring and could still hardly believe what she was seeing. It felt heavy and alien on her hand, seeming strangely out of place and yet a part of her loved it immediately for its great beauty but mainly because it was given by Santo._

"_I can't accept dis," she said with a shake of her head, still staring at it, "It is too much Santo! I'd be happy with a plain band of gold I would."_

"_I have wedding rings already Colleen," he said, patting his breast pocket, "I keep them close to my 'eart."_

"_You were pretty confident I'd be sayin' yes den were ya?" she challenged him with an arched eyebrow. _

"_I 'ad to 'ope Colleen," he confessed to her, "It wasa the only thinga keeping me sane."_

_Santo suddenly grinned down at her, sweeping her off her feet and spinning them both around as he continued to be unable to contain his joy at becoming a father again._

"_Santo stop!" she laughed up at him, revelling in the moment of unfettered joy between them._

"_Never!" he declared happily and held her tighter to him to prove his point._

"_What in da blue blazes is dis den?!"_

_The horrified sound of her father's voice echoing through the church immediately stilled the laughter on Colleen's lips and she turned her head to see her shell shocked father standing at the end of the aisle, obviously hardly able to believe his own eyes._

_This was the confrontation she'd been dreading all along..._

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & EIGHT**** – ****The End of The Affair**

Behind every exquisite thing that existed, there was something tragic.

_~Oscar Wilde ~_

"_Da!" she exclaimed, struggling in Santo's arms and anxious for him to put her down again._

_Santo complied, carefully placing her back on the ground and then straightening up to face off against the other man._

"_Well is someone goin' ta be answerin' me den?!" asked Peter Brady, his voice shocked and upset. _

"_Mr Brady-" Santo began, intent on protecting Colleen from the growing anger clouding the older man's face._

"_Not you!" hissed Peter before looking over at Colleen, "What is dis girl, what is goin' on? Why are you out of your robes and why does dis filthy Iytalian have his hands all over ya? I swear if you've done sometin ta my little girl-"_

_Peter started to take vengeful steps towards Santo then but Colleen quickly put herself between the two men._

"_No Da!" she said quickly, "Santo hasn't done anytin' wrong."_

"_Oh Santo is it now?" he sneered the question, glaring up at the taller man, "What happened ta Mr DiMera den?!"_

"_Da please," said Colleen, putting a hand to his chest and making him look at her rather than glower at Santo._

_As she did the engagement ring Santo had just placed on her finger caught the light, making it dance playfully around the serious scene before it. Peter's eyes widened and he grabbed at Colleen's wrist._

"_Jesus wept!" he bit out, looking in disbelief between the ring and Colleen, "What's dis den?! What have you gone and done girl?"_

"_Santo asked me to marry him and I said yes," said Colleen, holding her father's shocked gaze steadily._

"_You-you've done what?!" stammered her father and Colleen could see that her words were killing him but she couldn't help it, she needed to tell him the truth, what was in her heart. _

"_I'm marryin' Santo Da," she said softly, her eyes pleading him to understand._

"_Dat isn't an engagement ring," spat out her father, too wounded to be thinking straight now, "Dat's what a man gives his fancy woman for services rendered!"_

_Colleen jerked her hand away at that and drew in a pained breath but Peter wasn't done yet._

"_Dis man has turned ya inta his whore?!" asked her father in anguish, "Is dat what you are tellin' me Colleen?!"_

"_Colleen is no whore!" Santo practically shouted his defence of her and Colleen cringed as the word 'whore' bounced off the stone walls of the church, "I lovea your daughter very mucha Mr Brady and I intend toa marry her as soon as I can!"_

"_What's da rush?!" the other man asked bitterly, still clearly reeling from this turn of events, "I suppose you'll be tellin' me your wit child now Colleen, is dat it?!"_

_He'd only thrown that out there because of the great amount of shock and pain he was in but the stricken look on his daughter's face told him he'd unwittingly hit on the truth._

"_Colleen Mary," he whispered, his face twisting in utter devastation._

"_I'm sorry Da," said Colleen, her eyes filling with tears as she saw the utter disappointment on his face and how distraught this information had made him, "I'm so sorry."_

"_You filthy animal!" raged Peter, charging at Santo, incensed over what had been done to his daughter. _

_Peter pushed past Colleen to get to Santo and tackled him to the ground._

"_NO!" screamed Colleen in horror as the two men wrestled around on the floor just as Father Michael appeared, taking in the scene before him in disbelief._

"_What's dis den?!" he yelled, running in to break up the two men, "Brawlin' in my church-"_

_He pulled the two men apart, surprisingly strong for a man of his stature as he glared at them both._

"_I won't have ya two carryin' on like it's closin' time at da Grey Goose!" he exclaimed angrily as he wrestled Peter off Santo, "Dis is da house of our Lord and ya not ta raise your fist's ta one another in such a place do ya hear me?!"_

"_I'm sorry Father," said Santo as he got to his feet, pulling his clothes straight._

_He had only protected himself against Colleen's father and not having raised a hand to the man, understanding his angry grief at what he'd just discovered. _

"_Ya should be!" screamed Peter, "Ya filthy foreigner, I oughta beat ya to a bloody pulp for what ya did!"_

"_Peter mind ya tongue!" said Father Michael sternly and then looked at Colleen in consternation, "Colleen my child, what is goin' on here, do ya know?"_

"_Answer the good Father Colleen," said Peter his voice sharp with his own pain, "Tell him what you've gone and done!"_

"_I'm leavin' da church Father," said Colleen quietly and then looked over at Santo who was looking at her with great sympathy, knowing how hard it was for her to keep saying that. _

"_Now den Colleen," said Father Michael, putting a calming hand on her shoulder, "Dere is no reason ta be hasty about dis kind of decision-"_

"_She's pregnant."_

_A father's pained words hung in the church and Colleen dropped her head in shame while the Father made a surprised expression. Santo quickly walked over to Colleen, putting an arm around her and drawing her close to his side._

"_We are going toa be married Father," he told him unapologetically, "I want more than anything fora Colleen toa be my wife. I love her, more thena anything ina this world save fora my son. She isa my whole world and I am honoured that she woulda accept my marriage proposal."_

"_What other choice did she have once you took her virtue and then planted your dirty seed in her?!" growled out Peter, "Now she's stuck carryin' ya bastard child!"_

"_Da!" exclaimed Colleen in horror, not used to hearing her father speak in such a way and feeling Santo stiffen beside her, obviously very upset by the way her father was talking to them both._

_Colleen was upset as well but she didn't want this to deteriorate into further violence. _

"_What?!" asked Peter dourly, "Are ya expectin' me ta give ya my blessin' is that it child?! Do ya expect me ta be happy dat your turnin' ya back on da church and on ya family?"_

"_I don't want ta do either of dose tings Da," said Colleen earnestly, "I love da church and I love you and Shawn, so much but I love Santo too and I want ta be wit him."_

"_What has he done to ya girl?" asked Peter in dazed horror, shaking his head at her, "To do such a ting? Have you no shame?"_

"_There is no shame ina our love," said Santo defiantly, unable to let that pass, "A love such asa ours should be celebrated!"_

"_Celebrated?!" repeated Peter in disbelief, "You want me ta celebrate what you've done ta my girl!"_

"_He didn't do anytin' Da," cried Colleen, "I love Santo and we want ta be together, please Da, please try and understand!" _

"_I'll not stand here and listen' ta such tings!" said Peter angrily, too upset to be reasonable in that moment._

_He pushed past the two of them and stormed out of the church._

"_Da!" called out Colleen brokenly after him as Santo pulled her into his arms to comfort her as she began to cry._

"_It isa alright Colleen," he tried to reassure her, "Your Da, he isa just upseta right now. He willa calm down and we cana talk to him again."_

"_Colleen," said Father Michael with a concerned look at his young charge, "Are ya sure you know what ya doin' child?"_

"_I'm sure Father," said Colleen, blinking away her tears and holding onto Santo tightly, "I love Santo and I want ta be his wife."_

"_Dere were better ways ta go about dis," sighed the priest regretfully, "You've dealt ya father a terrible blow ya have Colleen."_

"_I know," said Colleen unevenly, the regret written all over her face, "I never meant for him ta find out dis way."_

"_You musta believe thata my intentions towards Colleen ara entirely honourable Father," said Santo intently, holding her close, "We willa be married as soon asa possible."_

"_Witout ya father's blessin' though I fear Colleen," warned Father Michael, "Colleen, is dis truly what ya wantin'? Ta break ya father's heart so?"_

"_Of course I don't want ta hurt my Da," said Colleen, her voice wavering, "But I have ta be true ta my own heart."_

"_I will doa right by Colleen," said Santo earnestly, "I swear toa you Father."_

_He looked down at Colleen and smiled at her encouragingly. _

"_Your Da will calm down my love," he promised her, "We willa make him listen and he willa understand because he loves you and wants you to bea 'appy Colleen."_

_Suddenly Peter Brady burst back into the church, having simply gone to retrieve his shot gun from the car he'd arrived in._

"_Get your dirty hands of my daughter ya disgustin' Iytalian!" he yelled at Santo, levelling the shot gun at the younger man's head._

"_Da!"_

"_Peter!"_

_Both Colleen's and Father Michael's shocked voices called out his name. _

"_Put dat away before someone gets hurt now Peter Shawn Brady!" demanded the priest in outrage, "I won't have such violence in my church do ya hear me!"_

"_Da no!" said Colleen, stricken by such a turn of events as she quickly moved in front of Santo to protect him with her body._

"_Colleen no!" said Santo, reacting quickly to her move and quickly out of harm's way, fearful of her getting hurt in all this. _

"_Peter what do you tink ya doin' now?" asked Father Michael taking a step towards his long time parishioner, "Dis helps nutin!"_

"_Dis helps wit makin' dis heathen pay for takin' my little girl's virtue," said Peter angrily, his eyes not leaving Santo's as the two men attempted to stare each other down._

_Santo hadn't flinched when he'd had the gun pointed at him, all he was really concerned about was Colleen and what this must be doing to her. _

"_He didn't take it Da," said Colleen unevenly, trying to get him to understand, "I offered it ta him freely."_

"_Colleen!" exclaimed her father brokenly, devastated by that news as he let the shot gun droop a little, looking at his daughter in anguish._

"_I'm sorry Da but it's the truth," she said, moving towards him and looking at him with so much love in her eyes for the man who had loved her from the moment she'd been born._

_He had been a good father to her all these years, taking on the role of both parents when her mother had died and she loved him dearly for that but it had come time for her to make her own decisions and Santo was one of those decisions. As much as it pained her to be doing this to him right now Colleen had to make him understand. _

"_I love ya Da," she told him with heartfelt emotion, coming to stand almost in front of him now as he looked back at her with a shattered expression, "I will always love ya, no matter what happens and I'm beggin' ya, will ya please try and understand why I'm doin' dis."_

"_You're doin' dis because he's corrupted ya mind," said Peter painfully, looking up at Santo as his outrage returned, briefly crowding out his love for his daughter, "He used ya and I won't stand for it!"_

_Peter went to lift up the shot gun again and Colleen, fearful of what he might do rushed at him, catching everyone off guard and no one reacting quickly enough to stop her._

"_No Da!" she cried out, grabbing at the gun, "Please, don't hurt him!" _

_The sound of the gun shot echoed off the walls, deafening in the small space and everyone was too horrified to make a sound for a split second after it. The four of them froze in place for a split second, both Santo and Father Michael uncertain as to who it was, if anyone, had been shot. Peter took a staggered step back, still clutching the now smoking shot gun, his eyes wide and shocked looking with pain and as awful as it was Santo was unbelievably relieved because the other man's expression suggested that it had been him who had taken the unintentional shot. _

"_Colleen," her father whispered, through numb looking lips. _

_Colleen gave him a sad look, eyes full of quiet sympathy as she slowly turned around to face the other two stunned men. Her eyes went to Santo and she gave him the saddest of smiles._

"_I'm sorry," she whispered and Santo didn't understand until he saw the crimson stain beginning to mark the front of her white blouse and he realised his worst nightmare was being played out in front of him._

_Colleen's knees buckled then and Santo rushed to catch her before she fell. She grabbed at his neck weakly even as her eyes began to slide shut and Santo could do nothing but lower her carefully to the ground. _

"_Saint's preserve us!" cried out Father Michael in great distress, "Colleen!" _

_He looked at the tragic tableau before him; Santo crouched over the now heavily bleeding Colleen, cradling her in his arms and her father, stood rooted to the spot, unable to comprehend what was happening before his very eyes. _

"_I'll go fa da doctor!" declared the priest, grabbing up the hem of his robes and fairly bolting to the door, intent on trying to save the young woman's life. _

_Santo looked down at Colleen, her eyes wide and unbelievably blue against her suddenly painfully pale skin. _

"_It willa be alright Colleen," said Santo urgently, trying to reassure her as he pressed a hand to her stomach in a desperate attempt to stem the bleeding, "Father Michael isa going fora 'elp. You musta be strong, you musta fight to stay witha me."_

"_Santo," she whispered, her eyes filling with tears as she knew that wasn't going to be possible._

_She could feel her life's blood ebbing away and Colleen knew she was dying. It broke her heart to leave Santo but she couldn't help it. It was her time. _

"_I love ya Santo," she said softly, her eyes full to overflowing with that love. _

"_I love youa too Colleen," said Santo, starting to feel the panic welling up inside of him as it sounded alarmingly like she was saying goodbye to him, "But do nota speak, save youra strength my darling." _

"_Oh Santo," she breathed, "I'm sorry."_

"_Don't," said Santo with a fierce shake of his head, tears starting to run freely down his own face as he began to plead with her, "Don't youa leave me Colleen, don't youa dare!"_

_Colleen wished with all of her heart that she could do as he asked but knew it wasn't to be. She put up a hand to his face and with the last of her strength lifted herself up to kiss him one last time. _

_Santo felt Colleen press her lips to his and along with the sweet, unmistakable taste of her there was the taste of blood as well. Santo squeezed his eyes closed and kissed her back with the whole of his heart, letting her feel all of the great love he had for her and desperate at the thought that this would be the last time he ever knew her kiss. Colleen clung to him weakly but still Santo felt her trying to communicate with him the life time of moments they were meant to share but now was being denied of them in the cruellest way possible. Neither one wanted to let go but in the end Colleen had no choice and Santo tasted her last breath in their kiss. Santo felt her go limp in his arms; felt her leave him and he couldn't bear it. He crushed her to him, rocking back and forth now. _

"_Colleen no!" he sobbed, "Please no!" _

_But it was too late; his tears changed nothing as she left him behind, moving onto Paradise and leaving the rest of them to their own private Hell. Peter fell to his knees beside the two of them, his horrified gaze never leaving his daughter's now still face. _

"_C-Colleen," he stammered as he endured the most terrible of all fates in this world, out living your own child. _

_People who had lost spouses were called widowers and people who had lost both parents were called orphans but there was simply no word for a parent who had lost a child. The agony of such a thing was too much to be contained in a single word. The two men for a brief and excruciating moment were united in their all encompassing grief as they mourned the passing of a woman they both loved more than life itself._

oooOOOOooo

Sami stopped reading, her voice cracking with emotion as she read about Colleen's last moments and Santo's and Peter's anguish. It was too much, all the emotion of the letters and everything that she'd been dealing with for so long now just overcame her and she began to cry. Sobs wracked her body, her vision blurring with the hot tears that were now falling from her face and staining the letter she was still holding.

EJ didn't say a word; simply pulled her into his arms and held her tightly to him and Sami just let the tears come, leaning on him as she cried for the fate of the two lovers and the heart break that had befallen them both and for what the future would hold for herself and EJ. Sami cried until she had no more tears to shed and the whole time EJ just held her, pressing soft kisses to the top of her head and shared in her grief.

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & NINE**** – ****What Becomes of the Broken Hearted****? **

What ravages of spirit conjured this temptuous rage?  
Created you a monster; broken by the rules of love  
And fate has led you through it; you do what you have to do  
And fate has led you through it; you do what you have to do

And I have the sense to recognize that I don't know how to let you go...

Every moment marked with apparitions of your soul  
I'm ever swiftly moving trying to escape this desire  
The yearning to be near you; I do what I have to do  
The yearning to be near you; I do what I have to do

But I have the sense to recognize that I don't know how to let you go...  
I don't know how to let you go...

A glowing ember; burning hot; burning slow  
Deep within I'm shaken by the violence of existing for only you  
I know I can't be with you; I do what I have to do

I know I can't be with you; I do what I have to do

And I have sense to recognize but I don't know how to let you go  
I don't know how to let you go  
I don't know how to let you go

_~Sarah McLachlan~_

Both EJ and Sami sat in silence for a long time after reading the details of Colleen's last moments, Sami giving no indication that she wanted to leave the security of EJ's arms.

"Poor Santo," whispered EJ, his mind boggling at what it must have been like to lose the woman he loved so much.

"It's so sad," said Sami, her voice giving a little hiccup from the last of her spent tears, "What a horrible way for it to end. Her poor father, what must have he been going through to know that he in part caused his own daughter's death."

"It would be hard to comprehend," agreed EJ tightly although he couldn't help but blame the man for bringing the shotgun into the church in the first place.

If Peter Brady hadn't reacted so unreasonably to the news of Colleen and Santo becoming engaged in the first place things could have been so different. EJ tightened his hold on Sami, drawing her closer to him in an unconscious effort to keep her safe. He knew the Brady's were going to be a huge problem for them when Sami did finally admit to her love for him, which he was absolutely sure would be very soon and all EJ wanted to do was protect her from the fallout of choosing him over them.

His father had told him how the Brady's operated over the years, bullying and brow beating whoever to get their own way and it was apparent to EJ that didn't stop when it came to one of their own. No, after Sami had chosen him she was definitely going to need his protection from them. EJ contemplated taking Sami away from Salem once she was honest with herself and him about her feelings for him. No matter what happened though, EJ was determined to protect Sami and for her not to suffer the same fate of her great aunt. The thought of losing Sami that way was an unbearable one and EJ could only try and fathom the pain his grandfather must have gone through when he lost Colleen.

"No one is ever going to take you from me Samantha," he promised her grimly, bending his head and resting his cheek on top of her head, feeling the softness of her blonde hair against his skin.

Sami didn't answer him and the fact that she didn't refute his claim on her spoke volumes to EJ. She was so very close to admitting her love for him; EJ could feel it and he hoped that reading the letters had helped her understand that there was no time to waste in accepting the inevitable. Life was tenuous, hanging by a thread everyday would anyone stop to consider it and EJ didn't want them to waste anymore time. Each second of their future together was precious to him but by the same token he wanted Sami to be absolutely sure that she was choosing him with her whole heart because just like Santo and Colleen they had many challenges in front of them to overcome. They weren't going to turn out like their grandfather and great aunt; he was going to make sure of it.

"We should read the last letter," said Sami quietly, her voice a little muffled against his chest.

"We should," agreed EJ a little reluctant to let her go but straightening up anyway and sitting back in the driver's seat.

Sami silently handed him the last letter, a Santo one of course and they exchanged one last look, both bracing themselves for the heartache the letter was undoubtedly going to contain. EJ looked down at the letter in his hand and took a deep breath.

oooOOOOooo

_Santo walked slowly into the church, the same church he'd stood with Colleen only the day before and couldn't help but stare at the spot on the stone floor that Colleen had fallen to the ground on, her life blood flowing out freely over the cold floor. _

_The paving stones that had been stained red with her blood had been scrubbed clean. So much so that the stone was actually a lighter colour than the surrounding pieces and the sight made Santo suddenly shake with anger, the first real feeling returning to him after twenty four hours of blessed numbness. It was as though they had tried to scrub his Colleen from existence and he couldn't bear the thought of that. He still had his blood stained clothes from where he'd held her as she breathed her last and as morbid as it sounded Santo couldn't bring himself to throw them away or even wash them._

_It was all he had left of her now, of the future they'd dreamed of together – those darkening red stains on his coat and shirt and he couldn't bear to part with them. It was as though still having some small part of Colleen there before him, even if it was only her blood, maintained their link to one another and Santo could not bring himself to break that connection. Perhaps no one else would understand such a thing but Santo was a desperate man now, clinging helplessly to all that he had left of her. _

_On impulse he crouched down, placing his hand over the feverishly cleaned stones, just wanting to be near Colleen again in some way, wanting a sense of her presence. The stone was cold beneath his hand and it was a jarring feeling knowing that they had been warm only yesterday from the heat of Colleen's body as she'd lain dying on them. It was a stark reminder that Colleen's body would now be cold as well and the thought made Santo shudder. He hadn't wanted to leave her yesterday but they had made him. The thought that she was all alone somewhere in a funeral home had all but killed him. _

_All Santo wanted to do was be with her, to hold her again in his arms and feel her softness against him and keep her safe from harm. It was a strange thought seeing as Colleen was already dead but Santo couldn't help it, the need to comfort and protect her as strong as it had ever been during her life. His arms actually ached to be around her again and it was too terrifying a concept to think that would never happen now. He'd screamed in the shower for her, his tears mixing in with the shower spray, begging God to give him one last moment with her, one last time to take her into his embrace and hear his name on her lips. But his prayers had not been answered and he'd woken this morning to a lifetime of being without her stretching out before him, painfully long in length and utterly without hope. _

_He straightened up slowly and walked painfully down the rest of the aisle until he was at the altar. Santo suddenly felt like an old man, all the life drained out of him and everything he did now was an effort of mammoth proportions. Even his next breath seemed to be almost beyond his capacities. Santo looked around him, not even sure why he was here seeing as it was a place filled with so many painful memories. It also had wonderful ones though, ones he would treasure forever such as when Colleen accepting his marriage proposal, telling him she loved him and that she was pregnant with their child. Santo swallowed a groan at the thought of their lost baby but took small comfort in the fact that the baby and Colleen were together at least. _

_Santo had come here because he needed to be near Colleen in some way, in any way possible and the place he last held her in his arms had called to him, despite the agony of some of the memories. He sat down heavily in one of the chairs in front of the altar and closed his eyes, praying that this excruciating agony would be enough to kill him. Surely no person could endure this kind of pain and still yet live? He leant forward, his elbows on his knees as it seemed too much for him to sit up straight. _

"_Colleen," he whispered despondently in the stillness, her name a sad song upon his lips. _

_Suddenly there was a gentle touch on his right shoulder, light but sure. Santo let himself imagine it to be her touch and didn't immediately turn around, instead keeping his eyes tightly closed and enjoying the fantasy for a brief moment. _

_The person didn't speak and Santo wondered who it was that was offering him this silent comfort seeing as just about everyone in the village had him painted as the Devil himself thanks to Colleen's father. Santo reached out and placed his hand over the one on his shoulder, his own wordless thanks for the solace offered him when none other had been forth coming. _

_It seemed his grief was to count for nothing even though Santo knew he was the one who loved her best but it seemed at least his silent comforter understood that and he was grateful for the small mercy. The kindness of the person standing behind caused Santo to speak from his broken heart as he let down the tight guard he'd been keeping on his emotions in public._

"_Colleen come hai potuto lasciarmi (Colleen how could you leave me)?" he asked in utter devastation, the words torn from deep within. _

"_I had no choice Santo."_

_The sound of her unmistakable, soft voice in his ear made Santo leap to his feet, turning around to face his comforter in open disbelief._

"_Colleen!" he exclaimed, hardly able to believe his eyes but there she stood, just as he remembered her, there but not really. _

_There was a wispiness to her that told Santo that whatever he was seeing it wasn't real. Perhaps he'd conjured this apparition up out of his enormous grief and desperate need to see her again, Santo wasn't sure but all he could do was stare at her, all the questions he had for her dying on his lips. She smiled at him then and what a sweet smile it was and for the last time in his life Santo felt real joy stirring inside him at seeing it. Colleen's ghost or whatever it was turned slowly then and started to walk out of the church. Santo tried frantically to follow her but for the longest time he seemed to be rooted to the spot. When finally he could convince his legs to move Colleen was already out of the church. _

_Santo ran out of the church, looking around himself wildly and saw her standing in amongst some trees to one side of the church. Her pale luminosity called to him and Santo immediately hurried over to her, mesmerised by this vision before him, his heart pounding so wildly in his chest that he could barely hear over the sound of the blood rushing in his ears. He came to a halt in front of her and she looked up at him._

"_Remember our love Santo," she asked of him, her eyes full of that same love as she looked at him adoringly but there was a pleading there as well._

"_Always!" he promised her, frantic to make her stay, "Please Colleen, don't leavea me."_

"_I must Santo," she whispered, "It's not yet time fa us ta be together."_

"_When?" he asked her in anguish, "When can we bea together Colleen?"_

"_In God's good time," she said with a soft smile and to Santo's horror the apparition before him seemed to be getting fainter and he felt the panic well up in him._

_He didn't know what this was but he didn't want it to end if it meant he could still have his Colleen in some way._

"_Remember our love Santo," implored him quietly and then suddenly Santo was alone in the woods._

_Utterly alone._

"_Colleen!" he cried out, dropping to his knees and weeping inconsolably as he lost her yet again. _

_oooOOOOooo_

EJ finished reading and carefully folded the letter back up and handed it to Sami. She took it and put it with the others.

"So I guess that is how the vendetta started then," said Sami quietly, "Santo went mad with grief."

"Don't you think he had a right to?" asked EJ, almost angrily, "Santo lost everything in that split second."

"He still had a wife and child," Sami reminded him grimly, "He wasn't left with nothing EJ."

"But he lost his heart to Colleen," said EJ, just as grimly, "And that changed the rest of his life."

"It changed everyone's life," said Sami unevenly, thinking of all the harm the vendetta had done to her family over the years.

"It wasn't only your family that suffered Samantha," said EJ tersely, "My father said his father was never the same again after all this happened. He turned from a loving, happy man into a man turning in on himself. He tried his best not to let it affect his relationship with his son but losing Colleen had simply destroyed him and he had nothing left to give to my father."

"Except hatred and a thirst for revenge," Sami reminded him coldly.

"We all have the potential to be monsters Samantha," EJ reminded her, giving her a pointed look, "Or do you need a reminder of your past deeds? Some might term some of them as monstrous but it came from a place of great passion and even greater pain. I won't judge my grandfather for what came out of this tragedy and the Brady's weren't exactly blameless either with it all I might add. Both sides had a role to play and should share the blame equally."

"The Brady's didn't carry on the feud all these years though!" Sami protested her family's innocence.

"Are you so very sure of that?" asked EJ intently, "You have your family's version of events just as I have mine. I'm going to hazard a guess that they are both very different and in all honestly the truth lies somewhere in between I'm sure. There was a lot of pain on both sides and that causes people to lash out. It's not right but it's understandable and I don't think finger pointing at this stage is going to resolve anything."

"So what is going to resolve this?" asked Sami in exasperation, hating to admit that he was right, "I mean, that is why we started all this, to find some way to end the fighting between our families. How do we fix this EJ?"

"I think we have to find a way for Colleen and Santo to find some peace," said EJ firmly.

"And how are we meant to do that EJ?" she asked him in defeat, "They are both dead!"

"Perhaps their love lives on?" suggested EJ, holding her gaze steadily, "Santo said that Colleen's ghost told him that it wasn't time for them yet. Maybe it is now."

"Don't start with that," said Sami tightly, already teetering on the brink of losing all control as her emotions ran riot.

"Don't you think that it is something a little bit more than coincidence that in the entire world we should find one another?" asked EJ throatily.

"Of course it was more than coincidence," said Sami tartly, "It was your father!"

"He didn't cause us to fall in love," said EJ knowingly.

"So what, we get together and somehow Santo and Colleen's love is finally recognised on some level in ours and then the vendetta is over?" asked Sami sharply, "Is that what you are telling me EJ?"

"I'm telling you that my father would consider the balance redressed yes," nodded EJ, "But I don't want us to be together for any other reason than the fact that we love each other deeply."

"Really?" she challenged him, "You're not going to hang ending the vendetta over my head to force me to choose you? Is that it EJ?"

"Let's call that my plan B in case I can't talk some sense into you and have you choose me of your own free will," said EJ with a half smile.

"Coercion and blackmail aren't love EJ," said Sami tersely.

"Maybe not for other people," he said; his smile widening teasingly.

"I'm not marrying you to end some crazy vendetta!" said Sami staunchly.

"No," agreed EJ easily, "Me either. I'm fully intending to marry you because I simply can't live without you. Ending the vendetta would just be a happy by product."

Sami shook her head, feeling hemmed in by EJ's great certainty about these things. It was hard not to become unravelled when he spoke of her marrying him as though it was already a done deal.

"I'm going to marry who I want, when I want!" she told him defiantly, "And it's going to be to a man I love!"

"I'm counting on it my darling," said EJ, looking away and hiding a little smile.

Somehow EJ's ready acceptance of her statement didn't make her feel any better...

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & TEN**** – ****The Last Goodbye**

I guess when your heart gets broken you sort of start to see cracks in everything.

I'm convinced that tragedy wants to harden us and our mission is never to let it.

_~Anonymous~_

It was hours later and EJ had taken over the driving as Sami had been still too upset to really concentrate on it. She was sorting out all the letters, putting them back into chronological order, just for something to do really when she made a startling discovery.

"We missed one!" she said in surprise.

"Missed one what sweetheart?" asked EJ, distracted by his own thoughts about what had happened between Colleen and Santo as they drove along.

"A letter," she said, holding it up for EJ to see, "It's one from Santo and its post marked after Colleen's death. He must have written her one last letter, even though she was dead now."

Sami and EJ exchanged looks at that knowledge.

"You have to translate it," said Sami unsteadily, knowing she needed to hear it all now.

EJ nodded, obviously feeling the same need and pulled the car over to the side of the road and taking the letter from her began to translate it for them both.

oooOOOOooo

_Santo slipped in the side door of the funeral home, hoping not to be seen. Today was the day of Colleen's funeral and he knew he would not be allowed to attend but he had to see her one last time. To say his goodbyes properly and privately, it was a painful thought but Santo knew it was something he simply had to do. Colleen's body was already in her coffin and ready for viewing by family and friends but Santo knew that wouldn't be for another hour so he was intent on spending that time with her before her family claimed her. The simple pine box lay stretched out on the table and with some considerable trepidation Santo walked up to it._

_He longed to see her again but it was a bittersweet longing because he knew that this would be the last time but Santo was intent on etching every last detail of her on his memory because it would be all he had of her for the rest of his life. Walking up to her coffin he looked down at her and his breath was momentarily stolen from his body. She looked so peaceful, like she was only sleeping and Santo couldn't help but remember all the times he'd woken to find her lying just like that beside him. A painful lump came to his throat then as he knew he'd never have those blessed times with her again. _

_The mortician had done a good job with fixing Colleen for her viewing, her hair neatly combed and dressed in the same dress she'd worn to meet him on the night that he'd first kissed her. He touched the crisp cotton, freshly laundered and pressed and was glad this was the dress her father had chosen for her although he would no doubt be horrified as to the reason why. Santo moved his hand and placed it onto her arm and even though he'd expected it, the coldness of her flesh was shocking to him. Colleen had always been so full of life and warmth in his arms, to feel her so cold to his touch was beyond confronting. She looked so normal lying there, as though she was only sleeping but the coolness of her skin told him the awful truth. All that was Colleen was no longer contained within this shell. It was only a mocking reminder of all that had been taken from him in one fateful moment. _

_In his lowest moments Santo had to wonder if this was some kind of cruel and ironic joke being played on him for his lies to Colleen. He'd told her that his wife had died and he was free to be with her but it hadn't been true. Now it was Colleen who lay dead and it was more than Santo could bear. He'd fully intended telling Colleen the truth and divorcing Sophia as soon as they were out of Galway. Santo know Colleen would have been upset with him but somehow, deep inside, he also knew that she would have forgiven him. She loved him so much that she was willing to give up all that she knew to be with him and Santo was exactly the same so he knew she would have ultimately understood. The gnawing doubt clawed at him though that if he'd done things differently then maybe Colleen might still be alive._

"EJ?" Sami asked him quizzically when he stopped reading rather abruptly.

EJ looked back at her, feeling a cold fissure of dread run through him at Santo's words. He had this sudden fanciful thought that his grandfather was trying to warn him from beyond the grave to be perfectly honest with Sami about everything or risk losing her permanently. EJ shook off the frightening thought, unable to accept such a thing could ever happen to them. Just because things ended badly for Santo and Colleen it didn't mean that it was going to do the same for the two of them decided EJ stubbornly.

"Sorry," said EJ smoothly, "I thought I was going to sneeze."

Sami gave him a funny look at that explanation but EJ ignored it, going back to reading the letter.

_Santo looked down at Colleen's still face and felt his eyes fill with hot, stinging tears._

"_Colleen," he whispered achingly, resting shaking fingers against one cold cheek, "I ama lost without youa."_

_Santo hung his head, squeezing his eyes closed tightly as he fought to hold himself together. _

"'_Ow could youa have left me?" he asked her in despair, cupping her face now, "I would never 'ave left you my darling, never."_

_Santo knew that wasn't fair of him but he was too inconsolable in that moment to be fair. Colleen had left him to walk alone in this world and his heart was broken over that fact. It had come about from a selfless act on her behalf which only seemed to make the pain worse somehow. Colleen had died protecting him and Santo would never be able to forgive himself for letting that happened. He'd played that dreadful scene over and over again in his head and each time he'd moved faster, seen it coming, reacted differently and he always saved her - always. It didn't matter though, no matter how many times he saved her in his dreams he always woke to the same reality. _

_Colleen was dead and it took all of Santo's internal reserve of strength not to simply lie down beside her and breathe his last as well. If it were not for his son Santo didn't know if his heart could continue to beat. It was only the love for his beloved Stefano that gave him the will to go on. A fresh wave of grief ripped through him as his thoughts turned to their unborn child. Santo made a choked sound as he considered the shared fate of his unborn child with Colleen. He placed a hand over Colleen's stomach as she lay there in the simple wood coffin and remembered the last time he'd done that, when his heart had been so full of hope for the future and the woman he loved and the child she was carrying were warm and alive beneath his touch. _

"_Si sono reciprocamente per amore piccolo (you will have each other to love my little one)," he told their child adoringly, his last chance to speak to the baby he would never know on this earth, "Ho adorato il mio bambino dal primo momento ho saputo di voi (I adored you my child from the first moment I knew of you). Lo sono tuo padre e ci incontreremo di nuovo in paradiso e la mia gioia sarà complete (I am your father and we will meet again in Paradise and my joy will be complete)."_

"_What da hell are ya doin' here DiMera?!"_

_Peter Brady's angry demand came from behind Santo and he gritted his teeth, not ready to deal with the man who had come between himself and Colleen in the worst way possible. _

"_I am saying goodbye toa the woman I love," said Santo quietly, straightening up and turning around to face the older man, his face set in stone now._

"_I'm sure it won't be bein' a problem for da likes of you Santo DiMera," said Peter bitterly, "Your own wife not yet cold in da ground and ya moved on ta da likes of an innocent girl like my Colleen. She'd promised herself ta God but you didn't care about dat now did ya? All ya wanted ta do was satisfy your heathen lusts! And I suppose now ya will be movin' on ta da next poor unsuspectin' girl!"_

"_I loved Colleen!" said Santo sharply, "I did not choose it toa be that way but we fella in love and therea will never be another fora me!"_

"_You corrupted an innocent country girl wit yoa smooth talkin' foreign ways," said Peter angrily, his face creased in anguished despair, "You only wanted ta add another notch ta ya belt!"_

"_Colleen was a smart woman," disagreed Santo tightly, "Shea knew 'er own 'eart and ina the end she chose to follow 'er 'eart."_

"_Doin' dat saw her dead!" raged Peter._

"_No!" growled Santo, "You refusing toa let her go and fora her to be 'appy is what saw her dead! Youa never listened toa what she really wanted and whena she found the courage to stand up toa you, you killed her!"_

_Peter made a guttural sound, of a heart both breaking and one filled with a furious rage. He threw himself at Santo and pushed him up against the wall but this time Santo had no reason not to fight back, he'd already lost everything that mattered to him. Santo shoved him back, holding nothing back and Peter was caught off guard, falling to the ground. Santo's hand balled into a fist and the urge to simply take his pain and anguish out on the other man in the most direct way possible was near overwhelming but he managed to stop himself._

"_I willa not dishonour Colleen's memory by fighting witha you here," said Santo curtly, watching as the other man scrambled to his feet, "I loved 'er too much to doa that."_

"_What do ya know of honour and love?!" spat out Peter angrily, still obviously in deep pain from his own loss and holding Santo responsible for it all._

"_I 'ad a life time ofa love toa give Colleen and oura child," bit out Santo, his own indescribable hurt etched onto his face now as he called up a terrible vow of vengeance from deep within that pain, "But nowa Colleen takes alla of mya love toa the grave with her, killed by hera own father because he would not leta her be free. You 'ave stolen Colleen and our child froma me forever and I will nota rest until every Brady knows the suffering ofa loss like I doa."_

"_He shows his true colours now doesn't he?" sneered Peter, hatred for the younger man burning brightly in his eyes, "Colleen would still be alive and happy if ya had never come ta Galway. She's dead because she thought she loved ya but I tell ya dis – no Brady will ever love a DiMera!"_

_Peter then spat on the ground at Santo's feet, his lips curling in disgust as he glowered at the other man._

"_I curse ya family and all who bear da DiMera name – you'll never know happiness while a Brady draws breath," he swore to him, "We'll dog ya family until ya name is wiped from da earth!" _

_Santo arched an uncaring eyebrow at his words._

"_I do not wanta the Brady's dead," said Santo coldly, letting the other man's threats roll off him effortlessly, "Why shoulda they 'ave the peace I will never know?! The DiMera's ara indomitable, we shalla continue on longa after the Brady's havea all died out! This I willa make sure of! The Brady's willa know no peace until thisa injustice hasa been made right!" _

_Santo looked down at Colleen then; laid out so beautifully in her coffin and swallowed the sudden lump in his throat as he seemed to momentarily forget about the existence of the other man._

"_Saremo di nuovo insieme uno giorno il mio amore (we will be together again one day my love)," he told her achingly, bending down and pressing a kiss to her cold forehead as her father bristled, "Attendere per me sono i prossimi a voi la mia cara ragazza (wait for me, I am coming for you my darling girl)." _

"_Don't touch her!" he raged at seeing the intimate sight, a last goodbye between two lovers. _

_Peter went to pull Santo away from Colleen and this just angered Santo even more at not being allowed even to say goodbye properly. This man had taken everything from him but there seemed no end to how much more he wanted. Santo jerked his arm out of Peter's grasp, all the light and emotion draining out of his eyes as he regarded the other man with a coldness never seen before. _

"_Just remember," he told him, Santo's eyes cold and black, "It wasa you whoa started this. Your hatred anda intolerance will bring about thea ruin ofa your entire family."_

"_No!" said Peter angrily, "It was a DiMera dat killed my daughter! She'd still be a happy lass wit her whole life in front of her if you hadn't gotten ya dirty hands on her! Colleen's blood isa on your hands Santo DiMera and God will punish ya for ya crimes!"_

_Santo looked at him in disgust for refusing to see the truth of things but his ignorance didn't garner him any pity from Santo. This Brady had caused him to lose everything and there would be no forgiveness for such an evil act. _

"_God cannota punish me anymore," he said emotionlessly, "I have nothing else to lose so let Him do hisa worse. But God knew of the love Colleen and I shared and he will allow me mya vengeance, this I know! There willa be no peace between oura families until Colleen and mine's love hasa been realised!"_

_The two men glared at each other, their hatred filling the small room to overflowing. Words had been spoken that could not easily be taken back, battle lines had been drawn and so the war had begun. _

oooOOOOooo

"Sounds like to me Peter and Santo had an equal hand in starting the vendetta," commented EJ when he was done reading.

Sami didn't answer, not liking that synopsis of the situation but finding it hard to refute after that letter.

"We should get going," she said dully, emotionally exhausted from all that the letters had revealed and needing time to think it all over and work out what it all really meant, "I'd like to get to Salem by this afternoon if we can."

EJ looked like he wanted to say a great deal more about the letters but for some reason seemed to think better of it and Sami was very grateful for that. His assertion that only they could end the vendetta was an unnerving one, especially as the last letter seemed to confirm that with Santo's last words. Santo had wanted to make a life for himself and Colleen but it had been denied to him and as much as Sami might want to deny it there was a definite connection between her and EJ and the tragic lovers.

It started with their uncanny physical resemblance to them but it certainly didn't end there. So many things about their story were echoes of Colleen and Santo's and now knowing the whole story it was impossible for Sami to deny that any longer. Several hours later Sami was looking out the window, lost in her thoughts and trying to make sense of all that she knew while EJ thankfully left her alone. She wasn't sure why he wasn't pressing her on this new development but she was just grateful that she didn't have to give him any answers right then. Suddenly she heard a strange noise coming from the motor and then the feeling of the car slowing down.

"What's happening?" she asked, sitting up straighter in her chair and looking at EJ with a frown.

She watched as he fiddled with a few knobs without answering her right away and the whole time the car was slowing down.

All of a sudden Sami had a very bad feeling about all this...

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & ELEVEN**** – ****Chitty Chitty Bang Bang**

Mishaps are like knives that either serve us or cut us,

As we grasp them by the blade or the handle.

_~James Russell Lowell~_

"EJ," said Sami again, sound rather tense now, "What is happening?!"

"Well I'm no expert," said EJ, his lips pursed as he guided the car with the now dead engine towards the side of the road, "But I'd say the engine has conked out."

"What does that mean?" asked Sami in aggravation as they glided to a stop beside the road.

"It's a technical term which means that the engine has stopped," said EJ straight faced.

"I know what it means," said Sami, annoyed by his teasing, "I can _hear_ the engine has stopped EJ, what I'm asking is why!"

"I'm going to hazard a guess it's because something is wrong with it," mused EJ, undoing his seat belt and getting out of the car.

He looked back down at Sami and the way she was staring ahead, her lips twisted in annoyance.

"What are you doing?" he asked in amusement, seeing her concentrated expression.

"Suppressing the urge to kill you," said Sami under her breath.

"Did you say 'contemplating ways to thrill me'?" asked EJ innocently, "Because if that is the case I've got quite a few suggestions to get you started."

"I've got a suggestion EJ," said Sami, looking up at him in ire, "Why don't you shove your head up your-"

"Now, now," tutted EJ with a smirk, "I'm planning on kissing those lips very soon so try and keep the potty talk to a minimum eh?"

"You're not going to kiss me soon or later for that matter!" said Sami defiantly, hoping that she could continue to make good on that promise but she had her doubts.

Mind you EJ made it easy when he was being this annoying.

"I'm more of the opinion that you'll be kissing me sooner or later," said EJ blithely, twisting her words ever so slightly to good effect, "And I can be patient when I have to."

"Can you be a mechanic when you have to?" asked Sami flatly, intent on steering this conversation into safer waters.

"We'll see hm?" he said with a smile, popping the hood and starting to poke around underneath it.

"Well?" asked Sami impatiently after less than minute.

"Well," said EJ calmly as he put the hood back down and looked over at Sami, "I think I'm going to need a few tools to get this done."

"Well don't look at me!" said Sami in exasperation, "All I've got is a nail file!"

"I was thinking more about that gas station we passed a little way back down the road," commented EJ in amusement.

"But it looked closed," said Sami with a frown.

"There was a house next to it," commented EJ, "Perhaps someone is home and I can borrow their tools."

"Alright," said Sami unhappily, not really having any other option, "So how are we going to get there exactly?"

"Well I thought one of us would push the car and the other would steer seeing as it's only probably half a mile or so back," said EJ easily and gave her an impish look, "So shall we flip for it sweetheart as to who does what?"

Sami flipped him something at that comment and it certainly wasn't a coin.

"I'm rather thinking that finger gesture indicates that I lost the toss," said EJ dryly.

"Like you even needed to ask EJ," said Sami, unimpressed with his idea of a joke.

EJ gave a mock despondent sigh as Sami got into the driver's seat, walking around to the back of the car.

"All set?" he called to her.

"Yes."

EJ pushed as hard as he could on the boot of the car but it didn't budge an inch. He stopped in his exertions and not moving from where he was leaning against the car, both hands on the boot he called out to Sami again.

"Samantha be a love and release the hand brake will you?" he asked her calmly.

"Oh," she said, a little embarrassed that she hadn't noticed and quickly complied.

Fifteen minutes later EJ had pushed them back to the gas station of which there was still clearly no one in attendance so he kept pushing until they were at the house next door. He straightened up, dusting his hands together and looking up at the house.

"Hello!" he called out but there was no answer so he went up and knocked on the door but there was still no answer.

He looked back at Sami and gave a lopsided smile.

"No one's home," he observed.

"When did you develop this need to point out the completely obvious?" asked Sami flatly as she looked up at him from the driver's seat of the car.

"I'm just keeping you in the loop sweetheart," he said with an unconcerned smile, "Just pop the hood again will you and I'll see if I can work my magic."

Sami did as he instructed and then got out of the car and walked around to look down at the mystery that was a car engine.

"So can you fix it?" she prompted him as EJ began to pull and press on different parts of the engine.

"If you rush the miracle worker you get a lousy miracle my love," said EJ easily as he looked up at her, a smear of dirt already on his cheek already.

"What do I get if I threaten the miracle worker with a severe beating?" asked Sami flatly, not thrilled by these latest turn of events.

EJ straightened up and walked around to the other side of the bonnet, pausing briefly to give his answer to that into her ear.

"One very aroused miracle worker," he purred, his lips against her ear and Sami pulled away and tried to frown up at him but EJ had already stuck his head back under the hood and had returned to his tinkering.

"Is there any way you'll ever stop being so disgusting?" asked Sami with some ire, trying not to let his words affect her.

"God I hope not," said EJ cheerfully, "Here I need your help."

EJ directed her towards a bunch of wires that he was working around.

"Just hold them out of the way for me would you sweetheart?" he asked distractedly as he began to work under them and Sami had no real choice but to comply.

"You know we are only about an hour of Salem," she informed him, "We could probably call the car rental company and get them to send someone to fix it or even a new car."

"I may be able to fix it in half the time it takes to do all that," said EJ calmly, "Just let me try a couple of things."

"Men," said Sami with a shake of her head, "Why will they never ask for help?"

"Because I don't need it," retuned EJ casually.

"Yeah right," said Sami with a roll of her eyes but then her cell phone rang and she dug it out from her purse and answered it while still holding onto the wires EJ had asked her to, "Hello?"

"Hey Sami," said a familiar voice.

"Oh hi," she said and then felt suddenly very guilty because she'd barely given him a second thought in the last couple of days as she and EJ had gotten more deeply into the letters.

"So you can't be far away by now," he said, "When should I be expecting you? I thought we might go out to dinner and celebrate your return."

Sami pulled a face, knowing that Lucas wasn't going to be happy about what she was about to say.

"We've encountered some technical difficulties," admitted Sami reluctantly and looked down at the top of EJ's head as he fiddled away at the mysteries of what lay under a car's hood.

"Is that Lucas?" asked EJ brightly, looking up at her and smiling, "Tell him that we are not far away. Oh and tell him that I've missed him terribly and for him to slip into something more comfortable because we've got some major cuddling time to make up for when I get back."

Sami just glared at him for that and he grinned back unapologetically.

"Is that guy ever not a smart ass?" asked Lucas sourly, hearing everything EJ had just said and was unimpressed.

"No," said Sami flatly, still glaring at EJ for trying to stir Lucas up yet again.

"Here hold this," instructed EJ blithely, directing Sami's hand to a hose pipe now that he seemed to be currently working around.

Sami complied absently as Lucas kept talking in her ear.

"So how much longer is this _technical difficult_y going to take?" asked Lucas unhappily.

"How much longer EJ?" she asked him.

"About as long as a piece of string," he answered distractedly, tinkering with the connection to the hose pipe Sami was holding.

"He has no idea," said Sami reported back with a roll of her eyes.

"I thought he was some big shot car expert?" said Lucas in annoyance.

"Move your hand a little lower sweetheart," EJ directed her and Sami complied without thinking.

"Apparently he's all show and no go," said Sami and smiled sweetly at EJ who arched an eyebrow at her for that effort.

"A little lower," he said instead of answering her dig and Sami once again moved her hand along the hose.

"I bet this is another trick," said Lucas in aggravation.

"That thought occurred," agreed Sami dourly, throwing EJ a suspicious look, "But there was smoke coming out of the engine."

"Lower," said EJ and Sami moved her hand on the hose pipe accordingly, "Oh that's it, right there sweetheart."

"He could have faked that," said Lucas knowingly, "Poured some oil on the fan belt or something and when it heated up it began to smoke."

"And just a little tighter," EJ urged her.

"But now the car has stopped altogether," complained Sami, absently continuing to do as EJ instructed her without thinking about it, "So if it was a trick then it backfired on him."

"Oh yes that's it," said EJ in the background, his voice verging on a breathy groan, "Just like that, you know how I like it, don't stop sweetheart, just a little longer-"

Sami jerked her hand away in horror at EJ's excited carry on and glared death at him for his ribald teasing.

"What the hell has that guy got you holding exactly Sami?!" asked Lucas in jealous horror because he'd been able to hear everything EJ had been saying which of course had been his intent.

"Nothing!" said Sami defensively and scowling at EJ fiercely who was chuckling unrepentantly away to himself, finding his little ruse very entertaining, "EJ's just being an idiot-"

Sami slapped EJ's arm then, her eyes promising him this wasn't over with as she moved away from the car to continue her conversation with Lucas without EJ's constant interferences.

"As usual," she said in annoyance.

"I'm sick of him always being around you Sami," said Lucas angrily.

"It's not my fault he lives across the hall from us," said Sami defensively.

"Well we'll be moving soon enough," said Lucas tightly.

"Oh," said Sami, taken aback by that comment.

She'd forgotten entirely that before she had left for LA that she and Lucas had been looking for a new apartment on her insistence. It seemed like a life time ago now and the thought of being separated from EJ caused a sudden pain in her heart.

"And while we're at it I think you should consider getting a new job," Lucas continued on.

"What!" exclaimed Sami, her frown deepening at that, "I can't do that Lucas!"

"I know you like the job and everything Sami," said Lucas earnestly, "But is it really worth putting up with EJ being everywhere you turn?"

"I'll sort it out when I get home," she said, having no idea how she could do that seeing as what she should do and what she wanted to do were two entirely different things, "Just leave it for now Lucas."

"Is Lucas having trouble with those kiddie proof lids again?" asked EJ with a smirk, "Or did you just put the lolly jar up on the highest shelf and he can't reach it? Tell him not to climb up on top of things to get to it – that's a big boy job."

"You tell that smug son of a bitch that-"

Sami winced as she got an earful on EJ's behalf which probably wasn't quite what Lucas was going for but it didn't seem to stop him. After Sami had calmed him down a bit and reassured him that they couldn't be that much longer she finally managed to get off the phone to the still disgruntled Lucas.

"Lucas is upset," said Sami, sounding distressed herself as she stated the obvious.

"When isn't Lucas upset?" EJ posed the question with a roll of his eyes, "He's like a Chihuahua with diarrhoea – he's always got the shits."

"Do you mind?" asked Sami tensely.

"I do actually, thanks for asking," said EJ giving her a pointed look, "I think it's time you put that little yappy dog out of his misery."

"Shut up EJ," said Sami tightly, not really wanting his take on the situation despite how freely he volunteered it.

"Yes Samantha," he said with a quirk of his lips, "But can I just say your come backs on the subject aren't what they used to be."

Sami scowled at him for that little observation but couldn't argue with him.

[center]**ooooOOOOooo**[/center]

Half an hour later EJ was still working on the car and becoming more convinced that the problem was going to require a few more tools and spare parts then he had access to. He glanced over at Sami who was pacing up and down in a display of impatience and pursed his lips. She saw him looking at him and sent him a deeply suspicious look, clearly suspecting him of having orchestrated all of this.

The funny thing was that EJ actually hadn't organised any of this. The car had just broken down of its own accord. Of course it was a little tricky to try and convince Sami of that fact after the back incident so EJ hadn't even tried. Suddenly he had a new appreciation and sympathy for the boy who had cried wolf.

"You did this didn't you?!" she accused him, as though she could read his thoughts.

"No," said EJ calmly, not even bothering to look up from what he was doing.

"Liar!" she accused him, "This is just another trick to delay us getting back to Salem."

"Actually it's not," he said easily, straightening up and looking at her, "I want us to get back to Salem."

"You do?" she asked him in disbelief.

"Yes," he said evenly, "You need to sort a few things out and then you might actually give yourself permission to be happy for a change."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" she challenged him, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"It means you don't seem to think you deserve to be happy and therefore you force yourself to settle, thinking that is a good trade off for all of your supposed past crimes," said EJ coolly, "Perhaps if you dealt with a few more things in your life Samantha you might feel better about yourself and I think that process needs to start in Salem."

"How am I meant to feel EJ?" she asked him in aggravation and then cutting to the heart of the matter, "I've become the one things I said I'd never be, a cheater!"

EJ looked at her steadily, resting a hip against the car.

"I forgive you," he said simply.

"What?" Sami frowned in confusion.

"I forgive you for cheating on me with Lucas," he said evenly, even though there was definite emotion in his voice.

"Lucas is the one I'm cheating on!" exclaimed Sami in horror, "Not you!"

"Sweetheart even you can't believe that," said EJ with a tinge of annoyance in his voice as he straightened up and walked over to her, "We are the real relationship, we are what you think about every minute of every day and it is my bed you get out of every time to go crawling back to Lucas. So don't tell me that Lucas is the hard done by party here because he isn't."

"You can't be serious EJ!" she said in disbelief and EJ could see that she'd never considered things from this angle before.

"Tell me we're not the real thing and Lucas is the fantasy," he urged her, putting his face level with hers and determined to get her to admit the truth out loud, "Tell me that on some level you have to understand that it is me you are cheating on when you keep going back to him even though you haven't made love to him since the night of his accident at the cabin."

"You don't know that!" she said fiercely, obviously intent on debunking his theory.

"I know it would kill you to sleep with two men at the same time," said EJ, not backing down, "It is never just sex with you Samantha, you give your whole self over to that person and it isn't in you to be able to do that with two men at the same time."

"It doesn't make it right what I'm doing though!" she said, in real distress now.

"I couldn't agree more," said EJ steadily, "So end it with Lucas once and for all Samantha. I think I have been more than patient with you over these last few months but you have to make a decision and stand by it."

"You make it sound very simple," she said bitingly, glaring up at him.

"It is simple if you would but acknowledge it," said EJ, looking at her intently, "Sweetheart you've already made the decision and you remake it every time you come willingly to my bed. You're heart has chosen me and now it is time for you to stop all this foolishness and admit the truth about the way you feel about me."

"Who the hell do you think you are?!" she asked him angrily.

"I'm the man who loves you more than life itself," said EJ unapologetically, "Who wants for you to be happy."

"If you wanted me to be happy you would have left me alone!" said Sami emotionally.

"Come now sweetheart," said EJ mockingly, "You don't really expect me to believe that now do you? Being with me has been the single most thrilling time of your life and if you would only let go of that last bit of stubborn resistance it would be even better."

"You smug, cocky, disgusting-"

EJ sighed as he Sami started on what was evidently going to be a long list but he didn't care. When she was done he was going to get her to admit that she loved him or die trying so EJ waited patiently for her to finish and then he determinedly faced off against her.

"Now it's my turn," he said tersely walking up to her and towering over her, "Let's make a few things absolutely clear shall we sweetheart...?"

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & TWELVE**** – ****The Parting of Ways**

This is all you have.

This is not a dry run.

This is your life.

If you want to fritter it away with your fears,

Then you will fritter it away

But you won't get it back later.

_Laura Schlessinger_

"Where are you going?" asked EJ in exasperation as he ran down the track after her.

The dirt track started from the back of the house and wound down between fields of wheat that looked just about ready to harvest. Their conversation had deteriorated pretty quickly after EJ decided that he was going to get Sami to admit that she loved him once and for all. Rather predictably Sami had stormed off. EJ didn't know why he was surprised but she didn't seem to have any real plan to her storming off though as she headed down between the wheat fields and into more fields.

"Away from you!" she yelled back over her shoulder, "I'll walk back to Salem if I have to!"

"Well you're going the wrong way sweetheart," he informed her mockingly as he had almost caught her up, "Unless you're planning to get back to Salem via Alaska of course."

"Leave me alone EJ!" she snapped at him.

"But it's going to rain," EJ tried to reason with her.

Right on cue there was a loud clap of thunder and the increasingly grey skies began to spit out its bounty.

"Leave me alone!" said Sami again, still intent on marching away from him and not seeming to care about the rain that was now starting to fall.

"You're going to get wet," he warned her.

Sami whirled around and glared at him furiously.

"Anything is better than listening to you rant on like an idiot!" she snapped at him.

"So I'm suddenly an idiot when I give you some unwelcome home truths am I?" asked EJ, unimpressed with her attempt to make out like he was the one with the problem.

"Home truths according to you EJ!" she bit out.

"I'm sorry if it upsets your little fantasy world to consider the fact that you and I are in a very real relationship while you and Lucas are playing house at best," said EJ tersely, "And I'm sorry if you don't like the implications of Colleen and Santo relationship on our own but at some point you are just going to have to deal!"

"I've been dealing with what happened to Colleen and Santo my entire life!" yelled Sami, looking really distressed now, "Santo started that vendetta to get revenge and my family has been paying ever since!"

"He'd had his whole world taken from him by a Brady!" said EJ in angry defence of his grandfather, knowing he would have done the exact same thing if it had been Sami.

"It was an accident!" Sami defended her great grandfather heatedly, "Peter Brady didn't shoot Colleen, she tried to grab the gun from him and it went off!"

"A gun _he br_ought into a church," EJ said grimly, "One way or the other Peter Brady was going to stop Santo and Colleen from being together, he intended for someone to die but it was just the wrong someone!"

"He was upset!" Sami protested, "It had been a shock for him to discover all these things at once EJ! He thought he was protecting Colleen!"

"And instead he killed her," said EJ tightly, "And your family is doing the exact same thing to you by making you ashamed of everything you are instead of rejoicing in it! Don't you want to be free of all that false expectations and conditional love Samantha?"

"You don't know the first thing about my family!" said Sami angrily, "Don't you dare presume to know them!"

"I know them by looking at you and the way you twist yourself into all these shapes just to please them!" said EJ unrepentantly, "At least Colleen saw what was happening to her and had the courage to be honest with herself! If you want to model yourself on anyone in your family sweetheart I suggest starting with your great aunt rather than the rest of your controlling and pious family!"

"Shut up, shut up, shut UP!" she yelled at him as he held her wrists, easily holding her at bay as they struggled, "I don't want to hear this! I don't want to talk to you EJ!"

"Then don't!" he ground out, putting his arms around her while still holding onto Sami's wrist's and restraining her, done with this constant talking in circles, "You can feel instead!"

EJ bent his head to kiss her but Sami squirmed defiantly away. She pulled away from him as best she could; kicking out at him and EJ lost his footing on the wet, muddy soil and felt himself beginning to fall. He tried desperately to turn them so he wouldn't fall on top of Sami, attempting to make it happen the other way round. EJ succeeded in a manner of speaking with them landing with them landing on the wet ground with a rush of air from both of their lungs, Sami half falling over the top of him, with EJ on his back now. His lower back gave a little twinge of annoyance at the imposition but EJ was much more focused on the woman on top of him who was trying to get free of his hold on her.

To restrain her further EJ simply reversed their positions, rolling over so she was under him now and he allowed a fair amount of his weight to bear down on her to keep Sami in place. Sami wasn't making this easy for him though as she struggled mightily against him. She writhed and bucked under him, intent on getting away from him, all the while threatening him with physical body harm unless he let her go. EJ barely heard her though as her body worked its usual magic on him.

"Oh god yes," he groaned, closing his eyes against the pleasure her squirming body was giving him, her softness continually rubbing and bucking against every hard plane of his and only adding to the sensation of the pelting rain on his back, "God but that feels good, don't stop sweetheart!"

"You pig!" panted Sami, immediately stopping as she saw and felt how aroused he was becoming.

But EJ wasn't letting her play the role of outraged maid right then.

"Let's see if I'm the only one enjoying this eh?" EJ challenged her, a predatory look in his eye.

He managed to grab both her wrists in one hand and stretch them over her head, holding her in place with his body as his other hand deftly undid her pants button and zipper and slipped his hands down the front of her panties. She bucked up as he found her core, dripping wet and unbearably hot.

"Oh yes," EJ hissed excitedly, "You love this as much as I do sweetheart."

"It's the rain!" she threw back at him defiantly, even while she blushed a bright red but unable to admit defeat and attempted to explain the wetness he'd just found.

EJ arched a challenging eyebrow at her for that and immediately dipped two of his fingers deep into her core and making Sami arch her back helplessly as he plundered her depths. He withdrew his fingers then and still holding her in place with her arms stretched out over her head and his leg thrown over her lower body EJ placed one of his fingers, coated in her own juices to his lips. His eyes silently commanded her to watch him and to his intense pleasure Sami seemed to be in his thrall now as he took his index finger into his mouth and suckled the taste of her from it. When he was done EJ slowly licked his lips, a hungry look in his eyes as he savoured the taste of her arousal in his mouth.

"Rain never tasted so sweet," he growled and to prove his point EJ now placed his middle finger against Sami's lips, rubbing it back and forth in a silent demand for her to taste herself.

Sami's lips parted and EJ felt himself harden even more as she took his finger into her mouth and then he felt her hot tongue lapping at her own goodness, holding his gaze unblinkingly as she did. EJ needed to be inside her instantly at the sight of that and his great need for her made him release her wrists and begin to unbutton her blouse with eager hands. Sami pushed against his chest and for one horrifying minute EJ thought she might be trying to push him off her, rejecting him but instead she rolled them over so that she was on top of him. Sami then began to tear at his clothes and EJ groaned in relief, sitting up a bit and doing the same, his hands going to her blouse even as he began to hungrily lick off the water droplets from her chest.

It was a flurry of hands but eventually they were both naked, in a field, in the rain and knowing nothing beyond each other.

"God but I've never wanted a woman like the way I want you," confessed EJ helplessly as he looked up at her rain soaked countenance, her naked body slick with the water from the heavens.

EJ couldn't imagine ever desiring another woman again, she was all he saw, all he ever wanted to see and even though Sami wouldn't admit it, she was his.

"I know," she moaned, just as helplessly and then raised herself up on her knees before sinking down on his rigid length, making them both cry out.

EJ gritted his teeth and arched his back at the sensation of being enveloped in her heat, encased in her tightness once again. His hands went to her hips to begin to move her up and down on him but Sami was in control, already beginning to do just that. She was riding him so fiercely EJ was almost immediately battling to fend off his climax, not wanting it to end so quickly but it was a losing battle. Their fighting always guaranteed that he was more than primed for an explosive ending and this time was no different. The amazing sight of Sami's soaked body astride him, her face twisted in her own delight and her glorious breasts bouncing enticingly with her every move was too much for EJ. He reached out his hands to cup her breasts and at the feeling of their full weightiness in his hands he immediately began to climax, feeling Sami do the same. They both screamed out their mutual release into the storm raging around them, their climaxes short and sharp but very intense.

Sami's hands went to EJ's that were still gripping her breasts tightly and encircled his wrists, almost using him to hold herself upright as her head lolled to one side, eyes half closed as her muscles went limp from the after affects of her orgasm. EJ wasn't done yet though. His release had been too quick to be truly satisfied and he knew Sami must be the same. He wanted more and he knew Sami was going to be more than willing to give it to him. Sami opened her eyes fully when she felt one of his hands leave her breast and slip between their bodies. She was still straddling him but EJ easily found her swollen nub with his fingers. Sami gasped and looked at him wide eyed and jerked as he touched the highly sensitized peak.

"EJ!" she gasped, at the painful bolt of pleasure he'd caused her just by a simple touch.

"Shh," he quieted her compliant unevenly, "You want this, don't you sweetheart?"

EJ began to slowly rub on the distended flesh, making Sami shuddered helplessly against him.

"Yes!" she moaned in answer to his question, gasping as he easily made her orgasm yet again.

EJ felt her convulse around him, loving that he could get her that ready so quickly but he was far from done with her yet. He picked up his speed, massaging her harder now and determined to wring a lot more from Sami's body before he had finished with her.

"EJ don't!" she protested breathlessly, "I can't, it's too much... ooOOHHHH!"

EJ gritted his teeth in satisfaction as she came once again for him, making a mockery of her own protests.

"Oh god!" she panted weakly when she was done, her hands going to his chest and using it to steady herself after that last release.

"That felt good didn't it sweetheart?" he asked her, his voice rough with his own arousal.

She mutely nodded her head, unable to speak right then.

"I think you want more though," he growled, resuming his stimulation of her.

"EJ NO!" she gasped in delighted horror as he began working on her body yet again, "Oh god, it hurts so much...!"

EJ knew what she meant, too much pleasure piled up on top of one another drove your senses into a frenzy so you no longer knew if it was pleasure or pain that you were feeling. She'd done it to him on so many occasions that he'd lost count and EJ knew that as much as his body might complain about it the intensity of his releases always made it worth his while. He knew Sami felt the same despite her current protests and was determined to give her so much pleasure that she would be begging him never to leave her body again. He latched onto one of her breasts with his mouth, suckling hard on one nipple and making her squeal while his free hand began to pull on her other peak, knowing how she liked it. He squeezed the nub between her legs tightly as he played roughly with her breasts, making her squirm about in delighted pleasure on him and restoring his hard on to its former glory the whole time. He eventually tore his mouth from her breast, pulling on the teat hard as he did and looked up at Sami.

"Come for me Samantha," he ordered her roughly and released the hold he had on her nub.

Blood coursed back into the little peak and Sami shrieked loudly and immediately did as he commanded, unable to help herself. EJ watched in excited satisfaction as she obeyed him, knowing he was the one who currently had control over her body and no one else. It was a heady feeling of power and humbling adoration to think that this shining creature was all his for the taking. He feasted on her body then, finding every one of her erogenous zones and exploiting them shameless as Sami had no choice but to climax again and again under his skilled hands and mouth. The whole time EJ could feel himself getting harder and thicker inside of her, even more aroused then before as her begging cries for mercy and her spasming body drove him close to his own peak.

At last Sami couldn't even plead with him anymore as he continued mercilessly arousing her to orgasm after orgasm, instead only whimpering helplessly during each one of her releases. EJ knew she was utterly his now and the knowledge was his undoing. She fought him about everything and he just needed her to give herself to him completely in that moment, with no hesitation. EJ rolled them over so that he was on top now, immediately moving her legs up over his shoulder and penetrating her as deeply as he could now that she was spread out below him. EJ loved the way Sami squealed at the sensation, grabbing at his shoulders and throwing her head back.

"Oh god yes!" she cried out in between her sobs and he could see the amazement in her eyes that she could still be feeling even more pleasure after all that he'd put her body through.

"I need you Samantha!" he told her, his eyes full of desperation as his own arousal reached a point where EJ knew he could no longer control himself.

"Then take me EJ," she implored him breathlessly, "I want you to take me."

EJ gave an excited groan at her words, drawing himself all the way out of her only to slam himself home once again and making them both moan.

"Like that?" he growled down at her, "Is that what you want me to do sweetheart?"

"You know it is," she panted, her eyes full of feminine knowing, "I need you to come inside of me EJ, I need it so badly."

EJ whimpered to hear her confession, his hips beginning to move of their own accord at hearing that as he began to claim her fiercely.

"Oohh yes EJ!" she said excitedly, "That's just what I want, don't stop!"

She was talking him into a frenzy; each time he penetrated her fully she would bear down hard on his aching member, making him grunt out in pained appreciation of her efforts before he'd pull out of her almost totally as she encouraged him back into her all the time with pleas for him to go harder and faster, to never stop filling her with his maleness. In the end it was almost an out of body experience for EJ as he frantically drove himself repeatedly into her, desperate to find his own release. Tiny fissures of pleasure were overtaking his entire body even while his body continued to labour to find his ultimate release. He could hear someone in the distance grunting and moaning wildly and assumed it was him but all he could hear was the sound of Sami's body receiving him effortlessly time and time again and her breathy words of encouragement for him to give her more of the same.

"Oh god!" he heard Sami moan, her neck arching, "Oh god you're going to make me come again!"

He could hear the amazement in her voice with good reason, she'd climaxed so many times before then that even EJ didn't think he could get her to come once more but the knowledge that she was about to climax again for him was enough to drive EJ over the edge. He felt the painful tightening of his balls and then he was more than exploding inside of her, it was almost volcanic in nature his eruption and EJ fought with all his might not to black out because he didn't want to miss out on one second of this inexplicable ecstasy that was rioting through his body. He howled mightily as he pumped his scorching hot seed into her receptive body, adoring her for the way she was helping to milk him dry with her energetic convulsing of her walls.

EJ's orgasm went on forever, the longest he'd ever had, he just couldn't seem to stop. The whole time Sami was still coaxing him on, begging him to never stop and EJ was beginning to think he might actually grant her that wish as he continued to convulse helplessly inside of her, every muscle in his body involved in his orgasm so that he could swear even his teeth were writhing in delight. At last, after what felt like hours EJ was done, utterly spent and he collapsed down on Sami, her legs still against his shoulders, her knees still pressed to her chest. She didn't complain though, instead running her hands over his sweaty face and through his hair.

"You're so beautiful when you come," she said unevenly.

EJ groaned to hear that, pressing a kiss to the palm of the hand that was stroking his face.

"I can't move," he said faintly.

"I don't want you to," she told him huskily and EJ gave a groan of relief at that, burying his sweaty face in her naked shoulder, hoping that some strength would return to his body at some point.

After a few moments EJ felt Sami's hands slip between their bodies and to his surprise EJ felt her begin to play with her own nub. He'd had no idea if Sami had come during his climax, just assuming that she had but apparently she hadn't. The thought of her stimulating herself while he was still recovering inside her from his own climax made EJ give a grunt of approving pleasure. He heard her breathing become uneven, knew she was quickly returning to the height of her own arousal and was only sad that he couldn't join her right then. EJ cupped her breast with one tired hand, rolling her nipple between this thumb and forefinger and it immediately tightened obediently for him. Sami gave a little approving moan at his ministrations so EJ now attached himself to that hardened peak, suckling gently and helping her get there as well. Sami went suddenly rigid under him as she enjoyed her latest climax. Her legs slipped from his shoulders as she convulsed gently around him and EJ used the last of his strength to roll them on their side so they could both recuperate from that marathon session.

oooOOOOooo

"How much longer Samantha?" asked EJ a little grimly as they walked back to the car, the rain still falling but more lightly now.

After their explosive coupling they had lain there in the wet field for a long moment until Sami rather abruptly got up and quickly got dressed and had started back to the car. EJ had followed suit and now she was slightly ahead of him, small shoulders set rigidly as she walked along.

"Every time it is the same," he informed her back, knowing that she was listening to him even though she wasn't acknowledging it, "We get closer and then you run away."

Sami just continued to walk determinedly back down the track they'd come up, heading back to the house and their car that was parked in front of it.

"I'm sick to death of watching you always walking away from me Samantha," EJ told her in real frustration, "I'm not going to stand for it forever."

They were back at the car now and EJ grabbed Sami's arm and swung her around to face him, his ultimatum hanging between them.

"Did you hear me Samantha?" he asked her tightly, "I'm done with you always leaving me."

She looked up at him steadily and for a change it was hard to know what she was thinking. Usually EJ could read her moods pretty well by this stage but she still managed to flummox him on the odd occasion it seemed.

"What do you want from me EJ?" she asked him a little hopelessly.

"Everything," said EJ, responding without thinking about it.

Sami looked away at that one confronting word.

"I know you're scared Samantha," said EJ urgently, coming to stand a little closer to her, "I know that you don't think I understand just how big a step this is for you but I do. I know that I'm asking you to upset people you love and I'm sorry about that, truly I am but you have to know by now that this isn't going away. You and me Samantha, we're the real thing and even though it will be tough in the beginning getting people to accept that I don't think either one of us can deny it to ourselves any longer. I feel it in our lovemaking – you give yourself utterly to me, with no hesitation. You would never be able to do that with someone you didn't love."

"And what about you EJ?" she asked him, looking up at him defiantly, "You're asking me to give up everything to be with you essentially and what are you giving up exactly?"

EJ looked a little taken aback by that question.

"I'd give anything to be with you Samantha," said EJ emphatically.

Sami narrowed her eyes and walked up right close to him, having to tilt her head back to still look him in the eye.

"I've asked you this before," she reminded him, "And I told you that as long as Stefano was a part of your life I never would be."

EJ frowned a little at hearing that.

"I know you love your father EJ, God only knows why but I accept that you do," said Sami stoically, "But you are asking me to turn my back on my parents that I love dearly to be with you."

"They will come around Samantha," he tried to reassure her.

"Maybe – one day," she said with a little shrug, "But they are going to be hurt and angry and disappointed in me for a long time before that happens and I'll have to live with that day in and day out the entire time it is happening. They will never share in any happiness I might have that whole time and do you have any idea how alone that makes me feel?"

EJ went to answer her but she put a hand up to stall him, continuing to talk.

"You want me to choose you over everyone else in my life," she said steadily, "Well if I did I'd want you to do the same EJ. I'd want you to cut all ties to your father, to your brother."

"But there is no need," said EJ with a frown, "My father is eager to welcome you into the family."

"I don't want to be a part of the DiMera family anymore than you want to be a part of the Brady family," said Sami tightly, "So where does that leave us EJ?"

"I want us to have both families supporting us Samantha," said EJ earnestly, "I don't want it to come down to a choice between them or us."

"But that is the reality of the situation," she said with a shrug, "We may not like it but there it is. EJ I know you think your father isn't as bad as I think he is but you're wrong. He's worse. Every painful childhood memory I have links back to him in some way. He all but destroyed my family over and over again and now you seriously think that I could bear the thought of having anything to do with him ever? That you and I could play happy families with him and everything would be forgotten?! He's not even sorry for the pain he caused me and my family EJ – he's glad about it because it was what Santo had wanted him to do! I won't be involved with another son who is mindlessly following his father's bidding EJ, I won't! I'm not going to help continue this terrible legacy where a father passes on his hatred to his child to carry on into the next generation! I would never have children with you knowing that was going to be their fate!"

"I would never allow such a thing Samantha!" said EJ emphatically.

"You already are by being so passive and accepting in your relationship with your father," said Sami hopelessly, "Don't you get it EJ, even now? You keep telling me that I've got to chose well I'm not the one with a choice to make, it's you! You need to decide who you are and what you really want EJ. You're either going to always be in your father's shadow or you are going to be your own man. One of those men I could never be with, never!"

EJ stared at her wide eyed, neither one of them even noticing how the rain continued to fall around them, the only creatures in existence in that moment were the two of them, nothing and no one else mattered.

"Do you know what you are asking of me Samantha?" he asked her painfully.

"The exact same thing you are asking of me EJ," she returned determinedly, "Until you make a choice it will always come down to this. While Stefano is in your life I will never feel safe, no matter what you say or do and I can't live like that, I just can't."

Suddenly the blare of a car horn startled them both and they looked over to see a car pulling up beside them. Both of them made surprised noises when Lucas climbed out of the driver's seat.

"Why are you two standing in the rain?" he asked them with a frown.

"What are you doing here Lucas?" asked Sami, completely ignoring his question.

"I've come to pick you up," he said, stating the obvious, "When you told me how close to home you were I thought I'd come out and meet you rather than have you stranded by the road for hours on end. At least now you can come home with me and I'm sure EJ has got everything under control this end, isn't that right Elvis?"

"Lucas," growled EJ, not liking the man's timing one little bit.

"Sounds good," said Sami abruptly, catching both men off guard a little with her ready acceptance of his offer.

Without a backwards look at EJ Sami walked over to the passenger side of Lucas' car and got in. Lucas still looked a little surprised at how easy that was but then gave EJ a smug smile.

"Guess you're stuck with your own company now eh Elvis?" he asked him mockingly, "Bet you're thinking twice now about screwing with the car to get more alone time with Sami. Now it just looks like it's going to be alone time for you."

With that Lucas got back into the car and he turned it around, somehow managing to squeal the tyres in the mud and sped off. Watching Sami leave him yet again and in the middle of such an important conversation made EJ feel as though his heart was tied to the back of that car, ripped out of his chest and being dragged painfully along the gravel and dirt. He put out an unsteady hand to lean against the car, their conversation and Sami's sudden departure leaving him absolutely gutted but with a lot to think about.

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & THIRTEEN**** - ****The Inescapable Truth**** (Friday)**

The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.

_~Flora Whittemore~_

"You were quiet in the car," commented Lucas, watching Sami intently as she walked into the apartment and looked around herself.

"I guess I'm just a bit tired," she said, "It was a long trip."

"Did something happen on the trip?" asked Lucas, his feelings of unrest growing the longer Sami remained in this odd mood, "Did EJ do something to you Sami?"

"Like what?" she asked him, looking at him wide eyed.

"I don't know," shrugged Lucas, trying to read her expression, "You were gone over a week Sami, I figured stuff must have gone on."

"What do you mean by that?!" asked Sami, putting a hand to her throat and looking a little dismayed now.

"I mean he would have used every opportunity to work on you," said Lucas with a little frown, "To try and get you to fall for him."

"That's ridiculous Lucas," she said unevenly, her lips thinning a little defensively.

"Is it?" asked Lucas with an arched eyebrow, "That guy has never made any secret of his interest in you Sami."

"Can we talk about something else other than EJ please?" asked Sami, looking away, "I need a shower and to get out of these wet clothes."

Sami started towards the bedroom, tying her hair up in a bun as she went but Lucas stalled her.

"I missed you Sami," he told her quietly, "While you were gone I missed you."

Sami stopped by the door, her back to him before slowly turning around to face him again.

"You did?" asked Sami unevenly.

"I did," nodded Lucas seriously, "More than I thought I would."

To Lucas' surprise his words suddenly made Sami tear up and he limped over to her, putting his arms around her.

":Hey, hey," he said, holding her close, "What's this then?"

"I'm sorry Lucas," she whispered, putting her head on his chest and suddenly he had a bad feeling about where this might be going.

"What is it Sami?" he asked her, a little grimly now, "Just tell me and we'll deal with it okay? I just don't want there to be anymore lies between us."

"Either do I Lucas," said Sami, pulling back and looking up at him seriously, "Lucas I-"

A knock at the door interrupted whatever it was that Sami was going to say.

"Gee I wonder who that could be?" asked Lucas sarcastically, knowing full well it would be EJ.

He let go of Sami then and walked to the door, leaving her standing there with a pensive look on her face.

"Hold that thought honey," he said over his shoulder, "I'll get rid of him and then you can finish what you were going to say."

Lucas put a hand on the door knob, muttering under his breath.

"At least he knocked," he said, "That's a pleasant change rather than just barging in."

Lucas swung open the door, ready to do battle with EJ if he had to in his efforts to get rid of the pesky man.

"Can't you get your own life and leave us alone?" he asked flatly as he opened the door only to have to explain himself when he saw who it was that was standing there, "Mom! What are you doing here?"

"Apparently not having a life," said Kate, arching one perfectly manicured eyebrow.

"Sorry," said Lucas, stepping back and letting her through, "I thought you were EJ."

"And why would you think that?" asked Kate curiously.

"Because he's always hanging around like a bad smell," said Lucas in annoyance.

Kate walked into the room and immediately spied the unimpressed looking Sami.

"Oh god," Kate said in disgust, taking in Sami's bedraggled look and looking back at Lucas pointedly, "Now she's not even making an effort with her appearance. You're onto a real winner here honey."

"Mom if you can't say anything nice about Sami I'd prefer you didn't say anything at all," said Lucas, sending his mother a censuring look.

"Oh goody," said Sami sarcastically, "We're never going to hear her speak again – it's like my birthday and Christmas has come at once."

"Santa only brings the good little boys and girls what they wish for," said Kate smugly, giving Sami a pointed look.

"What do you want Kate?" asked Sami flatly, clearly not in the mood.

"Yeah Mom," said Lucas, "We were kind of in the middle of something."

"Like you demanding to know what the hell she was thinking taking off with another man for a week and leaving you alone?" asked Kate tartly.

She gave Sami a sweet smile then.

"Oh and the business is going just fine," she said sarcastically, "Thanks for your concern. I managed what has been a very busy week all by myself. But then I don't suppose you understand that concept of hard work or committing to one thing and seeing it through."

"Gee Kate," answered Sami just as sarcastically, "Do you think you might have been busy because of the business EJ and I brought in last weekend at the conference? I don't suppose you want to hand out any credit for that little fact or the fact that EJ and still kept in contact with quite a few of potential investors and you can expect and even busier week next week."

Sami gave Kate her own smug smile then.

"No really," she said mockingly, "You don't have to thank me for turning the business that you were barely keeping afloat before I joined to the thriving powerhouse it is becoming. After Shinto San's investment in us I think it's pretty safe to say we've taken Mythic far beyond any feeble predictions you were aiming for."

"It's true Mom," said Lucas with a bit of a smile at seeing Sami put his mother in place in something that Kate had always felt she was by far the more skilled one, "Sami really has rocked her role in Mythic."

"Beginner's luck," said Kate, her lips twisting in annoyance, "Or probably more accurately, dumb luck."

"Hm," said Sami mockingly, "I see now how you always seem to be drunk when I see you – all those sour grapes to make your _whine_ out of. It must be great to know that you have a never ending supply of the stuff."

The knock at the door interrupted any further carry on between the two women.

"Thank god," said Lucas with a sigh at the never ending feud between the two women, "Saved by the bell."

He walked over to the door and opened it.

"Spoke too soon," said Lucas flatly as he looked up at EJ.

"Lucas," said EJ calmly, "I have Samantha's clothes."

Lucas looked down at the bag of clothes EJ was holding and arched an eyebrow.

"I don't think Sami wants them or any kind of reminder of the nightmare of the last week Elvis," said Lucas disdainfully.

EJ looked over his head to where Sami was standing, their eyes meeting for a long minute.

"I'll take them," she said finally, "There was a blouse in there I really liked."

She walked over to the doorway and stood beside Lucas.

"Thank you EJ," said Sami a little unsteadily and took the offered bag from him, EJ still being as damp as she was.

"I live to serve," he said evenly and then with a slight inclination of his head he went to go, "Lucas, Samantha."

He looked at Kate then and gave her the barest of smiles.

"Always a delight Kate," EJ said and then he was gone.

"I need a shower," said Sami suddenly and started to walk towards the bedroom.

"Did you see that?" Kate demanded of her son when she was gone.

"See what Mom?" asked Lucas tiredly, "EJ just bought Sami her clothes and for once left without making a scene. I for one think that is progress."

"Are you kidding me?!" she asked in disbelief, "Did you see how those two were looking at each other?! You could cut the tension between them with a knife!"

"So he'd pissed her off again," shrugged Lucas, "Nothing new there."

"It wasn't that kind of tension," said Kate knowingly.

"Why are you doing this Mom?" asked Lucas in exasperation, "Why can't you just let Sami and me be happy?"

"But you're not happy!" exclaimed his mother, "Both of you look like your cat just died!"

"Maybe it's because we have to keep putting up with constant interruptions from you," suggested Lucas flatly.

"Maybe it's because you know that Sami is up to her old tricks and it's only a matter of time before she rips your heart out," said Kate tersely, "Yet _again_. Why won't you ever learn with that little whore?"

"Get out Mom!" said Lucas, his jaw setting angrily at what she'd just called Sami.

"I'm only trying to protect you honey," Kate pleaded with him to listen to reason, "You're in a fragile state of mind right now, trying to recover from your accident and Sami is taking advantage of you!"

"I told you Mom," said Lucas determinedly as he ushered her to the door, "Until you learn to accept that Sami is a permanent part of my life and start treating her with respect then I don't want to see or hear from you!"

"Just remember I'm here for you," said Kate, not giving up, "When you need someone who really does love you."

"Goodbye Mom," said Lucas tersely and shut the door in her face.

He leant back against it heavily then, closing his eyes and absently rubbing his leg. The driving today had stirred it up even more and Lucas pushed himself away from the door and walked painfully towards the kitchen. He downed a few painkillers and waited for them to help but he was finding that they weren't really doing the trick like they used to. Lucas walked over to his coat and pulled a packet of pills from the pocket and looked at the little white pills. A friend of a friend had sourced some painkillers for him that his friend had claimed would work wonders. Lucas had been putting off taking them as he wasn't exactly sure what they were but right at that moment he was just sick of being in pain and on impulse took one.

He went and sat down then, waiting for the drugs to start taking affect and couldn't help but think about what his mother had said. She was always warning him about Sami, that was nothing new and admittedly he and Sami hadn't always had the smoothest of relationships so far but all that had changed now. Sami didn't seem to be plotting or up to something every five minutes and appeared a lot more grounded then he'd ever seen her before in her life. She was doing really well at Mythic and Lucas thought that went a long ways towards Sami having something to focus her energies on other than getting into trouble.

It looked like Sami was at last growing up and becoming more like her sister Carrie and that thought made Lucas very happy. He didn't want to spend the rest of his years lurching from one drama to another. He wanted a quiet life with Sami where they could be good parents to Will and whoever else came along. Lucas gave a little smile at the thought of having more children with Sami. They'd never really discussed it but he would catch her sometimes looking at babies and was always eager to hold any new one that they came across.

His mother couldn't see it but Lucas could see that Sami had changed a lot and for the better. Sami needed security in her life and he was determined to provide it. Sami did seem a little distracted of late but Lucas was sure that if he could just let her know how much he was committed to them that she would have her fears laid to rest. He was certain once they'd made love again then everything would fall back into place and now that she was back and he was more or less back to full health then he could make that happen and his mother wouldn't have anything to harp on at him about any longer.

oooOOOOooo

Sami walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her and then leaning heavily on it as she tried to recover from her brief encounter with EJ. He had such power over her, even when he said nothing, it was utterly maddening and Sami no longer knew what to do about that.

Sami moved slowly away from the door, every movement an effort and her tender body reminding her of EJ's lovemaking. She turned on the shower, just wanting out of those wet clothes and wanting some way to sooth herself after the high emotion of her last encounter with EJ and then seeing him at the door again. Sami walked over to the bag of clothes he'd dropped off for her and opened it up distractedly, thinking she might change into the favourite blouse. As she did she noticed a folded up piece of paper. With some trepidation she opened it up and read the four simple words.

"_I choose you. Always."_

Sami bit her lip and looked away, tears filling her eyes.

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & FOURTEEN**** – ****Laying Your Cards On The Table**

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength.

While loving someone deeply gives you courage.  
_~Lao Tzu~_

EJ walked into his apartment after having delivered Sami her clothes and closed the door behind him. Uncaring of his wet clothes he then went and sat down on the sofa and stared unblinkingly at the door he'd just entered through. His body was a mass of tangled nerves in anticipation of Sami reading his note. Their talk beside the car and in the rain had been one of their most honest so far. Sami had made it very clear to him that they would be together right now if it weren't for his father before leaving with Lucas.

EJ had stood there for a long time processing what she'd told him. He'd heard it all before of course but for the first time EJ began to understand how deeply Sami's feelings ran about his father. For so long now EJ had managed to compartmentalise the different aspects of his life, his love and loyalty to his father, his love and loyalty to Sami but now everything was crashing into each other and EJ was finally seeing that choices did indeed have to be made, on both sides.

After reading Santo and Colleen's letters EJ had been given an insight to the consequences of divided loyalties and he didn't want that for him and Sami. He loved his father; very much but EJ knew he simply could not live without Sami and therein lay the difference. She was his first choice in this world he'd realised when she'd left him so abruptly that morning after issuing him with the ultimatum of his family or her. It had terrified EJ the thought of walking this world without Sami by his side and it had come to him in a blinding revelation that they weren't going to get anywhere with this thing between them until Sami understood how committed he was to her. She needed all of him just like he needed all of her, EJ understood that now at long last and he was prepared to do just that.

"_Hello," said a voice in exasperation, "That was what I told you that you had to do the very first day we met!"_

EJ turned his head to see Sam leaning against the wall and looking at him in vague annoyance, her matching beige bra and panties earning her a second glance from EJ.

"_I can't believe it's taken you this long to figure it all out," said Sam with a roll of her eyes as she pushed herself away from the wall and came to stand in front of EJ, "Your parents weren't cousins were they?"_

"Funny," said EJ shortly, his emotions too highly strung right then to deal with Sam's brand of humour.

"_So you've let it all hang out there hm?" said Sam, regarding him with interest, "Given daddy demento the flick and picked which one between him and Sami is the love of your life once and for all with that note."_

EJ leant back against the sofa, trying to ignore her.

"_Soo not a surprise that you ended up picking the one who likes to fondle Elvis junior though," she commented in amusement._

"This isn't about sex," growled EJ in annoyance, hating something so huge in his life to be reduced to such a base thing.

"_I know my love cumquat, I just say stuff like that to bunch your panties," said Sam with a half smile, coming to sit down beside him and patting his knee, "You've done good kid, I'm proud of you."_

EJ had to look at her somewhat askew at that.

"_What?" she shrugged, "I get it. You've chosen the girl over the man that you've admired and loved your entire life. The man you've tried to model yourself on and have always looked up to."_

"Samantha comes first for me from now on," said EJ determinedly, "And if that means that I have to make a break from my father for a while for us to establish ourselves as a couple then that is what I'm prepared to do. Samantha was right, it's only what I'm asking her to do with her family and I think it is important that this isn't about being a Brady or a DiMera but about Samantha and I just coming together and acknowledging our love for one another."

"_And what about all the DiMera machinations that got you to this point?" asked Sam practically, "Tricked pregnancies, stem cells, Sami being the DiMera queen on your arm as you take over the empire?"_

EJ didn't speak for a long time, considering all of that.

"_And while you are at it there are a couple of things you might want to 'fess up about," Sam reminded him knowingly, "If you are going to do this thing I recommend starting with a blank slate."_

"I will," said EJ quietly, "As soon as Samantha tells me she loves me I'll tell her what I've done, everything and just trust that our love will be enough to see us through that."

"_And if it doesn't?" asked Sam a little sceptically._

"It will," said EJ confidently, "Samantha has a huge heart and her capacity for forgiveness is practically limitless."

"_It will need to be if she hooks up with you," said Sam with a roll of her eyes. _

"There will be no more lies between us," said EJ determinedly, "Not from now on. We'll work through the past and then only have the future to look forward to."

"Sounds simple," said Sam, pursing her lips, "You realise it's not going to be that easy right?"

"Nothing worthwhile is ever easy and not gained by great sacrifice," said EJ, his jaw setting resolutely as he embraced that statement utterly for the first time, "Samantha and I are facing some big obstacles in our future but it doesn't matter, we'll work through them together. I know my father is relying on me but he will understand that I have to follow my heart and give me his blessing, I'm sure of it. As for the DiMera empire, I was bought up with the knowledge that I would one day inherit it but I never stopped to think if I really wanted it. Samantha has made me look at everything so differently. I want to build something with her, something that is ours alone, I don't particularly want to inherit someone else's visions. I want Mythic to be the cornerstone of our own empire. I can buy Kate out and then it will be just the two of us at the helm, making decisions, working as a team. Samantha has so much untapped potential and I want to be there to see her realise it, to watch her blossom."

"_I don't see either Pop Pop or Katie Bear being thrilled by this sudden need to branch out on your own," commented Sam dryly._

"This isn't about them it is about Samantha and I," said EJ firmly, confident he could handle them both when the time came, "And I'll deal with any fall out."

"_Hm," said Sam thoughtfully, "Pride comes before a brawl don't forget."_

She looked around them both then and gave EJ a pointed look then.

"_So all of these plans kind of hinge on Sami coming clean with all these supposed feelings she has for you right?" asked Sam curiously._

"Yes," said EJ flatly, "And they are not supposed."

"_That would be easy to believe if I don't know," said Sam with a half shrug of her bare shoulders, "Sami was bursting through that door and declaring her undying love for you Elvis."_

"She'll be here," said EJ confidently, settling himself into the sofa more comfortably and fixing his eyes on the front door, "It won't be long now."

After all, EJ had just given Sami the one thing she'd asked for, the one thing that she told him was holding her back, his allegiance to his father and EJ in that note had made it very clear that he'd made his decision about that. There was nothing else to keep them apart now. Fifty minutes later EJ was feeling a little less confident as he was still sitting in the exact same position, still staring at the door while Sam had set about making a fort out of his throw cushions and coffee table.

"_Hey Elvis," she called out cheerfully, looking out at him from under the coffee table, "You want to let down your drawbridge and cross my moat big boy?"_

"She's not coming," whispered EJ, ignoring Sam completely as the realisation hit him harder than just about anything before in his life.

He'd laid himself bare in front of Sami, told her that she was the one he wanted above any other person in his life and she wasn't even going to acknowledge that fact. It had been a huge thing for EJ to write that note; it signalled a change in his priorities that he'd never really thought it would come down to but it had. He'd chosen Sami and everything was different for him now except everything was really the same as he sat there, once again, waiting for her.

Always waiting.

"_Maybe she hasn't read the note yet?" suggested Sam practically._

"She's read it," said EJ flatly, not entirely sure how he knew that but he did.

Sami had read that note, knew that he'd chosen her and knew it was now her turn to make a choice. EJ's nerves tightened at the thought. He was so tired of feeling like he was always at the mercy of Sami's whims but he had no say in the matter because that was exactly how it was.

"_Maybe she's just having a shower or something," shrugged Sam, "Or fixing her hair. You know how women hate wet hair. You both got soaked when you were going at it like bunnies in that field. Maybe it's put her off coming round right away."_

"It's not the first time we've made love in the rain," commented EJ, lost in his memories and knowing wet hair wouldn't be the reason Sami wasn't knocking on his door.

"_Yeah," said Sam thoughtfully as she climbed out from under her 'fort' and sat on the coffee table, "Apparently getting wet makes our girl wet alright... if you know what I mean."_

EJ just looked at her and shook his head in disgust.

"Could you be anymore crass?" he asked her, his lips twisting in distaste.

"_Of course I can!" said Sam brightly, accepting the challenge at face value, "Two prostitutes are standing on a corner waiting for business-"_

"No," said EJ curtly.

"_But-" Sam protested._

"Just no Sam," said EJ flatly, as he felt his heart beginning to break in his chest as Sami once again rejected him, "I'm not in the mood."

"_How about this one then?" she asked, undaunted, "What's the worst thing about a colostomy bag?" _

"And I'm done," said EJ, hauling himself off the sofa and heading towards the bathroom to change out of his now only slightly damp clothes after waiting on Sami for so long.

"_Finding shoes to match!" she called out after him and then pulled an unhappy face once he was gone, muttering away to herself, "I'm so undervalued in this relationship."_

EJ suddenly reappeared in the doorway then, an angry look on his face as he continued to contemplate the way Sami had snubbed him yet again and couldn't hold in his ire any longer. His heart was breaking and out of that broken heart spewed all the pain of rejection and dashed hopes.

"You know what?!" he demanded of Sam angrily, "I'm done with her! If she wants to play happy families with that noxious runt so much that she'll deny her true self then I say good luck to her! They deserve one another! They can live blandly ever after and have dozens of uninteresting, dwarf sized children for all I care! I wouldn't take that indecisive, fickle, crazy woman back now if she crawled in here on her hands and knees!"

Dramatic rant concluded EJ and his wounded pride stomped off into the bedroom. Sam wrinkled her nose at his outburst and shook her head.

"_Ohh," she said, pursing her lips, "Tough crowd."_

Sam stood up then, intent on following EJ into the bedroom.

"_Guess I'll have to bring out my A material," she said and then more loudly to EJ, "So Elvis, a priest, a transvestite and a camel walk into a bar..."_

oooOOOOooo

Sami lay in bed listening to Lucas' heavy breathing. She'd been worried that he might want to do more than just sleep tonight and he'd given a few hints in that direction but when it came to actually getting into bed he'd fallen asleep unbelievably quickly. Sami was incredibly relieved for the respite because it was hard enough just lying there next to him nowadays without having to fend off any of his advances. It wasn't Lucas' fault, he'd done nothing wrong and obviously nothing had changed for him but Sami knew everything had changed for her.

She very quietly got out of bed but she needn't have worried about disturbing Lucas because he didn't even stir, it was like he was drugged or something. Sami was grateful for his heavy sleep though because she needed time to think and she couldn't do that with Lucas around. She'd been lying in bed awaked for hours now and she couldn't stand it any longer. Sami walked out into the living room and just turned on a lamp for some light. Next she went to her purse and pulled out the note EJ had left her in her bag of clothes. Sami sat on the sofa and just stared at it.

"_I choose you. Always."_

How could four words have such an electrifying impact on her she wondered hopelessly?

After everything they had done and said to each other did it really come down to this? She'd issued EJ with an ultimatum and she hadn't really expected him to choose her. No one ever chose her, not when there were other options to be taken and it made her feel a frightening well of emotion that EJ had chosen her. It was the first time in her life that it had ever happened and Sami felt the tears sting her eyes as she finally came to accept that EJ wasn't going anywhere. Others had declared their love for her but ultimately abandoned her but Sami was at last willing to accept that EJ would never do that. She'd put him through hell these last four months and he hadn't wavered. In the beginning her insecurities had told her that it was because he loved the thrill of the chase but Sami knew in her heart it wasn't that.

EJ loved her.

It was that simple and that impossible.

He wasn't going to stop loving her if she did something wrong or disappointed him, Sami knew that now and the feeling of freedom that the knowledge of that brought her made her feel suddenly light headed.

Samantha Brady was loved at long last, maybe not perfectly at times but more importantly, faithfully.

She knew she and EJ were going to make a lot more mistakes and hurt each other many times over in their future but for the first time Sami was confident that this man wasn't going to leave her because of it and that reality gave her a courage she'd never known before.

"I choose you too EJ," whispered Sami into the dark, her voice shaking at the enormity of what she was saying but not backing away from it at last, "Always."

oooOOOOooo

Sami stepped off the elevator at Mythic and straightened the red dress that she'd worn especially for the occasion. It was the same red dress she'd worn to his office that day, the one that had practically brought EJ to his knees. Sami wanted this moment between them to be memorable and she gave a little shudder at the thought of where this might end. Once she'd told EJ that she loved him as much as he loved her and that she wanted only him Sami knew that EJ would be very, very happy and no doubt want to celebrate. Her body tightened in anticipation as to what form that celebration might take and another anticipatory shudder wracked her slight frame.

Their lovemaking in the field had been simply amazing and every time EJ made love to her it took Sami's breath away. She was so looking forward to them being able to be free with one another and not having to sneak around anymore though. Of course they were going to be facing a lot of opposition in the beginning but Sami truly felt that she and EJ could face anything as a united force, as long as he was no longer under his father's thumb. Of course she still had Lucas to tell as well and she dreaded hurting him but EJ was right, she wasn't in love with him anymore and it wasn't fair what she was doing to him. By rights Sami supposed she should have broken up with Lucas first before seeking out EJ but she felt like she'd kept him waiting forever, both of them really and she didn't want to wait a minute longer.

Sami had gone to his apartment first that morning but there was no answer. The next logical place that Sami could think of was that he would be at Mythic so she'd hurried over to the office. She supposed that she could have simply rung him and organised to meet him but Sami wanted to surprise him with the good news although she doubted that he'd be that surprised. He'd seen how deep her feeling had run for him long before she was willing to even begin to entertain the idea and despite the chaos she was undoubtedly about to throw her life into Sami was so grateful that he simply hadn't given up on her like everyone else in her life.

He would have been within his rights to but EJ hadn't, he'd stuck by her despite Sami pushing him away at every turn and all Sami wanted to do know was show him that it had all been worthwhile. EJ's secretary wasn't at her desk when she got to his office but that didn't stall Sami. She went straight to EJ's door, opening it and walking into the room. At first she thought no one was there but then the chair that was facing out the window behind his desk creaked and Sami realised EJ was sitting in it and taking in the view.

"EJ," she said his name softly, at last letting the love she had for him come through in her voice.

Sami frowned as EJ remained seated in his chair, the high back to her. He had a perfect right to be upset with her Sami realised and she knew she'd hurt him deeply when she'd left with Lucas yesterday. The pain she'd seen in his eyes still haunted her but she hadn't come this far to let his stubbornness thwart her now. She had to tell him how she really felt, her love for him just bursting out of her even if he wasn't going to make this easy for her.

"EJ," she said determinedly but still he refused to answer her and she shook her head at his childishness but couldn't really blame him.

Sami pressed her hand to her chest as she gathered all her courage and said the words that were going to change their lives forever.

"EJ I love you!" she blurted out, the words sounding nothing like the way she'd practiced it in her head probably a thousand times on the way over.

Her heart pounded away painfully in her chest as she waited for EJ to respond to her declaration, the moment seeming to stretch out forever but she was just so unbelievably relieved to have finally spoken them aloud.

"EJ," she said nervously, not quite expecting this kind of reaction from her, or lack thereof.

He always seemed to catch her off guard and Sami supposed she deserved him drawing this out a little bit considering all that she'd put him through to get to this point.

"Did you hear me?" she asked him a little tentatively now, "EJ I love you."

The chair slowly swung round at long last then to face Sami.

"Oh I heard you... I heard you loud and clear Samantha..."

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & FIFTEEN**** – ****How Do I Love Thee, Let Me Count The Ways**

One must learn to love and go through a good deal of suffering to get to it,

And the journey is always towards the other soul.

_~D.H. Lawrence~_

"_Oh I heard you... I heard you loud and clear Samantha."_

His words hung between them but Sami barely took them in as she looked down at the man smiling coldly up at her and made a strangled gasp, taking an involuntary step back.

"What's the matter my dear? Expecting someone else?"

"Tony what are you doing here?" asked Sami shakily when she could find her voice as she stared down in horror at him.

"Witnessing a beautiful moment between my little brother and his beloved it would seem," said Tony with the barest of smirks on his faces before pulling a little face, "At least I would be if Elvis were actually here."

"Where is EJ?" asked Sami, looking around although she knew he wasn't there unless he was crouched down behind the desk Tony was sitting at for some bizarre reason.

"I have no idea my dear," said Tony calmly, standing up now and walking around to stand in front of Sami, "I had some business to discuss with him and thought he would be here as you clearly did as well but it turns out we are both wrong hm?"

A warm look came to his eyes then that actually sent a chill through Sami's body.

"But that gives us a chance to become better acquainted instead," he said throatily, his eyes running all over Sami in her red dress appreciatively.

He looked back at her with those almost black eyes of his.

"Although can I say that I feel quite underdressed for the occasion," he purred throatily, "It is easy to see why Elvis was so eager to follow our father's instructions to bed you."

Sami's jaw tightened at his comment but beyond that didn't let Tony see that he was affecting her. She knew that by giving in to her love for EJ that she would be taking on his family in the process and never let it be said Sami Brady wasn't ready for a fight. She loved EJ and it was beyond her to deny it any longer. His creepy older brother was just another obstacle in their way but Sami was determined Tony wasn't going to stop her from following her heart.

She knew she and EJ still had things to work out between them but his note had promised her that he'd choose her over everyone else and somehow Sami believed him. However or whatever had gotten them to this point in their relationship didn't matter to Sami any more. She was EJ's just as much as he claimed over and over again to be hers and it didn't matter how it had started now, only what the two of them made of that start now. Her courage renewed at the thought of EJ's abiding love for her Sami faced off against Tony.

"You've already played that card Tony," she informed him sweetly, "Perhaps it's time you got a new deck."

Tony gave a shout of laughter at her feisty comeback and perched himself on the edge of EJ's desk.

"I see you truly are wearing the appropriate colour hm my little spitfire," he said in amusement as he took in her bright red dress again.

Tony picked up the hem of the dress then and gave her a considered look.

"Or is it more in line with you being a scarlet woman perhaps?" he mused thoughtfully, "I wonder if poor dull Lucas would be pleased to hear you declaring your love for another man eh Samantha?"

"That's none of your damn business Tony," said Sami tightly, as she pulled her dress from his grasp, "None of this is."

"Ah," said Tony with a little sigh, as he let the material of her skirt fall through his fingers, "Would that be but true Samantha then how much easier all our lives would be."

"I didn't come here to listen to you talk in riddles," said Sami in vague annoyance, "I'm going to find EJ."

"And have another attempt at proclaiming your love for him?" asked Tony, looking at her with an almost pleasant smile, "Is that the plan Samantha?"

"Again, none of your business but yes," said Sami tersely.

"Oh such a thing is very much my business my dear," Tony informed her calmly, "And as such it is something I simply cannot allow you to do."

"I don't remember asking your permission Tony," said Sami, sending him a challenging look.

"This is probably going to be somewhat of a surprise to you my dear Samantha but not everything is about you or what you do or do not want," said Tony dryly.

"But it is about what you do and do not want have I got that right Tony?" she asked him mockingly.

"So very feisty," said Tony with an admiring shake of his head at her bravado, "But now that you mention it, as far as you are concerned that is absolutely correct."

"I'm done with this ridiculous conversation," said Sami impatiently, "Your veiled threats and nonsensical ramblings I'm guessing are meant to be scaring me but if you want to know the truth Tony they just make you seem pathetic."

Sami turned on her heel then, intending that to be her last word on the subject and to simply go and find EJ but his next words stalled her.

"Well by all means let me be clearer Samantha," said Tony evenly, "If you and Elvis become a bona fide couple it will be his last act this side of the grave – I'll make sure of it."

Sami turned around and looked at him in utter disbelief at that statement and saw immediately that this was no bluff and her heart sank.

"So little girl," he said with a predatory smile, "Am I scaring you now?"

"Why would you do such a thing?" asked Sami faintly, her stomach began to churn now at the thought of something happening to EJ.

"My father sees you and Elvis as the new face of the DiMera empire," said Tony, his lips twisting in distaste, "He is convinced that Elvis will lead our family into the new millennia with you at his side, that you two are the future, his legacy as it were. Now I've worked very hard for a long time and been a good son and a faithful soldier for the DiMera name and I am not going to sit idly by while my father hands over my birthright to an overindulged child who just happened to have the good fortune to look like Stefano's father! I won't lose everything that I've worked so tirelessly for because of my father's failing health causing him flights of fantasies. You and Elvis are not the reincarnation of Colleen and Santo and a union between you two will not realign the universe no matter what the old man thinks! I will have what is coming to me and if that means getting rid of all that stands in my way then I don't really have to think too hard about that."

"But EJ is your brother!" said Sami in horror as she listened to Tony speak of EJ's death in such matter of fact terms.

"An accident of birth and one I had no control over," said Tony with a careless shrug.

"I thought DiMera's were all about family!" said Sami angrily, "How can you threaten a member of your own family – it's sick!"

"Oh like you haven't inflicted your own brand of heart ache on your family," said Tony with some amusement, "Wasn't it you who fully intended to sell their own half sister on the black market in the not so distant past? I would have thought you of all people would have understood wanting something and not letting anything get in your way, especially something like morals. You were also set to make a profit out of your little endeavour as well so I don't think you are in any position to look down that pretty little upturned nose of yours at me."

"It wasn't about the money!" hissed Sami, more than ever regretting her past now when the likes of Tony DiMera could use it against hers.

"No it was about something far more important than that now wasn't it?" asked Tony, pouncing on her declaration, his dark eyes shining, "It was about family and having power again when it looked like it was being taken from you."

"You can't compare our two situations!" said Sami in disgust.

"Why not?" said Tony with an arched eyebrow, "You wanted your parents back together again but instead Marlena was obviously set on choosing John Black for some inexplicable reason. You decided to take matters into your own hands and gain some power in a situation where before you had been powerless. By kidnapping your baby sister Belle and making plans to sell her on the black market you were regaining control of the situation and that is all I am doing now."

"I was a confused kid back then!" Sami tried to defend herself, "I know it was wrong now!"

"It is often as a child we see things the clearest," said Tony coolly, "Uncluttered by moral complications and simply thinking of what it is we want."

"It doesn't make it right," said Sami sternly, "Besides there is no point to all this anyway. EJ has promised me that he will cut all ties with his father so we can be together!"

"Has he now?" asked Tony with an interested arch of his eyebrow.

"Yes!" said Sami defiantly, not willing to admit they hadn't exactly worked out the finer details of that but she believed EJ's note when he said he chose her.

"And do you really think that Elvis has a say in any of this?" asked Tony in cold amusement.

"Wh-what?" stammered Sami worriedly at Tony's words

"My father's wishes are not optional," Tony informed her evenly, "If he wants something he gets it."

"He can't make EJ do something he doesn't want to do!" said Sami determinedly.

Tony tilted his head at that and gave her a considered look.

"What a naive little thing you are considering your past misdeeds Samantha Brady," said Tony, regarding her thoughtfully, "You're quite the contradiction in terms aren't you? Refreshing and rather intriguing. I see no more than ever how you have managed to keep my frivolous brother's usually short attention."

"No one can force EJ to take over the business," Sami insisted determinedly, scared to think of where this was going.

"Of course they can my dear," said Tony easily, "Anyone can be made to do anything if you find the right bargaining chip."

Tony gave her a small smile then, one that made Sami's skin crawl.

"What do you want from me?" she whispered unevenly.

"I think I already made that abundantly clear Samantha," said Tony smoothly, "I want you and Elvis to not be an option. Once I have divided then all that will be left is for me to conquer. You are to end it with my brother once and for all and don't feel as though you have to spare his feelings on my account will you my dear? Feel free to make it as brutal as you'd like. You get to a certain point in your life and you realise there are so few pleasures left to experience in this world and it is always immensely enjoyable to watch a rival have his heart ripped from his chest I find."

"And if I don't?" asked Sami, her jaw hardening as she saw Tony's obvious enjoyment as he contemplated EJ's pain.

"Then I'll have him killed," said Tony simply.

"You're bluffing," said Sami shakily, "Even a DiMera wouldn't kill their own."

"Come now Samantha," said Tony, straightening up from where he'd been sitting on the edge of the desk, "I think our relationship has moved past the point of having pretences between us. You know full well what a DiMera is capable of when they really want something. You hold my little brother's life in those small but undoubtedly skilled hands so don't try and convince yourself of anything different otherwise this could end very, very badly I'm afraid."

Sami looked back at him, hardly able to believe that things had taken such a drastic turn so quickly. She had come to EJ's office ready to start a new chapter of her life with him only to have that threatened before it even began. There was no way Sami could have seen this coming and she was still reeling from the implications of what Tony had just told her.

"Well," said Tony with that fake smile of his that just turned Sami's stomach, "It appears you have a choice to make Samantha so I'll give you some privacy to consider the position you find yourself in."

He started to stroll to the door, as though he didn't have a care in the world but before he left he stopped and leant over to Sami, his lips close to her ear.

"I'm supremely confident you'll make the right decision Samantha," he told her, his hot breath in her ear making Sami cringe, "At least I hope you do for my brother's sake. My funeral suit is somewhat scratchy to wear so here's to you doing the right thing so I don't have the inconvenience of wearing the thing hm?"

With his last parting shot delivered Tony sauntered to the door and Sami heard it open and close behind her. She didn't move for a long moment after he was gone, wanting to make sure that he really was gone. Suddenly her legs couldn't support her any longer and Sami crumbled to the ground, shaking uncontrollably, the iron control she'd maintained around Tony leaving her abruptly now that he was gone.

Sami couldn't believe this was happening, not now, not when she'd finally accepted her feelings for EJ. Her heart was screaming at her to run to EJ and tell him of all the love she had for him because it could simply contain it no longer, so full to overflowing with love it was but Sami knew if she did that she'd be sealing EJ's fate. She was absolutely certain that Tony wasn't bluffing. Sami had seen the truth in those soulless eyes and she knew she held EJ's life in her hands.

Sami buried her face in those shaking hands as she faced a near impossible decision...

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & SIXTEEN**** – ****The Parting of Ways Part Two**

Self-sacrifice is the real miracle out of which all the reported miracles grow.

_Ralph Waldo Emerson_

"_Whatcha doin'?"_

EJ did a quick double take to see Sam lounging in one corner of his apartment elevator as he rode it to his floor.

"Going to see Samantha," he said shortly before going back to stare at the elevator doors, willing the elevator to traverse the three floors quicker than it was.

"_Is that a good idea?" asked Sam with an arched eyebrow, "I thought you were done with her?"_

"I'll never be done with Samantha," said EJ tightly, as he waited impatiently for the impossibly slow elevator to reach its destination, muttering unhappily to himself, "I should have taken the stairs."

He'd gotten over his declaration of disinterest in Sami as soon as the words had left his mouth. EJ had just needed to give a voice to his pain and it had come out like that but he hadn't meant a single word of it. He needed Sami like he needed oxygen and he was never going to give up fighting for her, never.

"_But she didn't answer you note," commented Sam, "It kinda feels like a brush off to me."_

"She came to see me at Mythic," said EJ doggedly, remembering the thrill he'd gotten when his secretary had informed him that she'd seen Sami leaving Mythic just before he arrived back from a quick meeting he'd had to attend.

"_She works there," pointed out Sam logically, "Maybe she was just there to, you know – work."_

"She came to see me," said EJ stubbornly, unable to conceive of anything else.

He'd chosen Sami over everyone else in his life, even his beloved father and that just had to be enough for her to embrace her feelings for him; it just had to be because EJ had nothing else to offer her now that he'd given her all of him.

"_Or to do some paperwork," said Sam just as stubbornly._

"It was me," said EJ through gritted teeth.

"_Or it was filing," said Sam, not letting it go._

"Shut the hell up and leave me alone," growled EJ as the elevator opened.

He was in no mood for Sam right then, all of his attentions focused on Sami and what it was that she had come to see him about. EJ's long legs carried him from the elevator to her apartment easily and without hesitation he knocked on the door. Again it seemed to take an eternity but the door was at last opened but it wasn't who EJ was hoping to see.

"Is Samantha here?" he asked Lucas, having no time or inclination to share niceties with a man he detested.

"No," said Lucas flatly, obviously feeling the same way.

"Do you know where she is?" asked EJ, trying to rein in his impatience with all of his might, "She's not answering her cell."

"I know where she is," said Lucas calmly, staring back at EJ unblinkingly and quite clearly not willing to make this easy on EJ.

"And where might that be?" asked EJ, the agitation starting to show in his voice despite his best attempts.

He just needed to see Sami so desperately right then that he could barely think of anything else. EJ gritted his teeth and watched as he looked down and checked his watch.

"I'd say she's somewhere over the North Atlantic Ocean by now," Lucas informed him evenly.

EJ's eyes widened at that piece of information; that being the last thing he'd expected to hear.

"What?" he asked in disbelief, "What are you talking about Lucas?"

"Sami has gone to see Will in Switzerland," said Lucas and EJ could tell he was enjoying catching him off guard like this, "You remember Will right? _Our_ son, the son Sami and I had together."

EJ didn't miss the special emphasis on our son which was obviously for his benefit. Lucas was obviously trying to mark his territory and if EJ wasn't so preoccupied he'd probably laugh in the other man's face but right then all he could think about was getting to speak to Sami.

"Sami's on her way to Switzerland right now?" asked EJ, still trying to get his head around it all.

"I put her on the plane an hour ago," nodded Lucas with a bit of a smirk at EJ's obvious distress, "I mean I'm going to miss her and all seeing as she just got back yesterday but she spoke to Will this morning and had this mother's intuition that he needed her so because Sami's such a great mom she dropped everything and got on the plane to go and see him. It's one of the things I love so much about her."

EJ ignored that last part, knowing it was designed to annoy him and focused on the first part.

"How long will Samantha be gone for?" he asked, looking at Lucas intently.

"Don't know," shrugged Lucas, "I guess until she feels comfortable leaving Will."

EJ looked away, trying to process all of this new and shocking information.

"Will that be all EJ?" asked Lucas sweetly, "Hope I haven't ruined your day. I guess besides needing to see our son again Sami going to Switzerland means that she has the bliss of not having to deal with you for awhile. You know I never had a woman hate me so much she has to leave the country."

Lucas smirked up at him, enjoying delivering that jab and basically kicking EJ while he was down.

"That's because you are incapable of arousing any feelings in a woman beyond a mild pity," said EJ bitingly, using his sharp tongue to do its worst, "I guess that is the difference between you and I Lucas – you look at being bland and uninteresting as being a worthy goal whereas as I like to stir some real emotion in my women."

"Sami isn't your woman," said Lucas bitterly, "She's mine!"

"Sure of that are you?" asked EJ coldly, his face set in stone now.

"I'm sure it's my bed she's coming home to," said Lucas with a self satisfied look up at EJ, "You realise you're never going to have Sami, you get that right Elvis? This deluded fantasy you have about the two of you is never going to happen!"

EJ had to swallow his retort that he'd already had Samantha so often and in so many ways that Lucas couldn't even begin to imagine it but he didn't want to reduce this to some juvenile competition of one upmanship between himself and the other man. Right then his thoughts were more of finding out what had happened to Sami that she would just take off like that. He gave the barest of smiles then, still not letting Lucas have the last word though.

"I want you to remember this moment Lucas," said EJ and he allowed a small menacing undertone to come through his voice as he spoke to the other man, "It's going to be the last time you are sure of anything."

With that last little barb delivered EJ turned around and walked back to his apartment, totally uninterested in anything Lucas has to say now. He walked through the door of his apartment and as he did his shoe scuffed a letter that had obviously been slipped under it.

EJ knew who it was from before he even bent down to retrieve it. He held it in his hand and just stared at it for a long moment before going over to the sofa to sit down. Despite his outwardly calm exterior EJ's heart was beating ten to the dozen in his chest as he opened the letter and began to read, recognising Sami's neat handwriting immediately.

_EJ,_

_Perhaps you think a letter is a cowardly way to end things between us and you are probably right. The last time we spoke I told you that there could never be any chance for us unless you turned your back on your father but I was wrong. There can never be a chance for us regardless of your father's involvement in your life. I have thought about this long and hard and I know the truth now, the only truth that matters. _

_I don't love you EJ._

_I'm sorry but it's the truth. I know you're probably sitting there arguing with that statement already but I just don't feel the same way about you that you do about me. I wanted you and I'm not going to pretend that the sex wasn't great because it was. I want to be honest with you EJ and the truth is that everything got really confusing for me for awhile but I'm seeing things clearly now. I saw the lengths Colleen and Santo went to in order to be together and I realised that I don't have that in me, to risk everything for love because I don't feel that way about you EJ. My family and friends mean too much to me and in my heart I know I will always regret hurting them for a man that I don't really love. _

_I've gone to Switzerland to be with my son, the most important person in my life. I don't know how long I'll be gone but I have a request of you when I get back. You've told me so many times how much you love me EJ and now I want you to really prove it to me. _

_Let me go EJ, I'm begging you. _

_You never really had me anyway so I'm just asking you to do the right thing. I'm tired of being this unhappy all the time and I can't go on as things are. I just want you to show me how much you love me EJ and respect my wishes; it is all that I ask of you. Please, please don't fight me on this. You will find someone else and I do think you have a lot of love to give. Just not to me because I don't want it EJ, try and understand that. This isn't just about what you want, you have to understand that. I don't want to end up like Colleen and Santo and us being together simply wouldn't be worth it the pain it would cause so many because I don't love you._

_I'm sorry._

_Samantha._

EJ finished reading the letter and leant slowly back against the sofa, staring dully ahead. Each word Sami had written was like a knife in his stomach and each plea from her for him to let her go or declaration of her lack of care for him drove it in deeper, twisting the blade mercilessly until EJ was sure that he was haemorrhaging to death internally. How could Sami do such a thing to him? EJ was in utter shock. Every time he thought they were taking a step forward with their relationship Sami somehow managed to get them to take twenty backwards! There was something about that letter, the way it was written with a quiet desperation that sent a shiver of fear down EJ's spine.

This wasn't Sami being hysterical or even manipulative. Her words all seemed well considered and dare he say it, heartfelt. EJ grabbed at his chest as her words declaring that she didn't love him came back to him. It was a physical pain that was close to unbearable to think of her writing such a thing. EJ wished the letter had been angry and accusatory because then he'd have something to fight against but it hadn't been that at all. In his head EJ could hear Sami's soft voice pleading with him to let her go but he knew he could never do that. Something had happened to make her write that letter, EJ was sure of it. It was just like something had happened when Sami went suddenly cold on him just before they'd gone to LA together. He'd never really gotten to the bottom of what had caused her abrupt about face and now EJ really wished he'd had because he had this strange feeling that these two things might be related somehow. He'd leant forward again, looking at the letter dully.

EJ felt sick after reading that letter and apart of him never wanted to move off that sofa again, simply roll himself into a ball and die from grief over what Sami had written but there was a bigger part of him that needed to fight for the woman he loved. He got up abruptly from the sofa, a plan already forming in his head. EJ walked determinedly into his bedroom, returning a moment later with a suitcase which he opened up before stalking back into the bedroom and collecting some clothes. He started to throw them into the suitcase, intent on only one thing, going to Switzerland and retrieving Sami.

He didn't know why she'd written such a letter to him when he'd been so very sure that she was so close to telling him that she loved him but that didn't matter now. Sami might be able to write those things in a letter but face to face was another story. She'd asked him to leave her alone but even as she was writing it Sami must have known that EJ simply couldn't do that. He didn't know what had caused this latest bout of running but EJ was determined to find out. There was no way that this was how it was going to end between Sami and him - it was never going to be over between them, never as he folded up a tie and placed it in his suitcase.

He pulled out his cell phone, about to organise the private jet when there was a knock at the door. If it was Lucas come to gloat some more he might get a bit more than he bargained for thought EJ grimly as he went to the door.

The urge to hit something had been steadily building inside him from the first news of Sami's departure and EJ would love for that something to be Lucas. He jerked open the door and gritted his teeth in annoyance at seeing who it was.

"Captain Brady," he said flatly, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"EJ," nodded the other man in acknowledgement and as he did he looked past EJ to the opened suitcase on the coffee table, "Going somewhere?"

"I've got a business trip planned," said EJ shortly, not really in the mood to indulge Roman just then.

"I thought you just got back?" said Roman with an arched eyebrow.

"And now I'm going again," said EJ dourly, "You'll be able to breathe easy Captain, knowing that you have one less DiMera in town to worry about. You must be thrilled."

"Where's the business trip to?" asked Roman calmly, ignoring his little dig.

"Geneva," said EJ coolly, "If you must know."

"Switzerland?" asked Roman, his eyebrows moving higher.

"Full marks for you geography Roman," said EJ, in no mood to be polite, "Another triumph for the public school system – you must be so proud."

"EJ as much as I'd love to have you out of my town, preferably permanently, it's just not going to happen," said Roman with a mock regretful sigh.

"What do you mean?" asked EJ with a slight frown.

"I need you to come and help us with our enquiries about the warehouse shooting," said Roman calmly.

"Are you still going on about that?" asked EJ in exasperation, not having the time for this right now.

"A man is still dead and yeah, I think that's something worth going on about EJ," said Roman, giving him an unimpressed look at his reaction to the news.

"Well I'll tell you what Captain," said EJ in mild annoyance now, "As soon as I get back I'll be sure to come and see you."

"You're not going anywhere EJ," said Roman with a bit of a smirk, "You're a person of interesting in a murder investigation and as such you don't get to leave the country until I say so."

"You can't be serious?" asked EJ, his face darkening at this news.

"Oh I'm serious," said Roman with a smug smile, "So why don't you get to unpacking and when you are done I'll expect to see you at the station. If you keep me waiting too long though I'll be sending a squad car around to collect you, so I recommend unpacking real quick Elvis, you're already in enough trouble."

"I'm not in any kind of trouble because I didn't do anything," said EJ through gritted teeth as he began to realise that he wouldn't be able to follow Sami after all by the looks of it, "I believe we've already been over this in some detail!"

"So we'll go over it again," said Roman with an easy shrug, "I like to be thorough."

EJ's eyes narrowed menacingly at the other man.

"You know Roman this comes dangerously close to harassment," he told him tightly.

"I'm just doing my job," said Roman unapologetically, "Just don't keep me waiting Elvis and certainly don't think that you're going anywhere in that fancy private jet of yours anytime soon. At least until we've got this murder investigation closed."

"Don't you mean once you've got me fitted up for a crime I didn't commit?" asked EJ sourly, "That's what all this is about isn't it? You're just desperate to put a DiMera behind bars and you don't really care about little details of innocence, isn't that the truth Roman?"

"I don't think anyone in their right mind would refer to a DiMera as innocent," said Roman flatly.

"So nice to know you're taking a professional and unbiased view in all this," said EJ mockingly, "Apparently that little saying 'innocent until proven guilty' doesn't apply in Salem if your last name happens to be DiMera."

"You'll get your due process EJ," said Roman calmly, "And if you've done nothing wrong then you have nothing to fear."

"I'm sure," said EJ dryly, "Because the police have never convicted an innocent man before today."

"I'll see you soon," said Roman with a half smile, "Don't keep me waiting Elvis."

"I wouldn't dream of it Captain Brady," said EJ sweetly before closing the door in his smug face.

EJ walked away from the door and briefly considered ignoring what Roman had just said and making an attempt to leave the country regardless. Somehow EJ knew that the other man would be waiting for him to do just that and he certainly couldn't talk sense into Sami from a jail cell. A surge of pure frustration ripped through EJ as he realised that he couldn't go after Sami despite the fact that every cell in his body was screaming at him to do just that. He lashed out, kicking a nearby chair and sending it flying across the room. It felt momentarily good to put all his anger into a single act but the relief was fleeting. EJ walked back over to the sofa and sank down on it, putting a hand to his face, suddenly feeling very tired.

She'd left him, just like that with no more than a few words scribbled onto a piece of paper and EJ was left devastated. In that moment EJ felt like he should just let Roman lock him up and throw away the key because there was little else that mattered in his life now. He hung his head and tried to find the will to go on.

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & SEVENTEEN**** – ****Let The Chips Fall Where They May**

.

In true love the smallest distance is too great

And the greatest distance can be bridged.

_~Hans Nouwens~_

Sami sat on the plane, looking sightlessly out the small window, her thoughts in another place entirely. She glanced down at her watched and wondered if EJ had gotten her letter yet. The thought caused her to have to swallow a painful lump in her throat. EJ was going to be devastated at what she had done and how she'd gone about it but Sami had no choice. She knew she had to protect him from Tony's insane jealousy and this was the only way.

Sami had written EJ a letter because she knew the moment she looked into those big brown eyes of his, so full of adoring love for her that she would be undone. It would take her time to rebuild enough of her walls to be able to face him properly and Sami knew it. That was why she'd organised the impromptu trip to Switzerland. First of all she really did want to see Will and see if she could mend their relationship some but the appeal of having an ocean between her and EJ right then was equally strong. Sami could only imagine his reaction to her letter and painful tears filled her eyes at the thought.

All she wanted to do was tell EJ at long last how much she loved him and wanted to be with him but because of Tony and his threats Sami knew that was the last thing that could ever happen. She'd toyed briefly with going to EJ and telling him of Tony's ultimatum but was afraid of both what Tony's reactions would be to that and more worrying for Sami what EJ's reaction would be. Tony was a coiled spring ready to pounce at any moment and probably had people watching EJ all the time already so if Sami put so much as a foot wrong then all it would take is one phone call from him and EJ could be dead. Tony was way ahead of the game on this one and she doubted that even she and EJ could come up with a plan quickly enough to combat him.

But that was the most worrying part for Sami in actual fact - what it was that EJ might do to Tony given half the chance. Sami knew EJ would go insane at the thought of him threatening her and she was terrified about what he might do in revenge. It had been hard but Sami had found a way to reconcile herself with EJ's past misdeeds and in particular shooting John. She was sure he'd done it no matter what he might say but she was equally sure that he was not the same man anymore. If his father ordered EJ to kill then Sami just knew that EJ couldn't go through with it again, she didn't know how but she knew. It was like EJ was always saying; there was a connection between them that ran deep. EJ had many insights into Sami that even Sami hadn't wanted to admit to and it was the same for her with EJ. He might still think he was the same man as when they first met but that man would never have contemplated turning his back on his father like EJ had when he'd written her that note.

He'd accepted her with her chequered past and Sami knew she loved him enough to do the same. However even though EJ had changed a lot in these past months Sami knew there was one thing that would make him revert back to form and that was someone threatening her. She knew that because Sami was prepared to do anything to protect EJ and she was certain he would do the same. What that anything might entail for EJ was the thing that scared her the most. What if EJ decided that the only way for them both to be safe was to kill Tony before he killed them? Sami knew she couldn't condone a cold blooded killing like that and didn't want EJ to live with the burden of wanting his own brother dead or even worse, making it happen.

This was the only way Sami decided sadly. She didn't want EJ to start down the path again of becoming his father and she wasn't going to let them end up like Santo and Colleen either only with EJ being the one to die this time. Sami knew she could endure anything but EJ's death. It was too painful a thought to even contemplate and if by doing this she hurt EJ in the short term but he went on to live a full life then it would be worth it. Sami knew she would never be truly happy again but that didn't matter now. All that mattered was EJ was safe and he would eventually get over her, they all did in the end. He'd fall in love again liked she'd urged him to do in her letter and he would move on. Sami made a pained little sobbing sound at the thought of that, fresh tears coursing down her cheeks as she kept her face determinedly turned towards the window so no one on the plane could see her grief. She couldn't bear the thought of EJ with another woman, it was like a knife through her heart but Sami knew it was what had to happen for EJ to be safe and she just prayed that she wouldn't have to be around to witness it.

No crime she'd ever committed was due that kind of punishment.

oooOOOOooo

Lucas heard the door to EJ's apartment slam and allowed himself a self satisfied smirk at the other man's obvious ire. It may have made him a lesser person but he really enjoyed telling EJ that Sami had left the country. It was hard to catch a man like EJ DiMera out but he'd managed it with that piece of information and he'd be lying if he didn't say it felt good. And then seeing Roman turn up at EJ's doorstep had been the icing on the cake. Whatever Roman had said to EJ seemed to have really upset the other man which was totally fine with Lucas. He was sick and tired of that little smile EJ always seemed to be wearing, as though he knew something Lucas didn't. Well that smile was gone from his face now as soon as things stopped going his way.

Lucas limped over to the kitchen and absently rubbed his leg. He was a little upset that he and Sami hadn't made love last night before she left but that was his fault really. The painkiller he'd taken had really worked and it had been blissful not to be in pain for once but he'd fallen asleep pretty quickly instead of making love to Sami as he'd planned. After so long of his every movement being wracked with sharp pains and dull aches there were no words to describe how wonderful it was to be free of it all. Lucas pulled out the pills from his pocket and looked down at them thoughtfully. If he just took them without taking his regular painkillers then they probably wouldn't have the drowsy side affect he decided.

He took another pill, not even bothering with water this time to flush it down before heading back to the sofa and sitting down. Lucas was really going to miss Sami while she was gone; it felt like they hadn't really connected since that night in the cabin. He was determined though once she returned from seeing Will that he'd get their relationship back on track. A delicious warmth began to overcome Lucas now as the painkillers quickly worked their magic and he gave a grateful sigh. Thoughts of Sami left his head then as Lucas just enjoyed the sensation of being pain free again, nothing else mattering right then.

oooOOOOooo

EJ stood at the doors of the DiMera mansion impatiently waiting for someone to answer it. He'd just spent a mind numbing couple of hours in the company of Salem's finest and even though he hadn't killed anyone to date EJ had been more than ready to rectify that little fact if they'd kept him for even another ten minute. He'd answered one inane question after another and it was clear that they were simply on a fishing expedition hoping he'd slip up. EJ wasn't about to be outsmarted by the likes of the Salem police department, not unless he lost ninety eight percent of his brain function that was.

The whole time he'd stared at Roman Brady and wondered how such an impossibly beautiful and brilliant woman as Samantha could ever have come from such a dull, simple man. It defied explanation had been what EJ had come up with in the end. Thoughts of Sami had only made EJ's impatience with the police grow as they waffled on endlessly, trying to alternatively scare, wheedle and intimidate some information from him. They'd ended up with nothing of course but by the end of it EJ was determined he wasn't going to have to go through that again, quite certain that he'd already developed a rash being around that much concentrated stupidity.

He knew he needed to get this security guard thing sorted once and for all so that the Salem PD had one less axe to grind against him and then EJ could concentrate all his attention on getting Sami to come to her senses. Once they had the shooter then there would be no reason for EJ to have to stay in the country and he could go after Sami which was his only thought right then. Of course EJ already knew who shot the security guard but somehow exposing Bart as the shooter and then having him being asked any kind of questions didn't seem to EJ to be in his best interests. Bart had trouble keeping straight what day it was let alone protecting an alibi so EJ was pretty confident that even though Bart's heart might be in the right place in wanting to protect the DiMera's unfortunately his brain was located somewhere in the region of his ass so his good intentions weren't going to cut it somehow.

No, EJ knew he had to come up with a way to fix this mess by clearing his name once and for all and to get Bart out of the picture for the shooting so that the other man didn't have to face up to any close scrutiny from either the police or Stefano. But EJ knew he also had to get to the root cause of all this. Bart hadn't planted that glove of EJ's on the body, he was sure of it. Now there were a lot of people that hated him in Salem but EJ could only think of one that had both motive and opportunity to do such a thing.

"Tony."

EJ said his brother's name aloud as the very man he was convinced was at the heart of this mess opened the door and smiled that cold little smile at him.

"Elvis," he said evenly, "To what do we owe the pleasure little brother?"

"That's funny," said EJ coolly, "I just said the exact same thing to Roman Brady just before he dragged me down to the police station to answer one bloody pointless question after another about the security guard shooting."

"Oh dear," said Tony with mock sympathy, "That does sound troublesome but I'm a little uncertain what that has to do with me Elvis."

"I doubt that," said EJ flatly as he walked past Tony and headed into the living room.

"Oh do come in Elvis," said Tony with a roll of his eyes as he closed the door behind him, "No really, I insist."

"This is my father's home Tony," said EJ tersely, "I don't need to ask permission to come inside."

"Of course you don't," said Tony smoothly.

"Where is Father?" asked EJ, looking around.

"Resting," said Tony simply.

"How is he?" asked EJ with a frown.

"Weakening even though he won't admit it," said Tony with a little sigh, "Our father is dying Elvis."

Tony gave him a pointed look then.

"Such a shame you couldn't find your way clear to help him out with that but I suppose you did your best eh Elvis," said Tony, obviously baiting the younger man, "A pity your best wasn't good enough, not a surprise mind you but still, a pity for our beloved father in particular I should imagine."

EJ swallowed the retort that a statement like that was meant to evoke, not wanting to give Tony what he wanted right then.

"I know what you are up to Tony," EJ growled, in no mood to play games right then.

"And what pray tell little brother am I 'up to' if you don't mind me asking?" asked Tony looking only mildly interested in their conversation at best as he took a sip of his scotch.

EJ gave a tight little smile and walked up to Tony, looking down at him imposingly as the other man lounged unconcernedly against a chair.

"I know you're jealous of me Tony," said EJ coldly, "I know that jealousy drove you to try and set me up with the Salem police by planting my glove on that dead security guard."

"My dear brother I have no idea what you are talking about," said Tony, dripping with innocence, "Why would I want to do such a thing to you, we are family after all and family must stick together. Surely isn't that what our father has always taught us?"

"It seems like you might need to go back to school then brother," said EJ tersely, "I know you did this and I'm not going to let you get away with it."

"So what are you going to do Elvis?" asked Tony laughingly, "Stomp your feet and hold your breath until you go blue? That's what children who don't get their own way do isn't it?"

"I know it suits your purposes to think of me as some coddled child who doesn't have the mental capacity to understand how things really are but you couldn't be more wrong Tony," said EJ grimly, "And you would do well to take me seriously."

"In my experience a real player doesn't have to ask to be taken seriously," Tony noted flatly before looking at EJ with interest, "So what spurred this latest round of chest beating I wonder? Are you trying to impress Sami I wonder?"

"You leave Samantha out of this!" snarled EJ, the mere mention of her name causing a fresh wave of pain to roll over him.

"Problems in paradise?" asked Tony innocently as he sipped his drink and took in EJ's reaction, "How did I know that Samantha Brady would be a bumpy ride – "

He stopped then and looked at EJ over the edge of his glass with a little quirk of his lips.

"But a very enjoyable ride nonetheless I'm guessing," he said, that poisonous smile back on his face, "She's developed into quite the full figured beauty now hasn't she? I do love a woman you can get a good hold of when you are – "

"Shut your filthy mouth!" yelled EJ, already hanging by a thread from Sami's abrupt departure and her letter that had ripped his heart in two plus of course his less then delightful time spent with the Salem PD.

EJ lost his head, charging at Tony, pinning him to the wall and just needing to get all of his frustrations out. He'd caught the other man off guard with the suddenness of his attack and Tony's drink was knocked out of his hand and the glass smashed on the highly polished floor.

"Come now little brother," purred Tony, not struggling against EJ because he knew it would be useless to try and outmatch the other man physically so he let his words inflict the damage instead, "You used to like it when I complimented your toys."

"Samantha isn't a toy or a possession!" EJ raged, shoving him harder against the wall.

"But you do seem to enjoy playing with her," noted Tony evenly, enjoying baiting the younger man, "I'm merely complimenting you on your taste in play things."

Tony watched EJ's jaw harden and obviously decided to press his advantage.

"Mind you," he said evenly, "Seeing as you two seem to be in the middle of some kind of little tiff I don't suppose I can borrow her to see what all the fuss is about eh brother? You claimed that Jaguar of yours was a wondrous ride but I always found it to be a little lacking and I can't help but wonder if I will find the same thing of your Samantha but either way I think I would very much enjoy finding out."

EJ's control snapped at hearing Sami being spoken about so crassly and he hauled Tony away from the wall, his fist snapping back as he landed a right hook on Tony's chin that sent him tumbling to the floor. At long last his desire to hit someone was coming to pass and EJ found he couldn't stop now that he'd started. He bent down to haul Tony to his feet so he could hit the man again but Tony was too quick for him, kicking out at his feet so that EJ lost his footing. Very quickly the two men were writhing around on the floor, both trying to get as many blows in as possible on the other. This was the scene that Stefano walked in on and he was not pleased at all by the little tableau.

"What is this?!" he roared his disapproval, hurrying over to where his two sons were still rolling about, "You will not behave like common thugs in this house do you hear me! Stop this at once! I did not raise my sons to behave in such a way! Get up, get up both of you!"

The two men reluctantly let go of one another, both of them still glaring death at the other.

"What is the cause of such behaviour?" Stefano demanded to know of his two children, "Answer me!"

EJ knew that if he spoke now that he would lose all control and just spew out all the vitriol he had for Tony and his machinations against him but EJ didn't want to show his hand too much to his father. He was pretty confident that Tony had a bombshell or two of his own to drop, for instance like EJ outsourcing the job Stefano had given him to do to Bart and EJ didn't want to hand so much power over to his brother that easily. Right then EJ knew he was a mess, still raw from the devastation of Sami's letter and he didn't trust himself to say anything. With a last bitter look at Tony EJ simply stalked from the room, for once not caring what his father might think. He was in an agony that not even the pain of a few well aimed punches from Tony could touch and he needed to go away and try to regain some kind of control of the situation, EJ at least knew that much.

"What was that?" asked Stefano in consternation as the slamming of front door told him that EJ had left.

"A DiMera should be able to take a few home truths and a little prod now and again," said Tony unapologetically as he wiped away the blood from his mouth, "He is weak and indulged and his lack of character is beginning to show. Surely you can see Father that Elvis is not capable of handling pressure of any kind. If he behaves like this because of a few off hand comments then how can you expect such a man to run the DiMera empire?"

"Something must have provoked him," said Stefano doggedly, "Elvis is not given to outbursts such as this."

"He is unstable," said Tony flatly, pouring himself another glass of scotch and downing it quickly, grimacing as the alcohol stung his raw flesh and he touched a finger to it gingerly.

"He is upset," Stefano corrected him with a frown, "What is going on between my two sons? I demand to know Antony!"

"I think EJ is just finding the pressures of being a DiMera a little too much to handle Father," said Tony coolly as he turned back around to face the older man, "He has been pampered and indulged his whole life and has little understanding of what it really takes to get through this world."

"I have trained my son well," said Stefano with a scowl, clearly not liking the implication of otherwise.

"Of that I have no doubt," said Tony with a half shrug, "But a trainer is limited by the material they are given to work with in the beginning. Elvis has none of the internal fortitude or strength of character to do all the things that running the DiMera empire requires of him."

"He is young," dismissed Stefano easily, "Elvis will have his strength tested soon enough in this world and will learn what he is truly capable of. He is a DiMera with DiMera blood running through his veins."

"He also has Banks blood," Tony reminded him pointedly, "That crazy woman has an influence on him as well whether either one of you want to admit it."

"Bah," said Stefano with a wave of his hand, "His mother is of no consequence but I admit that my son has had the misfortune of having a woman such as Susan Banks in his life. That is why it must be Samantha Brady that stands by Elvis' side when he inherits my empire. As much as I want to see my father's greatest desire fulfilled I also know that Elvis will need a strong, passionate and at times ruthless woman by his side to become all that he can be. Once Elvis has secured this Brady woman so many things will have come full circle and many wrongs will be at last righted."

"Well here is hoping that happens soon eh Father?" suggested Tony, lifting his glass in a little toast to the idea, "I want very much for Elvis to get all that is coming to him very, very soon."

Tony took a sip of his scotch, the glass hiding his little knowing smile from his father.

_Oh yes, Elvis was going to be getting all that he had coming to him soon enough. _

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & EIGHTEEN**** – ****The Dark Side of the Moon**

You know that when I hate you

It is because I love you to a point of passion that unhinges my soul.

_~Julie de Lespinasse~_

EJ sat out on the fire escape outside his living room window and slugged back another big mouthful of bourbon, having given up on using a glass after the first drink.

He had been working on sorting out the security guard shooting for days now but had gotten nowhere. The main problem was that he couldn't get himself to focus. Every time he tried to think of something other than Sami it only lasted a minute or two. It was like her going away had completely destroyed EJ and he just couldn't seem to string two coherent thoughts together. She'd been gone eight days now and this was the longest he'd ever been apart from her since they'd first met. He'd seen her every day since that first meeting and to be forced to go cold turkey like this was a painful experience that even EJ hadn't fully counted on the impact of.

_He was lost without her._

EJ had heard all those sickly love songs that warbled of that horrible fate and had dismissed the term as being the fanciful ramblings of the weak. He knew better now. EJ knew now what it was to have his still beating heart ripped from his chest and left to die in the dirt. It was perplexing how it was that he hadn't actually died from such a wound and beyond annoying to him that his body continued to function even though EJ could see no reason to go on now. He wanted to die, he wanted to kill Samantha, scream at her for her unprovoked cruelty and beg at her feet to take him back. He hated her in that moment with a burning hatred that could only come out of a great and abiding love.

She'd devastated him in the most casual way possible and EJ told her that she deserved his hatred and scorn but even as he convinced himself of that fact he knew he was shaking with the need to see her again, to hear her voice and to tell her he loved her. He'd rung her at least a hundred times but she never picked up. He'd gotten so pathetic now that he'd just hold on and listen to her voice mail message, just to hear her voice. EJ had given up leaving her messages. He'd already pleaded with her, threatened her, begged her, been patient, been enraged – it changed nothing.

He needed to see her but knew that could only happen if he could manage to sort out being in the frame for this security guard murder. The more he tried to come up with a plan to fix that problem the more the answer seemed to elude him. EJ knew it was the only way he could see Sami again and until he sorted this he was at her mercy as to when he'd be able to see her again. She could stay in Switzerland for months if she wanted to and that thought was EJ's undoing. A panicked desperation had overcome him and EJ couldn't seem to do anything other than alternately mourn Samantha's loss and plot vengeance against her.

He imagined her returning to him only for him to reject her this time, to have another woman by his side to shove in her face and show Sami all that she had lost. It salved his wounded heart to imagine variations of that scenario over and over in his head, always leaving Sami broken and sobbing on the ground as he walked away from her for good. It may have made him feel better temporarily, vindicated even, to fantasise such things but even in this destroyed state EJ was in he knew that all Sami would have to do was look at him and smile and he would be utterly lost again and that made him so angry – at her, at himself for being so in her thrall that he would suffer through anything to have her.

So that night he'd picked up the bottle of bourbon and started drinking, in dire need of some kind of pain relief, even if it was the sweet oblivion of alcohol. EJ just needed to not to be feeling this agony, if only for a few hours. The thing was the more he drank the sadder and angrier he got and worst of all, the more he missed Sami. Nothing seemed to be helping but EJ had no other plan other than to keep on drinking.

"You'll catch your death out there."

EJ looked over at the window to see Sami standing there, watching him with mild interest.

"What do you care?" growled EJ, taking another swig of his drink in angry defiance and then using that same drink to prop his head up with as he looked morosely down at the street below.

"Don't," she said with a little shrug, walking away from the window.

"Yeah and I don't care about you!" he called back to her, his words slurring now.

He didn't want to talk to the fake Sami; he wanted the real thing even if the real thing didn't want him.

"I never asked you to," she returned coolly and that snapped the last remnant of EJ's control for some reason.

He clambered off the fire escape and back through the window, a little unsteadily but managing it – just.

"Who do you think you are?!" he hissed the question at her as she turned around and looked at him coolly.

She was wearing the black dress, the one he'd gotten her on the island and it seemed like she was intent on breaking his heart over and over again.

"I can tell you what I am EJ," she said casually, "And that is bored with you. Aren't you sick of being this pathetic all the time? You trail around after Sami and she never gives you anything but crumbs but you're just grateful for any kind of attention from her aren't you – even if it is pity."

"Samantha loves me!" he yelled, "You know you do!"

EJ's alcohol addled brain was having trouble keeping straight who he was talking to, Sami, Sam or some other creature conjured from his subconscious to torture him. What he did know was that he was teetering on the brink of completely losing all control.

"At some point you're just going to have to accept the fact that you've been deluding yourself EJ," she said flatly, "She doesn't want this and she certainly doesn't want you – now grow a pair and deal with it."

"Grow a pair?!" growled EJ, quickly covering the distance between them, anger giving him sudden coordination as he grabbed Sami by the arms and shoved her roughly against the wall, catching her off guard, "Do you mean like this? Is this what you wanted all along eh Samantha? Do you want me to make the decision for you?!"

"Let go of me," she said dourly, struggling against him as best she could be he had her feet nearly off the ground so it was difficult, "You're hurting me EJ!"

"Good!" hissed EJ, tightening his grip on her arms and feeling his fingers bite cruelly into the soft flesh, "How about you have a turn at being the one in agony for a change eh?!"

"Stop being an idiot and let me go!" said Sami, struggling fiercely now but EJ just picked her up and threw here over his shoulder, striding with her towards his bedroom.

"No!" he bit out as he dumped her on the bed and Sami immediately tried to scramble off the bed but EJ grabbed her.

They wrestled around and somehow EJ was able to strip the little black dress from her body, leaving Sami in even littler matching black bra and panties and at the same time he did away with his coat and shirt.

"Don't even think about it!" raged Sami as she wiggled about on the bed.

"Oh I'm going to do more than just think about it," said EJ tightly, just wanting to dominate and control her in that moment as he knelt on the bed, pulling her legs up on either side of his thighs so that her backside was now in his lap.

"I don't want this!" she yelled at him.

"You don't know what you want!" spat out EJ, unable to think beyond the moment.

The alcohol had just made everything suddenly simple to him – if he could have her again then Sami was his. It seemed perfectly logical as long as EJ didn't think too hard about it and he was intent on not thinking at all in that moment. Without anymore thought beyond that he released himself from his pants and pulled aside Sami's panties and drove himself into her. She cried out and tried to be break free from him but EJ was having none of that.

"You don't get to leave me again!" he said hoarsely, beginning to move inside of her roughly.

Her hands hit out at his chest, clawing at his face but EJ only welcomed the pain, finding it a strange relief from the pain he'd been carrying around since Sami abandoned him. In a fit of frustration EJ grabbed at her throat, large hand circling the slender length easily.

"LOVE ME!" he ordered her, his hand tightening around Sam's neck, "Why won't you love me Samantha?!"

Her lips were going blue and EJ realised he was choking the life from her and had a grim satisfaction at knowing he had this small measure of control over her at long last. He loosened his grip but kept his hand at her throat before crushing her lips under his, intent on hurting her like she'd hurt him. EJ was so confused he didn't even know what it was that he wanted from her anymore that would help ease his pain right then. No matter how many times he pushed himself inside her EJ couldn't find his satisfaction and it was driving him beyond the brink of madness. EJ began to sob then, his grief overwhelming him as he buried his face in her neck, all the alcohol he'd consumed unleashing all of his emotions in a confusing torrent.

"Come back to me," he moaned against her shoulder the tears streaming down his face, "I can't bear it Samantha, come back to me!"

"Never!" she bit out, still trying to struggle away from him.

"Stop pushing me away!" he screamed at her, still oscillating between grief and rage.

EJ grabbed her arms and pinned them above her head, forcing her into submission underneath him with his superior strength and size. EJ pushed himself as deeply as he could inside of her, wanting some way to claim her as his own, an act of brutal possession rather than any kind of love. Somewhere in the back of his alcohol addled brain EJ knew that if this had been real he would have been hurting Sami a lot and to his horror there was almost a grim kind of satisfaction to that thought. Sami looked up at him, her eyes cold and hateful as she gave up her struggle against him, realising she couldn't win and seeming to know his dark thoughts.

"Now you know why I can never love you," she hissed out bitterly.

Her words cut through EJ's madness and suddenly he could see himself through those angry blue eyes and was repulsed by what he was doing and thinking. EJ immediately released her, reeling back as though she'd struck him as he realised what he'd become and how far he'd fallen. Sami pressed her advantage, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand and leaving bloody streaks across one cheek, evidence of the fierceness of EJ's punishing kisses.

"You're a sick animal EJ DiMera and I will never love you," she said coldly, "I ran because I can't bear to look at you for another minute and this just proves it that I'm right to despise you. No one who truly knows you will ever love you… _ever_!"

EJ covered his ears, unable to hear her saying this to him, the pain worse than anything he could ever have imagined. It struck at a secret fear he'd held tightly inside him for so long that even EJ hadn't given a name to it. Perhaps that had been why he'd been so readily able to identify that same fear in Sami because he shared her concern. Could anyone really love either one of them if that person knew just how deep the darkness inside them really went?

EJ knew he loved Sami not in spite of all her supposed failings but because of them. She was the most human, passionate, vibrant and truly alive person he knew and EJ loved every single part of her, tortured psyche and all. As soon as he'd met Sami he'd known he'd met a kindred spirit in her. It was an instinct that came from deep within, a like recognising like and instantly bonding over that sameness even as they fought tooth and nail. A terrifying fear ripped through EJ that if Sami, with all the same darkness inside of her, couldn't love him then he truly would be alone in this world, totally unable to show his true self to anyone. The loneliness and fear opened like a pit at his feet and the unbearable feeling of the loss of a woman he knew he would always love with his entire heart and who might never love him the same way.

He pushed himself away from Sami and her hard, emotionless eyes, scrambling backwards off the bed and onto the floor until his back hit the wall behind him. EJ pulled up his knees to his chest, trying to ward off the horror of what he'd just done, real or not and what it meant for Sami and him ever being together. All the alcohol and his soul destroying sadness at being separated from Sami overtook him and as he pulled himself into a ball and began to cry – a man truly alone and lost in that moment.

oooOOOOooo

_Sami rolled over in bed, half waking from a fitful slumber plagued with dreams of EJ. She lifted her head off the pillow, blinking blearily in the gloom as she suddenly felt the bed dip and she knew she wasn't alone anymore._

"_EJ," she breathed, her heart soaring at seeing him there._

"_Hello my beautiful girl," he said softly as he climbed under the sheets with her._

"_I've missed you so much," said Sami shakily, painful tears pricking her eyes at seeing him there. _

"_Shh, my love," said EJ, gathering her tenderly into his arms._

"_Don't hate me," she begged him through a broken sob as she clung to him helplessly._

"_I could never hate you Samantha," he reassured her huskily and she felt him press a soft kiss to her the top of her head, "I love you."_

"_No matter what?" she asked him unevenly._

"_No matter what," he promised her, drawing her closer to him. _

"_I love you EJ," she told him achingly, burying her face in his chest and squeezing her eyes closed and losing herself in this wonderful dream._

"_I know sweetheart," he reassured her quietly, "I've always known."_

_Sami never wanted to wake up again, this was the only place that she and EJ could ever be together again she thought in desolation as she once again cried herself to sleep..._


	11. Chapters 119 to 125

**FATED**

**(Chapters 119 - 125)**

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & NINETEEN**** – ****The Man With the Plan**

Whoever said anybody has a right to give up?  
_~Marian Wright Edelman~_

EJ opened his eyes the next morning, convinced he was actually dead - although to be fair, death probably would have been less painful. The mid morning light seared his sensitive retinas and EJ groaned shakily, quickly closing his eyes again. Groaning like that caused agonising reverberations in his head and EJ regretted it immediately. His bed felt strangely hard for some reason and a second cautious opening of his eyes told him the reason for that was that he was actually lying on the rug in his living room floor. EJ had a bad taste in his mouth to go along with a few other interesting aches and pains as he lay there and prayed that his head would simply come away from his shoulders and give him some sweet relief.

"_Perhaps you should have thought about using that head to think things through a little more rather than killing perfectly functioning brain cells with the amount of alcohol you consumed last night?"_

The advice given out in such a knowing tone was a cold comfort to EJ right then.

"Die," he mumbled to his tormentor.

"_Do you mean I should die or you want to die?" asked Sam with interest as she sat down on the coffee table near where EJ was laying. _

"It's a toss-up," said EJ flatly, managing to look up her blearily now and smacking together his dry lips together.

"_And to think our girl ran from all this–" Sam said and made an expansive gesture to indicate EJ's lolling and unkempt length, "I can't imagine why." _

"I'm never drinking again," EJ groaned the pledge into the rug.

"_That would be good," said Sam with a twist of her lips, "You know how some people become the life of the party and are great fun when they're drunk Elvis? Yeah well you are not one of them. You are a mean drunk."_

"At least I'm not some wannabe seductress who is as appealing as she is quick witted," said EJ bitterly.

"_Hey look at that," said Sam with a roll of her eyes, "You are mean sober too."_

EJ had a sudden memory of last night and his stomach tightened painfully at it. He looked up at Sam perched on the end coffee table, a disapproving expression on her face. It was a bit hazy and he was having trouble distinguishing dream from reality, not that these visits from Sam could exactly be called reality per se but EJ knew he'd acted very, very badly towards Sam and felt sick at the thought of how brutal he'd been to even a facsimile of Sami.

"Sam," he began, uncertain how to even begin to apologise for his metaphysical assault, "I was upset, I didn't mean to hurt you – I don't even know if I can hurt you because I still don't know what the hell you are but if I did... last night... when I... ahh..."

"_It wasn't me," Sam interrupted his stumbling apology._

EJ blinked and blinked again at this new piece of information. His dream was still pretty bleary to him but he did know that he'd acted extremely badly and it was odd but he was glad it hadn't been to Sam. Although that revelation did pose another slightly more troubling question for EJ he discovered.

"Oh god," he said faintly, flopping back down on the floor and instantly regretting it as the throbbing in his head worsened even more from the action, "How many of you do I have running around in my head?!"

"_Let's just say that during our weekly get together there is standing room only," said Sam in amusement._

"This is it," said EJ morosely, rolling over so he was face down on the floor, it had been going to be an attempt to sit up but he'd lost interest in the idea halfway through, "I've lost my mind. I'm going to be shipped off to a lunatic asylum by my rather ironically lunatic brother the first chance he gets."

"_God this is pathetic," said Sam with a roll of her eyes._

"Leave me alone," groaned EJ, intent on wallowing in his own self pity, "Why don't you just let me die already!"

"_If I wanted you dead I would have left you face down in your own vomit," said Sam unsympathetically._

"I didn't vomit," grouched EJ, at least glad he was spared that indignity.

"_Turn your head my love teapot," Sam informed him, "That spot on the carpet by your head isn't a funky new design I'll have you know."_

EJ did as she instructed and was instantly assailed with the smell of drying vomit.

"Oh god!" he groaned and immediately sat up quickly to get away from it.

His shirt seemed to be stuck to the ground and it was then EJ realised to his horror that he'd been lying in his own vomit and it had dried, sticking his shirt to the floor. He quickly pulled the offending item off over his head and scooted along on his backside and putting some distance between himself and the congealing mess.

EJ gave another groan and leant back against the sofa behind him as he sat on the floor.

"_I know," said Sam with a wrinkle of her nose, "Festy" _

She looked at the sorry state EJ was in and shook her head.

"_It's hard to believe that Sami wouldn't want a piece of this," she said in amusement. _

"Buggar off," EJ grunted as he rubbed his eyes and grimaced as it felt like there was sandpaper on the inside of his eyelids.

"_I see you are over the contrition thing then," said Sam wryly._

"It was just a dream," said EJ dourly, feeling a flash of mortifying shame at what he'd done but trying to ignore it.

"_There is a darkness coming for you Elvis," said Sam knowingly._

"What did you say?" asked EJ, whipping his head around and staring at her intently at the familiar words.

"_I said there is a darkness inside of you Elvis," said Sam evenly._

"No you didn't," EJ frowned, "You said a darkness was _coming_ for me. What do you mean by that?"

"_I said no such thing," she dismissed easily, "You're imagining things my custard flavoured iguana." _

"No I'm not," scowled EJ, sitting up straighter, "I know what I heard!"

"_Of course you do because you have such a tight grip on reality right?" she pointed out mockingly, "As he has this conversation with his imaginary friend."_

EJ rubbed his head and then shook it, wincing at the pain the action caused him.

"I'm letting that crazy woman get to me," he muttered.

"_Who me?" asked Sam brightly._

"No," said EJ shortly.

"_Sami?"_

"No."

"_Kate?"_

"No."

"_Your mum?"_

"NO!" said EJ loudly and then had to wait a moment for his head to be done with exploding before continuing on, "Celeste - Celeste and her stupid predictions."

"_Oh yeah," said Sam thoughtfully, "The Celeste telling you that you are going to die soon thing."_

"Thank you for all that concern at that thought," EJ grumped, "And that wasn't what she said. She said I'd be no more."

"_So what are you thinking?" asked Sam, crossing her legs and looking at EJ in all seriousness, "Some kind of sex change dealio?"_

"I am not getting a sex change!" bit out EJ, frustrated that she never seemed to remain on task for more than a few minutes and wishing she'd just go away if she was going to carry on like this.

"_Just as well," said Sam, looking relieved, "You'd make one butt ugly woman with those bony knees of yours."_

"There is nothing wrong with my knees," said EJ flatly as he gingerly hauled himself up onto the sofa and then had to take a moment to collect himself after that mammoth effort.

"_Absolutely not," agreed Sam whole heartedly, "The camel that you stole them from was probably thrilled with them."_

"Do you _have_ to kick me when I'm down?" asked EJ, looking up at her in annoyance.

"_Well no, I don't have to," said Sam with a sweet smile, "But it is a lot of fun and you never take me anywhere nice nowadays so what are you gonna do right?"_

EJ flopped back in the sofa and shook his head in disgust at her.

"_Alright, alright," said Sam with a roll of her eyes, "If you want me to help you then I'll help you."_

She straightened up and fixed EJ with a determined look.

"_You need to get to Switzerland to see Sami and to do that you need to get this monkey off your back," she said knowingly. _

"The murder case," nodded EJ, his face darkening.

"_Well I was thinking Tony," said Sam with a shrug, "But yeah, okay."_

"Tony _is_ the murder case," said EJ flatly, "What I need to do is to get this murder investigation out of the way so the police will leave me alone while taking care of Tony. Then I can deal with what is really important – Samantha."

"_I don't know," said Sam sceptically, "Someone setting you up for murder kind of feels important too Elvis."_

"I can handle Tony," said EJ confidently, "He's tipped his hand and I'm going to take full advantage of that."

"_He said mysteriously," said Sam with a roll of her eyes._

"I'm going to make sure Tony has nothing left to hold over my head and then expose him as the lunatic he is to my father," said EJ forcefully, "He's a loose cannon and as soon as I show that to my father then he isn't going to be a factor any longer."

"_Hm," said Sam thoughtfully at that, "And then you can show Sami a big sign of your love for her I guess."_

"Absolutely," nodded EJ emphatically, "I'll choose her over my father by telling him I don't want anything to do with the DiMera business."

"_Oh," said Sam in surprise, "I was thinking of you getting something protruding from your body pierced but I guess that works too as a sign of your love for her."_

"You say the most ridiculous things sometimes," said EJ flatly to which she just shrugged, clearly unconcerned.

"_Well it sounds like you've a plan then," nodded Sam in agreement, "Although I don't think you should completely rule out a nipple ring, just as a backup. But can I also just put a plug in for you having some kind of decontamination process before you start your nefarious machinations because right now you look and smell like something Moby Dick dislodged from the back of his throat after a hard night of sex, drugs and rock and roll."_

"Why can't you just say – take a shower EJ?" he asked, unimpressed with her description of him, "Why do you always have to be so descriptive?"

"_I think I'm a frustrated writer," said Sam, taking his question seriously, "When all this is done and I've finally got you sorted out I'm going to write a book about you."_

"This is insane," said EJ with a roll of his eyes and deciding that shower sounded like a very good idea right about then.

He hauled himself off the sofa and started to unsteadily teetered towards the bedroom but Sam wasn't done yet.

"_I'm thinking of calling it – 'Probing the Black Hole of Elvis DiMera'," she called out after him, "What do you think?" _

EJ gritted his teeth and refrained from answering, continuing walking.

"_Not a fan eh?" she said thoughtfully, undeterred by his lack of response, "How about this then – 'Elvis DiMera – An Exploration of all of his Dark Crevices'?" _

EJ just kept walking without looking back, fantasising about drowning Sam in the shower and having some peace at long last.

"_HEY!" bellowed Sam from the living room, "I heard that Elvis!!"_

EJ just smiled, unconcerned. His focus and determination was back and he was going to use both to good effect to get his woman back by his side where she belonged, despite Sam's 'help'.

oooOOOOooo

Six days later EJ was reading the newspaper headline with no small amount of satisfaction when there was a knock at the door.

He was still in his dressing gown but that didn't stop him from getting up and answering the door, having a sneaking suspicion that he knew who his early morning visitor might be and not wanting to miss out on this. He opened the door, a big smile on his face.

"Why Captain Brady!" said EJ delightedly, "How lovely to see you. You'll have to forgive my appearance, I'm a little indisposed this morning."

Roman made a little grunting noise at EJ's obviously good mood.

"So you've read the paper I suppose," he said dourly.

"Indeed I have," nodded EJ with a big smile, "You know normally I find the Salem Spectator somewhat of a yawn but this morning I found it quite the cracking read. I suppose congratulations are in order Roman, you must be thrilled."

EJ paused then and pursed his lips.

"Although you don't look thrilled," he pondered that thoughtfully, tapping a long finger to those pursed lips, "I wonder why that is?"

"I'm always happy when justice is served," said Roman tightly.

"Then you must be ecstatic this morning," said EJ blithely, "I guess you're just not much of a morning person eh Captain? Is that is why you are sporting such a surly pout?"

"You think you're real clever don't you?" asked Roman flatly.

"I little bit of an abrupt segue from the conversation we were having," noted EJ in amusement, "But I will admit to having my moments, yes, thank you for asking Captain Brady."

"I don't know how you did this but I just want you to know that I know," growled Roman.

"Oh," said EJ teasingly, "Now I know you know but what it is that you think you know but I also know that you don't know everything that you think you know... no?"

"You're day will come DiMera and when it does I'm going to be sure and have a front row seat for it," said Roman darkly before turning on his heel and marching off.

EJ poked his head out of the door after him.

"Well goodbye then Captain Brady," he called out after him, "Call me and we'll do brunch one day soon."

There was no answer to that but it was probably just as well because EJ doubted that it would be a polite one. He closed the door and leant back against it, allowing a happy smirk to come to his lips.

"_So who looks pleased with himself then?" asked Sam in amusement as she sat in a chair looking up at him. _

"Why not?" shrugged EJ, his grin widening, "I think it was a rather masterful stroke myself."

"_And we all know how much you enjoy stroking yourself," said Sam cheekily. _

"It it feels good do it, is my motto," said EJ unapologetically as he went and sat back down on the sofa.

He was in a good mood in that moment, happy to feel like he had control back over his life. EJ had been totally adrift since Sami had left town with nothing so much as a note to tell him why. Of course EJ didn't believe a word of what she'd written but being confined to Salem had nearly done his head in. Every instinct in his body was screaming at him to pack up and go and see Sami and that was exactly what he was going to do. She might be able to write him a letter and not answer her phone but experience told EJ that she wasn't going to hold out long against him face to face. What he really needed to find out though was why she'd run in the first place and so far away.

"_Well it must feel really good to have old man Brady bend over and take it then," said Sam with a laugh, bringing him back to the here and now._

"More than it should," agreed EJ happily and picked up the paper again, re-reading the headline, "It was a flash of genius on my behalf, you have to admit that Sam."

"_Yeah, yeah," said Sam with a roll of her eyes, "You're the next Albert Einstein to be sure." _

She tilted her head and looked at him intently then.

"_So I suppose your next stop is Switzerland now Albie?" she asked him._

"I'm leaving in two hours," nodded EJ emphatically and stood up, walking to the bedroom to get changed.

Sam sat there and thought about what he'd just said and waited for him to come back. When he walked back in the room, doing up his shirt now she continued on talking with him.

"_And do you have a plan other than just showing up at the runaway faux girlfriend's doorstep and a couple of promises about Daddy?" Sam asked curiously. _

"Once we are breathing the same air again then everything will fall into place," said EJ confidently as he pulled on his jacket.

"_Because it has in the past right?" asked Sam sarcastically._

"It will be different this time," said EJ tightly as he did up his tie now.

"_You keep saying that but it never is," said Sam in exasperation, "It always ends up with you and your hand getting jiggy with it when she slams the door in your face and goes back to Lucas!"_

"Samantha has been intimate with me a lot more then she has been with Lucas," said EJ, his good mood evaporating now at Sam's logic.

"_What good does that do us if she ends up Lucas at the end of the day still?" asked Sam, throwing her hands up in disgust, "I think she is going to need a little bit more than 'I chose you' if this latest bout of scampering is anything to go by. Tell me you've got some kind of plan other than what you've been doing in the past Elvis?!"_

"I don't have to tell you anything," EJ growled, frowning fiercely at her.

He'd been in such a good mood after his encounter with Roman; he didn't know why Sam felt the need to ruin it. The truth was he was still in agony that Sami had even found the strength to leave him in the first place. EJ knew he could never have done that to her and every time he thought about her doing that it turned the knife that seemed permanently lodged in his chest.

"_I'll take that as a no then shall I?" asked Sam dryly._

"This has nothing to do with you," said EJ sharply, "So just butt out will you?!"

"_I'm just worried about you my little dung beetle," said Sam with a shrug, "You are still really angry and upset with Sami amongst other things and you probably need to get in touch with that a little more before you go facing her."_

"Everything will be fine when Sami admits what we all know is true," said EJ doggedly, "That she loves me."

"_And if she doesn't admit to it?" asked Sam with an arched eyebrow, "What's plan B?"_

"Kidnap her and take her back to Ara Caman," said EJ and realised as he said it that it wasn't a bad idea.

"_Hm," said Sam sceptically, "I don't think this situation calls for brute force somehow Elvis. Why don't you rub those two remaining brain cells together and come up with some kind of plan that involves getting to the bottom of what is really going on with Sami?"_

"I fully intend to do that as soon as I see her," said EJ confidently and then turned his head as he heard a noise out in the hallway.

He looked back at Sam and threw here a defiant look.

"In fact I'm going to get started right now," he said, "It sounds like Lucas is up and about and I'm going to go and drill him for information."

"_Ug," said Sam, wrinkling her nose, "There is an unpleasant visual I could have lived without."_

EJ ignored her, intent on cornering Lucas and extracting as much information as he could from the other man. He opened the door and walked out of the apartment but all the breath left his body when he saw who it was standing facing the adjacent apartment's door.

"Samantha," he rasped, wondering if this was another trick of his anguished psyche or if this was real.

She turned around slowly and looked up at him and EJ knew that this was no dream...

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & TWENTY**** – ****A Battle of Wills**

Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn't it?

It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens up your hear and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up. You build up all these defences; you build up a whole suit of armour, so that nothing can hurt you, then one stupid person, no different from any other stupid person, wanders into your stupid life...

You give them a piece of you. They didn't ask for it.

They did something dumb one day, like kiss you or smile at you and then your life isn't your own anymore. Love takes hostages. It gets inside you. It eats you out and leaves you crying in the darkness, so simple a phrase like 'maybe we should just be friends' turns into glass splinter working its way into your heart.

It hurts. Not just in the imagination. Not just in the mind.

It's a soul-hurt, a real gets-inside-you-and-rips-you-apart-pain.

I hate love.

_~Neil Gaiman~_

Sami walked out of the elevator of her apartment block full of nervous trepidation. It had been nearly three weeks since she'd last seen EJ and all she could do was pray that it was long enough for her to have regained some measure of her composure around him. She had no idea of what she would be walking back into now that she was back from Salem and her stomach tightened in dread. She didn't know if EJ was going to be angry, sad, undeterred or just simply done with her. Sami didn't know which of those she dreaded the most.

Of course logically she should be hoping against hope that EJ had finally given up on pursuing her because it was going to be the only thing that saved his life but the thought that she'd hurt him so much that he no longer loved her broke Sami's heart. She hoped that he'd be angry with her because that at least gave her something to react against because despite her time away in Switzerland to collect herself Sami knew it was going to be incredibly hard for her to control her wayward emotions around him.

She loved EJ, completely and utterly and that hadn't changed at all since she'd been away. In fact Sami felt like those feelings grew every minute of every day and she was in agony every minute she tried to hide those feelings away but she knew it was something that had to be done. Sami knew she could suffer through anything as long as she knew EJ was going to be safe because of it and that was why she'd decided to come back to Salem now. She wanted this first encounter over and done with, the anticipation was killing her. Lucas hadn't picked her up from the airport and Sami wasn't sure why because he also hadn't answered any of her phone calls so that was why she just wanted to get home and check he was alright and just pray that she could avoid EJ for a little while longer.

"_Samantha?"_

Sami was at her door, key in hand when she heard his warm voice behind her. Despite herself a chill ran through Sami's body at the sound of her name on his lips once again. She turned slowly around to face him and let the bag she'd had slung over one shoulder drop to the ground. He was standing there in the corridor, even more handsome then she remembered if that was even possible and her stomach began to immediately churn nervously. Sami's finger's curled into her palm, her nails nearly drawing blood as she steeled herself to stay where she was rather than simply run to EJ and throw herself into his arms. She braced herself, expecting his anger and unable to read his expression. Suddenly EJ was closing the distance between them, pulling her into his arms and burying his face in her neck.

"You said you'd never leave me again," he told her, his voice ragged and uneven as he reminded her of the promise she'd made him after she'd frightened him by accepting the lift from the bikers, "Oh god sweetheart it was like a living death without you, you took my soul, my reason for living away with you."

EJ's sweet and poignant words ripped a hole in Sami's chest because she knew now she had to stomp all over those beautiful words to try and save his life. It was the hardest thing in the world but Sami managed to keep herself stiff and unresponsive in his arms. EJ didn't let her go for the longest time but as she continued to offer no encouragement to him he eventually had to. Sami immediately took a couple of steps back and looked back at him with what she hoped was a disdainful look.

"I thought I made myself clear in my letter EJ," she said coldly, "I don't want you around me anymore, I don't want you touching me or thinking you can say those kinds of things to me."

"Why are you doing this Samantha?" asked EJ, his eyes narrowing but not before Sami saw the flash of pain in them which cut her to the quick but she tried her best not to show it as he looked down and seemed to collect himself.

"I told you in the letter," she said, determinedly making her voice devoid of any emotion, "I don't love you EJ and I'm certainly not going to risk everything in my life just to get some sex. I can have the life that I want with Lucas and that is what I'm going to do."

"Can you hear yourself?" asked EJ bitterly, "You're talking about loving a life style and not a man. You're not the kind of woman who can settle Samantha, you want it all!"

"You're right EJ and that is why I'm not settling for you," she said flatly, "I want a family and friends around me. A life with you would guarantee me none of those things."

"That's insane!" protested EJ hotly, "We would make our own family and friends together Samantha, it's not a one or the other scenario!"

"Don't be naïve EJ of course it is," she said coldly, "I hate your family and you hate mine. Any emotion between us will eventually be eroded away by that fact and I can't see the point in getting involved in a relationship that is doomed to fail."

"And yet you can see the point in getting involved with a man that you barely have any feelings for at all because of the convenience factor!" said EJ tersely, "Have I got that right Samantha?"

"Just leave me alone EJ," she said coolly, "I'm done with our dramatic little encounters. It's getting old and I just want to be happy again and you don't make me happy EJ, you never have."

"Oh I've made you happy sweetheart," said EJ, an eyebrow quirking challengingly, "I have made you happy many, many times over and left you begging for more happiness I might add."

"Poor dumb EJ," said Sami shortly, praying that her brutality was going to have some effect sometime soon because she didn't know how much longer she could keep this up for, "Mistaking sex for any real emotion or connection."

She saw that barb had hit its mark as a muscle in EJ's jaw ticked wildly as he held himself tightly in check. He looked away, obviously collecting himself and Sami held her breath, bracing herself for the onslaught he was about to unleash on her but yet again he surprised her. He looked back at her then; his eyes suspiciously bright with what Sami could only assume were unshed tears that just about broke her heart.

"Don't ever go away again and not tell me Samantha," his voice was raw and tense and there was a vulnerability to his eyes that she hadn't expected, "You promised me you'd never do that again."

"I… I needed to see Will," she managed, her own voice uneven and not what she'd been practicing at all for their first meeting.

This would be so much easier if he was yelling at her. This gentle longing on his behalf was doing her head in.

"You needed to be away from me, from us," he corrected her raggedly, "Because you can't handle what there is between us."

"There is no us," she said weakly, looking up at him and feeling herself beginning to fall again, all her hard earned resolves fading like they always did in his presence.

"There is _only_ us," he corrected her achingly, his eyes riveted to her lips as she wet them nervously.

Sami closed her eyes, trying desperately to harden her heart against EJ and his soft, loving words. EJ saw her internal struggle and his eyes flared to see it, searching her face to see if it meant what he'd been hoping for so long from her now. He saw her pain, answering it with his own.

"Don't ever leave me again Samantha," he begged quietly, his voice low as he pleaded with her again.

Sami came to her senses then, realising how dangerous it was what she was doing. Tony no doubt had spies everywhere and all they had to do was report back to him this moment between them and EJ's life would instantly be in danger. The thought that she might lose EJ permanently and the terror that knowledge brought gave Sami enough strength to find the courage to do what she must to save EJ's life.

"I'm not leaving you EJ because we never were anything," she said, forcing as much coldness as she could into her words as she stepped back away from him, "We screwed each other's brains out but that was all it was. It was nothing more than satisfying a biological urge and to tell you the truth I'm bored with it and you now so if you'll excuse me, I've got things to do."

"NO!" yelled EJ, grabbing her arms and his fingers bit into the flesh of her arms but Sami determinedly didn't show him any kind of reaction.

She was fighting to save EJ's life here and it gave her previously untapped stores of reserves to do what had to be done. She might be able to live in this world, just, without EJ by her side but Sami knew she wouldn't be able to survive at all if she knew she'd let him die. It would kill her and Sami used that fear of EJ's death to drive her to do what had to be done.

"I'm not going to let you do this to us again!" said EJ angrily, grabbing both her arms now and hauling her up against him.

Sami panicked then being this close to him again. His maleness surrounded her, overpowered her and all Sami wanted to do was surrender to it, throw her arms around him and beg EJ to kiss her and make this pain inside her stop. To have him so close again made Sami almost forget that she would be signing EJ's death warrant if she let that happen but then the reality of the situation came back to her and she fought with all of her strength against him and more importantly against herself. She lashed out at him, pummelling at his chest with her small fists as though she was in a fight for her life or more correctly, for his life. EJ staggered back, looking at Sami in shocked disbelief at her frenzied attack. There was real fear in her eyes and she could tell EJ was horrified at the prospect.

"Samantha," he said unsteadily, taking a step towards her again, his hands out stretched in a calming manner, "Sweetheart I wasn't going to hurt you. Please darling, don't be afraid of me."

Sami gave a choked sob at hearing that even though he'd completely gotten it wrong. Sami was terrified to be sure but not of EJ but rather for him. If one of Tony's spies reported back to him that she and EJ were even talking then that might be enough to set that maniac off and order EJ dead. The thought galvanised Sami into action and she gathered all her internal fortitude to do what must be done.

"If you ever touch me again I will go to my father and tell him that you raped me," said Sami, her heart pounding wildly in her chest as she did this awful thing that was for EJ's own good, "I'll tell him that you've been threatening me and blackmailing me for months now."

"Why would you do such a thing?" asked EJ, his face darkening as Sami made something beautiful that had been shared between them into something very ugly.

To save your life was the despairing answer in Sami's head but she knew she couldn't say that. She needed him to hate her even though the thought of him doing that damn near killed her.

"So you'll get the message that we are well and truly over and leave me alone," said Sami harshly, feeling herself beginning to shake with the self control it was taking her to say these things, "I'm warning you EJ, stay away or I'll make you stay away, one way or the other."

Sami would rather have EJ behind bars then on a morgue slab and even though she prayed it wouldn't come to that she had to let EJ know she was serious this time. She kept her face set in stone as she bent down and picked up her bag and turned around, keeping her back resolutely to EJ and unlocked the door to her apartment and walked inside.

Sami was a bundle of nerves, half expecting EJ to grab her at any moment and drag her back to his apartment but he didn't. It seemed like she'd really rocked him with her reaction to his advances and Sami wasn't sure why that was but she was going to take advantage of it anyway.

She stepped through into her apartment and quickly locked it behind her and was yet again surprised when EJ didn't start knocking on the door. Sami dropped her bag and looked around, a frown coming to her face at not finding Lucas, suddenly remembering his failure to pick her up at the airport again. Her thoughts were so consumed with EJ nowadays it was hard to remember to think about Lucas and Sami felt very guilty about that fact.

"Lucas?" she called out but there was no answer.

It was only just after nine in the morning but Lucas was usually an early riser. She walked to the bedroom, starting to get worried now, especially when she saw the sink full of dirty dishes. Lucas hated to leave the washing up; it was one of his bug bears and usually would be taking her plate to start cleaning up as she swallowed her last mouthful. The fact that they were still sitting there obviously from the night before was a big concern to Sami. She hurried into the bedroom to find Lucas in the bed, completely still. Sami felt a knot of concern tie up her stomach as she walked over cautiously to where he was lying.

"Lucas?" she said softly but there was no response and Sami was really worried now.

She put her hand on his shoulder and gave it a little shake.

"Lucas!" she said more loudly and to her relief he gave bit of a snort but didn't actually wake up.

Sami shook his shoulder harder and he eventually began to come awake, looking up at her groggily.

"Sami," he rasped, staring at her in confusion, "What are you doing here?"

"You were going to pick me up at the airport remember?" asked Sami with a frown at how disoriented he was.

Normally Lucas woke up really sharp and alive in the morning. He was what you called a morning person, something Sami found endlessly annoying truth to told.

"What time is it?" asked Lucas, obviously still struggling to make sense of what was going on around him.

"It's after nine," said Sami in concern, "Lucas are you sick? What's wrong? I've been calling you and calling you and you haven't been picking up."

"I must have slept through it," he said groggily.

"You never sleep through the phone ringing," fretted Sami, putting a hand to his forehead, "I think we should go to the doctor."

"I don't need a doctor Sami," said Lucas a little crankily as he swatted her hand away, "I just overslept; there is no need to go into panic mode."

"Sorry for giving a damn," said Sami a little stiffly as she straightened up, "I was just worried is all Lucas. This-"

Sami made a sweeping gesture at the untidy room and the fact that Lucas was still in bed.

"This isn't like you Lucas," she said unhappily.

"It's not a big deal unless you go ahead and make it a big deal Sami!" snapped Lucas, clearly the extra sleep not affording him an improvement in his mood.

"Right," said Sami flatly, "Right."

She turned on her heel, tears welling up in her eyes as she left him to it. Sami was already emotionally drained from having to say goodbye to Will and then her confrontation with EJ and the realisation that this was going to be even harder then she imagined to harden her heart against him. To have Lucas be like this and for no apparent reason was just too much for Sami. The worst part was she knew she actually deserved being treated like this by Lucas even though he didn't know it.

Every time Sami thought her life couldn't get any worse she managed to prove herself wrong somehow...

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & TWENTY ONE**** - ****Rearranging Deck Chairs on the Titanic**

Where you used to be there is a hole in the world,

Which I find myself constantly walking around in the daytime,

And falling in at night.

I miss you like hell.

_~Edna St. Vincent Millay~_

It was nearly a week later and Sami was at her wits end. She couldn't sleep, she couldn't stop crying all the time and having to find somewhere private to do it just added to the stress mind you. EJ was still making his presence felt although he seemed vaguely distracted by something which was fine by Sami, anything to take the heat off her. Things were strained between herself and Lucas despite him apologising profusely for not picking her up and speaking to her that way. Sami had told him it was fine but there was still a tension between them and Sami knew she was the main reason for that.

She felt guilty every time she looked at Lucas and knew that she was using him as a shield against EJ and just felt terrible about it. Sami didn't love Lucas, not like she was meant to anyway and it was all kinds of wrong for her to not be honest with him about that fact. The trouble was if EJ knew she and Lucas had broken up then he would never give her a minute's peace and even worse Tony might see that as her reneging on her deal with him and that was the last thing Sami wanted.

When she was at her lowest ebbs Sami kept consoling herself with the fact that she was doing all this for EJ, that she was keeping him safe. To have made them suffer through all this for no reason was too much for Sami to think about right then. So there she was, fending off EJ's advances to save his life and Lucas' because she just couldn't bear to have any other man than EJ touch her again. It made for a very hard life for Sami right then but she didn't know what else to do other than to keep going and try and maintain the status quo. It was so painful though because on top of everything else she just missed EJ, unbearably so and it was hard to know how it was that she was still functioning while this sad.

"Sami what is it?" asked Lucas with a sigh as he came to stand beside her in the kitchen as she cut up a salad for their dinner that night and seeing how sad she looked.

"I forgot to get tomatoes at the market," she said unevenly.

"That's not what is upsetting you," said Lucas firmly, obviously wanting to get this sorted between them, "Are you still upset about the airport thing?"

"No," said Sami with a shake of her head, "It's not that."

"Sami I want things to be alright between us again," said Lucas earnestly, putting his hand on her arm and it was all Sami could do not to flinch away from him.

"It's not you Lucas," said Sami quietly, feeling everything press in on around her.

She looked at Lucas was emotional tears filling her eyes.

"I'm just so worried," she said unevenly.

"About what?" asked Lucas in concern.

"Everything," said Sami in desolation, "Mom and John, Will being on the other side of the world – I just feel like my family is falling apart right now."

"I know things are not great with your Mom and John and I don't like Will being so far away from us anymore than you do Sami," said Lucas sincerely, "Tell me what you want me to do honey to make this right."

Sami looked at Lucas and had a sudden idea. It wasn't right she knew that but she needed so desperately to remove some complications from her life and Sami didn't know what else she could do. If something didn't change in the very close future she knew she was going to lose her mind, unable to handle all this pressure coming at her from every side.

"There-there is one thing," said Sami unsteadily, hating herself for doing this but feeling like she had no choice, "One thing that would make me feel better about all this."

"Name it Sami," said Lucas confidently, "And it's done."

Sami gave him a tremulous smile for that and then took a deep breath before telling him...

oooOOOOooo

"Mind if I join you?"

Tony had to crane his head right back to look up at the person who asked the question but EJ was already taking a seat across from him at the coffee shop, crossing his legs in front of him and regarding his older brother with a cool smugness.

"By all means Elvis," said Tony dryly, folding the newspaper he'd been reading in front of him and looking back at the other man calmly.

"Anything interesting in the paper Tony?" asked EJ coolly.

"My stocks are doing well," said Tony, drawing this out, "Thank you for asking."

"How about the front page?" pushed EJ, "Anything catch your eye there at all?"

Tony made a great show of opening up the paper and looking at the front page again for EJ's benefit.

"The Salem PD have solved a crime," he said mildly, scanning the article although he'd already read it very carefully before EJ had come in, "I suppose an unprecedented like that warrants some front page space."

EJ just smiled coldly at Tony's mocking, highlighting the Salem PD's incompetence not the most pressing issue he had right then.

"You'll be pleased to see I'm exonerated of the crime," said EJ, arching an eyebrow at him, "You must be very relieved to hear that my freedom has been secured by justice being served."

"A justice that sees a dying man going to prison for a crime he didn't commit," commented Tony wryly.

As soon as he'd read the headlines Tony had immediately made a few phone calls and investigated what had actually happened. The thought that the Salem police department had arrived at this erroneous conclusion of their own hapless accord seemed unlikely to Tony. They seemed incapable of pinning a murder on someone whether they did it or not. No, as soon as Tony had seen that head line he'd know that EJ had finally started to get in the game and had worked some fancy footwork of his own.

Several phone calls later Tony had learnt that Albert Hillman was a career criminal who had probably only paid for half of his crimes throughout his long and glorious career on the wrong side of the law. Albert Hillman had also been diagnosed with a brain tumour not two months ago and told he had only three months to live back then. Clearly EJ had found the perfect fall guy for his own ineptitude of sending Bart to do the work their father had told EJ to do.

"Apparently his family came into quite a windfall recently," said EJ evenly, holding Tony's gaze steadily, "They are set for life now so I don't think Mr Hillman is too bothered by his surroundings in the last few weeks of his life. Prison feels more like home to him anyway as he's spent most of his adult life there."

Tony gave a half little smile at hearing that.

"Oh Elvis," he said with a sigh and a little shake of his head, "Still playing both sides of the fence I see."

"I have no idea what you are talking about Tony," said EJ calmly.

"I mean you sit there, all puffed up and pleased with yourself because you have managed to side step the responsibilities laid on you but all you've really done is proven your inability to make a decision," said Tony with a little shrug.

"I handled the situation," said EJ with a cold little smile, "A situation I might add created by you brother."

"Actually _brother_ it was created by you when you sent someone else to do your dirty work because you would rather have been canoodling with that Brady woman then taking your responsibilities of being a DiMera seriously," said Tony curtly.

A fresh fury washing over him as he considered how off handed EJ continued to be about all that had been given to him so easily when Tony had worked so hard for all that he'd gotten.

"Our father asked you to perform a task and you could not be bothered so you handed it over to an incompetent and ended up having a mess on your hands," said Tony with a challengingly look at the other man.

"A mess compounded by your involvement," said EJ, leaning forward a little angrily now, "But your petty games aren't going to get you anywhere Tony, I'll make sure of that!"

Tony arched an eyebrow at the defiant look on EJ's face. This pup still thought he could best him when he didn't know the half of what was going on around him and it took a lot of will power on Tony's behalf not to throw the deal he'd made with Sami in the younger man's smug face but that would have defeated the purpose. Even Tony was careful enough to think twice about what the combined forces of Sami and EJ might cause him in the way of problems.

"A threat Elvis?" asked Tony mockingly, "From a man who always takes the soft options to solve his problems? A real DiMera would have thrown Bart to the wolves and made sure he never saw the inside of a courtroom with a quick, merciful bullet to the head."

"And you see Tony," said EJ just as mockingly, "It is thinking such as that which has made our father chose me over you. You have the finesse of a sledgehammer."

"But the job gets done and results are hard to argue with," said Tony tersely.

"Your way of seeing jobs get done will ensure our father's empire crumbling and turning to dust Tony," said EJ, leaning back in his chair and giving the other man a challenging look, "You are a man who does not appreciate nuances and cannot move with the times."

"Once you have enough power the times have to move with you little brother," said Tony coldly.

"Wow," said EJ with a mocking laugh, "And you call me egocentric and spoilt. At the risk of reducing this conversation to that of a school yard one – it takes one to know one brother."

Tony's cell phone ringing interrupted his retort and he simply reached for it, flipping it open and showing no outwards sign of emotion as he saw who it was.

"It's me," said a woman's voice tersely.

"Well hello there," said Tony evenly, "What an unexpected pleasure."

"I'm just ringing you to tell you that I've done what you said and it's been nearly a month now," said Sami tightly, "I've kept my word now I want you to keep yours and promise me that nothing is going to happen to EJ."

"I think I can see my way clear to do that," said Tony, giving a little smile at EJ who was looking at him, impatient for him to finish his phone call so they could finish their own conversation.

"You'd better!" said Sami harshly, "Nothing had better happen to EJ!"

"I see," said Tony easily, giving nothing away, "And what would the consequences be in that case I wonder?"

"If anything happens to EJ then I have no reason to keep quiet about what you've done," said Sami bitterly, "I'll let anyone who'll listen know that you were behind what happened to EJ and you'll never know freedom again!"

"Oh my but that _is_ interesting," said Tony and smiling at EJ who was getting a little impatient now as he waited for him to be done with the phone call.

Tony had to admire the Brady woman's spunk but it was also time to put her in her place and remind little Sami Brady who it was exactly who was calling the shots.

"Now I only wish I had a multitude of family to share that information with," said Tony smoothly, "You know, brothers and sisters, aunts, uncles, grandparents and children – I'm sure they'd all be very interested in what you were telling me."

Tony let his thinly veiled threat hang between them, allowing Sami to absorb his words. The impetuous of youth always amused him. Sami had flung down the gauntlet in a heated moment thinking it was only EJ she had to lose and Tony had so enjoyed just reminding her then that there was so much more at stake than just her lover's life.

"You bastard!" she hissed at last, "I hope you burn in hell."

"Oh well I'm sure you do but maybe next time eh?" said Tony calmly, "Goodbye and thanks for the call."

He hung up then, enjoying his little victory. It helped counteract the annoyance of the smug look on EJ's face as he sat across from him, enjoying his own supposed little victory. Tony gave him an innocent smile.

"My stockbroker with a red hot tip for me," he lied easily, "Such a shame I couldn't take him up on his offer really and that I don't have very much family to pass it on to."

"Riveting," said EJ flatly, clearly not interested in talking about stocks right then.

He straightened up in his seat then and fixed Tony with a hard look.

"I just want you to understand something Tony," he said dourly, "You accused me of treating all of this as a game once before but let me tell you, those days are gone. If you continue to push me then I promise you I will push back twice as hard, make no mistake. You're not as invulnerable as you'd like to think – just remember that eh brother."

With his threat delivered EJ stood up abruptly and left Tony to it.

"Oh young Elvis," sighed Tony when he was gone, "Still so much to learn about the art of war I see."

Tony pursed his lips then, looking thoughtful.

"Mind you," he muttered to himself, "Forewarned is forearmed. I might be due a little recognisance mission I'm thinking."

Tony have a cold little smile at that thought before taking a sip of his coffee, his mind already racing with possibilities.

oooOOOOooo

Sami walked out of her apartment in a bit of a daze, on her way to visit with her mother and John. It was probably why she didn't see EJ standing around the wall until it was too late. She gave a visible start when she saw him standing there, lounging against the wall with a little smile on his face.

"Given up shaving I see," she said flatly, obviously taking in the scruff he was currently sporting.

She moved to get past him then but EJ put up his foot, blocking the narrow hallway and stopping her from moving on.

"I seem to recall you quite enjoying my beard," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "From memory you seemed to find it quite - shall we say edifying – when put to good use."

EJ enjoyed watching the flush colour Sami's pale cheeks as he reminded her of their past trysts. He'd just come from rubbing Tony's nose in his little coup d'état regarding the murder frame up and despite himself it felt like a rather hollow victory but then everything felt hollow without Sami. EJ found he couldn't sleep, couldn't even think particularly straight without Sami, even his food was tasteless nowadays. He'd sorted out one nuisance in his life and now it was time to move on to the thing that really mattered – Sami. He couldn't help but be annoyed that she was still persisting with this act of indifference she was presenting to him. They both knew by now that it was a complete act so it was frustrating to EJ that she persisted to do it. He had a sudden urge to just break through all of her nonsense and remind Sami just exactly what it was they'd shared.

"That was in the past and that is exactly where I want it to stay EJ," said Sami, her jaw hardening now, "I keep telling you that I don't want this – why won't you stop?!"

"I'm not going to stop because you don't want me to stop," said EJ confidently.

Sami threw up her hands in disgust and looked up at him angrily now.

"You and I had a few ill advised hook ups," she said, her eyes flashing fire at him, "That's all they were EJ. I was sad and lonely and you were just always there, whispering in my ear and I gave in to all that pressure. I am so ashamed of what I've done there are no words. I'm horrified that I've done something so disgusting to Lucas and I look at him and just want to die for cheating on him. I hate that you've made me into a cheater EJ! I hate it! Lucas doesn't deserve that! He's a good man and I love him so much that it breaks my heart every time I think of what I've done. I know I should confess everything to him and beg his forgiveness but I'm so afraid of losing him and even worse, hurting him that I can't do it! But I want to make this work between him and I and I will spend the rest of my life making it up to him if I have to! Lucas loves me EJ, this isn't a game to him like it is for you and I won't let you ruin my life or his!"

"Are you done?" asked EJ grimly, hating to hear her say all those things, "Nothing you just said was true Samantha, _nothing_ do you hear me! You love me as much as I love you and I don't know why you are pushing me away but you don't have to do that. Whatever it is we can face it together."

"You only ever hear what you want to hear don't you?" asked Sami flatly, "I don't love you EJ; I don't want to share anything with you or even have to look at you ever again. It's Lucas I love and not you; get that through your thick skull why don't you?! The only thing I want from you is to leave us alone so we can be happy, that's it! You will never be the man Lucas is-"

"Thank god," said EJ bitingly at that, her words wounding him deeply, "Lucas doesn't know how to make you wrap your legs around his body and scream to the high heavens for more now does-"

Sami's hand connected with EJ's face painfully, cutting off the rest of his sentence. She looked up at him angrily.

"So we're back to the rough stuff eh sweetheart?" asked EJ tightly, wondering what it was he could do to shake her out of this latest bout of delusions,"Is that it?"

"We are back to you staying the hell out of my life!" hissed Sami, "I don't want to hear any of the disgusting things you have to say or think about that ever again! I love Lucas with my whole heart and we are going to build a life together. He's the great love of my life and I won't have you destroy that EJ! Lucas and I have a future together and that is all I want!"

"I am never going to let you settle for that moron Samantha," bit out EJ as he leaned in closer to her, his own eyes angry and dark, "You know that I will do what it takes to see Lucas out of your life and thrown to the curb like he's done to you so many times!"

"Is that some kind of threat EJ?!" asked Sami, drawing back in horror.

"It's a promise Samantha," said EJ, his jaw tightening, "Lucas doesn't get to have you sweetheart and I'll do what I have to, to make sure that you come to your senses about that man."

"Don't you dare hurt him EJ!" said Sami, her eyes wide in distress now, "You promised me!"

"We have both said a great deal of things to one another sweetheart," said EJ sharply, knowing he was going about this all wrong but he seemed to have some left over testosterone flowing through his veins after his encounter with Tony and Sami was getting the worst of it, "You can say what you want to me but I know what you really want is for me to rescue you from that idiot and if you won't leave him then maybe I'll just have to make him leave you – one way or the other."

"You wouldn't dare!" gasped Sami, looking up at him in distress.

EJ let Sami see in his eyes that he was fully willing to tell Lucas everything if she really fought him hard on this and he could see Sami believed him.

"You bastard," she whispered.

"I'm determined Samantha," he told her with a little smile, "And I always get what I want."

"No matter who gets hurt?" asked Sami bitterly.

"Who is getting hurt?" asked Lucas, overhearing the last of their conversation and walking up the hallway from where he'd been taking out the trash.

"We were just talking about some business," said Sami quickly, throwing EJ a pleading look.

"Indeed," said EJ smoothly, a cold little smile on his lips, "Some very important business as it turns out."

"And now we're finished," said Sami brightly, giving EJ a pointed look as Lucas slipped his arm around her waist.

"For the moment," said EJ evenly, giving Sami a mocking look.

"Well run along Elvis," said Lucas with a bit of a smug smirk, "Me and my girl have some special time planned and you know what they say - three is a crowd."

"Isn't it more like two and a half?" asked EJ sweetly, unable to help himself taking a cheap shot at Lucas' height.

The way he was feeling right then it was either that or just take an actual shot at Lucas and EJ knew he'd done himself no favours with that last conversation already and didn't need to add to his mistakes.

Of course EJ had no way of knowing just then how true and far reaching that observation was going to be and how soon he was going to start paying dearly for it...

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & TWENTY TWO**** – ****It Takes Two To Tango**

I see myself holding you close to me  
Squeezing your body tight.  
But for all I see as I daydream-  
I know I'll get tenfold tonight.

Running my palms across your breast  
As you tremble and bite your lip.  
Feeling your hands upon my chest  
The softness of each fingertip.

Tasting your neck so sweet, so soft  
And slowly lowering my kiss.  
Over pert nipples, across your navel  
And finally into pure bliss.

Looking upon your face from below-  
As you tilt back your head.  
Feeling your fountains begin to flow-  
As you ease back on the bed.

Your "innocent little devil" look-  
Crying insatiably with the sensation.  
Lip to lip lapping up every drip-  
From the well of your creation.

The way you pull me up by the hair-  
To the heat of your mouth, on fire.  
No other thoughts, no other cares,  
Just the quenching of mad desire.

Riding the tide of passion,  
Pushing my love into you.  
On the waves of your emotion-  
In slow motion, so sweet and true.

Pulse pounding in resounding rapture,  
Taken to the hilt, then just past.  
Rhythm growing, faces glowing,  
The climax coming fast.

That heated, illicit look-  
Of ecstasy across your eyes.  
The culmination nearing-  
Within your undulating thighs.  
Echoing throughout the heavens-  
On overindulgent cries.

The sultry look upon your face-  
In reaching that gyrating gush.  
The way you bite my fingers-  
When I try to make you hush.

Your arching back, your fingernails,  
Your perfume mixed with sweat.  
The way you keep rubbing against me-  
With your insides already so wet.

The way when I'm beat dead and ready-  
To fall face first to the floor,  
You put your sweet lips to my ear-  
And whisper, "I want more! "

_~ "More!" by Michael Anderson~_

"So tell me what is so great about this Samantha then?"

EJ turned his head to look at the tall, dark haired woman looking at him with interest. He'd come into the little bar come restaurant on a whim, sick of being home alone and obsessing about Sami. So now he was in a bar obsessing about Sami so the change of scenery was nice he supposed. He'd been almost immediately approached by a woman named Estelle, a beauty in a red dress and he'd offered to buy her a drink. After that they'd gotten to chatting and of course it hadn't taken Estelle long to figure out EJ's problem.

"Well she's stubborn, gorgeous, maddening, captivating, stubborn-" EJ began.

"You said stubborn twice," pointed out Estelle indulgently.

"Yes well," said EJ with a grimace as he finished off his scotch, "This woman is extremely stubborn. To do her justice I should really throw a third stubborn in there – at least."

"She sounds like a lot of work," commented Estelle evenly.

"Estelle my dear you have no idea," said EJ dryly, putting his empty glass back down on the bar.

"So you're planning on winning her back by getting drunk in a bar, is that it?" she asked him in amusement.

"Oh no," said EJ with a definite shake of his head, "I'm not getting drunk tonight or any other night in the foreseeable future. I have it from a very reliable source that I'm a mean drunk."

"Oh I see," she said but EJ doubted if she really did see but didn't want to get into a discussion about Sam and his most likely tenuous grip on his sanity right then.

"I'm just looking for a little distraction from my woes tonight Estelle so I can formulate a new plan for winning the hand of the fair maiden," EJ told her evenly.

"And do you have any thoughts on how you are going to do that?" asked Estelle, intrigued despite herself.

"I'm leaning towards kidnapping myself," admitted EJ blithely.

"Isn't that illegal?" she asked in amusement.

"I have it on very good authority that it is only illegal if they catch you," said EJ with a twinkle in his eye and then was distracted by the couple that had just walked through the door, "I don't believe it!"

"What?" asked Estelle, looking over her shoulder to see a dark haired man with a slight limp walking towards the restaurant area of the bar with an attractive blonde woman on his arm.

"It's her," said EJ with a roll of his eyes as Estelle looked back at him in bemusement, "My intended kidnap victim."

"She's gorgeous," commented Estelle admiringly.

"That she is," sighed EJ, "And a complete ball breaker - if you'll excuse my turn of phrase Estelle."

"That's a lethal combination," she said with a little laugh.

"Don't I know it," grumbled EJ, "And I've got the scars to prove it."

He watched Lucas and Sami being led to their table by a waiter and felt a wave of helplessness wash over him. It was clear to EJ that he was never going to be free of Sami even if he wanted to be.

"See that?" said EJ with a resigned sigh, "This happens all the time, fate keeps drawing us towards one another, no matter what we do."

EJ shook his head and couldn't help but mutter to himself.

"Of all the gin joints in all the world she had to walk into mine."

"So do you have a plan for this situation?" asked Estelle curiously as she watched EJ not take his eyes off the couple across the room who were being led to their table, "Other than not getting drunk of course?"

EJ managed to tear his eyes of Sami, looking over at Estelle and trying to control the jealousy that was currently ripping the sinew from his bone at seeing Lucas hold out Sami's chair for her. All he wanted to do was storm across the restaurant, beat Lucas into a satisfyingly bloody pulp, throw Sami over his shoulder and just take her off somewhere so he could just have her. The current mood he was in EJ was pretty sure that he'd only make it as far as the car park before this desperate need to be inside her again that was currently building at a frightening rate in him would over take him. When he'd seen Sami smile at Lucas it had snapped something inside of EJ and he just wanted to make her feel the same kind of pain that she'd inflicted so mercilessly on him.

"Tell me Estelle," he said with a calm smile, "Have you ever considered a career on the stage and do you have any aversion to taking money from strange men?"

She arched a dark eyebrow at his question.

"You know I'd almost think that you were about to make me an indecent proposal if I hadn't seen the way you were just looking at that blonde," she said with some amusement.

"It is somewhat of an indecent proposal," agreed EJ readily enough, "Are you game?"

"I'm game for just about anything," Estelle grinned, "But save your money EJ, consider this a freebie."

"You know I have always relied on the kindness of strangers," said EJ with his own grin and deciding he was rather going to enjoy this.

It was time Samantha Brady knew what it felt like to have the love of your life with someone other than you EJ decided grimly...

oooOOOOooo

"I'm glad we are doing this," smiled Lucas.

"Me too," said Sami with an answering smile after the waiter had left with their orders.

Lucas picked up her hand and kissed the back of it, his smile becoming wider.

"I'm so glad that we found each other again," he told her sincerely, "I feel like a lot of things have been in our way but we still ended up right here, right now – you know, like it was meant to be."

Sami gave a tremulous smile at that and wishing with all her heart that it was true. How much easier would it be if she did actually love Lucas like she should Sami wondered in despair? That didn't matter now, right now she was intent on keeping the two men in her life safe and Sami knew she just had to do what she had to do now and get through it.

"I'm glad too," said Sami a little unevenly, "I don't want us to hurt each other anymore."

"A fresh start," agreed Lucas with a determined nod, "Nothing that has happened before this minute matters, only what happens next."

Sami wished that it was as simple as that but for Lucas it was and she had no choice but to go along with it.

"Agreed," Sami smiled, employing all of her acting skills that she'd learnt over the years to get through this.

She knew at some point that she'd have to let Lucas down easily but doing that right now was impossible. Still, the solution she'd come up with would buy her some time Sami decided and she'd take.

"I don't believe it!" scowled Lucas, looking over Sami's shoulder.

"What?" asked Sami curiously, turning around to see what Lucas was looking at and immediately feeling her stomach drop into her shoes.

EJ was at the bar, some woman draped all over him and looking up at him like he was the cleverest, most riveting man she'd ever met which to her dismay Sami knew he probably was. EJ was leaning in towards her now, whispering something in her ear, making the woman throw back her head and give a throaty laugh which EJ joined in on. The sound was like a knife in Sami's heart and her fingernails dug into the wooden table they were sitting at. EJ seemed to feel their eyes on him and he turned his head, looking surprised to see them there before smiling and whispering something else in the woman's ear and to Sami's horror they both got up from the bar and walked over to Sami and Lucas' table.

"Well fancy seeing you two here," said EJ with a smile, "Small world eh?"

"Microscopic," said Lucas flatly, clearly not impressed at the other man's presence.

"Estelle," said EJ smoothly, "These are two dear friends of mine and in actual fact my neighbours, Lucas and Samantha. Everyone, this is Estelle."

"Hi," said Lucas with the barest of smiles for the woman, just to be polite, "Nice to meet you."

"Hello," said Sami shortly.

She looked the other woman up and down. EJ was six feet four inches tall and Estelle had to be at least six feet tall because she could practically look him in the eye with her heels on. She had long, black hair with matching dark eyes and a tanned complexion. Basically everything Sami wasn't and then some.

"So is it date night for you two kids?" asked EJ brightly as he pulled up a chair to sit at the table without being invited but could only find one so he pulled Estelle into his lap, not that the other woman actually seemed to complain mind you.

Sami gritted her teeth to stop herself from lashing out and slapping the happy looks on both of their faces. She knew he was just doing this to annoy her but Sami couldn't help the pure, pulsating jealousy that was ripping through her at seeing the way EJ was looking at the other woman. It was one thing to hypothetically imagine EJ with another woman but being confronted with the reality of it was another thing entirely. She watched as EJ absently stroked the woman's arm with a long finger as he spoke to them and remembered all the little touches and gestures he'd done with her and hated Estelle with the fire of a thousand suns for being on the receiving end of the same now.

"In a manner of speaking," said Lucas, looking over at Sami as she gave him a strained smile, "We wanted to do something special."

"That sounds rather ominous," commented EJ with an arched eyebrow, "Why all the sudden need for specialness I wonder?"

Sami held her breath, not particularly wanting Lucas to answer that and give EJ any ideas but he was going to know soon enough anyway so what did it matter now.

"I'm going on a little trip," admitted Lucas a little reluctantly.

"Really?" asked EJ, sitting up straighter in his chair, "Well I'm intrigued, aren't you intrigued Estelle?"

"I think you should leave these two alone," she said huskily, pressing herself up against EJ more fully, "And then maybe you and I could have our own little... trip."

"Well that does sound like a hard offer to say no to," said EJ cheekily and it was all Sami could do not to scream.

"Lucas is going to Switzerland to be with Will," volunteered Sami, not even knowing why she did that but just wanting to draw his attention away from the other woman, "We were going out to dinner before I have to take him to the airport at nine o'clock tonight."

She'd asked Lucas to go and be with Will, telling him that their son needed his father. It was true but rather guiltily Sami knew it would give her one less man to worry about and juggle and she needed that right now. They hadn't decided on how long he'd be away for, that would depend on Will but Sami was taking the reprieve gratefully. She knew she'd have to face up to Lucas about what she'd done at some point but everything was so tenuous at the moment she couldn't risk it – too many lives hung in the balance.

"Is he now?" said EJ distractedly, grinning as Estelle whispered something in his ear and nodding, "Isn't that nice."

Estelle stood up then and EJ kissed the back of her hand and gave her a seductive look.

"I'll be right with you darling," he said throatily, "Order me another of the same will you – I'll just say my goodbyes to Lucas."

"Don't be long EJ," she said with a sultry little pout before nodding at the others, "Nice to meet you."

With that she turned around and headed back to the bar with a sway of those very female hips.

"Isn't she a treasure?" asked EJ delightedly, watching her leave.

"I know I'd like to bury her," muttered Sami under her breath.

"What was that Samantha?" asked EJ innocently.

"So how long have you two known each other for?" asked Sami sweetly.

"Oh we only just met," said EJ easily, "But sometimes you meet someone and just click right away, you know how it is."

He looked between Sami and Lucas then and pulled a face.

"Hm," he said thoughtfully, "Maybe you don't, forgot who I was talking to for a moment. What was it fifteen, sixteen years before you two managed to decide that there was no one else left to settle for?"

"Sami and I have known each other for a long time sure but that only means that our connection is even deeper because of it," said Lucas, putting an arm around Sami and pulling her closer to him, "It's something a guy like you just wouldn't understand Elvis."

"Oh well," he shrugged, "Whatever you tell yourselves to sleep better at night I suppose is fine with me. Meanwhile I have a rather gorgeous woman dying for a little more of that DiMera charm sitting over by the bar."

"How odd," said Sami mockingly, "Because usually people just die around the DiMera's, with a whole lot less of the charm."

"I always assumed charm wasn't high up on your list of qualities you looked for in a man considering your past choices Samantha," said EJ straight faced as Lucas' face darkened, "So perhaps it is best you don't judge something you have so little experience in eh?"

"Well I'm sure Enid over there has had more than her fair share of men charming her," said Sami snidely as she and EJ battled it out to have the last word, "And you'd better not keep her waiting, I have a feeling a girl like that charges by the hour so I wouldn't want you to be out of pocket on our account."

"That is very considerate of you Samantha and I think I will be getting back to _Estelle_," he said with a quirk of his lips, "And I'm quite confident we'll both be able to exchange a significant amount of charm with each other before the night is out. I'm rather banking on it being more than once in fact. I find myself with some excess energy to burn for some reason."

He looked at Lucas then who didn't look happy at being ignored throughout that exchange between EJ and Sami and gave him a big smile that didn't reach his eyes at all.

"Good luck with the flying old boy," he said jovially, "I hear only thirty percent of planes fall out of the sky nowadays so I'm sure you'll be fine."

With that last dig delivered EJ stood up and sauntered off.

"He's such loser," said Lucas dourly, "Only thirty percent of planes my ass. If there was any justice in the world one of those thirty percent would land on his smug, superior face."

He looked over at Sami who was trying not to watch as EJ walked back over to Estelle and began to nuzzle her neck.

"Hey," said Lucas, putting a hand on her arm, "Don't let him upset you okay, that's what he wants. All he can do is belittle and mock things he's too shallow to understand, like our love for one another. EJ DiMera's opinion about us doesn't matter one little bit, remember that okay?"

"I know," Sami sighed, looking away and shaking her head, "I'm just so sick of having to deal with him all the time and having him around. I don't know how much more of it I can take."

She suddenly realised she'd said too much and looked at Lucas worriedly, concerned what he'd make of such a revealing statement.

"As soon as I get back from Switzerland you and I are moving out," Lucas promised her, "I don't care if it means we have to go and live with Mom for a while."

Sami blanched at that thought but Lucas' cell rang and interrupted her response. It was probably just as well because Sami was in no mood to be polite.

"Oh," said Lucas in surprise, "Hi Mom."

He mouthed 'speak of the devil' to Sami and Sami rolled her eyes.

"And the devil appears," she commented sourly, the intrusion of Kate capping off a complete wash out of a night.

"Hold on Mom I can't hear you," said Lucas, "He did what? Who? Wait, you're breaking up – hold on."

"Something is going on with Phillip and Mom is in melt down mode," said Lucas with an apologetic grimace, "I have to take this but I need to go outside to get better reception."

"That's fine," said Sami with what she hoped was an easy smile, most of her attention still focused on EJ and Estelle that she could see cuddling out of the corner of her eye.

"I'll be as quick as I can," said Lucas.

"It's Kate," said Sami dourly, "There is nothing she loves more than monopolising your time so I won't hold my breath shall I?"

"Sorry," said Lucas with another grimace but that didn't stop him from hurrying out of the restaurant with his cell phone to continue his conversation with his mother.

"Why can't I hold any man's attention for more than five minutes?" Sami muttered the question unhappily even knowing she was being grossly unfair to EJ.

She didn't care at that moment though as she fully stared now at the couple at the bar who had their backs to her but nonetheless Sami saw EJ put his hand on Estelle's back, very low down so that his long fingers were almost cupping her backside. He gave her a little squeeze which sent Sami's blood pressure through the roof before giving the other woman a quick peck on the cheek and heading towards the bathroom facilities.

Without letting herself think about what she was doing Sami got up and followed him, intent on giving him a piece of her mind for his childish display. She walked down the corridor out of the restaurant to where there were two doors – one for the ladies and one for the gentleman.

Obviously EJ disappeared into the men's bathroom but that didn't bother Sami. She stalked down the corridor towards the men's room, finding the blue light they'd chosen to light these back rooms with only added to her annoyance. She supposed they were meant to add to the mood seeing as this was indeed a blue's bar but it wasn't helping her mood any. She burst into the bathroom and only after she'd done that Sami was belatedly relieved to see EJ was the only one in there.

"Ah – I think one of us is in the wrong room sweetheart," he said in amusement at seeing her there, "And the urinals rather suggest to me that it might be you Samantha."

Sami ignored his attempt at humour, in no mood for it right then.

"You are being so pathetic!" hissed Sami, "It's totally obvious what you are doing!"

"I'm having a nice night out with a new friend," said EJ, practically dripping with innocence as he turned around to face her properly, "I'm not really seeing the problem here sweetheart."

"You're rubbing that-that slut in my face!" spat out Sami.

"I don't believe I am doing that at all Samantha but if anyone would be an expert at doing that kind of thing I'm thinking it would be you sweetheart," said EJ mockingly, "You've done nothing but that from the moment we first met with good old Lucas."

"That is completely different!" said Sami angrily, "Lucas and I have been a couple for a long time!"

"Now that's not strictly correct now is it sweetheart?" asked EJ with a quirk of his lips, "I mean you've known Lulu for a long time but you only got together once you'd both exhausted every other possible avenue for a romantic liaison with other people."

EJ gave a little smirk then.

"Mm sexy," he purred mockingly, "It's so strange that Disney hasn't done an epic movie based on your love story of leftovers."

"We're not talking about Lucas and I!" said Sami defiantly but not exactly denying it, "We're talking about the spectacle you're making of yourself with that tramp!"

"And why is that exactly I have to wonder Samantha?" asked EJ, giving her a pointed look, "I believe you urged me to move on in your letter and in more than one conversation. I thought you'd be happy I was doing as you asked."

"You're such an ass!" bit out Sami angrily at EJ's logic.

"I'm a jerk when I don't do as you ask but yet I'm an ass when I do," said EJ, pretending to be very confused now and enjoying how flushed Sami was getting, "Help me out here sweetheart if you can."

"I can't because you are a jerk ass!" yelled Sami and then must have realised that didn't make much sense and tried to correct herself, "I mean an ass jerk!"

EJ wrinkled his nose thoughtfully.

"Is that any better sweetheart?" he asked her innocently, "I'm not sure there is any such thing as an ass jerk or a jerk ass for that matter."

"I'm so sick of you EJ!" she raged.

"And yet it is _you_ following _me_ into a men's room," commented EJ sarcastically, "Tell me Samantha, do you _ever_ say what you mean I have to wonder? You know I'm just completely ecstatic to have found a beautiful woman in Estelle who seems to know her own mind and isn't afraid of showing me a little affection and letting me in."

Sami had heard the expression 'seeing red' before but she'd never experienced it before right then as a fine film of red passed before her eyes at EJ's words. A part of her knew that EJ was just trying to push her buttons and was doing this intentionally but there was a feminine rage building in her for him to compare her to the other woman and seem to dismiss her so easily. EJ was hers, they both knew it but he was intent on trying to say otherwise and the jealousy that flooded through Sami at that thought blocked out all logical thought on her behalf that she'd done the same thing to him from the day they'd met. The whole point of her pushing him towards other women and away from her was to keep him safe but in that moment Sami forgot all that and all she wanted to do was prove to them both who he really belonged to.

"And is that what you wanted all along EJ?" she asked him bitingly, moving closer to him, "An easy lay?"

"Perhaps just a more appreciative one sweetheart," returned EJ sweetly, "I'm sure Estelle will be very grateful for the skills I bring to our little trysts and won't say differently the next day either."

"So a compliant woman huh?" Sami said tightly, "One that doesn't give you any bother – is that it EJ? Is that what turns you on now?"

Before EJ could answer her Sami moved right up close to EJ and cupped him through his trousers, catching him completely off guard. Sami was a little shocked at herself but the look on his face made her want to keep going, to have the upper hand again. She gave a growl of satisfaction at finding him already aroused, knowing that their fights always got him hard just like they always got her wet.

"So is that for her or for me?" she challenged him, losing all of her reason as she succumbed to her jealousy and her all consuming need for him.

She tightened her hand on him, making EJ squeeze his eyes shut and moan helplessly. Sami felt a surge of confidence at seeing the power she had over this man and couldn't help herself. She slipped her hand down the front of his pants and past his boxer to find him fully, wrapping her hand around his thickening length. EJ's eyes snapped open as she touched him properly, squeezing him tightly.

"So her or me?" she asked him huskily, feeling her own arousal beginning to build to almost bursting.

"You," EJ rasped; his voice raw with his sudden need for her, "It's always you Samantha."

"Prove it too me," she said throatily, knowing that she'd come this far that she wasn't going to stop now.

As always this was complete madness but that didn't stop either of them. Sami began to stroke him confidently, enjoying how quickly she was getting him hard. EJ meanwhile had pulled his shirt off over his head and Sami immediately latched onto one of his hard nipples, biting and nipping at it in punishing pleasure and making EJ groan helplessly. His hands were at the zipper of her dress and suddenly Sami felt it pooled around her ankles. It was a dress that hadn't required her to wear a bra and she pressed her breasts against his chest, rubbing her own hardened nipples against him, knowing how much EJ loved that. She was left only in stockings and lacy panties now and Sami didn't give a second thought to that as she kissed her way down his suddenly sweaty and tightly muscles stomach. Meanwhile she'd deftly released him from the confines of his pants and underwear and without hesitation she immediately took his swollen length into her mouth.

"Samantha!" EJ cried out, bucking up at the feel of her wet, hot mouth encasing him and beginning to suckle hungrily, "OH GOD!"

EJ threw back his head as his hands went to the back of Sami's head, fingers sinking into her soft blonde hair. Sami had barely started on him before EJ was dragging her back up again and Sami knew his control was hanging by a thread, as was hers. He lifted her up off her feet and managing to pull aside her panties and impale Sami on his rigid manhood at the same time.

Sami cried out loudly as he invaded her, the three weeks apart making it even more of a thrill for them both. EJ however at least seemed to remember where they were as he pinned her up against the bathroom door to prevent anyone walking in on them and covering her mouth with his hand to stifle her cries. Sami clamped her walls tightly around him and now it was EJ's turn to forget himself and give a hoarse cry. Sami covered his mouth with her hand and then he began to move inside of her.

EJ wasn't starting slow; they were both too worked up to have anything but a frantic coupling this first time back together as they clung tightly to one another. EJ's wild strokes were so hard and deep into her that Sami almost immediately began to climax, taking him with her and she had the satisfaction of feeling him helplessly pump his seed deep into her and Sami almost cried with how much she'd missed him doing that. She never felt more alive than when EJ was climaxing noisily inside of her, filling her with his maleness and making her feel unbearably loved and desired and gloriously beautiful.

"More," he said raggedly into her sweaty neck, moving restlessly inside of her as soon as he was done, "God but I want more so badly sweetheart."

Sami knew what he meant. Their release had been too quick, too violent to truly satisfy and she was aching for more and knew EJ would be feeling the same way. The reality of their situation washed over her then and made her shudder. She was in a bathroom with EJ deep inside of her, up against a door while their respective dates were probably waiting for them. Sami wished she could feel more ashamed by that fact but right then all she felt was the deep satisfaction of a woman who had claimed her man, marked him for everyone to see who he belonged to.

As soon as she thought that though a crippling fear ripped through Sami as she realised what she had done. The last thing she wanted was for everyone to know who EJ belonged to she realised too late. The whole point was to keep EJ at a distance and thereby keep him safe, not screw his brains out against a wall in a public bathroom. Tony's spies could be watching and reporting back as to their absence together even now or worse, have been listening at the door. The thought galvanised her into action as she struggled against him.

"Put me down EJ," she said tensely, pushing against his chest hard in a desperate attempt to put some distance between them which would have been pretty funny considering what had just happened between them if it wasn't so deadly serious.

oooOOOOooo

Sami finished brushing her hair in front of the mirror, the whole apartment eerily quiet now that Lucas wasn't there. She'd somehow managed to get back to him at the restaurant just as he was returning from his phone call with Kate and act as though nothing had happened. Sami had been in abject terror that EJ was going to say something and expose what had happened between them in the bathroom but he hadn't said a word, just gone off with that brunette whore of his. There was an unsatisfied ache between Sami's legs that had been set off by their frantic coupling that screamed at her for some completion and she couldn't help but wonder bitterly if EJ was getting his own ache attended to by that tramp right then. The thought made her want to vomit but what could she do, this was what she'd told him to do from the very beginning and how could she blame him now? The trouble was that Sami didn't know if she'd actually be able to endure what she herself had set in motion.

Lucas had known immediately something was up, quizzing her all the way to the airport. He knew that EJ had upset her in some way but Sami certainly wasn't going to be telling him exactly what had happened. In the end Lucas had decided that EJ was trying to bully her into a relationship with him again and Sami had let him think that because it was easier. After all, EJ had made no secret of his desire for her and had been very forward despite the presence of Lucas or even Austin for that matter. It wasn't going to do anyone any good for her to go around telling Lucas that she was the one who actually threw EJ up against a bathroom wall and had her way with him. Sami felt a fissure of fear that someone might have seen she and EJ going into that bathroom or leaving it, even though she'd insisted they do it separately. She was playing with fire in more ways than one and Sami didn't know how much longer she could keep all this up for.

Desolate, she walked from the bathroom and into the bedroom, not bothering with turning on any more lights then the bedside table lamp she'd left on. As she walked back into the room though she immediately saw the silhouette of a man standing in her bedroom doorway, the one that joined on from the living room. Pure adrenalin exploded into every pore of her body at seeing the figure there before she managed to recognise who it was, knowing those broad shoulders so well by now.

"EJ!" she gasped, her hands clutching at her stomach at the terrible fright he'd just given her.

In her startled state Sami couldn't even work out how it was that he'd gotten into her bedroom but right then she couldn't even be bothered to think about that right then.

"No," she said unsteadily, looking at him wide eyed in the low light as he took a step closer to her and she could see the determined look in his eyes.

Sami was in horrified dread because she knew what he was here for...

Sami was in exquisite ecstasy because she knew what he was here for...

"No," she whispered shakily again, this time the denial was more for her sake then his but he didn't have to know that.

"Shut the hell up Samantha," he told her grimly, advancing on her.

He came right up to her and then he reached out one hand and took a hold of the thin material of the neck of her tank top and then Sami felt him begin to rip it from her body, the delicate material giving away effortlessly to the force of the man in front of her...

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & TWENTY THREE**** – ****The Rock and the Hard Place Meet**** (Monday)**

There would be no passion in this world if we never had to fight for what we love.

_~Susie Switzer~_

EJ's eyes swept hungrily over Sami's breasts that he'd just exposed by tearing away at her tank top. He licked his lips in anticipation and watched in appreciation as her nipples hardened under his scrutiny, begging for more of his attention. EJ was going to more than willingly oblige them but first things first.

"Undress me," he ordered her, his voice already rough with his rapidly growing arousal.

"No," she groaned and shook her head at him even though the pink of her cheeks and unsteady breathing told EJ that she was just as heavily aroused as he was already.

She'd taken the initiative at the restaurant and now it was EJ's turn.

"You don't get to say that to me again tonight Samantha," he said grimly, done with being patient because he knew as he always had that her need for him was as great as his for her, "This is your punishment for all that you've put us both through this last month."

"Please EJ," she said shakily, her eyes wide, "You don't know what you are doing."

"Oh I beg to differ my darling," said EJ silkily, "I know exactly what I am doing-"

He picked up her hands and put them to the front of his shirt, moving them to the buttons. EJ leant forward then, his lips against her ear.

"I'm doing you my darling girl," he purred into her ear and was gratified to feel the shudder that ran through her at his words.

If Sami was half as worked up as he was after their tryst at the restaurant then being this close to one another must be causing her an agony of want and need because it was all EJ could do to contain himself. For whatever reason Sami had put Lucas on a plane to Switzerland and EJ was going to take full advantage of having her all to himself again. The man was a nuisance and EJ was glad to see the back of him but even more intriguing to EJ was why Sami would let him leave. He knew she used Lucas as a buffer against her feelings for him so EJ had been beyond excited when she'd told him that Lucas was leaving town.

He took it as a good sign for them and if it wasn't EJ was determined to make it into one. EJ's heart leapt for joy in his heart as Sami wordlessly began to unbutton his shirt, offering no further resistance; sure that she must be able to hear his heart because of how loudly it was beating in his chest. Once done unbuttoning his shirt she pushed it from his shoulders and he shrugged out of it, letting it drop to the fall, heedless of where it fell. Her small hands went to his trouser's fastenings without any prompting on his behalf and EJ was nearly fainting from his need for her.

"Like before sweetheart," he prompted her, the waver in his voice hinting that his control over this wasn't quite as iron tight as he was trying to portray.

Sami looked up at him through her eyelashes at his breathy request and didn't say anything, just finished removing that last of his clothing, shoes and all. EJ wanted to be the one in control of this encounter but he couldn't help himself from moaning loudly as Sami dropped to her knees and took his now turgid manhood into her mouth, working on him just as enthusiastically as she had done earlier that night.

Fortunately he was near a wall and he put out a hand to steady himself as his knees went weak at how good she was making him feel. Her hands were now wrapped around his length, squeezing and pumping him each time Sami pulled back a little before taking him back into his mouth. EJ was in a bliss that defied explanation and while it went against every one of his instincts he had to get Sami to stop too soon.

"Enough," he said gruffly, helping Sami to her feet, a more complicated sentence beyond him right then.

EJ pressed his raging hard on up against Sami as he pulled her closer to him, letting her feel the length of his naked body against her.

"Don't EJ," Sami moaned at him when she felt his hand go to the little boy leg panties she was wearing and begin to pull on them, the thin material already beginning to give.

EJ had to wonder if Sami was even sure why she was even protesting after what she'd just done for him.

"You're not going to need them anymore sweetheart," he informed her throatily, his breath hot against her neck, "From now on you're going to be in my bed every night and I want you naked in that bed. I need you so badly Samantha I can't contain myself to undress you each time."

EJ tightened his hold on Sami with his arm around her waist, dragging her back against him more tightly and letting her feel just how bad his need for her right then really was.

"In fact," he growled in her ear as he tore her panties roughly from her body and threw them away carelessly, "I may never let you get dressed again Samantha, in my bed or out of it."

A helpless shudder ran through Sami's body at his actions and words and EJ knew there would be no more protests from her that night.

"Kneel on the bed for me sweetheart," he instructed her, his own voice beginning to shake a little now.

Sami wordlessly complied and after all the ways she'd fought him for so long that compliance was an aphrodisiac in of itself. She knelt on the bed, on all fours, her knees right on the edge and feet hanging over the bed. EJ groaned loudly to see the gorgeous sight of her pale backside and swollen womanhood on display for him. He couldn't resist tasting her, his mouth watering in anticipation. EJ placed a hand on her backside before bending down and placing his face level with her sex he breathed in the heady scent of her arousal before plunging his tongue deep inside her core. Sami whimpered helplessly against him but EJ drank his fill before he straightened up again. With the decadent taste of her in his mouth EJ nudged Sami's legs apart and came to stand between them, needing to be inside her now.

"I'm so big," he groaned his warning, as one hand went to his aching hard on and guided it to her once again dripping core, "You need to relax sweetheart so you can take all of me."

After their tryst at the restaurant EJ had done nothing but want her again, then ripping the clothes from her body had been a very stimulating affair and of course and Sami on her knees in front of him, his manhood deep in her mouth as she suckled eagerly away on him ensured that EJ was the biggest he'd ever been before attempting to penetrate her. He was beginning to sweat in anticipation of how good this was going to feel but was also conscious of hurting her, the horrors of his nightmare still fresh in his mind.

"Yes," said Sami breathlessly, her backside moving eagerly for him to begin.

EJ thrilled to hear the impatience in Sami's voice and guided his swollen tip to her opening before feeding the first couple of inches into her. He felt her hot juices sear his tip and went taunt; trying to stop himself from exploding inside her already before she'd taken him completely.

"More," she moaned excitedly, "I want more EJ!"

"Oh god," said EJ unevenly at hearing her pleas and slide another couple of inches into her.

Sami cried out as he stretched her to near breaking point and even though EJ didn't like to think she was in pain right then the way her walls were clamped so tightly around him right then as she struggled to accommodate his vast size was nearly his undoing.

"Samantha!" he said urgently, his hands tightening on her hips as the urge to simply ram himself home becoming almost impossible to resist but he couldn't bear the thought that he might hurt her, "Do you want me to stop?!"

Sami looked back over her shoulder at him, her face a picture of exquisite arousal, cheeks flushed, mouth slightly open and panting softly. EJ felt himself get even harder at the sight making them both groan as he waited for her answer.

"You told me I wasn't allowed to say no anymore," she gasped, her eyes a mix of coquettish seduction as she gave him a little innocent smile, knowing what her words would do to him and the way she was accepting his dominance.

"Shit!!" hissed EJ in a rare use of the word as his body took over completely at her titillation of him and his hips jerked forward of their own accord and forced her to take the last couple of inches of his distended length.

Sami squealed at the forceful intrusion and it was all EJ could do not to orgasm at the sound of that.

"Oh god but you're so tight like this!" he said weakly, his head spinning, "Samantha...?"

His concerned query was met with a groan as she dropped to her elbows on the bed.

"Just make me come EJ," she begged him urgently, "I need to come now so badly."

EJ prayed he could hold on long enough to make that happen for her but he was shaking so badly now from trying to delay his own release that he wasn't sure if he could. He began to hammer his aching rod into her, unable to believe he didn't have more control of himself considering his recent release but he didn't. Sami's excited moans weren't helping him any either as she continued to cry out his name.

"EJ," she whimpered deliriously, "Oh god yesss, don't stop, I need more... oohhAAHHH!"

EJ began to vary his angles of penetration, looking for that sweet spot deep inside of Sami, needing to make her come very, very hard like he knew he was going to.

"Oh yes THERE!" screamed Sami when he hit it perfectly, "OH MY GOD!!! OOOOHHHHHAAH!"

"Samantha!" EJ roared, unable to contain himself any longer at hearing her cry out like that and with one final hard thrust he was pumping himself into her, sobbing from the force of his own release.

Sami began convulsing around him right away, her walls frantically milking him and making EJ howl even louder. He looked down at their joined bodies, picturing her ripe body taking his seed and holding it deeply inside of her and creating a child in that moment. It was the most intimate thing two people could do on this earth and he wanted that so badly for him and Sami. EJ wanted to see Sami grow heavy with his child, to see her body nurture the life they'd created out of so much love and for the entire world to know that she was his forever now. He groaned shakily even as his body continued to spasm erratically inside of Sami, falling forward so he was kneeling over the top of her, hands on either side of hers as he kept his place inside of her.

"I love it when we come together," he moaned unevenly into her ear, "I love filling you to overflowing Samantha."

Sami clenched tightly around him at that confession, causing EJ to hiss loudly.

"This feels so right," he groaned, dropping his head so he could press one sweaty cheek against her equally slick back.

"This is impossible EJ," she told him achingly even as she still shuddered under him but EJ was undeterred.

"Nothing is impossible for us Samantha Jean Brady," he promised her, his voice raw from the force of his release.

He withdrew himself from her body and they both grimaced at the feeling of loss but EJ was far from finished with this encounter. He put his hands to Sami's hips and moved her further up the bed and turning her onto her back. EJ then moved onto the bed, kneeling between her legs before sitting back on his haunches. He leant over her then, reaching for the lamp on the bedside table and switching it on as well.

"I want to see you," he told Sami unevenly, leaning back and admiring the flushed gorgeousness of her body.

His eyes swept hungrily over her body, still craving her despite his recent climax, the aftermath of which was making his body throb pleasurably. Sami seemed suddenly self conscious under such close scrutiny and went to cover herself with her hands but he stopped her, hands encircling her wrist and pulling them away from her body.

"You don't get to say no to me remember?" he reminded her raggedly.

"EJ," she moaned, moving restlessly and obviously finding his words to be quite arousing.

"I'm going to make to every perfect inch of you," he vowed, bringing her still trapped hands up to his lips and beginning to kiss each of her fingers in turn before starting to kiss his way down one of her arms.

"EJ," she sighed happily under his ministrations, her now free hand going to the back of his head, her nails raking his scalp pleasurably.

He worshiped at the altar of her body for a long time, until both of them were so heavily aroused again that every movement was a pain filled pleasure. EJ went back to kneeling between Sami's legs and placed his engorged tip against her opening, running it back and forth over her swollen fold's, slick with the juices of her own arousal.

"You get so wet for me," he growled in appreciation of finding her absolutely dripping for him, "No other man ever gets you this wet does he Samantha?"

"You know they don't," she groaned helplessly.

"That's because you are mine Samantha," he told her knowingly, his voice strained from his own arousal as he rested his tip against her opening now, "You always were and you always will be."

It was killing EJ not to simply thrust into her now, knowing how hot and tight she would be right at that moment but he held off. Sami was beginning to make little whimpering noises of need for him to complete their union.

"EJ please!" she cried out in frustration as he continued to linger over this final act.

"What do you want sweetheart?" asked EJ shakily, seeing her so eager for him only adding to his own pleasure.

"I want you EJ," she grimaced hopelessly, "God I want you so badly!"

EJ thrilled to hear her say that but wasn't done playing with her yet.

"Tell me how much you want me Samantha," he asked of her thickly.

"I'll show you," she said defiantly, rising to his challenge and making EJ's heart hammer away in his chest even more violently at the promise that was in Sami's eyes.

Her hands went to his buttock cheeks, her nails digging in pleasurably as she dragged him closer to her. EJ succumbed to his fate willingly, beginning to mount her slowly but Sami had a little surprise for him he found to his exquisite delight. She had clamped down all the muscles of her walls so that trying to enter her was an exercise in mind altering delirium. EJ cried out at finding her that tight for him but Sami continued to drag at his backside and making him continue in his penetration of her.

Her walls were bearing down so powerfully on him that EJ thought she might snap him in two from the force of it and could hardly bear the pleasure. He'd never been with a woman with as much muscle control as Sami and he didn't know if it was because she'd had a child and frankly he didn't care. All EJ knew was that this was the most intensely pleasurable penetration of a woman he'd ever experienced. When the last of his aching manhood finally slide all the way home into her rigid heat EJ practically collapsed against her, drawing in ragged breaths of air as he fought to keep himself in check.

"Don't come yet," she begged him frantically, obviously able to feel the way he was shaking helplessly against her and being able to hear the gasping grunts of delirium he was unconsciously making.

"Oh god," he said weakly, his voice muffled against her neck as he struggled to stay in control.

Sami relaxed her walls around him and EJ had to hiss noisily at the sweet pleasure even that gave him.

"Don't move sweetheart," he pleaded with her, knowing even the slightest movement from her would have him exploding inside of her now after that delicious ordeal.

Sami complied but let her hands wander slowly up his back, her nails dragging pleasurably against his spine.

"Can you feel how much I want you now EJ?" she whispered throatily in his ear, "How ready I am for you, how wet and-"

"Don't!" he asked of her desperately at her sultry words, "You're going to make me come Samantha! Please, I can't take anymore!"

He heard Sami give a purr of feminine satisfaction at his strangled confession but didn't care. If she started to say those kinds of things after what she'd just put him through EJ knew he'd be climaxing quicker than a sixteen year old boy during his first time. Sami remained obediently still and quiet underneath him while EJ dragged in uneven but calming gasps of air. It took him awhile but eventually EJ trusted himself to begin to moving inside of Sami. He started slowly, his strokes unhurried and measured but still causing them both to groan loudly in spine tingling gratification.

oooOOOOooo

Tony knocked on the door of the apartment, cocking his head to one side as he listened intently for any signs of life inside. He knocked again, calling out this time.

"Elvis?" he said quite loudly, "Elvis are you in there?"

There was no answer and Tony pursed his lips thoughtfully. He'd come round for a late night chat with his little brother, always finding that catching people off guard with unexpected visits could yield some interesting results. Tony wanted to make sure that he had the nuisance of EJ firmly under control and he wasn't going to be dealt any unexpected blows from out of the blue. Of course EJ not being home right then presented Tony with another interesting option.

"Well we are family now aren't we Elvis?" he mused to no one in particular, "And family should always be hospitable and you are always inviting yourself in at our Father's place-"

A little smile touched Tony's lips.

"I'm sure you wouldn't mind me letting myself in to your home little brother," he said, his smile widening.

Tony pulled a Swiss army knife from his pocket and promptly flicked through the attachments until he found the one he was looking for. He deftly picked the lock and with a last quick look around he let himself into EJ's apartment.

"Ug," said Tony, wrinkling his nose in disgust as he looked around the apartment, "The boy who would be king lives in a shoe box."

Tony shook his head at his surrounds, tutting away to himself. Nonetheless he began to root around EJ's apartment, being careful to keep his gloves on, looking for anything that might be of interest. EJ always was rather careless when it came to a lot of things so it wouldn't surprise Tony to find a notebook full of nefarious plans left out in the open for anyone to find. After a little poking around Tony then noticed the lap top sitting on EJ's desk and his face brightened.

"Well hello my lovely," he said cheerfully, walking up to the desk and pulling out a chair to sit down on, "What secrets do you hold I wonder?"

Tony turned on the computer and checked through the doors of the desk while he waited for it to start up. On finding nothing of consequence in the drawers Tony turned his attention back to the computer which had now loaded. He began opening different files and then found one that really caught his attention.

"And what do we have here I wonder?" muttered Tony curiously as he clicked on the icon.

Immediately the computer screen split into different screens and it only took Tony a minute to realise he was looking at Sami's apartment.

"Oh dear Elvis," he chuckled, "Who's a naughty voyeuristic boy then? Perhaps you do have some DiMera blood flowing through those veins after all."

Tony clicked on the different screens, enlarging them and when he got to the bedroom one he got a little bit more than he bargained for. EJ was on the bed, completely naked with his back to the camera, moving back and forth over the woman underneath him grabbing at the bed head behind her. The woman was almost completely obscured by EJ's body but Tony didn't need the flash of blonde hair he could see against the sheets to know that it was Sami Brady's legs wrapped around his brother's.

"And they say there is never anything good on television anymore," smirked Tony as he watched the two young lovers move together in unison on the screen.

He leant back in his chair, tapping a manicured finger on the arm rest thoughtfully. It appeared Sami's interpretation of keeping her distance from EJ was a little different to his Tony mused. Well in a lot of ways this made things a lot simpler he decided. He should have known better to trust in the will power of a Brady and he supposed EJ could be persuasive when the mood took him. Tony didn't care that much about the reasons but he did care about an alliance between EJ and Sami and the plans Stefano had for them both. He'd warned Sami about the consequences of not cutting all ties with his brother but it appeared that she hadn't taken him seriously enough about that. Well she would soon enough he decided grimly, both of them would. Nothing and no one was going to be taking what was rightfully his from him.

"He hath given his empire up to a whore," Tony muttered under his breath as he closed the screen and immediately began to plot what would be his revenge for Sami's betrayal.

oooOOOOooo

The lovers were oblivious to the oncoming storm though, only knowing one another in that moment.

"EJ," whispered Sami emotionally as he began to really drive himself into her, both of them racing towards a momentous end.

"Oh god but you're so perfect!" cried out EJ in anguish as he felt himself fall ever deeper into her, his body taking over completely as he frantically pounded away inside of her, her legs wrapped around his waist urging him to go harder, deeper with each thrust.

Sami's only answer was a moan that seemed ripped from deep inside of her as she clutched at his shoulders, sinking her teeth into his shoulder and biting down hard as she began to climax around him. EJ started to howl out his pleasure at the feeling of her convulsing around him and the sharp pain in his shoulder drove him over the edge as he began to peak with her. His aching balls tightened, eager to deliver their load into her and then it was happening, EJ feeling his seed course through him as he jerked and spasmed wildly on top of Sami, flooding her with all of his hot maleness. Because they had laboured so hard for this orgasm it went on for a long time for the both of them and it felt like decades had passed before either one of them was in control of their bodies again.

With the last of his strength, EJ rolled to one side, taking Sami with him as he now lay on his back on the bed; Sami's sweating, heaving body on top of him. They lay like that for a long time, neither one moving except for a combined shuddering in their attempts to catch their breaths again. EJ couldn't bring himself to leave her body so they stayed like that until the sweat was cooling on their bodies. Sami finally found the strength to lift her head, her blue eyes tired from spent passion. It didn't stop her from uttering a single word that just made EJ's heart leap for joy because it just proved how totally his she truly was.

"More."

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & TWENTY FOUR**** – ****The Rubber Hits the Road**

Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.  
_~Winston Churchill~_

Sami woke up the next day, every muscle in her body protesting as she rolled over onto her back. For a moment she couldn't quite remember why that was and then she gasped, sitting up in bed and looked in trepidation to the space beside her. But that was all there was – space. Sami groaned and flopped back on the bed, covering her hands with her face.

What had she done she wondered in despair?

She'd just totally lost her mind last night and EJ could well pay the price for that now. How was she ever going to get him to leave her alone now after last night? She'd been such a willing participant in last night's encounter that Sami blushed beet red to think about it. Sami looked over to the space beside her and saw a note lying on the pillow next to her.

Sami sighed and picked it up, beginning to read it and knowing EJ wouldn't have let her off that easily.

_Good morning my love._

_Forgive me for leaving you but I had some business that could not wait unfortunately._

_Meet me in the park by the library at ten today and I will make it up to you, I promise._

_EJ_

Sami read the note and closed her eyes with a groan. She knew that if she didn't go and meet with EJ he would seek her out and no doubt make a scene. A public place was her only hope of the two of them not ending up going at it like rabbits again but a public place also meant that it would be easy for one of Tony's henchmen to see them and report back to him. Sami lay back on the bed and swallowed hard at her impossible choice.

"Oh EJ," she said in quiet anguish as she stared up at the ceiling unseeingly, "You're killing us both."

oooOOOOooo

EJ leant against the corner of the community library and watched Sami undetected for a moment. It had bothered him that he'd had to leave her so abruptly this morning when he'd had far more pleasurable pursuits in mind then organising some urgent legal documents for his father. EJ was looking forward to the time that he and Sami's time would be their own and no one else's. As soon as he'd sorted out whatever this latest holdup with Sami was EJ intended to go to his father and tell him that he was no longer going to be involved with the family business. It would be hard because he didn't want to disappoint his father and EJ would be lying if the thought of handing the business over to Tony on a silver platter didn't rankle him somewhat but Sami was more that worth it, EJ was more sure of that then anything else in his life.

A little smile came to his lips as he watched her nervously adjust her clothes and smooth her hair and knew exactly the excited anticipation she was feeling because he was feeling the exact same way. He wondered if there would ever come a day when the sight of Sami wouldn't make his heart skip a beat and couldn't for the life of him imagine that ever happening. Suddenly EJ couldn't stand being this far away from her any longer. Their time together last night had been magnificent and soul wrenching but EJ had been disappointed that Sami hadn't told him that she loved him despite the many intimacies that passed between them. Or that she hadn't kissed him which to EJ's way of thinking was the same thing.

He knew that first kiss, after so long without would be the thing that bonded them together forever and would signal Sami's giving over of herself to all of her love for him. His smile widened at how close he was to that breakdown of that final barrier between them. EJ walked up to her as Sami turned around to see him coming. He went right up to her; confidently leaning in to kiss her hello on the cheek but Sami jerked away so violently that she actually stumbled backwards and fell down on the soft grass behind her. EJ's eyebrows shot up at that.

"That was a little bit of an overreaction don't you think sweetheart?" he asked her mildly as he bent down to offer her his hand.

Sami ignored it and quickly scrambled to her feet, looking embarrassed.

"I wasn't about to accost you, you know," he said indulgently and then waggled his eyebrows at her suggestively, "Unless you'd like me to of course."

"Why did you force me to come here EJ?" asked Sami shortly, glancing around herself self-consciously as she brushed the back of her pants free of grass.

"Did I force you to come here?" asked EJ in surprise at her turn of phrase, "I merely left a note for my lover to read when she woke up asking to meet. I'm not sure how you got 'forced you to meet' out of that darling."

"You would have hunted me down if I hadn't," said Sami shortly.

"Is there some reason you seem intent on playing the victim to my scoundrel today sweetheart?" asked EJ in amusement, quite used to Sami's back tracking by now after a passionate encounter, "You didn't seem all that fussed by it when we were in Lucas' bed last night and I was claiming you over and over again."

"Oh I get it," said Sami tersely in a tone that told EJ she was about to pick a fight, "_Lucas'_ bed!"

"Ah," said EJ patiently as he enjoyed the fire flashing in Sami's eyes, adoring their fights almost as much as their lovemaking, "I'm going to need to buy a vowel my love to understand what you are taking umbrage at this time."

"So this is what all this is about?" asked Sami angrily, ignoring his humour, "You getting one up on Lucas, is that it EJ?"

"This is about you Samantha," said EJ intently, holding her gaze unwaveringly, not letting her deflect like this, "It always has been for me, from the first moment our eyes met in that hallway. Everything is about you and all the other things in my life are a trifle."

"Including your father?" she challenged him defiantly.

"Compared to you," said EJ, hardly able to believe he was saying this particularly as it was the utter truth, "Yes."

Sami turned abruptly away from him then, from the truth in his earnestly spoken words and the sincerity EJ knew must be written on his face.

"I choose you Samantha," he told her quietly, "Over everyone else in my life, I choose you. I know that no matter what happens from this moment on you will always be first and last in my thoughts every day for the rest of my life and my last breath on the face of this earth will be used to say your name."

"Don't!" exclaimed Sami, whirling back around and catching EJ off guard at how distressed she looked at his last comment, "Don't say things like that EJ!"

"Samantha, sweetheart," said EJ earnestly, taking a step closer to her, "Please tell me what is wrong, what is going on with you?"

"You won't leave me alone!" she said sharply, "That's what is going on."

"That isn't it," said EJ confidently, "You want me as badly as I want you."

"You are so full of yourself EJ!" said Sami tartly, "And you don't know the first thing about what I want!"

EJ looked away briefly, collecting himself. It felt like they'd had this conversation a thousand times by now and he just had to wonder how many more of them were in their future. It didn't matter though, EJ knew he'd never give up on getting Sami to admit her love for him; he just couldn't – for both of their sakes. They'd never know happiness in this world if they weren't together, EJ was sure of it.

"Do you know how hard it was for me to leave you this morning sweetheart?" he asked her roughly, looking back at her at last, "All I wanted to do was stay there beside your perfect naked body and make it mine over and over again."

"Stop it EJ!" said Sami sharply, turning away from him again but EJ couldn't let it be, not now, not ever.

He could see how precarious this wall she'd set up between them was, see how hard Sami was struggling to maintain that distance between them and EJ knew all he had to do was keep on reminding her of their connections and it would crumble under its own weight soon enough. He stepped up so he was standing behind her, dropping his head and continuing to talk, wanting to shake Sami out of her denial.

"I'm getting hard right now just thinking about the things you did to my body last night Samantha," he told her throatily, "That thing with the clenching you did practically snapped me in two-"

"EJ!" exclaimed Sami, her cheeks heating to a bright red as she whirled around again and took a couple of steps back to put some distance between them, "Stop saying those things! We're in public!"

"That can easily be fixed," he said blithely, "Give me fifteen minutes and I can have you back at my apartment, in my bed and ready for more of the same."

"It isn't going to happen again!" hissed Sami to which EJ just gave a confident smile.

"I seem to remember having this conversation before Samantha," he told her in amusement, "On more than one occasion and yet we continue to end up in flagrante delicto as it were on quite the regular basis. So excuse me if I don't take that statement too seriously."

"God but you are impossible!" Sami raged, throwing up her hands at him, "Why won't you get the message and leave me alone EJ?!"

"Possibly because last night you were begging me to take you?" suggested EJ with a quirk of his lips, "I listen to you Samantha and I get the message loud and clear, despite what you might say with your lips your body tells me an entirely different story."

"Stop saying those things!" Sami said in embarrassment, her blush returning as a middle aged woman walked past them, giving them a sideways glance as she did.

"Come," said EJ, taking her arm lovingly and guiding her to a nearby bench, "Take a seat darling, you look fit to burst you do. Sit down and take a few deep breaths eh and calm yourself down."

Sami sat down on the bench, looking suddenly defeated as EJ took a seat beside her.

"I hate you," she said faintly, looking at a patch of grass in front of them.

"I hate you too Samantha," he told her warmly, "So very, very much that I think it will be the death of me."

Sami looked up at him at that statement and shook her head.

"Why don't you take anything I say seriously?" she asked him a little bitterly.

"I take every word that falls from your lips with the utmost seriousness," he told her firmly, "Everything about you matters to me Samantha, everything. Every thought, every feeling and all I want you to do is share them with me like I'm longing to share mine with you."

He cocked his head and looked at her intently then.

"Perhaps a good place to start is your impromptu trip to Switzerland and that letter you wrote me," he suggested, "Care to give me an explanation on those two matters sweetheart?"

"The letter said it all," said Sami flatly, avoiding meeting his eyes.

"The letter told me exactly nothing," said EJ calmly, "Of course other than you being too frightened to face me yourself."

"Don't be ridiculous EJ," said Sami shortly, "Why would I be too frightened to face you?"

"Did you know that when you lie you do this thing of answering a question with a question?" asked EJ, looking at her indulgently, "It's terribly cute I have to say."

"I do not!" said Sami hotly.

"Alright then just tell me why you wrote that letter and then ran off to Switzerland?" said EJ evenly, patient with her denials.

"Why do you keep asking me that?!" said Sami unevenly.

"That was another question to counteract my question in case you were wondering darling," said EJ with an amused smile at her answer.

Sami frowned at that and EJ could see that she was surprised that he'd caught her out in doing something she never knew she did and loved her even more for that.

"You're so adorable," he said huskily, going to stroke her face.

"Don't!" Sami hissed, knocking his hand away and looking around herself nervously.

"Who are you looking for sweetheart?" asked EJ curiously, turning his head and looking around the near deserted park area as well, "Lucas is an ocean away remember? Of course I'd prefer him to be a little further away then that again but an ocean is a start. So I'm not sure who it is that you think might be watching sweetheart?"

"I don't want you feeling me up in a public place EJ," said Sami, glaring at him, "A lot of people in Salem know me and what would they think?!"

"First of all that was another question to my question so I think I'm on to something here with what this is really all about," said EJ, his eyes brightening as he finally began to make sense of Sami's erratic behaviour towards him.

She was frightened of someone finding out about them and interestingly enough that someone wasn't Lucas. It explained all her desperate attempts to keep him at arm's length because EJ had known for some time now that Sami really did love him and had admitted it to herself if not to him. He didn't know how he knew that but he did, it was what gave him the courage to continue on in the face of such relentless opposition from her. Of course the next step was to get Sami to admit it to him but it had finally occurred to him that it wasn't him that she was frightened of any longer but someone else. EJ couldn't believe that he'd been this dim for so long about what was holding Sami back from telling him how she truly felt. It was clear to him now that someone else was involved, most likely Kate and was blackmailing her into keeping him at a distance.

EJ felt a delicious joy sweep through him at having finally figured out what it was that was keeping them apart. He didn't have the details yet but he would soon enough. He'd known for a long time now that Sami was his and once he got the details of who was interfering in their lives from her then they'd be able to sort that person out once and for all. EJ was so deliriously happy in that moment that he couldn't stop himself from playfully teasing her a little. He decided Sami owed him at least that much for putting him through all this unnecessary angst when all she had to do was come to him with the problem.

"And second of all," he said, an impish smile spreading across his face that carried a new lightness after his epiphany, "That wasn't feeling you up-"

EJ sidled closer then, putting one arm along the back of the bench behind Sami and leaning into her, burying his face in her neck and hooking one of his legs over the top of hers while his other hand brazenly cupped her breast.

"_This_ is feeling you up," he said huskily against the soft skin of her neck.

"EJ!" squawked Sami in horror, her whole body going stiff as her hand went to his wrist and tried her hardest to dislodge it from its resting place but EJ wasn't to be budged.

"Tell me you love me," he implored her, his breath wet and hot against her neck.

"Let me go EJ!" said Sami, trying to squirm away but he held her firmly in his embrace, not letting it happen.

"Tell me you love me Samantha and I'll let you go," he informed her throatily, his lips at her ear now.

EJ's thumb began to move back and forth over her nipple as he gently massaged her breast and it immediately beaded for him.

"God but you get so hard so quick," he said with an approving groan back against her neck, "Just like me."

EJ saw Sami's wide eyed gaze slide down to his lap and couldn't help but enjoy the look of anticipation in her eyes.

"You have two options open to you Samantha," he told her huskily, "You can tell me who it is exactly that has ordered you to keep your distance from me and why-"

Sami's eyes just about fell out of her head at that and EJ felt a stab of satisfaction that he'd been right about his speculations. Her face told him all that he needed to know, that it wasn't her choice that they were apart and EJ's heart began to beat wildly in his chest at knowing how close he was to her being completely honest with him.

"Or," he continued on, thrilling to how much he loved her in that moment, "I can have you on this park bench right now and _then_ you can tell me who is doing this to us and why."

EJ's hand tightened on her breast that Sami was still trying to get him to let go of.

"Your choice sweetheart," he growled, "But I'd really like to put a plug in for option two if I may."

"Not here EJ," she said and he could hear the definite undertones of panic in her voice, "Please EJ, you have to let me go and we'll go somewhere else, I promise."

EJ pulled back a little bit and regarded her through narrowed eyes, trying to see if this was another stalling tactic on her behalf. She looked back at him wide eyed and desperate and EJ had to relent, unable to bear seeing her this upset.

"Samantha," he said gently, just wanting to gather her up in his arms and hug away the tension he could see in her face.

He moved his leg from hers and his hand from her breast and Sami immediately leapt up and moved away from the bench. EJ stood up; following her more slowly but still came to stand in front of her.

"Samantha," he said evenly, "My darling girl – trust me. Whoever is doing this to you, to us – we can deal with them together, you have to know that."

"EJ," she said, her eyes full of emotion and he could see that she was weakening, wanting to let him in but still afraid.

"Trust me sweetheart," he implored her again, his heart beating wildly in his chest as he knew the moment was finally here, Sami was about to be completely honest with him, he could see it in her eyes, "Tell me the truth Samantha, I'll keep you safe, I swear to you."

EJ saw the last of her resistance melt away at his promise to her. It was all EJ wanted, for Sami to know that she could rely on him no matter what, to trust him and let him into her heart. He watched as she took a deep breath, seeming to come to a decision.

"The truth is EJ-" began Sami shakily but that is as far as she got when EJ saw her suddenly lurch to one side.

For a split second he didn't know what happened and then a searing pain began to rip through his back and he realised it wasn't Sami who had suddenly moved but it was him when he'd fallen to his knees and to one side. He hit the ground hard, finding that he could barely breathe and couldn't seem to move. EJ looked up to see Sami looking down at him in abject horror and it looked like she was screaming but all he could hear was blood roaring in his ears.

EJ blinked and tried to say Sami's name, having no idea what had just happened and wanting to make sure she was alright but everything was going slowly dark around him and then there was only nothingness.

oooOOOOooo

Tony watched the unfolding drama in front of him from his position behind a tree in the park with interest. People were quickly gathering around the screaming Sami as she cradled EJ's body in her lap. Someone must have already called 911 because off in the distance was the distinct wail of a siren. Tony quietly pocketed the gun in his hand so as not to draw attention to himself before looking back at dramatic scene. He pursed his lips, finding this to be all very interesting.

"So wise so young, they say do never live long," he murmured to himself as he watched the blood stains on EJ's shirt begin to spread in ever greater circles on the material.

The sirens were closer now and joined by a different one which meant the police were also hot footing their way over to the scene of the crime as well so Tony decided that discretion was the better part of valour and made good his escape. The walk back to his car was a quick one but not without its benefits Tony was to find out. He got to his car and climbed in, sitting there for a moment, thinking of all that he'd just witnessed. A smile broke out across his face and he began to laugh a laugh of real amusement, the unfamiliar noise filling the car. Still chuckling away to himself he put the car in gear and drove off, thinking he might catch an early lunch and celebrate today's good fortunes before having to play the part of the devastated brother to EJ's fate.

Today was turning out to be even more fun than he thought it would be...

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & TWENTY FIVE**** – ****Out Damn Spot, Out**

We seek the truth and will endure the consequences.

_~Charles Seymour~_

"So you're sure you are alright?"

Sami dragged her eyes off where the paramedics were frantically working on EJ to stabilise him to look at her Uncle.

"Yes Uncle Bo," she said distractedly, "I'm fine, really."

"And you didn't see the person who shot EJ at all?" Bo quizzed his niece, "You don't know who might have done this?"

Sami of course knew exactly who had done this or at least ordered it to be done but she could hardly tell Bo that without endangering more people that she loved. Tony had made it very clear during their phone conversation that would it was not only EJ in danger if she didn't do as she was told. It was impossibly complicated and all Sami could think about right then was being by EJ's side.

"I didn't see anything," said Sami, choosing to answer the first part of his question rather than the second, "I was just standing there talking to EJ and suddenly there was this bang bang noise and EJ was falling to the ground."

"You were really lucky that you weren't caught in the crossfire Sami," said Bo with a frown, "It looks like EJ was shot twice in the back."

Sami didn't feel lucky right then as she watched over Bo's shoulder at the ever growing pool of blood around EJ as the paramedics fought to save his life. She'd let this happen to EJ and the thought was a near crippling one as she watched him struggle for his life.

"So what were you doing here with EJ in the first place?" asked Bo, his frown deepening.

Sami forced herself to look back at Bo, her mind racing to try and cover for herself.

"We were just talking about some business about Mythic," she lied easily.

"In the park?" asked Bo, looking sceptical now.

"We just happened to run into each other here," said Sami distractedly, her eyes going back to EJ now.

"This kind of thing is the reason no one in the family is happy you being in business with EJ DiMera Sami," said Bo with a note of concerned censure in his voice, "That could have easily been you lying on the ground there."

"I wish it was," whispered Sami, knowing that would be so much easier to bear then the knowledge that she'd done this to EJ by her own lack of will power.

"What was that?" asked Bo with a scowl.

"Nothing," mumbled Sami, looking away.

It was hard for her to concentrate on anything else other than what was happening with EJ in actual fact. As soon as the paramedics arrived on the scene they'd made her get out of their way which even though Sami hated to leave EJ she knew she had to. Of course then Bo had arrived and bombarded her with questions but she'd made sure that she kept EJ in eyeshot at all times. Sami couldn't even bear to think about what she would do if the paramedics couldn't save him, it was all she could do to not start screaming and never stop.

"S'mttha."

Sami's heart leapt with joy as soon as she heard EJ's slurred voice call her name and without a second thought she hurried over to him, leaving Bo standing there, looking after her worriedly. She dropped to her knees beside him, trying to keep out of the way of the paramedics who were still working on him. Sami took his hand and squeezed it tightly.

"I'm here EJ," she said shakily, "I'm here, they made me leave you but I was never far away, I promise you, I'll never leave you again, I swear to you."

Sami knew she was babbling but couldn't seem to stop herself, she was just so happy that EJ was talking; it gave her hope that everything really was going to be okay. EJ was young and strong and he could come through this Sami told herself desperately. EJ looked up at her wide eyed, concern written all over his face as he put a shaky hand to her face.

"Are you hurt?" he asked, his voice strained and wispy, not sounding like him at all, "Samantha?"

"I'm alright EJ," she said quickly, putting her hand over his as it cupped her face, her heart filled to overflowing that his only concern would be for her in that moment.

Sami saw the relief flood EJ's face and tears burnt her eyes as she wished with all her heart that she had been the one to suffer Tony's wrath and not him. After all it was her weakness that had brought this down on him. Sami knew she had been playing with fire but had been unable to stop herself around EJ, not matter how hard she tried and now he was paying the price for her failures.

"Smthaa."

He mumbled her name and Sami was barely able to make out what he'd said and she had a million things she needed to tell him, was desperate to tell him but EJ's eyes were sliding shut now and his hand dropped from her face.

"EJ?" she called his name anxiously, "EJ!"

"He's losing pressure," one paramedic said to the other, the two of them exchanging concerned looks, "We need to get him into surgery, fast."

"What is it?" asked Sami in anguish, "He was just talking to me! What's happening?!"

"He's bleeding internally," said the first paramedic grimly, "And there is no way of telling what damage those bullets have done until they open him up. There are no exit wounds so those bullets are still in there."

"We've got to move," said the other paramedic urgently, the one who had been monitoring EJ's blood pressure, "Could you step aside please miss?"

The man gently but firmly pulled Sami away EJ so he could gain better access to him as they both deftly loaded him onto the trolley, strapping EJ in an putting an oxygen mask on him. Sami was nearly sick with fear but she knew breaking down wasn't going to help EJ any right now.

"I want to go with him," she told them.

"You don't have to do that Sami," said Bo, suddenly appearing by her side, "I can get one of the uniform guys to go with him."

"No!" said Sami sharply and Bo gave her a funny look for her vehemence but she couldn't bring herself to care right then, "I-I should go with him. I was with him when it happened, I feel responsible."

"EJ DiMera isn't your responsibility Sami," said Bo grimly, "His family will take care of him I'm sure."

"It wouldn't be right to abandon him now," said Sami, looking her uncle squarely in the eye, "No matter what his last name might be."

Bo regarded the determined set of his niece's jaw knowing it well and nodded finally.

"Alright," he said, "I'll meet up with you at the hospital though, I need to go over your statement again and I want you to get checked out while you are there as well."

"I'm fine Uncle Bo," said Sami hurriedly, not wanting to waste time like that.

"I want to be able to tell your dad that a doctor signed off on that Sami," said Bo determinedly, "This was a close call today, you could have been seriously hurt and I want to make sure that you are okay."

Sami had to wonder if she was ever going to be okay again if EJ didn't make it but she pushed those thoughts from her head. She wasn't even going to think of the worst happening; instead she was just going to pray like she'd never prayed before that God would intervene and make this right again. Sami mumbled her acquiescence to Bo's request, just wanting him to leave her alone so she could be with EJ.

"We're leaving now," one of the paramedics informed her, EJ now safely on board, "Are you coming miss?"

"I am," said Sami quickly and glanced up at Bo, "I'll see you at the hospital Uncle Bo."

She didn't wait for an answer from him but instead just hurried over to the ambulance and climbed into the back of it, leaving her uncle looking after her worriedly. The paramedic riding in the back with them indicated a little seat Sami could sit at that was at EJ's head and she sat down, leaning over him and looking at his upside down face.

"Everything is going to be alright EJ," she whispered to him, stroking his face that still had the oxygen mask on, "I'm here and we are going to be at the hospital soon, you just have to hang in there okay? I need you to hold on EJ."

Large tears dropped from Sami's eyes and splashed down on EJ's increasingly pale cheeks and she brushed them away as the fear that she was about to lose the love of her life gripped Sami. It was like Colleen and Santo all over again only this time around she was Santo. Sami couldn't bear the thought that she might lose EJ as Santo had lost Colleen and she had to stifle a broken sob.

"Don't leave me EJ," she begged him unevenly as the ambulance began to speed towards the hospital, sirens blaring, "Stay with me EJ, please."

oooOOOOooo

Sami sat on the hard, cold plastic seats, staring dully at a spot on the floor. She'd been checked out by the doctors and given a clean bill of health which Sami knew would be the case all along and then answered more of Bo's questions until he finally seemed placated – for the time being anyway. Sami had been doing everything on auto-pilot since she'd gotten to the hospital and they'd whisked EJ away immediately. The doctors were still in with him attempting to stabilise him before taking him to surgery. Every minute that ticked by just made Sami realise how precarious EJ's grip on life must be that it was taking this long to get him stabilised.

"Would you like a cup of coffee Sami?"

Sami looked up and gave a weak smile at the man standing in front of her. She knew him vaguely as Ned Roberts, one of her dad's new recruits at the station. He had a pleasant face and was always polite to her when she visited her father. Ned was currently smiling down at her sympathetically, seeing she was still in no small measure of shock.

"No thank you," she said quietly and then tried to give him a reassuring look, "You don't have to stay with me Detective Roberts, really, I'm fine."

"Your uncle asked that I hang with you for a bit until he can get back," said Ned with an easy smile, "It's no problem and the names Ned."

Sami gave him a little nod and what she hoped was a smile but her whole face felt very numb so she couldn't be sure. She didn't need this man hovering over her right now. Sami knew Bo was perplexed about her concern for EJ and why it was that she felt the need to stay at the hospital but in that moment she didn't feel the need to give him an explanation for her behaviour right now. She was a grown woman Sami argued with herself and she didn't have to justify to her Uncle or anyone else in her family why she was doing this. As soon as she thought that Sami was shocked by it. That was the first time she hadn't thought first of what her family reactions to something she was doing would be and feeling guilty over it. There was a sense of freedom that came with that but also a painful pang that quickly accompanied it when she realised it was bought at EJ's expense.

"You know you really don't have to stay Sami," said Ned easily, "We'll be keeping an eye on Mr DiMera's condition and he's in good hands here at the hospital."

Sami gritted her teeth and tried not to show her annoyance. She was sick and tired of people telling her to leave EJ because that simply wasn't going to happen, not now, not ever again.

"Have you told his father yet?" asked Sami grimly, ignoring Ned's suggestion, "EJ should have his father here."

The words practically choked Sami but she knew it was true. As much as she didn't want to face it EJ loved Stefano and if his presence here in anyway would be a comfort to EJ Sami knew she'd endure the evil old man for his sake. Ned's answer to that question became redundant though as Stefano burst through the waiting room doors, looking nothing like a man nearing the end of his life. EJ had told her Stefano was sick and dying but he certainly didn't look either right then. His dark eyes were spitting fire as he looked around himself.

"Where is my son?!" he bellowed, making everyone within earshot stop and stare at him, "Where is Elvis?!"

"Mr DiMera," said Ned, quickly moving over to the older man, "I'm Detective Roberts, we spoke on the phone-"

"_This_?!" roared Stefano, waving his hand at Ned in outraged disgust and not letting him finish, "This_ pup_ is who they send to investigate the attempted murder of my son?! Is my son's life worth so little?! This is typical of the Brady's – one law for them and one for everyone with the name DiMera! I demand to speak to Captain Brady – this is a travesty! My son is fighting for his life and they send a twelve year old to look for his would be assassin!"

He grabbed at a young female doctor who had just hurried out of the room they were working on EJ in and almost shook him.

"What is happening with my son – I demand to know?!"

Stefano's shouting was drawing attention and what looked like a male nurse came out of EJ's room to go to the aid of his colleague.

"Sir let go of Doctor Singh or I will have to call security," said the male nurse, moving to remove Stefano's hold on the young woman.

"Where is my son?!" bellowed Stefano, obviously having worked himself up into a right state now and not listening to anyone who was trying to quieten him down.

"Mr DiMera-" began Ned again but Stefano jerked away from him.

"Unhand me you whelp!" growled Ned, throwing off his touch, enraged.

"Stop it!" yelled Sami, so loudly that she surprised them both, "Just shut the hell up Stefano!"

Stefano turned to look at her, a fierce look on his face at being spoken to that way but Sami was undeterred.

"You yelling and ranting and throwing your weight around like a crazy person doesn't help anyone Stefano!" said Sami angrily, "Least of all your son! Now if you really want to help EJ just let the police do their job and stop getting in their way! You making a scene just stops everyone from doing their jobs, the doctors included! You're wasting precious seconds EJ might not have by carrying on like this!"

By now everyone within earshot had stopped and stared at Sami after her outburst as she glared at Stefano, too scared about EJ's fate to have enough left over to be frightened of Stefano.

"EJ's life is hanging in the balance," said Sami, her voice shaky but determined, "Just sit down and be quiet and the doctors will tell us both when there is something to tell."

Sami didn't know where all of this self possession on her behalf was coming from other than she knew EJ needed her to do her utmost to keep the situation under control so he could get the best care possible. Stefano nodded slowly, her words seeming to have gotten through to him when no one else could.

"Ms Brady is right," he said slowly and let go of the doctor, looking at her seriously, "Do what it takes to save my son – I can wait for the answers to my questions."

The last past was given with a hard look at Ned, clearly still very unimpressed with the young man seemingly being in charge of his son's case. Sami went and sat back down on her seat and Stefano followed suit, sitting beside her. Ned gave her a worried look and Sami just smiled at him reassuringly.

"On second thought I think I will have a coffee thanks Ned," she said evenly.

Ned looked reluctant to leave her but she just gave him a confident nod.

"I'll be fine," said Sami easily.

"Alright," said Ned, giving Stefano another sceptical look before heading off to get Sami her requested coffee.

Sami and Stefano sat side by side silently for a long moment, both of them keeping watch over the cubicle EJ was still in, the doctors fighting to stabilise him.

"You were with my son when this happened?" asked Stefano, the two of them staring straight ahead.

"Yes," said Sami fighting the feeling of how surreal it was to be keeping a vigil with Stefano DiMera of all people.

"Thank you for not leaving him," said Stefano simply.

"I don't need your thanks Stefano," said Sami grimly.

A little smile touched his lips.

"Now I know why it is my son loves you so deeply," said Stefano at last.

Sami looked at him then, a frown on her face. She wondered if EJ and Stefano had talked about her and tried to work out how she felt about that. Finally Sami realised she didn't care. So what if they had she asked herself? Stefano was a part of EJ's past and she was his future. As soon as he was well enough they could begin their life together, wiping the slate clean of all that had gone before them, she was sure of it. Sami had an instinct that there were still more things EJ was hiding from her but the thought of that didn't daunt her like it used to.

That split second before EJ had been shot Sami was ready to put all of her faith in EJ, for them to face the spectre of Tony together and for her to be completely honest with him about her love for him. Even though the crazed jealousy had bubbled over and caused Tony to do this horrible thing to EJ Sami knew that the decision she'd made hadn't changed one iota. She and EJ were meant to be and nothing and no one was going to stand in the way of that. Before Sami could formulate a response to Stefano's statement one of the doctors immerged from the cubicle EJ was in. Both Sami and Stefano stood up quickly as he walked up to them.

"He's stable," said the doctor dispensing with formalities and Sami tried not to look at his scrubs that were covered in blood – EJ's blood, "For now anyway but his condition is very tenuous. We are prepping him for surgery now – I'll need you to sign permission slips Mrs DiMera so we can get him into surgery as quickly as possible."

"We're not married," said Sami unevenly and wished for all the world that she hadn't been so stubborn for this long because she may well have been able to give a different answer if that had been the case.

"I am his father," said Stefano quickly, seeing the distressed look on Sami's face, "I will sign what you need me to so that my son's life can be saved."

Sami looked down, feeling suddenly incredibly tired and even a little weepy but she steeled herself, knowing EJ didn't need her tears right then. Stefano signed the doctor's forms while Sami became lost in her own thoughts for a moment.

"Can I see my son before he goes to surgery?" asked Stefano and that brought Sami's attention back to the here and now as she looked at the doctor with the same expectant face that Stefano was wearing.

"There is no time," said the doctor with a shake of his head, "I'm sorry but we really don't have a minute to spare if we are to save this man's life."

Sami's stomach muscles contracted painfully as she looked into the doctor's eyes and saw how truly dire the situation was. Stefano nodded silently, obviously seeing the urgency in the other man as well. They both watched as he took the consent forms and hurried back to the cubicle EJ was in, leaving them standing there, both with their own dark thoughts.

oooOOOOooo

Sami leant back in her chair, not even noticing how uncomfortable it was, instead just glad of a few minutes by herself. She and Stefano had been keeping a vigil in the waiting room for the last two hours, waiting on news of how EJ's surgery was going. Stefano had gone to make a few business phone calls and that had seemed to mean that Ned felt it was safe to leave her alone for a few minutes while he went to the bathroom so Sami was sitting there alone, enjoying her brief solitude. She closed her eyes, fighting back all of her fears.

"Please God," she prayed, her voice little more than a whisper, "Don't take him from me, please – I couldn't bear it."

"Samantha Brady praying to God," a voice mused above her head, "I would have thought you'd have used up all of your wishes with that particular genie long ago my dear."

Sami's eyes snapped open at the sound of the mocking voice and immediately felt a huge surge of anger.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" she asked him bitterly, hating the way Tony was so casually longing against the desk, as though he didn't have a care in the world.

"Why I've just gotten word that my little brother's life is hanging by a thread," said Tony, feigning a wounded look, "Where else would I be Samantha?"

"You sick, twisted animal!" spat out Sami as she stood up and faced off against him, "You're the reason this happened to EJ! You did this!"

"Samantha," tutted Tony, giving her a mock wounded look, "What a thing to say and so loudly, with so little regard for the consequences of your slander I might add."

Sami's eyes narrowed at his thinly veiled threat.

"So am I too late?" asked Tony and there was no hiding the eagerness on his face, "Has my poor little brother already passed onto a better place?"

"He's in surgery," said Sami through gritted teeth.

"Oh," said Tony, pursing his lips thoughtfully, "We'll that's good news now isn't it? I was so very worried."

"You make me sick Tony," said Sami bitterly.

"Well just as well we are in a hospital eh?" he said with a little laugh, "It's worked out nicely all the way round don't you think?"

"I'm going to wipe that smug smile of your face-" Sami began angrily but Tony interrupted.

"How?" he asked her with a chuckle, "By revealing what it is you think I've done – is that it my dear?"

"I don't think I know!" said Sami harshly, "And I'm going to make sure everyone else knows as well!"

"I promise you Samantha," said Tony with a little knowing smile, "If you pursue this you will regret it in ways you never dreamed possible."

"You're really getting off on this aren't you?!" asked Sami in disbelief, "This is how you get your jollies isn't it, creating pain and destruction wherever you go?!"

"It's a dull boy who doesn't have a hobby," replied Tony in amusement, obviously finding her outrage very entertaining.

"You are so sick," said Sami in disgust, "You're a sociopath Tony!"

"You say sociopath I say someone who is highly goal orientated and a go getter," said Tony mockingly, "But call it what you will I think you understand by now just how serious I am about all of this."

Sami didn't say anything, not giving him the satisfaction.

"So my dear," continued on Tony almost conversationally, "I hope for your sake and the sake of everyone else you love that you are better at keeping your mouth shut then you are your legs-"

Sami gasped in outrage at his disgusting rudeness but Tony continued on unconcerned.

"Because just remember even if Elvis makes it through surgery which we are all praying he will of course," said Tony smoothly, "Hospitals are dangerous places to be in what with all the infections that are floating around. If my brother survives this surgery he is still a long ways from being out of the woods and in such a very vulnerable state. His only real hope is you Samantha and I'm sure he would like to think he can count on you."

Sami didn't say anything, not trusting herself to speak right then but Tony seemed pretty confident he had all the angles covered and obviously didn't feel the need for her agreement.

"Well that's settled then," said Tony happily and gave Sami a confident smile, "I do so enjoy our little chats Samantha, very edifying I must say."

"This isn't over Tony," she said flatly, not going down without a fight.

"Oh I beg to differ Samantha," said Tony, straightening up smiling down at her, "That is exactly what this is. Now if you'll excuse me I have to go and comfort my grieving father. It's so very important to have family around you in trying times like these I find."

Sami watched in disgust as he shoved his hands in his pockets and started to amble unhurriedly off down the hallway in search of Stefano and leaving a seething Sami in his wake.


	12. Chapter 126

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & TWENTY SIX – The Point of No Return **

The decision to kiss for the first time is the most crucial in any love story.

It changes the relationship of two people much more strongly than even the final surrender; because this kiss already has within it that surrender.

_~Emil Ludwig~_

Sami sat on the steps to the back entrance of Salem University and looked out unseeingly at the little garden that had been planted there for the patients and the staff. Bo and her father thought she'd left the hospital after she spoke to them both again and Sami had let them think that. Right now she had no energy or interest in muddying those waters, all her attention was focused on EJ. He had been in surgery for over four hours now and Sami just needed to get away from Stefano and Tony and their cloying presence. To see Tony sitting there, pretending to be as concerned and upset as everyone else was too much for Sami to handle.

No matter what kind of monster Stefano was at least his anguish was real. Sami had never seen such a human side of the man who had haunted her childhood and into her adult years. The boogieman and every half remembered nightmare rolled into one and neatly dressed in Armani. It was strange and confronting to Sami to see him so vulnerable looking and grief stricken. Not so his warped eldest son thought Sami bitterly. She'd catch him sometimes looking at her with an amused gleam in his eyes when Stefano wasn't watching. His dark gaze full of gloating self satisfaction and it was all Sami could do not to grab the nearest chair and beat that smug look off his face herself.

Sami knew there would be no point to doing that right now, other than it feeling really, really good of course. Tony was a dangerous adversary and Sami wasn't taking this lightly. He'd already proven that he had no real limits in having his own brother shot and Sami knew he wouldn't hesitate to make good on his threats against her and her family. So Sami gritted her teeth and endure his gloating presence, letting him think he'd defeated her for the moment. Tony's one real Achilles' heel was his ego Sami decided and she was going to use that for her own purposes.

He really did think he was the smartest, most wily man in any room he walked into. Tony thought he had Sami right where he wanted her and she was a helpless mouse to his cruelly playful cat. If Tony overestimated his worth then Sami was very sure that he was underestimating hers and that was going to be his big mistake. If he thought she was just going to let him play with her life and more importantly EJ's life like this he had another thing coming. Sami made a choked little noise as thoughts of EJ drove every other one from her mind and she closed her eyes, putting her hand to her head as a wave of dread washed over her.

Right now the most important thing wasn't Tony but EJ for Sami. As soon as EJ was out of the woods and on the road to recovery Sami knew she would be able to turn her full attention to dealing with Tony. But for now EJ was all she could think of and everything else seemed to fade away into insignificance. She had so much she wanted to tell him, was desperate to tell him and Sami cursed the many opportunities she'd been given only to throw them away out of her own fear and self doubt.

The doubt was gone now for Sami, completely and utterly. Seeing EJ lying on the ground like that had brought into sharp relief for Sami how completely meaningless her life was without EJ in it. The fear of losing him gripped her tightly and Sami tried desperately to push it away. EJ dying simply wasn't an option, she wasn't going to think it, she wasn't going to entertain even the concept for a moment. The two of them were going to have a long and happy life together and this was just a little hiccup on the way to that Sami decided grimly. EJ wasn't going to die because the sheer force of her will and love for him was going to get him through this. Sami's cell phone rang then and she jumped with the fright it had given her. How mundane things like a cell phone ringing could still be going on when EJ was fighting for his life on an operating table Sami just couldn't understand right then. Surely the whole world should have stopped along with hers she wondered faintly?

"Hello?" apparently not as Sami answered the phone distractedly.

"Hey honey."

Sami got a real shock hearing Lucas' cheerful voice over the phone. She had completely forgotten his existence since waking up that morning, not just not thought about him but it had been as though he'd never existed. It was a strange sensation and the sound of his disembodied voice in her ear only added to how surreal this was all becoming to Sami.

"How's my favourite girl?" asked Lucas chirpily and Sami had to quickly collect herself to answer him.

"Lucas," she said faintly, "I'm good, how are you?"

Her reply was stilted and oddly formal but Lucas didn't seem to notice.

"How's Will?" asked Sami, her thoughts turning to their son.

"I don't know," said Lucas with a sigh, "I'm not in Geneva yet."

Sami frowned and looked at her watch, trying to work out the time differences. She'd lost a great deal of time since EJ had been shot, time basically standing still for her but she figured Lucas should have been there hours ago.

"You're not?" Sami asked in surprise as she stood up and started to walk around distractedly, "Where are you? What's happened?"

"Well first our plane had engine problems of some kind and we had to put down some place I can't remember the name of and we had to wait for hours for that to be fixed," said Lucas flatly, "And then that threw all the connecting flights off and long story short – I'm still about three hours out of landing in Geneva. I rang you because I didn't want you to worry honey because I said I'd ring you when I got there – I've already spoken to Will and let him know when to expect me. I didn't mean to make you worry – I'm sorry honey."

Sami felt a horrible wave of guilt that she hadn't even noticed that Lucas was so overdue, so consumed by EJ right then. She swallowed hard, thinking of how badly she was going to break Lucas' heart when she told him about her and EJ but knowing she couldn't keep him in the dark any longer. But at the same time though Sami really didn't think he deserved to be told about her infidelity over the phone while he was in a foreign country. Lucas at least deserved the dignity and respect of her telling him of her faithlessness face to face Sami decided. He'd probably never forgive her and Sami couldn't actually blame him for that. She'd done this terrible thing to someone she cared about all because she'd been too frightened to face the truth about herself and her needs and Sami regretted that so much.

Those days were gone now though and Sami knew she couldn't go back to how she used to be, settling for things that didn't truly make her happy. Sami had this terrible desire to blurt all of this out to Lucas over the phone but valiantly bit her tongue. He really didn't deserve that kind of shabby treatment from her. It was bad enough what she had to tell him but he didn't deserve to find out like this. Although it was very hard Sami summoned her courage and played along with Lucas, promising herself that as soon as he returned to Salem she would tell him the whole truth and live with his scorn. Right now though he was too far away for her to do this to him so Sami swallowed her disgust at herself and continued to play along when all she wanted to do was to shout to anyone who would listen that she loved EJ DiMera.

"I'm just glad you are alright, I was starting to get worried," Sami lied, purposely keeping her voice light.

"I'm fine," said Lucas easily, "How about you Sami? Are you missing me like I'm missing you?"

Sami didn't want to tell Lucas about EJ being shot right then. It was still to raw to her and Sami wasn't sure that she wouldn't just dissolve into tears if she tried to talk about it yet.

"You haven't been gone even a day Lucas," she said, trying to inject a teasing laugh into that as her eyes welled with painful tears and she avoided a direct answer.

"So?" he said teasingly, "I still miss you even if it has been less than a day."

"That's sweet," said Sami and still not giving him a response.

They chatted for a bit more, Sami just barely hanging onto her sanity as she spoke with him. Finally Lucas hung up with loving words of goodbye that Sami just mumbled a response to that she hoped satisfied him. Sami walked back to the stairs and sat back down on the heavily, as she choked back her tears.

That had been so hard for her to do but Sami knew that it was the right thing for the moment but she could hardly wait until Lucas was back in Salem and she could be finally honest with him even though it would undoubtedly mean that he went back to hating her again. Sami knew that was just a cross she would have to bear, along with Will probably joining in on the act as well. There was nothing she could do about that though other then praying they would one day forgive her because being without EJ in her life was no longer an option and everyone in her life was going to have to find a way to deal with that.

"Samantha."

Sami looked up to see Stefano standing at the top of the stairs and she quickly stood up, her heart in her mouth.

"Elvis is out of surgery," said Stefano emotionally, "He made it."

"What did the doctors say?" asked Sami anxiously, running up the five or so stairs to stand in front of Stefano, "Is he going to be alright?"

"They removed one bullet but the other one was too close to his spine," said Stefano unevenly, "They have said he is in a critical condition but stable."

Sami let out a huge sigh of relief. She knew they had a long way to go yet but the fact that EJ had made it through surgery was a miracle considering how weak he'd been going in.

"This is good news is it not?" asked Stefano, his face turning upwards in a tired but happy smile.

"It is," nodded Sami, once again feeling how odd it was to be sharing such a moment with Stefano DiMera of all people, "Can we see him."

"He is still in recovery and not yet conscious," Stefano informed her, "They said it might be an hour or two before he wakes up – or even tomorrow. I will stay with him until that happens."

"I'm going to stay as well," said Sami quickly and then looked down at her clothes a little self consciously, noticing the droplets of blood staining them, "But I might go home quickly and change first."

"That is probably a good idea," agreed Stefano, looking at the same blood spots Sami was, his face darkening in pain.

"You'll stay with EJ though won't you?" Sami fretted, "You won't leave him alone until I get back, not for a minute?"

Sami was thinking of what might happen if Tony was left alone with EJ for even a minute and gave a little shudder.

"I will not leave his side," Stefano reassured her, not seeming to find her insistence strange.

The two exchanged looks then and Sami had to wonder if Stefano was finding this as strange as she was.

oooOOOOooo

Sami walked quickly out of the bedroom, doing up her blouse as she went. She'd showered and changed and now was in a rush to get back to the hospital, desperate to be the first person EJ saw when he opened his eyes. The knock at the door made her grimace as she hurried over to answer it, not really wanting the intrusion right then.

"Mom," she said in surprise at seeing her standing there, "Hi."

"Your father told me what happened today," said Marlena, looking at her anxiously, "Are you alright Sami? It must have been terrible for you."

Marlena walked in and hugged her daughter and Sami returned it, feeling the comfort of a mother's embrace. It just felt so good to have her mother's arms around her again and Sami closed her eyes, clinging tightly to her.

"I'm alright Mom," she managed even as tears began to collect in her eyes.

Marlena pulled back and looked at her with great concern.

"You don't look alright Sami," she said worried, "You look so pale honey."

"It was just a shock," said Sami.

"Of course it was," said Marlena quickly, "Oh Sami it must have been terrible for you. Thank god you weren't hurt. I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you."

Marlena hugged Sami again and this time she could feel the tension in her mother's body and Sami tried her best to reassure her.

"I really am okay Mom," she said as they drew back and looked at one another, "It's EJ who isn't."

"No more than he deserves," muttered Marlena darkly.

"Mom!" exclaimed Sami, shocked to hear her mother say such a thing.

"EJ DiMera shot John," she said unrepentantly, "Or have you forgotten that Sami?"

"That-that was never proved Mom," said Sami shakily, "He had an alibi."

"Yes and it was you," said Marlena, her eyes narrowing a little as she looked at Sami curiously, "I never did understand how that was."

"My car broke down and-"

"Yes I know the official story," her mother interrupted her, "But it never rang true to me somehow. EJ obviously managed to manoeuvre things so he was at the boat house before stopping to help you, knowing you'd make a great alibi for him and what he'd just done."

"You really hate EJ don't you Mom?" asked Sami quietly, her heart sinking as she realised how deep her mother's feelings ran.

"I know I shouldn't and that hate only hurts the person who bears it but I can't forgive him for what he did to John," said Marlena shakily, "The man I love has been in a coma for over four months now and I might never get him back. Sami you can't imagine how that feels to be so helpless, so lost to know how to help a person you love so much."

Sami gave a sad little smile, not contradicting her mother but knowing exactly how she felt. She supposed her mom felt the exact same way about EJ as she did about Tony. The difference was though that EJ may have not even committed that crime and even if he did he'd changed so much since then that Sami knew it wasn't the same thing anymore. She wanted her mother to understand how much EJ really had changed since then, that he was a man who knew how to love deeply and faithfully and that he loved her. Sami wanted her mother to understand how being loved by EJ had changed her as well.

"Mom-" began Sami, not knowing if this was a good time or not but thinking it was time her mother new the truth and what had been going on in her daughter's life for some time now.

"I don't know how I can go on in this life without John," said Marlena faintly, almost seeming to be talking to herself now, "I feel like everything has just ground to a halt and I've been waiting all of this time to take my next breath."

"Oh Mom," said Sami achingly, seeing her mother's great pain and understanding exactly what she meant.

She didn't feel as though she'd taken a single breath since EJ had been shot that morning and could only imagine what it must have been like for her mother to be going through this for so long now.

"I'm sorry honey," said Marlena, trying to smile through her tears, "What were you going to say?"

Sami looked at her mother, how tenuous her grip on everything was and how painful such a thing was to a woman who needed to be in control of herself so desperately in this life. As much as Sami wanted to come clean with her mother right then she knew she couldn't add to her burden. Soon enough everyone was going to know about her and EJ but not today, not yet. Sami decided to gently begin to prepare her mother for the fact that her daughter loved a DiMera. It was going to be a hard sell seeing as her mom was convinced that EJ shot John and truth be told, he probably did. Sami knew her mother would see this as a betrayal or act of impulsive rebellion on her behalf and she knew that she needed to show her how much EJ's unconditional love had changed her, for the better. There were so many things that she had to tell her mother but right then only one thing seemed important.

"I love you Mom," said Sami softly, going to hug her again, "I love you so much. Everything is going to work out, I just know it."

In a rare reversal of roles Sami comforted her mother and let her take from her strength, the two woman sharing in each other's feelings of hopelessness and finding the strength to carry on.

oooOOOOooo

Sami walked into EJ's darkened hospital room, her breathing suddenly painful at the sight of him lying there so still in the bed. Stefano and Tony had gone home for a little bit to eat and for Stefano to take some of his medications so Sami was able to be alone with EJ at last. She walked right up to the bed and slipped her hand in his much larger one, wincing at how cold his normally warm hands felt. The machines monitoring him hissed and beeped noisily but Sami barely noticed; her attention riveted to the man in the bed. EJ looked so frail lying there, a word Sami never thought she'd ever use in describing him. She reached out a hand and smoothed down his dishevelled hair tenderly, stroking his cheek as she did.

"Hiya handsome," she said, trying to keep her voice light but choking a little at the end.

Sami pulled up a chair and sat by the bed, leaning in towards EJ who was propped up a little with some pillows, a plastic oxygen tube ran under his noise and Sami could hear the faint hiss as it fed EJ the extra oxygen.

"EJ," she said softly, "Can you hear me EJ? It's me, Sami – I'm here."

There was no response and Sami felt a pang of disappointment at that but continued talking regardless.

"You gave me a hell of a fright you know today," she said emotionally, "You're not allowed to ever do that again do you hear me?"

EJ didn't respond and Sami went back to stroking his face again, revealing in just the feel of him underneath her hand.

"If you wake up EJ I have something very important to tell you," she cajoled him, stroking his hair now, "Something very, very important to tell you but I'm not going to do it unless you wake up because I need you to hear this."

Sami gave a little gasp as EJ's eyes suddenly flickered and then suddenly he was looking at her, groggily trying to focus on her.

"Samantha," he rasped her name and it was the single sweetest sound she'd ever heard in the world short of the sound of Will's cries when he first came into the world.

"EJ," she breathed, looking at him adoringly, "It's alright – you're going to be alright, I'm here."

"What happened?" he asked; his voice little more than a whisper.

"Shh don't talk," said Sami tenderly, "Save your strength. You've been shot EJ but everything is going to be okay. The doctors are really pleased with how well you've come through surgery and you're going to be just fine."

"Shot?" repeated EJ hoarsely, clearly still confused by the events of that day.

"It's alright EJ," she soothed him, "Everything is alright now."

"You stayed with me," he marvelled, looking at her wide eyed.

"Of course I did," said Sami without hesitation, "I'm never going to leave you EJ."

Sami took a deep breath then and said the words she'd been so frightened that she'd never get to say.

"I love you EJ."

His eyes widened, clearly finding this to be a truly amazing statement on her behalf.

"You love me?" whispered EJ, his voice strained but obviously needing to hear her say those words again.

"I love you more than I thought it possible to love another human being that wasn't your child," she told him emotionally, eyes filling with tears as she saw the amazement in his eyes, "I love you EJ, with every breath I take I love you more and more and I can't pretend that it is any other way any longer."

"Samantha," he said her name in a kind of strangled awe at her confession.

"I love you," she said simply, knowing he deserved to hear those words time and time again and then put a hand to his face and did the one thing both of them had been longing for and she'd denied them both for so long.

Sami kissed EJ.

She kissed him with every ounce of the love that she had for him, willingly putting her entire self into the tender kiss and letting EJ feel and taste how great her love for him really was. They lingered over the loving act, each one putting all of themselves into it until the lines between them became permanently blurred. Sami gave a choked sob into the kiss at the well of emotion pouring out between them and found she couldn't stop.

"Hey," said EJ softly as he pulled back and cupped her face, albeit a little unsteadily, "Samantha?"

"I'm just happy," said Sami, trying to bravely smile through her tears before shaking her head and biting her lip at his quiet question.

Fresh tears coursed down her cheeks now.

"I'm so sorry EJ," she whispered to him in heartfelt anguish.

"Because you love me?" asked EJ a little unevenly, the talking obviously taking a lot out of him but Sami could see he didn't want to stop.

"No!" she said in horror and shook her head at him, "I'll never be sorry about that EJ, never! I'm sorry that it took me so long to say those words to you. You deserved for me to tell you the truth long before now."

"When?" he asked her, gazing up at Sami adoringly, clearly wanting to hear it all now.

"Always," she whispered hopelessly and knew it was true, "Before I met I was waiting for you EJ, only you but I didn't know it."

Sami gave a choked sob now.

"I've wasted so much time," she whimpered, "I've fought you for so long-"

"You were right to," said EJ softly, stopping her self-flagellation by tightening the grip he had on her hand as best he could with his limited strength, "I wasn't worthy of you Samantha. I didn't choose you outright over my family, you were right to expect more of me."

"No I was the one who wasn't worthy," she quickly interrupted him in disbelief that he should say such a thing, "I wasn't honest with you or myself for the longest time."

"The perfect match," he said with the barest of smiles, his voice still hoarse, "We can be unworthy together my love, two impossibly flawed human beings who together become all that they were meant to be."

"Oh EJ," said Sami, her voice wavering emotionally at his amazing words, marvelling that he could still manage to say such things when he was so close to deaths door, "I love you so much."

"Say it again," he implored her unsteadily, closing his eyes and obviously relishing her words.

"I love you EJ," she said without hesitation, "I love you, I love you, I love you-"

Each 'I love you' was punctuated with a tender kiss to EJ's forehead, his cheeks, his nose.

"I love you," she breathed one last time, leaning in and pressing her lips to his and moving them gently back and forth over his.

Of all the things that had passed to between them up to right then this single, almost chaste kiss was the most intimate so far and both of them drowned in the amount of love shared between them right then. Sami eventually made them break the kiss, concerned for EJ's breathing in such a weakened state. She looked down at him with eyes that were just shining then, feeling her love for him simply radiating out of every pore.

"You're mine?" asked EJ, still looking up at her in amazement as he put a hand to her face, "Truly?"

[center] [IMG].[/IMG][/center]

"I always was and I always will be EJ," said Sami shakily as she tried to express her love for him using words that seemed hopelessly inadequate.

She wanted to write songs, dance dances, compose Aria's about the way she felt about him and struggled to convey her love to him and how he'd changed her.

"My whole life," she whispered to him, "My whole life EJ I was in this dark room that I didn't know how to get out of. And then you were there and you flung that door wide opened but I was scared, it was so different from anything else that had ever happened to me I doubted you EJ, I doubted us and mostly I doubted me."

"I know," said EJ, his voice beginning to shake from all the high emotion and the effort it was costing him to continue talking, "I always knew that Sami."

"Because you know me," she said with a contented sigh.

"Completely," said EJ simply, a little smile touching his lips, "My soul mate, the other piece of my heart, my one true thing."

"I was so alone before you EJ," she whispered to him achingly, "There were people all around me but no one saw me until you."

"My girl," said EJ tenderly, compassion and empathy in his touch and eyes, "My poor little girl."

"Not any longer," said Sami with a watery smile, "Not now you love me EJ."

Sami moved then, carefully sitting herself on the bed and taking EJ into her arms, just wanting to be holding him again.

"I don't want this to be a dream," he implored her helplessly as he put a hand up to her arm and clung to her as tightly as he could, burying his face into shoulder, "Please God don't let this be a dream."

"It's not a dream," said Sami, giving a choked little laugh, "This is as real as it gets."

"Samantha Brady loves me," said EJ and she could hear the awe in his voice and it made her toes curl at the thought that being loved by her was such a precious gift.

"No," she corrected him huskily, hugging him tightly to her whilst being conscious of his injuries, "Samantha Brady adores you EJ, body and soul, she's yours."

"She's mine," repeated EJ softly and Sami could hear the joy in his voice, "At last she's mine."

"I was always yours EJ," she confessed to him, "But I was just too stubborn and blind to admit to it."

"I love how stubborn you are," said EJ with a sigh, "You're so beautiful when you're being impossible."

Sami couldn't help the smile that was lighting up her face as they spoke. She was brilliantly happy in that moment that it was pointless to try and find words to describe it. Despite the tragic circumstances that had brought them to this moment in time Sami had never known such joy. Finally being able to tell EJ that she loved him freed her like nothing else had before in her life.

"I love you EJ," she said with a heartfelt sigh as she pressed a kiss to the top of his head, "I love you."

When EJ didn't respond to that Sami suddenly realised the hand that had been holding onto her arm had gone limp. She pulled back and looked down at EJ, his head lolling to one side now, his eyes closed.

"EJ?" she repeated his name in concern and when there was no response, more loudly, "EJ!!"

Sami gave a strangled gasp.

"EJ NO!"


	13. Chapter 127

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & TWENTY SEVEN – Stand By Your Man **

There is in every true woman's heart a spark of heavenly fire,

Which lies dormant in the broad daylight of prosperity;

But which kindles up, and beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity.

_~Washington Irving (__The Sketch Book__)~_

Sami walked up and down the hall ways of Salem University hospital; almost certain she was wearing grooves in the floor with her nervous pacing. After EJ had passed out in her arms she screamed for the doctors and it was found that EJ had begun to bleed internally again and had to be taken back to surgery. So now Sami was currently facing down yet another anxious wait for EJ to come out of surgery. It had been too much to sit still, particularly next to Stefano and Sami had begun to pace anxiously. Everything seemed so tenuous all of a sudden and her emotions were all over the place from the drama of the last day.

It was hard to believe an entire twenty four hours had passed since EJ had been shot, the whole thing still felt so surreal to Sami. She'd gone from unequalled terror to joy back to terror as EJ was taken back to surgery and Sami just needed to know that EJ was going to be alright. The look on his face when she'd told him that she loved him was going to be a precious memory for Sami always. She regretted so much making him wait that long for the words but it had felt so unbelievably good to say them aloud and to the man she loved. Sami pulled at her blouse distractedly as she paced, hoping there were going to be many more opportunities for her to tell EJ how much she loved him.

"You have walked a marathon Samantha," commented Stefano from behind her, "Come and sit down, watching you is exhausting me."

Sami turned around and frowned at him, her first instinct was to tell Stefano that she wasn't one of his minions to be ordered around but as soon as she stopped she felt a wave of tiredness come over her and she reluctantly sat back down across from Stefano. She crossed her legs and looked at a point on the floor, glad at least that Tony's smirking presence wasn't there. He'd gone home several hours ago and she had to give Stefano his due, he'd stuck it out by EJ's side this whole time, just as she had.

Sami didn't want to think of Stefano having a softer side but this did at least give her some insight as to why EJ could have such warm feelings for his father. It didn't mean Sami wanted them to have anything to do with Stefano once EJ was out of hospital but at least she understood it a little better now. One of the surgeon's suddenly appeared from down the hallway, pulling off his mask as he approached them. Both Sami and Stefano looked up at him expectantly.

"We've stopped the bleeding," the surgeon told them, "But he's lost a lot of blood and is very weak. The next couple of days will tell us more about his condition. They are bringing him into recovery and will be back in his room soon."

"And I can stay with him?" asked Sami, before Stefano had a chance.

"Are you family?" asked the doctor.

"I'm going to be," said Sami evenly and ignoring the arched eyebrowed look from Stefano.

"Very well," nodded the doctor, "That shouldn't be a problem."

"I too will stay," said Stefano, much to Sami's annoyance.

"We can't have a crowd in there," said the doctor firmly, "One at a time only."

Sami and Stefano looked at each other as the doctor excused himself and hurried off down the corridor.

"I'm staying with EJ," said Sami defiantly as she went to stand up but her head began to spin wildly at her sudden movement.

She flopped back down in the chair and grabbed the arm rests tightly. Stefano stood up and moved to her side quickly.

"Are you alright?" he asked in concern and Sami scowled up at him, not wanting any type of kindness from him.

"Yes," she said shortly and went to stand again but her legs were shaking too badly and she had to sit back down again.

"When did you last eat?" asked Stefano.

Sami's frown deepened as she realised that she hadn't eaten anything or even thought about food since EJ was shot. Stefano saw the answer on her face and gave a fatherly tut.

"You have not eaten or slept for a day Samantha," he said, "You must do these things."

"I'm fine," said Sami tersely, attempting and managing to stand up this time, "EJ needs me."

"EJ needs you well," countered Stefano reasonably, "It does my son no good if you drop from exhaustion and hunger."

Sami looked away, hating the truth in his words but not being able to argue.

"We both need to eat Samantha," said Stefano calmly, "I will stay with EJ while you get something to eat and then we will swap."

"I don't think so," said Sami tightly, just not wanting to go along with anything Stefano DiMera suggested.

"Do not be unreasonable Samantha," said Stefano in exasperation, "You must eat something before you pass out eh?"

"I hate the food here," said Sami, being difficult.

"Then I will send my driver out for whatever you wish," he offered, "Or he can take you home to make your own, whatever you prefer."

"What I prefer is you not telling me what to do," said Sami sharply.

"Do not cut off that pretty nose of yours to spite your face Ms Brady," said Stefano evenly, "My son will be most upset with me if he thinks I have let you run yourself into the ground and not taken care of yourself."

That made Sami stop, knowing that EJ wouldn't be happy at the thought of her doing that as Stefano had said.

"I'll only be gone for a short while," said Sami at last, reluctantly seeing the sense in his words, "I'll be right back. I will be here when EJ wakes up."

So that was how an hour later Sami was in her apartment after making her own way home, cleaning up after the omelette she'd just made herself. She walked over to the sofa with some strawberries and promised herself that she would just finish them and then head straight back to the hospital. That was the last thing she remembered for quite a while because as soon as Sami relaxed on the sofa she felt into an almost instant deep sleep, simply too exhausted to stay awake any longer.

oooOOOOooo

Stefano stood at the end of EJ's bed, watching as the doctor did some routine checks on him. He quickly checked his watch, frowning at the time. Sami had promised him that she would return soon but that was over three hours ago and she still wasn't back. She'd seemed sincere in her concern for his son but then again she was a Brady and treachery was never far away when dealing with that family. It was a doubled edged sword to Stefano, his son loving a Brady. On one hand there was a definite feeling of completion in having Santo and Colleen's love realised in these two young people but Sami had more than a little way to go to prove that her loyalties ran deeply enough with Elvis for her to be accepted fully into the family.

As strong as the coupling of Elvis and Samantha might be Stefano was not unaware that their combined strength could work either for or against him. He was confident though that he'd trained his son well enough in the ways of being a DiMera that his birthright would shine through and Samantha would soon fall into line if she loved him as he loved her. Stefano sighed heavily as he realised that was a problem for another day as the doctor shone a light into his still gravely ill son's eyes.

"How is he doctor?" asked Stefano, watching on with concern.

The doctor jotted a few notes into EJ's charts before coming to stand in front of Stefano, his face grave.

"He's stable which is as much as we can hope for right now," said the doctor, "His body has taken some terrible trauma the last day or two."

"My son is a strong man," said Stefano proudly, "He will come through this."

"I hope so," said the doctor, "But you have to be prepared Mr DiMera that things may not be as they were for your son."

"What do you mean?" Stefano frowned.

"I mean that he has most likely sustained a lot of nerve damage and there is a very real possibility that he may not have the use of his legs at the end of this," said the doctor seriously.

Stefano put a hand to his face, feeling a wave of anguish come over him at the thought of his vital son being forced to use a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

"You are sure?" asked Stefano, dropping his hand away and looking at the doctor seriously.

"No," he said simply, "We're not sure of anything at the moment Mr DiMera. There is a lot of swelling in that area and we can only speculate right now how this will turn out for EJ."

"I see," said Stefano heavily, thinking how terrible it was to watch your children suffer and be unable to help them.

"We have a long way to go yet Mr DiMera," said the doctor, "Let's take it one step at a time hm?"

Stefano nodded, not answering him.

"I'll be back in a little while to check on EJ," he said, "We'll know more when he wakes up alright."

"Yes thank you doctor," said Stefano distractedly.

He didn't turn to watch the other man leave but instead kept his eyes fixed on EJ's still form. Stefano sighed heavily and then walked up to the bed. He bent down and put a hand to EJ's face tenderly.

"Ah my son, my son," he sighed, "What dark days are these eh?"

Stefano pulled up a seat beside the bed and looked at his youngest child.

"This is not how it should be," he chastised him softly, "I am the old man – I should be the one in that bed. I have lived life and you have barely begun."

Stefano patted EJ's arm then.

"But you have so much more life ahead of you Elvis and it is on these good things we will concentrate eh?" he said firmly, not one to admit defeat easily.

EJ stirred then and Stefano's heart leapt for joy at seeing that. He took EJ's hand, gripping it tightly.

"Elvis," he said intently, "I am here my son."

EJ blinked rapidly, clearly trying to focus.

"Father," he rasped.

"My son," said Stefano happily.

He hadn't been there when EJ had woken the first time around so he was so glad to be speaking to him now. EJ looked around himself without really moving his head before looking back at his father.

"Samantha?" he asked unevenly, "Is she here?"

Stefano felt a flash of frustration that Sami had not returned when she said she would and now he had to disappoint his son.

"She has just gone to get something to eat," Stefano said quickly, "She was reluctant to leave you but I said she must eat."

"Is Samantha alright?" asked EJ hoarsely, his eyes full of concern.

"Yes, yes," Stefano reassured her, "Just overwrought with worry for you Elvis. She has been most concerned."

EJ looked up at the ceiling, obviously very disappointed that she wasn't there and Stefano's ire at the fickle young woman grew. But he overlooked his annoyance to try and comfort EJ.

"Samantha only just left," said Stefano, massaging the truth somewhat, "I'm sure she is hurrying back to your side as we speak."

EJ looked back at his father, clearly cheered by that thought.

"Samantha told me she loved me," said EJ, still obviously amazed by that fact.

"Why would she not love you?" asked Stefano, a smile coming to his face at seeing the suddenly happy look on his son's face, "No one can withstand that DiMera charm for long you know."

"It is such an amazing gift Father," said EJ unsteadily, obviously finding talking difficult but wanting to share this huge event in his life with his father.

It struck home to Stefano that EJ hadn't even asked how he was doing but instead his first thoughts were of Sami. It was clear that his feelings for this woman ran deeper than even Stefano had given him credit for. He just hoped that Sami proved to be worthy of such devotion.

"I love her so much," said EJ quietly.

"And it is obvious that she loves you as well," said Stefano.

EJ smiled at that, his eyelids already drooping, clearly even such a short conversation being taxing for him.

"Sleep now," said Stefano, patting his arm, "You must conserve your strength."

"I want to wait for Samantha," protested EJ groggily, "I need to see her."

EJ was now having real trouble keeping his eyes open so Stefano didn't bother arguing with him, instead he just sat with him and watched as he fell back into a deep sleep.

oooOOOOooo

Sami hurried down the hospital, in a rush to get back to EJ. She'd woken with a fright on her sofa, horrified to see that she'd been asleep for over five hours, without so much as moving a muscle. Clearly Sami had been more exhausted then she thought having slept so long and deeply when she hadn't meant to. Now all she wanted to do was get back to EJ and be with him. She walked into EJ's hospital room to find Stefano sitting beside his bed. Stefano looked up as Sami hurried into the room.

"How is he?" asked Sami anxiously.

"He was awake for a little while and asking for you," said Stefano and there was a note of censure in his voice as he stood up and the two faced off, "You told me that you would not be gone long. Elvis was upset that you weren't here when he woke up and I did not know what to tell him. I kept telling him that you would come but he you did not."

"I fell asleep," said Sami stiffly, not liking having to give an explanation to Stefano of all people and devastated that she'd disappointed EJ by not being here when he needed her.

"I thought you had abandoned my son," said Stefano, looking at her suspiciously.

"It's DiMera's who turn on their own and you can't trust their word," said Sami sourly, going over to stand by EJ's bed and looking across at Stefano.

"While you are renown for being so very truthful eh Samantha?" Stefano challenged her.

Sami's eyes narrowed but she couldn't exactly argue with him over that point, mores the pity.

"How do I know that you are not working for your father to harm my son in some way?" asked Stefano, regarding her rather fiercely, obviously the stress and worry taking its toll on him as well as he levelled the accusation at her, "That would be just like a Brady and not the first time you have done such a thing to Elvis."

"That was before," said Sami defensively, "Things were different back then."

"My son loves you," said Stefano flatly, "Whether wisely or not remains to be seen. What I do know is that Elvis needs you right now and I expect you to be there for him and see him through this. Your father and uncle will most likely prove to be no use to bringing his shooter to justice so perhaps at least one Brady could see their way clear to helping my son eh?!"

Sami gritted her teeth at Stefano's high handed way of dealing with her and the way he was slandering her family when it was actually his own son that had caused all of this. The irony was galling.

"So you're ordering me to stay with EJ?" asked Sami bitterly, "Is that it Stefano? Or what – you'll hurt someone in my family? That's how the DiMera's work isn't it? It's your way or it's bloodshed!"

"My son needs you," said Stefano unapologetically.

"More than you know," said Sami defiantly, "And he's got me, one hundred percent, without question or hesitation Stefano but it's not because you're threatening me or my family – it's because I love him. I know you only think of things in terms of what you can get from people and how to get them to do your bidding but me being here for EJ has nothing to do with you. I love EJ and that is why I'm going to see him through this!"

"You love my son?" Stefano questioned her with narrowed eyes, "I wonder if it is with a love that can withstand the trials of life or if it is the love of a silly girl?"

"I don't much care what your opinion of me or the way I love is Stefano," said Sami shortly, "You are the last one to point fingers in that department! The only person I have to prove my love and consistency is to EJ and I'm going to do that because he deserves nothing less and not because you've ordered me to do anything!"

"So you think you know what it is to love eh?" asked Stefano, looking at her very intently but Sami just held his gave determinedly.

Stefano always used to frighten the life out of her but Sami know knew there were more frightening things in the world then him – like losing EJ forever. She was so glad that EJ had chosen her over his father, even though Stefano didn't know that yet and that they weren't going to have to deal with him in their future but right now if she had to fight for the right to be by EJ's side then so be it.

"Better than you," said Sami bitterly, "You use force and manipulation and call it love."

"My son is paralysed," said Stefano flatly, his eyes not leaving her face as he delivered the heartbreaking news so abruptly.

Sami gasped, her distress written all over her face.

"Wh-what?" she stammered, "When-?"

"The doctor spoke to me," said Stefano and he suddenly looked very old to Sami in that moment, the weight of the world on his shoulders, "The bullet has damaged nerves and they are afraid the damage is permanent and that Elvis has lost the use of his legs forever."

Sami closed her eyes, horrified at such shocking news. It hadn't occurred to Sami that EJ might have sustained permanent physical damage from being shot. He always seemed so invincible to her that it didn't even seem possible that such a fate would befall him. Sami opened her eyes and looked at Stefano determinedly.

"They think but they don't know right?" asked Sami intently, "They are only giving us a worst case scenario – that's what doctors do."

"They are not sure what will come of Elvis' injuries," agreed Stefano grimly.

"And they don't know EJ," said Sami intently, "When he sets his mind to doing something anything is possible."

"So it would seem," said Stefano with a quirk of his lips as he eyed Sami, obviously thinking about her declarations of love, "But I want to know if you have what it takes to stand by EJ's through this dark time Samantha? I am his father and I will do all that I can but it is not the same as having the woman you love by your side."

"I'm not going anywhere," said Sami resolutely, "No matter what EJ and I are in this together."

"We shall see if you are indeed a woman of your word," he said steadily, "I would like to think that my son can depend on you in this hard road ahead of him Samantha."

Sami just looked at Stefano, not feeling the need to justify the depth of her love and commitment to a man who had raised a son capable of shooting his own brother.

"Does EJ know?" she asked quietly.

"No," said Stefano simply, "He is not yet strong enough to bear such news."

"He needs to know," said Sami firmly, not liking the thought of EJ being in the dark about something so serious.

"Elvis has barely woken up from her last round of surgery," said Stefano unapologetically, "He cannot even stay awake for more than few minutes at a time. There is no need to burden him anymore than he is right now."

Sami frowned, not completely convinced of that fact but seeing as EJ was still asleep at the moment then it was somewhat of a moot point.

"Well," said Stefano, seeming to think that was sorted, "Now that you are here I will leave you to be with Elvis. It has been a long day for me and I must have some rest."

Sami nodded as Stefano walked to the door.

"And you will stay with my son?" asked Stefano, looking back at her.

"Of course," said Sami tightly, "I won't let him be alone."

Now it was Stefano's turn to simply nod and then he was walking out the door, his movements slow and measured and talking of his own exhaustion. Sami looked down at EJ and then pulled a chair up, sitting down and looking at him with regret.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't here when you woke up EJ," she told him softly.

Sami reached out and took his hand, squeezing it tightly as he lay there, still sleeping deeply.

"I'm going to be the first thing you see when you open your eyes next time," she vowed to him, touching his face lovingly.

Sami bit her lip, thinking about what Stefano had just told her about EJ's condition and knew that Tony wasn't the only obstacle they now had to overcome. EJ's brother was definitely something that needed to be dealt with quickly though. Sami was painfully aware of his evil presence hanging over them both and it was time to put pay to his threats. Sami had been considering her options and knew she had to be very sure of what she was doing before proceeding. There would be no second chances with Tony and he'd already proven to her that he was playing for keeps which was fine by Sami because now she was as well. EJ was defenceless right now and needed her and Sami was going to show him that she could fight just as hard for him as he had done for her.

"The perfect pair," she said with a quiet laugh at that thought, talking to EJ despite him still being oblivious to her presence, "Both as stubborn as each other,"

Sami held EJ's hand to her face, loving the feel of his skin against hers.

"I'm going to fix this EJ," she promised him, "And then we are both safe we can concentrate on getting you back on your feet."

Sami kissed the palm of his hand and then held his hand to her heart.

"Everything is going to be alright," Sami whispered, "As long as we are together everything is going to be alright EJ – nothing can touch us as long as we stay together."

Sami felt the real truth in those words even as she spoke them. She remembered EJ's words to her long ago, about nothing worthwhile being easy and Sami know knew how true that was but instead of being daunted by that fact she felt more purposeful and determined than ever before in her life.

Tony had made a mistake in coming for the two of them and he was about to find out just how big that mistake really was.


	14. Chapter 128

**AUTHOR'S NOTE****: **Sorry about the chapters coming singly like this for a bit, I've hit a bit of a snag with the system not letting me upload all of this section of the story for some reason. I've had particular trouble posting this chapter so there must be something hinky about it – no idea what though. I've had to remove the first couple of paragraphs to make it work – just EJ having a bad dream. That's why you haven't had updates for a little bit, I couldn't get my chapters to upload – VERY FRUSTRATING! Hopefully this is the last of the problems.

Hope you are still enjoying the story and I've enjoyed reading your reviews as always, love the EJami love. LOL

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & TWENTY EIGHT**** – ****Hell Hath No Fury**

For love is as strong as death; passion as fierce as the grave

It's flashes are flashes of fire, a raging flame.

_~Anonymous~_

Nurse Mary Mahoney walked into the ICU room and tutted a little at the sight in front of her. The young woman she'd gotten to know as Sami was sitting in a very uncomfortable looking position by her patient's bed. She was half lying over the bed and her neck was at a strange angle. Sami reminded her of her youngest, Michelle and she had a somewhat maternal instinct about her. Mary walked up to Sami and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, carefully waking her.

"Sami," she said softly.

Sami's head snapped up and she looked around herself in confusion.

"EJ?" she said worriedly and then focused on the man in the bed and saw that he was still sleeping.

"He's asleep," Mary confirmed for her, "It's alright."

"What time is it?" asked Sami, looking disorientated as she looked around herself and at the growing light in the room.

"It's just gone seven," Mary informed her and when Sami still looked confused, "In the morning dear, seven in the morning."

"Oh," said Sami, looking over at EJ and then looked up at Mary anxiously, "He looks really pale this morning don't you think?"

"I think he looks exceptionally well for a man who lost the amount of blood he did and then underwent two rounds of surgery in quick succession," said Mary calmly.

"I suppose," said Sami hesitantly, "I'm just not used to seeing EJ so still for this long."

"A bit of a live wire is he?" asked Mary in amusement.

"You could say that," said Sami, her face brightening as she got to talk about EJ, "He drives me crazy sometimes."

"All the best ones do," said Mary, nodding knowingly as she began to do her obs on EJ.

Sami stood up and stretched, twisting this way and that. Mary looked over at Sami as she filled in some notes on his chart and saw how tired and dishevelled she looked after spending the night sleeping by EJ's bed.

"Why don't you go and freshen up a little honey?" she suggested in a tone she used with her children, "And I'll organise you some breakfast – I'll just steal one of the meals from the coma patients, they'll never know."

"NO!" said Sami sharply and more loudly than she intended by the look on her face.

"I was just kidding Sami," said Mary with a quirk of her lips, "We don't as a rule give meals to people in a coma."

"I know," said Sami hastily, "I meant I can't leave EJ."

Sami looked away as tears suddenly filled her eyes.

"I wasn't here when he woke up last time and I don't want that to happen again," said Sami, sounding very stressed now as she looked down at EJ again.

Mary looked at the young woman with compassion.

"Honey you'll only be gone for a minute," she reasoned, "Just long enough to wash your face, comb your hair and maybe brush your teeth. I'm sure EJ won't wake up in that time."

Sami put a self conscious hand to her hair and face.

"Do I look bad," she fretted, obviously concerned about what EJ would think.

"I think the young man in that bed will think you are the most beautiful woman in the world even if you had a bag over your head," said Mary in amusement at Sami's little fit of vanity.

"You think I should put a bag over my head?" asked Sami in horror, not really keeping on top of the conversation in her exhausted state.

"I think you should go and freshen up a little so you'll feel better," said Mary patiently as she completed her assessment of EJ, "And I'll have some food organised for you when I get back."

"But what if EJ wakes up when I'm not here?" stressed Sami.

"Then I'll knock him unconscious again so he doesn't realise," said Mary straight faced and then had to relent at Sami's horrified expression, "Again Sami, that was just a joke."

"I know," mumbled Sami, looking a little sheepish.

"Just go honey," Mary instructed her firmly, "I'll wait with EJ and in the unlikely event he'll wake up I'll stay with him until you get back."

"Alright," said Sami reluctantly.

She went over to EJ and gave him a lingering kiss on the forehead.

"I won't be long," she promised him huskily and then with a grateful smile at Mary she grabbed up the bag she'd packed for herself and quickly hurried off out of the room to find a bathroom.

"I think you've got a keeper there my dear," she said, patting EJ's shoulder and watching Sami go and if EJ had been awake he would have whole heartedly agreed.

oooOOOOooo

Tony sauntered down the halls of the hospital on the way to EJ's room as though he didn't have a care in the world which was pretty much how it was actually. His most taxing issue right now was what manner he was going to deliver the coup de grace to the thorn in his side that was his little brother. There were a lot of ways he could go with that and Tony was enjoying working his way through all of the options – he found it soothed him. Of course he was going to be careful seeing as this attempt hadn't exactly turned out as he thought it would, on any level but Tony was undeterred. Clearly the universe was culling out the weak and Tony was more than happy to help that process along. He walked into EJ's room and smiled at the woman who looked to be around his own age.

"Hello there," he said, his most charming smile firmly in place, "I'm here to see my little brother, I'm Tony DiMera."

"Oh yes," smiled Mary, "Nice to meet you Tony, I'm Mary."

"So Mary," said Tony easily, walking to stand by EJ's bed, "How's the patient today."

"Steadily improving," said Mary.

"Oh well that is good news," said Tony, keeping a careful mask covering his annoyance at EJ's continuing refusal to die.

Tony looked around and raised a surprised eyebrow.

"I did not expect to find Elvis alone actually," he commented.

"Sami spent the night but she is just freshening up," Mary told him, "I'm holding the fort."

"My brother is indeed lucky to have such a devoted woman by his side," said Tony evenly.

"They seem very much in love," agreed Mary happily.

"Mary you must be very busy," said Tony with an ingratiating smile, "I will wait with Elvis until Samantha returns so you can go back to your other tasks."

"Okay," said Mary readily, having no reason to know that probably wasn't a good idea, "I'm sure EJ will be happy to know his big brother is watching over him."

"I'm sure," agreed Tony smoothly, "We are very close."

"That's nice," said Mary with a smile as she went to go, "And tell Sami I'll organise her that breakfast I promised."

"I will indeed," nodded Tony and then Mary was gone.

Tony walked over to the bed and looked down at the sleeping EJ who looked pale and dishevelled, a smile coming to his lips.

"Well hello brother," he smirked, "You're looking a little peaked-"

Tony leant down over EJ to have a closer look.

"Very peaked in fact," said Tony in amusement, "You know it would save me a lot of trouble if you had the good sense to just die now Elvis. You clinging to life like this is extremely bothersome."

"Get away from him!" yelled Sami as she walked into the room, reacting to seeing him there.

Sami hurried over and grabbed Tony's arm, pulling him away from EJ's still body.

Tony gave her a vague look of surprise having not heard her come in. Sami looked down at him anxiously but all of the machines he was hooked up to continued to beep away reassuringly.

"I was merely kissing my brother hello," said Tony mildly, seeming to regard Sami's reaction with some amusement, "It is not uncommon in Italian families for people to be demonstrative about their affections Samantha."

"I'm brutally familiar with how you demonstrate your affections Tony," said Sami bitterly.

"Why I have no idea what you are talking about my dear," said Tony mildly.

"You did this to EJ!" she hissed.

"So you say," said Tony coolly.

"Don't even bother to deny it Tony," said Sami bitterly.

"What would be the use seeing as you've already convinced yourself of my guilt?" asked Tony in mock resignation.

"You told me that you were going to kill EJ unless I stayed away from him and then he ends up shot!" said Sami tightly, "You don't need to be a rocket scientist to work out what happened!"

"Just as well eh my dear?" he asked in amusement, "Because you are hardly that."

"Bite me," growled Sami, glaring at Tony with hate in her eyes for that dig and all the crimes she was accusing him of.

"Now there's an interesting offer I'm finding it hard to say no to," purred Tony, enjoying the look of disgust on Sami's face at his reply.

"You are vile," said Sami flatly.

Tony gave a little unconcerned shrug at that judgement from Sami.

"I know you did this to EJ Tony!" Sami spat out.

"Samantha you could fill a book with the things you don't know," said Tony with a quirk of his lips, "One thing life has taught me is that things are seldom as they seem and you would do well to remember that."

Sami just gave him a disgusted look and Tony quietly enjoyed the fact that Sami truly did have no idea what was going on around her.

"I'm not interested in listening to the philosophies of a mad man," she said darkly, "Just shut up Tony and get out of here."

"Speaking of keeping mouths shut," said Tony, unfazed by her request, "Have you been opening your pretty little mouth and voicing these absurd accusations to anyone Samantha I have to wonder? Enquiring minds would like to know Samantha."

Tony looked at Sami and saw the struggle on her face and knew she would have loved to throw a yes in his face but also saw the truth there.

"No," she tersely admitted at last.

"Ah," said Tony with a smirk, "So nice to know you can make some sensible decisions once you get off your back and onto your feet again."

"You bastard!" hissed Sami in indignation.

The insult rolled off Tony as he cocked his head and regarded her steadily.

"And you're not going to say anything to anyone now are you Samantha?" he asked her calmly.

"What's the matter Tony?" she taunted him and he saw the flash of fiery defiance in her eyes and he knew why his brother was so fascinated by her, "Scared?"

Tony couldn't help but laugh at even the suggestion of that.

"I hate to be vulgar Samantha," he said, enjoying playing with her like this, "But basically you're my bitch until I say otherwise my dear. When I want you to jump your only question is going to be how high."

Tony loved seeing the outrage on her expressive face at how he was talking to her and couldn't help but continue to goad her. It was probably beneath him to taunt her like this but it was just so much fun. She really was his to do with as he pleased and it pleased him to make her squirm for having delusions above her stations and imagining she and Elvis would be wrestling control of the kingdom from him. Sami Brady deserved this and much worse, as did his brother.

"How dare you speak to me like that?!" asked Sami furiously, "You're nothing but murdering scum!"

"But no one is dead," pointed out Tony calmly, "Yet anyway, I guess only time will tell if things stay that way."

"You leave EJ alone!" said Sami in horror, "Don't you dare come near him again or-"

"Or you'll do what?" he sneered down at her, "You're alone Samantha – no one is coming to your rescue. The man you love is as helpless as a newborn and no one else knows your dirty little secrets so you can hardly go to your family and ask for help now can you? They'd shun you faster than a leper in a swimming pool. I know you're used to being a pariah in this town but even if you did run to your daddy do you really think he'd be in the slightest bit interested in protecting a DiMera – particularly one that defiled his daughter."

Tony sighed, giving her a mock patient look, as though he was doing this all for her own good.

"I'm just trying to help you Samantha," he said steadily, "You have no one and you are no one so there is no chance at all in this world that you could go up against me and have even the slightest hope of winning. This is the natural order of things and I suggest you simply stop fighting me on this and succumb to your fate."

Sami's flushed cheeks and snapping eyes told Tony that she had a lot of things she wanted to say to him but he also saw to his satisfaction a look of fear in those some fiery blue eyes as well. It looked like Sami was at last coming to understand just how helpless she was in the face of all the power he held in this situation.

"You'll get yours Tony," she spat out finally, "One day you're going to get everything that is coming to you!"

"Oh I'm banking on it," said Tony cheerfully, "I've worked very hard and I fully intend on getting everything that is owing to me, make no mistake."

oooOOOOooo

Sami by EJ's bed, stroking his hand absently as she waited for him to wake up, her thoughts on the conversation she'd had with Tony. She was still shaking a little from their encounter, partly from fear but also with rage. He really did think he had her right where he wanted her and that she was now just a pawn in the game he was playing. Sami was just so angry at him and at herself for letting all of this happen. If she'd been honest with EJ from the first moment Tony had made the threats to her then maybe they could have avoided all of this. But she'd been so frightened of EJ getting hurt and what he might do to protect her that Sami had hesitated and that hesitation had nearly cost EJ his life.

It broke her heart to think of him never walking again and was unhappy that EJ didn't know yet but Stefano might be right in waiting for a little bit until he was stronger. At the moment he could barely stay awake for a few minutes at a time so it almost seemed pointless. Just like Sami ached to tell EJ everything about Tony but she knew it would drive him crazy to be stuck in a hospital bed and unable to do anything about his brother. Sami knew that she'd caused this mess and that she was the one who was to shoulder the burden of getting them out of it. Right now all Sami wanted EJ to concentrate on was getting better and she would handle the rest. She owed him that at the very least.

"Hey."

EJ's croaky voice brought her attention back to the here and now and she looked over at EJ, her face lighting up to see him awake.

"Hey," she returned emotionally.

"You're here," EJ sighed happily.

"You bet I am," said Sami with a tremulous smile, "You are never going to get rid of me now EJ."

"Because you love me?" he asked hopefully.

"Because I love you," she agreed warmly, her smile widening.

"And you can't live without kissing me?" he asked, looking particularly hopeful now.

"And I can't live without kissing you," Sami agreed huskily, leaning indulging in a lingering kiss.

"You're shaking," whispered EJ as they finally broke the kiss.

"I'm just so happy to see you awake EJ," said Sami, fresh tears burning her eyes.

"Don't cry sweetheart," he implored her, a hand cupping her face and brushing a wayward tear from her cheek as she stroked his cheeks as well.

"I'm just so grateful that I've gotten this second chance to be with you EJ," said Sami unevenly, "I was so scared that I'd lost you forever."

"Samantha," he tutted, a little impish smile on his lips, "Don't you know by now that I am simply impossible to get rid of?"

"Yes you are thank god," she sighed happily, "My impossible and stubborn man."

"Mm," EJ said, closing his eyes and a big smile coming to his face, "I'm Samantha Brady's man."

Sami had to giggle at how pleased with himself he looked at that statement. He opened them again and looked up at her, studying her face intently then.

"Are you alright sweetheart?" he asked her huskily, "You look so tired."

"I'm alright EJ," she said quickly, "Don't worry about me."

"I want you to go home and get some rest," he told her firmly.

"No," said Sami, looking back at him unflinchingly, knowing she couldn't leave him until she'd resolved the Tony problem because it wasn't safe to do so.

Besides, she simply didn't want to leave EJ period.

"Samantha I really must insist that you go and get some proper food to eat and sleep in a bed rather than beside mine," said EJ, giving her a determined look, "You have to take care of yourself darling."

"You can insist all you like EJ," she said calmly, "But I'm not going anywhere."

She gave him a cheeky smile and arched an eyebrow.

"That was our first fight as a couple," she informed him, looking at him in a very serious fashion, "And in case you're not sure – I totally won it."

She leant over and gave him a quick teasing kiss at that declaration.

"Shades of things to come no doubt," said EJ, trying to look annoyed but it was pretty hard when he was grinning like a loon.

"Can I get you anything EJ?" she asked him, settling more comfortably on her chair.

"I'm assuming you naked in my arms in this bed isn't on the menu?" asked EJ regretfully and Sami was just so happy that he was feeling well enough to flirt with her like this.

"You assume correctly," she said, attempting a censuring look but doubting she managed it.

"My mouth is dry," conceded EJ, smacking his lips together, "Could you pour me a drink of water sweetheart?"

"Of course," said Sami getting up to do just that.

She walked over to the pitcher of water and frowned.

"Oh," she said, turning back around, "I forgot, I drank it all – I'll go and get you some more."

"Don't bother," said EJ with a wave of his hand.

"Don't be silly EJ," said Sami firmly, "The last thing you need right now is to be dehydrated."

EJ pouted a little and pulled a face.

"I don't want you to leave me," he confessed, sticking out his bottom lip in a rather endearing fashion.

"I'll only be gone a minute," she laughed, walking over to him and bending down to give him a quick kiss, "And I'm never going to leave you so you can put that thought out of your head okay?"

EJ's face broke out in a smile at that vow and Sami stroked his cheek lovingly before straightening up.

"Hurry back," EJ begged of her longingly.

"I will," she said, thrilling to the way he was looking at her.

Sami hurried down the corridor with the empty pitcher in her hand, intent on finding a water fountain to fill it up with. She found one and began to fill it but as she did she noticed Tony out of the corner of her eye. She looked over at him and their eyes met, Sami wondering what he was still doing here and feeling again how vulnerable EJ was at the moment which she supposed was the point. Tony gave her a knowing smirk and Sami knew she'd hit the nail on the head. Tony was intent on showing her just how easy EJ was going to be to get at right now. He gave her a little inclination of his head before sticking his hands in his pockets and sauntering off. As soon as Tony had turned around the corner and was out of eyeshot Sami let the expression of angry and fearful resignation drop from her face that she'd put on for his benefit and as she straightened up a calm calculating look coming over her face.

"Okay Tony," muttered Sami, her course of action decided now, "I guess we're about to see who the real bitch is going to be."


	15. Chapter 129

**CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & TWENTY NINE – Into the Lion's Den **

Do you want me to tell you something really subversive?

Love _is_ everything it's cracked up to be.

That's why people are so cynical about it.

It really _is_ worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for.

And the trouble is, if you don't risk anything, you risk even more.

_~Erica Jong~_

Sami stood in the alleyway by Salem University Hospital car park and took a deep breath, contemplating what it was she was doing. It was starting to get dark and she was grateful for the growing dimness. She leant back against the brick wall as a car drove by, keeping herself hidden from view.

Sami nervously pulled the cap she was wearing to hide her blonde hair further down on her face. She had spent the day with EJ and halfway through Stefano had turned up and Sami had excused herself and let them have some time alone while she went and got herself organised. When she came back Stefano had left and Sami had quickly made an excuse to EJ and run down the internal stairs of the hospital to grab her disguise – old jeans, a green t-shirt with a hood and the baseball cap of course. She'd run down to the alleyway and was now watching for Stefano's unmistakable black limousine to pull out of the entrance, praying she wasn't too late.

Sami's heart was pounding in her chest as she thought about the huge gamble she was just about to take. She was putting all of her eggs in one basket in doing this but Sami knew this could be the only real chance she and EJ had. It was no good going to her father because he would do things by the book and when it came to dealing with DiMera's nice guys finished last or even dead. No, her only chance Sami had decided was to go to the source of the original poison – Stefano.

She'd seen how he'd doted on EJ during his illness and saw the love the two men had for each other – however unsettling that thought might be. Stefano's face really did light up when he saw EJ and Sami could see why Tony was insecure of his role in the family. It was clear Stefano preferred EJ over him and Sami was sure that was what had driven Tony to such extreme lengths to get what he felt was his birthright and not EJ's.

The irony of course being that EJ didn't want the birthright he'd almost died for and Sami ground her teeth at all of this needless angst. Although in the back of her head Sami had Tony's warning that Stefano simply wouldn't accept EJ's rejection of taking over as head of the DiMera empire but that was a problem for another day. As crazy as it was right now Stefano was the lesser of two evils and Sami knew only Stefano had the power to control his wayward son. Only a monster could go up against another monster and Sami didn't want either her or EJ to have blood on their hands.

However she had no problems with setting up Tony for the fall he was about to take. Stefano had created this mess with how he'd groomed Tony into his good little soldier over the years and he could clean it up and how he did that didn't much concern Sami. Tony had tried to kill EJ and he threatened her family so for Sami death was too good for him. She just wanted to know that she, EJ and her family were going to be safe against Tony's growing insanity and only Stefano could give her that reassurance.

This was a huge risk for her and one Sami never thought she'd ever contemplate in a million years but short of killing Tony herself, Stefano was her only hope of trying to control the spectre of Tony in their lives. She knew she'd have a job ahead of her to convince Stefano that what she was telling him was true and then if she managed that it would come down to what the eldest DiMera would be prepared to do to protect his youngest child. There were a lot of unknowns in the plan but when Sami decided something needed to be done no one could ever accuse her of having a faint heart. She was doing this for EJ and their future together and that gave her the strength to reign in her fears and uncertainty and focus on the job in hand. One thing Sami knew how to be when push came to shove was being convincing.

The black limousine came into view and had to come to a stop to merge with traffic and Sami seized her opportunity. She grabbed the bucket and squeegee mop she'd brought with her and hurried over to the limo, going to the windscreen, making sure to keep her head down and started to clean the windscreen. The driver impatiently waved her away, shaking his head at her and indicating that she wasn't going to be paid for her services. Sami simply moved around to the side windows of the limo and just as she hoped one opened to reveal the annoyed face of Stefano.

"You there," he said in aggravation, "Stop that, you will scratch the paint work."

"Sorry," said Sami gruffly and then lifted her head and she and Stefano locked eyes.

To his credit Stefano quickly hide his surprise and just looked at her enquiringly.

"Tell your driver to go around to the next street over and you can pick me up from that alleyway where no one can see," said Sami quickly, keeping her voice low.

Stefano blinked and then gave a short nod and Sami felt a certain amount of relief that he hadn't made a fuss even though that had been a real possibility. She moved away from the car and into the alleyway she'd come from and then when she was out of sight Sami began to run to the next alleyway over that was by another stop sign. She'd chosen it because the limo would have to stop there and she could simply get into the limo from the alleyway without people on the street noticing.

She'd gone to all of this effort because Sami was quite sure that Tony's spies would be watching her and would report back any private meetings she had with Stefano and she couldn't risk tipping her hand to early with Tony and giving him a chance to retaliate before she'd organised everything. Sami held her breath, waiting for the limousine to appear and blew it out again when she saw it coming her way. She hadn't been certain if Stefano had been going to do as she asked but it looked like he was.

oooOOOOooo

"Wait at the stop sign until I tell you to go," Stefano informed his driver before putting up the shield between them.

Sami's sudden and interesting appearance had him somewhat intrigued and knew there must be a good reason for her to do this. They pulled up at the alleyway Sami had indicated and the door was opened and Sami quickly got in and Stefano noticed she'd done away with the cap and hoodie. He pressed a button on the console beside him.

"Drive on," he instructed his man and the limousine immediately started to move.

Stefano arched an eyebrow and gave Sami a long considered look as she settled in across from him.

"Not that I do not love a woman who knows how to make an entrance," he began dryly, "But I have to admit some curiosity Samantha as to why you felt all of this cloak and dagger carry on was necessary."

"I didn't want us to be seen together," said Sami shortly, sitting back in the seat.

"We have been seen together for the last two days Samantha," pointed out Stefano reasonably, "What has changed?"

"I needed to see you privately," said Sami tersely, "With no prying eyes."

"Hm," said Stefano thoughtfully, pausing for a moment in that calm measured way of his, "Very well Samantha, you have me all to yourself now – I've given my driver instructions just to continue driving around until I say otherwise. What is it that you want to discuss with me eh?"

Sami blew out a breath and fixed Stefano with an unwavering gaze and Stefano could see the resolve in her eyes.

"I need your protection for EJ and for me," she said.

"Protection?" repeated Stefano with an arched eyebrow.

"I know who shot EJ," she said, cutting right to the chase.

"You do?" asked Stefano in amazement, leaning forward, "Why did you not say something earlier Samantha? Have you told your father?"

"It's not as simple as that," said Sami evenly, keeping her voice steady.

"You would protect my son's would be murderer?" asked Stefano in horror.

Stefano continued to wonder where the loyalties of this young woman lay and he had a feeling by the end of this conversation he would have a much better sense of it.

"Never," said Sami bitingly, "And that's why I'm here."

"Who has done this thing to my son Samantha?" asked Stefano, his face darkening, "Tell me and I will make him pay for his crimes."

The thought of the man who had done this to his beloved son being out there, walking around free while Elvis might never walk again galled Stefano and he wanted no more than to right that wrong.

"It's Tony," said Sami flatly, her heart now really beating wildly in her chest as she let her words hang between them.

"Tony?" repeated Stefano unsteadily, "_My_ Antony?"

"Yes," said Sami without hesitation.

"Why would my son do such a thing to his brother?" asked Stefano, looking at her fiercely.

"Do you really have to ask Stefano?" she asked him in disbelief, "Why do you think he did this? Tony wants what he thinks you are going to give to EJ – the keys to the kingdom. He wanted to get rid of EJ so that he could be the next DiMera in charge."

"What would make you say this?" asked Stefano, his eyes narrowing suspiciously, "On what grounds do you besmirch my son's good name – accusing him of this heinous crime."

"First of all Tony doesn't have a good name," said Sami bitterly, "And second of all he told me outright – just before he threatened me with killing EJ if I didn't do as he said."

"Which was?" asked Stefano, watching her closely.

"He wanted me to stop seeing EJ and break his heart," said Sami, her voice wavering ever so slightly as she said the words, "He told me that you were planning to make EJ and me some kind of figure head of your business once we were together and that EJ was going to inherit everything. Tony said there was no way he'd let that happen and he'd sooner see EJ dead then usurp him."

Stefano's eyes narrowed at that finding Sami's words having a ring of truth to them. There was no way for Sami to know that he had indeed shared such plans for her and EJ with Tony. Of course Tony had indicated to Stefano that he was agreeable enough to his plans but Stefano was not so naive to think that there would not be some fallout from his decision to favour Elvis over Tony. He hadn't quite expected this of course.

"I couldn't do as he ordered me to even though I tried so hard," said Sami, her voice thick with regret, "I loved EJ too much and so Tony shot EJ, or had one of his men do it."

"Do you really think Antony would do such a thing to his own brother?" asked Stefano, his voice hard.

"Yes," said Sami without hesitation.

"You seem very certain," said Stefano evenly, "Threats are one thing but actually following through on it is another my dear. Why would you think Tony capable of such evil?"

"Because all DiMera's lack the morals to know right from wrong," said Sami bitterly.

"It is interesting that you should say such a thing Samantha," said Stefano mildly, "Is not Elvis a DiMera as well? The man you purport to love and that you are doing all of this for?"

"EJ is young," said Sami defensively, "You haven't had enough time to corrupt him totally – not like that sick bastard Tony."

"And you would save my son from my evil influence eh?" pondered Stefano, quite amused by that idea.

"Yes!" said Sami, her chin going up defiantly.

"I see," said Stefano mildly, leaving it at that.

Her naivety amused Stefano but he couldn't fault her passion or her fiery determination. Beauty and even intelligence could be groomed in a woman but that spirit, that indomitableness of requiring your own way and setting about to get it at any cost – well that could only be bestowed at birth. All real DiMera's had it and it made them who they were. The young woman sitting across from him, blue eyes blazing, jaw set determinedly had it as well, despite her last name. This woman had a bearing to her that much more befitted a DiMera than a Brady.

"My son has chosen wisely with you Samantha Brady," said Stefano approvingly, his reservations about her from earlier put to rest for the moment.

"Neither EJ or I need your blessing Stefano!" snapped Sami, looking annoyed at even the suggestion.

Despite the seriousness of their conversation Stefano couldn't help but smile at her outburst. That tongue and quick temper would have to be put in its place when the time came for Sami to join the DiMera fold officially but for now Stefano accepted it. She was young and had time to learn her place which would happen after she and Elvis married. He had been impressed with how she'd stayed by his son's side after that initial small slip. It actually leant weight to what she was saying to him. Now that Stefano thought about it Sami had been at pains to make sure that Elvis was never left alone, that either he or she was there with him.

"So are you going to do something about your crazy son before he finishes the job?" asked Sami flatly, looking him square in the eye.

"You seem very certain I will believe this little tale you are spinning Samantha," commented Stefano calmly, needing a little more time to think about what she'd said to him.

"You know how I feel about you Stefano," said Sami tightly, "I will never forgive you for the pain and suffering you put my mother through and the rest of my family. For all the years you separated me from one or both of my parents and the way you continue to be a poison in Salem that destroys lives."

Stefano arched an eyebrow at her rather strange way of trying to convince him of her sincerity. Apparently Sami Brady didn't believe in the old adage about honey catching more flies than vinegar. He let her continue though; interested to see where she was going with this.

"But I've also seen how you are with EJ," said Sami quietly, "I know that you love him, very much and even though I might not know how to feel about that I can't deny it."

Stefano pursed his lips, seeing what that admission had cost her, finding this young woman far more intriguing then he'd ever imagined before. He watched Sami square her small shoulders and lift her chin, facing off against him determinedly.

"You and I will never be friends Stefano," she said tersely, "There has been too much bad blood for too long but right now we both want the same thing. You know how hard it would have been for me to even contemplate coming to you for help about anything and yet I've done it. You know that I must be sincere and totally desperate to be sitting across from you and telling you these things."

Stefano kept his face carefully blank and let Sami finish.

"The last thing I want to do is have anything further to do with the DiMera family other than EJ," she said dourly, "Why would I come to you with this story, getting myself tangled even deeper into your twisted family when all I want is EJ and I out of it? What could possibly be in it for me Stefano? The only reason I'm doing this is to make sure that the man I love is safe."

"Why haven't you gone to the police with your suspicions?" asked Stefano, still ruminating on her explanation, "Would that not have been your first course of action if you believed what you were saying was true?"

"The police can't stop Tony," said Sami grimly, "I know that, you know that."

"Somewhat of a searing indictment on your father and half of your family's abilities Samantha," commented Stefano dryly.

"That's because they play by the rules and we both know Tony wouldn't," said Sami unflinchingly, "The only way I could go to my father with this is if I knew I had your blessing and your protection. I hate saying that Stefano but both EJ and I don't have the luxury of me being anything other than a realist right now. He can't protect himself at the moment and it's up to me to protect him and my family and I'll do what has to be done to make that happen."

"Well," said Stefano, sitting back in his chair and looking Sami up and down as he considered all that she had said, "This has been a most interesting talk Samantha."

"So do you believe me?" asked Sami curtly, "Are you going to stop Tony before he finishes the job and you are burying your son?"

"I will not let any more harm come to Elvis," said Stefano firmly, "But I will speak to Tony and find out if what you say is true."

"Like he's going to admit to it to you!" said Sami in exasperation.

"He doesn't have to admit to it," said Stefano calmly, "I will know if he speaks the truth or not."

Sami narrowed her eyes, clearly not happy with that solution.

"But once you say something to Tony he'll know I've spoken to you and will come after me and my family as well as EJ," argued Sami.

"I will give my best men the task of protecting Elvis," said Stefano determinedly, "They will be with him every minute of the day, looking over him. I will also give you my word that no harm will come to you or your family Samantha."

"Your word?" scoffed Sami.

"You are proposing an alliance between us my dear," pointed out Stefano reasonably, "For the full benefit of such a thing to be felt there must be trust – on both sides."

Sami made an unhappy face at that but she didn't argue showing Stefano she was capable of being reasonable when she wanted to be.

"We have an understanding then?" asked Stefano when Sami didn't speak.

"Yes," said Sami tightly, "All I want is for EJ to be safe so he can recover properly."

"It is a wish we both share Samantha," nodded Stefano, "That makes us somewhat uneasy bedfellows eh?"

Sami pulled a face, clearly not thrilled at his turn of phrase.

"Just put a leash on that maniac son of yours and keep him away from EJ and me," said Sami angrily, "That's all I need from you Stefano. Now I'll be going now if you don't mind – I want to get back to EJ."

"Of course," said Stefano smoothly.

Ten minutes later the limousine was pulling away from where Sami had been asked to be dropped, leaving Stefano to his dark thoughts. He rested his elbow on the window and put his hand to his mouth, deep in thought as he stared at nothing for a long time.

What Sami had just told him was very disturbing but Stefano had to admit, not completely unexpected. He hadn't thought that Tony would take it this far this quickly but then as Stefano well knew, things were often not as they seemed when it came to Tony. Family was incredibly important to Stefano because he knew that was where their real strength came from and having this kind of serious dissention in the ranks was indeed troublesome. He knew he had to deal with it and he would, just as he'd promised Sami. She'd impressed him tonight with coming to him with this problem – the way she'd put Elvis' needs over her own. Of course, Stefano still had a small amount of reserve about all that she'd said and had told her as much when he'd dropped her off.

"_Things would go very badly for you Samantha if I was to find out this was all some kind of game on your behalf," said Stefano, stopping Sami just as she was climbing out of the car._

"_This was never a game to me," she threw back to him angrily as she continued to get out of the car and then leant back in to address him, "And if you don't take me seriously then we both could lose someone we love – think about that Stefano."_

He was almost certain Sami was sincere but Stefano wasn't one to be swayed by a pretty face. He needed to know the facts – all of them. Stefano reached into his coat pocket, pulling out his cell phone and started to dial some numbers.


	16. Chapter 130

**CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & THIRTY – What the Eye Doesn't See the Heart Doesn't Grieve Over **

One must learn to love, and go through a good deal of suffering to get to it

And the journey is always towards the other soul.

_~D.H. Lawrence~_

Sami moved a little uncomfortably in the large armchair that had been placed by EJ's bed the night before and woke herself up. She immediately turned her head to see that EJ was still sleeping soundly. Quietly getting up and discarding the blanket Mary had given her Sami stood up and quickly stretched before going over to have a closer look at EJ. She leant over him and smiled to see how boyish he looked when he was asleep, his hair all tussled from being in bed now for four days. Sami's heart swelled with love for this man and wondered how she'd ever managed to last as long as she had denying that love.

"I love you EJ," she told him softly, stroking his cheek but he barely stirred and as much as Sami wanted him to wake up and talk to her she was glad that he was getting all of this rest.

Sami straightened up, walking over to the window and staring sightlessly out at a Salem that was beginning to wake up. Her thoughts turned back to her conversation with Stefano and if she'd done any good there or in fact made things worse. Stefano had been hard to read but for a moment Sami believed her words had gotten through to him and she could only pray that it would be the case. She really had put all her eggs in one basket with the bold move and she could only hope it was enough to catch Tony off guard and give her the advantage.

Sami knew she couldn't go on like this, too frightened to leave EJ alone for a second. Even yesterday when she'd gone to meet with Stefano she'd given Mary strict instructions that no one was to see EJ and that even if it was a doctor that Mary was to stay in the room with them. Mary probably thought she was crazy but somehow when the older woman had given Sami her word that she had trusted her to do just that. It had still been with a huge sense of relief though when she'd gotten back to EJ, knowing no one had a vested interest in watching over him like she did. A slight movement by the door caught Sami's eye and she turned her head to see a large man in a dark suit standing with his back to her, facing out into the corridor. Sami felt a little fissure of fear run through her but she ignored that and immediately walked over to him.

"Who are you?" she asked, concern making her not bother with manners.

The giant of a man turned around, looking down at her calmly. He had closely cropped dark hair and brown eyes to go with his heavy set build and Sami knew right away that he wasn't exactly a candy striper.

"I'm Roberto Ms Brady," said the man with a deep, gravelly voice, "Mr DiMera has sent me to watch over his son and you."

"How long have you been here?" asked Sami with a little frown, wondering why she hadn't noticed him before.

"I arrived just after ten last night," he informed her, "You were already asleep so I didn't wish to disturb you."

"You've been standing there all night?" she asked him in disbelief.

"Yes ma'am," he said steadily.

"Aren't you tired?" asked Sami uncertainly.

"No ma'am," said Roberto, "It's what I'm trained to do. There will be two of us looking after you, myself and Eddie – we will be taking alternate twelve hour shifts."

"I hope this arrangement meets your approval Samantha?"

Stefano's voice came from behind Roberto and Stefano stepped out from behind the other man, obviously having just come up the corridor.

"Yes," said Sami, looking between the two men, "That's good, thank you."

"You don't need to thank me for protecting my son," said Stefano evenly.

"Does he know who he's protecting EJ from?" asked Sami, worrying about divided loyalties.

"Roberto and Eddie understand exactly what I require of them and the consequences of any kind of failure on their behalves," said Stefano easily, "Do not fret my dear."

"I'll fret all I want Stefano until you tell me you've sorted out what we were talking about last night," said Sami darkly.

Stefano waved her away from Roberto and the two of them stood outside of EJ's room, still able to see him through the glass petition though.

"Everything is in hand," said Stefano smoothly.

"What does that mean?" asked Sami with a scowl, "Everything is in hand?"

"It means that I will be talking to Tony," said Stefano, clearly not liking being interrogated like this but Sami didn't care.

"When?" demanded Sami, "Today, tomorrow, next week, when we are at the church for EJ's funeral?!"

"Do not become hysterical," said Stefano flatly, "This situation does not need your melodrama."

"This situation needs you to get control of your lunatic son," said Sami sharply.

"I am on my way to speak to Antony now," said Stefano, giving her a warning look.

"Speak to him?" repeated Sami in disgust, "What good will that do?!"

"You came to me asking that I would handle things and I am doing just that," said Stefano coolly, "Do not dare to presume that you can second guess my methods Samantha."

"Why would I?" asked Sami sweetly as she crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked at him mockingly, "When they've gotten us where we are today."

"You will need to take control of that tongue of yours Samantha," said Stefano with a look of warning, "I will not have-"

"What?" shrugged Sami giving an air of being unconcerned even though her heart was racing, "Someone standing up to you? You won't have someone with their own ideas who doesn't kowtow to your every whim – is that what you were going to say Stefano?"

"I demand that you give me the respect my position deserves Samantha," said Stefano, his face darkening ominously.

"Respect has to be earned Stefano," said Sami flatly, "Just like trust."

"You would do well to remember that as well my dear," he said, giving her a considered look, "My son may have chosen you and you have much to recommend yourself to be certain but for you to become a real DiMera a lot more is required of you."

"When I become EJ's wife that is as real a DiMera as I ever want to be!" said Sami sharply, "As soon as EJ and I are married then we are going to go our own way in the world, away from you!"

Stefano arched an eyebrow at her heated declaration and Sami instantly regretted having given so much of their plans away. EJ had promised her that she was his choice in this world and Sami believed him but that didn't mean that right now as probably the best time to tell Stefano that they were planning on cutting all ties with him. Right now Sami needed his help and such talk wasn't going to go a long ways towards securing that. Stefano just regarded her for a long moment, saying nothing and stretching out Sami's nerves.

"There is many a slip twix the cup and the lips my dear," he said, speaking at last, "We shall see what the future brings hm?"

"As long as Tony isn't in that future I don't really care at this point," said Sami shortly.

"I will deal with Tony as I promised and find out the truth for myself," said Stefano.

"I'm not lying," said Sami determinedly.

"We shall see but for now at least know that regardless of who shot my son he is now safe under the watchful eye of my men," said Stefano steadily.

"EJ is going to ask what is going on," Sami said, "What am I meant to tell him?"

"Tell him the truth," shrugged Stefano, "Just not the part about his brother. I want to be very certain of everything before we burden him with that news."

"I am very certain of it!" said Sami in annoyance, "I was the one he made the threats to!"

"So you say," said Stefano mildly, "But I will not have Elvis upset by all of this until things are dealt with."

"I'm not going to lie to EJ," Sami said with a frown.

Those days were over for her and she never wanted to say another falsehood to EJ about anything ever again.

"This is for his own good," said Stefano firmly, "He is not yet strong enough to hear of his brother's alleged treachery or of the doctor's grim prognosis."

"Stefano we have to tell him that they said he might never walk again!" said Sami in horror, her eyes opening wide, "EJ has to know what he is up against."

"And he will but all in good time," said Stefano resolutely.

"I am not going to lie to EJ about something that important!" said Sami heatedly, "He needs to know Stefano!"

"I am his father!" growled Stefano, "I forbid you to tell my son about his paralysis until he is stronger!"

"You can't forbid me!" said Sami, her voice getting louder, "This is between EJ and I and I don't want to lie to him anymore about anything!"

"I am Elvis' family," said Stefano tightly, "You have not even acknowledged your so called relationship with any one in Salem Samantha and you demand to have a say in what happens with my son?! I think not! I have only his best interests at heart and I will not be swayed on this matter!"

Sami ground her teeth, wishing she didn't need Stefano as much as she did right then but the fact was she did and right now she had to play by his rules as much she might hate it.

"Fine," she bit out eventually, "But only for a little bit longer – I'm not going to be a party to keeping EJ in the dark about anything that is going on around him for very long. I don't want our relationship to be full of secrets and deceptions."

"A noble if somewhat naïve hope," nodded Stefano with a quirk of his lips, "Just do as I say Samantha and all will be well, I promise you."

oooOOOOooo

EJ came slowly awake, blinking in the morning light.

"Samantha?"

He looked for her, his first thought in the morning and last at night. She wasn't sitting beside him like EJ was accustomed to seeing but instead he quickly spotted her through the glass partition of his hospital room, talking to his father. It didn't look like a happy conversation. EJ could see the way Sami's expressive face was frowning and looking concerned and then of course there was a flash of anger and outrage as well. His father looked calm but imperious and EJ knew that expression well. Stefano was handing out orders and Sami didn't look like she was particularly appreciative of that fact.

EJ frowned, wondering what was going on. He'd been so high on drugs and the general euphoria of Sami finally having admitted her love for him that EJ hadn't exactly been focusing on the fact that he'd just been shot. It all seemed so unimportant in comparison to having Sami tell him that she loved him. A few days later though EJ was slowly starting to get his head back in the game and wonder who it was exactly that had done this to him. His main concern was Sami; that whoever it was might want to move on to her next seeing as they'd failed to kill him. EJ took in the man standing by his hospital door and instantly recognised Roberto – the most efficient of his father's men.

Clearly the Salem PD hadnt' caught his would be assassin yet for his father to have Roberto watching over him. That was fine when Sami was with him but EJ couldn't help but worry when she would go back to her apartment to change her clothes. He knew he had to speak to his father and make sure that Sami was protected at all times. EJ knew that Stefano would already be conducting his own investigation into who had done this and truth be told there was no shortage of suspects. Sami started to come back into the room then, her face breaking into a big smile at seeing him awake and moving to sit up.

"Good morning," she said happily, hurrying over to him.

"It will be once I get my good morning kiss," pouted EJ and delighted to hear her giggle, the worry he'd seen on her face from earlier instantly banished.

Sami leant down and kissed him good morning, the kiss unhurried and languorous.

"You always taste so sweet," said EJ huskily when she finally broke the kiss, already hungry for more.

"I shouldn't," said Sami, wrinkling her nose, "I must have the worse kitten breath right about now."

"Not a bit of it," smiled EJ, looking up at her indulgently before patting the bed, "Come and sit by me my little pussy cat."

"Pussy cat?" asked Sami with an amused arch eyebrow as she sat on the bed.

"How about vixen then?" asked EJ playfully, "Gorgeous but dangerous."

"I can live with that," smiled Sami.

EJ became serious then, looking at Sami intently.

"I saw you talking to my father just then," he told her.

"Oh yeah," said Sami, looking over to where she and Stefano had been standing just outside of EJ's room, "He's just got a couple of things to do and then he said to tell you that he'd be back to visit with you."

"You looked upset sweetheart," said EJ with a little bit of a frown.

"It's your dad EJ," said Sami dryly, "You didn't really think we've be braiding each other's hair and singing kumbaya around the camp fire while we've been waiting together do you? I'm just counting the seconds until that man is out of our life for good."

Sami must have seen the pained expression on EJ's face at that because she relented.

"I'm sorry," she said with a sigh, "I know he's your father and you love him and I guess I can kind of see why after the last few days – he really does love you too."

"He's my father," said EJ with a quirk of his lips at her begrudging admission, "Is that so very astonishing Samantha?"

"For Stefano DiMera?" asked Sami flatly, "Basically yes."

"My father is a complicated man with many sides to his character," commented EJ steadily, "I thought you of all people would be appreciative of such a thing."

"Yes but you're cuter," said Sami with a twist of her lips, "And not as corrupt."

"Well thank you darling," said EJ in amusement, "But I was rather meaning you when I said that."

"I'm not complicated!" protested Sami.

EJ just smiled at that, looking at her steadily.

"I'm not," said Sami and then looked at him a little uncertainly, "Am I?"

"Not to someone who takes the time to unravel your secrets," said EJ warmly, lifting her hand and kissing the back of it slowly while keeping his eyes fixed on her, "And then the more I unravel your mystery Samantha Brady the more I find yet more things to beguile me."

Sami gave him a tremulous smile at that and EJ couldn't put into words what it felt like for her to finally accept his words at face value and not try and deflect the impact they were having on her.

"You make me feel so special EJ," she whispered unevenly.

"You are special Samantha," he told her simply, "One of a kind, utterly unique and absolutely mine."

EJ's brow wrinkled as he found himself half expecting her to refute that last statement – months of her doing exactly that having conditioned him to brace himself but she didn't, simply smiling back at him and EJ relaxed.

"Speaking of that," said EJ, watching her closely as he broached the subject, "I have to wonder sweetheart if you've been in contact with Lucas at all recently?"

Sami pulled a face, obviously knowing what he was asking.

"I have," she admitted, "He rang me to say he hadn't made it to Geneva yet and then I spoke to him just after he did."

"I see," said EJ, still looking at her intently, silently prompting her for more.

"I haven't told him about us," she said.

"I see," said EJ again, feeling suddenly deflated and looking away.

"It's not because I'm having any kind of second thoughts about us," said Sami quickly.

"Isn't it?" asked EJ, his eyes narrowing now as he searched her face, trying to see the truth there.

"No," said Sami firmly, "It isn't EJ. I'm committed to you, to us and that isn't going to change."

Sami sat back a little then and gave an unhappy sigh.

"I just can't break up with Lucas over the phone while he's in a foreign country," Sami said, "It's not right EJ. I at least owe him the respect of doing it face to face after what I've done to him."

EJ pursed his lips, wishing that Sami didn't feel like she owed Lucas so much but then her loyalty was one of the things he adored about her so he supposed he'd have to take the bitter with the sweet when it came to that particular personality trait of hers.

"So should I be expecting angry visitations from your mother or father anytime soon?" asked EJ almost hopeful of an affirmative answer to that question.

"No," said Sami, shaking her head and her eyes pleading with him to understand, "EJ I can't tell my family until I've told Lucas, it just wouldn't be right. The last thing I want to do now is pull a Matt Damon on him-"

"I don't know what that means," interrupted EJ in confusion.

"You know, Matt Damon?" she prompted him and EJ just shook his head, "He dumped his girlfriend Minnie Driver on TV before she knew anything about it – it was a whole big thing."

"Do I know these people?" asked EJ in consternation.

"They're actors EJ," said Sami with a half laugh at being so clueless, "But the point is that it was a very acrimonious break up because of it and I don't want that for Lucas and me. It's going to be bad enough as it is but I don't want him hating me for years to come if I can avoid it."

"I wish you didn't care so much what that man thought of you," said EJ dourly.

"We share a son EJ," she reminded him gently, "I've already ruined so much of Will's life with the choices I've made and I know he's going to see this as yet another one of those times."

"I don't want you to feel like you're choosing between your son and me," said EJ, looking at her seriously, "I don't want that Samantha."

"I know you don't," she said with a wistful little smile, "But that is how it is going to be until Will comes around I guess – at least that will be how it feels for him."

"I'll do all that I can to get him to understand how much I love you Samantha," said EJ urgently, "He loves you and he wants you to be happy and he'll relent when he sees that I can give that to you."

"I know," said Sami softly and then looked down briefly, "It's just going to be very hard in the beginning. I feel like all I've ever done is let Will down his entire life."

"Hey," said EJ firmly, not liking to hear the sadness in her voice and put a finger to her chin and made her look him in the eye, "You're a good mother Samantha – you've made some mistakes like every other parent but that doesn't detract from how much you love Will."

"Thank you EJ," said Sami sincerely, "I think I needed to hear that right now."

"Sweetheart I don't want you to worry about anything," said EJ earnestly, "Not about Will or Lucas or me."

"How can I not worry about you EJ," she said sadly, "You've been shot."

"I know," said EJ, "But right now you are the one I'm concerned about. You mustn't worry yourself about me Samantha, I'm fine-"

EJ smiled then and tried to cajole Sami out of her suddenly serious mood.

"They've got me on so many drugs right now that I can't even feel my legs," he said and smiled, trying to tease a smile out of her.

Sami's bottom lip wobbled which wasn't exactly what EJ was going for with that comment. She looked away from him, a stricken expression on her face.

"Samantha," said EJ, reaching out and touching her hand, trying to comfort her, "Sweetheart what's wrong?"

EJ knew Sami was worrying a lot and wanted to put her fears to rest when she seemed to struggle to answer him.

"Samantha I promise you that I will make sure you are safe," said EJ, "I'll make sure that we find out who did this to me and protect you from them and then I'm going to get out of this hospital bed and take you out on the most amazing date of your life – dinner, dancing, fireworks – the whole nine yards. How does that sound eh?"

"That sounds wonderful," said Sami emotionally, her eyes bright with tears now.

"Then smile for me darling," he enticed her, "This is happy time, we're about to start our life together you and I."

Sami looked over at him and smiled a trembling smile before moving closer and laying her head on his chest. EJ wrapped his arms around her and held Sami to him, the two of them sitting like that for a long time and drawing strength from one another.

oooOOOOooo

A couple of hours later Sami walked out into the corridor, nodding at Roberto as she passed by him. EJ had fallen asleep again and she needed some fresh air. Sami took in a couple of deep, shaky breaths feeling sick about what she'd just done.

She'd made a promise to herself that she would never keep anything from EJ ever again and she'd just sat there and lied about both Tony and his health and Sami wanted to throw up because of it. She was just so sick of all the things that seemed to come between them still and kept her from being totally truthful with EJ. After so long denying to him her feelings Sami just wanted to be honest with him about everything now. She cursed Tony and Stefano for making that dream still just out of her reach. All she could hope now was that Stefano really was dealing with Tony and there would be one less thing standing between her and EJ.

It couldn't come soon enough for Sami.


	17. Chapters 131 to 143

**FATED**

**(Chapters 131 - 143)**

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & THIRTY ONE**** – ****The Plot Thickens**

The most intense conflicts, if overcome, leave behind a sense of security and calm that is not easily disturbed. It is just these intense conflicts and their conflagration which are needed to produce valuable and lasting results.

_~Carl Gustav Jung~_

Stefano walked into his living room after having just left Sami at the hospital after their talk. He walked in to find Tony looking out the window. Tony turned around and smiled at his father.

"Ah hello Father," he said easily, "You were up early today I see."

"I've been at the hospital," said Stefano calmly.

"Of course you have," nodded Tony, "I was planning to go there myself this morning. How is my little brother, continuing to improve I hope?"

"Do you?" asked Stefano, looking at his son steadily.

"Do I what?" asked Tony innocently which instantly had Stefano on guard.

A look of innocence pretty much guaranteed the opposite from his experience with most people.

"Do you wish your brother well?" asked Stefano smoothly.

"What a question," tutted Tony, not looking as outraged as he should over the suggestion, "Why wouldn't I want Elvis to get better?"

"So you could take his place at the helm of the DiMera empire?" suggested Stefano without missing a beat.

"Ah well," agreed Tony with a quirk of his lips, "That would be a decided upside to an otherwise tragic turn of events to be sure."

Stefano just regarded him steadily for a long moment, not speaking and Tony just gave a little laugh.

"Come Father," he said lightly, "You cannot be surprised by what I am saying."

"I did not raise you this way," said Stefano tightly, "I taught you to cherish family Antony."

"You taught me to take what was yours by any means necessary," countered Tony unapologetically, "It is one of the things I admire most about you Father – your sense of purpose and drive, no matter what the cost."

"I have limits Tony," said Stefano dourly.

"No you don't," countered Tony, looking back at him steadily, "Or if you do I have yet to see them in practice."

"This is no way to speak to your father," Stefano cautioned him darkly.

"But I thought we were having an honest heart to heart," said Tony with an arched eyebrow and then tilted his head at Stefano and gave him a considered look, "Or is it meant to be more that I am to be honest and you are to be, well, you."

"Do you have something you need to be honest about Tony?" asked Stefano, not rising to the bait on that last comment.

"You seem to think that I do," commented Tony dryly.

"Tell me you had nothing to do with your brother's shooting," said Stefano flatly.

"I had nothing to do with my brother's shooting," said Tony without missing a beat.

"And you would tell me if you did of course," commented Stefano wryly.

"If you doubted my honesty Father I'm uncertain why you even bothered to ask," said Tony coolly, "And I have to wonder why it is that you would even think along such lines in the first place?"

Stefano knew Tony was fishing for information about whether or not Sami had tipped him off but he saw no reason to confirm her involvement in this.

"I want to know who shot Elvis," said Stefano unapologetically, "I think both of us know that waiting on the Salem police department to solve this crime would be an exercise in futility."

"They're not exactly the cream of the law enforcement community to be sure," agreed Tony wryly.

"I have taken it upon myself to find out who has done this to my son and to me," said Stefano sternly.

"Of course you have Father," said Tony steadily, "I would expect nothing less from you."

"So I began to ponder who it was that had the most to gain from Elvis' death," continued on Stefano, looking at Tony unflinchingly.

"And my name was very close to the top I'm guessing by the expression on your face," guessed Tony with a quirk of his lips.

"Do you deny it?" asked Stefano sharply.

"Of course not," said Tony with a casual shrug, "You and I both know that I stand to gain a great deal if the worst was to happen and Elvis was to die."

The two men faced off, neither one looking away and holding each other's gaze steadily.

"The truth is Father that while I would be very sad if my brother was to die I would not hesitate to take full advantage of it, just as you have taught me," said Tony calmly, "It is the DiMera way."

It was a strange thing Stefano decided, the day you stood back and looked at your own creation only to find it wasn't exactly what you had imagined it to be. The reality was that Tony was exactly the product of all the grooming he himself had put into the man, his thoughts, his beliefs and ideologies were all ones that had been taught to him by Stefano. Somehow though in your own head, when applied to one's self the harshness of certain aspects of that belief system seem justifiable, necessary even to yourself. To see it standing before you though, embodied in another person was another thing entirely.

"But just because I had a motive doesn't mean that I did this terrible thing," continued on Tony steadily.

"So you deny it?" asked Stefano flatly.

"I swear on my mother's grave and on my love and loyalty to you Father," said Tony resolutely, "I had nothing to do with what happened to Elvis."

Tony looked sincere when he said that but Stefano was not so blinded by love to think either of his son's not capable of being consummate liars. He thought he knew both of his son's so well but now Stefano had a moment's hesitation over that fact. Nothing was as it seemed but then again Stefano had known that for a long time now.

"There are many people who might wish Elvis harm Father," said Tony casually, "He's a DiMera and in this town that name guarantees a long list of people willing to do just about anything to them. If any one of Samantha's relatives were to find out about their affair who knows what they would do. I mean those two are hardly discrete now are they? They are together all the time, running around behind that poor idiot Lucas' back and make little effort to hide it, groping each other on the park bench in full view of all of Salem and then wonder why a few minutes later Elvis ends up shot."

Tony's lips twisted in disgust as he shook his head.

"There wouldn't be one Brady in town that wouldn't have plenty of reason to pull that trigger, or even Lucas himself at finding out that Samantha was involved with Elvis," said Tony knowingly.

"Lucas was out of town at the time," Stefano reminded him, "I think we can rule him out."

"If he had half a brain he would have organised the hit while he was out of town," said Tony thoughtfully and then gave a little laugh, "But then, this is Lucas Roberts we are talking about after all, half a brain would be an improvement I'm sure."

Tony crossed the room to stand on the other side of Stefano, continuing with his list.

"Steve Johnson isn't exactly a fan of Elvis either after their dealings and have you seen Marlena lately?" asked Tony, rolling his eyes, "She's hanging by a rather tenuous thread as the 'love of her life' still vegetates away."

Tony chuckled then, thinking of something amusing.

"I seriously don't know how she can tell the difference though," said Tony, tickled by his own wit, "To my way of thinking John in a coma is actually an improvement on John awake."

"You have given me a lot to think about my son," said Stefano thoughtfully, "There are indeed many that have cause to harm Elvis."

"If there is anything you need me to do to help find the culprit then please don't hesitate to ask Father," said Tony earnestly, "If one DiMera is threatened then it is a threat to us all – isn't that what you always taught us?"

"Yes it is," said Stefano with a smile, "And it's a lesson I'm glad to see you have learned well."

"All that I am Father I've learnt from you," said Tony and then the two men hugged.

"I know my son," said Stefano quietly, patting him on his back as the hug continued.

Tony pulled away and smiled.

"I must go," he said apologetically, "I have some business to attend to that simply can't wait."

"Of course," nodded Stefano with a half smile, "You go – no matter what happens the DiMera empire must continue on."

"It will Father," said Tony confidently, "I promise you that."

Stefano smiled and nodded again and then Tony was walking out of the living room, heading to the front door. As soon as the door closed behind him the fatherly smile dropped from Stefano's face to be replaced with a dark expression.

"Oh Antony," he said with a shake of his head, "What have you done?"

Stefano turned away and rubbed his forehead, suddenly tired. Tony had lied to him; he knew that now without a doubt. For a moment Stefano had almost believed him but Tony had slipped up and not even realised it. He'd spoken of what Elvis and Samantha had been doing moments before the shooting and how could he know that unless he had been there or been told about it. Somehow Stefano doubted that Sami would share such a detail with him and Elvis had barely been awake for a few minutes while Tony had been there so he wouldn't have been the one to tell Tony anything.

No, the only way Tony could know such a thing is if he'd had a man reporting back to him or had been there to witness it himself. There were multiple sins for Tony to atone for now in shooting his brother and then lying to his father about it and worst of all was how he was flying directly in the faces of the wishes Stefano had made abundantly clear to him. Clearly Tony had his own agenda and Stefano did not care to be opposed so defiantly. It was time Tony was taught a lesson and brought back into line for such a serious betrayal. Stefano pulled out his cell phone and made an important call.

oooOOOOooo

Sami walked down the corridors of the hospital heading towards the waiting room where she'd organised to meet her father. She didn't want EJ to see them meeting together and had told him that she'd gone to freshen up.

_More lies._

Sami couldn't believe that she was in this position again but hopefully that would soon be all over. She'd been more than a little shocked when Stefano had rung her and informed her that she had his blessing and more importantly his protection to go to the police with what she knew. He didn't elaborate about what had happened between himself and Tony when they'd spoken but obviously whatever it was it had been enough to lend weight to Sami's accusations. Without Stefano obstructing any investigations her father's department might have a real chance of proving that Tony had done this – particularly as Stefano gave the impression that Tony wouldn't be expecting it.

However Stefano had gone about this apparently there hadn't been an out and out accusation by Stefano of what Tony had done. In one way Sami was disappointed but in another it probably made good strategic sense that things hadn't gone that way in the end. There was a good chance Tony might not see this coming in time and that along with being under Stefano's protective wing might be enough to swing things in her favour at last. Of course she still had the problem of how she was going to tell her father without confessing her relationship with EJ and it wasn't helped by the fact that Sami didn't want to hide her love for EJ anymore anyway.

This was a situation Sami was going to have to handle very carefully. She felt like she had so many balls up in the air right then that she could just scream from the stress of it all. All Sami really wanted to do was be with EJ and get him back on his feet again, literally and it bothered her that she had to split her attention with all of this nastiness with Tony and with having to keep their relationship a secret. She'd toyed with the idea of just telling everyone regardless but couldn't get past how wrong that would be of her to do that to Lucas and she'd already wronged him enough. The thought of going back to how things used to be between them was an unhappy one for Sami; especially for Will's sake but Sami was so happy that she had at last let herself be honest with EJ and herself about how much she loved him that it was pretty hard to keep the information quiet.

Sami got to the place she'd organised to meet her father and found he wasn't there yet. She took the time to compose exactly what it was she was going to say to her father because truth be told she still wasn't exactly sure how she was going to go about this. Sami figured though she was usually at her best when just being in the moment and she could only hope that she'd be able to get her father to take her seriously like she had done Stefano. She would have given anything to have been a fly on the wall when Stefano had spoken to Tony to find out what it was that he'd said or done for the patriarch to give the approval for Sami to go to the police.

It was an interesting way to go about things, involving the Salem PD in this and Sami had to think it was because setting the police on Tony would be humiliating and indifferent gesture from Stefano to his eldest son. Normally disputes would have been dealt with in house no doubt but to make it public and make it known that Tony was no longer in the protective DiMera fold was a particularly dismissive gesture on Stefano's behalf and Sami knew that was exactly how it was intended. The DiMera's were masters of psychological torment and for once Sami felt pretty good about that.

"Hey honey."

Sami turned around and smiled at her father as he walked up to her. Roman had a smile on his face but Sami could see that behind that he was looking a little concerned as well.

"Hi Dad," she said, returning his smile, "Thanks for coming."

"Well I'll always come if you ask me to," said Roman calmly, "But I've gotta say I'm a little curious as to what this is about and why we are here of all places."

"I needed to talk to you urgently," said Sami, taking a deep breath, "It's about EJ."

"What about EJ?" asked Roman, a small frown coming to his forehead.

"I know who shot him," said Sami, holding his gaze steadily, "Or at least who set it up to happen."

"How would you know such a thing Sami?" asked Roman, his frown deepening.

"EJ told me," said Sami, determinedly keeping eye contact with her father as she lied to him.

After years of practice she'd gotten it down to a fine art.

"When I spoke to him he said he had no idea who shot him," said Roman.

"And he still doesn't," said Sami and at her father's confused look she carried on quickly, "But he did then."

"Sami-" began Roman, looking a bit frustrated by being unable to work out what she was getting at.

"It's like this," continued on Sami hurriedly, praying this was going to work, "I didn't tell you everything about what EJ and I were doing in the park just before his was shot."

Roman's expression became decidedly unhappy at that confession from Sami but she continued on regardless.

"EJ was telling me how he'd just come from talking with Tony and that Tony had threatened to kill him because Stefano was going to give the business over to EJ and cut Tony out of it all," said Sami, "EJ told me that Tony had promised him that would never happen and he'd see EJ dead before it did."

"Why would EJ tell you all of this?" asked Roman in consternation.

"EJ trusts me," Sami shrugged, hoping she looked casual about that assertion.

"He trusts you?" asked Roman with a scowl, clearly not liking the thought of Sami having any kind of relationship with EJ, trusting or otherwise.

"Yes Dad," said Sami unapologetically, "You've known that all along, in fact you got me to use that against him on more than one occasion when you were trying to prove that he'd done all those things you'd said."

"He did do them," said Roman, his jaw tightening, "EJ DiMera has done many sick and twisted things to people in this town, people both you and I love Sami."

"So have I," said Sami quietly, her face very serious now, "But you've always give me a chance to prove that I have a different side to me."

"Sami!" said Roman harshly, realising what she was saying, "EJ is an evil, smug psychopath mindlessly following his father's orders. You and Elvis DiMera are nothing alike!"

"Aren't we?" she asked him, looking at him unflinchingly, "I see all the things that you hate about EJ Dad – the single mindedness, the scheming, the ability to make people believe what you want them to believe, pursuing something relentlessly no matter what the cost-"

Sami looked away briefly then and felt a great pang of sadness as she spoke the truth that had haunted her without ever really acknowledging it.

"Well those things are all in me as well," she said, looking back at him, her eyes bright with unshed tears, "Does that mean you hate me too Dad?"

"Sami," said Roman in shock at the suggestion, "How can you say something like that to me?"

"I don't know," she said with a half choked little laugh and shrug of her shoulders, "Perhaps years of being compared to my sister and found lacking."

"I do not love you any less than Carrie Sami," said Roman fiercely, pulling her into his arms and hugging her tightly, "I couldn't."

"I know," she said shakily when she pulled back a little, looking up at him seriously, "But you like her better – or understand her better, whatever you want to call it."

"Sami I know you've done things that haven't been good choices in this world but I know despite your actions sometimes you are a good person," said Roman intently, "You have to believe me when I say that."

"Well if you believe that about me then why can't you believe it about EJ?" she reasoned with him.

"Because he's a DiMera," said Roman sharply.

"And a last name guarantees your fate does it?" asked Sami tightly.

"Yes," said Roman bluntly.

"Lexie is a DiMera," pointed out Sami, "You don't think she is evil to the core."

"She wasn't raised by Stefano," said Roman flatly, "EJ was."

"EJ wasn't only raised by his father," protested Sami, "He also spent time with his mother and step father and they were very different people to Stefano apparently."

"I'll agree that Susan and Edmund Crumb are about as far from Stefano in personality as you could possibly get but that doesn't change who EJ is," said Roman determinedly.

"You don't know EJ Dad," said Sami quietly, "You're making all these judgements about him like it was black and white and it's just not that simple-"

Sami looked up at her father, not sure if she was pleading with him now for his understanding of EJ or for her.

"Some people in this world just aren't simple Dad," she said with a hopeless shrug, "I'm not all bad but I'm not all good either and I think EJ is the same way. Maybe if you gave him a chance you'd be able to see the good bits like you do with me and not just all the bad ones."

Roman didn't speak for a long time, just regarded Sami steadily and she held his gaze unflinchingly. They'd gotten a little off topic but in some ways they hadn't. When all of this mess was sorted and Tony was behind bars there would come a time when she would be telling her parents about her and EJ. She was trying to get him to think about EJ in some other terms as just a DiMera. Sami knew herself how easy it was to demonise a person, especially a DiMera but even she had to admit to conflicted feelings when it came to Stefano after having watched him with EJ these last few days. Stefano was as close to pure evil as Sami ever wanted to be but despite that there was still a humanity to him that she hadn't been prepared to acknowledge before this had happened.

There were brief moments when she watched him interacting with EJ that Sami could see that if things had gone differently for Stefano in his life then maybe they wouldn't be where they were now. Perhaps if Stefano had found his own Colleen, one who felt as deeply about him as he did about her then the course of history could have been changed utterly and there would be a very different legacy for his life. Sami felt like that was where both she and EJ were at, the fork in the road where everything would change or everything would stay the same, their fates sealed forever. She didn't want Stefano to be EJ's fate, for him to become a lonely old man clutching at power and life. For the first time Sami had a real sense of being the one to rescue EJ rather than the other way around. Accepting EJ's love had always felt like he'd pulled her out of the miry clay with the way he adored her but in that moment Sami realised bestowing her love on him was blessing him with the same gift.

"You seem to know a lot about EJ all of a sudden," said Roman, speaking at last, "Last I heard you hated the guy."

"Things can change Dad," said Sami simply, "I've gotten to know EJ and he's not his father."

"He's well on his way to it though," said Roman dourly, "Don't let him fool you into thinking otherwise Sami."

"I know you have reason to judge my decision making skills Dad," said Sami resolutely, not backing down, "I've given you more than enough cause to do just that but I'm not wrong this time."

"So what?" asked Roman almost mockingly, "Elvis DiMera is just a poor little misunderstood boy, is that what you want me to believe Sami?"

"I want you to give him a chance like you gave me all those chances," said Sami simply.

"You're my daughter," said Roman, his face hardening, "I don't owe EJ anything."

"Alright then do it for me," said Sami, "Give EJ the benefit of the doubt for me."

"Why would you ask such a thing of me Sami?" he asked in vague horror. What are you doing getting involved with these DiMeras? You need to stay the hell away from these people, do you hear me?"

"So that's a no to trusting my judgement then is it?" asked Sami tightly.

"That's a me wanting you to explain why it is that you've taken such an interest in EJ's welfare all of a sudden," said Roman, his voice gruff with concern, "Sami what is going on with you? I know you've been at the hospital with EJ all this time and I just don't understand why you feel the need to do that and now you're defending him to me – what is this?"

"EJ and I are friends Dad," said Sami, wishing she could be more upfront about that right now but she just couldn't until she's spoken to Lucas, "And friends help one another."

"Friends?" repeated Roman, clearly mystified, "I don't believe this!"

"So does this mean you're not going to investigate Tony?" asked Sami tersely, giving up as she realised it was hopeless right then to get her father to understand and worried that she'd failed to convince him of Tony's threat.

"Of course I'll check into it," said Roman with a frown, "I'll speak to EJ-"

"You can't!" said Sami quickly and Roman gave her yet another bemused look.

"He doesn't remember anything about speaking to me or about what happened with Tony," Sami clarified, "The shooting must have traumatised him so there is no point asking him anything. I tried to talk about it with him but realised that he didn't remember and I don't think he's in any condition to hear that his brother is trying to kill him. I don't think he'd handle the shock."

"Just because Tony said that, if he even did say that," said Roman flatly, "That doesn't mean that Tony actually did do anything."

"It doesn't mean that he didn't either," said Sami stubbornly, certain that with a little investigation her father would find that Tony was indeed guilty, particularly now that Stefano wasn't going to get in the way.

"I don't like you being involved with these people Sami," said Roman darkly, reiterating his concerns, "You need to stop having anything to do with the likes of EJ DiMera."

"I'm a grown woman Dad," said Sami evenly, "I'll make my own choices about who is in my life and who isn't."

Roman looked a little taken aback by that and Sami's outwardly calm expression was belied by the way her heart was beating crazily in her chest. She'd never really stood up to her father like this before and it was terrifying and yet in so many ways freeing as well. Sami knew she was risking him turning her back on her but suddenly that didn't seem like the crippling fate that it once had been. Once again Sami was struck with how much EJ's love had changed her without her even realising it. She didn't want to lose her father from her life or any of her family for that matter but Sami knew she couldn't continue to live her life just to please them either.

"You're making a mistake Sami," said her father finally.

"Well you can just add it to the list Dad," she said, her jaw setting defiantly.

"You know we won't always be here to bail you out Sami," said Roman in frustrated exasperation, "You have to start taking responsibility for your own choices in this life and live with them."

"It's funny you should say that Dad," said Sami evenly, going up to kiss her father on the cheek, "I was just thinking the same thing."

Confident that her father wouldn't pass up an opportunity to investigate a DiMera and that he was going to do just that with Tony Sami turned on her heel and started to walk back down the corridor to return to EJ. She could feel Roman's concerned gaze boring into her back but she didn't look back. Sami had this strange feeling as she walked away that she was leaving the child she'd been behind her, the one still tugging desperately at her father's coat tails for love and approval and walking forward into the future.

A future that contained EJ.

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & THIRTY TWO**** – ****Shades of Things to Come**

My evening visitors, if they cannot see the clock, should find the time in my face.

_~Ralph Waldo Emerson~_

EJ looked out the window of his hospital room, counting away the seconds until Sami was going to be back. He'd sent her away the night before, practically having to force her to go home and sleep in a bed at last. EJ was concerned with how tired she was looking and didn't like the thought that he was the cause. It had taken some doing but Sami had eventually given in and left him. EJ had begun missing her unbearably as soon as she'd left but he'd resisted the urge to selfishly call her back, knowing Sami really did need to get some proper rest. It was so wonderful though having Sami by his side, being so attentive and open about her feelings that it was pretty hard for EJ to even regret having been shot oddly enough. To him it was a small price to pay for the joy of having Sami finally admit her love for him.

Despite that though something still niggled away at EJ and even through the drug haze he was currently sporting it bothered him. EJ knew that Sami was holding something back from him; he could see it in her face when she was with him and even though it was hard for EJ to organise his thoughts at the moment he kept asking her about it. Sami would always smile and say she was fine and that he wasn't to worry about her, only about getting better. Each time EJ went to protest that statement though Sami would lean in and start kissing him which pretty much ensured that whatever meagre thought processes he had going on at the time were completely disabled.

Kissing Sami after so long being denied the pleasure was something EJ was finding he simply couldn't get enough of. He fantasised about making love to her again and kissing her the whole time, refusing to relinquish possession of her mouth as he moved inside of her, the feel of her all around her as they pleasured one another endlessly. EJ imagined the taste of Sami's laboured breathing in his mouth, those soft panting breaths she always made right before climaxing flooding his mouth and gave a little groan of anticipation.

He closed his eyes, recalling in vivid detail every dip and curve of Sami's naked body and wanted nothing more to get out of this hospital as quickly as he could and consummate their newfound honesty. Thoughts of Sami made it very hard for him to think of anything else decided EJ, supposing he should be more bothered by that fact but he simply wasn't. EJ opened his eyes and turned his head, smiling as he saw who was standing there.

"This might be the insane amount of morphine they've currently got me hooked up to," he commented with a quirk of his lips, "But it's actually good to see you."

"_When isn't it good to see me?" asked Sam blithely as she walked up closer to the bed. _

"In the interests of this being a peaceful interaction I'll refrain from answering that," said EJ wryly.

He looked her up and down then, taking in the skimpy nurse's outfit, complete with sexy white stockings, an impossibly short uniform with not nearly enough material to contain her impressive cleavage.

"What _are _ you wearing?" asked EJ with an exasperated shake of his head but not exactly looking away either.

"_I thought it was appropriate," she said, striking a coquettish pose, "Don't you like it? I thought you'd find a nurse's uniform comforting considering where we are and that I'd blend in." _

"It seems a little revealing for that - don't you think?" asked EJ with indulgently.

"_Says the guy with his ass hanging out of a backless hospital gown," sniffed Sam. _

"Point taken," said EJ pursing his lips, "Neither one of us are exactly dressed to dine with royalty I suppose."

He regarded her thoughtfully for a minute while she fussed with the little nurse's cap she was wearing on her head.

"I'm glad I got to see you one last time to say goodbye," said EJ.

Sam stopped fiddling with her cap and looked at EJ in mild surprise.

"_Why?" she asked curiously, "Have the doctors here decided the stick up your ass is terminal and you're going to die, is that why you are saying goodbye my love emu?"_

"No I-" EJ shook his head as he took in what she'd just said to him, "Love emu?"

"_You've got the same looking legs as they do," she commented knowingly._

EJ rolled his eyes at that observation and had to wonder if he had some deep seated hang up about how his legs looked that he wasn't aware of because Sam kept referencing them and Sam was him in a roundabout way after all. Sam meanwhile was looking at his legs thoughtfully.

"_Speaking of freakish things," she commented idly, "Don't you think it's a bit weird that you can't feel your legs still?"_

"They're just a bit numb," said EJ dismissively.

"_So numb that you can't move them," she pushed him, "And we're not going to worry about that at all?"_

"I'm sure if there were something to worry about the doctors would have said something," said EJ determinedly, "Or my father and Samantha definitely would. The doctor said there is a lot of swelling from the surgeries so there is a lot of nerve restriction. Once the swelling goes down I'll be able to feel my legs again I'm sure."

EJ gave her a confident smile.

"Anyway, as I was saying," he continued on, "I'm glad I've gotten the chance to say goodbye to you Sam. We've had our moments but for the most part I think your intentions were good when it came to what you were saying to me."

Sam pursed her lips and just looked back at him steadily.

"_So what?" she asked him at last, "Am I just meant to disappear in a puff of smoke then?"_

"Well I don't know," said EJ with a bit of a frown, "I have no idea how this works."

"_I'll tell you how this works my little clump of love doo doo," said Sam casually, "I'm here so clearly you still need me."_

"I don't need you," said EJ tightly, "Samantha has admitted her love for me at long last."

"_Yes she has," agreed Sam, coming to stand by the bed, "Interesting timing though don't you think Elie?"_

"What do you mean by that?" scowled EJ, "And don't call me Elie!"

"_I don't know," she shrugged, "That came out of your psyche, not mine."_

"Samantha loves me!" said EJ sharply.

"_Okay," said Sam casually. _

"She does!" bit out EJ with a dismissive wave of his hand at her, "And I don't know why you feel the need to come and rain on my parade."

"_Not disagreeing with you here my bedpan beauty," said Sam, smiling down at him easily and making EJ grind his teeth._

"Then why would you say such a thing?" asked EJ, glaring up at her.

"_Hm," she said, appearing to be considering that, "Maybe it's because of what I heard."_

"What did you hear?" asked EJ, looking up at her intently.

"_Well it was a bit patchy," pondered Sam, "But I do remember this little scene."_

EJ looked up at Sam in concern, wondering what it was she was going to tell him.

"_So you're ordering me to stay with EJ?" asked Sami bitterly, "Is that it Stefano? Or what – you'll hurt someone in my family? That's how the DiMera's work isn't it? It's your way or it's bloodshed!"_

"_My son needs you," said Stefano unapologetically. _

Sam pursed her lips and then appeared to be thinking for a bit while EJ watch her impatiently.

"_And then there was something like this," she said finally._

EJ leant forward, eager to hear what she had to recall.

"_We shall see if you are indeed a woman of your word," he said steadily, "I would like to think that my son can depend on you in this hard road ahead of him Samantha."_

"_Does EJ know?" she asked quietly. _

"_No," said Stefano simply, "He is not yet strong enough to bear such news."_

"_He needs to know," said Sami firmly._

"_Elvis has barely woken up from her last round of surgery," said Stefano unapologetically, "He cannot even stay awake for more than few minutes at a time. There is no need to burden him anymore than he is right now."_

"Burden me with what?" asked EJ worriedly, "Did you hear anything else?"

"_Just Daddy DiMera saying he had to go and rest and making sure Sami stayed with you," said Sam._

"And that's it?" asked EJ in frustration.

"_Well you were kind of fading in and out a lot and I was taking the down time to do some stomach crunches," she arched an eyebrow when she saw the look EJ gave her, "What?! You think a body like this just happens?!"_

She swept her hand up and down herself defiantly and EJ didn't even want to begin to untangle what bizarre things were going on in his subconscious to have that make any kind of sense. Right now he was more concerned with making sense of what Sam had just told him.

"So what does that all mean?" asked EJ in confusion.

"_It means you probably shouldn't put too much stock in what you heard," she said casually, "It was a bit spotty, who knows what they were talking about?"_

"They were talking about me," said EJ grimly.

"_Oh," said Sam thoughtfully, "Okay, yes they were but what about you?"_

"I don't know," said EJ tightly, "That is what I'm asking you!"

"_Well don't look at me," said Sam with another shrug, "I'm only the messenger – don't shoot me."_

"If I could shoot you I would," said EJ in annoyance, in a bad mood now after what Sam had just revealed to him.

"Who are you shooting darling?"

EJ looked over at the doorway quickly to see Celeste standing there, immaculately groomed as always, looking at him with a curious expression on her face.

"The person who shot me," said EJ, managing to cover for himself smoothly enough.

"I see," said Celeste with an arch of a perfectly manicured eyebrow as she walked into the room.

She regarded him steadily and EJ tried to focus his attention on the other woman when all he really wanted to do was sort through the confusing memories Sam had just given him.

"Hello Celeste," he said cordially, hoping this was going to be a short visit, "How are you?"

"I believe that is my line darling," she purred in that sultry way of hers and looked at him seriously, "How are you Elvis?"

"I'm alright," said EJ evenly, "It takes more than a couple of bullets to take a DiMera down."

"So it would seem," said Celeste evenly.

"So I guess you must be a little disappointed?" said EJ and couldn't help feel a little smug and if he'd admit it, relieved.

"Why would I be disappointed Elvis?" she asked in mild surprise.

"Well your prediction didn't come true," pointed out EJ and then mimicked her accent, "EJ DiMera will be no more."

Celeste just stared back steadily at EJ, not speaking.

"As you can see," EJ pushed on resolutely, intent on getting her to admit her mistake, "I'm still here so your doom and gloom prediction didn't come to pass Celeste."

Celeste calmly rearranged the handbag she had draped over her arm before looking back at EJ.

"Yet," she said simply, holding his gaze.

"_Wow," said Sam in amusement, "She's chipper isn't she – Celeste here must be a real mood lifter in the manic depressive ward hm? Mind you there are plenty of people that hate you El, so Celeste is probably right, it's only a matter of time before someone manages to off you permanently."_

Celeste's eyes briefly flicked over to the corner where Sam was currently lounging, casually arranging her cleavage as she listened in on their conversation but EJ caught the brief eye movement immediately.

"Do you see something?" he asked her intently, not sure what he would say if Celeste said that she saw a scantily clad Sami clone sitting there.

Celeste looked back at him, her expression not altering.

"Do you?" she asked coolly.

"No," said EJ quickly.

"Then either do I darling," she said with the barest of smiles.

"_Oohh," said Sam appreciatively, "Goose bump city Elvis – Lady Tarot can totally see me!"_

EJ determinedly ignored that statement, not really able to deal with what that might mean if that was actually true.

"Why don't you just admit you got it wrong Celeste?" asked EJ doggedly, pointing a finger at her, "I'm still here."

"I thought you didn't believe in my visions Elvis?" she mused calmly.

"I don't," said EJ flatly.

"Then why are you so intent on proving them wrong?" she asked with a little shrug.

"Because you were foretelling my death," said EJ dourly.

"Are you planning on living forever darling?" she asked with a quirk of her lips.

"_Why not?" interjected Sam blithely, "Look at his old man – you couldn't kill that tenacious old buggar with a chainsaw and a bag of dynamite and God knows enough people have tried... including God himself."_

EJ didn't know if it was his imagination or the drug haze he was currently sporting but he could have sworn Celeste gave the barest of smiles at Sam's irreverent comments.

"I'm planning on living for a long time yet," said EJ, giving her an almost defiant look.

"Well good for you," nodded Celeste evenly.

"Samantha and I are going to be married soon and we are going to have a long and happy life together," announced EJ, not sure why he needed to make sure Celeste understood these things but he did.

A suddenly concerned look came over Celeste's face and she looked down, trying to hide her expression from EJ.

"I'm very happy for you both Elvis," she said quietly, looking down at a spot on the floor rather than at him.

"What was that?" demanded EJ with a scowl, "Celeste did you just see something? Something about Samantha?"

"It was nothing darling," she said, looking up at him with a careful smile in place.

"I don't believe you," said EJ, feeling suddenly anxious, "Tell me what you saw about Samantha Celeste – tell me!"

"Don't upset yourself Elvis," said Celeste worriedly, hurrying over to him and putting a calming hand on his shoulder.

EJ grabbed at her hand, fingers biting into the flesh of her wrist.

"Then tell me Celeste!" he said urgently, fear for Sami making his heart beat faster and a thin layer of sweat break out on his forehead.

"Elvis DiMera and Samantha Brady will never be," blurted out Celeste, caught off guard by EJ's sudden forcefulness.

"Why would you say such a thing?!" asked EJ angrily, his fingers tightening on her wrist despite the energy it cost him.

"Elvis," said Celeste trying to placate him as she attempted to pry his hand from hers, "I did not mean to upset you, stop it, let me go!"

"_Unclench Elvis," said Sam firmly, "You're hurting the lady."_

EJ forced himself to let Celeste go, beginning to shake with the effort that exertion had cost him.

"Elvis," said Celeste with a regretful shake of her head as she moved away from him, rubbing her wrist now, "I'm sorry."

"Why would you say something like that to me?" asked EJ hoarsely, trying to make himself calm down.

"My visions," said Celeste, with a little wave of her hand as she tried to back pedal a little now, "I do not always understand them – I'm sure it is nothing Elvis."

"You're damned right they are nothing!" ground out EJ unevenly and trying to ignore how her words were resonating with considering what Sam had just told him about Stefano and Sami's conversation over his bed, "Samantha and I are already together and very much in love Celeste!"

"Please Elvis," she said quietly, "Calm yourself. I am glad to hear that you and Samantha are happy, really."

Celeste made an unhappy face.

"I'm sorry," she said simply, "I did not mean to upset you Elvis – I should go now."

EJ didn't comment, just watching her leave and attempting to get himself back under control.

"_Whatever you might think," commented Sam casually as she watched Celeste leave, "Crazy tarot lady has a great ass that I'd sure like to tap."_

"She's my sister's mother!" said EJ in horror, still reeling from what Celeste had just said and not needing the complication of Sam right then, especially if she was meant to be the voice of his inner psyche – very concerning really.

"_So?" shrugged Sam, "Kate was Lucas' mother.. .and Sami's a mom..."_

She paused then and pursed her lips thoughtfully.

"_Hey maybe you've got a yummy mummy fetish thing going on?" she suggested, looking at EJ with renewed interest now._

"I don't know what that is but I'm pretty certain that I don't!" said EJ grouchily, "So you can just shut up about it okay?"

"_Why are you so upset Elvis?" asked Sam in consternation as she came to sit by his bed._

"Celeste just said that Samantha and I will never be together," said EJ, becoming more agitated now.

"_But you don't even believe in all that crazy," Sam tried to reason with him, "So what does it matter what she says?"_

"Samantha is keeping things from me," stated EJ flatly, suddenly finding breathing a little difficult as he thought back to the conversation that Sam had overheard and told him about between his father and Sami.

"_Why?" asked Sam sceptically, "Because of what I heard?"_

Sam rolled her eyes.

"_Elvis I only heard bits and pieces of what was being said, you were pretty out of it," she reminded him, "It could mean anything. Honestly, I could have just as easily caught snippets that came out sounding like Stefano was ordering an army of ninja penguins to take over the White House." _

"No," said EJ emphatically, looking at Sam, "I know something is wrong."

"_Boy but you're impossible to please," she said in exasperation, "You've been whining to me for months now that all you wanted was for Sami to tell you that she loves you. Well she's done that now and that still isn't enough!"_

"That's because I'm beginning to really believe she is keeping things from me," said EJ in concern.

"_I thought that your thinking was that it was okay for couples to have a few secrets?" she asked him innocently._

Sam then coughed into her hand.

"_Surveillance cameras!"_

"Cute," said EJ sourly, "This is serious."

"_You don't know what you are talking about EJ," said Sam with a shake of her head, "Just stop obsessing and be happy will you? I mean you got the girl right?"_

"Did I?" asked EJ weakly, feeling a little hot and sweaty now from all of the talking.

"_Sami is here just about every minute of every day, telling you how much she loves you," pointed out Sam in exasperation, "What more do you want?"_

"What if my father is forcing her to do that?" asked EJ worriedly.

"_Does she kiss like a woman being forced into doing something she doesn't want to?" reasoned Sam._

"No," said EJ softly, "Samantha kisses like-"

"A woman completely and utterly in love?" suggested a voice over by the door and EJ looked away from Sam to see Sami standing in the doorway of his hospital room and looking at him with mild confusion but definite love.

"Yes," rasped EJ, his chest tightening at seeing her there, almost crying at the feelings that came over him knowing that she'd come back to him even though she'd promised she would.

"Well good," she said with a little smile as she walked over to the bed and Sam discretely moved out of the way.

"_I think I'm redundant all of a sudden," she commented dryly before suddenly not being there at all. _

"Who were you talking to?" she asked curiously.

"My imaginary friend," said EJ, unable to come up with a suitable lie right then so he went with the truth.

"Oh," said Sami with a raised eyebrow at that piece of information.

She slid her hand under his, sitting on the bed and pressing their entwined hands to her chest.

"Would you like a real friend instead?" she asked him softly, her lips upturned in a little smile.

"Yes please," said EJ huskily, drowning in the sight of her, her presence filling his soul to overflowing and as usual it was hard to concentrate on anything else but her.

Sami leant forward and kissed him tenderly on the lips but then pulled back, looking at EJ with concern.

"You're all clammy," she fretted, putting a hand to his sweaty forehead, "EJ are you feeling alright? I saw Celeste leaving – did she upset you?"

"Of course not sweetheart," said EJ unevenly, "I guess I'm not quite up to having too many visitors right now, that's all."

"I think we should call a doctor to come look at you," said Sami worriedly as she put her hand to his forehead and cheeks alternatively.

"Just lie with me sweetheart," he implored her huskily, "I just need to feel you in my arms for a little bit."

Sami looked at the narrow bed and seemed to be about to protest about maybe disturbing his back injury but something in EJ's face must have told her how much he needed this so she carefully climbed onto the bed without a word. EJ put his arms around her as Sami rested her head on his chest and he breathed in the gentle scent of her perfumed hair and skin.

"Your heart is racing," she told him, cheek pressed against it.

"It's beating only for you Samantha," said EJ quietly, tightening his arms around her and trying to put out all of his worrying thoughts from his head, "It only ever beat for you."

"I know," she said hugging him back, "It's the same for me EJ."

EJ closed his eyes just letting her presence comfort him and banish away his fears but Celeste's words haunted him no matter how hard he tried to ignore them – striking at his deepest fears.

_Elvis DiMera and Samantha Brady will never be. _

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & THIRTY THREE**** – ****It's a Man's World**

There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.

_~Epictetus~_

Sami walked out of the ladies bathroom at Salem University, still distracted by the state she'd found EJ in that morning when she'd walked in. He'd calmed down as she'd stayed with him but Sami could tell that something was worrying him. EJ had been rather elusive as to what that might be which concerned her. She made a mental note to track down Celeste at some point and see if the other woman could shed some light on what might be going on with EJ. Sami didn't want to push EJ too much right then as he was so frail at the moment. She didn't know if it was her imagination but EJ seemed a little hot to the touch today but then EJ had always seemed to put out a lot of heat. Sami remembered the times she'd lain in bed next to him, the warmth of his naked body enveloping her as they slept and couldn't help but give a little shiver of pleasure.

Sami felt a thrill move through her at the thought of a lifetime of having EJ lying next to her in bed, holding her, whispering in her ear of how much he wanted her, loved her and just being able to listen to the sound of his steady breathing as he slept. All of it delighted her and Sami couldn't wait until they could be together properly, once and for all. She had a sudden image of herself in a wedding gown, walking down the aisle towards a beaming EJ and felt her knees go weak. Even the thought of EJ and life with him had such power over Sami that she struggled to even find the words to begin to describe it. Happy thoughts were immediately dissipated though when she looked up and saw who was lounging on a counter top, looking directly at her with that usual smug smile on his face.

"Tony," said Sami shortly, determined to show him that she wasn't frightened of him even though she was, "Not a huge surprise to see you lurking outside a woman's bathroom but what are you doing here?"

Tony gave a little laugh at her jab and Sami couldn't help but wish he looked a bit more frazzled then he did – clearly her father hadn't been to see him yet. Then again maybe he had and that was why Tony was here. Sami's nerves tightened as she waited for him to answer her.

"I don't like to think I need a reason to spend time with a beautiful woman," he said mildly.

"Cut the crap and get to the chase Tony," said Sami tersely, "I've got somewhere I'd rather be."

"What a shame such beauty hides masks such terrible manners," tutted Tony in mock disappointment.

"Alright then," said Sami impatiently as she went to brush past him, "If you've got nothing to say then I do – goodbye Tony."

"Leaving so soon Samantha?" he asked her smoothly, grabbing Sami's arm and preventing her from getting past him, "But we've got so much to talk about."

"You and I have nothing to say to one another!" said Sami sharply, jerking her arm out of his light hold and glaring up at him.

"I had an interesting chat with my father yesterday," he informed her.

"I'm so happy for you," said Sami dourly, "Can I go now?"

"We chatted about all sorts of things," he continued on as though Sami hadn't spoken, "But then the conversation took an unexpected turn when he basically accused me of being the one to shoot my dear little brother."

"You _were _ the one to shoot EJ," said Sami through clenched teeth, looking around herself to see if anyone was listening in but it didn't seem as though they were as people hurried about their business, ignoring them both.

"So you keep insisting," said Tony with a roll of his eyes, "I do enjoy a woman with an overactive imagination-"

Tony went to move a stray strand of blonde hair away from her face but Sami jerked back, repulsed at the thought of him touching her.

"Especially if she puts it to good use," he finished idly, letting his hand drop away, "But I'm rather thinking that you've been putting neither your imagination nor that pretty little mouth of yours to very good or even wise use of late."

"I didn't say anything to Stefano if that is what you are implying," snapped Sami, lying easily to him.

"It would have been a bold move on your behalf if you had," mused Tony, "And a very stupid one."

"You made it very clear what the consequences would be for me and my family if I did and I took you at your word Tony," said Sami dourly, making sure there was the appropriate amount of disgust yet resignation on her face, "Now why don't you take me at mine?"

"I find the timing rather intriguing," commented Tony, eyeing her intently, "We talk and then my father is suddenly questioning me."

"What you do or don't find intriguing isn't my problem Tony," said Sami sharply, "And Stefano is a suspicious, crafty old man – do you really think he needs my help to start putting two and two together?"

"My father is an astute man," agreed Tony thoughtfully and then just stared at her.

"So are we done here then?" she asked him in annoyance, hoping her bravado was enough to throw Tony off the scent, at least until her father was able to move in and prove what he had done.

Jail was too good for the likes of Tony DiMera after what he'd tried to do but it was a start.

"You are playing a dangerous game little girl," Tony warned her, "You have no idea the kind of fire you are tampering with. I'd truly hate to see this blowing up in that beautiful face of yours."

"What's the matter Tony?" she asked him sweetly, "Starting to feel a bit nervous?"

"Not in the least," chuckled Tony, "In fact I'm rather looking forward to seeing how all of this works out in the end."

"I'm not in the market for mind games today Tony," said Sami tersely, "So if you'll excuse me I really do have somewhere I'd rather be."

"I'm sure you do my dear," said Tony with a quirk of his lips, "Just make sure you give my brother a big kiss from me won't you?"

Sami didn't dignify that with an answer, simply walking away from Tony and his smirking face. His confidence was a little unsettling but it was all about to start unravelling for Tony DiMera and Sami couldn't wait.

"Oh Samantha," tutted Tony, watching her leave, "You really have no idea what you've gotten yourself into have you little girl?"

That thought seemed to be a very amusing one to Tony as he began to chuckle away to himself again, garnering a few odd looks from those around him but he simply didn't care.

Things were about to get very interesting he sensed and was more than happy to watch this little drama play out.

oooOOOOooo

"Tell me again how Sami got in the middle of this?" asked Bo, sending his brother a sideways look as they stood at the front door of the DiMera mansion.

"When isn't Sami in the middle of the worst trouble in town?" asked Roman with a resigned sigh.

"She does have a knack," agreed Bo with a twist of her lips.

"Yeah well that knack is going to get her killed at this rate," said Roman darkly, "Getting mixed up with the DiMera's is pretty much the worst thing she could ever do."

"I'm still confused how all this started," said Bo with a shake of his head as they waited for their knock to be answered, "Last I heard Sami hated EJ and was helping us set him to find out what he was really involved with in town."

"My daughter has had one of her trademark changes of hearts it would seem," said Roman dourly, "Apparently she and EJ are now _friends _."

Roman said the word as though it was a dirty one.

"I just wish I knew what EJ's angle was," continued on Roman sourly, "I know he's got one because all DiMera's do and of course they are going to go after the most messed up member of our family."

"Sami has her issues sure," said Bo, coming to his nieces defence, "But being gullible usually isn't one of them. She's normally ahead of the game in these kinds of machinations."

Bo wrinkled his nose as he was forced to admit.

"Mainly because she is the one setting them in motion," he said, "But still, Sami isn't an easy one to play."

"Tell that to Franco," said Roman unhappily, "He played her for a green card, ended up dead and Sami very nearly along with him."

"Things do seem to escalate around Sami," agreed Bo as he knocked on the door again, still waiting for someone to answer the door.

"Add that to the DiMera factor and I'm frightened that Sami is in way over her head," said Roman with a scowl.

"You know there is a vague chance that EJ is actually being sincere about his feelings for Sami and their friendship," offered up Bo.

Roman just turned to look at him like he'd lost his mind.

"Can you hear what you are saying little brother?!" he demanded in disbelief, "A DiMera, a soldier of Stefano having only good intentions when it comes to a Brady?! Hell will freeze over before that would ever happen! Sami has enough problems in her life without adding DiMera's to the mix. And you're crazy if you think I'm going to stand by and let my daughter get sucked in any deeper into the DiMera madness then she is!"

"Calm down Roman," frowned Bo, "I'm not suggested anything of the kind but I'm not sure how you're going to stop Sami doing anything. You know how head strong she is and forbidding her to do something is usually a guarantee to make the opposite happen."

"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it," said Roman gruffly, "But Sami knows what this family expects of her – we love her but we can't continue to support her with all the crazy choices she makes."

Bo didn't have a chance to answer that statement of Roman's because Bart opened the just then and instantly looked worried.

"I didn't do nuthin'!" he blurted out to looks of confusion from Bo and Roman.

[center] [IMG].[/IMG][/center]

"We're here to see Tony," said Bo flatly.

"Oh," said Bart, looking a little sheepish now, "Well I don't know if he's done anything or not."

"Can you just let us in to talk to him Bart?" asked Roman with a sigh at the other man's carry on.

"Okay," said Bart happily enough.

He waved them into the foyer and then trotted off to find Tony.

"Do you think there is some kind of bargain warehouse where Stefano gets these guys from?" asked Bo with a shake of his head.

"It wouldn't surprise me," said Roman with a roll of his eyes.

"Ah gentlemen," said Tony, walking into the foyer from the other room, "This is an unexpected delight."

"Tony," nodded Roman, "We were wondering if you wouldn't mind answering some questions for us?"

"But of course," said Tony easily, "About what exactly though – ancient history, languages, general knowledge?"

"Where were you the morning EJ got shot?" asked Bo, ignoring his flippancy.

"Ah, geography it is then," smiled Tony, "I believe I was here alone, reading a book at that time."

"Can anyone verify that?" asked Roman shortly.

"No," said Tony with a shake of his head, "That would be because of the alone part of that last sentence Captain Brady."

Roman and Bo exchanged glances and Tony arched an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry if my whereabouts at the time doesn't meet with your approval," said Tony dryly, "But if I'd had of known at the time that I'd be needing an alibi I would have been more accommodating and made sure someone was able to back up my story."

Roman looked back steadily at Tony, taking in his totally unruffled demeanour. Years of instinct told him that the other man knew more than he was letting on. It looked like Sami might have been right in her suspicions about Tony after all. What a sick and twisted family this was with how they turned on their own. The last thing Roman wanted was Sami anywhere near these deranged lunatics and the first chance he got he was going to investigate just exactly what this new found _friendship _ with EJ was all about and nip it in the bud if needs be. Sami was her own worst enemy sometimes and Roman felt that as her father he really needed to protect her from herself.

"We were wondering if we could have a look around Tony?" asked Roman, keeping his face carefully neutral.

"Does that request come with a search warrant?" asked Tony, looking between the two of them.

"No," said Bo with a shake of his head, "It's just a request – for now. Of course we could go and get all the paperwork needed to make it a little more official-"

"But why would you do that?" tutted Tony and gave them a big smile, "We are all friends here surely? Mi casa su casa – go where ever you want, look at whatever you please – my life is an open book. Now if you'll excuse me I've got some phone calls to make but do make yourself at home won't you?"

With that Tony gave a little inclination of his head and wandered off back into the living room.

"Well that was a little easier than I thought it was going to be," commented Bo thoughtfully.

"Either we were just talking to an innocent man or one who really thinks he's got his bases covered," observed Roman.

The two men looked at each other, considering that statement.

"I'll take upstairs you take down," instructed Roman.

"Got it," nodded Bo.

oooOOOOooo

Sami hurried down the corridors of the hospital, intent on getting back to EJ and putting some distance between herself and the memory of her unpleasant encounter with Tony. She'd gone shopping to get some little things that EJ had requested and now was just wanting to get back to him. Tony still worried her and she could only hope her father saw fit to act on the information she'd given him. Her cell phone rang and she gave a groan of frustration at seeing who the caller was. Why couldn't all these men just leave her alone so she could just be with EJ she wondered in despair as she answered it?

"Hi Lucas," said Sami, putting on a determinedly bright voice for him.

"How's my favourite girl?" asked Lucas and he sounded quite happy to Sami which was a bit of a surprise.

Lately his phone calls had been a bit moody but he seemed quite upbeat right then.

"I'm good," said Sami, feeling very uncomfortable at Lucas' being endearing towards her.

She was desperate to tell him the truth and have everything out in the open so she and EJ could finally be open about their relationship. Unfortunately though she had to wait to do that so instead she changed the subject and tried not to dwell on it.

"How's Switzerland?" she asked him, "Are you planning on coming home soon?"

"Miss me do you baby?" he asked her teasingly.

"Of course I do," said Sami but she hesitated a split second too long in her response to that and Lucas picked up on it.

"You don't sound very sure," said Lucas and she could hear the sudden displeasure in his voice.

"Sorry," she apologised quickly, "I'm just a bit distracted – of course I miss you Lucas."

"Why are you distracted?" asked Lucas coolly.

"Just you know, a lot of stuff is going on," she said vaguely, hoping he wasn't going to ask too many questions.

"I guess there would be," said Lucas calmly, "Salem is a happenin' place. Never a dull moment and my Mom told me some interesting news – do you want to hear it?"

Lucas didn't let her answer him, continuing on and Sami's stomach dropped, wondering what mischief Kate might be up to now.

"This is probably going to be news to you because I'm sure if you knew you would have already told me," began Lucas and there was a definite note of sarcasm in his voice, "But EJ DiMera has been shot – who would have believed it huh? A stand up guy like that having enemies."

"Lucas-" began Sami shakily, her heart beating wildly now.

"I told my Mom that you didn't know anything about that," continued on Lucas blithely, clearly trying to bait her now, "I mean, why would you keep such a thing from me, right Sami?"

"Lucas I did know," said Sami desperately trying to work out Lucas' angle with this strange mood he was in.

Lately Lucas seemed to have all these new personality she'd never even seen before and it was beginning to worry Sami.

"Well that's a funny thing for you to keep from me Sami," he commented flatly, "Care to share why you did?"

"I know you aren't exactly a fan of EJ's-" Sami began hastily.

"I hate the guy," interjected Lucas tersely, "We both do."

When Sami didn't answer that he continued to push, not letting it go unfortunately for her.

"Right Sami?" he asked tightly, "We both hate EJ DiMera for all that he's done to you and your family?"

"I just didn't think you'd be interested in anything about EJ," said Sami, avoiding the question.

"If it's him getting what is coming to him then hell yeah I'm interested," said Lucas dourly, "Even with this bum leg I'd be dancing on his grave."

"Lucas!" Sami gasped in horror, "That's a terrible thing to say!"

"How is being happy about one less twisted DiMera in the world a horrible thing to say?" asked Lucas, obviously annoyed by her reaction to all this.

"I don't really want to talk about this anymore," said Sami shortly, feeling herself begin to shake with the almost uncontrollable urge to start screaming at Lucas for what he was saying.

She took a deep breath and looked up to the heavens, trying to calm herself down.

"So how is Will?" she asked, changing the subject again to a more neutral subject.

She was finding Lucas' obvious glee at EJ's misfortune a little hard to deal with and could only imagine what the fallout of her decision to be with EJ was going to be like once she'd told him. It was going to be ugly for sure. Lucas paused, clearly taking note of her rather abrupt subject change but in the end deciding not to comment on it.

"Good," said Lucas at last, "We're going snowboarding later."

"That's great," said Sami, injecting as much enthusiasm as she could into that statement, "So your leg is feeling much better than?"

"Not really," said Lucas dourly, his earlier happy mood seeming to have totally evaporated now, "I'm going to be cheering from the side lines."

"Oh Lucas," said Sami unhappily, "I'm sorry."

"Yeah well Carrie's trying to get me to see a doctor over here," said Lucas and Sami could hear the reluctance in his voice.

"This has been going on for a long time," said Sami with a frown, "Maybe a second opinion would be a good idea. I mean you're still in a lot of pain and they haven't really been able to give you any kind of relief from that here have they?"

There was the slightest of pauses before Lucas agreed.

"No," he said, "Nothing seems to really help."

"Well maybe you should do as Carrie suggests?" said Sami stiffly, finding it hard to agree with her sister on anything but she was trying to think of Lucas' welfare in this and not let history get in the way of doing the right thing.

"You getting sick of dealing with invalids Sami?" asked Lucas tightly.

"Wh-what do you mean?" stammered Sami, suddenly worried that someone had reported back to Lucas how much time she was spending with EJ.

If it was anyone it was going to be Kate thought Sami sourly wishing she could have that woman out of her life once and for all.

"Well you've been running around after me for months now," said Lucas and she could hear the shrug in his voice and she released a secret breath of relief to find out he was referring to himself, "You must be over it."

"Lucas I wanted to help you to get better," said Sami a little shakily after the fright she'd given herself.

"That's very noble of you Sami," said Lucas and she couldn't quite decipher the tone in his voice when he said that.

"Lucas is something the matter?" asked Sami worriedly, almost wishing he'd call her out on what she'd been doing since he'd been gone so she could get this out in the open but unfortunately Lucas seemed as clueless as ever.

"I'm just tired Sami," he said with a sigh, "I don't mean to take it out on you honey – I love you."

"Well make sure you get some rest won't you?" said Sami with a frown, "Don't let Will get you to do too much with him, he's got to understand you're not at full strength at the moment."

"I will," said Lucas, "Look I've got to go, seeya."

"Bye-" but Lucas had already hung out before Sami could say more than that.

She looked down at the phone in her hand, her frown deepening and couldn't help but be concerned by the erratic nature of that phone call. Sami didn't know if she had the strength to worry about one more thing though at this point and seeing as Lucas was a long way away and there really was nothing she could do about him right then she determinedly tried to put it out of her head. Sami pocketed her phone and took a deep breath before continuing to walk back down the corridor and back to EJ.

oooOOOOooo

"Hey Dad – are you watching?!"

"I'm watching Will!" called back Lucas as he sat on a bench where there were some gentle slopes that his son was currently snowboarding on, showing off his latest tricks, "Great job!"

Will grinned and waved at him before picking up his board and starting to run back up the slope so he could go again. While his back was turned Lucas quickly pulled a flask out of his heavy coat and took a swig, the alcohol warming him from the inside out with its familiar caress. The new pills had worked to a point but Lucas had found for best results taking them with alcohol couldn't be beaten. He knew he was breaking all the rules with his recovery process from drinking but he told himself this was purely medicinal so it didn't really count. Lucas knew that was wrong thinking on his behalf but he really didn't want to examine that too closely right then. Waiting for Will to make another run Lucas' thoughts turned to his conversation with Sami earlier that day and his face darkened.

"Stupid," he muttered to himself and stole another quick drink, "Stupid, stupid, stupid."

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & THIRTY FOUR**** – ****Twist in the Tale**

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

_~Eleanor Roosevelt~_

"Are you alright sweetheart?" asked EJ, looking at Sami intently as she began to clear away his food tray.

"I'm fine," said Sami, looking back at him in surprise, "I keep telling you EJ, there is no need to worry about me."

"I'll always worry about you Samantha," said EJ simply, "How can I not? Your happiness means everything to me."

Sami smiled to hear that as she came to sit back down beside him.

"And yours means everything to me," she said, looking at him lovingly.

There were so many other things to worry about for Sami but when she was near EJ they suddenly didn't seem that important or scary. Just his presence filled Sami with a sense of safety and well being that she'd never experienced before in her life.

"I love you EJ," she said softly.

She'd said the words to him so many times now but it still didn't seem like it was enough. It was an impossible task Sami decided, to convey her feelings with mere words. EJ didn't answer right away; instead he stared at her so intently that Sami started to become nervous.

"All of this still seems so unreal to me," he admitted to her at last, "Do you really mean it Samantha? Do you really love me?"

"More than I thought it humanly possible to love another person," said Sami without hesitation, wondering where his doubt was coming from.

"It makes me so happy when you say those words to me Samantha," he said, his eyes burning brightly into hers, "I don't know if you understand just what it does to me."

"Probably what you saying them does to me," said Sami ruefully, "My knees go weak and I can't breathe and all I want to do is just start kissing you and never stop."

"You hid that pretty well up until recently," commented EJ, still watching her carefully.

"No I didn't," she laughed and then reminded him, "I didn't fool you for a minute. You knew from day one that I was hopelessly lost in you and that is why you didn't give up."

Sami suddenly looked worried then.

"I mean that is why you didn't give up right?" asked Sami with a frown.

"No," said EJ without hesitation and Sami's stomach tightened painfully before he continued on, "I was the one hopelessly lost in you sweetheart and that is why I couldn't give up."

"Oh," said Sami with a sigh of relief, "You scared me there for a minute EJ."

"Really?" asked EJ in surprise.

Sami was shocked at his surprise, worried that he didn't truly believe how important he was to her now and really she couldn't blame him for his hesitancy. It wasn't like she'd made it easy for him over the last few months and it must be a lot for him to take in, her abrupt about face. The truth was that she'd been about to tell him everything when a split second later he'd been shot and Sami had been robbed of the opportunity to come clean with him about everything then and now she was tangled up in keeping secrets with Stefano which Sami still hated. The one thing she could be completely honest with him about though was how she felt about him.

"EJ," said Sami suddenly very emotional, desperate for him to understand, "Everyone in my life has given up on me at some point and I that is why I fought you for so long. I didn't believe that anyone could love me like you said you did. I was too frightened to let myself think that I was worthy of being loved like that by anyone so I pushed you away."

She gave a watery smile and blinked rapidly, trying to find a way to communicate what she was feeling.

"In every possible way you've overwhelmed me EJ," she said softly, "You've opened my eyes to a world that I thought I'd never know. I feel like I'm just waking up for the longest possible sleep and I know it's all because of you. You saved me when no one else wanted to."

EJ reached out a hand and touched her cheek tenderly.

"I hate so much that you've spent your life feeling that way Samantha," he told her, his voice raw with his own emotion, "But I'm so very happy that I am the one to be the one to wake the sleeping princess."

"No one has ever called me a princess before," said Sami with an emotional little laugh before pulling a self deprecating face, "At least now without the word 'spoilt' in front of it."

"You deserve to be spoiled my darling," said EJ tenderly, "I intend to be the man for that particular job for the rest of our lives."

Sami knew she must be grinning like a loon but couldn't help herself.

"Speaking of the future," continued on EJ blithely and Sami couldn't help but tense again, worried he was going to start quizzing her about his prognosis, "I've been giving some thought to ours."

"You have?" asked Sami, still a little nervous as to where this might be going.

"Haven't you?" asked EJ, that intent look back on his face again.

"Truthfully all I'm thinking up to is you getting out of hospital," said Sami, "That's it."

"Well I've had some time on my hands of late," said EJ with a lopsided smile, "And I have been giving it a lot of thought."

"And what have you come up with?" asked Sami with a little smile, settling more comfortably in her chair and happy to listen to thoughts of the future particularly while the present was still pretty grim.

"Well I was thinking after you've spoken to Lucas," EJ paused when she made a face.

"I'm not really looking forward to that," she admitted but then quickly hurried on when she saw EJ's expression, "But I can't wait to get it over and done with and behind us."

It was true, telling Lucas was hanging like a heavy weight over her, Sami both dreading it but needing to get it done desperately as well.

"I know it will be hard for you," said EJ quietly.

"Just like it will be hard for you to break with your father," asked Sami hesitantly, "You're going to still do that right?"

Sami was still very nervous about how that was going to play out but basically she was taking it one crisis at a time and planning on worrying about that when it came to it.

"I want us to start our own life together," said EJ firmly, "Free of all the expectations of either of our families."

"Will it really be that easy to say no to your father?" fretted Sami, unable to keep in her concerns totally.

"Samantha ultimately my father wants me to be happy," said EJ reassuringly, "That is the bottom line."

"I thought the bottom line was that what he says goes?" asked Sami flatly, not as convinced of Stefano's altruism as EJ obviously was, "What Stefano DiMera wants, Stefano DiMera gets."

"I'm his son Samantha," said EJ confidently, "Things are a little different when it comes to family."

Sami tried to smile at that but inside she was still very worried that EJ might have that very wrong. After all she'd banked on the fact that Stefano would turn on one of his own when it went against his plans in telling him what Tony had done and it looked like now she'd been right to do so. Stefano had handed over Tony to the law with barely a second thought and Sami wasn't quite so naive as EJ seemed to be that he wouldn't do the exact same thing with his youngest child.

"Hey you believe me don't you?" asked EJ, obviously still able to see the uncertainty on her face.

"I believe I can't wait until all of this is over," said Sami honestly, "And we can start our living our lives again."

"To that end," smiled EJ, "I was going to tell you about my plans for our future."

"That's right you were," said Sami with an answering smile.

"Well I was thinking that we've really started to build a strong product in Mythic," began EJ.

"We have," nodded Sami enthusiastically, "I love going to work there."

"We're doing well with the business but I think we can do even better," said EJ self-assuredly, "With the two of us at the helm I think we can take Mythic to untold heights."

"The three of us don't you mean?" asked Sami sourly, "You're forgetting Kate."

"Indeed I'm not," said EJ simply, "I'm going to buy her out so that the company is ours and no one else's. We'll build our own empire the way we want it to be. I don't need to inherit my father's, you and I Samantha, we can make something that is truly our own."

"Oh EJ!" exclaimed Sami excitedly, "That sounds wonderful! I'd love that."

Sami stopped then for a moment and realised the full extent of what EJ was saying.

"So you're talking about firing Kate then?" she asked, unable to stop the little gleam in her eye at the thought.

"I'm going to suggest that it is in her best possible interest to retire gracefully from the scene," said EJ straight faced.

"So you're essentially going to throw her out on her ancient ass right?" asked Sami, unable to hide her glee at that thought.

"Something that appeals I see," said EJ in amusement at the expression on Sami's face.

"Oh EJ," said Sami excitedly, grabbing his arm, "Can I do it – can I be the one to tell Kate she is outta there?!"

"I'm sensing that you wouldn't find the most delicate of ways to tell Kate her services are no longer required," said EJ with a little laugh.

"No," snorted Sami, "I'd do it in the most public and embarrassing place I could if I had my way."

Sami sighed then and sent EJ a regretful look, knowing that probably wasn't going to be the best way to go about things.

"Maybe I should stop poking that particular bear and try and be a grown up about this?" mused Sami reluctantly, "I mean Kate has only ever caused me trouble so maybe it's time I try the discretion is the better part of valour approach with her."

"Really?" asked EJ with interest, cocking his head and looking at her in surprise.

"Sure, why not," shrugged Sami, "I feel like I've grown and matured so much lately that I don't need to resort to the petty one upmanship that we've had going on for so long now."

"That's very admirable of you sweetheart", said EJ with a quirk of his lips but then gave her a considered look, "But you still want to be the one who essentially fires her don't you?"

"So much," said Sami without hesitation and they both grinned.

"My wicked girl," said EJ, looking at her adoringly, "My impossibly beautiful and gloriously wicked girl."

"I am what I am," said Sami and for the first time in her life she didn't feel the need to apologise for that fact.

"So am I hearing some approval for my plan?" asked EJ indulgently, "I mean there is no need to even stay in Salem if we don't want to. We could set up headquarters where ever we wanted and then travel the world and expand the business as we go."

Sami looked at him wide eyed, realising just how much her life was going to change when she and EJ were finally going to be free to be together. It was a life she'd never even dared hoped for and EJ was laying it all out her feet. It was exhilarating and terrifying at the same time to have her dreams placed within her grasp.

"Samantha?" asked EJ, a little uncertainly when she just looked at him without speaking, too overwhelmed to find the words to tell him what that kind of future meant to her.

EJ didn't know that was what she was thinking though because now he was looking at her worriedly.

"That is what you want isn't it?" he asked with a bit of a frown as she struggled to find her voice.

"I-" Sami began to try and tell him but was interrupted a short knock on the door.

EJ and Sami both turned to see Bo standing in the doorway, looking at them rather closely and noticing how Sami's hand was on EJ's arm.

"Sami I need to speak with you for a minute," said Bo.

Sami swallowed hard, trying to read her uncle's face to see if he had good or bad news for her but couldn't quite tell. She looked back at EJ who was looking at her intently. Sami could only pray that Bo was going to tell her something that would mean she had one less thing to worry about.

Sami figured she was due a change of luck right about now.

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & THIRTY FIVE**** – ****Dazed and Confused**

We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.

_~Martin Luther King Jr~_

EJ and Sami looked at each other before both looking at Bo, waiting to speak with Sami.

"Actually Detective Brady we are in the middle of something right now," said EJ with a polite smile that didn't quite reach his eyes in response to Bo's request to speak to Sami alone.

Sami looked at the expression on her Uncle's face and knew he had something important to tell her and she really didn't want EJ to start asking questions that she couldn't answer right then.

"It's alright," she said quickly, smiling at Bo and nodding before looking back at EJ, "I'll only be a minute – I'll be right back EJ."

"Okay then," said EJ with a grimacing of resignation as he looked over at Bo, "I guess I'll be here."

"I won't be long," Sami promised him, "Just some family stuff."

EJ nodded but didn't look overly pleased.

Sami hurried out of the room after Bo, nodding briefly at the large, bald headed black man at the door, Robeto's counterpart Eddie. She didn't really give Bo a chance to say anything before she blurted out her question.

"Have you arrested Tony?" she asked him, looking up at her uncle with anxious expectation.

Bo tilted his head and looked at Sami for a moment before answering.

"We went to the mansion and questioned him and searched the place," Bo told her, "He didn't have an alibi-"

"I knew he was the one to do it!" exclaimed Sami fiercely and then made herself lower her voice, conscious that they might be others listening to their conversation given half a chance, "I knew he wouldn't send one of his men, that he'd want to do it himself."

"No alibi isn't enough to convict someone Sami," Bo reminded her dryly, "We then did a search of the mansion-"

"And did you find anything?" interrupted Sami impatiently, finding his slow story telling maddening.

"We found a gun," nodded Bo, "Several actually but one of them was in Tony's room."

"So you arrested him then?" asked Sami eagerly, starting to feel relief that Tony might finally be out of their life.

"We confiscated them to run some ballistics on," said Bo evenly, "And I just took a call from the lab half an hour ago to tell me that none of them match the bullet that was pulled out of EJ."

"What?" asked Sami in distress, her hopes dashed that it was going to be this easy.

"None of those guns shot EJ," said Bo with a little shrug.

"But you're still going to keep checking right?" asked Sami in growing horror as that seemed to be it from Bo's point of view.

It had been a vain hope that Tony might be so careless as to leave the gun he'd shot EJ with lying around for anyone to find but the man had been so cocky about all of this that Sami couldn't help but hope he might. Tony's greatest folly was his arrogance and Sami had hoped to use that against him but it appeared that wasn't going to be the case.

"There isn't much to check on Sami," Bo told her, trying to explain, "We don't have any kind of evidence to put him at the scene of the crime, some hearsay evidence from you that he threatened EJ-"

"It isn't hearsay!" said Sami heatedly, "He did threaten EJ!"

"Be that as it may," said Bo stoically, "Threatening someone is still a long way from putting two bullets in their back."

"I don't believe this," said Sami, shaking her head and fighting back emotional tears.

She'd staked everything on the police being able to find something incriminating about Tony when it came to the shooting and had hoped without Stefano's interference they may have actually found something but it seemed that wasn't to be the case. Sami wasn't sure what her next move was now and began to gnaw on her bottom lip anxiously.

"Sami what are you doing in the middle of all this?" asked Bo with a concerned look at his niece.

"I'm just trying to see that justice is done," she said stiffly.

"Since when do you care about justice for a DiMera?" asked Bo with an arched eyebrow.

"Oh so what?" asked Sami and couldn't help the tinge of bitterness in her voice, "I'm Sami Brady – the no good Brady who doesn't give a damn about anyone but herself – is that it?"

"That isn't what I meant at all Sami and you know it," said Bo firmly, "What I was asking is how you got mixed up in all of this craziness? You've got a big heart Sami and I'd hate to see that being taken advantage of."

"You think EJ is taking advantage of me?" asked Sami tightly, wondering why it was that her family seemed so sure of themselves that they could comment on something they didn't have the first idea about.

"I think he's a guy who is used to getting what he wants by any means necessary," said Bo dourly.

"So am I Uncle Bo," said Sami unapologetically, "I guess that was how we ended up being friends – we understand that about each other."

What Sami really wanted to say was that they were kindred spirits who were destined to be together and that she loved EJ with all of her heart and soul, flaws included and that he felt the same way about her. She couldn't though and it was getting increasingly hard for her to bite her tongue. If EJ hadn't been so sick still she would have contemplated flying to Switzerland to see Lucas and end their relationship once and for all, face to face but at this point she didn't feel she could leave EJ. Of course it would be easier if Lucas would come home but he seemed happily ensconced with Carrie, Austen and Will unfortunately for her plans.

"I don't think a Brady could ever understand a DiMera," said Bo flatly, "The way that family is with all of its secrets and lies."

"Our family has had plenty of those things in its time as well," said Sami resolutely, "Maybe we're not as different as you'd like to think Uncle Bo."

Bo looked taken aback by that statement.

"Are you condoning how the DiMera's conduct themselves as a family?" asked Bo in disbelief at even the suggestion.

"No," she said quietly, "Of course not but what I am saying is that you are trying to make this a completely black or white subject and it's not. There are many shades of grey and I don't think it's right to say that EJ is pure evil just because his father is. It's complicated."

"And do you really think you need more complications in your life Sami?" asked Bo, giving her the standard solicitous Brady look, "Haven't you had enough already?"

Sami looked back at him steadily and knew that in a roundabout way her uncle was asking her to not rock the boat and keep the status quo. She could see he was worried about her but at the same time he hadn't exactly asked her what she wanted, only leading questions about what he thought she should want – a quiet life, to do what the family thought was best for her. Sami suddenly realised that she'd been under this kind of silent expectation for her entire life, only fully understanding that now she had edged out from underneath all of that crippling expectation.

"So are the Salem PD going to do anything about Tony DiMera or not?" she asked him flatly, knowing there was no way of winning this argument right now so just cutting to the chase.

Bo made a troubled face at Sami's reaction to his question, obviously thinking that she was going to be more accepting of what he was telling her. Sami however was unapologetic though. Telling her family about her and EJ was clearly going to be an unpleasant experience but Sami was realising that either they loved her enough to accept her decision and what made her happy or they didn't. A thought like that would have terrified her before loving EJ but now it just made her a little sad. It was a strange, double edged gift that EJ had given her in releasing her from her prison of self doubt and needing to please others because she knew it would affect a lot of people's lives. Sami however couldn't regret it though because for the first time in her life she knew what it was to be free.

oooOOOOooo

"_You see," said Sam with a shake of her head, "I told you there is nothing to worry about. Sami is all about the future with you."_

She'd appeared as soon as Sami had left and in a way EJ was glad of the sounding board because that feeling of unease was back tenfold, especially as Sami had left him hanging about her reaction to the future he had planned for them. The nagging doubt about what it was Sami really wanted had returned despite EJ's best attempts to dismiss them.

"I don't know," said EJ with a bit of a frown as he watched Bo and Sami talk through the glass partition of his hospital room, not taking his eyes off her and trying to read her body language, "I'd love to know what they are talking about."

"_Ask her when she gets back," shrugged Sam._

"I intend to," said EJ grimly, "But something tells me that she won't say."

"_Maybe it's just embarrassing family business like her Dad's prostate exam going awry?" suggested Sam blithely._

"I don't think so," said EJ dourly.

His emotions were all over the place nowadays, one minute he was filled with euphoric joy at the thought of Sami loving him and then he was flooded with dark, anxious thoughts that all was not as it seemed.

"If only Samantha wasn't such an accomplished liar," muttered EJ fretfully.

"_That's one of the many things you love about her," argued Sam, "Why is it suddenly a problem now?"_

"It's a problem because I can't seem to get a straight answer from anyone about anything these days," said EJ darkly.

"_Why must you borrow trouble like this?" asked Sam in exasperation, "Just give yourself permission to be happy okay?"_

"I'm stuck in a hospital bed that no one seems to be able to tell me when I can get out of it, someone clearly wants me dead if the two bullet holes in my back are anything to go by and my father and Samantha are having whispered tête-à-têteswith one another that they won't tell me about and you think these are all things I should be happy about?" asked EJ tersely.

"_Granted there might be one or two flies in the old ointment but nothing is perfect right?" asked Sam with a shrug, "Just go with the flow my candied apple camel and ride this all out."_

"I'm not a go with the flow kind of a guy," said EJ bitingly, "I want to know what is going on!"

"_You know this situation might be like pate," mused Sam thoughtfully, "Just enjoy it for what it is and try not to think about the geese being forced fed grain and then having their liver's pureed. It kind of kills the fun factor when you think of mother goose being smeared on a cracker."_

"You're making no sense," growled EJ unhappily.

"_Says the man talking to an empty room," said Sam with an arched eyebrow, "Here's an idea mister – while you're in that glass house try not to throw stones okay-"_

Sam paused then, seeming to be thinking.

"_Or take your clothes off," she pondered, "I think that would be a biggie as well." _

"If Samantha won't tell me what she and Bo are talking about I'll know for sure that this isn't in my head," said EJ tightly, ignoring Sam's ramblings, he always found that the best way to cope with them.

"_There's a plan," said Sam sarcastically. _

Before EJ could form a suitable retort Sami was walking back into the room and she looked decidedly stress even though she was putting a brave face on it.

"Sorry about that," she said with a smile.

"That's alright sweetheart," said EJ evenly.

"_Don't go there Elvis," warned Sam with a shake of her head but EJ wasn't listening._

"I'm sorry EJ," she said regretfully, "I've got some errands I need to run but I'll be back soon I promise."

"Is everything alright?" he asked her, watching her face intently.

"Of course it is," she said brightly, too brightly for EJ's liking, "Why wouldn't it be?"

"What did Bo want?" asked EJ, feeling his frustration grow as she brushed off his questions yet again.

"He just wanted to check on a couple of details of my statement," said Sami easily and EJ studied her face, trying to see if she was lying to him.

He was finding it a little hard to focus for some reason though and he shook his head, trying to clear it.

"Are you alright?" she asked him in concern, moving over to his side.

"Just a bit dizzy for a minute," he said dismissively, "It's nothing."

"Why don't you get some rest while I'm gone?" she said softly, brushing the hair from his forehead, "You're looking tired all of a sudden-"

Sami frowned then as her fingers brushed his forehead and the turned her hand, resting the back of it against his forehead.

"And you feel a little hot EJ," she told him worriedly.

"I feel fine Samantha," said EJ, his hand reaching up to encircle her wrist and pull it from his face, "You said you were going so don't dally on my account."

"EJ?" Sami looked down at him with real worry now at his sudden change in mood.

"I'm sorry sweetheart," he said with a tired smile, forcing himself to appear fine so he could reassure her, "I am a little tired after all, perhaps I will have a sleep."

"I love you," she said softly, leaning in to kiss his lips softly.

EJ managed a smile at her words but they didn't shake the growing dread in the pit of his stomach.

"I'll be back soon," she told him with a loving smile, touching his arm lightly, "Can I get you anything? You barely touched your lunch."

"I wasn't hungry," said EJ simply, "It's not like I'm doing much with my days to work up an appetite."

"I suppose not," said Sami a little uncertainly.

She smiled then, squeezing his hand.

"Get some rest," she told him, "I'll be here when you wake up."

EJ smiled and nodded, watching as she left the room, the smile leaving his face once she was gone.

"Maybe you will Samantha," he said quietly, "But I have to wonder why."

Sam sat in the corner and shook her head in disgust.

"_This guy is so much work," she muttered to herself and gave a heavy sigh. _

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & THIRTY SIX**** – ****Oh What a Tangled Web We Weave****...**

When you grow suspicious of a person and begin a system of espionage upon them,

your punishment will be that you will find your suspicions true.

_~Elbert Hubbard~_

EJ moved restlessly in his bed, finding it hard to get comfortable. He reached for the drink of water beside the bed and grimaced as his suddenly aching muscles protested bitterly. EJ drank the water in a couple of thirsty gulps and found that he was still parched. Rubbing his face tiredly he found that his face was a little sweaty and he pulled at the oxygen line around his face that the nurse had put on him that morning, telling him his oxygen sats were a bit low and he needed some help. Sami was still out running her mystery errand whatever it was and EJ was not in good spirits.

He actually felt worse than he did yesterday but was reluctant to tell anyone that in case they kept him in hospital longer than EJ deemed necessary. He hated being in the hospital, people fussing around him and not being in charge of his own life. It was beginning to get on his nerves and EJ knew he was taking it out on those closest to him like Sami but that being said he still knew that she was deeply worried about something that she wasn't sharing with him and EJ couldn't help but be nervous at that thought. EJ looked up at his father walked through the doors, smiling down at him happily.

"Hello my son," he smiled cheerily.

"Hello father," said EJ and found his voice to be a little thready as he said that.

Stefano instantly frowned and came to sit on his son's bed, looking at him with concern.

"Are you alright?" he asked worriedly, taking in EJ's rather clammy looking appearance and the oxygen line under his nose, "Why are you back on oxygen Elvis?"

"The nurses are just being overly cautious," dismissed EJ easily, "I feel fine Father – just fed up being stuck in bed like this. How much longer before they let me get up and start moving around again? I know I've just had surgery but I thought they liked to get patients moving again soon after, that it speeds the recovery process. Why hasn't anyone even attempted that with me?"

"My son you still have a bullet lodged in your spine," tutted Stefano, "You cannot be moving around until the swelling has subsided and they are certain there is no danger of it shifting and causing you permanent harm eh? You must be patient."

"I'm sick of being patient Father," said EJ shortly.

"If it did not try you Elvis then it would not be called patience eh?" reasoned Stefano with a half smile, "I know this is frustrating for you but you must look to the future and not on how things are now – a future that includes Samantha hm?"

EJ looked away, feeling the increasingly nervous feeling he was getting when he thought of his future with Sami. No matter how hard he tried EJ couldn't get it to go away because he knew she wasn't being totally honest with him about something and the not knowing what about was beginning to do his head in.

"Elvis?" pushed Stefano when EJ wouldn't look at him or answer him, "You understand that yours and Samantha's futures are very bright together. She has already informed me that you are to be married in the near future."

"She said that?" asked EJ, looking back at his father in surprised happiness.

"Oh yes," smiled Stefano, "Ms Brady was very insistent that you and she would be married and that I was to mind my own business about the two of you when that happens."

EJ blinked, having to admit that did sound a lot like something Sami would say. She and his father had seemed to have forged some kind of truce over his sick bed but EJ knew it had to be a tenuous one at best. Sami wasn't one to keep her feeling to herself and EJ was quite sure that if Stefano pressed the right buttons she'd have no compunction about letting rip with her feelings on something.

"She is very young and unschooled in the ways of being a DiMera," said Stefano indulgently, obviously not fazed by Sami's rebelliousness, "It will be your role to groom her in our ways as I have done with you."

"I don't see Samantha being particularly amenable to being groomed somehow Father," said EJ dryly, thinking now was not a good time to bring up his plans to break from the family business.

EJ knew he'd need all his strength to be able to do that right and now his attentions were too divided to even contemplate it.

"You have chosen a woman full of fire and passion," agreed Stefano approvingly, "I have no doubt that there will be much conflict between the two of you until she understands her role in our household. You are a strong man Elvis and I believe you will need all of that strength to keep Samantha Brady in line until she understands her place. It will be not easy with such a passionate woman but your life will never be dull eh?"

Stefano gave a little chuckle at that thought, encouraging EJ to join in but he was rather concerned by what his father had just said.

"Father I don't want some kind of chattel in a wife," he frowned, "Samantha is her own person and I would never want to change that about her. I want my wife to stand by my side in a real partnership."

"But even in a partnership there must be a head and you must be that head," said Stefano firmly, "Women are wonderful my son but they think too much with their heart – they need the firm hand of a man on them to steer their way through life."

EJ didn't say anything for a long time, just looked at his father steadily.

"What is it my son?" asked Stefano innocently, clearly unaware that he might have said anything out of place, "What are you thinking?"

"I think that is a very interesting take on what a marriage is Father," said EJ evenly, "And now I am suddenly not all that surprise that you have been unmarried for so long now."

"Woman are a distraction unless you find the right one," said Stefano in amusement, not taking offence at EJ's observations, "Only a strong woman can endure our way of life."

"A strong woman who nonetheless does what we tell her to do?" asked EJ with an arched eyebrow.

"It is indeed a rare combination," agreed Stefano with a quirk of his lips, "But I believe that you have found it in your Samantha. She is strong but she loves you enough to follow your lead, whatever that might be."

EJ wasn't exactly sure about that and definitely didn't want that kind of devotion from Sami. He'd stood there and watch her sacrifice her true self for the likes of Austen and Lucas, pretending to be something she wasn't to please them. The last thing EJ wanted was to put her back in a position where she had to give up who she was to fit in. For the first time EJ really understood Sami's reservations about being a part of his family, could see why she feared it after having heard his father's views. It was something he'd never really considered before but it seemed that Stefano was just as intent on making her over into something she wasn't as Sami's own family.

EJ knew he couldn't protect her from her own family and then fail to do so with his. He and Sami were right to start a life, a family of their own where they didn't have to answer or fit into the expectations of either set of families. EJ felt a twinge of sadness in that moment – it was the moment most children have when they realise that their parents weren't quite who they thought they were. It was a moment of loss but EJ also knew it was necessary for him to begin to separate himself for his father for a time so that he could build his new life with Sami. Although before that could happen EJ felt that he needed to ask something of his father.

"You look tired," said Stefano, patting EJ's hand and standing up from the bed, "I will leave you to rest."

He looked around then and then back EJ as he stood up.

"Samantha will be back soon no?" Stefano asked.

"Yes," nodded EJ and looked intently up at his father, "Actually I have something I need to ask of you regarding Samantha Father."

"But of course," said Stefano quickly, "Name it and I will make it happen."

"I know Samantha is very worried about something," said EJ seriously, "Something she won't tell me about."

"The man she loves is in hospital," said Stefano with a little shrug, "This would worry any woman would it not?"

"No it's not that," said EJ firmly with a shake of his head, "Not just that anyway. There is something else that she just isn't telling me and I think I might have an idea."

"Oh," said Stefano, looking at EJ expectantly, "And what might that be my son?"

"Someone is trying to kill me," said EJ, hoping he was right in what he was about to suggest, "I think Samantha is worried for her safety as well because of our relationship but doesn't want to tell me that for fear of upsetting me."

"That is possible," agreed Stefano thoughtfully.

"I hate the thought of that Father," said EJ tightly, "I'm useless to her right now, stock in this blasted hospital bed and unable to protect her like I should."

"And you would like me to ensure her safety hm?" Stefano posed the question.

"More than anything," said EJ seriously, sitting up in the bed a little now as his voice began to rise, "I need to know that Samantha is safe Father, I can't think of anything else that is more important right now!"

"Alright, alright," soothed Stefano quickly, seeing how agitated EJ was becoming, "Calm yourself Elvis, of course I will do as you ask. Samantha will be perfectly safe, you are not to concern yourself – I will make certain nothing untoward happens to her, rest assured."

EJ leant back on the pillows heavily, his energy spent at that outburst and starting to shake again.

"Don't let anything happen to her," EJ rasped to his father, his eyes full of anguish, "It would kill me to lose Samantha, I don't think I could go on."

"You will not lose Samantha," said Stefano reassuringly, walking up to the bed now and patting EJ on the shoulder, "You two will have a long life together and give me many beautiful grandchildren to bounce on my knee eh? Think of these happy things Elvis and do not fret about anything. I am your father and I will make all things right."

EJ looked up him and truly wished it could be that easy, his Father's comforting words wash over him and let himself believe them for a few moments.

oooOOOOooo

"So did you get all your errands run?" asked EJ, watching as Sami fussed with his bed sheets, tucking them in more tightly.

"Aha," she said, not looking at him.

"I don't suppose any of those errands involved speaking with Lucas?" asked EJ, moving restlessly in the bed.

"No," said Sami, looking a bit taken aback at his question.

"I was rather hoping you might have and that Lucas had given you an idea about when he planned to return home to Salem," said EJ evenly, "Any news on that front sweetheart?"

"I don't know EJ," said Sami hopelessly, "Lucas is kind of vague on the phone when I talk to him nowadays. It's very frustrating."

"I know how he feels," said EJ darkly.

Sami looked at him in surprise at that comment.

"EJ," she said earnestly, "I'm just as anxious as you are to have Lucas come home and I can tell him the truth about us."

"Are you?" asked EJ grimly.

"Yes," said Sami firmly, "I want to be honest with Lucas."

"You know I've been thinking about that," said EJ a little tightly, "I don't think you telling him over the phone would be a very big deal in the long run. I mean he's going to hate you either way and the longer you leave it the more intense that hatred will be."

"Thank you for pointing that out for me EJ," said Sami flatly, "But I'm trying to minimise the fallout here for Will's sake if nothing else. Can you imagine if I dumped him now while he's there with Carrie and Austen? They would be out burning effigies of me in a heartbeat and dragging Will into that as well!"

"So basically you care about everyone's opinion of you but mine?" offered up EJ tightly, horrified that those words were coming out of his mouth but unable to stop them as he felt himself beginning to shake uncontrollably.

"That's a horrible thing to say EJ!" said Sami sharply, "And you know it isn't true! I love you, of course your opinion is important to me but up until right now you've told me that you understand why I feel like I have to do it this way! What's with the sudden about face on the subject?"

"Maybe it's because I'm sick and tired of sharing you with the entire world Samantha?" suggested EJ harshly.

"Just because we are in love doesn't mean the rest of the world ceases to exist EJ," said Sami unevenly, her eyes starting to become very bright now with unshed tears, "No matter how much we might want it to – there are things that have to be dealt with – things with consequences."

Some horrible little voice whispered in his ear that Sami was very adept at turning on the water works when it suited her and maybe this was all it was. It didn't matter though, seeing Sami looking so misty eyed undid EJ either way and he closed his eyes, trying to get himself back under control as Sami turned her back to him a little, blinking rapidly.

"I'm sorry Samantha," he said quietly, "Please sweetheart, don't cry."

"I'm not," said Sami, not looking at him though.

"Samantha," he said intently, "Look at me."

Sami didn't for a long moment and then finally she turned her head, quickly wiping away some tears that had escaped and streaked down her cheeks.

"I just want to know what is going on," he told her, his voice a little uneven, "I want you to know you can tell me anything."

"I know I can," she said softly, her bottom lip trembling.

"So tell me what is bothering you?" EJ prompted her quietly, "Samantha I want to help you."

Sami looked at him and gave him a tremulous smile.

"You're amazing," she said emotionally.

"I am?" asked EJ in surprise at her reaction, "Why?"

"Because you are lying in a hospital bed with a bullet still in your back and you are worried about me," said Sami, turning to face him properly, "I love you so much for that."

She leant in and kissed him and for a moment EJ forgot everything else at the taste of her in his mouth.

"Come on," she said softly, lying on the bed beside him and laying her head on the pillow next to his, "You still look so tired EJ and I'm just exhausted as well. Let's just lie here for a little while and we can both get some rest."

EJ wanted to protest that he wanted answers more than he wanted rest but the truth was he'd been finding it hard to keep his eyes open for awhile now. With Sami snuggled in beside him EJ found the battle to stay awake a near impossible one to win and despite his desperate need to find out what was going on his body betrayed him and he'd fallen asleep next to the comfort of her body before EJ even knew what had happened. The last thing he heard was Sami whispering in his ear.

"I love you EJ DiMera, body and soul – I love you."

oooOOOOooo

"So what did the doctor say?" asked Stefano, looking down at EJ as he slept fitfully.

"That he's got a fever that they can't seem to get on top of," said Sami, chewing on her bottom lip worriedly as she stood on the other side of EJ looking down at him as well.

She'd fallen asleep next to him only to be woken up about fifteen minutes later by EJ beginning to shake violently and how incredibly hot his body suddenly was. In a panic she'd called the nurses and they'd fiddled with drip lines, put some ice packs on him and called the doctor. The doctor had come and there had been more poking and prodding of the still sleeping EJ and bloods collected and despite Sami pushing the doctor for information she'd been told to just 'wait and see' how things went. It had taken all of Sami's self restraint not to hit the doctor and scream at him to do something but Stefano had made sure to get the best doctor's looking after his son so Sami supposed he knew what he was talking about. It hadn't made it any easier though and it hadn't been helped when Stefano had turned up, demanding to know what was going on with his son.

"So what are they doing about it?" asked Stefano forcefully.

"Running tests," said Sami hopelessly, "I don't know – they all seem confident that this will pass."

Stefano made an unimpressed grunting noise at that observation and Sami looked at him, ready to take her stress out on Stefano.

"And when EJ wakes up again I'm going to tell him everything," said Sami defiantly, "About his legs, about Tony threatening me and trying to kill him. I can't keep the truth from him anymore Stefano, I can't. He keeps asking me and I keep having to lie to him to put him off – I hate it!"

"I am sure it is not the first time you've had to do something you hated my dear," said Stefano flatly, "And you will continue to do it because it is what is best for Elvis."

"Being lied to isn't what is best for EJ," said Sami tightly, "EJ knows something is wrong and it's only adding to his own stress when I won't tell him what it is."

"Then I suggest you improve your lying ability," said Stefano with an arched eyebrow, "I wouldn't think that would be such a problem for Samantha Brady after all – is it not one of your fortes?"

"I don't want to lie to EJ anymore," she said tersely, "I want him to know everything."

"This isn't about your wants but rather about my son's needs," said Stefano, his voice beginning to rise, "You will do as I say or-"

"Or what?" she asked him bitterly, "You'll kill me or someone in my family Stefano? Do you people know any other kind of way to operate that doesn't involve threats and violence?!"

"I am doing what is in the best interests of my son," said Stefano sharply, "And I will not apologise for that. You are not to say anything to him of our little understandings!"

"I did what you wanted me to do now you keep up your end of the bargain," said Sami tersely, "Keep my family safe!"

"It is already being done Samantha," said Stefano calmly, "You need not worry but I want you to understand your place in this family. I am head of the household and I say how things will be, not you."

"Really?" asked Sami sarcastically, "I guess Tony didn't get that memo because he is going around putting bullets in the back of your chosen heir. You make out like you've got everything under control but you've got nothing while Tony is still roaming free with his own agenda."

"It was with little surprise that I heard the Salem police department were unable to prove my son had anything to do with Elvis' shooting," said Stefano coolly.

Sami gritted her teeth at his thinly veiled dig at the police department that was heavily laden with Brady's but couldn't really argue their case when they had indeed failed to find anything to tie Tony to the attempt on EJ's life.

"So does that mean you think Tony is innocent?" asked Sami tightly, knowing she would be in a world of trouble if Stefano said yes.

"Samantha," said Stefano evenly, "I will take care of things with Tony – you need not worry about him any longer."

"What does that mean?" Sami frowned.

"It means that I will take care of things," said Stefano, staring back at her with his characteristically cool look.

Sami glared back, not backing down.

"This isn't right Stefano," she said tightly, "This isn't what is best for EJ no matter what you say. You just don't want to face the reality about what has happened to his legs or about Tony and you're making EJ suffer because of it."

Stefano's eyes narrowed and Sami fought valiantly to hold his gaze under such a deadly stare but found an inner reserve of strength to stare him down.

"Just how much longer are you expecting me to keep this façade up for Stefano?" she asked resentfully, knowing in her heart that EJ thinking she was keeping things from him was more harmful than any truth to them.

"Until I say so," said Stefano simply, his expression set in stone now, "You are not making the rules here Samantha and for everyone's sake I suggest you remember that."

Sami didn't answer him, not caring what Stefano said, she knew that the next time she and EJ spoke she was going to tell him the truth because it wasn't in her to lie to him anymore and see the worry in his eyes any longer.

oooOOOOooo

EJ jerked awake, as though suddenly startled by something.

"Samantha!" he rasped, her name loud in the quiet room.

"I'm here," said Sami quickly, moving to his side, "I'm here EJ."

"You're lying to me!" he accused her out of the blue, his eyes wide and feverish looking, "You're lying to me Samantha – I know everything!"

He grabbed at her arm, pulling her closer to him.

"I saw you, you thought I didn't but I did and now I know," he declared unevenly.

"EJ what are you talking about?" asked Sami in confusion, very worried now at how agitated and vaguely incoherent he was being, "I'm going to call a nurse."

"You'd like that wouldn't you!" he said harshly, "You'd like me to die in this bed and end all of your troubles."

"You're talking crazy EJ," said Sami earnestly, "The only thing I want is for you to get better so we can be together."

"Liar!" he hissed the accusation, "You never loved me, all you've done is lie to me from the beginning!"

"EJ no!" said Sami, tears gathering in her eyes at him saying that, "Don't say that. I do love you- EJ!!"

Suddenly EJ's eyes rolled back in his head and he began to fit violently, the whole bed rattling noisily. Sami gave a little scream of fear and started shouting for help and frantically pressing at the call button for the doctors and nurses to come.

"EJ please no!" she cried out in distress, terrified that she was watching him die before her very eyes as she tried to stop him from thrashing about, "Oh god EJ!"

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & THIRTY SEVEN**** – ****Falling Even Deeper Into You**

Fantasies are more than substitutes for unpleasant reality;

they are also dress rehearsals, plans.

All acts performed in the world begin in the imagination.

_~Barbara Grizzuti Harrison~_

"I love you EJ DiMera, body and soul – I love you."

EJ settled back on the bed, a huge smile curving his lips as Sami began to kiss her way down his stomach.

"Nice," he sighed happily, tangling in fingers loosely in her soft, blonde hair.

She looked up at him from her position at his stomach, a knowing smile on her face as she slowly licked her lips. EJ felt his body tense at that look, certain she had untold delights awaiting him and couldn't wait. Sami sat up then and pulled the little blue slip she was wearing off over her head and to EJ's delight she was now almost as naked as he was, only a pair of simple white panties left on her body that were remarkably sexy to EJ.

"Gorgeous," groaned EJ, instinctively reaching out to cup one of her breasts, his thumb running back and forth against her nipple and it hardened accommodatingly for him.

Sami's smile widened to see the fascinated adoration in his face as he fondled her breast and moved closer, knowing what he wanted. She straddled his stomach and moved up his body as EJ sat up on his elbows and Sami took his head in her hands and kissed him deeply.

EJ groaned into the passionate kiss, having missed so much being able to kiss her during their love making for such a long time. Without breaking the kiss EJ's hands went to her panties and pulled them down and Sami helped him to remove them from her body. Just kissing her had made EJ more than ready to complete their union. He began to pull on her hips, urging her back towards his manhood that was at full attention and yearning for her.

"Wait," she said huskily, breaking the kiss and shaking her head at him as she resisted him, "Not yet – I want to get you bigger EJ, I want you to make me scream the place down with how big you are when you mount me."

EJ swallowed hard at what Sami was saying, loving it when she was so open about what she wanted from him like this.

"Would you like me to scream for you EJ?" she asked with a sultry look at him, no doubt knowing the answer to that question by the look on his face but asking it anyway.

A violent shudder ran through EJ's body in delicious anticipation of that first coupling again after what had felt like an eternity.

"Yes," he rasped eagerly, "God yes."

"Thought you might," she purred knowingly as she began to sidle back down his body until she was now astride his legs this time.

His pulsating erection was now level with her face as Sami continued to look up along his body at her, knowing he was mesmerised by her every move. EJ's hard on twitched wildly, eager for her touch and didn't she just know it as Sami made him wait for it until he was almost screaming his need for her.

"Do you know how good it feels when I have to work so hard to take all of you my love?" she asked throatily, "How it makes me feel to know that I've gotten you that big and hard."

"Samantha," complained EJ through gritted teeth, worried he was going to lose his control any second before she even touched him if she continued to tease him like this.

"What's the matter sweetheart?" she asked him, eyes wide open and impossibly innocent looking, "Do you need me to do something for you?"

"Please," he begged her, swallowing hard as any other words were completely beyond him at that point.

"That doesn't really answer my question now does it EJ?" she tutted regretfully.

"Samantha!" he moaned in frustration, unable to stand much more of this.

"Would you like to be in my mouth now EJ?" she asked him huskily.

"Yes!" he bit out, looking at her with feverish eyes, licking his lips unconsciously as he propped himself up on his elbows to look down at her, "Please, Samantha I need you, I think I'm going to die if you don't touch me!"

"Oh well," she said with a musical little laugh at his desperate statement, "We can't have that now can we?"

EJ watched in mesmerised delight as Sami as lifted her head up above his fiercely engorged member and then promptly took him into her mouth, sinking down on him and taking an impressive amount of his swollen flesh into her mouth. EJ moaned loudly, the sensation of the hot, wet cavern of Sami's mouth encasing him like that making him throw his head back as he was still propped up on his elbows. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly as she immediately began to enthusiastically suck on him, her pressure and strokes as she bobbed up and down on him utter perfection. His whole body went rigid from the intense amount of pleasure she was giving him and almost immediately a fine layer of sweat was covering his body.

When Sami had as much of him as she could fit in her mouth she would suck incredibly hard as she lifted herself off him until she was at his swollen head again. She'd then treat him with some flicking at that purple mound with her tongue, teasing the sensitive slit before reclaiming him with her mouth. All the while her little hand was tightly clamped around the base of his straining manhood, stopping the blood from flowing back out and causing him to swell even more. EJ was in a type of heaven that simply had no words to define it. Panting heavily he forced himself to open his eyes and look back down at her, needing to watch her do this for him. The sight of her working so diligently on him; as though she couldn't get enough of him was an aphrodisiac in of itself and pushed EJ beyond what he was capable of controlling.

"STOP!" he begged her fiercely, feeling his balls begin to tighten and knowing he was almost completely lost now, excited beyond any ability to control himself but still EJ desperately tried to control this, not wanting it to end yet.

He'd wanted so much to be inside her when he came but that was looking like an impossibility right now as his desperate cry only made Sami work harder on him. EJ couldn't stop himself now, his body taking over as his hips jerked and he felt the hot burn of his semen preparing itself to leave his body. At the very last moment Sami pulled away and then EJ watched in a kind of delirium as she position him quickly to come all over her chest and breasts. He couldn't stop himself from squirting out all his hot maleness over her, the delight on her face only intensifying his orgasm until EJ feared he'd lose consciousness from the intensity of the moment. Eventually he collapsed back on the bed, his whole body shaking uncontrollably after the force of his release. Sami sat up, still straddling his legs and looked down at the blissfully sated expression on his face indulgently.

"Oh dear," she pouted in mock disappointment, "Now we are going to have to start all over again aren't we EJ?"

EJ gave a weak groan at the thought of having to go through that again and couldn't wait. The gleam in Sami's eyes told him that she'd only just begun. EJ watched as she put a finger to some of the stickiness that clung to one nipple on her ample chest and then brought that finger to her mouth, tasting him.

"Mm," she sighed, "Delicious."

"Samantha!" he groaned, a hard shudder running through his body at seeing her enjoyment of his maleness.

"Here," she said huskily, moving up his body and then lying on her side next to him and looking at him expectantly, "You try some."

EJ hesitated briefly and then that deliberate little smile was back on her lips again.

"I know you want to," she told him throatily, her hand going to the back of his head and guiding it to her breasts.

EJ needed no further encouragement, the enticement of her full breasts and the excited look in Sami's eyes was all he needed to see. He began to dutifully lap at the saltiness of his own maleness and the purring little noises of approval that Sami was making as she watched him, her nails raking the sensitive skin of his scalp making the experience a decidedly sexy and enjoyable one. EJ loved pleasing her and when he rolled on his side as she was to gain better access to her breasts he pushed his hands between her legs and found out exactly how pleased Sami was right then. He grunted appreciatively to find her soaking wet and each time he pulled and tugged on one increasingly swollen nipple her body found new moisture to push out for him to enjoy.

Sami's folds were swollen and slick but despite that he easily found her heavily engorged nub, intent on returning her recent favour. EJ wanted to make her come just because he knew he could and that it would make her even hotter when it came to mounting her at last. Sami seemed to read his mind, knowing what he was eager for and her own hand found its way to his member that had already begun to stiffen again. She began to coax it back into life for them both to enjoy while EJ continued to clean her body with his tongue.

Sami's breathing was being forced out in gasping pants and EJ knew she was getting close to climaxing, even as her own stroking of his increasingly hard manhood began to get more frantic with her quickly growing arousal. EJ returned to her breast, finding one turgid bud and bit down on it, knowing it would be enough to push her over the edge and sure enough Sami immediately began convulsing against him, crying out through her orgasm. He immediately pushed three of his fingers deep into her, wanting to feel the contraction of her walls and knowing he'd soon be enjoying the sensation in another way entirely and enjoying the preview very much.

"Oh god," moaned Sami helplessly as he body slowly began to come down from its high, still helplessly twitching at intervals though as random nerve endings fired independently of her will.

Sami rested her sweaty face against his chest, still stroking his now fully erect member but more gently now, almost absently as she dealt with her own pleasure.

"That was so good EJ," she sighed happily, "I love how good you are at making me come sweetheart."

"I haven't even started yet," he promised her with a little growl, "I believe you wanted me to make you scream when I took you darling?"

"Mm," she murmured, snuggling into him even as his fingers continued to caress her walls, "Yes please, make me scream so loud EJ."

EJ smiled to hear the eagerness in her voice and marvelled at how well Sami's sexual appetites matched his own. They'd both just enjoyed intense orgasms at each other's hands but were still excited for more. He withdrew his fingers, making sure they were well coated in her juices and then smeared it all over his chest. Sami didn't need to be instructed what to do next and EJ watched in aroused approval as she hungrily began to lick her own juices of his chest just as he'd done with her. While she was occupying herself with that, EJ positioned himself in a more pleasing way by taking her leg and draping it over his thigh. EJ was now able to place his severely hardened manhood between Sami's legs, allowing himself the luxury of rubbing himself along her engorged folds and letting her drench him with her female juices.

He teased them both with his slow movements; see sawing back and forth between her legs while Sami teased him back, suckling and biting at his nipples, licking at his chest. EJ bent his head and captured her mouth in a hard kiss, plunging his tongue into her mouth and tasting her deeply. Sami returned his kisses whole heartedly, exploring his mouth as fully as he was hers and EJ wasn't even sure how long they kissed for but it felt like an age, neither one wanting to stop. All the time the arousal between them continued to grow until EJ couldn't take it any longer. He abruptly broke the kiss, moving Sami onto her back and pulling her legs apart so he could kneel between them.

"Time to make me scream?" she asked him huskily, a dreamy look in her eyes at the thought.

"Yes," growled EJ, pushing her legs right back to her chest and then apart as propped himself up with his hands on either side of Sami's thighs.

"Do it hard," she instructed him throatily, stretching her arms above her head languorously even as she braced her feet against his shoulders, "I want it hard EJ."

"I don't want to hurt you," said EJ, having a moment's hesitation.

"You won't," she said breathily, her eyes shining with anticipation, "I need you to really take me EJ – to prove to me who I belong to."

EJ's eyes flared at her request and he instinctively began to press his engorged head to her opening, instantly feeling the hot wetness of her arousal.

"That's it," she encouraged him throatily, through heavy lidded eyes, "Take what is yours EJ, what was always yours, right from the beginning."

EJ gave an appreciative grunt at her submission; Sami obviously knowing what a huge turn on it was for him after all of her months of opposition. He reacted to her words instinctively, his hips jerking back before plunging himself deep into her without another thought. Sami screamed loudly at his sharp penetration, her nails clawing at his forearms and for a split second EJ was concerned that he'd really hurt her but Sami quickly dismissed his concerns with her next words.

"Oh god!" she yelled, arching her back and squeezing her eyes closed, actually forcing him deeper into her body, "God EJ don't stop, harder, more – I need MORE!"

"God but your glorious," he groaned, immediately setting about giving her exactly what she was begging him for.

EJ began hammering away inside of her, quickly getting over his concerns of hurting her as she begging him for more, to go deeper, faster until Sami's voice was hoarse from her broken pleas. She was like a wild creature beneath him and around him, insatiable in every way as he laboured hard to satisfy her, his own panting grunts filling the air along with her desperate cries.

"I'm close!" Sami cried out, her face screwed up in that beautiful way when they were deep in the throes of making love.

She groaned loudly, starting to throw her head from side to side as the pleasure built steadily in her body.

"SO CLOSE!" she moaned.

"I know sweetheart," he told her through gritted teeth, increasing the force of his penetrations, the whole bed starting to shake and bang noisily against the wall.

She was bearing down on him with increasingly strong contractions, the lengths of which were pleasurably long for EJ, only enhancing the tight fit that was Sami's womanhood for him. He was determined that Sami should orgasm first but it was nearly killing him to continue to hold back his own crippling arousal so she could find her release before him. Sweat from his super heated body was dripping down onto Sami, making her almost as wet as he was as it combined with her own exertion induced sweat. Her body was a writhing, glistening mass of gloriousness that EJ couldn't take his eyes off. Her full breasts were being jerked back and forth wildly because of how hard he was riding her and the sight was driving EJ insane.

He dropped down so that their slick bodies were rubbing up against each other now and desperately latched onto one swollen teat, needing to have her in his mouth so badly. EJ didn't know if it was the change in angle of his penetrations or the fact that he was torturing her breasts again, something Sami simply adored during sex but she almost instantly started to come, bucking up under him and taking her with him over that edge. Sami's nails dug frantically at his back as she tried to ride out her intense orgasm as EJ began to pump his seed deep into her body. The rough treatment she was giving his back only seemed to serve to help him find more of his maleness to give her as EJ could feel great wads of the stuff leaving his body and surely filling her to overflowing, despite his recent release.

"SAMANTHA!" he roared, his hips moving frantically to deliver all that he had for her into her pulsating heat.

Her walls continued to contract rhythmically, coaxing everything it could from him in the most perfect way to ensure her body wasn't cheated of a single drop of his seed. Nothing compared to having Sami's body milk his like this, nothing. The final part of their lovemaking that EJ just adored, the sensation impossibly intimate and bonding them together.

"Oh wow," said Sami finally, a content smile on her lips as she still struggled to catch her breath, "You sure know how to make a girl feel special-"

She looked up at him then, still with him keeping his place inside of her, her legs now over wrapped around his waist as he looked back at her, barely able to keep his own eyes open after the intensity of that release.

"And wanted," she purred, moving under him a little, letting as much of her body as she could rub against his.

"No one will ever want you the way I want you Samantha," panted EJ, needing her to understand that, "I'm insatiable when it comes to you."

"I tell you what big boy," she said teasingly, "Why don't you take me a few more times tonight and I'll consider believing that statement."

"Samantha," he groaned helplessly, feeling a little fissure of renewed desire shoot through him despite how spent he was right then.

She giggled again, confident in the knowledge that he was already beginning to crave her again.

"Hold that thought," she said huskily and pushed on EJ's shoulders making him reluctantly untangle their bodies, "I'm thirsty."

"I'll get you something," said EJ, lying on his stomach next to Sami, his face turned towards her, "What would you like sweetheart?"

"I'll get it," she shook her head, "You need to rest and get your strength back – after all you've just gotten out of hospital remember?"

EJ frowned a little at that and Sami looked at him a little askew.

"You do remember leaving the hospital over a month ago now and the doctor telling you to take it easy right?" she asked him.

"Of course," said EJ quickly although he was finding his memories a little hazy right then.

He put out his hand to rest it on Sami's flat stomach, caressing it gently.

"You've just got me all turned around darling," he said lovingly, "I can barely remember my own name when you are near me."

"You talk such nonsense," smiled Sami, leaning over and kissing him quickly, "Such sweet, sweet nonsense."

EJ rolled onto his side and looked at her rather seriously then.

"It isn't nonsense how much I love you Samantha," he said huskily.

"I know," she said softly, stroking his face, "I feel the same way EJ."

EJ put his fingers to his lips, running them back and forth over them thoughtfully, the unmistakable smell of her still there.

"What are you thinking?" asked Sami curiously, taking in his far away expression.

"That I can't believe how happy I am," said EJ, looking at her earnestly, "That this is just the beginning of all that I have dreamed for us sweetheart."

"You always did think big," said Sami with an affectionate smile.

"And look where it has got me," said EJ, picking up her hand and kissing the palm of it, "In your bed."

"Technically I'm in your bed," she pointed out in amusement.

"It's going to be the same thing from now on," said EJ confidently.

"Yes it is," nodded Sami with a tender smile and then gave him a teasing look, "But I'm still thirsty."

She got out of bed then and looked around the bedroom, finding a discarded shirt of his and pulling it on.

"Would you like anything EJ?" she asked him as she did up the buttons.

"You back in this bed as quickly as possible," growled EJ, eyeing her hungrily and wondering how he'd ever be able to get his fill of this woman.

It would take three life times at least he decided.

"So impatient," Sami tutted, giving him a little wink as she headed to the door, "You just lie there EJ and think naughty thoughts so you'll be ready for me when I get back – okay?"

"Yes ma'am," he grinned, already aching for her despite his exhaustion.

EJ lay back in the bed after Sami had left, a content smile curving his lips. He felt unbelievably good and his body was still floating on a cloud of euphoric hormones after what he and Sami had just shared and the promise of more to come was only adding to EJ's rapture. The noisy ring of his cell phone was an unwelcome intrusion into the bliss of the moment and EJ made an unhappy grunting noise at the sound, rubbing his face tiredly.

All he wanted to do was enjoy the afterglow of his and Sami's lovemaking but the intrusive ringing was only getting louder. When it was clear that the caller wasn't going to give up EJ sat up in a fit of frustration, grabbing for the cell phone and sitting on the edge of the bed as he answered the call, hoping this wasn't going to take long. All he wanted to think about right then was Sami and nothing else.

"Hello?" he said curtly into the receiver.

There was no immediate answer and EJ's frustration started to grow.

"Hello?" he repeated impatiently.

EJ was just about to hang up when finally someone spoke.

"Are you having a good day Elvis?"

A man's voice purred the question, one he knew but didn't know somehow.

"Who is this?" asked EJ tightly, "What do you want?"

"I want to help you Elvis," the voice told him, "I want you to wake up."

"I am awake," said EJ curtly.

"Are you?" asked the voice with an amused chuckle, "None so blind as those who will not see I guess."

"Meaning?" asked EJ in annoyance.

"Meaning Elvis DiMera and Samantha Brady can never be," said the voice, "You know that, you've always known that."

"Who the hell is this?!" asked EJ angrily, "Samantha and I already are and nothing is going to change that!"

"Oh Elvis," sighed the voice, "It's time for you to wake up I think and find your way home."

"Home?" asked EJ in confusion, wondering why he was even giving this lunatic the time of day, "I am home!"

"No you're not," said the voice firmly, "Follow the yellow brick road scarecrow and maybe you'll find your brain along the way."

Suddenly there was only a dial tone in EJ's ear as he pulled it away and looked at the phone in disgust.

Nothing was making sense all of a sudden, basically as soon as Sami had left him. EJ knew the cure for that then; he'd just find Sami and then everything would fall back into place and he'd prove that mocking voice whoever it was utterly wrong. His life was perfect at long last and Sami was the reason why and no mystery voice sprouting craziness was going to change that. EJ got up and quickly pulled on his jeans and a shirt, going off to look for Sami. He walked out of his bedroom to find she wasn't in his kitchen and then decided she'd probably gone to her place to get some of her favourite bottled water. EJ wasn't concerned he told himself, walking out of his apartment and covering the small distance between his front door and Sami's. He went to walk confidently into her apartment but the door was a little ajar and as EJ looked through it his eyes widened at the sight before him.

The world tilted for a moment and he felt his knees suddenly go a little weak as all the blood drained from his face.

"Follow the yellow brick road Elvis," the voice in his ear whispered tauntingly, "Follow the yellow brick road."

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & THIRTY EIGHT**** – ****It's Always Darkest Before the Dawn**

**Alice:** But I don't want to go among mad people.  
**The Cat:** Oh, you can't help that. We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.  
**Alice:** How do you know I'm mad?  
**The Cat:** You must be. Or you wouldn't have come here.

_~Alice in Wonderland~_

EJ sucked in a pained breath as he took in the tableau before him, watching through the crack in the door as his whole world imploded.

"Stop it you," giggled Sami, sounding anything but like she meant it.

"I can't," protested Lucas, pulling her more tightly into his arms, "You're just too damn sexy."

To prove his point Lucas began to start kissing her passionately. EJ watched stricken as Sami readily went into his arms, moulding the same body that had been pressed against his only minutes before to Lucas'.

"God I miss you when you're with him," groaned Lucas, when he finally broke the kiss.

"I know," sighed Sami happily, "I miss you too honey. It's the only way I can go through with it is to think of you."

"How much longer?" asked Lucas complainingly, "I'm sick of you always having to be around him."

"I know," said Sami, pulling back and smiling up at him with an apologetic look on her face, "I hate it as well but it's not much longer now and we'll be free of EJ DiMera forever."

"Does he still think I'm in Switzerland?" asked Lucas curiously.

"Yes," laughed Sami and shook her head, rolling her eyes, "He's so gullible that I'd almost feel sorry for him if he hadn't done all the horrible things that he has to so many people. All of this is going to be so worth it when he goes down once and for all."

"Well you're doing a good job of keeping him distracted while your dad and uncle gather all the evidence against him," said Lucas and then gave her a vaguely disapproving look for that skill.

"Lucas," purred Sami, rubbing her body against his and looking up at him with seduction written all over her face, "You know I'm only doing what I have to with EJ to make sure my family is safe and that the DiMera empire is at last destroyed. As soon as EJ is in prison we can be together forever."

"I can't wait," grinned Lucas, looking down at her adoringly.

"Either can I," breathed Sami, "It's total torture having to be around EJ all the time but I know it's for a good cause and my family are so proud of me."

"I'm proud of you too Sami," said Lucas happily, "And I'm looking forward to a day where we won't ever have to mention EJ's name ever again."

"Me too," sighed Sami, "I can't wait."

"So," said Lucas with a sly look, pulling Sami back into his arms, "Just how long do you think it will be before EJ misses you?"

"It doesn't matter," said Sami, wrapping her arms around his neck, "I'll just tell him I had to go out for the bottled water and he'll believe anything I tell him."

"He is a sap isn't he?" chuckled Lucas and shook his head.

He then looked down at Sami and wriggled his eyebrows at her.

"Looks like I get to have some alone time with my girl then," he said throatily, beginning to kiss his way along her neck.

"Yes please," breathed Sami happily as Lucas began to back her up, his hands roaming all over her body.

They tumbled onto the couch, Sami giggling madly and returning his kisses.

"Don't stop," she said, snuggling up to him and wrapping her arms around his neck, "I love you so much Lucas, never stop."

"I love you too Sami," said Lucas and EJ couldn't bear to watch anymore.

He turned away sharply, feeling as though he'd just been king hit in the stomach as he bent over shakily, trying to tell himself that this must be some kind of horrific dream rather than what it looked like. Sami wouldn't betray him like that – would she? EJ didn't know what to think or feel anymore, he was just so very confused and couldn't seem to hold a thought in his head for more than a few seconds. He squeezed his eyes closed, still reeling from what he'd just witnessed and when EJ opened his eyes again it was to see that down the corridor that normally led to the fire escape there was a yellow brick road.

He blinked; momentarily distracted at the sight of the brick road in the hallway from what he'd just witnessed which was a welcome relief honestly. EJ couldn't bear the thought of any man touching Sami other than him and it caused him pain like nothing else. He straightened up, determined to confront the two of them but the door had swung shut while EJ was collecting himself and now EJ was having a lot of trouble getting it to open again. He struggled with the door knob but the door wouldn't budge, much to his frustration.

"_Follow the yellow brick road Elvis."_

The voice in his ear was as insistent as ever and seeing as going the door stubbornly refused to co-operate EJ had to reluctantly give up his quest to get into Sami's apartment and kill Lucas with his bare hands, drag Sami off to his bed again and prove that she really did love him, over and over again.

"You'll keep little man," muttered EJ, planning his revenge on the other man even as he started down the oddly placed yellow brick road.

He walked down the corridor which would have ordinarily led to the fire escape and up onto the roof but instead the hallway just continued on and on and along the way doors were littered on either side. EJ walked for a few minutes until curiosity got the better of him and he decided to try one door to see where it led. He may as well he figured because this yellow brick road seemed to have no end in sight as he squinted off into the distance and even though EJ was almost sure that this was some kind of vivid dream by now, try as he might he couldn't wake himself up. There seemed nothing for it other but to keep on going and see what came of things EJ decided stoically. He picked one door at random, stopping in front of it and eyeing it suspiciously, wondering what was behind it. If it was another scene with Sami and Lucas then all hell was going to break out he decided grimly.

EJ turned the handle of the door he'd chosen, deciding to just get it over with and stepped through it determinedly and found himself suddenly in a forest but what a very strange forest it was. It didn't look quite real but nonetheless there was a familiarity to it that EJ couldn't deny. He took a couple of tentative steps into the strange scene, wracking his brain as to where he'd seen this place before when there was a noise behind him, the sound of something rather large crashing through the undergrowth. He whirled around and then EJ's eyes nearly fell out of his head when he saw what or rather who it was.

"Tobermory!" he gasped in astonishment, knowing that his mouth was hanging open but seeming to be unable to close it.

"No it's not Tobermory!" snapped an all too familiar voice, "It's me!"

"Sam?" said EJ in disbelief, blinking rapidly at the sight in front of him.

"Yes it's Sam!" she said, obviously very agitated with him as she/he waved her arms around wildly.

"Why-why are you a Womble?" asked EJ shakily, quite certain he'd never have the need to utter those words again.

"I don't know Elvis," said Sam sweetly, folding her arms in front of her chest, "You tell me!"

EJ looked the creature before him up and down. Now it was clear to him why his surrounds looked so familiar. Somehow or other they were on Wimbledon Common where the Wombles he knew from his childhood lived. EJ had watched the television show and loved them as a child and apparently his fevered psyche had decided that it was time to bring them to the forefront of his mind for some reason. Possibly because they were a symbol of a simpler, happier time for EJ but the sight of a Tobermory inspired Sam glaring at him with death in his/her shiny blue eyes wasn't exactly that calming EJ decided.

All wombles had fluffy grey fur with brown faces and hands and long noses with a wiggly black nose at the end and Tobermory was no exception. They had stout, rotund bodies and short legs and were in the habit of picking up the rubbish left behind by regular people and putting it to good use. As one of the older wombles Tobermory was the engineer of the little furry group and as such wore a leather apron filled with tools and for some inexplicable reason a jaunty bowler hat that seemed to work rather well with his iron bar handle moustache somehow.

"I'm not sure what is going on," said EJ putting a shaky hand to his face.

"The very least you could have done is made me Madame Cholet!" exclaimed a still outraged Sam/Tobermory, "At least she was a girl!"

"But you're not French," protested EJ weakly as he thought of the French female womble who cooked for the others.

"I'm not a frickin' womble either but here we are!" she yelled at him.

"I don't think I'm very well," said EJ unevenly, trying desperately to make sense of all this and not really up to dealing with an enraged Sam.

"Ya think?!" asked Sam sarcastically, furry hands on even furrier rounded hips, "I'm going to get you for this Elvis DiMera – you see that I don't!"

She was jabbing at his chest with her womble finger as Sam made her threats.

"I'm going to make you wish you'd never been born!" she yelled at him.

"It's too late," said EJ flatly, batting her finger away, "I'm already there."

"Stop staring!" said Sam in annoyance as EJ continued to look her up and down in disbelief.

"It's pretty hard not to," he admitted, blinking a couple of times and wondering if he was in fact dying.

But everyone always talked about a tunnel of light in their near death experiences and never about wombles. Mind you EJ reasoned to himself, they were unlikely to talk of such a thing if they did – heaven only knows this little exchange he was taking to the grave with him, that was for sure.

"Why did you have to make me Tobermory?" grumbled Sam unhappily, "Do I seem to you like a fix-it kinda girl? This leather apron isn't very flattering and I'm not exactly thrilled about the moustache either! Although-"

Sam paused and adjusted her bowler hat before continuing.

"-I do quite like the hat," she said thoughtfully.

"It looks good on you," nodded EJ, thinking that this was by far the strangest conversation he'd ever had in his life.

"I've got a face that wears hats well," agreed Sam and then that suddenly reminded her of what was happening and she was back to being mad at him, "At least I used to before you and your demented mind turned me into a mutant hamster!"

She gave him a decidedly unimpressed look and EJ found it was a singularly unpleasant experience to have a normally good natured womble glaring at you.

"You are such a freak," she said flatly, clearly feeling the need to reiterate her take on things.

"Sorry," said EJ faintly, not really sure what he was apologising for because he didn't feel like he had any control over what was happening around him anyway.

"You will be," muttered Sam/Tobermory ominously.

With a last disgusted look at EJ she turned around and headed back into the line of trees she'd just come out and found a new horror to behold. EJ instinctively clapped his hands over his eyes at the sight of Tobermory's waddling, furry backside walking away from him clad only in an enormous pink thong.

"Oh god," he groaned, "Somebody kill me – please!"

"Careful what you wish for."

EJ whirled around at the mocking voice and then realised it had come from above his head and looked up to see a smiling Tony sitting in the tree with more than a passing resemblance to the Cheshire Cat, particularly with orange striped fur and long pointy whiskers he was sporting.

"Poor little Elvis in Wonderland," he tutted in amusement, "Out of your depth yet again I see."

"I thought I was the scarecrow in Wizard of Oz?" pointed out EJ flatly, remembering the voice on the phone that had started all of this madness.

"I think it is time to face the fact that you don't know what or who you are little brother," said Tony, preening ever so slightly over his shiny new coat.

"I know I'm leaving," said EJ tightly, turning to go and then hesitating as he could no longer see the door he'd come in by.

"Problem?" asked Tony/Cheshire Cat sweetly.

"I don't know where I'm going," admitted EJ unhappily.

"Then it won't take you long to get there so you can stay and chat for a bit," said Tony/Cheshire Cat.

"How do you figure that?" asked EJ dourly as he turned back around to look up at the creature in the tree.

"Well seeing as you don't know where you are going then how do you know that you're not already there?" he reasoned with a shrug of his shoulders and another wide smile of complacency.

"That's ridiculous," said EJ tightly.

"So you say," said Tony, pulling on his whiskers now and making sure they were nice and straight, "But I don't think you are one to make such calls at the moment hm?"

The question was asked with a little purring noise at the end from Tony and EJ was beginning to miss Sam all of a sudden. The permanent smile on Tony/Cheshire Cat's face didn't mask the malice in his eyes.

"You may as well be here not knowing where you're going as there not knowing where you're going," said Tony/Cheshire Cat logically, "It's all the same you know."

"I don't have anything to say to you Tony," said EJ tersely, "Or whatever you are. You and I haven't exactly been the best of friends of late or have you forgotten that?"

"Oh I haven't forgotten anything," said Tony, his smile widening, "But you know it might not hurt you to start using the resources available to you to find your way out of this mess."

"And what does that mean?" asked EJ in annoyance.

Suddenly Tony leant backwards and EJ gasped, thinking he was watching him fall out of the tree but Tony stopped mid flight so that his face was level with EJ's, albeit upside down. It was then that EJ realised that Tony had a long, orange stripped tail that had curled around the branch that he'd been sitting on and preventing him from falling any further.

"It means that I know something you don't know," said Tony in a sing song voice as EJ looked at his upside down face, his permanent smile now a more believable frown in that position, "Want to know what it is little brother?"

EJ hesitated at the invitation but then realised he couldn't trust a word Tony said to him anyway and particularly a half cat, fever induced apparition like this so what would be the point.

"No!" said EJ curtly, turning on his heel and determined to find a way out of this craziness, "I don't need you Tony, I don't need anyone!"

As though by magic the door he couldn't find before was back and EJ grabbed at it, just wanting out.

"Now now brother," tutted Tony/Cheshire Cat as he still swung upside down by his tail from the tree, "Pride comes before a fall you know."

EJ yanked open the door, sending him a disgusted look over his shoulder but not answering that as he stepped through the doorway without looking. There was suddenly the sensation of falling and falling fast as he stepped through the door to find no ground on the other side. EJ's stomach lurched in surprise as he hurtled through the darkness, free falling into the blackness...

**AUTHOR'S NOTE****:** For those of you who have no idea what a Womble is (a creature that was a staple of UK and Australian childhood's back in the day – then check out YouTube for a slice of yester year – great fun! )

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & THIRTY NINE**** – ****Things That Make You go Hmm**

Jump into my nightmare – the water is warm.

_~Jerry Maquire~_

EJ fell through the darkness, arms flailing wildly before suddenly landing face down on a hard surface. He made a grunting noise as all the air left his body and it took him a minute to collect himself and lift his head but when he did all EJ saw were feet in sensible shoes hurrying up and down polished corridors. He blinked a couple of times, trying to work out where he was but then the smell of disinfectants assailed his nostrils and he knew.

EJ sat up on the floor, recognising now the hallways of Salem University. Everyone seemed intent on ignoring him or maybe they just couldn't see him, EJ wasn't sure but what he saw was the sudden reappearance of the yellow brick road again. He hesitated, not having had a great experience with following that thing yet but couldn't seem to come up with an alternative just then. He stood up, straightening his clothes and looking at the long, yellow road that once again headed off into a distance he couldn't see down a corridor.

EJ stood contemplating it for a bit, considering his options when he felt someone taking his arm. He turned his head and no longer had anymore ability to be surprised by anything as he saw Celeste tucking her arm through his. She was all dressed in black with a little black veil adorning her perfectly coifed hair and a serene little smile on her face as she looked up at him.

"Come along Elvis," she said in that throaty way of hers, "We'll be late."

"For what?" asked EJ but let her pull him gently along anyway.

"Why for a very important date of course dahling," she said with a half little smile.

"Don't you start," said EJ sourly at her Alice in Wonderland reference but followed her lead as she began to walk anyway, falling into step beside her as they walked along arm in arm.

Celeste led them along the yellow brick road that ended at another doorway that just looked like a patient's room to EJ but he doubted that it was going to be that simple. He opened the door while Celeste waited expectantly and EJ instinctively let Celeste go through first. His eyes widened when he saw what the doorway led to though and hesitated.

"Come along dahling," Celeste prodded him.

"I don't think so," said EJ slowly, taking in the fact that the door had led to a large church that was slowly filling with people all dressed in black as well.

"Come now Elvis," purred Celeste, taking his hand and confirming his worst fears, "You don't want to be late for your own funeral now do you?"

EJ reluctantly let her tug him along so that they were now walking down the aisle of the church and he was finding it hard to take his eyes off the dark, wood coffin that was in pride of place at the end of the same aisle. It was adorned with white lilies and beside it stood a large picture of EJ that he couldn't remember having ever posed for. People were still taking their seats and didn't seem to pay the two of them much mind which was rather surprising under the circumstances really.

Turning his head this way and that EJ recognised friends and acquaintances from his past and his childhood – their gardener, the woman who had taught him French, everyone from his dormitory at boarding school, just as he remembered them as ten year olds. Even Jellybean was standing off to one side, quietly munching on some of the floral displays and looking politely upset. EJ shook his head, knowing this wasn't real but finding it very confronting nonetheless.

As he and Celeste made their way to the front he now passed three full rows of Brady's who looked like they were there to attend a fourth of July celebration rather than a funeral. They were all brightly dressed, passing cocktails and beers, popcorn and hotdogs and out of the corner of his eye EJ could even see Bo starting to set up a fireworks display. It was clear that all of Sami's family was intent on celebrating his demise and EJ's lips twisted in disgust at the unfettered display of joy from that family.

Next they passed Kate who was sitting with Tony, minus the whiskers and tail now, both of them elegantly turned out as always and each of them intent on showing off their bling to one another. In this case the bling happened to consist of matching crowns and rather royal looking sceptres and they were also wearing big shiny badges. EJ squinted to read them as he passed by. Kate's read "Queen of Mythic" whilst Tony's read "King of the DiMera's" and they both looked very pleased with themselves as they polished all the diamond and sapphire encrusted pieces.

EJ gave them both an unimpressed look as he passed by which they were both oblivious to of course, all wrapped up in themselves and seeing nothing else. EJ and Celeste kept walking and the next sight EJ saw made his hands curl into fists. Sami and Lucas were sitting side by side on the pew, Sami with her legs draped over Lucas' as they cuddled happily. Sami giggled as Lucas began nibbling on her neck, the two of them shameless in their display. EJ tensed, going to grab at Lucas and pound his face into a bloody mess but Celeste stalled him.

"You're not here remember dahling," she informed him, "They can't see you."

"Yeah well I can see them," said EJ bitterly, glaring at the two but they didn't even look up from their canoodling.

"Come," said Celeste, tugging at his arm, "We are almost there."

The last person EJ saw before getting to the end of the aisle was his father who was sitting in the pew at the front, talking to Victor Kiriakis.

"I'm sorry for your loss Stefano," said Victor seriously, patting the other man's arm.

"It is a pity," nodded Stefano, almost absently before looking at Victor and giving a little shrug, "But I don't think it was going to work out with Elvis being a suitable heir anyway."

Stefano chuckled then as a thought occurred.

"I mean what kind of DiMera dies the first time someone tries to kill them?" he tutted with a shake of his head, "Clearly Elvis was too weak to carry on the DiMera name."

"Clearly," nodded Victor in agreement, "Just as well you have Tony to step into the breach then."

"Absolutely," said Stefano readily, "At least I know Tony is a true DiMera solider and I can rely on him. In the end no matter how much time and devotion I put into Elvis he just ended up being a terrible disappointment to me."

"It happens," said Victor philosophically.

"Indeed," said Stefano easily.

EJ frowned, hurt by his father's words but Celeste was already moving him on until they were at last at the front of the church. He hesitated briefly at going up to the open casket but Celeste just kept pulling on his arm until EJ was reluctantly looking down at his own body in the coffin.

"Did I die in hospital?" he asked finally.

"No," said Celeste.

"Then how did I die?" asked EJ quietly.

"Are you sure you want to know?" asked Celeste with an arched eyebrow.

"Probably not," said EJ grimly.

Celeste quirked her lips and nodded at the door off to the left of where they were standing.

"Come along Elvis," she said and took his arm again.

With a last look over his shoulder at the strange mixture of sombre pomp and circumstance and celebration going on in the church EJ walked with Celeste through the door she'd indicated. They were back in the hospital and Celeste was walking them down one corridor after another. It was when they walked down one particular section that EJ recognised himself through a glass partition as they were walking along. He stopped and looked into what was his hospital room and saw himself stretched out on the bed with Sami and his father standing over him.

"Elvis?" prompted Celeste, obviously intent on their destination.

"Wait," said EJ distractedly, moving closer to the glass window, "I think they are talking about me."

"_...And when EJ wakes up again I'm going to tell him everything... I can't keep the truth from him anymore Stefano, I can't..."_

EJ frowned at that and tried to listen as hard as he could to hear what was being said but they kept fading in and out.

"_...I am sure it is not the first time you've had to do something you hated my dear and you will continue to do it because it is what is best for Elvis..."_

"Elvis come along," said Celeste, sounding impatient now.

"I can't hear what they are saying properly," said EJ in frustration, looking over at Celeste as he caught snatches of his father's voice again.

"_...then I suggest you improve your lying ability - I wouldn't think that would be such a problem for Samantha Brady after all... one of your fortes... this isn't about your wants but rather about my son's needs. You will do as I say or-"_

"_Or what - you'll kill me or someone in my family Stefano? Do you people know any other kind of way to operate that doesn't involve threats and violence...?!"_

"_I am doing what is in the best interests of my son... you are not to say anything to him of our little understandings...!"_

"_I did what you wanted me to do now you keep up your end of the bargain - keep my family safe!"_

"What is going on in there?" scowled EJ, needing to hear more of their conversation, not quite able to piece everything together with the snatches he was getting.

He looked around and found to his dismay that there was no actual door into the room and he made a noise of frustration as Sami's voice wafted out to him.

"_...just how much longer are you expecting me to keep this façade up for Stefano?" _

"_Until I say so..."_

"Elvis," said Celeste sternly, "We have no time for this – come along!"

She grabbed his arm and began dragging EJ away from the room where Sami and Stefano were still fighting. EJ reluctantly let her lead him away, not being able to hear enough to make real sense of it all anyway but clearly there was something going on between his father and Sami, just as he'd suspected all along. EJ distractedly followed Celeste until she presented another door to him with a little flourish.

"Follow the yellow brick road Elvis," she told him before patting his arm and walking back down the corridor and leaving EJ to it.

EJ stared at the door Celeste had indicated for a long moment but then figured whatever it was it had to be better than staring at his own dead body or watching Lucas pawing at Sami. He walked to the door and opened it, stepping through, stopping in surprise when he saw another version of himself and Sami standing in her apartment, obviously facing off over something.

"_You've done nothing but trick and manipulate me EJ!" Sami said bitterly, "How could you do those things to me?"_

"_I was doing what was in your best interests Samantha," said his unapologetic doppelganger. _

"_You are such a sick bastard!" she hissed, "You were watching me in my own house like some kind of twisted freak!" _

"_I'm a man who likes to know what he is dealing with," he said coolly._

EJ winced watching himself handle this so badly. He knew that one day he would have to tell Sami about the surveillance cameras he'd put in her apartment but this was not how he planned to go about it that was for sure. The smug, vaguely condescending look his other self was sporting was not one that was going to endear himself to Sami that was for sure. It was so important to EJ for Sami to understand that all he did was because of how deeply in love with her he was. He'd loved to the point of madness and really, wasn't that what real love was? Everything that you knew before faded away and becomes nonsensical without that other person all of a sudden.

To really love someone there is no way you can be in your right mind EJ was realising because nobody in their right mind would hand over their heart so freely to another person to do as they pleased with. It was totally self destructive and counterintuitive but it was the only way EJ knew how to love Sami – with all of himself, flaws and all and all he could hope was that Sami would understand that, recognise the same condition in herself and reciprocate. These were all of the things he'd wanted to try and say to her when he finally confessed to what he'd done but it seemed like his counterpart thought smirking and looking vaguely amused at Sami's outrage was the better way to go. For EJ, seeing himself like that was very hard to watch, particularly as he saw how much he was upsetting Sami as he did.

"_Well I'll tell you what I'm dealing with shall I?" asked Sami acrimoniously, "A demented stalker who won't take no for an answer!"_

"_Samantha you never know what you want," said EJ dismissively, a small condescending smile coming to his lips, "I was just trying to make the reality of the situation clear to you – that we are inevitable." _

"_Why is that exactly EJ?" asked Sami angrily, "Are we inevitable because you need to get me pregnant to save your sicko father with my baby's stem cells?!"_

"_Our baby sweetheart," said EJ unfazed by her accusations, "I don't know why you are making such a fuss about all of this – everything I did I did for us."_

"_For us?" scoffed Sami almost in disbelief, "You violated my trust, not to mention my privacy when you tampered with my birth control EJ! I will never believe a word you say to me – everything you do has a hidden agenda!" _

EJ grimaced to hear it in that terms, willing his other self to defend himself better against her accusation. It hadn't been like that, not at all but his other self didn't seem overly bothered by what Sami was saying, much to EJ's horror.

"_We're cut from the same cloth darling," said EJ, unmoved by her outburst, "I have an idea – why don't you get over this little display of outrage you've got going on eh? It's getting old, not to mention boring."_

"_Boring?!" repeated Sami in fury, "You screwing with my life and threatening me at every turn is boring?!"_

"_You're just being stubborn for no good reason Samantha," said EJ looking vaguely annoyed now, "I'm going to leave now so you can calm down."_

"_You're never going to stop are you?" asked Sami faintly, watching EJ walk to the door._

"_You don't want me to stop darling," said EJ confidently. _

Sami turned away abruptly and EJ the observer watched in distress as she leant heavily against the desk by the window, her back to him. He wanted to comfort her but knew from his experience at the church that she wouldn't be able to see or hear him anyway.

"_I can't live like this EJ," she said shakily._

"_Oh now don't be so melodramatic Samantha," said EJ with a little laugh, turning around to face her, now at the door. _

Sami suddenly whirled around and to both EJ's surprise she was now holding a gun, one she must have covertly removed from the desk drawer she'd been leaning on.

"Samantha no!" said EJ in disbelief but neither players in the drama heard him.

"_I can't live like this EJ," she repeated, this time more determinedly. _

"_Samantha Brady," EJ sighed with a roll of his eyes, "Ever the drama queen I see."_

"_I'm not bluffing EJ," she said tightly, "Leave me alone or else-"_

"_Or else you'll kill me?" asked EJ, openly laughing at her, "I find that highly unlikely Samantha."_

EJ started to walk confidently towards her and Sami took a couple of hasty steps backwards.

"_Stay away EJ!" she ordered him, the hysteria obvious in her voice._

"_Just give me the gun sweetheart," said EJ calmly, ignoring Sami's instructions completely and still advancing on her._

EJ held out his hand as he got closer to take the gun from Sami and she panicked at the movement, going to move away again but this time there was nowhere to go as she bumped up against the wall behind her. The sudden stop caused Sami to flinch and as she did the gun in her hand went off. The noise was deafening in the small space and the real EJ watched in horror at the tableau in front of him. Sami had a mixture of terror and dismay on her face while his other self just looked mildly surprised. He looked down at his shirt which was quickly becoming stained bright red and then back at Sami. EJ blinked a couple of times, saying nothing before his knees suddenly gave way and he crumpled to the floor.

Sami put her hand over her mouth and began screaming loudly at what she had just done. Suddenly Roman and Bo burst through the doors of the apartment and simply grabbed the screaming Sami dragging her away while EJ looked helplessly on. He raced after them though, following them through the door they'd dragged Sami through and gasped in horror at what he was seeing. Sami was being strapped into an electric chair, all the while struggling wildly and trying to tell anyone who listened that it was an accident. Her father and uncle seemed unmoved by her plight though.

"It's your own fault Sami," said Bo with a shake of his head, "We told you not to get involved with a DiMera and you did it anyway."

"But I didn't have a choice," she sobbed, face bright red from her tears and screaming, "EJ tricked me!"

"That's not really our problem now is it Sami," said her father firmly, "You know I don't enjoy being right about these kinds of things but it is time you faced the music for once. We're not going to protect you anymore."

"Stop it!" EJ ordered them, realising to his horror that they were fully intending to pull the ominous looking switch that was on the wall beside Sami and the electric chair that she was completely strapped into now and electrocute her.

EJ started to run towards the scene, desperate to undo all of this but the faster her ran towards Sami the further away she seemed to get.

"Samantha!" he called out in desperation now, barely able to breathe from how fast he was running but it was to no avail, he just couldn't get to her.

EJ watched helplessly as Roman walked up to the switch and gave a regretful tut and shake of his head before pulling down on it. EJ couldn't watch, closing his eyes as Sami's screams filled the air.

"NO!" he bellowed, "NOOO!"

"EJ, EJ?"

Sami calling his name anxiously made him force his eyes open and he realised he was back in his hospital bed, not even sure if this was real or not, the line between reality and the fevered fantasies of his brain blurring so much that EJ couldn't tell. All he knew for certain was that Sami was there and the sight of her almost made him weep.

"Oh thank god," said Sami, stroking his face and looking down at him with great concern, "EJ you've been unconscious for over a day now – I was so scared."

"Too many lies," he told her unevenly, his voice rough from lack of use, his heart still pounding wildly in his chest, "Everyone... lying."

The statement was the best he could come up with under the circumstances as the emotions from the bizarre dreams still lingered even while he was awake and he tried to communicate his concerns over any of what he saw being true. The stricken look on her face as confirmed his worst fears though as she looked at him imploringly.

"I'm sorry EJ," she said hurriedly, "I've wanted to tell you from the beginning but-"

"I don't want to hear it," said EJ thickly, his heart breaking as he wasn't sure exactly what this confirmed but knowing it wasn't good.

Something of what he had been dreaming must have been true and seeing as he hadn't dreamed about anything good other than their lovemaking which that was the only thing EJ was confident that didn't happen unfortunately then this didn't bode well. He threw the covers off the bed, just intent on putting some distance between himself and what was happening but when he went to move his legs refused to co-operate, even a little bit. It was the first time EJ had seriously tried to use his legs and to find them completely unresponsive like this scared him.

"My legs!" he cried out, "Why can't I move my legs?!"

"EJ it's alright," said Sami quickly, trying to comfort him, "It will be alright."

"How will it be alright?!" roared EJ in growing horror as the truth began to sink in, "I'm paralysed Samantha – paralysed!"

"I know-" she said desperately, "But-"

"You know?" he repeated in disbelief, knowing he was staring at her accusingly but couldn't help it, "How could you keep something like this from me Samantha?!"

"EJ I'm so sorry," said Sami, looking very distressed now as tears began to fall from her eyes and stain her cheeks, "Sweetheart-"

"No," said EJ, trying to fend her off as she took his arm.

Already he was beginning to fade out again, his moments of lucidity taking a toll and EJ could feel himself falling again and this time he didn't fight it, not wanting the reality that he'd woken to anyway. Even those garbled dreams were better than a reality that he was now only half a man. Sami gave a broken sob as EJ passed out again, pressing wildly for the nurses to come and check on him before collapsing on the chair beside him, burying her face in her hands and beginning to cry in earnest.

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & FORTY**** – ****Reaping What You Sow**

Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you.

_~Kurt Cobain~_

It had taken EJ's body four days to overcome the septicaemia and for him to become lucid again but it was a grim reality that EJ awoke to. He had been sliding in and out of consciousness and it was always to find Sami sitting by his bedside when he did surface from the strangeness of hid dreams. Despite knowing the truth now it was still a comfort to see her there and let him believe for an instant that things were different to what they really were. EJ now knew he was paralysed, remembering very clearly what it had felt like when he'd tried to get out of bed only to discover his legs were completely useless and now he felt totally despairing at that revelation.

The look on Sami's face had confirmed for him that it wasn't just a side effect of the drugs he was on, which had been EJ's hope the moment he realised he couldn't move his legs. The reality was that the paralysis was a side effect of the shooting and he was only finding about it now. EJ felt utterly betrayed by those closest to him and even worse he had come to the almost certain conclusion that Sami was only by his side because his father was forcing her to be there. Why else would she suddenly start declaring her love for him out of the blue like that after having fought him for so long EJ had wondered despondently?

He knew a lot of his dreams were a little manic but EJ was certain he was remembering real conversations in amongst the insanity. He could feel the depression settling on him like a mantle as everything he held dear was crumbling around him. Of course if EJ had been a little more in his right mind it might have occurred to him that almost losing someone as Sami had done with him was a sure fire way to get that person to start being honest with their feelings. That when he had almost died it had been the push needed for Sami to start being honest with how much she loved him and nothing more sinister than that but EJ was too intent on his misery to consider that aspect of the situation.

"Elvis my son – are you awake?"

EJ heard his father's voice in his ear and he just wanted to ignore it but he knew eventually he'd have to wake up and face the music and it may as well be sooner than later. EJ forced his eyes open, finding it hard to focus for a moment.

"Elvis!" exclaimed Stefano with obvious delight in his voice at seeing his son conscious again.

EJ looked blearily up at his father and couldn't help the word that escaped his lips unbidden.

"Samantha?" he rasped.

EJ cursed himself for his weakness but he couldn't help himself – all he could think of was Sami no matter what and he had to have her near him. He knew that he would have to start training himself to stop thinking about Sami every minute of every day now that he knew the truth about the situation but EJ had absolutely no idea how he was going to do that. From the first moment he'd met her EJ had never contemplated a life without Sami by his side and now he was being forced to. If it had just been about her keeping things from him, being in cahoots with his father or even still being involved with Lucas to set him up EJ wouldn't have been fazed. That was something he would have simply dealt with and still pursued Sami without a second thought.

The truth was he'd forgiven Sami for anything she'd done or not done almost as soon as he realised what was going on. How could he hate her when it was all her complexities that would make her do any of those things that he adored so much about her in the first place? That wasn't the problem EJ was facing now and he knew it. He and Samantha were always meant to be together and all EJ would have seen those revelations as meaning he'd have to lift his game to prove to Sami how much he loved her and that they truly did belong to one another. The shocking news of his paralysis changed everything though. How could he in good conscience saddle the woman he loved with only half a man? EJ wanted every good thing and happiness for Sami and being lumbered with an invalid for the rest of her life wasn't going to give her either of those things.

EJ was still a little uncertain as to why it was exactly that Sami was still insisting on declaring her love for him – whether it was at the behest of his father or if it was some game she was playing with him on behalf of the Salem PD again – the details were still pretty foggy for EJ but what he did know was that he had to set her free. He would have fought to the death for Sami to be his but there was no point now that he was a cripple – they could never have the life he envisaged for them and he didn't want Sami to have to settle. It was going to take inner fortitude that EJ had never had to call on before to set Sami free but EJ was determined to do it because he loved her too much not to. It probably wasn't even going to be that hard from her point of view, from what EJ could work out Sami was probably just waiting for a way out from him. The thought only depressed EJ more.

"Samantha will be back soon," said Stefano, patting his face reassuringly, beaming down at him, "We have both been so worried about you my son – you have no idea."

"Actually," said EJ hoarsely, a tinge of bitterness in his voice, "I think I am at last getting an idea Father."

Stefano looked a little perplexed by that statement of his but EJ was in no mood to settle his father's concerns.

"Can I have a drink of water please?" he croaked the question, looking dully ahead.

"But of course," said Stefano quickly, getting up to pour the requested drink.

Stefano handed the glass to EJ and watched with fatherly concern as his hand trembled a little on accepting it, sipping at the refreshing drink, contemplating his own dark thoughts.

"I am so happy to see you back with us Elvis," said Stefano with a heartfelt sigh as he sat back down beside the bed, "It is an unimaginable thought that a father should outlive his children."

EJ looked at his father, a flash of his mangled dreams coming back to him.

"_In the end no matter how much time and devotion I put into Elvis he just ended up being a terrible disappointment to me__ …" _

"I'm so glad I didn't inconvenience or let down you by dying Father," said EJ flatly, his black mood colouring everything now.

"What a thing to say my son," tutted Stefano, shaking his head at Elvis disapprovingly, "I could never be disappointed in you."

EJ made a grunting noise, lying back on the pillow and turning his head away from Stefano, regarding the dim corner of his hospital room with quiet dispassion.

"I know this last week has been hard on you," EJ heard Stefano say and felt him pat his arm, "I that you have been through a lot and must be feeling the worse for wear because of that."

"Betrayal will do that to you," muttered EJ darkly, still with his head turned away from Stefano.

"What was that?" frowned Stefano, "What did you say Elvis?"

"Nothing," said EJ shortly, looking back at his father a little impatiently, "Nothing at all."

"I have something for you," said Stefano, smiling happily at him as he continued to try and cajole EJ out of his grim mood, "Something that I hope will make you look forward to the future rather than the unhappiness of the present eh?"

"The head of the person who did this to me on a platter?" asked EJ tersely, thinking that was about the only thing that would make him feel a little less devastated right then.

"I am working on that," said Stefano, patting his arm comfortingly but there was a hardness in his eyes that EJ recognised well.

It was clear that his father was not going to let what had happened to him go but in many ways EJ wanted to deal with this himself. He wasn't in the habit of running to his father though with his problems though and EJ would have preferred to deal with this himself but now knowing that he was a cripple had knocked the wind out of his sails and right then EJ had no idea how he would be able to exact revenge with the state he was in. The realisation just caused a fresh wave of despair to wash over him.

"But in the meantime," continued on Stefano, starting to root around in his coat pocket, "I have something for you."

Stefano found what he was looked for, pulling a black velvet box from his pocket, presenting it to EJ with a flourish. He just frowned at it rather suspiciously.

"Take it," urged Stefano, still looking very pleased with himself.

EJ reluctantly reached out and took the offered case and opened it, his eyebrows shooting up when he saw what was inside. He looked at his father expectantly for an explanation.

"They are the wedding rings that my father had made for himself and Colleen," Stefano informed him with a soft smile, "He had them made especially."

EJ looked down at the matching gold bands in the velvet box, one large and one small and swallowed hard at the sight of them and all that they represented. It was a future hoped for by both Santo and EJ and now lost to them both he realised sadly.

"My father had this made for Colleen but tragedy prevented him from ever being able to place this on the finger of the woman he loved more than life," said Stefano intently, his face etched with pain over the story that still obviously deeply troubled him.

"Why are you giving them to me?" asked EJ hoarsely.

"Why for you and Samantha to exchange them on your wedding day of course," said Stefano, looking a bit surprised at his question.

"What makes you think that day will ever come Father?" asked EJ morosely, "Why would Samantha marry me now?"

"Samantha loves you," stated Stefano earnestly.

"Does she now?" asked EJ sarcastically, "I wonder how you can be so sure of such a thing Father?"

"I know what a woman in love looks like," said Stefano with a half shrug, "And that woman adores you."

"Samantha always did know how to play to a crowd," said EJ sourly.

"What is this?" asked Stefano, looking perplexed, "Why are you suddenly questioning Samantha's love for you Elvis? What has happened to make you so uncertain of something you were so sure of before?"

EJ contemplated telling his father that he knew that something had been going on between he and Sami – that Stefano had been coercing Sami into something but then had to wonder what the point was. Bottom line was that EJ could no longer walk and that meant that no matter what his father did or did not do in regards to Sami it changed nothing.

"It doesn't matter," said EJ quietly, looking away again.

Nothing mattered now he decided gloomily – all of his hopes and dreams had come to an end.

oooOOOOooo

Stefano quietly closed the door behind him as he left EJ's room, deeply concerned by the state of mind his son was in. He had never seen Elvis so defeated and Stefano did not like to see his youngest child in so much distress.

"Father."

Stefano looked up to see Tony heading down the corridor towards him.

"I was just coming to visit with Elvis," he said, looking through the glass partition at EJ, "How is he?"

"He is sleeping now," said Stefano, leading Tony away from EJ's room, "We will let him rest eh? Elvis is still very weak after all that he has been through."

"I know," said Tony and looked very concerned, "I can't believe how close we came to losing him."

"But thanks be to God that we did not eh?" said Stefano as they walked back along the hallway that Tony had just come by, "In fact-"

Stefano then led them down another corridor, stopping at the door marked with 'Chapel' on it.

"-I think we should give thanks for the fact that Elvis has been spared death," said Stefano, nodding at the door, "What do you think Antony?"

"I was actually thinking more along the lines that the devil looks after his own," said Tony in vague amusement, "But I suppose a bet both ways does no one any harm."

"My son the pragmatist," said Stefano with a quirk of his lips.

"I am what you made me Father," said Tony unapologetically.

"Very true," nodded Stefano, thinking on those words deeply, "Come."

Stefano opened the door to the chapel and indicated that Tony should go in first and the younger man complied. They walked down the aisle together and took a seat at the front of the little chapel. Stefano watched as Tony sat on one of the pews, somehow seeming to recline out as though he was a cat, draping his arm along the back of the seat and looking around himself with vague disgust as his noise wrinkled.

"Something the matter my son?" asked Stefano, settling in next to him on the hard wooden seats.

"These places always reek of regret and remorse," said Tony in disdain.

"A church is a place for quiet contemplation," shrugged Stefano, "Reflection even."

"It's a place the weak come to second guess themselves or to find faux comfort in situations where there is none to be had," said Tony dismissively.

"You are rather harsh in your criticism of people with faith Antony," offered up Stefano mildly.

"I have faith Father," said Tony strongly, "Just not in a god I cannot see. I'd rather entrust my destiny to my own hands."

"Destiny can be a tricky thing," said Stefano with a little waggle of his head as he contemplated the subject, "It is like a beautiful woman – ever changing and impossible to totally pin down – you should be careful before dismissing destiny's wiles quite so easily my son."

"I just think people aren't trying hard enough," said Tony coolly, "Too many people leave too many things to happenstance in this world and then seem surprised when things do not work out as they intended."

"Control is important," said Stefano quietly, looking at the cross standing at the centre of the little table that was half lit with candles.

"It is all important," said Tony confidently, "Not to speak ill of the almost dead but my little brother leaves much to chance in his dealings both professional and personal. He does not have Samantha under control at all, she is still has far too many opinions for what is good for her. Kate Roberts is ensconced in a business that they shared and just waiting to sweep in and muscle him out of the way permanently. John Black still inconveniently lingers in this very hospital where if he were to wake up that could spell a lot of trouble for our family. Everything Elvis touches is messy and a danger to this family."

"He is young and full of spirit," said Stefano with affection, "He will learn as we all did – by his mistakes."

"I'm fine with that," said Tony a little dourly, "But I've learnt by my mistakes Father, I don't particularly want to be taken down by Elvis' many follies."

"And what would you do to ensure that doesn't happen I wonder?" said Stefano, regarding his son in the low light, "Would you say, kill to ensure your own safety and position?"

"Of course," said Tony without hesitation, "As would you Father, in a heartbeat."

Tony gave a little smile then and shook his head.

"But these aren't strictly hypothetical ponderings on your behalf now is it Father?" he asked Tony wryly, "Surely you cannot still be entertaining the thought that I had anything to do with Elvis' shooting. I mean the Salem police department cleared me of all involvement themselves."

"Hardly a glowing endorsement after considering the source," said Stefano dryly.

"Granted," said Tony in amusement, "It's rather like having Hitler be your character witness in court – rather meaningless."

"Quite," said Stefano with a little chuckle.

Stefano tilted his head and regarded Tony steadily then.

"Still," he said at last, "I do have to wonder how it is that you balance out your obvious ambitions-"

"One you yourself installed Father," interjected Tony easily, holding his gaze just as steadily.

"As you say," nodded Stefano, agreeing with that point, "Although I think somehow you would have been a singularly motivated man regardless of who you were born to Antony."

"It was indeed a happy accident that I should have both the means and the impetus for my character traits," agreed Tony in amusement.

"A happy one indeed," nodded Stefano and then arched an eyebrow, "Although by your own admission you would have been one to make your own 'happy accidents' seeing as you do not believe in destiny eh?"

"But of course," said Tony evenly, acknowledging that observation with a tilt of his head.

"So as I was saying," continued on Stefano smoothly, "Just how is it that you balance all the ambition and thirst for power up against, say, my wishes to have Elvis take the helm of my empire? You are a driven man Antony and I confess to some-"

Stefano waved his hand around in front of himself as he chose his next words carefully.

"-curiosity shall we say about how you marry those two state of affairs up," he finished and then looked at Tony unblinkingly, "Humour an old man Antony and tell me how you do such a thing eh?"

"Why it is the simplest thing in the world Father," said Tony with a little smile, "My great love for you overshadows all other things, my ambitions, my goals. You have given me everything I could want and need in this life and how can I not return such generosity with a simple act of obedience to follow your wishes."

"So you could not have been involved in this atrocity committed on Elvis, no matter what anyone might say to the contrary because you love me too much," said Stefano thoughtfully, "Is that what you are saying my son?"

"Yes," said Tony simply, "I may not always agree with what you do Father but I swear on my love for you that I will always do what you ask of me. You can test my loyalty and you will not find it lacking – I promise you. I had nothing to do with Elvis' shootings because that would have meant that I was challenging your wishes, your authority and I would never do that."

Stefano thought on Tony's words for a long moment before finally slowly nodding.

"That is what I thought," he said at last, "But it is good to hear such a thing confirmed by your own admission Antony."

"Of course Father," said Tony quickly, "I'd hate to think you were listening to the likes of Samantha Brady over your own son. You must know where my loyalties lie by now – surely?"

Stefano gave a little smile and nodded, reaching up a hand and putting it to the back of Tony's neck. He leant forward and pulled gently on Tony's neck so that they moved towards one another until their foreheads rested together.

"My son," said Stefano quietly, as he patted the back of Tony's head, "My son."

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & FORTY ONE**** – ****Reaping the Whirlwind**

Though dreams can be deceiving, like faces are to hearts,

they serve for sweet relieving,

when fantasy and reality lie too far apart.

_~Anonymous~_

_Sami moved in her chair as she tried to get more comfortable, falling back into a deeper sleep. She'd become rather adept at sleeping sitting up next to EJ's bed and could do it quite easily now. Sami was curled up in the arm chair that was near EJ's bed, having fallen asleep whilst waiting for EJ to wake up when she felt something tickle at her cheek. Sami's eyes fluttered open at the gentle caress and she looked up at EJ who had placed his face directly in line with hers, one hand on the arm of her chair as he leant in over her and the other gently tracing her face with his finger tips._

"_EJ," she said huskily, mesmerised by the sight of him, "You should be in bed."_

_Some part of Sami realised this was a dream because EJ was standing and fully dressed as he leaned in towards her but she simply didn't care. _

"_I should be kissing you," he corrected her throatily, moving closer, "I can't live if I'm not kissing you Samantha."_

_Sami's eyelids became heavy as she anticipated his kiss and EJ ducked his head slowly, capturing her mouth in a languorous kiss. He kissed her as though he had an eternity to do so, his lips moving over her, his tongue engaging with hers in a slow dance that allowed them to taste each other intensely, the sensation only making them hungrier for one another._

"_Samantha," he breathed her name into their kiss as one hand slipped into the front of her blouse and under her bra, cupping her breast, "My simply glorious girl."_

_Sami made a strangled sound of pleasure at the feeling of his warm flesh cupping her fullness and arched her back, encouraging EJ in his endeavours. He was back to kissing her again but this time there was more of a demand them, his hunger clearly growing with each passing second and Sami was right there with him. She felt her nipple bud helplessly as he began to roughly caress it with a large thumb and instantly there was an ache between her legs that was making it hard for Sami to concentrate. _

"_Oh god EJ I want you so much!" she cried out, unable to contain the words any longer. _

"_I know my darling," he said throatily, his other hand going to her thigh and beginning to push the material of her skirt up as he slowly dragged his hand towards her throbbing centre, "That's why you're going to let me have you right here aren't you sweetheart?"_

"_Yes," said Sami breathlessly, not even having to think about the fact she was in a hospital room right then and squirming a little now in her seat as EJ took too long to find her properly under her skirt, "Please... EJ." _

_He gave a deep chuckle, clearly enjoying Sami's impatience for more but still he lingered, fingers stroking the tender flesh of her inner thighs but not moving any higher._

"_EJ," she moaned her frustration, one of her hands going to his and trying to encourage him to move higher but he had other ideas._

"_First things first my love," he told her playfully and she felt his fingers hook into her panties and she lifted her bottom off the seat so he was more easily able to drag them down her legs and off Sami's body entirely._

_Sami watched as he very neatly folded up the intimate apparel and tucked it into his coat pocket. _

"_I don't think they'll fit," she giggled at him, "And I don't know if pink is your best colour."_

"_I look fantastic in pink," he corrected her with throaty confidence and Sami had to agree with that._

"_Yes you do," she sighed, remembering a pink shirt of his that was a favourite of hers and a pink tie that rather appealed as well, "You're utterly gorgeous EJ."_

"_I believe that is my line sweetheart," he said with another chuckle, "And besides, I thought I told you I preferred ruggedly handsome?" _

"_Don't care," she said impudently, "You're gorgeous and there is nothing to be done about it."_

"_You could kiss me?" he offered up huskily, "That might help."_

_Sami grinned at the offer and immediately sat up and took his face in her hands and kissed him with all her might, never wanting EJ to have to wait for one of her kisses again in his life. _

_She kissed him as though their lives depended on it, as though this single act could somehow convey the depth of her love for him. Sami finally broke the kiss, looking down at him breathlessly._

"_Nope," she said unevenly, a twinkle in her eyes, "You're still gorgeous, sorry EJ." _

"_Oh well," he sighed philosophically, "Can't be helped I suppose."_

_Sami bit her lip, loving this playfulness between them and particularly loving the feeling of just being totally honest with EJ now. She'd been holding back from him the best she could for so long now it was like a huge weight off her shoulders to be at last able to be free with how she was really feeling. Did. EJ smiled back at her, a sexy look in his eye as he knelt down, between Sami's legs, his hands running up and down her thighs, pushing up her skirt as he went. Sami gave a happy sigh as she watched EJ duck his head and begin to pepper soft kisses along her inner thighs. _

_It almost made Sami laugh to remember her trepidation the first time EJ had begun doing this to her by the lagoon, completely oblivious to the indescribable delights that were in store for her. Now Sami was tensing in eager anticipation of that first touch to her core, feeling her body becoming increasingly damp as it waited impatiently for him. Sami had a fleeting thought about how exposed they were, sitting there in a hospital room with a glass wall basically and was going to mention it to EJ when he finally reached his destination, attaching himself to her pulsating nub. _

"_EJ!" she cried out loudly, instinctively arching her back and grabbing at his short hair with both of her hands, pulling him even more tightly to her._

_Sami could have sworn that she felt EJ's smile against her but didn't care. There was no hiding how much she loved him doing this for her and she had absolutely no inclination to try. Sami writhed in her chair as EJ nipped, suckled and lapped at the swollen bundle of nerves, making her eyes roll back in her head with how good it felt. She felt him insert two long fingers into her now dripping core, gently stroking her walls and Sami couldn't take it anymore. He knew her body so well and was more attentive to her every need than any other man she'd ever been with and that feeling of deep intimacy alone was enough to send Sami tumbling over the edge. Sami clutched at EJ wildly as she convulsed helplessly through her orgasm, crying out his name. _

_She was still shuddering weakly, gasping for breath when EJ suddenly stood up and effortlessly picked her up out of the chair. Sami instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck and legs around his waist, clinging to him weakly as he walked them over to the hospital bed and laid her gently down on it. EJ climbed on the bed as well and knelt between her legs as he began to pull his shirt off over his head. Sami couldn't help herself, sitting up a little and running her hand over the hard muscles of his chest and kissing EJ's lean stomach and tasting the warm spiciness of his skin. _

_EJ was bare chested now as he gently pushed her back down on the bed and then grabbed the back of Sami's legs, pulling on them and drawing her backside against his thighs and then positioning himself more fully between her legs. Their bodies fitted together perfectly, a prelude of the more intimate coupling that was to come and despite the fact that EJ was still wearing his trousers she was left in little doubt as to how ready he was for that particular event. _

"_EJ," Sami finally protested his familiarities, "Someone will see us."_

"_Lucky them," said EJ throatily, waggling his eyebrows at her suggestively._

"_EJ," she laughed up at him and he relented. _

_He reached behind himself and drew up the crisp white hospital sheet and drew it over the top of both of them._

"_There," EJ said with satisfaction as they were completely covered in the white cotton, "Invisible to the naked eye now."_

_A sultry look came over his face as he said that then._

"_Speaking of naked," he rumbled; his voice low in his throat and Sami quivered to hear it, recognising the growing arousal in its timbre._

_EJ reached out with one hand, his long fingers beginning to make short work of the little buttons of her blouse._

"_I think it is time that you were exactly that," he purred, his face a picture of eager anticipation as he began undressing her. _

"_EJ," said Sami softly, full to over flowing with her love for him but needing him to understand something before they went any further, "EJ I love you so much and everything I did since you were shot was because I loved you. I never meant to keep anything from me, you have to believe me."_

_EJ didn't answer her immediately, still intent on getting the last of her buttons undone. _

"_EJ?" Sami prompted him._

"_Darling I'm working here," said EJ with a lop sided grin as he finally looked up from what he was doing even as his hand slipped under her body and began to undo the clasps of her bra in a particularly skilful manner, "Can we talk about this later?"_

_Sami bit her lip, still worried about what she'd done._

"_I'm sorry EJ," she whispered, "For not telling you about your legs or about Tony."_

"_Enough," said EJ, pressing a finger to her lips, "Darling I don't care – all that matters is that I love you and you love me – everything else is incidental – a trifle."_

"_Do you mean it?" asked Sami breathlessly, relief flooding her body as she looked up at EJ, surrounded in their make shift tent, the whole world kept at bay by the thin cotton barrier and the force of their love for one another. _

"_I mean everything I say to you darling," he said huskily._

_An impish smile touched his lips then. _

"_But if you are feeling particularly guilty sweetheart I could always punish you a little to help alleviate that somewhat," he offered up cheekily as he pushed her bra away now, leaving her breasts exposed even while she was half wearing her blouse still._

_EJ cupped one full orb and began to massage it firmly, licking his lips slowly as he gazed down at her with obvious hunger. _

"_What kind of punishment?" asked Sami, a smile tugging at her lips as she had no doubt as to what form this particular punishment was going to take. _

_Without any warning EJ grabbed Sami's hips and somehow managed to turn her over onto her stomach in one quick move, making Sami's head spin at the sudden change of position._

"_Oh," she said in surprise and then made a little approving noise in the back of her throat as she felt EJ push her skirt up to her hips. _

"_One that is going to make you scream very loudly Ms Brady," he predicted confidently, his voice in her ear as he leant over her now, EJ's chest rubbing against her back now._

"_Really?" asked Sami with a giggle, "I've got a high tolerance to that kind of thing EJ – you're going to have to work very hard to make me scream you know."_

_Sami felt EJ lift himself off her a little bit and then there was that sound of clothes rustling and a zip being pulled down. She bit down on her lip as she felt him move back over her, his arms on either side of Sami's shoulders as EJ held himself above her. The next thing Sami felt was something impressively large and rigid being rubbed against her bottom cheeks. _

"_Don't worry sweetheart," he growled into her ear, rhythmically rubbing himself against her now, "I've definitely got the very hard angle covered."_

"_So I can feel," said Sami unevenly_.

"_Ready to take your punishment like the bad little girl that you are?" he purred in her ear to which Sami could only desperately nod her head. _

_Even though she'd just recently climaxed Sami was already starving for more and supposed she should be embarrassed by her wanton sexual appetites but she wasn't. EJ made her feel more alive, more like a woman than anyone else in her life and Sami simply couldn't get enough of that feeling or of him. She felt him push her legs wider apart and then there was the feeling of something hard and swollen being pressed against her opening. Sami tried to relax her muscles, wanting to be more than ready for him but then as always, EJ surprised her. A short, sharp smack was delivered to one bottom cheek unexpectedly at the exact same moment EJ mounted her. _

_Sami gave a gasping groan of surprise and intense pleasure as the enjoyable tingling from the little smack caused her to tense, increasing the powerful sensation of being penetrated by EJ in that same moment. Sami's knuckles went white as she grabbed at the sheets as her body began immediately convulsing again, shooting out delicious tendrils of ecstasy throughout her entire being. EJ wasn't giving her a chance to recover, riding her fiercely throughout Sami's muscle spasming ordeal, her choked sobs of delirium spurring him on to go harder, deeper. EJ was in complete control of her body and they both knew it and Sami thrilled to being so completely his. She could feel his hard, angled chest repeatedly rubbing against her back, the sound of his increasingly laboured breathing as his own arousal began to build to fever pitch._

"_Does my bad girl like her punishment?"_

_His ragged voice was in her ear, uneven from all of his exertions and full of obvious hunger._

"_Yes!" moaned Sami, feeling her body prepare for yet another orgasm, "Oh god YES!"_

_Her excited cries caused EJ to drive himself harder into her, his thrusting at fever pitch now and Sami could feel her walls beginning to bear down on him more tightly as well. The sensation built and built in her body until she was screaming from it, unable to do anything else as EJ controlled the whole situation seemingly effortlessly. Sami was eager to hold on, to feel him come inside her, flooding her with his hot seed but it was becoming beyond her control. EJ was giving grunting cries of triumph every time he fully impaled her on his distended maleness and Sami loved the sound of it; loved knowing she was responsible for the frenzied delirium she could hear in his voice. Sami could feel herself falling, falling and then..._

Sami hit the ground hard, the impact instantly waking her up as she fell out of her chair from the intensity of her dreams. She quickly jumped up again on very shaky legs but Eddie the bodyguard who was standing at the door as usual had seen her, much to Sami's embarrassment.

"Are you alright Miss Brady?" he asked, opening the door and looking at her in concern.

"Yes," said Sami hastily, going bright red and only praying that she hadn't been overly loud during her dreams which was pretty hard to imagine that she'd managed to remain silent during such an intensely erotic one.

She shot him an embarrassed smile at that thought and then went to sit back down. Sami's whole body was throbbing wildly after that dream, a bundle of sexual frustration and adrenalin.

"S-Samantha?"

Sami whirled back around in surprise at the sound of EJ saying her name as he struggled awake, a little nervous at what his reaction was going to be to seeing her after the last time they'd spoken. Stefano had told her that he'd been awake earlier and talking although the other man had been a bit vague about what they'd discussed; much to Sami's annoyance. We did everything have to be such a big secret in that family she had to wonder in frustration? Sami was desperate for any information about EJ's state of mind after the terrible reaction he'd had at finding out he couldn't move his legs but all Stefano said was an unhelpful 'Elvis was coping as you'd expect' to Sami's questions. At least now EJ was awake properly and she could find out for herself and try and explain to him why she'd done what she'd done.

"Hi," she said hastily, going to stand by his bed and looking down at him nervously, "How do you feel EJ?"

"A little over people asking me how I feel," said EJ flatly, putting an unsteady hand to his face.

"Yeah well," Sami grimaced, "You're in hospital so that is going to be the standard question I'm afraid."

She shifted her weight from one foot to the other a little anxiously and then attempted a smile.

"Better late than never eh sweetheart?" he asked and his expression was hard to read as he said that.

"I'm sorry EJ," she said quietly, "It was wrong of me to keep the news about your paralysis from you."

"But you did it anyway," stated EJ, looking at her steadily but curiously there wasn't an accusation in his tone, more one of defeat which worried Sami.

"Yes," admitted Sami, looking down at her hands and pressing her lips together, "Your father thought the news would be too much for you to bear in your condition and I let him talk me into keeping quiet."

"Let him talk you into it or forced you into it Samantha?" asked EJ grimly.

Sami looked at him in surprise at that comment.

"I know why you are doing this, all of this," said EJ tightly, waving his arm around to sweep the room and the fact that she was sitting by his bedside, "I know about all the lies Samantha."

"Oh," said Sami in distress, "EJ I'm sorry but I had to do it – Stefano was threatening my family so I had to keep quiet about everything. I didn't know what else to do."

EJ's face fell at that news and he looked down now.

"So it was all a lie," he whispered, this time not as an accusation but more as a heartbreaking realisation.

He turned his head on the pillow to look up her then, anger and real pain in his eyes.

"Congratulations Samantha," he said bitterly, "You did a wonderful job of convincing me that you loved me all of a sudden. No really sweetheart – that performance was worth an Oscar's nod if ever I saw one."

"EJ!" gasped Sami in shock, suddenly realising what he was thinking, "I wasn't lying about how I felt about you! How could you say that? I love you, I really do!"

"Give it up Samantha," said EJ despondently, "You've done your duty and been by my side like my father ordered you to. Don't worry, I'll tell him that I don't want you here anymore so you can be free of me and your family will be safe."

"EJ Stefano couldn't have gotten me to leave you if he'd set the whole hospital on fire!" said Sami ferociously, "This was the only place I wanted to be, the only place that mattered for me and I'm telling you now, your father had nothing to do with it!"

EJ let his anger well up inside of him and didn't examine it too closely because it was all he had to use to keep Sami at a distance. Why could she never make anything easy on him he wondered in despair? He was trying to set her free for her own good and she was just making everything that more difficult for EJ. Sami was so convincing in her claims that it was her choice alone to be by his side that EJ couldn't help but believe her which made what he was doing that much harder but he had to do it anyway, as much as it hurt.

"Just go away Samantha," said EJ grimly, turning his face from her.

"EJ-" she began to protest but he interrupted, still not looking at her.

"Go _away _!" he growled.

Sami swallowed hard at the vehemence in his voice and would have kept on pushing him only she saw how tightly he was holding his body and that he was beginning to shake again and was fearful that her presence was doing him more harm than good right then. He was clearly upset with her and Sami guiltily knew he had a right to be. If EJ had done the same thing to her she'd be tearing him a new one right now so all in all she figured she was getting off lightly. Sami knew EJ was still in shock over the news about his legs and the stubborn set of his jaw told her that it was no use talking to him about things right now.

She wasn't daunted though because despite everything Sami just knew that EJ would come around and forgive her. She knew it because she knew how she loved him and that it was the same way EJ loved her. They would always be able to forgive each other anything when it came down to it. It was a strange thing to realise that even though her heart grieved at the thought of EJ being upset with her, that at the same time she wasn't panicking at EJ's seeming rejection of her.

If this had been happening with any of her other relationships in her life, past or present Sami would be panicking and almost hysterical to make things right again for fear of losing that person's love but with EJ she wasn't. It wasn't that those other relationships were more important than her and EJ's - quite the opposite in fact but it was the fact that EJ had truly made her feel so utterly secure in his love that she wasn't daunted by his attitude right now. Sami knew beyond a shadow of a doubt how much he loved her and even though there was a real chance that EJ was going to be

"Alright," she said quietly, standing up and collecting her bag, "I'll go for now EJ but I'll be back."

"I don't want you to," said EJ tightly, still not looking at her.

Sami looked back at the forlorn figure EJ cut, lying there all alone in the dim room and felt a huge surge of love for him. She didn't comment on his remark, not wanting to upset EJ anymore than he had been but also knowing that there was no way she was giving up on him now and the harder he pushed her away the more Sami was simply going to push him back. She knew his heart and that no matter what EJ might be thinking or feeling right now that it was aching for her like hers was for him. He was stubborn but then so was she and EJ was as crazy as her family accused him of being if he thought for one minute that this was the end of anything between them.

This was only the beginning for them and Sami was going to prove that to the impossible man in the bed, come hell or high water.

oooOOOOooo

"Trouble in paradise my dear?" asked Tony with a little smile as he suddenly appeared from a corridor as Sami was leaving, noticing her serious expression.

"Go to hell Tony," said Sami flatly, continuing to walk down the corridor and trying to ignore him but Tony easily fell into step beside her determined footsteps.

"All in good time I'm sure," he said with a languorous smile.

"Not soon enough for me," growled Sami as she kept on walking, heading out of the hospital and towards her car.

EJ may have sent her away but Sami was only going to use the time to run some errands and to check how things were going with Mythic before she came back to the hospital. The last thing she wanted to do was spend any time with Tony DiMera of all people.

"My father and I have just been at the little hospital chapel giving thanks for Elvis' recovery," Tony informed her, not at all put off by Sami's shortness with him.

"I wondered why I saw Satan go by with ice skates over his shoulder earlier," said Sami dourly, "I guess that answers that question then – hell really did freeze over."

"Oh Samantha," chuckled Tony, "If only I were a few years younger I would have given Elvis a run for his money with you."

"Don't you just mean run him over?" asked Sami in disgust, "That's the way that you go about things isn't it? Just try and kill whatever gets in your way?"

"Now if that were really true my I'd have to wonder at the sensibleness of you continuing to talk to me this way and of course spreading vicious lies about me to my own father?" observed Tony idly.

"I'm not frightened of you Tony," declared Sami tightly.

"Another mistake you can add to your already impressive list I'm sure," commented Tony dryly.

"Do you have a point to hanging around me like a bad smell?" asked Sami, still resolutely walking and trying to get him to leave her alone.

"Why I just wanted you to know that Stefano and I had a long, father/son talk and cleared the air between us," said Tony easily, "He knows where my allegiance lies and has complete trust in me."

"Well congratulations Tony," said Sami bitterly, "You managed to pull the wool over a dying old man's eyes – you must be so proud of yourself."

"Now, now Samantha," he tutted, "I rather hoped you weren't going to be a sore loser over all this."

"What do you mean?" asked Sami with a frown.

"I mean you took a risk and went to my father with your unfounded suspicions and he chose to believe his own son over a Brady upstart infamous for her ability to fabricate to suit her own purposes," said Tony smoothly, "I'll grant you that it was a brave if ill thought out gambit that I can't help but be a little impressed by."

"I have no idea what you are talking about Tony," said Sami tightly, now walking down the front stairs of the hospital and heading towards where she'd parked her car.

"Still playing games until the bitter end eh?" sighed Tony regretfully, "Commendable in a rather forlornly desperate way I suppose."

Sami just shook her head, obviously not planning on engaging Tony in further discussion on the subject but Tony had other ideas, grabbing her arm and making her stop walking as he tugged her to him so that he could place his lips to her ear.

"Let me go!" said Sami, trying to jerk away from him but he had her in a vice like grip and she wasn't going anywhere until he decided it would be so.

"I just want to understand what that little gamble is going to cost you Samantha," he purred into her ear, "You rolled the dice but you lost and now I believe the term – to the victor goes the spoils – needs to be applied here."

"And what is that supposed to mean Tony?" asked Sami, her chin going up defiantly as she faced off against him resolutely.

Tony couldn't help but admire her pluck in the situation and be a little amused by it really. It was rather like watching a Rottweiler puppy face off against a tank. You knew what the outcome was going to be but it was rather cute to watch the puppy do its worst.

"It means that you've forced me into the unpleasant position of having to put you in your place with some rather dire consequences of your choices Samantha," he said, the easy smile belying his threatening words.

"This must be a real day to remember hm Tony?" asked Sami bitterly, finally managing to get her arm free, "Lying to your father, threatening helpless women. On your way home why don't you take candy from a baby and then you'll know for sure that you are a real man!"

"There is a point my dear," drawled Tony, "Where spunk becomes stupidity – you'd do well to remember that."

"Just leave me alone Tony," said Sami tersely, turning her back on him and starting towards her car again, "We've got nothing to say to one another."

Tony let her leave, watching the determined set of her little shoulders as she marched away from him and admiring the swing in her very feminine, rounded hips. It was rather sad he decided when someone didn't know they were beaten and even more pathetic that Sami ever though she had a chance of besting him. For a moment Tony had been concerned that Stefano had believed the things she'd said about him, especially when the police landed on his doorstep with no outrage on Stefano's behalf. But her gamble had only backfired on Sami, ensuring that he was as deeply entrenched in the old man's good books as ever and Sami was definitely on the outer.

Tony smiled at the thought, sticking his hands in his pockets and beginning to stroll at a leisurely pace to his own car that he'd parked under cover in the hospital car park. When he'd gotten to the car he was patting at his coat, looking for his keys when there was a movement out of the corner of his eye. Two large men stepped out behind one concrete pillar beside his car and stared back at him unblinkingly. Tony's hand dropped from his coat as he looked steadily back at them in the deserted car park and making no move to escape.

"Oh," he said calmly, speaking at last, "I see."

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & FORTY TWO**** – ****When Push Comes to Shove**

It is the characteristic excellence of the strong man

that he can bring momentous issues to the fore and make a decision about them.

The weak are always forced to decide between alternatives

they have not chosen themselves.

_~Dietrich Bonhoeffer~_

Sami moved restlessly in her chair, waiting for Stefano to arrive in one of the waiting rooms at the hospital. She'd rung him after that unsettling conversation with Tony and although Sami would never admit it to these DiMera men she was frightened just what form of retribution Tony had in mind for her. Plus Sami wanted to find out for herself just exactly what it was that Stefano did or did not believe when it came to who shot EJ. She knew this was a dangerous time for both her and EJ because if she couldn't convince Stefano of his son's guilt then they were pretty much on their own which was going to be very hard. Somehow Sami didn't see her father lining up to help out a DiMera, even if it was at her behest.

"Have you been waiting long my dear?"

"No," said Sami quickly as she looked up Stefano who for a big man, could move rather quietly.

Stefano took a seat across from her and Sami didn't waste time with pleasantries.

"You have to do something about Tony," she said flatly, "I know the police couldn't prove anything but you have to believe me when I say Stefano that he wants EJ dead and probably you dead as well so he can have the whole DiMera empire to himself."

"I agree," said Stefano evenly.

"I know that he told you he wasn't involved in what happened to EJ but you can't believe anyth-" Sami began urgently, intent on convincing Stefano that Tony was not the obedient son he imagine so it had taken a moment for what he'd just said to sink in.

Sami blinked a couple of times, briefly too stunned to speak.

"You-you agree?" she asked finally, the amazement evident in her voice.

"Yes," said Stefano steadily, looking unfazed by it all.

"But-but…" Sami was having a hard time trying to process this sudden about face on Stefano's behalf, "But when Tony saw me this morning he seemed so sure that you believed him, that you trusted him implicitly."

"It suited my purposes that he should think that," said Stefano coolly, adjusting his cufflinks casually.

"So what does that mean?" asked Sami in bemusement.

"It means that you no longer have to worry about Antony in your life," said Stefano emotionlessly.

"What did you do Stefano?" asked Sami not without some trepidation.

"I took care of things," said Stefano simply.

"Is-is Tony dead?" asked Sami, not sure how she felt about that.

On one hand Sami found it hard to condone murder but if there was anyone who deserved such a fate then it was Tony. It would be such a huge relief to know that Tony was gone from their lives for good but it was very hard to cope with the concept of a father killing his own child. It wasn't that she didn't believe Stefano capable of such a thing but it was more that he was prone to such wild variations. On one hand he was this loving, doting father to EJ because from what Stefano understood EJ was doing everything he wanted of him and it was Tony who had crossed him and who had obviously suffered his wrath.

Sami couldn't help a fissure of fear that went through her when she contemplated how Stefano might react when EJ told her of his plans. Clearly while his children were doing Stefano's will then there was nothing but love and devotion from the man and Sami could see why it was now that he loved his father so much. Step outside of that will though and it seemed there was a very different experience to be had. Sami couldn't help but wonder how EJ would cope when he saw this other side of his father directed at him and be concerned about what it might mean for them.

"Samantha you must understand something if you are to be a part of our family," said Stefano, answering her evenly, "You are not to ask questions about things that do not concern you."

"Tony tried to kill the man I love and then threatened me and my family Stefano," she said bitterly, "Just how is it that those things don't concern me exactly?"

"I have told you that everything is in hand Samantha," said Stefano casually, "You are to take me at my word about that."

"And that is all I get?" asked Sami in frustration, "Everything is in hand and I'm just meant to be content with that? We're talking about the lives of people I love Stefano – I need more than your word!"

"Would seeing Antony's corpse put your mind any more at rest?" offered up Stefano intently, "Would that allay your fears my dear?"

Sami gave a horrified gasp at that, sickened at the thought of such a thing despite having wished Tony dead on more than one occasion. Whatever she was Sami knew she couldn't condone murder, no matter who it was.

"I can see the offer does not appeal," said Stefano with a quirk of his lips at Sami's suddenly pale countenance, "You see Samantha, taking my word that Tony is dealt with is your best option I believe. I am only trying to spare you of the less pleasant aspects of doing business as would any father-in-law to be."

"You'll never be my father-in-law Stefano!" hissed Sami in horror, not quite thinking that through.

"But you have told me of your plans to marry my son have you not?" protested Stefano, "I do hope you aren't being fickle towards Elvis when he needs you the most."

"EJ and I's relationship is none of your business Stefano!" Sami snapped, "But I'll tell you this for free – what I feel for EJ isn't in anyway fickle! I love him and he loves me and no matter what happens that will never change! We are going to be married and when we do-"

Sami stopped talking abruptly, realising telling Stefano to cram it when he'd just more or less confessed to killing one of his own children might not be the best way to go about things. She didn't want to leap from the frying pan of Tony into the inferno of Stefano – at least not just yet.

"Yes?" prompted Stefano, his eyebrows raising expectantly, "What where you going to say Samantha?"

"EJ and I just want to be left alone," finished off Sami quietly.

"At the moment Elvis just wants to be left alone completely," commented Stefano dryly but with unmistakeable concern.

"That's because you had us both lie to him!" said Sami bitterly, "I told you that was the wrong thing to do and now he's mad at us both, particularly me and I don't blame him at all!"

"Is that why you aren't with him now?" asked Stefano, eyeing her thoughtfully and letting her outburst slide.

"Yes," said Sami and swallowed painfully, "EJ is refusing to see me."

"And what are you going to do about it?" asked Stefano, his eyes narrowing a little suspiciously, "Give up?"

"Like hell!" growled Sami defiantly, "EJ's stuck with me whether he wants it or not! He'll come around, I know he will but all this could have been avoided if you'd listened to me in the first place!"

"I disagree," said Stefano coolly, "We don't know what the news would have done to him if he'd found out earlier. At least now he is mad and anger is an emotion that he can use to make himself strong again."

"But he's angry at _me _!" bit out Sami, blinking rapidly to stop the hot tears that were filling her eyes and not wanting Stefano to see them.

"Is he really?" asked Stefano intuitively, "I do not know if that is true or just an excuse Samantha."

"Well all I know is that EJ needs me and he won't let me help him," said Sami grimly, shooting him a resentful look.

"So what are you going to do about that I wonder?" asked Stefano, eyeing her curiously.

"I'm going to fight for him like he fought for me," said Sami determinedly and without hesitation, "No one is going to stop EJ and I being together – not even EJ."

Sami felt her resolve strengthening as she made her vows to Stefano of all people. It was strange but he was actually the closest thing she had to a confidante in this whole mess which was wrong on so many levels but true. Her family certainly wouldn't understand – they'd probably have her committed for declaring her love for EJ if the truth be told and making friends wasn't something Sami had exactly excelled at in life. Her only true friend was EJ Sami was realising and she missed having him to be able to confide in over this seeing as he was the one being the problem right then.

Sami wasn't daunted though, how could she be when she'd seen what EJ had gone through to get her to admit to herself how much she loved him. She'd meant what she said to Stefano, that she was prepared to do what it took for her and EJ to be together. Knowing that they would be soon enough filled Sami with such a feeling of contentment and happiness that she knew she could weather any storm to get there. A little smile touched Stefano's lips as he saw the resolute expression come over Sami's face and he quietly nodded in approval at the sight.

oooOOOOooo

Stefano stood outside of EJ's room, watching him through the glass partition and sighed heavily. His son's dark mood was continuing and Stefano was worried. He'd hoped that given a day to process things he would be ready to start facing this challenge head on but something seemed to have taken all the fight out of his usually resilient child. Stefano was certain it had something to do with Sami, even though he wasn't sure what that was. No amount of cajoling or talking to by Stefano seemed to be penetrating the thick cloud of depression that was surrounding Elvis nowadays.

Somehow Stefano knew that if his son was to come out of this then it wouldn't be by his doing. The look in Samantha's eyes when she'd vowed to get EJ through this had put Stefano's mind at rest. The young people would sort this out between them, of that he had no doubt. Although it was out of character for him to let someone else deal with things he was invested in Stefano was confident in Sami's ability to see his son through this trauma. It was a strangeness indeed to be putting one's faith in a Brady of all people but Stefano felt confident in the young woman's abilities to win Elvis around and to get him to start fighting to walk again.

"It is the beginning of a new era," Stefano murmured quietly to himself, thinking about the time when his son would take a Brady for his wife and complete the destiny that had been first intended for his father and Colleen.

"And what would that be exactly?"

Stefano turned around, an unconcerned look on his face.

"Ah Captain Brady," he said easily, "So lovely to see you – have you come to give me good news perhaps – that you have found the person responsible for Elvis' condition? Or perhaps you just came to wish him well eh?"

The expression on Roman's face told Stefano that was an unlikely scenario and he couldn't help but needle the man.

"No," he sighed in mock disappointment, "Ah well, it is just as well that your daughter gives enough comfort to my son on behalf of all the Brady's eh?"

Roman's eyes narrowed unhappily at such a statement.

"What the hell are you talking about DiMera?" growled Roman.

"Oh," said Stefano, feigning concern, "I do hope I haven't spoken out of turn. Far be it from me to spoil the surprise that is coming your way Roman."

"Nothing you and your family could do would surprise me any longer," said Roman flatly, obviously deciding not to involve himself in Stefano's little games, "You just leave my daughter the hell alone do you hear me?"

"I have nothing but best wishes when it comes to Samantha Roman," said Stefano, looking very innocent now, "How could you suggest otherwise?"

"Maybe because you've made it your mission in life to hurt and destroy as many Brady's as humanly possible," said Roman dourly, his lips twisting in disgust.

"It was not a DiMera who struck the first blow in this war between our families," said Stefano tersely, all teasing suddenly gone.

"What is that supposed to mean?" asked Roman in confusion.

"How surprising that a Brady does not even know their own history," said Stefano acerbically, "Perhaps you would do well to do some research before you climb onto that high, moral pedestal of yours eh? Why don't you ask Samantha – I'm sure she could enlighten you."

Roman blinked a couple of times and eyed Stefano suspiciously and Stefano just stared back, feeling his animosity for this sanctimonious family who knew so little of the pain that they themselves had caused. Peter Brady had killed two people that day with his reckless actions, his own daughter and Stefano's father. Even though Santo had lived for many years after Colleen it could have been called no kind of life. The light had gone out of his eyes, replaced instead with a coldness that never went away, even when looking at his son who had been the apple of his eye previously. Stefano didn't blame his father, he'd been a good and loving man before the Brady's had taken his heart from him by killing Colleen. No, Stefano laid the pain of watching his father become a shell of a man, broken from his loss and filled with vengeful hatred for those who had caused it.

Santo had passed the same burden onto his son but again, Stefano didn't blame him. It was only right a love like Colleen and Santo's should be remembered from generation to generation – it should not be forgotten. The memory up until now had been fraught with pain and suffering but that was until Stefano had seen his youngest child grow into a man, the spitting image of his father and Stefano had come across a picture of Sami Brady in a newspaper when he'd been living in London. He'd seen instantly Colleen's face looking back at him and Stefano had known how his father's love was to be remembered from now on.

It had been somewhat like Jason and the golden fleece when he'd told the unsuspecting Elvis of his plans to come to Salem and for him to take a bride from within the Brady women. Stefano had shown him several bios from the different women available – Carrie, Belle, Chelsea but as soon as EJ had seen Sami's Stefano had seen the intense interest in his son's eye. Without being even prompted Elvis had gravitated towards the woman that fate had picked for him and for Stefano this confirmed that his plan must come to fruition. His failing health and the promise of stem cells had been the icing on the cake and one he didn't feel badly about because he'd devoted his life to the legacy his father had left him so it seemed only fair that Sami, one of the Brady's who had stolen so much of it should be the one to now add to his years. There was an ironic symmetry to it all that pleased Stefano greatly.

Of course Stefano would have been lying if he said he also wasn't looking forward to the time when Samantha would have told her family about her relationship with Elvis. The fall out would no doubt be spectacular as the family reeled from the realisation that one of their own had chosen a DiMera over them. Stefano was rather looking forward to being the one who generously welcomed the young and undoubtedly excommunicated Brady into the DiMera fold. It was going to be quite the coup and would cause them endless pain no doubt. Stefano had told his son that when he and Sami married he would consider the vendetta done with, Santo and Colleen's lost souls finding a peace in Elvis and Samantha's union but that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy watching some Brady angst. After all, it was a dull man who didn't have a hobby he pondered in amusement.

"You can wipe that smirk off your face DiMera," snapped Roman, "Don't think I don't know what you are trying to do! You just stay the hell away from my family!"

"Can I help it if Samantha finds herself more at home in the company of DiMera's?" shrugged Stefano innocently, "Perhaps I should invite her to stay at the mansion eh? So she can get a taste of what being part of a family that truly loves and accepts her perhaps?"

"Over my dead body!" growled Roman grimly.

"Well there's an appealing thought eh?" chuckled Stefano, "Ah but if wishes were horses hm?"

Stefano straightened his coat then and smiled coolly at Roman.

"Well I'd love to stay and chat with you all day Roman but I really must be going," he said smoothly.

"I'm not finished with you," said Roman shortly.

"Oh," said Stefano in surprise, "You actually had a point in seeking me out then? I mean, other than no doubt informing me about your continuing failure to do your job and find out who did this to Elvis of course."

"I wanted to speak to Tony," said Roman flatly, ignoring the jab.

"I'm sorry but that won't be possible," said Stefano evenly.

"And why is that?" asked Roman tightly.

"Because he is doing some business for me," said Stefano, "In northern Europe, it's very remote so I can't even contact him at the moment."

Stefano cocked his head at him before asking innocently.

"That's not a problem is it Captain Brady?" he asked calmly, "I believe you told my son that you had no other questions for him and he was free to go, that you had no further interest in him. Was I mistaken? Have you some kind of new evidence?"

"No," admitted Roman, "I just wanted to speak to him, clarify a few points."

"Oh well as soon as he gets back I'll be sure to point him in your direction," said Stefano breezily.

"And just how long do you expect Tony to be gone for exactly?" asked Roman, his eyes narrowing again as he scrutinised the other man closely.

"I have no idea," said Stefano easily, "Negotiations in that part of the world can be a time consuming and laborious affair. I did tell him not to come back until he'd secured the contracts I was interested in so who's to say how long that will take?"

"Well that's mighty convenient isn't it?" observed Roman sarcastically.

"Not really," said Stefano, pretending vague annoyance, "I had tickets to see La Boehme on Saturday and Tony was to accompany me. I do so hate going to these things alone."

Stefano perked up then and smiled at Roman as a thought appeared to come to him.

"I tell you what," he said, "Why don't you accompany me instead Roman? We'd be the talk of the town and I could explain to you all the intricacies of such a classic opera. I'm sure we would have a wonderful time."

Clearly Roman didn't feel the need to dignify the tongue in cheek offer with a response as he just stared back at him with an unimpressed look on his face.

"Ah well," sighed Stefano in mock disappointment, "Maybe next time eh?"

Stefano winked at Roman and then turned around, making his way back down the corridor and leaving the other man to it. Roman frowned unhappily at that exchange but then his attention was caught by a man coming out of EJ's room, clearly a doctor and he called him over.

"Doctor?" he said as the other man stopped in front of him, "Can I have a quick word?"

"As long as it is quick," nodded the silver haired man in the green hospital scrubs, "I've got surgery in fifteen minutes."

"I was just wondering how the patient in that room was doing?" asked Roman.

"Are you family?" asked the doctor.

"No," said Roman, pulling out his badge and showing it to the doctor, "I'm investigating who shot Mr DiMera."

"Okay," said the doctor, scrutinising Roman's badge carefully, "Well considering what he's just gone through and the fact that it would have killed a normal man I'd say Mr DiMera's doing pretty well all things considered."

"So you see him getting out of here soon?" asked Roman.

"Well he's got a long road ahead of him," sighed the doctor, "Particularly if the nerve damage turns out to be permanent."

"Nerve damage?" asked Roman.

"He's paralysed from the waist down," said the doctor, obviously unhappy that one of his surgeries should have had such an outcome, "We don't know how long term that is going to be – whether he will improve with time or whether it is permanent."

"I see," said Roman, taken aback by the news.

"He's lucky in one way though," continued on the doctor, "He's got people around him who love him a lot and that means a great deal in these kinds of situations. His father has been very supportive and of course his girlfriend has barely left his side this whole time."

"Girlfriend?" asked Roman, his interest piqued at that reference.

"Yes," nodded the doctor, "I think she was the one who pulled him through all of this really. It's obvious how much he adores her and I think she'll be the one to make all the difference in his recovery."

"Do you know this woman's name?" asked Roman, his face tense.

"Of course," laughed the doctor, "When he's conscious she has been practically all Mr DiMera talks about. Her name is Samantha and I believe they are going to be married soon, at least that is what I gathered."

Roman's face didn't change expression at that information but the doctor suddenly had the distinct feeling he'd said the wrong thing somehow.

"Is that all Captain?" he asked, feeling a little uncomfortable now as Roman just stared at him, not saying a word, "I have surgery…?"

"Thank you doctor," said Roman and it seemed to cost him a great deal to speak right then, "You've been very helpful."

The doctor nodded a little uncertainly and then hurried off leaving Roman standing there. Roman walked up to the glass partition and looked through at the now sleeping EJ, just as Stefano had been doing when he'd come up on him. Roman didn't say anything but just stared at the sleeping EJ, a muscle in his cheek ticking wildly.

oooOOOOooo

Several hours later Stefano walked down the many stairs that led to a secret second basement in his mansion.

"I must have Rolf install an elevator," he grumbled under his breath, finding them a bit of a trial today.

As much as Stefano would have liked to have thought himself cured with the potions Rolf had been injecting him with he knew that was not the case. It was only a matter of time before these stop gaps began to fail and Stefano knew it. His health was failing but he pushed those thoughts from his head as he got to the bottom of the stairs and paused to catch his breath, cursing his flagging body for not being able to keep up with the indomitable will that it contained. After catching his breath for a moment Stefano straightened his coat and tie and walked down the long corridor in front of him, into a door at the end, down another corridor and then finally turning into a little antechamber. The room was bare except for a single chair that was facing a set of bars creating a little cell at one end.

"Leave us," said Stefano shortly of the greasy looking man currently occupying the single seat.

The man immediately leapt up and did just that and Stefano took his place in the chair, unbuttoning his coat button as he sat down.

"Forgive me if I don't get up," said a sarcastic voice, the inhabitant of the dark little cell.

There was a rattle of chains then.

"But I seem to be having a little restriction with my movements for some reason," continued on the voice in a mocking fashion.

"Tony," said Stefano evenly, "You know very well that the chains are on because you killed a man yesterday."

"It was a simple misunderstanding," said Tony blithely, "He thought he could put his filthy hands on me and I disagreed."

"And then broke his neck," commented Stefano with a quirk of his lips.

"I felt very strongly about the matter," conceded Tony with a quirk of his own lips, clearly unapologetic about the death of the man at his own hands.

Tony moved restlessly then where he was sitting on the dirty ground, still in the clothes he'd been wearing yesterday when Stefano's men had come for him, minus his coat and tie. Both wrists had heavy manacles on them and relatively short chains that were set deep into the concrete walls of the cell.

"The man should have known how dangerous-" began Tony but Stefano interrupted.

"A caged animal can be?" interjected Stefano calmly.

"Is that how you see me Father?" asked Tony, cocking his head at Stefano thoughtfully, "As some kind of animal?"

"As you have said before," said Stefano quietly, "You are what I have made you."

"And is this to be my reward for being such a faithful son eh Father?" asked Tony, at last sounding bitter as he rattled the chains noisily to make his point, "Answer me!"

"I think that we both know that neither of those descriptions fit you," said Stefano calmly, pausing for effect, "Now do they… _André _?"

The silence in the room became suddenly deafening as the single word hung between the two men with the impossibly complicated relationship that had just grown even more convoluted by the uttering of that name.

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & FORTY THREE**** – ****What's in a Name****? **

A lie would have no sense unless the truth were felt as dangerous.

_~Alfred Adler~_

The silence between them strung out for a long time, both men holding the other's gaze steadily until finally Tony or rather André spoke.

"How long have you known for?" he asked at last, his voice even and calm sounding.

"I have always known," said Stefano in an offhanded fashion, "Do you think I would not know my child?"

"That thought had occurred seeing as it has been over twenty years since you last saw your own son," said André dryly.

"Did you not think I would notice your abrupt change of demeanour when you became the faithful son again after years of rebellion?" asked Stefano, looking vaguely offended.

André pursed his lips, clearly thinking about that statement.

"Well I guess all is left to say is touché then," he commented finally, obviously quickly assimilating all the facts and realising that he wasn't quite as ahead of the game as he'd first believed.

"I believe a more apt term would be checkmate," Stefano corrected him dryly.

"You only say that when the game is over," observed André, looking at the older man steadily.

"And isn't it?" asked Stefano coolly and then pointed a finger at the bars of André's cell.

"I prefer to think of this as the end of round one," said André straight faced.

"I'm sure you would," said Stefano with a quirk of his lips.

"So tell me Stefano," he said calmly, "What made you chose me over Samantha Brady exactly? The fact that Elvis can't get me pregnant and supply you with stem cells because I can assure you I have more than one contingency plan in that regard."

"What makes you think it comes down to a choice between you and Samantha?" asked Stefano mildly, "Why are you so very sure that she is involved in all of this?"

"I merely put two and two together," said Tony casually, "Seeing as Ms Brady has been accusing me of shooting Elvis before his body even hit the ground and it wasn't too much of a leap to suspect that she was voicing her erroneous opinions to you as well."

Tony tilted his head to one side and regarded Stefano through narrowed eyes then.

"All this-" André waved his arms around indicating the cell, the chains rattling as he did, "All this isn't because I said to you that I thought Samantha had gone to you is it? You're not thinking that the only way I could have known about such a thing is if what she was saying was true? Please Stefano, tell me that you have not done this great injustice to me on such a flimsy basis, not after all I have done for you over the years!"

"Of course not," said Stefano calmly.

"Well why then?" asked André with a frown, "I mean you've just told me that you knew who I was for the last twenty years – what has changed now?"

"Ah André," Stefano sighed, sitting back in his chair a little and shaking his head, "I knew this day would come one day. I of course hoped it wouldn't but a part of me always knew."

"Knew what?" asked André tightly.

"That your aspirations would one day be your downfall," said Stefano steadily.

"You never intended to make me your heir did you?" asked André darkly.

"No," said Stefano simply, "I wanted my blood line to continue and as faithful a soldier as you have been to me André you could not give me that. I wanted more than a nephew, I wanted a son."

"Elvis being such a close blood relation is an accident of birth," ground out André, "One that takes no skill or sacrifice on his behalf. I on the other hand have given you everything through a conscious choice!"

"And I value that very highly André," nodded Stefano, "And would have continued to do so if you could have only brought yourself to do as I ask."

"What?" sneered André, "Be an underling to that little over indulged bastard of yours? You have given him everything Stefano, without him even asking for it and consequently he doesn't have the first idea of the value of what he possesses and treats it with the usual casual fickleness that is Elvis' hallmark! This is the man you wanted me to pledge allegiance to so that I could stand by and watch him destroy all that we have both worked hard to obtain through his own ineptitude and stupidity?! This is too much to ask of any man!"

"And who are you to tell me what I can or cannot do eh?!" Stefano practically roared the question, "I took you in, knowing of your deception-"

"Because it suited your purposes!" snapped André, interrupting him, "Let's not pretend that it was some humanitarian effort on your behalf Stefano! You more than got your pound of flesh from me for such a _generous _ gesture! Do not play the part of the bighearted benefactor when you left both me and your son to die in that quicksand on the island all those years ago! You showed me then what place family truly has in your heart! We are what we are Uncle, let's not waste each other time with pretences to the contrary eh? It may work for that dullard Elvis but you and I are beyond that don't you think?"

"As you say nephew," said Stefano dourly after André's outburst, "We are what we are and that being said then you should have known the risk you took going up against me."

André suddenly lunged forward, the chains around his wrist just allowing him to grab at the bars of his prison.

"I did not shoot Elvis!" he hissed, "You are making a huge mistake Stefano! Elvis is not the one you should be putting your faith in, especially with that little blonde harlot by his side! I've seen the power she has over him and she will make him turn against you!"

"Whether you shot Elvis or not makes no matter," said Stefano, standing up now, "I looked in your eyes and saw the truth. You are no longer prepared to follow my wishes, you want all the power for yourself and that leaves me with little recourse. And as for Samantha I will deal with her my own way. I don't fear anything from a Brady child."

"Then that would be your first mistake," growled André, "You will do well not to underestimate what the two of them can do together."

"I find your concern for my welfare touching nephew," said Stefano wryly, "But I have lived a long time on this earth despite the plans of many who would have it differently and there is little left to surprise me. You forget it is I who first sanctioned Elvis and Samantha's union and I have considered all the possible outcomes of such a thing, never fear."

"Always so confident," said André sourly, "Take it from someone who knows, it can be a dangerous thing to think you have all the angles covered."

"I have a simple advantage to Elvis and Samantha if they should ever decide to disappoint me," said Stefano coolly, "I will not hesitate to do what is required of me when it comes down to it and you of all people should know what that means. They on the other hand would hesitate, I know it – youth and inexperience being their downfall and allowing me to maintain the upper hand."

The two men stared each other down, battle lines drawn clearly after all of these years.

"I would have done anything for you Stefano," said André, shaking his head in disgust, "Anything and all I asked for was to be given what was rightfully mine in return."

"Rightfully yours?" repeated Stefano mockingly, "You were the cuckoo in the nest André!"

"I was more a son to you than your supposedly real ones!" said André angrily.

"You indeed served a purpose," nodded Stefano, "And I am not ungrateful for that fact."

"Really?" asked André sarcastically and indicated the bars, "You'll excuse me if I find that statement a little hard to swallow considering the current state of affairs."

"Everything has a season my nephew," said Stefano calmly, "A beginning and an end."

"So what?" asked André bitterly, "After all of these years, after all I've done for you this is it? You're just going to kill me now and be done with it? For one perceived slight – is that it?"

Stefano didn't say anything, just looked at André for a long time.

"You are a liability to me André," said Stefano finally, "And I am not in the habit of leaving loose ends."

"You're making a huge mistake Stefano," said André coldly, "You are putting all of your faith in Elvis but mark my words, he is going to betray you and then what will you do?"

"If that day comes I will do as I've always done," said Stefano, a hardness settling over his face, "And do what needs to be done."

"You're a cold hearted bastard Stefano DiMera," said André tightly.

"I suppose I am," said Stefano without batting an eye, "But you have made your bed and you must lie in it now my nephew."

"You'll look back and regret this moment uncle," said André darkly, "I can guarantee you that."

"I believe it was you who said not too long ago that regret was for the weak André," commented Stefano mildly.

"I also said I believed that people made their own fates, their own destinies in this world," said André sharply, the warning in his voice as he said that very obvious.

André was down but clearly he didn't consider himself out and Stefano had to admire him for that but that didn't change the facts. Stefano had a glorious future planned for Elvis, with a radiant Samantha by his side, producing DiMera heirs for Stefano to enjoy in his dotage. Elvis was smart and had the necessary steel in his character to guide the DiMera empire through the 21st century and beyond, passing on the family legacy to his children and their children's children. It gave Stefano a great sense of contentment to know that even though one day this body would eventually fade away, the DiMera spirit would live on forever in his descendents. It gave him a sense of immortality that no modern science could equal, no matter how long it preserved his life. Elvis and Samantha were the key to his immortality and Stefano was not about to let anything get in the way of him realising that dream.

"And so you have André," said Stefano, regarding him coldly whilst giving him a pointed look, "And so you have."

With that Stefano turned around and left the room, leaving a fuming André to contemplate the fate that awaited him in that cold, dark little cell.

oooOOOOooo

Lucas sat up on the sofa and looked unseeing out the window at the beautiful Swiss nightscape. He picked up his cell phone and dialled a familiar number as he took a sip from the amber fluid in his glass. Everyone else was in bed but he couldn't sleep, could never seem to sleep these days Lucas was finding.

"Hello?"

"You sound stressed," he commented, picking at some lint on his jeans.

"Lucas hi," said Sami distractedly, "Sorry, having some work hassles."

"Oh," he said, "I thought it might be something else."

"Like what?" she asked and he could hear the consternation in her voice and felt a flash of annoyance but Lucas wasn't sure if it was at her or himself.

"I went to see the specialist today," he said, abruptly changing the subject and taking another sip of his drink.

"Oh right," she said, "How did that go?"

"Dr Brun wants me to have another surgery," Lucas told her, "He said there is a lot of scar tissue and muscle shortening and that is what is causing my pain."

"Oh," said Sami in surprise, "And he thinks he can fix it?"

"Apparently he's pioneering this new technique," he said, swirling the brown fluid in his glass and watching it, mesmerised, "He's been having a lot of success with it."

"And he'll come to Salem to do it?" asked Sami.

"If I have it done I'll have to have it done here," said Lucas.

"Oh," said Sami yet again, "How long before you will be able to fly then if you do that?"

"I don't know," shrugged Lucas even though Sami couldn't see it, "A few weeks, maybe a month."

"A month!" squeaked Sami.

Lucas heard the distress in her voice and felt his heart beat a little faster.

"Would you miss me baby?" he asked her huskily, "If I was gone that long."

"Lucas I really want to see you again," she said earnestly.

He smiled to hear her say that and the slight desperation in Sami's tone. Sometimes he felt like he was the only one in the relationship that was missing the other and it felt good to know it wasn't the case.

"Does the doctor think there is a good chance this will help?" she asked him and there was a note of resignation in Sami's voice now.

"He seemed pretty confident," said Lucas, "But honey I don't have to have the operation, if you're missing me that badly I can come home – tomorrow if you want."

There was a long pause and Lucas could practically hear the battle that was going on between Sami's head and heart.

"No," she sighed unhappily, "I want you to come home Lucas, I really do but if there is any chance that this doctor can give you a better quality of life then I don't see how you can't take it. I know how much pain you've been in for so long now and I don't want you to suffer needlessly on my account."

"I'd do anything for you Sami," said Lucas softly, letting her hear the sincerity in his words, "Anything."

"Then stay and have the operation," she said stoically, obviously putting a brave face on for him, "Lucas I want more than anything for you to be well again."

"You do?" asked Lucas, a smile curving his lips.

"Of course I do," said Sami, sounding shocked at his question, "Lucas whatever happens you have to know how important you are in my life. I would never want anything bad to happen to you – ever."

"A guy likes to hear things like that every now and then," said Lucas happily, settling back in the sofa, "You've been so distracted lately when I've spoken to you."

"Sorry," mumbled Sami, "It's been crazy here with one thing and another."

"How's EJ?" he asked abruptly, his jaw hardening.

"You know I haven't seen him in a while," said Sami, sounding a little evasive, "But I'm sure if something else had happened I would have heard."

"Something else?" asked Lucas curiously.

"EJ is paralysed," said Sami quietly, "He can't walk."

"Permanently?" asked Lucas, sitting up straighter now in his seat.

"No one is sure but he's taken it pretty hard," said Sami, biting her bottom lip, "Apparently."

"Yeah I bet he did," said Lucas thoughtfully, "He wouldn't like the thought of being stuck in a wheelchair the rest of his life."

"Most people wouldn't Lucas," said Sami with a definite disapproving tone in her voice.

"I know," he said quickly, "I was just saying."

"So you're going to have the surgery right?" asked Sami, now it was her turn to change the subject.

"Sure," nodded Lucas, "I'll schedule it for as soon as possible."

"That would be great," said Sami enthusiastically and then seemed to be worried about how that sounded, "I mean for you - that would be great for you to be out of pain at long last."

"Yeah that would be sweet," agreed Lucas, his hand unconsciously going to the bottle of painkillers he always kept in his pocket now, absently running his finger over the top of the little vial.

"Well tell me when you end up scheduling it for won't you?" Sami asked of him.

"You know you could always come over?" suggested Lucas hopefully, "Hold my hand and mop my fevered brow and all."

"I've just gotten back from Switzerland," said Sami quickly, "I can't be going back right now."

"Why not?" asked Lucas, the beginnings of a frown marking his forehead, "It would be great – you, me and Will all together again."

"Lucas I just can't leave," she said unevenly, "I've got commitments here in Salem."

"Oh yeah?" asked Lucas, his jaw hardening, "Just who exactly are you so committed to Sami? Who's more important than me and our son in your life?"

"It's not like that," she said earnestly, "But I can't just leave Mythic – we are in the middle of a lot of big things."

"Mom can handle it," said Lucas blithely.

"I don't want her handling everything," said Sami tersely, "This is my business too and I want a say in it!"

"Are you sure that is all it is?" asked Lucas, his hand tightening on the phone, "Maybe you don't want to leave Salem for another reason?"

"Lucas I told you my reason so can we please just leave it at that?" asked Sami tersely.

"Where are you?" asked Lucas suddenly, his suspicions deepening.

"Mythic," she answered him, "There's been a problem with one of our events and I'm trying to fix it."

"Really?" asked Lucas sceptically.

"Yes really," said Sami with a frown.

Lucas heard Sami make an annoyed sound on the other end of the phone before speaking again.

"Look Lucas," she said shortly, "I'm really in the middle of something right now. Can I call you back later, when I've got more time to talk to you properly?"

"Why sure Sami," said Lucas calmly, "I'm sorry to be such a bother to you."

"You're not a bother-," said Sami in exasperation but Lucas was already hanging up.

He sat on the sofa for a long minute, thinking about their conversation and then suddenly he exploded, throwing his cell phone against the wall with all his might. The action was loud in the quiet night and Lucas tensed, wondering if anyone else in the sleeping house might come to investigate the noise but no one did. Lucas stood up and then gave a pained gasp, grabbing at his leg as a sharp pain shot up it. He fumbled for the pain pills in his pocket and threw who knew how many into his mouth, grabbing at the bottle of scotch on the table and drinking straight from the bottle to wash them down.

The scotch had been a covert purchase on his behalf when Carrie, Austen and Will had gone for a walk after lunch at a local restaurant and Lucas had begged off, saying his leg was too painful which it had been. Lucas kept telling himself that he wasn't really slipping, that he could stop any time he wanted to and that he had his drinking under control rather than it controlling him. It was an assertion he didn't let himself examine too closely. Lucas could feel his emotions chaotic after talking to Sami, the unease simply not going away as he felt her holding something back from him.

Suspicions, alcohol and painkillers churned inside of him in an unhealthy combination.


	18. Chapters 144 to 155

**FATED**

**(Chapters 144 - 155)**

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & FORTY FOUR**** – ****One is the Loneliest Number**

I'm standing on the moon, with nothing left to do,

with a lonely view of heaven but I'd rather be with you.

_~Anonymous~_

Kate sat at her desk, industriously answering emails and heavily engrossed in what she was doing. She made an annoyed sound at the sound of her cell phone ringing and contemplated not answering it but gave in and did it anyway. She rustled through her purse and found the flashing phone, flicking it open.

"Hello?" she said distractedly, still typing out her email.

"Mom!" said Lucas urgently and Kate immediately sat up straighter at hearing the almost desperate tone in her son's voice.

"Lucas," she said worriedly, "What is it, what's happened, is Will alright?"

Her natural maternal instincts ran through the list of things that could be wrong, her whole body tensing.

"Mom is Sami there?" asked Lucas, almost barking out the question.

"Sami?" repeated Kate in confusion.

"Yes!" said Lucas impatiently, "Sami, is she there?"

"Where?" asked Kate, still trying to catch up, "What at Mythic?"

"No Mom, the Eiffel Tower," said Lucas sarcastically which made Kate's lips thin in disapproval at being spoken to in such a way, "Yes of course Mythic!"

"Hold on," said Kate tightly, still annoyed with him but beginning to realise that nothing was wrong per se, just it seemed the usual Sami drama.

Kate stood up and went to her office door and pulled back the blinds covering the door out into the foyer of Mythic. She spotted Sami right away, talking with Estelle in PR and rolled her eyes.

"She's here," said Kate in disgust, looking her up and down, "God what _is_ she wearing? It's like she lets a two year old dress her and whoever told her that she could wear that shade of yellow and not look like a corpse floating down the Ganges river was clearly not her friend."

Kate gave an inelegant snort then at what she'd just said.

"What am I saying?" she said mockingly, "Sami Brady has no friends – it's what comes of being a lifelong liar and manipulator."

"So she's there?" Lucas interrupted Kate's mini-rant, almost not seeming to have heard it.

"Oh yes," sniffed Kate, "As large as life and at least three times as ugly."

There was this long pause on the other end of the line that actually drew Kate away from her critical examination of Sami as she listened to the heavy, uneven breathing of her son.

"Lucas?" she asked in concern, "What is going on? Are you alright?"

"I just thought-" he trailed off, not finishing his thought on that one, "So she's definitely there then?"

"Unless, god forbid, they've perfected cloning, it's her," said Kate, walking back to her desk, "The world can't cope with one Sami Brady; two would tip it over into Armageddon."

Kate sat back down at her desk, her brow furrowing.

"Why are you so concerned with Sami's whereabouts anyway?" asked Kate, "What's happened Lucas?"

"Nothing has happened," said Lucas defensively, "I just got this feeling that she's been spending all her time up at the hospital – with _him_."

Kate didn't have to ask who the 'him' in question was and pursed her lips. She hadn't exactly been tracking Sami's whereabouts, figuring any day that didn't contain Sami Brady was a good day and wasn't sure where she'd been spending the earlier part of the week but the last couple of days she'd been at Mythic nearly nonstop, much to Kate's annoyance. Kate hadn't been to see EJ since he'd been shot, hospitals not exactly being her favourite thing and telling herself that she needed to be here to keep Mythic running. It was possible that Sami had been spending her time with EJ up until recently and Kate didn't know how to feel about that. On one hand it would be wonderful to think that Sami had moved on to her next victim and no one seemed more deserving of her then EJ to Kate's way of thinking. On the other hand the thought of EJ and Sami teaming up together didn't exactly fill her with joy either.

"Why would you think that Lucas?" she asked finally, realising that she wasn't really up on what was going on in her son's life of late and not liking that feeling.

"I think something has been going on with Sami and EJ," said Lucas darkly, "I think she's cheating on me."

"Then get rid of her!" exclaimed Kate, secretly pleased that Lucas was finally starting to see Sami in her true colours again, despite her reservations about what that might mean for her and her position in Mythic, "You were always too good for her and this just proves it!"

"I don't want to lose her Mom," said Lucas unevenly and then suddenly he was angry, "It's EJ's fault, I just know it! He's been in her face from day one! This isn't Sami's fault – it's that slimy bastard EJ DiMera's doing! He's manipulating her somehow!"

Kate was rather surprised at his defence of Sami. She loved her son but honestly, he could be so naive sometimes. How could he honestly think that Sami was this innocent little girl caught up in the evil clutches of a man like EJ DiMera? They were both as bad as each other by Kate's reckoning and deserved one another and couldn't understand Lucas' continuing blindness to Sami's many, many faults.

"Look no one made Sami into a lying tart," said Kate dourly, "She was just born that way and it's high time you remembered that Lucas and kicked her to the curb like you should have done long ago – as soon as she started sniffing around you again!"

"But I love her!" shouted Lucas, causing Kate to start with the vehemence behind his words, "I don't know if I can go on without her!"

To Kate's great surprise and even greater horror Lucas began to start crying then and her concerns just skyrocketed. His unpredictable mood swings and vaguely manic tone had an all too familiar tone to them.

"Lucas," she said, worry making her voice sterner then she'd intended, "Have you been drinking?"

"I'm in AA Mom," said Lucas defensively, managing to pull himself together briefly.

"That doesn't answer my question," said Kate tightly, "Have you been drinking?"

"Of course not!" snapped Lucas, "Why did you ring me if you're only going to make these stupid accusations?!"

"You rang me," Kate reminded him flatly.

"No I-" Lucas stopped abruptly and then he sounded suddenly confused, "Wait – did I?"

"Lucas what is going on?" asked Kate, sitting forward in her chair.

"I'm having an operation," he said unhappily, "For my leg, to make it better."

"You saw Doctor Brun then?" asked Kate, remembering him mentioning thinking about making an appointment.

"I've already told you that," he said sharply and Kate let it slide even though he hadn't of course.

"So you're going to have surgery then?" asked Kate, "In Switzerland?"

"I guess," said Lucas moodily, "Sami seemed keen for me to have it."

"Well for once I agree with her," said Kate, "But you know what honey, I think I might come and visit with you and your brother and Will for a little while when you have it done. You know, just to help out."

"What?" asked Lucas sarcastically, "Like doing the dishes and mopping the floors kind of thing?"

"I see some things haven't changed," said Kate sharply, her lips thinning, "You're still a mean drunk."

"I'm not drunk!" said Lucas in agitation.

"But you've been drinking though," said Kate tightly, more of a statement then a question.

There was a moment's pause before Lucas answered.

"It was just a couple of sips," he admitted at last, "Just to take the edge off. Mom you have no idea how painful my leg is – I just couldn't take it any longer, I needed something to help me sleep."

"What about the pain killers?" asked Kate sternly, "Isn't that what they were for?"

"They don't work," said Lucas sullenly.

"Lucas please don't tell me you are taking the pills with the alcohol?" said Kate anxiously.

"Stop being such a mom," said Lucas in annoyance, "I'm fine."

"You sound anything but fine," said Kate grimly, "I think you need me. You can't take your drinking again this lightly."

"I need Sami," said Lucas, the self pity evident in his voice.

Kate somehow managed to swallow the bitter 'what on earth for' that was on the tip of her tongue, knowing that wasn't the biggest problem right then.

"You need to stop drinking," she said firmly, "And you certainly need to stop mixing booze and pills! Lucas you'll kill yourself if you're not careful!"

"Maybe that is a way to get Sami to notice me," said Lucas morosely.

Kate sucked in a horrified and pained gasp at hearing that.

"Don't you _ever_ say anything like that again Lucas Roberts!" she said in dismay, "Do you hear me?!"

"Relax Mom," he said flatly, "I was just thinking out loud – there is no need to get upset."

"You say something like that and you don't expect me to get upset?!" she said angrily, "I'm your mother Lucas; of course you threatening to take your own life is going to upset me!"

"Don't be so melodramatic Mom," said Lucas in frustration, "I didn't mean anything by it. Look, I have to go now, it's late here."

"I'll call you in the morning with my flight details," said Kate.

"Sure, fine, whatever," he said sounding uninterested now, "See ya."

Lucas hung up then and Kate did the same, noting the slight tremble in her hand as she did. She pressed a hand to her heart, feeling how unevenly it was beating. How could things have gotten this bad with her son without her even noticing she wondered in despair? Kate prided herself on the attention she gave her children and Lucas had always been particularly special to her because for a long time there had only been the two of them. He'd been the one constant man in her life for so long now and it broke Kate's heart to hear how broken he sounded now. They'd always been there for each other over the years and had fostered a deep and abiding bond because of it. Kate would do anything for her children and particularly for Lucas.

It wasn't that she loved him more than her other children, just differently because of the history they shared. Some might have said it was too much but Kate knew it was only because they didn't understand the deep bond she and Lucas shared. They were soul mates in a way that no one else would understand. She'd given him life and then she'd shared that life with him for all of these years and Kate wasn't about to give up her place by his side now. It was obvious that Lucas was in a downward spiral and it was just as obvious to Kate that Sami who was the cause of all this, had no inclination to do anything about it. So once again Kate knew it was up to her to save her son and she was going to do just that, no matter what it took. This drinking again had to be nipped in the bud and fast and Kate knew she was the only one who could save Lucas from himself.

_After all, that was what mother's did... right? _

oooOOOOooo

EJ sat up in bed, looking moodily out the window of his hospital room. He'd sent everyone away and now rather unreasonably was annoyed at both his father and Sami for not being there. EJ knew he was being quite manic but the self pitying mode he was in told him that he deserved to be so he self indulgently went with the flow on that one.

"_So are you still refusing to let Sami visit you?" asked Sam conversationally as she wheeled herself back and forth around EJ's hospital room in the wheelchair that had been provided for him._

"You know I am," growled EJ, "Why do you ask questions that you already know the answer to?"

"_I'm ever hopeful that you saying your acts of stupidity aloud will wake you up to you know – your stupidity," said Sam in a matter of fact way as she attempted to do a wheelie in the chair and almost succeeded. _

"I'm doing what is best for Sami and for me," said EJ dourly, trying to ignore her antics.

"_How?" asked Sam in consternation, "Sami is devastated and you're even more of a misery guts then usual – where is the upside of that?" _

"Would you get out of that thing?!" snapped EJ in annoyance as she continued playing in the wheelchair and not answering her.

"_Settle petal," sniffed Sam, getting out of the chair and walking over to the bed and EJ tried not to look at the matching little black bra and panties ensemble she was wearing. _

"You wouldn't understand," said EJ tightly, looking away from her.

"_Hey I'm the only part of your brain that does understand mister and don't you forget it," huffed Sami, "I'm soo the brains of this outfit!"_

"Says the woman only wearing bra and panties," said EJ sarcastically.

"_Shining intelligence and brilliance doesn't have a dress code," sniffed Sam, defiantly putting her hands on her hips, "And if your boobs looked this amazing in this bra you'd be wearing the exact same thing my little turtle derrière."_

_[center]_ _[IMG].[/IMG][/center]_

"Highly unlikely," grumbled EJ, "On more than one count."

"_Yeah," nodded Sam, looking self satisfied as she looked down at them with a pleased look on her face, "I've got pretty great boobs; that is for sure, especially in comparison to yours." _

Sam looked up at EJ with a bright smile, tearing herself away from admiring her own cleavage.

"_So what shall we do today?" she asked brightly, looking at EJ expectantly._

"Lie here and wait to die," said EJ flatly, feeling the hopelessness wash over him again.

"_Well that doesn't sound like much fun," pouted Sam. _

"It's not meant to be!" spat out EJ, "I've been abandoned by everyone and left to rot here!"

"_Oh god," said Sam with a roll of her eyes, "Somewhere in the world a village is missing its idiot."_

EJ glared at her for that little observation but Sam wasn't done yet.

"_No one is here you buffed buffoon because you've ordered them all away!" she said in exasperation. _

"What's that got to do with anything?!" bit out EJ, intent on being as unreasonable as he could.

Self pity was the only pleasure he had nowadays and he wasn't going to give that up for a little thing like logic.

"_Oh my," tutted Sam, "I swear parts of your brain are melting here my fuzzy passionfruit because suddenly there is the smell of frying andouillette in here."_

EJ looked at her with a frown.

"_You know," she said, "It's French; it means brains – frying brains."_

"Andouillette is a sausage made up of pork organs cooked in the intestine," said EJ grumpily, getting involved in correcting her despite himself.

"_No, no," she said with a definite shake of her head, "That's boudin."_

"Boudin is a sausage as well but it's made from pig's blood," snapped EJ, looking away again, "The word you are looking for is cervelles – that means brains."

"_Oh wait I've got it!" exclaimed Sam happily, "It is civet de tripes d'oies! That's roasted brains, I remember now!"_

"That's a stew of goose innards, shallots and garlic cooked in a wine vinegar and thickened with goose blood," said EJ through gritted teeth, "I'm telling you that brains are called cervelles in French!"

"_Are you sure?" asked Sam sceptically._

"Yes!" growled EJ, losing his patience with her completely now.

His world was crumbling around him and he was in excruciating agony at the thought of having to push Sami away when she was trying to be so attentive and loving to him. It was counterintuitive to every instinct he had about Sami and it was practically killing him and meanwhile all Sam could do was prattle on about French cuisine!

"_The French do love their blood," said Sam thoughtfully, looking rather intrigued, "But they seem to have a bit of a grudge against pigs. I wonder what is up with that?"_

"Why are you here?" asked EJ in annoyance, "Don't you think I'm suffering enough here for you to only come and add to it?!"

"_It's all self imposed," said Sam unsympathetically, "I don't see why I should give out cuddles and boo boo bandaids for that."_

"It is not all self imposed!" raged EJ, "Someone shot me in the back! Samantha is only giving me the time of day because my father is making her!"

"_You don't believe that," sniffed Sam._

"Yes I do!" he snapped, "It's the only explanation for her sudden about face!"

"_Oh please," snorted Sam in disdain, "You can strap wings to that monkey but it still don't mean that it is going to fly Elvis! I'm inside your head remember?! I know you don't believe that just like I know that you used to intentionally drop your pencil during class with your sexy French tutor when you were ten because you'd read somewhere that French women didn't believe in wearing underwear!"_

Sami gave him an amused, cheeky look at that memory.

"_Qui est un vilain garçon alors (who's a dirty boy then)?__" she purred teasingly and gave him a knowing look for the young EJ's rather pervy inquiring mind. _

"That has nothing to do with anything," said EJ tightly, blushing ever so slightly at the old memory.

"_It has everything to do with everything," Sam laughed, "You can do your best to fool others and even yourself but there is a part of you, namely me, that knows the truth and there is no getting away from it. You're just doing all of this because you're frightened and it's the first time in your life that you've ever really been afraid and you don't know how to handle it."_

"Oh really?" said EJ sarcastically, "And just what is it that I'm so frightened of exactly?"

"_You're frightened that you promised Sami the world and now you can't give it to her," said Sam calmly, "You're frightened that you'll never be able to make love to the woman who has your heart ever again and deep, deep down in a place that even I had to get out the old flash light and spelunking gear to delve into – that you don't deserve a love like yours and Sami. You know all the terrible things you've done in the name of love for your father, the lives that you've hurt and you don't know how to reconcile that ugliness with the joy of being loved by Sami. So instead you push everyone away and in particular the one person who creates such a dilemma in you – Sami."_

"You don't know what you're talking about," said EJ unevenly, his tone less than convincing.

"You're changing Elvis," said Sam firmly, "And you have been for some time now – ever since Sami came into your life and you are at a crossroads now and it is time for you to start working out just what kind of man you really are. You're no longer just Stefano's son but are you ready to be the man Sami needs you to be I wonder?"

"How can I be," whispered EJ brokenly, "I can't even stand up."

"The stature of a man isn't measured in inches Elvis," said Sam, looking at him in an uncharacteristically serious way, "It's time you remembered that and manned up again."

"That is what I'm trying to do!" ground out EJ, fresh pain all but overwhelming him at the thought, "Samantha would be better off without me in her life!"

"In my opinion Sami would be better off without Sami in her life."

Kate made the pronouncement as she walked into EJ's hospital room, having obviously overheard EJ's statement from outside. She stopped abruptly when she got into the room though and looked around.

"Oh," she said in surprise, "You're alone – who were you talking to EJ?"

"My conflicted psyche has created a Samantha persona who appears out of nowhere and talks to me," said EJ without missing a beat, "I'm the only one who can see her and talk to her and she only wears lingerie when she does appear and it's her mission in life to drive me insane with her endless psycho babble and over analysis of very simple situations."

"_You go you little red fire truck," laughed Sam as EJ told the exact truth to Kate as he saw it and jumped onto the bed beside EJ, wiggling in closer to him, "That's the boy – no guts, no glory after all!"_

"Fine," sniffed Kate, adjusting her earring and clearly thinking EJ was toying with her, "Don't tell me then."

"_Oh," sighed Sam in all seriousness, "She didn't believe you – I wonder why?"_

"It's a mystery," muttered EJ sarcastically.

"Okay so it's a mystery," shrugged Kate in an offhanded fashion, thinking that comment was meant for her.

But then again why wouldn't she, there was only the two of them in the room after all.

"So Kate," said EJ with a cold little smile, seeing a new victim for his frustrations standing there, still fiddling with her earrings, "You've been conspicuous by your absence – what brings you visiting now I wonder?"

"I'm here to tell you something and ask you something," said Kate, looking at him squarely, her hand falling back by her side.

"Well I suppose that is just as good as flowers," said EJ mockingly.

"Is there something going on with you and Sami?" asked Kate, cutting straight to the chase.

"Like what?" asked EJ, playing dumb.

"Like are you two about to run off into the sunset and break my son's heart?" she asked tensely.

"I can promise you Kate," said EJ unflinchingly even though it was killing him inside, "I have absolutely no intention of any kind of future with Samantha Brady – none what so ever."

"Really?" asked Kate sceptically.

"Well do you see her anywhere around?" asked EJ, waving his hand around, "Is she here holding my hand and wiping my fevered brow?"

"_Because of you," interrupted Sam sourly, "She could be here right now rubbing all of our sore bits but oh no, you have to be a jackass and send her away. Jackass."_

EJ ignored that and watched as Kate pursed her lips thoughtfully.

"So you have no intentions when it comes to Sami then?" asked Kate, still eyeing him suspiciously, "I thought you were going to get that girl no matter what?"

"I realised that particular ride wasn't going to be worth the fall," said EJ, holding the mask of indifference determinedly on his face, despite what it cost him to say these words, "The long and short of it Kate is that I got bored with Ms Brady some time ago and that's all there is to it. Lucas is welcome to her – I wish them a long and mediocre life together."

EJ's heart was beating wildly in his chest even as he said that, just saying the words aloud of having Sami being with any other man but him was an agony but EJ knew he had to practice saying these kinds of things if he was to find the resolve to let Sami go.

"Lucas is having an operation while he is in Switzerland," volunteered Kate tightly.

"What?" asked EJ sarcastically, more than happy to take his bad mood out on Kate as the pain of setting Sami free all but overwhelmed him, "Are they finally transplanting some kind of personality into the insipid little creature of yours?"

"No!" bit out Kate, "They are operating on his leg, so that he can finally have a chance at being pain free."

"While they are at it tell them to whack on a few more inches to the ends of them," said EJ sarcastically, closing his eyes and just letting all the bile he had for the other man spew to the fore, "Then he might have a chance of not looking like a mutant twelve year old."

"My son is in agony!" growled Kate, her eyes flashing death at EJ for his crack.

"And what?" asked EJ tartly, opening his eyes and glaring back at Kate, "And that is somehow my fault is it? A roof fell on him – that had nothing to do with me and everything to do with the universe suggesting that his services were no longer required on this earth! Fate tried to squash him like the bug he is!"

"And what is fate trying to do to you hm EJ?" asked Kate sarcastically, "Shoot you in the back like the lying bastard you are?!"

"_I was thinking," began Sam conversationally as she looked between the two increasingly angry participants in the conversation, "Perhaps now would be a good time to take a deep breath and just calm down a little before someone says something might be considered going too far-"_

"You know Kate," EJ sneered, trying to be as hurtful as he could so it would kill some of his own pain in the process, "I liked you a lot better when you were on your back with your legs open rather than your mouth!"

"_Aha," nodded Sam in resignation as things began to spiral into your basic slanging match, "See that was a good example of going too far Elvis – let's not try and do that again eh? Perhaps we should have a safe word so that you'll know when you're crossing a line – something like armadillo maybe?"_

"You bastard!" hissed Kate, her cheeks heating in her anger even as EJ completely ignored Sam's advice.

"_EJ-" began Sam warningly but it was too late. _

"Oh please spare me the outraged virgin act Kate," said EJ mockingly, really getting into the argument now, "You know I was the best thing between your legs for years although I will admit that I was most likely your second choice because we all know that if push came to shove you'd prefer Lucas to have that particular honour now wouldn't you... Mommy?"

"_ARMADILLO, ARMADILLO!!" shouted Sam but it was way past the point of that now._

"You sick, twisted animal!" screamed Kate and began to launch herself at EJ in a rage that he only welcomed.

In many ways having her scratch his eyes out would be a sweet relief from the internal pain he was currently suffering so EJ made no move to protect himself.

"_Crap!" exclaimed Sam who evidently didn't share his stoicism despite not even having a corporeal body, "I am outta here – you're on your own jackass!" _

Sam leapt out of bed while EJ just lay there; waiting for Kate's attack, her murderous intent evident in her eyes when suddenly Eddie burst into the room and caught Kate in mid lunge. Truth be told EJ was a little disappointed that he hadn't gotten his pain but Kate was promising him plenty as Eddie wrestled her out of the room.

"I am going to get you for this EJ DiMera!" she bellowed her threats as Eddie dragged her from the room, "You're going to wish you died in here you deviant monster rather than live through what I'm going to do to you!"

"Ta ta darling," said EJ with a cool little smile and wave, "Next visit I hope you can see your way clear to bring some grapes eh? Not the red ones though, I like the yellow."

Kate was still clawing at Eddie in an attempt to get past him but Eddie was an extremely big man and she was no match for him. The only reason it was taking so long was that the man was actually trying not to hurt the flailing wild cat in his arms but EJ could have told him not to bother, he was more than happy to see others in pain – after all, misery really did love company.

"You're sick!" she screeched at him as Eddie wrestled her through the door, "You're less than an animal!"

"Give my love to Lucas when you see him," said EJ, totally unconcerned by all the drama, "And give him a big kiss from me won't you Kate – and feel free to use a little tongue if the mood takes you – I think you would both rather enjoy that."

Even as the door slammed shut behind Eddie and the near hysterical Kate EJ could hear the names she was calling him and gave a humourless smile.

"I think that may have touched on a nerve somehow," he said mockingly, enjoying the older woman's anger and disgust, as twisted as that sounded, "Many a true word spoken in jest seems apt here."

"_So are you happy now?" asked Sam, coming to stand by the bed from where she'd been over in the corner, out of the firing line._

She folded her arms in front of her chest and looked down at EJ in annoyance.

"Yes!" growled EJ angrily, not appreciating her censure.

"_Well you totally sound it," said Sam sarcastically, "Just what exactly was the point of all that?!"_

"I was just blowing off some steam," said EJ unapologetically.

"_Yeah but did it have to be up Kate's skirt?!" asked Sam looking suitably unimpressed, "Why are you so intent on turning everyone against you?!" _

"Get off my back Sam," said EJ dourly, "I don't need your brand of quirky help, I don't need anyone!"

"_Many an untrue word spoken in rank stupidity!" snapped back Sam, shaking her head at him as EJ just glared back at her unrepentantly._

_The battle lines had been drawn, neither one backing down – all that remained to be seen was who was going to win this tug of war between the heart and the head._

oooOOOOooo

Sami hurried down the familiar street and glanced at her watch. There was time for a quick snack at the Brady pub but little else. Her grandmother had rung and asked her to join her for lunch and Sami had agreed despite the problems that were still to be resolved at Mythic. If Sami couldn't be with EJ she figured building the company that they would one day in the very near future run together was a viable second choice. Lucas' frustrating call that morning hadn't improved her mood any as she recalled how they'd left things and she gave an annoyed sigh.

Sami was desperate for Lucas to come home so she could end things with him and begin her new life with EJ. She felt as though once EJ could see her being honest with everyone around her about her love for him that he'd take heart from that and want to fight to get back on his feet. At the moment he seemed determined to wallow in self pity and defeat and Sami simply wasn't going to allow that. One way or the other she was going to get EJ back in the game and wasn't going to stop until he was. She opened the front door of the pub and walked in and then came to an abrupt halt.

"Oh," she said, her eyes widening and her stomach dropping through the floor.

_It seemed a quick lunch wasn't going to be on the menu today after all…_

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & FORTY FIVE**** – ****Family Ties**

Love is all we have; the only way that each can help the other.

_~Euripides~_

Sami stood in the entrance of the Brady pub and looked around her. There appeared to be no customers per se but the place wasn't exactly empty. Various members of her family were scattered around the tables and bar and they all turned to look at her when she came in, clearly waiting for her. Her mom and dad, Uncle Bo, Aunt Hope and of course her grandmother smiling at her compassionately if a little sheepishly from behind the bar. Sami's heart sank at seeing them and having a fair idea what this might be about and not sure she was up to her family on mass after the week she'd had. Her nerves felt very stretched but the determined looks on all of their faces told her she wasn't going anywhere without them saying their piece so Sami resigned herself to her fate.

"Hi," she said calmly and smiled at everyone.

There were murmured answers to her greeting and everyone was smiling at her kindly which Sami found vaguely unnerving.

"You know Gran," she said jokingly, trying to ease some of the tension behind all of those smiles, "You're never going to get rich if you only open the Brady pub for Brady's."

Everyone gave a little laugh but Sami still felt like she'd walked in on her very own Spanish Inquisition and it turned out she wasn't far wrong.

"Would you like something to eat honey?" asked Caroline, smiling at her in the way only a grandmother can.

"Somehow I don't think that's the point of today," said Sami dryly.

"Come and sit down Sami," said Marlena, patting the chair beside her as Bo and Hope sat across from her with her father sitting to their left.

"I'll warm up some chowder," offered Caroline anyway.

"Thanks Ma," smiled Bo, "I could eat."

"You can always eat your mom's chowder," said Hope indulgently.

"Yeah," agreed Bo with a lop sided grin and the two shared a look.

Sami wondered idly if she and EJ would like that in twenty years, so comfortable, so right together. It was a wonderful thing to think of all the years ahead of them and the fact that they would only get to know each other better through all that time. Sami couldn't help but smile a little at the thought. Her father speaking brought her back to the present then.

"Sami we wanted to talk to you," said Roman, his face suddenly serious, "I heard something the other day and I don't mind telling you that I found it very upsetting.

He looked around at the others at the table and continued on.

"We all did," he said, his dark eyes looking at her intently, "But I don't want to go off half cocked about things so I thought it best to ask you directly."

Sami took a deep breath and looked back at her dad and just waited to hear where he was going with this.

"I was at the hospital a couple of days ago," said Roman.

"Okay," said Sami, not giving anything away.

"And I was speaking to Stefano," continued on Roman.

"Okay," said Sami again.

"And EJ's doctor and they both had interesting things to say," said Roman.

"EJ's doctor?" Sami frowned, suddenly worried, "What did he say? Is there something wrong with EJ?"

Sami's heart was beating a nervous tattoo at that thought. She'd been ringing the hospital regularly to check up on EJ but now Sami was worried that something had happened without her knowing about it.

"He said that you were EJ's girlfriend," said Roman flatly and everyone was looking at Sami intently at that, "And that you and EJ were going to be married soon."

"Oh," said Sami, sagging a little with relief, "Is that all?"

"Is that all?" asked Hope in disbelief, "Sami are you telling us that you and EJ are engaged?"

Everyone was staring at her with varying degrees of horror and incredulity at that thought. Sami was just getting over her shock from thinking something had gone wrong with EJ's recovery and tried to weigh everything up as quickly as she could.

The urge to tell her family everything and be done with it was very strong in that moment. Of course there were still Lucas' feelings to think about in all this but that wasn't actually Sami's first thought. EJ was proving to be annoyingly stubborn in his refusal to see her and Sami had a very strong feeling that she was going to have a bit of a battle in front of her when it came to making that man of hers see some sense. Actually Sami was rather looking forward to changing his mind about his ridiculous decision to end things between them. From her way of thinking EJ was owed a little pursuing on her behalf and Sami was more than happy to provide it after all that she'd put him through.

Sami blinked rapidly, bringing herself back to the present and the expectant looking faces of her family. The thing with EJ being so difficult right now the last thing Sami wanted was her family on her back as well. She quickly weighed up proving her love for EJ by telling her family against the undoubtedly distracting fall out that would ensue and ultimately decided she didn't want to deal with her family's no doubt violent disapproval whilst battling EJ's pig headedness at the same time. Sami knew how EJ's mind worked and she had a sneaking suspicion that he was going to make this very hard for her while he worked through all the new information that he'd just been bombarded with. She also knew that EJ wouldn't be above using her family's distrust of him to his own advantage to keep her at arm's length and Sami simply couldn't allow that. Her mind made up she answered her aunt's question truthfully.

"EJ has never asked me to marry him so of course we are not engaged," said Sami, resolutely looking Hope in the eye.

There was a visible sense of relief that went around the table at Sami's statement that would have been almost comical if she'd been in a different frame of mind. She'd been through many of these family interventions before and Sami knew most likely it wouldn't be her last, especially after they found out the truth about her and EJ and the thought didn't daunt Sami like it used to. Letting go of that fierce need for her family's approval was everything EJ had promised her it would be – liberating and bringing such a sense of freedom and lightness that Sami couldn't even find the words to describe it.

"I knew there had to be some mistake," said Roman, sitting back in his chair, "That doctor must have been confused."

"But you were visiting EJ a lot weren't you Sami?" asked Marlena with a slight frown, obviously not completely mollified.

"I was there when he was shot Mom," said Sami stoically as she relived the horrible moment, "I felt like I couldn't leave him."

"That happens sometimes in traumatic situations," nodded Marlena sympathetically and giving her a gentle smile, "I'm just glad that you're back to seeing reason again and knowing that you don't need to be involving yourself with the DiMera's anymore. The last thing EJ and you need is to be involved with each other in any way."

Sami swallowed the words that she and EJ being 'involved' with each other was the _only_ thing that they needed, somehow managing to contain herself. They were all so certain that they knew EJ Sami thought bitterly, just like they were so certain that they knew her. The truth was that they had never understood her and most likely never would. It didn't mean that they loved her any less necessarily but there was no one in her family that thought like her, reacted like her in situations and it was why Sami had felt so lonely all of her life. Eric had come the closest but even then Sami knew he was sometimes mystified by her actions. It was only EJ who had looked unflinchingly into her soul, seen all that was Samantha Brady and loved her unconditionally for it.

"Old man DiMera was making insinuations," said Roman abruptly, clearly still troubled by the conversation, "Said there was some kind of family secret that only you knew about."

"Oh," said Sami and realised then that she hadn't told her family anything about Colleen and Santo since she'd gotten back, too much had been going on in her life really to even contemplate it, "I think I know what that was about."

Sami then began to recount the ill fated love story of Santo and Colleen and she could see her family struggling to come to terms with the story as it unfolded, particularly its tragic end.

"I don't believe it," said Roman shakily, "My grandfather wouldn't have done such a thing!"

"It was an accident Dad," said Sami quietly, "And it's what happened – EJ and I have the letters to prove it and I'm sure Grandpa Shaun would back it up if he were still alive."

"Ma have you ever heard anything about this?" asked Bo in disbelief to his mother who had brought Sami her chowder at one point and then been quietly listening in on the conversation, "Did Dad ever say anything to you about having a sister Colleen?"

"No," said Caroline quietly and looked troubled, "But one time he had this nightmare, when we were first married and he called out the name Colleen. When I asked him about it the next day he wouldn't give me a straight answer and just said simply what was in the past should be left in the past."

"Grandpa Shaun must have been very young and it would have been very traumatic for him to lose his big sister like that," said Sami quietly.

"And this is where this vendetta is supposed to have started?" asked Hope unevenly, "Why the DiMera's hate the Brady's so much?"

"Santo was heartbroken and never got over Colleen's death and yes, he blamed great grandpa Peter and handed that hatred onto his son to nurse," said Sami sadly.

"That is even more reason you should stay the hell away from those DiMera's Sami," said Roman, his paternal concern making him sound quite stern.

"EJ is my neighbour," said Sami, looking back at him unflinchingly, "And even though it's complicated he's my friend as well."

"Oh Sami," said Hope with a shake of her head at hearing that.

"Sami you know we love you," said Marlena, covering her daughter's hand with her own as she looked intently at her.

"Ah sure," she said, looking a little resigned at the circle of faces, "Okay."

"We only what is best for you," chimed in Hope, looking at her seriously.

Sami looked around at the sincere faces of her family and chose her next words very carefully, a quiet sense of calm settling over her as she sort to explain herself without giving too much away.

"I know that you all love me," she began quietly, "And I hope that you know that I love you all as well, very much and that will never change. You're my family, a part of me that I would never want to lose."

"You won't lose us Sami," said Roman, patting her hand, "Like you said, we're family and we stick together."

Sami wondered if that was really true when everything did come out but decided not to dwell on that right then.

"I know I've made a lot of decisions in my life that you haven't been happy about," she continued on softly, "And you were probably right to be disappointed in me but I have to tell you that I'm going to be making a lot more decisions in my life as I go along and I want you to understand that they are my decisions, not yours. I can't continue needing to have everything sanctioned by my family – right or wrong, these are my decisions to make and I'll make them, following my own heart. I know I'll get it wrong sometimes but that is the best I can do, the best anyone can do and I'd really like to know that you guys would support me in that."

The older Brady's exchanged worried looks at that statement and Sami's heart dropped a little to see the hesitation on their behalf. She didn't blame them for being uncertain but it still disappointed her. Sami felt so different, so reborn now that she was loved by EJ that the old Sami seemed almost like a stranger to her and it was strange to her that her family couldn't see how much she'd changed as well.

"Honey you've followed your heart before and that has led you to some very dark places," said Marlena with a mother's worry etched on her face, "You followed your heart with Franco and ended up on death row because of it. You were hurt by me and lashed out and tried to sell your sister on the black market when she was a baby. Sami there are lots of times that a heart can lead you the wrong way and that is what family is for – to help you navigate the rockier waters of life."

"And did everyone in the family support you choosing John over Dad?" asked Sami evenly, looking her mother in the eye, "Was everyone thrilled that you turned your back on your husband, the father of your children for the man you'd had an adulterous affair with Mom? I bet they were all telling you to do what was the right thing by their understanding."

"It was a complicated situation Sami," said Marlena quietly.

"Of course it was," agreed Sami calmly, seeing the hurt on her mother's face which hadn't been her intention, "It wasn't a straight forward love story but it was a love story nonetheless. It's taken me a lot of years to understand what happened during that time but I now know that settling for what looked right on the surface would have been the cruellest thing possible that you could have done and I see that now, more than you know. I'm sorry that I made such a difficult decision all the harder by my actions, I really am."

Sami gave a little sympathetic smile at her father and covered her hand with his.

"I hated seeing you in pain and I just wanted my family back the way it was," she said with regret in her eyes, "But if I'd been able to see past my own pain then I would have seen that there was a different kind of family waiting to love me that would have been even more special but I didn't. I let all my bitterness and resentment for things in the past that couldn't be changed well up inside of me and I only added to the hurt of the situation by my actions."

"You were just a child then honey," said Roman, covering her hand with his own as his face softened with love for her.

"But I'm not any longer," said Sami, her voice strengthening, "I've grown up and I want you all to be able to see that. I want you to be proud of me but not because I do what you think is right but that you can see that I'm doing what I think is right. I'm a grown woman now, I don't need your direction anymore – I'm just asking that you try and understand the choices I make in life now, whatever they might be. You don't have to agree with them but I want you to understand them, to understand me."

Sami's words hung between them now and she couldn't believe how articulate and calm she'd remained through the whole thing and she could see her family was having a similar struggle. She wasn't backing down though, Sami had meant every word she'd said and all she could do was hope that when the truth did finally all come out that they'd remember her words and try and do as she'd asked. Stranger things had happened she pondered hopefully.

_In the end though support for Sami and her choices when it came to her family would come from the very last place in the world that she would have expected..._

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & FORTY SIX**** – ****Keep a Knockin' But You Can't Come in**

Resolve to find thyself; and to know that he who finds himself, loses his misery.

_~Matthew Arnold~_

Sami was quickly folding some clothes the next morning and thinking how glad she was that she'd finally managed to sort out the problems at Mythic.

"If only everything could be resolved so easily," she muttered to herself.

After finishing this little task Sami fully intended to go to the hospital and visit with EJ – whether he wanted it or not. She'd given him a couple of days to calm down and think things through and had been getting regular reports from his doctor so she knew he was steadily improving. That knowledge made Sami almost giddy with happiness. She knew they could overcome anything as long as they were both on this earth so knowing that EJ was getting better all the time just lifted a huge weight off her shoulders.

Sami was still a little uncertain how to feel about Tony's abrupt disappearance and what exactly had happened to him by Stefano's hand but then she'd decided that what was done was done. She had no control over Stefano's actions and if he had done something horrible to his own son then Tony had no one else to blame but himself. EJ could have so easily died from those gunshot wounds and Sami shuddered to think about that. She began to fold the clothes faster, suddenly in desperate need to see EJ again. He could yell at her all he wanted but Sami knew she just needed to be near him again otherwise the pain of separation was going to kill her.

The knock at the door interrupted her frantic folding and Sami grimaced, wondering if it was someone from her family come to make a second attempt to 'talk some sense' into her. Sami was rightfully proud about how she'd conducted herself during what suspiciously looked like an intervention to her. She was still committed to telling Lucas first that it was over between them but it had been so hard not to blurt out her feelings for EJ but somehow she managed it. Sami really wanted to do this the right way which she knew all of her family would perceive as the wrong thing regardless but she couldn't help that.

In the beginning when EJ had talked of her standing up to her family and choosing what it was that she really wanted Sami could never have imagined how unapologetic she would end up being about her love for EJ. Certainly she regretted the pain she was causing people, particularly Lucas but not for a moment did she regret loving EJ. Despite all the chaos going on around her and the impending storm when everyone found out about her and EJ Sami couldn't help but feel strangely sanguine about it all.

EJ's love had centred her like nothing else she'd tried to cling to before and the inner peace that knowing you were completely and utterly loved seemed to seep into every aspect of her life. Sami had never felt more confident and sure of herself in her life and it coloured every new challenge – like EJ trying to push her away. Whatever he said to her Sami knew EJ didn't really want her to leave him and never come back. This separation was killing him as much as it was killing her, Sami just knew it. Distracted by her thoughts of EJ she opened the door and looked at surprised at who it was.

"Kate," she said, eyeing the other woman a little suspiciously, "What are you doing here?"

"Coming in," said Kate blithely, pushing past Sami and walking into the apartment.

"Of course," said Sami mockingly, "By all means Kate, make yourself at home."

"Lucas is having his operation the day after tomorrow," announced Kate, her manner even more clipped than usual.

"So soon?" said Sami in surprise, "We were only talking about it yesterday."

"There didn't seem like any reason to wait," said Kate coolly, "I'm going to fly over and join him and help him through the post operative recuperation."

"Oh," said Sami and then nodded, "I guess that's a good idea. I know Carrie and Austen are there but they both have jobs and it shouldn't be down to Will to look after his dad."

"And seeing as you don't seemed particularly inclined to take care of Lucas I guess it comes down to me to step in," said Kate with a definite note of censure in her voice.

"And don't you just love that," muttered Sami under her breath.

"What are you implying?!" snapped Kate, surprising Sami with how quickly she'd gotten so angry.

"You like to be the centre of attention in your children's lives Kate," said Sami flatly.

"At least I don't abandon my teenage son and let my sister raise him because you couldn't be bothered!" said Kate cruelly.

Sami felt the tears sting her eyes at the remark but held her ground.

"Will decided that he needed some time away and I miss him every day," said Sami quietly, "I'd give anything to undo the mistakes of the past with him but unfortunately I can't and now I just have to live with the consequences of my actions I suppose."

Kate arched an eyebrow at Sami's controlled and mature answer.

"What is this?" she asked suspiciously, "What angle are you playing Sami?"

"No angle, no games Kate," said Sami simply, "I'm glad you are going to be there for Lucas and I really hope the surgery helps with his leg."

"And that's it?" asked Kate, looking at her through narrowed eyes.

"What else do you want me to say Kate?" asked Sami in exasperation.

"You know I was surprised to find you at home," said Kate at last, giving her a considered look, "I thought you'd be up at the hospital."

"No," said Sami shortly, Kate being the last person in the world she wanted to share her relationship with EJ about.

"I thought you might be," she said.

"Well I'm not," said Sami sharply, "Is that it Kate?"

Sami walked to the door and held it open for her, "I'm kind of busy."

"You're up to something," announced Kate, not letting it go.

"You always think I'm up to something," said Sami flatly.

"That's because you always are," sniffed Kate disapprovingly.

"Fine," snapped Sami, "Believe whatever you want, you always do. Just believe it somewhere else okay?"

Sami opened the door for Kate and made a sweeping gesture with her hand in a not so subtle attempt to suggest it was time to go.

"Alright," said Kate coolly, "I'll go but before I do I want you to know one thing."

"What's that Kate?" asked Sami sarcastically, unable to help herself, "The fact that you've had so many face lifts that you're actually talking through your belly button right now?"

"I have absolutely no idea what it is that my son sees in you," said Kate coldly at Sami's little dig.

"Probably the fact that you and I are nothing alike is a big appealing factor," said Sami sweetly.

Kate's lips thinned and Sami knew her comment had hit its mark.

"And yet I'm the one going to be by his side when he really needs it," sneered Kate, "As usual!"

"Why don't you ride that wave of self righteous satisfaction right on out of here Kate," said Sami flatly, "This over protective mommy act is getting a bit suffocating from where I'm standing."

"I just want you to know that if you do anything to hurt Lucas," said Kate tightly, walking up to where Sami was still holding the door open for her, "Anything at all then I'm going to make you pay for it in ways you couldn't even begin to comprehend."

Sami gave a big yawn and blinked up at Kate in mock bleariness.

"Oh I'm sorry Kate," she said with a saccharine smile, "I nodded off there in one of your tedious little threatening rants – did I miss anything important?"

"Play your little games Sami," said Kate bitterly, glaring at her as she stood in the doorway now, "But if you or EJ hurt my son in anyway there is no end to the amount of pain I'm going to cause you both."

Sami didn't answer her, simply slammed the door in Kate's face as the older woman was forced to take a quick step back to avoid have a door in her face.

"You could have broken my nose!" she said angrily through the door at Sami.

"What's your problem Kate?" Sami answered back, "I thought the third nose was a freebie anyway – you must be up to number three at least by now right?"

There was no answer to her dig but Sami could hear Kate's very expensive shoes clicking their way angrily down the hallway to the elevator.

"I'm counting the seconds until you're out of my life for good as well Kate," muttered Sami to herself as she listened to the other woman leave, "Counting the seconds."

oooOOOOooo

"Go on," Stefano encouraged him calmly.

"I don't know why we are doing this," said EJ in annoyance, dreading this but needing it desperately at the same time.

"Because it is polite," said Stefano evenly, "Go on my son."

EJ pulled a face that his father couldn't see as he was standing above him and lifted his hand, knocking on the wooden door as briefly and quietly as he could as Stefano tutted above his head at his son's wilfulness but EJ was unrepentant. He didn't know if he was strong enough to do this and his fear made him determinedly want to be difficult. Sami meanwhile made an annoyed grunting sound at the knock on the door and looked over at it in frustration. She walked over to the door and flung it open, her face set angrily.

"What now?" she growled, "Why can't you just leave me alo- EJ!"

Sami stopped mid sentence, her eyes nearly falling out of her head as she saw EJ in his wheelchair and with Stefano behind him, obviously pushing him about. EJ arched a curious eyebrow and looked Sami over.

"EJ," gasped Sami in disbelief.

"Expecting someone else were you darling?" asked EJ and cursed himself as soon as the endearment left his lips.

It was going to be exceptionally hard work to refrain from calling her those things from now on and EJ added it to his growing list of things that had to be done to get Sami out of his head. As for out of his heart EJ knew that was a lost cause and that he was just going to have to suffer for the rest of his life with an incomplete heart.

"I thought you were Kate," said Sami faintly, seeming to be having a problem taking her eyes off EJ.

"I get that a surprising amount," commented Stefano with a straight face but neither of the young people seemed to remember he was even there anymore.

EJ tilted his head and looked past her, scanning the room and Sami looked at him in confusion.

"Who are you looking for?" she asked him with a slight frown as she looked behind herself.

"No one," said EJ evenly, not really wanting to tell her that there were residual demons from his dreams that kept him awake at night.

Like the thought of Lucas secretly having returned from Switzerland and he and Sami going at it like rabbits while he was stuck in a hospital bed. EJ gave a little shudder of horror at the memory of seeing the two of them locked in an embrace and his expression grew even more sombre.

"EJ I can't believe you're here," said Sami, looking at him with utter joy, "You look so great – how do you feel? What did the doctors say? Are you sure it is okay to be out of the hospital already?"

EJ couldn't help but feel warmed by the rush of concern from Sami but then remembered he had to harden his heart against such feelings so he resolutely squared his shoulders and just looked back at her, trying not to let how much he loved her show on his face.

"You really need not concern yourself with how I am any longer Samantha," he said curtly, "It is none of your business."

"Elvis!" tutted his father from above him again but EJ determinedly ignored him, "Such rudeness."

"It's alright Stefano," said Sami calmly, keeping her gaze holding EJ's unblinkingly, "I know EJ doesn't mean it."

"Of course he doesn't," agreed Stefano roundly.

"I know what I bloody mean and I don't need you two talking about me as though I wasn't here!" snapped EJ in annoyance.

He watched Sami and his father exchange raised eyebrows at his outburst and had the sudden feeling of being ganged up on.

"I'm going," said EJ abruptly and wheeled himself backwards and without any goodbyes headed towards his apartment.

"Samantha," said Stefano easily with a little inclination of his head at the young woman.

"Stefano," nodded Sami back, acknowledging his farewell before looking back at EJ as he let himself into his apartment.

EJ sat in his chair, waiting for his father to join him and moodily considered how he'd ended up in this place. Shunning the woman he loved and in a wheelchair. He'd spent the last four days working himself up to feel nothing when he saw Sami again but as soon as she'd opened the door again EJ knew he may as well have saved his time. The moment he'd laid eyes on Sami he couldn't breathe, almost drowning in the intense surge of love he had at seeing her again. Living next door to her was going to be impossible. There was no way he was going to be able to keep himself from seeking her out, no matter what he told himself so that was going to be a real problem EJ decided. He looked over at the door as his father walked in and fixed him with a disapproving look.

"You were very unkind to Samantha just then Elvis," said Stefano with a frown, "She does not deserve such treatment from you my son."

EJ swallowed hard, knowing it was true but trying not to let his guilt get to him. He'd resolved to set Samantha free for her own good but EJ was in no doubt that it was going to be the hardest fight of his life. All he could do was hope that his love for Sami was enough to overcome his raging need to have her by his side and do the right thing. Unfortunately though that meant he had to basically cruel to be kind when it came to his dealings with Sami.

"Don't trouble yourself with Samantha and I Father," said EJ tersely, "You can make your secret dealings with one another – just don't include me in them any longer."

"We were both just trying to do what was best for you Elvis," said Stefano sternly, "And if you are to be upset with anyone it should be me because I was the one who wanted to wait until you were stronger before telling you about the nerve damage."

"It doesn't matter now," said EJ dully, looking away and knowing it was true.

He knew both his father and Sami were acting out of his best interests but that didn't change the fact he was now a cripple. Stefano sighed heavily and shook his head at the despondent picture his son made at that moment.

"I do not think you should be alone Elvis," said Stefano with concern, "Why do you not come home with me? I have people on staff who-"

"I don't need nursemaids!" EJ growled fiercely, glaring up his father angrily.

"Did I say that you did?" asked Stefano mildly with an arched eyebrow, "But having some meals prepared for you would not be so disagreeable now would it?"

EJ sighed heavily and tried to get himself back under control. The prospect of living the rest of his life without Sami in it was sending him down into a pit of despair that EJ feared he was never going to climb out of or even want to for that matter.

"No of course not," said EJ quietly, "I'm sorry Father, I don't mean to appear ungrateful."

"It is alright," said Stefano, patting his shoulder, "I understand that you are a little overwhelmed right now but trust me Elvis, everything will work itself out."

"I'm sure," said EJ with a forced smile.

"I can stay for awhile if you like?" offered Stefano with a warm look.

"No," said EJ with a shake of his head, "Thank you but no Father – I'll just settle in."

"Very well," Stefano nodded, leaning down to take EJ's head in his hands and kiss his forehead in farewell, "But you will call me if you need anything?"

"Of course," said EJ with another weak smile.

EJ watched as Stefano made his way out of the apartment. He looked around his apartment and sighed heavily as he heard his father's footsteps fade away as he stepped onto the elevator.

"Home sweet home," he muttered sarcastically.

Without Sami by his side EJ knew that nowhere would feel like home again and his jaw hardened at that. He wheeled himself into the room a little and then just to see if he could manage to balance himself up on his two back wheels, rocking back and forth.

He dropped back down and grimaced at the small achievement. All the doctors had been talking at him about rehabilitation, exercises, physiotherapy but EJ couldn't be bothered even listening. He had absolutely no drive to do anything about his current situation because he couldn't see the point. Standing or sitting his life wasn't going to contain Sami anymore so nothing had any meaning now. EJ had a sneaking suspicion that despite Sami having stayed away for the last couple of days that she was far from letting this go. He rubbed his face tiredly as he imagined what the agony of pushing her away for day after day would be like.

EJ knew Sami, he knew how stubborn she could be and he knew it was going to take all of his inner resolve to keep her at arm's length. Sami might imagine herself loving him now but EJ was going to use the circumstances of finding out about his paralysis and his suspicions about her and his father to try for all he was worth to kill that love. He loved her that much that EJ knew he had to do this impossible thing of setting her free rather than being stuck with a cripple for the rest of her life. Sami was loyal to a fault, EJ knew that and that was going to be a big problem to try and overcome but he knew he had to do it, for her own sake.

EJ wheeled himself around, managing to take off his scarf and coat but not quite managing to hang them on the coat stand which was probably just as well he decided because getting them back down would be a problem. It was an odd thing to view the world from this height he decided as he wheeled himself slowly around the apartment and looked around again. He was a tall man and been well over six foot tall by the time he was fourteen so it had been a very long time since he was only about five foot tall. He supposed he should get used to it he decided morosely. It was probably karma's idea of a joke after all the cracks he'd made about Lucas' deficiencies in that department although EJ couldn't help but feel like the punishment far outweighed the crime.

You'd have to have the self restraint of a saint to manage not taking at least a few swipes at Lucas' expense – he was one of life's victims in that respect and really, you were spoilt for choice about what to mock him about first. EJ's grim smile left his lips though as he couldn't help but wonder what Sami would do when she finally understood that he wasn't going to change his mind about not letting them be together. His face settled into an angry scowl as he imagined Sami returning to her life with Lucas.

The thought made EJ physically sick and cemented his plan to move from the building. There was no way this side of hell that he'd be able to sit by and watch that particular gut wrenching horror. It would undoubtedly end up with Lucas' bloody corpse messing up Sami's carpet rug when EJ just snapped one day. The thought actually made EJ smile and he allowed himself the small pleasure of imagining Lucas dead. His sadistic musings were interrupted by a knock at the door and EJ didn't have to work too hard to work out who it might be.

"I'm not in!" he called out moodily.

"I don't care!" called back Sami, "Let me in EJ!"

"No!" said EJ sharply even as his heart was beginning to beat wildly at just the sound of her voice.

"Let me in or else EJ!" she said sternly.

"Or else what Ms Brady?" asked EJ mockingly, "You'll kick the door down?"

"Something is going to get a kick if you're not careful," she said tartly.

EJ's lips had to quirk a little at her humour even while being frustrated if unsurprised that Sami wasn't making this easy for him.

"EJ let me in," said Sami in exasperation.

"It's not going to happen Samantha so you may as well just leave," said EJ forcefully.

EJ cocked his head and listened as the minutes stretched out and there was no answer from Sami. His heart sank despite itself as EJ realised that Sami had taken him at his word and left. It appeared that getting her to give up on him was going to be easier then he'd first suspected. The knowledge cut him deeply because if things had been different EJ knew he would never have given up fighting for her.

"You are such an ass sometimes!"

EJ actually jumped in his wheelchair as he whipped his neck around to see Sami finishing clambering through his window from the fire exit and giving him a particularly vexed look.

"These shoes weren't designed for mountaineering," she complained to him as she straightened her blouse.

"You and your bloody shoes," muttered EJ, hoping his raging hunger for her wasn't on full display on his face for her to see.

"I am what I am," said Sami unapologetically, "It's one of the things you love about me."

"Is it now?" asked EJ, still hoping his face wasn't giving him away.

"Yes," said Sami defiantly, hands on hips now.

"Don't do that again," said EJ sternly, looking at her fiercely.

"Why?" asked Sami with a little knowing smile as she crossed over to where he was at the door, "Were you worried about me EJ?"

"Hardly," lied EJ with a snort, "I just don't want you breaking your neck on that fire escape and then I have to have the tedium of dealing with your family as they undoubtedly make it my fault somehow."

"It would be your fault," said Sami roundly and then arched an eyebrow, "Because you were being an ass and wouldn't let me in."

"Well seeing as you found your own way in I'll trust you to find your own way out," said EJ laconically as he went to roll past her.

"No," said Sami simply and looked back at him unflinchingly and EJ gritted his teeth, knowing the battle between them had just begun...

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & FORTY SEVEN**** – ****Start As You Mean To Go On**

Determination and perseverance move the world;

thinking that others will do it for you is a sure way to fail.

_~Marva Collins~_

EJ and Sami faced off, neither one backing down and both convinced they were in the right.

"You can forget about me leaving through that door EJ," said Sami flatly as he looked at her expectantly and then at his front door.

"I know you're blonde darling," said EJ with a sweet smile, "But a door isn't that complicated to operate. Here-"

EJ wheeled the small distance over to the door and opened it for Sami.

"I'll give you a bit of a heads up with it shall I sweetheart?" he suggested mockingly.

Sami gave EJ an unimpressed look at his carry on and walked straight past him, taking the door and slamming it shut firmly before turning back around to look at him in vague annoyance.

"And I know you're in pain EJ," she said coolly, "But that doesn't give you the right to be a jerk to me."

"You know there is a sure fire cure for that now don't you sweetheart," said EJ straight faced, "Leave."

"I'm not leaving until you hear me out," said Sami firmly, "I let you have some time to cool off-"

"Big of you I'm sure," said EJ dourly.

"But now we're going to talk," said Sami, continuing on as though he hadn't spoken.

"We've got nothing to talk about Samantha and frankly I'm finding this drama all a bit boring," said EJ coolly, feeling the uneven beating of his heart belie those words.

"Well that is just too bad EJ because we've got a lot to talk about," said Sami, undeterred.

"You lied to me about my condition," said EJ with a shrug, trying to come up with as much as he could to build a wall between the two of them, knowing it was his only hope, "You made secret plans with my father and lied to me about loving me. There, are we done now?"

"Are you serious?" asked Sami, her eyes narrowing angrily, "That is such a crock of bull EJ and you know it! I didn't lie about your legs, I omitted-"

"Ah semantics," said EJ mockingly, "How would you have gotten this far in life without them I wonder Samantha?"

"About as far as you I'm guessing," said Sami with an arched eyebrow, giving EJ a knowing look.

They were cut from the same cloth when it came to things like that and they both knew it and Sami clearly wasn't going to let him forget it either.

"And you know I love you," she said urgently, "You knew it before I did in fact! So don't sit there and tell me-"

"Actually darling sitting here is all I can do nowadays," said EJ in angry moroseness, "So if you can't deal with that then might I once again suggest you leave!"

"You're the one who isn't dealing EJ!" fired back Sami, "You're acting like being in a wheelchair is some kind of death sentence!"

"It might as well be!" shoot back EJ in full self pity mode now.

"So what?" asked Sami in disbelief, "You can't walk and suddenly your life is over, is that it? What about all of those people in the world who are in wheelchairs who live full lives EJ? Are you telling me that they are better off dead?!"

"Of course not!" snapped EJ, "But I'm not going to put on my rose coloured glasses and pretend that being half a man is everything I dreamed of!"

"First of all dreams change EJ," said Sami sharply, "You showed me that. I thought I wanted a sedate life with Lucas, a life where I settled for being what everyone else thought I should be rather than finding out who I really was. I was prepared to accept a life where I was someone's second choice in love and then you swept in and changed everything for me! And secondly the inability to walk doesn't make you half a man EJ-"

"How about the inability to make love Samantha?" asked EJ, his voice tight with pain at even saying the words, "How does that rate me in your view eh? I'm completely lifeless from the waist down!"

EJ looked away as he said that, unable to look at her as he tried desperately to collect himself again.

Sami didn't even flinch as he told her the terrible truth, the realisation that scared the hell out of EJ – that he might never be able to make love to a woman again – more importantly, not just any woman, to Samantha. It put a fear into EJ that he simply didn't know how to deal with other than lashing out at the person closest to his heart. But as always Sami found a way to amaze him utterly with her next words and EJ could feel himself falling ever deeper under her spell.

"Look at me EJ," she asked of him huskily, "Please."

That please was EJ's undoing and he did as she asked, looking back at her and steeling himself to see the pity in her eyes. However he was met with another sight entirely - one that stole the breath from his body as they held each other's gaze unblinkingly.

"That was another thing you showed me EJ," she said, a soft womanly smile on her lips, "That there are so many ways to make love to a woman – ways I hadn't even begun to imagine. That first time for us, down by the lagoon on Ara Caman-"

EJ looked away abruptly again and swallowed hard, remembering very vividly the stolen moments Sami was speaking of and his first real taste of her. He could feel himself beginning to shake a little at the memory of the sweet taste of her arousal on his tongue, the way she'd screamed and begged him for more, impossibly responsive to his every touch. EJ felt his body tense as Sami leant down; resting her hands on the arm rests of his wheelchair and took his chin in her hand, making him look back at her as Sami put her face level with his before continuing on.

"The things that you did to me," she said huskily, "The way you made my body feel EJ, just with your hands and your mouth-"

Sami leant in even closer, so that their noses were almost touching, her sweet breath on his face.

"No man has ever made me come like you did that day EJ," she told him throatily, "You opened up a world to me that I had no idea about before. You showed me what my body was capable when the right man was touching me... when you were touching me."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," EJ rasped, trying to put some distance between the excruciating pleasure of that encounter and Sami's own close proximity.

He simply couldn't think straight when Sami was this close to him and he needed her to stop doing this or else EJ knew he would lose his resolve completely.

"No one has pleasured me like you have EJ," she told him, moving to whisper in his ear now, "And I know how much you enjoyed making me scream that loudly and for that long. Do you really think that we couldn't find ways to make the other beg for mercy... before begging for more?"

EJ mouth went dry, knowing it was true but that didn't exactly help his cause. He was trying to keep Sami at arm's length, not walk down a particularly steamy memory lane with her.

"You don't even need to touch me, only look at me, say my name and I get so incredibly wet," she told him, her breathy voice the siren's call in his ear.

"Samantha," he moaned, unable to help himself from saying her name on hearing that.

"Yes," she said breathlessly at the sound, "Just like that EJ – the things that you do to me..."

She picked up one of his hands now, her light touch searing EJ's flesh from the bone and sending his senses into overload. Sami was all around him, the smell of her in his nostrils, the warmth of her body rolling off her and gently caressing his with its perfumed heat, her moist breath in his ear and EJ wanted to start screaming from the need of her and never stop.

"Here-" she offered up throatily, rubbing her cheek against his now, her softness gentle against the scratchiness of his recently shaved cheek.

Sami brought his hand to her inner thigh and began to move it slowly up towards her womanly centre as she drew back slightly and she moved so close now that her lips brushed his when she spoke.

"-let me show you how much I need you right now EJ," she implored him softly, "How hot and wet I am just from being this near to you... how much I missed you."

EJ's eyelids were suddenly very heavy and he struggled to keep them open as the enchantress worked her magic on him as always, his hand going of its own accord to gently stroke her long neck. Sami could no doubt feel how badly the hand that she was guiding was shaking, how badly he wanted to find out for himself if the promises of her need for her were true. EJ knew they would be and then there was the sudden realisation that as much as his head was spinning wildly from Sami's proximity and sexy words his lower body was still lifeless. It just reinforced for him the hopelessness of the situation and how much he'd lost.

"No!" he said hoarsely, turning his head away sharply and pushing himself backwards in his chair, breaking the contact with Sami, "Stop it Samantha! I can't!"

"Yes you can EJ," said Sami quickly, letting him back up a little but not giving in as she straightened up again, "_We_ can together! It's like you always said, as long as we are together nothing can stop us!"

"There is nothing to stop," said EJ unevenly, trying to bring himself back under control, "You're only here because you feel obligated-"

"You know that isn't true EJ," Sami sighed and shook her head at his stubbornness, "If that is all it was do you really think I'd be fighting this hard to be with you? I mean why wouldn't I have given up the first time Tony threatened me if all I felt was some kind of weird obligation to you?"

"Tony threatened you?!" asked EJ in shock, feeling a flash of burning hot anger at that information.

"Oh," said Sami, looking just as surprised, "I thought you knew – that Stefano had told you everything. You said you knew EJ, knew what we'd been keeping from you-"

"You kept my paralysis a secret," said EJ, fear making him sound fiercer then he'd intended, "What else happened Samantha? What else did you and my father keep from me?"

"I'm sorry EJ," said Sami with a shake of her head, "I was sure Stefano would have told you."

"Told me what Samantha?" asked EJ impatiently, "What is this about Tony threatening you? What's going on – tell me?!"

"Calm down EJ," she said quickly, "Of course I'll tell you – just promise me you won't get upset."

"I'm sensing that is going to be highly unlikely," said EJ dourly even as his nerves tighten over what this newest bit of information was going to be, "Just tell me Samantha."

"Alright," said Sami and EJ watched as she bit down on her bottom lip, gnawing on it anxiously, "When we came back from the road trip-"

"You mean the one where we'd barely finished making love and then you merrily left with Lucas leaving me standing by the road like some kind of love struck idiot?" offered up EJ with a sweet smile.

"Yes," said Sami, giving him a censuring look at the way he'd put things but continuing on regardless, "The next morning I knew I couldn't go on pretending – that I had to tell you how much I loved you and wanted to be with you."

"That's odd," said EJ sarcastically, "Because I don't remember you doing that – or is that just some residual brain damage from the fevers I suffered in hospital causing that?"

"No," said Sami flatly but still intent on telling her story despite his interruptions, "I went to Mythic to find you but instead Tony was there. He worked out why I was there pretty quickly, I guess it was written all over my face and it was then he told me about the plans your father had for you, for both of us really."

"Plans?" asked EJ with a frown.

"We are meant to be the new king and queen of the DiMera empire according to Stefano," said Sami, her lips twisting in disgust, "Under Stefano's control of course, even after he was dead according to Tony and your brother wasn't too happy about that."

"I bet," EJ muttered, knowing of Tony's aspirations to one day to be in control of the entire DiMera empire.

"So he figured that if there was no you and me then Stefano would change his plans and make Tony the head of operations," said Sami, "So he told me that if I didn't stay away from you that he'd kill you because one way or the other you were never going to be Stefano's heir."

"Why didn't you come to me right away about this?" asked EJ in horror, imagining how scared Sami must have been and knowing how intimidating his brother could be when he put his mind to it.

"I couldn't take a chance on you being hurt," said Sami desperately before giving a self disparaging laugh, "But you know how that turned out. I tried so hard to let you go but I just couldn't and when we made love again Tony must have had people reporting back to him and then the next thing I knew you were a bloodied mess on the ground and I thought I'd lost you forever."

Sami's blue eyes suddenly became very bright as giant tears filled them and slid down her flushed cheeks.

"I got you shot EJ," she said shakily, "It was my fault."

"No it wasn't Samantha," said EJ quickly, "Don't say that."

As much as it would further his cause to let Sami feel guilty about all this EJ just didn't have it in him to allow it. Sami was an innocent victim in the cruel and ruthless machinations of his family and it broke EJ's heart that he hadn't worked it out in time to protect Sami from the undoubted heartache it had caused her. He suddenly had a dim memory of the conversation he'd had with her on the park bench, just before being shot. Much of that day was a blur for EJ but he remembered hitting upon the fact that someone was making Sami reject him and she'd been about to tell him something before everything had gone black.

"I was trying to tell you EJ," she whispered, confirming what he'd just thought, "But then the next thing I knew you were on the ground-"

"Don't torture yourself Samantha," said EJ quietly, longing to take her in his arms and comfort her but knowing that such an action wouldn't ultimately be in her best interests.

Sami wiped away her tears and looked away briefly, obviously trying to compose herself.

"Tony saw me again at the hospital," said Sami unevenly, "I told him I knew that he'd been the one to shoot you and he said he'd finish the job if I said anything to anyone."

"So you went to my father," said EJ, more of a statement then a question, knowing how Sami's mind work.

"Yes," said Sami tightly and EJ knew what an action must have cost her.

It had been unbelievably brave and selfless of Sami to do such a thing and on his behalf no less. To go and seek out a man she had so much vitriol and hatred for and ask something of him must have been a very painful experience for Sami but she'd done it – for him. It was humbling and awe inspiring to see what Sami was capable of when backed into a corner and if EJ wasn't so focused on getting the rest of the story out of her he might have considered that fact when it came to his plan of setting her free.

"And he dealt with it," said Sami simply.

She looked at EJ then, a vaguely troubled look in her eyes.

"I don't know how," she said and then lifted her chin, a defiant look coming over her now, "And I don't care. All I know is that Tony isn't around anymore and I don't care how Stefano did it as long as you and my family are now safe from that mad man."

"You're quite something aren't you Samantha Brady," said EJ hoarsely, looking at her with hopeless admiration.

"I did what I had to do," said Sami unapologetically, her voice strengthening with her conviction, "And my only regret is not telling you everything from the beginning and then maybe you wouldn't have ended up being shot in the first place."

Sami gave him a soft, loving look then, "And I did it all for us EJ – there is nothing I wouldn't do for us."

"There can never be an us Samantha," said EJ quietly, feeling himself choke up at her heartfelt assertions.

It was all he'd ever wanted her to say to him and now the situation was such that he had to do the one thing he'd promised her he'd never do – reject her.

"I remember me saying those words to you on more than one occasion," said Sami with a lop sided smile, "And I don't remember you ever taking no for an answer."

"And look where that got us," said EJ unevenly.

Sami looked suddenly sad at that last statement and EJ had to swallow his regret at causing her yet more pain. He was just doing what needed to be done; trying to be the bigger man in all this he kept reminding himself. The shocking news about what Tony had done to Sami only reinforced to EJ that she would be so much better without him in her life. He was torn between horror and rage over what his brother had done to Sami and a feeling of overwhelming shame that he hadn't been able to protect her from Tony's bile. EJ needed more than anything to know that Sami was safe and the only way of doing that was making sure that she no longer had anything to do with his obviously dangerous family. This was the right thing to do EJ told himself resolutely.

Only why did doing the right thing have to hurt so bad he wondered helplessly...?

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & FORTY EIGHT**** – ****A Mother's Love**

It is not love that is blind, but jealousy.

_~Lawrence Durrell~_

"Carrie and Austen will be home about six," Lucas called out from the spare room as he put his mother's suitcases into her room.

"It will be good to see them," Kate smiled, "And where is Will?"

"Ah," said Lucas, "He wanted to be here but he's made friends with a kid whose parents had invited them up to their snow cabin for a couple of days. Sorry."

"I'm under no illusions that I'm not as exciting as snowboarding," said Kate with a quirk of her lips.

"He'll be home tomorrow," Lucas promised her, "Can I get you anything? You must be tired from the flight."

"Not really," said Kate with a shake of her head before fixing Lucas with an intent look, "I'm more interested in how you are doing honey."

"I'm fine," said Lucas simply, knowing that it was a vain hope to think that would be enough for his mother.

"You look pale," said Kate with a slight frown.

"I haven't been out much," Lucas shrugged.

"Because of your leg?" Kate posed the question.

"Aha," said Lucas briefly.

Kate gave him a considered look before speaking again.

"So how are you feeling about the operation tomorrow?" she asked.

"Overjoyed, can't wait," said Lucas sarcastically.

"Lucas," admonished Kate softly.

"Sorry," he mumbled and then gave a little shrug, "I just want it over and done with and all the scar tissue removed so I can have a shot at not being in agony every minute of the day and night."

"And the pain pills the doctor gave you aren't helping?" asked Kate in concern.

"Those ones aren't," grumbled Lucas and then realised too late his slip and could only pray that his mother didn't.

Fat chance.

"So you have other ones?" asked Kate, the sound of horror evident in her voice, "Lucas are you telling me you are taking non-prescribed painkillers?!"

"They are the only thing that helps even a little bit," said Lucas defensively.

"But where did you even get them from?" asked Kate in disbelief.

"I know a guy," said Lucas vaguely.

"Oh my god you're going to a drug dealer?!" gasped Kate.

"Don't be so melodramatic Mom," said Lucas with a roll of his eyes, "He's an ex med student with some contacts."

"And I bet I know why he's an _ex_ med student," said Kate grimly.

"It's no big deal," said Lucas casually which obviously didn't sit well with his mother.

"You can't be taking all those pills before they anaesthetise you Lucas," fretted Kate anxiously, "It could kill you!"

"Is this your idea of helping me?" asked a surly Lucas, "Nagging me?"

"I'm trying to help Lucas," said Kate, her lips thinning.

"Then help," said Lucas shortly, "Don't lecture me!"

The tension between mother and son was palatable and Lucas knew he was only making things worse between them but couldn't seem to help himself. He felt so out of control these days.

"So did you see Sami before you left?" he asked finally, breaking the tense silence.

"Yes," said Kate dourly, "And EJ unfortunately."

"They were together?" asked Lucas anxiously, his heart starting to beat madly in his chest at the thought.

"No," said Kate, looking a little surprised at his obvious desperation, "I went to see EJ in the hospital and he was at his disagreeable best unfortunately. That man has a tongue that can cut like a knife."

Lucas watched his mother look away and a darkness come over her face.

"What did he say?" he asked with a bit of a frown, clearly seeing that it was nothing good from the expression on her face.

"Nothing," said Kate and looked back at him with a tight smile, "He was just being a-"

Kate gave a hollow laugh then before continuing.

"- a DiMera I suppose," she said in disgust, "A twisted and sick DiMera. No matter how you dress it up, dig a little and you'll find that family is just not right in the head. They're all perverse, every last one of them."

"Perverse?" repeated Lucas, curious at her choice of words, "Why perverse Mom?"

-Kate looked at him intently for a long moment before replying, seeming to be deciding on what to say next. Eventually she just shrugged her shoulders in resignation.

"The likes of Elvis DiMera just doesn't understand what real love is," she said finally and Lucas had a strong sense he wasn't getting the total story, "Especially a mother's love for her son. They have to twist everything they don't understand into something as sick as they are."

"I'm still not sure what you are saying Mom," said Lucas hesitantly, "Did EJ say something about you and me?"

"It doesn't matter," said Kate and put a determined smile on her face, "I didn't travel all this way to talk to you about EJ DiMera."

"You didn't have to travel all this way at all Mom," said Lucas with a small note of censure in his voice, "I told you I was alright."

"I know what you told me," said Kate, pursing her lips and scrutinizing him closely again, much to Lucas' annoyance so he tried to change the subject.

"And how was Sami when you saw her?" asked Lucas, wanting desperately to know what was going on in her head nowadays as he just couldn't seem to get a bead on her like he used to.

"Bizarre," said Kate with a vaguely disgusted look on her face.

"Bizarre?" repeated Lucas in confusion, "What does that mean – EJ was perverse, Sami was bizarre – you're not making any sense Mom!"

"I just meant that she was being weird and un-Samilike," Kate shrugged, "For the most part anyway. In the end she reverted back to type, slamming the door in my face if you can believe that!"

"How do you mean un-Samilike?" asked Lucas in frustration, wondering why his mother was so intent on talking in riddles all of a sudden.

"She was being all sage and mature sounding," said Kate, her lips twisting in disapproval, "Like she was trying to impress me with how grown up she was all of a sudden."

"Did she say anything about me?" asked Lucas anxiously.

"She said she was glad I was coming over here to be with you and really hoped that the operation would help with your leg," said Kate flatly.

"And that's it?" asked Lucas in disappointment.

"Well it got a bit ugly after that," admitted Kate, "I'm guessing you don't want the details."

"Not about another fight between you and Sami no," said Lucas dourly.

He sighed heavily and shook his head.

"What is going on with you two?" asked Kate, obviously seeing how unhappy he was right then.

"I don't know," said Lucas with another sigh, "But I do know that EJ is at the bottom of it. He's been trying to get the two of us apart ever since Sami and I got back together."

"But it didn't work," said Kate before muttering under her breath but Lucas still heard her, "Unfortunately."

"Not through want of trying," said Lucas bitterly, "He-"

"He what?" asked Kate curiously when he stopped abruptly.

Lucas cursed his loose lips, not wanting to share with his mother all that he knew and looked away, lost in his memories for a moment.

_Lucas wiped his hands on his jeans having just returned from taking out the trash and as he walked up the corridor of his apartment building he could hear angry hushed voices ahead of him. He couldn't immediately make out what was being said but he did instantly recognise Sami and EJ's voices. Suddenly a sharp slapping sound rang out and Lucas stopped in his tracks, frowning fiercely. He was just about to race around the corner and demand to know what was going on when he realised that this might be a way to finally get a straight answer, however indirectly, from one of them._

"_So we're back to the rough stuff eh sweetheart?" asked EJ tightly,"Is that it?"_

"_We are back to you staying the hell out of my life!" he heard Sami hiss, "I don't want to hear any of the disgusting things you have to say or think about that ever again! I love Lucas with my whole heart and we are going to build a life together. He's the great love of my life and I won't have you destroy that EJ! Lucas and I have a future together and that is all I want!"_

_Lucas' heart leapt for joy in his chest to hear Sami speak of him in such a way. It made him fall even more in love with her in that moment. He'd allowed himself to get a little spooked by the threat of EJ to his and Sami's relationship but now it was clear he needn't have worried. It was obvious that Sami loved him and not EJ, despite the other man's many attempts to make not so._

"_I am never going to let you settle for that moron Samantha," bit out EJ, "You know that I will do what it takes to see Lucas out of your life and thrown to the curb like he's done to you so many times!"_

_Lucas' jaw hardened at hearing what EJ had to say about him but stayed where he was even though he was itching to walk around and simply punch out EJ in his no doubt smug face._

"_Is that some kind of threat EJ?!" . _

"_It's a promise Samantha. Lucas doesn't get to have you sweetheart and I'll do what I have to, to make sure that you come to your senses about that man."_

"_Don't you dare hurt him EJ! You promised me!"_

_Lucas' eyes widened at hearing that. Of course, EJ must have been threatening her for Sami to be seemingly willingly spending so much time with the other man as she had been of late. _

"_We have both said a great deal of things to one another sweetheart. You can say what you want to me but I know what you really want is for me to rescue you from that idiot and if you won't leave him then maybe I'll just have to make him leave you – one way or the other."_

"_You wouldn't dare!" _

"_Bastard," muttered Lucas under his breath, feeling his fury beginning to overflow at what EJ was doing to Sami and the way he was trying to break them apart so unashamedly. _

"_You bastard," he heard Sami agree with him without realising it. _

"_I'm determined Samantha and I always get what I want," was EJ's unrepentant response which just made Lucas grind his teeth in frustration. _

"_No matter who gets hurt?"_

_Lucas couldn't take listening to EJ threaten Sami anymore and walked around the corner, interrupting their heated exchange. He'd heard enough to know what was going on and he wasn't going to stand for it anymore. _

"_Who is getting hurt?" asked Lucas and watched as they both looked at him in surprise. _

"_We were just talking about some business," said Sami quickly, throwing EJ a pleading look which Lucas caught and felt a swell of love at how she was trying to protect him followed closely by a wave of burning hatred at the man responsible for her distress._

"_Indeed," said EJ smoothly, a cold little smile on his lips, "Some very important business as it turns out."_

"_And now we're finished," said Sami brightly, giving EJ a pointed look as Lucas slipped his arm around her waist. _

"_For the moment," said EJ evenly, giving Sami a mocking look but Lucas was having none of that. _

"_Well run along Elvis," said Lucas making sure that EJ understood exactly who was the couple in this little scenario, "Me and my girl have some special time planned and you know what they say - three is a crowd."_

"_Isn't it more like two and a half?" asked EJ sweetly, unable to help himself taking a cheap shot at Lucas' height._

"_You're a funny guy EJ," said Lucas unflinchingly, "But I guess being alone with no one in the world who loves you must give you plenty of time to work on your material." _

_Lucas tightened his hold on Sami's waist and without letting EJ get in a reply he guided them both into their apartment, closing the door firmly behind him and leaving EJ out in the cold like he deserved._

"_Are you alright honey?" he asked in concern, taking in Sami's pale cheeks._

"_Of course," said Sami brightly, "Why wouldn't I be?"_

"_Because it looks like EJ was giving you a hard time again," said Lucas darkly._

"_I can handle EJ DiMera," said Sami with a brave smile, "Don't worry about me Lucas."_

"_But I do worry," said Lucas quietly, "How can I not? I love you Sami."_

"_I know you do," said Sami softly, suddenly looking bright eyed as tears welled up in her eyes. _

"_Hey," said Lucas, pulling her into his arms and holding her tightly, "Don't cry Sami, it will be alright."_

"_I know," she said shakily, clinging to him now, "It has to be."_

"_You know I don't think I'll go to Switzerland," said Lucas, pulling back and looking at her anxiously, "I don't want to leave you alone."_

"_Don't be silly," said Sami, quickly wiping away her tears, "Our son needs you and that is the most important thing right now." _

"_I don't want to leave you alone with EJ," Lucas growled, "That guy is like a disease – infecting everything he touches!"_

"_You don't have to worry about EJ," said Sami with a tremulous smile, "Just go to Switzerland and be with our son, everything else will work itself out, I know it will."_

_  
"You're amazing Sami," said Lucas in quite awe as he saw how strong she was being in the face of EJ's relentless harassment. _

"_Am I?" she asked with a shaky laugh, "I don't feel amazing right now."_

"_Well you are," said Lucas, taking her in his arms again, "And I feel so lucky to have you in my life."_

_Sami didn't answer; just hugged him back and Lucas made a vow to make sure that EJ was never going to be a problem in their lives again._

"Lucas?"

The sound of his mother's voice brought him back to the present as he tried to refocus his attentions.

"I just feel so far away here Mom," he said at last, "I really want to know what is going on with Sami and EJ right now. I know he's been making her life hard for awhile now and I just want to be there to protect her from him, to let Sami know that I can do that for her."

"I don't think you need bother," said Kate with a little shrug, "When I spoke to them they both seemed to want nothing to do with the other."

"Even EJ?" asked Lucas in surprise, "I thought he'd never give up on Sami."

"Well apparently paralysis has opened his eyes up to a few home truths," sniffed Kate, "He didn't want anything to do with Sami when I saw him and even wished the two of you a long and happy life together."

"He did?" asked Lucas in disbelief.

"Words to that effect," his mother nodded.

"But wasn't Sami there all the time when he was first shot?" asked Lucas with a scowl at the thought.

"If you ask me I think Stefano might have had something to do with that," said Kate knowingly, "I heard some murmurings that Sami and Stefano where having quite a few heated tête-à-têtes in the hospital corridors. But whatever it was it seems good old Sami found a way out of it because she has been giving EJ a wide berth for awhile now."

"Thank god," Lucas breathed a sigh of relief, "I thought I was losing her to that manic."

"If you ask me those two deserve each other," said Kate blithely, "Peas from the same twisted, and manipulative pod."

"Don't say that!" snapped Lucas, catching Kate off guard with his vehemence, "I love Sami and she is all I can think about! How can you wish her out of my life like that?!"

"Because I'm your mother and I want what's best for you," said Kate roundly, "And believe me sweetheart, Sami Brady is not what is best for you!"

"I love Sami more than anything!" said Lucas angrily, "I couldn't live if she wasn't in my life!"

"Oh god," said Kate in disgust, "Do you have to sound so desperate when you say that? Like Sami is your last chance at happiness or something? You know that isn't true Lucas, you could find a woman who really loves you and be happy for a change!"

"Sami really loves me!" spat out Lucas defiantly.

"If you were so sure of that you wouldn't be so worried about her and EJ all of the time," said Kate unrepentantly, "I just don't understand why you feel the need to cling to her like this!"

"Because I love her!" roared Lucas, losing his temper completely now and not liking the feeling of having to justify both his and Sami's love to his mother, "And I need her to love me the same way!"

"_I_ love you!" said Kate urgently, "Isn't that enough? Why do you have to run to all these other women and beg for their love Lucas?! I didn't raise you like that!"

"You didn't raise me at all!" said Lucas bitterly, "Military school remember Mom?!"

"I did what I thought was best," said Kate stiffly.

"And I'm doing what I think is best," he returned sharply, "I love Sami and want to be with her and if you want to help me Mom you could support me in that!"

"I don't know if I can," said Kate tightly.

"Then I don't want you here Mom," said Lucas coldly, "Like I said, I'm prepared to do what it takes to keep Sami in my life and if that means not having you in it-"

"Don't!" said Kate desperately and grabbed at his arm, "Don't say that Lucas – you need me, you always have! We're a team you and I-"

"Things change Mom," interrupted Lucas coolly.

"But they don't have to," said Kate urgently as she moved closer to him and took both his hands in her own.

"I guess that comes down to you Mom," said Lucas, looking her squarely in the eye, "And what you are prepared to do to keep me in your life."

Kate swallowed hard and looked back at him with distressed eyes but Lucas wasn't backing down this time. He'd always felt this intense need to protect and look after his mother but now Sami needed him more and Lucas couldn't turn his back on that. He knew his mother could see that and was struggling to deal with the fact that he wasn't going to choose her over Sami like he'd always done in the past. Lucas could see the jealousy in her eyes and understood it. It was the same way he felt when a new man came into his mother's life and he wasn't the only man in her life anymore. It had always been this way, from the earliest Lucas could remember and he didn't know any other way to be when it came to his mother. But the fear of losing Sami was overshadowing his need for his mother for the first time in his life and there was suddenly a shift of power in their relationship that they were both feeling.

It gave Lucas a strange thrill to know that for once it was him calling the shots, making his mother feel like she was second best in his life. Lucas thought back to all the times, especially when he was younger when he'd been the centre of his mother's life only to be relegated to an annoying after thought when a man showed up. It gave him a sense of satisfaction to give Kate a taste of her own medicine, for her to know what it was to be suddenly deemed unnecessary when before you'd been made to feel so important. It was an old wound, one Lucas hadn't even realised he was still sporting but memories of spying of his mother as a young boy as she 'entertained' her latest supposed Prince Charming washed over him from out of the blue. He remembered the feelings of being overlooked; his place by his mother's side usurped once again and felt a sick little fissure of pleasure at being able to return the favour now. Kate stepped closer to him and took his face in his hands, her eyes wide and earnest.

"There is nothing I'm not prepared to do to keep you in my life," she said unevenly and Lucas recognised the fire in her eyes as she said that.

Kate leant forward and pressed a simple kiss to Lucas' lips, still holding his face. She drew back and looked at him, the fire replaced by steel now.

"Nothing."

It is often funny how the big, important turning points of our life

never seem that way at the time.

Instead it is only in the looking back that we realise that this was indeed the moment that our life changed forever and it passed without us even noticing.

_~Anonymous~_

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & FORTY NINE**** – ****Reality Bites**

There is no chance, no destiny, no fate, that can hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul.

_~Ella Wheeler Wilcox~_

"_Okay be honest-" said Sam as she stood in EJ's living room, looking intently from one breast to the other._

"Gladly," said EJ shortly as he continued to pretend to read his car magazine in the presence of the as usual scantily clad Sam.

She was all he had left of Samantha now and it was getting increasingly hard not to sit there with his tongue hanging out of his head and drooling mindlessly over the gorgeousness of what was basically Sami's body. EJ had convinced himself this was as close as he was ever going to get again and it was causing a downward spiral of depression and uncontrollably bouts of leering on his behalf when Sam made her semi regular appearances.

"You are the rudest, most insensitive and crass creature that it has ever been my great displeasure to form an association with," offered up EJ without missing a beat.

Sam looked up from observing her own breasts to look at EJ with a disapproving twist of her lips.

"_Boy but I hate it when you're PMSing," she said flatly, "Just eat some ice cream and get over it already okay?" _

"Or better still why don't you just leave!" said EJ curtly, rubbing his face tiredly.

"_Listen Lady McBeth," said Sam in vague annoyance, "I'm not some 'damn spot' that you can just keep ordering out you know! You summon me out of your own dark and murky psyche remember? I go when you sort yourself out and from what I'm seeing that is not going to be any time soon!" _

"I don't know what I ever did to deserve this," muttered EJ darkly, going back to his magazine and allowing himself to feel very hard done by.

"_Hey I have an idea then," said Sam mockingly, "Why don't we head on down to the hospital and wake John up from his coma – maybe he might have a few answers to that question for you? Or how about posing that mystery to Steve Johnson in between his bouts of mental instability that you brought on eh big boy? Or even Sami's eggs that thanks to your slight of hand with her birth control pills have been been periodically bombarded with little Elvis swimmers for months now as you two went at it like a pair of jackhammers? Do you think they'd have anything to say I wonder?" _

"Samantha isn't pregnant," said EJ tersely, feeling deflated even as he said that which was stupid.

Her being pregnant should be the last thing EJ would be hoping for right then.

"And besides she would have told me," he continued on unhappily.

"_Oh yeah," snorted Sam, "Because she's had such a great track record of telling you everything so far right?" _

"Do you think Samantha's pregnant?" asked EJ, sitting up straighter and looking at Sam very intently now.

"_Oh suddenly we're interested in my opinion now is it?" asked Sam mockingly, "I guess that is a nice change from telling me to buggar off all the time now isn't it my lanky dung beetle of passion?" _

"She couldn't be," said EJ with a shake of his head and sitting back in his chair, answering his own question and as always ignoring Sam's choice of endearments, "I swapped her pills back ages ago - before we went to LA, when I decided I wanted to be honest with her."

"_Only you weren't," Sam reminded him with no small amount of censure in her voice, "You didn't tell her anything about the cameras or your get knocked up quick scheme if I recall correctly you gigantic twit." _

"I planned on doing it in stages," mumbled EJ defensively.

"_You planned on doing Sami," said Sam knowingly, "And you didn't like your chances if you fessed up about all naughty no no's you've been perpetrating on the poor unsuspecting girl."_

"I was confused," said EJ unevenly, feeling a fresh wave of guilt come over him at how badly he'd handled things between the two of them.

"_As opposed to the shining ray of enlightenment you are now I'm guessing?" asked Sam sarcastically. _

"I know what I'm doing!" EJ snapped.

"_Hasn't that been your catch cry this whole time?" asked Sam with an arched eyebrow, "Colour me crazy but I think it's pretty safe to say that at no time during this whole fiasco have you ever known what you were doing!"_

"I got Samantha to fall in love with me!" said EJ angrily, stung by Sam's take on the situation.

"_Which you are now throwing back in her face my retarded little love rhino!" shouted back Sam in exasperation, "It's like you're made of stupid, dipped in idiocy and then sprinkled with crazy! What man in their right mind would fight so hard for a woman and then when he has her just throw her away?!" _

"I'm doing what is best for Samantha!" he roared in retaliation.

"_What knocking her up and then abandoning her?" asked Sam sweetly, "You're a real prize aren't you Elvis?!"_

"Samantha isn't pregnant!" said EJ through tightly gritted teeth, "I changed back the pills remember?!"

"_Well correct me if I'm wrong you were jumping on top of her pretty quickly after that little change of heart and don't you need to wait awhile for the pill to start taking effect again re the whole birth control thing?" asked Sam, crossing her arms in front of her chest and looking at EJ accusingly. _

"I- I.." EJ stammered, lost for words right then at this new thought.

"_And see that is why you still need me so badly," said Sam with a triumphant look, "When you're around that woman so very little of your blood ends up around your brain, all of it seems to converge on pee wee Elvis and you just don't think straight." _

"So you really think Samantha might be pregnant with my child?" asked EJ faintly, feeling a thousand emotions at that thought as he looked at Sam a little bemusedly.

"_I really think that if she was she wouldn't be telling you while you're being such a gigantic ass wipe to her," said Sam dourly. _

EJ put a hand to his chest and pressed against his painfully beating heart and let Sam's words sink in before trying to reject them.

"No," he said shakily, "No, no, NO! Samantha isn't pregnant, not now, she can't be!"

EJ looked up at Sam accusingly then, not appreciating this conversation.

"Why are you doing this?!" he spat out, "Why are you messing with my head like this?!"

"_Listen toots," said Sam unrepentantly, "That place was already a mess when I got here so don't be laying that at my feet!" _

"Then get the hell out of my head if you don't like it and out of my life!!" shouted EJ, losing his control completely now as he actually was the one to leave, wheeling himself towards the bedroom.

It was late and he was exhausted and simply couldn't handle anymore of these confrontations today. Getting Sami to leave earlier that day had been hard enough and getting Sam to leave appeared to be a complete impossibility and EJ just couldn't deal anymore.

"_Oh that's getting to be a familiar refrain eh wheelie boy?!" he heard Sam call out after him but EJ just ignored her, "Sami and I are getting used to hearing that it seems!"_

It took a little figuring out but EJ managed to work out how to set up the bath so he could shower – opting for a chair in the shower recess as a way to get the job done. After setting things up he wheeled himself out of the bathroom to collect some sweat pants to sleep in and grimaced as he saw Sam still there, now lounging on his bed.

"_So I never got to ask my question," she said calmly and EJ frowned in confusion at that so she had to remind him, "You know, the one I wanted you to be honest about."_

"And if I answer your question will you go away?" asked EJ tiredly.

"_Oh honey," laughed Sam gaily, "Of course not." _

EJ rolled his eyes but made a grunting noise for her to proceed. Sam looked down at her breasts again, looking back and forth between them.

"_Okay," she said, still examining herself closely, "Like I said, be honest but do you think one of my breasts is bigger than the other?"_

"Your left breast is slightly larger than your right," said EJ, not even having to think about it, "Now is that it?"

Sam looked up at him in surprise.

"_Really?" she asked, "Are you sure?"_

"Of course I'm sure," said EJ curtly, trying not to look at Sam's lace covered breasts and not quite managing it.

He'd held them in his hand so many times now that he knew every perfect inch of both of those pale orbs and Sami's left breast had always filled his hand that bit more than her right. EJ loved knowing those kinds of intimate details about her, like the placement of those three enticing moles below that same left breast and how there was a freckle on her utterly gorgeous backside that looked like a love heart when he squinted a little bit. EJ adored knowing what would make Sami sigh happily, stop breathing for a moment or hold him closer when he touched her.

"_Well how about that," mused Sam thoughtfully, looking down at her breasts again, "Gerald is bigger than Barry – who would have thought it?"_

"You've named your breasts?" asked EJ in disbelief and then shook his head, "And you gave them men's names?!"

"_So?" said Sam with a shrug, "What's wrong with that?"_

"You can't give breasts men's names," said EJ in exasperation.

"_Why not?" asked Sam with an arched eyebrow._

"Because that isn't how it works anymore than if I decided to call my penis Gloria!" said EJ in annoyance.

"_Oh Elvis," laughed Sam, "Of course that is crazy-"_

"Thank you," said EJ flatly.

"_That menace in your pants is an Alexis if ever I saw one," she said knowingly and then gave him a cheeky look, "Complete with an accent and shoulder pads if you know what I mean." _

"Why do I engage in these manic conversations?" asked EJ in resigned defeat and unfortunately knowing exactly what she meant.

"_I don't know my little tankard of tauntness," said Sam offhandedly, "Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly, deranged, spoilt rich boys who wouldn't know good advice if it got dressed in see through lingerie and crawled on your bed gotta be stubborn, pig headed and deluded." _

"I'm going for a shower," said EJ dourly, not even bothering to formulate an answer to that assessment.

He emerged about fifteen minutes later a bit shaky and tired after the efforts of showering and dressing himself but pleased nonetheless. EJ dreaded having to have someone running around after him doing those simple tasks that he'd taken for granted before all of this. It was exhausting; especially the first day out of the hospital but EJ stubbornly didn't want anyone's help with this. He pulled a face when he saw that Sam was still there, this time standing by the bedroom door and dressed in a simple but very sexy blue night dress that had shoe string straps and stopped enticingly just below the swell of her bottom.

"You've changed," he grunted, looking her up and down.

"Well of course I have," she said with a little smile, "I'm going to bed."

"You needn't have bothered Sam," said EJ curtly before lying through his teeth, "I don't care what you wear."

"I like to be comfortable when I sleep," she said with a little shrug and then looked at him a little curiously, tilting her head to one side, "You've never called me Sam before."

EJ looked at her in surprise at that comment and then his head snapped around to the bed to find Sam in the same little matching bra and panties outfit he'd left her in to take his shower still stretched out on the bed.

She grinned at him and gave him a jaunty wave, obviously enjoying herself immensely at EJ's expense.

"Samantha!" he gasped, looking back at what was obviously the real Sami who was now looking at him in mild confusion and definite concern, "It's you!"

"Last time I checked," she nodded and took a couple of steps towards him, "EJ are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I-I thought you were someone else," said EJ faintly, trying to regain his wits.

"Someone else named Sam?" asked Sami, arching an eyebrow at him.

"Sam Maloney," EJ lied unevenly and not really thinking it through as fantasy and reality collided, "We went to boarding school together."

"Sam Maloney used to turn up in your bedroom dressed like this?" Sami made a sweeping gesture at her sexy little blue slip and then looked back at him a little sceptically.

"Um... yes," said EJ weakly, not really knowing what else to say.

"_Ohh," said Sam enthusiastically, "Good save Elvis!"_

EJ glanced over at the bed to see Sam holding both her thumbs up and nodding approvingly.

"_For a moment there Sami was in danger of thinking you're a weirdo," she continued on brightly, "Guess she doesn't have to wonder now eh?"_

EJ tried to turn a deaf ear to Sam's mocking and concentrate on Sami who seemed to be mulling this new information.

"Promise me something EJ," said Sami pursing her lips, "Promise me that we won't be sending our children to boarding school okay? Our education system might have its problems but I don't think that particular scenario is one of them."

"Our-our children?" repeated EJ dazedly, his eyes dropping to Sami's stomach and wishing he could get a better handle on this conversation.

He looked up at Sami wide eyed now.

"Are we having a baby Samantha?" he asked her hoarsely, his mouth suddenly dry.

"More than one I'm guessing," she said with a knowing little smile but then looked suddenly uncertain, "That's what you told me you wanted EJ – to have children with me someday – right?"

"Someday," repeated EJ shakily, realising Sami was talking about future children and there was a pain in EJ's chest because he knew now there would never be a child let alone children between them and he mourned their loss despite them having never existed.

"Well I wouldn't mind being married when the next baby arrives," said Sami with a quirk of her lips, "Just for something different."

"I'm sure Lucas would marry you tomorrow if you asked him to," said EJ, pushing the pain filled words past numb lips.

"Then it's a bit of a shame that it isn't Lucas I want to marry then isn't it," said Sami evenly, "You're the only man I want EJ, you're the only one I want to put a ring on my finger and call me yours until death do us part."

EJ swallowed hard, never having imagined what it would do to him hearing Sami express her desire to marry him out loud. He'd dreamed of this moment for so long and now he was faced with the nightmare of having to reject Sami's beautiful words. It broke EJ's heart in two and in the end he couldn't do it, simply didn't have the strength so instead he changed the subject.

"What are you doing here Samantha?" he asked her hoarsely.

"I told you," said Sami with a half smile and moving towards the bed that EJ was on the other side of and Sam was still stretched out in the middle of, "I'm going to bed."

"Not here you're not," said EJ as firmly as he could considering how much she'd just caught him off guard with that statement, "I don't want you in my bed Samantha."

Suddenly there was the sound of raucous laughter coming from the bed and EJ tried with all his might not to look at Sam who was cackling away hysterically at his assertion. He gritted his teeth at her obvious amusement at this outright lie and could only hope Sami was taking him more seriously but it was hard to concentrate with Sam's incredibly loud gales of laughter ringing in his ears.

"_You kill me Elvis," she choked out between sobs of laughter, "You really do!" _

"Is that right?" asked Sami evenly, oblivious to the soundtrack of hysterical laughter that was bouncing around in EJ's head.

"That's right!" said EJ defiantly, to both Sam and Sami, "You in my bed is the last thing I want!"

"_Oh," said Sam abruptly and out of the corner of his eye he saw her sit up and pull a face, "Oh I think I just linkled."_

"Linkled?" asked EJ, forgetting himself and saying the word out loud.

"_You know," said Sam casually, scratching one bare rib, "It's when you laugh so much you tinkle – linkled." _

"Linkled?" repeated Sami, looking at EJ in utter confusion now at the seemingly random word.

"_You may want to consider changing the sheets before going to bed," she commented thoughtfully._

"Oh god," EJ groaned in disgust at Sam's latest TMI moment until he remembered that metaphysical apparitions didn't have bodily fluids to linkle with or anything else for that matter and relaxed a little.

"EJ?" asked Sami, looking at him with real concern now.

"My back hurt suddenly," EJ lied rather unconvincingly, "It's what I say when it hurts – linkled."

"_Is it just me or are you getting stupider the longer this little scene continues?" asked Sam conversationally, "A few more outbursts and the only thing Sami will be wanting to do with you is have you committed." _

"Do you need me to get you something?" asked Sami solicitously, "Something for the pain?"

"No," said EJ shortly, "Just leave, I don't want you here Samantha."

"I don't believe you," said Sami, confidently moving towards him and coming to sit down on the side of the bed so that she was now facing him as he sat in his wheelchair, "From the first moment you laid eyes on me all you could ever think about was getting me into your bed."

"_Boy does she know you," said Sam with a knowing little laugh._

"I was lying," said EJ, trying to hold her gaze determinedly, "That's what I wanted you to think."

"Weak," said Sami with a quirk of her lips.

She leant in and kissed his cheek softly before standing up.

"You're off your game," she told him indulgently, "A good night's sleep will fix that."

Sami walked over to the left side of the bed and pulled back the sheets as Sam moved out of the way, not that Sami knew that of course.

"You prefer the right side of the bed don't you?" she asked with a smile.

"I _prefer_ that you stop this nonsense and go back to _your_ bed," said EJ in aggravation.

"Okay," said Sami simply but then climbed into the bed anyway.

"I mean it Samantha!" EJ raged.

"I know you do," she said easily, rolling onto one side to look at him and smiling at him.

"Get out of that bed!" yelled EJ but Sami just snuggled down even more and pulled the covers up, closing her eyes.

EJ glared at her in frustration for ignoring him.

"I know you're not asleep Samantha!" he said in annoyance, "No one falls asleep that quickly!"

"Oh I don't know," said Sami with a rather cheeky smile on her face as she opened her eyes and looked directly at him, her voice taking on a sultry tone now, "I remember some times when we'd made love so hard and so often that in the end you didn't even have the strength to leave my body-"

EJ's heart skipped a beat at hearing Sami saying that, the memories of such encounters very fresh in his mind before beginning a double time tattoo at her next words.

"We'd fall asleep and I could feel you all around me and so very deep inside me and I've never felt so safe and loved in my whole life in those moments," said Sami huskily, "It's impossibly wonderful to be that close to you EJ, to hold you inside my body and know that you are mine and no one else's. I've never had anyone love me, want me the way you do EJ and no one ever will. The only rest you and I will ever know is in each other's arms."

EJ closed his eyes from the pain that statement brought because he knew it was true. He knew he'd never know peace, happiness or rest again because of the fact that Sami couldn't be in his life any longer and it was heart breaking. EJ couldn't do this, couldn't have Sami slowly being removed from his life, he needed it done, quick and fast so that he could pretend to start getting over her. Her being here like this, saying all of these things to him was a sweet torment that EJ didn't know whether or not to pray for Sami to stop or never stop.

"We'll never be like that together again," said EJ painfully, forcing himself to say the terrible truth.

If Sami wasn't prepared to face reality then he had to do it for both of them EJ decided dully but Sami just smiled again.

"Nobody knows what the future holds EJ," she said softly, "Doctor's aren't always right and more importantly they don't know you."

EJ looked back at her, wanting to believe her words more than anything but too scared to in that moment.

"Come to bed EJ," Sami said huskily, "Everything will seem better in the morning."

"I-I..." EJ tried one last ditch effort to make Sami go away and leave him to wallow in his agony, "You'll hurt my back-"

"No I won't," said Sami confidently and then gave him a mischievous look, "I'll be a good girl EJ, I promise... unless of course you'd prefer me to be a bad girl."

The words 'God yes please' were almost past EJ's lips before he could stop them, old habits dying very hard. The offer from Sami to be a bad girl for him filled EJ's head with so many visions of what he'd like to do to Sami and watch her do that he almost fell out of his chair.

"You're impossible," he rasped, his voice tight from his gnawing need of her.

"I learnt from the master," she said with a tinkling little laugh.

"Oh no," said EJ, trying to look at her disapprovingly but pretty sure it came off more as open adoration, "Don't lay that at my feet Samantha Brady. You were every kind of impossible long before I arrived on the scene."

"And don't you just love it?" she said knowingly, "You love that you have to work so hard to get what you want from me. Nothing would get you harder than fighting with me-"

Sami held his gaze and licked her lips slowly, much to EJ's horrified delight.

"-and nothing would get me wetter," she said throatily, watching him intently as she lay there on her side, head on a pillow in his bed.

"Samantha-" said EJ warningly, his voice cracking a little as he said her name, much to his embarrassment.

His voice hadn't cracked since he was fourteen years old. The things this woman did to him, there didn't seem to be any limit thought EJ in despair.

"I know," Sami sighed regretfully, "I'm being a good girl."

She gave EJ an impish look then.

"So you'd better get in bed quickly," she told him as straight faced as she could seem to manage, "I don't know how long I can hold it for. If you don't get into bed with me soon I'm going to be force to use other means to get you in here and then my good girl promise will be shot to hell."

EJ was so very tempted to find out just what exactly Sami might do to try and get her way but knew that would only get him in more hot water and he was already being scalded from the temperature that Sami had raised the water to with everything she'd just said. EJ decided that by choosing the lesser of two evils; or in this case pleasures then he was really winning this little battle of wills.

"_Yeah right," he heard Sam snort in his ear as he rolled himself over to the other side of the bed and managed to get into his side of the bed._

She'd heard his self justification for giving in and wasn't buying it and EJ couldn't blame her. He knew he was being weak but just didn't have the strength right then to fight Sami anymore. He wheeled himself over to the right side of the bed and lifted himself in.

Once in bed and out of the wheelchair EJ felt suddenly normal again, the sensation a lot more familiar then wheeling himself around in that chair. If he tried he could ignore the numbness of his lower body and pretend that things were as they used to be. EJ felt Sami roll over beside him to face him again and very carefully press her length up against his as she snuggled in closer to him and it was the most perfectly right sensation that EJ had ever known.

"It will be alright EJ," she whispered to him in the darkness, "We'll get through this together, I promise you."

Sami put his hand on his chest and EJ unconsciously covered it with his own much larger one, closing his eyes and wanting more than anything to believe what Sami was saying was true...

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & FIFTY**** – ****Don't Stand So Close To Me**

For every man there exists a bait which he cannot resist swallowing.

_~Friedrich Nietzsche~_

EJ lay on his side, watching the beautiful woman sleeping beside him as he had done since he'd woken up that morning.

Last night had been the first proper night sleep he'd had since the shooting and it had nothing to do with finally being out of that hospital bed and everything with the woman fast asleep beside him. It had felt so perfect, so right to sleep beside Sami last night and wake up by her side this morning which EJ knew it would and why'd he'd fought so hard against it in the first place. Sami was clearly determined to make this next to impossible for him and god help him but she was succeeding and then some. EJ had woken up earlier, determined to get up and have Sami wake up alone, proving to them both how little he needed her. That was nearly an hour ago now and EJ's plan was looking decidedly unattainable right about now. He couldn't make himself leave her; her allure was just too strong, even sleeping.

EJ was willing himself yet again to try and tear his eyes off the gorgeousness that was a sleeping Samantha when she moved a little, rolling more fully onto her back. The simple action caused more than a little of one of her breasts to escape the confines of that impossibly delicate looking slip she was almost wearing. The material had been straining to contain her from the moment she'd put it on clearly and now had simply given up. EJ's mouth went dry at the large expanse of creamy white breast now on display for him as she slept. It would take the littlest movement from Sami and her fullness would be completely free from its confines and EJ found himself holding his breath, waiting for that very thing to happen. Annoyingly Sami seemed to be done with moving though and EJ was left being tormented endlessly with the promise of seeing her breast in its entirety but not quite having it come to fruition.

Now would be a really good time to get out of bed EJ concluded, his eyes still riveted to Sami's breast and while his head agreed that was an excellent idea his body wasn't convinced. Completely of its own accord EJ watched in horror as his hand reached out and pushed away that hopelessly inadequate scrap of silk from Sami's breast and let the weight of her softness be taken up by his hand instead. His eyes widened as Sami stirred ever so slightly but then seemed to fall fast asleep again, leaving EJ to continue to have his way with her without having to give a pesky explanation for what he was doing. It didn't really lend much weight to his wanting nothing more to do with her rhetoric that he'd been trying to get Sami to believe.

"Bad," he whispered to himself in despair at his lack of control but any thoughts of stopping himself came to an abrupt halt when he felt Sami's nipple harden against his palm.

It took all of his strength not to groan loudly at the sensation but he couldn't stop his thumb from seeking out the pert bud and massaging it gently into even greater tightness. Sami's body was more than accommodating and very quickly her teat was flushed pink and swollen impossibly hard. EJ was just contemplating what the chances were of being able to get that enticing nub into his mouth and having a soft suckle of its pertness without waking Sami, his mouth beginning to water at the thought.

"And good morning to you too EJ."

EJ started at the sound of Sami's amused voice on the pillow beside him and his head snapped up to see Sami watching him with a knowing little smile on her lips.

EJ supposed the right thing to do was take his hand off her breast but it seemed to have taken on a life of its own and was refusing to relinquish its prize, instead tightening his grasp on her softness instinctively even while he tried to frantically explain away what he was doing.

"I was just-" EJ rasped, trailing off as his mind went completely blank as her blue eyes twinkled up at him teasingly.

"Playing doctor?" she offered up mischievously, that feminine little smile still on her lips.

She knew exactly what he'd been doing which was basically copping a feel while he thought she was asleep.

"Ah-" EJ stalled, having no coherent thoughts to offer her on the subject while he still cupped her full breast with one hand, her nipple pushing even harder against his thumb now.

Clearly Sami was enjoying this little wakeup call as much as EJ had been.

"You know I always like to be thorough with these kinds of things," said Sami cheekily and before EJ could stop her, although it was highly doubtful that he could have made himself say the words if the truth be told, she'd managed to whip the little blue slip off over her head.

Now Sami was only clad in the matching scrap of blue underwear that obviously came with the slip. EJ forgot how to swallow for a moment as he looked at the sight of her body stretched out before him. He was seriously not doing Sami justice when he imagined Sam EJ decided faintly because the real thing was just too delicious looking to be resisted. While he was still staring at her mindlessly Sami took his free hand and guided it to her other breast so that he was now cupping them both. EJ's thumb began to automatically tease at her other nipple, wanting it to be as hard as its twin without him even having to think about it.

"What do you think doctor?" she asked him throatily as EJ helplessly massaged both of her breasts, totally in her thrall, "Does everything seem alright to you?"

"You're perfect," said EJ hoarsely, his voice tight with desire for this beguiling woman beside him.

Even though he would normally be fully erect by now before being shot and he wasn't unfortunately, EJ's lower body was tingling wildly and it was the first sensation he'd had below his waist since waking up.

"I was rather hoping this would be a full body check up," purred Sami, still playing her seductive game as she now guided his willing hands to her backside now, "What do you say doctor?"

EJ didn't answer her, just growling low in his throat as his fingers moved up under the thin material of her panties without waiting for an invitation and gripped the firm flesh of her bottom cheeks underneath tightly. EJ spread his fingers out and began to massage her backside with strong and sure squeezing and releasing.

"Ohh," moaned Sami, letting her eyes slip shut as she turned more fully on her side and arched her back at the same time, "I just knew you'd be thorough – that feels so good EJ."

Sami pushed up the material of his sweat shirt and made him stop what he was doing for a moment so she could pull his shirt off over his head, leaving him as bare chested as she was.

"More," she murmured, guiding his hands back to her backside and EJ happily obliged.

Sami moved closer, rubbing her soft breasts with the rock hard nipples against his chest rhythmically as she began to kiss along his collar bone and up EJ's neck. EJ groaned and hauled her more tightly to him, any thought of resisting this leaving him utterly. All he could think about was Sami and what he wanted her to do to him, what he wanted to do to her. She was at his mouth now, nibbling on his bottom lip in a simply maddening way and EJ couldn't stand it any longer, claiming her mouth in a hard kiss.

He felt Sami's lips immediately part and her tongue seek out his, enticing it into her own again. EJ groaned loudly to be kissing her again. Whilst their kisses at the hospital had been wonderful EJ had still been pretty out of it. To be kissing her now in his right mind was impossibly intoxicating and he couldn't get enough. Sami was writhing against him and EJ couldn't help groaning again.

"Is this too much?" asked Sami unevenly as she broke the kiss and looked up at him with desire glazed eyes that were full of concern, "Do you need me to me more gen-"

EJ didn't let her finish, crushing her lips beneath his, not caring if this killed him as long as they didn't stop. Sami clearly quickly worked out that EJ was more than a willing participant in this and returned to their passionate kisses.

"I never want to stop kissing you," she said breathlessly as EJ allowed her a moment's breath.

"Then don't," he growled, staking his claim on her mouth once again.

The kisses were becoming more heated and desperate between them and EJ could feel them both needing more. Any thoughts of stopping were the last thing on EJ's mind as he rolled Sami onto her back, still kissing her.

"I want-" he said against her lips.

"What do you want EJ?" she panted up at him, "I'll do anything you want."

EJ drew back a little to look into Sami's shining eyes, desire and need making them impossibly bright and the last of his good intentions just left him completely.

"I want to watch you make yourself come," he said, his voice rough.

Sami gave an excited little whimper at that and didn't hesitate for a moment. Making sure that he was watching she brought one hand up to her chest and then dragged it slowly down her body, over her breasts, flat stomach and lace covered mound. EJ watched; mesmerised as Sami's hand slipped down the front of her panties and the pleased little noise she made told him that she'd found her nub. EJ alternated between watching Sami's hand work feverishly away on pleasuring herself, her quivering body and the ever changing expressions of enjoyment on her face. It was as sexy as hell and too soon for EJ Sami was giving a strangled cry, her whole body jerking suddenly as she climaxed.

"Oh," she said with a pleased little smile and a stretch, "Nice."

"Too fast," EJ complained, doubting he would have even lasted that long had the situations been reversed but not caring – he pressed his lips to her ear, "Again."

Sami looked over at him and gave a little smile and seemed happy enough to oblige.

"Liked that did you?" she asked him, the confident look of a woman knowing that she was pleasing her lover on her face.

"Yes," said EJ gruffly, "Again."

Sami's hand began to move again as she did as he asked and she almost immediately began to writhe a little on the bed, obviously finding herself a fair bit more sensitised after that first climax. It took longer this time for Sami to bring herself to orgasm and EJ didn't miss one moment of the show, never taking his eyes off her. When her breathing became more laboured, signalling that she was getting closer EJ began to trail his hand all over her body, making invisible patterns on her oh so pale flesh until Sami suddenly squealed and bucked up as her climax at last claimed her.

"Ohh," she groaned unsteadily when she could form coherent sounds again, her face flushed and the beginning of sweat forming on her brow, "Wow."

EJ was kissing his way up her neck and enjoying watching Sami's heaving breasts out of the corner of his eye as she struggled to catch her breath.

"Again," he demanded raggedly against the sweaty skin of her neck, needing still more of her.

"EJ I can't," she groaned shakily, her body still pulsating madly from her last release, her nub throbbing almost painfully hard.

"You don't get to stop until I say so," he panted fiercely as he found it hard to catch his breath as he watched Sami go through all this pleasure.

EJ grabbed Sami's wrist and guided her hand back between her legs and pressed it there firmly.

"No!" she sobbed, throwing her head from side to side in desperation.

EJ knew what she was going through, knew what it was to have your senses overloaded so badly that one more touch, one more caress was going to surely kill you but he also knew the dark pleasures of continuing on and pushing those boundaries. His body had found ways of enduring whilst it had been inside of Sami and the climaxes such perseverance had wrought even the memory of still made EJ's head spin wildly.

"You know you want more," he rasped in her ear, the words deeply exciting to him to know how insatiable Sami was when it came to these kinds of things between them, "You know you want me to make you keep on coming all morning-"

Sami moaned loudly and arched her back, confirming EJ's words.

"You said I could have anything I wanted from you Samantha," he said raggedly, "And I want you to orgasm again for me – now!"

"Oh god!" she groaned but didn't protest anymore than that and much to EJ's ecstatic delight he felt her Sami's hand beneath his begin to work on herself.

EJ's lower body was tingling and throbbing madly as Sami groaned and panted her way to her next orgasm, suffering through the painful pleasures she was inflicting on herself all for him. EJ kept his hand over hers as a fine film of sweat began to cover Sami's body as she laboured away so hard for him. EJ could no longer be a bystander, needing more of her as well. He began to kiss his way up her body, licking the sweat from her heaving flesh until he was at Sami's breasts. He took one swollen teat into his mouth and suckled hard, knowing it would help Sami to get there as she loved him touching her breasts. Sami's free hand came up and gripped the back of EJ's head, holding him tighter to her and confirming that fact as she writhed underneath him. Sami was beginning to make grunting noises now amongst her moaning and EJ simply couldn't resist as she neared yet another climax.

The hand that was covering hers moved slightly so he could insert one long finger into her dripping centre and now it was EJ's turn to cry out as her tight heat encased him. He bit down a little harder then he'd intended on Sami's nipple at the feeling of being inside her again and made her give a choked cry. He threw her an apologetic look and quickly set about soothing her tortured flesh with gentle lapping and suckling and Sami immediately relaxed again, giving a grateful and excited groan at the attention. Apparently this was all she really needed as almost immediately Sami began to orgasm yet again. EJ joined in with her pleasured moaning as he felt her walls bear down on his finger as she convulsed her way to another climax.

"Enough," she panted weakly when she could speak again, "I can't take anymore EJ, please!"

She was looking up at him wide eyed, a dazed expression on her face from all the delirium he had forced on her at once but EJ could still see underneath it all that Sami wanted more and she wanted more from him. He could see she was still hungry, hungry for his touch and both of them needing for him to be the one who gave it to her.

"Please," she breathed and EJ knew that wasn't a plea for mercy but rather for more.

"I thought you were going to be a good girl Samantha," he growled unsteadily, enjoying beyond words how Sami was completely handing control of herself over to him.

His inability to actually gain an erection was completely forgotten by EJ as he fell as deeply into this sexually charged web of seduction as Sami had. EJ had no idea any longer who was seducing whom but was instead just revelling in the incredibly intense sex between them. Sami had been more than right when she'd told him that sex didn't need to involve penetration because EJ felt like he was caught up in one of the most intense sexual experiences of his life, his level of arousal almost painful and that was all without involving his lower body in the least. Sami was inside his head, screwing him just as senseless as any physical act between them and EJ was learning to appreciate the layers such a thing could bring to the act of lovemaking. The push and pull of power between them changed every pumping of their frantically beating hearts, the fluidness of the control of the situation they shared only adding to the intimacy and intrinsic trust that lay between them.

"I am a good girl EJ," she gasped up at him, her eyes widening as she saw the evil light come into EJ's eyes and knew that could only mean more untold pleasures for her.

"Good girls do as they are told," EJ rasped.

"Please EJ I can't," she groaned, "No more!"

"So you know what happens to bad girls now don't you?" he growled, putting his face level with hers, both of their breathing so forced and uneven now.

"EJ," whimpered Sami but he saw the flare of lust in her eyes and knew that Sami was more than ready for this.

"They get punished," he told her, his voice rough from all the thoughts of what he wanted to do to her.

EJ reached out and took a firm grip of Sami's hip and surprising them both with his strength EJ flipped her over onto her stomach. He'd been feeling weak and tired all the time during his time in the hospital but one night with Sami in his bed seemed to have fixed that right up EJ noted. Being around Sami no matter what they were doing made him feel more alive than anything else in the world and right now EJ felt like he could move mountains without breaking a sweat. He impatiently pulled her panties from her body, not wanting them in the way anymore before grabbing a spare pillow and putting it under Sami's stomach, propping her hips up more. EJ trailed his fingers down the soft indentation of her spine and felt her quiver helplessly underneath them, her body taunt in excited expectations of what he was about to do to her.

"You're insatiable," he admonished her, reading the signs of her renewed arousal correctly as he licked his lips in anticipation of pleasuring her.

"I know," Sami groaned hopelessly, turning her face into the pillow she'd been laying her head on.

"But only for me," he said hoarsely as he lay down beside her, his hand now on her backside as he stretched out and put his head on the same pillow Sami was using, "This-"

EJ slipped his hand between her bottom cheeks, expertly seeking out her core and finding her swollen and dripping folds, fondling them and assessing their obvious state of arousal.

"This is all for me isn't it Samantha?" he asked her raggedly, "You only get this wet for me don't you?"

"Oh yes," she moaned, turning her head so that her cheek was on the pillow as she looked at him breathlessly, "Only ever for you."

A pleased little smile touched EJ's lips, full of possessiveness and pride at having his woman exactly where he wanted her. He moved past her folds after enjoying their slipperiness for a moment longer and then began to trace around the opening to her now burning core.

"EJ," she whimpered; her eyes full of need for more.

"I want you to come really, really hard now Samantha," he instructed her huskily, "Harder than all the other times – can you do that for me sweetheart?"

Slowly his finger continued to circle her opening as Sami began to pant a little.

"Samantha?" he pushed her.

"Yes," she gasped.

"Yes what?" he asked her.

"Yes I'll come really hard for you EJ," she said desperately, clearly eager to please but then so was EJ.

"That's my little bad girl," he told her roughly, still circling her centre, "She knows how to make me happy."

EJ kept doing what he was doing, lulling Sami into relaxing against him, his movements soothing her as well as keeping her aroused. Sami was making little mewing noises of appreciation in the back of her throat as he pleased her which caused the throbbing in EJ's lower body to become almost painful but he didn't care. Without warning EJ went from his gentle stroking to abruptly pushing three of his fingers into her body, burying them into her up to the hilt in a hard thrust. Sami cried out in shock but simultaneously bore down on him so hard, her walls clamping his fingers for so tightly and for so long that EJ wondered if she was climaxing again.

"Again!" she ordered him frantically as she relaxed around him and EJ knew that hadn't quite done it for her but had come dangerously close which was pretty unbelievable considering the amount of releases she'd already managed to attain.

This woman was a complete firecracker EJ decided dazedly but he was far from done with her yet. EJ began to languidly move his fingers in and out of her, making sure one slightly bent knuckle hit that spot inside of her that made Sami squeal every time. He tormented her for awhile with that, not letting her get worked up enough to climax but not giving her any respite from all that pleasure either. Sami gave a disappointed groan when he withdrew his fingers from her completely which was followed by a happy sigh as he began gently tracing her opening again. Once again EJ waited until Sami was completely relaxed before repeating the entire process, bringing her dangerously close to climaxing once again as he impaled her sharply on his three fingers. Sami moaned loudly, her hands grabbing at the pillow and gripping it until her knuckles went white. He repeated this series of motions again and again until that final time when Sami's body could take no more.

She screamed out loudly during this final orgasm and just like she'd promised EJ, Sami came very, very hard for him. Her walls spasmed uncontrollably around his fingers as her backside bucked up and down helplessly, wave after wave of intense contractions causing Sami's screaming only to get louder. EJ rode the pleasure of Sami's climaxes with her, watching her go through such delight, literally by his hand thrilling him beyond words. Sami gave one last hard contraction around him and then suddenly was still, collapsing onto the bed.

"Oh god," said Sami, lying there like a limp rag on the bed, clearly unable to move except for the uneven heaving of her shoulders as she tried to get enough oxygen into her pleasure wracked body.

The bed was soaked where she lay from the incredible wetness of her own arousal and the sweat from her body and it was making EJ's lower body pulsate and throb even more wildly to know that he'd caused such copious amounts of her body's juices to flow from her body. There was something about getting a woman really, really wet that just did things to a man that couldn't be explained. He withdrew his fingers from inside her body and Sami gave a strangled little sob at the sensation of her leaving him. His entire hand was covered in the wetness of her arousal. Sami somehow found the strength to roll on her side and put her hand on his chest, clearly having trouble keeping her eyes open now. EJ lifted his hand and covered her lips with her own juices as she lay their exhausted.

"I love you," she whispered, just as he leant in to savour his handiwork.

EJ didn't answer her; too hungry for the taste of her in his mouth as he moved in to once again claim her mouth. The taste of her arousal was gone too quickly for EJ's liking and he groaned his frustration.

"More," he moaned against her lips and heard Sami gasp, misunderstanding him.

"If you make me come one more time I'll die," she told him shakily, pulling back and looking at him wide eyed.

"I'm starving for you sweetheart," he told her raggedly, "I need more of you."

"Oh," said Sami, relaxing as he began to kiss his way down her body, understanding what he meant now, "OHH!"

EJ had turned Sami on her back now and his head was between her legs as he pushed them open. Sami pulled her knees up, letting him settle more comfortably between them, her hands going to his head.

"OooooOOHH!" she sighed in ecstasy, arching her back as EJ began to kiss and lick at the ravaged and drenched skin of her inner thighs and higher.

Sami purred away blissfully as he ministered to her in this way, soothing her swollen and tortured flesh and sampling every last drop of her.

"EJ!" she cried out brokenly when he couldn't resist thrusting his tongue deep into that hot cave of hers and was rewarded with a little convulsion, fresh arousal being push out of her body for him to sup on.

EJ groaned, unable to believe her body still capable of such a thing but took it gratefully, his head spinning madly as he performed this intimate act for a clearly very appreciative Sami. When he was finally done he moved his way slowly up her naked body, doting kisses to her still trembling flesh along the way until he was again lying his head on the same pillow Sami was using.

"You're magnificent," he praised her breathlessly, the sweat and some of her juices glistening off his body now as he turned his head to look at her adoringly.

"Oh wow," said Sami breathlessly, looking up at the ceiling, still clearly in a daze, "That had to be illegal – nothing that felt that good could possibly be anything but."

EJ had to agree but contented himself with gently kissing Sami's bare shoulder, never wanting this moment to end.

An hour and a half later EJ was beginning to come to his senses as he sat out in the living room, back in his wheelchair and waiting for Sami to be done showering. He buried his face in his hands as he contemplated just how badly he'd let the situation get out of control that morning. Who was he kidding EJ thought dourly, he hadn't let it, he'd been the main instigator! He'd lost a lot of ground with the whole getting Sami out of his life campaign and now in the cold light of day EJ was frantic to make it back up. It simply wasn't safe for Sami to be involved with him and EJ had to set her free for her own good. On paper now was the perfect time to break the bond that was between them but then EJ hadn't reckoned on a determined and fragrant Samantha in his bed last night. He looked up as she walked back in the room and smiled at him which he determinedly didn't return.

"I'm going to have to flip the mattress as well as wash the sheets," she said conversationally as she gave him a knowing look as she set about pouring him a cup of coffee, "I think it was that last time where you got me so wet I nearly drowned us both."

EJ looked at her wide eyed at that statement, never having expected Sami to be quite so comfortable in talking about such things. But then he'd been encouraging her to embrace her sexuality for a long time now and not be so fettered about how she thought she should behave. It seemed that Sami was at last doing just that at last and EJ wasn't in the least bit prepared for it, although in hindsight he probably should have been.

He'd known instantly what a fiercely sexual and passionate woman she was, the only person he'd ever met who equal his own appetites so completely and now he was at last seeing Sami come into her own. EJ swallowed hard and tried to imagine how it was that he was going to manage to stand firm against Sami now that she'd learnt to unleash all that female power. He'd been hoisted by his own petard it seemed with bringing out the real woman that had been lurking beneath Sami's insecure veneer. EJ knew he needed to get this situation back under control before things got any further out of hand.

"Samantha," said EJ as he accepted the mug of hot coffee from him.

"Yes EJ," she said evenly as she settled herself on the sofa right beside him as he sat there in his wheelchair.

"Samantha," said EJ firmly, trying to get back control of the situation, "What happened this morning was a mistake."

"I know," purred Sami, stretching back in the sofa and arching her back languorously as one hand went and gripped the back of the sofa behind her as she moved sensuously at the memory, "So many mistakes, one after the other, again and again and again-"

She looked at a transfixed EJ now, her eyelids drooping somewhat as she continued on.

"Thank god we never listen to one another when we beg each other to stop," she said throatily and gave him a knowing look, "Just think of how many orgasms we'd be missing out on."

"No thank you," said EJ and cringed as he sounded ridiculously prim saying that.

"Mind you," said Sami ruefully as she moved a little in her seat, straightening up a bit and dropping the arm that had been gripping the back of the sofa, "It does make for some tenderness once all that climaxing is over and done with."

Sami fixed EJ with a sultry look then.

"But there is a way you could help me out with that if you want EJ," she said huskily.

"Help?" repeated EJ faintly, his head still hopelessly muddled as Sami talked about things like climaxing.

It just brought the images of her writhing around in his bed, screaming out his name as he made her pleasure herself over and over again to the forefront of his mind and EJ was having great difficulty thinking about anything else. To be the target of this new predatory Samantha was even more thrilling then EJ used to fantasise about it but it was totally doing his head in.

"Aha," she said and then Sami reached out her hand and encircled EJ's wrist of the hand that was holding his cup of coffee.

A fine sweat broke out on EJ's brow as he watched transfixed as Sami parted her legs a little as she sat there on the sofa and guided his hand with the coffee mug between them. Sami purred happily as she made him press the heated mug up against what was obviously a very sensitive and tortured part of her anatomy right then. EJ was bombarded with memories of having watch Sami do a similar thing to herself on his lap top after they'd shared a particularly hard and extended session of lovemaking first in the basement and then in her apartment. EJ heard someone groan loudly and realised it was him as he watched Sami settle back in blissful relief against the cushions of the sofa. EJ concentrated as hard as he could to keep his hand steady so as not to spill any of the steaming black liquid in his cup onto either Sami or himself. It wasn't that easy because his entire body was beginning to shake at the feet of this unabashed temptress

"Nice," Sami breathed and stretched a little, pushing her sex harder against EJ's cup.

She opened her eyes and regarded EJ languidly then, taking in the concentrated yet enraptured look on his face as he struggled to hold the cup steady for her. For some strange reason it hadn't occurred to that he could simply remove the cup of his own volition – Sami's obvious pleasure at what he was doing making that the last thought on his mind.

"Are you alright EJ?" she asked him with impish innocence as she obviously noticed the sweat beading on his forehead, "You look a little hot and bothered – I hope you're not coming down with something."

"No," said EJ, his voice cracking again.

EJ tore his eyes away from what he was doing and looked at Sami wide eyed, both of them knowing he was completely at her mercy. The sexiest smile EJ had ever seen came over Sami's face then as she simply purred her next words.

"In that case-" she said knowing exactly what she was doing to him and clearly revelling in it as she continued her shameless torture of him, "Maybe if you keep doing what you are doing for a little longer you can just go down..."

"Samantha," he rasped her name as she continued to play with the tension between them.

"-and then I'll come," she finished huskily, knowing full well what her words were doing to him.

Obviously this was payback for what he'd put Sami through this morning as she tormented him remorselessly with her words and actions, just as he'd done with her and EJ was in no fit state to stop her.

"Oh... god...," he whispered in excited terror at how utterly he was at her mercy right then...

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & FIFTY ONE**** – ****The Immovable Object & The Irresistible Force**

"Hope begins in the dark; the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come.

You wait and watch and work: you don't give up.

_~Anne Lamott~_

"_So are you going to drink that coffee or get it framed?"_

EJ heard the amused voice of Sam ask the question of him as he continued to just stare at the mug of coffee in his still slightly trembling hand.

"_It will go cold," she warned him as she came to lean against the arm chair across from the still dazed EJ._

Sam grinned at the astounded picture EJ was making and clearly couldn't help but add to it.

"_Mind you I suppose if it does go could you could always put it back between your lady love's nether regions," she said in amusement, "They seem to be pretty hot to trot nowadays." _

"I can't believe Samantha did that," said EJ unevenly, "The things that she is saying-"

"_Are just like the things that you've said to her in the past," pointed out Sam reasonably, "What's the matter my little gander, the sauce of your sexy goose a bit too spicy for you?" _

"No!" EJ snapped even while he feared that was exactly the case.

He just couldn't handle Sami in this full steam ahead mode. She was killing him and it was all EJ could do not to beg her for more of the same which would in no way further his goal of trying to set Sami free. Why oh why did this have to be so damn impossibly hard he wondered in despair.

"_It's only hard because you are insisting on being so stubborn," said Sam in exasperation, reading EJ's mind, much to his annoyance. _

Before EJ could reply Sami returned from the bathroom where she'd gone to clean her teeth and smiled at him brightly as she walked over to the kitchen. She suddenly gave a little groan when she got there then and EJ watched her in concern as she gripped at the kitchen counter top, biting down on her bottom lip hard. For a moment EJ was worried that something was wrong but then he recognised the bliss filled expression on her face and how suddenly Sami's nipples were at full attention pushing out boldly against the thin material of her blouse as she closed her eyes and gave a little shudder. Clearly Sami hadn't been kidding about being very sensitive in areas thanks to all the attention they'd both given a certain piece of her anatomy. The simple act of walking had caused another little orgasm for Sami and EJ had to wonder who was enjoying it more, Sami who was going through it or him as he revelled in watching her.

"Oh," she said a little unevenly, her breath coming in short pants a little now that she could speak again, "My."

She saw how avidly EJ was watching her and could see he knew exactly what had just happened to her and she gave him a cheeky grin.

"You certainly know how to give the gifts that keep on giving now don't you Elvis DiMera?" she said impishly.

"_You are sooo screwed," said Sam knowingly, seeing how hard EJ was trying not to melt into a puddle at her feet right then. _

"I'm starving," Sami announced happily, clearly deciding to give EJ some time to collect himself which he very much needed, "What about you EJ?"

She looked gorgeous this morning, her skin glowing and eyes shining like they always did after they made love. In the end despite Sami's offer during the coffee cup incident she'd been too tender for anything further to happen between them that morning but it didn't stop EJ from feeling like Sami had just literally screwed his brains out during that particular little interlude on the couch and what he'd just witnessed hadn't exactly been unenjoyable either. EJ had never really put much thought into the subject before – about where arousal began but had always rather assumed that it originated somewhere south of the border.

After this morning he knew better.

Arousal came from the head and the heart and the lower body was an afterthought at best it seemed. How it was that he could be intensely satisfied simply from being involved in Samantha's pleasure and finding no release of his own was mystifying to EJ but it was exactly what had happened. He had rather been hoping on the numbness of his lower body to be some kind of protection against the charms of Sami but apparently that wasn't how it worked. If anything not having the distraction of his lower body's clamourings just brought into even sharper relief how much it was that he wanted this woman.

Damn it!

"I'm not hungry," he mumbled, taking a big gulp of his coffee and helping the caffeine would fortify him in some small way against the force of nature that was Sami Brady nowadays.

"You need to keep your strength up," said Sami calmly and went to his cupboards only to find them pretty much empty.

She looked back at EJ and shook her head at him.

"Your cupboard is even sadder than mine," she tutted.

"Well excuse me for being hospitalised for nearly two weeks," said EJ tartly, "And besides I don't recall your pantry to be anything to write home about either Delia Smith."

"Who's Delia Smith?" asked Sami in confusion, clearly unoffended.

"She's an English version of Martha Stewart," said EJ flatly, "Without the criminal record – that anyone knows of anyway."

"Oh," said Sami in amusement, "Well if we are going to have breakfast it looks like we have to raid my stocks. So what do you feel like EJ, porridge or toast with some fruit?"

"I told you," said EJ, trying to be as surly as he could be to put Sami off, "I'm not hungry so why don't you go back to your apartment, have your breakfast and don't come back!"

"I only have skim milk though," said Sami calmly, "Will that do?"

"Get out of my apartment!" roared EJ, his frustration spilling over.

Sami looked him up and down, obviously unconcerned by his outburst.

"I think we'll go with the porridge and I think I have some prunes somewhere," she said calmly, "It seems to me you need the roughage - with that kind of attitude you definitely need something unblocked."

With that off hand statement delivered Sami sauntered out of the room back to her own apartment, intent on making them some breakfast. Sam meanwhile was holding her stomach on the side table she was perched on in fits of uncontrollable laughter after that encounter.

"_Oh wow," she gasped, wiping a tear from her eye as EJ seethed away to himself at both of the women in his life, "I like her sooo much, I really do!" _

"She's being stubborn and impossible!" growled EJ, "Why won't she just leave me alone?!"

"_I'm guessing the same reason you wouldn't listen to her demands for you to get out of her life for all of this time," said Sam in amusement, "Because she's you - only shorter and more fun to be around."_

"I don't want her pity!" bit out EJ.

"_Oh are we back there again?" asked Sam, rolling her eyes in disgust at him, "Sami doesn't pity you although god knows you are being a tragic wanker of late." _

Sam shook her head at the angry EJ and crossed her legs.

"_And if that was pity this morning in the bed then I don't think either one of you would survive the real thing," she continued on knowingly. _

EJ looked away, knowing Sam was right. It had been breathtakingly real what had happened between them that morning and there was no use saying otherwise. EJ couldn't delude himself into thinking Sami was just here out of guilt or pity any longer. She'd given herself to him utterly yet again this morning and there was no getting away from that. The trouble was that it made EJ's self appointed task of setting her free that much harder.

"I just want her to leave me alone," he whispered, a tinge of desperation in his voice.

"_Well if that's the case my passion proctologist then I recommend stopping after the second or third time you make a woman climax otherwise there is the teensiest possibility that you might be sending her mixed messages," said Sam mockingly. _

"That was an accident," EJ grimaced.

"_Oh you mean an accident like crashing your car or falling down a flight of stairs?" asked Sami in amusement, "Well that certainly explains all the screaming I guess." _

"I'm trying to keep Samantha safe!" said EJ sharply.

"_What from?" asked Sam who was obviously determined not to cut him any slack whatsoever, "From ever being able to walk properly again or having full use of her voice again after all that hollering?" _

"She did seem to enjoy herself," said EJ, almost to himself as he forgot the point of all this for a moment and slipped back into the memories of that morning and the barest smile coming to his lips.

"_You weren't exactly looking overly bored yourself," Sam reminded him with an arched eyebrow, "In fact you looked like a kid on his first trip to Disneyland-"_

Sam pursed her lips thoughtfully then.

"_-you know, if Disneyland had an adults only section that is," she continued on, musing to herself now, "I'm guessing if they did they'd probably put it smack damn between Davy Crocket's Explorer Canoes and Splash Mountain. I think that would give the 'Finding Nemo' pleasure cruise a run for its money – you could call it "Finding Sami's-"_

"Sam!" said EJ sharply, cutting her off as he was fairly confident he didn't want her to complete that sentence.

"_What?" asked Sam innocently? _

"You're not helping," he said through gritted teeth.

"_You keep telling me you don't want my help," she said blithely, "So now I'm just going with amusing myself instead."_

"At my expense," he said grimly.

"_Of course panda lumps," she said with a tinkling laugh, "Nothing's more fun than screwing with an emotional and physical cripple."_

"I hate you," said EJ darkly.

"_You hate not being the one in control," said Sam knowingly, "Right now Sami has you by the furry funbags-"_

EJ's scowl deepened at that particular description but didn't say anything.

"_And your biggest problem is that you know you should be trying to get her to let them go but instead all you can think about is that you don't want her to stop," said Sam flatly, "You can't fight both yourself and Sami Elvis – this is a lost cause, mark my words."_

"It can't be!" said EJ sharply and hearing for himself the desperation in his voice, "I have to let Samantha go, for her own good!"

Sam just rolled her eyes at his stubborn assertions and leant back against the wall tiredly.

"_You Elvis DiMera are a full time job," she muttered in annoyance._

oooOOOOooo

Sami absently stirred the pot of hot porridge she was making in her apartment, lost in her thoughts. A little smile came to her lips as she remembered that morning's events. If she'd ever had a moment's pause about whether or not EJ was serious about his declarations of not wanting her in his life then this morning had definitely put paid to that.

She gave a little shudder of remembered delight at what EJ had gotten her to do and what he'd done to her. He'd touched her like a man starving and she could see the wild need in his eyes and the deep satisfaction at the end of it all. There was no way he could even begin to pretend that sex between them wouldn't still be the most amazing they'd ever had regardless of him ever regaining the use of his legs. She knew exactly what EJ was doing because she'd done it since the moment she'd met him – tried to deny her true feelings. Sami knew better than anyone how hopeless a path that was. Every time she'd be determined to get EJ out of her life he'd do something or say something that just made her desperate for more of him.

Without a shadow of a doubt Sami knew that EJ was currently in his apartment attempting to regroup because she'd done that countless times herself. After every encounter with EJ had left her shaken and breathless Sami worked so hard to recount why she couldn't let this happen between them, the people they'd hurt, EJ's motives, his father. All of it hadn't mattered in the end though as the need to be with him overshadowed all other considerations. EJ was fighting that exact same battle right now and he'd work out soon enough that it was a losing one. It had taken Sami months but she'd had the chance to run back to her apartment and Lucas and hide when things got too real between them. There was no way she was going to allow EJ such a thing. She was moving in with him whether he claimed to want her to or not and Sami was going to make sure he had no chance to try and hide from her or his obvious love for her.

Thoughts of Lucas made a little stab of guilt go through her as Sami glanced at her watch. She supposed he was through surgery by now and duty made her reach for the phone and call the number he'd given her for the Swiss hospital he was having the operation in. She was transferred to his room but in the end it was Kate who answered her call.

"How is Lucas?" she asked, not particularly wanting to engage in small talk.

"As well as can be expected seeing as you've abandoned him in a foreign country," said Kate sourly.

"So the operation went well?" asked Sami with a roll of her eyes and ignoring the other woman's dig.

"We'll know more later," said Kate briefly, "He's sleeping right now and I don't want to wake him."

"Well tell Lucas I called please," said Sami, just wanting this conversation to be over so she could get back to EJ.

"I'll be sure to let him know the huge effort you put in," she said coolly.

"Goodbye Kate," said Sami flatly and hung up on her.

Sami grimaced after that phone call and couldn't help but be very relieved once again that Kate was no longer going to be a part of her life in the very near future. She'd had a lifetime of Kate Robert's it seemed to Sami and she was more than happy at the thought of never having to see her again. Whatever EJ's mom was like there was no way she could be worse than Lucas' thought Sami grimly. The porridge was ready now and Sami quickly put it out into the bowls she'd laid out with some fruit that she'd cut up and put it all onto a tray and carefully walked with it back to EJ's apartment.

"I'm back," she announced, feeling that same heady rush every time she was in EJ's presence.

God but he was gorgeous with his tussled hair and the little pout he was sporting just added to the sexiness by her way of thinking.

"I can see that Samantha," he said dourly, "I'm crippled – not blind."

Sami looked away, hiding her smile. He was being so obvious, trying to be nasty to her just like she'd been to him to turn her off but Sami found it actually rather endearing truth be told. He wanted her here and she was going to make him admit it and stop all these silly games.

"I've made porridge," she said calmly.

"Oh goody," said EJ sarcastically, "I'm sure that will fix everything now – thank you for that Samantha!"

"What's wrong EJ?" she asked evenly as she set down the try on the coffee table in front of him.

"I'm in a wheelchair," bit out EJ, looking pretty amazed that she'd even felt the need to ask that question.

"Yes," acknowledged Sami calmly.

"Do you know what that means?" asked EJ tightly.

"That we can get better parking spots now?" suggested Sami straight faced.

"This isn't a joke Samantha," said EJ angrily.

"And I'm not laughing," returned Sami easily.

She could see EJ was desperate to scare her off with the reality of the situation but the truth was the possibility of EJ being a wheelchair for the rest of their lives didn't daunt Sami in the least. Of course she hadn't given up hope that EJ was going to be able to get out of that wheelchair one day soon but if he didn't Sami knew that was alright too. She loved EJ, sitting or standing and the only thing she needed to be happy in life was him by her side. Now all she had to do was get EJ over his freaking out and he'd be able to see that as well.

"So what if I fell in the shower?" asked EJ defiantly, "You'd be unable to help me Samantha!"

"I would have been unable to help you before the shooting EJ," Sami pointed out logically, acknowledging their vast differences in size, "If that happened I'd do what I did when I drugged you at the hotel in LA – I'd make you comfortable but instead of vaguely molesting you while you were unconscious I'd call a doctor."

"But don't you see-," EJ stopped abruptly as her words sank in, "Wait, you vaguely molested me in LA – what does that mean?"

"Nothing," said Sami blithely and gave him a sweet smile.

"Samantha," said EJ sternly and Sami could see how desperate he was to know what she'd done and couldn't help toying with him a little.

"Let's just say that I couldn't stop myself from taking advantage of a couple of things you had on offer that night," said Sami cheekily, "I'm only human after all."

Sami could see that EJ wanted her to be more forthcoming but she had no intention of doing that if he didn't ask her directly. But if he did that then that wasn't exactly helping his supposed lack of interest in anything that had gone on between them that he was trying to convince her of.

Rock. Hard place.

Sami's smile widened as she watched EJ wrestle with his dilemma.

"I'm so glad you're finding all this so amusing Samantha!" he snapped in annoyance at seeing her smile like that.

"Well you are being pretty funny," she said unrepentantly, "Why don't you just give in EJ and admit that it's like you've said all along – we are meant to be together."

"No!" he bit out, "We're not Samantha – I don't want you!"

"I see you're determined to make this hard," said Sami, giving him a considered look.

She sidled up to him as EJ looked defiantly back at her, not letting her see any kind of softness in his face. It appeared he was resolute in his notion to get her to leave him alone but Sami was unfazed.

"It's alright though," she told him throatily, leaning over him now, her lips at his ear, "The way I look at it we always have the best fun when you're hard."

EJ fought for all he was worth not to react to her sultry teasing, every muscle in his body tensing. She watched him swallow hard and knew her words had had the desired effect. Sami straightened up then and fixed EJ with a determined look.

"You can push as hard as you like EJ," she said calmly, "But I'm only going to push back just as hard. You wanted me; well you've got me mister, body and soul."

"I've changed my mind," said EJ fiercely but the unevenness in his voice told Sami a different story.

"Sorry," she said sweetly, "I'm non-refundable – check your receipt."

"I'm not giving in on this Samantha," he said tightly.

"Good," said Sami with a knowingly little smile, "There's nothing that gets me hotter than making you eat your stubborn words EJ."

EJ looked taken aback by her admission and she pressed her advantage. Sami leant down and placed her hands either side of his arm rests, making sure her face was level with his.

"You're mine EJ DiMera and I'm going to really enjoy proving that to you over and over again," she said, looking him squarely in the eye, "And we can do this the easy way or the hard way but don't make any mistake about it – we are going to do this because I'm not going anywhere."

She watched EJ try to stare her down but Sami saw the flare of excitement in his eyes at her declaration and knew this game was already won. Sami fixed him with a determined stare.

"Game on EJ," she said throatily, "Game on."

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & FIFTY TWO**** – ****The Things We Do For Love**

Everything is a gift of the universe -- even joy, anger, jealously, frustration, or separateness. Everything is perfect either for our growth or our enjoyment.

_~Ken S. Keyes jr~_

Lucas rifled through the toiletry bag he'd brought with him to the hospital, becoming more and more agitated as he couldn't find what he was looking for. He looked up as his mother entered his hospital room.

"What have you done with them?!" he asked her angrily, glaring at her accusingly.

"What have I done with what?" asked Kate calmly, coming to stand by his bedside.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about!" he bit out, "You've been going through my stuff Mom!"

"And just as well I did," said Kate unapologetically, "Lucas what were you thinking bringing those things into a place like this? What if someone else had found them? You could have been arrested!"

"No one would have gone through my stuff," ground out Lucas, "Only my obsessive mother would have the lack of respect for me to do that!"

"I'm not going to make any apologies from protecting you from yourself Lucas," said Kate flatly, "You're not yourself and you're making some very bad decisions. Who knows what those illegal pills of yours would have done in conjunction with what the doctor's have you on right now?! Besides you're on a morphine drip – you shouldn't be needing them at all."

"Don't tell me what I do and do not need Mom!" said Lucas angrily, "What I don't need is you in my life controlling every aspect of it!"

"Look at you," she said with an angry shake of her head, "You're sweating and shaking like a crazy person Lucas. You're obviously going through some kind of withdrawal right now, despite already being on pain meds from the hospital. Just how many of those pills of yours were you taking anyway?"

"None of your damn business!" he snapped, "Just get me my pills and then get the hell out of here Mom!"

"I'm can't," she said simply, "I flushed them."

"You did what?!" Lucas practically shouted the question, "How could you do something like that?! What gives you the right to do that?!"

"This kind of reaction gives me the right," said Kate unrepentantly, "Lucas you're out of control with those things and I'm not going to sit by and let you-"

"Oh that's so like you isn't it?" he sneered, interrupting her as Lucas let himself take his anger out on her, "You pick and chose when you want to be a part of my life don't you Mom? One moment you're in every little thing I do and then the next you act like I don't exist! Well I'm sick of it!"

"Lucas I have never acted like you haven't existed," said Kate, clearly shocked by his outburst, "Honey you're the most important thing in my life, you always have been."

"If you love me so much you'll help me," he challenged her, "I need more of my pills and you can get them for me – I'll tell you who to call."

"I am not going to be your drug dealer Lucas," said Kate, frowning fiercely.

"Why not?" he goaded her, "You've been my pimp or did I just imagine you paying Nicole to marry me?!"

"That was entirely different," said Kate stiffly, "I was acting in your best interest and making sure you got custody of Will over Sami."

"Who the hell are you to pick and chose what is in my best interest Mom?" he sneered, "Like you'd know the first thing about anything like that anyway?! How you're life has turned out isn't exactly a glowing recommendation for you to start meddling in other people's lives!"

"I'm not meddling in your life Lucas," said Kate sharply as she came to sit by his bed, "I'm just trying to help you, that's not meddling."

"There is no point talking to you about this is there?" asked Lucas tightly, "You're just going to see things your way, no matter what I say."

"You make me sound demented," said Kate in annoyance.

"Sometimes I think we both are," Lucas muttered unhappily.

"Why would you say such a thing?" asked Kate in shock, "Lucas there is nothing wrong with our relationship!"

"Isn't there?" he challenged her, looking at his mother intently, "Not as many mothers are as, shall we say, _hand's on_ as you are Mom."

"Well maybe those mothers don't love their sons the way I love you," Kate sniffed dismissively.

"Kinda my point Mom," said Lucas wryly.

"I make no apologies for loving my children Lucas," said Kate unrepentantly.

"You know Mom," said Lucas, trying a different tack as he felt himself being coiled up inside as his need for his pain pills steadily grew inside of him.

He covered her hand with his and squeezed it gently.

"If you really loved me you'd do something for me," he said, looking at her lovingly.

"I'm not getting you those pills Lucas," said Kate, looking a little upset now.

"Mom please," he said huskily, bringing her hand to his lips and kissing the back of it tenderly, "I need this."

He let his dark eyes fill up with emotion as he implored her for this, knowing how to work Kate for his own advantage when the mood took him. After all he'd learnt emotional manipulation at the feet of the master and now it was time for Kate to reap a little of what she'd sown over the years.

"Mom it's only to get me over this hump," he said softly, his eyes never leaving her now distressed face, "I'm in so much pain-"

He turned her hand over and pressed it against his cheek, making her cup his face and placing his hand over the top of hers.

"You've always been there for me Mom," he told her throatily, his eyes still locked with hers, "You've always been the one to come through for me, time and time again. None of the other women in my life come close to what you've done for me."

Lucas knew he was shamelessly exploiting his mother's feelings for him but he simply didn't care – he needed those pills, at any cost.

"That's because none of those other women love you like I do Lucas," said Kate earnestly, "I mean Sami barely even managed a phone call to check on you earlier."

"Sami rang?" he repeated, attempting to keep his tone mild even as his hand tightened around Kate's wrist a little of its own accord.

It drove Lucas crazy how his mother was always trying to keep Sami and he apart but getting mad at her now when she was clearly teetering on the brink of giving him what he so desperately needed wasn't going to help in the long run.

"You were sleeping," said Kate unevenly, still letting him keep her hand on his face.

Lucas forced a soft smile to his lips despite wanting to scream at her that she should have just woken him, that wasn't going to get him what he wanted from her.

"You're always thinking about what is best for me aren't you Mom?" he asked throatily, a little loving smile on his lips.

"You know I am," said Kate a little shakily now, clearly being impacted by Lucas' change of tack.

"I know I can rely on you to help me out," he continued on, never allowing her to look away from him as he leant a little closer to the almost mesmerised Kate, "No matter what the situation I know I can count on you. I really need you now Mom-"

Lucas lifted his hand now and cupped her cheek, just as she was cupping his.

"-I need you so much," he said huskily, "You have to help me with this Mom."

Lucas began to gently stroke her face then.

"Prove to me how much you love me," he implored her quietly, "Do this for me, help me with my pain Mom. It will only be for a little bit longer, just to get me over this initial hump. I'll throw them away after that, I promise."

"Lucas," said Kate, clearly in distress as her heart and her head did battle.

"Please," Lucas whispered, leaning ever closer to her, "I love you Mom, do this one little thing for me, please."

Kate bit her lip and looked away but not before he saw the acquiescence in her eyes and Lucas felt a wave of triumph flow through him. She was going to get those pills for him; he saw it in her eyes. Lucas supposed he should feel guilty about manipulating his own mother like this but he didn't. She'd played him on more than one occasion and Lucas couldn't help but feel he was a little more than owed by his loving mother. Kate wanted his love well it was time Lucas made her work for it he decided, he had needs, voracious ones right then and having his mother fulfil those needs came with a bizarre sense of satisfaction. She'd caused him so much pain over the years it was oddly fitting that Kate should be the one to provide the relief from some of that.

"Thank you Mom," he told her, his eyes flaring in triumph.

"This is just a one off thing Lucas," she warned him, her expression fierce as she admitted defeat, "I won't be supplying you with illegal pills endlessly!"

"I don't need you to Mom," he said, thinking that once he was out of the hospital he could get them for himself with little effort.

"Are you sure you need them?" she asked anxiously, still trying to talk him out of it but Lucas was having none of it as he delivered his coup de grâce.

"Almost as much as I need you Mom," he said softly, saying the words that he knew would make his mother do anything for him.

Kate gave him a tremulous smile at that assertion and Lucas smiled back, confident that he was going to be in a much happier place in a couple of hours thanks to his mom.

oooOOOOooo

"Okay," said Sami as she dried her hands after washing up their breakfast dishes, "I think we've had long enough for breakfast to settle and now it is time to get down to business."

"And what business might that be Samantha?" he asked her flatly, still obviously intent on being difficult.

"Working out your schedule," said Sami, "Our routine."

"And why exactly would we have to do that darling?" asked EJ, looking up at her with his hand to his chin and giving a good imitation of pointed annoyance, "Why on earth would _we_ need a routine?"

"Well now that I'm living here-" began Sami blithely.

"Excuse me?" asked EJ, straightening up and looking at her in shock, "Living here?!"

"Yes," she said with a little shrug, "I've moved in."

"No you bloody well haven't!" he said fiercely.

"Well not quite," she acknowledged, "I was going to make some space in your cupboard later and move more of my stuff in so I don't have to keep schlepping back and forth between the two apartments. Besides it will make it easier when Lucas gets back because I'm going to tell him about us as soon as he does and somehow I don't think he's going to want me around in that apartment for another minute when that happens which is fine by me."

EJ was looking at her a little dazedly after that and Sami looked back in amusement.

"I have given this some thought EJ," she told him with a quirk of her lips, "A lot of thought in fact. I'm thinking that it might well be time for us to find a place of our own when Lucas gets back as well. I don't fancy having him just across the corridor and ruining our happiness which I kind of hope he won't try to but we don't have a great track record of wishing each other well in these kinds of things."

"You're not moving in here with me," asserted EJ, finding his voice again, even if it was a bit unsteady.

Sami leant forward and placed her hands on his arm rests, making sure EJ had a good view of her extremely ample cleavage as she did. Sure enough EJ's eyes went directly there before she watched him determinedly drag his eyes to her face. Stubborn boy thought Sami in amusement. She was more than happy to have him ogle any part of her body that he pleased but instead he was intent on denying them both that particular pleasure. Sami leant right in, her lips almost touching his as he looked at her in breathless anticipation, obviously fighting quite the internal battle.

"Oh yes I bloody am," she rebutted his earlier assertion, punctuating each word firmly, "And that is why we need to work out a schedule for us both."

Sami straightened up then and smiled down at him.

"I still want to make sure I get into Mythic everyday and check on the running of things, especially with Kate out of town," said Sami conversationally, "And then we have to work out your physio sessions to get you back on your feet-"

"I'm not going to be back on my feet Samantha!" he snapped, interrupting her.

"Not without physio no," she agreed calmly, "That is why we have to make time for it. After talking to the physio at the hospital I'm thinking we can do a morning and afternoon session in the beginning and see how that goes-"

"I'm not doing any pointless exercises Samantha," he interrupted her tersely.

"They're not pointless," argued Sami, "The swelling in your back is going down every day and it's only then that we'll have an idea of what we are really up against."

"_We_ aren't up against anything sweetheart," he said sharply, "It's me; _I'm_ the one going through this, not you!"

"We're in this together," said Sami, not giving in, "And that's how we'll get through it, together."

"I'm too sore to do any exercises," he said grouchily, obviously determined to be as difficult as he could about all of this.

He put his hand to his neck and grimaced.

"My neck is sore," he said, closing his eyes and a suddenly pained expression coming over his face.

Sami frowned a little, not entirely sure if he was faking that or not, it seemed like that had come on all of a sudden.

"You might have slept on it a bit funny," she offered up, "Maybe some light exercising will help stretch it out, or I could rub it for you?"

"I don't want you rubbing anything on me!" said EJ sharply as his eyes snapped open and Sami saw the fear there and knew exactly what he was worried about and felt a sense of power come over her.

He was so hers to do with what she wanted Sami thought in satisfaction and had a surge of feminine assurance come over her.

"You know I think you just need the right motivation to do this EJ," she said thoughtfully.

"There's not enough motivation in the world to make me waste my time engaging in pointless exercises," said EJ sourly.

Sami's lips quirked at that and wondered if EJ was ever going to stop throwing down challenges for her to pick up because he had to know that was exactly what she was going to do.

"Is that so?" she asked him with a little smile, "How about this then? I think we should start with some stomach strengthening exercises like the physio suggested to me, like sit ups. How about ten of those to begin with and for every sit up you manage I'll remove an article of my clothing – how does that sound?"

"NO!" said EJ loudly, his eyes widening in horror and Sami knew exactly what that horror was about.

He was going to have a lot of trouble continuing this act of supposed indifference around her if she was naked and they both knew it.

"That is a horrible idea," growled EJ, "Seeing you naked is the last thing I want Samantha, the very last thing!"

"Hm," said Sami, pretending confusion, "That didn't seem the case earlier this morning EJ. Silly me for misunderstanding the way you pillaged me in our bed this morning."

"I didn't pillage you," denied EJ unsteadily, finding it hard to hold her gaze.

"Funny," said Sami thoughtfully, "I felt pretty pillaged, again, my mistake clearly."

"Yes," EJ rasped but they both knew he wasn't fooling anyone.

"Okay then," said Sami coolly, "Clearly my being naked is not something you enjoy, I see that now."

EJ didn't answer, continuing then not to look her in the eye because the both knew that if he did all Sami would see was rabid hunger for her that would belie his shaky assertions.

"So here's what I'll do," she continued on undaunted, "To help inspire you EJ I'll take all of my clothes off at the beginning of you doing the sit ups and after each one I'll put an item of clothing back on. Seeing as you find me so repellent naked then that should be all the motivation you need to get those sit up downs hm?"

"That's asinine reasoning," said EJ hoarsely but Sami could see how badly he wanted her naked, one way or the other.

"Emphasis on the ass eh EJ?" she teased him throatily.

"I don't want this!" he said desperately, "Stop it Samantha!"

Sami just smiled a little knowing smile before leaning over him again and whispering in his ear.

"That's it EJ," she purred, her voice dripping with sex and seduction, "Keep fighting me – you know what you're doing to me when you do that."

She suddenly felt EJ's hand between her legs, just above her knees and knew that it had gone there of its own accord, could feel how he was shaking in an attempt to control himself and take that hand no higher. EJ remembered exactly what she'd told him about how excited their fights got her and clearly despite all his best efforts he was hungry to find the proof of Sami's claims.

"No one is going to make you sweat like I'm going to EJ," she vowed to him throatily as she drew back now, "I'm going to have you begging for mercy by the time I'm done with you."

Sami moved a little so that EJ's hand was forced to slip a bit higher between her legs and she watched him swallow hard.

"Keep going EJ," she urged him throatily, her blue eyes bright with desire for him, "You'll find what you are looking for, I promise you."

Before EJ could argue with her about with some nonsense about this having no effect on him Sami was moving in to claim his mouth in a series of sensuous kisses that EJ made absolutely no move to stop.

Sami made happy little mewing noises into their kisses as she felt his hand move higher, stroking her gently at the apex of her thighs. The material of her jeans meant that Sami could barely feel it but it was the reverence that EJ was doing it with that really made her tingle. This man was so all hers and no one else's there simply were no words for it. For the first time in her life Sami didn't doubt in the least that this man wanted her more than his next breath, despite all his claims to the contrary. Her hands went to her blouse, beginning to pull it out of her pants and undoing the buttons before shrugging out of it. She fully intended to get those sit ups out of EJ and Sami was going to do it by fair means or foul. Sami continued to distract him with her kisses as she undid her bra and threw it onto the ground. EJ pulled back then and looked up at her in a groggy hazy.

"What are you doing?" he asked raggedly, his breathing as uneven as hers.

"I'm getting those sit ups EJ," she said, looking oh so innocent, "We agreed I'd start naked and you had to work to get my clothes back on."

"No," he rasped unevenly.

"So you want me to keep my clothes off then?" she asked him impishly, pressing her advantage.

"No," he said faintly, clearly out of his depths entirely right then.

"In that case Mr DiMera," said Sami, a seductive smile touching her lips, "Time you got on your back then."

EJ's eyes widened at that but Sami wasn't backing down as she moved closer, rubbing her naked breasts against the roughness of his t-shirt before biting down on his earlobe.

"On your back EJ – NOW!"

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & FIFTY THREE**** – ****Only the Good Die Young**

All the scheming and plotting in the world

won't result in something lasting, transcendent.

Anything that's authentic, that's real, comes in the form of a gift.

Even if by accident.

_~Jose Saramago~_

"I don't know vhy you are not dead yet," tutted Rolf, shaking his head as he took Stefano's pulse.

"You're bedside manner needs some work," admonished Stefano dryly.

"Zis is no laughing matter Stefano," said Rolf, scowling at him disapprovingly, "Zese turnz of yourz-"

"Are nothing," said Stefano dismissively as he pulled his wrist out of Rolf's grasp and began to rebutton his shirt.

His tie and shirt had to be quickly loosened when a bout of dizziness had sent Stefano crashing to the ground to be found by a horrified Rolf who had helped him into a chair. He'd been fussing over him ever since Stefano refused to go to a hospital for a thorough check up.

"Zaying zat doez not make it true Stefano," he admonished him, "You ave been pushing yourzelf too hard. All zat time spent at za hospital-"

"With my son," said Stefano sharply, a warning in his tone against suggesting he should have done anything else, "Elvis needed me Rolf."

"Ya well you need him too Stefano," said Rolf knowingly, "Do we know if Elvis haz managed to impregnate za Brady woman yet?"

"My son has had other things to think of lately," said Stefano with an irritated wave of his hand, "He has been fighting for his life."

"A fight he haz von but I don't know if za zame can be zaid for hiz father if you don't get thoze stem cellz," fretted Rolf.

"There is time Rolf," said Stefano calmly, "Don't concern yourself."

"Zere may not be az much time az you'd like to zink Stefano," argued Rolf, "You tax yourself too much with all of zis pluz za businezz wiz André-"

"It has been dealt with," said Stefano impassively, "We will speak of it no more."

"Ya vell I don't know if you've done za right zing Stefano," said Rolf with a frown as the other man stood up and he helped him on with his coat jacket.

"I don't pay you to think Rolf," said Stefano coolly, "Not about those kinds of things anyway. All you need to do is continue to keep me alive."

"Zat is vhat I'm trying to do," Rolf grumbled, "Viz very little help from you!"

"You have my indomitable will on your side Rolf," said Stefano in amusement at the other man's concern.

"Vell zat is great," said Rolf flatly, "But I'd prefer zat plus some stem cells! If Zamantha iz not already pregnant Elvis is in no condition to change zat fact at za moment and za clock iz ticking Stefano!"

"I have thought of that," Stefano nodded, "And I have thought of a few alternatives."

"Such as?" asked Rolf, arching both of his eyebrows expectantly.

"Such as impregnating Samantha myself and gaining the stem cells that way," said Stefano, unflinching in the face of such a suggestion.

"I don't zink you are her type Stefano," said Rolf in what was easily the understatement of the century.

"I don't have to be," said Stefano easily, "All that is required is for my sperm to meet with Samantha Brady's egg."

"I don't zink either Zamantha or Elvis vould be very happy at zat prospect," commented Rolf flatly.

"Neither one need know," said Stefano simply, "Remember Elvis' mother? It could be done without Samantha knowing and then they would simply think that the child was theirs. I would be happy enough to have my child raised by Elvis and I would have my stem cells."

"But Zamantha isn't Zuzan Bankz," pointed out Rolf worriedly.

"It is only a backup plan Rolf," said Stefano dismissive of his concerns as always, "Samantha may well be carrying around my grandchild inside of her already and all of this talk and worry will be for nothing."

"I zee a lot of potential of zings going wrong wiz zat plan," said Rolf unhappily.

"Rolf you are such an old woman at times," tutted Stefano.

"Ya vell I don't veel very good about the possibility of getting Elvis' bad zide," said Rolf, screwing up his nose.

"Elvis is a good son and while he might have to take a moment to collect himself if the truth were to come out he would fall into line as he always has done," said Stefano confidently.

"Mm," said Rolf looking anything but convinced, "Elvis loves Zamantha Stefano and meddling in zat iz bound to end badly."

"You worry for nothing," said Stefano easily, "You will give me another blood transfusion and I will feel better. There is still time for Elvis to present me with a grandchild in the making. We will wait until there are no other options before considering other avenues eh?"

Rolf sighed heavily, clearly wishing he'd been able to talk Stefano out of the idea altogether but obediently went off to organise another blood transfusion for Stefano.

"Imagine that eh?" said Stefano after he was gone and allowing himself to be entertained by his musings, "Samantha Brady pregnant with my child. How delicious a prospect, one her mother and father would find almost impossible to bear."

Stefano chuckled out loud at the thought, his spirits immediately improved as he gave himself permission to picture the shocked and horrified faces of the Brady's at such a turn of events. Now that would certainly be something worth living for Stefano decided with another chuckle.

oooOOOOooo

"Hello Father," said EJ with a half smile.

"Hello my son," said Stefano jovially, bending down to kiss him hello on the cheek as he came through the door, "How well you look!"

"Do I?" he asked flatly.

"Samantha is obviously taking wonderful care of you," said Stefano approvingly.

He looked around himself then and arched an eyebrow at EJ.

"And where is the lovely lady of the house?" he enquired curiously.

"She's at Mythic attending to some business matters," said EJ shortly, "And she's not the lady of the house!"

"No?" asked Stefano, arching a vaguely amused eyebrow, "You are having, what do they say, a little tiff perhaps?"

"It's not a little tiff," said EJ in annoyance, "Samantha is being a giant bloody pain in my ass!"

"Ah that is good news," said Stefano happily.

"I'm sorry?" asked EJ crossly, taken aback by his father's response to that information.

"It appears some sensation is returning in your lower body if she should be causing you this much discomfort," said Stefano straight faced, "This is a good thing."

"I'm so pleased that my predicament is so bloody amusing to both you and Samantha Father," bit out EJ angrily, "I can't tell you how happy I am at the thought that I can provide you both with so much entertainment."

"Such melodramatics," tutted Stefano, going over to sit on the sofa, "You know both Samantha and I only want what is best for you my son."

"And apparently I don't get a say in what that might be," said EJ dourly, "Samantha just waltzes in and announces that we are now living together, without even asking my opinion on the subject!"

"But this is wonderful news," said Stefano delightedly, "This is exactly what we have both wanted for so long now. I don't understand your hesitation Elvis. We are both so close to getting what we first planned to have all along – Samantha Brady as your bride and pregnant with the next DiMera heir."

"And what kind of a father would I make in this thing?" asked EJ bitterly, indicating the wheelchair angrily.

"The same kind you would make without it I would think," replied Stefano calmly, "To love a child does not require the use of your legs Elvis, only of your heart."

EJ's eyes narrowed at that comment as he thought over all that Sami had told him about Tony and about their father's intervention into the whole affair.

"I wanted to talk to you about that actually Father," said EJ, wheeling himself closer to where Stefano was sitting on the sofa.

"You have news?" asked Stefano, his eyes brightening, "Is Samantha already pregnant with your child, my grandchild?"

"No," said EJ quickly and tried to put out of his head the nagging doubts Sam had introduced, "I don't think so, no."

"Ah," said Stefano philosophically, "There is still time I suppose."

"I wanted to talk to you about Tony Father," said EJ steadily.

"What about him?" asked Stefano easily.

"I haven't seen him around lately," said EJ, wondering how long his father would avoid coming out and talking about what hanging between them.

"Tony is away on some business," said Stefano offhandedly.

"Away on business," repeated EJ, mulling over the words, "Is that a euphemism for something a little more permanent I have to wonder Father?"

"What do you mean?" asked Stefano, giving a very good impression of being surprised by the question.

"I mean that Samantha has told me everything," said EJ, holding his father's gaze steadily, "She's told me about Tony being the one who shot me."

"Oh," said Stefano, looking suddenly thoughtful, "Interesting."

"What's interesting Father is why you didn't see fit to tell me such news yourself," said EJ sternly, "You don't think I had a right to know what Tony had done to me, what he was doing to Samantha?!"

"I knew it would upset you," said Stefano simply, "And you were too weak to bear such information."

"Tony could have hurt Samantha," said EJ grimly, "Could have done the same thing to her as he did to me, you should have told me Father!"

"No!" said Stefano emphatically, "I made sure that Samantha was safe Elvis, I swear to you, I made sure that no harm would come to her. She is very important to both of our futures and I would never allow that to be jeopardised."

"So what?" EJ scowled, "You gave Tony a slap on the wrist and sent him on his way, is that what you are telling me Father? I don't know if I believe that and the fact that no one has seen him in over a week now seems somewhat suspicious to me. Are you really telling me that no harm has come to Tony because of what he did?"

"The state of your brother Antony is the same as it always has been," said Stefano calmly.

"And what does that mean?" asked EJ, suspicious of the odd way Stefano had phrased that.

It sounded like he was being lied to by telling the truth somehow.

"It means what I said," said Stefano blithely.

EJ grimaced, knowing he wasn't going to get a straight answer from his father right then, if ever.

"My son," said Stefano, leaning towards him and looking very serious now, "Everything I do I do because I think it is best for the family-"

"And that includes sending us on 'business trips' when we do something that displeases you I suppose," said EJ quietly.

"What Antony did," said Stefano, a cloud coming across his face, "He broke the trust that lies between we DiMera's and that cannot be tolerated. Our strength comes from our unity and when that oneness of mind is violated then there can only be one option left open-"

"And what might that be Father?" asked EJ, pretty certain he knew what the answer was going to be.

"The gangrenous limb must be removed otherwise the entire body will die," said Stefano, not flinching from the truth, "It broke my heart when your brother betrayed us both with his ambitions but that did not change what I had to do."

"And would you do that same thing to me Father I wonder?" asked EJ, his face very serious now, "If I didn't please you?"

"When have you never pleased me?" asked Stefano, affectionately patting his face, "You have been a great joy to me all of your life Elvis and that will never change."

"I do love you Father," said EJ earnestly, wanting to understand this complex man better and for him to understand him, "But there will come a time when I have to make decisions that are for me and not related to being a DiMera, you understand that don't you?"

"But of course," said Stefano with a smile, "You are a man Elvis and a man must make his own way in the world but in doing so he must never remember where he truly belongs. Loyalty to the family first Elvis, above all things you must remember this and hold it closest to your heart."

EJ considered his father's words silently. Without Samantha in his life then what else was there to fill the void he wondered? His father's lifestyle held little appeal to him now, after loving and losing Sami nothing held any appeal and EJ doubted it ever would. For the first time in his life EJ didn't know where he belonged or who he belonged to. Actually that last part was wrong – he knew exactly who he belonged to but for Sami's own safety that could never be. Her crack about her love not being refundable went doubly for his love for her. EJ didn't want to be a Stefano in the making but without Sami by his side he didn't know how to be the man he knew he was meant to be. EJ looked away and knew this was going to get a whole lot harder before it got any easier.

oooOOOOooo

"Thanks for coming by," Sami said, smiling up at the middle aged man, "And again, sorry about EJ."

"I don't need you apologising for me!" snapped EJ from where he was watching Sami show the doctor out.

He'd been intentionally difficult the whole time the doctor had been there making sure to be as belligerent as possible.

"Ignore him," said Sami blithely, "I am."

"If you don't like it you can always show yourself out with the good doctor," said EJ flatly.

After the visit from his father he was more convinced than ever before that he needed to get Sami out of his life and away from his father. EJ still wasn't sure what had become of Tony but the thought of Sami being anywhere near that ugliness was a horrifying one to EJ.

"Mr DiMera you are doing very well all things considered," the doctor interjected, "But you've been through a terrible ordeal and you need to give yourself some time to get over that and I recommend leaning on those around you who clearly love you."

"I didn't tell him to say that," said Sami innocently, looking at EJ happily.

"Mm," said EJ unconvinced, "I'll go about this my own way thank you doctor."

"What EJ meant to say was that we'll take all your good advice to heart and follow it to the letter," said Sami with a smile, waving around the stack of white papers with lists of instructions and suggestions for exercises and diet.

"Excellent," said the doctor, "Well please feel free to call me if there should be any concerns otherwise I'll drop by in a couple of days to check on how things are going."

"EJ would really appreciate that," said Sami as she opened the door for him.

"Well goodbye," smiled the doctor before looking directly at Sami, "And good luck."

"I don't need it," said Sami confidently, "He's crazy in love with me."

"I hate how you talk about me as though I wasn't here," said EJ accusingly once the doctor was gone, watching as Sami walked over to the desk and started going through all the papers the doctor left.

"And I hate how you are pretending to give up on yourself and not even trying," returned Sami blithely, "So I guess that makes us even."

Sami went back to the papers and started rifling through them.

"Can I see them?" asked EJ coolly.

"Of course," said Sami delightedly, straightening up and handing them to him, "I'm glad you're starting to take an interest in your own health EJ."

EJ pretended to look at the papers before then abruptly throwing them past Sami where they became stuck in the potted plant in the corner but neither one really noticed.

"Real mature EJ," said Sami with a roll of her eyes, "And they call me a child."

"You just don't get it do you?" asked EJ angrily.

"Get what EJ?" she asked coolly, "Get that you want to be a quitter and wallow in your own self pity and regret?"

"You just don't get that this isn't the life I want for myself," said EJ tersely, "And it sure as hell isn't what I wanted for you. Why do you insist on making everything so much harder than it has to be eh? Why don't you just buggar off back to Lucas and you can use all that frustrated maternal instinct on him – I'm sure he'll appreciate it!"

"You think I feel maternal towards you?" asked Sami with a disbelieving laugh, "Seriously?"

"Yes," said EJ defiantly.

"Hm," said Sami, seeming to be thinking about this new piece of information.

EJ had the sudden feeling he'd just made a huge tactical error on his behalf and her next words confirmed it.

"Well I guess I'm just going to have to work harder to right that wrong assumption then aren't I?" asked Sami calmly which was followed by a rather unnerving little smile.

Oh. Crap.

"_Elvis DiMera," he heard Sam's mocking voice in his ear, "Now with extra idiocy included in every box – just when you thought you couldn't cram anymore stupid into one person our boy sets out to prove us wrong." _

Oh. Crap. Crap. Crap.

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & FIFTY FOUR**** - ****The Gift That Keeps on Giving**

Hope is faith holding out its hand in the dark.

_~George Iles~_

EJ eased himself back into his wheelchair and tried to regain his breath. The breathlessness had nothing to do with the fact that he'd done twenty sit ups this time either on Sami's insistence. After the doctor had left Sami had been determined that he continue with his physiotherapy that very day. EJ had reluctantly agreed simply as a way to get Sami to put her clothes back on as she reverted to the same rather successful technique she'd used that morning. EJ tried not to see the irony of all this time he'd spent trying to get her naked now he was intent on getting Sami to put her clothes back on.

It was pretty counterintuitive really.

"You sound like you've run a marathon," commented Sami in amusement as she did up the last of her buttons on her blouse.

"I've been in hospital," said EJ curtly, using the truth to his own advantage madly as he tried to throw Sami off, "I tire easily and even simple exercise is exhausting for me nowadays."

"It seemed to me you couldn't even catch your breath before you even started the sit ups," said Sami impishly.

"That's because you wouldn't stop kissing me," said EJ petulantly refusing to give any ground which was pretty asinine considering how willing a participant in what had just happened and Sami called him on it.

"Oh I'm sorry EJ," she said sweetly, "I guess I didn't hear all those protests for me to stop. I wonder how that could be?"

It was because when Sami had practically climbed on his lap and started stripping her clothes off whilst kissing him senseless the only sound EJ had been able to make was the occasional moan and they both knew it. It had been abject torture watching her first strip and then put her clothes back on each time he managed a sit up. EJ had no idea if it even hurt to do the simple exercise because all of his energies, physical and mental were intent on stopping him from wrestling Sami to the ground and ravaging her senseless until she promised never to where a lick of clothing around him again.

EJ knew his ship was sinking fast and the only thing he could think of to do right then was run. It was rather ironic really when he considered how frustrated he used to get when Sami would run from him and her obvious love for him but now that particular shoe was definitely on the other foot. EJ now had firsthand experience of how hard it must have been for Sami these last months and apparently it was true what they said – payback really could be a bitch. Right then EJ needed some space to frantically figure out how it was that he was going to regain some of this lost ground.

"I'm going for a shower," he announced suddenly.

"Did I get you all hot and sweaty?" she asked him, her blue eyes wide open and dripping innocence.

"No," he mumbled although that was exactly what she'd done.

"I'd join you but I'm already wet," said Sami cheekily.

"_She's stealing all my best lines," pouted Sam who was sitting on the sofa between them all of a sudden, "I'm going to have to come up with some new stuff. Hey Elvis, want to bench press my weights?"_

EJ bit back a groan at the double assault of sexy and crazed that was going on from the two 'women' in his life.

"I'm going for a shower," he repeated himself because he had very little else to add the conversation that wasn't going to involve making a fool of himself one way or the other.

"_Is there an echo in this room?" asked Sam, sitting up straighter and tilting her head to one side and listening expectantly. _

"You mentioned," said Sami with a little smile that told him she knew exactly how flustered he was right then, "You sure you don't want to stay a little longer and give me another ten sit ups-"

Sami hands went to her blouse as she began to temptingly play with the buttons at the bottom and look at him enticingly.

"I'm going for a shower," EJ rasped, his voice barely able to be used as Sami toyed with him mercilessly.

"_Well look at that," mused Sam thoughtfully as EJ repeated himself yet again, "Unlike a duck's quack, stupidity does have an echo – who'd have guessed?"_

"Alright," said Sami but stopped him as he went to wheel past him.

She leant down and kissed him slowly, her tongue seeking entrance into his mouth and EJ was unable to stop himself from granting it.

Sami tasted him deeply before finally drawing back a little.

"Miss me," she instructed him huskily as EJ looked at her a little dazedly after that assault.

"_Oohh," said Sam appreciatively, "She's good, she's very, very good."_

EJ had to agree with Sam on that one and wondered if he was as shamelessly seductive with Sami as she was being with him.

"_Duh," said Sam behind him as she listened in on his thoughts and followed him into the, "And then some my little iguana flaps of love. Every chance you got you were grinding your boy bits into Sami's girl bits and saying all kinds of things in many an X-rated show and tell about how horny you were. You Elvis DiMera are all class." _

"It was nothing like that," bit out EJ furiously, "You make it sound obscene and dirty."

"_It was kinda dirty," Sam grinned, "I think that is what you both enjoyed about it so much – I know that is why I did."_

"It was so intensely enjoyable because we both love each other," said EJ quietly, "That is why everything between us is so impossibly compelling."

"_Well if that is the case just how much longer do you think you can last with the good ship SS Sami on full steam ahead mode?" asked Sam logically, "It seems to me you're not being overly convincing in your rebuffs of her advances. I mean what's the strategy here Elvis – 'Samantha, you've got twenty minutes to stop ravaging me or I'll grab your ass and give you_ _the squeezing of your life?'"_

Sam gave EJ a sceptical look after saying that before continuing.

"_Colour me a doubting Thomasina but I don't know how off putting that is to our girl," said Sam wryly._

"She caught me off guard a few times," EJ mumbled, not looking Sam in the eye as he wheeled himself over to the shower and set about putting the chair in the recess.

"_A few times?" Sam snorted, "You've been like a deer caught in Sami's pretty damn impressive headlights since getting out of the hospital. _

"It's hard," admitted EJ with a scowl, "Alright, happy now?!"

"_Listen molasses nipples," said Sam with a roll of her eyes, "The fact that it isn't hard is about the only thing you've got on your side right now!"_

Sam looked pointedly at EJ's lap now as he was managing to wrestle his way out of his sweat pants as he sat on the edge of the toilet seat. EJ stopped what he was doing and looked up at  
Sam in exasperated irritation.

"_What happens when little Alexis there-" _

"Don't call it that!" EJ growled in vexation.

"_Okay," said Sam in vague annoyance, "Gigantically huge Alexis there decides to get his or her head back in the game? It's pretty hard to tell Sami that she's not doing it for you when you're giving her the old three thumbs up salute." _

"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it," said EJ darkly, knowing it was crazy but rather hoping that sensation wasn't going to return to his body just yet.

Sam was right, he needed all the help he could get to get Sami out of his life and a body that was clearly wanting her was not going to help bring about that end.

"_Yes but if you stop flossing every day with stupidity the only end you really need concern yourself with would be Sami's," pointed out Sam practically._

"Have I ever told you how much I hate it when you do that?" asked EJ with a glare.

"_What read your mind?" asked Sam and gave EJ an annoyed look, "Like I can do anything but – it's where I live butt brain! What else can I do and let me tell you that it's no overturned truck of hot and oiled up men on their way to a 'Most Gorgeous Guy in America' competition and they all have to cram into my car to get them there on time in their either! Seriously, watching the machinations of your brain makes the thought of eating your own toe jam a delightful respite." _

"Are you finished insulting me?" asked EJ flatly.

"_Are you finished giving me reason to insult you?" returned Sam roundly and got her answer from the look on EJ's face, "Then I guess not my little cretinous junebug – I'm here for the duration."_

"Oh joy," said EJ sarcastically.

EJ tried to studiously ignore Sam after that as he showered and tried to think quiet thoughts so she wouldn't butt in with her own special brand of wisdom or more correctly wise ass. It was hard not to think about what she'd said though, particularly about regaining some feeling in his lower body. After this morning when they'd indulged in some pretty heavy petting-

"_It was sex," Sam interrupted his thoughts as she practiced jiggling her breasts in front of the mirror, her back to him. _

"Shut up!" bit out EJ, "No one asked you!"

"_JTTH," she sung back to him._

"What?" asked EJ in confusion as he let the shower stream wash off all the suds he'd just soaped up on his body.

"_Just trying to help," she said sweetly, meeting his gaze in the mirror and winking. _

EJ bit his tongue and didn't say anything, not wanting to get into it with her again right then. He looked down at his lap and frowned, wondering what kind of plan he could come up with if that wild tingling he'd felt this morning was going to be shades of more damning things to come. The only thing he could think of was getting Sami out of his apartment as soon as possible before that became a sticking point and the only way to do that was be as horrible as he could to her. EJ swallowed the bitter regret that the thought of causing Sami any kind of pain caused him but he knew that he had to do this. As he got himself out of the shower and dried himself off EJ steeled himself to be as big a bastard as he could possibly manage. The old adage about 'this hurting me more than it hurts you' came to him and he grimaced, knowing it had to be done. He slowly wheeled himself from the bathroom with Sam doing a cheerleading impersonation behind him.

"_Give me an I, give me a D, give me an I, give me an O, give me a T and what does that spell – ELVIS!!"_

EJ valiantly ignored her and rolled himself over to where Sami was sitting on the sofa, a mug between both hands as she sipped at what was probably tea.

"Where are my clean shirts?" he asked of her rudely, clad only in jeans right then because he couldn't find any shirts.

"I'm sorry?" asked Sami, looking up from her tea and looking at EJ a little surprised.

"My shirt," he said, putting as much annoyance as he could into his tone and indicating his bare chest, "There seems little point of you inflicting your presence on me if you can't make my life a little easier by at least giving me access to clean clothes! Why doesn't it surprise me that Samantha Brady is so unorganised she can't even manage that?!"

Sami pursed her lips but beyond that didn't react except she shook her head at him a little bit, going back to her tea.

"What?" asked EJ belligerently, gunning for a fight and trying to push as many of her buttons as possible, "Something to say Samantha?"

"I was just thinking that it probably just as well you've got no sensation below your waist otherwise I'd be seriously considering giving you a very hard kick in the testicles right now for talking to me like that," commented Sami straight faced.

"Well if you've got a problem with it sweetheart you can always sling your hook!" said EJ, working on looking angry but Sami just looked confused.

"What does _that_ mean?" she asked him.

"It means you can leave," said EJ curtly.

"Then you probably should say just leave," she commented conversationally, "You're not in jolly old England now – you're just being confusing for no good reason when you stay stuff like that."

"Oh I forgot I was talking to an American," EJ sneered, putting as much insult as he could into his tone, "You are all intrinsically incapable of appreciating or even understanding any other culture than your own bland and homogenised one!"

Sami leant back against the sofa and regarded EJ calmly after that little outburst.

"You're American," she pointed out mildly, "Your mother was American and you were born here."

"But I was raised in the UK," shot back EJ.

"Apparently by wolves if this new attitude is anything to go by," she commented calmly.

"Oh I'm sorry that I'm not all sunshine and butterflies sweetheart," he said sarcastically.

"I knew you were high maintenance before I fell in love with you," said Sami with a quirk of her lips, "But I'm still here aren't I?"

"You have no idea what you are getting into wanting to be a part of my life Samantha!" he threw out at her.

"No one ever does," Sami said simply, "But if everyone was to stop doing for fear of what might happen then the whole world would stop as well."

"Oh how trite is that?" said EJ in disgust, "Life isn't a Hallmark card Samantha!"

"Oh really?" said Sami sharply, finally starting to rise to some of the baits he'd been throwing out, "I've been jailed and ostracised by everyone I love at some point in my life, often more than once! I've been on death row EJ and I've had a lethal injection administered so I think I got that memo, thanks for that!"

"You're making everything out to be so simple and it's not," said EJ, swallowing hard at the mention of her near death experience.

EJ tried to put it to the back of his mind though, despite the visceral response his body had to the thought of Sami dying. The whole reason he was putting them both through this was so that she'd be safe from ever having to go through such traumas again he tried to remind himself. The thought gave EJ renewed strength to fight on.

"No," she said tightly as she stood up and glared down at him, "I'm just not making it out to be impossible like you are!"

"It is impossible Samantha!" he bit out, "Everything about us is impossible! You're a Brady and I'm a DiMera-"

"You always said they were just names and we'd make our own future together," she interrupted him.

"Well I was wrong!" spat out EJ, "We tried that and look where it got me eh?!"

He waved his hand at himself.

"I'm in a wheelchair for life now!"

"We don't know that," said Sami, trying to be reasonable now, "We don't know what the future holds EJ-"

"I know one thing my future doesn't hold and that is you!" yelled EJ, determined at all costs to get Sami out of his apartment today.

"How can you say that EJ?" she asked him painfully, his words finally seeming to cut through her brimming optimism.

It was excruciating to EJ to see the pain in her eyes and know that he was the cause of it but he ploughed on, needing to end this now.

"I can say it because it is true Samantha!" he said tersely, "I don't want you in my life! I don't know why you keep on hanging around here when I've told you to go so many times! Perhaps everyone in Salem is right and you really are as stupid as you look!"

"Is it stupid to have hope EJ?" she asked him, her eyes beginning to become suspiciously bright now, "Because I do."

"If it is hope about us then yes, you are beyond stupid Samantha," he said, fighting for all of he was worth to keep his voice steady and not let it waiver with the tell tale signs of anguish at what he was saying.

"You fought for me," she said quietly, "No matter how many times I turned you away."

"It was the thrill of the chase," said EJ coldly, "Now that I've caught you the thrill is gone sweetheart."

"I don't believe you," said Sami, her expressive eyes full of quiet anguish now.

"Then more fool you darling," said EJ coolly, "I tell you what, why don't you give Kate a call and chat to her about it. Perhaps the two of you could start some kind of club – women I've used and become bored with – how does that sound darling eh? The two of you could bond at long last."

"Is this all because you're in a wheelchair EJ?" she asked him shakily at his bitter attack, "Is that why you are being like this?"

"This is the real me Samantha," said EJ expressionlessly, "The man you knew was just the mask I use to bed women that hold my interest for a moment. I'm the son of Stefano DiMera, you've said it yourself a hundred times, I don't know how to love and you're right."

"I'll never believe that," said Sami defiantly, "I saw how you love EJ, how you loved me."

"You saw what I wanted you to see," sneered EJ, "Nothing more."

"And when we danced on the pier that time?" she posed the question to him, "When you taught me to tango – that was nothing, all of it was nothing?"

"Precisely," said EJ, keeping his face determinedly blank, "All those special little moments you thought we share were all just in your head!"

EJ couldn't look at the anguished filled picture that was Sami any longer and had to retreat. It was one thing to spew all these hateful things to her but another entirely to see the impact they were having on him. He felt dirty and in need of another shower but he had to make sure that he'd done enough for Sami to finally leave him.

"I don't expect you to be here when I get back," he said tersely as he wheeled himself around and went back into the bedroom.

"_You!" said Sam accusingly as soon as he was in there, "Are the crusty bits on a monkey's anus Elvis DiMera!"_

EJ put his hands to his face and felt himself begin to shake wildly. He almost welcomed Sam's vitriol and disgust because EJ knew he deserved it and a lot more besides. He'd just been so woefully hurtful to Sami that EJ wasn't sure how he was going to live with it.

"_What you just did would make a dung beetle throw himself off a cliff in shame!" she berated him loudly._

"I know," he whispered, looking up at her and then tried to remember why he'd done it in the first place, "I had to Sam, I had to do it to protect Samantha-"

"_How does ripping out someone's insides and then jumping up and down on them help anyone?" she asked angrily, "I'm so mad at you right now I'd give your left nut for two seconds of having an actual body and then I'd take your remaining nut and-"_

"Just stop it Sam!" he snapped, "I feel bad enough already alright?"

"_No not alright," she snapped back, "I thought you were better than this Elvis, I really did! Is this really the only way you could think of protecting Sami – seriously?" _

"I-" EJ began to defend himself when he noticed a box on the bed tied up with a big white bow, "Where did that come from?"

"_I don't know," said Sam in annoyance, "And don't change the subject – we were talking about what a giant pile of steaming faecal matter you are!" _

EJ ignored her and rolled himself over to the bed and picked it up. It had a little white envelope attached with his name on it.

"It's from Samantha," he said quietly, recognising her handwriting.

"_Is it ticking?" asked Sam flatly, walking over to sit on the bed across from EJ, curious despite herself, "Because after what you just did to her-"_

"I know, I know," muttered EJ, "I deserve it if it was."

They both stared at it for a moment before Sam became impatient.

"_Well are you going to open it?" she demanded of him, "My x-ray vision is on the fritz and opening it will be the only way I can find out what it is." _

EJ hesitated,clearly concerned about what might be in there. Not that he thought it was a bomb like Sam had hinted at of course but somehow he was concerned a present from Sami was likely to be far more impacting then that. He pulled out the card and opened the envelope to read what it said.

_My dearest EJ,_

_This is a reminder that sometimes what we think is lost forever can be returned to us when we least expect it. _

_All my love, _

_Your Samantha. _

Swallowing hard and bracing himself EJ undid the bow on the black box and tentatively took the lid off.

"Oh," breathed EJ and Sam in unison as they looked into the box.

EJ closed his eyes and made a pained expression.

"Oh Samantha," he said unevenly...

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & FIFTY FIVE**** – ****Dancing to the Beat of a Different Drum**

Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes a habit.

_~Peter Ustinov~_

EJ and Sam both stared at the box in his hands and what it contained.

"_Are they-?" began Sam hesitantly._

"Yes," EJ rasped, recognising immediately his beloved Italian handmade shoes that he'd thought had ended up down the garbage chute after that memorable fight with Sami that night.

EJ reached out a trembling finger and traced the stitching on the edge of one of the shoes, trying to convince himself of what he was looking at.

"_Sami must have sneaked down and retrieved them from the trash," commented Sam knowingly, "When we weren't looking."_

"Yes," said EJ again, his voice tight with all the emotion coursing through his body.

He couldn't believe Sami had done this for him and he had to swallow again hard as he felt a large lump come to his throat.

"_Wow," Sam breathed as they both continued to look at the contents of the box Sami had given him, "You must feel like Jennifer Lopez right now Elvis."_

EJ tore his eyes away from the sight of his much missed shoes and looked at Sam in utter confusion.

"_A giant ass," she clarified knowingly. _

EJ grimaced and wish he could refute that but the truth was that he did feel like the biggest heel in the world right then – no pun intended.

"_Why are you pushing this girl away?" asked Sam with a groan, "She rocks! And she knows you so well AND is as randy as you are! This woman is the complete package and you're intent on returning it to sender!"_

"You know why I'm doing this!" exclaimed EJ hoarsely.

"_Well tell it to me again," said Sam flatly, crossing her arms in front of her chest and looking at him in disgust._

"My brother threatened her," said EJ through clenched teeth, "She was all alone and he no doubt terrified her with the things he said and did to her-"

EJ had to stop then as he closed his eyes tightly and fought to get himself back under control at that thought. Picturing Tony intimidating her, leaning in towards Sami with that knowing little smirk on his face and enjoying her fear was almost too much for EJ to handle. He just wanted to kill the man, regardless of Tony being his brother, for what he'd inflicted upon Sami.

"_I think good old daddy Stefulupecus may have already taken care of that," commented Sam dryly, "So I don't know what your problem is honey – Tony's no longer a problem for you or Sami."_

"And that is made so by my father," said EJ tightly, "A man who would harm his own child because he didn't do what he wanted him to do!"

"_Don't tell me the honeymoon is finally over for you two?" asked Sam with an arch of an eyebrow, "And they said it would last forever."_

"I always knew there were other sides to my father," said EJ with a frown, "But I always thought that when it came to family-"

"_That he was a big old teddy bear that would roll over and you could scratch his belly?" asked Sam coolly. _

"How can I expose Samantha to that kind of world?" asked EJ achingly.

"_I thought the plan was to give daddy demento the old heave ho?" asked Sam in confusion, "You two were going to run off into the sunset together remember?"_

"I was being naive," admitted EJ painfully, "It would not be that simple."

"_Listen honey balls," said Sam with a sigh, "If Sami had wanted simple she would have opted to stay with luck be a lady tonight."_

EJ looked a bit askew at her at that reference and Sam just gave a rueful shrug.

"_I was thinking Lucas sounding a bit like luck and him being a big girl and all," she tried to clarify._

"That was still obscure," commented EJ flatly.

"_The sideways machinations of my brain are the least of your problems here Elvis," said Sam in annoyance, "What are you going to do about Sami and the mess you just made of things?!"_

"Don't you understand?!" asked EJ in anguish, "Don't you get it?!"

Sam looked away, not meeting his gaze because she knew what he was going to say.

"Samantha is at risk as long as she is around me," said EJ hoarsely, "There is no way to get around that reality. If something were to happen to her-"

EJ became choked up then and couldn't continue for a minute as painful tears welled up in his eyes.

"When we read those letters between Santo and Colleen," he continued on at last, his voice raw with emotion, "I read that last letter of Santo's and couldn't even begin to imagine the pain he must have been in when he was forced to bury Colleen. When I think of something like that happening to Samantha I can't breathe, I can't think – all I know is that I have to protect her or die trying."

EJ closed his eyes and hung his head, speaking in little more than a whisper now.

"I have this nightmare," he confessed achingly, "Of Samantha being killed, of holding her in my arms as she dies, just like Santo did with Colleen and the pain of feeling her leaving me is unbearable – it hurts too much to even scream."

"_Elvis," said Sam hesitantly as she came up and put a hand on his shoulder, feeling his obvious pain. _

"I won't let anyone hurt her!" he said almost violently as he jerked his head up and glared up at Sam defiantly, "It's all I can think of – protecting her and this is the best possible way to make that happen. I know I'm hurting Samantha in the short term but ultimately she's going to be alive and safe at the end of it all and that is all I care about. I'd do anything for Samantha, even set her free."

"_And what about you Elvis?" asked Sam quietly._

"It doesn't matter about me," said EJ, looking dully ahead, "This is all my fault anyway. I saw Samantha and wanted her so badly I just had to have her, consequences be damned. I thought I'd die if I couldn't possess her."

"_And now that you have?" asked Sam, coming to sit on the bed._

"Now that I have I realise just how incredibly precious that possession is, what a gift Samantha is to me, the sweetest most perfect gift of my life," said EJ unevenly.

EJ turned to look at Sam intently.

"This is the hardest thing I've ever had to do," he said unsteadily, "I'd rather hack off a limb then hurt Samantha but this is for the greater good. I was selfish in wanting Samantha all for myself, I thought of only myself and what we would have together and now I'm trying to fix that."

"_Oh Elvis," sighed Sam with a shake of her head at his heart felt and agonized words, "You may be a congenital idiot but it's an idiot with his heart in the right place... if not his brains." _

"Samantha isn't seeing things clearly," said EJ sadly, "She's blinded by-"

"_Love?" suggested Sam when he hesitated over the word._

"She'll get over it," he said painfully.

"_Like you will?" challenged Sam knowingly. _

They both looked down at the box with the shoes in it and EJ brought a hand to his face and rubbed it tiredly, feeling the emotions well up in him again. That Sami would have done this for him, all that time ago when she was still denying her feeling for him spoke volumes to EJ. It was the single most amazing gift he'd ever received and he simply didn't have the strength to throw it back in Sami's face like he knew he should to get her to leave him. EJ knew what he had to do but it was harder than he'd ever imagined possible to actually act on.

"_That girl really loves you," observed Sam, watching all the conflicting emotions on his face._

"Don't Sam," said EJ, closing his eyes again, "Just don't alright?"

EJ knew he had to go and face the music and would have given anything for that not to have been the case right then. He reluctantly rolled himself into the living room to find Sami sitting on the sofa, hastily wiping away her tears as she saw him approach. The thought that he'd made Sami cry was a worse pain then if he'd just tried to gauge his own heart out with a rusty spoon.

"I'm sorry I made you cry Samantha," he said hoarsely, finding it hard to breathe right then.

"I kind of thought that was the point," said Sami, pressing her lips together and determinedly wiping away the last of tears.

"The point was to make you see sense," said EJ tightly, "For you to understand."

"What do I need to understand EJ?" she asked him, looking back at him with those soulful eyes of hers that always had him so undone.

"That I may never be able to wear those shoes to go dancing with you Samantha," he warned her, his voice uneven with so much emotion that was coursing through him, "You and I may well never dance again – you have to understand that Samantha."

It was important that Sami understood the reality of the situation but to EJ's great surprise she demonstrated just how much she really did understand everything.

"Could you sit beside me for a minute please EJ?" she implored him quietly and EJ was about to refuse but found that he just couldn't.

He lifted himself up out of the wheelchair so that he was sitting on the sofa beside her. And as Sami turned to face him properly he had an idea why she'd asked him to do that. As soon as EJ was out of that chair he felt more like himself and it was easy to forget about that particular complication. He had an inkling that Sami recognised that and in her own way was trying to make him see past their current situation and her next words confirmed that for EJ.

"You and I will always be able to dance together EJ," she said softly, her big blue eyes full of quiet imploring for him to accept that truth, "We started dancing the moment we laid eyes on each other in that corridor behind you and we've never stopped – not for one minute and we never will. You and I Elvis DiMera, all we know in this world is how to dance with one another."

"_Wow," Sam breathed, for once almost lost for words as she listened in on their conversation, "You sooo don't deserve this woman you giant gonad." _

"I don't deserve you," EJ said hoarsely, his eyes riveted to hers.

"And I don't deserve you," said Sami simply with a half smile, "We are too imperfect both of us to belong to any one other than each other."

Sami moved closer to him as she sat on the sofa and reached out to stroke his face.

"EJ I love you," she said with such sincerity that EJ couldn't doubt it for a moment, "With my whole heart and the only reason my heart is whole at all is because I know you love me too."

EJ swallowed hard and tried to fight back tears at Sami's words. They were all he ever wanted her to say to him and more and the pain of not being able to tell her that he felt exactly the same way was damn near killing him. He was doing all of this for Sami, because it was what was best for her but when she was this close to him, saying those things EJ simply didn't know if he had the strength to keep pushing her away. Sami saw the fight that was raging deep inside of him and reached up both hands now, gently stroking his face.

"You're my whole world EJ," she said softly, moving closer so that her lips were almost touching his now, "You're my first thought in the morning and the last at night and I know that I'm yours as well."

Sami cupped his face then and looked deeply into his eyes.

"Samantha you have to know that this can't happen," he told her achingly, "Please try and understand."

"I understand that you pursued me like no other man could," she told him intently, "That you loved me beyond anything I ever dared dream possible EJ. You saved me when no one else even knew I was drowning and now I'm going to do the same thing for you."

"I don't need you to save me," said EJ hoarsely.

"EJ that is all you need," said Sami and her confidence rocked EJ to the very core.

He was hardly able to believe that this was the same woman who had been so paralysed by everyone else's opinion of her that she wouldn't even allow herself to admit what it was that she really wanted in life. Now she was this powerhouse of certainty that robbed the very breath from EJ's body.

"And I'm going to," she promised him throatily, "Over and over again until you come to your senses."

"No," said EJ weakly, more to himself as he once again felt himself falling.

"Oh yes," purred Sami and then she was kissing him and as always EJ could suddenly think of nothing else.

For so long now he'd been unable to kiss her and having that joy returned to him EJ was finding he simply couldn't get enough of it as all his good intentions dissolved almost immediately at the first taste of her as he drank from her hungrily.

"Tell me what you want EJ," she implored him, Sami's hands gripping his face urgently as her sweet breath was still in his mouth.

"I want you," he said raggedly, knowing he'd be angry with himself later for giving in so easily after a few kisses but couldn't stop even with that knowledge.

They altered his mind so much so that EJ could no longer work out where she began and he stopped and didn't care to.

"Tell me how much," she encouraged him, her eyes flaring with feminine pride, "Tell me what you want to do to me EJ."

"Samantha," he said her name raggedly, knowing this was a battle he simply couldn't win.

"What would you do EJ?" Sami asked him throatily, "What do you want me to do?"

"I'd lay you down on the bed," said EJ, his dark gaze holding hers feverishly as he gave himself over to the never ending pleasure of being in anyway intimate with this woman.

A little smile touched Sami's lips as she saw him give in but she didn't say anything, just let EJ push her back on the sofa and cover her body with his. They both knew that nothing could really come of this, EJ was still incapacitated from his injuries and Sami wasn't quite up to anything more after that mornings exertions; still far too sensitive. As always though, the two of them could always seem to find a way to bring pleasure to the other, their passion for each other making both Sami and EJ quite inventive.

"I'd strip the clothes from your body," continued on EJ, pushing Sami's blouse up so that her bra covered breasts were exposed to him.

"And then you'd want my breast in your mouth," said Sami a little breathlessly.

"Yes," EJ growled, ducking his head and clamping his mouth around one straining bud, clearly visible through the satin material.

Sami groaned and raked her nails through his hair as EJ worshiped at her body, hungrily tugging and suckling alternatively. His other hand went to the button of her jeans and deftly undoing it to allow himself access. EJ heard Sami hold her breath and tremble underneath him but he didn't torment her beyond what she could endure, beyond what they both could. Instead EJ simply cupped her satin covered mound, rubbing his hand back and forth over it in a gentle friction that had Sami squirming underneath him in appreciation. Having been forced to watch Sami strip naked twice for him today and somehow managing not to do anything about that bewitching sight EJ figured he was owed some kind of reward for such restraint. The growing wetness he could feel against his palm was more than enough repayment for EJ though as Sami's body responded helplessly to his touch.

"I'd barely have touched you and you'd already be wet," he said with satisfaction, his breathing as uneven as Sami as he finally lifted his head from the sweetness of those twin delights, "So ready for me."

"Yes," breathed Sami unashamedly, "I can't help it EJ – I want you all the time, every minute of the day I want you!"

EJ's eyes flared to hear her confession and continued their little game.

"I'd make you spread your legs for me," he said throatily, "And you do it without hesitation because you want to show me how eager you are for me."

"Yes," said Sami, moving a little in frustration now as all they could really do was talk about it and there was naked lust in Sami's eyes now, "God you're always so big EJ, I can't believe how big you get for me."

"I'd make you work to have to take all of me," said EJ hoarsely, totally immersed in their fantasy as he remembered all the breathtaking sensations of those first moments of mounting her.

"Yes," breathed Sami throatily, squirming below him in excitement at the picture he was painting, clearly remembering it just as intensely as she was.

"Every time," said EJ through gritted time, "God every time I push into you that first time-"

"I'm wet enough for you aren't I?" Sami purred, arching her back and grinding her lower body into his hand even more.

"Yes," he moaned, squeezing his eyes closed at the assault of all the memories, "And so tight, god you're so tight Samantha, every time I don't think you'll be able to take me."

"But I always do don't I EJ?" she purred up at him, enjoying the build up between them, "You just keep on pushing and pushing until all of you is inside of me..."

EJ swallowed a groan.

"And I'm holding my breath the whole time and I don't let it go until you've pushed your way completely into me EJ, it's so perfect and I just want to come right there and then for you."

EJ gave a triumphant guttural sound that came from low down in his throat at her admission as he kissed Sami fiercely, his tongue penetrating her mouth even while his body couldn't but the mad tingling and pulsating was back and EJ had no doubt what was the cause of it.

"I'm so desperate to please you now," Sami groaned, falling into the fantasy as deeply as EJ was, "I'll do anything you want me to."

"Anything?" EJ growled, liking the sound of that very much.

"Yes," she said eagerly, seeing how much he was enjoying this, "I make you pull out of me and roll over onto your back so I can take you in my mouth – I want to taste what it's like when our bodies have been together. We take salty and sweet together and I want so badly for you to come in my mouth so I can taste you even better..."

"Samantha!" EJ groaned loudly, the throbbing in his lower body almost too painful to endure now but also oddly pleasurable as well.

He didn't know if he was doing himself permanent physical damage right then and frankly EJ didn't care.

"I can feel you getting closer," said Sami excitedly, "And I work harder on you-"

"No!" said EJ shakily, "I want-"

"To come inside me," finished Sami with satisfaction, knowing EJ all too well by now, "You want to lay claim to what is yours don't you EJ?"

"Yes," he growled, "I make you let me go and then I'd turn you over-"

"On all fours?" she asked him eagerly.

"Yes," growled EJ, "I want to take you from behind."

"Like on the stairs?" offered up Sami, her eyes shining with brilliant excitement at the memory.

"Yes," said EJ through clenched teeth, remembering it just as clearly as Sami obviously was.

"You've never come as hard inside a woman as you did that time have you EJ?" she asked, her eyes half closing with feminine confidence of the intensity of what had passed between them that time.

"No," he grunted excitedly.

"Was it because you'd just made me come in front of Lucas?" Sami asked him coyly.

"I don't know," said EJ, swallowing a groan at this impossibly sexy incarnation of Sami that was simply blowing his mind.

"You like marking your territory don't you EJ?" she purred up at him, "You loved that you could stake your claim in that basement. You adored the fact that I went back upstairs to that apartment with all of your seed planted deep inside of me didn't yo-"

EJ cut her off, claiming Sami's mouth in a near brutal kiss, almost in a frenzy with how much he wanted this woman. It was beyond enduring and EJ needed to do something about it. He impatiently plunged his hand under the thin material of Sami's panties, needing to at least taste her, his mouth watering at the prospect when suddenly an incredibly sharp pain ripped through his back, making EJ actually scream and jerk back.

"EJ!" Sami gasped in distress at seeing him in pain, "EJ are you alright?!"

He couldn't answer her right away, what little breath he had left stolen from his body until eventually EJ gave a little grunt.

"Ow," he muttered.

"EJ what can I do?" asked Sami anxiously, all passion forgotten in the light of this development.

"Wait," EJ mumbled as he gingerly lifted himself off Sami and leant back against the sofa before letting out a shaky breath.

"Oh god EJ I'm so sorry," said Sami in horror, sitting up a little and pulling her blouse down as she did, "Are you alright – shall I call the doctor back?"

"No," said EJ grimly as he grimaced a little, "It's nothing, just a little spasm."

"What was I thinking?" asked Sami, immediately chastising herself, "You're barely out of the hospital and-"

"You were thinking the exact same thing I was thinking Samantha," he interrupted her wryly.

"Well yes," she admitted with a quirk of her lips, "Obviously."

EJ looked over at Sami, her face flushed a delightful pink colour after their session on the couch, her blonde hair sexily dishevelled and her eyes bright with a mixture of desire and concern. It was absolutely impossible not to adore this woman EJ decided helplessly. The sudden harsh sound of the phone ringing, followed by the answering machine picking up further broke the moment between them, particularly when they heard who it was on the other end.

"_EJ it's me Lucas. I don't even know if you're out of the hospital yet but I can't get a hold of Sami, she's not answering her phone. So if you see her can you tell her that I'm looking for her?"_

Lucas hung up then without saying goodbye and EJ felt his heart sink. The two of them lay there on the sofa, the sweat cooling on their still heaving bodies from how worked up they'd managed to get one another. The actual sound of Lucas' voice was like a bucket of cold water for EJ though if the back spasm hadn't been enough – the man a reminder of the reality of the problems that still lay between them. EJ looked over at Sami who was looking troubled as well.

"You're boyfriend is looking for you," EJ said dully, his heart still hammering away painfully in his chest, "You'd better go and call him back."

"EJ don't," Sami implored him unevenly reaching out a hand to him but he just closed his eyes and shook his head.

This whole situation was beyond hopeless EJ decided in despair.


	19. Chapters 156 to 166

**FATED**

**(Chapters 156 - 166)**

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & FIFTY SIX**** – ****Accidents Do Happen**

We always long for the forbidden things, and desire what is denied us.

_~Francois Rabelais~_

A couple of hours later EJ was fiddling with the remote control of the stereo after finding he couldn't get it to work. Sami had gone out to run a few errands after their heated make out session had been interrupted by Lucas' call and his painful back episode. EJ was not in a great mood because of that although technically he should be thankful that Lucas had rung when he did all things considered. The reality though, was that he wasn't. A violent jealousy had all but ripped him to shreds when Sami had excused herself from their interlude on the couch and gone across to her apartment to ring the other man back. The pain from her doing that, despite it being his suggestion, was much worse than the sudden spasm in his back. His back was still aching despite the pain killers Sami had insisted he'd taken but that was the least of EJ's problems.

EJ hated that he cared so much that Sami was still having anything to do with Lucas even though he was trying to push her back with him. He decided he'd have to rethink that scenario though because EJ seriously didn't think he'd be able to endure even the thought of Lucas and Sami being together, even if it was the safer option for Sami. If only he could find a way to halt these passionate exchanges between he and Sami thought EJ morosely, then he might have a shot at setting her free.

"_Well why don't you plan on going a few rounds of chasing the weasel through the bushes instead then?" offered up Sam blithely as she lounged on the sofa, watching him tinker away with the remote, as EJ now decided it needed new batteries._

"What the hell does that mean?" snapped EJ in annoyance as he wheeled himself over to this desk to get some replacement batteries and tried to ignore her with little success.

He didn't seem to be achieving any of his goals nowadays EJ decided sourly.

"_Well it seems like when you're not trying to butter Sami's muffin that is all you end up doing if the last twenty four hours is anything to go by," commented Sam logically, "Perhaps if you intend on playing a few rounds of slippery when wet with your girl instead then it won't actually happen."_

EJ gave her a disgusted look at that suggestion.

"_What?" Sam shrugged, "Your way sure as hell isn't working now is it? No sooner are you telling Sami to get her ass out of your apartment then you're telling her what it is exactly you'd like to be doing to her ass! You are making no progress whatsoever-"_

Sam stopped and pursed her lips thoughtfully then.

"_-unless of course your idea of progress is confirming to Sami that you are a randy, bipolar lunatic," she said knowingly, "If that is the case then can I say you are more than halfway there in my estimation." _

"I just need to get my head in the game," muttered EJ in annoyance, not exactly being able to refute any of what Sam had just said.

"_And your fingers out of the honey pot," said Sam knowingly, "I have serious concerns that when you're at full strength again and there has been a correction of that nasty cranio-rectal inversion thing you've got going on-"_

EJ sent her a vaguely bemused look at that.

"_You get your head out of your ass," she clarified with a quirk of her lips, "So when that is all cleared up as I was saying Elvis; I'm seriously worried that the two of you will kill each other with sex! I tell you, you two are more horny then an entire brass marching band! I hear now that even rabbits have coined the phrase 'going at it like a pair of EJ and Sami's'!"_

"Is it just me or are you less coherent then normal?" grumbled EJ as he worked to get the cover of the remote off, the catch being a little stiff.

"_I'm not the incoherent one," sniffed Sam, "You're just suffering from jizzalitis." _

EJ sighed heavily, not looking up.

"What's that?" he asked, fully acknowledging he probably didn't want to know.

"_All these make out sessions with Sami," said Sam knowingly, "You're getting all worked up and there is nowhere for the little fellas to go once they are released from the barn so to speak."_

EJ stopped what he was doing and looked up at Sam in disbelief as she continued on happily.

"_Your man juices are all backed up because they couldn't launch itself into Sami's tunnel o love," said Sam as though she was delivering a lecture on the subject, "Or even onto EJ's handshake o desperation, so there is a backlog."_

Sam held up her hand to her eye level.

"_Up to about here," she said, perfectly serious as she indicated the supposed level of EJ's unreleased man juices, "That funny taste in the back of your throat panda pants... I'll give you a hint, it's not the aftertaste of that sandwich Sami made you." _

"You are dead to me," said EJ flatly after having listened to her 'diagnosis' of his condition.

"_All I'm saying is that the jizz doesn't get to do the bizz then it causes your brain to fizz," said Sam, obviously quite pleased with her little rhyme. _

EJ grunted, doubting very much Sam's medical knowledge but having to admit that he did feel like a coiled spring after the events of today and he couldn't help but wonder how his body was coping with the fact that it hadn't technically found its own release yet. If the headache he was sporting was anything to go by – not well.

"Bloody hell!" muttered EJ in annoyance as the batteries he was replacing in the remote control for the stereo got away from him and scattered on the floor just as Sami walked back in the front door, thankfully saving EJ from anymore of Sam's diagnoses.

"I'll get them," Sami volunteered and EJ wanted to growl at her that he wasn't an invalid but couldn't bear to hurt her anymore that day.

"It's alright," he said, leaning forward and picking up the nearest one from the floor, "I've got it."

"Where's the other one?" asked Sami, looking around on the floor.

"I think it went under the sofa," said EJ reluctantly, knowing he'd find that harder to retrieve with any kind of dignity.

"Oh," said Sami and knelt down just in front of EJ and practically had to put her cheek on the ground to look under the sofa, "Oh yeah, I see it – wait."

Sami straightened up and then still on her knees turned around so her back was to him so that she could better reach the little battery. She then bent right over, her arm going under the sofa to search for it and making her bottom go up in the air for EJ to enjoy and enjoy it he did. While Sami was preoccupied looking for the battery EJ allowed himself to shamelessly ogle her backside that was waving back and forth oh so enticingly in front of him.

He had this sudden wild urge to roll up behind her and sink his teeth into those ample cheeks and was forced to bite back a groan at the prospect. Flashes of memory of them making love in this position, the soft swell of those womanly hips gripped between his hands as he pounded himself...

"_Huston we have lift off," smirked Sam, eyeing EJ's lap and interrupting his less than gentleman like thoughts. _

The blood was pumping around his body, a roaring beginning in his ears that made EJ almost miss what Sam had said.

Almost.

EJ grimaced and grabbed a cushion off the sofa and placed it on his lap to hide the damning evidence from Sami as she still was trying to retrieve the battery. He was thinking more along the lines of 'Houston we have a problem' with this new development. As wonderful as it was to know that his body was obviously returning to full strength this posed yet another problem for EJ to surmount. At least while his lower body was numb he had a shot, however faint, at getting Sami to believe him when he said he didn't want her anymore.

His body's somewhat obvious and rather spectacular return to the game in no way was helpful to EJ. After talking to his father and realising for the first time just exactly what it was such a man was capable of EJ was more desperate than ever to keep Sami away from him. He still loved his father but after seeing what he'd done to Tony, whatever that might have been, on his behalf EJ knew that he couldn't allow Sami to be around that.

"I'm tired," said EJ unevenly, figuring a strategic retreat was the best option left open to him, "I'm going to go and lie down."

"_Just not on his stomach," inserted Sam helpfully even though Sami couldn't hear her, "Because that would violate the warranty on the mattress."_

EJ threw her a warning glare at that comment while Sami wasn't looking as she was straightening up.

"_Well something is going to get violated with that thing," said Sam unrepentantly as she looked at EJ's lap pointedly. _

Sami was turning around with the battery in her hand and EJ knew he had to distract her about the fact he had a pillow in his lap. Her investigating more closely what was going on there was the last thing EJ needed. He doubled over, more or less hiding the pillow from Sami's view and more importantly the damning evidence that was hidden underneath it.

"EJ?" asked Sami, crouching down in concern in front of him, "Are you alright?"

"Another back spasm," EJ lied, looking away and praying he could bluff his way out of this.

"_You wish," snorted Sam rather unhelpfully EJ thought. _

"I'll get you some more pills," said Sami, immediately standing up and turning to go into the kitchen.

"I don't want any pills," said EJ quickly, hating the thought of having to rely on such things.

"But-" Sami went to protest but he interjected.

"I'll just lie down for a bit," he said hastily, "I'm sure that will do the trick."

"_Maybe if it's in a bucket of ice," commented Sam sceptically. _

"Alright," said Sami uncertainly, clearly unhappy with the arrangement, "Just call me if you need me EJ, okay?"

"_Oh he needs you," chortled Sam, "He needs you bad Sami if that Eiffel Tower in his pants is anything to go by." _

"I won't," said EJ through clenched teeth and managed to wheel himself to the bedroom, still hunched over a bit.

Sam was sitting on the edge of the bed and waiting for him.

"_Smooth," she commented mockingly._

"Shut up," EJ growled and threw the rather aptly named throw cushion onto the bed.

"_I don't want to give you a swelled head or anything," said Sam languidly and then had to giggle, "Although I suppose it is a little late for that now."_

"Get to the point Sam or get out," bit out EJ, moving uncomfortably in his chair as the blood still pumped around his body, the lingering after effects of seeing Sami's bottom up high in the air like that, almost calling to him kept his body annoyingly erect.

"_I was going to say that you, my little panty twister, are a big boy – in more ways than one," she said, her eyes slipping back to the still impressive bulge in EJ's sweat pants, "And now that the one eyed sailor is keen to get back to riding on SS Sami I'm not sure how you are going to be able to keep you and the dread pirate Robert's there a secret – even if you did put a little mask on it." _

"It will be fine," snapped EJ, "This is just a one off thing, it won't happen again."

"_Why?" asked Sam mockingly, "Are you going to velcro Blackbeard there down or something?"_

"I'm going to get Samantha to move out of my apartment so it isn't going to be an issue," said EJ through clenched teeth.

"_Good plan," said Sam straight faced, "Because you've already had so much luck with that already I say keep on going with it but it's a big old waste of time."_

"And why do you say that?" asked EJ in annoyance.

"_Apart from the fact that you've demonstrated that you have absolutely no control over that woman or yourself for that matter the reality is that you don't want her to leave at all," said Sam knowingly._

"Of course I do!" EJ said angrily, "I'm trying to save her life here – why would you say something like that?!"

"_Elvis honey," said Sam with an arched eyebrow, "If you were really serious about getting Sami out of your life you'd tell her the truth."_

"What do you mean?" EJ hedged nervously, knowing full well what she meant but not wanting to admit it.

"_I mean you'd tell her about the birth control switcheroo and the surveillance cameras," said Sam defiantly, "But you won't because you know it will send her screaming for the hills and you might claim to want that but deep down you don't want to risk losing her."_

"Shut up Sam!" EJ spat out again which he knew was a very poor argument but that was all he had.

"_Well that told me," said Sam with a roll of her eyes. _

oooOOOOooo

"Well there's my favourite Mom," announced Lucas happily as Kate walked into his hospital room.

"I wasn't aware you had others," commented Kate dryly.

"Who knows in Salem," said Lucas and then began to laugh quite loudly at that thought.

"You're stoned," said Kate unhappily.

"No I'm happy," he corrected her with a big grin, "Happy, happy, happy!"

"Because you're drugged to the eyeballs," said Kate with a note of censure in her voice.

"No because I have a Mom who knows how to look after me," he said, grinning up at her.

Lucas had practically cried with relief when his mother had turned up with the requested drugs and had taken more than he usually did and was feeling the effects of it now, despite his protests to the contrary. He was in a very, very happy place right now.

"I'm glad you are beginning to see that Lucas," said Kate a little stiffly but even stoned Lucas could see that she was pleased at the thought of him needing her.

A perverse part of his nature wanted to toy with that pleasure though.

"And of course I spoke to Sami," he told her blithely and watched with dark satisfaction his mother's face tighten, "There is nothing in the world like hearing the woman you love's voice on the phone."

"Umpf," Kate grunted, obviously unimpressed by the mention of the other woman's name and Lucas couldn't resist turning the knife a little and increasing his perverse pleasure.

"You know the first thing I'm going to do when I get back to Salem?" he asked her happily, feeling his head spin a little and not waiting for her reply, "I'm going to ask Sami to marry me."

"Oh god," said Kate flatly, "Not again."

"Yes again," smirked Lucas, "Cheer up Mom, you can go out and buy yourself a brand new dress for the occasion – that should make you happy."

"No need because I wear the same dress to all of Sami's weddings," said Kate straight faced, "It's getting a little worn now but it's still good."

Lucas giggled at that and grinned at Kate.

"You hate Sami," he said and giggled again, finding this very amusing all of a sudden.

"No I hate people how say y'ello when they answer the phone," said Kate, "I loathe Sami Brady!"

"Not me," said Lucas happily, his words slurring slightly, "I love her! I love Sami like you'd love... you'd love..."

Lucas stalled then, his obviously drug addled mind having a little trouble coming up with a suitable analogy – not so Kate.

"A pet dog?" she suggested dryly.

"No!" pouted Lucas, "More than that, much more than that Mom!"

"A pet dog you allow on the bed?" suggested Kate mockingly.

"Sami isn't a dog," said Lucas unevenly.

"You're right," nodded Kate, "She's a bitch."

Kate turned to look at Lucas more fully now.

"Interesting little fact honey," she said coolly, "They used to refer to female dogs as sluts but when that came to mean something else it was changed to bitch. Of course we are seeing the same problem happening again but curiously enough both words can be applied to Sami."

"Sami isn't a slut!" said Lucas harshly, his buzz clearly being ruined by Kate now.

"Just because she won't let you sleep with her doesn't mean she isn't a whore Lucas," said Kate tightly, "That girl has always given it away for free!"

"While you used to make them pay is that it Mom?" asked Lucas bitterly, as memories of his chequered childhood came back to him, "You make all of us pay one way or the other."

"What does that mean?" asked Kate, looking at him in horror.

"It means that your love doesn't come cheap," said Lucas, the drugs lowering his inhibitions about what he would normally say to her.

"I don't expect anything from you," said Kate unsteadily, "What are you talking about Lucas? My love is a gift, a mother's love for her son."

"Your gift comes with strings," said Lucas resentfully, "I'm not allowed to love any woman more than you am I Mom?"

"I'm your mother," said Kate unapologetically, "I will always have loved you for the longest Lucas. I carried you inside my body for nine months and that makes for a bond that no other woman can come close to. All I want from you is to remember that and give me the place in your heart that such a thing deserves."

"Yeah but you don't like to share do you Mom?" asked Lucas sullenly, "You want it all for yourself and there are some days that I think I'll never be able to get my heart back to give to anyone else."

Lucas actually shocked himself with the words that were coming out of his mouth but realised that they were deeply held fears that he'd had for a long time now. What was probably the most shocking to Lucas though was the look on his mother's face. While Kate looked taken aback to be sure there was an undeniable look of intense pleasure at the thought of her having sole possession of her son's heart. It was so sick but in many ways it was all the two of them knew so there was a kind of twisted comfort in it as well.

"No matter what you think honey," she said softly, coming to sit on his bed and taking Lucas' hand in hers, "I only have your best interests in heart and I promise you – no one will ever love you like I do – ever."

"I know," said Lucas unevenly and knew that it was that exact thing that he was afraid of.

Would he always find Sami's or any woman's love lacking if they didn't devote all their energies to him like his mother did? Was Kate's overwhelming love for him condemning Lucas to a life where he would always be dissatisfied with the love of any other woman? It was a troubling thought that not even all the painkillers he'd taken could take away.

oooOOOOooo

EJ lay in bed later that night, terrified that Sami was going to join him and even more terrified that she wasn't. Sam's taunting words were going around and around in his head and EJ was trying desperately to come up with justifications why he hadn't told Sami the whole truth yet but failing miserably. He wanted to think that he was a big enough man to have the courage of his convictions but now EJ was beginning to wonder. The sound of the bedroom door being opened stopped EJ's thought processes dead though as Sami walked into the room. He felt tears well up in his eyes and didn't know if they were of frustration or relief.

EJ had his back to the door, lying on his side but he felt the bed dip slightly as Sami got into bed. There was instantly the soft smell of vanilla and roses from her bath soap in the air and he couldn't help but inhale the scent hungrily. EJ felt his body stir as Sami snuggled up against his back and begin to press soft kisses along his broad shoulders and a little way down his back. He closed his eyes against how wonderful it felt to have her touching him and tried to will himself to order her to stop. Sami moved in even closer then and slipped an arm under his so that her hand was resting lightly on his chest. EJ's heart was racing wildly which she could no doubt feel but he couldn't do anything about that.

"I love you."

It damn near killed EJ not to say the words back to Sami but he somehow managed it but it seemed Sami didn't need them. It barely took anytime before her slow even breathing told EJ that she was asleep.

"I love you too Samantha," he said into the darkness, confident she couldn't hear his confession and prayed for a way to end the hopelessness of this situation.

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & FIFTY SEVEN**** - ****There is No Keeping a Good Man Down**

A bit of lusting after someone does wonders for you and is good for your skin.

_~Elizabeth Hurley~_

EJ lay on his stomach on the bed and blew out a resigned sigh. The doctor had left about ten minutes ago and again he'd been given a glowing health report all things considered after the man had examined him but EJ felt anything but fine. The trouble was that he was getting absolutely nowhere with trying to get Sami to leave him and even EJ had to admit he wasn't exactly on his game in that department of late. The physical problems of not being able to walk was a vague distraction to EJ which if he'd thought about it more he would have realised the enormity of that fact. He was more consumed with trying to protect Sami then the fact that he might never walk again which pretty much answered his own question as to why this was so hard for him.

"You know I was talking to the doctor and he thought you might benefit from some massage to help loosen up your back muscles," Sami called out to him from the bathroom.

"I wouldn't bother," EJ grunted back distractedly, face down in the pillow, "I don't want some stranger traipsing through my apartment."

"I wasn't thinking of getting someone in," said Sami calmly, "I was thinking I could do it."

That got EJ's attention as he lifted his from the pillow and felt his heart lurch at even the thought of it.

"NO!" he said sharply, knowing he was in no state of mind to be able to get through an experience like that.

The return of sensation south of the border, while a weight off his mind also gave EJ new things to worry about.

"Don't be difficult EJ," she told him through the bathroom door.

"Can if I want," muttered EJ, thinking he'd dodged a bullet and lying his head back down on the pillow, facing the wall.

"Oh good," he head Sami say, "You've already assumed the position."

EJ turned his head on the pillow to tell Sami that he wasn't assuming anything when the words died on his lips at the sight in front of him. Sami was standing at the bathroom door completely naked except for a pair of frilly yellow panties. For a good minute and a half EJ lost the ability to both breathe and form coherent sentences.

"I didn't want to get any oil on my clothes," explained Sami to his silent question, her blue eyes dripping with innocence which just made her even sexier in EJ's mind.

EJ made some kind of rasping noise but beyond that was helpless as Sami walked determinedly towards him, her gait slow enough that her full hips swung in a decidedly feminine and seductive fashion and her surprisingly pert breasts for their size jiggled rather pleasingly as she approached him, bottle of oil in one hand. EJ couldn't tear his eyes off the sight of the goddess walking towards him and immediately felt himself harden rather painfully. He was just wearing his underpants after the doctor's examination, not having gotten around to putting his clothes back on but Sami seemed to find this perfectly acceptable as she looked him up and down appreciatively. To have her looking at him like that was painfully exciting.

"Are you ready EJ?" she asked him with a little smile.

If only EJ had been able to regain the power of speech he might have been able to say that he was in no way ready but Sami took his silence for acceptance and the next thing EJ knew Sami was climbing on the bed and straddling his backside, being careful to keep her weight off him.

"Oh god," said EJ faintly as he felt Sami settle on top of him, regaining his voice too late to save himself.

"Just relax EJ," she purred above him and then there was the feeling of warm oil hitting his back and shoulders, making him tense at the light caress.

The next thing he knew was Sami's hands on his back, gently stroking along the curve of his spine. She kept away from bullet wound scars but began to methodically work on his taunt muscles. Sami worked slowly, sensuously and EJ could do nothing but lie there and try not to enjoy it too much.

Fat chance.

When Sami would lean over him to run her oiled hands over his long arms she'd be forced to lean down over him and EJ could feel her soft breasts with their hard nipples being rubbed back and forth his back at the same time. Sami's actions were very deliberate and EJ knew she was taking her time with that, letting him feel their now mutually oil slicked bodies rubbing back and forth and generating a delicious heat. EJ squeezed his eyes closed against how good it felt and tried for all he was worth not to start groaning out loud but then Sami only began to add to his torture.

"You're the only man for me EJ," she said huskily into his ear, "If you won't let us be together then you're condemning me to being utterly alone for the rest of my life."

EJ squeezed his eyes close even more tightly, finding it very hard to battle Sami both physically and emotionally. If he was condemning Sami to permanent loneliness EJ knew he would suffer the exact same fate. No other woman would ever come close to making him feel the way Sami did.

"Turn over," she whispered in his ear after what seemed a life time of sweet torture that EJ never wanted to end.

Her request caused him to panic though because thanks to her well oiled ministrations he was more than a little excited right then and turning over would only give Sami the encouragement that she clearly didn't need. It was actually agonising to be lying on his front at the moment thanks to Sami's sensuous massage but it was also safer.

"No thank you," said EJ, "I think I'll just lie here and relax for a bit. Thank you for the massage Samantha."

"But I'm not done yet," she protested, "Turn over EJ."

"I don't think I can," said EJ, giving her only a half truth, "I think I should just lie like this for a bit and let my back settle down a bit."

Amongst other things.

"Don't be silly EJ," she said determinedly, "I'm not done yet so stop arguing with me and turn over will you? I'm not going anywhere until you do."

EJ grimaced but could hear the steely determination in Sami's voice and knew she wasn't going to stop until she got her own way. He had found himself between a rock and an extremely swollen and aching hard place and EJ had absolutely no exit strategy.

"I'm waiting EJ," she informed him throatily and EJ knew he was beat.

Damn the woman.

The impossibly sexy and persistent woman.

"I can't while you are sitting on me," he grumbled, taking the route of poor loser.

"Easily fixed," said Sami in amusement at his surly attitude and he felt her climb off him.

Biting the bullet EJ gingerly turned himself over and let the chips fall where they may. Sami looked him up and down, her gaze coming to rest on the rather large tent situation he had going on in his briefs. He watched a knowing little smile come to her lips and saw the flash of pleasure and perhaps relief at well to see him giving her a very definite one eyed salute.

"I'm so glad that you have absolutely no feelings for me EJ," she giggled, looking at his monster hard on, "Otherwise a girl could get the wrong idea."

EJ didn't answer, just looked straight up at the ceiling and prayed that her teasing of him and his current condition would have somewhat of a deflating effect on him.

Unlikely.

"Hm," continued on Sami straight faced, clearly intent on teasing him over this, "And we've been worried about the swelling in your back."

"It's not what it looks like," said EJ sourly, not exactly having anyway to hide the effect she'd had on his body so trying to hide behind words instead.

Sometimes it wasn't easy being a guy.

Sami arched a disbelieving eyebrow at that assertion though.

"Really?" she said with a quirk of her lips.

"I think I've got an allergic reaction to something," he said, not even sure why he was bothering to try and make Sami think that this wasn't anything other than what it was – a gigantic hard on with her name written all over it.

"Is that right?" she asked and EJ could see Sami was trying hard not to laugh, "In that case would you like me to scratch it for you EJ?"

Of its own wilful accord his mighty erection jerked wildly at the thought of Sami touching it which just made Sami start giggling again.

"I think that might have been a yes," she chuckled.

"It's just a physical thing," said EJ, trying to dismiss it, "It doesn't mean anything Samantha and it certainly doesn't change anything."

"It changes everything EJ," disagreed Sami as she straddled him once more, again carefully keeping her weight off him, "It means that things are returning to normal down there and that means it shouldn't be too long before we can get you up and walking again."

Sami looked very happy at that thought and EJ had to agree, it was an encouraging sign but right then he had bigger problems. Like how he was going to get Sami to get off him and leave the room and more importantly how was he possibly going to find the strength to make himself want that? EJ was finding it damn near impossible to take his eyes off her oil slicked body that was glistening in a decidedly intoxicating way as she smiled down at him. Her pale, gleaming skin was practically screaming at him to touch it and EJ could feel himself starting to shake as he tried to control himself.

"See something you like EJ?" Sami asked him playfully, seeing how he was looking at her and picking up his hands she guided them to her breasts.

EJ couldn't help himself, squeezing their fullness tightly and feeling them slide against his fingers, the oil making Sami slippery to the touch.

"How does that feel?" she asked him teasingly, "Are you enjoying yourself EJ?"

The only answer EJ could give was a whimpering groan as he continued to fondle her breasts and felt himself grow even harder. Sami knelt over EJ then, straddling him on all fours with her hands on either side of his head. She slowly bent down then, her knees on either side of his thighs and found his mouth in a series of passionately languid kisses.

The whole time Sami was rubbing her backside against his rampant erection, caressing it with her yellow panty clad derrière while she slowly dragged her breasts with their hard nipples back and forth across EJ's chest. It was a simply madding combination, especially with Sami's tongue deep in his mouth at the same time and EJ quickly lost all sense of himself outside this woman as he usually did. The feeling of those pebbled beads being rubbed against his chest was beginning to drive EJ mad and as though Sami could read his mind she broke off their kiss abruptly and straightened her elbows so that she was looking down at him now.

She gave him a knowing look, tossing her head so that her long golden hair was now cascading down one side of her face. EJ looked up at her mesmerised by the sheer gorgeousness of the creature above him as she manoeuvred herself so that one breast was now at his mouth. He licked his lips and didn't need any further invitation, opening his mouth eagerly as Sami leant down, slowly feeding her breast with its pert nipple into EJ's mouth. They both groaned as he clamped on hard and began to torture the sweet bud with his frantic sucking and skilful tongue. EJ's other hand came up to cup Sami's other breast, the oil on both their skin making the fullness slip easily through his fingers as he played with the slippery orb. Sami maintained eye contact with him through the whole thing, clearly enjoying the pleasure he was taking in her body. A few minutes later she made him switch and EJ happily complied, not wanting to show favourites.

There wasn't an inch of Sami's perfect body that he simply didn't adore and he wanted to worship every part of it if he could. Finally Sami pulled her breast from his mouth and EJ made a complaining noise but she quickly covered him his mouth with her own, going back down on her elbows so she could kiss him hard and he immediately forgot his complaint. EJ's hands went to Sami's bottom and hips, moving restlessly over the firm flesh. His hard on was undulating madly and urging him to take more liberties and EJ was in no mind to argue.

EJ plunged his three of his fingers deep into Sami, making her squeal even as her instincts took her over completely and she began to ride them frantically. EJ held his hand still, content to let Sami use them and him to find her release. The increasingly desperate force in which she was using his fingers to penetrate herself told EJ that she was already almost there. He adored how quickly he could bring Sami to orgasm. It was an intoxicating thought that she was always so ready for him that a few quick pumps or licks would have Sami screaming her delight out all over him.

Sami suddenly threw her head back and began to groan loudly, signalling her release but EJ already knew, could feel her convulsing around his fingers. He couldn't take anymore, as he withdrew his fingers from Sami's heat and grabbed her hips tightly, dragging them back to his heavily swollen and aching member that was jerking wildly in anticipation of being inside all of that pulsating heat again.

"EJ no!" Sami moaned but he wasn't listening, roughly pulling aside her yellow panties and forcing her to mount him in one hard motion.

They both groaned loudly as she completed him and EJ couldn't help the grunts of pure pleasure as he enjoyed the fluttering of her still convulsing walls against his throbbing member. EJ made a mental note that from now on he'd make Sami come just before he claimed her from now on because he always wanted her this hot and wet for him during their initial couplings. Of course the thought that this shouldn't be happening in the first place was the furthest one from EJ's mind right then.

"I'm going to come so hard inside of you Samantha," he vowed to her around a groan.

"EJ you can't!" said Sami with a desperate shake of her head.

"Watch me," he grunted defiantly, his aching balls telling another story, "You need to help me sweetheart, like before-"

EJ was referring to their time in the hotel room when he'd hurt his back and Sami had been the one to do all the work to bring them both to a noisy bliss but she shook her head at him again.

"No!" she said hoarsely and EJ couldn't work out why Sami was being so coy considering she'd been doing nothing but tease and titillate him since he'd gotten out of the hospital.

"Yes!" he said roughly, needing her body to satisfy him right then and not thinking beyond that.

He gripped her hips tightly in his hands and despite Sami's protests began to move her hips up and down on his rigid staff, forcing her down on his swollen head again and again. In spite of her words of dissent Sami's body accepted him hungrily over and over, clearly as eager for him to push past her engorged folds and find the dripping heat beneath as he was. Rather distractedly EJ realised his right foot was jerking wildly through all of this but right then his thoughts weren't exactly about his feet as he relentlessly pounded Sami down onto his manhood that was continuing to engorge impressively at such rough treatment.

"Wait, wait, WAIT!" she said around guttural moans and then he felt her grab at his wrists, gripping them tightly.

EJ looked up at her through desire hazed eyes and blinked blearily.

"We can't do this EJ," she told him unevenly, "You can't come EJ."

"Sweetheart at this point it is a near impossibility not to," said EJ through gritted teeth as the strain of remaining still inside her showed on his face.

Every instinct he had was shouting at EJ to keep on making Sami ride him fiercely so he could hammer his hardness into her until they were both screaming their pleasure out.

"No EJ," she said, obvious regret on her face, "You're back-"

"Is fine," he interrupted her as he tried to begin moving her hips up and down again on him but Sami resisted.

"Has two bullet wounds in it," she corrected him breathlessly, "I don't think jerking about suddenly is going to be at all good for it."

"I'll come gently," he promised her desperately, in frantic need of some kind of release very, very soon.

Sami arched a disbelieving eyebrow at that statement and EJ had to grimace ruefully.

"It will be alright," he said urgently, going a different route instead, "My back feels wonderful Samantha, trust me."

"I love you so much EJ," said Sami, "I can't bear the thought that I might be responsible for hurting you."

"Then give me a few more minutes inside of you," he pleaded with her frantically, "Otherwise you're going to be killing me Samantha!"

Sami made a regretful look at that needy statement but despite his protests and clutching hands she managed to climb off a horrified EJ and sit beside him on the bed.

"Oh god!" he moaned in despair as Sami left him very high and dry.

EJ stole a look down at his impossibly large member that was still glistening with all of her juices and had to give another loud moan.

"GOD!" he groaned in abject frustration, throwing an arm over his face in despair.

"EJ I'm so sorry," said Sami, biting on her bottom lip and looking suitably chagrined, "I never meant for it to get that far, really. I just forget everything when you touch me and I got carried away. I'm sorry-"

Sami put out a hesitant hand and touched his still heaving chest.

"I really need you not to be touching me right now sweetheart," he told her though clenched teeth as he struggled mightily to get himself back under control.

He knew Sami hadn't intentionally led him on seeing as EJ had pretty much taken charge from the first but knowing that didn't help his current predicament.

"Oh god I think I'm going to die," he grunted helplessly, his arm still over his face.

"Can I do anything?" asked Sami solicitously and looking very guilty.

EJ took his arm from his face and looked up at her hopefully and Sami pulled a face and shook her head.

"Besides _that_," she said with a quirk of her lips.

"I think I need a little alone time to collect myself sweetheart," said EJ unevenly as his eyes ran hungrily over her nearly naked and oiled body, "Having you here isn't exactly helping."

"Oh," said Sami and wrinkled her nose, "I suppose not."

It was just over forty minutes after Sami had left that EJ was feeling like he was once again in control of his own body despite the still painful throbbing in his crotch area. He was sitting up on the bed and looking blankly ahead when Sam suddenly appeared beside him.

"_How's things?" she asked him brightly._

"Peachy keen," said EJ dully, still looking straight ahead.

"_Hey did you notice your foot jiggling away during all of that?" Sam asked him enthusiastically, "That must be a good sign right? Looks like the doctor's and their talk of permanent paralysis haven't dealt with the healing power of Sami's hoo hoo before." _

EJ turned his head slowly to look at Sam with a fierce frown on his face.

"_Seriously," said Sam straight faced, "That girl's tunnel o' love is akin to the baths at Lourdes it would seem. At least for you anyway. You dip a couple of digits into those waters and you're practically doing back flips." _

"I'm not in the mood for this right now Sam," said EJ curtly.

"_I think the trouble is that you are in the mood which rather ironically makes you not in the mood," said Sam knowingly. _

"I can't keep doing this," said EJ hollowly.

"_Not without things turning blue and dropping off," agreed Sam readily. _

"I have to get Samantha to leave me," said EJ hopelessly, "I have to protect her, no matter what the cost."

"_I don't know if anyone has ever told you this before but you are a stubborn man Elvis DiMera," said Sam with a shake of her head to which EJ didn't even bother to answer. _

It took EJ a half an hour to collect himself but then he was wheeling himself out to where Sami was folding some clothing.

"Hey," she smiled down at him, "How are you feeling?"

"Frustrated," said EJ, not returning her smile.

"I know," said Sami regretfully, "I really am sorry about getting you all worked up like that and pulling the plug at the last moment."

"That's not what I'm frustrated about," said EJ evenly.

"Oh," said Sami, turning back to her folding, "What are you frustrated about then?"

"I'm frustrated because you won't do as I ask and simply leave me be Samantha," said EJ tersely, steeling himself for this argument.

"You don't want me to leave EJ," she said blithely, not even looking at him as she continued folding.

"Oh but I do Samantha," he said tightly, "I really, really do!"

"Then what has the last couple of days been all about?" she challenged him, turning to look at him now, "You've barely been able to keep your hands off me EJ."

"Which was your intent of course," said EJ tersely, "You've been manipulating me this whole time and making me-"

"Excuse me?!" said Sami in disbelief, "_I've_ been manipulating _you_?!"

"Samantha I don't want to keep on going over this anymore," he said, holding up a hand to ward off her protests, "I just want you gone."

"You don't want me to go EJ," she said firmly.

"Sweetheart that is _all_ I want," said EJ determinedly, "Just pack your bags and go, now, this minute!"

"You can't seriously think I'm going to leave you?" asked Sami with a shake of her head, "Especially not after what just happened in your bedroom. You wanted me EJ, very much."

"You're a very sexy girl Samantha," said EJ tightly, "A man would have to be made of stone not to want you but it doesn't mean what you want it to mean."

"I think it means that you love me as much as you ever have," said Sami calmly, "And you're just being an idiot right now."

"Don't you ever get tired of throwing yourself at men who don't really want you?" asked EJ bitterly, just trying for all he was worth to hurt her and get Sami to go.

"I did," she said evenly, "When I fell in love with a man who wanted me more than anything else in the world."

"Then I suggest you go back to that mystery man and leave me the hell alone," said EJ mockingly.

"Why are you doing this EJ?" Sami asked with a sigh.

"Because I don't want you in my life Samantha," he said curtly.

"I don't believe you," she said simply, "Just tell me the truth EJ; that is all I'm asking from you – be honest with me."

EJ looked away, beyond frustrated and knew that this was the moment of truth. Sami had left him with no option and now he had to do the thing that he'd been dreading all along.

"Alright Samantha," he said fiercely, looking back at her, "You want the truth-"

EJ felt the whole world shrink to just the two of them as he faced the fact that he would have to destroying utterly everything that was between them. He swallowed the bitterness of regret before continuing, his heart pounding wildly in his chest. He'd been putting it off, hoping against hope that it wouldn't come down to this but Sami was proving to be just too damn stubborn.

"You want the truth Samantha," he said hoarsely, "I'll give you the truth – _all _of it."

"_Oh," said Sam quietly as she'd been sitting quietly in the corner and watching EJ and Sami go at it and knowing full well what EJ was intending, "Armadillo..." _

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & FIFTY EIGHT**** - ****And the Truth Will Set You Free**

Truth has not special time of its own.

Its hour is now... always and indeed then most truly

when it seems unsuitable to actual circumstances.

_~Albert Schweitzer~_

"You think you know me so well Samantha," he said bitterly, the hatred in his voice aimed for himself rather than her though.

"I do know you EJ," she said simply, looking him back squarely in the eye.

"You have no idea what you are getting yourself into by wanting to be with me," he told her tersely, "The type of man I really am."

"And what kind of man are you EJ?" she asked him simply, her eyes narrowing a little bit as she looked back at him thoughtfully, "What's this great truth that you are so certain that will destroy us. You already told me that you came to Salem by your father's orders and chose me as the Brady woman to take as your wife. I know that already and it doesn't bother me because we both know that as soon as we met it became about a lot more than your father's wishes. We fell in love."

"That's only the tip of the iceberg Samantha," he told her tightly, "If you want the truth than here it is. You were so annoyingly resistant to all my advances I decided that I needed to get the upper hand in some way, to speed things along if you will."

"And how did you do that?" asked Sami with a slight frown.

"I'm a practical man Samantha," EJ told her, making sure his face showed no emotion as he told her this although his heart was beating so madly in his chest that it was actually painful, "I needed to know what you were up to at all times, how much progress I was making so I could adjust my plans accordingly."

"So what?" she asked him with an arched eyebrow, "Did you have a tracking device implanted in my butt or something?"

She was teasing but EJ knew the truth was just as bad and would rock her. He took a deep breath, knowing he was changing their relationship forever with his next words.

"I went one better," he said coolly, "I installed surveillance cameras all over you apartment. I've been watching your every move Samantha."

"You what?!" asked Sami, looking taken aback, "No you didn't!"

"Oh I can assure you that I absolutely did my dear," he said curtly.

Sami gave him a disbelieving look and then promptly ran out of his apartment, heading towards her. EJ just sat there in his wheelchair and stared morosely ahead, knowing Sami would find the damning evidence quickly enough. In a way he was glad that this was obviously going to do the trick with getting her to leave him because EJ really didn't want to tell her about the birth control pills thing. It had seemed like a perfectly logical and even acceptable thing to do at the time but back then EJ was still considering his needs and desires above anyone else's. That had changed for him now; Sami had changed him and if there was ever to have been a child between them then EJ would have wanted for Sami to be as ready and excited over it as he would have been. EJ didn't want any more tricks and lies between them and this last bit of honesty would be his parting gift to Sami as he set her free to have a long and safe life without him.

Sami practically ran over to her apartment, obviously not quite believing what he told her. She dragged a chair over from the desk and stood on it, going up on her tip toes to reach the light fixture. She struggled with the casing for a moment but then managed to get it free and the first thing she saw was the little camera leads sticking out from the whole.

"Son of a bitch!" she exclaimed before jumping down off the chair and rushing to the bedroom.

Standing on the bed she found another of the little spy cameras and then another one in the bathroom but thankfully not the toilet. She pulled all of them out, scouring the place until she found them all and marched with them back into EJ's apartment. He turned around and eyed the mess of leads in her hand and arched an eyebrow.

"Ah I see you've found them," he said evenly.

"So is that it?" asked Sami, throwing them down onto EJ's desk and looking at him defiantly.

EJ quickly glanced at the bundle and looked back at Samantha.

"I think you are missing one," he said calmly, "I doubt you could have reached it, even on a chair."

"I meant is that it with the dark and horrible truth?" said Sami, putting her hands on her hips and fixing him with a challenging look, "Is that the best you've got to scare me away with?"

EJ looked taken aback by that question, not having expected that kind of response at all from Sami. He'd expected her to be spitting bile and venom for such an invasion of privacy, screaming at him that she didn't know how he could dare do such a disgusting thing.

"Oh please EJ," said Sami dismissively when she saw his face, "Have you forgotten who you are talking to? I'm Samantha Brady – the pariah of this town – you name it, I've done it. I've blackmailed, cheated and broken so many laws that it isn't funny – do you really think that something like this would freak me out?"

"I thought you might find it somewhat annoying yes," said EJ tersely, still trying to collect himself after this unexpected turn of events.

"The only thing I find annoying about it is that I didn't think of it myself," said Sami blithely.

All along EJ had been encouraging Sami to become comfortable with the greyer aspects of her nature and to embrace them. Right then EJ was still struggling to come to terms with just how successful he'd been and exactly what an unleashed Samantha Brady at her full potential would actually be like. He'd thought he'd had a fair idea of what an unfettered Sami would be like but clearly his dreams had been way too small. Looking back at him defiantly, a devilish gleam in her eyes EJ knew that for the first time in his life he'd more than met his match and he was just only now beginning to realise how much. She was the most glorious and breath taking creature EJ had ever seen in his life

"So when did you start watching me?" she asked him curiously, tilting her head to one side.

"When we came back from the island," said EJ unevenly.

"That makes sense," said Sami thoughtfully, "I wasn't exactly making your life easy now was I EJ?"

Sami gave a regretful sigh and shook her head.

"I was so afraid," she said, almost to herself, "Afraid of how you made me feel and all that it meant – terrified of the person that I knew was always inside of me."

Sami looked at him unblinkingly now.

"But I'm not afraid anymore EJ," she said firmly, "Your love set me free and gave me the gift of loving the person inside of me and I can never go back to being the way I was, not even for you. It's a done deal."

EJ wasn't sure what to say to that, particularly as it was making his heart soar to hear her say those things to him but on the other hand it was the last thing he wanted from the point of view of setting Sami free. He tried again to get Sami to be repulsed by what he'd done.

"Don't you understand what I did to you by doing this?" he asked her angrily, "I invaded your privacy in the worst possible way Samantha! I saw things I've no doubt you wished I hadn't!"

Sami wrinkled her nose thoughtfully.

"Like what?" she asked him innocently.

"Like that time on the sofa when you-" began EJ defiantly, intent on making this as seedy as possible.

"Decided to take matters into my own hands?" she finished off for him cheekily and EJ was shocked that Sami wasn't put off more but then he didn't seem to have much of a handle on this new Sami it would seem.

Sami took a couple of steps closer to him, her blue eyes brimming with seduction.

"You'd always get me so worked up EJ," she told him huskily, "And because I was being an idiot I wouldn't let you give us the release we both needed as often as we needed it I had to settle for the next best thing when all I really wanted was you between my legs rather than my own hand."

EJ swallowed hard at this piece of information and just looked up at her wide eyed, too shocked and aroused by her words to say anything.

"So did you enjoy the show?" she asked him coyly, a knowing little smile on her lips, "I bet you did EJ."

Sami leaned in over him, placing her hands on his armrests and looking at him seductively, her nose practically touching his.

"In fact I bet you joined in," she told him throatily, leaning further in so she could put her lips to his ear, "I know I would have if the positions had of been reversed."

"Why aren't you disgusted by what I did?" asked EJ faintly, feeling himself begin to shake at her confession and despairing over how well she knew him.

"For the same reason you're getting turned on right now like I am," she purred in his ear, "We like watching each other receive pleasure, it gets us all worked up and hungry for more."

Sami began to nibble at his ear lobe now before moving lower and nipping at the sensitive flesh of his neck.

"Are you hungry for more EJ?" she teased him mercilessly, her lips brushing his skin as she spoke.

EJ wanted to scream out a HELL YES to that question but by some herculean effort of will managed to make himself grab the wheels of his chair and wheel himself abruptly backwards and away from Sami and her siren's touch.

"What's the matter EJ," Sami teased him with a little smile, "Did that not go the way you planned it? Don't know what to do next?"

"You think that was the worst of it?" he asked her hoarsely, "Sweetheart that was only the beginning!"

"Alright," said Sami calmly, straightening her top, "Let's hear the rest of it then and get it over and done with once and for all."

EJ's heart sank at hearing that because he knew that when he told her this next thing then things really were going to change completely between them. One trait EJ knew for sure that the old Sami and this new inspired version of Sami had in common was their fierce maternal instinct. He knew Sami would do anything to protect Will and any other children she might have. It was one thing to play God with her life but EJ knew that doing that with her child's life would be another thing entirely.

"You know that my father wanted me to take a Brady woman for my wife but you don't know why," said EJ sharply.

"He wanted to stick it to the rest of my family plus complete the whole Santo and Colleen circle," she said with a little shrug.

"There was something far more immediate that my father needed from our union Samantha," said EJ with a shake of his head, his lips thinning, "I was ordered to Salem to impregnate the Brady woman of my choice. Once I'd succeeded in doing that then my father is in desperate need of the stem cells from that pregnancy – he needs them to keep on living."

"You were going to use a child of ours as spare parts to keep your monster of a father alive?!" asked Sami, his words finally cutting through her certainty it seemed.

"But of course Samantha," he said coldly, "I am and was a good little DiMera solider, just like you always suspected."

"But you wouldn't," she said shakily, looking at him distress, "You couldn't have EJ, not really."

"Want to make a bet Samantha?" he asked her flatly, "On the island I swapped your birth control pills for useless sugar pills and have been trying to get you pregnant ever since for that very reason."

Sami took a step back as though he'd slapped her and it was excruciating for EJ to see the pain on her face but it was what needed to be done.

"You're lying," she said hoarsely, "That is not what this has been all about EJ – it can't have been!"

"Oh sorry sweetheart," he said mockingly, "Have I dashed a few ridiculous, overly romantic dreams of yours have I? Oh dear that is a shame but then everyone has to grow up sometime – even the ever childish Samantha Brady."

Sami turned abruptly away, clearly trying to collect herself and EJ did the same thing, hoping he could keep this act up to get the job finally done at last. He knew he couldn't go through something like this again.

"I don't believe you," she whispered again, her back still to him.

"Oh believe it sweetheart," he sneered, swallowing the lump in his throat, "Don't get me wrong – I certainly enjoyed trying to knock you up but it was all about my father – you were just a means to an end."

Sami turned slowly around and looked at him steadily. She was shaking and there were a few tear stains on her cheek but she didn't look away from him.

"So you would really turn over any child that was between us to your father," she said shakily, "Let it and me be butchered to save that evil old man's life so that he could go on hurting people, especially my family for years to come. You'd do that to me, to our child and to everyone that I loved."

"In a heartbeat," said EJ determinedly, "Without a single regret. I love my father Samantha, more than anyone and I'll always do what he asks of me without question. If I'd managed to impregnate you than I'd be handing you over to Rolf and my father even as we speak so he could cut you open and get those stem cells!"

It was a total lie on EJ's behalf but he had to press on and finish this. Sami looked away briefly and bit the bottom of her lips to stop it from trembling before looking back at him.

"Well thank you for that EJ," she said quietly, her voice shaking a little but strangely calm, "You've made a very difficult decision for me that much easier."

"What does that mean?" asked EJ with a frown.

"It means I'm pregnant EJ," she said simply with a little shrug of her shoulders, "I found out while I was in Switzerland and I've been waiting for the right moment to tell you."

"You-you're pregnant?" repeated EJ hoarsely, suddenly unable to breathe at such a revelation.

"Yes," she said, holding his gaze determinedly, "I have an appointment at a family planning clinic today and I guess I know what needs to be done now after everything you've just told me."

"Wh-what are you saying?" asked EJ, his head spinning as everything closed in on him, "What are you talking about Samantha?!"

"I'm talking about not being the reason that Stefano gets to reign down his own particular brand of terror," she said, Sami's shoulders squaring resolutely, "I won't be the one who enables that man to keep destroying countless lives. I'm going to do what I have to do-"

Sami swallowed hard then and put a protective hand on her stomach as tears welled up in her eyes, spilling down on her pale cheeks.

"And if that means sacrificing my child to save everyone else I love then that is what I'm going to have to do," she said, her voice wavering but there was that steely determination in her eyes that EJ knew all too well.

"Samantha," he croaked in horror, unable to find the words to say anything else.

"Really I'll be saving this child," she continued on bravely, the tears wetting her face now as Sami tried to find some solace in what she was doing, "From a father like you, one who would offer them as some kind of sacrifice at the altar of the sick and twisted relationship you have with your father. I'm saving my child from having to bear the name DiMera and carrying all the horror that names induces."

EJ began shaking his head, hardly able to believe he was hearing this. He was still reeling from the information that Sami was pregnant and to have to deal with the fact that she was now intent on getting a termination of that pregnancy because of what he'd said was too much for EJ. Never in a million years would EJ have imagined that Sami would ever contemplate such a thing but it just went to show how deep her fear of Stefano and EJ turning out to be just like his father went. Of course EJ had just confirmed all her worst fears so it was little wonder that she was reacting the way she was.

"Thank you EJ," she choked out, "Thank you for making this decision an easier one for me. I'd better go, I don't want to be late for my appointment."

With that Sami turned on her heel and without a backwards look she headed out the door of his apartment. For a split second EJ was too stunned to react and then he began to panic. The thought of Sami aborting their child because of what he'd done struck a terror in EJ that he'd only known when he'd thought of Sami being hurt. It was beyond comprehension that she would do such a thing but EJ knew he only had himself to blame. He was almost paralysed with fear at the prospect of losing this child and causing Sami to do such a thing and despite the frantic screaming in his head EJ found his body was clumsy and slow in reacting.

"Samantha!" he called out after her, intent on following her, "Samantha WAIT!"

EJ finally forced some sensation back into his previously numb arms as he tried to urgently wheel himself to the door to stop her from doing this to both of them. The trouble was in his haste EJ wasn't looking what he was doing and one of the wheels of his chair hit a fold in the rug he was on and unbalanced the chair. EJ toppled out of his wheelchair and hit the ground with an almighty crash but didn't even feel it, really panicking now that he was losing precious time and Sami might already be on that elevator and heading towards that appointment.

"SAMANTHA!" he screamed while frantically trying to grab for the chair and get back into it, "SAMANTHA DON'T GO – SAMANTHA!"

So intent on trying to grab the chair so he could chase her down EJ didn't even hear the door open, still straining mightily to reach it from his position on the floor.

"EJ," gasped Sami, seeing him lying there as she burst back in through the doors.

EJ heard his name and his eyes widened to see her standing there.

"Samantha!" he exclaimed, almost crying to see her there, "Don't do it, please God don't do it – I'll do anything, anything you want – I never meant to hurt you but I had to set you free – don't hurt our child I'm begging you..."

EJ was almost incoherent as he pleaded with her to reconsidered, grabbing at her arms frantically as Sami quickly hurried over to him and squatted down beside him.

"I love you Samantha," he told her desperately, the tears now running down his face and EJ didn't even notice as he begged her to forgive him, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry – I love you so much Samantha and all I want is to be with you and our child. Please, please, please don't do this thing-"

"It's alright EJ," she soothed him, taking her into her arms and beginning to rock him as he shook wildly against her, "It's alright, calm down – I'm here."

"And you won't leave me?!" asked EJ raggedly, almost mad with grief at the thought as he clung to her helplessly, his heart almost breaking in his chest as he reached up and touched her face, "You'll stay with me Samantha?"

"Always," she said huskily, pressing a kiss to his forehead as she continued to cradle him in her arms, "Always and forever."

"And you forgive me?" he asked brokenly, around his sobs, "You'll forgive me for everything I did to you and you'll stay with me?"

"Love always forgives," she told him softly, cupping his face with one hand and making him look up at her as she smiled down at him tenderly, "Just like you've always forgiven me for the way I've hurt you."

"I love you," he said hoarsely, his tears streaking down her hand now as well as he looked up at Sami wide eyed, simply consumed by the truth of those words.

EJ gave up, he couldn't fight it anymore. He couldn't exist outside of Sami and he was a fool to even imagine he could. He was utterly hers and there was nothing to be done about it other than surrender to his fate. Everything else in his life would have to meld around that one truth – his family, Sami's family – all of it because it was the truth that was at the centre of EJ's being now.

There was no EJ DiMera without Samantha Brady by his side.

"I know," she said quietly, "I love you too EJ – with every fibre of my being."

Sami bent her head and gently pressed her lips to his and EJ could taste the saltiness of both of their tears. EJ broke the kiss then, looking up at her anxiously.

"The baby," he croaked, "Samantha our child-"

"I'm sorry EJ," Sami said regretfully, "But there isn't a baby."

"Wh-what?" stammered EJ, almost overwhelmed with everything that was happening.

"I guess you're going to have to add that to the list of things to forgive me for," said Sami, wrinkling her nose in regret, "I lied EJ, I'm not pregnant. I just said that to make you finally be honest with me and to yourself."

"You're not pregnant," repeated EJ faintly, unsure of how much more he could take.

"I'm sorry but I had to wake you up to how ridiculous you were being," said Sami with a soft little smile, "I knew that if I really pushed you then you'd look past your fears and see the truth."

"That was a horrible thing to do Samantha," said EJ dazedly.

"Yeah well it worked didn't it?" she asked him with a lop-sided grin.

Her smiled widened as Sami reached out and traced his lips.

"It's like you've always said," she said huskily, "We are what we are and I know that you're the only one who truly gets the greyer parts of my nature, just like I'm the only one who understands yours."

"You're magnificent," rasped EJ, looking up at her in adoring amazement.

"No," she corrected him tenderly, "_We're_ magnificent and don't you forget it EJ DiMera. The two of us are a force to be reckoned with – just except your fate."

"You," said EJ hoarsely, his fingers resting against her lips now as well as he loved her with every cell in his body, "You're my fate Samantha."

"And you're mine," she said simply.

Suddenly EJ couldn't stand not to be kissing her anymore; his hand snaked around the back of her neck and dragged Sami's head down to him, claiming her lips in a series of hungry kisses. She returned them as she always did, with all of her heart and for the first time the two of them kissed with absolutely no lies between them – both of them laid bare before the other, like no one else in their life and it was a moment of absolute liberation.

"Samantha," he groaned against her lips, quickly needing more.

"EJ," she gasped in return and he could hear the answering need in her voice.

EJ moved them, he wasn't even sure how but suddenly Sami was lying on the rug and he was covering her with his body. He managed to keep most of his weight off her with his considerable upper body strength. Things were rapidly spiralling out of control, their hunger for one another beyond anything they'd experienced before. They'd just removed all obstacles between them and been utterly honest, the two of them, both at the same time for the very first time and both of them were eager for their bodies to follow. There were no thoughts of consequences; there was just a silent understanding that passed between them that they needed to be as close as two human beings could be – being two separate entities was suddenly too painful for them.

EJ rolled to one side, ignoring the complaint of his back and rested his weight on an elbow as he fumbled with her clothing, all the while refusing to stop kissing Sami. He undid her jeans and pushed them down a little ways, along with her panties, not bothering to do anymore undressing beyond that. Next was his pants and he simply released his surging manhood from his own jeans and then he was rolling back on top of Sami. She immediately spread her legs for him, letting EJ settle between them effortlessly and then he was pushing into her tight wet heat in a single frantic thrust.

Their mutual groans of delight broke their kiss as they looked at each other wordlessly, both eyes wide. They made love like that, neither one taking their eyes off the other's face as they moved together as one, their lower bodies writhing frantically together in perfect unity. Both of them were still so het up from their earlier interrupted love making that it was barely anytime before the inevitable need for release began to build inside of them. Sami climaxed first, her face twisting in intense pleasure as she exploded around him, crying out his name as she did.

"EJ!"

And with his name she consumed him the old EJ DiMera was lost forever, reborn in this woman's eyes to a brand new day full of hope and possibilities.

Her body coaxed EJ's own release from him and seconds later he was howling her name as he convulsed his own orgasm out deep inside of her body. He claimed her, marked her as his own in the most intimate way possible and in that moment she was utterly his, forever. No sooner had the intense pleasure come for EJ though when a series of sharp pains invaded his fevered senses. It was so excruciating as his back complained fiercely at such treatment that the pain actually made EJ pass out. He woke about ten seconds later to Sami calling out his name frantically. He'd collapsed on top of her, all of his weight bearing down on her.

"EJ are you alright?!" she asked him in horror, "Oh god your back-"

"I'm okay," he mumbled, managing to lift his head and move part of his weight off Sami, "Samantha."

He kissed her then, stilling her protests of concerns and while she fought him briefly Sami was soon as lost as he was as they continued to kiss and cuddle until finally protesting muscles told them that the floor was no place to be for either of them.

"I love you," said EJ fiercely after reluctantly leaving her body.

Sami just smiled the dreamy smile of a woman utterly satisfied and completely loved.

And that is how the love story of EJ DiMera and Samantha Brady begins...

**Chapter ONE HUNDERED & FIFTY NINE**** – ****A New Day**

Love shortens time, changes the hours.

Love is invincible.

Many waters cannot quench it nor the floods drown.

The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved.

_~Anonymous~_

Sami rolled over in bed and put out her hand to touch EJ but found only empty sheets instead. She opened her eyes and lifted her head off the pillow, looking around as she blinked groggily.

"EJ?" she said, her voice husky with sleep.

Sami couldn't help being immediately concerned after what had happened during their lovemaking yesterday. EJ fainting because the pain in his back was so bad was not something that made Sami happy and she worried. It would be too terrible for words that now they'd finally found each other properly that something would happen to EJ. Of course it would be just about Sami's luck but she'd really been hoping that her luck had changed at long last. Sami quickly jumped out of bed and hurried out to the living room but she stopped abruptly, a huge wave of relief washing over her when she saw EJ on the floor, working with his weights. He sat up when he saw her, a big smile coming to his face.

"Good morning my love," he told her warmly.

"Hello," said Sami, smiling so hard that her face was actually aching.

"You're a long way away," commented EJ huskily.

Sami practically flew across the rest of the room, launching herself into his arms as he sat on the floor.

"Is that better?" she asked him happily, feeling his strong arms go around her waist while she clung to his somewhat sweaty and very sexy neck.

"Almost perfect," said EJ with a nod and Sami smiled, leaning in to kiss him.

Their lips met in a languid kiss of hello, tongues intertwining and lapping at one another. His kisses made Sami's head spin and pulse race and when they finally pulled apart both of their breathing was decidedly uneven.

"Now it's perfect," said EJ, his voice roughened from the inevitable passion that was always between them.

"You're up early," said Sami, unable to take the smile off her face as she settled in beside him on the floor, "After what happened yesterday I was worried."

"After what happened yesterday I'm invincible," EJ corrected her with the confidence of old that made Sami's heart sing.

He'd been so down for so long it was wonderful to hear the familiar strength and energy in his voice once again.

"Is that right?" she asked him indulgently.

"Absolutely," he said emphatically, "I couldn't sleep-"

Sami gave him a concerned look at that, unable to stop herself from worrying about him.

"Too happy," he informed her with a grin, reassuring her, "So I watched you sleep for awhile – one of my favourite things I must say. You look like an utter angel when you sleep sweetheart."

"Well we both know looks can be deceiving," said Sami with a little laugh.

"Thank god," said EJ with heartfelt emotion, "I couldn't bear being with an angel - too boring by far. Give me my wicked little minx any time."

EJ gave her an admiring look then.

"By the way, that was a wonderfully cunning and calculated thing you did yesterday," he told her approvingly, "With the baby deception – you ripped my heart out of my chest with a chain saw but it certainly woke me up to a few things."

"I'm sorry," she said ruefully, "But you were being an idiot and I just got tired of waiting for my life to begin. I knew my life was going to be with you from now on and you were just so intent on pushing me away and I wanted you to wake up to reality and that reality is that we belong together, no matter what. I knew all those things you were saying to me wasn't how you really felt and I just had to make you admit that to both of us."

"So you called my bluff," said EJ happily, not looking upset at all.

"Like you've done to me so many times before," she agreed unrepentantly,

"It seems fitting that you and I should ultimately come together over a manipulative deception," EJ mused thoughtfully.

"Yup," said Sami laconically, "It's the stuff great romantic love stories are made of, that's for sure."

"It's what our great, romantic love story is made of," said EJ firmly, "And don't you ever feel the need to apologise for that Samantha Brady. We're not like other generic couples; we've got our own rhythm, our own song to dance to."

Sami's smile was back on her face to hear him talk like that, so hopeful, so full of the future. The fact as well that she had finally found someone who actually embraced the fact that she wasn't a traditional kind of girl in a lot of ways was something that Sami would never get over being thankful for.

"And speaking of dancing," continued on EJ with a smile, "That is why I got up so early. I wanted to get going on my exercises and build up my strength. I'm planning on taking my lovely lady dancing in the very near future. After all-"

Suddenly there was an impish look in his eyes then.

"-I've just recently been reunited with a favourite pair of shoes of mine which are excellent for dancing in," he said cheekily.

"Is that right?" asked Sami innocently, "That was lucky."

"That was love," corrected EJ, looking at her admiringly.

"Actually it was going to be leverage," said Sami with a wrinkle of her nose, "I thought I might need them to threaten you with at some point because I just couldn't seem to keep you at arm's length."

EJ gave a shout of laughter at her admission, finding it very amusing.

"Only you could have a romantic gesture and an instrument of extortion being so closely intertwined," he chortled in amusement.

"Yeah well I was losing the battle in resisting you," pouted Sami, "I had to try and add to my arsenal – I didn't have an outright plan for them but I thought it was good to have those shoes as a back up."

"What were you going to do sweetheart?" EJ laughed, "Send me a shoe lace and ask for a ransom?"

"If I did you would have payed it," sniffed Sami, accepting his teasing good naturedly, "You have an unnatural love for those things."

"I have a great appreciation of beautiful things," said EJ deeply, reaching up a finger and stroking her soft cheek, "It's my undoing."

"You know me getting those shoes out of the trash doesn't mean that you didn't totally deserve to lose them in the first place," said Sami, smiling despite herself at his admission, "You were a total ass to throw my shoes away like that EJ!"

"They were killer shoes," said EJ unapologetically, "I kept being terrified that you were going to break a leg and when you fell over that night I nearly had a heart attack."

"Oh," said Sami, the penny finally dropping as she put things together, "You thought I could be pregnant didn't you? That was why you were always trying to stop me from drinking and the thing with the shoes... oh and the paint fumes hysteria! That was all because you thought you'd gotten me pregnant wasn't it?!"

"I knew it was on the cards unlike you darling," agreed EJ ruefully, "It was a plan I hadn't quite thought out because I hadn't counted on us being apart when we got back from the island – that threw somewhat of a spanner in the works. That was one of the main reasons I put in the cameras, to keep an eye on you. If there was a baby I didn't want you doing anything to endanger it inadvertently."

"Wow," said Sami in amazement, "That's really sweet-"

She paused then and pursed her lips.

"In a really twisted kind of way," she finished off.

"But that's alright though?" asked EJ, looking a little hesitant then, "Isn't it?"

Sami thought about what her family would say if they found out and knew they'd label it as deranged and stalkerish. In the past Sami would have felt the need to agree with them but what EJ had said had made sense and besides, it was how her brain would have worked as well – finding justifications for crossing that moral line. It was with such a sense of relief that Sami realised once again that she had a perfect mate in EJ – one who thought and reasoned as she did. Never again would she have to pretend to be anyone other than herself for this man. She knew that the rest of the world might not always understand them but the important thing was they would understand each other.

"I've snared myself a bad boy," said Sami with a grin and then gave him a cheeky wink, "Thank god!"

She kissed him again then, leaving them both breathless.

"Damn but it almost killed me to get us to here but I'd do it all again in a heartbeat," announced EJ with an incredibly big smile on his face.

"Hey I was the one who got us over the line," reminded Sami impishly.

"It's true," agreed EJ readily, "We're the perfect team – we pick up where each other falters."

"I like the thought of that," said Sami with a happy sigh.

"Do you know what I like the thought of?" asked EJ, a cheeky light coming to his eye.

"No," said Sami with a little laugh, just revelling in them being so free and easy with one another, no more obstacles between them.

"Another massage from the woman of my dreams perhaps?" suggested EJ throatily, eyeing her seductively, "I've worked up quite a sweat with my exercising and a few things are aching."

"My greedy boy," said Sami teasingly, knowing exactly what he was talking about with the aching comment.

"I'm insatiable when it comes to you," agreed EJ readily, reaching out and slipping his hand into her bodice and cupping one of her breasts, squeezing it firmly.

"I don't want to get you all excited again," said Sami a little worriedly even as she felt her body react to his very first touch.

"Too late," said EJ hoarsely, his thumb moving roughly over her nipple and making it harden for him, "I want you again Samantha – now."

Sami thrilled to hear the urgency in his voice but she also knew that there was more at stake than both of them slating their rising hunger.

"EJ last time we made love you lost consciousness from the pain," she argued with him even as her breath became uneven as he continued to fondle her.

"And I told you it was worth it," he growled, dragging his eyes from where he'd been watching himself caress her breast to look at Sami with ravenous hunger in his eyes, "I want you back in that bed, naked and as ready for me as I am for you."

His free hand went to Sami's wrist, dragging her hand to the front of his pants and she couldn't help herself from dipping her hands underneath the stretch material and finding him. His manhood was already beginning to swell, jerking as she wrapped her hand around its rapidly thickening girth.

"We can't do it EJ," she said regretfully, even as she began to stroke him gently, "There is just too much risk involved. I don't want us to do anything that would put back your full recovery."

EJ made a complaining grunt at Sami's logic.

"I hate it when you're reasonable," he grumbled.

"I think I'd be a lot more reasonable if I kept my hands to myself as I said that," said Sami with an amused self deprecatory laugh.

She went to remove her hand but EJ grabbed her wrist.

"Just a little longer," he pleaded with her, "We won't go too far I promise sweetheart."

"We don't have a great track record with that," commented Sami, wrinkling her nose.

"Practice makes perfect," he wheedled, his big brown eyes pretty hard to resist.

"I don't want to keep getting you all worked up without it going to go anywhere," Sami protested, "It's not right EJ and it can't be good for you."

"You're good for me," said EJ honestly, "You make me feel reborn sweetheart, a new man."

"You certainly know the right things to say to a girl," she said tremulously, her heart swelling with love for this man.

"It's only the truth Samantha," said EJ huskily, "And that is all there is between us now – truth."

"I know," she said with a heartfelt sigh as she leant over and kissed him tenderly, overjoyed at that thought.

A completely honest and unfettered relationship – her first... her only.

Sami's hand began to move on him again and EJ gave a grateful groan into the kiss. Sami watched EJ's face in adoration as his head lolled back, his eyes closed in utter bliss at the touch of her small hands on his body. His breathing was increasingly uneven as she slowly worked on him, EJ's mouth opening slightly as he began panting softly. Sami continued to move her hand softly up and down his impressively swollen member, being careful not to arouse him to the point of no return.

Right now Sami knew she was making him feel really, really good but not letting it go further than that. Her thumb found his large purple head and she rubbed the pad of it back and forth across the slit at its centre. EJ gave a quiet moan at the sensation, his face still to the ceiling and eyes tightly closed. Sami looked down as she began to move her thumb in a circular motion now and saw that EJ's toes were curling and uncurling rhythmically in time to her touch.

"EJ can you feel this?" she asked him in hopeful amazement, Sami's heart skipping wildly at the thought.

"Oh god YES!" EJ moaned loudly, arching his back, eyes still closed and looking to the heavens, "God it's so good Samantha, don't stop, don't ever stop!"

"I mean in your legs EJ," she corrected him with a breathless laugh at his enthusiasm, "You're moving your toes – look."

EJ opened groggy, passion soaked eyes and straightened his neck, managing to look down. Sami continued her slow ministrations as EJ watched his own feet flex and curl in time with her actions.

"You're a miracle worker sweetheart," said EJ in adoration, leaning over to kiss her in appreciation.

"I don't think what I'm doing has ever been classified as that before," said Sami ruefully.

"I'm going to back up on my feet in no time," said EJ, his voice brimming with that familiar confidence of his which just made Sami's heart sing, "All set to sweep you off yours."

"You already have EJ," she said lovingly and removed her hand from his pants as he made a disappointed groaning sound.

Sami gave the now pouting EJ an indulgent look.

"I think that is enough of that," she said firmly, "No point starting what we can't finish after all."

"I don't recall agreeing to that arrangement," argued EJ, clearly intent on going to the wire about this one.

"I made the agreement for both of us," said Sami simply.

"And is that how it's going to be now?" asked EJ with an arched eyebrow and a quirk of his lips, "You saying what goes with everything?"

"Oh EJ," exclaimed Sami, cupping his face with mock appreciation, "That is soo cute that you even have to ask that question – it's like you really think there is going to be an option."

EJ tried to frown at her while he scolded her for her playful teasing but the corners of his mouth were turning up as he did so it rather ruined the effect.

"Listen to me young lady," he said with feigned severity, "I'm not like those other push over's you've had in your life – you won't be the one setting the rules here."

"And what you will be?" Sami scoffed, delighting in their little back and forths.

It felt so wonderful to be totally free with him now, not having to hide her feelings.

"I think that goes without saying," said EJ confidently.

"Really?" asked Sami with an arched eyebrow.

"So you'll be calling all the shots will you?" she asked huskily, "Telling me what to do and I'll just do it like the good little girl I am?"

"Absolutely," said EJ, tongue firmly in his cheek as he played along.

"And I won't get any say in anything from now on?" she queried, her eyes open wide as Sami pretended to ponder this scenario.

She leant forward then, putting herself at face level to him now as their noses nearly touched.

"Don't be ridiculous Samantha," said EJ straight faced, not moving away, "You'll have plenty of say in the important things – like whether we should make love in a bed or on the kitchen table, the position, the number of times. Also the meals that you will be cooking me – I'll give you a preferred menu and you can chose the meal you'd like to cook. After all I am not an unreasonable man."

"Well that does sound very reasonable of you," agreed Sami very seriously.

Her hand had come out and was playing with his chest and despite his outwardly calm exterior Sami could feel how wildly EJ's heart was beating from her light touch. Sami let her hand slip a little lower and heard EJ's breath hitch a little and a muscle in his cheek begin to tic madly and couldn't help the rush of pleasure the sight gave her. He was as much at her beck and call as she was with him. Sami slipped her fingers under the waist band of his sweat pants and ran back and forth, watching as EJ's eyes flared hungrily.

"I guess I could rethink my hands off policy," she said throatily, dipping her hand ever so slightly further down his pants, "Now that you've explained to me how things are going to be."

"You could," agreed EJ hoarsely, nodding his head eagerly.

Sami gave him her sexiest smile and leant even closer, brushing her nose back and forth against his as she listened to his breathing become increasingly ragged. Sami's eyes became full of promise as EJ held his breath, waiting for her next move. She shifted her weight and made it seemed like she was going to move her hand further down his pants and could see the hungry anticipation on EJ's face, mesmerised by her every move when at the last moment she jerked her hand away. EJ made a strangled noise of protest but it was too late, Sami had moved away from him, leaving him one very unhappy camper.

"Sucker," she gloated, giving him a self satisfied look as they both knew he'd been putty in her hands just then – well most of him anyway.

"That was below the belt," EJ chastised her with narrowed eyes even as his eyes twinkled merrily as she got one up on him.

"You _wish_ it was below the belt," Sami snorted and then had to quickly roll out of the way as EJ made a lunge for her, "Ah ah."

She waggled a finger at him playfully as he made an annoyed sound now that she was out of reach.

"No touching," Sami informed him primly, "The queen has spoken."

"I was thinking the queen might like to give me a chance to curl _her_ toes?" offered up EJ with a suggestive waggle of his eyebrows.

"Well I was thinking that in a show of solidarity I thought I'd abstain from any further toe curling until we could both indulge safely," said Sami with a little smile.

"Oh no!" EJ exclaimed, "Now _that_ is something we are going to have to discuss Samantha! You can't deny a man all of his pleasures – it's simply not right!"

"I'm trying to be a team player EJ," she said with a laugh at seeing the horrified look on his face, "I don't see why I should have all the fun when you can't."

"Darling you are not factoring in the immense amount of pleasure I get from the act of said toe curling," said EJ determinedly, "I think we need to have further discussions about this decision of yours before we write anything in stone."

"Alright," Sami agreed but knew she wasn't going to change her mind but then EJ had the same determined look she knew she must be sporting so it was going to be interesting to see would manage to come out on top with this one.

Sami smiled at him and felt a happy flutter in the pit of her stomach at the thought they had the rest of the day together, just the two of them.

"Why don't you have a shower and I'll cook us some breakfast?" she offered.

"That sounds wonderful," agreed EJ readily, "I was thinking perhaps a choice between a good old English fry up or-"

"The choice is going to be between toast, porridge or a smoking hole where your kitchen used to be," said Sami with a quirk of her lips, "You're not getting Martha Stewart when you take me on you know."

"Don't worry darling," EJ grinned, "I don't adore you for your cooking skills – you have far too many other talents and intriguing personality quirks for me to be bothered with that."

"Well that works out nicely then," Sami said with a laugh, "Now you go and shower and I'll have breakfast ready for you when you get out."

"You know I could use a hand in the shower," he wheedled, "Preferably two of them if I can get it."

"No means no negotiation Elvis," she said, trying to sound stern but failing miserably, "No funny stuff – I mean it."

"We'll see," said EJ smugly as he wheeled himself towards the bedroom, "I wore you down before, I'm sure I can do it again."

Sami smiled to hear the certainty in EJ's voice and just loved that he was back to his old self, as maddening as it was. He hesitated at the doorway and turned back round, looking at Sami suddenly rather seriously.

"You'll be here when I get back won't you?" he asked, looking suddenly worried.

"EJ," said Sami calmly as she walked over to where he was and bent down, "You are so stuck with me there are no words to adequately describe it."

Sami knew she owed EJ more than a few reassurances after having pushed him away for so long and she was more than happy to give it to him. Sami kissed him then, letting EJ feel how much she loved him in that one act. They pulled apart and EJ smiled up at her, his face alight with utter love and adoration.

"Mine," he said huskily.

"Completely," she agreed with him and then they both smiled.

Life at long last was good; it was very, very good.

**Chapter ONE HUNDERED & SIXTY**** – ****The Last Goodbye**

One word frees us  
Of all the weight and pain in life,  
That word is Love  
_~Socrates~_

EJ was just dressing himself after his shower, eager to rejoin Sami for breakfast when he looked up and saw Sam sitting on the bed.

"Hello," he grinned, just ridiculously happy about everything in his life at the moment.

"_Hiya poodle," she returned with a smile, "Who looks like the cat that swallowed the cream then?"_

Sam gave him an impish look then.

"_Well you gave it a red hot go anyway but Sami stopped you for your own good," she finished knowingly. _

"Samantha is just being overly cautious," said EJ and then felt his grin widen even more, "Because she loves me."

"_Well it was damn near the death of me but it seems like my work here is done," said Sam in amusement, "You and Sami are together, in love and being totally honest with one another so it's all good."_

"It's better than good Sam," said EJ emphatically, "It's utterly perfect – at least it will be when I'm back on my feet again."

"_You should probably concentrate on getting back on your feet a little more than you are working on getting Sami off hers," said Sam calmly._

"You can't help yourself can you?" asked EJ in amusement, "You always have to have an opinion on everything don't you?"

"_It's a burden being such a font of wisdom," agreed Sam seriously, "I don't think you appreciate what it is like to be so brilliant. Well of course you wouldn't – you're pretty much a village idiot."_

"That's sweet," said EJ dryly, "Thank you."

"_I'm just saying it took you a very long time to get here and if you'd listened to me in the first place then everything would have gone a lot more smoothly," said Sam knowingly, "Just saying."_

"I suppose I should be just grateful that this little sermon isn't being accompanied by that delightful little dance of yours," said EJ with a roll of his eyes.

"_I can shake my pom poms for you one last time if you'd like?" she offered with a sexy smile, "I know how much you love my pom poms." _

"I don't think that will be necessary," said EJ wryly but couldn't help a sneak peak at her burgeoning bust line barely being kept in check by the skimpy bra she was wearing.

"_Oh I see," sniffed Sam, "Not interested now that you've got free access to the real thing eh?"_

"I think it's safe to say that I prefer the real Samantha over you yes," said EJ unapologetically.

"_I suppose I should be miffed at you for saying that but I'm happy for you two crazy kids, I really am," she said with a half smile._

"I'm happy for us too," said EJ with a huge grin, "Deliriously so."

"_So I guess this is it," said Sam, standing up and smiling down at EJ, "The last goodbye."_

"Thank you Sam," said EJ sincerely, "While you haven't always phrased things in a particularly conducive manner to getting me to comply I do think you always had my best interests at heart. I don't know where you came from but ultimately I'm grateful that you were around... for the most part."

"_Wow," said Sam, tongue in cheek, "Feel the love eh my little muskmallow."_

"I-" EJ stopped then and looked at Sam in confusion, "Muskmallow?"

"_It's like a marshmallow but it's made almost entirely of musks," Sam informed him calmly._

"Where do you come with these things?" asked EJ with a bit of a groan.

"_Dunno," she said with shrug of her shoulders, "But I think the take home message is that you're one weird guy. I hope Sami knows what she is getting herself into." _

"She knows utterly what she is getting herself into and can't wait," said EJ confidently, marvelling at how absolutely certain he was of that fact now and enjoying the feeling of it very much.

"_I suppose you're right," mused Sam thoughtfully, "They say insanity skips a generation – your kids should be fine. Of course your grandkids-"_

Sam shook her head regretfully.

"_-are completely rooted," she commented. _

"If I find myself missing you even for a moment I'll remind myself of conversations like these and that should put paid to that," said EJ flatly, unimpressed by her ponderings, "Samantha and I's children will be perfect as will our children's children and so forth."

"_Why?" she asked him seriously, "Are you going to adopt?"_

"No," said EJ in annoyance.

"_Well considering the genetic whirlpool the two of you having going on then," Sam said calmly, "I'm pretty confident the two of you are going to give birth to the anti-christ at some point."_

"That is a ridiculous thing to say!" EJ snapped, "There is nothing wrong with Samantha and I and we will have perfect children!"

"_Alright calm down," said Sam in amusement, "Wow, that touched a nerve eh Elly?"_

"Having children is very important to Samantha and I," said EJ curtly, "We both want to be wonderful parents to any child that comes along – it's not a joking matter."

"_So does that mean that Pop Pop isn't getting a slice of that particular pie anymore?" she asked curiously, "No stem cells for Daddy dearest?"_

"I can't put my child at risk like that," said EJ quietly, "I don't know what I was thinking but I could never do that to Samantha, particularly with how she feels about my father."

"_That should be an interesting conversation," commented Sam dryly, "Remind me what happened last time one of you DiMeralets didn't do what daddy wanted you to do? You're not worried that there might be a 'business trip' in your future if you do this thing?"_

"I don't think my father would hurt me," said EJ and then paused.

"_You don't sound that confident," commented Sam. _

"His latest actions have given me pause for thought granted," said EJ quietly.

"_And have those thoughts included 'oh crap we should get the hell out of dodge before this lunatic decides to off us next'?" she asked him conversationally. _

"It's complicated with my father," said EJ with a frown, "But I still think we can find a middle ground that makes us both happy."

"_You're a hopeful guy Elvis," said Sam with great affection, "I like that about you. Of course you're also a complete idiot but you get that I suppose." _

"Well on that note I believe you said it was time you were going?" EJ reminded her sourly.

"_Aha," she nodded unoffended, "I'm outta here – thanks for the laughs my little aardvark of amusement but I've got somewhere I'd rather be."_

"Fine by me," said EJ coolly and then the two of them just stared at each other.

After a good minute of that and nothing happening EJ was starting to get a bit nervous.

"_Well," said Sam after a lengthy and uncomfortable silence, "This is awkward." _

"Why aren't you going away?" asked EJ in concern.

"_You tell me my little perspiring persimmon," said Sam in vexation, "I've got places to be. I've organised with the girls to spend a little time on a beach in the south of France."_

She gave him a conspiratorial look then.

"_A topless beach," she said knowingly, "You know how the French are." _

Sam waggled her eyebrows at EJ suggestively at that.

It was on the tip of EJ's tongue to ask who on earth 'the girls' might be but then decided he really didn't want an answer to that question. If he had multiple persona's and apparitions running around in his head EJ decided he really didn't want to know about it.

"_Maybe if you close your eyes and thought about it hard I'll be gone when you open them?" offered up Sam thoughtfully. _

"Do you think?" asked EJ sceptically.

"_It's worth a shot right?" asked Sam with a shrug._

EJ frowned a little but not able to come up with any other ideas he did as Sam suggested. He closed his eyes and concentrated hard on willing Sam back from wherever she'd come from. After a few minutes of concentrated effort he gingerly opened his eyes and saw with a mixture of relief and vague sadness that it had worked, Sam was no longer standing in front of him.

"It worked," he said quietly.

EJ smiled a little as he wished the strange creature well – he'd miss her – kind of.

"_No it didn't," came a voice from behind him, "I was just screwing with you, you giant dugong of gullibility." _

EJ's head snapped around so that there was an audible click as he looked over his shoulder to see Sam standing behind him, a grin on her face as she waved at him merrily.

"Why would you do that?!" asked EJ in horror at her having tricked him like that.

"_Ah I think I already covered that," said Sam with a roll of her eyes, "Screwing with you remember? Besides, you should have seen your face – you looked like a guy who just peed on an electrified fence-"_

Sam contorted her face into a frankly frightening expression in supposed imitation of the look on EJ's face.

"_Priceless," she chortled in amusement. _

"Why are you still here?" he asked in annoyance.

"_Clearly your inner psyche still thinks you need me," said Sam thoughtfully, "Looks like you're stuck with me for the duration Elvis."_

"Fan-bloody-tastic," said EJ darkly, his good mood suddenly not quite as good as it had been.

EJ turned around and began to wheel himself out of the room.

"_Call me," said Sam and made the phone with her hand and fingers, putting it to her ear. _

"Not bloody likely," said EJ sourly.

As soon as he was in the lounge room though and saw Sami his bad mood immediately evaporated. He watched her face light up at seeing him as she put down the tray of toast on the coffee table and then walk over and kiss him.

"Hey you," she said huskily.

"Hey yourself," said EJ, looking up at her adoringly, one hand going up to stroke Sami's leg.

"Breakfast is served," she said, a big smile on her face, "I thought it would be easier if we have it on the sofa."

"I like the sound of that," EJ said with a smile.

Any chance he had of being out of his wheelchair and feeling more normal he was happy to take. EJ wheeled himself over to the sofa and lifted himself out of the chair and onto the sofa. Sami sat beside him and began to divvy up the plates. He turned and watched her profile, completely infatuated with the beauty of the woman beside him and unable to tear his eyes away from her.

"What are you doing?" she asked with a little laugh as she caught him staring at her.

"Thinking I am by far and away the luckiest man on this planet," said EJ with a smile.

"You say that now but you haven't tried my coffee yet," said Sami teasingly but flushing from his praise.

"I don't think one bad cup of coffee is going to change how I feel about you my darling," said EJ throatily.

"Well that's good," Sami with a heartfelt sigh.

EJ cocked his head and looked at her, thinking he'd seen something else there under her playfulness.

"Hey," he said softly, putting out a hand and placing it on Sami's arm, "My feelings are never going to change about you Samantha."

She looked at him wide eyed then, an almost panicky uncertainty there, as though she couldn't really bring herself to believe such a thing. It was funny to think she still had doubts after she'd been so persistent with getting him to acknowledge the truth but then there had been a lot of men before him that had abandoned Sami after no doubt promising her the same thing.

"I'm not like them Samantha," he told her gently, letting Sami see the earnestness in his eyes, "You know that. There isn't a single part of you that I don't simply adore – even the maddening parts."

EJ smiled an impish smile then.

"In fact I think they are rather some of my favourite things about you," he teased her, "You drive me so crazy that the thought of being with anyone else is just an impossibility. No other woman could hold my interest, my thoughts and heart the way you do Samantha. There is simply no one else in the world that will do and I think we both know I can't live without you."

"And I can't live without you EJ," she said with a tremulous smile, putting her hand over his.

"Then it is very fortunate for us both that we don't have to isn't it hm?" he said with a tender smile.

"I'm so glad you never gave up on me EJ," she said unevenly.

"As soon as I met you sweetheart I knew I couldn't live without you," he said simply, "I didn't have a choice but to pursue you until you were mine."

Sami squeezed his hand and gave him a grateful look but then suddenly looked away, going about buttering her toast.

"What is it darling?" asked EJ, scrutinizing her profile carefully as she busied herself with the task at hand.

EJ leant his elbow on the back of the sofa and gave her a concerned look as Sami stopped and looked ahead for a moment, clearly collecting herself.

"It's nothing," she said at last, turning to face him with a watery smile.

"It doesn't look like nothing," said EJ with a frown, looking at her unhappily, "What's the matter sweetheart, have I said something wrong?"

"No," she sighed happily, "What you said was perfect. It's just-"

Sami looked down then and made a regretful face.

"I just wish my family could hear you say things like that," she said wistfully, "See how happy you make me and then they might understand."

"Darling I'll track down your parents right now and repeat what I just said and a whole lot more if that is what you want," said EJ intently.

"It's not the right time yet," she said with a disappointed shake of her head, "I just wish that when they were all posing their intervention-"

"What, wait," interrupted EJ with a frown, "What intervention, what are you talking about Samantha."

"While you were in hospital they found out how much time I was spending with you I suppose," said Sami with a twist of her lips, "I was lured to the Brady pub where I was ambushed by my parents, Uncle Bo and Aunt Hope and even Grandma."

"Why didn't you tell me this?" asked EJ urgently, "Samantha-"

"It's alright," she reassured him, "It was actually quite empowering in the end. I basically told them that this was my life and the choices in them were mine to make. They may not always approve of my choices but they were still mine. I asked them to accept me as I was because I couldn't change, not even for them."

"You said all that?" asked EJ in wonderment, hardly able to believe it.

"I came so close to losing you EJ," said Sami simply, "And it made me wake up to the fact that just like you I can't live without you. My family is going to have to accept that... or not but either way that doesn't change how things are. If they want me in their lives then they are going to have to have you as well – that isn't negotiable."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this," said EJ dazedly.

"I know," said Sami ruefully, "It's a pretty big about face but it's the truth and it always frightened me before but not anymore. I love my family and I want them to be a part of my life but it has to be my life – not their version of it."

"You are the most magnificent creature I have ever known," said EJ in awe.

"I was pretty amazing," agreed Sami with a shy smile, "I haven't heard from any of them since, I think they are still in shock."

"That's only because they refused to see the glorious woman that you've grown into Samantha," said EJ adoringly, "Anyone with eyes can see the fire and light burning inside of you. I'm sorry to say your family is quite mad to think that they could try and quench either. You my darling girl are a force of nature and you should never be ashamed of that."

"I'm not," said Sami with a smile, "Not now."

EJ leant over and stole a kiss from Sami, dropping a quick one on the end of her nose as well.

"EJ," she giggled and then suddenly looked a little more serious, "Can we not talk about our families or Lucas or any of that other stuff today?"

Sami reached up and stroked his face tenderly then.

"Just for today I want it to be only about us," she said softly, "I don't want anyone else to exist."

"I can do that," agreed EJ happily, more than ready to put aside depressing thoughts of his father and Sami's family.

"So we're agreed?" she asked him huskily, moving closer, "For today it's only the two of us?"

"Absolutely," he agreed throatily, moving closer.

"I love you so much EJ," Sami said helplessly, "I keep saying the words because they just seem too small for how I really feel."

"Then show me my gorgeous minx," EJ implored her, "Show me and I'll show you."

EJ cupped her face gently, his lips brushing Sami's now as she tilted her head accommodatingly. Their lips came together softly but quickly it had deepened into so much more. The two kissed each other as though they had all the time in the world but still with so much time to make up for. Alternatively giving and demanding, hungry and satisfied with one another. The gloriousness of just taking their time in this simple act of intimacy washed over them both like a warm glow. At one point there was the sound of the telephone ringing but EJ simply reached behind Sami for where the phone was in the cradle and without breaking their kisses managed to yank the telephone cord from the wall.

"Better," mumbled Sami into the kiss dreamily.

"Much better," agreed EJ as he pushed her back, covering her body with his.

All in all it wasn't an entirely unpleasant way to spend your morning EJ would decide later, kissing and being kissed by the woman who held your heart in her small hands. They had a lot of time to make up for in missed opportunities in that department and EJ wasn't going to miss a single one.

oooOOOOooo

Lucas hung up his cell phone and made a frustrated noise. He'd rung everywhere he could think of; even EJ's and still couldn't get a hold of Sami. It bugged him endlessly that he was always having to chase her down. Why couldn't she pursue him for a bit anyway? He was the one in hospital; he was the one in pain but Sami didn't seem to care about that at all. Lucas pulled out the drawer beside his bed, sick of thinking about it and grabbed out a handful of pills. He just wanted the sweet oblivion they gave him where he didn't have to think about Sami and what she was doing back in Salem without him. His mother's kept playing over and over in his head. Lucas didn't know what he'd do if Sami ever cheated on him. Every other woman in his life had betrayed him at some point in that way and he just didn't know if he could take another blow like that. He lay back on the bed and waited impatiently for the drugs to work their magic.

"Samantha," he muttered up to the ceiling and felt his stomach clench anxiously, "What are you doing? What are you doing to _me_?"

**Chapter ONE HUNDERED & SIXTY ONE**** – ****Fingers in the Honey Pot**

Tempt not a desperate man.

_~William Shakespeare~_

EJ moved his hand up and down Sami's back in a gentle caress as they continued their extended make out session, lost in each other. He'd woken that morning with her soft fragrance beside him and EJ just had to kiss her and now he couldn't stop. Sami's tongue danced in his mouth as she returned his kisses, the intensity slowly building between them. It was exquisite to know they had all this time to just spend like this together, exploring one another and re-connecting again. There was not going to be any Lucas barging in and interrupting them or Sami suddenly pushing him away and trying to pretend what was happening between them was nothing. EJ just luxuriated in the fact that Sami was his at long last and they had all the time in the world to enjoy one another.

Their kisses were becoming more heated, Sami making that little purring noise in the back of the throat that just drove EJ crazy. He moved closer, slowly rubbing his chest back and forth against Sami's feeling the hard bud of her nipples through the flimsy little slip she was wearing. Without breaking the kiss EJ moved his hand further down Sami's back, over the voluptuous swell of her bottom and to the bottom of her silky slip. His hand moved under the hem and slowly began to move up again, one goal in mind now. Sami's hand came out and reached behind herself, grabbing his wrist.

"What are you doing?" she asked unevenly with a suspicious arch of her eyebrows, an impish twinkle in her eyes.

"Nothing," said EJ, his brown eyes wide and dripping innocence, his breathing as ragged as Sami's.

"Well you can do nothing with your hands up here," she said firmly, moving his hand back up to the small of her back.

"But I've done that part of your body," he pouted, "I don't want to miss out on any part of your body Samantha – it wouldn't be right to play favourites."

"I know exactly what you're playing at EJ DiMera," said Sami with a little laugh, "And it's not going to happen – we made an agreement remember?"

"I remember saying we were going to discuss it more," said EJ with a sly look, rolling Sami over onto her back and slipping his hand between her legs, "Hands up everyone who thinks we should indulge ourselves."

EJ immediately moved his hand higher and cupped Sami's lace covered mound. She was already gratifyingly wet from their shared kisses but a little rubbing from the palm of his hand rewarded EJ with fresh nectar as Sami's body helplessly enjoyed the small friction.

"Nice," he purred in appreciation.

"Stop it EJ," said Sami trying to sound firm but the little shudder she gave as she said it ruined the effect.

She squeezed her legs together and gave him an exasperated look.

"It is no good voting EJ," she told him with a little laugh, "There is only two of us but seeing as I'm the woman I get two votes and I say no until you are fully recovered."

"The most important parts of me are fully recovered," said EJ cheekily as he covered her body with his and Sami was left in no doubt as to the truth in that statement.

EJ began kissing her again, hoping to get around her that way. If his kisses had even half of the same mind numbing effect on her as Sami's did on him then a little bit longer of this and she wouldn't be able to utter a single word of protest. Sami was clearly onto his plan though because she began pushing against his chest.

"Up," mumbled Sami into the kiss as she clearly fought against wanting to stay there forever.

"Way ahead of you sweetheart," said EJ throatily, rubbing his swollen hardness against her.

"That's the problem," Sami giggled as she tried to move away from him, "I told you EJ – no funny business – we can't risk putting back your recovery."

"What if I promise not to laugh?" EJ said hopefully.

"EJ!" Sami groaned, "I'm trying to be the strong one here – you know the grown up. We can't risk hurting your back with having sex and I want to show some solidarity and wait as well before finding some proper release."

"That's just crazy," said EJ with a groan, "Sweetheart I get immense pleasure from enjoying the fruits of your body shall we say – from where I'm sitting it's a win win situation."

"But it would be too easy for us to get carried away," said Sami reasonably as she moved over to the edge of the bed and sat on the edge, "I'm just trying to protect you EJ."

"Darling there has to be better ways to protect me," said EJ with another groan, "Couldn't you just stop cooking for me instead – that's bound to add years to my life."

Sami grabbed a pillow and hit EJ in the face with it for that little comment.

"Bite me!" she said trying to sound offended but the laughter kind of ruined it.

"I'm trying!" said EJ with a moan of frustration as he dodged another pillow attack, "But you won't let me – that's the problem!"

EJ grabbed the pillow from her and put it behind his head to avoid anymore assaults with an impish grin.

"EJ we've had periods of abstinence before," she tried to reason with him with a laugh, "This is just the same."

"No it's not," said EJ unhappily, "Now you're here, telling me you love me, clearly wanting me as much as I want you and telling me that."

EJ gave Sami a warm, adoring look before going on.

"I used to think you were irresistible before sweetheart," he said huskily, "But now you're damn near a complete addiction."

"I feel the same way EJ," she said tremulously, "I don't know how I ever survived before without you in my life."

"Then let's give in to that my darling," he wheedled enticingly, taking her hand and pulling on it gently, "All I want is to give you two or three orgasms tops and then we'll stop. I promise you I have an absolutely steely resolve on the subject."

"It's your steely resolve I'm worried about," said Sami with a quirk of her lips as she looked down at EJ's lap where a rather impressive tent like structure was being made with the help of the sheet and EJ's 'steely resolve'.

"Oh that," said EJ, trying to sound casual, "That's just a trick of the light."

"That's some trick EJ," said Sami with a smile, clearly impressed, "But no means no negotiation."

She stood up then and smiled down at him lovingly.

"You're going to thank me for this in the end," she said, her eyes warm with love for him.

"I find that highly bloody unlikely," said EJ dourly but his twinkling eyes told her that he wasn't really in a bad mood.

As much as pleasuring Sami would be a highly enjoyable exercise EJ had to admit that just this friendly teasing and banter that was there between the two of them was simply fantastic as well. He had never felt so at home, so at peace with a woman as he did with Sami. This feeling of having all this time to be with her, just being open with one another was simply intoxicating and EJ couldn't get enough of this woman.

"I'm going to make us some breakfast," she told him with a smile, leaning down to steal a quick kiss, "I have to go into Mythic today and check on a few things."

"I'll be right out," said EJ happily, watching her leave but knowing that she was only going to be a few feet away.

He lay back on the bed after Sami was gone and put his hands behind his head, smiling up at the ceiling. EJ couldn't have imagined what this kind of happiness would be like; it was almost like an out of body experience the euphoria of being secure in Sami's love.

"_Hiya llama lumps."_

EJ's good mood wasn't even disturbed by the sudden appearance of Sam as she sat down on the end of the bed.

"_Who's a happy boy then?"_

"I am," said EJ readily, sitting up now, "A very happy boy."

"_So I see," said Sam giving EJ's lap the once over as his body was still trying to calm down after the prolonged make out session with Sami that morning._

"That isn't for you," said EJ flatly, willing his body to behave itself.

"_You know it's funny isn't it?" she said conversationally, "Before Sami would let you have sex with her but wouldn't let you kiss her. Now you can kiss her but she isn't letting you have sex – that's pretty funny when you think about it."_

EJ just looked back at her, unimpressed by her observations, correct though they may be.

"_You're not laughing," she commented straight faced, "What's up with that?"_

"Samantha is just practicing a little caution," said EJ a little dourly.

"_Again another pretty funny statement," said Sam in amusement, "Samantha Brady and the word 'caution' in the same sentence with the words 'thrown to the wind' after it. Maybe you're not as irresistible to her as she is to you – ever think of that my little tent pole of love?" _

Sam looked thoughtful then, cocking her head to one side.

"_I guess you do seeing as I just said that and we are the same person after all," she mused, "Only I look better in crotchless knickers."_

"Why do you have to say those kinds of things to me?" asked EJ in exasperation, "Don't you want me to be happy – to have peace of mind? Why are you always so intent on introducing doubt?"

"_Dunno," she said with a little shrug, "Probably because it's kind of fun to see you get all puckered up."_

"I thought we were going to have some time apart?" said EJ in annoyance, "There isn't really anything for you to do anyway – Samantha and I are happy."

"_I was getting bored," pouted Sam like a little child, "Thought I'd check in on you and when I did I saw you crashing and burning with your girl."_

"I didn't crash and burn," said EJ sourly, "And Samantha wants me, badly."

"_And you're in here talking to a figment of your imagination," pondered Sam, "You can see why I had my doubts right?" _

EJ sat up more and put his feet over the side of the bed, giving Sam a determined look.

"I'll prove to you that Samantha is as helpless to resist me as she always was," said EJ forcefully, reaching for his chair.

He hauled himself into then chair and without using his hands he lifted his feet onto the foot rests.

"_Hey!" said Sam looking impressed, "You lifted your feet."_

"I know," said EJ in satisfaction, "I've got a lot of sensation returning to my legs now. If I continue to work out regularly on them it shouldn't be too long before I can stand again."

"_Why haven't you told Sami this?" asked Sam curiously._

"I wanted to surprise her," said EJ with a smile, his annoyance with Sam forgotten as he imagined Sami's face when he stood up out of his wheelchair.

"_I don't know EJ," said Sam a little uncertainly, "You've had mixed responses to your surprises for Sami."_

"She'll love this one," said EJ confidently.

"_I suppose," said Sam. _

Before she could say anything else depressing EJ wheeled himself out of the bedroom, intent on finding Sami. It wasn't difficult because she was standing in the kitchen, making them both breakfast.

"I'm making your favourite," she informed him over her shoulder with a grin, "Only slightly burnt toast."

"Mm," said EJ with a little laugh, "That is my favourite."

He rolled up behind Sami as she stood at the counter and manoeuvred it so he was more or less beside her. EJ lifted a hand and began stroking the skin of her outer thigh and rubbed his morning beard against the thigh closest to him.

"Tickles," commented Sami with a little giggle.

"Does it now?" asked EJ with a little rumble of laughter but didn't stop.

"You know if I didn't have that physio appointment later I'd come with you to Mythic," he said, hoping to distract Sami from what he was doing.

"I know," Sami sighed, "It will be so great when you can go there and we can be working together properly again."

"Maybe tomorrow?" offered up EJ, his hand now moving from her outer thigh to slip between Sami's legs, stroking the soft flesh there.

"That would be great," said Sami enthusiastically, "If you're feeling up to it of course."

"I feel fine Samantha," he said indulgently, "I keep telling you that."

EJ kept talking to her, letting his hand wander ever higher until he was at the apex of her thighs, moving back and forth against the once again damp lace.

"EJ," said Sami in a breathless warning.

"Samantha," he returned; his voice rich and full of warmth.

"We discussed this," she said unevenly but made no move to stop him.

"Did we?" asked EJ innocently.

EJ slipped his fingers past the lace barrier so he was at her heat and slid two of his fingers easily into her wetness. Sami closed her eyes, swallowing a moan at the sensation as she gripped the kitchen counter top in front of her.

"Y-yes," Sami said shakily when she could talk again.

"And what did we decided darling?" he asked her throatily as he began to move his fingers up and down inside of her, "I can't quite remember."

"EJ," she moaned her protest but Sami's body was betraying her, pushing back on his fingers of their own accord.

EJ's thumb moved to her already distended nub and began to rub on it with slow circles but he had barely started before Sami gave a groaning gasp, going up on her toes as she climaxed around his fingers.

"Ohhh!" Sami moaned, the toast she'd been buttering long forgotten as she bent over the counter top, riding out the riot of sensation currently swamping her body.

EJ felt his mouth go dry and his heart begin to beat at a painful rate at watching her go through that and knowing he was the cause. He loved the fact that he barely had to touch Sami and she would be dissolving into an orgasm. It made EJ desperate for more of her, needing to give her more and more pleasure. Not letting Sami come to her senses EJ quickly removed his hand from inside of her and pulled on her arm. Sami's already weak knees gave way and she suddenly found herself in EJ's lap and he was turning them around, wheeling them back to the bedroom.

"What are you doing?" she asked faintly, still obviously a little overcome with what he just done for her.

"Finishing what I started," he promised her roughly and then they were at the bed.

Sami didn't protest as EJ stripped her of her clothes before joining her on the bed.

"EJ," she said a little uncertainly, worry in her eyes.

"It's alright sweetheart," he told her throatily, "This is all about you."

"This is a bad idea," said Sami unevenly but EJ was already kissing his way up her body and he knew he'd won when she arched her back and reached out to bury her fingers in his short dark hair.

Take that Sam thought EJ smugly but thoughts of his unwelcome and sarcastic invisible fiend disappeared totally when Sami hooked one of her legs over his shoulder and dragged him closer to where they both knew they wanted him to be.

"EJ," Sami moaned, arching her back, the rabid anticipation evident in her breathy voice.

He nuzzled at her mound before moving lower, finding Sami's core and making her groan loudly. EJ took his time with Sami, making sure he wrung every possible pleasure from each of her nerve endings until she was just a shaking mass underneath him. At last he was finally done with pleasuring her, not quite sure he could handle anymore himself. EJ kissed his way up Sami's still heaving body, now glistening with a fine covering of sweat from all that pleasure he'd wrung from her body. He delighted in the taste of her salty skin, licking and nuzzling his way up her body until he was at her lips. EJ kissed her deeply which Sami eagerly returned before laying his head on the pillow beside her and taking in with satisfaction the dazed afterglow expression Sami was currently sporting. So much for her laying down the law EJ thought smugly – they both found it equally hard to keep their hands off each other.

"I win," he told her with a self satisfied smile on his face.

"Trust me EJ," panted Sami, still looking up at the ceiling as she tried to collect herself, "I _definitely_ won that time."

Sami looked at him and grinned then and EJ returned it.

"We'll call it a draw eh sweetheart?" he said with a chuckle.

"Are you alright?" she asked him with a groaning laugh, feeling his turgid length rubbing against her thigh, "EJ this can't be good for you."

"Sweetheart you've had me in this state ever since the moment I opened the door and found you standing there dripping wet in that bikini," said EJ dryly, "You have no idea what you've put me through. I like to think it's given me character."

"As long as it doesn't give you a permanent injury," Sami fretted, only half kidding.

"Don't worry darling," EJ promised her throatily, "You can repay me in kind the minute we get the go ahead from the doctor. I'm fully intending not to let you out of my bed for at least a week."

"Mm," said Sami, stretching happily, "Can't wait."

"Of course we don't necessarily have to wait," said EJ hopefully, "I mean what do doctor's know anyway?"

"See this is why I didn't want us to do this EJ," said Sami with a groaning laugh, "It gives you ideas that can't go anywhere for now for your own good."

"I want to be with you Samantha," he told her earnestly, "As often and in any way I possibly can – I love you and just want to be close to you always."

"Oh EJ," she sighed, rolling over and moving in to kiss him, "Me too."

EJ put a hand to her face as they kissed, caressing her soft cheek.

"I'm so late," Sami complained breathlessly after they broke their extended kiss.

"Then a few minutes more won't matter sweetheart," he wheedled, "Let's just lie here for a bit longer eh?"

"You are bad for my motivation EJ," said Sami with a half smile but nonetheless lay her head on his chest, snuggling into him.

"So I'm the man who is corrupting Samantha Brady eh?" mused EJ and decided he liked the thought of that very much, "Excellent."

Sami just gave a little laugh and moved even closer to him.

"I think we corrupt each other," she told him, sounding pleased by that fact.

"And we always will," said EJ confidently as he tightened his arms around her.

In the end it was another hour and a half before Sami was up again and dressed for the office.

"How long do you think you'll be?" asked EJ, watching her as she collected the last of her things.

"A couple of hours," said Sami distractedly as she looked for her cell phone.

She found it and smiled over at him then.

"But I'll be back for lunch," she promised him, "I'll bring us something back – what do you fancy?"

EJ's eyes scanned Sami's body hungrily as he pondered that question.

"I don't mean on me EJ," Sami laughed, "I think we both know your favourite bits of my body."

"Are you sure?" asked EJ playfully, "I have quite a few you know."

"Is that right?" asked Sami with an arched eyebrow, "So what's your very favourite bit then?"

"Well I don't think I need to tell you that I adore your breasts and bottom," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "But I've always been rather fascinated by those three little moles below your left breast – very sexy. I also worship that little dip at the bottom of your spine. It's a little indentation that drives me simply wild and I find completely irresistible."

"So that's your favourite part of my body now is it?" she asked him with a sultry little smile.

"Until very recently yes," he nodded, "But it's since been replaced with something else that makes my knees go weak and my palms break out in a sweat."

"And what might that be?" asked Sami, clearly intrigued.

"Your eyes," said EJ huskily, "When you look at me now you let me see how much you love me, how much you need me and it is as sexy as hell Samantha. When you look at me now I can see my future and everything I could ever need in this world."

A slow smile came to Sami's lips at his admission, those beloved eyes of hers flaring at his words.

"Is that right?" she asked huskily, clearly moved by his confession.

"Absolutely," replied EJ without hesitation.

"I guess it's true what they say then," said Sami softly, "The eyes really are the windows to the soul because you are part of me now EJ, so deep inside of me that I don't even think of us as two different people anymore."

EJ felt a huge smile come to his face at her words now as Sami leant down to be on level with his face.

"I have to go now," she told him huskily, "But you're all I'm going to be thinking about while I'm gone."

Sami looked at him, making sure her eyes were bright with her love for him. She leant forward and kissed him then, EJ's hand coming to her face as the kiss lingered. Sami eventually drew back and he couldn't help but follow after her a little, reluctant to let her leave him.

Sami gave a little laugh at EJ's eagerness, pulling back and smiling down at him indulgently.

"The sooner I go the sooner I'll be back," she promised him.

"Alright," said EJ with a heavy sigh.

Sami collected her bag and headed to the door; she opened the door but turned back around and smiled at him before she left. She mouthed 'I love you' to him and EJ's grin was suddenly back. Sami was gone then and EJ was left alone but very happy. Life just seemed so good right then that it was easy for EJ to forget of all the unfinished business around them – Lucas, his father, her family. Right then though EJ refused to think of those annoyances, instead choosing to count the seconds until Sami was back with him.

_The time was rapidly approaching however when that wouldn't be an option for either him or Sami... _

**Chapter ONE HUNDERED & SIXTY TWO**** – ****Ain't No Mountain High Enough**

The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man's determination.

_~Tommy Lasorda~_

It was just over a week later and EJ was making breakfast for he and Sami. She was sound asleep in bed and EJ had a surprise for her. He wheeled himself over to the kitchen before applying the brakes and then he carefully stood up. It took a moment of leaning against the counter before he was confident enough to stand on his own two feet alone though. EJ had been working hard at his physio and work outs and had been making excellent progress. He'd managed to stand two days ago and yesterday he'd taken a few steps. So far he hadn't told Sami because he wanted to surprise her with the progress he was making.

EJ took a few steps, concentrating hard on his balance and then set about making some coffee and toast for breakfast. He laid out a tray while he was waiting for the water to boil and then found he had to sit down for a minute, the ache in his back getting hard to bear.

EJ limped over to the sofa, his hand to his back and then lay back on it, stretching out his back and concentrating on his breathing. There was a fine layer of sweat on his brow from his exertions but EJ didn't care. Every day he was getting stronger and he just had to keep pushing through it and he knew he would come out the other side. There were no words as to how eager he was to be back at full strength again and prove all of the nay sayers wrong.

It felt like as soon as he was back on his feet again properly that it was another step closer to having it all with Sami. Being able to walk again was the first thing, then of course there was Lucas and their families to be dealt with and then after that he and Sami were going to be free to be together with no more sneaking around. Of course he knew it would be hard in the beginning, particularly for Sami because EJ did not envisage Lucas being gracious in defeat somehow and it was inevitable that the Brady's were going to be a right royal pain in their asses as well.

The wild card was definitely his father though and EJ knew while the Brady's might kick and scream and make things unpleasant for them that it would stop there. His father EJ wasn't so sure about on the other hand. Of course he was going to be thrilled that EJ and Sami were going to be together properly at long last and would no doubt be eagerly anticipating a wedding as indeed EJ was himself. No the sticking point would definitely be when EJ told him that he no longer wanted anything to do with the family business.

The trouble was his father could be wildly unpredictable at times. It was entirely possible that Stefano would just be happy that the circle that Santo and Colleen had started had been completed in EJ and Sami. Best case scenario was that he would be content to know that his son was happy making a new life for himself as long as he could still be a part of it, particularly the grandchildren's lives. Before everything had happened with Tony EJ would have bet his last dollar on how his father would have reacted. Nowadays however he just wasn't that sure. His eyes had been open to the way his father dealt with things. Of course he'd always known that his father had definite grey areas to his ways but EJ had been certain that they didn't include family. Evidently he'd been wrong, even with not knowing what Tony's fate had ultimately been.

EJ grimaced as he sat up on the sofa, thinking about what he needed to do. After surprising Sami with breakfast in bed this morning EJ was intent on seeing his father and starting to introduce the idea that he wouldn't be taking over the reins of the DiMera empire. Perhaps all his father needed was time to adapt to the idea EJ mused. He would certainly be in a good mood when he saw his son up and walking again so that was most likely going to be the best time to broach the subject. EJ knew Sami would be happy that he was making a stand and more than anything he wanted her to feel safe with him and it was a sad fact that she'd never feel that way with Stefano playing any kind of major role in their life.

It made EJ sad to think about that but he now at last understood Sami's reservations. He'd only known his father as a doting man who indulged his every whim but even though EJ had known there were other sides to his father he could look back now and see that he hadn't chosen to look at those other character traits very carefully. It was why he'd gone along so easily with everything his father had wanted him to do, not even questioning it because that would have meant questioning the man himself and EJ just couldn't bring himself to do that at the time. Loving Sami had given him courage to take a long, honest look at both himself and his father and actually think about the kind of man he wanted to be. It was a gift that he would always be eternally grateful for to Sami.

EJ sat up; finding the pain in his back had subsided as he carefully stood up again. He limped over to the umbrella stand where there was a cane and pulled it out, deciding he was going to need that for the trip back into the bedroom. He loaded up the tray with honeyed toast and fruit, deciding to come back for the coffee in another trip, not wanting to tempt fate. EJ carefully walked back into the bedroom, the tray balanced in one hand and leaning on the cane with the other. He stopped by the bed and looked down at the sleeping vision that was the woman he loved.

Sami was on her side, completely out to it and EJ's smile widened as he thought about how happy she was going to be to see him standing again. He leant down and put his lips to her ear.

"Rise and shine sweetheart," said EJ softly into Sami's ear.

He straightened up, leaning a little heavily on his cane as he smiled down at her, waiting for Sami to see him standing there. She gave a little groan and forced her eyes open, blinking groggily.

"EJ?" she said, her voice husky with sleep.

"Yes my love," he said evenly, waiting for Sami to focus on him standing there.

Sami sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes and still pretty out of it, not putting together what it meant for EJ to be standing there, smiling down at her with a tray of food in his hand.

"What time is it?" she asked blearily.

"Time to get up and enjoy a new day," he said cheerfully, amused that Sami was still too sleep addled to work out what was wrong with this picture, "Just after six."

"So early," Sami groaned unhappily as she sat up more and then leant back against the back board of the bed and looked up at him with still unfocused eyes, "Why did you have to get out of bed AAAAAGGGGGHHH!!!!"

Sami suddenly screamed incredibly loudly as finally the penny dropped and her only half awake brain worked out what it was looking at. Not only did Sami scream but she threw up her arms as well which was a bit unfortunate really because EJ was standing right by her side of the bed and one of her arms collected the tray he was holding sending bits of fruit and toast spraying across the room. A piece of honeyed toast catapulted into the air and landed squarely on EJ's forehead, honey side down as he staggered back a little from the shock of her reaction.

"EJ!" Sami practically yelled, putting both her hands over her mouth as she came up on her knees, kneeling on the bed and staring at him with opened eyed disbelief, "You're standing up!"

"Aha," said EJ calmly, wondering if he'd ever regain full use of his hearing again after that blood curdling scream from Sami.

"But why didn't you tell me?!" she asked him, unintentionally shouting at him because she was still so very shocked.

"I wanted to surprise you," said EJ evenly as he peeled the honey toast off his forehead.

He pulled a bit of a face as he felt the gooey honey begin to slide down his face from the warmth of his body but then gave Sami a smile.

"Surprise," he said ironically and rather unnecessarily at this point.

"Oh my god," said Sami shakily, the reality of what she was seeing finally sinking in, "EJ you can stand – you can walk!"

"I can," he agreed with a grin.

"OH!" exclaimed Sami as she went to throw herself into his arms but then she stopped herself, looking at him uncertainly, "Is it alright to hug you?"

"Darling there will never be a time when it wouldn't be," he reassured her with grin.

Sami threw her arms around EJ's neck, trying not to unbalance him as he stood there, still leaning on his cane and hugged him tightly.

"I'm so happy EJ!" she declared, sounding a bit tearful now, "I knew you could do it! I knew it!"

EJ's smile widened as he heard Sami say that. When he was with her EJ really did feel like he could move mountains and this was just one more example of that.

"I did it for you sweetheart," he told her huskily, "For us."

Sami pulled back and then still kneeling on the bed she dragged his head down and kissed EJ passionately which he immediately returned. She pulled back and grinned up at him before suddenly slapping his arm and trying to scowl at him fiercely.

"Why didn't you tell me?!" she said, trying to be angry but it was impossible with the huge grin on her face, "Faker!!"

"I told you darling," EJ laughed, "I wanted to surprise you."

Sami shook her head dazedly and sat back on her heels, looking him up and down.

"I can't believe it," she said faintly, "You really did it EJ. You're amazing."

"I'm motivated," EJ corrected her with a smile, "I want to take my girl dancing."

Sami bit her bottom lip as a pleased smile split her lip.

"Dancing?" she queried happily.

"Aha," EJ nodded and then grimaced as some honey rolled its way down his nose, "I think I need to go and clean up."

"Here," said Sami, going up on her knees again and pulling him towards her.

She reached up and licked along the length of EJ's nose, collecting the wayward rivets of honey as she did.

"Alright," said EJ looking perfectly serious, "From now on that is the only way you're allowed to eat honey Samantha."

"What, off your body?" she asked him with a coy raised eyebrow.

"Absolutely," said EJ with hesitation.

"Want me to see if you've gotten honey anywhere else on your body?" she asked him innocently.

"It amazes me that you even feel the need to ask me that question," said EJ, his eyes lighting up in anticipation, "And makes the phone call I have to make later today even that more important."

"What's the phone call about?" asked Sami, ever curious.

"I'm making an appointment with my doctor now that I'm upright so I can get the go ahead to be upright with you," EJ gave her lascivious look as he said that.

"Hm," said Sami with a little bit of a giggle, "That does sound like an important phone call."

She sat back on the bed and then crooked her finger at him, her eyes full of infinite promise.

"But in the meantime why don't you come here big boy," she said teasingly and EJ didn't need to be told twice.

oooOOOOooo

EJ stood at the entrance of the DiMera door the next day waiting impatiently for someone to answer his knock. Standing for extended periods of time was not something he enjoyed just yet. Tomorrow was his appointment with the doctor which EJ had great confidence would go well and that meant he and Sami would be enjoying some extending lovemaking by tomorrow afternoon. EJ's lips curved up in a smile at that thought, hardly able to hold back his excitement at the thought. While he'd enjoyed how creative they'd been in the last week or so there was something about being able to make love to the woman you adored properly that just couldn't be beaten. His impatience for that time to come again was spilling over into everything else as he lifted his hand to knock on the door again in frustration. Before his knuckles could connect though the door was being opened and Bart was standing there.

"Boss man," he said happily, the easy smile he usually had coming immediately to his face.

For all of his role in the DiMera household Bart seemed to always be in a good mood.

"Hello Bart," said EJ calmly.

"There's somethin' different about you boss," commented Bart thoughtfully, looking him up and down.

"Is it the fact that I'm out of a wheelchair?" EJ prompted him with a quirk of his lips.

"You were in a wheelchair?" repeated Bart in surprise.

"I was shot Bart," said EJ with a roll of his eyes, "Surely you knew that."

"Oh yeah," nodded Bart readily, "The big boss man wasn't too happy about that."

"Can't say I was exactly doing back flips about it either," said EJ dryly.

"Because you were in a wheelchair right?" asked Bart knowingly, "That's why you couldn't do back flips."

EJ's eyes narrowed as he worked out if Bart was trying to be funny but the rather odd man just smiled back at him happily and EJ was forced to conclude that this was just Bart being Bart.

"Indeed," he said wryly, "That would have been the reason."

"You got a haircut!" announced Bart suddenly, obviously having just worked it out.

"Actually I did Bart," agreed EJ, "Just before I came over."

"See," said Bart proudly, "Told you there was something different about you."

"So is my father in?" asked EJ, forcing himself to be patient but his back was beginning to hurt now as he stood there.

"Oh yeah," Bart nodded.

The two men just stared at each other for a moment then.

"So do you think I could possibly see him then?" asked EJ in mild exasperation when it was clear that Bart was just going to continue standing there.

"Oh yeah!" said Bart brightly, "I'll tell him you're here boss."

"Where _does_ my father find these men from?" asked EJ in disbelief as he slowly followed Bart into the living room, leaning heavily on his cane.

"Elvis!" exclaimed his father delightedly when EJ limped into the room, "What is this I see?!"

"He's not in a wheelchair no more," provided Bart helpfully.

"Yes thank you I can see that Bartholomew," said Stefano in exasperation.

"But you asked," protested Bart in confusion.

Stefano shook his head, choosing to ignore the other man in favour of admiring his son's accomplishments.

"Look at you," he said proudly, going over and hugging EJ warmly, "My son – up and walking again despite what the doctors said eh?! That is what comes of a telling a DiMera that they cannot do something eh?"

"I was extremely determined," EJ grinned, "After all I had a lot to get myself back on my feet for."

"Ah," said Stefano, arching his eyebrows, his eyes twinkling as he saw the extreme happiness on his son's face, "I take it from that little statement that things are going well with you and Samantha eh?"

"More than well Father," EJ beamed, "We are very much in love and planning a future together."

"But this is wonderful news!" exclaimed Stefano, clapping his hands together in delight, "I knew that Samantha would make you see sense."

"Thank you for that Father," said EJ wryly.

"You were being stubborn and unreasonable," said Stefano unrepentantly, "So I knew the best thing for you was an equally stubborn and unreasonable woman."

"Samantha is wonderful isn't she?" said EJ, not really meaning it as a question but more as a statement of fact as a big smile spread over his face.

"She is a wonderful match for you my son," said Stefano jovially, "You will be married and make many beautiful babies, future heirs for the DiMera empire!"

"Actually Father that is what I wanted to talk to you about," began EJ, knowing that was as good an opening as he was going to get.

Rolf appeared then before EJ could go on and frowned fiercely at Stefano.

"You promised me you vere about to take zome rest Stefano," said Rolf unhappily.

"Look at my son Rolf," said Stefano with a big smile, ignoring the other man's censure, "Does he not look well?"

Rolf looked him up and down, barely acknowledging EJ's presence.

"Ya ya Stefano," he said shortly, "Elvis looks vell but it iz not him I am worried about. You need to be resting."

"Father are you alright?" asked EJ, suddenly concerned.

"Of course I am," said Stefano blithely.

"No he iz not," tutted Rolf, "Hiz latest blood resultz-"

"Are nothing to bore my son with right now," interjected Stefano with a warning look at Rolf, "We should have a celebratory drink to toast to all of your hard work Elvis."

"Zere vill be no drinking Stefano!" said Rolf in horror, "You are too unvell for zuch zings!"

"Bah," said Stefano with a dismissive wave of his hand and turned to pour he and EJ a drink regardless.

The sudden movement was too much for him however and he swayed rather alarmingly and would have fallen had not Rolf grabbed his arm quickly to steady him.

"Father!" exclaimed EJ in concern as Rolf helped him into a chair.

"It is nothing, nothing," said Stefano waving away their help as he tried to collect himself, obviously annoyed at his show of weakness.

"Father can I do anything to help?" asked EJ with a worried frown as he eased himself into a chair beside the older man.

"How attached are you to your kidneyz?" muttered Rolf under his breath.

"What?" asked EJ in surprise.

"I mean if you do not zink you need both of zem Elvis zen your father-" began Rolf but Stefano cut him off.

"Enough Rolf!" he said sharply, "Do not bore us with your inane worries!"

"Renal failure izn't inane!" returned Rolf just as sharply, "If you do not have a tranzplant zoon-"

"You can go now Rolf," said Stefano sternly, "I want to spend some time alone with my son."

"But-" Rolf tried to protest but Stefano just scowled at him fiercely.

Rolf made an unhappy tutting noise but dutifully left, muttering under his breath. EJ looked at his father in concern.

"You don't look well Father," he said unhappily.

"Don't you start," Stefano grumbled, "I will be fine – I just need to take some rest."

"Is it true what Rolf is saying?" asked EJ with a frown, "That your kidneys are failing?"

"My whole damn body is giving up on me," said Stefano with obvious displeasure, "I would live forever if it were not for its weakness."

"Father you need to listen to what Rolf says," said EJ with a shake of his head, "To take better care of yourself."

"It is true," said Stefano with a little smile, "I have much to live for eh? I must dance at my son's wedding very soon I am thinking."

"Very soon," agreed EJ with his own smile, "As soon as Lucas is back in town and Samantha has broken it off with him I fully intend to make her my wife as soon as I can."

"Why do you wait for that clod Lucas Roberts?" asked Stefano with a scowl, "How a woman like Kate could ever have such uninspired offspring I'll never know."

"Samantha wants to tell Lucas in person and seeing as he is in Switzerland at the moment-" began EJ but his father interrupted him.

"Bah," said Stefano dismissively, "Why are you letting Samantha tie your hands like this my son? You are the man – you must take charge and tell her how things are going to be. None of this waiting around to spare the feelings of a man who is of no concern to you."

"Samantha is not a woman you can order around," said EJ and then before his father could argue which clearly he was about to he continued on, "And nor do I wish her to be. We are equals going into this marriage and that means at different times there will be a give and take between us."

"But you must make sure that it is not always you giving and Samantha taking," said Stefano firmly, "You are a DiMera and Samantha must not be allowed to think that she has you at her beck and call."

"It's not a matter of being at her beck and call Father," said EJ wryly, "It's about considering someone else's needs above my own for a change and I know Samantha does the same for me. It's the only way a relationship can survive ultimately."

"You must let her know who is boss or a woman like that will ride rough shod all over you," said Stefano sternly, "She is a strong willed woman who needs a heavy hand to guide her."

"You have extremely old fashioned ideas about how a marriage should work Father," said EJ ruefully and shook his head.

"No matter how much changes in this world women remain the same at their core eh?" said Stefano knowingly, "They appreciate a strong man and the security he provides them Elvis."

EJ wanted to say that it was somewhat of an oversimplification of such a complex issue but had to wonder what was the point. He knew that sadly his father wasn't going to be a part of his marriage and conversations like this convinced EJ it was for the best. He didn't want to be continually walking some fine line between Samantha's happiness and his father's expectations.

The only way forward was to cut all ties with the man who'd had such an influence on his life and to make his own way in life, mistakes and all. It was on the tip of EJ's tongue to talk to his father about him leaving the family business but all of a sudden Stefano looked so tired sitting there, for the first time like an old man. He clearly wasn't well despite his protests to the contrary and it just didn't seem like the right time to add to his father's burden. There would be plenty of time for EJ to set him straight about the future but right then it felt like it could wait for another day.

"Yes Father," he said dutifully with a half smile, deciding against anymore arguing with his father so weak.

"Ah good," said Stefano happily, if albeit a little tiredly as he patted EJ's hand, "That is settled then – you have seen reason."

EJ feared that was exactly what he had seen and when it came time to tell his father that then everything between them would change. For the time being though EJ just sat and enjoyed being with the doting father he had always known, knowing full well that this kind of time spent together was coming to an end, one way or the other.

**Chapter ONE HUNDERED & SIXTY THREE**** – ****An Apple a Day**

The absolute yearning of one human body for another particular body and its indifference to substitutes is one of life's major mysteries.

_~Iris Murdoch~_

EJ rolled over in bed and reached for Sami, his instinct to find her body at all times incredibly strong, even barely awake.

She was lying on her stomach, her beautiful face turned towards him as she slumbered heavily. EJ rolled on his side, taking in the sweet lines of her face in the low light of the bedroom with the first rays of morning light cautiously edging their way into the room. He lifted a hand and trailed his long fingers down the gentle sweep of her back, following the indentation of her spine until he was at that little grove at its base that he adored so much. He let his fingers linger there, tracing its delicate shape and just enjoying the sensation of having Sami's soft skin against his finger tips. She didn't stir and soon EJ was feeling the familiar ravenous hunger for her welling up inside of him again and he knew he had to possess her again.

He sat up in bed, quietly moving so that he was straddling Sami's legs as she continued sleeping, face down in the bed, keeping his weight off her by sitting on his haunches as he looked down at her pale body that was almost glowing in the last lingerings of the rapidly disappearing moonlight. They were both naked and his body was already stirring at the luscious sight laid out before him. EJ leant over her body, sweeping her long blonde hair away to one side so he could gain access to her neck. He began to kiss his way down Sami's body, from her neck, down her spine to the fullness of Sami's bottom cheeks, nipping and bitting on them seductively. Sami stirred a little bit, obviously registering his ministrations on some level as she slept.

EJ positioned himself comfortably over her Sami's body, moving his knees more widely apart as he pushed a hand up between her legs, spreading her legs just a little bit. He lingered while he was there, cupping her womanhood before rubbing his fingers back and forth through her folds. They quickly became plumb, a testament to how well he'd trained them to respond to his touch and then Sami's body was pushing out its nectar, hot and fragrant and helping EJ to explore her more fully. He found her nub in its little hidey place and squeezed it, wringing a pleased grunting noise from the still sleeping Sami. EJ toyed with it some more until Sami's bottom was beginning to move around, clearly his stimulation of her beginning to have its desired effect on her.

He circled her opening with one finger, feeling Sami getting wetter and wetter all the time as her body automatically responded to him. She gave a little frustrated murmur in her sleep, instinctively opening her legs a little more and tilting her backside up, a silent invitation for him to mount her and end his teasing. EJ wanted Sami awake for that though, wanted her to feel him sliding into her and filling her undoubtedly aching emptiness now. He withdrew his hand and reached under Sami to find one of her nipples, pulling and twisting on it in one action. Sami groaned more loudly at this new torture. They had to be tender because he'd given them a lot of attention the night before, with Sami begging him for more all of the time.

EJ toyed with the idea of making Sami come by just playing with her breasts, something she was particularly susceptible to but his straining erection jerked jealously at the idea, wanting to be the one to make her convulse helplessly and not willing to share her. EJ had denied his member the delights of Sami's body for what felt like an eternity while he was recuperating and despite the night of hard and abandoned sex he and Sami had just enjoyed it was clearly needing more of the same to be satisfied. He positioned his swollen head at her opening, looking down at their bodies that were about to be joined once again, EJ's hands on either side of Sami's body and keeping most of his weight off her.

He felt the initial resistance of her body, her opening straining to take his giant head and EJ kept himself there for a minute, enjoying feeling the tension of her body against his. This first penetration always thrilled him, no matter how many times they made love, it didn't matter. The feeling of her body having to work to take him made EJ just want Sami a thousand times more, the feeling utterly intoxicating to him. Sami was clearly getting impatient though, reaching behind herself with a groggy hand and grabbing at EJ's backside, eager to force him inside of her body. EJ resisted for a moment longer and the pressed into her, pushing past that initial resistance.

He stopped then, holding his tip just inside of Sami's body, feeling her walls flutter around him as they anticipated the rest of his length eagerly. If felt so good to have her body working on his distended head like that and EJ couldn't help himself, moving his hand around to find her now heavily swollen nub again and rubbing on it quite hard, eager for Sami to continue massaging him so intimately. EJ gave an approving grunt as Sami's walls began to contract more fiercely around his swollen tip, causing his eyes to practically roll back in his head. His hips jerked of their own accord, not listening to EJ's will as they forced him to ram himself home inside of Sami abruptly, making them both give pleased grunts of delight.

They had barely gotten any sleep the entire night. When one did manage to find a few minutes rest the other would wake and coax their bodies back into life, unable to sate the raging hunger they had for each other. EJ watched Sami's fingers curl into the mattress, clutching at the sheets as her body began to respond helplessly to his gentle thrustings. It was too much to speak, both of their voices hoarse from all the crying out and screaming they'd done the night before. EJ pushed himself hard into Sami then, impaling her completely on his impressive length and kept it there, letting her feel how swollen and hard he was for her. Sami made a whimpering noise and buried her face in the pillow, instinctively opening herself up to him and pushing back so that he could penetrate her even more fully. EJ grabbed a pillow and put it under Sami's stomach, making sure she was more comfortable because he was really wanting this to make this last the duration.

EJ adored making slow love to his Samantha like this. As much as he enjoyed their frenetic lovemaking and make no mistake, he did enjoy it - very, very much but there was something so deeply cherishing about taking his time with their lovemaking that it was completely addicting to him now. He wanted to savour every little movement, every sigh and clenched muscle, revelling in knowing her body was his to do with as he pleased just as his was hers. His muscles ached from his clenched jaw as he fought his own body's strong impulses to start riding Sami hard until they were both satisfied. EJ gritted his teeth, feeling himself beginning to sweat profusely at the energy it was taking him to keep still inside of Sami. It was worth it though; they were as close as two human beings could be in that moment and EJ just wanted to take his time enjoying it.

EJ could feel Sami beginning to shake as he kept his place so deeply inside of her, her own muscles starting to feel the strain as she tried to move against him but EJ wouldn't let her, knowing it would be the end of him far too quickly if he allowed her such liberties. Sami retaliated, reaching behind herself with one hand and finding his aching balls and squeezing them tightly before beginning to massage them for him. EJ gave a hiss of pleasure, closing his eyes and flinging back his head as she knew exactly what he wanted her to do for him.

oooOOOOooo

"_Well this really is quite amazing," said the doctor, looking for the x-rays in his hands to EJ who was sitting with Sami in his office and then back to the films. _

"_So you keep saying," said EJ a little impatiently. _

_He'd come there for one reason and one reason only and that was to get the go ahead to be able to make love to Sami properly again after all this time. It was all EJ could think of and having to go through this doctor who seemed intent on taking his time over every little detail was maddening to him. _

"_EJ is unstoppable when he puts his mind to something," Sami beamed proudly as she squeezed the hand that she was holding of his. _

"_Even so this is quite unprecedented," said the doctor, still clearly in shock, "I mean it was only three weeks ago and we weren't sure you were going to make it."_

"_I was sure," said Sami firmly, "I knew EJ wouldn't leave me." _

_EJ smiled to hear that as he looked down at her lovingly._

"_You've got that right Ms Brady," he vowed to her before stealing a kiss. _

_The sudden taste of Sami in his mouth reminded EJ why they were really here, as though he could forget. The two days until this doctor's appointment had seemed to go by as though they were stuck in molasses. _

"_So everything looks alright then?" Sami fretted, clearly eager to make sure that everything was as it should be._

"_Again it shouldn't be but yes," said the doctor with a shake of his head, "Of course I'd highly recommend keeping up the physio and routine checkups but the fact that you walked in here under your own steam is nothing short of astoundingly impressive."_

"_That's my man," said Sami, putting a hand on EJ's chest and grinning up at him proudly, "So he really is going to be alright?"_

"_I'd say from this kind of evidence I'd have to say he's downright indestructible," said the doctor, still looking bemused by that fact._

"_I think I can claim some good genetic material for that," said EJ dryly, thinking of his father. _

_He fixed the doctor with a determined look then, intent on getting down to the very important reason they were there._

"_So doctor," he said seriously, "Can I assume from what you are saying that Samantha and I are being given the green light to resume our physical relationship?" _

"_EJ," said Sami, blushing a bit at his bluntness. _

"_Sorry sweetheart but you've been very insistent on getting the doctor's approval and I just want to make sure we have it before we leave," he said calmly and smiled at the doctor, "I've got big plans for the rest of the day once we are out of here."_

"_EJ!" exclaimed Sami, her blush deepening to a very enticing pink colour that just made EJ want to take her right then._

"_I understand," said the doctor with an indulgent smile, "You're young and in love. Resuming a physical relationship shouldn't be a problem if you take a little care with things."_

"_And what if it is more in the line of wild monkey sex?" asked EJ in all seriousness._

"_EJ!" Sami squawked, going a colour beyond red now at his graphic statement, "What are you doing?!"_

"_I'm being realistic darling," said EJ matter of factly, "You and I both know that we are going to be going at it hammer and tong for hours as soon as we get out of here and I don't want you being worried about anything while we do."_

_EJ gave her a cheeky grin._

"_I only want you to be thinking about what you're going to be doing to me next," he said with a wink._

"_Do you want to take a guess at what I'm thinking of doing to you next right now?!" hissed Sami, her eyes shooting death at him as he embarrassed her utterly in front of the doctor. _

_EJ's grin widened; he loved it when she got all fiery like this. As much as he'd been enjoying the loving and tender Samantha it was very nice to know the little hell cat he adored so much was still in there as well as her expression promised him a painful death for doing this to her. _

"_I think if you two are just sensible it will be fine," said the doctor hastily, hiding his smile at the outrage on the young woman's face. _

_He'd been around the track enough times not to be shocked by this conversation but clearly his patient's companion wasn't feeling quite as sage about it as he was. _

oooOOOOooo

"Samantha," said EJ raggedly, unable to hold still any longer.

He pulled all the way out of her, Sami giving a complaining groan but EJ needed to collect himself again, wanting to make this last as long as possible. He reached out a hand and began stroking her back all the way down to Sami's backside. She sighed with pleasure at EJ's soft touches, snuggling into the bed sheets happily.

"Nice," she mumbled as he continued to caress her.

"You're so beautiful," said EJ raggedly.

Sami looked back over her shoulder at him and smiled a little womanly smile.

"So are you," she said huskily.

EJ gave a little laugh at that and leant down to kiss her shoulder. As he did EJ positioned himself back at her core, entering her in a single powerful thrust.

"I'm never going to get enough of your body," he told her unevenly, beginning to move inside of her again, kneeling on either side of legs and holding himself above Sami again.

EJ kissed her other shoulder.

"Of you," he said throatily.

"Well you'd better make sure you keep me happy then Elvis DiMera," said Sami, turning her head on the pillow and EJ could see the smile on her face.

"It is my only goal in life," he vowed and picked up the speed and depths of his thrusts, causing them both to moan loudly.

oooOOOOooo

"_I cannot believe you did that!" said Sami as she stomped along the hospital corridor and EJ did his best to keep up with here as he limped along on his cane._

_He was getting faster and stronger everyday but an irate Samantha was difficult to keep up with at the best of times._

"_I was just asking the doctor a few medical questions sweetheart," EJ protested, all innocence. _

"_You made me sound like a show ride!" Sami accused him, her cheeks flushed in annoyance as she whirled around and glared at him furiously._

"_Darling you are a show ride," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, unable to stop himself from poking the bear just that little bit more, "You're the roller coaster, dodgem cars and bouncy castle all rolled up into one glorious and exhilarating ride."_

"_Oh!" gasped Sami at his cheekiness, her eyes narrowing menacingly at his continued provocations. _

_God he loved it when they fought, it got the blood pumping amongst other things and despite being livid at him now EJ knew that Sami enjoyed these encounters as much as he did. They were never going to be the lovey dovey couple that just stared into each other's eyes until one of them died of boredom. No he and Sami were going to have a healthy amount of yelling, screaming and kicking their way through their life together and EJ couldn't be happier about that fact. Theirs was not going to be the mundane, predictable life that seemed to afflict so many other people. The two of them were all fire and sparks and it made EJ delirious with pleasure._

"_If you think you are getting so much as a handshake from me after embarrassing me like that then you are out of your tiny mind!" Sami said fiercely, her eyes flashing fire at him._

_EJ grabbed Sami's arm and pulled her into a nearby supply closet away from prying eyes. _

"_Sweetheart I was just trying to put your mind at ease," said EJ innocently as he closed the door behind them. _

"_How would saying those things to the doctor meant to ease my mind EJ?!" she asked in exasperation, "Who knows what that man is thinking?!"_

"_He's thinking I am one lucky bastard," said EJ with his usual candour. _

"_You are a bastard!" Sami sniffed, clearly enjoying her outrage now._

"_Correction my gorgeous girl," said EJ with a sly smile on his face as he advanced on her, throwing his cane to the ground as he reached for her, "I'm your bastard."_

_EJ picked her up and pressed Sami against the wall, holding her there easily as she wrapped her legs around his waist._

"_Yes you are," she growled, putting her arms around his neck. _

_EJ ground his erection into her, their fighting having had its usual effect on him. He'd wanted to be romantic when they finally made love again, candles, music, taking their time but at the first touch EJ knew that wasn't going to be a possibility. _

"_This doesn't count," said Sami, wiggling against his eagerly as though she could read his mind. _

_EJ groaned in gratitude at her understanding because she was clearly as in need of this as he was. He released himself from his pants with one hand and was also happy that Sami wasn't worrying over his back right then either. Nothing like a good fight to make you forget about everything other than the important stuff it seemed. Sami clung to him as EJ pulled aside her panties and entered her, almost crying with relief at the sensation of being back inside of her again. _

"_This isn't going to take long," he warned her raggedly._

"_I know," Sami moaned, squeezing her eyes closed as he began to pound himself urgently into her. _

oooOOOOooo

EJ's body was beginning to take over, unable to sustain the slow pace inside of Sami any longer. The delicious friction between their bodies was taking its toll on him and EJ found himself pushing himself harder and deeper into Sami with each frantic thrust. Her body was rocking underneath his, accommodating him again and again as he drove them both towards the point of no return.

"EJ!" Sami gasped and he could feel her body beginning to bear down incredibly hard on him, driving him crazy as she always did.

His body was working at a manic pace, unable to slow down now. This kind of hard, pounding lovemaking was actually causing a little pain amongst the intense pleasure which just seemed to add another dimension to it all. EJ knew both of them were incredibly tender after all of the lovemaking of the previous night but if he even tried to slow down Sami would frantically buck her hips underneath him, desperate for more of this bliss filled torture. It was taking them forever to get there and the suspense of getting ever closer to that sweet pinnacle and yet still not quite reaching it increased the tension between them to a level that was causing EJ to lose his mind.

"I love you!" he moaned, feeling all of his sanity leave him as EJ lost himself utterly in her body.

"Yes!" Sami groaned back and then at long last it was finally happening.

They came together in a kaleidoscope of colour and song, neither one able to remain quiet. EJ's body burst inside of Sami's, filling her with all of his maleness that he'd worked so hard to deliver to her as she convulsed around him noisily. The moment was perfection, strung out into a thousand eternities until there was only EJ and Sami, Sami and EJ and all the rest of creation ceased to exist.

oooOOOOooo

_They stumbled through the door of EJ's apartment and before they could make any more progress EJ was picking Sami up and depositing her on the kitchen bench top and swooping in to claim her mouth._

"_Bed," Sami mumbled around his fierce kisses._

"_Too far away," EJ said urgently, his hands going to Sami's clothes._

_His fingers fumbled with the tiny buttons at the front of her dress, too eager to be patient. EJ was trying to help Sami shrug out of the garment when his hand connected with a glass that was on the bench top and he sent it clattering to the ground where it shattered into a thousand pieces. _

"_Dammit!" he muttered but didn't stop kissing Sami as he pushed up her skirt. _

_The drive back to the apartment had seemed interminable to Sami and they'd barely made it out of the elevator before attacking one another again. The hot tryst at the hospital had only whet their appetite for more rather than gave either of them any kind of permanent satisfaction. Their coupling was just as frantic as at the hospital, EJ quickly stripping Sami's underwear from her body and finding his way inside her body. Too soon Sami could feel her body tightening around his and it was too much for EJ and he howled his pleasure as he once again released his maleness into her body. Sami clung to him as he pumped his seed into her, her own contractions helping milk his body of every last drop. _

"_Oh EJ," groaned Sami, arching her back appreciatively as she leant back on her hands on the kitchen counter behind her, "That felt soo good." _

"_So good," he agreed dazedly, still trying to recover from the force of his last release. _

"_Are you alright?" she asked him in concern, putting a hand to his sweaty face._

"_Sweetheart I'm better than alright," he answered her with an impish grin, "I'm as horny as hell."_

"_Even after that?" she asked him with a little laugh but could feel her body begin to react to his words again already, clearly as insatiable as he was. _

"_That was just a warm up," dismissed EJ easily. _

"_Well I'm glad to hear that Mr DiMera," said Sami throatily, wrapping her arms around his neck and still very conscious of the fact that she could still feel his surprisingly rigid length embedded deep inside of her, "Because I've got a hard night planned for you, think you're up to it?"_

"_What do you think?" asked EJ throatily, grinding himself into her even deeper and clearly quite pleased with himself for still being so hard after the force of his last release. _

"_I think it's a shame to waste all of that... enthusiasm... with just talk," said Sami with a knowing look. _

_She kissed his lips, opening her mouth and sliding her tongue into his mouth and making them both breathless by the time she pulled away. EJ kept his place inside of her as he picked her up from the counter, Sami's legs going around his waist again as he carried her to the bedroom, barely limping at all now. _

"_I love you so much," she told him huskily, feeling her swell to bursting for this impossible man._

"_You've got the rest of the afternoon and all night to show me how much sweetheart," he told her throatily. _

"_I think it is going to take longer than that sweetheart," she teased him, "What are you doing for the rest of your life?"_

"_I don't know," said EJ as he laid her down on the bed with a grin, "What am I doing for the rest of my life?"_

"_Me," Sami told him with a cheeky grin._

"_I think I can live with that," EJ said huskily as Sami drew him down on top of her. _

**Chapter ONE HUNDERED & SIXTY FOUR**** – ****Who Could that be Knockin' on my Door****? (Sat)**

When you look into my eyes  
And you see the crazy gypsy in my soul  
It always comes as a surprise  
When I feel my withered roots begin to grow  
Well I never had a place that I could call my very own  
That's all right, my love, 'cause you're my home.

_~Billy Joel~_

Stefano lay in bed, Rolf buzzing around him.

"Stop fussing Rolf," he said in annoyance but with none of his usual strength.

"You are fading Stefano," said Rolf seriously and ignoring him, "Ve must get you a kidney transplant and quickly. You are very suszeptible to infection right now and zuch a zing could kill you."

"I need a drink," said Stefano flatly, hating to admit it but he really did feel terrible.

He despised the weakness of his body but there was little he could do about it right then other than deal with the hand fate had dealt him. Bart appeared then, a glass of water and several bottles of pills on a tray.

"Here are the pills you was askin' for Rolfy," he said rather jovially.

"Put zem zere," said Rolf, indicating the bedside table, "And _don't call me _ Rolfy! I am za doctor to you Bart!"

"Okay Doctor Rolfy then," said Bart with a roll of his eyes and misunderstanding the reason for the other man's ire, "Sheesh, I hope one of them pills is a chill pill for you."

Stefano gave a little laugh at that which ended up costing him dearly as he began to cough uncontrollably. Rolf quickly came to his aid, patting his back and handing him the glass of water Bart had just bought.

"Ve cannot vait any longer Stefano," said Rolf firmly when Stefano had stopped coughing, lying back against the cushions looking pale and sweaty now, "Ve must go ahead viz za kidney transplant."

"Yes," said Stefano hoarsely, finally giving into the inevitable, "I know."

"Where are yous going to get a kidney from?" asked Bart with innocent interest.

Both men turned and looked at Bart, eyeing him thoughtfully. Bart suddenly looked nervous then, looking between the two men.

"Well I should be going," he said brightly, "See ya!"

He turned to hurry out the door but then seemed to think better of it. Bart turned back around and started to back up to the door, clearly not wanting to leave his kidneys on display as he exited the room. He fixed a big smile on his face, as though he wasn't worried when clearly he was and was almost at the door when Stefano stopped him.

"Bart I think we require your services in procuring a kidney for me," said Stefano evenly and Bart looked a bit stricken by this but also confused.

"What does pokuring mean?" he asked a little nervously.

"It means securing something," said Stefano with an arch of his eyebrow.

"You mean like tying it down?" asked Bart, looking even more confused now.

"Az in obtaining zomezing," said Rolf impatiently, "Mein got! English iz my zecond language and I can zpeak it better zen you!"

"You think I can help you to obtain a kidney?" asked Bart, starting to sweat now.

Rolf and Stefano exchanged looks with one another before replying.

"I'm absolutely sure you can Bartholomew," said Stefano calmly, "You have been a very loyal employee of my family for a long time and-"

"I only have one nut!" Bart suddenly yelled, much to the other two men's surprise.

"Vhat?" asked Rolf looking taken aback.

"One nut!" said Bart loudly, clearly starting to panic a bit now, "Plenty of meat, not much potato if you know what I mean."

"Potato?" repeated Rolf, not familiar with that expression.

"You know, my lizard only has one rock to hide under," said Bart, desperate to explain.

"Rock, lizardz??" repeated Rolf in consternation.

"I think Bartholomew is trying to tell us he only has one testicle," said Stefano dryly, smiling despite how terrible he felt right then.

"That's right," said Bart, nodding eagerly.

"Oh," said Rolf but that didn't seem to help his confusion any and Stefano had to agree with him.

"Bartholomew as interesting and completely unsolicited as that piece of information is I have to wonder why you think we'd care hm?" asked Stefano with a quirk of his lips.

"Well I figured it was important," said Bart, looking nervously between them, "I mean maybe there are more things I've only got one of when I should have two. You know, so that means I don't have one to spare."

"Vhy vould ve be interested in your testicles?" asked Rolf in confusion, still not quite figuring out what was going on, "Vhat use are zey to us?"

"I'm just saying is all," said Bart swallowing hard, "I thought you might like to know before doing anything you know, permanent like."

"Bart I am dying," said Stefano solemnly.

"Yeah I know," Bart nodded sympathetically, "Sucks to be you huh?"

"Indeed," said Stefano dryly, "But I need a kidney and I need you to help me with that, no matter how many potatoes you have."

"I don't want to die," said Bart unevenly, looking really scared now.

"Either do I," said Stefano flatly, "So if you were me what do you think you'd do about it eh Bartholomew? Do you think you'd do anything you could to stay alive, use every resource at your disposal?"

"Did I mention I also don't drink a lot of water," said Bart, swallowing hard, "And I have a nervous bladder which probably has a lot to do with my kidneys don't you think? I mean you don't want to be up there, about to blow someone's brains out and then find you've got to go and make tinkle do you boss? I mean that wouldn't do much for your reputation now would it?"

"I don't blow people's brains out Bartholomew," said Stefano dourly, "That is why I have employees to worry about the trifles in my dealings. Which brings me back to what I want from you-"

This was all too much for Bart as he emitted a terrified scream, turning around and going to make a run for it out the door. Unfortunately he was in such a hurry he didn't worry about such trifles as the door being open or not which in this case it was not. Bart hit the heavy wooden door with terrific force, causing him to bounce off it like a rag doll almost and fall to the ground in an unconscious heap.

"Is he alright?" asked Stefano in surprise, sitting up in his bed more and leaning over to look at the Bart's prone body.

"No he iz an idiot," said Rolf flatly, clearly unimpressed at Bart's carry on, "Zis is going to be harder zen ve first hoped Stefano."

"Perhaps it is best that Bart remains unconscious eh?" suggested Stefano.

"In my opinion it would be best if Bart remainz unconscious permanently," said Rolf dourly, "Zat man gives village idiotz a bad name."

"He has his uses," commented Stefano.

"Indeed," Rolf sighed.

Stefano looked over at Rolf, a serious look coming over his face.

"Do what it is you have to do old friend," he said determinedly, "As we have discussed."

"Are you sure Stefano?" asked Rolf with a little bit of a frown.

"I am sure," said Stefano unwaveringly.

"Very vell," Rolf nodded soberly as they then both looked down at the unconscious man's body.

oooOOOOooo

Sami threw back her head, letting her long hair stream down her back as she straddled EJ's naked body. She moved up and down on him slowly as he watched her every movement, propped up against the pillows. Sami gave a little smile, knowing how much he enjoyed watching her take her pleasure from him. His eyes were all over her body as she moved and Sami made sure to keep her movements sure and steady that he could relish each bounce of her full breasts, each roll of her curved hips and undulation of her flat stomach. EJ's eyelids drooped a little, clearly mesmerised by her. It amazed Sami how he could remain still beneath her as she straddled him, riding his hardness to her rapidly approaching satisfaction but he somehow managed it. EJ was content to let her do all the work, to use his body to pleasure herself and it gave Sami such a heady rush of power.

He had one hand over his head, gripping the bars of the bed head behind him, his head lolling slightly to one side and EJ's other hand lay low down on his stomach, close to where Sami was riding him so energetically. His fingers were outstretched so every now and then they would be brushed with the soft curly light brown hairs covering her mound. It was the barest of touches but oddly electrifying at the same time. EJ's tongue came out and slowly licked his bottom lip, his enjoyment of the show clearly evident as was the fact that Sami felt like she was impaled on his rock hard manhood. She knew he was enjoying the sight of her moving up and down on him, releasing his stiffness from the confines of her body before watching her plunge back down onto it, enveloping him with her tight heat.

Sami stopped moving up and down on EJ for a moment, rolling around on him instead, her walls clamping tightly around his straining member. EJ gave a soft moan, clearly enjoying the sensation.

"Vixen," he complained unevenly, his ragged voice betraying what it cost him to remain still beneath Sami's ministrations.

"What's the matter EJ?" she purred, her eyes full of provocative teasing, "Can't stand the heat?"

"Oh I can stand the heat," EJ growled back playfully, his eyes narrowing, "I love the heat, I live for the heat."

He lifted the hand that was on his stomach and caught a stray bead of sweat that was making its way along the valley between Sami's naked breasts. EJ caught the rogue rivulet on his finger tip before lifting it to his lips and tasting it.

"I crave the heat," he said throatily, licking his lips slowly.

Sami gave a little shudder as she watched EJ's tongue clean his bottom lip, knowing exactly how talented he was with that part of his body. Suddenly she didn't want him to be passive anymore, eager to drive EJ past the point of his self control. Sami adored having that kind of power over him. She leant forward, supporting herself with her hands either side of his body and making sure her breasts were now rubbing against his chest. Sami clenched around his rigid length tightly, making EJ give a strangled gasp. A knowing smile touched her lips and EJ saw the impish spark in her eyes and knew he was in trouble. Sami began moving her hips up and down on him again, rolling and rocking them until EJ's face began to twist against the intense pleasure she was giving him.

"Slow down Samantha," he warned her unevenly, "I don't think I can last if you keep doing that."

"I don't want you to last EJ," she purred, "Shall I tell you what I want?"

Sami leant right down until her lips were at his ears and began to whisper all the things she wanted to do to him, for him to do to her. EJ jerked up and started to hammer himself into her as she continued on, her breathy voice letting him know all of her secret desires and wants. His hands were at Sami's hips now, ramming her down on his swollen length, desperately pounding himself into her. Sami thrilled to his urgency, knew he was utterly at her mercy and just wanted the feeling of him coming inside of her, the feeling of his maleness spurting wildly into her heat.

"Don't stop," she urged him as EJ began to groan mindlessly, completely out of control now.

He bucked up one last time, howling her name and then there was the gratifying sensation of him flooding her with his essence. It made Sami feel so good, so alive to have him pumping his seed into her that she was already craving the next time. EJ was still shuddering underneath her as Sami rested her head on his chest, listening to the frantic beating of his heart.

"Oh god," he managed weakly after a moment or two.

Sami giggled to hear the amazement in his voice, knowing how he felt. No matter how many times EJ made her come it always felt like the first time.

"Damn but you're unstoppable when you want something," EJ panted, stroking her back now.

Sami lifted her head and smiled down at him.

"Is that a complaint?" she asked him playfully.

"That was a prayer of thankfulness," said EJ with a little laugh, still struggling to catch his breath.

"That would explain all the 'oh god's'," said Sami, tongue in cheek.

"It would indeed," said EJ happily, his hand's still stroking her back as he gave her a considered look, "Sweetheart I was a little preoccupied right then I have to admit did you manage to-"

"Find my happy place?" she asked teasingly.

"Mm," said EJ with an answering smile, a very content look on his face, "Because I certainly found mine, more than once in fact."

EJ had told her that she was the only woman he'd ever been with that had ever been able to give him multiple orgasms and Sami believed him and was very proud of that fact. He was certainly the only man who had managed it for her.

"I may still be waiting in that department," conceded Sami with a quirk of her lips.

"Oh well," said EJ with a rather predatory smile on his lips, "That won't do at all."

Before Sami realised what he was doing EJ had flipped them over and withdrawn from her so that she was lying on her back on the bed. EJ kissed his way down her body before settling his head between her legs, kissing the delicate skin of her inner thigh.

"Oh yes," Sami sighed happily, settling back and ready to really enjoy this.

At the first flick of his tongue at her swollen nub Sami gave an almost violent shudder, one hand reaching out and grabbing at his hair, keeping him in place. EJ's skilful tongue very quickly had Sami writhing against him, the tension building in her body as she felt her next climax rapidly approaching. Sami's toes were curling and she could barely breath when EJ suddenly stopped, lifting his head as she made a strangled noise of disapproval.

"There is someone at the door," he said unevenly.

"Wh-what?" asked Sami raggedly and then realised that she could hear someone pounding away noisily at the door.

She hadn't been able to hear it before then, so distracted by what EJ was doing to her.

"Maybe they'll just go away if we ignore it?" she suggested, hearing the tinge of desperation in her own voice as all Sami wanted was for EJ to keep on going.

The knocking at the door only started to get louder then and EJ pulled a face, pressing a quick kiss to her mound before moving up Sami's body so they were face to face.

"'Fraid not my love," he said ruefully.

Sami pulled an unhappy face at the interruption.

"See that is what you get for trying to show me who's boss," EJ chided her playfully as he hauled himself off her and stood beside the bed, completely naked.

He looked down at the pouting Sami indulgently.

"Now you'll just have to wait sweetheart," he told her with a chuckle.

Sami made a complaining groaning noise knowing she had indeed brought this frustration on herself but that didn't help her any.

"Hurry back," she commanded him, moving restlessly on the bed with an impatient sigh as EJ found a pair of sweat pants and pulled them on.

Sami's hand strayed down her stomach of its own accord, eager to find some kind of relief from the firestorm EJ had begun in her body.

"Aha," said EJ, leaning over her and kissing her while removing her hand from where it was heading, "No touching, that is my job and I don't want you stealing my thunder while I'm gone."

"Then don't be long," she told him with a playfully warning look, "Otherwise a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do."

"I'll get rid of them," EJ promised her with a throaty laugh before kissing her hard again, "Just no touching otherwise I'll have to punish you when I get back."

"Could be worth it in that case," said Sami cheekily as she watched him go, lounging back on the bed, completely uncaring about her nakedness.

EJ looked back at her, his eyes flaring at the possibilities.

"Hold that thought," he said throatily, "I'll send this person on their way or club them over the head and stash them in the closet, whichever is quickest."

Sami giggled at his eagerness and had to say she appreciated a man who liked to see a job he'd started all the way through until the end. She lay on the bed, waiting impatiently for his return. It was funny that despite having made love to each other practically nonstop for the last two days Sami still wanted even more. It had to be vaguely abnormal Sami decided, now if she could only bring herself to care. She heard EJ opening the door and hoped that he'd be able to send the person on their way quickly. No such luck though when Sami heard him uttered one shocked word that had her sitting bolt upright in bed, a shudder of abject horror rocking her body.

OH. MY. GOD!!!!!

**Chapter ONE HUNDERED & SIXTY FIVE**** – ****Nobody Expects the Spanish Inquisition**

_NOBODY_ expects the Spanish Inquisition! Our chief weapon is _surprise_..._surprise_ and fear...fear and _surprise_.... Our two weapons are fear and _surprise_...and ruthless efficiency.... Our _three_ weapons are fear, _surprise_, and ruthless efficiency...and an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope.... Our _four_...no... _Amongs_t our weapons.... Amongst our weaponry...are such elements as fear, _surprise_.... I'll come in again.

_~Monty Python~_

EJ made his way to answer the door, eager to answer it and see the person on their way so he could get back to the luscious woman waiting for him in his bed. They'd spent the last couple of days barely managing to get out of bed and EJ still couldn't get enough of Sami.

The knowledge that he could make love to her any time the mood took him had proven to be quite an intoxicating thing that neither of them seemed to be able to resist the lure of. EJ opened the door, wanting to get rid of the person who was still knocking incessantly on the door and return to far more pleasurable duties other than being polite. The sight that greeted him at the door momentarily drove every other thought from his head though.

"Mum!" he gasped in disbelief at seeing his mother standing there.

EJ actually forced himself to blink a couple of times just to make sure that he was seeing what he thought he was seeing.

"Mum," repeated EJ, still in shock to see her there, "What on earth are you doing here?"

"What am I doin' here?!" asked Susan Crumb nee Banks and waved her arms wildly, her eyes wide open, "What are you doin' not tellin' your mama about bein' shot! I oughta take you over my knee and paddle your beehind mister!"

With that threat in place Susan then launched herself into EJ's arms, hugging him tightly to him like only a mother can.

"I'm alright Mum," said EJ gently, returning her embrace and smiling over his shoulder at the blonde haired man patiently holding several suitcases behind his mother.

"Oohh, did I hug ya too tight?!" she fretted, finally letting him go but keeping her hands on his arms and looking up at EJ anxiously.

"No Mum you didn't," said EJ affectionately.

"Oh good," she sighed, looking so relieved before promptly hitting him several times on the arm, "Don't you eva do somethin' like t--hat again to me!"

She punctuated each word with a slap on the arm.

"Dearest perhaps you shouldn't be hitting the boy?" suggested Edmund mildly from behind her, "He is still just recovering from major surgery after all."

"Oh my baby!" wailed Susan, throwing herself into his arms again, upset all over again, "My poor little baby nearly died!"

"I'm alright Mum," said EJ, patting her back comfortingly, "Really, now why don't you both come inside eh?"

Susan finally managed to untangle herself from EJ and still sniffling she walked into the room with Edmund close on her heels. EJ glanced over at the bedroom door and gave a little grimace, cursing the timing of all this. Somehow EJ did not think that Sami was going to be pleased to be caught out like this. He wondered if he should try and get his mother and Edmund out of the apartment for a little bit so Sami could make good her escape and then come back in later but a loud crash in the bedroom put pay to that idea.

"Elvis is there someone in there?" asked Susan, looking up at him and blinking at him through her thick glasses.

"Ah," EJ hedged, trying to cover, "It's probably just my cat."

"You have a cat?" asked his mother in surprise.

"Yup," said EJ calmly and then more loudly for Sami's benefit, "And I hope that it has the common sense not to try and escape out the window where it could fall to its death on that fire escape."

EJ knew Sami and he could just picture her panicking and trying to climb out the window wrapped in a sheet. The last thing he wanted was her breaking her neck on him now that they'd gotten this far.

"I thought cats always landed on their feet?" asked Susan suspiciously.

"Not this one," said EJ straight faced, "It's possibly because he's only got three legs – balance isn't all that great. I taught it how to get in and out of the bedroom though."

There was another smaller crash from the room right then and a choice expletive could be heard.

"I also taught it how to speak," said EJ stoically continuing his cover story without missing a beat.

"Elvis do you have someone in there?" asked Susan with an arched eyebrow, clearly not buying what he was selling.

"Well-" EJ tried to stall her but his mother was on the scent of something now.

"Is it Sami?" she asked excitedly, grabbing his arm and shaking it, "Have you got Sami Brady in there Elvis?"

"You know we should go out and grab some lunch," said EJ, trying to distract her, "I'm starved, how about you two?"

"I could eat," said Edmund with an eager nod.

Susan whoever was not to be distracted.

"Sami?" she called out excitedly, "Sami Brady are you in there?"

oooOOOOooo

Sami rolled over in bed with a little smile on her face, hoping EJ could get rid of their early morning visitor quickly so he could come back to bed and make good on his promises. She stretched out on the bed, luxuriating in how good EJ had been making her feel and eager for him to return. Barring the building being on fire Sami wasn't getting out of this bed for anyone she decided. She and EJ had some unfinished business and Sami was aching for him to return to her and finish it properly. Sami heard him open the door and then give a shocked gasp.

"_Mum!"_

Sami's eyes flew wide opened as she sat up straight in bed, her eyes wide with horror. EJ's mom was here? She looked down at her nakedness and groaned; this was not exactly how she'd imagined meeting EJ's mother. In her head she'd always at least had pants on. Sami scrambled out of bed and quickly started to throw some clothes on. Maybe she'd heard wrong Sami thought in a kind of desperate hope.

"_Mum! What on earth are you doing here?!" _

No such luck it seemed as Sami swallowed another groan. Why did these things always have to happen to her? Was she destined to make a bad impression on every one of her potential mother in laws she wondered in despair? Sami scrambled off the bed, grabbing the sheet and distractedly wrapping it around her as he quickly walked over to the bedroom door, easing it open just the barest amount so she could see what was going on. Sami peeked out through the crack in the door to EJ's bedroom, consumed with curiosity to see EJ's mom despite the somewhat indelicate situation she found herself to be in.

Sami's eyes widened a little in surprise when she saw Susan Crumb for the first time. She was quite tall for a woman; it was probably where EJ got his height for Sami decided. The older woman had a colourful beanie crammed down on her head so Sami couldn't tell about hair colour but she did see big brown eyes hidden behind even bigger black glasses which kept on sliding down her nose as she continue to move agitated around, caught between berating her errant son and hugging him near to death. Her teeth were surprisingly prominent and either EJ had gotten his remarkably straight teeth from his father or he'd had work done. Sami decided she'd have to ask him about that one day.

There was a man who looked to be in his late forties, early fifties behind EJ's mother. He had light brown hair which was just starting to grey a little at the temples, lending a somewhat distinguished air to his appearance. He also was wearing large glasses along with a rather cute bow tie. Sami thought the man, who must be EJ's step father Edmund, had a rather sweet air to him and definitely patient as his wife seemed intent on not drawing breath the whole time. Sami suddenly felt herself panic as the reality of the fact that EJ's parents were standing a few feet away from her and she was buck naked except for a sheet. She turned around quickly, intent on trying to put some distance between them and her nakedness and unfortunately became entangled in the sheet and crashed to the ground rather noisily.

"_Elvis is there someone in there?" _

"_Ah, it's probably just my cat."_

Sami rolled her eyes at his explanation, cursing her own clumsiness. She awkwardly scrambled to her feet, eyeing the window that led to the fire escape longingly.

"_You have a cat?" _

"_Yup and I hope that it has the common sense not to try and escape out the window where it could fall to its death on that fire escape." _

Sami pulled a face, wondering how EJ knew what it was that she was thinking and then realised he was right, the fire escape was not going to be the best idea while she was still practically naked. No, the first thing she needed was clothes Sami decided. She began a frantic search of the bedroom on the hunt for some clothing. In despair Sami had to ask herself why she hadn't bothered on taking more of her clothes over to EJ's apartment yet, still preferring to leave most of her clothes other than the bare essentials at her place. Unfortunately EJ had ripped the bare essentials from her body after breakfast, starting in the living room and none of them had made them to the bedroom.

In the end all Sami could do was grab one of EJ's t-shirts and pull it on seeing as that was all she could find. She had absolutely no idea where her underwear had gotten to but they certainly weren't in the bedroom. Fortunately the t-shirt swamped her but it still wasn't nearly enough clothing for her. Sami then knocked into the bedside table in her haste to put on the t-shirt and sent a lamp clattering to the ground. She froze, holding her breath and praying that no one had heard her again.

"_Elvis do you have someone in there?" Sami heard his mother ask and covered her face with her hands. _

"_Well-" _

EJ was obviously trying to cover for her but it appeared to be to no avail.

"_Is it Sami?"_

Sami's heart skipped a beat at hearing her name and knew her chance to escape out the window was well and truly lost now. There was nothing for it but going and facing the music. Sami quickly smoothed down her hair and pulled on the hem of EJ's shirt.

"This is so not how I pictured this," Sami muttered before taking a deep breath and putting what she hoped was a calm smile on her face as she walked out of the bedroom with as much dignity as she could muster.

The first person she saw was EJ, his face lighting up at seeing her and Sami took heart at seeing that.

Clearly he wasn't embarrassed which she supposed made one of them. EJ walked over to her and took her arm, giving it a gentle squeeze as he moved in beside her so they were both facing his mother.

"Mum it gives me great pleasure to introduce Miss Samantha Jean Brady to you," said EJ, with a tender smile at Sami, his eyes full of warmth and adoration as he said that.

Sami crossed her arms in front of herself a little self consciously, wishing she had more than a t-shirt to cover herself with and definitely wishing for some make up.

"Oh my," gasped Susan, putting her hands to her mouth and shaking her head, "She's like a little doll, isn't she Edmund, like a perfect little doll!"

Edmund went to agree but Susan was already off and running.

"You are the spittin' image of your mama you are!" she declared, walking up to Sami and throwing her arms around her, catching her a little off guard with her enthusiasm, "Doctor Marlena Evans is simply the most wonderful person in the world isn't she Edmund?"

"Quite," nodded Edmund, managing a word in that time.

"I mean you've got your mama's beautiful hair," she said, stroking Sami's blonde, "And you daddy's blue eyes. I can see why my Elvis is just so smitten with you."

"Ah thank you," said Sami a little uncertainly.

"Of course I knew you when you were a baby," continued on Susan blithely, "But you wouldn't be remembering that now would you? You were the apple of your daddy's eye you were. Oh and he's such a good man that Roman Brady, do anything for anyone he would!"

"Or to anyone," said EJ dryly, clearly his run ins with Roman being a little less positive than his mother's up to that point.

"Now hush there Elvis," said his mom, waggling a finger at him, "I won't have you talkin' mean about the Brady's. They are salt of the earth they are and I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for them."

"Sorry Mother," said EJ deferentially but there was a cheeky smile behind it, "I'll hold my tongue I promise."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Sami of her, a little hazy about the history between the former Susan Banks and her family.

"Oh well that's a big old story," said Susan with a roll of her eyes, "We can talk about that later to be sure. I'm just so pleased to see my little Elvis is doin' alright and to get to meet you at last Sami. I couldn't believe it when I found out what had happened."

"You didn't tell your Mom about the shooting EJ?" asked Sami and there was a definite note of censure in her voice about that, "She's your mother, you can't let her find out about such a thing from someone else."

Sami was a mother too and it would kill her to be not told if something had happened to Will. She felt a flash of guilt at having not thought to contact his mother herself but a lot had been going on at the time and Sami had no way of knowing how to get in touch with her at the time.

"Who was the someone else?" asked EJ curiously and trying to side step the issue somewhat.

"Stefano DiMera," said Susan simply, "You know how I phone him now and then to keep in contact but pretend to be Kirsten."

"Why would you do that and who is Kirsten?" asked Sami, very confused now.

"It's a long story sweetheart," said EJ easily, "Like my mother said; we can fill in the blanks later."

"Alright," said Sami and then went back to giving EJ a disapproving look, "So aren't you going to apologise to your mom for not telling her about being shot?"

"I'm sorry," said EJ sincerely and walked over and put an arm around his mother's shoulder, kissing the top of her beanie covered head, "I guess I wasn't in my right mind after it happened and then I suppose I fell into somewhat of an indulgent self pitying frame of mind and wasn't wanting to be a burden on anyone."

"Well pish posh!" exclaimed Susan, "I've never heard such nonsense in all my life! I'm your mama and I should have been there for you!"

"You can be there next time I get shot," said EJ in amusement.

"I do not find that kind of joke amusing," said Susan, glaring up at her son.

"Either do I EJ," said Sami flatly and giving him a pointed look.

"I'm feeling rather outnumbered right about now," said EJ, pursing his lips, "How about a cup of tea for everyone after your long flight eh?"

"Outstanding," nodded Edmund enthusiastically, speaking at last, "I'm gagging for a good cup of tea."

"The English and their tea," said Susan with a roll of her eyes, "I've lived there all that time and I still don't know why they get their panties in such a bunch over it."

"It sustains the soul my love," said Edmund indulgently and then walked over to Sami, inclining his head to her politely and picking up her hand, kissing the back of it lightly, "Edmund P Crumb at your service dear lady."

"Hello Mr Crumb," said Sami around a giggle at his touching formalness.

"Call him Edmund sugar," said Susan with a wave of her hand, "You're family now. As soon as you and Elvis get married we'll be your Ma and Pa anyway."

"Don't get ahead of yourself Mum," said EJ with a shake of his head as he put the kettle on, "Samantha and I aren't even engaged yet."

"And what are you waiting for exactly?" asked Susan, "You need to snap this one up before someone else does. You can't let the daughter of Doctor Marlena Evans get away from you Elvis. Why she must have menfolk lining up around the block for her!"

"That has been somewhat of a problem to date," said EJ dryly, capturing Sami's gaze and giving her a little smile and a wink.

"So what are you going to do about it?!" asked Susan with a roll of her eyes, "You know Elvis used to bring home all these women to the house..."

"Mum!" said EJ, looking suddenly worried but she ignored him, leaning in closer to Sami and speaking to her in a conspiratorial type whisper which was way too loud to have the right affect.

"I never did care too much for the women he'd bring home," she told Sami in her stage whisper, "I didn't tell them that because it woulda been rude and all but I did not like them, not one little bit. Now you are a treasure Samantha Jean Brady and I hope I didn't raise a son foolish enough to let you get away."

"No you didn't Mum," said EJ patiently before looking over at Sami, a light in his eyes, "And I'm going to be asking Samantha to marry me very, very soon. But it's going to be perfect and gorgeous because a woman like her deserves nothing less."

Sami bit her bottom lip, knowing she must suddenly be glowing after such a promise.

"Ohh I'm soo glad!" exclaimed Susan, clapping her hands together, "You can get married in Las Vegas like I always wanted to."

She grabbed Sami's arm enthusiastically then, leaning in towards her again.

"Edmund and I got married by Elvis," she declared ecstatically, "Not the real Elvis you understand – on account of him bein' dead and all – but I swear, even his own mama couldn't have told him apart from the real thing! There is nothin' more romantic in the world than havin' the King marryin' you, I tell you sugar. It just means for sure that you're going to have the happiest marriage eva!"

"Yes I've heard how wildly successful all of those Vegas marriages turn out to be," said EJ dryly, "I don't think being married by Elvis is the cornerstone to a great marriage somehow Mum."

"Elvis I will not hear you talkin' like that about your namesake!" declared Susan.

"I used to tell people I was named for Elvis Costello," said EJ cheekily to Sami, intent on stirring his mother up it seemed.

"Well he's a fine musician to be sure but he's no Elvis Presley," huffed Susan as EJ and Edmund exchanged a little look, clearly enjoying a private joke.

It was nice to see, the kind of thing you'd only see in a real family.

"EJ and I haven't really talked about marriage yet Mrs Crumb," said Sami a little unevenly as she tried to keep up with the conversation.

"We have," EJ corrected her with a bit of a smile, "As in it is going to happen, just not all of the finer details."

"And when you do you can't be callin' me Mrs Crumb now can you?" exclaimed Susan eagerly and then suddenly seemed to have a thought, clutching at Sami's arm excitedly, "You can call me mom! Ohh, I always wanted a little girl and while Elvis is real pretty he's too tall to be a proper girl."

"First of all Mum my height isn't the only thing that disqualifies me from being a girl," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "Second of all I'm not pretty, I have a refined handsomeness to my countenance and thirdly Samantha sweetheart you don't have to call her mum, Susan will do just fine."

"Oh this is so exciting!" said Susan, clapping her hands together and ignoring EJ's attempts to slow her down, "Me and Doctor Marlena Evans are going to mother in laws together! I wonder what she will be wearin' to the weddin' – somethin' refined and elegant I'm sure. Doctor Marlena Evans is always so refined, like a real lady."

"I'm guessing it is going to be sack cloth and ashes," said EJ dryly as he and Sami shared a look then.

Sami wrinkled her nose, having to admit that it was unlikely that her mother was going to be as excited about a marriage between her and EJ as his mom obviously was.

oooOOOOooo

"Stefano?"

Stefano forced his eyes open at the sound of Rolf saying his name, barely managing it and seeing his long time friend hovering over his direct line of vision as he lay in his bed.

"Is it done?" he rasped.

"Ya," Rolf nodded, "Ve have za kidney Stefano. It iz time to get you ready for your zurgery now."

"Did he survive?" Stefano asked unevenly, finding it hard to talk now.

"Ya," Rolf said, "But you must be quiet now Stefano, zave your strength."

Stefano grabbed Rolf's arm as he went to straighten up.

"Don't let me die," he said.

In another man that would have been more of a plea but coming from Stefano's lips it was a command.

"I won't," vowed Rolf although it would probably have made his life a lot easier if he did.

Stefano closed his eyes again; unable to stay awake any longer and made a promise to himself that this would not be the last time he slumbered.

**Chapter ONE HUNDERED & SIXTY SIX**** – ****Getting to Know You**

Other things may change us, but we start and end with family.

_~Anthony Brandt~_

"Darlin' where is the little girl's room?"

"Down the hall way to the left Mum," said EJ with an easy smile.

"Thank you," said Susan, patting Sami's arm as she walked by, "I can't wait to have a good old sit down talk with you honey – I'm just so excited to see that my little boy has found himself such a good girl."

EJ made a snorting noise in background as he made the tea to which Sami sent him a fierce look and he just grinned back, unconcerned.

"That would be great," she said quickly, "I'll look forward to it."

"I just need to make a phone call old boy," said Edmund, "Let Mother know we arrived safely – she worries you know."

"Sure," EJ nodded easily, "There is a phone in the bedroom – go on through and give Granny Violet my love."

Edmund headed off to the bedroom as Sami gave EJ a stricken look.

"What is it darling?" he asked casually.

"The bed!" Sami squawked, "It isn't made – it looks like –"

"That we were getting down and dirty only a moment before they arrived?" asked EJ with a quirk of his lips.

"Yes!" Sami hissed, her cheeks flushing at the thought.

"Well we were," said EJ cheerfully and Sami couldn't work out why he wasn't more self conscious about all of this.

"But, but-" Sami spluttered as she tried to put into words how many kinds of wrong that was.

EJ tilted his head and looked at her in amusement as Sami floundered to speak.

"Oh god this is so embarrassing," Sami groaned under her breath.

"What is sweetheart?" asked EJ with an indulgent little smile.

"It's the middle of the afternoon and it is completely obvious what your mother and Edmund have walked in on," said Sami, her cheeks flushing, "What must they be thinking?!"

"Sweetheart my mother knows I'm not a virgin," said EJ with a conspiratorial wink, "And I'm guessing she's worked out you're not one either with having a teenage son and all."

"This is not how I pictured meeting your mother EJ!" Sami hissed to him furiously, not finding this as funny as EJ obviously was.

"You pictured meeting my mother?" asked EJ, looking pretty happy at that thought.

"Vaguely," admitted Sami and then gave him a flustered look, "But every time I was at least wearing panties!"

"You're not wearing any panties?" asked EJ with an intrigued eyebrow arch.

"I couldn't find any in the bedroom," admitted Sami unhappily, "I can't remember where you took them off me."

"Nice," said EJ with a sexy smile.

"No it is not nice!" Sami bit out in annoyance, "I look like a tramp!"

"You look like a woman in love and openly expressing that love," EJ corrected her firmly, "My mother is a big romantic at heart Samantha, she will find all of this very sweet, I promise you."

Sami looked over at the suitcases and then back at EJ.

"So do you think they are staying at a hotel?" she asked him hesitantly.

"Unlikely," said EJ easily as he stirred the tea, "My mother finds hotels a bit daunting, she worries about vampires."

"Vampires?" repeated Sami in consternation.

"Aha," said EJ calmly, "Something about hotels being a place where they congregate apparently. I'm assuming they'll be staying with me."

"You only have a one bedroom apartment," Sami pointed out logically.

"I was also assuming that I'd be staying with you darling at your apartment," he said calmly, "Unless you want to put my parents at your place of course?"

"What with the pictures of Lucas around and for that matter what if he rings?!" asked Sami in exasperation, "How would we explain that?"

"Then my place it is," said EJ happily, "It will be a good chance for you to get to know them."

"But what if they don't like me?" Sami fretted, "I don't think I could live with the disapproval of yet another set of in-laws EJ, I really don't."

"Sweetheart my mother adores you already," said EJ, looking down at her indulgently for her concern, "Mum took one look at me and could see that I'm the happiest I have ever been in my life and she knows that she has you to thank for that Samantha. Plus it also helps that she is a rather big fan of your mothers."

"I noticed that," agreed Sami in bewilderment, "What is all that about?"

"It goes back a bit," said EJ with a smile, "And something we can get to as we all get to know each other better."

"I need to change," said Sami anxiously, looking down at herself, "Put some clothes on-"

"Don't bother yourself on my account," said EJ cheekily.

"And you can stop that kind of talk in front of you mother!" she huffed, giving him a warning look.

"Then I recommend that you stop looking so damn sexy all the time," said EJ throatily, eyeing her up and down appreciatively.

EJ fixed her with an impish look then.

"And don't think for one moment I've forgotten that I still owe you something rather important," he told her huskily.

Despite herself Sami felt her body tighten painfully at the promise in EJ's eyes, painfully aware she was still in need of a little release herself. But right then Sami couldn't think about that.

"EJ I don't want you talking like that when your mother is in the other room!" she said sternly, desperate to give a good impression to her future mother in law.

"So you'd prefer to wait until she was back with us is that it?" asked EJ, all innocence.

"Oh!" Sami reached over the kitchen counter and slapped his arm, "I hate it when you're impossible like this! This is serious EJ!"

EJ shook his head again and walked around to the side of the counter Sami was standing at. He pulled her gently into his arms and smiled down at her reassuringly.

"Samantha Brady you are a ravishing, intelligent, kind, funny and glorious woman," he told her huskily, "Any potential mother in law would be doing back flips of delight at even the possibility of you marrying their son."

"I guess Kate didn't get that memo," said Sami unhappily.

"My mother will adore you because I adore you," said EJ softly, kissing Sami then.

He pulled back a little.

"She'll see that I can't live without you-" another kiss from EJ, "And that you are the only woman... in... the... world... for me."

He punctuated each word of his last sentence with stolen kisses until Sami felt her head begin to spin.

"I love you," EJ whispered against her lips before moving in for yet another kiss.

His tongue confidently found hers, tasting from Sami deeply and she could feel herself melting, all thoughts of anything but EJ leaving her head entirely for a moment. EJ's hands went from around her waist to her bottom, pushing up the material of her t-shirt and cupping her naked backside.

"You really aren't wearing underwear," he growled in excitement at the discovery, "God but that is sexy!"

He went to kiss her again and Sami panicked, imagining either of his parents walking in and finding EJ groping her bare ass. The worst thing was that if she let EJ go for another second then Sami knew she'd lose all self control and his house guests would probably walk in to find them going at it on the floor!

"Gotta go!" she mumbled before pulling away from him and making a dash for the door.

She scrambled for the door handle and without a backwards look bolted to her apartment, the sound of EJ's laughter in her ears.

"You'll pay for that EJ," she muttered under her breath, imagining all the ways she was going to have him on his knees in front of her begging for mercy.

The thought brought a smile to Sami's face as she quickly let herself into her apartment. Twenty minutes later Sami was nervously fixing her hair in the mirror one last time. She'd showered in record time, changed into something far more suitable to meet the impending in-laws in and done her hair and makeup.

"Okay Sami," she told her reflection grimly, "Don't screw this up okay?"

Tugging on her blouse nervously she let herself out of her apartment and walked back over to EJ's. She gave a quick tap on the door before letting herself in. Susan and Edmund were sitting on the sofa together, finishing their tea and EJ was in the arm chair. He twisted back around and smiled at Sami as she came in.

"There you are sweetheart," he told her happily, "Don't you look ravishing."

Ravish pulled a little bit of a face, hoping for more of a sensible, appropriate look to her rather than ravishing.

"Oh you are just as pretty as a picture you do Sami!" Susan gushed.

"Very fetching," agreed Edmund with a quiet little smile.

Sami blushed under all the attention and EJ took her hand, pulling her down to sit on his lap on in the armchair.

"EJ!" she exclaimed, giving a self conscious smile at Susan and Edmund at his open display of affection.

Sami needn't have worried though because they seemed unfazed and besides, EJ wasn't letting her go anywhere, settling her more comfortably on his lap.

"Ohh," sighed Susan happily, "Don't you two look just look as cute as two bugs in a rug!"

"I've never understood that expression," said EJ thoughtfully, rubbing his cheek against Sami's arm in an absent caress, "Why would insects in your carpet be cute?"

"It's just a sayin' Elvis," said Susan easily, "You know, like happy as a flea in molasses."

"Yes I've been meaning to speak to you about that one," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "I've asked around about that saying and apparently you are the only person in the world who knows about it."

"Well hog spittle and cactus lumps Elvis!" huffed Susan, "Are you sayin' your mama makes expression up outta thin air like that magician we saw that time, that David person?"

"Copperfield?" suggested Sami, finding the interaction between EJ and his mother to be very cute.

"No that wasn't it sugar," said Susan, wrinkling her nose as she tried to think of it, "Edmund, what was his name again – you know that shiny magician fella we loved?"

"Dwidleman," said Edmund easily.

"David Dwidlemen?" repeated EJ with a bit of a laugh, "Are you talking about that dreadful fellow with the ventriloquist's dummy who worked out of that little box in Brighton?"

EJ looked at Sami and quickly explained.

"We'd go on family holidays to the beach there," he informed her, "Along with the rest of Britain – think of a beach with no sun and lots of pebbles."

"You loved those holidays," said Susan knowingly, "You always had so much fun Elvis; don't you be pretending that you didn't just because Stefano would take you to the south of France for your holidays with him. I bet those fancy places you went didn't have the likes of David Dwidleman!"

"A ventriloquist whose lips always moved and not the dummies?" asked EJ in amusement, "No, I think that is a safe assumption Mum."

"He did magic as well," Edmund reminded him.

"Edmund having a rabbit escape from your trouser pant leg isn't magic," said EJ with a chuckle.

"I remember you wanted to take the rabbit home with you," said Edmund with a little smile.

"You big old softy EJ," said Sami, smiling down at EJ and loving hearing all these stories from his childhood.

"Well I figured I could give it a better home than an aging magician's trousers," said EJ wryly.

"And did you?" asked Sami curiously.

"I did," said EJ with a smile at the memory.

"Wasn't the magician upset?" asked Sami with interest, "I mean you took half his act by the sound of it."

"I had a quiet word," said Edmund with a half smile.

"Did you?" asked EJ in surprise, "I didn't know that Edmund."

"Well you'd become so attached," said Edmund, pushing his glasses up his nose as they slid down, "I didn't want you to have to give up something you'd already grown to love."

"Thank you," said EJ sincerely, "I guess I didn't think about consequences at the time."

"How old were you?" asked Sami, intrigued by the family history.

"I don't know," said EJ thoughtfully, "About eight I suppose."

"You were a month away from turning seven actually," said Edmund evenly.

"My Edmund is just so good with dates and numbers and things," said Susan, giving his arm an affectionate squeeze, "He just remembers everything he does."

"Well I don't want to forget a moment of my time with you and little Elvis my dear," he said in that softly spoken way of his.

"Ohh aren't you just the biggest old marshmallow, dipped in chocolate, sprinkled with nuts and then dipped in chocolate again!" exclaimed Susan giving him a quick kiss then.

Sami smiled to see the affection between the two, already liking Edmund very much. The little bit that EJ had told her about his step father and now meeting him personally Sami could totally understand where EJ had gotten his romantic side from because it certainly wasn't from Stefano. Stefano thought the way to woo a woman was with extravagant gestures and the sheer force of his personality and while certainly EJ had employed some of those tactics on her it was his gentleness and insight that had won Sami over in the end. The little moments that he'd touched her in so many ways and it was clear that it was Edmund who had modelled for him the true way to a woman's heart and beauty.

"We've drunk the tea sweetheart," said EJ, smiling up at her, "I can make you another cup if you'd like."

"No I'm fine," said Sami with a smile as well, "Thanks."

"Oh so you have to tell me how you two got together," said Susan brightly, looking between them expectantly.

Sami froze, not knowing what to say but fortunately EJ seemed to.

"Well Samantha didn't make it easy for me," he said with a little laugh, "But in the end there just came this point where we both knew that living without the other simply wasn't an option and we've been together ever since."

"Oh," Susan sighed happily, "Well isn't that just the sweetest thing ever! You're mama must be just thrilled Sami to know you are so happy with my Elvis."

"More like homicidal," EJ muttered and Sami elbowed him in the ribs for his trouble, "OW!"

"We haven't actually told anyone yet," admitted Sami unevenly, "We're kind of keeping it to ourselves in the beginning."

"Well that can be nice too," said Susan and then looked a little uncertain, "I guess."

"It's just for now Mum," said EJ calmly, backing her up, "Samantha and I just want it to be about us and no one else for a little longer."

The four of them starting chatting back and forth then, Sami marvelling at how easy it all was and felt a pang knowing that it wouldn't be like this for EJ with her family but tried to put that aside, determined to be happy right now. Sami was finding out new pieces of information about EJ all over the place.

"You play piano?" asked Sami in surprise at one point, looking over at EJ.

"A little," he admitted reluctantly, "And very badly."

"Oh pish posh!" exclaimed his mother, "He's wonderful! You should serenade your sweetheart on the piano Elvis – Sami would love that!"

"I love Samantha far too much to put her through such an ordeal," said EJ wryly.

"I'd love to hear you play sometime," said Sami with a smile, finding it hard to believe that EJ wouldn't be excellent at anything he turned his hand to.

"We don't have a piano," EJ pointed out pragmatically.

"Do you play anything dear?" asked Susan with interest.

"Actually I can play a little piano as well," she admitted with a small smile.

"Oh you'll be able to play piano together!" Susan gushed happily, clapping her hands together at the thought.

"Again on the piano we don't have," said EJ in amusement at his mother's enthusiasm.

"Edmund and I will be gettin' you a piano for your wedding present!" said Susan excitedly, "You'll be like Priscilla and Elvis – I bet he serenaded his new wife on the piano!"

"And look how well their marriage turned out," EJ teased her.

"They still loved each other," protested Susan, "I bet the last thought he had in this world was of Priscilla."

"I think my last thought would have been that I really wish I wasn't dying on a toilet," said EJ dryly.

"The King did not die on a toilet!" exclaimed Susan fiercely, "That was just a media thing, you know that!"

"I know that you have to face facts and admit your idol had bodily functions like the rest of us Mum," said EJ with a rueful shake of his head.

"Don't tease your mother Elvis," Edmund tutted, "You know how upset she gets when she talks about Mr Presley's passing."

"Thank you darlin'," sniffed Susan, patting his hand.

"I'm sorry Mum," EJ relented and gave her an affectionate look, "I was just pulling your leg."

"Well seeing as you are still in my bad books Elvis Aaron Banks you need to stop doin' that," she said, giving him a disapproving look.

"Forgive me Mum," said EJ, leaning over and giving her a kiss on the cheek, "I'm an impertinent son who doesn't deserve such a wonderful mother."

"No you don't," she said, trying to look annoyed still but not really managing it.

"I'm sorry," said Sami in confusion, "Elvis _Aaron_ Banks?"

"Elvis had a twin you know," nodded Susan.

"You have a twin!" exclaimed Sami in disbelief, looking at EJ.

"No sweetheart," said EJ in amusement, "My mother means _the_ Elvis had a twin, Aaron, who died at birth. She gave me that twin's middle name as well."

"Then where do you get EJ from?" asked Sami in confusion, "I thought it stood for John?"

"The J is for Junior," explained Susan helpfully which wasn't actually that helpful.

"Don't you have to have a senior to be a junior?" asked Sami, really confused now.

"Well it gets a little complex but basically when I was born I'm reliably informed that my name was John Black Junior."

Sami made a strangled noise at that, looking at EJ wide eyed.

"Are you serious?!" she gasped.

"Believe me darling the irony isn't lost on me," said EJ wryly, "John Black was thought to be my father."

"You and John were, were-?" Sami couldn't quite finish that sentence as she looked at Susan through disbelieving eyes.

"Well kinda," said Susan, wrinkling her nose, "I was pretending to be Kirsten DiMera and Kirsten DiMera was involved with John Black. You know for the longest time I thought I loved that man."

"Really?" said Sami in shock now.

"I went a little crazy," admitted Susan ruefully, "It got kinda messy in the middle there – you know, like a frog in a blender."

"Love can make us all do strange things," said Edmund quietly, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"Oh my poor Eddie," cooed Susan, leaning over towards him and putting her head on his shoulder, "You don't like me talkin' about John Black now do you?"

She looked over at Sami and gave her a confident smile, the smile of a woman who knows she it utterly loved.

"He gets powerful jealous – you have no idea," she said, clearly enjoying the thought of that.

Sami looked over at Edmund and the mild exterior he presented and tried to imagine this quiet, unassuming man ever getting upset, it didn't seem possible really.

"A woman such as yourself would elicit strong feelings in any man dear heart," said Edmund, looking at her adoringly, "How can any man not want to fight for such a prize."

Sami looked over at EJ dazedly who was smiling at witnessing the obvious affection between the two. It was clear that Edmund saw Susan in a glowing light that couldn't be dimmed by anyone else's opinion and it was wonderful to see, if a little surprising. Susan Banks didn't look like a woman who would inspire such devotion but suddenly it made sense to Sami how EJ could tell her so confidently that he loved every aspect about her, the good and the bad. He'd had a fantastic role model in Edmund and his mother's relationship – each one accepting the other's eccentricities whole heartedly and actually loving each other more because of them, not in spite of them.

"Oh I could take you just eat you all up my little Eddy Bear!" cooed Susan as she leant in and began kissing her husband passionately.

"Oh come on you two!" exclaimed EJ with a roll of his eyes, "Can you at least keep the PDA's to a minimum when we have company?"

"Your mother is a sexual being Elvis," said Susan unapologetically as she snuggled into Edmund, her head on his shoulder, "You must be knowin' that by now. Besides, Edmund is a fire cracker in the sack – he goes off like it is fourth of Juuly."

"I know I could have lived all my life without ever having to hear those words and die a happy man," said EJ with a groan.

Sami watched the scene in front of her with quiet intrigue. She'd never seen EJ in such a comfortable family setting before and it was showing another side to him that she'd never imagined. It was strange to think of him being embarrassed by his parent's like any other child and there was just something so real and comforting about knowing that apart from the craziness of the DiMera influence he had a different kind of crazy balancing itself out with the Crumb side of the family.

"Moving on swiftly," said EJ, picking up Sami's hand and giving it a squeeze, "Once it came out that I wasn't John's son but in fact Stefano's the junior part kind of stuck and I became Elvis Junior DiMera."

Sami gave him a little smile as she processed all of that.

"What are you thinking?" asked EJ curiously as he took in her expression.

"I'm thinking that it is so nice to have a man in my life with as convoluted past as I have," said Sami softly.

"Well I am definitely your man then sweetheart," said EJ with a grin, leaning down to kiss her quickly.

"Oh yeah," said Susan with a roll of her eyes, "And that is before we even get to talk about the whole baby switch fiasco that happened around that time when little Elvis was switched with another baby-"

Sami's eyes widened as she listened to EJ's early history and then dazedly shook her head at the end of the complicated tale.

"Oh god," she said faintly, "I think I'd kill myself if I was involved in some kind of baby switch scenario – that sounded god awful!"

"Oh it was," agreed Susan readily, "But my Eddy Bear stood by me all through it."

"And on the up side the chances of something like that ever happening to you two is miniscule," said Edmund brightly, "Even the worst soap opera in the world wouldn't try and sell a story like that twice to people, let alone in real life. I mean, what would be the point?"

Everyone gave a little laugh and nodded, agreeing that it would be an idiot move for any writer, even the most hack one to make. As Sami joined in with the laughter her eye was caught by a flash of black directly above Edmund's head. To her horror she realised it was the lost pair of her panties that she'd been looking for that EJ had discarded in his haste to get Sami into bed. They'd become stuck on the floor lamp by the sofa and Sami didn't know how she hadn't noticed them before. She tensed, grabbing at EJ's leg and he looked at her quizzically, not sure what was wrong. He followed her eye line and then Sami could feel the rumble of laughter coming up from EJ's chest.

"EJ!" she hissed under her breath in horror as Edmund and Susan started to discuss amongst themselves as to what they'd like to do while they were in town.

"I see them," he said, keeping his voice low but the amusement obvious in his voice.

"What are we going to do?" she asked in horror.

"Well no one has noticed them yet," he pointed out pragmatically, "Maybe-"

EJ didn't get to finish his sentence as a sudden gust of wind blew in through the window and lifted up the delicate undergarment and deposited them squarely onto Edmund's head. Sami made a strangled sound at the sight of her future step father-in-law with her panties on his head and wished the floor would just open up and swallow her. Not so EJ who was beginning to laugh but his mother abruptly put pay to his amusement with her next words.

"Oh hey," she said blithely, "I've got that exact pair but in pink."

She gave an unconcerned smile to Sami and a big wink.

"Don't men just love all those frilly little things?" Susan asked Sami in a conspiratorial way, "My Edmund goes crazy when he sees me in those, I can't tell you how many pair I've lost on account of him rippin' off me with his teeth."

"Quite," said Edmund with a big smile, "The blood does rather rush to one's head when one sees you in those my turtle dove."

Now it was EJ's turn to make a strangled noise.

"Oh nasty!" he exclaimed, looking a little ill at the thought.

Meanwhile Edmund had carefully removed the offending garment from his head and offered them to Sami with a kind smile.

"Yours I believe dear," he said calmly.

Sami felt like she'd never been more embarrassed in her life as she quickly took the offered panties from Edmund, unable to look him in the eye.

"It's alright," said EJ pulling a face, "We'll be burning them anyway."

"Oh yeah," agreed Sami readily without realising she'd said that aloud.

"Well we should be getting settled in," said Susan happily, "Come on Edmund, we'll let the young uns have a little alone time."

"Very good dear," nodded Edmund accommodatingly as they both stood up and he collected the suitcases.

"I wear the same underwear as your mother," said Sami faintly, still shell shocked over what had just happened,

She looked at EJ with deep concern.

"What does that mean?" she asked him stricken.

For years she had shared Lucas with his mother and though she'd never admitted it to anyone in the world before sometimes Sami had to wonder about their close relationship and how he seemed to hold most women up to Kate as what a woman should be, whether Lucas meant to or not. Finding out that she and EJ's mom favoured the same underwear cut a little too close to a raw nerve for Sami.

"It means Victoria's Secret has a lot to answer for," said EJ, pulling a happy face.

He saw the worried look on her face then and moved to comfort her.

"Sweetheart it is alright," he said calmly, "I'm not Lucas; I'm not trying to marry my mother. You and my mother couldn't be more different people if you tried and I love that about both of you."

Sami felt herself relax at his words, amazed yet again that EJ seemed to know what she was thinking, her deepest, unspoken concerns often before even she did.

"Okay," she said with a little smile as Sami put her head down on EJ's chest, snuggling into him, "But we are still burning those panties."

"You bet we are," agreed EJ determinedly, hugging her to him.

Sami smiled at the vehemence in EJ's voice and knew that of all the things she had to worry about in this world, her future husband's relationship with his mother was not one of them. It was rather liberating and made Sami realise how much stress the omnipresent spectre of Kate had really been in her and Lucas' relationship.

"I love you," said Sami softly, hugging him more tightly, head on EJ's chest.

She felt EJ press a kiss to the top of her head and Sami felt like she could have been content to sit there like that for the rest of her life.

_The lull before the storm... _


	20. Chapter 167

**AUTHOR'S NOTE****: **Well my little ducklings, for better or for worse you have caught your Aunty Lou up. LOL

From here on in we will be doing single chapter updates as I update over in "Forbidden Love". Now my schedule is usually Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays for an update and at FL I also post spoilers and prevuzes for the upcoming week of this story on a Sunday. We have some real spoiler ho's over there. LOL

We are starting into the real soapy part of this story now. EJ and Sami are together and blissfully happy so of course the angst has to start. Now I just want to say that when I do angst though I hope it will be the enjoyable kind. EJ and Sami love each other – that won't change, just the circumstances around them. I really enjoy angst for a couple then just all the lovey dovey stuff... if it is done right. If what is on our screens is meant to be EJami angst for a couple that has repeatedly been referred to as 'the endgame' then it just plain sucks. It's the worst build up to a coupling ever!! I don't want to do that in my stories. Enjoyable angst IMO comes from really knowing where the heart of each person lies and that will be a given in the rest of this story. No matter how bad it gets the driving force of this story will always be about Sami and EJ's love for each other and the lengths they will go to be together.

Okay, enough rambling from me – I'll just let you get on with this chapter. I'll post the next few in quick succession and then it will hopefully just be 4 a week from now on.

Thanks guys for sticking in there with me and hopefully you'll continue to enjoy the ride...

**Chapter ONE HUNDERED & SIXTY SEVEN**** – ****The Family That Plays Together Stays Together**

Love takes off masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within

_~James Arthur Baldwin~_

It was the next day and Sami and EJ were packing for a picnic at his mother's insistence.

"It will be alright," said EJ calmly as he packed the picnic hamper as Sami made sandwiches, "I'll pick a park on the other side of town where no one will see us."

"Sorry," said Sami with a grimace, "I hate all this sneaking around but-"

"I know," EJ interrupted her with a half smile, "I never thought I'd be this eager for Lucas to return."

"You're being very patient EJ," said Sami, looking up at him with a soft smile.

"Some things are simply worth waiting for," said EJ huskily as they shared a moment.

"Do you think I should wear my hat?" asked Susan, suddenly appearing from the bedroom.

She was holding a huge straw hat covered almost completely in large synthetic flowers. Sami's eyes widened when she saw it, wondering how on earth the other woman had managed to pack such a thing and quietly envying her the ability.

"Wear whatever you'd like darling," said EJ with an indulgent smile.

"It's just that it is so much sunnier over here than England at the moment," said Susan thoughtfully, tugging on one of her braids that she'd decorated with several scrunchies – a unique look to be sure.

"I'm not sure all four of us plus the hat will fit in the car," EJ teased her with a wink at Sami who politely tried not to laugh.

"Barely anything fits in Geraldine," tutted his mother, "You know that fancy smancy car of yours isn't at all practical Elvis."

"Unfortunately Geraldine is no longer with us Mum," said EJ ruefully as Sami gave him a sheepish look.

"What happened?" asked Susan in surprise, "You loved that little old car of yours!"

"A pelican and a seagull conspired to give it a Viking's funeral," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, still feeling a pang at the thought that he'd never see his beloved Geraldine again, "Minus the fire I'm assuming."

"Well it wasn't on fire when it hit the water," said Sami pulling a face.

"A small mercy indeed," said EJ with a little laugh.

"You know that could be a sign of global warming," said Susan knowingly.

"What my car going into the drink?" asked EJ with an arched eyebrow.

"No," said Susan in all seriousness, "The birds turnin' on us and all. They can't be happy with the mess we've made of their backyards now can they? I heard tell of a man getting shot by a turkey the other day, maybe this is only the beginning."

"A turkey shot a man?" repeated Sami sceptically.

"Aha," said Susan with a grave nod of her head, "I read it in the newspaper."

The National Enquirer is not a newspaper Mum," said EJ in exasperation, "It's something you wrap your fish and chips in."

"It is so a newspaper," Susan sniffed, "It's got pictures and everything!"

"Yes of Bigfoot wearing a watch," said EJ with a roll of his eyes.

"Truth is stranger than fiction," said Susan, not backing down.

"Well I'll have to concede on that point," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "It is indeed."

"Oh I can't wait for the picnic!" Susan exclaimed excitedly, "We are going to have so much fun! Annabelle-Sue is just beside herself!"

"Are we meeting someone there?" asked Sami, not having heard tell of this Annabelle-Sue before.

"Annabelle-Sue is one of mum's dolls," EJ informed her calmly, not batting an eyelid.

"Oh," said Sami, a little taken aback, "You're bringing a doll on the picnic with us?"

"Well it would be just crazy for her to come all this way and not see the sights of Salem now wouldn't it be you silly billy?" tutted Susan playfully, "Do you want to meet her?"

"Ah sure," said Sami, looking over at EJ who seemed completely unfazed by his mother so she just tried to keep up.

Susan delved into one of her voluminous pockets in her skirt and pulled out a Troll doll with brilliant pink hair and wearing a little bride's outfit. Sami's eyes widened in disbelief at the sight, not having guessed that the doll in question would be a troll of all things.

"Now be polite and say hello Annabelle-Sue," Susan instructed the doll.

She bobbled the doll up and down which Sami took as the doll saying hello. Sami reached out a hand and shook the little dolls hand, not sure what else to do.

"Hello Annabelle-Sue," said Sami politely, having a surreal moment.

"Oh I can tell she likes you right off!" said Susan confidently and then lifted the doll to her ear, seeming to be listening to her speak, "Oh and she says she really likes your shoes."

Sami looked down at her shoes and then back at the doll, remembering how to play this game from when she was a child and how she'd make Eric sit down and play tea parties with them.

"Why thank you," said Sami with a smile, talking directly to the doll, "I got them on sale and just love them. I love your hair Annabelle-Sue – it's just the prettiest shade of pink."

Susan lifted Annabelle-Sue to her ear and listened intently before giving a wide smile to Sami.

"Annabelle-Sue just thinks you are as sweet as can be and can't wait for the wedding," said Susan happily.

"Well she's already dressed for it," said Sami with a little laugh and then gave a playful look and waggle of the finger at the doll, "But you can't be upstaging me in that pretty wedding dress of yours okay?"

Susan giggled happily at the thought and clutched the doll to her.

"I don't believe that would be possible sweetheart," said EJ with a little smile, "You are going to be a breath taking bride, of that I am quite certain."

He looked at Annabelle-Sue then and gave her a wink.

"But just in case we might have to put you up the back behind some flowers to be on the safe side eh Annie?" he teased the little doll.

"Oh you," said Susan, waving a dismissing hand at EJ's playfulness, "You know Annabelle-Sue only likes to sit up the front of everything."

"I know," said EJ tolerantly.

"I better help Edmund out with choosing a suitable bow tie for the park," Susan said cheerfully, "He always likes me to help."

"Thank you," came EJ's soft voice from behind her as Sami turned around as he'd stood and watched the whole exchange between the two women, "I know my mother can appear a bit... quirky at times and people don't always know what to make of that."

Sami walked up to EJ and put her arms around his waist.

"I think your mother is kind of child like," Sami said quietly, "And very sweet."

"Mum's eccentricities can give people the wrong idea about her but she has a huge heart and is an extremely loving person," said EJ with a half smile, putting his arms around her waist as well and hugging Sami to him, "Thank you for being so kind to her just then."

"I think your Mum is an easy person to be kind to," said Sami softly.

"You're so amazing," said EJ, looking at her in complete and utter awe.

"I'm not really," said Sami ruefully.

"Trust me Samantha," said EJ with a smile, "Anyone who can handle my mother without breaking a sweat is amazing."

"I just wish my family was going to be as sweet to you as your mom is being to me," said Sami unhappily.

EJ gave a little grimace as he sat on the edge of the sofa.

"I have my fair of the blame to shoulder in all that," he admitted, his jaw clenching.

EJ looked away briefly, before looking back at Sami very intently.

"You know I shot John don't you?" he asked her hoarsely, the tension in his eyes clearly obvious as he waited for Sami to respond.

Sami was a bit taken aback at how out of the blue that statement was and for his mother and Edmund to be in the next room when he said it.

"Yes I do," said Sami quietly, "I've always known."

EJ nodded grimly, the muscle in his jaw ticking away wildly.

"And how do you feel about that?" he asked her unevenly.

"I wish it hadn't happened," said Sami honestly.

"Me too," said EJ sorrowfully.

"Just like I wish I hadn't drugged and raped Austin that time," said Sami, her own voice strained as she confessed her darker past deeds as well.

EJ's eyes widened a little at her confession but seemed intent on his own confessions as well.

"There are other things I've done," he warned her raggedly, "Things on my father's insistence that have hurt your family deeply."

"I've got quite the list as well that have hurt my family," said Sami, bravely looking him in the eye, "We'll have to compare notes one day."

"Samantha I regret so much," said EJ thickly.

"I know," she said sadly, "So do I."

"Some of those things I've done may come home to roost one day," EJ told her unevenly, "Samantha I know what I want my future with you to be like but honestly, the things that I've done, it may not be something I have any control over in the end."

Sami could see that it had been extremely hard for him to say such a thing to her. They had determinedly been ignoring all the things outside of their relationship for awhile now but Sami knew there would be a reckoning for each of them at some point for the choices they'd made. For herself the spectre of Lucas loomed large over her and the fact that her son would probably no longer want even the slightest thing to do with her anymore once the truth came out. They'd both hate her and Sami knew she'd have to find a way how to endure such a thing.

"Nothing worthwhile is ever easy," Sami told him with a little smile, "I believe it was you who told me that EJ."

"I have this terrible feeling that we're really going to come to understand those words one day soon," said EJ, being uncharacteristically pensive.

"What are you saying EJ?" asked Sami with a frown, it almost sounding like EJ was regretting their choice to be together, "You still want this don't you?"

"Sweetheart!" said EJ, looking at her in surprise and quickly moving to pull her between his legs so she was standing closer to him, "I want you more than it is possible to want anything else in this world – that will never change."

"You just sounded so, I don't know, reluctant then," said Sami a little uncertainly.

"Samantha I'm reluctant to be the one to lead you down a path that I know there will be pain along the way," said EJ unevenly, "I only want you to know happiness and joy in this life."

"But if there isn't pain then the good times wouldn't be so sweet," said Sami philosophically, "Don't they say people grow the most during the hard times anyway?"

"You're not afraid of what the future may hold for us?" asked EJ, looking at her intently, "Samantha I can't promise you a bed or roses even though that is all I want to do."

"Do you promise to always love me?" she asked him softly, looking up at him with luminous blue eyes, "Do you promise me that you will never willingly leave me and that we'll always be honest with each other? Actually-"

Sami wrinkled her nose a little as she said that.

"Just to let you know I probably will still lie to you along the way though," she told him ruefully, "It's a pretty hard habit to break. Along with being manipulative, sneaky, underhand, wilful, stubborn-"

"Stop it sweetheart," said EJ with an impish grin, "You are making me so hot right now and that won't do at all with my parents in the other room."

Despite saying that EJ pulled her into a passionate kiss and Sami had her answer to her questions. EJ's kisses told her that he'd always love her, never want to leave her and Sami returned them whole heartedly, letting him feel her love and devotion as well.

"God but I wish we didn't have company so I could take you to bed right now," said EJ thickly as they broke the kiss, his breathing uneven.

"Good things are worth waiting for right?" panted Sami unevenly, finding it hard to keep her own impulses in check right then.

"But bad things are damn near impossible to resist," EJ growled, pulling her tighter to him and squeezing her bottom cheeks tightly, making it clear that she was the bad thing he desired so intensely.

Sami had never had anyone revel in the greyer aspects of her personality so much and it was the most empowering sensation to know that EJ truly did lust after every part of her. That being said though there were practical matters to consider right then.

"EJ!" exclaimed Sami, feeling his growing arousal pressing against her stomach, "We have to stop! You can't be in this condition when-"

"It's alright sweetheart," said EJ with a little laugh, "Trust me, the first sound of my mother's voice will have a suitably dampening effect. I think most men would testify to that."

oooOOOOooo

"You're looking sexy tonight," commented Lucas, looking his mother up and down, "Is that for my benefit?"

"Don't be ridiculous Lucas," said Kate shortly although in a way it was but she wasn't telling him that.

"So what you just dress like that to come and visit me in the hospital because you were just in the mood to dress up?" asked Lucas with an arched eyebrow.

"If you must know I have a date after this," said Kate, pulling at an imaginary thread and waiting for his reaction.

"I see," said Lucas flatly, looking very unhappy now, "So sorry that I'm boring you Mother."

"I'm a woman with needs," said Kate with a sniff.

"Don't I know it," said Lucas darkly.

"He's one of the doctor's here," Kate informed him, "We got to chatting one day and-"

"I don't care," said Lucas shortly, "If you're going then why don't you just go Mom."

"Is there a problem Lucas?" asked Kate coolly, knowing there was because they'd played this game so many times before.

"Why would there be a problem," said Lucas curtly, "We both know how much you enjoy the company of men – just not me it seems."

"Well why would I when all you do bleat on about Sami Brady?!" Kate snapped, "Maybe I'd like to spend some time with a man who thought I was interesting enough in my own right to be with and not whining about some little tramp the whole time."

"Why would he when he already had the tramp!" Lucas snapped back and Kate felt her hackles rise.

"I do not appreciate how you talk to me Lucas," said Kate shortly, "I am your mother-"

"Not that you'd know it," growled Lucas, "You abandon me every time for some guy who will buy you a meal and get you on your back- AGGHHH!"

Lucas' angry retort was interrupted by his mother slapping him hard across the face.

"You deserved that!" she told him painfully, rubbing her hand as Lucas put a hand to his face.

Kate knew that they were intent on hurting each other, neither one seeming to break out of the pattern. She needed Lucas to need her, Kate wasn't even sure why but she did. It drove a knife into her heart every time Lucas went on about Sami. That blonde little whore could give Lucas something Kate never could and they both knew it. She'd wanted this kind of reaction from Lucas at hearing about her date but now that she'd gotten it, it was a hollow victory.

"I'm going," Kate said tightly, deciding they'd hurt each other enough for one night.

As she turned to go though Lucas reached out and grabbed her hand, the one she'd slapped him with.

"Stay," he said unevenly, making Kate swallow hard.

She turned back around and looked down at Lucas as he looked up at her with remorseful eyes.

"Stay," he repeated huskily and Kate wanted to punish him more for the terrible things he'd said but didn't have it in her.

Kate looked at her watch quickly and Lucas caught her.

"Just blow him off," he instructed her quietly, "And I promise I won't mention Sami's name again tonight."

Kate bit her bottom lip, mulling over the offer.

"Alright," she said at last, settling on a chair beside his bed, "Alright."

Lucas gave a half smile which Kate returned. They'd both won and both lost that round it seemed.

oooOOOOooo

"This is your last chance to back out," EJ whispered in Sami's ear as they stood waiting by the car for Edmund and Susan to join them, "I can have you back upstairs in our bed and naked in twenty seconds if you want sweetheart."

The two appeared from the apartment, Susan sans the monstrous hat but with a simply enormous bag over her shoulder which Sami couldn't even begin to imagine what it might contain. Edmund was wearing a jaunty tweed cap and one of his inevitable bow ties, a red one this time with a blue sweater vest. Susan on the other hand was wearing a voluminous red plaid shirt that made her look like a lumberjack of sorts – if lumberjacks wore pig tails of course.

"Don't be silly," Sami giggled back, smiling at the approaching couple, "I'm really looking forward to this."

"You say that now," said EJ wryly, standing behind her and still talking into her ear, "But I feel I should warn you that my mother is a huge fan of Frisbees and even more of Poohsticks."

"Poo sticks?!" repeated Sami, sounding alarmed, "What the hell is poo sticks?!"

Sami's only answer from EJ was the sound of rumbling laughter above her head as she started to rethink her earlier assertion. She looked up over her shoulder and gave EJ a menacing look for his teasing.

"You are so going to pay for this mister," she told him with a mock menacing look.

After their little talk earlier it seemed that both of them had made a taciturn agreement to simply let things lie for the moment and simply enjoy the day together.

"Oh I hope so," said EJ throatily, waggling his eyebrows at her as Susan and Edmund were almost upon them, "I do so very much hope so Ms Brady."


	21. Chapter 168

**Chapter ONE HUNDERED & SIXTY EIGHT**** – ****Teddy Bears Picnic**

Each moment of a happy lover's hour is worth an age of dull and common life.

_~Aphra Behn~_

As it turned out Poohsticks was the game from the Winnie the Pooh series of books where each person selected a stick and then dropped it off one side of a bridge and the raced to the other side to see who had won the race. Sami found herself enjoying the childish game immensely as they all tried to win, EJ cheating shamelessly.

"That is in no way your stick!" Sami declared, looking up at EJ accusingly, "You're cheating!"

"That was so to my stick!" EJ protested back, "You just can't handle the fact that I beat you young lady."

"I'd handle it just fine if you actually did!" Sami huffed, hands on hips now as they squabbled happily like children, "But that wasn't your stick – it was mine!"

"I think my stick sank," observed Edmund thoughtfully as he continued to peer over the edge of the bridge expectantly.

"Oh you silly," laughed Susan, "Sticks don't sink – they stick, that's why they're called sticks! I'm bettin' you that it got itself stuck on something down there."

Sami giggled at Susan's quite practical and yet unique diagnosis of the situation.

"We should go again," said EJ, "Best out of fifteen."

"There's no point if you are just going to keep on cheating," said Sami with a roll of her eyes.

"I'm not the one dropping my poohstick early," EJ tutted, giving her a censuring look.

"It slipped from my hand that time," said Sami, looking ever so innocent, "You can't blame me EJ, it was gravity's fault."

EJ gave a loud snort at Sami's argument.

"Is anyone hungry?" asked Edmund, interrupting their playful banter, "All of that Frisbee chasing has worked up quite an appetite I've found."

"I could eat," said Sami with a smile.

"We'll go and set up!" said Susan excitedly, grabbing Edmund's hand, "Come on Eddy!"

Susan began to skip along merrily, Edmund doing his best to keep up and Sami tried not to laugh at the cute but comical sight they made.

"Edmund never really did learn to skip," said EJ in amusement as he watched the two of them go off ahead, "I suspect it has something to do with being English."

"Can you skip?" asked Sami with a laugh.

"Of course," said EJ, grinning down at her, "I'm my mother's son."

Sami giggled at the thought of the six foot four man beside her who always seemed so cultured and refined, skipping.

"Sorry about my Mum," said EJ with an impish smile, "I think she's a bit jet lagged and that is why she is at half speed."

"That is half speed?" asked Sami faintly and then had to laugh, "Your mom is so much fun EJ."

"She is," he agreed with a grin, "I had a wonderful childhood with her – never a dull moment."

"It must have been so strange for you to go from one household to another," said Sami with a shake of her head, "I can't see Stefano being a big fan of skipping."

"Let's just say my childhood was diverse," said EJ dryly.

"I can't even imagine what it would have been like," said Sami, looking up at him rather sympathetically, "How on earth do you find some common ground between Susan and Edmund Crumb and Stefano DiMera?"

"I guess I didn't question things too much," admitted EJ, "You don't tend to when you are growing up – your life is just your life."

EJ looked away briefly now, lost in thought for a moment.

"I wonder how different my life may have turned out if I had thought to question my father from the beginning?" EJ pondered quietly.

He looked back at Sami with a sad little lop sided smile.

"I rather think that your family wouldn't have as much cause to despise me as they do if I had," he said ruefully.

"And you could well have ended up locked away in a dungeon if you hadn't done what Stefano wanted you to do," said Sami with a frown, "Or worse – I mean we still don't know what happened to Tony. The only thing we do know is that he isn't on a business trip."

"I agree that is unlikely," said EJ with a grimace.

"Whatever decisions, good or bad, we've made EJ they've all lead us to this point and I can't bring myself to regret that," said Sami simply, "I love you too much and I'm just too happy to think about those things right now."

"My little philosopher," said EJ affectionately, tapping the end of her nose playfully.

"Somebody has to be the brains of this operation," Sami sniffed in feigned haughtiness.

EJ gave a chuckle at her comment.

"So what am I meant to be then?" he asked her in amusement.

"I just keep you around for the heavy lifting," said Sami straight faced, "And if I need a light bulb changed."

"I live to serve," said EJ straight faced.

He looked over to where Susan and Edmund were now off in the distance and smiled down at Sami.

"It means the world to me that you like my mum and Edmund," said EJ sincerely, changing the subject for a moment, "I love them both very much and I want to be able to share that with you."

EJ linked his fingers through Sami's then as they began to follow the older couple at a more leisurely pace, enjoying the time alone. Sami leant into EJ as they walked along.

"I'm so happy," said Sami with a little sigh and a soft smile as she looked up at EJ, "This day has just been perfect."

"Even with our chaperons?" EJ asked her teasingly.

"Your mom is great fun," said Sami with a little laugh.

"No one could ever accuse her of being boring," agreed EJ with a chuckle.

"You're wonderful with her you know," said Sami, looking up at him admiringly, "Really sweet – when you're not teasing her of course."

"She's my mum," said EJ with a little shrug, "Why wouldn't I be sweet to her?"

Sami smiled at the way he said that, quietly thinking to herself that he was going to make a fantastic father.

"You know it's funny to think that out of everyone you probably have the best and most normal relationship with their mother of anyone I know," said Sami ruefully.

"Well if I'm looking at Lucas being my competition in that field I don't think that is saying terribly much," said EJ dryly, "As long as I'm not putting her shoes on and spraying myself with her perfume then I think I'm ahead."

"EJ," Sami chided him gently, knocking into him as they walked along, "Don't be mean."

"Sweetheart I'm just stating the obvious," said EJ unrepentantly before looking at her curiously, "Don't tell me you've never wondered over Kate and Lucas' relationship before today."

"I was usually too busy just keeping Kate at bay," said Sami grimly, "Having someone gunning for you 24/7 is pretty distracting."

Sami shook her head.

"I am going to be soo glad when Kate is out of my life for good," said Sami with a heartfelt sigh, "I don't even care that the old witch is going to get such a kick out of saying 'I told you so' to anyone who will listen about what a horrible person I am. It will be worth it."

"Kate won't be saying any such things about you," said EJ firmly as Sami gave him a sceptical look.

EJ squeezed her hand tightly.

"Nobody gets to speak ill of you ever again," he said determinedly and Sami could see the real steel in his eyes as he said that.

"Are you going to be my protector?" asked Sami with a little smile.

"Absolutely," said EJ without hesitation before smiling down at her, "Just like you are mine."

"I can kick butt when the mood takes me," agreed Sami with some satisfaction.

"Yes you can," EJ grinned, lifting their intertwined hands and kissing Sami's knuckles one by one, his eyes warm and loving as he looked down at her.

They were approaching Edmund and Susan by this stage and the already laid out picnic blanket which the two of them were sitting on, sneaking some kisses.

"Ah the parental unit are canoodling again," said EJ with an indulgent roll of his eyes.

Sami giggled a little at that, never having been exactly sure what canoodling looked like but EJ was right, Edmund and his mother were definitely canoodling.

"Aahheemm!"

EJ cleared his throat loudly to let the other two know they were there, causing them to break the kiss.

"We're in a public place," he admonished them playfully, "Let's keep the lewdness to a minimum eh?"

"Well you're one to talk now aren't you sug?" his mother said, sending him a knowing look through her thick, black rimmed glasses at EJ, "I'm not the one who needed to be bailed out of jail after being caught playing nude Frisbee on the beach."

"You told!" gasped EJ, looking over at Edmund in vague accusation.

"Susan is my wife," said Edmund, pushing up his glasses and looking at EJ unrepentantly, "I can't keep secrets from her."

"Wait a minute," said Sami, looking up at EJ in disbelief, "You were playing nude Frisbee on a beach somewhere?"

"Ah," EJ paused for a moment and then gave a little shrug, "Yes."

"How do you play Frisbee alone?" asked Sami in consternation, looking up at EJ in amusement.

"Well I wasn't exactly alone," said EJ, looking almost uncomfortable.

"Oh," said Sami with an arched eyebrow, "There was a girl there I suppose and don't tell me, let me guess, she was naked too?"

"Yes," said EJ and pulled a face, "I think it goes without saying that this happened long before I met you Samantha."

Sami could see that EJ was looking at her a little uncertainly, trying to gauge her reaction to this new snippet from his past. She found it rather cute that he was worried really.

"Are you mad?" asked EJ vaguely nervously and Sami loved that he cared so much about her opinion of him.

"Actually I'm relieved," said Sami with a quirk of her lips, "Playing nude Frisbee by yourself is just plain weird, having someone else there at least makes it less Norman Bate-ish."

"I must have missed the part of the movie when Norman played naked Frisbee," said EJ impishly, looking relieved himself now it was obvious that Sami wasn't upset, "I'll have to watch it again."

"What movie is this?" asked Susan curiously.

"Psycho," EJ informed her, "Not your cup of tea I think darling."

"Are there vampires in it?" asked Susan, looking suddenly nervous.

"No dearest," Edmund reassured her, "No vampires."

"You know," said Susan, leaning in towards Sami as though she was keeping a secret from prying ears but her whispering was far too loud for it to be a worthwhile tactic, "They make sure there are plenty of movies about them so that no one thinks they are real but I'm onto their tricks, oh yes siree I am."

"Who makes movies?" asked Sami in confusion.

"The vampire men," said Susan, wide eyed and deadly serious, "They make all them movies about themselves so we won't think they are real."

"I believe Hugh Grant does the exact same thing," said EJ straight faced.

"You know they are everywhere," continued on Susan, ignoring EJ totally, "Oh me oh my yes they are – that's why you gotta take extra special, special care to watch out for them cause they are just sneaky, sneaky, sneaky!"

"Um, okay," said Sami, not sure what else she could say in the circumstances.

"Samantha has me to protect her Mum," said EJ evenly with a reassuring smile at the older woman, "I won't let any harm come to her just like Edmund won't let any harm come to you from vampires or any other nasties out there."

"I know," said Susan with a happy sigh, "My big old Eddy Bear knows how to take care of me."

"With such a jewel how can I not protect you with my life," said Edmund very sincerely and Susan made a happy cooing noise and they were kissing again.

Sami looked at EJ, vaguely bemused but still finding the obvious devotion of Edmund and Susan to be very touching.

"I think we might be in charge of organising the food," said EJ patiently as he observed the display the other two were putting on, "Otherwise we'll all starve to death."

**oooOOOOooo**

Stefano struggled to open his eyes, finding the light too bright for him.

"Rolf," he rasped, his voice hard to use.

"Ya Stefano," said Rolf, appearing by the bed, "I am here."

Rolf leant over him, patting Stefano's arm.

"It vent vell Stefano," he reassured him, "Za Phoenix rizez again."

Stefano made a grunting noise, not feeling particularly mythical right then.

"Shall I fetch Elvis?" asked Rolf, "He vill vant to see you."

"I don't want him to see me like this," said Stefano weakly.

"He vould vant to be here," said Rolf, "You vere vis him every day in za hozpital when he needed you."

"I am his father," said Stefano grimly, closing his eyes again, "That is how it should be."

"But if you should take za turn for za worse-" began Rolf worriedly.

"I won't," said Stefano tersely, "I will not allow it. I have much I still have to do. Elvis is not quite yet ready to take over the business yet and I must oversee the transition. I will not let the DiMera empire fade away, not after all that I have done to preserve it."

"What if he doesn't vant to do vhat it iz you require of him?" asked Rolf, narrowing his eyes a little, "Vhat vill you do zen Stefano?"

Stefano looked back at Rolf steadily, despite his weaken state, before replying.

"What it takes," he said grimly, "I will do what it takes."


	22. Chapter 169

**Chapter ONE HUNDERED & SIXTY NINE**** – ****Getting to Know You**

There can be no knowledge without emotion.

We may be aware of a truth, yet until we have felt its force, it is not ours.

To the cognition of the brain must be added the experience of the soul.

_~Arnold Bennett~_

EJ kept his eyes on the two women who were walking off in the distance as he and Edmund cleared away the picnic paraphernalia after they'd all finished eating. His mother had insisted on some girl's only time with Sami and while EJ had been somewhat reluctant the way Sami had handled his mother so far reassured him that it would be fine. Besides, he really liked the thought of the two women he loved the most getting on.

"Samantha's quite lovely isn't she," came Edmund's voice from behind EJ.

EJ managed to tear his eyes off Sami and he turned around, a huge grin on his face.

"She's utterly glorious," agreed EJ readily, "I absolutely adore Samantha."

Edmund gave a little smile, looking at him thoughtfully.

"I'm very glad to hear that Elvis," said Edmund calmly, "I would worry over you my boy but now it seems I don't need to."

"What did you worry about?" asked EJ with a slight frown.

"That you'd never let yourself be really vulnerable and because of that you'd never properly love anyone," said Edmund quietly, pushing up the glasses that always seemed to be sliding down his nose.

"Don't you think I love you and Mum?" asked EJ, his frown deepening at the thought.

"Of course we know that you love us," said Edmund quickly, "That wasn't what I was meaning Elvis. You have never been anything but a loving and doting son, with the occasional bouts of wilfulness of course. I've always been proud to say I've had some small hand in raising you my boy."

"You've had more than a small hand," EJ said sincerely, "Edmund you've impacted on my life hugely. And now after meeting Samantha I've realised it was more than I'd even realised."

Edmund gave a pleased little smile at that.

"I've always tried to be a good step father to you," said Edmund earnestly.

"Edmund you've been a good father to me, period," said EJ with great affection, "I couldn't have asked for a better one."

The older man regarded him steadily for a brief moment and then had a strange expression of relief and sadness on his face.

"What is it?" asked EJ, seeing the mixed emotions on Edmund's face.

"I'm touched to hear you say that Elvis," said Edmund, "It was more than I expected because, well, with Stefano DiMera as my competition-"

"I never saw it as a competition," interjected EJ swiftly, "You were a father to me as much as Stefano ever was."

Edmund looked sad again as he regarded EJ steadily.

"So the time has finally come," said Edmund, looking at him sympathetically.

"What time?" asked EJ looking a little perplexed.

"The time that you are starting to see your real father in a different light," said Edmund evenly, "The time that most children come to at some point in their relationships with their parents."

"He's-" EJ paused, feeling suddenly disloyal, a knee jerk reflex but he continued on because it had been weighing heavily on him, "Stefano, my father – he's not quite the man I always believed him to be."

Edmund just nodded, this clearly not being news to him.

"Actually that's not true," said EJ, his jaw hardening, "I knew there were less palatable aspects to Stefano's personality but I just chose to look past them. I didn't want to see the monster lurking under the father I adored."

"Elvis," said Edmund, looking like he was choosing his words very carefully, "Your mother and I never wanted to come between you and your relationship with Stefano although quite frankly it frightened both of us very much. We've always known the kind of man he was, the lengths he'd go to, to get his own way and we were fearful of the influence he would have over you. I only solace seemed to be that you brought out a softer side in the man because he really does dote on you."

"But that only goes so far doesn't it?" asked EJ grimly.

"I fear that might be the case," said Edmund, looking a little anxious now, "If you were to cross him in any way-"

Edmund shook his head, not finishing what he was going to say but he didn't need to, not now. EJ had seen the way his father had dealt with Tony and the blinders he'd had when it came to Stefano had been rather brutally removed. Edmund looked up at EJ then and gave him a proud smile.

"But both your mother and I drew comfort from the fact that you were at your core a good man," said Edmund, "Even watching you getting drawn more and more into Stefano's world in these later years, I knew you would find your way out again."

EJ looked over to find Sami's blonde head, far off in the distance now and didn't realise how telling his expression was.

"Loving a woman more than anything else, more than yourself has helped you find your way Elvis," said Edmund knowingly, "And for that reason alone your Samantha will always be in your mother and mine's hearts."

"You didn't think I'd find a love like this?" asked EJ, feeling suddenly emotional.

"I feared you wouldn't let yourself give yourself over completely to another person," said Edmund seriously, "Stefano always taught you to trust no one but him, that needing someone was a weakness but that simply isn't true and I can see that you know that now."

"I'd die for Samantha," said EJ unevenly, his heart beating painfully in his chest at the thought of her.

"My dear boy," said Edmund, putting a fatherly hand on his shoulder, "Much more is required of you if you are to take care of this young woman."

EJ looked at Edmund in confusion.

"You must _live_ for her Elvis," said Edmund intently, "When your mother gave me her love I knew I had a life time of trying to be the kind of man who deserved such a precious thing."

"That's exactly how I feel about Samantha," said EJ emotionally, "Like I don't deserve her love and all I want to do is be worthy of it."

"I know," said Edmund with a smile, "I saw it the first moment I saw the two of you together."

Edmund's face suddenly darkened then.

"Elvis," he said, suddenly sounding extremely serious, "You have many decisions to make but you have made the most important one, to love Samantha. Now from that decision a lot of other things will flow and you must be ready for them, ready to protect her at all costs."

"From my father you mean," said EJ unhappily.

"Samantha will never be happy while Stefano is in your life," said Edmund, "I can't imagine how painful it must be, the thought of choosing between them-"

"It's no choice," said EJ simply, "Samantha is my whole world and I want to build a future with her."

EJ grimaced.

"I know Stefano can't be a part of that," he said quietly, regret on his face, "But-"

Edmund looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to finish.

"But it's hard," admitted EJ, "Not just because he is my father and I do love him but if I turn my back on him I feel like I'm being hypocritical. Edmund I've done some very questionable things in my life, things I'm ashamed to tell you about and things I'd probably still be doing if I Samantha's love hadn't changed me. I feel like if my father could be only loved enough than maybe he would come to see things more clearly as I have."

"You are not Stefano Elvis," said Edmund evenly, "Your father has chosen the path he is on for himself over and over again, even when there were other options. Whilst I commend your empathy and loyalty my boy you must know that Stefano DiMera isn't going to change, not even for you. You cannot love that man enough to fix what has gone wrong inside of him, it is not possible."

"I'm beginning to see that," said EJ unhappily, "I just wish clarity made things less painful."

"I wish you didn't have to go through this," said Edmund with a sigh, "But I knew it was the only way for you to become the man you truly are, the man your mother and I always knew you were."

EJ smiled then, looking back at him with great affection.

"I really do appreciate how much you've always been there for me Edmund," said EJ sincerely, "I know I don't say it as often as I should but I've come to realise what unconditional love really is and I know you and Mum were the only ones that I had that from growing up. I fear my father's love is a direct relationship with your loyalty as he perceives it. As soon as you are disloyal in his eyes then the love is gone."

"He is a very troubled man," agreed Edmund with a shake of his head, "So it comes down to this Elvis – where do your loyalties really lie?"

"With Samantha," said EJ without hesitation, "Until I draw my last breath they are with Samantha."

Edmund smiled and nodded before reaching into his pocket and drawing out a little black, velvet box.

"Your mother and I would like for you to have this," said Edmund handing it to EJ.

EJ sent him a quizzical look as he accepted it. He opened it up and gave a little gasp of surprise. EJ looked at Edmund in confusion as he took out the fine gold bracelet with the heart charm on it.

"This is Mum's," said EJ, recognising it immediately, "You gave it to her on your wedding day, she never takes it off, she loves this bracelet."

"It means a great deal to both of us," agreed Edmund, "That was why we wanted you to have it, for Samantha. I mean, it's already engraved after all. Our life together has been so full of joy and love and we wanted to give you a piece of that to take into your life with Samantha."

EJ felt a little overwhelmed as he looked down at the fine piece of jewellery. His fingers traced the little love heart charm in which E heart S was indeed inscribed. Edmund had gotten it engraved with his and Susan's initials for their wedding day but as it turned out, he and Sami also shared those initials.

"I couldn't," said EJ hoarsely, "This is too much – this means too much to you both."

"Not nearly as much as you do Elvis," said Edmund simply, "It would make both of us very happy if you were to accept it. Do you think Samantha will like it?"

EJ knew what something like this would mean to Sami – it was more than just a memento or keepsake, it was what she'd always craved from her own family and never quite received – it was acceptance. He knew Sami would adore it and all that it stood for.

"I'm quite sure Samantha will be utterly thrilled by it," said EJ with a big smile as he moved forward to hug the other man, "Thank you – this is an incredibly touching thing that you two are doing for us."

"Well as soon as both of us saw you and Samantha together we knew it was the real thing," said Edmund, returning his hug, "And we wanted to mark the occasion."

"Well this certainly does that," said EJ, drawing back and looking down at the bracelet, still in disbelief, "Samantha is going to be beyond thrilled to receive this gift."

"Good," said Edmund happily.

He looked over to where Sami and Susan were now walking along the water bank of the stream that ran through the park, heading towards the same bridge they'd all indulged in Poohsticks on.

"I wonder what they are talking about?" said EJ ruefully as he too watched the women off in the distance.

"With your mother it could be absolutely anything," said Edmund with great affection.

"She does have a rather sideways way of thinking," agreed EJ with a chuckle.

"Rather poor form keeping your mother out of the loop like that old boy," said Edmund, gently chastising him as they stood together, watching the women.

"I know," said EJ softly, "I'm sorry."

"You're her baby," continued on Edmund, "You'll understand when you have children of your own Elvis."

"I can't wait to start having babies with Samantha," said EJ eagerly.

"Children can bring great joy to a relationship," agreed Edmund readily.

"Except when they get into your prize roses," EJ said with a little laugh, "Did I ever apologise to you for that ride on motor mower incident?"

"If you did I couldn't hear it above my sobbing," said Edmund ruefully.

"Well I am sorry," said EJ, "I know how you love your roses – let's just put the act down to the impetuousness of youth and finding Granny Violet's stash of cider in the basement."

"I've cultivated a new rose," Edmund informed him.

EJ smiled, after his mother, roses were Edmund's greatest passion and he was forever creating new varieties and showing them. He did very well with them and EJ's home with them had always been filled with multiple vases of roses in every room of the house. It was a very pleasant childhood memory.

"It's a double rose with a soft lilac hue to it," said Edmund proudly, "I'm going to call it Susan's Passion."

"That sounds lovely Edmund," said EJ in amusement, "And will no doubt go nicely with some of your other wonderful creations like 'Susie's Love', 'Susan's Heart' and 'Smiling Susan'.

All of Edmund's roses that he'd created over the years, of which there were quite a few, at least thirty, bore Susan's name in some way or another. It was yet another endearing aspect to his parent's relationship that EJ had thought rather hokey at the time. Now though he knew that if he had the ability to make roses all of them would bear Sami's name – such is the way of love.

oooOOOOooo

Sami had been enjoying her chatting with Susan as they walked along the river bank, having covered such diverse topics as how naughty it was of that French president to take up with that model when he was still married to how a tea cosy could easily be converted to a nice warm beanie if you needed it to. The whole time Sami had a million questions burning inside of her and she knew it probably wasn't polite to ask but at the next lull in the conversation she couldn't help herself.

"So you and Stefano," said Sami, looking at Susan curiously, "How did you two-umm, I mean were you dating before-ahh-"

Sami was finding it hard to find a delicate way of putting it but Susan didn't seem to mind.

"I met Mr Stefano DiMera when I was pregnant and working in a diner," said Susan, "He wanted me to pretend to be his daughter on account of how much we look alike and she was meant to be having John Black's baby but she lost it."

"Oh I see – wait," said Sami, "You were already pregnant when you met Stefano? But isn't he EJ's father?"

"Well it was actually the King that got me pregnant," said Susan, "I remember it real clear like."

"As in Elvis Presley?" Sami queried in consternation, "The _dead_ Elvis Presley?"

"Aha," nodded Susan, "I remember his face above me when it was happening."

She then gave a disappointed sigh.

"Turns out though it was that tricky, tricky Stefano DiMera only pretending to be Elvis on account of knowing how much I loved the King and all," said Susan regretfully before fixing Sami with a knowing look, "And you know how he did that don't you?"

"Some kind of drug?" suggested Sami, thinking that was the only explanation for even Susan confusing Stefano for being Elvis Presley.

"No silly!" laughed Susan and then gave a bit of a shrug, "Well maybe just a little bit but Stefano could do that because he is a vampire and vampires can change their shape you know."

"You think Stefano is a vampire?" asked Sami in disbelief and then pursed her lips, "Actually that isn't that farfetched now that I think of it. If there are vampires in this world he definitely has to be one."

"It's how come he won't die when he's supposed to," said Susan with great certainty, "And how come he can be doing all those mean, mean things to people and not be sad about it. And when was the last time you saw that man at a beach? Too sunny, that's why."

Sami wrinkled her nose, wondering if she'd spent too much time with Susan Crumb because that did rather make sense.

"But that would mean EJ was part vampire as well," said Sami rather logically, looking at Susan curiously and wondering if she'd thought of that.

"I know my little Elvis can be as sweet as can be," said Susan calmly before looking at Sami unflinchingly, "But I know he's got another side to him – a side that Stefano DiMera tries to encourage."

"Mm," said Sami unhappily, knowing that better than anyone.

"I know Elvis has done things," said Susan quietly, "Bad things that he doesn't want me knowin' about."

"Sometimes I think I'm part vampire," Sami grimaced, thinking of all the bad things she'd done in her past.

She looked over at Susan unhappily.

"I haven't always been what you would call a good girl," Sami confessed quietly.

"Me either," volunteered Susan readily, "I mean I try, I really, really, really do but sometimes, well, ah-"

She wrinkled her nose before continuing.

"Sometimes it doesn't go so well," Susan admitted, looking suddenly nervous, "Sometimes things just end up on fire no matter how hard you try to be good."

"Ah, okay," said Sami, not sure what to say to that.

"It don't matter none anyway," said Susan blithely, taking her arm as they continued walking, "My Edmund loves me just the same, just like Elvis loves you."

Susan squeezed her arm as they walked along.

"That was why I was just so happy when I met you darlin'," she continued on, "I knew you were the girl for my Elvis."

"Because I'm not a good girl?" asked Sami unhappily.

"Exactly," said Susan brightly.

Sami looked at Susan askew at that.

"Normally people, mothers in particular aren't that happy about that kind of information," said Sami wryly.

"Well not all mothers have a son like Elvis," said Susan easily, "A good girl would be no good for my Elvis – she'd never understand him and he'd always be tryin' to change and please her and all or hidin' bits of himself away from her. I've never seen Elvis so free and easy with anyone as he is with you Sami and that just warms the cockles of a mother's heart it does."

"Aren't you worried that EJ and I will end up being a bad influence on each other and just running amok?" asked Sami with a slight frown.

"Oh I think there is enough of your mamas in both of you to make sure that doesn't happen," said Susan confidently, "You both try and do the right thing but sometimes you just get in the way of your own good intentions. I know how that happens."

Sami was just staring at Susan in disbelief at her words, trying to process it all.

"Your thinkin' I'm not as silly as look right about now aren't you sugar?" asked Susan with a half smile, seeing the way she was being looked at.

"I think you really understand your son," said Sami unevenly, caught off guard by Susan's insight.

"Well of course I do," Susan laughed, as though it was the easiest thing in the world when Sami knew it wasn't.

Understanding greyer personalities like her and EJ, ones that couldn't be neatly contained in a box was a rare gift; Sami knew that from personal experience.

"EJ is so lucky to have you in his life," said Sami enviously.

It wasn't that Sami didn't love her mother or that her mother didn't love her but Sami knew Marlena, as much as she tried could never really understand a lot of the choices Sami had made in her life. She hadn't been raised that way and despite Marlena's training in unravelling the human psyche Sami knew that as much as her mom loved her, she was still somewhat of a mystery to the other woman. To be known, to be seen as you really were and accepted anyway is a basic core need of being human and try though they might Sami didn't really feel her parents could give her that, no matter how badly they wanted to.

"I'm in both of your lives now darlin'," said Susan, clearly happy at the thought.

Sami felt herself tear up at this guileless woman and her accepting ways. Whatever the future held for her Sami knew in that moment she had a real friend and an endless supporter in Susan Crumb and that meant the world to her because she feared that soon those would be few and far between. On impulse Sami hugged the other woman tightly, catching her a little off guard. Susan quickly recovered and hugged her back just as quickly.

"Now then," she chided her playfully with a laugh, "What are those tears for. This is a happy time Samantha Jean Brady."

Sami pulled back and gave Susan a tremulous smile.

"Yes it is," she said emotionally, feeling her heart soar, "Yes it is."


	23. Chapter 170

**Chapter ONE HUNDERED & SEVENTY**** – ****Oops a Daisy**

When one ceases from conflict whether because he has won, because he has lost, or because he cares no more for the game, the virtue passes out of him.

_~Charles Horton Cooley~_

EJ walked out of the bedroom in Sami's apartment, just a towel draped around his hips. His hair was still wet from the shower he'd just taken and there was a very big, happy smile on his face. He'd woken this morning to find Sami giving a lot of attention to a certain part of his anatomy and had consequently come so hard that his head was still spinning. EJ's grin widened, unable to contain his happiness at how things had turned out for him after all that hard work of getting Sami to be truthful with herself about how she felt. Life, give or take one or two niggling concerns was better than it had ever been for EJ.

He and Sami had enjoyed a bit of a sleep in together that morning although there had been absolutely no sleeping done of course. But then Sami had to go because she and his mother had planned to go shopping together. EJ didn't mind because he loved seeing them wanting to spend time together and besides, he knew he really should visit his father. It was becoming more of a task then it had ever been before as EJ's life and priorities continued to change almost daily and those changes made his life with Stefano seem a very alien one now. The phone rang, interrupting his musings and without thinking he picked it up and answered it.

"Hello?"

There was a long pause on the other end of the phone and EJ suddenly realised what he'd done but it was too late.

"EJ is that you?"

"Oh hey Lucas," said EJ casually, "How's things?"

"What the hell are you doing in my apartment?!" asked Lucas angrily.

"Technically it is Samantha's apartment seeing as her name is on the lease," said EJ calmly, "And if you must know I'm standing here naked except for a towel."

EJ could actually feel the waves of rage emanating out of the phone from the other man and felt a surge of frustration that this insect was still a part of Sami's life in any way.

"You're lying!" Lucas spat out.

"Okay I'm lying," agreed EJ easily, "Now is that all because I have things to do and there is a bit of a draft coming from somewhere."

"Where is Sami?!" Lucas growled, "I want to speak to her!"

"You can't because she's too exhausted from me making long, hard love to her all night," said EJ calmly, "And by the way, the reason I'm mostly naked in Samantha's apartment is because we are in love and planning a life together. I life mind you that doesn't include you and your whinging and your Oedipus-like mummy issues. Now if that is all I think I can hear Sami calling for me, eager for another round of energetic lovemaking – that woman really is insatiable – it's no wonder a man like you couldn't keep her satisfied Lucas."

All the words EJ wanted to say to Lucas crowded up on his tongue, desperate to get loose but with some mammoth self control EJ swallowed all that he wanted to say and knowing it was what Sami would want him to do, shielded Lucas from reality yet again.

"She's not here," said EJ evenly.

"Why the hell are you in her apartment practically naked if she isn't there then?!" asked Lucas angrily.

"Would you prefer it that she was considering my state of undress?" EJ queried curiously.

He may not be able to tell Lucas the truth just yet but that didn't mean he couldn't have a little fun right?

"Actually it would be rather wonderful if she was," said EJ happily, "It would take us both back to our first meeting – such fun times."

"Oh yeah," said Lucas sarcastically, "Where you _accidentally_ dropped your towel – spare me!"

"Well I have nothing to hide," said EJ, unable to stop himself from needling the other man, "I'm sorry if you feel inadequate about the thought of such a thing."

"I've got nothing to feel inadequate about," spat out Lucas defensively.

"I'll take your word for it," said EJ dryly, "I don't think our relationship is ready to cross that particular line yet."

"So you haven't told me what you are doing there," said Lucas in annoyance.

The urge to tell him the truth surged through EJ again.

"My shower is broken," EJ lied, "And Samantha kindly offered me the use of hers. I believe she told me that she was going shopping when she let me in. I'm not sure when she'll be back and I was just going to lock the door behind me when I'm done."

"I thought you were in a wheelchair," said Lucas unhappily.

"I bounced back," said EJ with a bit of a smirk, "I'm a hard man to keep down – just ask Samantha."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" asked Lucas in frustration, taking EJ's bait.

"It means that she's my next door neighbour and has seen my speedy recovery for herself," said EJ smoothly, "And how about you old man – how's your recover going eh? Is it about time for Salem to organise a parade and free balloons for your triumphant return home?"

EJ really did want Lucas back in town so Sami could dump his needy ass and be done with it.

"I guess my injury was a more serious than yours," said Lucas sourly, "I've got a little bit longer to go before the doctor says I can fly."

"Yes that will no doubt be it," said EJ facetiously, "Because we all know that being shot in the back twice is but a trifle."

"You're a DiMera," Lucas goaded him, "Like being shot in the back is any kind of surprise to vermin like you."

"Hm," said EJ straight faced, "I hope you don't kiss your mother with that kind of potty mouth-"

EJ couldn't resist then.

"Although from memory she seemed to like quite a lot of dirty talk when we-"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" yelled Lucas loudly into the phone.

"You know what fascinates me about you Lucas?" asked EJ conversationally, "It's how you're mildly annoyed at the thought that Samantha and I might be up to no good but absolutely livid when I mention your mother and I. Sorry, did I say fascinating – I meant to say disturbing."

"I know Sami wouldn't touch you with a ten foot barge pool!" said Lucas angrily, "While you and my mom-"

Lucas seemed to be choking on the words and EJ gave a bit of a smirk.

"Bumped uglies, made the beast of the two backs, played hide the salami-"

EJ knew he was being childish but he simply couldn't help himself. Taunting Lucas was as addictive as crack he decided and it was going to be the only thing that he missed about the man when he was finally out of their lives. Mind you, after a while it got a bit boring because Lucas made it so easy it really was like shooting fish in a barrel.

"You son of a bitch! I'm going to smash that-"

EJ sighed and looked up to the ceiling, patiently letting him vent. When Lucas stopped to draw breath EJ managed to get a word in edge wise.

"Is this going to take much longer?" he asked blithely, "Because I've got plans for the rest of the day and listening to a little dog's yapping isn't on the list of things to do."

"You think you are so smart don't you?" asked Lucas bitterly, "An answer for everything – well one day you'll get yours, you mark my words!"

"On the suitably ominous note I'll be going now," said EJ casually, "Kisses to Kate for me. She really likes nibbling kisses on the back of the neck if I recall correctly but then I'm guessing you already know that."

EJ hung up quickly rather than listen to another rant from the other man.

"Samantha is going to kill me," he said ruefully to no one in particular, "Oh well-"

EJ's grin was back now.

"Make up sex is always worth it," he said happily before heading back into the bedroom to get changed for the day.

oooOOOOooo

EJ waited at the door of the DiMera mansion for someone to answer the door. It took awhile but eventually Bart opened it. EJ looked him up and down, a frown on his face as he took in the state of the man.

"Oh hey boss man," Bart mumbled as he painfully stood back to let EJ come in.

He was bent over, almost in half, shuffling along as he went, half of his face covered in bruises.

"Why are you doing a Hunchback of Notre Dame impersonation?" asked EJ with an arched eyebrow as he closed the door behind him.

"I don't like football much," said Bart, looking up at him from a cricked neck.

"Fair enough," said EJ flatly, not bothering to go into it, "Is my father in?"

"Yeah," said Bart, "The wheelchair kinda limits him nowadays."

"My father is in a wheelchair?!" asked EJ in surprise.

"Yup," said Bart easily, "On account of the kidney transplant."

"My father has had a kidney transplant?" asked EJ in disbelief, knowing he was repeating everything Bart was saying but unable to help himself, "It's only been six days since I last saw him – how is that possible?!"

"Dunno," said Bart, grimacing as he tried to shrug.

EJ looked Bart up and down again, suddenly more suspicious then before.

"So do you still have both kidneys Bart?" he asked in vague resignation

EJ wasn't sure if you'd be up after donating a kidney or not but thinking it was worth asking about considering who they were talking about.

"Is that why you are in this state?" he pushed for answers.

"I only have one nut," Bart informed him knowingly, "And Rolfy dropped me down the stairs when I was unconscious."

"A lot of information and yet strangely still unedifying," said EJ dryly at Barts typically roundabout way of answering things, "Bartholomew, did my father take one of your kidneys?"

"No," said Bart firmly, "It's like I said, on account of my nut deficiency."

"Is that the reason Rolf dropped you down the stairs?" asked EJ in exasperation, finding he was getting nowhere fast with this line of questioning.

He had no idea how the two things could be related but then EJ didn't understand how a missing testicle and a kidney had any kind of connection either.

"I think I was too heavy for him to carry," said Bart thoughtfully.

"And he was carrying you because-?" asked a bemused EJ.

"I told ya boss, I was unconscious," said Bart in exasperation as though this should all be perfectly obvious and EJ was just being purposefully obtuse.

"I'm going to stop now before I have a desire to fling you down the stairs as well," said EJ in annoyance, "So my father is in the living room?"

"Aha," Bart nodded, "I'll introduce you."

"There is really no need-" EJ began but Bart was already lurching towards the living room.

EJ shook his head and easily outpaced him, arriving in the living room before Bart did and seeing his father sitting in a wheelchair. Stefano's face brightened at seeing EJ as the two men smiled at each other.

"Hello Father-" EJ started to say but then Bart was suddenly beside him.

"Your son is here Mr D!" Bart announced loudly to the two exasperated men.

"I'm unable to walk Bartholomew," said Stefano tersely, "Not blind – I can see my son."

"Just doing my job Mr D," said Bart, starting to sway a little bit.

"Why are you doing your job?" asked EJ in vague irritation, "You can barely stand Bart."

"Rolfy is making me," said Bart with an unhappy pout, "He says it's my punishment."

"Punishment for what?" asked EJ in bemusement.

"For being an idiot," said Bart with a little accepting sigh.

"I don't think making you work in this condition is going to be a cure for that," said EJ being uncharacteristically cruel to Bart, not that the other man seemed to notice.

Despite himself EJ found he had somewhat of a soft spot for Bart, most likely his head of course but still, the man had a guileless way about him which was oddly endearing.

"Perhaps you should go and sit down Bart," EJ suggested more kindly.

"Oh geez, thanks boss," said Bart gratefully and promptly dropped over the arm of one of the arm chairs in the room.

Both Stefano and EJ looked at him in vague annoyance as he tried to make himself comfortable.

"I wasn't meaning here Bart," said EJ wryly, "Why don't you go to your room and lie down, I can take care of my father for awhile."

"I don't need a nursemaid," snorted Stefano.

"Nonetheless I am here now," said EJ calmly, "You can go now Bart."

"Okay," said Bart cheerfully enough and then there was a few more minutes wasted while he tried to get himself out of the chair, groaning as he went.

Stefano rolled his eyes and waited impatiently for the man to be gone. Finally Bart was half limping, half shuffling from the room.

"I think Rolf dropping him may have done more damage than we first suspected," said Stefano dryly, "And to a man that didn't have a lot of smarts to begin with."

"I have to wonder what goes on in this household sometimes," said EJ with a shake of his head and then grimaced, "On second thoughts maybe I don't want to know."

"You look well my son," said Stefano, looking him up and down with a pleased smile, "You are going from strength to strength I see."

"Yes I am very well thank you Father," said EJ with a bit of a frown, "Unlike you I see. How could you not tell me that you were having major surgery?"

"I did not want to worry you and encroach on yours and Samantha's happiness," said Stefano with a half shrug.

"You having a kidney transplant is not an encroachment," EJ chided him, "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been cut in half," said Stefano ruefully, "But infinitely better than I did before the procedure I am pleased to say."

"So it went well?" asked EJ in concern, "No signs of your body rejecting the kidney?"

"So far so good," said Stefano calmly.

"And where did this transplant take place?" asked EJ, needing more details, "Who did the procedure, where did you get the kidney from?"

"There is a market for such things," said Stefano dismissively.

"And did the donor _know_ he was in the market to donate a kidney?" asked EJ dryly, knowing how his father worked.

"You sound like a policeman Elvis with all these questions," commented Stefano coolly.

"No I'm a lawyer," said EJ evenly and gave him a pointed look, "And more pertinently I'm _your_ lawyer Father so if there is going to be any fallout from this new organ of yours I'd like to be a bit ahead of the game if push comes to shove."

"There will be no fallout as you say," said Stefano with his characteristic dismissive wave of his hand.

"Because it was all perfectly legal?" EJ prompted him, the scepticism obvious in his voice.

"You need not concern yourself with such things my son," said Stefano firmly, making EJ sigh heavily.

"Father you are a rich man," he said unhappily, "There is never any need for you to resort to underhand methods to gain such a thing as a kidney. It is a sad reality of this world that people with money can pretty much buy anything they want and that includes body parts. I just don't want to be watching the news and see somebody being pulled out of the Salem River sans a kidney."

"Such morality," said Stefano flatly, "Where did this bleeding heart come from I wonder eh Elvis?"

"It's common sense Father," said EJ, not willing to be drawn into it, "The Salem PD are watching you like a hawk already, desperate for you to slip up. I'd hate for them to get the upper hand with you over something that wasn't necessary in the first place, that's all."

"You think so little of your father nowadays that you think he would allow such a thing?" asked Stefano tersely, glaring up at EJ.

"No," said EJ, taken aback by his fierceness, "I just meant-"

"I am still head of this household!" exclaimed Stefano, holding up an imperious finger, "ME!"

"Father calm yourself-" began EJ as Stefano began to get upset.

"I am not in the ground yet and until I am things will be done my way!" he said sharply, "And I will not be questioned like an errant child in my own home!"

EJ just looked back at him steadily, not saying anything for a long minute. Stefano's reaction to his questions was deeply concerning to EJ. It was clear to him that however the kidney in question was obtained it was in a way that Stefano didn't want EJ to know about. The blustering was just a ruse and EJ knew it. He was meant to back down like the obedient little soldier and accede to his Father's will, EJ knew how this went. The thing was though that for EJ; that time had passed. It almost felt like it was another person who was so unquestioningly loyal to this man.

The pedestal that EJ had put his father up on was crumbling more everyday and now he was finding it hard to understand how he could have been so accepting of all the things that made up Stefano DiMera. Loving Samantha had given him insight and a new sense of morality that he hadn't previously possessed. Of course it would never be the standard kind of morality that most people claimed to have, after all he was still a DiMera but more than ever EJ knew he wasn't Stefano's kind of DiMera either.

"I can see I'm upsetting you," said EJ quietly, "And that wasn't my intent – I'll go now."

Stefano was regarding him with some suspicion now, eyeing him coldly.

"I have big plans for you Elvis," he said, his voice calm now but ever so slightly menacing, "I want to know that you are still the son I have groomed from birth to take your rightful place by my side – the man to carry on the DiMera name and legacy."

"Regardless of who you might think I am Father or who you might want me to be I will be carrying on the DiMera name and legacy, that is inevitable," said EJ, looking him squarely in the eye, "Not everything is within your control. You must face that reality as every other person who has walked the face of the earth has."

"I believe we need to have a long talk my son," said Stefano, his dark eyes impassive and giving nothing away.

"I believe we do Father," agreed EJ calmly, "But not today. You are not well and I don't want to tire you out any further."

Stefano nodded slowly as EJ walked over to him and kissed his cheek.

"I love you Father," he said sincerely, "Call me if you need anything."

"Love is obedience," said Stefano, accepting the kiss, "Remember that Elvis."

"Is that what your father taught you?" asked EJ quietly, "Did Santo demand obedience above all things?"

"He didn't have to demand it," said Stefano, looking at EJ almost fiercely, "I gave it freely because he was my father and I was his son."

"I see," said EJ softly, not missing the obvious implication of course.

Because EJ had never disobeyed his father before he'd never heard this speech, at least not in relation to himself. EJ knew that Stefano demanded the utmost loyalty from his employees and that there were severe consequences if they didn't live up to expectations but oddly enough he'd never thought of those rules applying to himself. Apparently though the bar was set even higher for family it would seem.

"I'll see myself out," said EJ trying to hide the regret on his face, "Take care Father and I'll visit again soon and we will indeed talk."

"Good," said Stefano, looking fatigued now, clearly their conversation having taken a lot out of him, "I only want what is best for you my son, like any loving father."

"I know," said EJ, swallowing the sudden lump in his throat because he knew that was true.

The trouble was that his father had a very twisted idea of what was best for him. The need to get Sami away from his increasingly erratic father was growing inside of EJ and he knew that now was the time to start making plans for he and Sami to leave town, at least for awhile. The last thing he wanted was for either he or Sami to be looking over their shoulder while starting their new life together. Besides, once Lucas arrived back in town Salem wasn't going to look to kindly on either one of them and while running wasn't EJ's style he meant what he'd said to Sami about not letting anyone speak ill of her. It would be a full time job to remain in Salem, at least in the beginning and make good on his promise. EJ wanted to devote his time to Sami and not to the naysayers and haters that would undoubtedly emerge. He gave his father a sad smile, each visit breaking another strand that had tied them together and bid him farewell.

oooOOOOooo

EJ opened the door of his apartment to find Sami, Susan and Edmund all standing in the living room with a series of suitcases between them.

"What's this?" he asked in surprise as he walked over to kiss Sami hello automatically now, not even giving it a second thought.

"Oh darlin' we have to go," said Susan unhappily.

"What?" asked EJ in disbelief, "Why – I thought you'd be staying until the end of the week at least!"

"Your Granny Violet has taken a nasty fall," said Edmund fretfully.

"Is she alright?" asked EJ with real concern.

He loved his vivacious grandmother very much and her joie de vivre. Sami moved closer to him and put an arm around his waist looking up at him sympathetically.

"Well she's badly bruised and can't get around like she used to," said Edmund in concern.

"We have to go home and make sure that sweet little pub of hers is taken care of along with Granny Violet of course," interjected Susan with an emphatic nodding of her head.

"How did it happen?" asked EJ with a frown.

"It was a line dancing accident," said Edmund straight faced.

"Oh," said Sami, this clearly being news to her, "I didn't realise that – how do you fall down in line dancing?"

"My mother is quite energetic when she partakes of the activity," said Edmund with a smile.

"She's been known to take out more than her fair share of innocent bystanders," agreed EJ with a quirk of his lips, "Granny Vi is pretty much a one woman weapon of mass destruction on the dance floor."

"She does have a great amount of gusto to her," agreed Edmund, pushing up his glasses as they slid down his nose as usual.

"Do you need us to come and help you out?" asked Sami and EJ could have kissed her for the easy way in which she offered their help.

Firstly it was a joy to hear Sami talk about them in terms of an 'us' that EJ knew he was never going to get tired of hearing her say that and secondly seeing her be so kind and generous to his family just made him love her even more if that was possible.

"Oh we couldn't impose," said Edmund quickly but with a grateful smile, "You and Elvis are starting a new life together."

"A life that includes your family," said Sami firmly and then looked up at EJ for wordless confirmation which he gave in the form of a loving smile, "And we want to help if we can."

"Well that is just so very sweet of you," said Susan happily, "But I really do think it will be alright. Edmund and I can manage the pub and the hardest part will be getting Granny to take things easy. If ever there was a storm in a teacup then that is what that woman is!"

EJ smiled, knowing his mother didn't mean that like it sounded. Violet doted on Susan and the feeling was mutual. Granny Violet was though a force of nature and was almost impossible to contain so EJ knew his mother and Edmund had a task in front of them trying to get her to rest.

"If you need us then just call," said EJ, backing up what Sami had said, "We're only a plane flight away and more than happy to help."

"Ohh but I'm going to miss you two soo much!" exclaimed Susan, going up and hugging first Sami and then EJ as tightly as she could, "You must promise to not make me have to wait to get my wedding invitation – I've got a hat picked out already and everything!"

"You'll be the second person I speak to it about," said EJ with an impish grin as he winked at Sami over his mother's head as she hugged him tightly.

The next hour and a half was a flurry of suitcases, car trips and queuing in airplane terminals, more hugs and kisses and then Sami and EJ were alone together. It was after dinner that night that the two of them were snuggled up on the couch after Sami had made them hot cocoa as they watched some old movie on TV.

"It's so quiet with them gone," said Sami a little forlornly, "They were only here four days but I really miss them."

"My mother does leave somewhat of a void," agreed EJ with a little laugh as he pulled a blanket over the two of them and took a sip of his cocoa, "Nice."

Sami snuggled in closer to him as EJ put his arm around her, Sami resting her head on his chest as the movie played away quietly in the corner, both of them only half watching it as they simply enjoyed being together.

"This is cosy," commented EJ and Sami suddenly lifted her head to look at him with a vague look of concern on her face.

"Cosy?" she repeated uncertainly.

"Well yes," EJ smiled, "We are just in our sweats, curled up on the sofa and drinking cocoa together – it's cosy."

"You mean like an old married couple?" Sami quizzed him.

"I suppose so," said EJ with a bit of a shrug, "Is that a problem?"

"No," said Sami slowly, "I suppose not."

She rested her head back on his chest then and EJ hugged her to him.

"I love this movie," he announced of the black and white feature playing in front of them.

"Softy," said Sami indulgently.

"A marshmallow," EJ agreed with a chuckle, unconcerned at her observation.


	24. Chapter 171

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & SEVENTY ONE**** – ****Hey Big Spender**

All great lovers are articulate, and verbal seduction is the surest road to actual seduction.

_~Marya Mannes~_

EJ sipped his drink thoughtfully and shifted in his seat, looking around himself. The jazz club come bar was elegantly understated in a carelessly casual way and looked like it attracted quite a diverse clientele. A live band played in one corner and EJ knew enough about jazz to know they were good. He glanced at his watch and took another sip of the alcohol, waiting for his companion to arrive.

EJ had come back from getting more gas from the car just after lunch today to find Sami gone and a white envelope left in her wake with his name on it. Inside the envelope had been the name of this club and a time and that was it. After that EJ hadn't seen Sami for the rest of the afternoon. He'd tried calling her but she wasn't picking up and he had to say his curiosity was more than little piqued about what she might be up to. Sami had been a little distracted since last night but when EJ had asked her what the matter was she'd just smiled sweetly and told him nothing. He hadn't been entirely convinced and now it seemed like he had good reason to be sceptical.

It was eight minutes past when the note had stated and EJ was starting to become a little fidgety. He'd missed Sami that afternoon and he was anxious to see her now. It was hard to remember a time when Sami wasn't in his life and it was utterly impossible to imagine one now without her. EJ had never expected to fall this hard for someone, thinking his mother and Edmund's devoted relationship had been an unattainable benchmark for him but Sami had changed all that for him. He checked his watch again, shaking it a little bit as he began to get vaguely concerned about where Sami could be. EJ's back was to the entrance of the club and it was the look on the faces of the men sitting around him at various tables that made him turn around in the end.

EJ turned in his seat and immediately found his heart was starting to beat wildly in his chest at the sight of Sami walking towards him as he no doubt had the same look of intrigued lust on his face that the rest of the men in the room did at the sight of the young woman. She was wearing some kind of low cut, figure hugging grey blue dress that showed off all of her very womanly curves to perfection and EJ knew he wasn't the only man thinking that right then and felt a surge of territorial jealousy over that fact.

Sami was walking purposely towards him, her hips swinging back and forth in a very womanly way and EJ felt his mouth go dry at the sight. He really wanted to stand up as she approached, wanted to be courteous but he feared his legs wouldn't hold him so instead he just stared at her, sporting what he knew must have been an expression of hopeless adoration. Sami was standing by his table now, looking down at him with a half little smile.

"Is this seat taken?" she asked huskily.

"I very much hope so," he said, vaguely embarrassed at how hoarse his voice sounded but that was the impact Sami had on him.

EJ finally convinced his limbs to help him and he quickly stood up, holding out Sami's chair for her and she took a seat. He quickly sat himself down across from Sami and was about to tell her how beautiful she looked when she spoke first.

"I'm Brandi," she informed EJ with a smile and extending her hand for him to shake, "Brandi Mathas – and you are?"

EJ blinked, hesitating for a split second as he realised that they were playing a game which he quickly fell into line with.

"Hello Brandi Mathas," he said smoothly, loving that she'd remembered the name he'd made for her out of the letters of her name, "Rami Devlise at your service."

"Well Rami," she said, with a little smile, "That name rather sounds like a pseudonym."

"I'll let you in on a secret," said EJ, leaning closer to her and lowering his voice, "It is."

"And why would a man like you need a pseudonym I wonder?" she pondered thoughtfully, "Are you a spy?"

"I've been accused of worse," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, enjoying their little game.

Sami never failed to surprise him and he loved how she constantly kept him on his toes. No other woman had ever captured and kept his interest like Samantha Brady, or Brandi Mathas for that matter, did.

"I don't think it is that intriguing actually," she said knowingly, "I bet you've got some little girlfriend sitting at home waiting for you and you just don't want this getting back to her."

"And what is this exactly?" asked EJ, intrigued as to where this was heading.

"This is you buying me a drink," said Sami evenly, holding his gaze steadily.

EJ smiled and nodded, calling over a waiter.

"What would you like Brandi?" he asked her, finding it hard to take his eyes off her, as was the waiter it seemed, much to EJ's annoyance.

"A white wine please," said Sami, smiling up at the man and making his day.

A few minutes later Sami or rather Brandi, had her drink and she took a sip of it, regarding EJ carefully.

"So Rami," she said, putting down her drink and looking at him with interest, "This girlfriend of yours, what is she like?"

"I never said I had a girlfriend," EJ reminded her with a half smile.

"But you never said you didn't," Sami reminded him back, "And you don't strike me as a man who likes to sleep alone."

"Well you have me there Brandi," said EJ with a chuckle, "And my girlfriend is glorious, she surprises me every day in every way."

"And yet here you are," pointed out Sami, "Having drinks with another woman while she what – waits by the home fires with your pipe and slippers?"

EJ laughed out loud at that image and shook his head.

"My girlfriend isn't exactly the pipe and slipper kind of girl," he grinned, "Although she is very nice to snuggle up to with some hot cocoa on a sofa I must admit."

"You don't strike me as the hot cocoa and snuggling on the sofa kind of guy," said Sami, leaning towards him and giving EJ the once over rather intently.

That last comment of hers confirmed it for EJ – this little interlude was all about his cosy comment from last night. Clearly Sami had found it concerning for some reason, perhaps fearing that they might fall into a rut and it appeared she had quite the solution for that particular scenario. Mind you, if EJ knew what Sami had in mind for where this was going he might have saved his admiration for when she really unleashed her creativity on him.

"I have diverse tastes," said EJ letting his eyes roam freely over the vast expanse of creamy white skin that was on display thanks to Sami's tasteful but at the same time revealing outfit.

"You need a lot of different things to keep you satisfied you mean?" she asked him now, a little coy, knowing smile on playing around her lips.

"I guess you could say that," agreed EJ with a nod.

Wondering where this game would take them and certainly knowing what he was hoping for EJ decided to play along a little more.

"So Brandi," he said evenly, "What is it that you do for a living if I may ask?"

"I'm a business woman," Sami informed him, taking another sip of her drink.

"And what kind of business would that be?" asked EJ, wondering how far Sami was going to take this.

"The business of supply and demand," she said simply and leant back in her chair, making EJ work for his clues.

"And what is the demand that you are supplying exactly?" asked EJ in amusement.

"Wish fulfilment," said Sami with a little shrug, "I'm an independent woman in business for herself and that business is wish fulfilment."

"Wish fulfilment?" repeated EJ, looking confused, "What does that-"

EJ stopped abruptly as the penny dropped and he realised what Sami was saying as he looked at her a little bit taken aback.

"So Brandi," said EJ slowly, "You're telling me that you're a... lady of the night, is that right?"

"Well that is a rather proper way of saying it," said Sami with a little laugh, "But yes Rami, I supply a range of services in exchange for money."

"And what exactly is that range of services?" asked EJ, recovering now from his surprise and becoming increasingly intrigued by this turn of events.

"Whatever it takes to get the job done," said Sami, leaving it there and letting EJ's imagination fill in the blanks which it most definitely did.

"And how much would such an experience set someone back I have to wonder?" asked EJ, eyeing her curiously, "You know, if I was interested in... investing in your business?"

"Two thousand dollars," said Sami without batting an eyelid.

"Two grand?!" repeated EJ with an arched eyebrow at the number, "You're asking for two thousand dollars for me to be able to spend the night with you Brandi, is that right?"

"No," said Sami calmly, "That is just the price of two hours. If you want me for the whole night then it is going to be six thousand dollars."

"Six?!" repeated EJ, his eyebrows shooting up now at the figure.

He leant back in his seat and regarded Sami a little coolly, pretending to consider the offer as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

Of course it was all for show. EJ would have given every last cent he had in the world to have Sami just say his name and smile, they both knew that but he was more than happy to play his part in the little charade Sami had set up. This woman never ceased to amaze him with all the sides to her nature and EJ had a very strong feeling that this Brandi Mathas persona was going to be among his very favourite. He loved the cool calculation of a woman who was secure in her own sexuality and knew how to use it to get what she wanted. This whole thing was as sexy as hell and EJ loved Sami even more for knowing how much he'd enjoy this little game. He tilted his head to one side a little and played his part.

"And I'm assuming for that kind of money I would get-" EJ paused and let his eyes run all over Sami's body that he could see above the table, taking a special amount of time to admire her pale expanse of cleavage on show.

EJ licked his lips slowly, a look of appreciation about what was on display.

"-[i]_whatever_[/i] I wanted," he finished, his voice a little roughened with a desire that had been building steadily in him from the first sight of her, "[i]_However_ [/i]I wanted it."

"Oh no Rami," said Sami with a self assured look his way, "You'd be getting what [i]_I[/i]_ want, however [i]_I[/i]_ want it."

EJ felt his body tighten painfully over the possibilities of what a woman such as Brandi Mathas might want from him.

"Of course if you've got better things to spend your money on," said Sami coolly, standing up as he didn't immediately answer her, "I'm running a business and time is money after all."

EJ quickly leapt to his feet to stop her, scared that Sami might actually leave and not wanting to take that chance.

"Please," he said, holding up a consolatory hand, "Let's not be hasty Ms Mathas – I too am a business man and I was just considering your proposition."

EJ moved to hold out Sami's seat for her again.

"Please," he said again, "Won't you take a seat? I really would like to discuss this further with you Brandi."

"Talk is cheap Rami," said Sami but accepting the seat he'd pulled out for her anyway.

"I rather suppose it is," EJ agreed as he settled back in across from Sami again.

"But I'm not," she continued on smoothly, "But I think you'll find I'm worth it."

"Well that remains to be seen now doesn't it sweetheart?" asked EJ with a quirk of his lips.

"Are you questioning my professionalism Mr Devlise?" asked Sami and gave a good impression of being very annoyed at him right then.

"Of course not Ms Mathas," said EJ smoothly, "But as a business man I'd like to know what I'm getting for such a fee."

"So what would you like me to do?" she asked with an arched eyebrow, "Slip under the table and provide you with an oral reference perhaps?"

EJ's heart practically lurched out of his chest at the calm suggestion, the hard on that had been steadily stiffening throughout their entire conversation jerking wildly at the thought of Sami on her knees under the table, his swollen length deep in her mouth. Sami's lips quirked at what EJ knew must be his suddenly hungry and eager expression.

"If that what you want sweetheart then I recommend you trolling one of the corners down by the docks," she said mockingly, "For twenty dollars I'm sure they'll provide you with that kind of cheap thrill, no problem. You just struck me as more of a top shelf kind of guy... or was I wrong about that?"

"It's true I like the finer things in life," said EJ with a slow nod of his head, adoring this confident woman in front of him.

"Well Rami I can assure you that they don't come any finer than me," said Sami self assuredly, "And trust me, in my profession – I know all about coming."

EJ gave a little laugh then, finding it hard to tear his eyes off her, mesmerised by the wit and blatant sexiness of the creature before him.

"You're a hard woman to say no to," he said in open appreciation.

"I gathered that," she said smugly, "Because it happens so rarely."

Sami cocked her head to one side then.

"Well the no part," Sami commented through pursed lips, "The hard part is pretty much a daily occurrence."

"I bet it is," EJ growled, not liking the thought of Sami getting any other man hard ever but knowing that was going to be a reality that he would have to deal with everyday as men lusted after his woman.

"So do we have a deal?" asked Sami casually.

EJ took a moment before answering even though both of them knew what his answer was going to be.

"I believe we do," he said at last.

"Excellent," said Sami calmly and held out a hand for him to shake, "It's a deal."

EJ took her hand over the table and shook it but then didn't let it go, placing his other hand over their linked hands.

"So how does this work exactly Brandi?" he asked her huskily, "Shall we order some dinner first?"

"Are you hungry?" she asked him with a small smile.

"Not for food no," said EJ with a quirk of his lips.

"Then in that case I suppose we can skip it," she said easily.

"Do you have somewhere we can go?" asked EJ.

"A hotel I prefer," she nodded, "We can stay there the night – assuming you want the whole night of course?"

"Oh I do," said EJ readily, "I definitely do."

"Well that's settled then," said Sami easily, "But you're paying for the room, that's not included in the six thousand."

"I see that there is a lot of fine print when it comes to you Brandi," observed EJ in amusement, "I'm going to have to pay close attention."

"You'll find there are a lot of things that are fine about me Rami," she returned with a pointed quip, "And I don't think I'll have any trouble holding your attention somehow."

"Of that I have no doubt," said EJ wryly, appreciating her quick wit.

EJ stood up and pulled back Sami's chair so she could stand up as well. He patted his coat pocket and made a little face.

"I'm going to have to find an ATM," he told her, "I'm assuming you don't take cheques?"

"You assume correctly Rami," nodded Sami as he took her arm and the two of them began to leave the restaurant, "There is just something so much more visceral about actual money don't you think? Makes you feel what you are working for."

"I suppose that is one way of looking at it," said EJ with a little laugh at her observation, "Although I'm rather hoping tonight won't feel like work for you Brandi."

"That depends if you're an obedient little boy and do what I tell you to do," said Sam, looking up at him through her eyelashes as they walked along.

EJ's heart was back to beating double time at that statement and he hoped that he wasn't going to have a heart attack before even making it to the hotel. He could feel all the envious male eyes on him as he walked with Sami from the club and felt a gloating surge of male satisfaction. This woman was his and they all knew it and hated him for it and that made EJ very happy.

"What's with the smile?" she asked him as they made their way to the door, catching his self satisfied grin.

"It's because every man in this room wants to be the man in your bed tonight and I'm the only one who will be," said EJ possessively.

"As long as you come up with the money you will be," she agreed offhandedly, "Otherwise I may have to come back and see if any of these other lovely gentlemen are more accommodating."

EJ's hand tightened on her arm, a surge of fierce jealousy at even the suggestion ripping through him. He knew Sami was purposefully taunting him, trying to get him worked up and damn but wasn't it working. EJ quickened his pace, wanting Sami all to himself now, not willing to share her with another soul for the rest of the night. They were outside now and EJ looked this way and that, trying to think where the nearest ATM was.

"There is one around the corner," Sami informed him, knowing what he was looking for.

EJ nodded his appreciation and the two of them began to walk down the street towards the required machine. As they did they passed an alleyway and before Sami could guess what he intended EJ had grabbed her arm, swinging the two of them into the darkened corridor.

"I think I'd like a sample of what I'm paying for," he told her, his voice tight with anticipation.

"I'm not the kind of girl who gives it away in an alleyway Mr Devlise," Sami informed him coolly.

"I wasn't aware I was getting this for free Ms Mathas," said EJ just as coolly, playing his part just as perfectly as Sami was playing her, "And I'm a business man as I've said, I like to see what it is that I'm getting before money exchanges hands."

Sami regarded him for a long minute in which EJ's nerves stretched to breaking in anticipation. She was setting the pace for this entire night but damn, if Sami didn't let him touch her now EJ was almost certain he was going to die.

"Very well," she said throatily at last and EJ tried not to scream out his thankfulness to the high heavens.

Instead he sank slowly to his knees on the alleyways dirty pavement and looked up at Sami in the low light. Keeping his gaze steadily on her EJ carefully began to push up the tight fitting material of her skirt. He tore his eyes from Sami's face to look at what he was uncovering. Grey suspender free stockings with a lacy top adorned each leg as EJ pushed the material higher. He thought Sami might stop him, seeing as the pavement wasn't that far away but she didn't and the knowledge that someone might happen on them at any moment while he was peaking at her underwear was an exciting one to EJ. He'd revealed the little scrap of satin now that was her panties and he reached out a finger, stroking her satin covered mound. Sami was just leaning against the alleyway wall, letting him do as he pleased and EJ was finding that to be extremely arousing.

He lifted one of Sami's legs and draped it over his shoulder, exposing her core to him. Even in the low light EJ could see that Sami was finding this as stimulating as he was, the material of her panties wet with her own juices. EJ couldn't resist; the smell of Sami's arousal from between her thighs in his nostrils and making his head swim. He reached out with his tongue and licked along the scrap of satin that was her panties and that covered her core from him. He lapped up her arousal that was already soaking through the thin barrier and EJ was suddenly ravenous for more but he forced himself to hold back.

Slowly straightening up and letting Sami's leg fall back to the ground from his shoulder, he stood on shaky legs. EJ put his hands on either side of Sami's head against the wall, leaning on them heavily as he moved in closer to her, their noses practically touching as he kept her trapped there with his greater size. The taste of her was still exploding in his mouth and the painful ache in EJ's pants told him that he was already getting to the point of no return.

"Everything to your satisfaction Mr Devlise?" Brandy asked him, holding his gaze steadily and utterly shameless as she looked back at him challengingly, utterly in control and they both knew it.

"Very nice," he agreed roughly, his voice ragged and full of need, "Very, very nice."

"You like how I tasted?" she asked him throatily, "Do you want more?"

"Yes!" EJ growled sharply, pressing his body against hers now.

"Do you want to drink me dry?" she teased him mercilessly, "Make me come over and over again just so you can take your fill of me."

"Oh god," said EJ weakly, grinding his raging hard on into Sami's stomach, frightened he was going to blow his load right there and then if she didn't stop.

"I'm going to take that as a yes," Sami purred with satisfaction.

Half an hour later EJ somehow found himself staggering into the hotel Sami had chosen for the two of them. He went to pull her into his arms but Sami stalled him.

"First things first Rami," she admonished him, "Let conduct the business part of this transaction before we move onto the pleasure."

EJ pulled out his wallet from his coat and pulled out the money that he'd just gotten from the ATM and handed it to Sami who promptly began to count it.

"You're counting it?" asked EJ with an arched eyebrow, "Don't you trust me Brandi?"

"Let's see Rami," she said with a quirk of her lips, "You're the type of man who leaves their girlfriend home alone on a Saturday night and associates with ladies of the night – so I'd say that was a no to that question."

"I'm sure my girlfriend has found something to occupy herself with tonight," said EJ with a half smile.

"I'm sure she has," said Sami with a quirk of her lips, "She might even be up to no good."

"That is extremely likely," agreed EJ readily, "It's one of my most favourite things about her – how often she's up to no good."

"If you love her so much then why are you here I have to wonder Rami?" asked Sami, looking at him with interest.

"I find it almost impossible to say no to blondes who want me to pay them six thousand dollars so I can have sex with them," said EJ straight faced.

"It's amazing you have any money left then," she said, giving him a challenging look.

"It has to be a very specific kind of blonde," said EJ, his eyes twinkling, "I have a very exacting fetish."

"How fortunate for you," said Sami with a half smile, "So I think what I need you to do next is get undressed for me Rami."

"Aren't you going to help me with that?" asked EJ hopefully.

"Who's the professional here?" asked Sami, giving him a pointed look to which EJ had to chuckle.

Barely a minute later he was naked and Sami was getting him to sit on the bed.

"I hope you don't do everything that fast," she commented as she came to stand between his legs.

"Depends how long this takes," said EJ honestly, looking down at his lap and then back at Sami, "I'm already quite... motivated."

"Extremely motivated," Sami agreed as she looked at the mammoth erection he was currently sporting, "You're making this too easy for me Rami – I haven't even touched you yet."

"I'm not great at playing hard to get," admitted EJ ruefully because there was no way he could claim anything else.

"Well I do appreciate a man who is eager," said Sami, eyeing his lap appreciatively, "Now why don't you be a good boy and help me with my panties?"

EJ didn't need to be told twice, immediately sliding both of his hands up under her skirt as Sami stood there and hooking his fingers into the tops of her panties, dragging them slowly down her body. Sami dutifully stepped out of them but when EJ moved to do more undressing of her she stepped back, out of reach. He made a complaining noise but Sami simply held his gaze, her hand reaching behind her and unzipping her dress, letting it fall to the ground and EJ's eyes widened in appreciation. Sami was left wearing a black bustier that stopped just below her breasts, supporting them but leaving them on full display and nipped in tightly at the waist. She had no panties on of course because he'd just removed them and all that was left were her stockings and high heeled shoes. It was quite the vision and EJ never wanted to blink again.

"You were wearing [i]_that[/i]_ under you dress the whole time?" asked EJ his mouth going dry as he ravished her body with his eyes.

"Pays to advertise," said Sami with a little smirk.

She walked over to the money that she'd put down on the bedside counter and tucked it between her abundant cleavage and down the bustier a little bit.

"It pays [i]_very[/i]_ well to advertise," she said smugly, a self satisfied look on her face.

"I have a feeling you're going to be worth every penny and then some," said EJ hoarsely, his body tightening in sweet anticipation of what Sami had planned for him.

Five minutes later EJ was absolutely convinced of that fact when he found himself naked and tied to the bed, his arms above his head and secured by silk scarves that Sami had pulled from the evening purse she'd brought with her. He'd never let a woman do this to him before but then he'd never trusted anyone the way he trusted Sami. She was now leaning over him, the soft fragrance of her shampoo in his nostrils as she tied yet another scarf around his eyes. EJ wanted her so much right then that he could feel himself beginning to shake uncontrollably.

"Now then let's see," said Sami with a knowing little smile that EJ couldn't so much see as hear in her voice.

EJ breath hitched in his throat as he heard the promise in Sami's voice, his whole body quivering in anticipation.

"Where should I begin?"


	25. Chapter 172

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & SEVENTY TWO**** – ****You Get What You Pay For**** (Mon) **

Seduction is always more singular and sublime than sex

and it commands the higher price.

_~Jean Baudrillard~_

EJ threw his head back and moaned loudly at the first touch of Sami's lips to his swollen manhood. She'd touched every other part of his body except for the bit that needed her the most so that when the first touch came so did EJ. He heard Sami's throaty chuckle at his lack of control and would have told her it was all her fault but was too busy climaxing to get the words out. EJ flopped back on the bed, panting noisily and listening to Sami playfully tut at him.

"Oh dear," she chastised him, "That won't do now will it Rami?"

"Sorry," EJ groaned, still tied to the bed and blindfolded, "That has been building since you walked into the club tonight."

"Oh well," Sami sighed philosophically, "You've got the rest of the night to make it up to me."

EJ's stomach muscles tensed as he suddenly felt Sami's tongue there, lapping at where he'd exploded over himself, cleaning the salty maleness from his skin. EJ made little happy moaning noises over what she was doing until she was done. Her voice come to him from somewhere around his stomach.

"You do want to make it up to me don't you Rami?" she asked him in a suitably coquettish fashion.

"Yes," he growled, "So much Brandi!"

EJ pictured the smile his enthusiastic words would have garnered but then EJ could feel the bed dipping as Sami climbed off him and it. He cocked his head, listening intently as to what she might be up to now. He heard a rustling of something hard to identify.

"Brandi?" he called out her name.

"Patience Rami," she replied to him and EJ could hear Sami's voice getting closer and then he could feel her climbing back on the bed, "Good things come to those who wait."

As though to prove her point EJ felt Sami wrap her small hand around his temporarily spent manhood and squeeze, making him give an appreciative groan. The next thing EJ knew was Sami taking him into her mouth again but this time there was something different about it. He couldn't help himself from bucking up at the strange sensation of both hot and cold and the same time on his sensitive flesh. EJ had no idea how Sami was doing that but it was a singular experience and one that along with Sami's talented mouth, soon had him proudly at full attention again.

"That's better," he heard Sami say with some satisfaction in her voice, clearly surveying her handiwork with approval, "Now where were we?"

EJ was eager to be inside Sami now, as wonderful and stimulating as what she'd just done for him had been there was nothing like the sensation of sliding into that tight, wet heat of hers for EJ. He felt Sami loosen one of his bonds and gave a pleased growl, wanting to at last be free to touch her but she clearly had other ideas. She loosened the scarf but only enough so that EJ could move his hand to closer to his upper chest before tightening it again.

"What are you doing?" he asked in frustration, pulling against the confines in desperation, "I need to touch you Brandi!"

"You will," she said and EJ could hear the smugness in Sami's voice, "But we are going to do it my way and if you don't like it then I can leave you like this."

"NO!" EJ said hoarsely, "Please NO!"

"Then you be a good little boy and don't move a finger," she instructed him, Sami's voice suddenly in his ear, "And I mean that quite literally otherwise you will not like your punishment, I promise."

EJ swallowed hard but just nodded, so anxious for what Sami had in store for him next. She positioned his hand on his chest so that it was palm down and then EJ could feel Sami moving up his body until her knees seemed to be on either side of his face. He was blasted with the heat of her body and the smell of Sami's arousal, his other senses heightened with the loss of his sight. EJ realised what she was doing then just as he felt Sami reach down and take his hand, angling his fingers upwards and then her dripping centre was enveloping two of his fingers.

"Don't move," she warned him and EJ swallowed hard, trying to do as she asked although the urge to drive his fingers as deeply into her as he could was very strong.

EJ expected Sami to begin moving up and down on his fingers but she surprised him yet again and then there was the sensation of something moving above his face and he realised what she was doing. He listened to Sami's breathing become increasingly ragged as she relentlessly brought herself to a climax, her finger massaging her nub. EJ's mouth watered with the desire to take over the role for her but was frightened that anything other than doing exactly as he was told would result in him being left in this state.

He could feel Sami's walls beginning to rhythmically bear down around his fingers and swallowed a moan, each contraction harder than the last until she was suddenly jerking wildly around him, the scent of her arousal intoxicating. Sami cried out at the end, moaning her pleasure by her own hand and EJ was fit to burst, utterly enthralled by the display she'd put on for him, using senses other than his sight.

He heard her happy sigh and then Sami was moving again and EJ held his breath in anticipation as to what she had in store for him next. Sami moved off his fingers and then much to EJ's disappointment she was tightening the scarf again so his arm was above his head, along with the other one. He was desperate to touch her but then he knew that Sami knew that and that was why she was denying him. Sami began moving down his body, making sure that she dragged the moist apex of her thighs down EJ's chest and stomach as she went, ensuring he could feel her arousal all over his body.

"Hurry!" he urged her through clenched teeth, feeling his balls already beginning to ache with the need to empty their load into what EJ had just sampled.

"Are you telling me what to do Rami?" asked Sami with a note of husky censure in her voice.

"No!" said EJ anxiously, knowing what his punishment would be for such a crime.

"Oh but I think you were," she said throatily, "I think I'm going to have to give you time to think about what you've done wrong."

Sami began dragging her swollen folds back and forth against EJ's painfully engorged tip, already incredibly wet again and dripping with her own arousal. EJ could feel the heat of that wetness searing his tip and he couldn't take it, twisting mightily against his restraints. Sami teased him mercilessly though, letting him rest against her opening, feel the delights waiting for him but always not allowing him access to the heated cave that EJ was nearly hysterical for. The whole time he was pleading with her to put him out of his misery but Sami's tinkering laugh told him that wasn't going to happen as soon as EJ needed it to. At last all the pulling and twisting on his restraints had an effect and at almost the exact same moment both of his hands came free.

EJ moved quickly, tearing the scarves off his wrists and the one over his eyes so he could see what he was doing as he made a grab for Sami. He reversed their positions, throwing her down on the bed and trying to move her legs apart. Sami struggled, trying to keep her legs together as he tried to push them apart, knowing that her withholding from him like this was driving EJ into a frenzy and clearly loving it the power she had over him. In the end though EJ was too strong for her and holding her legs in place EJ mounted her in one swift hard motion.

"YES!" he hissed triumphantly as Sami groaned loudly at the intrusion, grabbing at his arms and arching her back in pleasure.

He began immediately pumping himself frantically into her, coming hard inside her almost immediately. Fortunately though his release had been too fast for EJ to be truly satisfied and he was still incredibly hard, even as he heaved a large amount of his seed into Sami's waiting body. EJ moaned noisily through the whole process, unable to help himself or slow the whole thing down. He knew Sami wasn't climaxing with him but that she was enjoying very much how out of control she'd gotten him. EJ also knew he was going to be punished for jumping the gun yet again as it were but he just didn't care. Sami had driven him past the point of reason. EJ collapsed on top of her and somehow found the strength to pull out of Sami and roll to one side. Sami propped herself up on her elbows and looked down at him with a little laugh.

"You are quite the eager beaver aren't you Rami?" she teased him.

"I do seem to be having trouble keeping my head around you," agreed EJ on a self deprecating groan, "You undo me Brandi."

"You know what this means don't you?" she asked him with an arched eyebrow.

EJ groaned again but couldn't help but look up at Sami with sweet anticipation.

"You owe me something," she said with a knowing look.

"I think I can accommodate you there Ms Mathas," said EJ with a happy sigh, rolling on his side and placing a hand on her stomach, beginning to move it down her body.

"Aha," said Sami with a shake of her head, "You're not getting off that easily mister."

Sami lay back on the bed and put one hand to the back of EJ's head, guiding him to one of her breasts.

"This way," she informed him.

It was hard, enjoyable work which EJ launched himself into with great eagerness, bringing Sami to a climax by only touching her breasts but he was more than willing to indulge her. He took the first bud into his mouth, flicking at the tip and feeling Sami harden immediately. She sighed happily and settled back in the bed, her hand playing in his short, dark hair and EJ set about working out his 'punishment'. It took a little while seeing as Sami had found her own release not too long ago but EJ was a man on a mission, suckling, tweaking and nipping at the increasingly tortured buds.

"I'm close," Sami told him with a soft groan, arching her back and beginning to squirm a little on the bed.

EJ continued his attentions with renewed enthusiasm, listening to Sami's breathing getting increasingly ragged, a tell tale sign that her orgasm was approaching. It absolutely amazed him that she was capable of such a thing, not having been with any other woman who could climax just by having her breasts touched and EJ adored being the one to be able to make it happen for her.

"OHHHH!" cried out Sami, her short nails digging into his scalp as she finally found her release, arching herself off the bed before collapsing in a convulsing mess.

EJ lifted his head and surveyed his handiwork, both of her nipples puffy and hard from all of his attentions and EJ could feel his own swollen length that had returned to full strength during that little session demanding its turn again. He leant down and kissed Sami as she purred happily, stretching out on the bed, luxuriating in the aftermath of her latest climax. EJ kissed her deeply, Sami returning it whole heartedly as the lovers held each other tightly. He finally broke the kiss and then started to kiss his way down her body, along each dip and curve of Sami's softness until he was at her mound. EJ tugged gently with his teeth at the soft curls he found there and made Sami giggle. She dug her fingers into his hair and pulled, making him lift his head.

"I think it is time we come together now," she said huskily, "Don't you agree Rami?"

EJ nodded eagerly, liking the thought of that very much. He watched as Sami climbed off the bed and stood on what EJ was rather proud to note was slightly shaking legs. She was still wearing the bustier and stockings, Sami's high heels having come off at some point in the proceedings. She walked across the plush, carpeted floor to pick up a chair that was in the corner of the bedroom. It was a leather padded chair and EJ watched as she placed it directly alongside a full length mirror. A smile came to his lips as Sami looked back over her shoulder and crooked a sultry finger at him, telling him wordlessly to join her.

EJ didn't need to be asked again; quickly jumping off the bed and finding his legs were just as shaky as Sami's. He walked over to Sami where she pulled his head down for a long, languid kiss and EJ could feel her rubbing the coarse material of her bustier against his sensitive member, making him groan quietly. Sami broke the kiss at last, leaving them both breathless and then turned around, climbing onto the chair so that she was kneeling on the seat. EJ let Sami settle in the chair, resting her forearms on the padded head rest and positioning her knees so they were as far apart as she could manage on the chair for him to be able to penetrate her more easily. EJ's hard on twitched wildly at the thought, anxious to claim her. He leant forward, whispering in her ear as one hand stroked the soft sweep of Sami's neck and shoulders.

"Are you comfortable my darling Brandi?" he asked her huskily, the eagerness evident in his tone.

"Fuck me hard Rami so I don't care," Sami answered his question throatily, arching back into EJ, her hand reaching over and behind her head to find the back of EJ's neck and hold him to her.

EJ groaned loudly at her command, never having heard Sami swear like that before and finding this Brandi persona to be a particularly stimulating one. Their eyes met in the glass of the mirror that they were standing side on in front of, Sami's full of knowing at the way her words were affecting him, EJ not hiding from her that he found this dirty girl fantasy to be an incredible turn on. They both watched as he moved to mount her, Sami biting her bottom lip in anticipation at watching EJ's turgid member move between her bottom cheeks. She moaned and tilted her backside up to allow him better access, both of EJ's hands on her hips.

"Oh god but I'm so wet for you," Sami announced shakily around a groan as EJ drew out the anticipation of claiming her once again.

EJ plunged himself into her heat, gasping at finding Sami so hot and so ready for him, her last orgasm leaving her molten and gloriously accommodating.

"You're so perfect Brandi," EJ growled in Sami's ear appreciatively.

"And it's all for you Rami," said Sami breathlessly before giving him a seductive look over her shoulder, pushing his buttons, "For tonight anyway."

EJ made a guttural sound in the back of his throat, thoughts of other men with her having the desired effect. He made himself go slow at first, penance for being so quick and desperate the first time. The two of them watched his unhurried penetrations of her in the mirror, both enjoying the sight of EJ burying his swollen member into her again and again.

"God but you're so big!" Sami moaned unevenly as EJ embedded himself particularly deeply into her, shuddering helplessly at having to take so much of him.

Her head dropped down on her forearms though as she pushed back, clearly eager for more of the same treatment.

"But you like it like that don't you?" EJ asked of her raggedly, his own arousal beginning to overtake him as he became intoxicated with the thrill of being in her body again.

"You're paying me to like it," she taunted him over her shoulder, knowing it would inflame EJ further which it did.

There was something about knowing money was exchanging hands over this that EJ found extraordinarily exciting, not that he'd ever been to a prostitute before or found that a titillating thought but the thought of Sami being his, bought and paid for was something else entirely.

"Then I'd better make sure and get my money's worth," EJ growled possessively, pushing himself as deep as he could into her and hearing the gratifying sound of Sami giving a pleased groan.

EJ began to pump himself hard into Sami, so much so that her knees were almost being lifted off the chair she was leaning on. He might have worried that he was hurting her but the whole time Sami was begging him to go harder, wanting more of him. Their lovemaking was reaching a frenetic level when suddenly the chair couldn't take it anymore, snapping into multiple pieces underneath Sami. Somehow EJ had the presence of mind to grab Sami so she didn't fall and then they both more or less fell to the ground, EJ stubbornly managing to keep his place deep inside of her.

"Are you alright?" asked EJ in concern as Sami was now on all fours on the floor in amongst pieces of broken chair, EJ kneeling behind her.

"Don't stop!" she ordered him loudly and EJ took that as being a yes to his question.

He resumed his frantic hammering of himself into her, the surge of adrenalin from their little mishap mixing with all the other chemicals of EJ's arousal and heightening the sensations even more. Sami gave a loud moan of appreciation at his enthusiasm, dropping down onto her elbows, her backside even further up in the air. She let EJ do all the work for her as he stopped pumping into her her and instead grabbed Sami's hips and moved them back and forth on him at a rapid speed. EJ could hear his noisy panting filling the room, mingled with Sami's gasping groans as the glorious of the moment overwhelmed them both.

Sami came first this time; her wildly contracting walls milking EJ dry as he ejaculated deep within her, forcing his seed into her waiting cavern and feeling her quiver appreciatively. To his amazement EJ could feel that he was still incredibly rigid and swollen despite how hard he'd just come and the multiple orgasms it had involved and he wasn't willing to let it go to waste. EJ pulled out of Sami and quickly flipped her over onto her back.

"More," he mumbled frantically, dropping back on his haunches so he was kneeling on the floor and dragging Sami's bottom onto his elevated lap.

Her legs automatically fell either side of his thighs as Sami didn't protest his demands and EJ was able to impale her once again on his insatiable hardness. Sami's head and back were on the floor but the rest of her was more or less in EJ's lap at an elevated angle. The position he had her in meant that he was in a particularly good arrangement to find that sweet spot inside of Sami. His first aggressive thrust confirmed that as Sami squealed, bucking up and clutching at the carpet, her eye practically rolling back in her head.

"OH GOD!" she yelled.

"Like that do you Brandi?" he growled, enjoying watching her pleasure.

Sami's only answer was to throw her head from side to side as EJ began to pound himself in and out of her, hitting that spot inside of her each time, mercilessly driving them both into a frenzy. EJ had absolutely no idea how long it took for them to both climax this time, the sensation of time passing stopping completely for the two of them. All he knew was Sami and what her body was doing to him and nothing else mattered in the world, in fact EJ was almost certain the rest of the world ceased to exist entirely. Their last climax had them coming together, one perfect being melded together in light and ecstasy and this release seemed to go on for longer than all of the others combined, the moment bursting into perfect rays of light all around them and causing them both to touch the heavens with their perfect joy.

"Oh god," said EJ weakly when he could speak again, "That was beyond magnificent sweetheart – thank you, thank you, thank you."

EJ gingerly pulled out of her, muscles he didn't even know he had before screaming in protest after all of his exertions inside of Sami. Their combined juices flowed out of Sami, making them both give an uneven groan. He let her slide from his lap and onto the plush carpet before collapsing down beside her. The two of them lay in an exhausted, sweaty and heaving heap on the floor, utterly spent after their marathon lovemaking session. EJ would have liked to have picked Sami up and put them both to bed right then instead of lying there, collapsed on the floor, as plush as the carpet was, amongst broken bits of chair. Instead he pulled Sami into his arms, just wanting to feel her luscious body against his as they both rode out the incredible euphoria of the intensity of all of what had just passed between them.

"Breakages aren't included in the price either," Sami mumbled tiredly against his chest and despite himself EJ couldn't help but begin to laugh with Sami joining in.

oooOOOOooo

"You've got a hundred dollar bill stuck to your ass," EJ commented tolerantly as Sami rolled over to check the time in bed the next morning.

At some point in the night EJ had managed to get Sami's bustier off her and the money that she'd shoved down there had scattered all over the bed and floor. Neither one had been inclined to stop what they were doing though and pick all the notes up.

"I earned it," said Sami playfully.

"Yes you did," EJ agreed with a groan, "And then some."

"This is all going to be used in the mother of all shoe shopping expeditions," said Sami with satisfaction as she peeled the bill off her backside and collected several others that were scattered nearby.

"You're going to spend six grand on shoes?" asked EJ in disbelief.

"Of course not silly," said Sami with a laugh as she placed her collected loot on the bedside table before rolling back to face EJ, "I'm also going to be checking out matching handbags as well."

EJ laughed and shook his head. He certainly didn't begrudge her the money; he had plenty of it and Sami keeping the money prolonged the fantasy for him. Mind you if she started to walk around in shoes that she'd payed for by money he'd 'payed' her to have sex with him EJ knew he was in real danger of developing a shoe fetish. Knowing exactly how Sami had 'earned' the latest additions to her wardrobe and seeing her in them was undoubtedly going to get EJ very hard and keep him that way.

"Just no killer shoes," he admonished her indulgently, "I'm not going to have you teetering to your death in those things. You know what happened to the last pair."

"If you dangle me over another dumpster EJ DiMera then I can guarantee you that no amount of money in the world will see a repeat of this little interlude," Sami sniffed, feigning annoyance at what had happened.

"You were just made of amazing last night," EJ told her in awe, "I couldn't believe you'd come up with such a thing and all for me."

"There might have been a little something in it for me," said Sami coyly and EJ knew she'd more than enjoyed herself last night as well.

"I did make you come all night," said EJ with male satisfaction.

"Actually I was talking about the money," said Sami cheekily, teasing him.

EJ was about to give a playful reply when he noticed some marks on the pale skin of Sami's inner thighs and hips.

"Oh god I've bruised you!" said EJ in distress at seeing the marks, reaching out to touch the one on her hip lightly, "Samantha I am so sorry."

"They don't hurt," said Sami with a little shrug, noticing them for the first time as well.

An impish smiled came to her lips.

"Clearly you were just extremely eager to get into Brandy Mathas' funhouse," she said cheekily, obviously enjoying the memory of EJ's desperation.

"It was pretty much all I was thinking about," agreed EJ ruefully, still feeling bad about the bruises despite her reassurances.

"Mm," said Sami in satisfaction, "I noticed that, what with all the begging and pleading you did."

"I prefer to think of it as manly, motivated negations," said EJ, tongue firmly planted in his cheek as he tried to save face over the nearly hysterical mess Brandy Mathas had reduced him to.

Sami burst out laughing at his interpretation and EJ couldn't help but join in. Their merriment was interrupted by Sami's cell phone ringing though and EJ gave an unhappy groan.

"Ignore it!" he pleaded with her but Sami was already getting off the bed and pulling on his shirt.

"It could be important," Sami protested.

"This-" EJ indicated the bed as he looked at her earnestly, "Is important, nothing else. I hereby reject the rest of reality and cause it to cease except for what goes on in this room. ABRACADBRA!"

EJ waved his arms around in a suitably theatrical manner in a desperate attempt to ward off the rest of the world from invading their privacy.

"Thank you for that Harry Potter," said Sami in amusement as she found her still ringing phone in her purse, "Very helpful."

"Play your cards right and I'll let you play with my wand sweetheart," said EJ with a lecherous waggling of his eye brows.

"If I play with your wand anymore than I'm going to void the warranty," said Sami with a quirk of her lips.

"A risk I am more than prepared to take my love," said EJ cheekily.

Sami shook her head at his silliness and answered the phone.

"Hello?"

EJ watched Sami from the bed; quite certain he didn't want either one of them to leave this hotel room for the rest of the day and most likely tonight as well. When Sami was done on the phone they could order some breakfast from room service and then EJ was rather keen to show Sami a few magic tricks of his own. His good mood was made nervous though when he saw Sami's suddenly worried expression. EJ sat up straighter in bed, looking at Sami intently.

"Of course," she said unevenly, "Yes I'll be right there... yes me too... see you soon."

Sami hung up her cell phone and turned back to look at EJ, her face very serious.

"What is it Samantha?" asked EJ worriedly.

Sami looked at him then before answering, her blue eyes deeply troubled as she took a deep breath.

"John has come out of his coma – he's awake."


	26. Chapter 173

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & SEVENTY THREE**** – ****The Bubble Bursts**

Total loyalty is possible only when fidelity is emptied of all concrete content, from which changes of mind might naturally arise.

_~Hannah Arendt~_

EJ walked into the hospital in the same way he seemed to do everything – confidently but Sami purposely lagged a little. Getting that phone call from her mother had devastated Sami – not because John was going to be alright, that she was glad about. What was really upsetting Sami was what the future might hold for EJ. With John awake it wouldn't be very long at all until he was telling anyone who would listen who it was who had shot him and there were plenty of people interested in that little tit bit of information, not least of which was her father. EJ had gone ahead of her but stopped abruptly when he noticed she wasn't by his side. He turned back around to find her, a slight frown on his face.

"What's wrong sweetheart?" he asked her solicitously, coming back to stand in front of her.

Sami looked at him wide eyed, hardly able to believe he'd felt the need to ask. As soon as she'd hung up from her phone call she'd expected EJ to be upset or at least vaguely worried but he didn't seem to be. They'd checked out of the hotel, gone home quickly to shower and change and EJ had insisted on driving her to the hospital because it was very clear that Sami was upset, even if he wasn't. Now he was heading towards John's room with her as though he was going to be visiting an old friend and Sami couldn't understand it.

"How can you ask me that?" she asked unevenly, "John is awake and you know what is going to happen next don't you?!"

"Hush sweetheart," said EJ, taking her arm and moving her to an area of the hospital corridor that was less in the way of all the hospital folk bustling back and forth, "Don't upset yourself."

"Why wouldn't I be upset?" asked Sami emotionally, "John is about to tell the world that you shot him EJ and you're going to be going to prison!"

"That seems like a very likely scenario," agreed EJ ruefully.

"Then why are you here?" asked Sami, becoming more agitated now, "You should be leaving town and changing your name and-"

"I'm not leaving town Samantha," said EJ evenly, "For two reasons. First of all I did shoot John and I need to face the consequences of that poorly thought out action and second of all I couldn't leave you sweetheart, I just couldn't. And if that means I end up in jail because of that then so be it."

"I'll come with you!" said Sami urgently, looking up at him eagerly, "We were going to leave Salem anyway once Lucas got back and-"

"I'm not going to turn you into a fugitive Samantha," said EJ firmly, interrupting her again, "So don't even think about it. This is my mistake and I must face the fallout from that, whatever it might be."

"It will be prison EJ!" Sami wailed in obvious, "They'll send you to prison for what you did!"

"I'll get a good lawyer," said EJ simply, "Maybe that will do the trick, who knows? In the end though sweetheart you know that I shot a man, took five months of his life and caused terrible angst for your family and there has to be some kind of redressing of the balance for that."

"But you've changed!" said Sami unevenly, "You're not the same man who was in that boat house that night."

"No I'm not," said EJ quietly, "But the law doesn't see it like that darling. I was there in that boat house, sent by my Father to kill John Black and I meant to. We talked, John made a lunge for the gun, it went off-"

"So you didn't shoot him!" said Sami excitedly at hearing that, "Not really! If John hadn't made a grab for the gun then it wouldn't have gone off and who's to say you would have shot him at all!"

"Oh how I love you Samantha Brady," said EJ huskily, raising his fingers to stroke her flushed cheek after that heated outburst, "But even if John hadn't tried to get the gun off me I would have shot him, I was completely under my Father's control back then."

"You don't know that EJ," she argued with him stubbornly, "You might have had second thoughts when it came right down to it."

"You'd make a good lawyer Samantha," commented EJ with a soft little smile, "Tenacious."

"About the important things," said Sami unrepentantly, "Like the man I love going to jail!"

"Whilst I adore you for supporting me my love I think we have to face facts," said EJ calmly, "I did a very bad thing and the law under which our society lives says I have to pay for that."

EJ pulled Sami into his arms then and smiled down at her lovingly.

"Sweetheart I gave very little thought to my life before you came into it," he admitted to her throatily, "I was entitled, spoilt and indulged. I questioned very little and it made me a very malleable tool for my father to fashion into anything he wanted."

"And he wanted another DiMera soldier," said Sami unhappily.

"And he got it," agreed EJ grimly, "For a time but that time has passed now, well and truly. Falling in love with you has changed everything for me Samantha. For the first time in my life I don't think of myself first, I put someone else's needs above my own and I can't tell you how liberating that is – to not be the centre of your own little universe. My father never taught me that anyone other than myself mattered… other than him of course. It meant I was a man hell bent on a course of destruction until your love rescued me."

"Oh EJ," said Sami, her eyes starting to well up a little with emotional tears.

"Samantha I want us to have a future together," said EJ honestly, "More than anything that is what I want. I don't want to be a DiMera soldier, I want to be a man you can be proud of and want to call your husband and god willing father to your children and that means facing up to the mistakes I've made in the past and paying for them."

"But what about me?" asked Sami unhappily, "Don't you think I want to be someone that you are proud of EJ and yet here I am, cheating on Lucas!"

"You wanted to do the right thing sweetheart," EJ reassured her gently, "To tell him face to face that things were over between the two of you. The truth is Samantha that you've never really been together, only slept together that one time on the night of the shooting since you've supposedly been back together. I mean most of the time one of you has been out of the country or Lucas has been in hospital. I regret how this has all come together but I understand you wanting to try and do the right thing by Lucas by waiting for him to come back from Switzerland to tell him that what had never really started was over."

"I don't think Lucas is going to see it that way," said Sami, pulling a face, "I'm so sick of hurting people EJ – I feel like that is all I ever do."

"We've both made a lot of mistakes Samantha," said EJ gravely, "And I have no doubt that we will make a lot more in our lives. I wish it wasn't so but there it is. Neither one of us exactly excels at living by societies rules and we will always have trouble reining in our impulses, we both know that. That is the exact reason why we are so very well suited – because of those grey sides to our personalities. We may want to do the right thing but for people like us that doesn't always equate to right actions. You're the only person who is really going to understand me and love me despite that Samantha and the same goes for you. I know you like none other can and it's one of the things that binds us so tightly together."

Sami looked away, very sad all of a sudden.

"I know my family loves me," she said softly, looking back at EJ then, "I know they try so hard to understand why it is I do the things that I do but they just can't because they don't think like I do, don't rationalise the way I do. You know when I was little things were so different. Sure it was hard for long periods when either my Mom or Dad was taken away by Stefano but I still remember feeling really loved. When we found out that last time though that John wasn't Roman my whole world just crumbled. I couldn't reconcile all these feelings inside of me. I loved John because he'd been the only father I'd known for a long time but when my real father came back I felt so guilty for feeling like that, as though I was betraying my real dad. I didn't know what to think or feel and then that day, when I saw John and my Mom in that conference room together like that I had a place to put all of that confusion."

"Oh sweetheart," said EJ with a little sigh, looking down at her sympathetically for all that she'd gone through.

"I put all that emotion I couldn't name into a single force that felt so clean, so pure and at last it made sense and set me free from all of that confusion," Sami continued on, now that she'd started talking she couldn't seem to stop, "I hated John, at least I told myself that was what it was and I just clung to that hatred, no matter how much he tried to love me because I couldn't face going back to all of that confusion again. I held onto that for so long, so many years that in the end I could barely remember why I started, that just I had to continue. When he was shot it just made me stop all of a sudden, make me look at what I was doing and why."

Sami looked up at EJ with luminescent eyes.

"And then you happened," she said softly, "I fell in love with a man who made me so crazy that I couldn't think straight for wanting him, for wanting to be his and everything changed again. I could never understand why my mother would betray my father like that, even though she claimed to still love him until there was you EJ. I'd never known a love that reached down into your soul and filled your entire being and changed everything utterly for you. I never thought I'd be a person to cheat on someone, not after how I hated so much what John and my mother had done and lived through the pain that it caused but I've done it with Lucas and even though I regret it so much I could never dream of giving you up EJ anymore than I could stop breathing."

"I feel exactly the same way Samantha," said EJ earnestly, "Loving you is a revelation."

"Yes," said Sami a little hoarsely, "And now I understand when I never could before because I'd never loved like this before. You don't mean to hurt people, you'd give anything for things to not be this way but it doesn't matter what you want because the heart wants what the heart wants and I know I'll never know peace again unless I am in your arms EJ."

Sami threw herself into EJ's arms again, the tears she'd been trying to hold back spilling over.

"You can't go to prison EJ," she said in anguish, "You just can't – I'll die without you!"

"Now what kind of talk is that?" EJ tutted, hugging her to him, "My Samantha is the strongest, most independent woman I know and she'll do just fine."

EJ pulled a rueful face before continuing on.

"Me on the other hand," he said ruefully, "I'll probably waste away into nothingness without you in my arms every day."

"Now who's being a drama queen," said Sami with a choked little laugh.

"We are both drama queens you and I my love," EJ commented with a chuckle, "Me with my hot Italian blood and you with your feisty Irish heritage – we are both the things perfect romantic stories are made of… and bar brawls – in equal measure."

"You should write for Hallmark," said Sami, laughing despite herself and knowing that EJ was trying to tease her out of her fears and it was almost working.

"Mm," said EJ with pursed lips, pretending to consider the idea, "I don't think they'd let me use the words 'grab ass' as much as I'd like to – it would never work out."

"What would your mom say if she could hear you talking like this?" asked Sami with a giggle, resting her cheek on his chest and letting him distract her for a little bit, "Susan wouldn't be too pleased to hear that potty mouth of yours young man."

"I'd probably get a round of wearing the naughty hat," agreed EJ absently.

"The naughty hat?" asked Sami, looking up at him intrigued, "What is that?"

"You know I really can't remember," said EJ quickly and making Sami laugh then.

"It was something horribly embarrassing wasn't it?" asked Sami, really laughing now.

"Nothing ten years of intensive therapy hasn't seen right," said EJ straight faced.

"I love your mom," Sami said with a smile, putting her cheek back on EJ's chest, glad that they were a little out of the way and that everyone seemed to be ignoring them.

"I think after the last few days the feeling is mutual," said EJ with a grin before suddenly getting serious, "She's going to be so upset when she hears about this."

Sami looked up at EJ again, resting her chin on his chest as he looked down at her with such regret in his face.

"I'm going to break my mother's heart," he said thickly and looked so unhappy at that thought.

"I'll take care of her EJ," Sami promised him quickly, "No matter what happens – I'll make sure Edmund and your mom are alright, I'll do whatever it takes."

"I know you will," said EJ softly, cupping her face and bending down to kiss her gently, "I don't deserve you Samantha."

"We deserve each other EJ," said Sami with a lop sided smile.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" asked EJ teasingly.

"I guess it's going to depend who you ask," said Sami dryly.

"I suspect you're right," said EJ with a bit of a chuckle "On our best days we'll always get mixed reviews – even when we do the right thing people will think we are up to something."

"That's probably because in the past we have been," commented Sami calmly.

"That may well be it," agreed EJ sagely.

He hugged Sami to him and she could suddenly feel the tension in his body before he spoke again.

"Samantha if I go to jail I want you to know that I will be alright if you find happiness with another man," said EJ unevenly, "I don't want your world to stop just because mine has to and I don't want you to waste your life waiting for me."

Sami pulled back, abruptly pulling out of his embrace and looked up at EJ in disbelief.

"Are you kidding me with that crap?" she asked in annoyance, "Like I could ever be with any other man than you now EJ!"

"I just want you to be happy," EJ protested, "Not tied to a man without a future."

"And that's how you really feel?" asked Sami, crossing her arms in front of her chest and giving EJ an unimpressed look, "You want me going off with some other man?"

"If that is what would make you happy," said EJ a little hoarsely.

"So you'd be happy for me to be kissing him, telling me that he loves me?" she pushed him, knowing what her saying these things would do to him.

"Sure," EJ said, his voice cracking as he did, clearly barely holding onto the tight rein he had on his emotions as he listened to Sami detail a life without him and finding it excruciating.

"To have his hands all over me?" she continued to push him, a sceptical look on her face, "In his bed and him screwing my-"

"Stop it!" EJ yelled, unable to help himself any longer, "I'd kill the bastard for ever thinking of laying a finger on you – there, are you happy?!"

"Happier now that you are being truthful," said Sami with a bit of a smirk.

EJ threw up his hands in frustration at her wilfulness.

"What do you want me to say Samantha," he asked her achingly, "That the thought of another man touching you drives me into a frenzy? That all I really want to do is have the words 'Property of EJ DiMera' tattooed across your gorgeous ass and be done with it!"

"Why not?" she asked with a shrug, "That's how I feel about you EJ."

EJ drew back and looked at her with some surprise.

"Look EJ we all know what the proper thing is to do in this situation," said Sami, a little impatiently, "To set something free because you love it and that is all very noble and all but that isn't us! If positions were reversed I'd be the one making damn sure that no woman ever got their grubby hooks into you and that you died a lonely old man rather than leave me because that is how much I love you!"

"Wow," said EJ, looking completely taken aback but with growing adulation in his eyes, "I think that is just about the most romantic thing that you've ever said to me Samantha."

"Yeah well our kind of love means we don't share and we don't play well with others when people try and get in between that," said Sami unrepentantly.

"Oh my," EJ sighed in quiet adoration, "You are soo the girl for me Samantha Brady."

"And don't you forget it," Sami sniffed, "So I don't want to hear about anymore of that 'moving on' crap from you okay?"

"I think it was like you said darling," EJ said with a quirk of his lips, "I was trying to be noble."

"Well you can stop because it doesn't suit you," said Sami, giving him a censuring look, "And it's kinda creepy."

"Very well," said EJ with a loving smile at her, "It's agreed then – we are either together or wither away to nothingness if we are apart."

"That sounds more like it," said Sami a little huffily, "I'm in this for the long haul mister – don't think prison is any kind of escape for you EJ DiMera!"

"Would you bake me a cake when you visited me so I could make good my escape sweetheart?" asked EJ teasingly.

"You mean like baking a file into it?" asked Sami with a smile.

"Actually I was thinking that with your cooking darling a file would be redundant," said EJ tongue in check, "A sponge cake made by you is pretty much a weapon of mass destruction."

Sami whacked his arm as hard as she could for that, trying to glare up at him.

"Don't make me laugh!" she growled at him, or at least tried to, "This is a very serious situation and there is nothing wrong with my cooking!"

"Of course not," said EJ straight faced, "I mean you barely burnt that last lot of water for our coffee yesterday morning."

"That was your fault that I left the kettle on the stove!" exclaimed Sami indignantly, folding her arms in front of her chest, "You threw me over your shoulder and carried me off to the bedroom to have your evil way with me!"

"I did didn't I?" asked EJ, his smile widening at the memory, "That was so worth having to buy another kettle I must say."

"I know what you are doing," Sami informed him knowingly.

"Trying to pick a fight so we can have some make up sex?" asked EJ teasingly.

"You're trying to distract me from worrying about what is coming," said Sami with a half smile, loving him for it.

"Is it working?" asked EJ hopefully.

"A little," she admitted, wrinkling her nose.

"I suppose we should be getting on," said EJ regretfully.

"Not yet!" said Sami anxiously, "Please EJ, can we just stay and talk a little bit longer before, before-"

"Of course we can," EJ smiled, "Anything you want sweetheart."

"This is where you first convinced me to go away with you," said Sami softly, looking around herself at where they were standing.

"You mean this was where you couldn't find a way to outsmart me," commented EJ impishly.

"You were so sure," said Sami, looking up at him and marvelling at EJ's strength of will, "And I made it so very hard for you, I can't believe you didn't give up EJ."

"How could any man ever give up on you Samantha?" asked EJ in disbelief.

"Every other man in my life seemed to manage it," said Sami, looking suddenly sad.

"That's because every other man in your life was a congenital idiot," said EJ with great certainty as he pulled her into his arms again.

"I'm a lot of work," said Sami, feeling the need to warn him for some reason, as though EJ didn't already know that.

"You keep me on my toes," EJ corrected her, beginning to slowly dance with her in the little alcove they'd found, "Never a dull moment."

"I'm unreasonable and wilful," said Sami with a sigh, sinking into his arms.

"Impassioned and full of conviction," EJ argued with her as they danced slowly together.

"I'm going to drive you crazy," said Sami, moving with him easily.

"I'm a DiMera," EJ dismissed easily as he suddenly dipped her, grinning down at her, "No one will be able to tell the difference."

EJ pulled Sami back upright as she began to laugh despite herself as they went back to shuffling together in the small space.

"I love you," said Sami and never had the words seemed so important to say then right then.

"Ditto," said EJ happily which earned him a swift kick to the knee from Sami, "OWW! Sorry what I meant to say was-"

EJ pulled back to look down at her with warm, chocolate eyes full of adoration.

"I love you Samantha," he said huskily, "Those three words have my life in them."

"Better," said Sami with satisfaction, snuggling into him as they danced to the music only they could hear.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE****:** Just so I don't get accused of plagiarism EJ took his last declaration from a quote – "I love you - those three words have my life in them" is by Alexandrea to Nicholas III. 


	27. Chapter 174

**AUTHOR'S NOTE****: **Just a quick note to respond to a comment from kitten (couldn't do it via FF – thanks for the kind review) – I know some of you must be feeling the pinch with just one chapter an update now and only 4 times a week – best case scenario. LOL

You are joining the ranks of my ducklings over at "Forbidden Love" who have to wait for each update as well. What you've all just read is basically a year of writing – I started this story in July 2008 – scary I know. It's an epic tale and we are probably only about half way through the tale. I'm hopeful it won't last another year though – I don't know if I have the strength. LOL My main goal is to get this story before Days bites the big one which seems inevitable at this point with the current writing team.

Anyway, enough from me, I suppose you'd like to read the chapter now. It's not stunning but it does have a point – trust me.

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & SEVENTY FOUR**** – ****The Lull Before the Storm**

Perhaps only those people who are capable of real togetherness have that look of being alone in the world.

_~D.H. Lawrence~_

"Okay... sure... okay... I will..."

EJ smiled to watch Sami try and get a word in edgewise as she spoke, or at least tried to on his cell phone. Its ringing had interrupted their dancing and it turned out to be his mother, wanting to let them know that they'd arrived safely. They were at his grandmother's pub already and Granny Violet had insisted on talking with Sami, eager to meet her new granddaughter to be and clearly she was talking Sami's ear off.

"Okay," said Sami with a little laugh, "You too, take care Granny Violet."

She pulled an amused face and handed the phone back to EJ who took it with a smile.

"Yes I know she is," agreed EJ, giving Sami an impish wink, "And even more gorgeous in the flesh, trust me. So you do as you're told darling, let Mum and Edmund look after you alright?"

A few minutes later EJ had managed to hang up from his vivacious grandmother who clearly wasn't being slowed down by her injuries.

"You're a hit," he announced to a pleased looking Sami, "Like I knew she would be."

"Your Gran is hysterical," said Sami with a laugh, "Poor Edmund, between his mom and Susan he must never speak! He's so different from his mother."

"Edmund has good old fashioned English reserve," EJ smiled, "Like insanity they say it skips a generation and Granny Violet never got that memo."

"I really love your family EJ," said Sami softly.

"And they love you sweetheart," said EJ simply, "And I'm particularly glad that you've gotten to see that my family isn't just Stefano – that I had those crazy ratbags in my life as well."

"I can see that now," nodded Sami with a look of relief, "I was so scared in the beginning of considering being with you because I thought Stefano was the only thing you knew and it terrified me."

"And now?" asked EJ, looking at her seriously.

Sami moved closer, looking up at him with a smile.

"And now I know you are a complex man, full of contradictions and paradoxes and I love you for it," said Sami lovingly, "I finally understand that you are no more destined to be a bad boy because of your family any more than I'm destined to be a good girl because of mine. Our truth lies somewhere in between I guess."

"When [i]_did[/i]_ you get this smart?" asked EJ, looking at her in adoring amazement.

"About the time a man loved me unconditionally for who I am, the good and the bad," said Sami with a pleased little smile, "You set me free EJ and I feel like I'm only now beginning to live, to realise what my potential is. Before I was so caught up in trying to hold onto a man, thinking that people like Austin or Lucas were my only hopes of happiness but the way you loved me made me realise that I didn't need these men to sweep me off my feet and rescue me. I foolishly thought that if I could make them love me then I'd somehow be made complete at the same time. I didn't realise that love that had to be coerced doesn't have the same power as one that just is. The way you love me EJ, it gives me strength to walk this journey myself and not have to be carried by anyone."

"You're such an amazingly strong woman Samantha," agreed EJ, "And I'm so glad that you are finally realising how deeply that strength goes. Although-"

EJ gave her a cheeky look.

"I'm still rather hopeful you'll let me sweep you off your feet every now and then," he said impishly, "I have to say I enjoy that very much."

"As long as I get to sweep you offer yours as well," said Sami teasingly.

"I think my reaction to last night should give you an insight to my feelings on that subject," said EJ cheekily.

"You were quite vocal," said Sami with a pleased quirk of her lips.

EJ was happy for them to keep talking like this, glad to take Sami's mind off what was just around the corner for them and he was treasuring these last stolen moments between them. Suddenly Sami looked at him rather intently, tilting her head to one side as a thought seemed to occur to her.

"EJ," she said slowly, "My birth control pills-"

"Are in perfect working order and have been for some time," said EJ quickly and then had to give a little laugh, "Sweetheart I told you about that ages ago and you're just asking me now?"

Sami wrinkled her nose in a self deprecating way.

"I guess my subconscious wasn't too concerned because I want to have your babies EJ," she said with a little shrug, "I wasn't worried about it one way or the other."

EJ felt his heart quicken in his chest at her simple statement, it doing things to him that were difficult to put into words.

"You know," Sami said conversationally, obviously wanting to distract herself as well from current events as she let her mind wander, "I kinda like Violet as a name – do you think your granny would mind EJ?"

"I think she would be chuffed," he said with a big smile.

"Is that good or bad?" asked Sami a little uncertainly.

"It means she'd be very pleased to think of having a namesake," said EJ with a chuckle, pulling Sami into his arms.

"Violet Brady-DiMera," said Sami happily, trying it out.

"I'm not going to let you hyphenate remember," EJ told her with a playful growl as he lifted her fingers to his mouth, gently grazing them with his lips as he spoke, "I considered it with Wilma Flintstone but not you my darling. I want you completely and utterly to myself and that goes for you name as well."

"I forgot," Sami giggled, settling in more comfortably into his arms, "Violet DiMera it is then... or Rose maybe – the English like to name things after flowers don't they?"

"They do," EJ nodded, "But just not fruit like apples – I couldn't live with Pomegranate DiMera or Satsuma DiMera."

"I like Daisy as well," said Sami with a laugh, letting herself get caught up in the dreams of tomorrow seeing as the present was a little grim.

"Daisy DiMera sounds like she should be on the 'Dukes of Hazzard'," said EJ with a wrinkling of his nose, "And no daughter of mine is going to be wearing those hot pants! Besides, I don't believe they allow such things in the convent we'll be enrolling her in."

"Our daughter is going to be a nun?" asked Sami in amusement, lifting her head and looking up at EJ with a laugh.

"It's either that or her father is going to be driven into an early grave keeping all those men that will undoubtedly be flocking to her at bay," said EJ, only half kidding, "If our daughter is even half as gorgeous as her mother than I envisage it being a full time job of mine."

"And what if we have a boy?" asked Sami with an arched eyebrow.

"I'm going to say the no hot pants rule is going to extend to him as well," said EJ with his tongue firmly placed in his cheek, making Sami laugh which was of course his intention.

"Wouldn't it be wonderful if I was pregnant already?" asked Sami, her face lighting up.

EJ paused for a second over that statement, making Sami frown.

"At least I thought it would be," she said a little tightly at seeing his hesitation.

"Sweetheart of course I would be thrilled at you being pregnant," said EJ quickly, "But more than anything I would want to be a part of that pregnancy. I want to be there for the first bout of morning sickness, to the first kick and all the things that being a father entails."

EJ made a regretful face before continuing.

"It would kill me to miss out on any of those things Samantha," he said quietly, "I want to be there for you and our child whenever you needed me, day or night. I just don't know what the future holds for me right now sweetheart – I could be in jail very soon and I don't want to abandon you that way when you need me the most."

Sami looked away, her eyes filling with tears and EJ regretted so much being the one to put such an abrupt halt to her little fantasy but it had to be done. He was living on borrowed time and as much as he'd like it to be otherwise it just wasn't so.

"Hey," he said softly, taking her arm, "I have something for you, something that might cheer you up."

"Is it a time machine so we can go back and undo all of this?" asked Sami unhappily, as his words brought her back to fretting about the future.

"Unfortunately no," said EJ ruefully.

He reached into his coat pocket and drew out the little black box that he'd been carrying around on him ever since Edmund had given it to him.

"This is for you my darling," said EJ huskily, "And it's not only from me but from my parents as well."

Sami accepted it a little tearfully and then had to gasp at what she found inside.

"Oh EJ!" she exclaimed shakily, "It's beautiful!"

Sami lifted the bracelet with the single love heart charm on it and looked at it more closely, seeing the two initials.

"E heart S," she said with a smile, reading out the love heart symbol, "How beautiful."

"Edmund gave that to my mother on their wedding day," said EJ softly to which Sami's eyes widened, "They wanted you to have it. It brought them good luck they said and they hoped the same for us. My mother would wear it always, never take it off."

"Oh," Sami gasped, starting to shake a little, "EJ this is too much, I can't accept something so precious, I just can't."

"It was a gift Samantha," said EJ firmly, "Given with love and they were both very keen that you should have it, they can see how much I love you and this is just there way of putting their own little stamp of approval on that I suppose."

Sami bit her bottom lip and looked up at EJ with a tremulous smile, obviously touched beyond words over what they'd done.

"Here," offered EJ when he saw she was a little overwhelmed, "Allow me."

He helped Sami on with the little gold bracelet as Sami watched him, her face glowing.

"I can't believe we have the same initials as your parents," said Sami unevenly, "I think that's a good omen – don't you EJ?"

"I think it is a very good omen," agreed EJ firmly as he finished what he was doing and smiled down at her.

"Tell me that everything is going to be alright," Sami begged him emotionally, "Tell me that you aren't going to prison EJ."

EJ made a regretful face, knowing he couldn't do that. Instead he took her hand, lifting her fingers to his lips again and promised something else.

"Sweetheart I have no control over that," he said warmly, "But there are other things I can promise you. I promise you I'll always love you-"

He kissed the tip of one finger then as he held Sami's gaze unwaveringly, letting her see his certainty in his eyes.

"I promise you I'm going to get Stefano DiMera out of our lives," he said huskily with a lingering kiss to her next finger, "I'm going to do all that is in my power to make sure you never have to deal with him again, to break all ties from the DiMera name and empire."

Sami gave a watery smile at that vow and EJ knew that more than ever he meant what he said.

"I promise you that I am going to marry you," he continued on throatily, kissing another finger, "I promise you that my mother will wear a ridiculous hat to our wedding and Granny Vi will undoubtedly drink too much and grope some young man's bottom-"

Sami gave a choked laugh at his humour.

"I promise you that I will work hard to-" EJ paused and made a rueful face, "I was going to say I was going to work hard to make your family like me but I might be a bit more realistic and say get them to hate me less eh? I don't care if it takes a life time, I'm going to prove that I'm worthy of their Sami's love and be a man to be proud of to be called a member of the family."

"That's going to be a big ask EJ," said Sami shakily.

"You know me darling," said EJ with a half smile, "I love a challenge."

EJ looked down the corridor and knew that they were only putting off the inevitable now.

"We should go sweetheart," he said in resignation, "Get it over and done with."

"Why are you so eager to go and throw yourself in front of this oncoming freight train?" asked Sami and EJ could hear the frustration in her voice.

He knew he hadn't reacted how she'd expected him to when they'd gotten the news but in a way it had almost been a relief, like the other shoe finally dropping. John waking up had been hanging over EJ's head and as much as he'd have liked for things to be different there were consequences to be faced.

"This has to be done Samantha," said EJ with a little shrug, "I'd rather get this over with sooner than later and deal with the consequences as they come. I'll come with you to see John and then most likely by arrested but then I can't start work on my defence case and-"

"No!" said Sami urgently, grabbing his arm, "Please EJ no! I just want a little more time."

"Sweetheart times is the one thing we don't seem to have anymore," said EJ regretfully.

"Please EJ," she begged him emotionally, "Even if it only buys us an hour that is another hour we can be together – please EJ!"

Sami looked up at him with hopeful desperation and EJ found her impossible to say no to. He did really want to get this over and done with so that he knew what he would be dealing with but he simply couldn't deny her.

"Alright," he agreed huskily, "I'll do as you ask Samantha."

"Thank you!" exclaimed Sami happily, "Oh thank you EJ!"

She went up on her toes and kissed him, the two of them pouring themselves in the kiss, desperate and needy and full of love. They lost themselves in each other for a long moment until EJ finally pulled back.

"You'd better go my darling," he said unevenly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear tenderly.

"You'll be at home when I get there?" she asked him a little anxiously.

"Absolutely sweetheart," he promised her, leaning down to kiss her again.

[center]**oooOOOOooo**[/center]

EJ was walking down the corridor of the hospital, intent on doing as Sami had asked when he ran into none of the than the brothers Brady.

"Well hello there Elvis," said Roman almost jovially, "Just the man we wanted to see."

"First time for everything I suppose," said EJ evenly with a calm smile, "What can I do for you gentlemen?"

"You've no doubt heard the good news?" asked Bo with a vague smirk.

"Has Sacha Baron Cohen signed some kind of legally binding document stating he'll never make another movie?" asked EJ straight faced.

"Better," said Roman and this time he really was smirking, "John Black is awake."

"Good for him," said EJ, giving nothing away, "Marlena must be thrilled."

"We all are Junior," said Bo happily, "And we are just about to go and visit with him and I think it would be just great if you tagged along."

"Oh I couldn't intrude on a private family moment like that," said EJ, keeping his smile fixed on his face, "I'm sure there must be lots you want to catch him up on."

"There is," agreed Roman readily, "That's what happens when you're in a coma for five months but before we do that I can't help but think that John is going to be very eager to clear up some old business of his."

"Like who put him in that coma for all of that time," Bo chimed in, the two of them both looking very pleased with themselves, "I'm sure you'll want to be there for that right Junior? I mean you've said all along it wasn't you and at long last you'll be able to have your name cleared."

"That will be nice," agreed EJ evenly.

"So I'm sure you'll want to be there for that," said Roman with an arched eyebrow, "I mean you're already here at the hospital aren't you?"

"Why are you here EJ?" asked Bo, looking at him in a suddenly suspicious fashion.

"I've been to apply for the candy striper job," said EJ without missing a beat, "But apparently I don't have the legs to carry off those little pink striped numbers you have to wear."

"Always with the jokes aren't you DiMera?" Roman smirked, obviously very sure he was going to be wiping that smile from his face very soon and EJ had to agree, it wasn't going to be too long now.

"I like to think I bring a little joy into everyone I meet lives certainly," said EJ, knowing he was just staving off the inevitable with this back and forth bantering.

It was clear that Roman and Bo wanted him there for when they asked John about who shot him, wanting their pound of flesh. EJ couldn't say he blamed them and would most likely want the same thing if positions had been reversed. He was more or less happy to get this done sooner than later so he could work out a strategy of defence and hopefully avoid jail time. Of course it was going to be trickier with his new found morality because not too long ago he would have done as his father would not doubt advise him to do – simply have John killed, properly this time.

No one to point the finger, no jail time - that simple.

Only it wasn't that simple anymore because EJ knew he couldn't do that. He knew he couldn't hurt the step father that Sami loved despite their chequered past and certainly not cause further pain on Sami's mother by such an action. That meant he was going to have to rely on some clever court room moves to try and keep his freedom whilst ensuring that his father didn't take matters into his own hands. All in all it looked like EJ was going to have a busy schedule in the very near future. His only regret, apart from shooting John in the first place was that he wasn't going to be able to keep his word to Sami and give them one more night together at least because Roman and Bo didn't look like they were going to give him a pass on seeing John right then.

"Well you can bring a little joy into our lives EJ and accompany us to see John," said Roman with a half smile.

"Even though that was posed as a request I'm sensing it wasn't," said EJ dryly.

"You're an astute guy Elvis," said Bo, looking up at him with some satisfaction, "I bet that is going to come in handy where you're heading."

"Are you two taking me out for cake and ice cream after this?" asked EJ coyly, "I shouldn't because I'm watching my girly figure but I just can't say no to hot fudge."

"Just walk DiMera," Roman grunted, "And if you feel the urge to shut the hell up I'd say go with it."

EJ made a face but had no choice but to fall into step with the other men. It rather felt like he was heading to his own execution which in a manner of speaking EJ supposed he was. This was going to make things hard on Sami and he regretted that so much, wanting more than anything to spare her from any heartache. Unfortunately the crimes he'd committed were coming home to roost, not only on him but the woman he loved and that was the worst part for EJ. They were at what EJ presumed was John's room now and Roman and Bo indicated that he should go in ahead of them. The first person he saw was Sami, standing just inside the door and she looked up at him in surprise and EJ sent her a quick regretful look.

"Someone wanted to see how you were doing John," said Roman, in the room now as well, "I think he is as anxious as we all are to hear what you've got to say about the night of your shooting, aren't you EJ?"

"I don't think anyone could be as keen as you Captain Brady," said EJ dryly and could feel how Sami was tensing beside him.

"Dad don't you think this is all a bit much for John?" she asked him anxiously, clearly still trying to stall the inevitable, "I mean John has just woken up and you're bombarding him with questions – it's not right."

"I'm not bombarding honey," said Roman firmly, "I've just got the one question."

They all turned as one to the man sitting up in the hospital bed who had been watching the exchange between them all, not saying anything, his eyes trained unblinkingly on EJ as they all knew what that one question was.

"Go ahead John," Marlena urged him, squeezing his hand, "Tell us what happened – who shot you that night at the boat house?"

John's expression was inscrutable as he took his time, drawing out EJ's agony and no doubt enjoying himself but EJ didn't let him see what it was doing to him. Instead what he wanted to do was put his arms around Sami who was standing directly in front of him, staring at John with fearful anticipation and promise her that it would all be alright but of course he couldn't do that.

John opened his mouth to speak and the whole room waited with baited breath to hear what he had to say...


	28. Chapter 175

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & SEVENTY FIVE**** – ****Say What?**

Think to yourself that every day is your last;

the hour to which you do not look forward will come as a welcome surprise.

_~Horace~_

"I don't remember."

John's words hung there in the air, suspended on the gasps of the people in the room. EJ hadn't made a noise but just about everyone else had.

"You don't remember?" repeated Roman, looking shocked.

Sami looked wide eyed between John and her father and she could see her dad's disappointment at this turn of events. It was hard to know that your father was so determined to see the man she loved go down. Sami feared though it was only going to get worse once they found out about her and EJ.

"No," said John steadily with a little shake of his head.

"What do you remember John?" asked Marlena, looking anxious now at this new development.

Sami knew that she was thinking about what else he might have forgotten and knew she'd be doing the exact same thing if that was her and EJ.

"I remember going to the boathouse," said John, "Waiting for... someone to turn up and then nothing."

Everyone knew in the room who that someone was, none better than Sami. After all, she'd been the one to set him up in the first place. None of this would have happened if she'd just stayed out of it Sami thought morosely. Sami so wished she could turn around and see EJ's face but it would have looked a bit obvious. His comforting presence was there though and Sami drew on it. This was all so unexpected and too good to be true honestly and Sami found it hard to let herself hope that all of this could well work out after all.

"That's not unusual for traumatic events," Marlena comforted him, patting his arm, "I'm sure it will come back soon enough."

Marlena looked over at EJ with a hard look as she said that.

"Maybe," said John shortly, eyeing EJ as well.

"You shouldn't force yourself John," said Sami, trying to not sound as anxious as she felt at the thought of John getting his memory back, "The most important thing is that you are going to be alright – that is all that matters."

John gave her a little smile

"Well this is clearly a family thing," said EJ evenly, "I'll take my leave. John, I'm very glad to see you awake again. I'm hopeful your recovery from here on in will be a speedy one – your family has missed you."

"Don't you dare wish him well!" Marlena snapped, looking upset now, "You're the one who put him in a coma in the first place EJ! What are you even doing here?!"

"I-"

Roman went to speak but EJ cut him off.

"I'm sorry Marlena," he said calmly, taking the blame, "Of course you are right – I shouldn't be here."

EJ went to back out of the room but Bo stalled him.

"Don't think for one minute that this is over Junior," Bo warned him darkly, "John's going to get his memory back any day and when he does, well, we all know what will happen then don't we?"

EJ just gave a tight smile but didn't reply, going to leave again.

"Elvis," now it was John stalling him and the two men looked at each other while Sami held her breath, "Be good."

Sami tensed at hearing John say that. Clearly he knew that it was EJ who had shot him, no doubt her mom had told him that. Of course though John wouldn't lie, if he couldn't remember he couldn't remember and it must be eating her step father up inside that he wasn't able to slam the door shut on EJ's prison cell himself. Sami knew this was far from over but right then she didn't care. They'd somehow managed to leap out of the way of this oncoming wave of disaster and Sami was going to take it with both hands. John may never get his memory back and right then that was enough for her.

"I'm working on it," said EJ with a lop sided smile and then he was gone.

The tension immediately left the room and Sami almost felt her knees give way from the relief that EJ really was walking away a free man right then.

"I'm sorry Roman," said John grimly, looking at his old friend.

"Can't be helped," said Roman regretfully, "Like Marlena said, I'm sure it is just a matter of time. EJ DiMera isn't going to be walking around a free man for much longer – he's going to slip up sooner or later."

Sami's stomach tightened at the thought of how badly her father wanted to put EJ away and despaired over what his reaction was going to be to their relationship.

"Do you need anything John?" Sami asked, wanting to distract everyone from talk of imprisoning EJ, "I can go and get you something if you'd like."

"I wouldn't mind a paper," said John thoughtfully, "Catch up on what I've missed out on."

John looked suddenly thoughtful.

"Who won the baseball?" he asked curiously.

"The Red Sox's," Bo supplied.

"Damn," John muttered unhappily.

Sami couldn't help but roll her eyes, she and her mother exchanging exasperated looks. Of course one of the first things he'd ask about after coming out of a five month long coma was baseball – that was so John.

"I'll go and raid the news agency," said Sami with a smile, happy to have something to do.

On impulse she leant down and kissed John on the cheek. He looked a little surprised but quickly hid it.

"I'm glad you're alright John," she said emotionally, "I really am."

"I'm glad to be back Sami," said John with a half smile.

"I-I missed you," said Sami unsteadily, knowing it was true but finding it an unfamiliar feeling to be trying to draw closer to John and not pull back from him.

"I missed you too short stuff," said John with a full-fledged smile now, using a pet name for her that he hadn't used in years.

Sami saw her mother's face light up at the tender moment between her daughter and husband and it was with a pang she regretted all the heartache she must have caused them both over the years. Suddenly she was in her mother's shoes, knowing that Will wasn't going to react well to her choosing EJ over his father and anticipating a lot of resistance there as well. The old adage about reaping what you sowed came back to Sami and she swallowed a sigh at the thought.

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ walked into his apartment and stood there for a moment, not moving. Then he slowly walked over and took a seat on the sofa, staring ahead, lost in his thoughts.

"_Hiya love chunks!"_

"Hello Sam," said EJ distractedly, still staring at a spot in front of him and not bothering to turn around to see her as the voice had come from behind him.

Sam wasn't deterred though, walking around to stand in front of him.

"_You dodged a real bullet today huh?" she asked him conversationally before pulling a face, "Unlike John rather ironically."_

"Yes," said EJ coolly, "It's my lucky day alright."

"_Is that dry British humour or are you being sarcastic?" asked Sam, eyeing him sceptically. _

"I haven't seen you around for awhile Sam," said EJ, "Can I say how much I've missed you."

"_Okay, now was that sarcasm?" asked Sam, looking at him with pursed lips. _

"You're me," EJ grunted in annoyance, "How can you not know when I'm being sarcastic?!"

"_Dunno," she said with an unconcerned shrug, "Isn't it enough that I am your ubiquitous companion?"_

With that Sam suddenly launched into cheerleader mode, obviously feeling EJ wasn't excited enough about her presence.

"_Give me a U, give me a B, give me an I-" _

Sam was leaping around each time as she spelt out her word and EJ couldn't help but notice that the bra she was wearing was barely doing its job in containing her with each new leap.

"_Give me a K, give me an I-"_

"That isn't how you spell ubiquitous," EJ interrupted her in annoyance.

"_Yes it is," protested Sam, "It's the American spelling because I'm American remember!"_

"First of all you aren't any nationality because you're not real," snapped EJ, "Second of all if anything you'd be English because I'm English and third of all there is only one way to spell ubiquitous, in any language!"

"_Okay," Sam sniffed, "Keep your toupee on my passion Oreo."_

"Oreo?" queried EJ in annoyance.

"_It's a biscuit," Sam informed him, "An American one – you know-"_

Sam leant down towards EJ so that he had a clear view down her bra which he took because hell, there had to be some kind of payback for this relentless torture.

"_It's all hard on the top and bottom," she said, hands on knees as she gave him a sultry look, "But soft in the middle."_

Sam stopped then and straightened up, putting one hand on her hip and tapping at her lip with a finger as she thought about that.

"_No wait," she said, "That's no good – you're no use to me if you are soft in the middle. Let me think about this."_

"Don't bother on my account," said EJ, shaking his head and looking up at her.

"_Why are you in such a mood?" asked Sam in exasperation, "I thought you'd be thrilled that the coma you put John in has turned his brain to mush? That man has just inserted a 'get out of jail free' card into your firm buttocks my pet – why aren't you happier?"_

EJ scowled at the unpleasant imagery that conjured up and didn't answer her. He needed time to think about this new development and Sam wasn't helping.

"_Why don't I do a dance for you and cheer you up?" she offered brightly and before he could stop her Sam had launched into a dance that would have made a stripper blush._

"_What do you think my love beagle?" she asked him huskily, "Am I making you hot?"_

"You look like a woman giving birth," said EJ dourly, summing up her sensuous writhing and trying to be as disparaging as he could about it although it was very hard because she looked as sexy as hell.

"_And don't you just wish I was giving birth to you," she purred at him huskily to which EJ looked suitably confused._

Sam stopped what she was doing and looked a little confused herself.

"What?" asked EJ, bewildered by that statement.

"_Sorry," she said, wrinkling her nose, "I was going for sexy innuendo and ended up in Icky Town instead." _

"Sam can you just leave me alone please?" asked EJ curtly, "I need some time to think."

"_What about?" asked Sam curiously._

"About what just happened today," said EJ shortly.

"_Your eggs landed sunny side up," said Sam with a bit of a shrug, "You should just grab your bacon with both hands and dig in."_

EJ's eyes narrowed at that rather unlikely analogy but didn't dwell on it.

"I just don't know," said EJ distractedly, "John doesn't remember now but who is to say that he won't remember in a day or even half an hour? Particularly with everyone so very keen for him to do just that I have to wonder just how much time I really have."

"_Why does your glass always have to be half empty?" asked Sam in frustration, "Why can't you just take it for what it is – a gift from God."_

"I don't think God is in the habit of handing out favours to would be murderers somehow Sam," commented EJ dryly.

"_So what are you going to do about it?" she asked conversationally, "You could always sneak in after lights out and smother him with a pillow if you are that worried."_

EJ looked at her askew for that comment.

"I thought you were meant to be my conscience?" said EJ in exasperation, "What kind of suggestion is that?!"

"_I don't ever recall having signed up to be your conscience," Sam sniffed, "I'm more of a problem solver and the old pillow kiss would solve your problem – just saying."_

"It would turn me from a would be murderer to an actual murderer," said EJ curtly, "I don't see that helping my cause."

"_Dead men tell no tales," said Sam knowingly._

She stopped then, looking suddenly puzzled.

"_Although Charles Dickens is dead and he tells tales, Stephen King looks like he is dead and he is still telling tales so I'm not sure how that works really-"_

"Shut up Sam!" EJ ordered her curtly, "None of this is helping. I don't want John dead, I just don't want him ruining my life with Samantha either by telling everyone I shot him."

"_Cut out his tongue," offered up Sam, obviously still trying to be helpful._

"He could still write it down," argued EJ, not sure why he was bothering.

"_Well cut off his hand while you're at it," said Sam with a roll of her eyes, "Geez, you're making this more work than it has to be Elvis."_

"I don't see the good of slowly dismembering a man," growled EJ unhappily, "And I can't see Samantha being thrilled at the thought of me hacking away pieces of her step father! You're usually the voice of reason – what is up with these crazy ideas?"

"_I might be a little off my game," admitted Sam with a bit of a pout, "I dropped some acid the other day with some of the girls I play tennis with on a Tuesday and I don't think I've completely come good from that."_

EJ opened his mouth to respond to that but then realised he had absolutely no idea what he should say. Whichever way you looked at it that was one weird ass comment – on so many levels.

"Could you be a brain tumour?" asked EJ hopelessly, staring at Sam with a shake of his head, "Maybe I should go and get myself checked out because this just isn't right."

"_Hey back off buddy!" Sam sniffed, "Don't you be calling me a tumour – I'm a perfectly natural part of your psyche I'll have you know!"_

"That can't be true," said EJ faintly, "No one else could possibly be experiencing this."

"_How do you know?" reasoned Sam, "I'm guessing people don't tend to talk too much about people like me."_

"You're not people," EJ corrected her automatically although he had to agree, she might have a point there.

EJ suddenly wondered if Sami had a near naked version of himself talking to her all the time and couldn't hope that she did – it would certainly make him feel better he decided.

"_So what are you going to do then?" asked Sam, folding her arms in front of her chest, "You have to do something right?" _

"I'm not killing anyone," said EJ flatly, "I know that for sure."

"_Many a slip twix the cup and the lips," Sam tutted, "You never know what you might do when push comes to shove."_

"I'm a changed man Sam," said EJ firmly, "Anything goes is no longer an option."

"_All I'm saying is that you are in no position to be ruling out options," said Sam knowingly, "Best case scenario you are going to have just about everyone in Salem in violent opposition to you and Sami coming out of the closet you've been shagging each other senseless in for these last few months. I'd hate to think that these new founded ethics would stop you from kneeing anyone in the rattlers if they tried to come between you and your girl."_

"Don't worry," said EJ grimly, "There is no one on this earth that will keep us from being together – I don't care what I have to do to make it happen."

"_I wonder if when you look up the dictionary under 'famous last words' there will be a picture of this moment?" asked Sam dryly as she rolled her eyes at EJ's certainty. _

EJ scowled and realised he had just contradicted himself. He couldn't imagine stopping at anything to be with Sami and right now there was a huge threat to that. Any day John could open his mouth and end EJ's life with the woman he loved and even worse for EJ, leave Sami alone. It was something he sworn he'd never allow, for Sami to be alone in this world again. For EJ, keeping Sami safe and happy was the highest priority and everything else faded into the background. He didn't want to be like his father and kill and maim with reckless abandon but then the most precious thing in the world for EJ was at stake and he simply didn't know if he could leave such a thing to chance.

"_You know you could outsource," suggested Sam who had been shamelessly listening in on his internal thoughts, "You could send Bart out to rob the man and John will most likely end up dead as a result. I mean that is what happened last time and it wouldn't really be your fault because you can't help that Bart's parents were most likely cousins thus making him a congenital idiot and a raging incompetent." _

EJ frowned at the suggestion and didn't answer her.

"_You're thinking about it aren't you?" asked Sam knowingly with a little laugh, "Oh yeah, Elvis has definitely not left the DiMera building quite yet now has he?" _

EJ turned his head away and didn't answer, his face darkening along with his thoughts.


	29. Chapter 176

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & SEVENTY SIX**** – ****Make Hay While the Sun Shines**

A happy woman is one who has no cares at all;

a cheerful woman is one who has cares but doesn't let them get her down.

_~Beverly Sills~_

EJ looked up with a bit of a start when Sami suddenly burst through the doors of his apartment, just back from visiting with John and her mother at the hospital. Sami giggled to see his surprise and launched herself at him where he was sitting on the sofa.

"Hello," she beamed, straddling EJ's lap and putting her arms around his neck.

"Hello," he grinned back, "You're very happy my love."

"Why wouldn't I be happy?" asked Sami with a huge smile, "You're here, waiting for me like you said you would be."

Sami frowned suddenly and tilted her head to one side.

"Why are you just sitting here?" she asked curiously.

"Just thinking," said EJ rather vaguely Sami thought.

"About what?" asked Sami, not letting it go.

"About what just happened," said EJ, "John not remembering."

"You sound almost disappointed," said Sami, her frown deepening and letting her arms fall from around his neck.

"No of course I'm not disappointed sweetheart," said EJ quickly, putting his arms around her waist and hugging her as she straddled his lap, "I just-"

"What?" Sami pushed him.

"I guess I just don't like not knowing what I'm dealing with," admitted EJ ruefully, "At least if John had remembered we'd know that but this-"

EJ waved a hand around and made a frustrated face.

"This is a kind of limbo land," he said with a bit of a shrug.

"_This_," said Sami a little fiercely, surprised at EJ's negativity, "This means that we can be together EJ. I can't believe you aren't as happy about it as I am."

"Of course I'm happy to be here with you and not locked away in some cell Samantha," said EJ firmly, "But I suppose I want some guarantee that such gloriousness isn't going to be taken away at any minute. You're all I want in this world sweetheart and I can't bear the thought of being without you, even for an hour."

"You want guarantees?" asked Sami sceptically but felt her heart swell in her chest at hearing the desperate neediness in his tone.

It was exactly how she felt but EJ always seemed to be more in control of his emotions than she was so it was nice to know that the thought of being without each other made him want to curl up into a ball and cry as much as it did her.

"That would be lovely yes," said EJ ruefully and she could see by his face that he knew that wasn't how it worked.

"Well I can't guarantee you anything about John," said Sami with a lop sided smile, "But I can make you some guarantees of my own-"

Sami leant forward and smiled at EJ, their faces very close.

"I promise I'll always love you," she told him huskily, moving to kiss the side of EJ's neck as she said that.

EJ smiled to hear her do as he'd done with her earlier that day at the hospital. Sami drew back and returned his smile.

"I promise I will tell Lucas about us the moment his feet hit Salem," she said, "I'll end it with him and you'll never have to see me with him again."

"Good," EJ growled, his hands tightening in a territorial way on her hips.

Sami kissed EJ's neck again, a different spot as she did that and felt the powerfulness of the man in the coiled tension of his body at the mention of the other man's name.

"I promise I'm going to tell my family about us as soon as that happens and not let them get between us," Sami continued on, planting another kiss on EJ's neck.

Sami pulled back then, her eyes glowing.

"I promise I'm going to marry you," she said throatily and then gave him an impish look, "When you get around to asking me of course."

"Oh I'll be asking," EJ assured her throatily, "I'm just waiting for the perfect time – I've got it all planned."

Sami's smile widened at that thought.

"I promise you are going to be the only man who makes love to me for the rest of my life," she whispered unevenly, emotion welling up inside of her, "The only man who gets to claim my body and call it his-"

"Yes!" EJ hissed in appreciation of that thought before moving to give Sami a hard kiss.

His tongue pressed for entry into her mouth and Sami granted it without thinking, wanting to taste him as badly as he wanted her sweetness in his mouth. She clung to him as EJ hungrily plundered her mouth, the need quickly building between them. Sami felt EJ put his hand into her blouse and roughly push up her bra so he could cup her bare breast in his hand. Sami gave a low moan as he squeezed the soft flesh, his thumb finding her nipple. She could feel herself getting instantly wet and there was a growing hardness pressing against her core that she could feel, even through the denim of EJ's jeans.

"Mine," he grunted possessively into the kiss before tearing his mouth from hers and seeking out one pert nipple with his hungry mouth.

Sami sighed happily, arching her back and giving EJ free access to her body. She loved him being so jealous of her, like he'd kill any man who tried to take her from him. Sami had never experienced that kind of love before, her hold on all the men in her life before now had felt tenuous at best. EJ made her felt like she was the only possible woman in the world for him, that there could never be another and it was a feeling that made Sami giddy with happiness, never having experienced that before. Her hands went to his shirt, tearing it off his body, not wanting anything between them as he moved them so that she was underneath him on the sofa.

EJ continued to kiss her almost violently, their near miss over almost being separated making the moment more desperate somehow. Sami's hands went to the front of EJ's jeans as he lifted himself up a little bit, granting her access to his body. She quickly released him from his confines, finding him already gratifyingly rigid and ready for her. EJ moaned into their kisses as Sami began to stroke his quivering flesh, coaxing him into ever greater hardness. Not stopping with the kisses EJ began to unbutton her jeans as well, eagerly pulling them down, along with her panties. His fingers dove into the wetness he'd uncovered and Sami gasped, bucking up and breaking the kiss.

"You're just how I love you to be," he told her thickly, his two fingers probing her deeply now causing Sami to give a shaky moan, "My darling girl is always so very juicy."

Sami shuddered at the word he'd chosen, feeling exactly like that – some kind of plump fruit desperate to be picked, particularly when EJ crooked his fingers inside of her and found her most sensitive spot. He stroked the delicate flesh and before Sami knew what was happening she was grabbing EJ's face tightly as she came around his fingers in a short, sharp burst of deliciousness.

"OhhHH!" she moaned appreciatively at the skill EJ had with her body but that was all she could manage as EJ drove home his advantage literally.

He quickly withdrew his fingers and then Sami had the great satisfaction of feeling him fill her with all of that swollen stiffness of his, mounting her in a single, sharp thrust. But EJ wouldn't let her catch her breath after such an invasion though and immediately his fingers found her nub even as he began to pump his length into her again and again in a frantic dance. EJ's skilful fingers continued to massage her nub and Sami's orgasm just kept going and going, even as EJ plundered her depths as she dissolved all around him. At first Sami struggled against so much pleasure being given all at once but then she realised it was useless, succumbing to what he was doing to her body and let EJ have her any way he wanted. Sami knew that he loved riding her while she was climaxing so she just gave herself over to each wave of intense sensation, her body convulsing violently around his nonstop the whole time.

"SAMANTHA!" he roared her name as her body took its toll on his, forcing him to unload all of his maleness into her before he wanted to but her body was too intoxicating for him in its present climaxing state.

Sami held EJ's still heaving body to her, waiting for him to be done as he finally removed his fingers from her nub and she was no longer climaxing herself now. She felt so completely at peace in that moment that there simply weren't words to describe it. They lay in each other's arms, trying to recover from the headiness of their combined release.

"Am I too heavy?" EJ mumbled tiredly, his face buried in Sami's neck.

"No," she said softly, stroking his back and just wanting to stay like this forever.

It took awhile but finally their breathing had returned to normal and EJ reluctantly pulled out of her but remained where he was, covering Sami's body with his own but taking most of his weight off her with one knee and an elbow.

"I have a question," he stated, kissing Sami's still sweaty neck.

"Yes," said Sami with a very satisfied smile, "And more than once."

"Good to know," EJ chuckled, knowing what she was talking about, "But that wasn't going to be the question."

"Alright," said Sami with a happy sigh, still completely in a land of hazy blissfulness, "What is your question then EJ?"

"Last night I had this incredibly intriguing encounter with a woman named Brandi Mathas," said EJ huskily, "And she blew my mind."

"Amongst other things," said Sami with a quirk of her lips and when she saw EJ's amused raised eyebrow she just gave him an impish wink, "Women talk you know."

"Apparently," EJ grinned, "And on that note I was wondering if you could help me out about something?"

"Shoot," said Sami with a little smile.

"Well at one point last night Brandi was..." EJ paused, pursing his lips together as he chose his next words carefully, "Giving me a rather pleasurable, shall we say, tongue lashing."

"Is that what the kids are calling it nowadays?" asked Sami with a giggle, almost certain what the question was going to be now.

EJ grinned at her teasing but continued on.

"So I believe," he said cheekily, "And she did something that made it a particularly singular experience. It's quite hard to explain because it was both hot and rather cold at the same time and try as I might I can't work out what was her trick."

"Has this question been keeping you up at night?" asked Sami, tongue in cheek.

"The memory of it certainly has," said EJ wryly.

"Well you're in luck EJ," said Sami calmly, "I think I might be able to help you out with that. Brandi shared a few of her secrets with me and that just happened to be one of them. Here-"

Sami pushed on EJ's chest to indicate she wanted to get up and EJ complied, rolling to one side and letting her off the sofa. She could feel his appreciative gaze on her naked body as she went over to her purse and felt a little chill run through her body. Sami wanted him again already and knew that he wanted her too and if he didn't then EJ certainly would in a few minutes, she was sure of that. Sami retrieved the necessary item from her purse and walked back to where EJ was now sitting up on the sofa, as naked as she was. She put her hands behind her back and smiled down at EJ who was looking up at her expectantly. Sami moved one hand from behind her back and handed EJ the item in question.

"Throat lozengers?" EJ said, reading the name on the packet, "A throat lolly?"

"Aha," said Sami with a knowing smile, "A _menthol_ flavoured throat candy – that's the important part."

"Oh," said EJ with an arched eyebrow and the beginnings of a smile, "I see."

"Your memory seems a bit hazy," Sami commented coyly, "Would you like a refresher course of the effects of menthol on the more delicate parts of the body EJ?"

Seeing as EJ was naked then it was pretty hard to miss his body's reaction to that suggestion on Sami's behalf.

"Well I was just going to get you to raise your hands," said Sami mischievously as she watched EJ's member stiffen rather significantly at the offer, "But I guess that is more or less the same thing."

Sami knelt down in front of EJ now, pushing his legs apart and settling between them. He was growing harder with each passing second as he watched her with rapt adoration.

"You do know how to make a girl feel needed," said Sami with a sultry little smile.

"Sweetheart if you knew how much I needed you right now you would be running screaming from this room," said EJ a little raggedly.

"It's unlikely," said Sami with a smirk, "I love it when you're worked up into a frenzy EJ – it makes you take me so hard that it makes me come just thinking about it."

"Are you wet right now my darling girl?" he asked her thickly, his eyelids drooping in anticipation, watching as Sami popped a menthol lozenger into her mouth.

"When you're in the room I'm always wet EJ," she told him throatily, her blue eyes full of seduction and promise.

EJ swallowed a groan and shoved his fingers into her long hair, cupping Sami's head as she began to kiss her way down his tightly muscled stomach, her naked breasts rubbing against his straining erection as she went. Finally she was at where Sami knew EJ needed her to be and she took him into her mouth, the pressure of her mouth and tongue plus the menthol candy doing its job as EJ began howling almost straight away. His fingers instinctively tightened on Sami's head as EJ threw his head back, moaning continuously at her skilled ministrations.

It seemed funny to Sami that she'd never particularly enjoyed this task before but somehow with EJ it was as sexy as hell to her and he was certainly an appreciative receiver. There was something about having this big, powerful man completely at her mercy that excited Sami so much. In the end that excitement became too much for Sami as she abandoned her plan to have EJ release himself into her mouth, something they both enjoyed in favour of a more pressing need on her behalf. Sami released him from the caverns of her mouth, causing a complaining groan to be ripped from EJ's lips but Sami had other plans.

"Do you still want to know how wet I am EJ?" she asked him huskily, slightly out of breath from having worked on him so hard and from her own arousal.

"Yes," said EJ thickly, his brown eyes almost black with his need for her.

Sami stood up and turned around, climbing back onto EJ's lap so that she was straddling him backwards now. She sank down on him, their previous lovemaking and her wetness making penetration easy for both of them.

"Oh god YES!" she heard EJ moan out through gritted teeth.

Sami turned her head, throwing her arm back over her head and grabbing the back of EJ's to drag his mouth into a heated kiss. She passed him the half sucked lozenger that had still been in her mouth and he accepted it readily. Sami broke the kiss, the two staring at each other with hungry eyes before Sami twisted back around so she was facing the front again. She leant forward, her muscles contracting tightly around his heavily engorged member as Sami placed her palms on the nearby coffee table that was just in front of her, causing her to be bending over almost in half and parallel with the floor.

EJ's hands went to her backside, immediately beginning to move Sami up and down on his ravenous manhood, both of them groaning loudly throughout the whole thing. This position gave caused an incredible amount of friction between their joined bodies and it was hard not to scream the place down because of it. At one point Sami was worried that EJ's passionate grunting noises was going to have someone knocking on their door in complaint but then her own orgasm overwhelmed her and she simply didn't care. They both came incredibly hard in that position, Sami frightened she'd never be able to walk again as EJ hammered himself into her so hard right before his end that she felt like she was going to lose consciousness from the intense pleasure of it all.

In the middle of her life changing orgasm she could feel EJ climaxing inside of her as well, could feel his multiple releases and it just added to her own thrill. When they were both finally done with each other Sami somehow found the strength to straighten up, leaning back heavily against EJ's now sweaty chest, their combined breathing ragged and noisily filling the room. EJ's hand came out and splayed out across Sami's stomach, causing last little explosions deep inside of her, her muscles quivering helplessly at the caress. They both moaned, EJ dropping his sweaty head into her shoulder from where he was still behind her as they enjoyed this last little thrill.

"Okay," he said hoarsely when he could find the strength to speak again, "We definitely need to write that position down somewhere – that was a keeper."

"You don't think you'll remember it?" she teased him with a tired giggle, snuggling in back to him.

"I'm pretty confident it will be amongst one of my last thoughts this side of the grave," said EJ with an exhausted chuckle of his own, "God woman, the things you can get my body to do – it ought to be illegal."

"Well it isn't," said Sami smugly, as EJ wrapped both of his arms around her on the sofa, "You'll just have to settle for it being immoral instead."

"Done," said EJ, kissing her neck in sated happiness.

oooOOOOooo

EJ looked down at the sleeping countenance of Sami in his bed and felt his heart overflow with love for her. He bent down and pressed a very gentle kiss to her forehead and Sami didn't even stir. Their energetic lovemaking that afternoon had overflowed into the night as well and EJ didn't blame Sami for being sound asleep right then after it all. EJ normally would have been slumbering happily beside her, Sami wrapped up in his arms but right now he couldn't sleep, his brain refusing to shut down and allow him that escape from his thoughts.

It was just after midnight when EJ had given up trying to sleep, getting up and dressing. He wasn't sure exactly what he planned to do but after kissing Sami goodbye he headed out of the apartment and to his car, just needing to drive around for a bit and hopefully figure some things out. Without consciously deciding on it EJ found himself at the Salem University hospital. It was late and only the night staff was there, going about their business in hushed efficiency. EJ made his way unchallenged to John's room and after hesitating only momentarily he let himself in.

John was in bed, sleeping of course at this late hour and EJ walked over to the bed. One of his pillows had slipped to the floor and on reflex EJ stooped to pick it up. He held onto the pillow, standing over John in the darkened room. EJ looked down at the man who stood between his and Sami's happiness, sleeping so soundly and EJ's hands tightened on the pillow he was holding, frustration welling up inside of him at the power the sleeping man had over him.

His and Sami's whole future hung in the balance over the say so of one man and EJ knew he couldn't face a world without Sami by his side. A riot of emotion coursed through EJ as he stood there, a million thoughts crowding his brain, all clamouring to be heard. In the midst of the chaos John's eyes suddenly opened, staring directly at EJ and EJ could see that John knew the truth.

The two men didn't speak, just stared at each other, the possibilities of that moment stretching out into eternity...


	30. Chapter 177

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & SEVENTY SEVEN**** – ****Secret Men's Business**

Truth is truth to the end of reckoning.

_~William Shakespeare~_

The silence between the two men filled the room to overflowing until John finally spoke.

"Hello Elvis," he said calmly, his voice a little gravely from having been asleep seconds before.

The tension was palatable, neither men giving anything away though, their poker faces perfect. John knew he was in a particularly vulnerable situation, still waiting to recover a lot of his strength after having woken up less than twenty four hours ago from a five month coma. EJ very much had the upper hand in this particular encounter but John was determined not to show it but he was tensed, ready to defend off an attack if it should come down to that. There was no way he was going to leave this earth without putting up a hell of a fight, John knew that for sure.

"Hello John," replied EJ evenly and looked down at the pillow in his hands, "You've dropped your pillow."

EJ handed the pillow back to John who accepted it, sitting up in bed now and putting the extra padding behind his back to make himself more comfortable. EJ just watched him, not saying anything until John was organised.

"Do you mind if I take a seat?" asked EJ rather cordially.

"It's a little late for visiting hours isn't it EJ?" asked John coolly.

"I was in the neighbourhood, saw the light on," said EJ with a characteristic half smile.

"My lights weren't on," pointed out John flatly, determined not to make this easy for him.

"Alright then," said EJ calmly, not to be put off clearly, "I was just in the neighbourhood then."

"What time is it?" asked John, squinting at the clock by his bed.

"About one thirty," said EJ casually, as though it wasn't strange for him to be there at all at this time of the night, or rather more correctly, morning at all.

"Couldn't sleep huh?" asked John, sizing the other man up.

"So it would seem," said EJ with pursed lips as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Guilty conscience perhaps?" asked John, looking for any kind of reaction but EJ didn't give him one, just held his gaze steadily.

John could see in the younger man's eyes that he knew the truth, that John had lied to everyone and that he remember exactly who it was who had shot him that night at the boat house. No one could ever accuse EJ DiMera of not keeping his eye on the ball it would seem.

"Why am I here John?" asked EJ calmly with a slight tilt of his head.

"You're asking me?" asked John with an arched eyebrow.

EJ smiled and looked away briefly, shaking his head before looking back. He paused for a long moment, scrutinising John closely.

"So John," EJ said at last as though they were discussing something as benign as the weather, "Let me put it this way - is there a particular reason why I'm enjoying the heady thrill of freedom rather than the unwelcome advances of a large, bald and tattooed man named Curly in a small cell?"

"You just can't ask why can you Elvis?" asked John with a shake of his head.

"I have theatrical blood lines," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "DiMera's aren't given to doing anything by the book."

"Don't I know it," said John sourly, "I remember our little chat before the shooting – you were full of righteous indignation and superior vitriol for me betraying the DiMera name."

"I was wasn't I?" said EJ with a little sigh, leaning back in his chair and then almost to himself, "It seems like a life time ago now."

"Funny," said John curtly, "It only feels like yesterday for me but I guess that is what you get when you're in a coma for five months – time kind of stands still for you."

"Why don't we cut to the chase John?" suggested EJ coolly, "Clearly you remember what happened in the boathouse which begs the question why you didn't feel the need to share such incredibly coveted information with anyone? Why have you lied John – what game is this?"

"That's a pretty amusing question coming from a DiMera," noted John flatly.

"And I'm rolling around laughing on the inside over it let me assure you," said EJ dryly, "But that's not an answer to my question. Why did you lie John?"

"I had a cramp in my leg," said John and EJ looked at him in confusion at that answer and John was in no hurry to enlighten him as quickly as the younger man clearly wanted him to.

oooOOOOooo

John sat up in bed and pulled a face, grimacing as his right calf muscle spasmed painfully. He'd been getting them ever since he'd woken up a few hours ago and the doctor said they were to be expected but that didn't make them any less painful John discovered. Marlena had just left his side a few minutes ago after a tearful reunion, saying she needed to clear some patients so she could be with him the rest of the day. Of course for John he'd only seen her that morning but for Marlena it had been much longer. John had been shocked to find out how long he'd been in the coma for, hardly able to comprehend it. There had been some fairly significant muscle wastage but John somehow found the strength to pull himself into a wheelchair.

He hated being confined to a hospital room and decided that he more than deserved a little look at some sunshine. Marlena would undoubtedly be back soon, fussing over him which John had to admit, wasn't exactly horrible. It seemed impossible to John but he woke up each day loving that woman a little more than he did the day before. He rolled his way out of his room, blissfully undetected and found a little quiet alcove with a window to look out of. John was lost in his own thoughts for awhile, trying to come to terms with what had happened and the fact that he'd lost so much time in his life. It just didn't seem possible somehow but it wasn't exactly the first time a DiMera had stolen parts of his life.

John's jaw tightened at the thought of the DiMera who had been the culprit this time. It seemed unbelievable to John that EJ was still walking around, a fact he'd found out by overhearing a conversation Marlena had been having with Roman on her cell phone while telling him the good news. She hadn't asked him about the shooting, clearly not wanting to press him too hard when he'd just regained consciousness and John didn't mind. It was something he wanted to talk directly to Roman about anyway. After all it was his sting operation that had ended badly, EJ having been one step ahead of them with jamming their coms. It frustrated John that they'd let a man like EJ DiMera get the jump on them like that and he in particular had paid a steep price for underestimating the youngest DiMera.

John was going to enjoy wiping what no doubt was going to be a smug expression of that man's face he decided grimly. EJ may be revelling in his freedom now and wrecking who knows how much more havoc on those around him but that was about to come to an abrupt end and by John's hand no less. It was time there were a few less DiMera's roaming the streets and John was going to be front and centre when that happened. First you took down Junior and then it was time to work on Senior DiMera.

"_What's wrong sweetheart?" _

John tensed at the familiar voice that came from around the corner.

"Speak of the devil and the devil appears," he muttered under his breath.

John wondered what EJ was doing here – most likely wanting to see if there was some way to silence him which just wasn't going to happen. The next voice he heard changed everything for John though.

"_How can you ask me that? John is awake and you know what is going to happen next don't you?!"_

Sami!

John blinked rapidly, freezing to the spot as he tried to assimilate the fact that Sami was with EJ for some reason.

"_Hush sweetheart, don't upset yourself."_

EJ and Sami suddenly appeared around the corner and John quickly rolled his wheelchair back a few inches so they couldn't see him but he could still hear what they were saying.

"_Why wouldn't I be upset?" asked Sami emotionally, "John is about to tell the world that you shot him EJ and you're going to be going to prison!"_

"_That seems like a very likely scenario," agreed EJ ruefully._

"_Then why are you here? You should be leaving town and changing your name and-"_

John tried to contain his shock at hearing Sami say such things to EJ DiMera of all people. What had she gone and done now, getting mixed up with that maniac wondered John in despair. It was clear that EJ must have manipulated her into having feelings for him for whatever nefarious plans he had to take down the Brady family. John's face darkened and he was about to make his presence known and set Sami straight on a few things when EJ's next words made him stop short though.

"_I'm not leaving town Samantha," said EJ evenly, "For two reasons. First of all I did shoot John and I need to face the consequences of that poorly thought out action and second of all I couldn't leave you sweetheart, I just couldn't. And if that means I end up in jail because of that then so be it."_

"_I'll come with you!" said Sami urgently, "We were going to leave Salem anyway once Lucas got back and-"_

"_I'm not going to turn you into a fugitive Samantha," said EJ firmly, interrupting her again, "So don't even think about it. This is my mistake and I must face the fallout from that, whatever it might be."_

John's frown deepened, what new angles was this he wondered – a DiMera planning to face up to his crimes – that seemed highly unlikely to him.

"_It will be prison EJ! They'll send you to prison for what you did!"_

"_I'll get a good lawyer. Maybe that will do the trick, who knows? In the end though sweetheart you know that I shot a man, took five months of his life and caused terrible angst for your family and there has to be some kind of redressing of the balance for that."_

"_But you've changed!" said Sami unevenly, "You're not the same man who was in that boat house that night."_

"_No I'm not," said EJ quietly, "But the law doesn't see it like that darling. I was there in that boat house, sent by my Father to kill John Black and I meant to. We talked, John made a lunge for the gun, it went off-"_

"_So you didn't shoot him!" said Sami excitedly at hearing that, "Not really! If John hadn't made a grab for the gun then it wouldn't have gone off and who's to say you would have shot him at all!" _

_Oh how I love you Samantha Brady," John heard EJ say, "But even if John hadn't tried to get the gun off me I would have shot him, I was completely under my Father's control back then."_

"_You don't know that EJ," she argued with him stubbornly, "You might have had second thoughts when it came right down to it." _

"_You'd make a good lawyer Samantha - tenacious." _

"_About the important things," said Sami unrepentantly, "Like the man I love going to jail!" _

"_Whilst I adore you for supporting me my love I think we have to face facts," said EJ calmly, "I did a very bad thing and the law under which our society lives says I have to pay for that." _

John was very glad he was sitting down right then otherwise he would have quite possibly fallen. None of this seemed like it could possibly be right and John edged very carefully forward until he could see EJ and Sami's reflection in the large round mirror that was on one wall. It was there so people could see around corners and not crash into each other and John was able to see Sami and EJ clearly now while they were still oblivious to his presence.

"_Sweetheart I gave very little thought to my life before you came into it. I was entitled, spoilt and indulged. I questioned very little and it made me a very malleable tool for my father to fashion into anything he wanted."_

"_And he wanted another DiMera soldier," said Sami unhappily._

"_And he got it," agreed EJ grimly, "For a time but that time has passed now, well and truly. Falling in love with you has changed everything for me Samantha. For the first time in my life I don't think of myself first, I put someone else's needs above my own and I can't tell you how liberating that is – to not be the centre of your own little universe. My father never taught me that anyone other than myself mattered… other than him of course. It meant I was a man hell bent on a course of destruction until your love rescued me." _

"_Oh EJ," said Sami, her eyes starting to well up a little with emotional tears. _

"_Samantha I want us to have a future together," said EJ honestly, "More than anything that is what I want. I don't want to be a DiMera soldier, I want to be a man you can be proud of and want to call your husband and god willing father to your children and that means facing up to the mistakes I've made in the past and paying for them."_

John had been watching EJ's face very closely the entire time while the younger man had been speaking, looking for some little sign that this was all a game to him, that he was toying with Sami's feelings but could only see desperate earnestness. John knew the look on EJ's face, had no choice but to know because it was the same expression that looked out at him from his bathroom mirror every morning when he and Marlena had been apart over the years. The painful need to be with a person while the fear of being separated ripped you apart. The desperate need for you to be able to try and convey, even in part, how you felt about them when your feelings ran so deep that you knew it would be impossible but you just had to try anyway otherwise you'd burst from loving them so much and keeping it inside.

It was a startling thing to see those emotions on the face of a man that John had previously believed to be incapable of such depth. John didn't know when this had happened between EJ and Sami, doubted that many, if anyone knew about it but a deep instinct, one of a man who has known what it is to love with the entirety of your being, told him that this was real. John's heart sank for his step daughter, knowing she'd fallen for the most impossible person in the world, one that was guaranteed to bring her heartache whether that was EJ's purpose or not. Deep down John knew that Marlena would have been better off loving someone, anyone other than him. They'd had some horrifying lows in their time together and apart, lows that made the thought of death a sweet promise but when all was said and done there was nothing in this world that could compare with loving and being loved by Marlena Evans for John and he knew everything else would simply be a pale substitute.

He listened to Sami talk despairingly of Lucas, confirming his own theory that no one else knew about her and EJ's relationship. Despite himself John couldn't help but have great compassion for the situation the two found themselves in. He could hear the despair in Sami's voice at the thought of hurting people again and he understood that. Neither he or Marlena had wanted to hurt Roman and they'd fought so hard against it for so long but in the end there had been too much between them that refused to be put aside, no matter how hard they'd tried to do the right thing. It was still hard for John to conceive that EJ and Sami had fallen in love while he was sleeping, five months seemed like an impossibly short time for them to have gotten in so deeply but then for him, it had been instantaneous when he'd first laid eyes on Marlena.

"Oh Sami," said John very quietly to himself in great sadness, "How is this going to work out for you?"

oooOOOOooo

"I'll answer your question if you'll answer mine first," said John coolly.

"Shoot," said EJ and then pulled a face, "Rather poor choice of word – sorry."

"What was the plan tonight?" asked John, not commenting on the slip up, "Did you come here to kill me EJ?"

"Honestly?" asked EJ, looking very intent now.

"That would be nice for a change," said John dryly, not sure why but feeling like whatever EJ was going to say actually would be the truth.

"I'm not sure what my plan was," said EJ with a little hopeless shrug, "I hadn't really gotten that far."

"Don't DiMera's always have a plan?" asked John, scrutinizing him carefully.

"They do and I always used to but now-" EJ trailed off, looking away, seemingly lost in his own thoughts for a moment.

"Now?" John prompted him.

EJ looked back at him, fixing him with a very considered look.

"Why do I get the feeling that I'm telling you a story you already know?" asked EJ flatly and then John could see his mind at working, things dropping into place, "You overheard us earlier today, didn't you? Samantha and I talking in the hallway – you know don't you?"

"And what is it that I know Elvis?" asked John with an arched eyebrow.

"You know that Samantha and I are in love," said EJ simply and then he stopped abruptly, a huge smile coming to his lips.

"What's so funny?" asked John, eyeing him a little suspiciously.

"Sorry," said EJ, still smiling widely, "It's silly I know but that is the first time I've said those words aloud to someone other than Samantha and it feels incredibly wonderful to finally say them."

John kept his expression carefully neutral, not giving any kind of reaction to EJ's comment although he still remembered very clearly the first time he'd said those words about he and Marlena, even after all of this time. It had been life affirming and John hadn't been able to stop smiling for days after they'd gone public, despite the hardship that had followed. EJ looked at him, the smile dropping from his face.

"You think I'm working an angle don't you?" asked EJ regretfully, "You think I'm playing some kind of game with Samantha's emotions and that I've got some terrible agenda behind what I am doing – don't you?"

"Would you blame me?" asked John flatly.

"No I wouldn't," said EJ with a grimace, "I know my track record with you and the rest of Salem has been less than sterling."

"That's a fancy way of saying you're a criminal at the beck and call of your insane father," said John dourly.

"If you think that then why didn't you turn me in when you had the chance?" asked EJ with a hopeless little movement of his shoulders.

oooOOOOooo

"_We've both made a lot of mistakes Samantha," said EJ gravely, "And I have no doubt that we will make a lot more in our lives. I wish it wasn't so but there it is. Neither one of us exactly excels at living by societies rules and we will always have trouble reining in our impulses, we both know that. That is the exact reason why we are so very well suited – because of those grey sides to our personalities. We may want to do the right thing but for people like us that doesn't always equate to right actions. You're the only person who is really going to understand me and love me despite that Samantha and the same goes for you. I know you like none other can and it's one of the things that binds us so tightly together."_

John sat back in his wheelchair, surprised by EJ's insight. For the longest time John had worried over Sami, wondering what was to become of her. He loved her like his own daughter, despite what she may think and it hurt him to see her continue to go after men that just didn't love her like a father would want his daughter to be loved. Irony seemed too small of a word for the fact that she'd seemed to somehow managed to find her equal in a DiMera although it did make a kind of weird sense. He knew Sami had never felt truly apart of the Brady clan, he'd watched her struggle to fit in and be understood and John knew it was a constant source of heartache for Marlena as well. Sami's next words confirmed what he was thinking for John.

"_I know my family loves me," she said softly, "I know they try so hard to understand why it is I do the things that I do but they just can't because they don't think like I do, don't rationalise the way I do. You know when I was little things were so different. Sure it was hard for long periods when either my Mom or Dad was taken away by Stefano but I still remember feeling really loved. When we found out that last time though that John wasn't Roman my whole world just crumbled. I couldn't reconcile all these feelings inside of me. I loved John because he'd been the only father I'd known for a long time but when my real father came back I felt so guilty for feeling like that, as though I was betraying my real dad. I didn't know what to think or feel and then that day, when I saw John and my Mom in that conference room together like that I had a place to put all of that confusion."_

John swallowed hard, all the bitter regret of his past mistakes making the task difficult as his throat tightened painfully. While he didn't regret one moment of loving Marlena there were a million things he'd do differently if he had his time over again and Sami witnessing what had passed between he and her mother that day would have been top of the list. John couldn't help but wonder how differently Sami's life might have turned out if she hadn't been there to see that particular betrayal.

"_I put all that emotion I couldn't name into a single force that felt so clean, so pure and at last it made sense and set me free from all of that confusion," Sami continued on, now that she'd started talking she couldn't seem to stop, "I hated John, at least I told myself that was what it was and I just clung to that hatred, no matter how much he tried to love me because I couldn't face going back to all of that confusion again. I held onto that for so long, so many years that in the end I could barely remember why I started, that just I had to continue. When he was shot it just made me stop all of a sudden, make me look at what I was doing and why."_

John had to swallow again, this time with a lump of raw emotion to hear Sami say those things about him. He'd known all along intellectually that what he and Marlena had done had taken a toll on Sami but hearing her say those things John at last realised that a lot of what they'd done had contributed to her strange behaviours. She didn't feel like she could trust her family so Sami was desperate to make her own with a man of her choosing, whether that was what he wanted or not. Her drive to find a safe place where she would be accepted had led her down a very dark and twisted path and times and while John knew Sami had made her own choices he also realised for the first time how much his own choices had set those things into motion for the young woman as well.

It was a humbling moment for John and the heavy weight of responsibility settled on him for his part in the way Sami's life had turned out. He wanted so much more for Sami, for their relationship then what they had ended up with and the regret in her voice as she spoke to EJ told him that she felt the same. So much time had been lost between them and John knew now he had much more responsibility in that then he'd ever imagined before. To hear her pour her heart out to EJ like this, so thoughtful and reflective rather than her usual reactionary rhetoric told John more than anything that Sami had really grown and matured since their last meeting. As bitter pill as it was to swallow he knew it was EJ's love was the reason for the maturity he could hear in her words now. John tried hard to reconcile the fact that the man that had put him in a coma for all of this time was also the man who had finally loved Sami how she was meant to be loved and made the insecure young woman blossom.

"_And then you happened," she said softly, "I fell in love with a man who made me so crazy that I couldn't think straight for wanting him, for wanting to be his and everything changed again. I could never understand why my mother would betray my father like that, even though she claimed to still love him until there was you EJ. I'd never known a love that reached down into your soul and filled your entire being and changed everything utterly for you. I never thought I'd be a person to cheat on someone, not after how I hated so much what John and my mother had done and lived through the pain that it caused but I've done it with Lucas and even though I regret it so much I could never dream of giving you up EJ anymore than I could stop breathing."_

"_I feel exactly the same way Samantha," said EJ earnestly, "Loving you is a revelation."_

"_Yes," said Sami a little hoarsely, "And now I understand when I never could before because I'd never loved like this before. You don't mean to hurt people, you'd give anything for things to not be this way but it doesn't matter what you want because the heart wants what the heart wants and I know I'll never know peace again unless I am in your arms EJ." _

John listened to Sami talk and realised she could have been speaking about he and Marlena, their stories eerily similar it would seem now.

"_You can't go to prison EJ," she said in anguish, "You just can't – I'll die without you!"_

John listened to EJ comfort the distraught Sami but he knew it was only he who had the real power to change how things turned out for the young couple despite EJ's soothing words. It would have been an inconceivable thought even fifteen minutes ago but wanting EJ to pay for what he had done suddenly seemed not as important in light of being able to give something back to Sami that John's own actions had taken from her a long time ago. John's heart and head were at war but in the end he knew there was really only one thing he could do.

oooOOOOooo

"Maybe I believe in the concept of redemption," suggested John calmly, "That something that was once lost can be found again."

"Are we still talking about me John?" asked EJ with an arched eyebrow of his own.

John gave a humourless smile.

"You're a smart guy aren't you Elvis?" he asked him calmly as once again EJ showed his insight and ability to read people.

"I've been known to have my moments," said EJ with a little nod of his head as he took a seat by John's bed now.

"Why don't you prove to me that you are good enough for Sami," said John coolly, "Tell me why I shouldn't be ringing Roman right now and telling him what really happened that night."

"I'm not sure how to convince you of such a thing John," said EJ with a grimace, "I think only time will prove out that my intentions towards Samantha are entirely honourable and legitimate."

"You know an argument could be made that if you really loved my step daughter then you'd let her go," remarked John, "You two being together is going to cause her a lot of pain and suffering, particularly when it comes to her family whom she loves."

"Don't you think I know that?" asked EJ tightly, "And I god knows I have tried to make her leave me – after I was shot."

"I heard about that," said John evenly, unable to resist a little dig, "And how did you find that little experience Elvis – do tell?"

"Not as much fun as the brochure promised," said EJ with a quirk of his lips and clearly appreciating the point the other man was making, "I was in a wheelchair for a time."

"And how did that make you feel?" asked John, watching him closely.

"Scared," admitted EJ without hesitation.

"Scared because you'd finally worked out that your actions might have consequences for you?" John asked him a little sarcastically.

"No," said EJ, looking him straight in the eye, "Scared that my actions might have consequences for Samantha. She was standing right there beside me when the person took those two shots – it could have so easily been her if his aim had been off and that thought wakes me in the night in a cold sweat."

"Not so easy is it?" asked John, "Living for someone else rather than just yourself."

"It's terrifying," said EJ unevenly, "I'm was just so very scared that loving me was going to bring real harm to Samantha and that is why I pushed her away as hard as I could, being as loathsome and vile as I knew how to be."

EJ gave an almost tremulous smile than, more emotional than John had ever seen him.

"But she saw right through me," he said hoarsely, shaking his head, "She wouldn't let me go because she knew that no matter what I said I didn't want to be without her. That woman is so damn stubborn."

"She gets that from her mother," commented John knowingly.

"Yes well it's maddening," said EJ wryly, "In a simply glorious way."

John almost allowed himself a smile at those words, knowing what the younger man meant. Marlena's stubbornness had driven him to distraction on more occasions than he could count but John wouldn't change that part of her personality for the world.

"So I'm still waiting for you to convince me that your intentions are honourable," John prompted him, "Roman is but a phone call away if I should choose Elvis."

"Alright," said EJ and looked him squarely in the eye, his tongue coming out and running over his bottom lip thoughtfully, "I guess the best way to do that is to go back to the beginning and tell you everything."

And EJ did just that, clearly not holding anything back as he spoke about his father's plans for a Brady-DiMera dynasty with EJ sent to impregnate a Brady woman of his choosing. He then went on to tell him the impact of that first meeting and how everything else became instantly unimportant compared to getting this woman to love him. EJ spoke of knowing Sami the moment he met her, of kindred spirits and fate. He then went on to tell John about the night of the shooting, about the deal he'd struck with Sami and the trip away to Ara Caman. How he'd pursued her even more vigorously after that because EJ had known that Sami wouldn't have given herself to him the way she had if she hadn't loved him as completely as he loved her.

Even more surprising was the story of the lost letters and the heartache of Colleen and Santo and their love story that had started a fifty year long vendetta. EJ continued on with the story of their eery similarity to EJ and Sami and how it felt to EJ as though he and Sami were being given the chance that was taken from Colleen and Santos. EJ held nothing back from John, told him all the stories against himself and what he had done to be with Sami. But he'd also gone on to tell about the redemptive power of Sami's love, the burning desire to be a better man and the grim realisation that he could no longer have his father in his life and keep Sami safe and happy. EJ eventually stopped talking and the silence was back, EJ looking a little spent and John just taking it all on board and processing such a volume of information.

"Why did you tell me about all the bad things you've done Elvis?" asked John at last, weighing up all that he had said, "You could have left all of those things out and I'd be none the wiser. Surely you must realise that you've given me more ammunition to use against you if I should choose?"

"Of course I do," said EJ a little unevenly, "But you asked me to prove to you what Samantha means to you and the only way I could think to do that was for you to see that I'm a changed man because of loving Samantha. The old EJ would never have given away that kind of power freely – my father taught me control of others is always meant to be paramount in whatever I do. But I don't want that life anymore – I want one with Samantha. And while I know that neither one of us will exactly be model citizens by any stretch of the imagination I don't want to be my father's puppet either and I don't want to live by his ideals either. I've handed over all the power to you John, to do with what you see fit but whatever you choose to do I want you to know that my love for Samantha will never waver and I will never stop fighting to be with her. I know with her by my side I can overcome the hindrances of my upbringing by my father."

"You're a DiMera," said John flatly, the warning obvious in his voice as he didn't make this easy for the younger man, "You've got a lot to overcome. You say you don't want to be like your father and say I believe you but do you even know how to do that Elvis? Do you know not only the kind of man you want to be but how to make it happen?"

"Does anyone John?" asked EJ with a helpless shrug of his shoulders, "I'd love to promise you that I will never put a foot wrong with Samantha, with our lives together and with the people we come in contact with but I just can't. All I can promise you is that I will give it my all to become a man who wakes up every day determined to make the woman he loves happy and the rest I'll just work out as I go along. I don't know if anyone can say more than that really. When push comes to shove who knows what any of us are capable of or what lines we would draw. I mean John, if Marlena's life was endanger – what wouldn't you do to save her? Would you lie, steal and even kill if it meant she was going to be saved?"

John's jaw hardened involuntarily at the thought of Marlena being in danger which unfortunately was a pretty regular occurrence. He could see that EJ had seen his reaction and known that he'd gotten through to him, at least in part.

"Sami's family is going to be devastated by your relationship," said John, still testing the other man, "You realise that right?"

"Yes," said EJ grimly, "We both know that and we both know that we will most likely have to give up family, me permanently with my father and with Samantha's – hopefully only for a time."

"It's because they love her," said John sternly, "You can see why they'd be concerned."

"But they can't love her like I can," said EJ simply, "I'm as fractured a personality as Samantha is and she knows I see her completely, all of the complex sides to her and understand them all utterly. You can't totally relax in the love of people who don't understand you, however you might want to because like Samantha you'll always end up worrying about doing something wrong to make them shun you. Samantha has complete confidence in loving me because she knows we are the same and that we understand each other like no one else could and I love her not in spite of all of her so called flaws but because of them and I know it is the same for her."

EJ looked at John rather intently then.

"I suppose that is why I'm doing this with you John," he said almost thoughtfully, "Because if any one understands that things aren't black and white, that not everything can be neatly placed into a good pile or a bad one then it would be you. You've been through a lot in your life-"

"By the hands of a DiMera," John reminded him sharply.

"Yes," said EJ, not backing away from that fact, "And you know you haven't always been an upstanding member of society but you found a way back from that didn't you, against all odds and all I'm asking is that you give me the same chance."

John didn't answer him for a long time, considering very carefully the choice he had before him. He could see that he was stretching EJ's nerves but didn't care, this was an important decision.

"Alright," he said at last, "You've got your chance Elvis, your chance to prove me and everyone else in Salem wrong."

EJ visibly relaxed at those words and John quickly moved to add a proviso.

"But if you put one foot wrong, hurt Sami in anyway then I will take all that you've just told me and the fact that you shot me to Roman in a heartbeat and you will never see daylight again," said John grimly, "Do we understand each other Elvis – I'm going to be watching you like a hawk."

"We understand each other," said EJ calmly, "And I'd expect nothing less John but your threats aren't necessary – all I want is to make Samantha happy, I have no agenda past that any longer."

"We'll see," said John coolly, "Just remember what I said Elvis."

EJ nodded and gave him a half smile.

"You won't regret this John," EJ told him.

"I better not," said John flatly, "For both of our sakes."

oooOOOOooo

EJ's bare feet made almost no noise at all on the carpeted floor as he walked back over to the bed. He'd returned home after speaking with John, a great weight off his mind and gotten changed to go back to bed. It was nearly three o'clock in the morning now and EJ knew he'd at last be able to sleep. He hadn't expected John's reaction to finding out about he and Sami but then maybe he should have. John knew what it was to be manipulated by Stefano and he knew what it was to break free of that and to find the person you knew was going to be the great love of your life.

EJ wasn't worried about keeping his promise to John because he knew that he'd spoken the truth to him about his intentions towards Sami. The feeling of willingly making yourself vulnerable to a potential enemy was a new one to EJ though and one that didn't sit easily with him but it was worth it if that meant they now had an ally in someone like John Black. Honesty and straight talking to get what you want – it was a novel approach for EJ and a complete anathema to the DiMera way which that in of itself he was hoping would go a long way to convincing John of his sincerity. EJ looked down at Sami who was still sleeping in the bed and knew that she was completely worth the risk he was taking. She stirred and looked up at him with groggy eyes.

"Where did you go?" she asked him huskily, not really awake.

"For a drive to clear my head," he told her with a soft smile down at her.

"Better?" she asked him sleepily.

"Better," he agreed throatily.

Sami reached up, eyes not even open and pulled EJ down into a languid kiss and he went willingly, letting himself be enveloped by the gorgeousness of the woman pressed up against him.

"Come to bed EJ," she whispered against his lips and EJ complied with needing any further prompting.

As soon as he was in bed Sami curled up against him, all soft and warm and EJ pulled her tightly to him, burying his face into her blonde hair. Sami's slow even breathing told him that she'd already fallen back to sleep and EJ smiled, already feeling his body relaxing and the sleep that had been denied him for so long at last coming for him as he fell asleep in the arms of the woman he loved.

oooOOOOooo

John's head snapped around to the doorway of his room at the slight noise to see Marlena standing there.

"Doc," he said in surprise at seeing her there but shouldn't have been surprised that she might be having difficulty sleeping.

"I'm sorry," she said regretfully, "Did I wake you?"

"I wasn't asleep," said John with a little shake of his head.

EJ had only left about a half an hour ago, the younger man having given him a lot to think about.

"Are you alright?" asked Marlena in concern, walking into the room, "I can get one of the nurses to get you something if you can't sleep if you like?"

"I've been asleep for five months," said John with a quirk of his lips, "I think I'd like to be awake for a little bit now."

Marlena gave a tremulous smile at that, her beautiful face lighting up as John could once again see her relief that he was back with them.

"You know I would probably rest a little easier if I had my gorgeous wife beside me," he told her huskily, moving over a little on the bed and indicating she should join him.

Marlena's smile widened and without hesitation she moved to join him, John immediately pulling her into his arms.

"I've missed this so much," she said with a sigh, snuggling into him, "I've missed you John."

"I know," said John softly, holding her to him, "But I'm back now."

"Don't leave me again," Marlena begged him, looking up at him with pleading eyes as she laid her head on his chest, "I don't think I could bear it John."

"I won't," said John making her a promise they both knew he could not keep but that they both needed to hear anyway.

They lay like that for a long time, neither one speaking and just enjoying being in each other's arms again. John couldn't help but think about EJ and Sami and the deal he'd just made with the younger man. He couldn't quite decided if he'd given Sami a precious gift or just ruined her life by agreeing to remain quiet with what he knew. EJ had certainly been very convincing and John wasn't looking to cut the other man any breaks so it hadn't been an easy sell but sell it he had and John just had to find a way to live with that now.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Marlena, seeing his faraway look.

"Buyer's remorse," said John wryly.

Marlena gave him a confused look for that comment and John had to smile at her concern.

"It's alright honey," he reassured her, "I'm not crazy."

Marlena pulled a bit of a face before putting her head back down on his chest and closing her eyes.

"I hope," John muttered to himself as he considered the deal he'd just made with the devil.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE****:** I guess for me this chapter has a bit to it on a couple of levels.

First of all with this chapter and the last couple I wanted to try and show that while in this particular case EJ is full of high ideals and nobility with the love of Sami now in his life there is a practicality to how to live that out that hasn't been tested yet. I mean it's all well and good to say that you've changed and won't do things like you used to but until that is tested how do you know?

I think for me, that was the role of Sam in the previous chapter when she was telling him to do those awful things to John. She's always been the devil's advocate for EJ, usually in a positive way but with EJ determined to do the right thing I saw her there as the test that he would. After all, EJ may have said he's turned over a new leaf but he isn't actually equipped now to handle some of the things that are coming his way now. I mean before he knew what he would have done as a DiMera solider but now all bets are off and he has to find his own way forward and what would that look like exactly? He's doesn't want to be his father but he'll never be a Brady kind of person either so how is he meant to deal with these hiccups in life now?

Realistically I think your first instinct under pressure is to revert to form and I wanted to show that. I don't actually believe love transforms in of itself, I'm more of a believer that love makes you want to transform, gives you a reason to. When you fall in love you don't wake up a better person but you want to be for that other person – you just have to work out how that is going to look like in practice. EJ's faced his first real hurdle – the threat of being separated from Sami and it was a terrifying one when faced with the actual reality of it. He waivered but in the end he came through. This is a whole new part of his life as he tries to work out how EJ DiMera would handle things and not as Stefano's son.

The second thing I wanted to mention was John. Whilst I have little trouble throwing the rest of the Brady's under the bus there is something about John – perhaps my fan girl crush on Uncle John in the PIAV series :blush: - that won't let me do it. Besides I think John's reaction to this made sense. In many ways he's been where EJ is as he said. He's been an unthinking pawn of Stefano and then fell in love with a woman who made him question everything and change utterly. EJ and Sami need some people on their side and there aren't going to be many in this story but I saw in this version of EJ and John the potential for strange bedfellows – an uneasy brotherhood that neither one probably knows how to feel about.

Of course in this story EJ and John aren't related because my Colleen died when she was still pregnant but the similarities between their stories is quite marked and intriguing I think. John was the favourite pawn of Stefano and EJ the favourite child, both shaped by the man, whether either John or EJ want to admit it. It's fascinating stuff – the stuff of legends of dark, deep and complicated men and their relationships. Of course Days ran screaming from the room like a little girl at the thought of tackling such intense, tangled webs and is one of the many reasons that it will be cancelled in the near future I suspect. We want to investigate the relationships of these people, find out more about them and get drawn more into their world and the current TPTB either don't have the skill to do that, don't think we have the intelligence to be interested or a combination of both. Such a loss for everyone concerned but cookie… crumbles… that's the way...

Anyway, that was my take on all that and I don't know if I got it all across but I did want to at least mention what I was shooting for.


	31. Chapter 178

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & SEVENTY EIGHT**** – ****All Work and No Play****... **

We are torn between a craving to know and the despair of having known.

_~Anonymous~_

"Just try a little harder honey," Kate urged him.

"I am trying," Lucas gritted out through clenched teeth, his brow sweaty from his exertions, amongst other things, "It hurts."

"Just try and push past it," Kate said, "How about another couple of stretches hm?"

"Easy for you to say," Lucas grunted as he slumped back on the floor in a disinterested heap.

"Now that you are out of the hospital it is more important than ever that you keep up with the exercises they gave you," Kate prodded him, "If you don't then the surgery would have been a complete waste."

"Just like the rest of my life," Lucas muttered under his breath, in the mood for some self pity today.

"What kind of talk is that?" Kate tutted, "Your life is not a waste Lucas."

"Well I don't have a whole hell of a lot to show for it do I?" he growled.

"You have a beautiful son," Kate reminded him, "You have a great job that you do well in-"

"For now," Lucas interrupted her unhappily, "Victor didn't seem too happy at all this time I'm taking off."

"Victor understands," Kate reassured him, "He's just a bit crusty at times. Don't you worry about him; I'll take care of Victor."

"I don't need you fighting my battles Mom," said Lucas sharply, "I'm a grown man."

"Everyone needs someone in their corner from time to time," she said blithely, "There is no shame in that. Now how about you try some more flexibility exercises hm?"

"I don't want to do anymore exercises!" Lucas practically yelled, lashing out at the nearby coffee table and upending it with a resounding crash as it hit the floor.

Kate gave a start, moving out of its way and looking at Lucas in disbelief.

"You could have hit me with that thing!" she said, outraged.

"But I didn't," sulked Lucas as he pulled himself up into a chair.

He knew he was being a petulant child but seriously didn't care right then.

"I don't know why I am wasting my time if this is going to be your attitude," Kate fumed.

"Well no one asked you to come Mom," said Lucas sourly.

"I can't stand these mood swings of yours," said Kate in vexation, "Is it the withdrawal from the pills Lucas that is making you this difficult?"

"No!" Lucas snapped which was actually true because you had to stop using something for there to be withdrawal symptoms.

He'd gotten a hold of his supplier whilst still in hospital and had been drifting along in a nice fluffy cloud of a drug haze ever since. The trouble was he'd popped his last pill that morning and now was anxiously awaiting his next delivery which hadn't shown up yet. Lucas could feel himself starting to get the shakes and the presence of his mother, pushing him to do more physio wasn't exactly helping things any. He just wanted her gone so he could at least find the bottle of scotch he'd hidden under his bed and try and take the edge off until Larry arrived.

"There is no need to shout," said Kate with a frown, "Are you still in a lot of pain?"

"What do you think?" asked Lucas flatly.

"Well that is where the exercises are going to help you," reasoned Kate, persisting despite Lucas' lack of co-operation.

"Pain is your body's way of telling you something isn't a good idea," said Lucas tersely.

"But if you keep going-" Kate began to argue with him but Lucas wasn't in the mood.

"I'm not doing anymore of those stupid exercises today Mom!" he said sharply.

"I might as well go home for all the good I seem to be doing here," Kate huffed in frustration at Lucas' stubbornness.

"Fine go then," Lucas shortly, "Leaving is what you do best anyway."

"There is no pleasing you," said Kate in annoyance, "One minute I'm being too much and should leave you alone and the next you accuse me of abandonment – which is it Lucas?"

Lucas looked away, his mother having gotten him on that point.

"What is really wrong honey?" Kate sighed, coming to sit across from him now, "Talk to me."

Lucas looked back at her, his lips pressed into a thin, angry line.

"Did you know EJ is up and walking again?" he asked her and Kate looked a little taken aback by the sudden change in topic.

"No I didn't," she said with a little shrug, "Does it matter?"

"The bastard takes two bullets in the back and just seems to shrug it off," snarled Lucas unhappily.

"He didn't look like he was shrugging it off last time I saw him," said Kate flatly, "He was in a foul mood – pretty much like you actually."

"Don't you compare me to that man!" Lucas spat out, "We are nothing alike!"

"I didn't say you were," said Kate, looking a bit shocked now at his sudden vitriol and holding up a placating hand.

"Why because he's good looking and successful and can get any woman he wants?" Lucas baited her, "Unlike me!"

"What on earth is wrong with you?!" asked Kate in annoyed exasperation, "You know that isn't what I meant at all – why are you trying to pick a fight with me Lucas – I'm only trying to help."

Lucas made an unhappy grunting noise, looking away again.

"I think EJ and Sami are having an affair," he said at last, looking off into the distance distractedly.

"Would it be the end of the world if they were?" asked Kate with a little shrug.

"YES!" Lucas practically yelled at her, "It would be the end of _my_ world!"

"Don't be so melodramatic," Kate frowned, "Sami is just one woman, plenty more fish in the sea if you ask me."

"Sami is the mother of my child," said Lucas fiercely, "She's the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with – I can't live without her!"

"This time last year it was Carrie you wanted to spend the rest of your life with and couldn't live without," said Kate practically, "That all came out in the wash in the end didn't it? These things always feel a lot worse when they are happening then what they turn out to be. You get over things, life moves on – that's how things work."

"I can't get over another woman cheating on me Mom!" said Lucas, his dark eyes practically blazing now, "Not another one! If I find out Sami really is cheating on me with EJ then I'm going to kill them both and then me - OWW!"

Kate slapped him hard across the face before Lucas could say anything else and he put a surprised hand to his still stinging cheek.

"Don't you ever say anything like that again!" said Kate fiercely, visibly shaking, "Don't you ever talk about killing yourself, do you hear me Lucas Roberts – EVER!"

Lucas frowned but didn't back down. He felt so desperate right then and he couldn't really explain it other than if Sami was cheating on him then it would be the straw that broke the camel's back for him. Of all of Sami's crimes unfaithfulness had never been one of them and Lucas knew how much she despised such a thing after John and her mother. For her to go there would mean that it had to be him, that there was something drastically wrong about him that he drove even the most faithful of women to cheat on him and Lucas wasn't willing to accept that. If Sami had betrayed him in that way then Lucas knew he really wouldn't be able to handle it and was frightened of what he might be capable of when it came down to it.

"If I can't have a life with Sami then I won't have any kind of life at all," said Lucas coldly, "And I'm not going through that kind of betrayal again – I won't."

"Look you're worrying for nothing," said Kate quickly, obviously seeing how serious he was and moving to placate him, "Last time I saw EJ and Sami they couldn't stand to talk about each other. I can't imagine that is going to change. EJ has moved on and Sami, while maybe flattered on some level was never interested in him in the first place so there is nothing to worry about."

"So you say," said Lucas darkly, not totally appeased by her words.

"Sami has her faults," said Kate and he could see it was hard for his mother to talk up the younger woman in anyway but she was trying, "Many, many, many faults - faults that they haven't even found a name for yet but unfaithfulness isn't one of them. When she has a poor, unwitting victim in her sights she doesn't let go until they beat her off them with a big stick. Just ask your brother, he's got more than a little experience of how far she'll go to hang on to a man, even one who isn't interested in her. Sami, god give me strength, wants you and she won't be letting go of you any time soon."

"I want to believe you Mom," said Lucas unevenly, "I really do."

"Believe it honey," said Kate firmly, "As crazy as Sami is even she is going to draw the line at a DiMera. The DiMera's have done nothing but cause heartache and pain for her family and Sami isn't one to let go of a grudge easily – you can take _my_ word on that. Trust me, if EJ was to go anywhere near Sami she'd be screaming her head off, no doubt about it."

**oooOOOOooo**

"EJ!" Sami screamed; gripping the desk top she was leaning on more tightly before gasping out his name again, "Oh god EJ yeeESSS!"

EJ leant over so his chest was pressed against Sami's back, his lips at her ear.

"Do you have any idea how often I've fantasised about having you like this, in that dress, in my office?" he asked her raggedly, his hot breath in her ear.

"Why do you think I wore it?" she asked him throatily and was rewarded with EJ driving himself into her even more deeply, making Sami go up on her toes to be able to take him.

"God but you're vixen," EJ growled, the arm that wasn't around her waist, keeping Sami deeply impaled on his engorged member reaching up so that he could cup one of her breasts through the red dress.

It was the same dress she'd worn to their first meeting with Shiro-san at the restaurant, red, low cut and figure hugging and as soon as Sami had appeared that morning with it on he'd wanted to rip it off her body again. She'd made him wait though, clearly having the same fantasy he did about how this was going to play out. They were both scheduled for a phone conference with Shiro-san in about half an hour and had decided to fill in the time with some pleasurable distractions. The blinds were drawn and the door to EJ's office locked and no one was going to disturb them but the thrill of knowing that he had Sami bent over his desk, taking her roughly from behind with people only a few feet away guaranteed for EJ at least that this was not going to be a long session.

"This is what you wanted me to do to you that first time wasn't it sweetheart?" he asked her thickly as his hips began to hammer her with a more urgent rhythm.

EJ could feel his balls becoming heavier with every pounding, knowing they were going to be tightening soon in anticipation of being able to empty himself into her. The thought made him drill Sami a little harder and faster, making her gasp in appreciation of his eagerness.

"Oh god YES!" Sami moaned through gritted teeth as EJ's frantic strokes began to take their toll. on her body and EJ could feel her legs begin to shake.

He removed his hand from her breast momentarily, grabbing for one of her legs and pulling it up so that her knee was resting on his desk. Pens and paper went flying but neither one noticed as they enjoyed this new position, EJ finding he could penetrate her a little deeper now, to their mutual satisfaction.

"Oh god!" Sami gasped almost incoherently as EJ's hand returned to her breast, squeezing and massaging it roughly, "I'm going to come so hardddd!"

"I know," he said through gritted teeth, knowing he was going to have a similar fate.

Sami suddenly cried out, a strangled noise and began bucking wildly underneath him, shaking uncontrollably as she climaxed all around him. It was the best feeling in the world to have Sami bearing down on him so hard like that and it was all EJ needed to find his end. Even as he made his own strangled grunting noise, climaxing hard inside of her EJ wished he could have made it last longer. He'd wanted to make Sami come again before giving himself over to his own pleasure but she just made it too damn impossible for him to stay in control for even a second longer.

"I want you again!" he managed to choke out around his orgasm, leant over her again, chest against her back as he pummelled her hard with his last spurting moments.

EJ wanted to be more articulate, tell her how he craved her body, how she drove him crazy with just the barest of looks but it was all too hard and instead he just let her hear his need for her in his voice.

"Oh god," said Sami shakily, now on her elbows on the desk as EJ's strokes at last began to slow, held captive by the last spasms of his release.

"Samantha," EJ said her name unevenly, his voice a hoarse whisper as he dropped his head down onto her back, his lungs struggling to find enough oxygen to keep himself upright.

"Wow," said Sami faintly as he withdrew from her, helping her up from the desk because EJ knew it couldn't have been the most comfortable of positions, "That was really something."

"It is always 'really something' with you my darling," said EJ thickly, his body still shaking a little as he kissed her deeply then after having rearranged himself appropriately and done up his trousers again.

"I have to get cleaned up a little," she told him with a half smile when EJ would let her speak finally after breaking the kiss.

"Allow me," said EJ with an impish smile, pulling out the red handkerchief in his breast coat pocket and lifting Sami up onto his desk.

His hand slipped under her dress to find the apex of Sami's thighs and she quivered a little at the touch of the silky square of material to such a highly sensitive part of her body, especially after what he'd put her through. EJ smiled to see her reaction, the way Sami's eyelids drooped and her tongue came out to whet her bottom lip almost unconsciously.

"Nice," she purred, arching her back a little at EJ's tender ministrations.

"You're so beautiful," he told her huskily, looking at this gorgeous creature, still hardly able to believe she was all his.

"I always look beautiful after you make me come," she said cheekily and EJ gave an appreciative groan at her candour.

EJ briefly wondered if Sami was as confident as this after sex with her previous partners and hoped not. He liked the thought that he was the only man who had brought out the real minx in Sami Brady and that no other man had seen her as self assured and secure as she was with him.

"This is so unprofessional of us," Sami groaned even as her head lolled back and she gave a low moan of appreciation for EJ's efforts.

"Oh I don't know sweetheart," said EJ mischievously as he bent down and kissed her flushed breasts that were visible over the top of her dress, "I think Brandi Mathas would have been proud to see how professional that last bout was."

Sami gave a little giggle at his observation, not refuting it.

"To think we could have been doing this all along if I hadn't been so stubborn," said Sami with a regretful sigh.

"You did put me through my paces darling," EJ agreed with a quirk of his lips, "You had me so captivated that I could think of nothing but you, day and night – you utterly consumed me Samantha."

"And now that you've gotten me?" she asked with a slight arch of an eyebrow, drawing back to look at him.

"Now?" EJ asked her with a soft smile of his lips, "Now I'm so captivated that I can think of nothing but you, day and night and I'm utterly consumed by you Samantha Jean Brady."

Sami's smile lit her entire face as she put a hand to EJ's face and drew him into a heartfelt kiss, the rest of the world ceasing to exist for them. EJ lost himself in her kisses, feeling the tension return to his body as he wanted her again. He cupped Sami intimately, rubbing her softly even as he felt his own body begin to stir again.

"Phone call," Sami murmured, breaking the kiss and feeling where this was heading already.

"I think we should postpone," said EJ gruffly, moving into kiss her again, "I think we have more pressing matters in hand to attend to."

"EJ," said Sami laughingly, trying to avoid his kiss because she knew as much as he did that a few more of those and she wouldn't be putting up any kind of resistance, "We need to get this deal happening so I can make my first million."

"My little capitalist," said EJ with an indulgent grin, amused by her motivation.

"It's alright for you," Sami sniffed, feigning annoyance, "You were born with millions to your name – us lesser mortals have to work for our fortunes."

"And do you think money will change you?" asked EJ with an arched eyebrow.

"It will change my wardrobe," said Sami knowingly.

"Your clothes don't interest me darling," said EJ with an evil grin, "Other than how quickly I can get you out of them of course."

"Well you can see how quickly you can put me back in them and help me find my panties," suggest Sami with a laugh.

"I'm not finding very much motivation to help you out with that," said EJ with a wicked waggling of his eyebrows, "Again I'd like to suggest cancelling our meeting and you can make a million dollars tomorrow instead while we take care of our own unfinished business."

"And tomorrow you don't foresee this little issue cropping up again?" asked Sami innocently, tongue in cheek.

"First of all my issue isn't little," said EJ throatily which Sami just had to laugh at, "And second of all if you are that keen to make a million dollars today I can move some money around between our bank accounts."

"Hm," said Sami, pretending to consider his offer, "You know I'd like to prove people like Kate Roberts wrong and be able to say that I didn't make my first million on my back – ironically unlike her."

"I have absolutely no problem with us doing it standing up," said EJ looking earnestly sincere.

"So I noticed," Sami chuckled, "You've got quite an accomplished repertoire of positions I must say."

"Well I read a lot of books," said EJ straight faced, "And it's the main reason I have gym membership – maintain my core body strength for just such occasions."

"And my I say worth every cent," Sami purred contentedly.

"Mr DiMera, Ms Brady – Mr Chiba is on line one for you both."

EJ's secretary's voice filled the room over the intercom and EJ pulled a face.

"Last chance," he said urgently, "We sneak out the fire escape and spend the rest of the afternoon in carnal bliss."

Sami just smiled and shook her head, reaching over to her left where she was still sitting on the desk and pressing the intercom button.

"Put him through thanks Carol," she said as EJ made a complaining groan.

"I hope you are planning on making this up to me," he grumbled as Sami got off the desk and took a seat behind his desk, EJ following her and bringing a chair with him to sit beside her.

"I still have a couple of menthol lozengers left in my purse," she said playfully and couldn't help but laugh at the way EJ's face brightened considerably at that information.

Further discussion though on the benefits of menthol throat candies being able to clear all sorts of passages was suspended as Shiro Chiba came on the line. Greetings were made and a few pleasantries were exchanged.

"So sorry to keep you waiting my friends," said Shiro-san apologetically.

"It's perfectly alright Shiro-san," said EJ giving Sami an impish wink, "Samantha and I managed to find some things to occupy ourselves with."

Sami rolled her eyes and shook her head at his teasing but couldn't help the slight blush his words had caused.

"You sound well EJ," commented Shiro-san, "I am glad that you have had such a speedy recovery."

"Thank you," said EJ, still smiling at Sami with a soft, loving curve of his lips, "I had a lot to get better for."

Sami returned his smile, her eyes lighting up as she knew that he was talking about her.

"Thank you for your well wishes in the hospital," continued on EJ, picking up Sami's hand and beginning to kiss her finger tips, one by one.

Both of them not didn't take their eyes off the other as EJ continued the conversation with the older man and the heat in the room between them was almost palpable despite the benign conversation he was managing to maintain.

"They were very much appreciated," continued on EJ before slipping one of Sami's fingers into his mouth and beginning to suck on the dainty digit, his tongue a velvety caress that made Sami give a little shudder.

Her nipples immediately puckered, clearly visible through the clinging, red material of her dress and EJ couldn't help himself. He leant forward, abandoning Sami's finger for more alluring prey. Before Sami could stop him, EJ had found one of those pert buds, nipping at it hard and making her jump a little in her seat. Sami's hand went to the back of EJ's head, trying to tug on his hair to make him stop as she sent him a warning look and a disapproving shake of her head. The pulling of his hair wasn't that convincing though, along with the fact that Sami had instinctively arched her back, presenting her breasts to him like an offering so EJ didn't let her dissuade him.

"Well I'm just glad that everything has worked out so well," said Shiro-san, "I was most distressed to hear of such a terrible thing."

"We all were Shiro-san," said Sami, her voice only having the barest of wobbles to it as EJ set about torturing her beaded flesh through her clothes, "I'm glad it is behind us now and we can get on with life and that includes the business EJ and I are so eager to get underway with you."

EJ wanted her again so badly, he couldn't help himself. It was like once you'd had a taste of something that sweet you just couldn't help but crave more and more of it – never satisfied with how much you'd had already. Sami was valiantly trying to continue on with the business meeting but EJ knew that he was going to be taking her again very soon and he didn't care if the other man was going to be listening in or not – he just had to have her.

"I too am eager for such a thing," said Shiro-san and then there was a murmur of voices in the background before he spoke again, "So sorry – another urgent phone call has come through. Can I beg your patience to please wait on me for a moment EJ and Sami?"

"Of course," said Sami quickly and then there was the sound of them being put on hold.

Sami took the momentary bit of privacy to try and reign in the situation.

"EJ what are you doing?!" she choked, pulling harder on his hair now.

"You," he said simply, knowing he couldn't wait any longer.

"You can't-" Sami began to protest but EJ had already stood up, picking Sami up and depositing her on his desk.

"Have to," he told her unevenly as he released himself from the confines of his trousers.

"Oh god," said Sami shakily, her eyes widening at seeing how engorged he was again and EJ felt himself get a little harder again at the obvious hunger that was back in her eyes.

Sami managed to tear her eyes off his raging manhood and looked up at him wide eyed.

"We can't," she said weakly, her protests thoroughly unconvincing, "It would be so bad."

"Be bad with me then sweetheart," he asked of her hoarsely, pushing her legs apart and the material of her skirt up her thighs, "God but I'm so glad we never found your panties."

"EJ no," said Sami, obviously trying to be the strong one despite the raging hunger he could see in her eyes.

"I'll do you a deal," he told her unevenly, "If you're not as wet for me as I am hard for you right now then I'll stop."

"EJ," she said breathlessly, her eyes telling him what he'd find waiting for him when he tested out his theory.

EJ edged a little closer and Sami made no move to stop him, totally mesmerised by him and his volcanic need of her. EJ swallowed a soft moan as he took his aching hardness in hand and gently rubbed it against Sami's swollen folds, finding her so wet and hot that it was almost enough for him to lose his load all over her right there and then.

"EJ, Sami."

Shiro-san's voice interrupted them but not really as EJ continued to use his velvety tip to delve into Sami's slick folds, holding each other's gaze unblinkingly, their faces close.

"I am most sorry but I must go now," said Shiro-san regretfully, "Something that cannot wait has come up that I must attend to, I regret that we must postpone our time together."

"That's no problem at all," said Sami, her eyes flaring now as she gave herself over to EJ's temptations, "Something has come up here as well."

EJ felt Sami reach between their bodies, brushing his hand away and wrapping itself around his turgid member herself. He bit back a yelp of approval, the two of them saying their goodbyes to the Japanese businessman even as Sami found her nub with his tip and began to massage it in a circular motion, clearly intent on giving him something even hotter and wetter to find a home inside of when the time came. Sami knew how much he loved penetrating her while she was climaxing and was obviously more than willing to help him out with that. Thankfully Shiro-san had hung up now which was just as well because EJ wouldn't have cared who was listening to them right now.

"Are you close?" he asked her, his own excitement making his voice thick and barely recognisable as the need to mount her now was almost making him scream.

"Yes," Sami groaned, closing her eyes as she quickened the pace of using his body to pleasure her own.

Sami's legs suddenly jerked up, twitching madly as she threw her head back, groaning loudly as she began to climax from using him to stimulate her nub. EJ quickly took advantage of the situation, grabbing the back of Sami's knees and pulling her towards him, impaling her with one swift action even as her walls were shuddering wildly.

"Thank you sweetheart," he told her with a groan in open appreciation of her efforts.

"You're welcome," Sami panted unevenly, a little smile on her lips as EJ began to immediately pound himself into her hard, clearly a man on a mission after that little performance.

She moved so that her arms went around his neck, Sami's legs going to EJ's waist, holding onto him tightly.

"Like that did you?" she purred up at him, their faces practically touching.

"What do you think?" EJ growled, slowing his strokes momentarily and driving himself into her particularly deeply so that Sami could feel just exactly how worked up she'd gotten him.

"Oh!" Sami gasped, her eyes widening at his impressive penetration.

"Still care that we are being unprofessional?" asked EJ smugly as he saw how much she was enjoying having him inside of her again.

"Shut up and make me come again," Sami ordered him throatily; her legs tightening their grip on him and EJ had no option but to obey.


	32. Chapter 179

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & SEVENTY NINE**** – ****Room With a View**

All the breaks you need in life wait within your imagination,

Imagination is the workshop of your mind, capable of turning mind energy into accomplishment and wealth.

_~Napoleon Hill~_

Sami walked out onto the fire escape and leant against the brick wall, giving a heavy sigh. She looked out with unseeing eyes over the nightscape of Salem, lost in her thoughts.

Sami knew she should have been on top of the world right now seeing as she'd just finalised some final details with Shiro Chiba over the business they were going to do together. She was well on her way to making her first million, at the very least and every minute spent with EJ was utter bliss. Sami felt like her life was at last starting, everything she'd ever dreamed of and far more than she'd imagined finally right there in front of her. Despite that though there was still a cloud that hung over her that niggled away incessantly.

Lucas.

Not wanting to burden EJ with talk of the other man Sami had been keeping her anxieties about breaking up with Lucas more or less to herself. EJ knew she wasn't looking forward to telling him the truth but for Sami she was actually dreading it. Not because she didn't want to be free to be with EJ but because Sami knew how spiteful and bitter things could get between them and didn't want that kind of thing in her life anymore. It was going to be inevitable of course and the worst part for Sami was the thought of Will and him being dragged into the middle of another war between his parents. It made Sami physically ill the thought of telling Lucas but at the same time she just wanted it over and done with. It was a burden she was trying to carry alone because it wasn't of EJ's making and Sami knew she had to take responsibility for her own choices, just like he had done with John.

She gave a soft little smile, thinking how far the two of them had come when it came to their own personal development. They were never going to be model citizens but Sami was quietly proud of the progress they had both made although perhaps not everyone was going to agree with them. The smile left Sami's face as she thought of how her family was going to react to their union. Susan and Edmund had been so loving and generous with her but unfortunately Sami knew EJ wasn't going to receive the same kind of reception from her family. Sami looked down and touched the delicate bracelet around her wrist and felt her heart swell with love for all the EJ and his family had given her. Never in her wildest dreams did Sami ever imagine what it felt like to be this accepted for who she was right then, with no tacit understanding that she would be trying to improve herself hanging over her head.

Sami sighed again, wondering if she would be able to explain any of this to Lucas and if it would help in anyway if she could find the words to express being loved in this way felt like. It was unlikely she decided, doubting that she'd find any way to make this sound like anything other than a complete and utter betrayal on her behalf. Lucas would be as angry as hell and really, he had a perfect right to be. Sami still couldn't quite believe that she'd cheated truth be told but like EJ had said, it wasn't like she and Lucas had ever really started up this time any way but still, Lucas was unlikely to see it that way.

Sami had been trying to contact him in the last day or so, mainly out of guilt but she had been having trouble reaching him. For some reason Lucas didn't seem to be answering his phone and Sami wasn't worried enough yet to try and ring Kate to ask after him. She was sure that if something was seriously wrong then someone would have contacted her so it couldn't be that and Sami had to wonder if Lucas might be intentionally not answering her calls. Perhaps he'd started to get an inkling that things weren't right between them and was distancing himself of his own accord. Sami didn't know if that was wishful thinking on her behalf or not but without being able to contact him she wasn't sure what to think. A clink of metal caught her attention, interrupting her troubled thoughts and Sami turned her head, looking down on the roof top below and seeing EJ standing there, exercising with his weights.

"There you are," she called out to him with a shake of her head and a smile, "I wondered where you had gotten to."

"You ordered me out of your hair," EJ said with a smile, seeing her now that she'd spoken as well.

EJ looked up at where Sami was standing on the fire escape as he continued to lift the dumbbell in steady repetition in front of him, dressed only in dark sweat pants.

"You're too much of a distraction," Sami told him as she climbed down the metal ladder to the top of the roof where EJ was working out as he put down his weights, all thoughts of Lucas forgotten right then.

Sami was on the ground now and walking towards him, finding it hard not to admire his ripped body, every muscle defined and pumped after his work out. There was a fine layer of glistening sweat covering his body, catching the moonlight every now and then and Sami had difficulty remembering what she was about to say at the sight of this male god. No matter how much time they spent together her first sight of EJ when they'd been apart always made her knees go weak and sometimes Sami couldn't believe that he was actually hers.

"Am I distracting?" asked EJ, all innocence as he wiped his hands on a nearby towel, "I don't mean to be sweetheart."

They'd had to cancel a second meeting with Shiro-san only yesterday because EJ's urges had gotten the better of both of them yet again so Sami in desperation and knowing she lacked any kind of willpower around him had said he couldn't come to the next meeting. EJ had pouted over that but what pleased Sami the most about it all was that he didn't stop for one moment and looked at her as though he doubted her ability to handle such a big deal herself. It had thrilled Sami no end that he trusted in her so much that it hadn't been an issue. Lucas and Kate would have been going on about her inexperience but for EJ that didn't seem to be a concern at all.

"You're very naughty EJ," she tried to chastise him but there was a little smile on her lips as she did.

"I was under the impression that my naughtiness was one of your most favourite things about me Samantha," he said cheekily, shoving his hands into his pockets and grinning down at her.

"It's up there in the top five," Sami said with a quirk of her lips.

"Only top five?" exclaimed EJ in mock horror, his eyebrows shooting up his forehead.

"You make a good cup of coffee as well," said Sami straight faced, "It's pretty much neck in neck between those two things."

"Hm," said EJ, pretending to ponder this new information.

He moved closer to her, pulling her into his arms and the smell of his male sweatiness filled Sami's nostrils and made her head swim, making her feel like she'd just been captured by some heaving he-man and rather liking the thought of that.

"I guess I'm going to have to see what I can do about moving my naughtiness a little further up your list," said EJ with a little smile.

He tightened his hold on her waist, dipping his head and beginning to press soft, nipping kisses along the sweep of her neck and Sami felt her body instantly respond to him, wanting him even more. As good as what EJ was doing to her felt though Sami still had things she wanted to share with him before she lost her head completely.

"Don't you want to hear what I've got to say about how the meeting with Shiro-san went?" asked Sami with a smile as EJ made his way up her neck and began nibbling at her ear.

"I always want to hear what you have to say darling," he told her throatily, his hot breath in her ear now, "Especially when it's 'oh god EJ, don't stop, take me harder'."

Despite herself Sami blushed even though she knew that was a little silly at this point in their relationship. There wasn't a single part of her body that EJ wasn't intimately acquainted with, many times over so it seemed a bit pointless but Sami couldn't help herself. EJ must have felt the heat of her blush because he drew back a little and scrutinised her carefully in the low light, a smile coming to his lips.

"You're blushing," he informed her rather unnecessarily, clearly liking the thought of that as he gave a little laugh, "Really? After all the things we've done to each other – what would Brandi say about such a thing?"

"Don't," said Sami in mock annoyance as her blush deepened, remembering exactly what had transpired between Rami and Brandi.

EJ gave a laugh again, shaking his head at her sudden bout of bashfulness.

"You are such a contradiction Samantha Brady," he said indulgently, before pulling her closer to him again, resuming his attentions to her neck.

"My innocent seductress."

EJ punctuated his assessment of her with a gentle kiss to the side of Sami's neck.

"My wanton virgin."

Another soft kiss, now to the indent at the base of her throat where a pulse was working away madly.

"My intoxicating paradox," he told her huskily, his lips now at the gentle sweep of the top of her breasts, displayed enticingly above her V-neck blouse.

"EJ,' she said unevenly as he began to pepper kisses along her neckline and Sami could feel herself beginning to fall.

"Okay," said EJ with a teasing reluctant sigh as he straightened up, "Tell me how rich you just made Mythic and by extension us after your conversation with Mr Chiba and then we can get back to the important things in life."

"Most people wouldn't think of multimillion dollar deals as unimportant EJ," said Sami with a quirk of her lips.

"Most people don't have the opportunity to make love to you my darling," said EJ with a grin, "And if they did they'd know how very unimportant anything else is in light of that singular experience."

"Are you telling me that sex with me is worth millions?" asked Sami with a laugh at his enthusiasm.

"No my love," said EJ, looking very serious now, "I'm saying sex with you is priceless – there is no monetary value that could be attached to it that would do it justice."

Sami couldn't help but feel herself practically begin to glow under EJ's extravagant praise. He made her feel like she was the only woman in the world and Sami loved him even more for that. No one had ever made this special and this desired before in her life and she could have kicked herself for all those years of settling and believing herself to be happy.

"So?" he prompted her with a smile, obviously seeing how happy he'd just made her, "Tell me how it went and then I can get back to finishing what I started – you."

Sami slapped his arm for that ribald comment but the twinkle in her eye told him that she couldn't wait either.

"Shiro-san loved all of my new ideas," she told him happily, feeling a fresh wave of confidence roll over her at the memory.

"Of course he did," said EJ casually, "They were all brilliant and Shiro Chiba didn't get as rich and powerful as he has by ignoring brilliant ideas."

"You thought they were brilliant?" asked Sami a little shyly.

"Darling they were inspired and just goes to show what an amazing instinct you have for doing business," said EJ with a grin, "You can only teach people so much and then it comes down to talent – some people have it and some people don't and you most definitely have it Samantha."

Sami's grin widened until it actually hurt her face to smile that hard but she couldn't help it.

"So we've worked out a lot of details," she told him and then started to bring EJ up to speed.

He listened carefully, interjecting occasionally with questions and offering some suggestions of his own and Sami just loved how they seemed to know what each other was thinking, bouncing off one another effortlessly.

"And Shiro-san was talking about us coming to Japan to finalise the deal," Sami told him excitedly, it still seeming like a dream that she was even saying these things.

She was a smart woman but ever since she had been a teenager Sami knew she'd wasted those smarts on tricking men into loving her or getting revenge. It was with a vague frustration Sami thought about what she could have achieved already if she hadn't been so intent on getting what she'd thought she'd wanted at the time and concentrated it on something more productive in the end. A university degree, corporate experience, travel – these were all things she could have pursued with the same intensity that she'd pursued the likes of Austin and Lucas and had a lot more to show for it. What did they say, hindsight was always twenty twenty? Sami certainly knew the truth in that now but was determined not to wallow in regret instead she was going to learn from all her past miscalculations and use that knowledge to build a life with EJ that none of the haters could touch.

EJ it seemed was thinking along the same lines – to the future.

"Perhaps we can combine that with our honeymoon eh darling?" suggested EJ thoughtfully, "I know a simply stunning little private retreat outside of Kitakyushu that would do very nicely for out extended honeymoon."

"You keep talking about honeymoons but you are yet to ask me to marry you," Sami reminded him, feigning annoyance even while her heart skipped a beat at the thought of being Mrs EJ DiMera.

"Impatient," noted EJ with a quirk of his lips as he bent down and kissed the exposed skin of her neck, his lips sensuously brushing against her delicate skin as he spoke, "I like that in my woman."

"Technically I'm not yours until there is a ring on my finger," she sassed him, a knowing smile on her lips.

"Well in that case I'd better get cracking on the eh?" said EJ with a half smile, "I wouldn't want anyone thinking that you were in any way available now would I?"

EJ's words inadvertently reminded Sami of Lucas and how he no doubt that he was the one who had made her unavailable. EJ must have seen the sudden change in her mood on her face because he looked suddenly concerned.

"What is it darling?" he asked her quietly, "What have I said?"

"Nothing," said Sami brightly, trying to brush it to one side.

She withdrew a little, finding it hard to lie to EJ when he was looking at her so intently.

"It doesn't look like nothing," EJ said calmly, watching as she moved away from him and turning to follow her progress to the other end of the roof top.

"I'm just being silly," said Sami, valiantly trying to smile for him.

"You are not a silly woman Samantha," said EJ firmly, clearly not going to take that for an answer.

He smiled down at her as he walked towards her, obviously trying to tease her out of her sudden funk.

"Unless it is about shoes," he said affectionately, "Then you are quite mad."

"Says you," Sami sniffed, smiling a little despite herself, "You're the one who wants to marry those Italian shoes of yours."

"It's just a Spring time fling," said EJ, tongue in cheek, "You're the real love of my life sweetheart – you know that."

"I know," said Sami softly and she did.

"Then why suddenly so grim?" asked EJ quietly.

"I was just thinking," said Sami with a little shrug.

"About?" he pushed her.

Sami hesitated, hating to bring it up and ruin what had been a nice time between them but the look on EJ's face told her he wasn't going to let her leave it there. He wasn't like the other men in her life – easily distracted by her ability to put people off. EJ wouldn't let her play those kinds of games with him and truth be told she didn't want to.

"Lucas," said Sami and made a regretful face.

"What about Lucas?" asked EJ, his facial expression and tone not changing but Sami could see the sudden tension in his body at the mention of the other man's name.

"I can't get in contact with him all of a sudden," said Sami, realising just then that it was worrying her more than she'd thought, "He's not answering his cell phone."

"Perhaps someone put his phone up on a high shelf and he can't reach it?" offered up EJ straight faced.

Sami arched her eyebrow and gave him a vaguely disapproving look.

"Sorry, unhelpful I know," said EJ ruefully, "Just can't seem to help myself with the short jokes."

"Lucas isn't that short EJ," said Sami with a roll of her eyes.

"Not for a woman no," said EJ without missing a beat, "He's just about right for that."

"He can't help being the height he is no more than you can help being-" Sami began.

"An impressive mountain of a man?" interjected EJ throatily with a teasing waggle of his eyebrows.

"I was just going to say tall," said Sami in amusement at EJ's shameless self promotion – not that he needed it.

"I think Mother Nature knows who is going to be the losers and winners in life and hands out her bounty accordingly," said EJ confidently.

"Listen to you," Sami tutted, "Could you be a little more arrogant do you think?"

"Darling I can afford to be arrogant," said EJ unrepentantly, smiling at her, "I've gotten the most gorgeous woman in Salem, no make that the planet, to fall in love with me. That mere fact alone entitles me to a god like status in the eyes of lesser mortals."

Sami couldn't help but laugh at that statement thinking how like EJ it was to be so theatrical and loving that about him.

"Okay," said Sami, feigning reluctance around her smile, "It's pretty hard to be mad at you with that kind of logic I suppose."

The two smiled at each other before EJ put out a hand and rested it on her arm.

"Alright," he said with a little sigh, the amusement fading from his eyes now, "Let's talk about Lucas then."

Sami pulled a face, not really wanting to because she just wanted to pretend that he didn't exist anymore but unfortunately that wasn't how it was.

"Okay," she said softly and took a deep breath...


	33. Chapter 180

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & EIGHTY**** – ****Moonlight Sonata**

Keep your faith in all beautiful things; in the sun when it is hidden,

in the Spring when it is gone.

_~Roy R. Gilson~_

"What's bothering you about Lucas?" EJ prompted her as Sami didn't immediately speak, "You said you couldn't contact him – is that a problem?"

"I don't know," said Sami with a hopeless shrug, "On one hand it's a relief not to have to talk to him and keep up the pretence but on the other hand I don't want anything bad to have happened to him either."

"Right," said EJ, offering no further comment.

"I know you don't like hearing me say things like that," said Sami regretfully.

"Darling," said EJ and grimaced, "You have a big heart and I love that about you and I just have to deal with the fact that I'm not the only person in that heart – as much as I hate the thought of that."

"You're the most important person in it," Sami told him with a bit of a frown, not wanting EJ to think that there was even a contest between him and Lucas, "Other than Will of course."

"I know," said EJ with a lop sided smile, "But I'm effectively an only child and I don't share well – especially when it comes to you Samantha. It drives me insane to think of you having any kind of feelings for a man other than me – in any capacity. I know that is particularly Neanderthal of me but I simply can't help myself."

"But you trust me right?" asked Sami, suddenly worried, "You don't think I'd cheat on you do you EJ? I mean I know I'm cheating on Lucas now but I've never done that kind of thing before and I'd die before I hurt you like that and-"

"Sweetheart," EJ interrupted her breathless defence, "I don't doubt your love for me or your fidelity-"

"But?" Sami prompted him when EJ left that statement hanging.

"But you have a lot of history with Lucas," he said, looking suddenly serious now.

"A lot of _bad_ history," said Sami, pulling a face.

"There has been a lot of things that has passed between you two," said EJ a little unhappily, "Be it anger or love and I must confess to finding that a little hard to deal with at times because on some levels I can't compete with that."

"I've known Lucas for a long time," Sami agreed quickly, "But most of the times were bad EJ, really, really bad – we've done some truly horrible things to one another."

"But it was all a form of passion," EJ pointed out regretfully, "Call me crazy but I hate the thought of you having such strong feelings for any man other than me, whatever they are."

"That is kind of crazy," agreed Sami with a quirk of her lips, "You hate the fact that I've hated another man?"

"Hate means you're thinking about them," EJ informed her, "And yes, I loathe the thought that Lucas was inside your head in any kind of capacity for any length of time."

"I know," said Sami, realising she would feel the same way about anyone that held EJ's attention that wasn't her.

She wanted to be the only thing EJ thought about, day and night. Sami knew that was unrealistic but couldn't hold it against EJ for feeling that way when she did as well.

"But that doesn't mean that I don't want you to talk about what is going on in your head about the guy," said EJ quickly, "Sweetheart I know that your thoughts won't only be of me, I understand that but all I ask is that you let me in about what it is that you are thinking. I don't want you to feel as though you have to keep things from me. I know you must think about Lucas and I can deal with that. What makes it hard is if you keep those thoughts to yourself – I can't help but worry then."

"You can't possibly think that going back to Lucas would ever be an option for me now EJ?" said Sami, looking up at him in shock.

EJ didn't answer right away, looking off to the side briefly.

"EJ!" said Sami firmly, "Look at me."

He did, giving her a rueful look.

"I could never go back to Lucas," she vowed to him earnestly, needing him to understand this, "It would kill me to have him touch me again, in any way. I love you EJ and the thought of being with any other man than you makes me physically sick. There is nothing on this earth that would ever make me go back to Lucas – ever!"

"Promise?" asked EJ with a little smile at her vehemence but looking at her intently nonetheless.

Sami felt the pit of her stomach drop at seeing the hint of uncertainty in EJ's eyes and knew she was the reason for it.

"I know I've hurt you before by going back to Lucas in the past," said Sami, determined to make him believe her, "But that was before I let myself trust in our love. Now that I have I can't imagine a life without you EJ – everyone else is going to be a cheap substitute. Even if you told me tomorrow that you didn't want me there is no way I would dream of going back to Lucas – it isn't even an option for me now, not now, not ever."

"I don't think you have to worry about a day where a wouldn't want you Samantha," said EJ huskily, his brown eyes soft and adoring, "You're a part of my soul and you're love is the only thing that keeps my heart beating."

"Soppy," Sami informed him with a pleased smile.

"So sue me," EJ grinned back at her, "Now what in particular has got you worried about Lucas exactly?"

"I don't want him to hate me anymore," said Sami with a despondent sigh, telling EJ the truth, "We've done that for so many years and I just don't want to go there yet again."

"Hm," said EJ, looking as though he was thinking about that carefully, "Well I wish there was a way to promise you that wasn't going to happen but I can't. But I do believe that if he loves you as he claims he does then eventually he will find a way to forgive you."

"And if he doesn't?" asked Sami unhappily.

"Is it that important that he is a part of your life Samantha?" asked EJ quietly.

"I know you want me to say no," said Sami painfully.

"What I want is for you to be honest with me," EJ corrected her gently.

"Even if you don't like the answer?" asked Sami sceptically.

"Especially then," said EJ ruefully, "My shoulders are broad, I can handle it."

"It's just that Lucas is Will's father and that does mean there will always be this bond between us," said Sami unhappily, "Will doesn't deserve parents that hate each other and I've been a big part of ensuring that Lucas and I have done little else but fight for all of his life. It is so unfair on him and I'm frightened what Lucas is going to do to make me pay, like using Will. I know Lucas is going to go after you-"

"Here's hoping," said EJ with a roll of his eyes.

"What does that mean?" asked Sami, arching an eyebrow at him.

"It means I've been dying to put that little hobbit in his place for a long time now," said EJ casually, "And if he takes the first swing then I get my wish."

"EJ you can't fight him," said Sami earnestly.

"I'm not envisaging it being much of a fight," said EJ flatly, "Although note to self – I should look at getting some kind of knee guards to protect myself against the onslaught."

"You're just out of the hospital," said Sami hotly, really frightened now, "You both are! I won't have you fighting – do you hear me?!"

"Sweetheart I'm going to defend myself if Lucas is so foolish to start something with me," said EJ unapologetically.

"I don't want that!" said Sami in distress, "You could get hurt EJ!"

"You mean if a trip over his prone body or something?" asked EJ straight faced, "Or am forced to deafen myself to block out his incessant whining and shouting?"

"I want you to be serious EJ," said Sami determinedly, not smiling at his jokes, "I want you to promise me that you won't fight Lucas, no matter what happens."

EJ didn't respond immediately, looking down at Sami thoughtfully.

"Nope," he said at last, "Can't do it."

"EJ!" Sami gasped.

"Would it make you feel better if I made that promise but with the understanding that I was most likely going to break it?" asked EJ helpfully.

"No!" said Sami unamused by his solution.

"Well no and lying are the only options I can offer you sweetheart," said EJ with a bit of a shrug, "Take your pick."

"I don't want this EJ," said Sami urgently.

"I kind of do," said EJ truthfully and then relented on seeing her anxious expression, "But I promise you Samantha that I won't start anything – it will be down to Lucas."

"Of course he is going to start something once he finds out about us," said Sami agitatedly, "He has a bad history with infidelity."

"You know a smart man might stop and ask what it was about him that caused all of the women in his life to cheat on him," said EJ knowingly, "I mean after the first six or seven you've got to start to wonder if it is really the women at fault."

"EJ," said Sami with a disapproving look at him, "That is not something to joke about."

"I just find it interesting that this kind of thing keeps on happening to him," said EJ casually, "But maybe when you tell him you could try and find an upside to it all – like at least this time it wasn't with one of his brothers. I mean that has to be a nice change right?"

"I don't see that helping in anyway," said Sami flatly, "See, this is why I didn't want to talk to you about this. You don't seem to care if Lucas gets hurt or not."

"Truthfully I don't," said EJ candidly.

"Well that isn't right EJ," Sami argued with him, "We're in the wrong here."

"We fell in love Samantha," EJ argued with her, "There is nothing wrong with that and frankly I think Lucas deserves all that he gets."

"How can you say that?" asked Sami in disbelief.

"I can say that because that man made you beg for his love," said EJ unrepentantly, "He made you think you weren't enough as you were and had a lot to apologise for and that you had to work to keep his love. Lucas kept you insecure and dying inside so that he could feel like a big man and in control of the relationship and for that I think he deserves every kind of pain this life has for him."

Sami looked up at him, her annoyance at how apparently off hand he was being about Lucas' feelings melting away when he told her why.

"Is that how you really feel EJ?" she asked him in wonder, never having had anyone take her side so utterly before.

"What other way would there be to feel?" asked EJ in genuine consternation and Sami couldn't have loved him more right then.

"I'm thinking the likes of Kate Roberts would be able to offer you a few suggestions," said Sami wryly, knowing that she wasn't going to be facing only the wrath of Lucas but his overprotective mother as well.

"I'll take care of Kate," said EJ confidently, "Don't you worry about her sweetheart – she isn't going to be a bother to us."

"Like you took care of her before?" asked Sami, unable to help the flash of jealousy that went through her at the thought of them being lovers.

"We weren't lovers Samantha," said EJ, as though he could read her thoughts, "We had sex, nothing more. It meant less to me than picking out a tie to wear for the day. We were just at a loose end at the time and wanted to scratch an itch I suppose."

"Ironically you are more likely to pick up an itch from Kate Roberts than have it scratched," said Sami darkly.

EJ put out a hand and stroked her face lovingly.

"Sweetheart you have nothing to worry about," he told her huskily, "I only have eyes for you, for the rest of our lives you are all the woman I want, all the woman I see."

"You can't really promise me that EJ," said Sami unhappily, "Who knows what the future will bring."

"Whatever it brings I know my feelings about you are never going to change," said EJ determinedly, "Santo never stopped loving Colleen for all the days of his life."

EJ grimaced slightly at that comment.

"Although admittedly it did get a little twisted there," he said wryly.

"Turning your son into a crazy, revenge driven lunatic does kind of qualify as a little twisted," said Sami dryly.

"But our love isn't going to have a tragic end," said EJ confidently, "We are going to get over this little hump of telling Lucas, weather the fall out together and come out even stronger on the other side."

"Even with the whole town hating us?" asked Sami a little despondently.

"Darling I hate to burst your bubble but I don't think the whole town is exactly planning joint statues in our honour right now as it is," said EJ in amusement, "We're already borderline pariahs – what's a little more bad press anyway? We know the truth, what is really important and that is all that matters. Lucas will move on which seems to be a speciality of his and your son will forgive you because you are his mother and he loves you. Plus I will do everything in my power to be the best and coolest step father known to mankind."

"You slept with his grandmother," Sami reminded him flatly, still finding that hard to let go.

"I just won't open with that," said EJ easily, not fazed by that statement, "I wasn't planning on bonding over sharing our sexual conquests sweetheart – I was thinking more of a trip to the Grand Prix in Monte Carlo and a few laps around the race course."

"My baby isn't going in one of those things!" said Sami in horror, "It's too dangerous!"

"He'll be with me," EJ reassured her, "It's good for boys on their way to being men to try a little danger and see what they are capable of. I rather get the feeling that Kate sheltered Lucas from a lot of life and we can all see the end result of that. If you don't test your strength you'll never know how much you have and resort to having control those around you instead of being a real man."

"We'll talk about it," said Sami, still not entirely convinced.

"You're such a wonderful mother," said EJ indulgently, picking up her hand and kissing the back of it, "Our babies are going to be so lucky to have you."

"I've made a lot of mistakes," said Sami fretfully, thinking of all that she'd put Will through over the years.

"They are the best kind," said EJ confidently, pulling her into his arms, "They understand the most when their children mess up and know how to love them through it."

"I never really thought of it that way," said Sami wrinkling her nose.

"So are we good?" asked EJ, brushing her blonde hair from one shoulder, his fingers brushing along the sensitive flesh, "No more worrying about Lucas?"

"I'm still not looking forward to breaking his heart," said Sami with a bit of a sigh.

"Of course you're not," said EJ smoothly, "You're not a monster Samantha."

"I don't think that will be the opinion of the general public somehow," said Sami ruefully.

"You can't help what people think sweetheart," said EJ firmly, "Just what you think. I think you are doing a good thing in waiting to see Lucas face to face and tell him that it is over – even though it is killing me."

"Sorry," said Sami with a soft smile as she looked up at him and knowing this must be hard on him as well.

She'd knew she wouldn't be handling it half as well as EJ was if the positions were reversed.

"You have nothing to apologise for," said EJ with a reassuring smile.

"So can I make it up to you instead then?" she offered, a little smile coming to her lips.

"You mean like do my ironing?" he teased her, "Naked."

"I don't think it is safe to do ironing naked," said Sami with a laugh.

"Alright," agreed EJ, "How about washing my car then... naked."

"I'm seeing a recurring theme here," said Sami in amusement.

"I'm a man with simple tastes," EJ said sagely, "A man who has been denied your attention for far too long this afternoon."

"Well I'm here now," said Sami huskily, loving how EJ could never seem to get enough of her company and feeling the same way.

As soon as they were apart Sami was longing for them to be together again.

"Yes you are," said EJ throatily, pulling her more fully into his arms and bending down to kiss the soft skin of her neck once again.

Sami's eyes fluttered shut at the first touch of his lips to her skin, the tension instantly back between them.

"God but I've needed you for hours," said EJ thickly as he trailed hot kisses to her mouth.

Sami could immediately feel his growing hardness pressed against her stomach and there was an answering dampness between her legs. EJ's hand went to her breast, massaging it through her blouse and Sami knew they weren't going to make it back down to his apartment in time.

"I want you now," EJ told her roughly, his free hand going to the button on her jeans and undoing it easily.

"Yes," Sami sighed happily as she put her arms around his neck, EJ's strong arms going around her.

Sami didn't care that they were on the roof and that anyone could come up those stairs and interrupt them. She'd never thought of herself as an exhibitionist before, being rather shy about sex before but with EJ Sami felt like a complete wanton, giving herself to him utterly wherever he wanted her – the feeling of wild abandonment adding to her own pleasure enormously.

EJ picked her up easily as Sami wrapped her legs around his waist tightly and he walked over to the nearby bench with her. EJ sat down and placed Sami so that she was standing in front of him and then made short work of her jeans, peeling them from her body. He left her panties on, moving Sami so that she was straddling his lap as he pulled down his sweat pants. She moved so that her lace covered apex could rub against his swollen tip and smiled at the little moaning noises he was suddenly making because of it. EJ's hands went to the bottom of her blouse and pulled it off over her head but then suddenly looked at her intently.

"We can stop," he told her unsteadily, seeming to become suddenly conscious of where they were.

Sami gave a little smile at his sudden concern, doubting very much that EJ would actually be able to make good on that statement because she knew she sure as hell couldn't.

"Why?" she asked him throatily, her blue eyes full of mischievous fire.

Sami reached between their bodies and guided him to her opening, pushing aside the material of her panties so that he could penetrate her easily. EJ gave a shaky groan, squeezing his eyes closed at the sensation of her body taking his. Sami bit her bottom lip hard at the feeling of him invading her like that, knowing it would never stop thrilling her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rubbed her satin covered breasts up against his bare chest, causing him to settle even deeper inside of her. Sami had noticed that without even seeming to think about it EJ had positioned them so that his back was to the door to the roof. He was so broad that even if someone had come up those stairs all they would have seen was EJ's back and her legs and Sami knew he'd purposely made sure that she was hidden from view just in case.

"Do you love me?" she asked him huskily.

"More than life," he groaned back, forcing his eyes open to look down at her with groggy adoration.

"In that case I want you to do something for me EJ," she told him throatily.

Sami leant forward to whisper in his ear now, wanting to bring him nothing but pleasure now.

"I want you to come right now, as hard as you can," she whispered huskily in his ear.

"But-" EJ began to protest but Sami wasn't having any of it.

"Don't worry about me," she said with a seductive little smile that he could no doubt here in her voice, "I want you to do this thing for me first."

EJ groaned loudly, clearly not able to offer up any further kind of protest in the face of such a beguiling proposition. Sami loved how she could get this self assured, smart and handsome man to do whatever she wanted him to, the thrill of power adding to the heated moment. He hadn't been kidding about needing her Sami decided as she felt how desperate his thrusts into her were almost immediately as he began to do as she asked of him.

"I love how you want me," she told him breathlessly as he began moving even more urgently inside of her, clearly seeing that this wasn't going to take any time at all.

"God!" he gritted out between his teeth, "No one has ever made me feel this good Samantha, no one!"

EJ suddenly tensed inside of her and then there was the familiar feeling of him flooding her with his seed. He made a ragged groaning noise during it as Sami held him tightly to her. EJ was still shaking a little a minute or two later, obviously finding it hard to recover from such a forceful release.

"Am I the best you've ever had?" she asked him throatily, beginning to massage his only partially spent member with her walls now, rolling her hips around on EJ's lap.

"Easily," he groaned and then gave an appreciative grunt at her actions, "Every other woman pales into insignificance to you Samantha."

"Show me," said Sami unevenly, knowing at last what it was to be someone's entire world as she moved to kiss him deeply, their tryst having only just begun.

So caught up in one another were they that neither one of them noticed the pair of eyes that were watching their every move from the slightly ajar doorway. The interloper remained perfectly still, having heard and seen just about everything, hands curled into a tight fist by their side. If EJ and Sami could have seen anything other than each other in that moment then things may have turned out so differently.

But they didn't... and the die was cast.

**oooOOOOooo**

Stefano gave a happy sigh, leaning back in his wheelchair and closing his eyes as the music of 'Un Ballo in Maschera' swelled and filled the air. It was one of his favourites and he loved the drama and pathos of the Verdi opera of political intrigue and ill fated love. Stefano lifted a hand, conducting silently to the music, swaying a little as he did, caught up in the tenor's magnificent voice, lamenting the supposed betrayal of the love of his life, the emotion raw in his voice. It was physically impossible to do opera better than the Italians he decided with pride, losing himself in the cadence of the passionate music.

Despite it all though some instinct, deep inside of him tapped away at Stefano, finely honed survival skills told him that he was no longer alone in the mansion as when he had been when he'd started listening to the opera. His eyes snapped open to see the person standing in front of him, looking down at him silently. Stefano quickly recovered his composure, showing no outward signs of surprise as was his way.

"Well," he said calmly, "This is a surprise – to what do I owe the pleasure I wonder?"


	34. Chapter 181

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & EIGHTY ONE**** – ****Eye Spy With My Little Eye**

War is based on deception.

_Sun Tzu quotes_

_(Chinese General and Author, b.500 BC)_

"Well," Stefano said calmly, "This is a surprise – to what do I owe the pleasure I wonder?"

"Do I need a reason to drop by and visit with an old friend dahling?" asked Celeste with a small smile as she watched him turn down the music.

"Of course not," said Stefano evenly, "But you must excuse my casual attire, I wasn't expecting to be entertaining a beautiful woman tonight."

"Are we alone?" asked Celeste, "No one answered my knocking so I just let myself in – I hope that is alright?"

"But of course," said Stefano quickly, "And yes, everyone else in the household is out tonight."

"I've heard that you haven't been well lately," said Celeste, arching a carefully groomed eyebrow, "Is it wise for you to be by yourself Stefano?"

"I am not by myself now that you are here," pointed out Stefano logically, "Now, please will you sit eh?"

Celeste settled into a sofa while Stefano wheeled himself over to her, looking at her with interest.

"What is this?" he asked, looking down at the paper carry bag that Celeste was still holding onto.

"A gift," she said with a little bit of a shrug, "For when you are feeling better perhaps."

She offered it up to him and Stefano accepted it, pulling out a bottle from the bag and looking to the label.

"A Cuvée from the house of Camus Cognac," he said admiringly, recognising the particular vintage and knowing that the bottle was closer to $3000 then $2000 a bottle, "How delightful and such a wonderful gift Celeste – thank you."

"I remembered your preference for it," said Celeste easily, "I thought you might enjoy it once you are feeling a little better."

"Such a generous gift when-" Stefano stopped, eyeing her thoughtfully.

"When what dahling?" asked Celeste casually.

"When things have been a little strained between us of late," continued on Stefano smoothly, "Since Alexandra has left town."

"Alexandra has not left town," said Celeste tightly, "At least not of her own accord because she would have told me about it and certainly not left it this long to contact me."

"And do you still think that I have had something to do with the disappearance of our daughter?" asked Stefano, his face not giving anything away, "I remember several heated discussions where you accused me of doing away with her. I have no idea why you would think I would want to harm my beautiful daughter but you were very adamant Celeste."

"I was upset," said Celeste stiffly, "I am a mother and I was worried sick about my child. I didn't know what I was thinking or saying when it first happened."

"So you accept now that I would never hurt a hair on Alexandra's head, on any of my children's head for that matter?" Stefano pushed her, watching her face carefully.

"I accept that you are capable of many acts of violence Stefano," said Celeste quietly, "But not against your own child, I know that now. I suppose the cognac is by way of a peace offering for ever having thought you could."

"I am very pleased to hear you say that Celeste," said Stefano with a smile, "And you can be rest assured that I have several good men set on tracking her down – it will only be a matter of time, I promise you."

"I hope they find something soon," said Celeste, her face clouded, "But I know that you love our daughter and I appreciate you trying to find her."

He wasn't exactly sure if he believed what she was saying to him, his innately suspicious nature making him wary but he hoped it was true. Celeste had gotten in his way on more than one occasion with all of her questions and accusations and it would grieve him terribly to have to put pay to that once and for all. Of course Stefano knew he wouldn't hesitate when push comes to shove but it was a happy thought that he might have one less thing to worry about right then. The room was suddenly quiet and Celeste looked around, clearly looking for something to distract her from sad thoughts of her daughter.

"I see you have the latest Coglan thriller," she commented, picking up the book that was on the coffee table, "I have already read it and enjoyed it very much."

"I am halfway through," said Stefano, "But I'm finding it a bit of a trial."

"It gets better," Celeste promised him, "The ending is worth preserving for – there is a real twist in the tale in the last couple of chapters."

Stefano gave a little smile, realising in that moment how much he'd missed having feminine company around. For all of the trails that women had brought to his life they filled a void that no amount of power and money could. He wondered idly what Celeste would make of an invitation to come and live with him again here at the mansion. It was something Stefano decided to give more thought to but in the meantime he would just enjoy Celeste's company.

"We should drink to perseverance and happy surprises," he said jovially, suddenly in a good mood.

"Do you think that is wise?" asked Celeste looking concerned and taking in his wheelchair, "I thought I'd heard that you'd just had some kind of operation?"

"Bah," said Stefano dismissively, "It was but a trifle."

"Really?" asked Celeste sceptically.

"You have known me long enough to know that I do not allow these things to keep me down for long eh?" said Stefano with a half smile.

"That is true dahling," she said with an answering smile, "But I don't know if it would be good for your health right now to be drinking."

"Drinking with a beautiful woman is always good for my health," Stefano informed her with a quirk of his lips, "It fortifies the soul."

Celeste gave a little laugh at his justification and shook her head.

"You are incorrigible Stefano," she tutted at him.

"I have been called much worse by far less charming people," said Stefano with a smile.

"Very well," Celeste relented and stood up, "I will pour us both a glass."

"Excellent," said Stefano happily and handed her the bottle, "Make mine a large one."

"Your excesses will be the death of you Stefano," said Celeste with a shake of her head as she walked over to the drinks cabinet and set out two glasses.

"I believe they will have to get to the back of a very long line as to what will be the death of me," said Stefano in amusement, watching her pour the drinks, her back to him.

Celeste turned around then and sauntered towards him in that way of hers and handed him a glass.

"The devil looks after his own eh dahling?" she said with a small quirk of her lips as she took a seat on the sofa again.

"Do you think I am the devil my dear?" asked Stefano as they clinked glasses and then he took a sip, enjoying how the smooth liquid slid down his throat and warmed him from within.

Celeste paused in taking her own sip and looked at him over the rim of her glass and didn't answer immediately.

"Sometimes," she said at last and then sampled her drink.

"There has been unpleasantness between us in the past," agreed Stefano with a slight tilt of his head.

"Years locked in one of your dungeons would probably qualify as unpleasantness," commented Celeste dryly.

"That was a long time ago," said Stefano with a careless shrug.

"Indeed," she agreed with him, "And it taught me many things."

"Like what?" asked Stefano curiously as he took another sip from his drink.

One of his great talents was the ability to read people and it had gotten him far in this life. If you understood a person you knew how to find his weakness and best him when it counted. It was a powerful tool and one he was happy to say that his youngest son had seemed to have inherited. Elvis had the same ability to size people up despite his youth and it was another reason that Stefano knew with some more training and focus Elvis would indeed be a mighty force for the good of the DiMera empire. As skilled as Stefano was at gaining a sense of people though there were still people that could surprise him. It was rare but Celeste was definitely one of them and any time he had the chance to see into the internal workings of her mind Stefano didn't hesitate to take it, knowing one day he might need such information.

"It taught me that I am strong," said Celeste, her jaw hardening ever so slightly, "It taught me that I can endure past the point of what would cause many to simply give up."

"These are important things to know about yourself," Stefano nodded thoughtfully, "It is only in our hour of adversity that we truly find ourselves eh?"

"Yes," said Celeste quietly, "And it taught me to trust the voices and visions that fate has given me. I used to see them as a burden but now I know that they have been given to me because I am strong and can bear them when others may not be able to."

Stefano tilted his head and eyed her speculatively before taking another couple of sips of his drink. Celeste and her so called visions were a curiosity to him. Stefano had lived too long on this earth to discount them out of hand but there was a strong streak of pragmatism in him that found such things to be highly unlikely. Mind you if they did exist then this exotic creature sitting in front of him would indeed be a perfect vessel for them. Celeste had caught his eye all those years ago, not only because of her great beauty but there had been something else as well, a tangible strangeness to her that had him intrigued with its uniqueness. Despite himself he still found her as alluring and compelling as he ever did.

"And what do your visions tell you of late eh?" he asked her with a little smile.

Celeste fixed him with an almost fierce look as she answered him.

"Knowledge known can never be unknown," she told him throatily.

"Am I to take it that I am not going to like what I hear?" asked Stefano mildly.

Whilst he wasn't one to put a huge amount of stock in these things he was also not one to ignore any kind of future heads up as it were. He may not necessarily believe what Celeste was going to tell him but he'd seen her come close enough to the mark on too many occasions to not at least want to hear what she had to say.

"Change is coming, I can taste it in the air," she said, suddenly not seeming to be seeing him anymore, a faraway expression on her face, "I hear it in the silences."

"Life is nothing but change my dear," pointed out Stefano logically and blinked a couple of times, suddenly feeling very tired.

Clearly he wasn't as quite up to entertaining as he'd believed he thought wearily to himself. Curse this tiresome body.

"Your world is crumbling Stefano, decaying around you but you cannot see it," she continued on, looking at him directly now, her eyes suddenly dark and shining, "You walk amongst the ruins and do not realise."

"You are not the first person to predict my demise Celeste," said Stefano tiredly, putting down his glass as he suddenly found it hard to focus on her properly, "And you will undoubtedly not be the last."

"Your arrogance has sustained you all these years Stefano," she warned him darkly, "But it will be your undoing – the viper is in the nest, just waiting for a time to strike but you believe yourself safe. I can feel the ground shaking beneath my feet as death races toward Salem, intent on collecting its bounty and there will be many who fall and very soon."

"That is very dramatic sounding," commented Stefano and shook his head, trying to clear it as he suddenly felt like everything was very far away.

"But you don't believe me do you Stefano?" Celeste said coolly, "You think that you are omnipotent and can stop even death – don't you?"

"What is happening?" asked Stefano faintly, feeling all of the strength leave his body and realising this was more than just fatigue, "What have you done to me Celeste?"

Stefano could barely keep his eyes open, his head suddenly too heavy to keep upright. Unconsciousness was pushing against him from all sides and Stefano knew it was inevitable that he was going to succumb to it but still fought against it with all of his might.

"Only what you deserve dahling."

Her self satisfied voice was the last thing that Stefano heard before his entire world went black…

**oooOOOOooo**

Kate made an annoyed sound as she gave up knocking on EJ's door. He clearly wasn't home which was a nuisance. She'd arrived home from Switzerland that afternoon and after freshening up had planned on speaking with EJ about Sami and finding out once and for all what, if anything was going on. Kate knew EJ had his own kind of agenda when it came to Sami, something that involved his father, at least he had when they had last been working together. She was curious to know where things were at with that right now, particularly in the light of Lucas' rather extreme threats. Kate had never seen him so worked up and his state of mind seemed fragile at best.

The mother in her worried over how long he'd been taking those drugs and what harm they might have done him because he certainly seemed paranoid of late. Mind you when dealing with the likes of Sami Brady it always paid to be paranoid Kate had found over the years. Whilst Kate knew it was only a matter of time before Sami hurt her son once again even she found it a little unlikely that it would be by cheating. Nothing so banal for Sami thought Kate dourly, no it was usually at the hands of some crazy scheme that backfired in the worst possible way, hurting everyone around her and that usually included Lucas.

"What does he see in her?" Kate muttered, wishing not for the first time that Lucas could try and find himself a good girl to settle down with.

Women like Sami and that money hungry tramp Nicole were not what Kate had in mind when she thought about prospective daughter in laws. Even the supposedly perfect Carrie had proved to be a disappointing clone of her mother. There were so many women in Salem so why did three of her sons always seem to end up fighting over the same couple of women she had to wonder. It made her job as a mother very hard to remain impartial and not take sides.

Not wanting to waste the journey Kate decided to try the roof on the off chance that EJ might be there. She remembered him telling her that he'd set up a gym there a while back. Kate really wanted to make sure that there was nothing to worry about on the Sami front because as much as she hated the thought of it right now Lucas believed he needed the little waste of space. Walking up the internal stairs to the roof Kate once again had to wonder what it was that Sami had that seemed so fascinating to men.

She wasn't the most beautiful woman in the world and god only knows her personality was lacking unless you counted poisonous and childish of course. That was another big reason that Kate found it highly improbable that EJ was really taking that much of an interest in Sami. After all a man like that, rich, handsome and charismatic could have anyone so why would you settle for some little boring, waste of space twit like Sami Brady? It defied logic but still Kate felt like she owed it to Lucas to make sure that all was how it should be.

She was at the top of the stairs now and started to open the door onto the roof and the first thing she saw before the door was even a quarter open was EJ standing there, wearing only sweat pants and lifting weights with his back to her. Kate closed the door a little bit, just watching him for a moment. He certainly was a fine specimen of a man she decided in satisfaction, admiring the way EJ's muscles rippled as he worked out, his long back showing a fine layer of sweat. Kate's eyes drifted down EJ's back to the top of his dark sweat pants and noticed two small scars which were still quite an angry red colour. Kate shook her head, amazed that the man was even alive let alone looking so fine right then.

Two bullets would have taken out a lesser mortal but not a DiMera it seemed. She wondered idly who would have the audacity to do such a thing but then there were plenty of people with a motive she supposed. You'd have to be a real idiot though to only wound a DiMera rather than kill them because whoever it was had made a powerful enemy for life whether they knew it or not. The best hope the person who did this had was to hope the police figured it out before EJ or his father otherwise the future was going to look rather limited for that person.

There as something about powerful men that really did it for Kate, always finding herself drawn instinctively to them. She suddenly felt the need for a little company that night and wondered if the man in front of her would be interested in relieving a little tension. He'd had a rough couple of months, no doubt EJ would be pleased of a distraction and Kate was more than happy to provide it. Even though it had been a means to an end she'd very much enjoyed their little trysts and thought about them often. EJ was a good lover and Kate knew she'd rocked his world as well, knowing exactly how to please a man. She'd been a little surprised that things had died down between them in the end, EJ seeming rather distracted at the time but Kate had just assumed that he'd come back at some point begging for more. She was tired of waiting though and tonight felt like as good as any to rekindle the fire between them. Kate went to make her presence known but someone else beat her to it.

"_There you are – I wondered where you had gotten to."_

Kate froze, recognising Sami's voice immediately and she pulled the door close a little more so that there was only a little gap open for her to peer through and hopefully remain undetected.

"_You ordered me out of your hair." _

Kate watched as Sami climbed down a ladder on the far wall and walked over to EJ who had put down his weights.

"_You're too much of a distraction."_

"_Am I distracting?" _

"_You're very naughty EJ." _

"_I was under the impression that my naughtiness was one of your most favourite things about me Samantha."_

Kate tensed as she listened to their playful banter, knowing she was listening in on far more than talk between work colleagues or neighbours. They sounded entirely too comfortable with one another somehow, all flirty and full of undercurrent. Her eyes widened as she continued to eavesdrop, her mouth practically falling open as the couple began to kiss and their conversation made it very clear that they were indeed lovers.

"You bitch," growled Kate and then grimaced, worried she might have given herself away but neither one seem to have noticed, still wrapped up in each other completely.

Kate shook her head at the disgusting scene, knowing that if Lucas had been the one to return home early he'd be having his heart broken right about now. Was there no depth that Sami Brady wouldn't stoop to thought Kate darkly? How could the little hussy do this to Lucas, a man who worshipped her, a man who'd given her so many chances and benefits of the doubt that it was impossible to count? Kate's outrage was knocked up a notch, this time for herself with their next conversation though when EJ and Sami finally managed to come up for air.

"_Okay - tell me how rich you just made Mythic and by extension us after your conversation with Mr Chiba and then we can get back to the important things in life."_

"_Most people wouldn't think of multimillion dollar deals as unimportant EJ." _

"_Most people don't have the opportunity to make love to you my darling. And if they did they'd know how very unimportant anything else is in light of that singular experience." _

"_Are you telling me that sex with me is worth millions?" _

"_No my love, I'm saying sex with you is priceless – there is no monetary value that could be attached to it that would do it justice."_

Oh please, gag me thought Kate in disgust as the two cooed at each other endlessly. She'd heard less romantic pap on a Hallmark midday movie. Honestly who did those two think they were – the new Romeo and Juliet? This was a tawdry little affair and yet they were trying to make it sound like it was true love – pitiful. That wasn't what had gotten Kate's attention, what was really concerning her was talk of Shiro Chiba and the deal that Sami had somehow managed to get a stronghold on. How she hadn't utterly cocked it up yet was a mystery to Kate but she knew it was only a matter of time and there was no way that she was prepared to lose millions of dollars because EJ's penis had decided that putting Sami in charge was a good idea. It was embarrassing to Kate to think of Sami as the face of Mythic and humiliating to see her swooping in and taking over these big clients. It made Kate look bad and Kate didn't like looking bad for anyone and especially not trashy little girls who couldn't keep their legs together.

Listening to Sami chirp on endlessly about how well her meeting with Mr Chiba went and how he loved all of her ideas made Kate physically sick. It was apparent to Kate that Sami was intent on not only screwing over Lucas but her as well which she simply wasn't going to stand for. It would be a cold day in hell before she was trumped by the likes of Sami Brady Kate decided in annoyance. Kate immediately began plotting but her train of thought was derailed again by EJ's next words.

"_Perhaps we can combine that with our honeymoon eh darling? I know a simply stunning little private retreat outside of Kitakyushu that would do very nicely for out extended honeymoon."_

"_You keep talking about honeymoons but you are yet to ask me to marry you." _

"_Impatient - I like that in my woman."_

"_Technically I'm not yours until there is a ring on my finger."_

"_Well in that case I'd better get cracking on the eh? I wouldn't want anyone thinking that you were in any way available now would I?"_

Surely the little idiot couldn't possibly think that EJ DiMera was actually going to marry her wondered Kate faintly. She shook her head and rolled her eyes at Sami's gullibility. Kate paused then and realised that she didn't exactly know what EJ's agenda had been in regards to Sami other than it suited his purposes to team up with Kate and break up Lucas and Sami at the time. Who knows what his plans really were long term but somehow with Sami being a Brady and EJ being a DiMera all Kate knew for sure was that there was going to be a world of hurt at the end of them all for Sami and Kate was completely alright with that. Of course if EJ was intent on marrying Sami then that meant more heart break for Lucas and Kate didn't know if she could allow that either. It would be one thing for Lucas to lose Sami but another thing entirely to lose her to EJ. Somehow Kate knew he wouldn't handle that very well. To her surprise now one of them seemed to finally give her son a second thought.

"_I was just thinking," said Sami with a little shrug._

"_About?" _

"_Lucas."_

"_What about Lucas?" _

"_I can't get in contact with him all of a sudden, he's not answering his cell phone." _

"_Perhaps someone put his phone up on a high shelf and he can't reach it? Sorry, unhelpful I know - just can't seem to help myself with the short jokes."_

"_Lucas isn't that short EJ."_

"_Not for a woman no - he's just about right for that."_

"_He can't help being the height he is no more than you can help being-"_

"_An impressive mountain of a man?" _

"_I was just going to say tall."_

"_I think Mother Nature knows who is going to be the losers and winners in life and hands out her bounty accordingly._

Kate was forced to swallow her outrage at the casual way EJ was talking about her son, as though his feelings were of no consequence. Lucas wasn't a loser, his only folly was that he continued to fall for women who didn't deserve him Kate decided bitterly. She was then forced to listen to Sami going on about how she didn't want to hurt Lucas and that she cared so much about him and it made the bile rise to the back of Kate's throat. If the little wench really did care about Lucas then she wouldn't be giving it away to EJ so freely now would she? The only person Sami cared about was Sami Kate decided bitterly and the rest of the world can be damned. Hearing EJ tell her that Lucas didn't even really count anyway just made Kate's blood boil and the urge to leap out of her hiding place and start screaming at them both was very strong but she somehow managed to hold her tongue.

Just as annoying was the careless way EJ referred to their encounters – picking out a tie indeed! It made Kate sound like she was less than nothing and her female pride was more than a little wounded. Rich and powerful men had thrown themself at her feet and begged her for a kind word from her so who was EJ to dismiss her so easily she thought angrily? She was more woman than he could handle she told herself and all of his feigned lack of concern was no doubt for that insecure little Sami's benefit, Kate was sure of it. Worse was yet to come for Kate as though to add insult to injury she watched Sami launch herself into EJ's arms.

She watched EJ pick her up effortlessly and carry her to a nearby bench, his back to her and after Sami's jeans hit the ground and she straddled him it didn't take a genius to work out where this was going. Another person might have thought this was a good time to take their leave but not Kate. Years of working in the sex industry when she was younger had made her unabashed about such things and she didn't think twice about staying exactly where she was. Kate knew well enough that in the heat of passion certain things might be said that she could find useful to use against either one of them later. Knowledge was power and right then Kate was intent on getting as much information from the unsuspecting couple as she could to gain the upper hand. She watched them with a professional eye, noting that even from the back EJ seemed vastly different with Sami then he had been with her and wondered if this was still more games on his behalf.

"_Do you love me?" _

"_More than life."_

"_In that case I want you to do something for me EJ."_

Kate couldn't hear the rest of Sami's throaty request because she was whispering it in EJ's ear but whatever it was EJ's loud groan told her that he approved.

"_I love how you want me."_

"_God! No one has ever made me feel this good Samantha, no one!" _

Kate frowned at EJ's assertion, not liking the sound of that at all. It could be chalked up to something you said in the heat of the moment but there was a raw vulnerability to his voice that Kate had never heard during their trysts.

"_Am I the best you've ever had?"_

"_Easily, every other woman pales into insignificance to you Samantha."_

"_Show me."_

Kate had seen enough, quietly closing the door and not needing to see EJ and Sami going at it like farmyard animals anymore. She stood in the stairwell, trying to process all that she'd seen. Kate's hand went instinctively to her purse, intent on calling Lucas with news of Sami's betrayal but then stopped herself. Lucas was in no state of mind to receive such crippling news. Kate bit her bottom lip, suddenly presented with a conundrum. Normally she wouldn't think twice about an opportunity to drop Sami into hot water, in fact nothing would give Kate greater pleasure but there was more at stake than just exposing Sami's lies. After having listened to EJ and Sami talking together it certainly sounded like they were planning a future together but Kate had to wonder how much of that was EJ scheming with a bigger agenda. On one hand Kate desperately wanted Lucas away from Sami, particularly if she was in DiMera crosshairs but the way Lucas had been talking she was really afraid what this kind of news would do to him.

Kate also worried about what EJ and Sami working together would mean for her and her company. They'd spoken so confidently of the future and EJ's comment about Kate not going to be around to bother them worried her. It seemed unlikely that Mythic under a now combined force of EJ and Sami would have room for her and Kate hated the thought of being pushed out of her own company by Sami of all people. There were a lot of things to think about she decided, her lips thinning, many pros and cons for which ever course of action she took and Kate knew she had to get this right otherwise the consequences for Lucas and herself could be disastrous. Instinct battled pragmatism as Kate weighed up all of the options, knowing it wasn't going to be an easy decision. Either way Kate knew that she had to get ahead of this game EJ and Sami were playing and stay there. A small, self satisfied smile touched her lips at that thought, liking the fact that at last she had some power in this situation with what she now knew.

It was the only way she could destroy them both utterly for what they had done and planned to do and Kate wasn't going to hesitate in doing just that.


	35. Chapter 182

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & EIGHTY TWO**** – ****A Swing and a Miss**

Whatever is begun in anger ends in shame.

_Benjamin Franklin_

(American Statesman, Scientist, Philosopher, Printer, Writer and Inventor

1706-1790)

Kate walked into Chez Rouge the next day and the first person she saw was EJ, sitting at a table and reading a newspaper. It wasn't an accident that she was here though. Kate had gone to the office to talk to EJ but had been told he was having lunch at Chez Rouge so she followed him there. To her surprise Sami wasn't with him but then she supposed they were still trying to keep a low public profile even though they didn't seem to have any qualms about bumping uglies right out there in the open thought Kate dourly. She walked up to his table but EJ didn't seem to notice her, still intent on his newspaper.

"Hello EJ."

"Hello Kate, you're looking as gorgeous as always my dear," said EJ evenly.

Kate noticed with frustration and some wounded feminine pride that EJ didn't even look up from his paper as he said that. She wasn't one to be dismissed so easily she thought in annoyance. She moved around behind him and put her hands on his shoulder, EJ still not looking up. Looking over his shoulder Kate could see that he was reading the financial pages.

"Look at you captain of industry," she commented huskily.

EJ gave a little laugh at that observation.

"Not yet," he said confidently with a smile, "But soon – I'm more of a lieutenant right now."

The smug self assuredness Kate could hear in his tone rankled Kate and she felt the urge to take him down a peg or two. Of course blurting out that she knew about him and Sami would be showing her hand far too soon but it was a tempting thought. Instead she decided that proving to herself that EJ was as full of crap as he'd ever been would be an ample substitute. Listening to him sprout sweet nothings to Sami last night had been nauseating and Kate was quite certain just EJ playing a role. He wasn't in love with Sami, just telling her what she wanted to hear for his own no doubt sick and twisted purposes and Kate was intent on confirming that. She knew that if he was given the opportunity EJ would take a walk in greener pastures without a second thought.

"I see that you were able to tear your luscious self away from little Lord Fauntleroy," observed EJ casually, "Have you hired a nanny to look after him in your absence my dear?"

Kate swallowed her angry words of rebuttal over EJ's comments, knowing they weren't going to best serve her purposes right then. Instead she was intent on proving that EJ was the same old liar and master manipulator that he always was and she could have a little fun along the way while she was doing it. Kate wanted to prove to EJ and herself that his comments to Sami about being the best he'd ever had was a bald face lie.

"If you want to see how luscious I really am perhaps you should take a bite EJ?" Kate offered, running her hands up and down his lapels as she leant over him from behind.

"Really?" asked EJ, not bothering to hide his surprise, looking back up at over his shoulder at the suggestion, "After all this time you want to revisit that particular well Kate?"

"Why not?" she said with a casual shrug, a little stung by his reaction, "We had fun didn't we? And it's not like you are seeing anyone right?"

"First of all I had fun at a line dancing bar back in the day but I'm not feeling a particular urge to revisit that either," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "And second of all why would you even want to Kate?"

"I was at a loose end," said Kate, feigning casually, "And I saw you sitting there."

Kate stopped suddenly as she realised she'd handed him a perfect set up about Kate being the one with the 'loose end' or something like that but he surprised her, letting that pass.

"You know Kate," said EJ conversationally, eyeing her thoughtfully, "There is one thing that I've learnt about you over time."

"Oh and what might that be?" asked Kate a little curtly, still trying to process the fact that EJ had rejected her and not liking how it made her feel.

She moved her hands from his shoulder, not wanting to make any more of a fool of herself and went to stand in front of him again.

"It's that you never do anything without a reason," said EJ calmly, "An ulterior motive if you will which makes me wonder just what that little offer of yours was really all about."

"I'm a woman with needs EJ," she sniffed, trying to put him off, "It's that simple."

"Oh darling," EJ laughed, "Of all the things you are, simple is not one of them. If all you wanted was sex why come to me? I'm sure there are plenty of willing and more age appropriate men out there eager to fill that particular slot."

Kate pursed her lips, letting that vaguely crude statement pass without comment.

"Our age difference didn't seem to bother you back then," Kate informed him, wanting EJ to say something incriminating and give himself away, "What's changed EJ? Where has all this moral fibre come from?"

"No moral fibre here darling," said EJ with a bit of a smirk, "I just don't tend to believe in repeating myself – it gets a bit boring."

"What you mean been there, done that kind of thing?" said Kate flatly.

"Couldn't have put it better myself," said EJ with a quirk of his lips.

"So what?" she pushed him, "You don't see yourself ever settling for one woman for the rest of your life EJ?"

"If I do Kate you can be rest assured that it won't be you," said EJ without missing a beat.

"So who might it be then?" Kate asked him, already knowing the answer of course, "Sami Brady perhaps?"

"My relationship with Samantha is none of your concern Kate," said EJ simply.

"So you do have a relationship then?" Kate said quickly.

"Of course," said EJ smoothly, "Samantha is my business partner – just like she is yours as well Kate."

"Don't remind me," said Kate darkly, "But that isn't my only relationship with her – I'm going to be her mother in law as well."

EJ looked at her, silently processing the information Kate was intentionally trying to bait him with. She'd certainly gotten an earful as well as an eyeful on the roof the other night but she needed to know a little more about EJ and Sami's plans before she could formulate her own.

"That was said with calm offhandedness," observed EJ, "Doesn't talk of Sami marrying your little man usually evoke some frothing at the mouth action on your behalf Kate."

"He's a grown man," Kate said coolly, "It's his choice who he wants to marry."

EJ's eyebrows shot up at this piece of information.

"Since when?" asked EJ, looking particularly suspicious now and Kate knew she had to be convincing.

"Since the last time I tried to interfere and Lucas made it quite clear that he didn't want that kind of help from me," said Kate easily.

"I was actually querying the grown man statement," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "But you have me intrigued now. So you're telling me that you are finally cutting the umbilical cord and sending your little boy off into the big world to make all of his decisions for himself eh?"

"Of course," Kate sniffed, "It's his life and his own free will."

"And you're telling me that La La is going to ask Samantha to marry him with that free will of his?" EJ continued on, eyeing her speculatively.

"What's the matter EJ?" she asked him sweetly, "Does the thought of Sami and Lucas being married bother you?"

"Frankly darling the thought of Lucas being married to any woman bothers me," said EJ wryly, "I think that man has more than a few issues."

"Unlike you right?" Kate sneered, "You're just little Johnny Sunshine aren't you Elvis DiMera?"

"Well I've never watched my mother have sex with a cavalcade of men," said EJ evenly, "So I can't help but think that whatever issues I might be carrying have less of a Freudian flavour to them then your Little Boy Lu."

"What the hell are you talking about?!" asked Kate in horror.

"Back in the day," said EJ conversationally, "Before things took somewhat of a downward swing between Lucas and myself we went out one night and it turns out he gets quite chatty after a few drinks. He had one too many Flirtini's and-"

"Lucas was drinking back then?!" asked Kate in shock, horrified at the thought of it.

"It was just the one night and I know he called his sponsor the next day and did the appropriate Hail Mary's or whatever it is that they do," said EJ casually, "Anyway, it came up in drunken conversation that he learnt about the facts of life in 3D living colour from you and your stream of lovers back when he was a child."

"You're lying!" Kate hissed.

Kate knew that Lucas had met several of the men that she'd been with over the years and truth be told had even suspected a little of what EJ was saying but had never admitted it to herself. To hear it out loud was just too much though, especially on the lips of the likes of EJ DiMera. Her relationship with Lucas made sense to Kate inside her own head but to hear it spoken about by others put a slant on it that Kate was simply unwilling to accept.

"Even I wish that I was Kate," said EJ ruefully, "But to say that you've inflicted significant psychological harm on that son of yours is I fear only the tip of the iceberg. God help any woman who gets involved with that train wreck – that is all I can say."

"And what?" asked Kate bitterly, "You're all set to swoop in and rescue Sami from Lucas – is that it EJ?"

"You are just full of questions now aren't you Kate?" asked EJ, tilting his head and regarding her coolly, "Especially for a woman who supposedly was just wanting to get her rocks off so to speak. That nagging feeling of you having an agenda is back again and stronger than ever I fear."

"I don't have an agenda," said Kate coldly.

EJ eyed her up and down, running his tongue over his bottom lip, seeming to be weighing up that statement.

"Sorry darling," he said with feigned regret, "I tried to buy what you were selling but unfortunately I just can't seem to – you're up to something."

"Paranoia is a family curse of yours, did you know that?" asked Kate with a roll of her eyes.

"Paranoia is what has kept our family alive and kicking all of this time," said EJ casually, "Now then are you going to tell me what is going on in that devious mind of yours or are we going to have to do things the hard way I wonder?"

"I don't have time to listen to the deluded accusations of a mad man," Kate sniffed and went to sweep past him in a dramatic exist.

EJ stalled her leaving by putting a hand on her arm, his face still set in a pleasant enough expression but the cold steel in his eyes was unmistakable.

"Kate my dear," he began conversationally enough, "I realise that we've already screwed each other rather thoroughly but I just want you to know that if you try and screw _with me_-"

EJ trailed off briefly, all trace of pleasantness gone from his tone now.

"-then I'm going to hurt you so badly that you will be praying for death," he continued on evenly, as though they were discussing something as benign as the weather, "Everything that you hold dear I will completely and utterly destroy without a moment's hesitation."

Despite herself Kate felt a fission of fear run through her at the depth of coldness in the younger man's eyes but she prided herself on the fact that she didn't show it. She knew all that talk of being a changed man on the roof with Sami the other night had been complete and utter horse shit on EJ's behalf and no doubt Sami's as well. These two leopards were never going to change their spots and all Kate could think about was trying to protect Lucas from their insanity.

"Leave the strong arm tactics to your father Elvis," she said dismissively, pleased that her voice was so steady, "You don't really have the balls to pull it off."

"I wouldn't be so quick to find out just what I am capable of my dear if I were you," said EJ coolly.

"What, you mean stay out of your way or you'll kill me, is that it EJ?" asked Kate with a twist of her lips.

"Don't be so uninspired Kate," said EJ, looking at her unblinkingly, "There are so many ways to dismantle a person without resorting to such a predictable solution."

"Would you really hurt me EJ?" asked Kate, pouting a little, "After all that we've been through together?"

"You know Kate I do hope that you aren't planning on playing me for a fool," commented EJ casually, "And I also hope that you aren't under the severe misapprehension over the fact that we had a few frankly forgettable tumbles in the hay buys you in any way into my good graces."

"Is that right?" asked Kate tightly, not liking how he could so easily dismiss what had happened between them.

"Let's face it darling," said EJ with a quirk of his lips as he looked up at her, "That was a fairly well worn path that I travelled down, it's practically the road to Damascus, so let's not go pretending that it was something special when it obviously wasn't – for either one of us. I know you're used to trading sex for favours but I don't recall making that agreement so I'm going to go ahead and assume that your time was given for free, no strings or expectations attached. So I'm thinking that if you want to tug on my heart strings... or any other part of my body for that matter you're going to have to pick something else to bargain with. Or better still just stay the hell out of my business and then you won't ever have to worry about hedging your bets now will you?"

"You really are your father's son aren't you?" asked Kate bitterly as he summarily dismissed her.

"Until a new set up DNA tests proves otherwise," said EJ offhandedly as he let her go.

EJ picked up his newspaper again and leant back in his chair, going back to reading his newspaper. One long finger scratching absently at his cheek, giving the appearance of being bored with her and their conversation now. Kate ground her teeth but maintained her cool exterior. It never did anyone any good to show a DiMera that they had gotten to you she thought grimly. EJ didn't seem interested in talking anymore and it vexed Kate no end that he appeared to see her as so little a threat. Mind you that could only help her cause in making him pay for what he had done to her and Lucas, Kate knowing that however she went about it she was determined to destroy his perfect little world.

With an angry glare at the top of EJ's head which he didn't look up to appreciate Kate turned on her heel and left him to it. Kate walked around the corner, feeling to her surprise that she was actually shaking a little after that encounter. She found a little out of the way area and pulled out her cell phone and dialled; her jaw hardening as she took a deep breath.

"Hello?"

Even from his greeting Lucas actually sounded like he was in a good mood for a change and Kate gritted her teeth. Sometimes when you were a mother you had to do things for the good of your child that just wasn't pleasant but it had to be done.

"Lucas," Kate said evenly, no trace of her inner turmoil in her face, "I have something to tell you..."

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ picked up his wine glass and leant back in his chair, taking a thoughtful sip now that Kate was gone.

He was no fool and he knew what a woman with an agenda looked like and Kate definitely had an agenda. There were a few possibilities over what it might be about but whatever it was EJ knew he had to keep a very close eye on the woman. He knew what Kate was capable of and EJ was determined that nothing and no one in this world was going to come between he and Sami ever again and God help them if they tried.


	36. Chapter 183

**AUTHOR'S NOTE****: **So guys, no EJami in this chapter I'm sorry to say but we are getting to the really soapy part of this story and for all the things I've got planned to make sense and for you to get your pay offs then we have to lay down some plot. So this is what this chapter is about, getting my ducks in a row to build on future plot twists and turns. We are coming up to a very big 'uh oh' moment – or at least I'm hopeful that it will be like that for you guys. LOL Another couple of chapters should see the beginning of the cheese hitting the carpet (that will make sense to you if you've read my other story "Wild Horses..." – an Uncle Johnism ;) )

I just wanted to say thanks so much to you all for hanging in there and continuing to read this sucker. 183 chapters and counting isn't anything to be sneezed at and I'm hoping to get it wrapped up by around the 300 chapter mark but I'm notoriously bad at gauging these things so who knows. There are just so many stories to tell when it comes to EJami that it just boggles the mind. Almost as much as it boggles the mind that the real writers of DOOL's have seen fit to ignore any kind of EJami s/l. At best EJami have been bit players in the truly suck worthy baby switch s/l that couldn't be more boring if they broke every five minutes to watch paint dry. Well, that's my opinion anyway. LOL

So here is the chappy, fun and games coming up so stick around won't you...

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & EIGHTY THREE**** – ****Damage Control**

Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it.

_~Adolf Hitler~_

"Hello?"

"Lucas I have something to tell you."

Kate said those words and then paused, her mind working at a million miles an hour and weighing everything up, her thoughts turning back to her conversation with EJ. The menace in EJ's eyes had been unmistakable but this was her son's happiness that they were talking about and as much as it galled Kate, Sami was at the centre of that happiness right now. She honestly didn't know how Lucas would handle this latest betrayal from Sami but her mother's instinct told her that it had to be avoided at all cost. The irony of the situation was maddening but it looked like for the first time Kate had to come up with a way to keep Sami and Lucas together while neutralising the threat of EJ.

It was a hideous proposition to say the least but seeing Lucas so desperate and out of control when he spoke about losing Sami had frightened Kate. For some inexplicable reason her son thought he needed that little blonde tramp to make him happy and right now Lucas wasn't in any state to be reasoned with. In a split second Kate knew that all she had to do was suffer through a short time of putting the two of them together again before Sami inevitably screwed up big time and Lucas would kick her to the curb of his own accord like he usually did. That way Lucas would maintain his dignity and pride and Sami would get the public shaming that she deserved.

All Kate had to do was be patient and ride out the unpleasantness of being the one to make sure Lucas and Sami stayed together and then they would destruct like they always did and that way she wasn't going to be the bad guy for once. The biggest problem was going to be EJ though. He wasn't going to make this easy for her and clearly Kate had made him suspicious with that last little interaction which was a tactical mistake on her behalf. She needed some kind of protection against the man, something to keep him in check so that Lucas and Sami could continue in their relationship unheeded.

Kate wasn't overly worried about Sami staying with Lucas. For all of her declarations to EJ Kate knew that Sami couldn't survive without a man to cling to. All Kate had to do was remove EJ from the equation and she'd be back to sucking the life out of Lucas in a heartbeat. Sami Brady had never stood on her own two feet and Kate knew she wasn't about to start now, not when there was an easier option around, that is - Lucas. Kate ground her teeth in frustration at the thought of helping Lucas and Sami stay together but knew it had to be done to serve the greater good. If Kate had believed in God she would have imagined him laughing his ass off right about then.

"Mom?" came Lucas' voice over the phone, vaguely impatiently, "Mom are you still there?"

"Of course I am honey," said Kate quickly, her mind made up even if a plan wasn't, "I just wanted to see how you were."

"I'm fine," said Lucas sounding exasperated, "What did you have to tell me?"

"I was just going to let you know that your worries about Sami and EJ are completely unfounded," said Kate, feeling a little bit of bile rise to back of throat as she tried to push through being in the counterintuitive position of actually helping Sami Brady.

"Why do you say that?" asked Lucas, his voice hardening a little bit.

"Let's just say I've had confirmation that EJ couldn't be less interested in Sami if he tried," said Kate, confident she was doing the right thing.

"What makes you so sure that EJ isn't still panting after Sami?" asked Lucas sceptically.

"Do you really want to know?" asked Kate innocently, knowing this was manipulative of her but not caring.

"Mom," said Lucas in frustration at her coyness.

"I just caught up with EJ at Chez Rouge," said Kate casually, "And let's just say that he was extremely... attentive."

"What are you saying Mom?" asked Lucas in vague horror.

"I'm saying it's amazing what you can get away with in an open restaurant," said Kate sweetly, "That man couldn't keep his hands off me."

"Son of a bitch!!" Lucas swore loudly and Kate smiled to hear the anger in his voice.

"Trust me sweetheart," said Kate smugly, "The last thing on his mind is the likes of Sami Brady, not when he can have a real woman that is."

"You're back to sleeping with him?!" asked Lucas angrily and Kate's smile widened at hearing the thinly veiled jealousy in his voice.

"What can I say honey," she said calmly, "EJ is a hard man to say no to when he really wants something. Judging by his eagerness as well I'd say that Sami hasn't given him the time of day for a long time now and was more than willing to find someone a little more accommodating."

"That guys sick!" said Lucas in outrage, "What the hell is wrong with him?! Why can't he keep his hands off my women?!"

"I'm not your woman Lucas," Kate pointed out evenly.

"You know what I mean," Lucas snarled, "It's sick that he's sleeping with a woman old enough to be his mother!"

"But I'm not _his_ mother," said Kate smoothly, "And he was clearly in need of a real woman and I had some time to kill. Truth be told I don't think EJ ever really got over me the first time round."

It helped Kate's bruised ego to insert her own reality into the situation and whilst Kate was a very practical woman for the most part she'd long ago perfected the art of convincing herself of certain truths that might not be all that true but that suited her purposes. It had helped her get through the rockier aspects of her life and she saw no reason to stop now, not even realising she was doing it half the time at this point.

"That guy needs an army of head doctors to figure out what is wrong with him," said Lucas in disgust.

"I thought you'd be happy," said Kate with a satisfied little smile at his reaction, "It means your precious Sami isn't in the line of fire anymore – isn't that what you wanted to know?"

"I'm happy about that but I'm not happy about you making an idiot of yourself over EJ DiMera," said Lucas bitterly.

"Lucas we are two adults who are free to do as we please," said Kate coolly, "Truth be told I kind of felt sorry for him."

"So what?" asked Lucas in annoyance, "You threw him a bone? Is that it?"

"I guess you could say that," said Kate with a little laugh, "He was very appreciative of my time I have to say – in fact we are going out again tonight. EJ says he's desperate to spend some time with a real woman who has a brain."

"He said that?" asked Lucas thoughtfully around his revulsion.

"He absolutely did," lied Kate easily, "So I really do think that his infatuation or whatever it was is well and truly done with when it comes to Sami. Lucas EJ is a sophisticated man of the world, he speaks several languages, has travelled extensively, has degrees – do you really see a man like that being captivated by the likes of Sami Brady for very long? I mean you have to admit that a teenage runaway who got herself pregnant at sixteen and never held down a job for more than five minutes isn't exactly going to be his equal in anyway."

"So what are you saying Mom?" asked Lucas flatly, "EJ is too good for Sami but alright for me?"

"Darling you know perfectly well that I don't think Sami is good enough for you in the slightest," Kate sniffed, "I don't know how you can ever think that when you know for yourself the lengths I've gone to in making sure you weren't together."

Lucas paused, clearly thinking this through. It was a bit of double jeopardy on Kate's behalf but the fact that her hatred for Sami was no secret was actually working in her favour for once.

"So EJ really isn't interested in Sami anymore?" asked Lucas at last, still sounding a little unsure.

"Not in the slightest," Kate reassured him, "In fact from what he was saying to me over lunch EJ is looking for a way to actually get her out of Mythic altogether because he's realised what a huge mistake it was. He desperately wants it just to be the two of us running the company again without all the interference from a woman who can't even balance her cheque book."

Kate had no compunction in lying to Lucas about that little fact because she fully intended to make sure that Sami was history at Mythic soon enough anyway. There was no way she was going to continue to let Sami taint the whole company with her very presence.

"It would make me feel better if Sami wasn't working with EJ," admitted Lucas.

Kate took this as taciturn approval on Lucas' behalf for her to do what it took to get rid of Sami from Mythic, whether he knew that or not.

"Her ass is practically out the door darling," said Kate confidently, "You don't need to worry about a thing."

"I really love her you know Mom," said Lucas softly.

Kate swallowed hard before answering.

"I know honey," she said, trying to make herself sound understanding when she didn't at all.

"It makes me feel so much better to know that EJ isn't going to be in our lives anymore," said Lucas, "I was just so sick of that guy being in our face all the time and harassing Sami endlessly."

"I think it's safe to say that the only interest EJ has in Sami anymore is how quickly he can get her out of Mythic," said Kate with a self satisfied smile, "She's a liability and a business man like EJ won't stand for it."

"Well I'll be able to support her again," said Lucas, sounding pleased at that fact, "That won't be a problem."

Kate rolled her eyes, hating that she was handing Lucas over as a willing victim to Sami's money grabbing ways but reminding herself this was for the greater good and it wouldn't be too long before Sami ruined her own relationship with Lucas.

"Thanks Mom," said Lucas, the relief in his voice obvious, "It's a real weight off my mind to know that EJ's lost interest in Sami – that man is a lunatic."

"You're welcome honey," said Kate with a smile, "I'm your mother, I've always got your back."

"Mom," said Lucas softly, "Can you do me one last favour."

"What is it sweetie?" asked Kate, enjoying her son's thanks.

"Can you cancel your date with EJ tonight?" he asked her.

Kate couldn't help the smile that came to her lips at the request.

"I'll think about it," she said with feigned casualness and hung up.

Kate's smile widened at how that had gone but then it abruptly dropped as she thought about all the lies she had to make come true.

"First things first," she muttered to herself, thinking about EJ's threats and a plan already starting to formulate, "I need an insurance policy."

**oooOOOOooo**

Stefano awoke with a start, sitting up abruptly in bed and then giving a little cry of pain as his wound protested such an action.

"Did you call me boss?" asked Bart, suddenly appearing in the bedroom doorway.

"Bartholomew," said Stefano unevenly, feeling completely disorientated, "Where am I?"

"Is this a trick question?" asked Bart, narrowing his eyes suspiciously, clearly uncertain what Stefano was meaning seeing as he should know where he was – Stefano's bedroom.

"How did I get here?" asked Stefano anxiously, not liking this feeling of being out of control and so confused.

"You mean like in life?" asked Bart uncertainly, "I think by being really good at business and blackmailing and killing a lot of people."

Stefano looked around himself, ignoring Bart's observations for more pressing concerns.

"How did I get to bed?" asked Stefano urgently, "The last thing I remember was being in the living room."

"I found you there when I got home and carried you upstairs myself when I couldn't get you to wake up proper like," said Bart and then gave a bit of a grimace, his hand going to his back, "And I don't mean no disrespect or nothin' but you're kind of a hefty guy boss. I felt something pop half way up the stairs and I don't think whatever it was in my body should have made that noise. Does this job offer any kind of medical cover at all? I think I need to go and see one of those bone doctor types – you know, a chirotractor whatca ma call its. I can't keep falling downstairs and carrying people up them without some kind of-"

"Shut up Bart!" said Stefano in annoyance, fed up with the idiot man's rambling, "I need to tell you exactly what happened last night, was I alone when you got home?"

"Aha," nodded Bart.

"Celeste wasn't here?" Stefano prompted him.

"No," said Bart with a shake of his head, "No one was with you."

"She drugged me and then abandoned me," Stefano muttered to himself, "But why?"

"Crazy witch ladies don't tend to need reasons why," said Bart knowingly and then gave a little shudder, "She gives me the creeps."

"Bart there is a bottle of cognac downstairs," said Stefano sharply, the foggy clouds at last leaving his brain as he began to think quickly, "I want you to go and get it and give it to Rolf-"

"Vhat are you giving to me?" asked Rolf, suddenly appearing in the doorway.

"A bottle of cognac that Celeste used to try and poison me," said Stefano darkly, "She came by last night with it under a pretext of a peace offering and instead tried to kill me."

"You drank some?" tutted Rolf, shaking his head at him, "Even if it vasn't drugged zat waz a bad idea Stefano – you have many drugs in your zyztem already to help you keep za kidney. Alcohol iz za last zing you need."

"The last thing I need is a lecture Rolf," said Stefano tersely, "Go and find that bottle and analyse it so I know what she has done to me."

Rolf made a grumbling noise but did as he was asked, taking Bart with him but returning twenty minutes later to an impatiently waiting Stefano alone.

"Well?" demanded Stefano in annoyance at how long it had taken.

"Zer vas no cognac Stefano," said Rolf with a little shrug of his shoulders.

"Celeste must have taken it with her," Stefano scowled, "She's no idiot. What about the glasses we drank from?"

"Everyzing looks in perfect order," said Rolf calmly, "Nothing iz out of place at all."

Stefano's eyes narrowed at the suddenly evasive look on Rolf's face.

"What?" he said sharply, "What is it?"

"Ah Stefano," began Rolf, looking like he was searching for the right words, "You are on a lot of medication at za moment – painkillers, anti-rejection medication-"

"Get to the point Rolf," Stefano ordered him curtly.

"Vell you vill insist on continuing to drink," said Rolf, still looking like he was being very careful with his words.

"A sip here and there," Stefano dismissed impatiently.

Rolf arched an eyebrow, silently disputing that it was only a sip but obviously not looking for an argument with the an agitated Stefano.

"Zometimez when you mix alcohol and za drugz," began Rolf hesitantly.

"What are you saying Rolf?" Stefano interrupted him tersely.

"Ven ve couldn't find za cognac Bart and I went over za surveillance tapes of za driveway and za grounds," Rolf informed him.

"And?" Stefano pushed him, "Just say what you have to say Rolf – I don't have time for your carry on!"

"Zere vas nothing on za tapes Stefano," said Rolf sounding vaguely apologetic, "I'm zorry."

"What do you mean nothing?" asked Stefano in annoyance.

"Zere iz nothing vis Celeste's car arriving-" started Rolf.

"She could have been dropped off by a taxi," Stefano interrupted him shortly.

"But zere are no images of Celeste at all," Rolf protested, "Not in za driveway, not at za front door, not at za zide doors."

Stefano's frowned deepened as he stared coldly at a clearly uncomfortable Rolf.

"Are you saying I dreamt the whole thing up?" he asked at last, his voice tight with tension at even the suggestion.

"Stefano your body haz been through a terrible trial," said Rolf, clearly trying to be diplomatic, "Zometimez ven zings like zat occur and ve don't take care of ourzelvez az ve should-"

"Celeste was here!" Stefano roared in white hot anger at any suggestion otherwise, "You will not treat me like a backward child Rolf – I know what I saw!!"

"Calm down Stefano," said Rolf quickly, walking over to the bed and putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Stefano swatted it away impatiently.

"You are to take some of my blood and get it analysed for every drug you can think of!" Stefano ordered him sternly.

"But-"

"NOW!!" Stefano practically screamed at him.

Rolf pulled a face but dutifully trotted off to collect his phlebotomy kit leaving a still fuming Stefano in his wake.

"I know it was real," he muttered darkly to the empty room, "And I'm going to prove it and then-"

Stefano didn't finish his thought but if there had been anyone in the room with him it would have been clear that they were not happy ones.


	37. Chapter 184

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & EIGHTY FOUR**** – ****Enquiring Minds Want to Know**

Let your plans be dark and as impenetratable as night and when you move,

fall like a thunderbolt.

_Sun Tzu_

_(Chinese General and Author, b.500 BC)_

Stefano looked out the window of the living room, lost in his thoughts. He had received the blood tests results back from Rolf that morning and to his annoyance there had been no indication of any drugs in his system. Although Rolf did find it prudent to comment that his cholesterol was up and the man had been very lucky that Stefano didn't have access to a gun right then. His face tightened into a scowl, unable to accept that the other night was just a concoction of his drug and alcohol addled brain.

Stefano wouldn't allow such a thing to be true because not being in control of his mental faculties was an unacceptable thought. He was going to get to the bottom of this, one way or the other and that meant finding out exactly what did happen to him that night and more importantly why. The door bell rang and Stefano already knew who it was but waited nonetheless for Bart to bring her to him and introduce their guest.

"It's Celeste boss man," said Bart from behind him.

"That's Ms Perrault to you," said Celeste in annoyance at the other man's lack of formality.

"Oh," said Bart in surprise, "I didn't know you had a last name."

"Why wouldn't I have a last name?" asked Celeste in exasperation.

"Same reason Pink doesn't have a last name I suppose," Bart said with a half shrug.

Celeste looked at him in confusion, that comment being of no help whatsoever but clearly not feeling the need to prolong the conversation.

"Leave us," Stefano ordered him, still not having turned around.

It was a struggle but he was determined not to be in his wheelchair today, no sign of weakness was allowed in this fact finding mission he decided grimly.

"What a strange little man," commented Celeste, rolling her eyes as Bart trotted off, "Fancy thinking I had no last name."

"What is in a name?" pondered Stefano as he turned around and looked at Celeste coolly, "Eh Francesca?"

"You haven't called me that in a long time," said Celeste with an arched eyebrow as he referenced the name she'd been born with.

"Perhaps I'm feeling nostalgic," offered up Stefano calmly.

"Is that the reason why I've been summoned here?" asked Celeste, looking a little annoyed.

"I didn't summon you my dear," said Stefano easily.

"But somehow I don't think a no would have been accepted eh dahling?" noted Celeste with a slight twisting of her lips.

"I'm not a man to play games with," commented Stefano, fixing her with a hard stare, "Or had you forgotten that Celeste?"

"I've learnt my lesson when it comes to you Stefano," said Celeste a little unhappily.

"Have you now?" asked Stefano, his eyes still boring into her.

"What is this about Stefano?" asked Celeste in mild frustration, "What am I doing here?"

"I was in the mood for female companionship," said Stefano, "And we haven't seen each other for awhile now."

Celeste just nodded, taking in this information but not commenting. It was clear she didn't really believe what he was saying but obviously didn't feel like she could comment on it. Celeste looked around the room, seeming to be looking for a distraction to ease the tension. She spied the book that was still sitting beside the sofa from the night before and walked over and picked it up.

"Have you read it?" she asked him in a surreal repeat of the conversation Stefano was certain they'd already had.

"I'm half way through," said Stefano calmly, "Are you a fan Celeste?"

"I've never read any of his books," she said with a little shrug, putting it back down and contradicting what she'd said last night, "Is it any good?"

"It's a bit dull right now but I have it on good authority that it gets better with a big twist at the end," said Stefano, watching her closely.

Celeste just gave a vague nod, showing absolutely no sign that what he was saying was in anyway familiar to her. Stefano's eyes narrowed as he tried to work out what her game was. He didn't care what Rolf said, Celeste was certainly clever enough to find a way into the mansion without being detected so that didn't prove that what he remembered from last night wasn't real. Removing any evidence of her misdeeds would be simple enough as well and there were plenty of drugs that were hard to detect after several hours. The fact that he had no physical proof of their encounter and Celeste's betrayal didn't negate what his memories told him. Celeste had drugged him but unless she'd miscalculated terribly then her intent had never been to kill him which begged the question what had been her objective exactly? Stefano didn't like being in the dark about anything and the not knowing was making him very annoyed.

"Would you like to stay for dinner my dear?" he asked her, no trace of his vexation in his even tones.

"I have dinner with a friend planned," said Celeste with a little regretful shake of her head.

"Am I not a friend?" asked Stefano with an arched eyebrow, needing more time with her to work out what Celeste's angle was.

"Well yes dahling," she said with a little laugh, "But Roberto asked first."

"Do I know this Roberto?" asked Stefano, feeling like any information right now was going to be better than none.

"It is doubtful," Celeste said, "We met at an art show last night, he was a friend of the exhibiting artist."

"You were at an art show last night?" asked Stefano, latching onto her words, "Really?"

"Yes," she nodded, looking a little confused as to why he was so interested.

"And did you enjoy it?" he asked, eyes still trained on her like a hawk.

"Some of it," said Celeste slowly, regarding him in vague bemusement at his line of questioning.

Stefano had to hand it to her – the woman certainly was playing the part of confused innocent to perfection. But then he'd always thought that women were the most accomplished of liars by far.

"Such interest in my life all of a sudden dahling," commented Celeste, looking suitably perplexed, "Why?"

"You're an important part of my life Celeste," said Stefano smoothly, "We share a child."

"Yes," said Celeste, her face darkening, "My poor Alexandra."

"I'm still looking for her you know," said Stefano conversationally, "I will find her and bring her back to you."

"I hope so," said Celeste stiffly, "The pain of being apart from her, not knowing what has happened to her is unbearable at times."

"I can see how much this troubles you," said Stefano, coming to a sudden decision.

Whilst Stefano prouded himself on always thinking out every situation he got himself into he also didn't discount his finely honed instincts in cases like these. With barely a second thought he went with his gut feeling on this.

"You should move into the mansion," he told her firmly, "And we can help each other through this troubled time eh?"

Celeste's eyes widen as she looked at him. For all her supposed psychic ability it seemed she hadn't seen this one coming thought Stefano in satisfaction.

"You-you want me to move in with you?" asked Celeste hesitantly, "Here?"

"You would have your own room of course," said Stefano easily, "But I think it is a wonderful idea."

Celeste seemed to be having trouble finding words to describe what she thought of it but then there was no need when there the sound of the doorbell ringing.

"I got it!" called out Bart rather unnecessarily seeing as it was part of his job.

Kate suddenly appeared in the room with a flourish, not waiting for Bart to introduce her but clearly he felt he had to make up for his faux par with Celeste so he tried hard to please.

"Boss it's Mrs Roberts-Reed-Kiriarkis-Brady to see you," he announced happily, clearly pleased with himself.

Everyone turned to look at him and Kate with open displeasure.

"What?" he asked in confusion, "Did I forget a husband?"

"Go away!" Kate snapped at him.

Bart scowled, unhappy that his efforts weren't more appreciated.

"Fine," he sulked, "Be like that."

Bart wandered off as Celeste and Kate eyed each other up and down. Kate then promptly ignored the other woman and fixed Stefano with a bright smile.

"Hello Stefano," she said with a little sexy smile, "You're looking well."

"Unlikely," Stefano said with a quirk of his lips, feeling anything but right then but still determined not to show it, "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit Kate? Celeste and I were just in the middle of something."

"This won't take long," said Kate confidently, "I have an offer for you Stefano."

"And what that might be my dear?" asked Stefano with an arched eyebrow, not sure where this was going but more interested in Celeste at this point.

One conniving woman at a time was his motto but apparently rules were made to be broken when Kate answered his question.

"I think I should move in here," said Kate with a calm smile, fixing Stefano with an unblinking and almost defiant look at Stefano.

Stefano's eyebrows shot up his forehead at the almost proclamation sounding statement.

Well this was an interesting turn of events to be sure...

**oooOOOOooo**

"Paris?" suggested Sami.

"It's very crowded," observed EJ thoughtfully.

"Is that a problem?" asked Sami with a smile.

"Well I am planning on keeping you completely naked for the entirety of our honeymoon so you tell me," said EJ straight faced.

Sami laughed at that comment and shook her head at him but at the same time rather hoping EJ would make good on that promise. EJ and Sami were enjoying the afterglow of that mornings lovemaking and neither one were in any kind of hurry to get out of bed. Sami was half lying on him, their faces close as EJ lazily dragged his finger tips up and down the indent of her spine. They were occupying their time with talking about possible honeymoon destinations.

"I hear the French are very accepting of such things," giggled Sami.

"On second thoughts that's a definite no to Paris," EJ growled, throwing one leg possessively over hers, "I won't be sharing you with anyone and particularly not if you are naked."

"So you're thinking somewhere more isolated perhaps?" asked Sami coyly.

"Just at the beginning of our honeymoon," EJ agreed with a half smile, "The first few months or so and then I'll steel myself to share you and show off my gorgeous bride."

"First few months?!" exclaimed Sami laughingly, "Just how long do you plan on this honeymoon being EJ?"

"I was thinking a year," said EJ casually.

"A year!" she squeaked, "That's outrageous – no one has a honeymoon for a year EJ!"

"We're not just anyone," EJ reminded her with a smile, "We will be EJ and Samantha DiMera and the world will be our oyster."

Sami smiled, loving to hear the great confidence in EJ's voice whenever he spoke of their future. Before she could answer him her cell phone began to ring.

"Leave it," EJ said quickly.

"It might be important," argued Sami, looking back over her shoulder at where the ringing was coming from.

"You're addicted to that thing," EJ complained to her, wrinkling his nose, "Just let it ring out, they'll leave a message if it is important."

"But it will only take a minute," Sami protested knowing it was a weakness of hers, not being able to let a phone ring.

She quickly scrambled out of bed before EJ could stop her.

"Leave it!" EJ ordered her in a mock imperious voice as he sat up in bed to scowl at her fiercely, "I command you woman!"

Sami gave a loud and very inelegant snort at that statement, EJ having guaranteed that she was going to answer it now, just to sass him.

"Hmph," EJ grumbled as he flopped back onto the pillow upon seeing her make her way to her bag, "My next fiancé to be is going to be far more obedient."

"There won't be enough of you left for any other woman when I'm done with you for there to be a next," said Sami cheekily as she hunted out her cell phone from her bag.

"Promises, promises," EJ pouted, not looking overly concerned by that possibility.

Sami answered the phone without looking at who was calling, distracted by the fact that EJ was currently eyeing her like a hungry man looking at a banquet as she stood in the middle of the room naked.

"Hello," she said absently and then tensed as she heard who it was, "Oh, uh hi."

EJ sat up in bed, hearing the sudden tightness in her voice and arching a quizzical eyebrow at her.

"You're what?!" Sami gasped, her hand tightening on the phone as the caller continued to speak, "When? Ah – sure, of course I'll be there – no problem. No, no, I'll be there, I promise – I'll see you then."

Sami hung up the phone and then turned to look at EJ wide eyed.

"That was Lucas," she said unevenly, "He's on his way back to Salem as we speak, he wants me to pick him up at the airport in an hour."

"An hour?" repeated EJ in surprise.

"I have to get dressed," Sami said faintly, feeling like she was in shock.

She'd known this moment was coming but now that it was here she couldn't seem to think straight all of a sudden.

"Samantha," said EJ a little uncertainly at seeing how upset she was.

"I have to get dressed," Sami repeated, interrupting him.

Sami grabbed up some of her clothes and disappeared into the bathroom. EJ quickly got dressed as well and was waiting for her in the living room when she appeared, still obviously very flustered.

"We knew this day was coming," EJ reminded her quietly as he watched her collect up a few items and shove them in her bag.

"I know," Sami mumbled, finding it hard to make sense of all the things she was feeling.

She just wanted this to be already done so much.

"Do you want me to come with you?" EJ offered, still watching her intently.

"No!" said Sami a little more loudly then she'd intended and saw the sudden flash of pain in EJ's eyes.

Her heart sank at seeing that and she quickly moved over to where he was leaning on the back of the sofa.

"You seem to be very intent on meeting with your former lover alone," said EJ tightly.

Sami looked at him in surprise at the way he'd said that, a vaguely accusatory tone in his voice.

"Of course I am," said Sami, looking up at him in confusion, "With Lucas coming home it means I can finally clear the air with him."

"And that is all it is?" asked EJ and there was definite jealousy in his voice now, "You're not going to take one look at him and decide he's the easier option?"

"EJ!" gasped Sami in dismay, "How can you say something like that to me, after these last weeks."

EJ looked away abruptly and Sami saw a flash of shame in his eyes but there was something else as well – fear.

"You ran back to him so many times Samantha," he said shakily, looking back at her again and now the fear was easy to see, "So many times I thought you'd chosen me, that you wanted me and then the next time I saw you-"

"Don't!" said Sami sharply, tears welling up in her eyes to see the pain she'd caused him.

Sami threw herself into his arms and clung to him tightly and after a split hesitation she felt his strong arms wrap around her and hold her tightly to him.

"Don't say those things EJ," she pleaded with him, her voice muffled against his chest, "I know that I've hurt you before because of my own fear and uncertainty."

She looked up at him then, letting him see the earnestness in her face now.

"But not any longer," she vowed to him, "EJ you are the only man for me, ever. I could never contemplate going back to Lucas now – it would kill me to settle like that. The thought of any other man kissing me, even being near me other than you makes my stomach turn."

"Samantha!" he said raggedly, crushing her lips under his.

"I need to do this alone," she said softly, putting her hands on his chest when he finally let her speak again, "My mess, my responsibility."

"We're in this together Samantha," EJ argued with her unevenly, "I want to be there."

"It will only make things more difficult," said Sami regretfully, really wishing he could be there because it would certainly make her feel better but that wasn't the aim right now, "Imagine how you'd feel if the situations were reversed EJ."

EJ grimaced, clearly not liking what she was saying but finding it hard to argue with.

"I'm sorry," she said unhappily, giving him a sad little smile, "We were having such a wonderful time and I've gone and ruined everything."

"You didn't ruin anything sweetheart," said EJ quickly with a small reassuring smile, "I guess I'm just wondering what you are thinking right now."

"I'm thinking that I thought I'd be better prepared for this moment," said Sami ruefully, "I've rehearsed it so many times in my head but now that it is crunch time-"

She trailed off, finding it hard to find the words to describe her turmoil.

"You don't want to do this," filled in EJ tightly.

"Yes," admitted Sami before really thinking about it and then quickly correcting herself, "I mean no!"

EJ made a regretful face at that.

"What I mean," said Sami hurriedly, "Is that I wish I hadn't put myself in this situation and that I'd ended it with Lucas long ago. More than anything though I want this over and done with so we can start our life together properly and not have to keep hiding our love from everyone around us."

"Really?" asked EJ, looking at her very intently, "Because it's not too late-"

"Shut up!" Sami ordered him, smacking his shoulder, "Don't even attempt to finish that sentence otherwise I will be forced to kill you EJ DiMera!"

"Romantic," EJ commented with a quirk of his lips.

"I'm going to go and get this thing over and done with," said Sami huskily, moving closer to him, "And then I'm going to show you exactly how romantic I can be, several times over."

EJ smiled properly then, it reaching his eyes and making them the warm, chocolate colour that Sami just loved.

"I can hardly wait," he said throatily, closing the small distance between them and kissing her thoroughly.

Sami tried to kiss EJ back with all the love she had for him, to try and reassure him that she was indeed in this for the long haul and that he was the only one for her. Finally she broke the kiss, both of them breathless.

"I should go," she said regretfully, glancing at her watch.

EJ didn't say anything, just straightened up and Sami bit her bottom lip, dreading this completely. She collected her bag and coat and her hand was on the door handle and she was opening it when EJ suddenly moved up behind her, grabbing her arm and spinning her around. Sami gave a surprised gasp which was caught up in EJ's crushing kisses...


	38. Chapter 185

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & EIGHTY FIVE**** – ****Great Expectations**

Worry is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind.

If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.

_~Arthur Somers Roche~_

EJ crushed her mouth underneath his, not intending to hurt her as they stood there in the open doorway but needing her to feel his desperate want of her.

His heart was beating ten to the dozen at the thought of letting her leave without him to see Lucas. Despite Sami's reassurances EJ couldn't shake this feeling of impending doom that had settled on him. Like Sami he'd known this moment was coming and like her he'd had mixed feelings about it. EJ just wanted it done and the little troll out of their lives but doubts that simply refused to be silent still gnawed at his peace of mind. Worst of all was that he knew hard this was going to be for Sami and EJ couldn't do anything to lighten her burden.

He felt her melt into his arms, meeting his fierceness with supple acquiescence and as always Sami knew instinctively what he needed, what his stumbling words couldn't bring into the light of day. EJ knew that her love was real but the purely base part of him, that part of being a man that most civilised men didn't like to admit to reared its green eyed head. Samantha was his, none other and before she went to meet with this interloper EJ had a near desperate need to prove it to both her and himself.

He backed her up against the still open door, feeling when Sami could no longer retreat from him and used the opportunity to press his hard length against the soft curves of her body. EJ was still kissing her as though his life depended on it and he couldn't help but feel that it did somehow. His hand moved between their bodies, sneaking between Sami's legs as he moved under her skirt and feeling the gratifying moistness there. Sami gave a quivering groan as his fingers brushed against such a delicate part of her body. Neither one of them cared that they were standing in EJ's doorway, in plain view of anyone walking along the corridors. There was only the two of them in existence for EJ and Sami.

There was only ever the two of them.

"You're mine," he growled down at her and he saw the flash of understanding and answering fire in her eyes at that politically incorrect statement.

"Yes," Sami breathed, her chest rising and falling unevenly with her erratic breaths.

Sami began to rub herself against his fingers, her eyes never leaving his as she bit her bottom lip, soft moans coming from her lips at the stimulation. EJ saw the acceptance in Sami's eyes and he knew she'd let him take her right there in the doorway if he wanted and EJ wanted. He knew that Sami had never been very sexually adventurous with her other lovers and more than ever he needed to know that she wanted him beyond any kind of accepted reason or decorum because that was how he wanted her.

If someone had rounded the corner right then they would have no doubt been calling the police but EJ simply didn't care as in one easy motion he released his painfully swollen member from his pants and picked Sami up, pulling aside her panties and impaling her on its hard length. Sami gave a choked cry which he swallowed up in his hungry kisses. EJ began to pump himself forcefully into her tight heat, scared that he might be hurting Sami but unable to stop himself.

"Samantha!" he cried out her name raggedly.

"More!" she implored him anxiously, answering his silent question.

Sami grabbed at his broad shoulders to steady herself as he hammered her repeatedly with his fierce strokes, the open door at her back making little banging noises each time he penetrated her fully.

"Don't stop!" Sami begged him, clinging to him tightly, "Don't sto... ohhh gooODDDD!"

Already Sami was convulsing around him, climaxing easily for EJ and he loved how stimulating she found their love making in public places. It made him redouble his efforts, desperate for that same kind of release, his whole body aching to make her completely his, mark her with his maleness.

**oooOOOOooo**

Lucas looked out the plane window and moved a little nervously in his seat as they circled around to begin landing in Salem. Reaching into his coat pocket he pulled out a plain grey box and opened it, looking down at the sparkling ring inside of it. He'd bought it the same day his mother had rung to tell him that EJ was no longer part of the equation any longer when it came to he and Sami. Lucas had reason to be suspicious of what EJ was up to in the past but whatever it was he seemed to have gotten over it which Lucas was very happy about. Not that he couldn't have kicked EJ's ass if the mood took him of course but this way it was all so much simpler. He absently rubbed his leg that was complaining at having to be in such cramped quarters for so long, willing the painkillers he's just taken to start taking affect.

Lucas touched the glistening gem stone, a small smile coming to his lips as he imagined how surprised and excited Sami was going to be when she saw this. They'd talked marriage in the past but Lucas wanted her to know that he was serious about them making a life together. He and Sami had been a long time in coming but now Lucas knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was the one for him and had been all along. They were going to have a great life together and even his mom seemed to be coming around to the idea at long last, miracle of miracles.

"Excuse me sir."

The flight attendants voice was above his head and he looked up at the pleasant looking red haired woman.

"Lucas Robert?" she quizzed him.

"Yes," he said with a little nod.

"There is a phone call for you Mr Roberts," she said with a cordial smile, handing him the plane phone.

Lucas gave a little frown as he thanked the woman, wondering who it could be as he accepted the phone.

"Hello – this is Lucas Roberts."

**oooOOOOooo**

"_Cluck.... cluck.... cluck..."_

"Would you stop doing that!" EJ snapped in annoyance, unable to stand it any longer.

"_I'm just trying to pass the time," Sam protested._

"Find another way," EJ ground out.

It was over two hours since Sami had left him to go and pick up Lucas and to tell him the bad news and EJ was beginning to worry. She should have been at the airport an hour ago and how long exactly did it take to tell someone they were a loser and he was out on his ass anyway? EJ moved in his chair, his body still throbbing uncontrollably after their heated lovemaking in the doorway. He ached for more, needed Sami's body right there beside him, so he could possess her like she'd possessed him and reassure him that everything was going to be alright. EJ wasn't used to feeling this vulnerable and out of control, more used to making things happen rather than waiting for things to play out. This was not sitting well with him and the sudden appearance of Sam hadn't helped his anxiety level or mood any either.

"_Okay," said Sam chirpily, "How's this then – I spy with my little eye..."_

"Boobs," EJ said flatly, still not looking at her as she lay sprawled out on his sofa.

"_You have a one track mind my sexy little sperm whale," said Sam with a laugh._

"It was what you were thinking," said EJ shortly.

EJ had realised that if he'd thought about it then it would most likely not have been a huge surprise that as much as Sam knew what he was thinking if he concentrated EJ could do the same thing to her.

"_It's true," admitted Sam happily, "Let's go again – I spy with my little eye something beginning with-"_

"That's not an object," EJ interrupted her in annoyance, knowing what she was going to say, "Nor can you spy it and oh yes, it's illegal!"

"_Well somebody has their partying pooping on," Sam sniffed, "Most people like games."_

"You know what I'd like now?" EJ snapped, "I'd like for you to go away!"

"_Come on Elvis," she tutted, "Everyone knows that paranoid anxiety loves company... or is that cumquats?"_

Sam seemed to be thinking about then, looking at him quizzically.

"_How about it Elvis – what do you feel like – company or cumquats?" she asked curiously._

"Can you go back to making that annoying clucking noise with your tongue and the roof of your mouth?" EJ requested of her darkly, "I've decided that it is the lesser of all of your evils."

"_You are so lucky that I like my men to give it to me rough," commented Sam with a roll of her eyes, "Otherwise I might get offended by some of the things you say to me."_

"And yet you are still here," said EJ dourly, "My thorn in my side. Can I just say it has been blissful not having you around these last few weeks."

"_You've been in happy la la land," said Sam with a shrug, "You didn't need me."_

"Remind me again why I need you now?" asked EJ tartly, "Is there some kind of deficit in my life of people who make annoying noises with their mouth and play infantile games?"

"_You need me because you are getting your frilly white panties all in a bunch worrying about what is going on between Lucas and Sami right now," said Sam knowingly._

"Nothing is going on," said EJ sourly, "Other then her telling him it is over and that she loves me and not him."

"_Sami still loves Lucas," Sam corrected._

EJ scowled, knowing it was true but hating to think about it.

"If she does it is not the same way she loves me," he insisted firmly.

"_You know I love chocolate ice cream but sometimes if all there is lying around is vanilla ice cream then that doesn't stop me lathering myself up in it and getting some guy I picked up in a bar to lick it off me," stated Sam conversationally._

EJ looked at her in vague horror at both the mental image and impossibility of that statement and what she was trying to say.

"Why must you always do that?" asked EJ grimly, "Why do you always have to try and put some kind of crazy argument to what I am saying?"

"_Elvis honey," she said wide eyed, as though this should be obvious, "I'm your devil's advocate – it's my job to say black to your white. That's what keeps our relationship from getting old."_

"No," EJ snapped, "What is getting old is you trying to undermine the confidence I have in my relationship with Samantha!"

"_I'm only saying what you're too frightened to admit to thinking," Sam sniffed, "Deep down inside what you're really worried about is that right about now Lucas is licking the cherry off Sami's vanilla ice cream – you can't fool me."_

"Don't be ridiculous!" said EJ angrily, glaring at her, "The only time Lucas and Samantha have had sex in recent times is the night the roof fell on him! Ever since the island I am all she can think of – the only man she wants touching her!"

"_Alright simmer down my meaty loaf," said Sam with a roll of her eyes, "Unclench your colon. I'm sure there is a perfectly logical and reasonable explanation as to why this is taking so long."_

"Of course there is," said EJ tightly.

"_Maybe while Sami was waiting for the plane there was some kind of malfunction and the plane crashed into the airport and wiped everyone out?" suggested Sam easily._

EJ grimaced at that scenario but didn't say anything, trying not to encourage her but Sam didn't seem to need any.

"_Or maybe she and Lucas were driving when she told him it was splitsville for the two of them and Lucas drove their car into an oncoming semitrailer in a fit of jealous rage and even as we speak they are trying to pick out body parts from a burning wreckage?" she offered up casually._

"Sam!" growled EJ, his stomach turning over in knots at even the thought of that.

"_Or maybe on the way into the airport terminal a duck flying overhead had a heart attack," continued on Sam blithely and ignoring his protest completely, "The duck plummets to the earth and takes out Sami on the way down."_

"That is utterly ridiculous!" EJ snapped; his ire getting to the point of wishing he could inflict physical harm on her.

"_No it isn't," sniffed Sam, "That was exactly what happened to a woman in London when she was walking across Hyde Park."_

"I don't care," bit out EJ.

"_Would you be happier if we went back to the crash idea?" she asked brightly, "They're probably going to have a phone a dentist to id the bodies unless Sami took her driver's licence. Do you think we should check her bag-"_

"If you don't stop talking now I'll-" began EJ grimly.

"_You'll what?" asked Sam with a challenging eyebrow and she was right, it was pretty hard to threaten a metaphysical being but EJ was undaunted._

"So Sam," he said conversationally, "Is it just me or are you starting to pack on some pounds? From here your ass looks somebody inflated a rescue dinghy in your duds."

"_You bastard!" Sam hissed, clearly outraged at such a suggestion, "You take that back – I'm a goddess do you hear me?! A goddess!"_

EJ gave a bit of a smirk, pleased that his hunch about Sam being somewhat vain was right. Mind you he had no idea what it said about him when he could insult a figment of his own imagination, that figment become outraged which at some level meant he'd upset himself and find that amusing. All in all the conundrum it didn't bear too close of an examination EJ decided as he leant over and picked up his phone from his desk that he was sitting beside.

"_Who are you ringing?" asked Sam, quickly over her annoyance with him and filled with curiousity._

"The talking clock," said EJ straight faced as he dialled and waited for Sami to pick up, "I'm desperate for intelligent conversation."

"_Oh ha ha," said Sam, crossing her arms in front of herself, "No wonder Sami did a runner – she was probably trying to escape that sense of humour you have."_

EJ ignored her, growing more and more impatient as the phone continued to ring and no one picked up. Finally he gave up, hanging up and wondering what on earth would stop Sami from answering a call from him. She had to know that he'd be wondering what was taking so long and EJ couldn't believe that Sami was being intentionally cruel to him which only made his worry deepen as he tried to work out what could have happened to them.

"_My money's on the duck," said Sam knowingly, "There is a sixteen percent chance of being killed by a duck or poultry related incidences in America."_

"You're just making up that statistic," said EJ moodily.

"_Love handles – forty percent of stats are made up," she informed him calmly. _

EJ closed his eyes and just willed time to pass so that Sami would be back very, very soon and this nightmare would be at an end. The not knowing was killing him and EJ didn't know how much longer he could stand it. In the end it was nearly another hour before he heard the elevator ding and there was movement in the hallway. He practically leapt to his feet and raced to the door. When he opened it Lucas was just disappearing into the apartment and Sami was behind him.

She must have felt EJ's intense gaze because she turned around and looked at him. Her face was pale and it looked as though she'd been crying. Sami gave him a wide eyed look, frantically shaking her head and her eyes pleaded with him not to say anything. EJ felt the bottom fall out of his world as Sami gave him one last distressed look, her expression pleading with him to stay there before she turned around and followed Lucas into the apartment, the door closing behind them. EJ staggered back a little as though she'd physically punched him, suddenly unable to breathe. He leant over and put his hands on his knees, a mixture of despair and rage making it hard for him to even stand all of a sudden.

EJ straightened up slowly, the two emotions struggling for control of him and finally the rage won. He whirled around and punched the wall as hard as he could, barely noticing the jarring pain that screeched down his arm because it was nothing in comparison to the pain of having his heart ripped out of his chest. How could this be happening? How could Sami be with Lucas and not him right now?

"_Maybe she hasn't told him yet?" suggested Sam, trying to calm him down._

"They've been gone nearly three hours," EJ snarled, looking at her with eyes full of frustration, "What else would they have been doing?!"

"_Maybe the traffic was bad?" offered Sam, "Maybe the plane was late? Maybe Lucas had to have a full cavity search – I don't know?! I bet she is in there right now telling him he's the history channel right now."_

"I saw Samantha's face," said EJ thickly as his hand began to throb, bits of plaster falling off the wall now from the force of his blow, "Something is terribly wrong."

"_You Italians," Sam tutted, "Always so dramatic. Why not wait until you speak to Sami before wading out into the deep end without your goggles and snorkel?"_

EJ looked at Sam, dreading what it was that Sami might actually tell him and wanting to go over there right now and just throw her over his shoulder and carry her away from that momma's boy once and for all.

"_Theatrical," agreed Sam, "But I don't think that is what Sami needs right now. Put your cave man back in your pants and just try and exhale every few minutes or so. I'm sure Sami will be here in a minute to explain everything."_

It was twenty minutes later and EJ just couldn't wait any longer. Sam tried to stop him but he ignored her, wrenching open the door and nearly stumbling over Sami who was standing right there, clearly about to knock. Sami looked at him with a distressed expression on her face, clearly so close to tears that it broke through EJ's frustrated anger. She covered the distance between them, practically throwing herself into his arms. EJ instinctively closed his arms around her, all of his anger dissipating on seeing and feeling her anguish as Sami shook uncontrollably in her arms.

"What happened Samantha?" he asked her grimly.

Sami just shook her head and began to cry in earnest now, clinging to him helplessly.

Sam watched the little scene in front of her and shook her head. She then smiled brightly at EJ who had a deeply troubled expression on his face.

"_On the up side," she said, clearly trying to cheer him up as their eyes met over Sami's head, "She isn't lying in a mangled wreck, right?"_

EJ swallowed hard and grimaced, having a strong feeling that it was his heart that was actually about to be mangled somehow.

"Talk to me sweetheart," EJ urged her, his voice thick with all the emotion of having waited for her to be back in his arms for what seemed like an eternity.

Sami lifted her head, tears streaming down her face as she looked up at him with stricken eyes before speaking the words that would change things between them utterly...


	39. Chapter 186

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & EIGHTY SIX**** – ****The Bubble Bursts**

Confusion is a word we have invented for an order which is not yet understood.

_Henry Miller_

_(American Author and Writer, 1891-1980)_

"Talk to me sweetheart," EJ urged her, his voice thick with all the emotion of having waited for her to be back in his arms for what seemed like an eternity.

Sami lifted her head, tears streaming down her face as she looked up at him with stricken eyes before speaking the words that would change things between them utterly.

"Lucas is dying," she managed to choke out before collapsing back into his arms as EJ felt his whole world tilt at that news, a thousand questions crowding his brain.

[center]**oooOOOOooo**[/center]

_Sami shifted her foot nervously from one foot to the other as she waited for Lucas to appear in the arrival lounge. Her body was still tingling and heavy after the climax EJ had given her before coming here. She blushed slightly to think how wanton she'd been and uncaring of prying eyes but the truth was Sami couldn't help herself around him. EJ made her feel fearless and powerful so things like what people might think just didn't bother her like they used to which was a huge thing for Sami. All she wanted to do was get this done, face the music and then rush back home to EJ's arms. _

_Perhaps she might suggest they stay at a hotel for a couple of days Sami pondered, not imagining it being very pleasant to have an angry Lucas only a few feet away in her old apartment. A huge wave of guilt came over Sami as she realised that she was doing to him what Carrie had done not so long ago. The difference was of course that Carrie had married Lucas and taken vows but that didn't really make Sami feel any better. Cheating was cheating in her book and it was a horrible thing to do to anyone, let alone someone you cared about. _

"_Sami!" _

_Sami started a little at the sound of her name, her mind having drifted off there for a moment and missed Lucas coming through the gate. She recovered quickly and fixed a smile to her face as he limped towards her. As he drew closer Sami was a little taken aback by the change to his appearance. Lucas seemed a lot paler then she'd remembered and he'd definitely lost weight. She supposed it was because of being confined after the surgery but still, it was a little shocking to see him looking rather frail. _

"_Hey," Lucas said with a big grin, now in front of her as he leant in for a kiss._

_A man's lips on hers that weren't EJ's felt like death to Sami but she struggled valiantly not to flinch away but when Lucas would have lingered she drew back and smiled brightly up at him. _

"_How was your flight?" she asked, trying hard to sound natural._

"_Alright," said Lucas with a bit of a shrug, "My leg was cramped and I feel really tired now."_

_Sami had this urge to just blurt out the truth to Lucas there and then, finding it nearly impossible to contain herself. He couldn't get too mad at her in a crowded place right? She didn't know if this was the right place but then was there going to be a right place to break someone's heart she wondered despondently. _

"_Oh and I have to make a detour on the way back to the apartment," he continued on blithely, clearly not seeing anything in Sami's demeanour to give him pause, "One of the doctors from Switzerland rang and asked that I go and see a Doctor Bremner here in Salem when I touched down – he rang me on the plane."_

"_What, now?" asked Sami, not meaning to sound quite that blunt, "Can't it wait?"_

_She needed to talk to him and didn't want to have to wait any longer to get this done. _

"_The Swiss doctor had already made me the appointment," said Lucas with a bit of a grimace, "He was very insistent."_

"_Wh-when is the appointment?" asked Sami weakly, wondering if it would be alright for her to drive him there and then drop the bombshell._

_Probably not._

"_In about a half an hour," said Lucas looking put out as well, "I have to get my luggage first so we will be cutting it pretty fine."_

"_Can't you reschedule?" asked Sami desperately._

"_Eager to get me alone are you?" he teased her, moving to put his arms around her waist._

_Sami's skin crawled at the light touch but tried not to let it show. _

"_I was just thinking you would be tired after you trip," said Sami hastily, taking in the vaguely greyish look Lucas was sporting and thinking that he really did look exhausted._

"_I am," he admitted, "But the guy seemed pretty insistent that I go so I may as well do it on the way home and get it done."_

"_Why do you think they are making such a big deal about you seeing a doctor as soon as you touched down?" asked Sami with a bit of a frown, falling in beside him as Lucas started to limp towards the turntable where the bags would come out. _

"_Probably because I bailed on my last appointment," said Lucas casually with a bit of a shrug._

"_Lucas," said Sami disapprovingly, "You shouldn't have done that."_

"_I was worried they weren't going to give me the all clear to fly," said Lucas clearly unconcerned as he smiled over at her, "And I was anxious to get home to my best girl."_

_Sami gave a painful smile at that and wished Lucas would stop talking because he was just making it harder for her._

"_Well we should get going then," said Sami, not commenting on his statement, "I guess it will be good to get it over and done with before-"_

"_Before what?" asked Lucas innocently and Sami had to swallow hard._

"_Before we go home," she said weakly, not knowing what else to say._

_Before I shattered your heart into a thousand pieces perhaps? _

_It was an hour later and Sami was squirming a little impatiently in her chair as she and Lucas waited for the doctor to turn up. They had been led into his office and now were just waiting for him to join them. Sami kept glancing down at her bag and at her watch, knowing EJ must be wondering where she was. She wanted desperately to phone him and was just about to make some kind of excuse to Lucas to do just that when the doctor finally appeared. _

_Pleasantries were exchanged and Sami was just counting the seconds until this was given his final bill of good health and then she could get to say what she needed to. She'd decided on stopping at a park near home and breaking the news to him there. It wasn't too long a walk home for her because Sami didn't think the chances of Lucas wanting to share a car with her after finding out about her and EJ were going to be too high somehow. _

"_I'm sorry to keep you both waiting," said Dr Bremner, "And I appreciate you coming in Mr Roberts."_

"_No problem," said Lucas blithely, "But can you make it quick please, my girl and I have some major catching up to do."_

_Lucas reached out and put his hand on Sami's leg as she moved a little uncomfortably under his hand and wondered how much longer she could do this for without starting to scream. _

"_I'm very sorry Mr Roberts but I have some rather sober news for you," said the doctor regretfully, "You have acute myeloid leukaemia or AML as it is known."_

"_What?" asked Lucas blankly, his hand slipping from Sami's leg as she dragged in a shock gasp._

"_Lucas has leukaemia?" she asked faintly, hardly able to comprehend what the doctor was saying. _

"_No I don't," Lucas insisted, looking back at the doctor, "You've made a mistake doc – you need to check again."_

"_I'm sorry," said the doctor quietly, "Your doctor's in Switzerland were very thorough and have contacted me wanting me to take over your case."_

"_No," said Lucas stubbornly, "It's impossible – why is this the first I'm hearing about this? I mean I've been in and out of hospital for months now, why hasn't anyone noticed it?"_

"_No one was looking for it," the doctor explained, "AML is notoriously bad for being misdiagnosed because of the rather vague symptoms and that is why your case is so advanced."_

_Sami was still reeling from this information, her thoughts turning immediately to Will and what this would do to him. _

"_So what kind of treatment is there available for this condition?" asked Sami anxiously, more willing than Lucas to accept the reality of the situation right then._

"_Well normally we would recommend chemotherapy-" began Dr Bremner._

"_This is ridiculous!" insisted Lucas, "I don't have leukaemia – that is crazy!"_

"_But I'm afraid that your case is so advanced that there is no point," said the doctor quietly, "I'm terribly sorry Mr Roberts."_

[center]**oooOOOOooo**[/center]

"So how long has Lucas got?" asked EJ who had been listening carefully to everything Sami had been telling him, perched on the end of the sofa.

"A couple of months, maybe a little longer," said Sami unhappily, "They're just not sure."

"And they really don't think treatment is an option?" asked EJ in disbelief.

"That's what the doctor said," said Sami sadly, "That it would be just unnecessary discomfort for him with no possibility of any kind of positive outcome."

EJ didn't speak for a long moment, clearly mulling over what she had said. His face was rather sombre looking but beyond that Sami found it hard to know what he was thinking. There had to be a lot of mixed feelings going on inside him about this new development. He wasn't exactly a fan of Lucas and it must be hard for him to know how to feel right then.

"How did Lucas take it?" he asked finally.

"He wouldn't believe it at first and then he's been really quiet ever since we came home," said Sami sadly, "EJ I couldn't tell him, not right then, not after-"

"Of course you couldn't Samantha," he interrupted her quickly, "I would never have expected that you would be able to, not under those circumstances. So what is Lucas doing right now?"

"When we got home I tried to talk to him about it but he just kept on shutting me out and then he said that he was tired and wanted to lie down," said Sami with a grimace, "The doctor had given him some pills to take that are meant to help some so he said he was going to take one of those and try and get some sleep. I told him that I was going to go for a walk to clear my head."

"Are you alright sweetheart?" asked EJ softly, looking at her with great compassion.

It must have been hard for him to know that this was clearly affecting her so badly and all over another man. Sami knew he would never hold that against her but she hated the fact that yet again she was having to ask EJ to be understanding when it came to her. It didn't occur to Sami that she wouldn't think twice about doing the same thing if the situation was reversed, still not quite used to someone loving her so effortlessly and unconditionally.

"I don't know," she said hopelessly, "All I know is-"

Sami stopped abruptly and looked away, her eyes welling up with tears once again.

"Samantha," said EJ urgently, standing up quickly and crossing the space between them and wrapping his arms around her and putting a hand to her head, "Don't cry darling."

Shook her head against his chest, trying to find the words to explain all that was going around in her heart.

"It's alright sweetheart," he said softly, "I know this has been a terrible shock for you and this is a lot for you to deal with. It's alright to be upset, I know that you care a great deal for Lucas."

"No," said Sami, her voice muffled against his chest.

She looked up at him and tried to explain.

"I mean I do love Lucas," she said unevenly, "He's the father of my son and we have this huge history together but-"

Sami's voice broke and she had trouble going on.

"But what sweetheart?" EJ prompted her gently.

"And all I could think about when the doctor told us the news was thank god it's not EJ," said Sami, fresh tears coursing down her cheeks as she looked up at him.

Sami made a choked little sobbing noise.

"God I am the worst person in the world," she said achingly, burying her head in her hands, "This is Will's father – how can I be so cold?"

"You are anything but cold Samantha Brady," said EJ firmly, taking her back into his arms, "You are warm and caring and extremely loving person, some might say to a fault."

"You mean people like Austin?" Sami asked around a little sniffle as she let him draw her into his comforting embrace.

"Samantha you have an exceptional amount of love to give," said EJ with a small smile, kissing the top of her head, "Lesser men simply don't know how to handle or appreciate that fact."

"You make my crazy sound like a good thing," said Sami with a little quirk of her lips at his take on things.

"It is the thing that makes you amazing and unique Samantha and I wouldn't change a single thing about you," said EJ, pulling her tighter to him, "You care about Lucas but you love me so there is nothing wrong with your reaction. It's the exact same one I'd have if I was your position. Everything has changed for me now that I love you, I think of everything in terms of you sweetheart and your happiness."

Sami pulled back and looked up at him, tears still staining her cheeks.

"What are we going to do EJ?" she asked him, her voice catching emotionally as Sami suddenly had all these new fears about the future and what it would mean for them.

She was prepared for one set of things to happen and now this news about Lucas had just changed everything and Sami was afraid.

"Whatever we do my darling we'll do it together," he told her huskily, pressing his lips to her forehead in a lingering kiss.

Despite everything still being so up in the air EJ's simple words and touch immediately made Sami relax, knowing that no matter what they had each other and that wasn't going to change.

[center]**oooOOOOooo**[/center]

Lucas lay on the bed, looking unseeingly up at the ceiling. There were too many emotions swirling around inside of him right then to even contemplate sleep right then.

He was dying.

No matter how many times he repeated those words to himself they still just didn't seem real or even possible for that matter. Technically everyone in the world was dying, everyone suffering the fate of mortality but to be told that death was no longer an abstract concept that you have a fleeting intellectual understanding of but now a very imminent fact was something that Lucas was finding impossible to come to terms with.

That morning he had been full of hope for the future, he was coming home to the girl he loved, was going to ask her to marry him, his leg was improving and Lucas had even decided to give up the painkillers and drinking. He didn't need them to block out reality because the reality was improving daily, especially now it didn't include the likes of EJ DiMera. Now that had all been taken away from him by a doctor in a white coat.

In amongst his own confusion and shocked Lucas had also seen how the news had effected Sami. She'd gone deathly pale when the doctor had delivered the bad news and was clearly struggling to come to terms with it as much as he was. Lucas had thought that all of their dreams were about to come true but in typical fashion his life had made an abrupt detour into nightmare territory. How could he ask Sami to be tied to him now Lucas wondered in despair? It was an impossibility even though he needed her more than ever. He'd seen how freaked out she'd looked by his prognosis and he couldn't blame her – what woman wanted to be tied to that he thought bleakly?

Lucas sat up abruptly and then had to stop when he felt suddenly light headed. All of the tiredness and weakness he'd been putting down to his surgery and if he admitted it to himself, drug use but now it seemed that these turns were far more sinister then Lucas could have imagined. He got up from the bed when the room had stopped spinning and limped over to his coat which was hanging over a chair. Lucas picked it up and fished out two vials of pills, one of his self prescribed painkillers and the other the pills the doctor had given him, the ones that were meant to help with his symptoms. Lucas looked at the doctor's pills in his hand, his lips twisting in an angry grimace. What were the point of them he thought dourly, he was dying and the pills weren't going to save him, just prolong the agony if what the doctor had said about his prognosis was true?

Lucas threw them into the corner and shook out a handful of his painkillers instead, the ones he'd been determined to give up but there was no point now. He had no future so he may as well make this as quick and as painless as possible he decided morosely. To that end he went to the wardrobe and fished around in the back of it until he found the half a bottle of scotch he'd squirreled away for a rainy day and if a day like this didn't qualify as rainy then nothing did Lucas decided grimly. Taking his bounty he limped back out to the living room and slumped down on the sofa, intent on obliterating the events of today from his thoughts.


	40. Chapter 187

So we are at a rather interesting part of this story now in as much that it is just as important to tell other character's stories in this EJami tale to make their story come to life as it is just to tell EJami's. I don't know if you will all like the fact that while this story is of course an EJami one there will be chapters now where they don't necessarily feature (like this one) but it is all about rounding out their love story.

I'm rather hoping I won't lose anyone because if you are a Days fan then I'm guessing you like the ensemble kind of stories that a soap brings you and that you have a fondness for other characters other than just EJami. Well, that's my hope anyway – fingers crossed. LOL

So as I've said, this chapter doesn't have EJami in it but my hope is to make what is going on with Kate, Stefano, Celeste, Lucas and any other players I bring onto the canvas will keep you intrigued. I'm at the part of the story now which is rather like watching the actual soap now – some days have EJami on it, some don't but my aim is to make all of the supporting characters shine in their own right.

Okay, that's enough carry on from me, why don't you read this next chapter and I'm not certain I'll get the next one done for Friday but if not Saturday will definitely see it happening.

Hope you enjoy...

PS – the quote I used only has the most tenuous of links to the story ie there are no small birds in this chapter but I just love Jack Handy's sense of humour and I can't help myself – hope I haven't used it before...

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & EIGHTY SEVEN**** – ****Plots, Proposals and Perpétue**

I don't like small birds. They hop around so merrily outside my window, looking so innocent. but I know that secretly, they're watching my every move and plotting to beat me over the head with a large steel pipe and take my shoe.

_Jack Handy_

_(American Writer and cast member of Saturday Night Live from 1991-2003)_

"I should go," said Celeste flatly.

"Bye," said Kate without even looking at her, still looking directly at Stefano, a little smile on her lips as her statement hung in the air.

"We haven't resolved that matter we were discussing," Stefano reminded her with a pointed look.

"Oh I think we have dahling," said Celeste with a roll of her eyes and her own pointed look at Kate, "I have to go and start getting ready for my date anyway."

"Yes you'd better run along Celeste," said Kate coolly, clearly unhappy at the thought of any kind of competition, "I hear male escorts charge by the hour."

"I guess you'd be in the position to know what whore charge," said Celeste calmly, alluding to Kate's rather less than auspicious past.

"Oh Celeste," said Kate with fake little laugh at her humour, "We'll all miss your witty remarks so when you finally crack completely and go back to that asylum that has a room ready and waiting for you."

"Oh thank you Kate," said Celeste with feigned sweetness, "And it will be such a comfort to know that you will have more than enough crazy for both of us to fill the breach in my absence."

Stefano put a hand to his mouth to hide the smile he couldn't help. There was something about two confident, sexy women verbally bitch slapping each other with a pleasant smile on their faces that entertained him no end. He'd always enjoyed the wit of both women, finding it amongst their more attractive features – even when it was engaged in a game of petty one upmanship like it was now.

"Brilliance to a fool can seem crazy," said Kate smoothly.

"And foolishness to a crazy person can seem brilliant," said Celeste flatly, clearly determined to have the last word and she did as on that note she swept from the room, leaving an annoyed Kate in her wake.

"She's not aging well," commented Kate acerbically once Celeste was gone, "Someone should tell her that wig makes her look like a transvestite."

"I'm rather thinking you'll do that on your next encounter," said Stefano with a quirk of his lips, "You've never liked Celeste have you Kate?"

"What's not to like about an unbalanced woman who wanders the streets of Salem giving out cryptic messages of doom and gloom?" asked Kate dourly, "Honestly she only goes on with that 'second sight' mumbo jumbo for the attention it gets her. I don't know why you humour her Stefano, I really don't."

"Is this why you have come to my home Katherine," he asked her mildly, "To veto my choice in companions?"

"You're not seeing that wannabe Mystic Meg are you?" asked Kate with a little frown.

"And would it be required of me to ask your permission if I was?" asked Stefano, his voice hardening a little bit.

He was willing to see where all of this was going but there was no way that he was going to let Kate or anyone else for that matter think that they had any kind of say in his life. Stefano knew his own mind and no one was going to change that.

"Of course not," said Kate quickly, clearly seeing the vaguely ominous look on his face, "It's just that I worry about you Stefano."

"Really?" asked Stefano with an arched eyebrow, "I find that somewhat surprising Kate – I have barely seen you for months now."

"I know," she said softly and looked rather convincingly regretful, "Lucas hasn't been well, a great deal of my time has been taken up with him."

"And he is on the road to recovery?" asked Stefano, relenting a little.

He understood what it was to love your children and do what you could for them. After all hadn't he just spent a great deal of time of his own at the hospital with his youngest child?

"I hope so," said Kate with a sigh, "He's been very unhappy of late but I'm hopeful that now he is back in Salem his life will start to get back on track."

"This is good news," Stefano nodded approvingly, "It is important to us that our children are happy."

"It is," agreed Kate readily, "But it is also important that we are happy – wouldn't you agree Stefano?"

Kate sidled up to him and put her hands on his coat lapels, smiling up at him.

"I remember you asked me a question a little while ago Stefano," she said to him huskily.

"Do you?" asked Stefano, knowing immediately what she was talking about but not showing it, "And what question would that be Katherine my dear?"

"You asked me to be your wife," Kate reminded him, looking up at him through her eyelashes with coy seduction.

"I thought you had forgotten all about that," said Stefano coolly, "You certainly avoided giving me an answer."

"A woman never forgets a proposal Stefano," she said quickly, "Especially not from a man like you."

"Although apparently she can forget to answer him," commented Stefano dryly.

"I was overwhelmed," said Kate, looking suitably helpless as she made an imploring gesture, arms moving out to entreat him a little for understanding, "I didn't know what to say."

"I don't believe that finding words has ever been a problem of your before my dear," said Stefano with a roll of his eyes as she shamelessly tried to manipulate him, "Tell me what it is that you want Kate and now – my patience is growing thin."

"I want to be Mrs Stefano DiMera and move into the mansion," said Kate, not missing a beat.

"Why," asked Stefano, regarding her calmly, "Because you woke up one day hopelessly in love with me – is that it Kate?"

"Of course not," said Kate coolly, "Anymore than you did on the day you proposed. You and I Stefano are far too wily and wise to give ourselves over to such whims, not this late in the game anyway."

"Spoken like a true businesswoman," noted Stefano in vague amusement at her assessment of the situation, "So why now then?"

"My children are all grown up-" began Kate.

"And have been for some time," commented Stefano with an arched eyebrow.

"Well they don't need me anymore," continued on Kate not to be put off it seemed, "My professional life is going well – Mythic is really starting to take off-"

"Thanks in no small part to Samantha Brady I am told," interjected Stefano.

"I suppose EJ told you that?" asked Kate, her lips twisting in obvious displeasure, "She's had a few lucky breaks, sure but that was all they were."

"Mm," said Stefano and didn't comment further, knowing Kate's history with Sami and how torturous it was.

In fact Stefano doubted that there was anyone left in Salem who didn't know about their many feuds.

"But none of those things can really satisfy when you don't have someone to share them with," said Kate, determinedly returning to their initial conversation.

"Are you say you are looking for a companion to while away the rest of your days with Kate?" asked Stefano coolly.

"I'm saying I want an equal, one who can challenge me mentally and won't get bogged down in the niceties of society if either one of us should-" Kate paused and gave a little shrug as she chose her next words carefully, "Perhaps not conform to what polite society expects of us. A woman needs to be understood Stefano and you understand me just as I understand you."

Stefano regarded her calmly for a long moment, processing what she had said. It was indeed for those very reasons that he had asked Kate to marry him in the first place all those months ago. He found her timing interesting though and felt the need to say so.

"This sudden longing for a soul mate who understands you wouldn't have anything to do with the annoyingly persistent rumours that I am at death's door now would it my dear?" he asked her, his mild tone masking the steel underneath, "My sudden demise would make you quite a wealthy widow now wouldn't it Kate?"

"You think I'm after your money?" asked Kate with some amusement at the suggestion.

"It has been known to happen," said Stefano with a quirk of his lips.

"I'm not looking for a sugar daddy Stefano," she said evenly, "I can make my own way in the world. But yes, if you did die that would make me very sad... as well as a great deal richer but I can promise you that is not my motivation for wanting to be your wife. I'd much rather you be alive and kicking with my current bank balance then dead and buried with a vastly improved one."

"I do believe you are telling me the truth Katherine," said Stefano, looking at her very intently, "How very intriguing I must say."

"Intriguing enough for you to marry me perhaps?" she asked with a beguiling smile.

"Perhaps," said Stefano, giving nothing away, "But I feel I should tell you that just minutes before you arrived I requested that Celeste move into the mansion."

"You did?!" asked Kate flatly, clearly surprised by this information, "Why?"

"I had my reasons," said Stefano easily, "Just as I'm sure you have more reasons then you are telling me for suddenly wanting to be married to me."

"I won't have this," she said firmly, "You have to tell Celeste you've changed your mind Stefano."

"Ah already a wife I see," Stefano tutted, happy to string Kate along.

There was no way that he wanted her to think that she had the upper hand in any of this and had to be made known that he was the one in control here.

"I don't want Celeste lurking around in the background of our marriage," said Kate determinedly, "I won't share you with another woman Stefano so you can forget it."

Kate went to march past him, her head held high and Stefano stalled her as he knew she wanted him to.

"Kate," he said calmly and she stopped in her tracks and hesitated, before swinging around and looking back at him unflinchingly, "Does my new fiancé really feel that strongly about this?"

"How can you ask me that Stefano?" asked Kate, looking convincingly wounded, "Imagine if I wanted to move Roman Brady in here with us – how would you feel about that?"

"Not as uncomfortable as Captain Brady no doubt," said Stefano with real amusement at the thought.

"Well what will it be Stefano?" she asked, her chin lifting defiantly.

"I will consider my options," said Stefano with a half shrug, "Weigh them up and let you know of my decision my dear."

"That's not very romantic," she said dourly.

"You just informed me that this isn't about romance my dear," Stefano reminded her, "But you have given me a lot to think about and I will promise to do just that."

"It's not polite to keep a lady waiting Stefano," Kate said with a vague scowl.

"Then you'd best be on your way and let me have some time to myself to think eh Kate?" he said with an ingratiating smile.

Kate looked like she wanted to say more but was holding back. She finally gave a little nod and then gave him a determined smile. She sauntered back over to where he was standing, all of her ire apparently having dissipated in an instant as she smiled up at him in a beguiling fashion.

"Take your time darling," she purred, changing tactics as she pressed a lingering kiss to his lips, "I know you're just like me – worth the wait."

Stefano enjoyed the kiss and her performance even more. Kate was certainly a woman who knew how to use what she had to get what she wanted and he admired that in her.

"I'll show myself out," she told him over her shoulder, knowing he was watching her sashay off and making it worth the price of admission, her hips swinging seductively.

Stefano had to smile to watch her staged departure even as he appreciated the effort she was putting into it for is benefit. Kate disappeared out of the room in that unhurried way of hers and then Stefano heard the front door open and close behind her. He thoughtfully tapped on his chin with one finger, a sure sign he was deep in thought.

"Let man fear woman when she loves," he muttered to himself under his breath, "Then she makes any sacrifice, and everything else seems without value to her."

"Vat vas zat?" asked Rolf, appearing in the doorway now.

"Friedrich Nietzsche," said Stefano more loudly, stating from whom the quote had come from, "Apparently he knew Celeste and Kate as well."

"Vat iz going on vis zose two?" asked Rolf with an arched eyebrow, "Are zey up to no good?"

"Endlessly," said Stefano calmly, "They are women – it is their nature to play games and manipulate."

"Vat is za game?" asked Rolf with a frown, "And you should be resting Stefano – how long have you been standing for?"

"Don't fuss Rolf," said Stefano, actually feeling better than he had in a long time.

Nothing like two beautiful and dangerous women to get the old heart rate up and keep your thoughts occupied he decided.

"I think they are both playing a similar game, wanting something from me but for different reasons," said Stefano, still pondering their interactions.

"Vat are you going to do Stefano?" asked Rolf, looking concerned now.

"Well I know what you are going to do," said Stefano with a quirk of his lips, "You are going to buy respectable night attire seeing as there will soon be a lady walking the hallways at night."

"Vich one?" asked Rolf, clearly unhappy at that prospect.

Stefano just smiled at that question, not answering him.

**oooOOOOooo**

Kate stood in the DiMera grounds by her car and breathed deeply. Well that hadn't gone quite to plan she thought in annoyance but it was still salvageable she decided. She hadn't gotten to where she was today by being a quitter Kate decided. Stefano was an important part of her plan and she just had to make a marriage between them happen. If he wasn't so damn sick she could seduce him and fake a pregnancy scare. She wasn't too old Kate reasoned and nothing appealed to Stefano's ego mania at the thought of another DiMera heir. He probably had dozens of the little bastards squirreled away all over the world but right now she was most concerned with what was most likely the tallest one of his brood. If she couldn't pull this off then her plans to keep EJ and Sami apart permanently were going to be hitting a definite snag and Kate just wasn't ready to let that happen. It looked like there was one main problem in her way right then and Kate was determined to make it go away.

Celeste.

**oooOOOOooo**

Celeste walked down the twisting turns of the narrow back streets, confidently navigating her way. She stopped in front of a small shop front with an unassuming façade and entered. Her senses were instantly assailed by the strange mixture of scents of different roots and spices, the air heavy with incense as well. The room was dimly lit with shelves stacked to almost overflowing with bottles and potions and off to one side was a red velvet curtain which Celeste knew contained a table with two chairs. An alcove away from prying eyes for private readings.

"Hello child."

Celeste turned to see the small woman with stark white hair leaning on a cane and looking up at her calmly, her many bangles and beads clanking together quietly, in a vaguely musical fashion. She was dressed in a white pleasant blouse and flowering, carefully embroidered skirt, a dark bandana holding back the long length of that almost luminescent hair. Her skin was tanned, a little darken than Celeste's but not by much. It was impossible to decide on an age for the woman – she could have been anywhere between fifty to a hundred, her features strangely ageless along with the bright shining sharpness of her startling green eyes.

"Your plans have not yielded fruit I see by the expression on your face eh?" she asked her, her accent quite distinct, a French lilt to her words.

"No," said Celeste grimly as she walked up to the tiny woman, "Not yet."

Her jaw tightened as she thought about what was at stake.

"But they will Miss Perpétue – they will and nothing is going to stop me."


	41. Chapter 188

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & EIGHTY EIGHT**** – ****Nothing Worthwhile is Ever Easy**

The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time.

_Abraham Lincoln_

_(American 16th US President (1861-65))_

"You are walking a dangerous line," Miss Perpétue, "I have known you for a long time child and I have never seen you so reckless."

"I have to do this," said Celeste, "No matter the cost, too much is at stake. I know that Stefano knows what has happened to my darling Alexandra and I will not rest until I have her returned to me."

"Are you very certain that this man knows of your daughters fate?" asked the old woman calmly.

"Yes," said Celeste, biting her bottom lip to stop it from quivering, "My visions have shown it to me over and over again."

"But why?" asked Miss Perpétue, drawing closer to her and looking up at Celeste curiously, "He is the child's papa, why would he bring harm to her eh?"

"Family only means something to Stefano DiMera when it suits him," said Celeste tightly, "My poor Alexandra has done something to displease him or get in his way and he has her imprisoned somewhere, I am sure of it. I had to do what I could to find out the truth from him."

"But you didn't find out the truth eh little one?" she reminded Celeste, her French accent making her gentle chastising sound almost musical.

Celeste grimaced and looked away, not answering her.

"_Bien mal acquis ne profite _jamais (goods poorly gotten never profit)," commented Miss Perpétue in a not unkind way.

The old woman had a proverb for every occasion and wouldn't hesitate to use them. The most annoying thing about that was that she was rarely wrong with her analysis of a situation, if ever. Celeste had met Miss Perpétue many years ago when she had been a young woman of no more than twenty. She had visited Haiti, looking to investigate and understand her gifts better and had met this intriguing and magical older woman. Truth be told she looked no different to Celeste then when they had first met and that was edging up to being over thirty years ago.

Celeste had long held the belief that Perpétue's seemingly ageless appearance was maintained by all the secrets she knew and would never tell. There was always the beginnings of a smile on her lips, as though she possessed this esoteric knowledge that allowed her to make sense of the world around her when no one else could. Miss Perpétue had moved to the US about ten years ago and Celeste had been overjoyed when she had arrived in Salem. No one really understood her gifts and the burden they were to her like Miss Perpétue did and she had become a dear friend and trusted confidante, one that Celeste relied on very much, particularly now.

"You think I was foolhardy in attempting to drug Stefano and get him to tell me the truth about what he had done with Alexandra?" asked Celeste painfully.

It had been a huge risk, one she'd been happy to take but not without some trepidation though. Celeste was quite familiar with the DiMera mansion and had made it her business to discover the blind spots in the mansion's surveillance. It had been simple enough to find out when Stefano would be alone and then plan her move. She'd arrived at the mansion on foot and made sure to make her way to the house out of view of the cameras and making an entrance through into the kitchen. From there she simply walked out into the foyer and made her entrance to a Stefano who had been engrossed in his usual operatic music. Bearing his favourite cognac Celeste knew he would never refuse a drink, no matter how unwell he had been. Drugging it with a concoction of herbs from Miss Perpétue's larder had been simple enough, a combination that would leave no trace within a few hours of course and was designed to loosen lips.

Celeste had been very careful to cover her tracks, knowing she was playing a very dangerous game. Unfortunately though it had all been to no avail as Stefano had refused to give her any information about Lexie. He had been mostly incoherent and speaking unintelligibly and Celeste wasn't sure if it was her drugs mixing with the ones he must have been on or just Stefano's indomitable will preventing her getting a straight answer from him. in the end Celeste had given up asking him her questions, instead collecting up everything she had brought with her and carefully cleaning the glasses they'd used. She'd escaped without Stefano waking up again and with no one noticing her but with no answers.

"Maybe it was," admitted Celeste unhappily as she had nothing to show for her efforts apart from a deeply suspicious Stefano.

"_Aux grands maux les grands remèdes_ (To the great evils, great remedies)," commented Miss Perpétue philosophically as she put a comforting hand on her arm.

"But at what cost," said Celeste with a little frown, "I have just come from Stefano's."

"But he remembers nothing no?" asked Miss Perpétue with a raised eyebrow, "The blend I made for you would have made it all seem as though it was a dream eh?"

"He didn't come out directly and accuse me of anything but he set some traps," said Celeste thoughtfully, thinking about the book comments, "Stefano is obviously not certain enough to say anything directly to me but still, he is suspicious and I am not sure what he will do about that."

"Eh," she said with a little shrug of her shoulders, "_Les jours se suivent et ne se ressemblent pas_ (The days follow each other and don't look alike)."

"That may be dahling," said Celeste with a little sigh as Miss Perpétue had basically told her that there is no telling what tomorrow will bring, "But I do know this – Stefano wants me to move in with him."

"Hm," said Miss Perpétue, looking at her speculatively, clearly thinking about that carefully.

"What do you think I should do?" asked Celeste, her frown deepening.

"_Quand le vin est tiré, il faut le boire_ (When the wine is drawn, one must drink it)," said Miss Perpétue.

"So you're saying that I can't stop now?" asked Celeste fretfully, "That I should move in with Stefano?"

"I think he is keeping his friends close and his enemies closer no?" suggested Miss Perpétue with an arched eyebrow, "Could you do the same Celeste?"

"It could be an opportunity for me to find out what more about his business," said Celeste slowly, "But I know he will have people watching me like a hawk if I am there and that will make it near impossible."

"Perhaps you could have one work on your behalf?" offered up Miss Perpétue, "One this Stefano would be less suspicious of."

"Kate is angling to move in," revealed Celeste, pressing her lips together.

"And Stefano would be less suspicious of this Kate?" queried Miss Celeste.

"Highly unlikely dahling," said Celeste dryly, "But suspicious over different things that might just work to my advantage. I just don't see him allowing me any kind of freedom if I was there to do what I need to do to find Alexandra."

"And could you trust her to work on your behalf môn ami?" asked Miss Perpétue.

Celeste paused, mulling over that question seriously.

"It would be like asking a barracuda to take your dog for a walk," she concluded finally.

"How badly do you want your dog walked?" asked Miss Perpétue with a little shrug before launching into yet another old French proverb, "On ne peut pas avoir le beurre, l'argent du beurre et le cul de la crémière (_you can't have the butter, the money for the butter and the ass of the dairywoman_)."

Celeste gave a small smile at the older woman's typically blunt way of putting things. It was true though, in order to get her beloved Alexandra back she had to make a few sacrifices but the trick was which ones? Celeste had already put herself in great danger by sneaking into the mansion and drugging Stefano and he was already suspicious because of that. It was clear he had no concrete proof of her activities and no clear idea why she was doing it but nonetheless he was obviously certain of what must have only seemed like a dream to him was indeed real.

Trusting Kate in amongst all of this seemed like a huge gamble because Kate never did anything that didn't benefit Kate or one of her many agendas. Celeste would be making herself decidedly vulnerable to Kate and she had no doubt that the other woman would use that to her own advantage when it suited her. But even if there were harsh repercussions for Celeste but they resulted in her daughter being returned to her she knew it would be worthwhile. Unfortunately there was the truly picky part – Celeste had no way of knowing if trusting Kate would in any way help her get her Alexandra back.

"Come," said Miss Perpétue as she took Celeste's hand, her many bracelets jangling as she did as she saw the younger woman's indecision, "We will consult the cards and perhaps they will tell you what to do eh?"

The two of them walked towards the velvet curtain, hand in hand and disappeared behind it, Celeste's mind ill at ease.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Yes alright," EJ said, trying not to let his impatience show in his voice, "Do that – you have my approval, no just fax it through when you're done Mark."

EJ hung up from his call and grimaced. Work issues at Mythic seemed like a vast second to the drama that was unfolding in his life right then. The news about Lucas had been a complete bombshell to EJ and after the initial shock his first thoughts were that this might be a deception on Lucas' behalf. God knows even a dimwit like Lucas Roberts must have felt Sami pulling away from him and EJ didn't put it past the man to stage this little dying drama as a way to hang onto her. EJ couldn't really blame the man – trying to hang onto Sami was probably one of the few smart things the guy had ever done in his life and certainly there were no lengths EJ wouldn't have gone to in making sure Sami was his.

The thing was though that this was a particularly cruel way to go about things if that was the case. EJ didn't know if he could bear to have Sami this upset by playing this kind of ruse but then again it was obvious that he and Lucas didn't exactly think alike. Either way EJ knew that this whole turn of events warranted further investigation – it all just seemed far too convenient for his liking. This was probably the only thing that would have stopped Sami from telling him the truth and breaking it off with the guy then and there and perhaps that was what Lucas had been banking on.

But then EJ's mind boggled as to how Lucas saw a way out of this – keep Sami around as his nursemaid and she'd realise how much she really loved him and then whammy – a miraculous healing by the power of love. Actually, thought EJ ruefully, that could work. This was Salem – decidedly stranger things had happened. It was a huge gamble on Lucas' behalf if that was what he was doing and EJ just wasn't sure if he had the balls or the planning ability to pull it off.

Then adding to the mix was Kate's strange behaviour of late – well, stranger than normal anyway. It was all enough to make EJ deeply suspicious even if he couldn't quite put his finger on what was going down or by whose hand. That didn't matter though because he resolved to start digging and not stop until he found some answers. He walked back into the living room from where he'd been talking on the phone in his bedroom and stopped abruptly when he saw Sami balled up on the couch and crying softly.

"Sweetheart!" he exclaimed in distress at seeing her so upset.

EJ hurried over to the sofa and sat down beside her, pulling her up into his arms and holding her tightly to him.

"It will be alright Samantha," he promised her huskily.

"How?" she asked him around a broken sob, "Lucas is dying, Will is going to lose a father and now how am I meant to tell Lucas the truth? He needs me more than ever and I can't abandon him but I want to be with you EJ!"

EJ toyed with offering up the suggestion that Lucas may not be in fact as dying as he was leading Sami to believe but could see no point in saying such a thing until he had more concrete evidence of such a thing. Instead EJ tried to address her more immediate concerns.

"Sweetheart," he said softly, "Lucas has only had the opinion of one doctor-"

"Plus the ones back in Switzerland," she reminded him with a sniffle.

"Yes well I can't help but think that such a grim diagnosis made about a man who previously has had no symptoms of any kind of illness other than a gammy leg warrants further investigation," said EJ, tiptoeing diplomatically around what he was really thinking, "Perhaps another doctor might not have such a grim view of his prognosis or that it may not even be the right diagnosis in the first place."

"But you should see him EJ," said Sami unevenly, "He's lost so much weight and his skin looks all pale and grey. He really looks bad."

EJ bit back the jab about Lucas always looking bad to him, knowing it wasn't what Sami needed right then.

"I still think a second opinion before getting overly worked up about this is a good idea," he said firmly, "Also if the worst does happen and I'm not saying it will mind you but I'm hopeful over time that I might be someone Will could turn to as a father figure. I want a relationship with your son Samantha, either way. He's a part of you and a part of your heart and I want to be involved in his life as much as you do."

"You-you do?" asked Sami, looking up at him in amazement.

"Of course I do," said EJ, looking at her intently, needing Sami to understand how serious he was about this.

This was very important to EJ because he knew how much Sami was prepared to give up for him, just like he was for her but there was one thing he wasn't prepared to allow to happen and that was for her to lose her relationship with her son for him. As twisted as his father's understanding of family was EJ did agree with him about one thing – family was everything. He and Sami were about to start their own family, beginning when they were married but EJ wanted Will to be a part of that as well. He wasn't so naive to think that such a thing was going to happen overnight but EJ knew he was never going to stop trying to win over Sami's son and make him understand just how much he loved the young man's mother.

"Edmund was a wonderful stepfather to me," said EJ huskily, "I couldn't have asked for a better role model and I would very much like to have that kind of relationship with your son one day Samantha. I know it won't be easy but I believe one day he will come around because he loves you and he will see how much I love you."

"And how happy you make me," said Sami softly, her eyes filling with new emotional tears.

"Yes," said EJ with a soft smile, "That's my plan. I'm not looking to replace Lucas, no matter what happens but I'm living proof that there can be room in a young boy's life for more than one father figure."

Sami smiled then, a watery one but a smile nonetheless, the first he'd seen since she'd left him this morning and it made EJ's heart lurch in his chest.

"And as for leaving Lucas when he needs you," he continued on reasonably, "Samantha you don't -have any medical training so if this disease is as serious and advanced as we are being told then he is most likely going to need a lot more care then you can give him. Now I'm not necessarily advocating telling him right this minute about the two of us but I don't see there being any need for you to be by his side either. Perhaps hospice care is what Lucas really needs right now, particularly if you think he is already taken a turn for the worse with how he looks."

In the dark recesses of EJ's mind it amused him no end to imagine a perfectly healthy Lucas who had just been faking an illness to get the girl stuck in a hospice. It would serve him right if this was all a fake out and EJ was determined to make the man pay if it was. Lucas was burrowing into their happiness now like some kind of parasite, trying to bleed them dry and whilst EJ was prepared to be understanding if it was indeed true he also had limits.

"I'm so lucky I found you EJ," said Sami with a grateful sigh.

"I found you," he reminded her huskily and then closed his eyes, resting his forehead against hers, his voice thickening with great emotion, "Thank god."

"EJ," Sami whispered, clearly moved by how heartfelt those words were on his behalf.

Sami closed the small distance between them, kissing him deeply. As one they deepened the kiss, tasting one another and EJ could feel the blood immediately begin to hurtle around his body. He could taste the desperation in her kiss, different from this morning as they faced now more uncertainty then they had back then.

"Make love to me," she implored him, her lips still pressed against his, "I need you EJ."

EJ groaned, knowing what she meant. Everything had changed for them in such a short amount of time and they both needed to feel something that hadn't. Their love for one another. EJ cupped Sami's face, feeling the soft contours of her face in his hands.

The spectre of death suddenly loomed over them and both of them were feeling the cold of its shadow. EJ felt Sami's hands go to his shirt, tugging it free from his pants and he was as eager as she was for her to touch his naked flesh. He shrugged out of his shirt and gently pushed Sami back onto the sofa, covering her with his body, neither one breaking their kiss. EJ reached between their bodies and loosened their clothing enough so that they could join as one. He paused before that last intimate coupling, both of them staring deeply into each other's eyes.

That mornings coming together had been frantic, desperate and full of need but this time it was infinitely more profound. Whatever was happening with Lucas it reminded them both of the frailty of life and EJ's thoughts couldn't help but go to Colleen and Santo and the horror his grandfather had felt watching his beloved die in front of his eyes. Such thoughts still wrapped cold fingers of fear around EJ's heart and squeezed tightly. He had no idea how Santo had even continued to draw breath after Colleen had passed, EJ knowing that he would struggle to want to remain on this earth without Sami. With her ever amazing ability to read his mind Sami cupped his face, looking up at him almost fearfully.

"Don't leave me EJ," she implored him emotionally.

"Never," he vowed to her thickly, knowing that he'd love Sami, be with her in this life and the next – separation was simply no longer an option to be considered.

He moved into her then while Sami still held his face and looking deeply into each other's eyes – the moment unbearably tender. The both gave soft groans of completion, the act in itself affirming the life force they shared. Their love making this time had an air of reverence to it, the empathy and connection between the two undeniable as always. Neither one rushed the stolen moments, instead they both luxuriated in each other and the simple act of being one.

EJ closed his eyes and lost himself in the woman he loved, every other worry and consideration driven from his head for those glorious moments and all they knew were each other. Afterwards they held each other for a long time, EJ having moved a little so that Sami wasn't having to take his whole weight, stretching out alongside her as best as he could on the couch. They didn't speak for a long time until Sami finally broke the languid silence between them.

"I should check on Lucas," said Sami, the reluctance to move obvious in her voice, "I need to shower first though."

EJ tightened his arms around her possessively, not wanting his scent washed from her and she made a regretful noise.

"I know," she said softly, knowing what he was thinking.

"It kills me to let you out of my arms," said EJ, resting his still sweaty head into the crook of neck, "Even when I know you'll be back in them soon enough."

"I don't ever want to leave you again either," said Sami with a sad little sigh, "I thought all of this sneaking around would be over by now."

"It still might be," said EJ with a little shrug as Sami pressed on his shoulders and made him sit up.

"How do you mean?" asked Sami, gathering up the remnants of her clothes and looking at him curiously.

"I mean that all of this has just happened," said EJ reasonably, "Who knows how it will turn out when the dust all settles."

"Maybe," said Sami, looking like she was too scared to hope right then.

"Run along sweetheart," said EJ with a teasingly lecherous smile, wanting to cajole her out of her sadness right then, "And save some room for me, I'm feeling a little dirty myself."

"I have to get back EJ," she said with a half smile, "So no funny business okay?"

"I promise not to laugh if you don't," he said with a waggle of his eyebrows.

Sami smiled and shook her head at his silliness and wandered off to the bathroom. EJ leant back against the sofa, the smile dropping from his face once Sami was out of the room. He ran both of his hands through his hair distractedly, staring at a point on the wall. Whilst he'd imagined having to do some damage control after Lucas returned this was not what he had in mind. EJ much preferred to have it all out in the open right now but that didn't seem like an option right then. The most important thing to EJ now though was to make sure that Sami wasn't put in the middle of all of this. She was no doubt going to feel torn between him and Lucas and EJ didn't want Sami to only feel guilty when she was with him.

"If you are dying then why couldn't you have the common courtesy to make it quick," EJ grumbled under his breath, "What's wrong with a long walk off a short pier anyway eh Lucas old boy?"

EJ's phone rang and he gave it an unimpressed look before standing up, pulling up his pants as he did and answering it.

"Hello?" he said distractedly as he manoeuvred his jeans the rest of the way up and worked on his zipper.

Five minutes later EJ was even more annoyed then he had been before. The work issue hadn't been resolved, in fact it appeared to have gotten worse and now they were asking for either he or Sami to come in and sort it all out. EJ didn't want Sami to have to worry about it in her condition but then he didn't want to leave her alone either. He wasn't in the mood to ask a favour of Kate so his options were rather limited unfortunately.

"Who was that?" asked Sami, walking out of the bathroom, towelling her hair dry.

"Mark," said EJ with a grimace.

"Problem?" asked Sami with a half frown, "Did he get that contract away on time?"

"No," said EJ in annoyance.

"You need to go in and get it sorted out," said Sami firmly, "That's a big contract and we don't need it crashing and burning because we can't get out paperwork in on time."

"I don't want to leave you Samantha," said EJ, "I thought we could go and talk to Lucas together."

"I don't think that is a good idea," said Sami, wrinkling her nose, "I thought we'd decided not to tell Lucas about us right now anyway?"

"I meant more as moral support sweetheart," said EJ, "From what you've told me Lucas isn't being very kind reasonable right now."

"Do you blame him?" asked Sami hopelessly.

"I don't care what his circumstances may be," said EJ fiercely, "No one gets to upset you Samantha, not while I'm around."

"That's sweet EJ," said Sami softly, putting a hand to his still bare chest, "But I can handle Lucas EJ, I always could. I'll be fine – you go and sort out Mythic. I'll be a lot happier knowing you are there taking care of things. It will be one less thing to worry about."

EJ hesitated, not really liking that plan but despite how quietly Sami was speaking he recognised the steel behind her eyes.

"If he starts acting out I want you to turn around and leave," EJ instructed her determinedly, "You don't have to take abuse from him Samantha, you never did and you certainly don't now."

"Go," Sami instructed him, going up on her tip toes and kissing his cheek, "I'll be fine I promise. I feel a lot better now that we've been able to talk. You always make me feel invincible EJ."

EJ gave a little smile at that and leant down and kissed her.

"Call me if you need me," he told her seriously.

"I will," said Sami with a soft smile, "Now run along and save our company okay? Remember I'm going to be an expensive woman to keep so you need all the revenue you can get your hands on."

"Yes ma'am," said EJ with a quirk of his lips at her teasing.

A few minutes later EJ was fully dressed and kissing her goodbye. Sami waited until he had left and took several deep breaths before walking determinedly out into the hallway herself.

"You can do this Sami," she muttered and took another deep breath and headed towards her old apartment and Lucas.


	42. Chapter 189

**C****hapter ONE HUNDRED & EIGHTY NINE**** – ****From Bad to Worse**

For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.

_Ralph Waldo Emerson_

_(American Poet, Lecturer and Essayist, 1803-1882)_

Sami walked back into the apartment that she still technically shared with Lucas and the first thing she noticed was the strong smell of alcohol in the air. The second thing she noticed was Lucas sitting on the sofa with a near empty bottle of scotch in his lap.

"Lucas!" she gasped in horror, "What the hell do you think you are doing?!"

"Drowning my sorrows honey," he said unrepentantly, his words slurring ever so slightly, "Care to join me?"

"Lucas you are in no condition to be drinking," said Sami anxiously as she hurried over to the sofa and went to take the bottle off him.

"I've got a month to live," said Lucas flatly, evading her attempts to confiscate the bottle, "That's the perfect condition to be in to be drinking if you ask me."

"You're not thinking straight right now Lucas," gritted out Sami as she finally managed to grab the bottle from him.

There was barely any point seeing as there was just a dribble left in the bottom but that wasn't the issue right then.

"Have I ever?" Lucas posed the question with a hopeless shrug, "Just when I thought my life was getting back on track again whammo! – it appears I have no life. Kinda funny when you think about it don't ya think Sami?"

"I think that you need to stop drinking and start thinking," said Sami firmly as she put the bottle down in the kitchen and then walked back to look at Lucas unhappily.

She sat down on the sofa beside him and tried to get him to listen to reason.

"Lucas the doctors don't know for sure how long you've got," she told him earnestly, "You just can't give up like this."

"Why prolong the agony Sami?" he asked her bitterly, "A month, two – what does it matter, my life is over."

"It matters because you have a son," said Sami tightly, hating hearing him talk in such a defeatist way, "You have to fight on for him Lucas."

"And why is that Sami?" asked Lucas almost angrily, clearly intent on wallowing in self pity right then, "Because I've been such a great father to him over the years? So great in fact he'd rather go and live with my brother and ex-wife then with me."

"You know a lot of that is my fault," said Sami painfully, "Will loves you Lucas, he always has and I don't want you giving up on being in his life."

"It's not a matter of me giving up Sami," said Lucas and now he did sound angry, "You heard the doctor, I'm dying – I don't get a say in this!"

"You get a say in how it will play out," said Sami defiantly, "You just can't-"

"Lie down and wait to die?" asked Lucas bitingly as Sami faltered over her next words, "Was that what you were going to say Sami?"

"Not exactly but the sentiment is the same," said Sami unapologetically, "Lucas I don't like seeing you this way-"

"Well there is an easy remedy for that now isn't there?" he snapped, "Get out!"

Sami looked at him wide eyed, shocked by his outburst. She'd expected some anger from him but hadn't really expected so much of it to be directed at her. Sami swallowed hard, not backing down from Lucas' words. It had been on the cards that he might do this to her but Sami was pretty certain that she was currently talking to the alcohol in Lucas' system and that her leaving was not what Lucas' actually wanted.

"Lucas," began Sami unsteadily, trying to do the right thing, "You need me."

"Do I?" asked Lucas, clearly intent on hurting her as much as he could, his eyes flashing angrily, "Like I needed you when I married Carrie or even Nicole to stop you from stealing my son from me? Did I need you then Sami? In fact my whole life I've been way better off without you then with you baby! We haven't had a whole lot of laughs together now have we Sami? It's been more of a knock down, dragged out affair by my recollection. And frankly I'm just sick of putting up with your shit so why don't you get the hell out of my life so I can enjoy the small amount I have left?!"

Sami sucked in a pained breath at his accusations, knowing he was just lashing out at the person closest to him but they still hurt.

"We've had good times as well," said Sami quietly, "We've been a big part of each other's lives for a long time Lucas – that means something."

"It means we are both too stupid to smell the coffee and move on," said Lucas snidely, "But not anymore."

"We can never be out of each other's lives completely," said Sami stiffly, "Not when we share a son."

"Yeah well that was more good luck then good management that I ever found out about Will being mine now wasn't it Sami?" he asked her bitterly and Sami bit her bottom lip.

"I've made a lot of mistakes," said Sami quietly, "We both have."

"Somehow I think your tally is a little higher Sami," Lucas told her, standing up and glaring down at her, "The things you've done, you-"

"Should be the one dying?" Sami supplied for him, her face hardening as she stood up and faced him, "Is that what you were going to say Lucas?"

"No," said Lucas unconvincingly as he looked away abruptly.

"I have died," Sami reminded him, a little quiver in her voice which she immediately subdued, "You remember – the lethal injection that you and your Mom organised for me?"

"I tried to stop it," said Lucas tightly.

"Eventually," agreed Sami and couldn't help but think of EJ's rage whenever he spoke of that history between her and Lucas.

She'd been shocked by it at first but then realised what was more shocking was that deep down inside she hadn't been so outraged because Sami couldn't help but feel that she did indeed deserve death for some of the things she'd done. It was unbelievable to Sami how little stock she'd placed in her own life before EJ had come along. Sami shook her head, knowing dwelling in the past wasn't going to help things in the present right now.

"None of that matters now Lucas," she told him determinedly, "What happened happened and I know both of us have a lot of regrets but we can't change the past."

"There are a lot of things that I can't change Sami," said Lucas, his face set angrily, "But there is one thing I can. Pack your stuff and get out of my apartment – I want you gone!"

"Technically this is my apartment," Sami reminded him calmly, "My name is on the lease."

"Really?" asked Lucas tightly, "Is that how you want to play it? Well that's fine, I'll go and get a hotel room!"

"I don't want you to go and get a hotel room Lucas," said Sami in exasperation, "I want you to stay here and stop being such a stubborn idiot. You need me."

"No I don't!" he practically roared at her, swaying a little on his feet, "I never needed you Sami Brady and I just want the nightmare of having you around to be over already! I want you gone!!"

"Oh," said a voice behind Sami, making her whirl around to see Kate standing in the doorway with a self satisfied smile on her face, "I've had this dream so many times – please tell me it is real."

"Haven't you heard of knocking Mother?" asked Lucas in annoyance at the sight of her.

"The door was open," said Kate unapologetically as she strolled in and looked between the two of them, "Why do you look like a drown rat Sami?"

Lucas looked at her and blinked a couple of times, finally noticing her wet hair as Sami put a self conscious hand to her hair.

"Yeah," he added his voice to the interrogation, "Why is your hair wet?"

Sami didn't think the truth was going to be appropriate right then – I took a shower after EJ and I made love on his sofa – so she did as she always did and thought on her feet quickly.

"When I went for my walk one of the shop owners was cleaning the front of his shop with a hose and it got away from him," she said without missing a beat, "I got soaked."

"What - only your hair?" asked Kate, looking her up and down.

"Is there a reason you are here Kate?" asked Sami a little indignantly, not feeling like she should have to defend herself to Kate, even if it was a lie.

"It doesn't matter," said Lucas irritably, "Sami was leaving anyway."

"So I heard," said Kate with a big smile, "And it's not even my birthday."

"I'm sure it's a nice change from the usual male stripper jumping out of a cake for you," said Sami, unable to help herself, "Now that you are in your seventies that must be getting a bit old for you."

"Can I just say as the door hits your ass on the way out how pleased I am that my son has finally seen the light with you," said Kate with a sweet smile.

"Gloating isn't a good colour on you Mom," said Lucas sourly.

"Well darling I-" Kate stopped abruptly as she'd crossed the room to stand beside him and must have caught the smell of scotch in the air, "You've been drinking!"

It wasn't a question, more of a statement of fact as Kate glared at Sami accusingly.

"What have you done to him?!" she asked him angrily, immediately going into protective mode.

"Why would this have anything to do with me?" asked Sami in annoyance at Kate's assumption.

"Oh don't even come the innocent act with me Sami Brady!" Kate said bitterly as she held up a hand to Sami and rolled her eyes, "You're the reason Lucas started drinking in the first place. You and your threats to take Will away from him by making out he was a bad father! I don't think it is too big a leap to think that you'd be the reason he's starting again!"

"Well you're wrong Kate," said Sami tightly, trying to keep control of her temper because she knew Lucas really didn't need this right then.

Kate looked at Lucas uncertainly then, trying to gauge if Sami was telling the truth.

"So what's going on then?" she asked with a worried frown.

"Good news Mom," Lucas sneered at her, proving once and for all that he really was a mean drunk, "You'll have one less person to shop for Christmas presents this year."

"Lucas," said Sami, sending him a warning look.

She was certainly no fan of Kate's but the mother in her wouldn't want even her worst enemy to find out something so horrible about their child in this way.

"Why?" asked Kate, looking between them in confusion, "Are you leaving town?"

"I am in a manner of speaking," said Lucas brightly but Sami could hear the sarcasm in his tone, "Permanently."

"When did all this happen?" asked Kate unhappily, still clearly in the dark as to what was really going on, "Why wasn't I told?"

"It just happened today," said Lucas and there was a hateful smirk on his face as though he was looking forward to dropping the bombshell on Kate which Sami found pretty shocking.

"Maybe you should talk to your Mom about it at a later time," interjected Sami quickly, "You're in no condition to be-"

"You and I both know that my _condition_ as you put it is only going to get worse," Lucas bitterly.

"Please don't Lucas," Sami implored him, shaking her head at him, "Don't, it's cruel."

"It's alright Sami," said Lucas with a humourless laugh, "My mother knows all about being cruel – just like you."

"Someone had better tell me what the hell is going on and right now!" said Kate in annoyance.

"I'm dying."

Lucas' words hung there in space between the three of them, the silence that greeted them almost deafening.

"Don't be ridiculous," said Kate blithely, breaking the silence at last, "Don't say those kinds of things Lucas, it's not funny."

"Do you see me laughing Mom?" asked Lucas flatly.

Kate looked at Lucas and then at her and Sami couldn't help but feel a measure of pity for the woman despite their history. While Kate had come close at times, not even she deserved to hear about her son's condition in this way.

"I don't believe you," said Kate shakily, "Why would you make up such a horrendous lie Lucas – to hurt me?"

"This is going to come as a huge shock to you Mom," said Lucas resentfully, "But not everything is about you."

"We went to the doctors today," said Sami quietly, "He told us Lucas has AML – it's a type of leukaemia."

"No he didn't," said Kate with great certainty, "He couldn't have! What doctor, when was this? You've only been home five minutes, it isn't possible."

"Dr Bremner," Sami told her, "He's a doctor at Salem University Hospital and we saw him on the way back from the airport."

"And how would this Dr Bremner know the first thing about you?" asked Kate in disbelief, looking at Lucas.

"Apparently just like women, doctor's talk," said Lucas with another humourless smile, "My doctor in Switzerland made a diagnosis but too late to talk to me directly so he organised with Dr Bremner to handle my case."

Lucas grimaced then.

"Not quite the homecoming I was hoping for," he said dourly.

Kate looked like she was in complete shock as she stood there and Sami couldn't say she blamed her. It was a terrible thing to have to deal with all of a sudden and she didn't know what she would have done if this had been happening to Will. It was too horrible to even contemplate. No parent should ever outlive their child, no matter who they were.

"But on the upside I get to make your day Mom," he said sweetly, his moods changing abruptly, "You get to see me leave Sami – like you said, a dream come true, you must be so happy right now."

"Lucas I don't want you to go," said Sami emotionally as Lucas headed off unsteadily towards the bedroom, his limp not as pronounced whilst he was drunk for some reason.

She wasn't romantically interested in him anymore but Sami really did care what happened to him and she couldn't bear seeing Lucas so self destructive.

"This isn't about what you want Sami," said Lucas as he picked up his suitcase that he hadn't even unpacked yet, "This is about what I want and I don't want you hanging around me out of some kind of sense of obligation."

"But where will you go?" Sami protested as he walked past her, suitcase in hand to where Kate was still standing in the middle of the room, almost frozen to the spot.

"A hotel," said Lucas shortly.

"You'll stay with me," said Kate, suddenly finding her voice.

"No," said Lucas coldly, "I couldn't stand it."

Kate looked hurt but wasn't giving up.

"Well I'll at least drive you to where you want to go," she told him determinedly.

"But-" Sami tried to stall them but it was all happening so quickly she didn't know what to say.

Lucas really didn't seem to want her around which in a way was a huge relief for Sami which of course immediately made her feel terribly guilty.

"We're done," said Lucas, not even looking back at her as he headed towards the door, "Now just let me die in peace Sami, it's the least you can do."

Sami made a pained gasp at that intentionally cruel statement and then suddenly Kate and Lucas were gone and she was alone. Sami walked over to the door as though in a daze and closed it behind them before leaning against it as the shock of all that had just happened hitting Sami all at once.

She felt fresh tears beginning to well up as she gave a choked sob. It was all such a mess – this wasn't what she'd wanted at all. Certainly Lucas had released her from any obligations as he'd been the one to leave her but Sami couldn't help but feel like she was still the bad guy in all of this for some reason.

Right then all she wanted was EJ's arms around her, his soft, comforting voice in her ear telling her that everything was going to be alright. He was the only one who could make her feel better because even though things seemed to have been sorted between her and Lucas, by his own hand there was still the traumatic thought of telling Will what was happening. Sami didn't want to do that alone and if how he'd told his mother was anything to go by Lucas was in no fit state to be the one to do it either. As though on cue the phone rang then and Sami contemplated not answering it but thought for some reason it might be EJ and tried to pull herself together to go and pick it up.

"Hello?"

"Oh hi Mom," said Will's voice, making Sami's hand clutch the phone receiver tightly, "I was just checking that Dad got in safely."

Of all the uncertainties that were in her life right now the one thing Sami did know was that she didn't want her son finding out about his father over the phone. She'd promised herself that she would never lie to Will again but this was very, very different.

"He did," said Sami, forcing herself to sound cheerful.

"Can I talk to him?" asked Will innocently.

"He's asleep right now honey," said Sami, keeping the smile plastered on her face even though he could see her, "Why don't I get him to ring you back later."

"Alright," said Will and then paused, "Are you alright Mom – you sound a little funny?"

"I'm fine sweetie," said Sami, a lone tear tricking down her face as she sounded determinedly upbeat, "It must just be a bad connection."

"Okay," he said and then in typical teenager fashion, "I gotta go – seeya Mom."

"Bye Will," said Sami, feeling herself beginning to shake with the effort of holding herself together, "I love you."

"Yeah I love you too," he said distractedly, "Bye."

Sami hung up the phone and covered her face with one hand, knowing that when she did speak to Will about Lucas it was going to be one of the most heartbreaking things she'd ever done in her life. Suddenly the need to be with EJ was overwhelming and Sami couldn't stand it any longer. She quickly went and changed, intending on heading over to Mythic and to the man who knew how to make everything better by just saying her name.

EJ.


	43. Chapter 190

**AUTHOR'S NOTE****: **I do hope that everyone is still enjoying this story even without as much EJami in it of late. I'm at the point of the story where telling EJami's stories means telling other people's as well because in the end it all leads back to our fair couple. I find all the relationships of these players very interesting and I've enjoyed delving into them a little deeper which I didn't expect because I started writing just because of my fascination with EJami and not the other characters. I've grown to enjoy writing for them nearly as much though and I hope that shows a little bit in what you are reading. There are a lot of twisty turny relationships going on in this story and as I said, I'm having fun exploring that. I love that everyone has so many agendas – good and bad – it's fun intertwining them all.

Okay, enough waffle from me – hope you enjoy this rather soapy chapter...

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & NINETY**** – ****If You Love Something****... **

Real education should educate us out of self into something far finer; into a selflessness which links us with all humanity.

_Nancy Witcher Astor, Viscountes_

_(First woman to sit in the British House of Commons, 1879 - 1964)_

"This is ridiculous," said Kate for what felt like the hundredth time as she looked around herself at the hotel room.

"Leave it Mom," said Lucas flatly, not having the energy to fight anymore.

He was sobering up and the combination of pills and alcohol were no longer giving him the necessary strength to fight like he had been.

"Honey you don't have to stay alone in a place like this," said Kate earnestly, "Come home with me."

"I don't want you hovering around me," said Lucas tightly, "Waiting for me to drop dead any minute."

"I wouldn't do that," said Kate sounding wounded, "But you can't be by yourself at a time like this. I know you don't want Sami around but-"

"Of course I want Sami around!" said Lucas angrily and suddenly his eyes filled with tears and he turned away abruptly.

"But you just left her," said Kate sounding bewildered by his sudden mood change, "You told her she was nothing but trouble to you."

"I had to do that Mom," said Lucas unevenly as he felt a hopeless despair well up in him at all that had happened to him in such a short period of time.

He turned back round to face his mother, the pain etched all over his face.

"I love Sami too much to have her tied to a dying man," he told her shakily, "I don't want her staying with me out of pity or a sense of duty Mom. I love her so much I just couldn't put her through that!"

"So that was all an act before?" asked Kate in disbelief.

"You and Sami aren't the only ones who can lie through their teeth when they have to," said Lucas with a humourless smile.

"But you hate Sami's lies," protested Kate, "She's hurt you so much over the years."

"Sami's changed Mom," said Lucas softly and then had to swallow hard at the sudden lump in his throat, "She really has."

Kate looked more than a little sceptical about that but to her credit managed to refrain from commenting.

"You were pretty harsh with her earlier," Kate reminded him, "Are you telling me you didn't mean any of that?"

"All that stuff is in the past," said Lucas quietly, "I don't hold any of the stuff she did against Sami any longer."

"You seemed to come up with it pretty easily for someone who has let it go," commented Kate wryly.

"I had to Mom," said Lucas painfully, "I had to be as cruel to Sami as I knew how to be so she would leave me. I don't want her to see my like this."

"But you can't go through this alone Lucas," Kate protested.

"If I can't have Sami by my side then I don't want anyone," said Lucas dully and knew that it was true.

He wasn't sure when it had happened exactly but this time round with Sami he felt completely different about her. It wasn't that he hadn't loved her in a fashion the last time they were together but lately he'd felt like he couldn't breathe without Sami. There was this sick, panicked feeling when she wasn't with him which had been a lot lately of course with first her trip to Switzerland and then his. He hadn't felt this dependent on a woman ever before and it frightened Lucas because she was all he could think about. Sami had never consumed his thoughts like this before, unless it had been trying to keep one step ahead of her lies. Lucas didn't have any other word for it other than love but he wasn't sure if that was the right word either. All he knew was that Sami was all he thought of, even now and it was the hardest thing he'd done to push her away now but Lucas had known he had to do it.

Even now he was battling the urge to ring Sami and plead for her forgiveness and beg her to come back but Lucas fought valiantly against it. Amongst all the chaos of his emotions he knew this was the right thing to do and if you couldn't manage to find it in yourself to do the right thing in the last months of your life then what kind of man were you anyway? Lucas had known that he'd had to leave because seeing Sami standing there, wanting to help him so much had almost been his undoing. He knew now that he would die lonely and deeply unhappy without Sami and Lucas just prayed he had the strength to stick to his guns.

"That's crazy Lucas," said Kate, sounding very unhappy at his defeatist attitude, "There are a lot of people who love you besides Sami, a lot of people who will want to be there for you."

"I don't want anyone to know," said Lucas tightly, "I couldn't bear it."

"But what about your brothers and sisters?" protested Kate, "And Will?"

"No one!" Lucas snapped, "And especially not Will do you hear me?!"

"Maybe that is for the best," Kate agreed pitching the bridge of her nose with her fingers and looking suddenly tired.

She surprised Lucas with how readily she agreed with him but he was grateful nonetheless. Having all of his family looking sad and despairing around him was the last thing Lucasfelt like he needed.

"At least for right now," her hand dropped away and looked back at him steadily as she took a seat in one of the hotel armchairs, "Will seemed so happy last time I saw him – we don't want to take that away from him just yet now do we?"

"No," said Lucas raggedly, feeling a surge of devastation that he was never going to see his son grow into a man, the loss near unbearable.

"So you've pushed Sami away because you don't want to be a burden despite needing her very much," said Kate slowly, clearly trying to process it all and work her way through all the conflicting signals he was putting out as she returned to their initial conversation.

"It's called a selfless act Mom," said Lucas bitingly, feeling the need to lash out again, "No big surprise that you don't recognise one when you see it."

Kate's lips thinned into tight lines of disapproval at his words and there was a definite flash of pain in her eyes which made Lucas immediately feel guilty.

"Sorry," he mumbled, "That was uncalled for."

"I love you Lucas," said Kate stiffly, "And it breaks my heart to see you like this."

"Which is another reason why staying with you isn't an option Mom," said Lucas quietly, "I don't want to put you through this either. I love you too much as well."

"Oh honey," said Kate emotionally as she closed the distance between them and wrapped him up in a hug that only a mother knows how to give, "It feels like forever since you said those words to me."

"I guess now seems like a good time to get my affairs in order," said Lucas attempting a little laugh as the hug continued, "Starting with letting the important people in my life know how much they mean to me."

"Lucas we need to get you a second opinion," said Kate urgently, drawing back and looking at him intently, "I have an excellent doctor – Dr Taylor – and he will be able to make sure this diagnosis is correct."

"It is Mom," said Lucas flatly, "It's already been confirmed by two sets of doctors."

"Well one more won't hurt," said Kate determinedly, "And if, if-"

Kate faltered briefly before continuing.

"Well if it is what it is then he will be able to take care of you properly and who knows," said Kate with a little shrug, "Miracles happen every day Lucas."

"I'm not going to be miraculously healed one day Mom," said Lucas flatly, "I'm dying – deal with it."

"All I'm saying is that medical science is making advancements all the time," said Kate stubbornly, "There is no need to throw in the towel just yet. You have to fight Lucas, you can't give up."

"We not?" asked Lucas hopelessly, "I can't be with the woman I love so I might as well just lie down and die, get this over and done with so you can all get on with your lives."

"That is a very cruel thing to say Lucas," said Kate unevenly, "I'm your mother and I won't hear this defeatist talk."

"Your speciality eh Mom?" asked Lucas with a tinge of bitterness, "Only hearing what you want to hear."

"I think you need some rest," said Kate quietly, not raising to the bait, "I'll leave you be – just promise me you'll ring me if you need anything, anything at all and I'll be here."

Lucas grimaced, liking it better when his mother fought back rather than playing the role of the wounded martyr. He didn't reply but apparently Kate found her answer in his expression because she turned to leave now.

"Mom," Lucas called out to her and she turned back around, "You have to promise me that you won't tell Sami what I've said to you today okay? I know she'd come back to me if she knew I needed her but I don't want that. I've set her free to be happy and I want her to be happy so you can't say anything Mom."

"Honey I think you know by now that I am no fan of Sami Brady," said Kate with a lop sided smile, "If I was looking for an upside in all of this it would be that she is finally out of your life. Believe me, I have no interest in seeing you two back together because whether you want to see it or not she really is no good for you."

"I don't want to fight about it Mom," said Lucas tiredly, feeling a surge of depression come over him at the thought of never being able to hold Sami again, "I love her but this is what is best for Sami and I want to do the right thing by her. Just promise me you won't say anything to her about what we've spoken about okay?"

"I promise darling," said Kate, walking over and cupping his face, "It will be alright Lucas, I promise."

"No it won't Mom," said Lucas hopelessly, "My life is over."

Lucas gave a little choked sob and the emotion he'd been holding back all day just overcame him as dissolved into despairing tears. Kate immediately hugged him again, holding onto him tightly and Lucas returned it, burying his face into her neck.

"I'm so scared Mom," he told her around his sobs as he began to shake uncontrollably, "I don't want to die."

"I know," she said sofly as she hugged him even more tightly to her, "I know."

oooOOOOooo

A little while later Kate was walking to her car after having finally calmed Lucas down and staying with him until he fell asleep. She unlocked her car before getting in, going through the motions on automatic pilot, not thinking about what she was doing but rather of her son upstairs in the hotel room. Kate put her key in the ignition and then suddenly stopped, unable to go on. The hands that she buried her face in suddenly were shaking wildly as she tried to stop herself from sobbing out loud. It had been gut wrenching to go through that with Lucas, to see him suffering like that and it broke her mother's heart. Kate's hands dropped from her face as she willed herself to get a grip on her emotions, knowing that her tears were no use to Lucas right then. She wiped her eyes and then just got on with things, knowing the only way was to move forward through this. The first thing she did was ring her doctor.

"Hello Dr Taylor?" she said when he answered, having his private number, "It's Kate Roberts and I want you to set up an appointment time to see my son, right away."

After that was arranged Kate sat back in her seat and sighed heavily. This day had been unbelievably difficult and she closed her eyes, forcing back the fresh tears. Kate wasn't one to wallow though and always functioned better when she had something to do and she knew what she needed to do. Another phone call was a fact finding one and soon enough she had all the information she needed and then Kate was starting the car and driving away with still a lot of things still to do that day.

A mother's work really was never done.

oooOOOOooo

Sami closed the door of her office at Mythic and made an annoyed sound. She'd looked all over for EJ and no one seemed to know where he was. Sami pulled out her cell phone and quickly dialled his number.

"Samantha," he answered the phone, knowing her number and the concern was evident in his voice, "Sweetheart, is everything alright, are you okay?"

"I'm okay," said Sami but her voice wavered a little as she said that, the surge of emotion at hearing his voice again hard to hide, "Where are you?"

"I'm at Blake and Morgan's," he told her, naming their lawyers, "I had to oversee the paperwork problem we were having. Where are you?"

"At Mythic," she told him with a lop sided smile, "I came to see you."

"Ships that pass in the night eh?" he said teasingly, "So how did it go? Did you speak to Lucas?"

Sami grimaced as she thought back to their conversation, or rather Lucas just yelling at her how much he loathed her.

"Yes," she said.

"And?" EJ prompted her.

"And I want to talk to you about it face to face," said Sami with a sigh.

"That sounds ominous," said EJ unhappily.

"Not really," Sami reassured him, "But I want to talk it through with you before working out what to do next EJ."

EJ paused for a moment before speaking again, obviously processing what little she was saying and trying to read between the lines. The truth was Sami didn't want to get into it over the phone because she knew she was most likely going to dissolve into tears and knew that would upset EJ greatly. Lucas' words had cut her to the bone although they weren't a huge surprise to Sami or even the first time he'd said them really. She'd really thought they'd moved past all of that and Sami just didn't want there to be so much ugliness between them, especially not now. She had great compassion for Lucas but couldn't help but be relieved as well that he'd taken the decision out of her hands and been the one to do the leaving. Sami was a mess of conflicting emotions and she knew only EJ would understand, he was the only one who ever understood completely what she was feeling.

"Are you alright sweetheart?" he asked her gently.

"I will be when I can see you again," she said unevenly, loving hearing so much tenderness in his voice when he spoke to her.

"Well I'm almost done here," he told her.

"Everything is sorted with the account?" she asked him, glad to have something other than Lucas to think about for a moment.

"It will be in another minute," EJ reassured her, "Your bank balance is safe with me milady."

Sami had to smile at his teasing of her.

"That's good to know," she said, almost managing a laugh.

"You keep your gorgeous self there sweetheart," said EJ affectionately, "I'll come to you."

"No," said Sami with a shake of her head even though he couldn't see it, "Let's meet at your apartment."

Sami knew she was most likely going to burst into tears as soon as she saw him and she didn't want to be doing that at Mythic. She wanted EJ to comfort her like only he could and again, Mythic was not the place for such a thing either.

"Alright," he said readily, "I'll see you there in about twenty minutes alright?"

"Okay," said Sami, "I'm heading there now."

"See you soon my love," he told her and went to end the phone call.

"EJ," said Sami quickly, stalling him hanging up.

"Yes darling?" he replied.

"Say my name," she said softly, biting her bottom lip.

It was a crazy request but to Sami the sound of her name on EJ's lips always made her feel like nothing could touch her. He was the only one who always called her Samantha, he was the only one who knew how to make her name into a caress.

"Alright," he said huskily and she could hear the little smile in his voice, "Samantha."

His rich tones wrapped around her name and even over the phone Sami could feel all the love and emotion he put into that single word.

"Samantha," he said again throatily and it was almost like he was writing poetry for her with her name.

Sami couldn't explain it any other way but it made her toes curl in her shoes.

"I love you," she whispered, feeling emotional tears well up in her eyes yet again.

"I love you too," he told her softly, "Hurry home to me darling."

"I will," said Sami with a tremulous smile knowing that where ever EJ was it truly was her home.

Sami hung up and put a hand to her cheek, feeling how flushed it was. Talking to EJ always had that effect on her and Sami couldn't help but think back with frustration about all that time she'd spent trying to desperately push him away when they could have been starting their new life together. If she'd allowed her and EJ to be together back then it would not have been anywhere as near hard as it was with Lucas now. She would have still felt devastated that Lucas was dying but the question of her helping him through it would not have been on the cards. By being so scared for so long Sami knew she'd brought this all on herself and unfortunately on EJ.

At least she would be able to go home now and tell EJ that Lucas didn't want her around anymore. They would still have to keep their relationship under wraps for a bit longer of course, out of respect but now that Lucas had moved out of the apartment then it would be easy enough for her and EJ to still be together without making it obvious, given the close proximity of their apartments. Sami still wanted to help Lucas but he'd made it very clear what he really thought of her and that he didn't want her around. It wasn't a perfect solution but it did mean that she and EJ could be together and that was the most important thing to Sami even as she worried over Lucas.

Lucas had said some horrible things to her but it wasn't like they weren't all true thought Sami sadly. Either way clearly Lucas found her presence to be more of a burden than anything else and as sad as that thought made Sami it was understandable and the up side for her was that she didn't have to put EJ through seeing her with Lucas anymore which made her very happy. It was a hard situation that was no doubt going to get harder as Lucas' condition deteriorated and all Sami could do was let him know that she was there if he needed her, even if it would be an unwelcome offer and to do what she could to help Will through all of this. Sami glanced at her watch and realised she'd just been standing there for a few minutes, lost in her thoughts and was suddenly anxious to get home to where EJ would be waiting for her. She turned around to leave her office and head towards the elevator and gave a start when she saw who was standing in her doorway.

"What's the rush Sami?" asked Kate calmly, "You and I have a lot to talk about."


	44. Chapter 191

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & NINETY ONE**** – ****The Bitter Pill**

When I say, "I love you," it's not because I want you or because I can't have you. It has nothing to do with me. I love what you are, what you do, how you try. I've seen your kindness and your strength. I've seen the best and the worst of you. And I understand with perfect clarity exactly what you are. You're a hell of a woman. - Spike to Buffy

_Joss Whedon_

_(American Screenwriter, Producer & Creator of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"._

_Also known for Toy Story, Alien Resurrection, & Angel, b.1964)_

"I can't think of one thing that you and I have to talk about Kate," said Sami flatly and then just as quickly contradicted herself by her next words, "Is Lucas alright? Did he find a hotel? What did he say to you about what he wants to do next?"

Kate rolled her eyes at Sami's mixed messaging and walked into her office, closing the door behind her.

"Yours is bigger than mine," she noted unhappily, looking around herself.

"What?" asked Sami in confusion.

"Your office is bigger than mine," Kate informed her, "And it has a window."

"What has that got to do with Lucas?" asked Sami in exasperation.

Why did everything have to be a competition with this woman – her son was dying and all she could think about was office space?! It was unbelievable to Sami.

"Everything comes so easily to you Sami doesn't it?" asked Kate, her lips twisting in disgust.

"Ah hello?" said Sami in amazement, "Have you been paying attention to my life at all Kate? _Nothing_ comes easy to me – ever!"

"Don't play the victim card with me Sami," said Kate flatly, "Whatever has happened in your life you more than deserved."

"You mean like being separated from my parents for years when I was a child thanks to Stefano DiMera?" asked Sami angrily, "Did I deserve that Kate?"

"You seemed to have gotten over your DiMera aversion of late," commented Kate, not answering her question.

Sami looked back at her steadily, suddenly suspicious about what Kate might know about her and EJ. She knew that Kate wasn't happy about her having a stake in Mythic and EJ's role in that but if she really suspected something was going on between her and EJ then Kate would have been hurling it in her face in a heartbeat. Not to mention the fact that Kate would have been running to Lucas and throwing Sami to the wolves like she'd done so many times before. It seemed pretty unbelievable that if Kate knew about her affair with EJ that she wouldn't have been hiring a sky writer the very next second.

"Okay it seems I was right the first time," said Sami dourly, "We don't have anything to talk about. Why don't you turn around and leave my much bigger office that has a window Kate, I've got somewhere to be."

"By Lucas' side perhaps?" asked Kate, not moving an inch.

"You were there Kate," said Sami stiffly, "Lucas made it quite clear that he didn't want anything to do with me."

"And he says I only hear what I want to hear," said Kate with a roll of her eyes, "Even you can't be that stupid Sami."

"What does that mean?" asked Sami in annoyance.

"It means that it is completely obvious that Lucas is only trying to push you away because he thinks it is the right thing to do," said Kate coolly, "He wants you but is trying to be the bigger man and I don't you should take no for an answer from him."

Sami looked at Kate calmly, blinking several times before answering.

"See this is the thing Kate," she said with an arched eyebrow, "You hate me-"

"True," said Kate with a cool nod.

"And you've always hated the thought of me being with Lucas," continued on Sami.

"True," said Kate again.

"And have used every vile, malicious and underhanded trick in the book to break us up when we were together," Sami reminded her, "And tried to make our time together a living nightmare."

"Your point being?" asked Kate with an unrepentant little shrug.

"My point is that don't you think that I might think that something is a little fishy when you come to me and tell me that you want me to get back with Lucas?" asked Sami flatly.

"I didn't say I want you back with Lucas," said Kate coldly, "I said Lucas wants you back – big difference."

"What new game is this Kate?" asked Sami, her eyes narrowing suspiciously, "Do you want me to go back to Lucas and have him throw me out again – just for your amusement, is that it?"

"That would be entertaining," agreed Kate slowly, looking like she was picturing it in her head, "But no."

"So you are really expecting me to believe that you want me back with Lucas?" asked Sami sceptically, "And there is absolutely no agenda at all for you Kate?"

"As I said Sami," said Kate calmly, "This isn't about what I want or even what you want – this is all about Lucas."

"Kate I don't know if you heard all the things he said to me," said Sami, her lips thinning, "But Lucas doesn't want me around – he said I only make things more difficult for him, that he can't stand me."

"And you don't think that his sudden mood change had anything to do with his diagnosis this morning?" asked Kate in annoyance, "Wake up Sami!"

"I thought it might have made him realise how he really felt," said Sami stiffly, "How Lucas really felt about me."

"I wish," said Kate in irritation, "But if that was the case then why was he sobbing in my arms half an hour to go about not being able to go on without you?"

"Lucas did that?" asked Sami with a pained gasp.

She looked at Kate who held her gaze steadily and for once Sami couldn't detect any deception in her eyes.

"Yes he did," said Kate unhappily, "He's convinced he is doing the right thing in setting you free but it is making him give up on what little life he might have left."

"But why?" asked Sami shakily, "Lucas has so much to live for."

"Well he's not seeing that right now," said Kate darkly, "All he is seeing is you gone from his life and it is devastating him."

"What do you want from me Kate?" asked Sami quietly.

"I want you for once in your life not to be a completely and utterly selfish person and think about someone other than yourself," said Kate, her face hardening, "Lucas needs you and you have to go to him and convince him that you need him as well."

"I don't know if I can do that Kate," said Sami, her stomaching dropping at even the thought of it.

"I don't care what you think you can or can't do Sami Brady," said Kate curtly, "You're going to do this – you owe my son that much at least!"

"Excuse me?" asked Sami angrily at Kate's high handedness, "You don't get to issue orders Kate, not in my life at least! And what do you mean I owe Lucas?!"

"How quickly they forget," said Kate bitterly, squaring off against her, "You robbed my son of the first years of his son's life and let him think that Will was his nephew and not his son, all so you could get your claws into Austin! He'll never get that time back again and you've used your son as a weapon against him so many times it's disgusting! And what about Will – he's not even in the same country as you because once again you've broken up his family with your lies and schemes! If you don't think you owe Lucas anything how about Will then? Wouldn't it be nice for a change for him to see you holding your family together instead of dropping a bomb on it?!"

Sami felt hot tears sting her eyes, feeling herself getting so angry at Kate's words but the worst part was that she couldn't deny any of what Kate had just said. Sami squared her shoulders, determined not to cry in front of the other woman but the truth was her words had cut her to the quick. She had seen what she wanted to see in Lucas leaving her, just grateful to be allowed to be with EJ now but if she was honest with herself it was no huge surprise to find out that Lucas really did need her. A terrible choice opened up for Sami as her heart and her head warred, knowing what she wanted to do was nothing like what she should do.

"He's going to drink himself into an even earlier grave without you there Sami," said Kate coldly, obviously seeing her indecision and pushing her advantage, "Lucas can beat this, I know he can but not if he gives up the fight before he starts. I won't let your selfish indifference be the death of my son Sami, I just won't. You need to grow up and realise that there is more to this life than just getting what you want all the time. Lucas maybe dying but without you he is already dead."

Sami could see what it cost Kate to say something like that to her. It was an admission of Sami's importance in Lucas' life that she'd never made before. It made her request even more compelling and Sami's stomach churned over what kind of reaction EJ would have to this all. What if he decided she wasn't worth all of this trouble and just moved on? Old insecurities of Sami surfaced as she waged an internal battle.

"I don't think I could convince Lucas to come back to me," Sami whispered, throwing up any road block she could think of.

"Oh come on Sami," said Kate with a bit of a snort, "You and I both know that you are a consummate liar and can play any part you chose to. You need to walk into that hotel room and use all of that skill to convince Lucas that you are madly and hopelessly in love with him and that you'll never give up on him and that you are going to be together whether he wants it all not. We both know he'll fold because what he really wants is you anyway."

Sami made an unhappy face at the thought of seducing Lucas in any capacity. First of all it felt like an utter betrayal of EJ, no matter how well intentioned her motives and secondly Sami felt horrible at deceiving Lucas even more. He wanted the Sami who was in love with him and she couldn't give him that. Sami cared for him but her feelings didn't even compare to what it was like with EJ.

"Bottom line Sami," said Kate flatly, "If you don't do this then Lucas' blood will be on your hands so if you think you can live with that then I guess you're an even harder and colder bitch then even I ever suspected. It's your choice but if you don't do this then I will make sure your life will be over as well."

"You think I'm frightened of you Kate?" asked Sami curtly, "Like your threats mean anything to me."

"I think that I'm wasting my time trying to get the likes of Sami Brady to do the right thing and think of someone other than herself," said Kate bitterly, "But this is for Lucas and for Will and I'm never going to stop trying to make them happy."

Kate gave her a last hard look before turning around and going to leave. She was at the door before looking back over her shoulder at Sami.

"You might want to try and consider the concept yourself Sami," she said coldly and then Kate was gone.

Sami closed her eyes when she was gone, putting a hand to her face. She hated the fact that Kate had made so much sense but Sami couldn't deny it. It was obvious what Lucas was trying to do but she just didn't want to see it. When EJ had tried to do the same thing, push her away for her supposed own good, Sami had seen through it immediately. Leaving EJ was simply not an option she'd entertained because she loved him so much and neither one of them would have had any kind of life without the other. Sami hadn't even thought about it, just reacted, staying with EJ until he realised how futile it was for him to imagine they could be apart.

When Lucas had done the same thing Sami had walked away without a backwards glance and she felt incredibly guilty about that fact but the difference was she'd found her soul mate in EJ and it just wasn't the same with Lucas. All along she'd been looking for a man to complete her but EJ's love had shown Sami that she was already complete and didn't need him to make her anything more than she was – someone he loved. It was a revelation to Sami to find out that she was already enough as she was. She'd never believed that possible before EJ and that was why her once romantic love for the likes of Lucas and Austin seemed so childish to her now.

Not one of those men in her past had cared enough for her to make her believe in herself fully and so her affections for them seemed so shallow now in the light of being able to love EJ confidently with her whole self. So the trouble was how much did she really owe Lucas, as a former lover, a friend, the father of her son? What was the right thing to do and could she really stand by and watch Lucas drive himself into an even earlier grave if there was something she could do about it? Sami bit her lip, thinking about all the different complexities of what was going and knowing that EJ would be devastated if she went back to Lucas, whatever the reason. It coloured everything and put Sami in a terrible quandary that she wasn't sure what to do about.

Or maybe she did and just didn't want to face it thought Sami gloomily.

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ stepped out of the elevator at Mythic with a determined stride, eager to get home and see his Samantha and came to an abrupt halt when he and the woman on his mind almost collided. EJ put up his hands to hold onto Sami's arms instinctively to stop her from running into him and hurting herself.

"Samantha," he said in surprise, "You're still here? I thought you'd be home by now."

"I-ah," Sami looked upset and was finding it hard to answer him, "I was caught up."

"Are you alright?" EJ asked in concern.

He felt like all he was doing today was asking her that but he was extremely concerned about Sami and what all of this was doing to her.

"No," she grimaced, "I'm anything but alright."

"What happened with you and Lucas today?" asked EJ intently.

Sami looked around herself, obviously conscious of where they were and speaking out of turn.

"Everyone's gone home by now sweetheart," he reassured her, "Until the janitor arrives it is just us."

Sami nodded slowly and looked reluctant to speak then.

"Just tell me Samantha," he told her calmly, "It will be alright as long as we are honest with one another."

"When I went back to see Lucas," began Sami reluctantly, "He'd been drinking."

"Did he hurt you?" asked EJ, his face hardening, "Samantha did he do something to you?"

EJ had heard enough stories of Lucas' behaviour back when he was drinking to be instantly concerned about what might have happened. If he'd laid one finger on Sami EJ swore that he wasn't going to live long enough to die of anything other than EJ's fists.

"No, no," said Sami quickly, "I mean not really."

"What does that mean?" asked EJ, his eyes widening, his stomach churning anxiously and one fist unconsciously curling into a fist.

"It means that he just said stuff," said Sami with a resigned shrug of her shoulders, "Horrible stuff."

"About you?" asked EJ, his frown deepening.

"Yes about me," Sami grimaced, "About our past, my choices, everything."

"Samantha, Lucas Roberts is in no position to cast stones when it comes to past actions," said EJ, trying for all he was worth to hang onto his temper and not just turn around and find Lucas and beat him to a pulp.

How dare he hit out at Samantha?! She was only trying to help him which was way more than he deserved in the first place. If EJ had been in a more rational frame of mind right then and less outraged he might have pondered the similarities between what Lucas was doing and what he himself had done when he'd first been shot. Of course if he had EJ would have rationalised that what he'd done had come from a place of deep love and self sacrifice whereby in Lucas' case he was sure it was just a case of the other man's true colours shining through.

"Despite what his mother constantly tells him he is not some perfect angel that can do no wrong," said EJ tightly, "And he has no right to get on his high horse with you about anything."

"Even so," said Sami sadly, looking very distressed now, "I deserve it."

"Samantha," said EJ with a groan, trying not to make it sound like he was mad at her but still very frustrated, "I loathe it when you talk like this! You're buying into this arbitrary concept of good and bad again. Your actions don't make you a bad person anymore than someone donating to charity for instance automatically makes them a good one. The truth is far more complex than that and you have to stop allowing people to make you feel so badly about yourself like this by imposing their version of truth onto you. You've done bad things in this world, you've done good things in this world – just like every other person on this planet. All your past says about you is that you are human, nothing else."

"I've done some pretty out there things," Sami said unhappily.

"Sweetheart you and I are cut from the same cloth," said EJ unrepentantly, "When we go, we go large in whatever we are doing and I refuse to apologise for that and I won't let you feel badly about it either. It's what makes us who we are."

"Social outcasts?" offered up Sami with a tremulous little smile at EJ's pep talk.

"I was going to say people walking to the beat of their own drum who don't always accept what society's concept of who they should be," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "But I suppose yours is more succinct a title darling."

EJ reached out a finger propped it under Sami's chin, making her lift her head up and look him in the eye.

"Do you trust what I am saying is true Samantha?" he asked her softly, "That you are an amazing woman who shouldn't have to apologise for that?"

"When I'm with you I do," she said honestly.

"I guess I'm going to have to work on that to make it a permanent condition eh?" he said with a crooked smile, "So what other drops of poison did Lucas manage to spew forth exactly?"

"Just a lot of stuff from the past," said Sami sadly, "And then he wanted me to leave."

"It's your apartment," said EJ flatly, annoyed at the other mans theatrics, "He should be the one who leaves."

"He did," said Sami with a sigh, "Kate took him to a hotel."

"Kate was there?" asked EJ with a bit of a frown.

"She turned up and heard Lucas telling me he didn't want me anymore," said Sami, her lips twisting.

"That must have made her day," commented EJ thoughtfully.

Kate just seemed to be everywhere nowadays he thought dourly.

"You'd think," said Sami with a nod, looking suddenly distracted.

"So Lucas left," EJ prompted her, "And how do you feel about that sweetheart?"

"Sad, made, frustrated, relieved, guilty, anxious," Sami grimaced, "You name it."

"And what do you want to do next Samantha?" he asked her, his calm tone belying the way his stomach was currently churning.

"I want to run away with you and never think about Salem or the people in it ever again," she blurted out, looking upset again.

EJ gave a little understanding smile at that. He'd been fighting the urge to sweep Sami off her feet and put both of them on his private jet and just go all day as well. But there was something in Sami's eyes that told him that such a thing wasn't going to happen, no matter how much either one might want it.

"But what are you going to do?" EJ asked her quietly, knowing there was most likely going to be a marked difference between the two things and hating the thought of that.

Sami looked up at him wide eyed, clearly conflicted.

"I'm scared," Sami whispered.

"Of what sweetheart?" asked EJ, moving closer and putting his arms around her waist.

"I'm scared you're going to leave me EJ if I answer that question," she confessed to him achingly.

EJ's eyes widened with surprise at that statement.

"Samantha," he said urgently, tightening his hold on her waist, "Sweetheart, I'm not going anywhere, I promise you – no matter what I'm yours and nothing you could say or do will change that."

"Even if I go back to Lucas to give him the will to go on?" she asked him unhappily, more tears coming.

EJ's heart sank even though the news wasn't exactly shocking to him but he'd hoped that it wouldn't come to this.

"Is that what you think you have to do Samantha?" he asked her softly.

"Yes," said Sami painfully, "EJ I'm convinced Lucas is just going to lie down and die if he doesn't think I'm there for him. I can't do that to him and I want to be able to look Will in the eye and say that I did everything I could to help save his father and if I don't go back to Lucas and make him believe that he has something to fight for then I won't be able to do that and it will break my heart."

Sami had blurted all of that out in a breathless sentence, obviously very stressed by the idea of doing it and rather ironically, not doing it. EJ could see the impossible situation she was in and didn't want to make it worse for Sami.

"There wouldn't be anything physical between us of course," said Sami hoarsely, "I'd make sure of it and Lucas looks so sick already, I don't think it would even be possible-"

Sami kept talking nervously, trying to reassure him with how benign it all would be and EJ had the sense that she was trying to talk herself into it as much as him. He listened patiently but inside EJ felt like he was dying a little bit.

"You hate this don't you?" asked Sami emotionally, looking torn as he hadn't spoken for awhile.

"Yes," said EJ without hesitation but continued on without missing a beat, "But don't think for one moment that I am anything but in awe of the truly breath taking woman you are Samantha Brady. You're strength and courage in the face of this tragedy makes me fall even more madly in love with you then I was before and I didn't believe that possible. You are truly the most magnificent woman I have ever had the indescribable joy of knowing."

Sami gave a gasp at EJ's heartfelt admission of which he'd meant every word. She astounded him daily and never more so then right now. EJ knew how hard this was for her to even contemplate but for the good of someone else she was willing to sacrifice her happiness for a time to make someone else's life easier. He thought with frustration on all of the times this town and people who should have known better had called Sami selfish, knowing nothing could have been further from the truth. It was blaringly obvious to EJ that Sami had a massive heart that allowed her to do super human things in the name of love and compassion and it made him so mad that the people around her couldn't see that about her.

"You're-you're not mad?" she asked him tentatively.

"Sweetheart," said EJ, gathering her into his arms, "If I am then you can be very certain it is not with you."

"Oh EJ I thought you'd hate me," said Sami emotionally, "For doing this to us."

"Samantha," said EJ intently, "One of the things that I fundamentally adore about you is this-"

EJ reached out and placed a hand on her chest, half touching her left breast.

"My big heart?" asked Sami with a tremulous smile.

"I was going to say your absolutely breathtaking breasts," said EJ straight faced, wanting to see Sami smile again, "But sure - certainly your heart is a very close second to them."

Sami couldn't help but laugh at his teasing and the tension between them suddenly dissipated which was what EJ had wanted. He figured that as long as he could continue to make Sami smile then things were never that bad.

"Idiot," she said in exasperation.

Sami put her hand over his and smiled up at him and it was like the sunshine peaking out behind dark clouds to see that smile on her face for EJ.

"Sweetheart I could never hold something that was one of the reasons I fell in love with you in the first place about against you now," he told her sincerely, "I've always said you are a very loving and giving person and this just proves it. We can't always pick and choose the out workings of these things and I'm just very proud that you are finding the strength to do this for another human being."

Who totally wasn't worth it but EJ kept those thoughts to himself right then.

"So you're okay with me doing this?" asked Sami tentatively.

"I'm not thrilled," said EJ honestly, "And I'm going to be as jealous as hell the whole time but if this is what feels like the right thing to you to do then that is what you must do. Just know that we are in this together Samantha and that is how we'll get through it – together."

"You're amazing," said Sami in awe.

"I am aren't I?" said EJ with a quirk of his lips.

He was trying to keep things light between them, knowing Sami needed his support and letting her know she had it. How he was going to manage to keep from going utterly insane for however long this took was another thing completely. Right now he was just intent on reassuring Sami and making it sound like it would be a walk in the park but of course they both knew it was going to be anything but.

"Can we go home now?" asked Sami wistfully.

"Of course we can," said EJ quickly, calling the elevator and letting Sami step into it first when it arrived.

Sami moved into his arms as the doors closed and made an unhappy face as she obviously thought about the task that was ahead of her.

"I just have one request," said EJ, looking down at her as the elevator took them to the bottom floor, knowing what they both needed right then.

"What is it?" asked Sami, her head still resting on his chest.

"Before you go and speak to Lucas," said EJ.

"Yes?" asked Sami, looking up at him expectantly.

"I want you in my bed tonight," said EJ, his eyes suddenly darkening with his need of her, "Just one more night before I have to share you again."

"Yes," Sami whispered shakily, "I want that so much EJ."

EJ bent his head and caught her lips up in a gentle kiss that quickly became more demanding. He hated that he was handing Sami over to Lucas like this but it was what she thought she had to do so EJ was struggling to support her in that. The only thing that was keeping him sane right then was the thought that first thing tomorrow he was going to begin to investigate Lucas' so called illness and find out for sure what was really happening. For Lucas' sake he'd better hope he was really dying because if he wasn't EJ was going to make it his mission in life to make him pay dearly for what he was putting Sami through. He let all thoughts of the other man leave him then, only wanting to think about the woman in his arms and the night that lay ahead of them.

Thoughts of Lucas were for another day.


	45. Chapter 192

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & NINETY TWO**** – ****Make Mine a Double**

Love comforteth like sunshine after rain, But lust's effect is tempest after sun; Love's gentle spring doth always fresh remain, Lust's winter comes ere summer half be done; Love surfeit's not, Lust like a glutton dies, Love is all truth, Lust full of forged lies.

_William Shakespeare_

_(English Dramatist, Playwright and Poet, 1564-1616)_

Kate sat at the bar and finished off her gin and tonic, indicating to the barman for another.

"Keep 'em coming sweet cheeks," she told him with a grim smile, "I've got a horrible taste in my mouth that needs washing out."

"Yes ma'am," said the bartender politely, taking away her glass, "Tough day?"

"Let's see," she said flatly, "I've just delivered my vulnerable son over to a poisonous snake because that is what he thinks he wants so yeah, I guess you could call it a tough day."

The bartender paused, clearly uncertain what to say to that.

"I'll make this a double," he said rather sensibly.

"That's my boy," said Kate with a nod, thinking it was nice to meet a good looking man with a brain for a change.

"Ky," the man informed her, seeing her give him a second look, "My name is Ky."

Kate arched an eyebrow at the young man's volunteering of his name. She saw the flash of interest there even though he could have been no more than about twenty six or so – younger than her own son. It felt very nice to know she still had it as she eyed the blonde haired, brown eyed well built man speculatively. After today Kate felt like she deserved a bit of fun.

"So Ky," said Kate calmly, "What time do you get off work?"

"One," he told her with a cheeky smile, "Is that too late for you?"

"Oh honey," said Kate with a wry grimace, "Ask anyone in town and they'll tell you it is too late for me – I'm a lost cause."

"I don't believe that," said Ky with a smile.

"That's because you are very young," said Kate knowingly, "And you think you have a chance of getting into my pants tonight."

"Well do I?" he asked with only the boldness of youth could have.

"Get me that drink and I'll think about it," said Kate coolly, "And it had better be the best god damn gin and tonic I've ever had."

"Don't worry," he said confidently, flirting with her shamelessly, "I'm an expert at giving women what they want."

"Darling in my vast experience men who feel the need to tell women that rarely do," said Kate dismissively.

"Well darling," said Ky, leaning in towards her so that their faces were close now, "Perhaps I'm the exception to the rule."

"Or maybe you're just a cocky wannabe thinking he can pick up any woman who catches his eye?" suggested Kate coolly.

"Maybe you should just take me home and I can show you exactly how cocky I can be," said Ky with a knowing smile, "I've been told by more than one woman that my... cockiness... is impressively big."

"Size isn't important," said Kate dismissively.

"Oh I think we both know that is a complete and utter lie," said Ky with a smirk.

"Youth comes but once in a lifetime," said Kate with a wry shake of her head at the young man's confidence.

Ky looked at her quizzically at that comment.

"Henry Wadsworth Longfellow," she informed him, giving the nineteenth century American poet his dues.

"Never heard of him," said Ky blithely which earned him a roll of Kate's eyes.

He leant over the bar and smiled sexily back at Kate.

"But I can tell you that old Henry was wrong," he informed Kate throatily, "_This_ youth definitely comes more than once in a lifetime."

Kate's lips quirked in amusement despite herself but more so because she was picturing the esteemed poet spinning in his grave right then at having his poignantly penned words being used as a crude pick up line then any perceived cleverness on Ky's part at turning the words around. She eyed him speculatively, knowing that she should really be getting on over to Stefano's and convincing him that she was the woman for him and that they should be married as soon as possible. Still, it was getting late and the ailing king pin was probably in bed already with Rolf tucking him in Kate reasoned. Perhaps she should give herself the night off from her machinations and have a little down time. Ky was looking at her with eager expectation, waiting for Kate to reply and she gave him a half smile, letting him wait.

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami stepped out of her shower and dried herself off before pulling on some panties and then wrapping the towel around her body. She walked out of the bathroom into EJ's bedroom and went to the closet where a few of her clothes were still hanging. Most of her clothes were back at her apartment and it looked like it was going to stay that way for a bit. Sami gave an unhappy sigh at that thought but then determinedly pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind. EJ had wanted to take her out to dinner tonight, just the two of them in some secluded little restaurant and that was all Sami wanted to think about – spending time with the man she loved and not what tomorrow might bring. She wrinkled her nose at the limited selection of clothing before her.

"Where are you taking me EJ?" she called out to him, leafing through her dresses on their hangers, "How dressed up should I get?"

"You look perfect how are you are now," said EJ's voice behind her, making her jump.

Sami turned around and saw EJ lounging against the bedroom doorway, eyeing her up and down appreciatively.

"You don't think there might be a dress code?" asked Sami in amusement.

"If there is I'm sure they'll drop it just for you once they see how fetching you look in this little get up," said EJ throatily.

Sami didn't know if it was all women were like this or just her but she couldn't get enough of EJ telling her how sexy she was and she gave a pleased smile at his admiration. He straightened up and walked over to her in that cat like way of his, all of his movements so fluid and Sami suddenly found it hard to take her next breath. He was so painfully beautiful she decided weakly, still hardly able to believe that he was hers. EJ came to stand directly in front of her, so close that Sami took a step back because he wasn't stopping and then her back was up against the door of the wardrobe.

"There is one little adjustment I'd make though," he said softly, "If you'd allow me-"

EJ didn't wait for Sami's permission, not that she wouldn't have given it of course but instead he reached up and tugged at the top of the towel that she'd tucked in to secure it. The damp material came away and fell to Sami's feet, leaving her naked except for her panties. EJ's eyes roamed admiringly all over her body and gave an approving nod.

"That's better," he said, his voice sounding a little hoarse all of a sudden.

Sami couldn't help but give a little shudder at the way EJ was looking at her so hungrily.

"Are you cold sweetheart?" he asked her huskily, noticing her shivering.

Sami mutely shook her head, finding it hard to talk all of a sudden, her vocal chords constricting with how much she needed him right then. EJ reached out a long finger and dragged it between her naked breasts, her nipples hardening shamelessly at the light touch.

"You look cold," EJ informed her throatily, his eyes lingering over her pouting breasts.

Sami felt the burst of moisture between her legs at the way he was looking at her, talking to her. She felt helpless and trapped, suddenly unable to move a single muscle in her body as EJ scrutinised her closely, taking in every dip and curve exposed to him until he was at her face, his eyes searing the flesh that they touched. He was all around her, the heavenly smell of his maleness rolling off him and enveloping her as he leaned in ever closer, the heat of his body a tangible request.

He held her gaze unblinkingly, mesmerising her as he leant on one arm above her head, his only touch the finger that still rested between her breasts. She watched entranced as he slowly licked his lips, hungry for the taste of that tongue in her own mouth and didn't notice him moving his hand. Sami made a helpless gasping noise when she felt his hand on her inner thigh, moving oh so slowly higher. He was taking forever and Sami had to swallow her moan of impatience, knowing EJ would only make her wait longer if he heard it.

The ripping of the delicate scrap of fabric of her panties from her body was at direct odds to his gentle touches so far and Sami couldn't help the strangled gasp of shock when he did that so abruptly. There was the barest smile on EJ's lips at her reaction but then Sami had forgotten all about it when his hand returned to between her legs, now with no barrier between her and his touches. EJ gave a quietly approving grunt when he found out how wet Sami was already for him, his fingers delving into her slick folds and Sami knew that they wouldn't be going out for dinner that night and didn't care in the least as EJ found her nub and began to massage it for her.

He wouldn't let her look away as he pleasured her, his face so close to hers that their noses occasional touched as Sami made uncontrolled little movements. EJ was watching every little play of emotion on her face so intently, every little muscle twitch and breathy sigh, as though he was committing her face in that moment to his memory, so he could have perfect recall later. Sami gave a gasp as the tension deep inside of her finally exploded and she bucked helplessly against EJ's fingers with him still watching her intently, dark eyes flaring. She could feel her legs beginning to shake uncontrollably but EJ was there, picking her up as she clung weakly to him, still trying to recover as he walked them to the bed, Sami with her legs wrapped around his waist.

EJ deposited her gently on the bed and Sami lay back longways across it, legs dangling over the edge. She watched through hooded eyes as EJ quickly shed his clothing, as naked as she was now as he came to stand between her legs. Sami watched him as he knelt between her legs, pushing them wider to make a place for himself. A stray trickle of water from her shower ran down Sami's inner thigh to her knee and EJ saw it. He bent his head and captured the little droplet, licking the little bit of moisture from her body and following its trail back up her leg. EJ's hands were on her knees, pushing them further apart as he sort out proof of what his handiwork had done to her.

Sami groaned loudly when she felt EJ's tongue beginning to lap at her core and twitched helplessly under him. She was finding it hard to remain still under EJ's skilful touch, her body too sensitised to really stand what he was doing to her. Sami squirmed a little, trying to get away but EJ was having none of that. He tightened his hold on her, his tongue flicking into Sami and tasting her deeply. Sami could feel the tension building in her body again, could feel the need for her next release rising up inside of her. To her disappointment EJ stopped then, straightening up and looking down at her with a satisfied expression on his face at seeing her need of him.

"More?" he asked her thickly, his breathing almost as uneven as hers were.

EJ's hand moved between her legs and began to casually massage her nub again, making Sami arch her back as he deliberately kept it too slow for her to climax from.

"Yes," she said impatiently, moving against his hand.

"Haven't you had enough?" he pushed her, delaying the inevitable, knowing it would only add to Sami's pleasure, "I've taken you so many times today sweetheart."

Sami groaned at the memory. It was true, they'd made love many times that day but Sami was insatiable when it came to EJ, just as he was for her.

"But you want more don't you?" he asked her hoarsely, seeing how ready she was for him.

"Always," Sami moaned, moving against his fingers, "EJ please, I need-"

"I know what you need sweetheart," he interrupted her, pressing harder against her nub, his circling of the delicate flesh picking up speed, "You need me."

EJ was still stimulating her as he pulled Sami to the edge of the bed, leaving her lying back on her back but with her feet now on the floor. He mounted her in that position and the sudden intrusion of his rock hard member made Sami's wall flutter like crazy in a near climax.

"God yes!" he growled in appreciation of her involuntary reaction to his invasion, "That feels so good sweetheart – don't stop!"

Sami had absolutely no control over what her body was doing but the way EJ unconsciously began to ride her nub harder with his fingers guaranteed that she could last no longer. Sami cried out as she came around him and EJ threw his head back, enjoying the sensation of her walls clamping down on him so hard.

"God but you're so tight," he said weakly when she was almost done as he tried to hold himself still inside of her.

Sami couldn't answer him beyond a few unintelligible moans as she was still coming down from her last high. She felt EJ's hands go to her hips as he began to move in and out of her. Sami's body instinctively responded, her hips lifting and rolling to allow EJ to drill himself as deeply as he could into her. They both had control and worked in perfect harmony to excite the other to a new frenzy. Sami cupped her breasts as they moved up and down with each of his strokes, pulling on her own nipples as EJ watched her with rapt attention. She saw how he was looking at her and knew he'd love a show so Sami lifted her head from the bed and pushed one of her breasts up so she could find her nipple, drawing it into her mouth and beginning to suckle. EJ made a strangled groaning sound at seeing that and immediately began to pump her harder.

Sami licked and sucked at her own nipple, noisily enjoying it for both of their benefits and feeling how urgently he was riding her now. Sami released her breast from her mouth then, letting him see how flushed and swollen the little nub was and wordlessly offered it to him. EJ immediately bent down and latched onto it excitedly and Sami felt him push his swollen length into her particularly hard and then there was the gratifying sensation of his maleness flooding her depths as EJ made choked sounds around her breast. Sami held onto him tightly as he shuddered against her almost violently.

"Oh that feels so good EJ," she told him throatily, "I love when you come inside of me, I never want you to stop."

"Samantha!" he said raggedly at her words, jerking against her again as he delivered yet more of himself into her.

"More," she whispered into his ear, "Give me more EJ."

EJ groaned loudly, his body somehow complying with her command and Sami gave a satisfied purr as she felt him spasm again. She loved the fact that she could give EJ multiple climaxes and wanted him to never stop. EJ was still kneeling between her legs but now his upper body was draped over the top of hers.

"Nice," she sighed happily.

EJ lifted his head from her breast and caught Sami's mouth up in a languorous kiss. Sami meanwhile began to massage his temporarily spent manhood that was still inside her, knowing both of them wanted more. She lifted her feet up onto EJ's buttocks, pushing him a little deeper inside of her as she tilted and rolled her hips, giving him a very intimate massage. EJ was moaning into their kisses, clearly appreciative of her efforts. Sami could feel him hardening again inside of her and renewed her efforts.

"I want babies with you," Sami groaned, breaking their kiss and looking up at him breathlessly, "As soon as we are married, I want to have your baby EJ."

"You do?" he asked of her in amazement, the thought making him drive his renewed member a little more deeply into her.

"I want our love to make a baby," said Sami unevenly, as she cupped his face and looked into his eyes intently, "I want to feel your child growing inside of me EJ – I don't want to wait."

"I want that too Samantha," EJ groaned, "So much, right from the beginning."

"I know," said Sami, amazed by the thought, "On the island, when we first made love-"

"I was trying to manipulate you," said EJ, looking suddenly pained at the memory, "Your birth control-"

"EJ," she interrupted him, looking up at him with the eyes of a determined seductress, "When I think of what you did on Ara Caman-"

Sami closed her eyes and made a little approving noise before opening them again.

"How you wanted me," she said throatily, "How desperate you were to have me over and over again, all so I would leave that island pregnant with your child."

"That wasn't the only reason," said EJ hoarsely, "I loved you Samantha and wanted you so damned much I couldn't see straight. I would never have left your body if you hadn't made me."

"I know," she said with feminine satisfaction, "I've never had a man want me that way."

"And I didn't want that child for my father," he told her, almost urgently, "I tried to tell myself that was the main reason because the truth scared me. I'd never been with a woman that I wanted to bear my children and I was terrified at how much I wanted that but I couldn't stop myself."

"I know," said Sami with a soft smile, "This, us – it was never about your father."

"No," agreed EJ raggedly, "It never was."

Other people might have questioned EJ's motives at the time but Sami knew him better than anyone else now, even himself and she knew that whatever he'd told himself what had happened on Ara Caman was only ever about loving her. It had been the same for Sami, even though she'd told herself that she had done it all for Lucas nothing could have been further from the truth. She'd wanted to go away with EJ but couldn't bear to face that fact at the time but thank god EJ had seen through her deceptions and claimed what was his from the beginning anyway.

EJ moved then, straightening up and going back to kneeling by the bed but this time he moved Sami's legs so they were both on one side of his body. Still inside of her he turned Sami onto her side, before pulling her back more fully onto him. Sami gave a shudder, recognising the position as the one he'd chosen for them the first time they'd made love. She propped herself up on one elbow, looking up at him, the flash of memory passing between them as EJ rested his one hand on her knee and the other on her thigh. Just the re-enactment of their first time intensified the emotion between them in an instant. EJ held her gaze, not moving inside of her for a long moment, the tension between them intensifying once again.

"EJ," Sami breathed reaching out a hand to him.

EJ gave a tender smile, moving a hand to take hers and bending down to kiss the back of it lovingly.

"I love you," he told her throatily, beginning to move himself inside of her now, "I love you Samantha."

"I know," said Sami looking up at him adoringly, "I know EJ."

**oooOOOOooo**

Kate sat up in bed abruptly, a nightmare waking her unpleasantly. Even now it was fading quickly but it had been dark and twisted with the feelings of death and pain lingering even as the images were disappearing from her mind. Lucas, Stefano, EJ and Sami – they'd all been there, in her dream, stealing her rest.

She leant back against the bed head and made an unhappy noise. Going to Sami yesterday had been incredibly hard for Kate but it had needed to be done. For one wild moment when she'd walked in on them arguing yesterday Kate had hoped that Lucas had seen the light and realised what a complete waste of space Sami really was. It was with a resigned despair that talking to him later made her realise that nothing could be further from the truth. He still believed that he needed her desperately but was trying to be noble. Kate always despised the sentimentality that supposed nobility implied.

It seemed so self indulgent in a poor me way and she had little time for it. The trouble was that clearly Lucas felt differently. She'd hoped to talk him out of this but now it was obvious that he was utterly convinced that Sami was the only thing that would make him happy and of course, Lucas being Lucas, he made sure to get her out of his life. God forbid that child of hers should ever find a way to be happy thought Kate dourly – it was like he had a pathological need to be suffering all the time. Well be that as it may she wasn't about to sit around and let that happen, not when she had a say in it.

It was obvious for Lucas to fight this thing that Sami had to be a part of the equation and that was what Kate had made sure would happen. She'd hated every minute of it but that was why she'd gone to Sami and convinced her that her place was by Lucas' side. Of course Lucas would never expect his mother to be the one pushing Sami towards him because she'd done nothing but the opposite since Sami first came onto the scene and Kate had been careful to maintain that illusion when they'd spoken at the hotel. If she'd shown any softening towards Sami at all then Lucas would be immediately suspicious when Sami showed up at his door which Kate was confident would happen after she was done talking to the young woman.

Lucas had to believe it was all Sami's idea, that she couldn't live without him and Kate had made sure to play her part in that little fantasy. For Kate to suddenly change sides on this matter would never do and Lucas wouldn't buy what Sami would no doubt be selling very soon. Kate was confident that Sami could get Lucas to change his mind – she was very convincing when she wanted to be and besides, Lucas, deep down wanted to be convinced which always made the job easier. Kate looked over at the sleeping man and nudged him, having a lot to do that day and no time to waste.

"Hey," she said, "Wake up – this isn't a bed and breakfast – time to go."

Ky stirred, sleepily blinking up at her.

"What time is it?" he asked her groggily.

"About six," she told him casually, "Time for you to go."

Ky rubbed his eyes and sat up on one elbow, looking at Kate up and down.

"Are you sure about the breakfast part?" he asked throatily, his voice still thick with sleep but his eyes telling her that he was quickly waking up and with more than a few ideas.

He looked down at his body and the rather impressive tenting situation that was going on beneath the sheets.

"I'm kinda hungry," he purred, a seductive smile coming to his lips.

For all their faults Kate had to give it to younger men – they certainly were enthusiastic.

"I've got things to do," she said shortly.

"But it's early," the young man protested, throwing an arm over her waist and pulling Kate towards him, "Whatever you have to do can wait."

"Can it now?" asked Kate with an arched eyebrow, "Glad you're so sure now."

"What's your name?" he asked her curiously.

"It's not important," said Kate dismissively.

"Can I see you again?" he asked her, his brown eyes flaring with eagerness.

"No," said Kate simply.

Ky looked disappointed by that answer but wasn't giving up.

"Then I suppose I'd better make this count and see if I can't change your mind," he said with a cheeky smile, as he moved over the top of her, beginning to kiss down Kate's neck and between her breasts.

"You've got your work cut out for you," she warned him.

"Don't worry doll," said Ky with a confident smile, rubbing his hard on against her thigh, "I think you can tell I'm more than up for it."

"You talk a lot," Kate commented calmly, not giving him the satisfaction of knowing that she was aroused as well – he'd find out that soon enough on his own.

Sex was about power, Kate learnt that from a very young age and she wasn't about to hand over any kind of power to any man and certainly not this impudent puppy. Still, Kate mused as she lay back against the pillows as Ky showed her that he could use his tongue for more than just talking, he was an amusing enough distraction so what did a few more minutes hurt anyway?

**oooOOOOooo**

"Toast is burning," Sami mumbled against EJ's lips.

"Don't care," said EJ distractedly, claiming her mouth again and stealing Sami's breath away.

They'd been making out in the kitchen that morning for Sami didn't know exactly how long – all she knew for sure was that they were no closer to making breakfast then they were ten minutes ago. Kissing EJ was like nothing else on earth and she just couldn't seem to get enough, a complaint he seemed to share. She felt his hands go to her hips and then EJ was lifting her up on the kitchen counter, not breaking the kiss but no longer having to stoop to kiss her. He pushed apart her legs, settling between them comfortably and continued the assault on her lips.

"I'm never going to be able to get another meal while your around am I?" asked Sami, trying to make that sound like a complaint but it had a too breathy quality to the statement to make it convincing.

"No," said EJ simply, beginning kissing her again and Sami offered up no other resistance.

Today was going to be a horrible day for them both and any happy memories they could make right now were surely going to help them get through it. Being with EJ like this, simply being in his arms made Sami certain that everything was going to be alright and she never wanted to leave them again.

**oooOOOOooo**

Ky was in the shower after having sung for his supper as it were an impressive three times in quick succession. What they lacked in endurance they more than made up for in quantity thought Kate smugly. She was already showered and dressed, making herself up carefully. She was on the way over to see her future fiancé – whether he knew that or not. Kate needed the protection of Stefano against no doubt would be the ire of EJ if he ever found out her hand in keeping Sami and Lucas together and as pleasant as this little diversion had been the likes of Ky was no use to her beyond the most basic of needs.

She had to have the power and might of Stefano DiMera to stand behind when EJ found out how she'd coerced Sami to go back to Lucas. Kate was counting on EJ's sentimentality towards his father as well to make him think twice about exacting any kind of revenge against his father's new wife. Stefano would understand why she'd done what she'd done and support her, Kate was sure of it. Besides, Kate had other uses for Stefano in the future and being his wife would make it all that much easier. Kate wasn't leaving anything to chance and had a contingency plan to ensure that no matter what happened, Sami and EJ were finished, one way or the other. Her son was the one enduring this nightmare of cancer and for Kate all she cared about was making it right for him so that when he beat this thing which Kate just knew he would, he'd have a happy life at the end of it. She wasn't going to accept any other outcome – it was as simple as that.

Kate had learnt the value of always having a plan B, C and even D over the years and she had no intention of not covering her bases now. She wasn't sure that she'd convinced Sami to go back to Lucas, knowing the pull EJ had over her but Kate wasn't going to give up. She'd make Sami go back to Lucas, whatever it took. A knock at the door had Kate quickly finishing her mascara before hurrying over to answer it. It was barely eight in the morning and she couldn't imagine who it would be. She opened the door, her eyes widening in surprise at her uninvited guest.

"What are you doing here?" she asked in surprise at her uninvited visitor, instantly on guard.

And today had started so well...


	46. Chapter 193

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & NINETY THREE**** – ****Needs Must When the Devil Compels You**

I never think of the future. It comes soon enough.

_Albert Einstein_

_(German born American Physicist who developed the special & general theories of relativity. Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921. 1879-1955)_

"Is that anyway to greet an old friend?" asked Celeste calmly.

"Well you're half right," said Kate with a twist of her lips.

"I'm not disturbing you am I Kate?" she asked her.

"Yes," said Kate flatly, "I was just on my way out."

"Have you seen my shoe?"

Celeste arched an eyebrow and looked around Kate, seeing the shirtless Ky walking out of the bathroom with only one shoe on.

"He's the plumber," said Kate without missing a beat, "I had an early morning plumbing emergency that had to be seen to."

"Well I'm sure that the young man was very efficient at unclogging your drains," said Celeste coolly, a second look telling her that the man in question was barely in his twenties, "Although I'm surprised such a young person would know what to do with such old pipes."

Kate pursed her lips and looked back at Celeste, obviously not appreciating her little jab.

"I should be going," said Ky, standing behind Kate now, having found his shoe and his shirt.

"Fine," said Kate evenly and gave him a dismissive nod.

Ky looked a little uncertain for a moment but then clearly sensed he wasn't needed right then.

"Don't you have to pay him?" asked Celeste after Ky had edged past her out of the door.

"I have a tab," said Kate blithely.

"I bet you do," said Celeste with a roll of her eyes.

"What do you want Celeste?" asked Kate impatiently, "I have somewhere I have to be."

"Are you off to see Stefano perhaps?" asked Celeste easily.

"I don't think I have to give any kind of account of my actions to you Celeste," said Kate shortly.

"Why would you want to move in with Stefano Kate?" asked Celeste, looking at her intently.

"I'll answer that if you tell me why Stefano asked you to move in," said Kate, her eyes narrowing.

Celeste smiled, Kate was checking out the competition but that was the furthest thing from her mind. She didn't want Stefano, just her daughter back.

"You'd have to ask him that yourself dahling," she said with a little shrug, "I think the man is lonely and feeling his mortality. But that is not why I am here."

"So why are you here," Kate prompted her impatiently, "Do you want something from me Celeste?"

**oooOOOOooo**

"_Let us see what the cards have to say mon enfant," said Miss Perpétue, handing the tarot cards to Celeste to shuffle. _

_Celeste shuffled them and handed them back to the old woman who began laying them out on the table._

"_Ask your questions," she instructed her._

_Celeste had asked this many times of the cards and was always frightened of the answer._

"_Is my daughter still alive?" she asked painfully._

_Miss Perpétue began to turn over the cards, both women viewing them carefully._

"_La Mort – Death," stated Miss Perpétue, "But it is reversed."_

_Celeste blew out a relieved breath at seeing the card ominous card upside down. _

"_Your child has experienced change that is both painful and unpleasant," said Miss Perpétue tapping the card with one aged finger, "She is in an agonising period of transition – inert, full of lethargy, mental and emotional exhaustion."_

"_But she is alive," said Celeste unevenly._

_She had gotten a similar reading many times over but had always worried that it was her own great need that was directing the power of the cards. To have Miss Perpétue, a well seasoned practitioner of the cards come to the same conclusions was a great weight off Celeste's mind. _

"_So the cards say," agreed Miss Perpétue, "For now."_

"_How can I save my child?" asked Celeste, her voice breaking along with her heart at being separated from the one that she loved._

_Miss Perpétue turned over the next card._

"_Le Pendu – the Hanged Man," she named the card, "The person you seek has had their own dreams suspended but does what they can to adapt. They look to the future to reap the benefit of that which is lost in the present. They are in wait, stationary until they can be reborn, sacrificing all for one perfect hope and their life is turned on its head with the waiting."_

_Miss Perpétue looked at Celeste then, her green eyes burning brightly. _

"_You must find this person, the le pendu and this is the one who will save you and your child Celeste," she told her forcefully, "The cards do not lie."_

_Celeste sat back in her chair and had to wonder if the cards were talking about Kate. Her visions had shown her many strange things of late and Kate seemed to always be there – her and Lucas inextricably bound. Certainly they were mother and son but it felt like more than that to Celeste – some long held secrets between them finally bubbling to the surface and changing both of their worlds forever. It was so dark and convoluted between the two of them that Celeste had trouble seeing into their futures, only know that they were impossibly linked. But even so Kate might be the one whose Celeste's only hope of finding her daughter rested with. If she was to move into the mansion instead of Celeste Stefano wouldn't be expecting her to be looking for Alexandra. If Celeste could get Kate to work as a kind of spy for her she would have a much better chance of finding out what exactly did happen to her daughter. _

"_I don't know what to do Miss Perpétue," she confessed to the older woman, "I feel like I need to do something but-"_

"_The cards will decide," she interrupted her and drew out a last card, "Think on the person that you wonder about child."_

_Celeste looked down at the cards, thinking of Kate as Miss Perpétue flipped a last card and her question was answered. _

"_The Eight of Wands," she whispered._

_The card promised understanding and harmony and that the time and conditions were right to facilitate success. It was a card of hope..._

**oooOOOOooo**

"Well?" asked Kate, clearly growing impatient now.

"I wish you every happiness in your future plans with Stefano," said Celeste smoothly.

"Is that it?" asked Kate flatly, "You made me late for that?"

"I didn't want there to be any unpleasantness between us," said Celeste sweetly.

"That sentiment is a bit late isn't it after the old pipes comment?" she asked acerbically.

"Better late than never I say," said Celeste with a little smile.

**oooOOOOooo**

"_The Eight of Wands," she whispered._

_The card promised understanding and harmony and that the time and conditions were right to facilitate success. It was a card of hope. _

_At least it would have been if it hadn't been reversed. _

_Instead it signalled disputes and disagreements and silly spontaneous actions, not looking before you leapt._

"_The cards do not think your course of action is a wise one," said Miss Perpétue knowingly._

"_No," said Celeste quietly, looking down at the card, "They don't."_

"_What are you going to do?" asked the older woman._

"_I don't know," said Celeste with a sigh, "But this card doesn't only apply to me Miss Perpétue. I must try and warn Kate about what she is doing."_

"_Do you think she will listen?" she asked._

"_No," said Celeste regretfully, "But I have to try."_

**oooOOOOooo**

"You know when Stefano and I get married," said Kate with an unpleasant smile on her face, "And I can promise you that day isn't very far away Celeste, I don't think we'll be requiring your services at the mansion any longer."

"Services?" queried Celeste with an arched eyebrow.

"I know Stefano likes to keep you around like some little freak show for his amusement but don't think for one moment that you have me fooled with all of your psychic side show crap," Kate snapped, "You're a fraud Celeste, everyone in town knows it."

"I wish for your sake that I was Kate," said Celeste softly, the sense of impending doom washing over her again as she spoke with the other woman.

"Is that meant to scare me?" Kate scoffed.

"Stefano is a dangerous man Kate," Celeste warned her.

"And one that I can handle," Kate sniffed before continuing on sarcastically, "Thanks for the warning though but it's unnecessarily."

"Many people have thought that exact same thing," said Celeste darkly, "To their own folly."

"Well I'm not many people Celeste," said Kate coolly, "I can take care of myself – history has proven that."

"Let us hope that history indeed repeats itself in this case," said Celeste, her tone suggesting that she didn't believe it would.

"Spare me Celeste," said Kate with a roll of her eyes, "All of this vague and breathless observations of supposedly impending doom is getting decidedly old. If you have something to say then just say it okay? Stop hiding behind cryptic and vague statements and just spit it out."

Celeste paused and frowned at that.

"I wish I could Kate," she said at last, "But all I can say is that your present course, the choices you are making now will only lead you to a dark place."

"You know nothing about my life or my choices," said Kate coolly.

"I think you should reconsider getting involved with Stefano," said Celeste worriedly.

"Oh there it is," she sneered, "The real reason for your visit. You want me out of the way so you can have a clear path with Stefano, don't you?"

"No," said Celeste seriously, "My involvements in the past with that man have only caused me pain."

"And yet you somehow manage to get yourself an invitation to go and stay at the mansion," said Kate, her eyes narrowing suspiciously, "How did that happen exactly?"

Celeste didn't immediately reply. The last thing she was going to do was tell Kate about her plans to find out about Alexandra. For a brief moment she'd considered it but the cards had been very clear that it would have been a mistake. Whilst Celeste was certainly no fan of Kate she had still felt the need to come by and warn her about getting involved with the man in anyway. Something that clearly wasn't appreciated by Kate.

"You must not do this thing Kate," said Celeste unhappily, "It will end badly."

"Right," said Kate flatly, "I'll take that under advisement Celeste, thanks so much for dropping by."

Celeste made an unhappy face at Kate's obvious disdain for such good advice but Celeste decided that she'd done all that she could. She couldn't help but give one last piece of advice though.

"Well if you must do this thing Kate," she said with a warning look, "I just hope that you have no more plumbing problems because I don't see Stefano being very understanding about such things."

"If you say one word to Stefano about anything that you think you saw today I will ruin you," said Kate, her eyes hardening.

"Do not worry Kate," said Celeste calmly, "My intent is to try and save you from trouble, not make it."

"I'm sure," said Kate in a clearly disbelieving tone.

"I'll be going now," she said quietly.

"Good," said Kate coldly, "Thanks so much for dropping by."

The door slammed shut behind Celeste as she turned around and she grimaced. That had not gone as she'd hoped but then perhaps it was all too late already, the dye had been cast and all the pieces were in place for the end of life in Salem as many knew it.

It was a harrowing thought.

**oooOOOOooo**

Later that afternoon Celeste sat at her favourite coffee shop, drinking a coffee and reading the local newspaper. She suddenly had this intense feeling of being watched. Looking up Celeste looked around herself and only saw people going about their business but the sensation persisted. She pressed her lips together in an unhappy line. This was to be expected of course. She'd gone to see Stefano earlier that day to decline his offer of moving into the mansion and he'd accepted it readily enough but of course Celeste had known that would not be the end of it.

It didn't surprise her that Stefano was now having her watched and she was certain he was. The trouble was that this meant she had to be very careful about how she went about things from now on. Seeing as using Kate wasn't an option right then Celeste found herself suddenly limited in what she could do. The only recourse left opened to her right then was to simply wait this out. The thought

killed Celeste but she wouldn't be able to do her daughter any good if Stefano became too suspicious and decided to put her into a dungeon of her own again. Celeste's mother heart broke at the thought of not being able to help Lexi right then but she wasn't giving up.

"I'll never give up," she said painfully, no one in the crowded coffee shop paying her any attention, "Never."

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami stood at the window, looking unseeingly out of it and nervously playing with the bracelet EJ had given her.

"Sweetheart," said EJ gently from behind her, "You don't have to do this."

She felt his hands go to the top of her arms and gently squeeze them reassuringly as he dropped a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

"Yes I do," said Sami sadly, leaning back against him, "Lucas is Wills father and I can't just let him die when I know I could do something about it. At the very least I can make his last days relatively happy ones."

"You are a magnificent creature Samantha," said EJ as he turned her around in his arms to look at her.

"I don't feel magnificent," said Sami with a tremulous smile, "I feel scared."

She suddenly clutched at his shirt front then and looked up at him a little panicked.

"Please EJ," she implored him, "Please tell me that this isn't going to change anything between us! Please tell me that I'm not ruining everything for us!"

"Of course you're not sweetheart," said EJ quickly, putting his arms around her and hugging her tightly, "Everything is going to work out – I promise you."

"And you won't get sick of waiting for me and move on?" asked Sami emotionally, "I mean how are you going to cope with seeing Lucas and I together all the time?"

"I'll probably start drinking," said EJ straight faced.

"EJ!" Sami groaned, burying her head in his chest, "Be serious."

"I was being serious," said EJ wryly.

He paused then and made her look up at him.

"Samantha," he said steadily, "I love you and yes, it is going to be hard the next little while but I'd do anything, endure anything to be with you."

"I feel the same way," said Sami unsteadily, "But-"

"No," said EJ firmly with a shake of his head, "There is no but sweetheart, not for us. We've found each other, just as Colleen and Santo did and our love is written in the stars. We were always fated to be Samantha and this is merely a little detour in our road to happiness – nothing more."

"You're always so certain," said Sami enviously.

"I'm certain that nothing can shake us," said EJ confidently, "Darling we are the thing that they write sonnets about, pen poetry and write timeless novels about. Our love is untouchable – I swear to you."

Sami gave him a soft smile, letting herself believe utterly what he was telling her and it gave her the strength to go and see Lucas now.

"Do you believe me sweetheart?" he asked her tenderly.

"I do," she whispered, "Nothing can touch us EJ, nothing."


	47. Chapter 194

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & NINETY FOUR**** – ****Greener Pastures**

Moving on is a simple thing, what it leaves behind is hard.

_~Dave Mustaine~_

**Six weeks later:**

Lucas walked along the corridor of his apartment block and stopped, putting a hand to the wall to steady himself. Damn but if he didn't feel like death on a stick today. His stomach churned nauseatingly and he swallowed hard to keep down the remnants of last night dinner. It frustrated him no end that a simple task like taking out the trash nearly had him bed ridden at the end of it. But at least he was still here he decided grimly. Sami coming back to him had made all the difference and now Lucas was fighting hard to stay in the game of life.

He'd quit the painkillers cold turkey and hadn't had a drop to drink since that day because he was determined to beat this. Lucas wanted a long life with Sami and he had to do all he could to beat the AML to have just that. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to go on. He was outside his door when EJ suddenly appeared out of his apartment, looking ready for the office except his pink tie wasn't tied yet. Looks like there was some trash he'd missed thought Lucas to himself, although EJ didn't bother him anywhere near as much these days, not since Sami had proved her love for him by staying with him through this ordeal.

"Ah Lucas," EJ said jovially, "Still with us I see – haven't gone to a better place during the night?"

"Shut the hell up DiMera," Lucas growled, "I'm going to beat this!"

"Of course you are," said EJ with an agreeable nod, "Because as we all know your life has been typified with you being a real winner thus far."

Lucas would have given a lot to have the strength to punch that smug smirk off of EJ's face but he simply didn't have it in him right then.

"How the hell did you even find out about my illness anyway?" asked Lucas bitterly, having asked Sami and his mother to keep it to themselves but a couple of weeks back EJ had let slip that he knew.

EJ gave a little shrug and a smile.

"Your mother talks in her sleep," he said with a devilish twinkle in his eye.

"You're one sick bastard you know that right?" asked Lucas, his lips curling in disgust as he watched EJ make his way to the elevator.

"Coming from you Lucas that means a great deal," said EJ blithely and then stepped into the elevator before giving him a cold smile, "And could you tell that little happy homemaker of yours that the meeting today is at ten o'clock, not ten fifteen. If she could see her way to be on time for these little trifles like keeping Mythic running rather then re-organising her shoe cupboard and wiping your fevered brow then that would be superlative."

The elevator doors closed then and Lucas just shook his head. He turned around and made his way back to the apartment. He opened the door and found Sami in the kitchen. She made an unhappy face at him.

"I would have taken out the trash," she chided him gently.

"I wanted some fresh air," said Lucas, putting a slightly shaking hand to his sweaty forehead.

"Well come and sit down," Sami instructed him, "I've made you some breakfast and you need to take your pills."

"Do you know what he said to me?!" asked Lucas angrily even as he did as she asked, grateful to be sitting down again.

"Who?" asked Sami distractedly as she cut up some fruit.

"Satan with an accent," said Lucas in annoyance, "EJ – who else?!"

"Oh Lucas," Sami sighed, "Can't you just ignore the guy? You know he's only trying to upset you."

"You know he and my Mom are still going at it right?" he asked Sami in outrage as she walked over to the table with a platter of fruit and freshly squeezed orange juice.

"Really?" she asked with an arched eyebrow, "I find that hard to believe under the circumstances."

"Oh no," said Lucas bitterly, "That would be right up a DiMera's sick and twisted alley."

"And your Mom's," said Sami thoughtfully, "Her sick and twisted alley has seen its own fair share of traffic."

"Sami!" Lucas snapped in irritation.

"Sorry," she grimaced with a roll of her eyes as she sat down next to him, "Force of habit. But do you really believe he and your mom are sleeping together again?"

"Mom said the same thing to me a while back," said Lucas in disgust.

"Oh," said Sami, looking surprised but making no further comment.

"He said you had to go into work today," Lucas grumbled.

"Yeah," said Sami with a sigh as she bit down into her toast, "It's more organisation for the Shiro Chiba launch."

"It's going to be big isn't it?" asked Lucas quietly.

"Huge," agreed Sami readily and looking very pleased by that thought.

"I wish it was you and I doing this kind of thing together," said Lucas wistfully, "Not you and EJ."

"EJ is just the price I have to pay for becoming a very wealthy woman," said Sami with a fatalistic shrug, "But I'm securing our future and more importantly that of our sons."

"You seem very sure I have a future," said Lucas, suddenly feeling a bit despairing.

"Of course you do honey," she said firmly, putting her hand over his, "A very bright one and you can't ever forget that. Doctor Taylor says your stable and that has to be a good thing right? And here we are, a month and a half later and you're still here."

"Thanks to you," said Lucas huskily, putting his hand over the top of hers, "I don't know what I would have done without you Sami this last month. You're the reason I'm still sitting here."

"You're here because you are a fighter," said Sami determinedly, "And that is what I love about you."

"What else do you love about me?" asked Lucas huskily, smiling at her.

"Too many things to list right now," said Sami, giving him a loving smile, "Now eat your breakfast and take your pills, we both have to be out of here by nine."

"Yes ma'am," said Lucas with feigned meekness.

He leant across the table then and stole a kiss from her.

"I love you," he told her adoringly.

"I love you too Lucas," said Sami with a little smile, "Now eat your grapefruit."

**oooOOOOooo**

"And the tech guys are sure they have all the bases covered?" asked EJ, sorting through his mail as he spoke to Linda, his new personal assistant outside of his office.

"Yes Mr DiMera," she nodded, "They've already done a trial run and said everything is good to go for the teleconference with Mr Chiba at ten."

"Wonderful," said EJ with a pleased smile, looking up from his correspondence, "And would you be able to organise a dinner reservation for me and my best girl tonight please? I'm thinking that little Italian place she enjoyed so much last time, you know the one."

"I do," said Linda with a nod, "What time would you like your reservations for sir?"

"Let's say seven," said EJ thoughtfully, "And while you are at it I'd like you to send the largest bouquet of flowers possible to her apartment."

"With a card?" asked Linda.

"Of course," EJ nodded, "To my darling girl, thank you for last night – you were simply amazing."

Linda industriously scribbled down the note so she wouldn't forget it.

"Any particular requests for the bouquet?" she asked him.

"Just make it large and heavily scented eh?" said EJ with a grin.

"Like the woman herself," came a voice from behind him.

EJ turned around and quirked his lips at Sami's comment.

"To be sure Estelle is a fine figure of a woman," said EJ with a smirk.

"And not only that but I don't know what perfume she wears but there is so much of it she could fell a stampede of buffalo," said Sami flatly, "Solid and stinky – how did I guess that would be your type EJ."

"As opposed to yours eh darling," said EJ with an arched eyebrow, "Stunted and sickly. And the lovely Estelle isn't solid – she's statuesque."

"She's a gigantic stick insect," said Sami dismissively.

"Well I must say it is a refreshing change to be with a woman that has progressed past the height of a twelve year old," said EJ coolly, "You wouldn't believe what she could do with those long legs of hers."

"I'm sure you two must be very happy together," said Sami flatly, "I've heard that having the same kind of freakishly long legs guarantees a happy life together."

"Ah Ms Brady?"

Linda's hesitant voice broke up the verbal bitch slapping that was going on.

"Yes Linda?" asked Sami calmly.

"I-ah, I-I 'm just finalising the guest list for the wedding," she said, looking very awkward now, "And I was wondering if that was a yes or a no from you and Mr Roberts?"

"Gee a DiMera wedding," said Sami sarcastically, "Like I could ever get enough of those in my life. That's a no from us Linda."

"Oh darling," said EJ looking hurt, "Don't you want to come and support me at all? After all we've meant to each other in the past?"

"Lucas and I have better things to do then watch a DiMera desecrate a church once again," said Sami coolly.

"It's going to be at the mansion remember?" EJ informed her, "We thought it would be simpler."

"I doubt anything could ever be called simple when it came to a DiMera wedding," said Sami sourly, "Particularly one slapped together as quickly as this one was. If I didn't know better I'd say the bride might be in the family way."

"Ah another little DiMera prince or princess," said EJ happily, "That would really be something wouldn't it?"

"That's one word for it," said Sami sourly, "I was thinking more along the lines of the world not really needing another sociopath in the training."

"So no well wishes then?" asked EJ with a regretful sigh.

"No," said Sami tightly, "And while we are on the subject I want you to leave Lucas alone EJ! He was really upset this morning when he came back in!"

"And that was my fault how?" asked EJ, looking ever so innocent.

"Just leave us both alone EJ," said Sami darkly, "You've got Estelle and this wedding to distract you – just leave us out of it."

"My dear Ms Brady," said EJ with a cool look, "I have no desire for either you or your ailing troll of a partner to be in my life, believe me. Estelle is more than enough woman for me."

"Well that works out nicely then doesn't it," said Sami flatly as she turned around and walked back to her office without a backward glance.

"I guess it does," agreed EJ easily before looking over at Linda, "You have Estelle's address don't you Linda?"

"Of course Mr DiMera," said Linda, "You've been sending flowers almost daily for a month now."

"Has it been that long already?" asked EJ happily, "How time flies when you're having fun eh?"

"Yes Mr DiMera," said Linda and then he was disappearing to his own office.

Linda picked up the phone to ring the florist when Alisha, Sami's personal secretary got up from her desk and walked over to her.

"How are they today?" she asked a little nervously.

"Not too bad," said Linda, putting down the phone, "About a six on the DiMera/Brady hate-o-meter."

"Oh good," said Alisha with a sigh, "I don't know if I could stand a day like yesterday."

"I know," said Linda with a laugh, "They were at each other's throats yesterday with a vengeance."

"I thought Ms Brady was going to throw that paperweight at Mr DiMera's head," said Alisha, the younger of the two women, with real concern, "She could have killed him if she had."

"Oh honey I'm way ahead of you," Linda laughed, "When those two are in the same room together I've taken to dialling '91' with my finger poised over the other '1' just in case it really kicks off."

"What happened with those two?" asked Alisha, looking around herself a little guiltily as they gossiped about their respective bosses, "They used to get on fine."

"I'm not sure," said Linda with a shrug, "It was over a month ago now and certainly ever since Mr DiMera has been dating Ms Estelle Daniels, things have gotten decidedly frosty between the two."

"And yet they are still holding the company together," said Alisha in amazement, "Mythic's stock has gone through the roof."

"And if you ask mine it's all because of her," said a newcomer to the conversation.

They both turned to look at Royce, Kate's young and hunky personal assistant. The three of them had become firm friends working for the three bosses - kind of like being in a war bonds people together situation.

"She would," said Linda, a woman in her early forties who was very direct by nature, "That woman would claim credit for snow on Christmas day if she could."

"The old girl knows what she is doing," said Royce with a grin, "About a lot of things."

"Oh god Royce," said Alisha looking sickened, "Must you bring that up again?"

"Funny," he said thoughtfully, "That's what Ms Roberts said to me this morning."

"You're crazy for messing around with your boss," she chided him disapprovingly.

"It was only a couple of times," said Royce with a cheeky grin, "But I seemed to have impressed."

"I guess that is one way of plumping out your resume," said Linda with a quirk of her lips, "You big old man whore you."

"And proud of it baby," said Royce with a cheeky wink at her, "Any time you want to find out what all the cooler talk is all about then you just mosey on over to my desk my luscious Linda."

"Honey I've got shoes older then you in my closet," said Linda in amusement at his shameless flirting, not taking him seriously for a moment.

"Yeah but I'll be a much tighter fit I promise," he said, waggling salacious eyebrows at her.

"Royce that's disgusting!" said Alisha who was very young, sheltered and easily shocked, "Linda is married!"

"Nothing spices up a marriage like three in a bed," said Royce teasingly.

"It's true," said Linda straight faced, "But Benny's idea of a threesome is me, him and a foot long hogey."

"Heads up," said Royce urgently, "The E-ster is at three o'clock and he looks pissed!"

"Alisha!" said EJ curtly, suddenly appearing in his doorway.

"Later my lovelies," said Royce, scurrying off like a cockroach in the night once the lights had been flipped on.

"Y-yes Mr DiMera," said Alisha nervously.

"Would you be so good as to inform Ms Brady that I need to see her in my office immediately," said EJ tightly, "And for the love of god would you show her how to operate that phone again so I can speak to her directly instead of wasting your time!"

"Yes Mr DiMera," said Alisha, hurrying over to Sami's office and knocking on it.

She disappeared inside and then almost instantly Sami was storming out.

"What the hell are you doing summoning me like some kind of servant?!" Sami asked angrily.

"If you were a servant I could get you to do as I asked," EJ snapped back as he waved around a piece of paper around in the air, "And what do you call this exactly?"

"The report on the Reynolds agreement," said Sami tightly.

"Really?" asked EJ sarcastically, "Because it seems to me like it was prepared by a five year old – in fact I was surprised it wasn't written in crayon!"

"There is nothing wrong with that report you idiot!" Sami shot back angrily, "I can't help it if you are too stupid to understand the complexities of business."

"Excuse me?!" EJ practically roared.

"You heard me," Sami sniffed unrepentantly, folding her arms in front of herself.

"Dial the one '1', dial the '1'!" Alisha hissed to Linda as the two women watched the show down, trying not to make any sudden movements.

EJ looked like his head was about to explode and both women were concerned.

"You!" he clipped out, trying to make this a more private affair, "In my office – now!"

"No!" said Sami roundly, hands on hips now, "[i]_You[/i]_ in [i]_my[/i]_ office now!"

"Fine!" EJ bit out and stalked over to her office, Sami already having headed back inside.

He slammed the door behind himself with so much force the door actually rattled on its hinges.

"Okay," said Linda as the two stared at the very definitely shut door, "If we hear too much screaming and breaking of things we call the police."

"And if we don't hear anything?" asked Alisha anxiously.

"Then we call the morgue," she said sensibly.

EJ and Sami faced off, both of their faces set into angry stone.

"Have you got something you want to say to me Ms Brady?" EJ practically snarled.

"Oh I've got plenty I want to say to you EJ DiMera!" she bit out, "Plenty!"


	48. Chapter 195

**Chapter ONE HUNDRED & NINETY FIVE**** – ****A Walk Down Memory Lane**

The woman who appeals to a man's vanity may stimulate him, the woman who appeals to his heart may attract him, but it is the woman who appeals to his imagination who gets him.

_Helen Rowland_

_(English-American writer, 1876-1950)_

"Who the hell do you think you are talking to me like that in front of everyone?!" Sami yelled at him.

EJ closed the distance between them, picking Sami up and roughly depositing her on her desk top, scattering paper to the floor.

"I'm the man who regrets like hell ever letting you near his company!" EJ yelled back before claiming her mouth in a fierce kiss.

"It's our company!" she shouted back at him, breaking the kiss, her hands going to his pants even as EJ pushed her skirt up to her thighs, "You wouldn't have half the clients you do if it wasn't for me EJ!"

"Don't think that a few lucky breaks means you are any kind of business woman Samantha!" EJ growled, his voice cracking over her name as Sami reached into his now unzipped pants and found his rapidly swelling manhood and began to squeeze it.

"You have no idea what I am capable of!" she said loudly, forcing herself to swallow a groan as EJ pushed her blouse up, cupping one of her lace covered breasts and attaching himself to her nipple, suckling hard.

Fresh moisture burst out of her at him doing that which the fingers that were currently plumbing her depths no doubt felt as he drilled her a little harder, making Sami's toes curl in her shoes.

"_Do you think we should go and break it up?" asked Alisha a little uncertainly as they listened to their two bosses screaming at one another._

"_My rule of thumb is that while they are still shouting at one another then there probably isn't any blood being spilt," said Linda calmly, "And besides – do you want to be the one to go in there?"_

"_Not really," she said with a grimace. _

"_Me either," said Linda practically, "I say let sleeping dogs lie... and warring ones."_

"You are so wet-" EJ said loudly, his dark eyes flaring with a rabid hunger, "-behind the ears Samantha – you don't even know what you don't know!"

"Nice save," she purred to him with a bit of a smirk as he caught himself just in time and then more loudly, "And what?! You're going to show me is that it EJ? Or are you just going to keep on making things hard for me?!"

EJ pushed Sami's legs wide apart, one hand on his straining manhood, the other pulling her soaked panties aside and mounting her in one sharp movement. Sami had to bite down on her bottom lip to stop herself from crying out at how good it felt to be impaled on EJ's maleness once again.

"As hard as I can sweetheart!" he told beginning to forcefully thrust up into Sami.

"Oh god!" Sami cried out at the sudden intrusion, him filling her completely and almost making her come right there and then.

These shouting matches of theirs always got her so worked up.

"Oh god but you're annoying!" she managed to pant out, trying to cover up her cries, "I rue the day you came into my life!"

"Barracuda!" yelled EJ.

"Black hearted bastard!" Sami yelled back, throwing her head back and biting her bottom lip.

Her whole body was on fire and with each of his frantic strokes EJ drove Sami closer to her peak.

"I can't last sweetheart," he warned her raggedly, his face buried in her neck as his pumping into her became more desperate.

"Either can I," she gasped back softly, "Oh god but you make me come so hard EJ."

EJ gave a low groan at that, pumping himself into her even more forcefully, the friction between their bodies driving them both into a frenzy. Sami felt EJ explode inside of her, his face against her neck to muffle his orgasmic grunts and groans while Sami bit down on his shoulder to stop her own screams. They held each other tightly through the shock waves of their mutual release until they were finally spent.

"I hate you," said Sami unevenly, her eyes telling a different story, full of love and tenderness.

"Not as much I hate you Samantha Brady," EJ told her, his tone clipped but his face shining with adoration, belying his harsh words.

They kissed softly, at odds to their frantic coupling and lingered over the gentle caress.

"That should give them enough fodder for their water cooler gossip," stated EJ softly with a lop sided smile as they separated, rearranging their clothes.

EJ helped Sami down from her desk and stole another kiss from her before leading her over to the sofa. He took a seat and pulled Sami down onto his lap.

"God but I hate coming that fast with you," he said with an uneven groan as Sami laid her head on his chest.

"Really?" she giggled, still a little breathless, "You hide that fact well."

"Oh I always enjoying coming with you," EJ chuckled, Sami able to feel his deep laugh bubbling up from low down inside of him, "I just hate not being able to take my time with you darling."

"There are no complaints from me sweetheart," said Sami with a contented sigh.

She snuggled up to EJ on the couch, both of them still coming down from the high of their mutual climax.

"How's Estelle?" asked Sami calmly, her hand stroking EJ's flat stomach as his fingers played in her hair.

"She's well," said EJ casually, "Sends her love."

"Sweet," said Sami with a half smile, "What did you two do last night?"

"Just had drinks and a bite to eat," said EJ easily, "Well more she ate and watched me drown my sorrows."

"My poor darling," said Sami regretfully, looking up at him.

"It's alright," said EJ with a half smile, "I was having a bit of a pity party but she slapped me out of it."

"I like her," said Sami with a soft smile, "I'm glad she can be there for you when I can't."

"You've changed your tune," EJ commented in amusement.

"So I had some trouble warming to the idea," said Sami wryly.

"It was your idea darling," EJ reminded her gently, "I just went along with it because you said it was important."

"I know," she grimaced, "We had to do something."

"Well all in all I think it was extremely serendipitous of us to be having dinner at that particular restaurant that night," said EJ knowingly.

**oooOOOOooo**

**Five weeks prior: **

"_EJ this is no good," said Sami unhappily. _

"_Really ?" he asked in surprise and looked down at is meal, "Mine is excellent – do you want to send it back to the kitchen and we'll order something else?"_

"_Not the food you idiot," said Sami with an affectionate smile, "I mean the set up with Lucas."_

"_Ah," he said, taking another bite of his steak, "I suppose it is too much to hope for that by that you are giving up on this faux happy family thing you've got going on with Lu Lu?" _

"_I can't," said Sami regretfully, "I know how hard this is for you EJ but it nearly killed me having to pretend I was madly in love with him still so Lucas would let us be together again."_

"_Please sweetheart," said EJ with a pained grimace, "I really don't need the details." _

_Sami looked away and bit her bottom lip, hating what she was putting EJ through._

"_I'm sorry Samantha," said EJ quickly, reaching out and covering her hand with his, "I don't mean to make this harder on you then it already is."_

"_No," said Sami sadly, "You have a right to feel this way and I'd feel exactly the same way if the situation was reversed."_

"_I know," he said with a lop sided smile._

"_And I think I'd die if we weren't managing to find time to be together," said Sami emotionally, "But the thing is I think Lucas is getting suspicious. There are only so many business emergencies and visits to my Mom that are going to cut it. This last week I've seen more of you then Lucas practically."_

"_And that is a bad thing?" asked EJ with an arched eyebrow._

"_Of course not," Sami groaned, "All I want to see is you EJ but you know it isn't that simple right now. Lucas has to think that I'm in love with him so he will continue to fight his leukaemia. If he doesn't then he'll just give up on life again."_

"_So you think we should back off a little?" asked EJ unhappily, "Is that is Samantha?"_

"_It's not what I want EJ," she said desperately, "But both Lucas and Kate are commenting on my absences and I can't have them getting any more suspicious." _

_Sami leant back in her chair and shook her head despairingly._

"_You really should find yourself another girl EJ," she said despondently, "One that isn't so much trouble."_

"_But I love trouble sweetheart," he told her huskily, "I live for trouble." _

_Sami couldn't help but smile at that comment, remembering how he would call her trouble and mean that as a real term of endearment, something to admire in her. EJ's eyes were momentarily caught by something behind Sami and he gave a smile and a bit of a wave to someone behind Sami. Sami turned in her seat and the first person she saw at the bar was the woman EJ had turned up with to make Sami jealous. What was her name again – Stella, Esther? The tall, dark haired woman smiled at them both and then started to walk gracefully towards them. Sami couldn't help but admire the way she looked, the woman really was stunning and even though EJ had explained all about Estelle she couldn't help the flash of jealousy she felt at seeing her. _

"_Estelle," said EJ politely as he stood up, "How lovely to see you again." _

"_You too EJ," she said and then smiled down at Sami, "Sami right?" _

"_Yes," said Sami, hoping her face was forming a smile. _

"_So I see it all worked out for you two crazy kids," she commented, "That's great."_

"_Not exactly," said Sami with a grimace and then frowned, not sure why she'd volunteered that information. _

"_Oh?" said Estelle. _

"_Would you like to sit with us for a little bit Estelle?" asked EJ, pulling out a chair for her. _

"_Well my friends are going to be here soon," she said, "But sure – I can never resist a good story and something tells me you two will always have that."_

_For some reason or other both Sami and EJ found the other woman very easy to talk to and before either one of them knew it they were telling her the whole story. _

"_Wow," she said when they were done, "That's quite the story you two."_

"_It is isn't it?" said EJ ruefully._

"_So what?" she asked them, "Is this another sneaky meal for you two."_

"_Yes," said Sami regretfully, "I'm supposed to be visiting my Mom right now and that's the problem. Lucas is getting suspicious." _

"_Well he would," agreed Estelle sensibly, "Anyone with half a brain would be."_

"_And coincidentally that is exactly the amount of brains the man does have," said EJ with a quirk of his lips._

"_You have to stop being so mean to Lucas," Sami chastised him, "He's dying EJ."_

"_Yes darling but I'm not meant to know that remember?" he reasoned with her, "If I started being nice to him out of the blue he would be very suspicious and isn't Lucas the one who is all stressed about people finding out? So if you think about it I'm actually being unusually kind to the man by continuing to be horrible to him."_

"_Only you EJ could come up with a justification like that," said Sami, laughing despite herself. _

"_Oh don't sell yourself short my love," said EJ affectionately, "You've been known to come up with some fairly curly logic in your time to justify your actions." _

"_It's true," she said with a rueful nod to Estelle, "We are both as bad as each other." _

"_And I though being gay was complicated," said Estelle with a laugh at their convoluted story._

"_You're gay?" asked EJ in surprise, "You never mentioned."_

"_You never asked," Estelle pointed out, "I don't usually open with that tit bit of information."_

"_EJ that's it!" Sami exclaimed, "I've got it!"_

"_Got what darling?" asked EJ indulgently._

"_I've got how we can throw Kate and Lucas off our scent," she said excitedly, "You can go gay!"_

"_Excuse me?" asked EJ in disbelief._

"_You know start dating men," she said, "It will be fun!"_

"_First of all people don't go gay," said EJ with a twitch of his lips, "Second of all I've led a very blatantly heterosexual lifestyle up until this point-"_

"_A cover up for your latent feelings of homosexuality," Sami explained away easily. _

"_Samantha no one is going to buy the fact that I'm suddenly gay," said EJ in exasperation._

"_They would if you started dating men," she said determinedly._

"_I see one flaw with that plan sweetheart," said EJ calmly._

"_What is that?" asked Sami._

"_I'd be dating men!" EJ exclaimed in exasperation._

"_It's not that hard," she argued with him, "I've done it all the time – it can be fun."_

_EJ sat back in his seat and rolled his eyes as he looked over at a very amused Estelle._

"_A little help if you please," he asked of the other woman._

"_Don't look at me," she said with a laugh, "I've never dated a guy – it could well be fun."_

"_See," said Sami triumphantly, "Estelle's on board."_

"_I rather think you are putting words into Estelle's mouth there my love," said EJ patiently._

"_But it would solve all of our problems EJ," she tried to convince him, "Everyone would stop being so suspicious of us if they thought you were gay."_

"_It might solve some of our problems but open up a whole new can of worms for me," said EJ in exasperation._

"_Oh don't be ridiculous," Sami said, "You wouldn't be having sex with them obviously – you'd just be hanging out. Lots of guys like to hang with other guys." _

"_Yes but how am I going to convince them that we are together and not just hanging out?" asked EJ in exasperation, "Your plan rather hinges on that aspect being put across doesn't it?"_

"_I guess I could let them kiss you," said Sami slowly, not too happy about the thought._

"_Big of you I'm sure," said EJ, looking even less enamoured of the idea._

"_Just no tongues," said Sami, laying down the law._

"_Don't worry sweetheart," said EJ flatly, "I think that would pretty much be a rule I'd make all on my own if it came down to it."_

"_Straight people are so weird," said Estelle with a laugh, highly amused by their conversation. _

"_I was just thinking that myself," said EJ dryly before fixing Sami with a determined look, "Samantha I adore you, you are the reason I draw breath and up until this conversation I would have said there was nothing I wouldn't do for you. But I am going to draw a very decided line in the sand at having to be seen all around town kissing and fondling men!" _

"_I didn't say you had to fondle," said Sami with a frown and pointed a warning finger at him, "If we are going to do this you can't do any adlibbing okay? I get to approve all the contact first otherwise it's going to get ugly!"_

"_It's not going to get ugly because I'm not going to do it!" said EJ in exasperation, "I have no desire to be kissing or fondling anyone other than you – you crazed lunatic."_

"_That's redundant," offered up Estelle casually as they both looked at her and she explained, "You don't get many sane lunatics so the crazy in that statement isn't really necessary." _

_She wrinkled her nose as they both arched an eyebrow at her. _

"_Sorry," Estelle apologised ruefully, "College English professor, I'm kind of a grammar Nazi – it's a bad habit of mine."_

"_Really?" asked Sami in amazement, "You're a college professor?"_

"_Yes," smiled Estelle, "Why do you look so shocked by that?"_

"_You just seem too good looking to be-" Sami stopped abruptly._

"_Smart?" volunteered Estelle with a chuckle._

"_Yes," said Sami, blushing madly at her faux pas. _

"_Sorry to disappoint," she said in amusement. _

"_Sweetheart," EJ interrupted their conversation, "Back to the matter at hand eh? I tell you what, I won't go gay for you but I will run Lucas down in a car for you – problem solved."_

"_EJ you can't!" Sami gasped in horror._

"_Of course I can't," agreed EJ giving her hand a squeeze as he intentionally misunderstood her, "Obviously I'd hire someone who couldn't be traced back to me to do the job. I'm no use to you in prison." _

"_That's not funny EJ," Sami chastised him, "I'm trying to come up with a real solution to a real problem."_

"_Lucas as road kill is a real solution," EJ protested innocently. _

"_God but you are impossible!" Sami groaned in frustration at EJ being so determinedly unhelpful, "My plan is much better!"_

"_Says you," EJ sniffed, "Mine's quicker."_

"_And unrealistic," said Sami dourly._

"_Well yours won't be that easy to pull off either," EJ argued back._

"_All you really need is a gay person for Sami's plan to work right?" Estelle asked them calmly._

"_Yes," said Sami intently, "Do you know one?"_

"_How about me?" offered Estelle easily._

"_Yes!" said EJ quickly._

"_That was a little too eager for my liking EJ," said Sami with a disapproving glare. _

"_Sweetheart I'm being presented with the option of kissing Estelle or some great hairy man," he protested, "I don't really see that as a contest! The one without the five o'clock shadow is going to win every time!" _

"_You sweet talker you," said Estelle dryly._

"_Sorry Estelle," said EJ apologetically, "You're clearly a very beautiful woman that anyone, male or female would find hugely attractive but unfortunately for me I'm in love with this complete and utter nutbag to my right here." _

"_Who are you calling a nutbag?" asked Sami in outrage._

"_The woman who is trying to set me up with gay men?" suggested EJ, "How about her?"_

"_It's for the greater good EJ," she protested and then gave Estelle an unhappy look, "But I suppose it could work with a gay woman as well."_

"_Thank you god," said EJ, looking to the heavens._

"_It's either that or not seeing each other so much," she said with a grimace, "And I don't think I could bear that EJ." _

"_Me either," said EJ with a smile, leaning in and touching his forehead to hers affectionately. _

_Sami looked back at Estelle who was sitting there calmly, watching them both with great interest._

"_Just how gay are you?" asked Sami, eyeing Estelle suspiciously._

_Before she committed to this course of action she needed to make certain of a few facts. How crazy would it be to hand over prime real estate to another woman without making sure of a few things._

"_Samantha," said EJ with a roll of his eyes._

"_Quiet EJ," she said firmly, "This is woman's business – well Estelle?"_

"_I'm pretty gay," said Estelle in amusement, clearly not offended by Sami's question._

"_You're not sneaky gay are you?" Sami asked, unappeased as of yet._

"_I'm not sure what that means Sami," said Estelle with a quirk of her lips._

"_You know," she said a little impatiently, "You take a little from column A and a little from column B."_

"_Otherwise known as bisexual," inserted EJ helpfully._

"_Otherwise known as greedy," said Sami with a bit of a frown._

"_I'm not bisexual," said Estelle with a smile, "I'm girl on girl all the way." _

"_So you've never been with a man?" asked Sami, still not convinced. _

_She found it hard to believe that any woman couldn't look at a man like EJ and not fall at his feet. _

"_I tried it once," said Estelle and wrinkled her nose, "It isn't for me. Once those pants come off and that penis comes out to play I just can't keep a straight face. Those things are a really ugly you know."_

"_They have to be in context," Sami argued._

"_Honey even in context you can't tell me that a penis is a thing of beauty," Estelles argued back, "All pink and hairy and veiny... uggh! I've seen horror movies with less frightening monsters in them."_

"_I'll agree that they aren't perhaps the most alluring part of a man's body," Sami conceded._

"_You know I think the important thing here is for you girls just to continue talking as though I'm not here," said EJ ironically as the merits of penises were discussed around him without a batting of an eye._

"_Sorry honey," said Sami patting his hand and giving him a big smile, "I love your penis, I really do." _

"_Thanks you darling," said EJ with some amusement, "And it loves you as well."_

"_So in answer to your question Sami I don't do guys," said Estelle firmly, "Ever." _

"_My EJ is a very sexy man," said Sami with a bit of a frown, still a bit uncertain._

"_Not to me Sami," said Estelle reassuringly._

"_No really, my self esteem can take this," said EJ straight faced, "Please keep going ladies."_

"_There is nothing wrong with your self esteem EJ," Sami snorted, "You're the most self possess man I've ever met and you've bedded plenty of women in your time who've found you irresistible so don't make out like you have any issues over such things."_

"_My girl knows me too well," said EJ with a grin, lifting her hand to his lips and kissing it. _

"_So you made this offer," Sami said slowly, looking back at Estelle, "I'm guessing this suits you right now – that you're not seeing anyone else."_

"_Not right now," she agreed, "And truth be told I need a rest from the whole scene. This way I still get free dinners and dates and with none of the BS that goes with it."_

"_Spoken like a true romantic," said EJ dryly._

"_Honey after my last break up I could do with a vacation from romance," said Estelle flatly. _

"_You'll have to be high profile," Sami warned her, "Everyone in Salem will have to know you're dating EJ."_

"_No problem," said Estelle, "My closest friends will know the truth and the rest I'll just tell them I'm trying something a little different for awhile."_

"_I feel like a commodity," EJ stated, not looking too upset by that fact mind you. _

"_I'll make it up to you," said Sami with a smile as she began to let herself hope that giving up on seeing EJ so regularly wasn't going to happen after all._

"_Really?" asked EJ, his eyebrows going up with decided interest._

"_Aha," said Sami, "I feel a sore throat coming on – we should stop by the drug store on the way home to get some lozengers."_

"_Yeeha!" said EJ, looking very pleased by that thought._

"_Never saw two people more excited by the thought of the flu," commented Estelle in confusion. _

_EJ and Sami just shared a knowing smile at that, already anxious to be on their way._

_**oooOOOOooo**_

"I think you and Estelle have pulled the whole thing off really well," Sami complimented him, "Everyone I talk to think you are the real deal."

"I'd do anything to make sure that we could still have our quiet times together sweetheart," said EJ, hugging her to him.

"You weren't that quiet just before," Sami reminded him in amusement, "Thank god I came up with us making a show of hating one another in public otherwise all of that shouting might have been mistaken for what it was."

"I love how cunning you are sweetheart," said EJ adoringly, "It gets me so hard-"

"Mm," said Sami appreciatively, moving a little in his lap and making EJ groan, "So I can feel my wicked boy."

"God but I wish we had time to go again," said EJ achingly, pressing a kiss into Sami's perfumed neck.

"We've only got ten minutes until the Chiba link up," said Sami regretfully.

"Tonight I'm supposed to be taking Estelle out," said EJ, "Can you make it instead? I chose that favourite Italian restaurant of yours."

"I'm not sure," Sami sighed, "I'll try. Lucas is at the doctor's today and he usually comes home pretty tired from a day out and goes to bed early."

"I'll change the reservations to eight," said EJ determinedly, "I'm sure he'll be asleep by then."

"I hope so," said Sami with a sigh.

Even with the smoke screen of Estelle Sami knew she still had to be careful.

"So are you taking Estelle to the wedding?" Sami asked, rubbing her cheek against EJ's hard, muscled chest.

"Ah yes," said EJ wryly, "The wedding..."


	49. Chapter 196

**Chapter ONE HUNDERED & NINETY SIX**** – ****A Cuckoo in the Nest**

Surprises are foolish things.

The pleasure is not enhanced, and the inconvenience is often considerable.

_Jane Austen_

_(British Novelist and Writer, 1775-1817)_

**Four weeks prior:**

"_Oh hey boss man."_

"_Hello Bart," said EJ with a smile._

"_How's things?" he asked brightly._

"_Not too shabby," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "All things considered."_

_A week of very public dating of Estelle had certainly relieved the pressure on he and Sami and EJ had rather been enjoying Sami's increased need to make certain he knew who he belonged to. Some rather deep scratches in his back and a large love bite in an interesting place were reminder enough. Sami might know that Estelle had no interest in him but EJ wasn't complaining one little bit that she felt the need to make sure he had no cause to be interested in her either. All in all it was still far from a perfect solution but it was certainly better than nothing for them both. _

"_So can I come in?" asked EJ in amusement as Bart just stood there looking at him, "My father made it sound quite urgent on the phone." _

"_Oh yeah sure," said Bart blithely, stepping back and letting EJ through the door, "The big boss is in the living room – I'll announce you."_

"_There is no need Bart," said EJ but the other man was already trotting ahead of him._

"_It's your son Mr D!" he announced loudly, "You know, one of the ones that ain't dead or missing."_

"_Yes thank you Bartholomew," said Stefano in annoyance at that particular introduction._

"_Hello Father," said EJ, walking up from behind Bart and rolling his eyes at the other man's way with words._

_The two men hugged and EJ felt a flash of regret that he was going to lose these moments with his father once he and Sami were married. He knew there was much more to Stefano than the jovial father and that was why he could be in their lives but still, it was going to be a wrench for EJ. One more than worth it EJ reminded himself, thinking of his future with Sami. _

"_You're looking very healthy," EJ complimented him with a smile, "Clearly all is going well with the transplant." _

"_It is indeed," agreed Stefano readily and with a big grin, "But that is not the only reason for my good health."_

"_It isn't?" asked EJ with a curious raised eyebrow. _

"_No," said Stefano happily and then to Bart, "Bart – go and fetch the bottle of champagne from the kitchen – we have much to celebrate."_

"_Oh I don't like champagne," said Bart quickly, "The bubbles make me sneeze."_

"_Then it is just as well it is not for you then isn't it?" asked Stefano flatly. _

"_Oh okay," said Bart easily and headed off to the kitchen._

"_L'uomo è un idiota (the man is an idiot)," Stefano muttered under his breath. _

"_He is somewhat," agreed EJ with a bit of a laugh, "But you tell me he has his uses."_

"_That he does," said Stefano ruefully._

"_So what are we celebrating exactly?" asked EJ curiously, "And what has you in such a good mood?"_

"_Not what Elvis," said Stefano jovially, "Who." _

"_Are my ears burning?"_

_EJ turned around to see Kate entering the room, a confident swagger to her walk and felt his own good mood instantly evaporate. _

"_No," he said tersely, "It looks like I was right the first time – it is definitely a what."_

"_Oh come on now Elvis," said Kate sweetly as she walked over to where Stefano was and slipped an arm around his waist, "Is that anyway to speak to your soon to be step mother?"_

_EJ didn't let his surprise show on his face as he looked between the two of them thoughtfully._

"_And when did this joyous event occur?" he asked them after a brief pause. _

"_It is very recent," said Stefano with a happy smile at Kate, "We wanted you to be the first to know."_

"_Okay," he said._

"_Aren't you going to congratulate your father on having found happiness again eh Elvis?" Stefano asked him with an arched eyebrow._

"_With Kate you mean?" he asked sceptically. _

"_Why not with me?" asked Kate with a little shrug of her shoulders, "Your father and I have had a long association EJ – it's only natural."_

"_See now natural wasn't the word that was leaping to my mind," said EJ wryly, "Particularly considering the past you and I share Kate." _

_EJ looked over at his father then rather regretful of hurting him but not liking this idea at all._

"_Or hasn't Kate mentioned that to you Father?" he asked with a bit of a frown._

"_I know of your past liaisons with one another," said Stefano with an uncaring shrug, "We are all men and women of the world – such things happen in families."_

"_I'm pretty sure they don't," countered EJ dryly. _

"_It is unimportant," said Stefano dismissively, "But you more than anyone should appreciate what a fine woman I am getting in the lovely Kate."_

"_She's certainly very professional," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, unable to help himself._

"_Well speaking as a professional I can tell you who has the better technique between you and your father," said Kate without missing a beat, "You've got a lot to learn... junior."_

_Stefano gave a loud chuckle at that comment, clearly finding it highly amusing – EJ less so. _

"_Is it Father's technique that you find that much more appealing?" asked EJ tightly, "Or rather his bank balance eh Kate?"_

"_I'm not interested in your father's money EJ," said Kate curtly, "And I'll prove it – I'm more than happy to sign a prenuptial agreement before the vows are exchanged." _

"_You are?" asked EJ in disbelief._

"_You can write it up yourself my son if it will put your mind at ease," said Stefano blithely, clearly having anticipated this kind of reaction from EJ. _

"_I might just do that," said EJ calmly._

"_Wouldn't you need a lawyer for that kind of thing?" asked Kate in amusement._

"_I am a lawyer," EJ replied flatly._

"_No you're not," said Kate dismissively. _

"_I think you'll find that I am," said EJ coolly, "I handle all my Father's affairs – just for future reference."_

"_Well here was I thinking you were just a pretty face with no real point to being on this earth," said Kate sarcastically, "Because as we all know, what the world needs right now is more lawyers."_

"_As opposed to the world needing more money grabbing whor-" began EJ but his father cut him off. _

"_Enough!" he said loudly, scowling at them both, "I won't have this bickering – we are all going to be a family and I want us to act as one eh?!"_

"_I thought we were," said EJ mockingly._

"_This is a happy occasion and I want to remember it as such," said Stefano, admonishing him, "I will not have you talking to one another in such a way do you hear me? We will all be DiMera's soon enough and there is a certain amount of dignity to the way we conduct ourselves that I insist on having!"_

"_I'm sorry sweetheart," said Kate quickly, linking her arm through his, "EJ and I are just being childish and don't mean to upset you."_

_She looked over at him defiantly._

"_Now do we EJ?" she asked him coolly._

"_Of course not Father," said EJ with a pleasant enough smile, "I'm sorry – to you both for my coarse words and attitude. Please forgive me."_

"_Well seeing as you asked so nicely," said Kate with a pleasant smile of her own, "I don't see how I can say no." _

"_Ah good," said Stefano happily, "Our feelings have been aired and now we can simply get on with the business of being a family eh?"_

"_Can't wait," said EJ, his expression inscrutable. _

"_Where is Bart with that champagne?" asked Stefano irritably, "He is taking forever."_

"_I'll go and check if you like Father," offered EJ._

"_No, no I will go," said Stefano with a wave of his hand, "I want to make sure he gets the right one. Bart can barely read English let alone French."_

_With that Stefano headed off and left Kate and EJ alone. EJ's brain was going a mile a minute. If Kate was happy enough to sign a prenup then that these nuptials weren't being motivated by money which was very concerning to EJ. What was the woman up to?_

"_I hear you've got a new girlfriend," commented Kate, "How's that going EJ?"_

"_Swimmingly," said EJ easily, "I've finally found my intellectual and sexual equal."_

"_You mean someone with a fifth grade education and is happy to just lie back in bed and take it," asked Kate, looking up at him in casual defiance._

"_For your information Kate Estelle has a PhD and is quite simply the best I've ever had in the bedroom department," said EJ just as casually._

"_Ah don't be so dismissive of your right hand EJ honey," said Kate sweetly, "I have a hunch you'll need to go crawling back to it soon enough and you wouldn't want to hurt its feelings now would you?" _

"_Getting women has never been a problem of mine," said EJ coolly._

"_No," agreed Kate with a smile, "Just keeping them." _

"_Isn't this nice?" said EJ with fake excited sincerity, "The two of us getting cosy like this?" _

"_It's a dream come true," said Kate sarcastically._

"_So Kate," said EJ thoughtfully, "If, as you want me to believe, you are indeed not after my father's money than one has to wonder what it is exactly that you do want?" _

"_Can't I just be marrying your father for love?" asked Kate innocently._

_EJ burst out laughing at that and shook his head._

"_Oh Kate," he said in real amusement, "I don't know if it's all the snide comments and comebacks or the fact that I've seen you holding your own ankles and finding religion with all the screaming out to God but we do have fun don't we?" _

_Kate's eyes narrowed and she gave EJ a hard look for that comment. _

"_Maybe Lucas' illness has made me re-evaluate my life?" posed Kate tightly, "Have you ever thought of that? Life is short and maybe I don't want to spend the rest of it alone – just like your father."_

"_I'm sorry Kate," said EJ with feigned regret, "But I flatter myself into thinking I know you a little bit better than that and I find it highly unlikely that wanting matching his and her towels is some kind of new dream for you."_

"_Facing the death of one of your children changes people EJ," said Kate angrily, "I wouldn't expect you to understand that."_

"_And yet by doing this I can't imagine you are enamouring yourself to said child," commented EJ thoughtfully. _

"_Lucas will come around," said Kate stiffly, "He loves me and wants me to be happy."_

"_But with a DiMera?" pushed EJ, "He hates us all with a fiery passion so this must be a real kick in the goolies for him." _

"_I don't need to discuss my relationship with my son with the likes of you Elvis DiMera," said Kate bitterly._

"_No I'm guessing that particular task would be for an army of psychologists," said EJ blithely, "Or Jerry Springer."_

_  
"Like you and your father have the epitome of healthy relationships going on," Kate sneered, "You're his little mindless soldier, pathetically eager to please." _

"_Is that it Kate?" asked EJ, his eyes narrowing, "Surely you don't think that my relationship with my father in some way will make me look more kindly on you if you should be foolish enough to cross me in some way?" _

"_You really are the most self absorbed person in the world aren't you EJ?" asked Kate in disgust, "Do you actually think that I spend even a split second of my time thinking about you in my life and decisions? Not everything is about you."_

"_I so hope for your sake that you are being sincere right now," said EJ, advancing on her a little menacing, "As unlikely as that is because I wouldn't want to be you if I find out you are working an angle – particularly against me or-"_

"_Or who?" Kate asked him challengingly, seeming to be baiting him._

"_Or those that I love," said EJ smoothly, "Trust me Kate – you really don't want to get on the wrong side of me because I will destroy you, regardless of who your husband is. And if it really comes down to it who do you think my father is going to side with in a dispute – me, his loving and faithful son or you, some ex-prostitute who dragged herself out of the gutter?" _

"_You're a class act," said Kate bitterly, "You know that don't you EJ?"_

"_I don't care what you think of me Kate," he said, his voice low as he raised a warning finger to her, "Only that you believe me that I will not tolerate any interference in my life from you – ever – no matter what your last name might happen to be at the time."_

"_Duly noted," said Kate, trying to make her shrug look unconcerned and very nearly pulling it off. _

"_Here it is!" announced Stefano, appearing in the room again with the bottle of champagne held aloft triumphantly, "Bart had no idea what he was looking for – I should have known better to send him on such an errand." _

_Stefano walked over and poured them all a glass of the bubbly liquid as EJ stepped back from Kate. _

"_I trust you two played nicely together whilst I was gone," said Stefano, handing them each a glass and giving them a pointed look in turn as he did._

"_Of course Father," said EJ easily, "Kate and I were just talking some Mythic business."_

"_Ah yes your little company," Stefano nodded, "It is going well I understand."_

"_Incredibly so," Kate said proudly._

"_Well here is to family making beautiful music... and business together eh?" said Stefano as they all toasted, clinking their glasses. _

_They all drank from their glasses and then Kate excused herself, saying she needed to powder her nose. _

"_So this has been a day of surprises," commented EJ with a lop sided smile as both he and Stefano took a seat on the sofa together. _

"_Good ones though," Stefano informed him determinedly._

"_If you say so," said EJ wryly. _

"_So tell me about this Estelle," Stefano prompted him, changing the subject abruptly._

"_I already have Father," EJ told him, "You know she's just a means to an end. Don't worry – Samantha and I are together as much as we have ever been."_

_EJ had told his father about their arrangement with Estelle because he knew Stefano would be demanding answers from him, his heart set on as it were a DiMera/Brady alliance. EJ just didn't need the extra stress of trying to fend his father off as well. Besides, his father more than anyone would have an appreciation for these kinds of smoke and mirror deceptions. EJ had sworn him to secrecy about the entire thing and now he was glad he had considering the Kate situation. He wasn't worried about Stefano saying anything to Kate now either because one thing Stefano DiMera couldn't be accused of was loose lips. _

"_I have many mixed feelings about this arrangement," said Stefano unhappily._

"_You and me both," said EJ with a sigh as he rubbed his face tiredly._

"_On one hand Samantha is to be commended for her loyalty to Lucas," said Stefano thoughtfully, "And seeing as I'm soon going to be that boy's step father I cannot disapprove of any action that will prolong his life and make his mother happy."_

"_Oh god," said EJ as he realised something, "Lucas and I are going to be step brothers – God really does have a sense of humour!" _

"_It will make for interesting Christmases to be sure," said Stefano in amusement, "But my main concern is that Samantha understand that her primary loyalty has to be to you and this family. I will not accept anything else."_

"_Samantha is absolutely loyal to me and wouldn't be doing this without my complete support," said EJ simply, "It's hard, on both of us but we feel it is how things must be for the time being." _

"_As long as this doesn't go on for too long," Stefano cautioned him, "I am a patient man but I want to be bouncing grandchildren on my knee in the very near future Elvis."_

"_Samantha and I have already discussed children and plan to begin a family right away," said EJ softly and then felt another pang at knowing his children would never know the gentle side of their paternal grandfather's nature._

_But on the up side they would never know the brutal part either. _

"_But this is excellent news!" said Stefano excitedly, "More good news to drink to eh my son?"_

_Fortunately the question of stem cells had become less urgent a one due to Stefano's kidney transplant and his father was no longer pressuring him to impregnate Sami for life saving stem cells... for now._

"_More?" asked EJ wryly, thinking that the thought of a Kate with an agenda being married to his father and having access to the DiMera resources was anything but good news._

"_Elvis," Stefano tutted at him disapprovingly, "You disappoint me my son."_

"_I'm not sure what you want from me Father," said EJ with a sigh, "My blessing?"_

"_I don't need your blessing Elvis," said Stefano with a half smile, "But I would like you to be happy for me."_

"_I'm happy if you are happy Father," said EJ with a small smile. _

"_Then you must be ecstatic because that is what I am," Stefano grinned, "I know your concerns Elvis and I understand them. But I am not some old fool who's head has been turned by a pretty face. This arrangement suits me as much as it does Kate."_

_[center]_ _[IMG].[/IMG][/center]_

"_Then I guess that is all that matters then eh?" said EJ ruefully. _

_Stefano held up his glass to EJ._

"_A toast," he declared, "To true love and happy futures eh?" _

"_True love and happy futures," agreed EJ, clinking his glass against his fathers. _

**oooOOOOooo**

"I still can't believe the old trout got your father to agree to marry her," said Sami with a shake of her head, "He must be really losing it to even consider such a thing."

"It does make you think," said EJ wryly.

"What do you think she is up to?" asked Sami thoughtfully, "Usually her schemes are about keeping Lucas and I apart but I can't see how marrying Stefano helps her with that."

"Either can I but you can be sure she's playing an angle," said EJ unhappily.

"Lucas is really upset with her about it," she told him, "He's not even talking to her right now."

"Then for Kate the benefit that she is getting out of this must be worth the alienation of her son," said EJ thoughtfully, "Which really makes you think."

"Are you sure it's not about the money?" asked Sami, leaning back and looking at EJ intently.

"Sweetheart I wrote that prenup myself," said EJ flatly, "Houdini with a blow torch and bolt cutters couldn't get out of that one."

"I don't like not knowing what she is up to," said Sami darkly.

"Me either," said EJ, "But don't worry, I'm going to find out what her story is, one way or the other."

"You know that Lucas thinks that you and Kate are still sleeping together right?" she told him.

"Why would he think that?" asked EJ in surprise.

"Apparently you told him that this morning," said Sami sweetly.

"Oh that," said EJ with a laugh, "I was just yanking the little man's chain."

"Well Kate must be in the chain yanking business as well because apparently she told him the same thing," said Sami evenly.

"She did?" asked EJ, sitting up a bit straighter in his chair, "Now that is interesting. I wonder why Kate would do that?"

"Who knows?" said Sami with a roll of her eyes.

"Maybe she was trying to make him jealous?" suggested EJ.

"Eww EJ," said Sami, wrinkling her nose, "Gross!"

"That about sums up their relationship," agreed EJ readily.

"Lucas has another doctor's appointment today," volunteered Sami.

"Let's hope it's good news eh?" said EJ easily.

"For you or for him?" asked Sami with a twist of her lips.

"Darling you misjudge me," said EJ, looking very wounded indeed, "I'm just as happy for Lucas to be cured as to die – I just want him to pick one and do it a lot more quickly than he is currently managing it."

"You're quite the heartless bastard when you want to be aren't you EJ?" Sami asked dryly.

"Ah ah my princess," he chastised her gently, looking at her adoringly, "I'm your heartless bastard and don't forget it."

"I know," she said with a smile, "And you've been more than patient about the situation."

"Yes well, apparently I've been filling my time with sleeping with Kate," he said in amusement.

"Don't you even dare joke about it," Sami growled, slapping his arm.

"You didn't have any doubts when Lucas told you that?" asked EJ curiously.

"No," Sami snorted, "I trust you EJ."

"Good," he smiled.

"Plus if I ever found out you were cheating on me I'd bury you and the skank alive out in the desert," said Sami straight faced, "Separate graves of course."

"That's the proactive girl I know and adore," said EJ happily.

They shared a smile of mutual understanding and then Sami's face dropped a little as she thought about how it should be like this all the time for them.

"If only Lucas wasn't dying," said Sami with a sigh, "Things would be so different."

"Yes," said EJ grimly, his smile dropping away as well, "If only."


	50. Chapter 197

**Chapter ONE HUNDERED & NINETY SEVEN**** – ****Enquiring Minds Want to Know**

Doubt, indulged and cherished, is in danger of becoming denial; but if honest, and bent on thorough investigation, it may soon lead to full establishment of the truth.

_Ambrose Bierce_

_(American Writer, Journalist and Editor, 1842-1914)_

**Six week prior:**

_EJ pushed the hospital cafeteria found around on his plate, not really interested in eating it, having bought it more as a device for buying more time to think then assuaging any hunger._

"_Are you going to eat that or perform a post mortem on it?"_

_EJ's head snapped up to see Sam sitting across from him. He was momentarily confused because she was actually wearing a dress and not her usual lingerie only and for one wild moment he thought it might be actually looking at Sami. The truth was he could actually tell them apart nowadays and to his disappointment and vague alarm he knew he was looking at Sam._

"_What are you doing here?" he growled at her, trying to make his lips not move as he asked that so it didn't look like he was talking to himself in a crowded cafeteria even though that was exactly what he was doing. _

"_Watching you not eat food," she said laconically, "Not as much fun as it sounds can I just say."_

"_You're wearing a dress," commented EJ as he looked around himself furtively to make sure no one was noticing him talking to an empty space._

_No one was... yet._

"_Yes but rather ironically I'm not wearing any underwear," said Sam with a smirk, "Want to check?"_

_She reached for EJ's hand which he jerked away rather violently and sent a fork scattering to the floor rather noisily and several people looked over at him._

"_Nice move James Bimbo," said Sam wryly, "Way not to draw attention to draw attention to us – real secret agent material."_

"_There is no us because you don't exist," EJ hissed at her without trying to move his lips again. _

"_And that makes thing better how exactly?" she asked him teasingly._

"_Go away Sam," said EJ tightly, "I'm not in the mood for you today."_

"_Is that because my powder puff girl investigator hasn't figured out a way to get her hands on Lucas' medical records yet?" she asked him sweetly. _

"_I'm not in a good mood for a lot of reasons," EJ bit out._

"_Oh you mean like the fact that Sami is over at Lucas' right now trying to convince him that she is madly in love with him?" asked Sam innocently, "She's probably sexing him up right now just to get her point across."_

_EJ actually felt physically sick at that thought and doubled over a little at the table. _

"_What's the matter poodle?" asked Sam in concern, "Bad wind? Better out than in remember – just let it rip – there are no naked flames nearby."_

"_Samantha wouldn't let Lucas touch her," said EJ grimly, swallowing hard._

"_Well there is going to have to be some kind of contact," said Sam with a shrug, "What's she going to tell him – you're the love of my life, I want more than anything to stay with you and have a long life together so you have to take me back – and then shake his hand?"_

_EJ looked away, closing his eyes as he knew Sam was right. He knew Sami's heart wasn't in it but it still drove EJ nearly insane to think about it. He thought it would be easier this time having Sami go back to Lucas because she'd made it very clear that he had her heart and it was him that she wanted to be. But it wasn't. In fact it felt worse if that was possible. All EJ could think about was some other man touching his woman when he couldn't and he found it almost impossible to get past that. He wanted more than anything to be that guy, the one that Sami could trust and know that he would support her no matter what but EJ just hadn't counted on it being this hard._

"_All the good things in life are hard," said Sam with a bit of a shrug as she shamelessly listened in on his thoughts, "Lollies, men... unless you're meeting the father in law for the first time I suppose – I guess being hard then would send some concerning mixed messages if you were a guy."_

"_Thank you for that insight," he muttered under his breath, "You're as much help as always."_

"_Don't take your mood out on me Mr Huffalumpicus," Sam sniffed, "I can't help it if you couldn't get that lab technician guy to let you have access to those files." _

"_I can't believe he wasn't interested in the bribe," said EJ in annoyance, "That was more than he would have made in six months." _

"_He looked kind of skittish to me," said Sam knowingly, "You know, the nervous type."_

"_I wonder what he has to be nervous about?" thought EJ suspiciously._

"_Probably some creepy foreign guy offering him large sums of money to finger his files," said Sam thoughtfully._

"_I'm going to have to do some investigating and find out if there is some dirt I can dig up on-" EJ paused, trying to remember the young man's name, "Terry..."_

"_Towelling?" offered up Sam helpfully._

"_No," said EJ curtly. _

"_Terry Turtle?" Sam tried again. _

"_No," said EJ sharply, "Will you stop that, you're breaking my concentration. It was Terry.. some kind of colour."_

"_Terry Cerulean!" said Sam and EJ just glared at her, "Okay Terry Puce then, Terry Beige, Terry Aquamarine!"_

"_Shut the hell up!" EJ said in annoyance and then had to send a winning smile of apology to two little old ladies who looked at him disapprovingly from a nearby table, "Pardon me ladies."_

_He looked back at Sam in annoyance._

"_It was Terry White," said EJ, remembering now. _

_It was a simple name but he'd been so annoyed at the time that the man was being so difficult that it had taken a moment to recall it and it wasn't like Sam had helped any. _

"_White isn't a colour," she informed him flatly, "That's cheating."_

"_I have to do some digging on this Terry White and find out some weakness of his I can exploit," said EJ grimly, ignoring Sam now, "I need to know if this disease of Lucas' is real or some kind of trick on his behalf to get the girl."_

_EJ had already done his research on AML and knew what kind of things to be looking for in a blood work up. He was also very interested in reading the doctor's notes for Lucas' case. If this was a deception then EJ was going to see just how well Lucas had covered his tracks. _

"_And if it is?" asked Sam with interest._

"_Then I'm going to kill him," said EJ simply, "If he's that keen to die then I'm more than happy to oblige."_

"_You promised Sami that you wouldn't hurt him," she reminded him of promises made in the past._

"_That was before," said EJ coldly, "If Lucas is faking this and I can prove that to Samantha then she will most likely strike the first blow herself." _

"_And if the little guy is inconvenient enough to really be dying?" asked Sam easily. _

_EJ paused, thinking about that question for a bit and not answering her right away. _

"_You're thinking about speeding up the process aren't you?" asked Sam knowingly. _

_EJ grimaced and then gave a little shrug._

"_There are plenty of poisons out there," he said slowly, "Ones that don't leave a trace."_

"_And I mean the guys already dying so technically you're not killing him," reasoned Sam agreeably, "It's more helping him out if anything."_

_EJ looked at her askew at that comment._

"_What?" she asked him, "Don't you agree?"_

"_I do actually which is what concerns me," said EJ dryly, "We've never agreed before Sam and frankly I find it a bit unnerving and makes me think that this is a bad idea. And anyway-"_

"_Anyway what?" she asked him exasperation._

"_Anyway I wouldn't want to keep such a thing from Samantha," said EJ quietly, "We don't keep things from each other anymore."_

"_You're keeping this little investigation from her," Sam argued. _

"_That is different," said EJ determinedly, "I didn't want to upset her anymore until I had some proof." _

"_Sami seems very certain that Lucas is teetering on the brink," Sam said thoughtfully, "She hasn't appeared to question that they guy might not be dying." _

"_Samantha has a blind spot when it comes to Lucas," said EJ unhappily, "She sees far too much good in him."_

"_Don't knock it honey," said Sam with a sniff, "That happy talent of seeing good in people is what got you where you are today."_

"_It's different with me," EJ said with a scowl, "I'm the one she is meant to end up with." _

"_Mm," said Sam casually, "So you keep saying. So what is your next port of call then bubbles?"_

"_I need to start digging into this Terry White's past," said EJ grimly, "Or find another lab tech who would appreciate a little financial gain for a few minutes work."_

"_Do you really want to be spreading it about that you are playing detective?" argued Sam logically, "If Lucas is playing us then getting half the lab staff involved is only going to tip him off and give him more time to work out his next move."_

"_I'd be discrete," said EJ tightly._

"_Oh yeah," said Sam sarcastically, "Because a six foot four Englishman wandering around offering vast sums of money to people isn't in anyway an attention getter."_

"_Well what do you suggest then?" asked EJ tersely, "Perhaps I should just go and ask Lucas himself eh? Is that your plan?!"_

"_Listen big boned and brainless," said Sam with a roll of her eyes, "I happen to have a trunk load of brilliant ideas but you are just too addled to appreciate them."_

"_Really?" asked EJ mockingly, "And what's one of your brilliant ideas eh? I can't wait to hear this!"_

"_You need to call The Mole," said Sam coolly._

_EJ looked taken aback for a moment, caught off guard._

"_It's a good idea isn't it?" she asked him smugly, "Admit it."_

_EJ frowned a little then, loathe to do any such thing but he had no option. _

"_It might be," he hedged, cursing himself for not having thought of it himself although if you wanted to split hairs he kind of did._

"_It is," she said with a knowing smirk, "I'm a genius and if you are good boy I'll let you kiss my ring in gratitude."_

_She gave him a salacious smile then and jiggled her breasts at him with an expectant look to which EJ just sighed heavily. This couldn't be in any way normal._

"_Go on," said Sam with a smirk, "Ring The Mole – you know he's your best bet." _

_EJ grimaced and reached into his coat pocket, pulling out his phone and starting to scroll through his contact list. He dialled the number as Sam looked on, a smug smile on her face. _

"_This is Elvis DiMera," he said into the phone when it was picked up, "I need to see you right away – I have something I need you to do."_

**oooOOOOooo**

"I'm just going for a smoke," Terry told his co-worker who was currently looking down the microscope.

Terry was a medium height and build man in his late twenties with sandy brown hair. The best thing you could say about him was that he was incredibly average looking, nothing in particularly standing out about him which belied his outstanding academic achievements. He was a smart guy – most of the time.

"Those things will kill you Terry," said Rachael disapprovingly, looking over at him.

"They're going to have to get into a long line for the chance," muttered Terry.

"What does that mean?" asked Rachael in confusion.

"Nothing," he said shortly, regretting having said anything.

Terry headed out of the lab, through the tea room and out onto the balcony overlooking the gardens where the smokers tended to congregate to have their breaks, complete with a table and chairs. He saw to his relief that no one else was there as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it up with slightly shaking hands. Terry took a deep drag of the cigarette, letting the smoke fill his lungs and the soothing feeling it brought with it seep through his body. He blew out the smoke noisily through his nose and then pulled his cell phone out. Terry dialled an increasingly familiar number, jiggling from one foot to the other nervously. The phone picked up and he didn't give the other person a chance to speak or even introduce himself.

"He was here!" said Terry urgently, "The guy you warned me about!"

He paused as the other person spoke briefly.

"No of course I didn't tell him anything," said Terry in annoyance, "But he didn't look like the type that gives up easy you know?!"

Terry pulled a face as he listened to the other person.

"Yeah well that is easy for you to say," he snapped, "My job, my career is on the line here so I don't need you reminding me!"

Terry closed his eyes at the person's response, taking another nervous drag of his cigarette.

"Yes," he said tightly, "I realise there is more than that at stake – I did like you told me didn't I? I've done everything you've asked of me damn you! What more do you want from me?!"

Terry shook his head as the other person gave him his answer.

"I know," he said unevenly, "Don't worry, I know what you need me to do and I'm going to do it but you gotta keep that English guy away from me okay? I didn't know who you were getting me involved with here and I don't want to tangle with any DiMera's okay? I'm in deep enough as it is!"

The person he called was decidedly unsympathetic to his plight though, telling him to just keep it together and do what he was being paid for before hanging up abruptly. Terry gave a groan as he pocketed his own phone.

"Best case scenario," he said unevenly to the empty space around him, "I end up dead out of all this."

Terry blanched at that thought and then did as many would do in his situation, looked to the heavens and made an impassioned plea.

"Okay God," he said shakily, "I know it's been awhile but I swear, if you get me out of this one I will found an orphanage in Africa or a leper colony in Botswana."

Terry pulled a face then.

"Actually to be honest I don't see myself doing the leper thing but anything else you want then I'm your go to guy, I promise," he said earnestly, "Just get me out of this mess! Please, just give me a sign that this is all going to work out alright!"

No sooner were the words out of his mouth when a pigeon suddenly darted past him and flew at full speed into the glass window just to the left of Terry and unfortunately broke its neck in the process, falling to the ground dead.

"Okay," said Terry slowly, taking in the rather unexpected show as he scrambled to interpret that in a positive light, "That was a pigeon which is like a flying rat which makes it vermin so it's a good thing that it is dead... so this makes it a good sign that this just happened!"

Terry looked up at the heavens triumphantly, pleases at his rationale for what he'd just witnessed and then his face dropped a little.

"I think that take on things is going to seem far more plausible when I'm a lot drunker then I am right now," he admitted ruefully and then pulled a face and sighed, "Looks like I chose the wrong day to give up peppermint schnapps."

**AUTHOR'S NOTE****:** That last line was just a little heads up to those of you old enough to remember the very first parody movie ever made – "Flying High". LOL I couldn't resist. Ah Lloyd Bridges, how wonderful were you in that. *hugs*


	51. Chapter 198

**Chapter ONE HUNDERED & NINETY EIGHT**** – ****Moley, Moley, Moley**

Disappointment to a noble soul is what cold water is to burning metal; it strengthens, tempers, intensifies, but never destroys it.

_~Eliza Tabor~_

_EJ walked down the dimly lit steps trying to get past the feeling that he was descending into the bowels of Hell. He was blinking rapidly, trying to adjust to the low lighting so he wouldn't trip down the stairs. The decaying house up above had smelt of musty stuffiness which was a testament to the fact that it was a little used area by the actual occupant of the dwelling. No, his time was spent in the dinghy basement and it was one the reasons he'd gotten the name he had. EJ was forced to kick boxes out of his way once at the bottom of the stairs, looking around at all the shelves crammed with books and pieces of electrical equipment. Hard drives, computer boards, boxes of wires and tangled cords were everywhere, making the room seem even more stifling then it already was. _

"_Hello?" he called out to the still darkness and received no answer._

_The only real light was coming from multiple computer screens crammed all over the place on benches or any available flat surface really. It was hard to imagine that anyone could work let alone survive in such a place but EJ knew for a fact that one man did. He beat a path to the nearest computer which had wires hanging off it everywhere as complex looking algorithms ran nonstop across the screen, doing god only knew what. EJ reached out a hand to dust the screen on instinct but was stalled by a squeaky voice._

"_Don't touch anything!" _

_EJ actually gave a little start and turned around just in time to see the man he wanted immerge what he could swear was a large cardboard box that was pushed up against one wall and surrounded by mountains of miscellaneous electrical parts and hardware. It was almost like the man had built a fort around himself and EJ thought he saw a flash of a blanket and a pillow in the box as he looked behind the man who was approaching him. It looked like he slept there which was a bit of an unsettling thought but EJ wasn't here to pass judgement on the way people chose to live, he had more pressing needs right then. The man hovered over in one corner of the room, eyeing EJ warily, moving from one foot to the other as though he was prepared to flee at any moment. _

"_It's good to see you again Maurice," said EJ smoothly, straightening up and turning around to face him properly, a calm smile on his face. _

_Maurice Vogelpoel or as he was more commonly known Maurice the Mole looked back at him, blinking once as he eyed him nervously. The distrust on his face was made all the evident because of the simply enormous glasses he were sporting which could easily have been thicker than coke bottle bottoms. EJ suspected that you could see life on Mars if a normal person looked through them without aid of a telescope. The Mole was legally blind it would seem but had an almost sixth sense when it came to all things electronic and more importantly for EJ right then, computer based. _

_He was a short man, probably no more about five foot five or so but he tended to always be bent over somewhat which made him seem smaller again. What was left of his greying hair stuck up at funny angles all over the place and extremely prominent front teeth completed the rather rodent look about him. It was hard to put an age on him but probably mid forties would have been accurate although he looked much older. _

"_You were expecting me?" EJ prompted him when Maurice didn't give any kind of greeting in return._

"_Yes," he said, eyes darting anxiously all over the place, "1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10."_

"_And you believe you can help me is that right?" he asked the other man._

"_I just need some information from you," said Maurice the Mole as his head bobbled away, seeming to have a life of its own all of a sudden._

"_Alright then," said EJ evenly, "I don't want to hold you up any Maurice so why don't we get down to business?"_

"_1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10," said Maurice, just as rapidly as he had the first time._

_He gave a furtive nod before literally scurrying over to one of the large computer screens and wedging himself into the small space that actually contained a chair in amongst the towers of computer paraphernalia. Maurice perched himself on the chair, fingers raised expectantly above the keyboards, his shoulders hunched over and his nose practically touching the screen. _

"_It's University Hospital," EJ gave him the details, "And the file I need access to is one Lucas Roberts."_

"_1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10," said Maurice urgently which was quickly followed by more counting, "1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,3,3,3,3,3,3-"_

_EJ sighed heavily and made a mental note to take more care with constructing his sentences. His father had introduced him to Maurice Vogelpoel aka The Mole about five years ago and EJ had found himself rather fascinated by the man's many tics and quirks, not least of which was the counting thing. The man clearly had some kind of manifestation of obsessive compulsive disorder with all the counting amongst other things and in his dealings with him EJ had become intent on working out what set him off with the manic counting._

_After many encounters EJ had finally worked out what it was. Anytime a conversation ended with a word that ended in the letter 's' it would cause Maurice to count out a panicked one to ten mantra. Three sets of those would then result in the obsessive need to count out ten each of all the numbers one to ten before he could go on. It could be a time consuming process and his father had been very pleased with him when EJ had worked out the pattern making the man so much easier to deal with. _

_The thing was that Maurice the Mole was simple the best tech and information gatherer in the business when it came to anything stored on computers. Stefano had used him to hack into untold numbers of computers to gain information that would help him in his business dealings, sabotaging the opposition and corrupting files with complicated worm programs that would bring companies to their knees. _

_The Mole's work was always meticulous and so far impossible to trace. He was a ghost along the cyber highway and he was an invaluable and sometimes deadly tool in the DiMera arsenal. Right then though EJ didn't have anything particularly life threatening for him to do – this was purely a fact finding mission. Of course if it turned out that Lucas was indeed faking his illness then EJ already had a few things he would be wanting The Mole to do on his behalf to one Lucas Roberts. Like perhaps giving him a huge credit debt and then registering him as a sex offender as the beginning of the hell he'd be raining down on the man._

"_-9,9,9,9,10,10,10,10,10,10,10,10,10,10," The Mole finished off and took a deep breath. _

"_Let's try that again shall we?" said EJ smoothly, "Lucas Roberts is the one I want you to hack into the hospitals files and find out what you can about his supposed disease – alright?"_

"_Alright," The Mole nodded, starting to click away manically on the keyboards, his fingers moving so fast they were practically a blur._

"_How long will it take you to get into a hospital system?" EJ asked him, coming to stand behind him, "I'm assuming those systems are pretty well protected-"_

"_I'm in," announced The Mole and EJ rolled his eyes._

"_Well that's less than comforting," he muttered, "Remind me to go to an out of town hospital next time I'm shot."_

_The Mole wasn't listening, already accessing the files EJ wanted. He leant over the other man's shoulder, reading all of the clinical notes that were in Lucas' files. EJ couldn't help but hold his breath a little bit and pray that Lucas had managed to pay off a doctor somehow to go along with all of this and that he was about to find proof of that. He had to have help to make this work if it was all staged and EJ leant closer to the screen, determined to find something that just didn't seem right. More than anything he wanted to be able to find some kind of indicator that Lucas was indeed faking all of this. _

**oooOOOOooo**

"You investigated him didn't you?" asked Sami, out of the blue as they sat on his couch in her office.

"Wh-what?" asked EJ, looking at her in surprise.

"You made sure that Lucas was really dying didn't you?" she asked, looking up at him steadily.

"Yes," said EJ in amazement, "How did you know?"

"It's what I would have done," said Sami with a fatalistic shrug, "But seeing as you've never said anything I'm going to guess that it all checked out – Lucas really does have AML."

"All his lab tests and medical notes back it up," agreed EJ unhappily.

"He's been really sick EJ," she said with a sigh, "I don't think he could fake that and when I look in his eyes I see real fear there. It isn't an act – I'm sure of it."

"Well I just wanted to make sure," said EJ firmly, "He's been known to pull a few fast ones in his time and I wanted proof that this wasn't one of those times."

EJ looked at her then a little curiously.

"Why didn't you say anything sweetheart?" he asked her huskily, "Why didn't you ask me about it?"

"I didn't need to," said Sami simply, "I knew you'd be trying to look out for me the best way you knew how and it just made sense to me that you'd check Lucas' story. I'm not going to pretend I'm not disappointed that you didn't find anything to say he wasn't really dying. I'd really love to think that Lucas was healthy... before I killed him for trying to trick me of course."

"You'd have to get behind me," said EJ flatly.

"Well it's all a moot point anyway," said Sami with another sigh as she stood up, ready to go to their meeting with Shiro-san, "You checked it all out and couldn't find anything hinky about it all so we just have to accept our lot for right now."

"Mm," said EJ, twisting his lips as he stood up as well.

"Mm what?" asked Sami curiously.

"Mm something still doesn't feel right," said EJ with a slight frown, "Do you feel it Samantha – that something is off but I just can't quite put my finger on it. I have this terrible feeling of unrest."

"I know what you mean," said Sami with her own little frown, "But I'm just putting that down to living with a man I'm pretending to love while watching him fade away."

"Oh sweetheart," said EJ with a sigh as he pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head, "I wish we could change places and I could carry this burden for you."

"I don't see Lucas being too thrilled if you and I swapped places," said Sami wryly.

"Maybe as he gets sicker he won't notice the difference?" suggested EJ as he took a seat on the end of the sofa bringing him more to eye level with Sami.

His comment earned him a mildly disapproving look.

"Try and be kinder about Lucas EJ," she chided him, "He's dying."

"Yes," said EJ with a grimace, "Very slowly I might add. And just because he has had this poor fortune doesn't mean that I have to instantly forgive him for what he has done to you over the years Samantha. I can't and I won't."

"This is all such a mess," said Sami with a sigh, "I'm sorry that I'm making your life difficult EJ."

"My life would only be difficult if you weren't in it sweetheart," said EJ sincerely, "Remember that. And I know that you are the one who is suffering the most through all of this."

"My worst fear is that ultimately it will be Will who suffers the most," said Sami unhappily.

"We'll both be there for him when the time comes Samantha," said EJ firmly, putting his hands on her arms comfortingly, "Children are resilient and Will has proven that time and time again."

"I hope Will gives you a chance to show him how wonderful you are," said Sami, a note of anxiety in her voice as she looked up at him.

"It may take time but I am nothing if not persistent," said EJ with a lop sided smile, "You know that. Will is going to accept me – in time, I promise you."

He kissed her then and just revelled in the way Sami gave herself so wholeheartedly over to all of his kisses. It made EJ's head swim the way she kissed him and just this simple caress was confirmation enough that Sami was worth any kind of trouble to be with.

They finally broke the kiss, both of them a little breathless before EJ made a regretful face and looked down at his watch and then back at Sami.

"Looks like it show time," he announced huskily, "We should get to the conference room."

"I'm so glad Kate isn't going to be there," said Sami, "I hate how she talks to me in front of clients."

"I think you handle her very well darling," said EJ with a half smile.

"By that I assume you mean you're pleased I don't tackle her to the ground and gouge her eyes out right there in front of everyone," commented Sami dryly.

"I have no problem with you doing that sweetheart," said EJ blithely, "But it may send the wrong message to the clients. If you'd just let me-"

"No EJ," said Sami determinedly, "I'll fight my own battles when it comes to Kate, I don't need you to protect me from the old battle axe – I've been playing that game for a long time."

"But we're a team now," EJ protested.

"Yes but we are pretending not to be remember?" she said with a half smile, "So no sticking up for me okay?"

"It will be a strain," said EJ with a grimace, "But alright."

"Good," said Sami, moving in closer now and putting her hands on his chest, "We have to keep up the act of hating one another so we can keep on loving one another in private."

"And here was I thinking that our relationship would get so much less complicated once we were together," said EJ wryly.

"You chose the wrong girl for uncomplicated EJ," said Sami dryly.

"I absolutely chose the right girl," said EJ confidently as he put his hand on the door to open it, "And just try your best not to make an idiot out of yourself for once alright?!"

"I'm assuming you'll be taking on that role as usual in that case?" asked Sami sweetly as she walked past him out into the hallway to the roomful of Mythic staff who were busily pretending not to be hanging off every word while they were of course.

"Oh Samantha if only that brimming self confidence of yours could be matched up with some actual talent for this job then we'd all have cause to celebrate," said EJ acerbically.

His annoyed tone was in complete contradiction to the cheeky pinch on the bottom he gave her as Sami passed by him. Sami managed to keep a straight face, much to her credit at his rear attack but the look she threw back at him over her shoulder promised him that there was going to be retribution.

"And if only your self-assured swagger could be matched up with some reason to think that you are actually God's gift to all womankind then we'd have another reason to celebrate," said Sami sourly.

"Harpy," EJ threw at her as he followed her to the conference room.

"Self involved jerk," she threw back at him without missing a beat.

"At least neither one is dead," offered up Alisha hesitantly when they had both disappeared into the conference room for their meeting.

"Tomorrow is another day," commented Linda wisely.

Royce hurried over to them, a stricken look on his face.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked him curiously, "You look like you've swallowed one of your own farts."

"Is that even possible?" asked Alisha innocently, wrinkling her nose at Linda's graphic statement.

Linda was known for those.

"I just got a phone call from Stefano DiMera himself," said Royce looking like he was going to wet himself at any moment, "He wants me to come to the mansion tomorrow before the wedding."

"He wants you to?" repeated Alisha in surprise, "Why?"

"Maybe they are short a page boy?" suggested Linda straight faced and taking a jab at Royce's youth.

"Cute," Royce scowled, "Why do you really think he would do that?"

"Well seeing as it is a DiMera wedding maybe there is going to be some kind of ritual sacrifice involved," Linda dead panned another suggestion, "Only not with a virgin but more with a man whore flavour."

"Oh," said Royce, grabbing his stomach and faking a belly laugh,"You're so very funny Linda-"

He stopped laughing abruptly and glared at her.

"Not!"

"What are you going to do Royce?" asked Alisha, worried for him, "Do you think he knows about you and Ms Roberts. Are you going to have to leave the country now?"

They'd all heard the stories, they knew what kind of man Stefano DiMera was and it didn't bode well that he even knew of Royce's existence and a private meeting with him when you'd slept with the man's fiancé was cause for some real concern.

"Don't be ridiculous Alisha," said Linda with a roll of her eyes, "A man like Stefano has contacts everywhere – he'd be dead before the plane even took off."

"I'm so glad I've got a friend like you Linda," said Royce sarcastically, "Someone to get me through these tough times."

"Hey honey," said Linda with an unsympathetic shrug of her shoulder, "It's you who chose to let the one eyed monster out of the cage for a wildly inappropriate romp – you can't expect not to have some consequences along the way. You've had the ride, now it's time for the fall."

"He wouldn't really hurt you would he?" asked Alisha uncertainly, "I mean not really."

"Alisha the man has killed more people then cancer," said Linda flatly, "What do you think?"

"I don't want to die," said Royce faintly.

"Look he probably won't kill you," said Linda, seeing how upset he was and relenting, "I mean we are assuming the man even knows at all. Maybe he is completely in the dark about it all and wants to see you about something else?"

"Really?" asked Royce hopefully.

"Well sure honey," said Linda with an encouraging smile, "Anything is possible."

Royce's shoulders drooped at that slightly less than thrilling reassurance attempt.

"If I survive this I am never going to have sex ever again," he vowed earnestly with a quiver in his voice.

"If you survive this you may not be capable of having sex ever again," said Linda pragmatically and then pulled a face at Royce's suffering expression, "Sorry, I'll stop trying to help now."

"I'd appreciate that," said Royce weakly.


	52. Chapter 199

**Chapter ONE HUNDERED & NINETY NINE**** – ****Double, Double, Toil and Trouble**

I seem to smell the stench of appeasement in the air.

_Margaret Thatcher_

_(British Politician and Prime Minister. b.1925)_

Lucas sighed heavily and leant against the wall of the elevator, struggling to overcome his rampant tiredness. He was just coming from his latest doctor's appointment with Dr Taylor to be told that his condition was stable if not improving. Lucas supposed that was a good thing but he was determined to fight this so he, Sami and Will could be a proper family again and he found the doctor not to be as quite proactive as he'd like. He kept refusing to consider chemotherapy despite the stasis in Lucas' disease process, saying it would only stir things up and make him feel worse then he already did. Lucas wasn't convinced but then the thought of feeling worse than he already did didn't exactly appeal either.

The elevator came to a halt, the doors sliding open with an effortless action and Lucas straightened up, determined not to let his illness show to anyone if he could help it. He stepped out of the elevator and looked around the Mythic floor and then walked as quickly as he could over to Sami's office. Lucas gave a brief knock and then walked in only to find that Sami wasn't in. He pulled a face and walked out again, looking around.

There were people about that he could have asked but instead Lucas looked over at EJ's door, eyeing it suspiciously. He didn't know why he was still worrying about EJ and Sami because Sami couldn't be more devoted to him and apparently EJ had moved on with some other woman but still, old habits died hard for Lucas. He walked over to EJ's office and without any kind of warning he simply opened it and strode inside. EJ looked up from his desk with an expression of mild surprise at seeing him there. A quick look around told Lucas it was only the two of them.

"Oh by all means," said EJ in annoyance, "Come on in Lucas. You know in some places it is customary to knock before entering someone's office."

EJ gave him an unimpressed look.

"But I suppose you've probably forgotten that seeing as you haven't worked in months now," he commented nonchalantly.

"You are a piece of work DiMera," growled Lucas, hardly able to believe that EJ could still speak to him like this even when he knew that Lucas was so sick.

Once a bastard always a bastard.

"Seeing as Samantha and I are no longer friends I don't particularly feel the need to fake any kind of politeness with you Lucas," said EJ flatly.

"You were being polite before?" asked Lucas in disbelief, remembering all of EJ's disdainful remarks about him.

"Contempt is a hard emotion to hold in check," offered up EJ casually by way of an apology.

"You just can't handle the fact that Sami chose me over all of your crazy stalker moves," said Lucas with a smirk, allowing himself to gloat now.

"Apparently I'm not her type," EJ agreed readily as he leant back in his chair with apparent indifference, "She's likes them petulant and poorly. I guess I was just too much of a challenge for her."

"Spin it however you want DiMera," Lucas said snidely, "But you lost."

"Well I guess I'm going to have to bow to your greater experience with being a loser than I have Lucas," said EJ offhandedly, "If anyone knows what a loser is it would have to be you."

The urge to hit the smirking man with his wise ass comments was welling up in Lucas again and his hands balled into a fist. How could he have ever been worried about Sami seeing anything in this piece of trash Lucas wondered in disbelief. Now that it was clear that he wasn't going to get what he wanted EJ had all but dropped his charming Englishman routine and was being the snake Lucas always knew he was. There was no way Sami would ever want to be with someone so warped and twisted. Lucas decided he was going to be the bigger man seeing as he'd won their little game of cat and mouse and walk away. After all he'd gotten the girl in the end. In fact Sami had always been his but it had just taken EJ a long time to get that through that thick skull of his.

"Is my Mom in?" he asked flatly, deciding not to dignify his last crack with a response.

"Need her to fight your battles still eh?" asked EJ with a knowing nod as he stood up and crossed in front of Lucas, heading over to pour himself a drink, "Want her to intervene and give me a good thrashing?"

EJ stopped then and pulled a thoughtful face, glass half way to his lips.

"Actually she's already done that," he admitted casually, "It's hard to believe looking at her but your mother has a lot of latex outfits in her wardrobe that go with the whips and nipple clamps."

"Is there any time that you stop and think about how disgusting you are being?" asked Lucas, feeling like he wanted to throw up a little.

It was the same gut reaction he had every time he thought of EJ and his mother together. It just made him want to be violently ill. The guy just had no morals whatsoever.

"I don't know how the two of you can still be carrying on like that when she is about to marry your father tomorrow," said Lucas in disgust.

"Oh yes the wedding," said EJ brightly, swallowing the last of his water and putting down his drink, "Samantha has led me to understand that we won't be having the luminescent pleasure of your company at the little shin ding we have planned. Everyone is very disappointed. Now we'll have to hire the entertainment."

EJ have him a happy smile then.

"I'm thinking some kind of trained monkey should do it," he offered up, "Or a clown-"

He paused then and made an excited face, as though something had just occurred to him.

"Or a monkey dressed as a clown!" he exclaimed, "Or maybe a clown dressed as a monkey. Hmm-"

He looked at Lucas thoughtfully.

"Which do you think would be funnier?" EJ asked in all seriousness, "It's a hard call really."

"How can you be even a little alright with this?!" asked Lucas in annoyance as EJ walked back to his desk, "It's just all kinds of wrong."

"It's true," agreed EJ with feigned regret, "But what are you going to do right? I mean they are both adults, of sound mind-"

EJ stopped abruptly before correcting himself.

"Well they are both adults anyway," he back tracked, "They didn't ask my permission and certainly don't need it."

"So you approve then?" asked Lucas, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

If EJ was for this then that meant he had to be playing an angle and the last thing Lucas wanted was his mother in the middle of all that.

"How can I not approve of an action that will result in us becoming brothers?" asked EJ jovially.

"We won't be brothers!" Lucas spat out forcefully.

"Step brothers," said EJ with an easy shrug, "Maybe you should consider changing your name to DiMera seeing as your mother will be. That way we'll be keeping it all in the family."

"Over my dead body," said Lucas coldly.

"Here's hoping," agreed EJ readily, holding up his crossed fingers.

"You've got an answer for everything haven't you DiMera?" said Lucas, shaking his head at him.

"There are a few mysteries that still elude me," admitted EJ, giving him a considered look.

"What does that mean?" asked Lucas with a frown, seeing how he was looking at him.

"What does what mean?" asked Kate, suddenly appearing in the doorway to EJ's office.

"Do I have some kind of 'Dew Drop Inn' sign hanging over my door?" asked EJ in exasperation before looking over at Lucas, "I see where you lack of manners come from old boy."

"Lessons in etiquette from a DiMera," Kate sniffed as she walked into the room and gave him a defiant look, "Excuse me if I'll consider the source."

She looked between the two men.

"So what were you two talking about?" she asked them with a slight frown.

"Rainbows and unicorns," said EJ straight faced, "Apparently Lucas is thinking about getting a tattoo and was asking for some help on picking out a design."

"I hope this new girlfriend of yours appreciates that rapier wit Elvis," said Lucas sourly, "Cause someone has to."

"My girlfriend worships the ground I walk on," agreed EJ easily, "She thinks I'm the best thing since sliced bread."

"How did I know you'd end up with some brainless, fawning woman who is probably only with you for the money?" asked Lucas tersely.

"Lucas the woman I am currently seeing is quite brilliant, financially secure and rest assured I reward her avid attentions with some much appreciated attentions of my own," said EJ smugly, "We are both very happy."

"I'm thrilled for you," said Lucas flatly.

"Should you be here Lucas?" asked Kate with a fretful frown, "You look tired."

"I'm fine Mom," said Lucas shortly.

"Now Lucas," said EJ with mock sternness, "Don't be using that tone with our mother please – Mum was just worrying over you."

"Don't call her that!" Lucas snapped, such an endearment on EJ's lips making him cringe.

Lucas looked at Kate accusingly then.

"Do you see what you've done?" he asked her angrily, "By going through with this travesty of a marriage tomorrow you've just given more fodder to the likes of this guy to-"

"We should talk about this privately Lucas," Kate interrupted him tightly.

Lucas bit back his frustration, not wanting EJ to see how this was getting to him.

"Well I have things to do," said EJ calmly as he looked between the two of them, "I'll let you two love birds be. Feel free to use my office, never let it be said that I stand in the way of young love."

Kate threw EJ an annoyed look at that little jab but EJ was already halfway to the door and then he was gone.

"How can you marry into a family who produces people like that?!" asked Lucas in disgust, jerking his head back to the door where EJ had just left through.

"I'm not doing this to hurt you Lucas," said Kate quietly after EJ had gone, "Quite the opposite actually."

"Why are you marrying him?" asked Lucas in frustration.

"Why do you think?" asked Kate with an arched eyebrow.

"Are you planning on killing the old bastard in his sleep and taking all of his money?" asked Lucas flatly.

"No," said Kate in annoyance, looking to the heavens in frustration, "Why do people keep asking me that?! Of course not Lucas."

"Then I don't see any good coming out this," said Lucas bitterly, "Do what you want Mom, it's your life but don't expect me to be happy about it or waste what little time I have left pretending to be."

"I don't like to hear you talking that way," said Kate unhappily.

"What?" asked Lucas sourly, "Like I'm dying you mean? Well news flash Mom – I am!"

"A defeated attitude is going to get you nowhere," she told him sternly, "I mean you're not getting any worse are you – despite what the doctors predicted."

"How do you know that I'm not getting any worse?" asked Lucas suspiciously, "Have you been talking to my doctor?"

"Of course not honey," said Kate evenly, "I'm just telling you what I'm seeing in you. You're holding your own against this disease which is more than any of those specialists could have imagined and I just want you to realise you're made of sterner stuff than someone who just wants to give up. I mean aren't you and Sami happy now – despite your illness?"

"Yes," said Lucas softly, "It's the best it has ever been between us but-"

"But what?" Kate pushed him when he stopped abruptly and looked away.

Lucas grimaced, not really wanting to discuss this with his mother but seeing as no one else knew about his situation he didn't really have anyone else to talk to.

"Lucas?"

"It's just that everything has been so good between Sami and I but it's been a long time since we ah... you know," said Lucas, feeling very uncomfortable now.

"Oh," said Kate, realising what he was saying, "Define long time for me."

"The last time we made love was just before I had my accident at the cabin," admitted Lucas unhappily.

"But that was just after Christmas," said Kate in disbelief.

"I know," said Lucas tightly.

"It's nearly July now," Kate said in amazement.

"I know!" Lucas snapped, "I can do the maths okay! We just haven't been able to get it together. I was in hospital all that time and then Sami was away for two different lots of business trips and then she went to Switzerland and then I went to Switzerland. And when I got back from that I was hit with the cancer diagnosis so we've been reeling ever since."

"Okay," said Kate slowly, "I guess I could see how that could happen."

"Let's be honest here," said Lucas angrily, "Being with someone who is dying isn't exactly a turn on is it? I mean it kind of kills the romance."

Lucas didn't mean to sound so bitter, he didn't blame Sami for all the gentle side stepping she was doing with him when it came to resuming their physical relationship. He knew it was because she loved him and was scared that making love would be too much for Lucas but even knowing that it was hard for him not to feel rejected. He loved Sami and wanted to make love to her, be a real man for her and even though she kept telling him that it didn't matter Lucas couldn't help but feel that it did, very much.

"Sami is refusing to sleep with you?" asked Kate, her lips thinning slightly.

"Not refusing," said Lucas in annoyance at her tone, "I mean half the time I feel too sick to be wanting to do anything like that-"

"And the other half?" Kate asked him, folding her arms in front of her chest.

Lucas shook his head, seeing his mother was building up to making this Sami's fault again.

"I don't want to talk about this with you," said Lucas shortly, "Sami and I are fine – never better and I don't want you getting in the middle of that again."

"You might change your mind about that when I tell you about my idea," said Kate with a little smile.

"Idea?" repeated Lucas flatly, not liking the sound of that.

"I was going to tell you all about it when you came to the wedding," she wheedled.

"Well I'm not going to the wedding Mom," said Lucas sourly, "By being there a person is giving tacit approval and you're not getting any kind of approval from me about doing this."

"I was hoping you'd change your mind," said Kate with a beguiling smile.

"Hope away Mom," said Lucas dourly, "But I'm never going to be pleased that you are marrying a psychopath like Stefano DiMera. His marriages never end well."

"Who says ours will end?" asked Kate with a little shrug, "Your brother is going to be there."

"Well I'm happy for Phillip," said Lucas flatly, "But that doesn't change how I feel."

"Alright," Kate gave in with a sigh, "But I still think you'll want to hear my plan for something that is going to put the romance back into yours and Sami's relationship."

"I must be sicker then I think," said Lucas with an arched eyebrow, "Since when do you care about Sami and mine's relationship anyway? I don't know if you've been paying attention all these years but you've done nothing but try and keep us apart."

"People change," said Kate with a half shrug.

"Do they?" asked Lucas in disbelief.

"Of course," Kate said stiffly.

"People might," said Lucas with a knowing look at her, "You don't."

"You say that now," said Kate with a smirk, "But wait until you hear my idea for you and Sami – you are going to love it."

"Let's hear the idea first and then I'll tell you if I love it or not," said Lucas with a roll of his eyes.

Having his mother on his side when it came to Sami was still cause for a great deal of scepticism on Lucas' behalf. Kate smiled, looking very pleased with herself.

"Well I was thinking..."

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ was at his father's helping with some last minute organisation when his phone rang. EJ glanced at his watch and smiled, knowing it would be Sami because she said she'd ring him at this time.

"Hello my glorious girl," he said as he answered the phone, not bothering to check the number.

"Hello powder puff," said the male voice on the other end of the phone rather flatly.

EJ tensed, cursing himself for being so careless. It took him a split second to recognise who it was on the other end of the phone.

"Hello John," he said calmly, "I thought you were someone else."

"Let's all be thankful for small mercies if that is the case," he said coolly.

There was this rather lengthy pause on the end of the phone as EJ waited for John to speak.

"Is there something I can help you with John?" asked EJ at last.

John had gotten out of hospital a couple of weeks ago EJ had heard via Sami and after their late night chat nearly two months ago now he and John hadn't spoken. EJ had toyed with the idea of seeking John out but had decided on letting sleeping dogs lie when it came to their little agreement.

"I hope so," said John, not giving anything away.

EJ knew John was trying to keep him on the back foot and was determined not to let his sudden concern show.

"Well I can't help if I don't know what the problem is," EJ said evenly.

"I want to see you," said John, "This isn't the kind of talk you have over the phone."

"That sounds ominous," commented EJ, his eyes narrowing.

"What's the matter Elvis?" asked John, "Guilty conscience about something?"

"Many things," admitted EJ wryly, "I'm afraid you're going to have to narrow things down a little for me John."

"Come and see me tomorrow morning," John instructed him.

"I'm a little tied up then John," said EJ, "My father is getting married and I'm the best man."

John paused and EJ could practically feel his disapproval over the phone.

"In the afternoon then," John relented.

"Wonderful," said EJ, "I'm quivering with anticipation."

"Me too," said John dourly and then he hung up.

EJ hung up and pocket his phone, pursing his lips together thoughtfully.

"The man who holds my freedom in his hands wants to have a little chat and is being enigmatic about the reason why," EJ pondered aloud, "Nothing to worry about there I'm sure."

"Talking to yourself again EJ?" asked Kate who had just walked down the stairs and EJ was pretty confident she hadn't heard the rest of his conversation, "That's the first sign of madness you know."

"Actually Kate darling that's the second sign," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "The first is marrying into the DiMera family with an agenda but I'm sure you'll know all about that."

"Why can't anyone believe I'm marrying for love?" Kate asked a little huffily.

"The same reason no one believes my first career choice was as a pole dancer," said EJ dryly, "It's just an extremely unlikely turn of affairs with no prelude whatsoever."

Kate didn't answer him right away, pursing her lips thoughtfully.

"You're picturing me pole dancing aren't you?" asked EJ flatly.

"Unfortunately," Kate agreed dryly, "You know once your father and I are married don't feel like you or your sparkling wit are under any kind of obligation to visit regularly Elvis. Stefano will have all the family he needs in me."

"Careful Kate," EJ warned her, his voice hardening a little with a definite warning, "Remember that the evil step mother in the fables always come to a sticky end."

"You don't have to concern yourself with my end EJ," said Kate coolly as she turned on her heel and headed towards the living room, looking back over her shoulder at him, "I know how to take care of myself."

"And therein lies my concern," EJ muttered under his breath.

EJ had a lot of reasons to be unhappy about this impending union between Kate and his father, not least of which was the fact he didn't know what her angle was. He pushed those thoughts and his concerns over what John might want with him from his mind right then though, concentrating instead on his date with Sami that night. Being with Sami made all of his worries just fade away and already he could feel a nervously excited anticipation of being with her again. Despite the many things to be concerned about EJ smiled and broke into a happy little whistle as he went back to running the few last minute errands his father had asked him to do.

Tonight couldn't come soon enough for EJ.


	53. Chapter 200

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED**** – ****Dreamscape**

"You see things; and you say, 'Why?'

But I dream things that never were; and I say, 'Why not?'

_George Bernard Shaw_

_(Irish literary Critic, Playwright & Essayist, 1925 Nobel Prize for Literature, 1856-1950)_

EJ walked into the living room at the DiMera mansion and came to a dead stop, his eyes widening at the sight in front of him.

"What's all this then?" he asked in amazement.

Sami looked up at him with a soft smile from where she was sitting on the floor, two small children, a boy and a girl playing quietly on a rug on the floor. The little blonde girl and dark haired boy looked up at him at hearing him speak.

"Daddy!" they declared as one, teetering over to him in a way that said they hadn't been walking long.

On instinct EJ crouched down and welcomed them into his arms, their soft, wriggling little bodies clinging to him.

"It's play time," said Sami, watching the scene before her with happy maternal pride, "They've been waiting for their daddy to arrive so we could start."

EJ looked down at the two squirming children in his arms who were both eager for his attention and then back at Sami.

"Th-they're ours?" he asked her shakily, hardly able to dare to imagine it could be true.

The little boy wiggled out of his arms and hurried over to pick up a block, displaying it proudly to EJ and the little girl clapped her hands in approval at the find, moving out of EJ's arms to pick up a block of her own.

"Of course they are silly," she laughed at him as EJ unsteadily went to sit on the floor, still trying to take it all in, "It's not like I found them in the street."

"But how?" asked EJ dazedly.

"Don't you remember when we made them, on Ara Caman during our honeymoon?"

Sami leant a little closer to him and pressed a lingering kiss to EJ's lips.

"I certainly do," she said huskily, her eyes brimming with warm seduction that couldn't help but make EJ's pulse race.

EJ somehow managed to tear his eyes from Sami's beautiful face to look at the two children again. He couldn't get enough of staring at these little creatures, trying to grapple with the fact that they were his, his and Sami's, made in love.

"It all worked out," he said softly, thinking about the many trials that had kept them apart for so long.

"Of course it did darling," said Sami with a gently amused smile, "Just like you always said it would."

EJ felt his heart swell in love at seeing his children playing happily together, the blonde little girl so like her mother and the little boy the spitting image of him at that age.

"This is a dream," EJ whispered painfully, swallowing hard as he realised that this couldn't possibly be real.

"It's our dream EJ," said Sami huskily, resting her head on his shoulder as they both sat on the floor watching their children play, "This is what our love is going to create."

EJ was still unable to tear his eyes off the playing children but he rubbed his cheek against the top of Sami's head in a gentle caress.

"I didn't know it would feel this way," said EJ faintly as the little boy walked over to him and handed him a block, his big brown eyes full of love and mischief, "I mean I tried to imagine what having children would be like-"

"It's like nothing you could imagine EJ," Sami interrupted him softly, "It's so incredibly powerful and humbling to know we created them and they are ours to nurture forever."

The little girl walked over now and threw herself into her parent's arm, both Sami and EJ hugging them tightly to themselves.

"They're perfect Samantha," said EJ, his voice a little strangled from all the emotion he was feeling as he looked over the top of the child's head at her.

"I know," said Sami with a content smile, "Completely perfect."

"And there are two of them," commented EJ with a lopsided smile as the little girl went back to playing with her brother.

"Is that a problem EJ?" asked Sami with a coy little smile.

"Not in the least," said EJ huskily, "The more the merrier I say."

"In that case-" Sami gave him a seductive smile now.

She leant in closer to him now and EJ had that feeling of not being able to breath again.

"Do you want to make another one now?" she asked him throatily reaching out a hand and stroking his chest.

"Yes," said EJ raggedly without having to think about it and then remembered, "But the children-"

EJ looked over his shoulder to see that he and Sami were alone now.

"It's alright," she told him, beginning to unbutton his shirt and press kisses to his bare chest, "They're in bed now. We have all the time in the world sweetheart."

EJ closed his eyes, surrendering himself utterly to her gentle caresses. Sami's soft hands were on his body, trailing all over it and making him sigh. His shirt was gone now, somehow dissolving away but EJ barely noticed, all he was concentrating on was Sami's touch. A happy soft groaning noise escaped his lips as those gentle lips revealed hidden teeth as they teased one of his nipples into a peak. Now a lapping tongue was making up for the roughness, soothing his tortured flesh. She was pushing him backwards now onto the floor and there was the pleasant weight of Sami's body covering his and his hands went instinctively to her backside, squeezing it hard.

He forced his eyes open when he felt the bare flesh beneath his hands. It was dark and EJ realised he was in bed, Sami's body draped over his. They were both naked, EJ not having bothered with clothes when he'd gone to bed that night, still bitterly disappointed with the fact that Sami hadn't been able to get away that night for their dinner date. All of those feelings evaporated now though as he had her soft skin underneath his hand. Sami was straddling him now and as she straightened up she threw her mane of blonde hair over one shoulder before looking down at him knowingly. EJ held his breath as she raised herself up, barely able to stand the painful anticipation of her claiming him once again with her body. He was achingly hard for her and they both gave a pained groan of approval as Sami dropped down on him, impaling herself effortlessly on his length.

"EJ," she said excitedly and gave a little shudder that rocked his body as well as hers.

They shared a look of common need before they linked hands, EJ threading his fingers through hers and giving Sami's hands a gentle squeeze.

"I was dreaming of you," he told her raggedly as Sami began to ride him slowly, letting her body glide over his in an achingly wonderful caress that had EJ's heart rate going through the roof.

"You were?" she asked him huskily, her pale body luminous in the moonlight, the only illumination in the room.

She looked completely other worldly to EJ in his current half asleep state.

"We were with our children," said EJ breathlessly as her body began to take its usual toll on his.

God, no matter how many times he had her EJ was still always ravenous for more. Every time felt like the first time but with this heavenly undertone of familiarity and coming home adding to the experience.

"Children?" asked Sami with a soft smile, rolling her hips around on his painfully engorged manhood now and forcing EJ to swallow a groan before answering.

"Yes," he rasped, "Our babies were so beautiful Samantha."

"That's because they would have been made in love," said Sami knowingly, leaning down to kiss him tenderly even as her body still worked on his, "All babies made by parents who love one another are beautiful."

"Really?" asked EJ with a little smile, "I didn't know that."

"It's true," said Sami with an answering smile, rocking back and forth on him now, her breasts swaying in time to her movements and making EJ's heart skip a beat.

Sleep was leaving him now as his body took over, requiring some kind of release with real urgency.

"God but I want you!" EJ cried out, unable to take his eyes off her gloriousness.

"And you have me," said Sami unevenly, beginning to move a little more urgently on him now, her own desire starting to take over, "Every part of me is yours EJ."

EJ moaned at that thought, his hands going to her hips and holding on tight. Barely a minute later Sami was throwing her head back and crying out loudly as her orgasm claimed her and EJ could stand it no longer. He reversed their positions while Sami was still climaxing about him, her body dissolving in paroxysms of wild shuddering as she called out his name over and over again. Sami was now on her back, EJ driving himself hard into her, desperate for his own sweet release. His body in complete control of him now, driving him ever deeper into her.

"Samantha!" he said her name raggedly, through gritted teeth as his own need built to an excruciating crescendo.

"EJ."

Sami breathed his name and held her closely to him as his orgasm ripped through him.

"Oh god," said EJ weakly, his blood still thundering through his veins as he somehow found the strength to roll off of Sami and collapse into a heap beside her.

"You can say that again," said Sami with a big smile as she quickly rolled onto her side and into EJ's arms.

EJ's arms folded around her and he held her to him tightly, just revelling in the feeling of Sami's presence.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be at dinner tonight," said Sami unhappily as she laid her head on his chest, "I just couldn't get away."

"It's alright," said EJ, tangling his legs with hers, "You are here now."

EJ had been bitterly disappointed when he'd gotten the text from Sami that evening to tell him she wasn't coming but that seemed like a distant memory now that she was back in his arms.

"Can you stay?" asked EJ achingly, closing his eyes and holding her close to him.

Every time she climbed out of his bed to go back to Lucas felt like death to EJ and it wasn't getting any easier over time.

"I want to," said Sami hesitantly, "But-"

"But you have to go," said EJ quietly, swallowing hard.

Sami lifted her head off his chest to look down at him seriously.

"EJ I've-" she stopped abruptly then and to EJ's great surprise began to shake a little.

"Sweetheart," he said in concern, "What is it, what's wrong?"

"I needed to be with you tonight EJ," she said urgently, suddenly looking very fearful, "I have this terrible feeling like something awful is about to happen-"

"More awful then our current situation?" asked EJ in disbelief.

"I can't explain it," said Sami in frustration, "But I have this sense of impending doom that I just can't shake and it is scaring me."

"Darling there is nothing to be afraid of," said EJ confidently, "We have each other and the rest will work itself out I'm sure of it."

EJ was still feeling the euphoric glow of his dream and the life that could well be waiting for them and after having made love to Sami he was determined nothing was going to dampen that happiness.

"You're just tired sweetheart," he reassured her, "All of this has been a terrible strain on you and it is just starting to make itself felt."

"I suppose," said Sami, sounding less than convinced.

"As long as we keep up the pretence of hating one another in public and I pretend to play house with Estelle while you do the same with Lucas then there is nothing to worry about," said EJ calmly, "No one suspects the truth and when the future happens we'll just deal with it then."

"He said blithely," said Sami wryly.

"If you say it quickly as well it also sounds easy," agreed EJ in amusement.

"I just have this feeling of something really terrible is heading our way," said Sami unhappily, "And I can't shake it. Plus Lucas was acting weird today when I got home."

"Weird how?" asked EJ with a bit of a frown.

"I don't know," said Sami, moving against him as she made a frustrated shrugging gesture, "It's hard to explain but I feel like he is keeping something from me all of a sudden. I've known him a long time and I can always read him like a book."

"Thank goodness the man doesn't share the same talent," said EJ with a roll of his eyes.

"Lucas sees what he wants to see," said Sami with a little sigh, "He wants to believe we are in love and it was like it used to be and that's what he sees."

"Do you think he's wising up?" asked EJ, his frown deepening, "Do you think he knows something is going on sweetheart?"

"No," said Sami slowly, "It isn't that. He just seemed, I don't know, happy I suppose."

"Mpfh," EJ grunted, "Lucas happy usually means the opposite for us – well certainly for me."

"It's probably nothing," said Sami with a regretful sigh, "I'm sorry I brought it up. Maybe all of this is just getting to me and I'm starting to jump at shadows that aren't even there."

"That's probably it," EJ agreed readily, "You know Lucas is dying and that is what the impending doom feeling is about – regret and concern that his life is ending. It's a lot for you to have to deal with Samantha."

"Yes," said Sami quietly, moving a little closer to him now.

"It will be alright Samantha," said EJ comfortingly as he pressed a lingering kiss to the top of her head, "I've seen our future and it is a very bright one."

Sami gave a half smile at that comment.

"Set your watch EJ," she told him softly, "For an hour."

EJ smiled and reached over Sami's head, picking up his watch and deftly setting its little alarm to go off in an hour's time before putting it on the bed beside him. Sami gave a grateful sigh and snuggled more fully into his arms as EJ rolled onto his side so his head was on the pillow next to hers. Sami reached up a hand and stroked his face lovingly, their breaths mingling in the small space between them. She leant forward and kissed him softly on the lips, words no longer necessary as they held each and fell into a deep sleep together. It was the only time either one of them slept properly, when they were in each other's arms and they stole as many of these minutes as they could to be together.

**oooOOOOooo**

It was the next day and Sami was walking down an unfamiliar corridor when her cell phone rang and made her jump. She looked guiltily around her before answering, knowing that she was about to do something she wasn't completely proud of.

"Hello?" she said softly into the phone, glad to put off what she intended to do for another minute or so.

"The fox is in the hen house and the mongoose is off the leash," said EJ, his voice in a hushed and suitably mysterious tone, "The vulture is circling above while the farmer counts his chickens before they hatch."

Sami couldn't help but giggle at that. He'd taken to ringing her at different times in the day in the last few weeks with cryptic, pseudo spy lingo to tell her what he was up to right then. Her life had a lot of strains in it nowadays and she just loved how EJ knew how to make her laugh with his silliness when she needed it the most.

"Which one is Kate?" asked Sami in amusement.

"The mongoose of course," EJ said.

"And who is the vulture?" asked Sami around another giggle.

"Darling this isn't going to work if I have to explain all of my codes," said EJ in mock exasperation.

"They are getting more and more obscure EJ," she said with a protesting laugh, "Who's the farmer – what chickens?"

"The chickens haven't hatched yet," said EJ with feigned affront, "Do pay attention sweetheart otherwise we'll be here all day."

Sami bit her bottom lip, knowing she had the biggest, goofiest grin on her face right now.

"I miss you," she said softly, leaning against the wall as the world once again shrunk to just the two of them.

"In code," EJ instructed her and Sami could hear the grin he had on his face in his voice.

"The mailbox is empty," said Sami cheekily, "And the mailman has flown south for the winter."

"The envelope is on the table," said EJ impishly, "Just waiting for correct postage."

"Do you need me to lick your stamps for you EJ?" she asked him huskily, feeling her body tingling already at the sexy innuendo going on, "You know how I always seem to find myself with extra moisture when you're around."

"Oh god," said EJ with a strangled groan, giving up on their little game as she undid him, "Now stationary is getting me hard thanks to you – you are a shameless hussy young lady. I'll never be able to walk into an office supply store again without being arrested!"

"Tell you what honey," said Sami coyly, "Why don't we meet up after the wedding is done with and see if you can't make this shameless hussy blush – how does that sound?"

"Oh the possibilities," said EJ throatily, "I missed you this morning."

"I know," Sami said with a little sigh.

It had been so hard leaving EJ's arms early that morning and going back to Lucas, Sami had quietly cried herself to sleep next to a soundly sleeping Lucas.

"But we can see each other soon," said Sami, "How about I meet you at our hotel at about two?"

"Actually it will have to be later sweetheart," said EJ, "I've got something I need to do."

"What?" asked Sami curiously.

"I'll tell you when I see you," EJ promised her, "What are you doing this morning?"

Sami wrinkled her nose, knowing EJ would most likely not approve of what she was about to do.

"I'll tell you when I see you," she hedged as well.

"Love you," said EJ.

"Love you too," said Sami tremulously, "Have fun at the wedding."

"Oh I intend to," said EJ and gave an impish laugh.

"Are you going to be a bad boy?" asked Sami with an answering laugh.

"And then some," admitted EJ blithely, "If I have to attend I may as well create some havoc while I'm at it."

"Just don't have too much fun without me," Sami instructed him.

"Physically impossible," EJ declared.

With a last goodbye they hung up and Sami was back to having to think about what she was about to do. She walked the last few feet to the door she wanted and hesitated.

"Right," said Sami to herself as she stood in front of the door, "Don't chicken out Sami – just do this thing okay?"

She raised a still tentative hand and knocked on the door. A disembodied voice came from the other side of the door and did little to put her mind at rest.

"Come in Samantha – I've been expecting you."


	54. Chapter 201

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & ONE**** – ****Gentleman's Understanding**

To suffering there is a limit; to fearing, none.

_Francis Bacon Sr_

_(English Lawyer and Philosopher. 1561-1626)_

"Do you understand what I am telling you?" asked Stefano, looking at the young man sternly.

"Y-yes," said Royce nervously, trying to stop himself from jiggling from foot to foot nervously.

He'd spent a sleepless night oscillating between deciding to make a run for it and confessing all to the man currently staring him down that he'd slept with his fiancé and hope that would buy him some good will. Neither option was that appealing nor did they have very high possibilities of a great outcome. Royce had almost been passing out with fear when he'd arrived at the very imposing DiMera mansion that morning. There had been caterers and other miscellaneous people scurrying around busily in preparation for the impending wedding and Royce took some comfort from that. After all, Stefano was hardly going to kill him in front of an audience... right?

"_Just stay calm and try and act natural okay?" Linda told him._

"_And how am I meant to do that when I know the guy could just pull out a gun and shoot me?" asked Royce in agitation. _

"_Ohh Royce don't say that!" exclaimed Alisha. _

_Their three way phone conversation wasn't making Royce feel any better but he appreciated both of the women ringing him for moral support. _

"_And besides from what I hear Stefano DiMera doesn't do the shooting himself," offered up Linda, "So if you are talking directly to him then you should be fine."_

"_You think?" asked Royce hopefully as he held the phone to his ear with a hunched shoulder, ironing his shirt that he was going to be wearing to his meeting with Stefano. _

"_Oh yeah," said Linda confidently, "It's his wedding day and you are going to his house – he won't make a big scene."_

"_Are you saying that because you believe that or because you are trying to make me feel better?" asked Royce sceptically._

"_You know the saying – don't ask, don't tell?" asked Linda wryly._

"_Oh," said Royce despondently. _

"_Just try and be confident," suggested Alisha helpfully. _

"_But not too confident," Linda warned him, "You don't want to come across as cocky."_

"_And look like you are apologetic," offered up Alisha, "But don't look guilty."_

"_And try not to look scared," added Linda, "But don't look unafraid either." _

"_Um, okay," said Royce faintly._

"_And ring us when you are done," Alisha instructed him, "Linda and I will be on tender hooks waiting to know what happened."_

"_Straight away," Linda agreed. _

"_And if I don't have any fingers left to dial with?" asked Royce unhappily. _

"_Dial with your nose," said Linda pragmatically. _

"_Right," said Royce dully._

So currently Royce was standing before the big man himself, who was even more imposing in person than the young man could have ever imagined. He was trying to look calm but not cocky, fearful but not afraid, repentant but not guilty which was a hard look to pull off by anyone's count. Royce feared he looked more constipated than anything else right then.

"Well?" asked Stefano sharply, still waiting for a reply to his question.

"Ah y-yes sir," said Royce shakily, "You want me to clear all of Ms Robert's appointments for the next week so you can take her on a surprise honeymoon."

Royce was still trying to process what Stefano had just said to him. The relief that was flooding through him and was making him go weak at the knees. It wasn't about his affair with the man's fiancé at all – it was just about a man wanting to do something nice for his new wife. If Royce didn't think it would have gotten him into to more of the trouble he'd just dodged he would have kissed the man.

"You must not breathe a word of this to my wife to be," Stefano instructed him, "I want this to be a complete surprise to her."

"I'm sure that it will," said Royce hurriedly, "I'll be very discrete."

"Good," said Stefano with a happy little nod, "You can go now."

"Yes sir," said Royce unevenly.

He forced himself not to simply run screaming to the door, fearing that might arouse some suspicion on the other man's behalf but instead he walked to the door and his hand had just touched the door knob when Stefano stalled him.

"Oh and Royce," he said casually.

"Yes Mr DiMera?" asked Royce unsteadily as he turned around to see Stefano leafing through some paperwork in front of him absently.

"I want to make one thing perfectly clear to you," he said steadily, looking up and fixing him with a cool stare, "If you ever lay one finger on my soon to be wife again I will have you dismembered slowly over a matter of days as you watch on and then each piece will be thrown into a different part of the river. Is that understood?"

"I-I-I-" Royce squeaked, not even being able to form full words as he realised to his complete and utter horror that Stefano did in fact know about he and Kate.

"I do not care what Kate does before we are married," Stefano said in an off handed fashion, "But once she bears the name of DiMera then there are expectations that must be met. Expectations that do not involve the likes of a little boy like you. You will never look on her that way again or the first thing that I order removed from your body will be your eyes."

Royce just stood there, concentrating as hard as he could on not passing out. He'd been in fights before, he was a fit guy and could take care of himself but this man was something else again. Gone was the easy civility that he'd been greeted with on arrival where one might have been fooled into thinking that this was indeed just a pleasant business man on his wedding day. In that easy going persona's place Royce was looking into the face of a man who had no limits and he could see that in those bottomless eyes of his. He didn't doubt for a minute that these were not idle threats on the behalf of the older man. In fact they were more in line with being promises and the power and might of the infamous Stefano DiMera rolled off him effortlessly and enveloped the hapless young man and Royce knew he was staring down death right at that moment.

"Am- am I fired?" asked Royce faintly, more than happy to take that as his punishment and still think he'd gotten off lightly.

"Why would you be fired?" asked Stefano in genuine surprise.

"Well because… ah…," Royce stumbled to find the words that wouldn't get him killed.

"Do you think I am worried about a pup such as yourself?" asked Stefano and gave a truly amused laugh then, "What do I care about you eh? You are nothing, less than nothing."

"Oh," said Royce, a little confused now – he would have thought that being fired would go without saying.

"We have reached an understanding you and I and I don't doubt that you will be highly motivated to keep to that understanding," said Stefano with a casual shrug, "I see no reason for you to quit your employment – you are nothing to both Kate or myself – do you understand?"

"Yes Mr DiMera," said Royce shakily.

Stefano looked at him in annoyance now as he still stood there, frozen to the spot and not sure what he should do next.

"Be gone," Stefano commanded him with a careless flick of his hand, "This conversation has become tiresome."

"Yes sir, thank you sir," said Royce quickly and didn't wait to be asked twice.

Royce didn't care how it looked this time; he did run for the door and was through it so quickly that anyone would think he was being pursued by the hounds of hell. Royce had his eye on the prize, the front door, his salvation and was almost at it when a familiar voice came from behind him and almost made him lose control of his bodily functions.

"What are you doing here?" Kate asked in annoyance.

Royce turned around, staring at her like she was the devil incarnate and gaping like a fish, Stefano's warnings still ringing in his ears.

"Go," he managed to say, his voice strangled, "Have to, river, eyes."

With that disjointed statement uttered Royce then made a bolt for the door and didn't stop running until he was at his car and roaring away in a cloud of dust and fear.

"I see you are having your usual effect on men Katherine," commented EJ as he came to stand beside her in time to watch Royce flee with an annoyed Kate.

"Young men are idiots," she declared flatly.

"Some more than others," agreed EJ readily before looking her up and down.

"What?" asked Kate with a challenging look.

"So is that the wedding dress?" asked EJ with an arched eyebrow, taking in the satin, brilliant red and off the shoulder dress she was wearing.

"Going to make a crack about it being an appropriate colour?" she asked him challengingly.

"I was going to but it is too easy," said EJ pursing his lips, "I think you've come to expect more from me with our little verbal sparring matches."

"Don't tell me you are actually cutting me a break Elvis?" asked Kate in disbelief as she arched an eyebrow at him.

"Call it my wedding gift to you Kate," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "Sorry I couldn't wrap it."

**oooOOOOooo**

"Estelle," said EJ warmly as he opened the door for her at the mansion later on that morning, "How wonderful to see you darling."

EJ moved forward and kissed her cheek and then took her hand to lead her into the house.

"I would have picked you up you know," EJ told her as he took her coat.

"I like to drive," said Estelle simply, looking around herself and taking in the grandeur of the house, "Nice digs."

"Be it ever so humble," agreed EJ wryly.

"It must be a terrible burden being stinking rich," Estelle commented in amusement.

"It is rather," agreed EJ seriously, "But I guess that is why my shoulders are so broad."

"Is Sami going to be here today?" asked Estelle with interest.

"Unfortunately no," said EJ regretfully, "Her diseased growth of a faux boyfriend vetoed it. Apparently he doesn't approve of the union between Salem's answer to the anti-Christ and Mussolini for some strange reason."

"And you of course are completely behind it one hundred percent," said Estelle dryly.

"Let's just say I'm prepared to let the chips fall where they may for the time being," said EJ calmly, "But will have no compunction about picking up said chips and driving them through the anti-Christ's heart if things turn ugly."

"Why would they turn ugly with an attitude like that?" asked Estelle mockingly.

"Let's just say that Kate and I have a history and I know firsthand that her motives are rarely pure and always cost someone dearly," said EJ flatly.

"Intriguing," she commented.

"Very," said EJ with a grimace but didn't offer any more insight, "Why don't I show you around?"

"Sounds wonderful," Estelle agreed readily.

"So no Sami today hm?" asked Estelle as fifteen minutes later they were back where they had started and more of the wedding guests had begun to arrive, "Sorry about that EJ."

"It's alright," said EJ with a smile, "We're planning on meeting up later and mailing some letters together."

"You breeders are so weird," said Estelle with a roll of her eyes at seeing how excited he was at that prospect.

"Would you like a drink?" asked EJ with a smile.

"EJ it's eleven o'clock in the morning," Estelle tutted, "What do you think?"

"So that's a yes then?" asked EJ in amusement.

"That's make it the largest glass of your most expensive anything," said Estelle with a nod, "Oh and some canapés that I see wandering around here – two of everything if you don't mind."

"You sure you wouldn't just like me to get you your own tray of the things?" asked EJ with a laugh.

"Oh yeah," she nodded, completely seriously, "That's a good idea – do that."

EJ just looked at her and shook his head.

"I'm a girl with a healthy appetite," said Estelle with an unapologetic shrug.

"Don't I know it," said EJ with a wink, "I've been taking you out to dinner for the last month – you've near bankrupted me."

"I'm worth it," said Estelle confidently as she rearranged her bodice a little before looking back at him, "Now go on – fetch."

"Yes my little turtle dove," said EJ in feigned meekness around a smile.

"Faster than that panda thighs," she instructed him with an inclination of her head, "I get feisty when I'm hungry and it isn't pretty."

"I'll be right back," said EJ as he headed off to procure the requested items.

Estelle wandered over to where a series of paintings were hanging on the wall, taking the time to admire them.

"I don't believe we have met," commented a voice behind her, "You must be Estelle."

Estelle turned around to see the man of the moment, giving her a cool little smile. She recognised his pictures from the newspapers where he was often featured in one capacity or the other.

"And you must be the groom," she said with an easy smile, "Estelle Daniels."

Estelle held out her hand and Stefano took it, bringing it to his lips and kissing the back of it in an old fashioned gesture which she quite liked.

"Elvis said you were beautiful," Stefano said, his dark eyes looking at her very intently, clearly summing her up.

"I'm sure that is not all he told you about me," said Estelle smoothly.

"No it is not," Stefano agreed, his expression giving nothing away.

Estelle just looked back at him, staring him down.

"They're all originals you know," said Stefano evenly, nodding at the paintings she'd been admiring.

"I can tell," Estelle nodded, "They are all part of the same series by Amedeo Modigliani-"

She went back to studying them as Stefano gave an impressed lift of an eyebrow at correctly naming the Italian artist.

"You can really see how he was influenced by Cézanne in this one in particular," Estelle commented, pointing to the middle painting, "But you're missing one from this series."

"You know art," said Stefano with an approving nod.

"I know good art," Estelle agreed, "You must have paid a fortune to get your hands on these paintings or killed a lot of people."

"No, no," said Stefano with a shake of his head before there was an impish gleam in his eyes, "Well, it depends by what you mean by a lot of people I suppose."

"However many it was it was worth it," said Estelle without missing a beat, "I'd give anything to be able to have even one of these paintings to revel in on a daily basis. I can't imagine a person ever getting tired of looking at such beauty."

"I like you," Stefano declared.

"I'm kind of relieved if even half the rumours about you are true," said Estelle wryly.

"Getting to know one another I see?" said EJ, arriving with a glass of champagne in one hand and a platter of mixed canapés in the other.

"Is my son moonlighting as one of the serving staff?" asked Stefano in amusement at seeing him carrying all of that food.

"It's for me," said Estelle blithely.

"We have a catered lunch after the ceremony my dear," said Stefano with a smile.

"That's hours away," said Estelle easily, "I'll never make it."

"She has hollow legs," said EJ dryly.

"I like women that eat," said Stefano with a nod of his head.

"Then you are going to love me Mr DiMera," said Estelle knowingly.

"Please, it is Stefano," said Stefano, "My son's... companion cannot be so formal eh?"

"Stefano it is then," she nodded, accepting the invitation.

"Perhaps after the ceremony we can talk some more?" Stefano suggested, "I have a private collection of paintings that I think you will find most diverting."

"That sounds wonderful," Estelle said with a smile.

"If you both will excuse me," he said, inclining his head a little, "I have some last minute duties to attend to."

EJ and Estelle murmured their permission and then it was just the two of them.

"You were a hit," commented EJ as Estelle took the offered glass of wine whilst EJ set the platter of food down beside her on a nearby table.

"I have a way about me," Estelle informed him casually.

"So I see," he agreed in amusement.

EJ wasn't looking forward to today, particularly the visit he had planned with John that afternoon but Estelle was very agreeable company at least so this wasn't going to be a complete wipe out on the fun front he decided. Of course EJ would have much preferred to have been there with Sami but thanks to fate handing them the rough end of a pineapple right then it just wasn't an option. He wondered what she was doing right then, her mysterious 'tell you later' that had echoed his own had piqued his curiosity. EJ still wasn't sure if he was going to tell Sami about his visit with John that afternoon. It rather depended he supposed on what was going to come out of it. Perhaps he wouldn't have to if it went badly as Sami would probably be able to work it out for herself when she was visiting him in jail.

"A nickel and one lint covered mentos for your thoughts," Estelle prompted him.

EJ looked at her askew for that offer.

"The contents of my purse," she informed him.

"You know if you have less than a dollar on your person and a policeman stops you that you could be arrested for vagrancy in this state," EJ commented in amusement.

"Honey if we get raided I don't see them by passing the murdering drug lord for the contents of my purse," said Estelle wryly.

"You make an excellent point," agreed EJ with a quirk of his lips, "Another drink?"

"Why not?" she asked happily, "I always like to have a little buzz on at weddings."

"Thanks for the warning," said EJ with a smile.

He headed off to get another glass of wine for Estelle and orange juice for himself. Something told EJ that he was going to need a clear head for the events of today.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE****: **Now I know that chapter smacked of filler and had no EJami in it but there was a reason for it I promise. I have a lot of characters in this story now and it is hard to get around to all of them and tell their little stories as well because one – I don't want to be still writing this story on my death bed – a very likely possibility at the rate I am going can I just say and two – the more depths given to supporting characters the more satisfying the story… hopefully. So this chapter was just to give you a bit of an idea with the EJ and Estelle dynamic – as will the next one but my main reason was to do with Stefano.

Royce is a device to show you all where Kate is at the moment, how she sees the world and what she wants. That is going to evolve over time as she changes which I'm looking forward to. However this posed a problem for me with Stefano and if there is one thing the current writer's of Days have taught me is to never sacrifice who a character is to sell a plot point. Of course they've taught me that by doing just that too many times to count now but it certainly rammed the point home to me.

Stefano is an evil super villain – sure he has bad judgement when it comes to henchmen but otherwise he is quite brilliant. He's not some sappy teenager in love and it just seemed unlikely to me that he wouldn't have been keeping an eye on Kate, as happy as he was to marry her. Stefano is a practical guy and I didn't want him to appear in the dark about that aspect of Kate. It just made sense to me that he wouldn't be jealous per se, just vaguely annoyed by Kate's carry on. I couldn't see him being threatened by the likes of Royce but I didn't see him putting up with that kind of nonsense either so that is what this chapter was all about really – giving the old bloke his dues.

I didn't want Stefano to appear stupid through most of this story and then suddenly grow a brain when I need him to for the purpose of selling my current plot. I have too much respect for the character and after a year of watching characters be made into idiots to sell plot points on the real show now I just didn't have the heart to do it to the old boy.


	55. Chapter 202

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & TWO**** – ****The Brady Bunch**

What counts is not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog.

_Dwight Eisenhower_

_(American 34__th__ President)_

"Who's that cutie?" asked Estelle with interest as she happily chomped away on the platter of food EJ had secured for her and looked around the room with milling wedding guests.

"That's Daniel Jonas," EJ told her, "He's a doctor at Salem University hospital."

"Not the man idiot," she said with a roll of her eyes, "The woman."

'"Oh of course," said EJ with a chuckle, forgetting for a moment her preference for women over men, "That's Chelsea – Kate's granddaughter. She's the product of Kate's daughter and Samantha's uncle actually."

"Twisty," commented Estelle.

"Tip. Iceberg," agreed EJ readily, "But I'm afraid she is no use to you my dear. I have this rather strong inkling that the good doctor has been giving her more than her fair of personal physical checkups of late."

"What makes you say that?" asked Estelle curiously as she looked over at them.

"It comes with the insight and empathy from someone who is also trying to keep a relationship under wraps," said EJ wryly, "See how they are carefully ignoring one another?"

"Maybe they don't like each other?" offered up Estelle.

"No," said EJ firmly, "They are pretending indifference – trust me."

"It kind of sucks to be you right now doesn't it?" asked Estelle giving him a sideways sympathetic look.

"This is harder on Samantha," said EJ softly, his face full of regret, "I get to swan around with a beautiful woman on my arm while she plays nurse maid to a man that has always treated her like his second choice."

"That's pretty harsh," she commented, "I mean he can't be as bad as all that if Sami wants to do this amazing thing for him – even without his knowledge."

"He's the father of Samantha's son and he's been in her life for a long time," said EJ with a grimace, "My darling girl has a strong streak of loyalty to her and I love that about her but it has made somewhat of a rod for her own back unfortunately."

"I don't know how either one of you are doing it," said Estelle with a shake of her head.

"Samantha is worth any kind of trial on my behalf," said EJ with a soft smile, "I'll do whatever I must to make her happy."

"I just hope all of this is worth it," said Estelle pensively, "You two are definitely going the hard way about things."

"Samantha and I are not ones to dabble in mediocrity," agreed EJ in amusement, "If we do something it tends to be over the top – it's in our natures."

"Never a dull moment then, is that it?" asked Estelle with a smile.

"Stick with me sweetheart and I'll show you just how true that is," said EJ, wiggling his eyebrows at her in a comical fashion and making her laugh.

"I see you're having your usual trouble with getting women to take you seriously."

EJ turned around to see that Philip Kiriarkis had come up behind him as he was speaking with Estelle with a vaguely smug look on his face. EJ could see right away that Philip was unhappy at being there right now and looking to take it out on somebody and he couldn't be more pleased by that thought because he felt exactly the same way.

"Hello EJ," said Phillip calmly with a smile on his face that came nowhere near his eyes.

"Ah Philip so good to see you," said EJ jovially, deciding to cheer himself up and have a little fun with the man.

"Wish I could say the same," he said in a rather surly way.

"You're in a mood," EJ commented with an arched eyebrow.

"Why wouldn't I be?" asked Philip, his lips thinning, "My mother is marrying a monster."

"How strange," said EJ thoughtfully, "I'm having the exact same concerns about my father – what are the odds eh?"

EJ looked him up and down then.

"Well if you are this disapproving I'm not sure what you are doing here," EJ observed easily.

"I'm here to support my Mom," said Philip flatly.

"Oh good idea," said EJ with a nod of his head, "At her age getting around is probably going to be a bit of a trial by the end of the day. Don't need her falling and breaking a hip now do we?"

"Actually I would have thought it was your old man closer to death's door," said Philip coolly, "I heard he's starting to outsource now for his organs."

"It's true," EJ confirmed readily, "Thank god Neiman Marcus has an organ department now."

"And here was I thinking he just ripped out of some poor unsuspecting bastard," said Philip with a sweet smile.

"We're not the living dead in our family you know," said EJ in amusement although truth be told he still did worry where that kidney of his father's had come from, "Well only the one but we don't let him around children and small animals."

EJ gave a mock faraway look as though remembering happier times.

"Ah Uncle Morty, how you made the holidays so much fun," said EJ with a sigh.

"Was that an attempt at humour on your behalf?" asked Philip coolly, "Because I paid really close attention and I just couldn't tell."

"Americans always do seem to struggle with the subtleties of British humour," said EJ seriously before putting a hand on Philip's shoulder and patting it condescendingly.

"Yeah I guess that is why I never got into Benny Hill," Philip shot back at him, "Too high brow for me."

EJ's lips quirked, enjoying Philip's humour. He found Philip to be much more agile in word play than Lucas, his brain thinking faster when it came to quips and one liners, rather like EJ's. He had nothing against Philip per se but was just in the mood to rattle some cages and Philip seemed happy to push back just as hard so all in all EJ was enjoying himself. Estelle had been listening to the exchange patiently but was apparently getting bored as she not so subtly cleared her throat.

"I do beg your pardon Estelle," said EJ evenly, "Where are my manners? Darling this is Philip Kiriarkis – one of Kate's offspring – well what's left of him anyway. He carelessly left his foot in a foreign country."

A muscle in Phillip's cheek began to tic and his eyes narrowed at EJ's jab.

"Philip this is the very lovely Estelle," said EJ with an inclination of his head towards her.

"Oh yeah," said Philip, clearly not bothering to pretend to be polite anymore, "I've heard about you – you're EJ's latest conquest aren't you? He's had so many now it is all beginning to blur."

"I like a man with experience," said Estelle easily, "Nothing worse than having a man who is all fingers and thumbs but not where you want them to be."

Philip blinked once, his only sign of surprise at Estelle's guileless answer. He'd obviously been expecting her to be offended by his remark and EJ had to stifle his amusement over the miscalculation. Estelle was not your shy and retiring type and if you pushed her she'd push right back.

"I'm sure you know what I mean," said Estelle with a conspiratorial smile.

"I don't actually," said Philip coolly.

"How unfortunate for your poor wife," said Estelle with feigned regret and EJ had to bite down on his cheek to stop from laughing out loud, "Thank god for sex toys eh? Where would marriages be without them?"

"I'm not married," said Philip flatly.

"Perhaps the two things are related?" suggested Estelle blithely.

"Where did you find this one EJ?" asked Philip with a sweet smile, "In a gutter or a bar? I know you have trouble keeping women interested so it probably just as well you keep your standards low."

"I can see all of your manners and charm were in that foot you lost," said Estelle dryly and EJ had to work really hard not to snicker aloud at that.

He thought having a war of words with Philip was fun but it turned out watching Estelle verbally bitch slap him was even more entertaining. Clearly Estelle didn't need his help in defending herself and EJ was more than happy to let her run with it. Obviously Philip was used to far more accommodating women because Estelle was certainly giving him a run for his money.

"Who the hell are you?" asked Philip in annoyance as Estelle refused to cower before the mighty name of Kiriarkis.

"The woman who isn't taking any of your crap," she said easily, "Let me guess – I'm the first?"

"Philips ex-wife was a little more on the compliant side," EJ agreed readily, "Actually Belle is Samantha's half sister."

"Sami is the woman EJ couldn't get his grubby hands on in case you didn't know," Philip filled her in with a bit of a smirk, "I guess you are what they call a consolation prize Estelle."

"And Philip is quite the expert on that darling because his wife only married him because she couldn't get the real love of her life, Shawn Brady," EJ volunteered with a smirk of his own.

"Wait a minute," said Estelle with a frown as Philip threw EJ a murderous look at that little comment, "Didn't you say Belle was Sami's sister but isn't Sami a Brady which means I assume she is related to this Shawn?"

"Belle and Samantha share a mother who isn't a Brady," explained EJ, "Shawn is the product of Samantha's uncle who even though called a Brady is actually a Kiriarkis by blood because his mother had an affair with Victor."

"So Shawn is your brother?" said Estelle in disbelief.

"Half brother," said Philip tersely, it clearly still a very open wound for him.

"My god," said Estelle with an amazed shake of her head, "Police officers, dentists and genealogists in Salem – the most stress filled professions in the world."

EJ did laugh aloud then at that comment but Philip wasn't so amused.

"I'm glad you can find other people's pain so entertaining," said Philip dourly.

"Oh don't be such a sour puss Philip," said EJ blithely and then as an aside to Estelle, "He's just still a little terse with me because I fornicated with his mother."

"You mean Kate?" asked Estelle looking past EJ to where she was standing on the other side of the room talking to Victor and gave a nod, "She's a good looking woman – I could see myself tapping that."

Estelle stopped abruptly, clearly realising what she said and then gave Philip an easy smile.

"If I was gay of course," she said calmly, "Which I'm not. I'm as straight as-"

She paused and wrinkled her nose.

"What's something that's really straight?" she asked thoughtfully.

"EJ's road to Hell?" offered up Philip sweetly.

"Is everyone getting along?" asked Stefano cheerfully as he walked up to the little group.

"Absolutely Father," said EJ just as cheerfully, "Philip and I were just about to get matching tattoos after braiding one another's hair."

"You are all to play nicely together today," Stefano instructed them firmly, "I want Kate and myself to have a very pleasant day for our wedding day."

Philip and EJ exchanged looks, clearly both having to swallow some smart alec comeback to that comment.

"And I'm sure it will be," said EJ calmly, exercising great restraint.

"I don't see how it can," said Philip sourly, obviously not feeling the same need.

"I think that is our cue to make ourselves scarce," said EJ with a quirk of his lips to Estelle, "I think my brother to be has a few words to say to his soon to be daddy."

"I have a father," said Philip flatly, "He's giving the bride away."

"Am I a little more buzzed then I thought?" asked Estelle in confusion, "Or am I the only one at this wedding not related to or had sex with the bride?"

"You're in a select group," agreed EJ in amusement, "Now come along and I'll show you the gardens."

He took Estelle's arm and led her away while Philip and Stefano squared off.

"I can see you are unhappy Philip," said Stefano calmly, "Speak your piece and be done with it."

"Why are you marrying my mother?" asked Philip straight out.

"Why does anyone get married?" asked Stefano with a little shrug.

"Why am I not surprised that you answered a question with another question?" asked Philip bitterly.

"You mean like you just did?" asked Stefano with mild amusement.

"I'm not going to get a straight answer from you am I?" asked Philip flatly.

"Ah," said Stefano with a little laugh, "Another question I see. Let me try and stop this going around in circles eh? I am marrying your mother because I care very deeply for her, we have a long history together and I respect the kind of woman she is."

"Really?" asked Philip sceptically, "And you expect me to believe that?"

"I have no expectations or control over what you do or do not believe Philip," said Stefano simply, "That is up to you. All I can do is tell you how it is and it is up to you to choose what you believe."

"I choose not to trust you," said Philip, his jaw hardening.

"Philip?" said Kate, coming to stand beside Stefano now with a concerned frown, "What are you doing?"

"Trying to work out what the hell is going on here," he said angrily.

"I'm getting married," said Kate calmly.

"To Stefano DiMera!" he said with obvious distaste.

"Yes," said Kate determinedly, "To Stefano DiMera."

"So what?" he asked sarcastically, "You said yes to the first guy who asked – is that it Mom?"

"Actually I asked him," said Kate easily and Stefano gave a little smile at her admission.

"You did?" asked Philip in disbelief, "Why?"

"Philip honey," said Kate evenly, "You don't ask my opinion for your choices in love, nor my approval and I'm uncertain why you expect all of a sudden to have a say in my love life either. Stefano and I are a good match and this is something we both want so while I'm sorry to hear that you aren't happy for me but it is just something both of us are going to have to live with because in the next hour Stefano and I are going to be married."

Philip looked away, frustrated by her answer because he didn't have a response to it.

"Philip, family is extremely important to both Kate and I," said Stefano firmly, "And we understand that this is a sudden turn of affairs but your mother deserves your support right now, after all that she has done for you."

"And what about Lucas and Austen?" asked Philip in annoyance, "They're your sons as well Mom – where are they in this one big happy family unit the two of you are supposedly creating by getting married?"

"Austen and Carrie couldn't make it back to the States in time," said Kate evenly, "And Lucas-"

Kate stopped abruptly and Stefano gave her elbow a sympathetic squeeze before she went on.

"And Lucas has a lot on his plate lately," she finished quietly.

"What does that mean?" asked Philip with a scowl.

"I just mean that Lucas has some things he's working through right now and I understand that," Kate hedged.

"So what he gets a free pass with all of this while you expect me to come?" asked Philip bitterly, "Is there ever going to be a day when Lucas isn't your golden haired favourite Mom?"

"You will not speak to your mother in such a way," said Stefano sternly, "She is your mother and deserves your respect Philip, not a brow beating on the day of her wedding."

"It's not like it is her first," said Philip bitingly.

"Enough!" Stefano snapped, "You will show respect to the both of us in our home otherwise you will leave!"

"Stefano don't," said Kate unhappily, "I want Philip to stay."

"He is more than welcome to stay as long as he behaves in a respectful fashion," said Stefano unflinchingly, "I will not have you spoken to this way Katherine – and especially not by one of your children."

Philip looked between the two of them, his mother's stricken expression and Stefano's stern one and relented.

"I'm sorry Mom," he said at last, "I don't mean to make you unhappy but I worry about you – that's all."

"I know you do," said Kate quickly, giving him a grateful look as she took his arm, "I want you here darling."

"So no family smack down?" asked Estelle regretfully as she and EJ watched the little scene play out from across the room as they stood by the French doors that led out to the garden.

They couldn't hear what was being said but body language alone gave a pretty clear indication that there was more than a little tension between the three.

"Wait until the speeches," said EJ with a smile as he took a sip of his drink, "I'd put money on there being some kind of outbreak then."

"I always wanted to go to a wedding where when the priest asks does anyone object and someone puts their hand up," Estelle confessed to him eagerly.

"I was unaware that weddings in Salem went any other way," said EJ wryly, "You'd have to be crazy to get married in this town. The last one I went to didn't even happen."

"Who's was that?" she asked him curiously.

"Samantha's," said EJ simply.

"And did you have anything to do with that?" asked Estelle in amusement.

"Estelle," said EJ, looking deeply hurt, "How can you ask me such a thing?"

EJ took a sip of his drink and then sent her a sideways look.

"Of course I did," he said with a twitch of his lips, "The only man Samantha is ever going to be marrying is me."

"Stalker," Estelle announced off handedly.

"When it comes to Samantha," agreed EJ happily, "Absolutely – until my dying day."


	56. Chapter 203

**AUTHOR'S NOTE****: **Okay for those of you who are trying to work out what might be coming up in the story this is just a little heads up that in the last couple of chapters and a few this week I'm dropping little cookies along the way, typical soap style, of what could be coming up. I think this chapter in particular is one of those that when things happen later on and if you happen to come back and re-read this chapter you'll go – ahhh, I get it. LOL

Anyway, just thought I'd share... please enjoy...

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & THREE**** – ****Cross My Palm with Silver**

One thorn of experience is worth a whole wilderness of warning.

_James Russell Lowell_

_(American Poet, Critic, Essayist, Editor and Diplomat, 1819-1891)_

Sami bit down on her bottom lip and pushed open the door as she'd been invited to and walked into the apartment. She looked around herself and it took a moment to find the occupant.

"Hello Celeste," she said quietly.

"Hello Samantha," the older woman returned calmly as she stood in the doorway to what Sami assumed was the kitchen.

Sami shifted her weight from one foot to the other as she tried to think what to say next.

"I suppose you are wondering what I am doing here," she said at last.

"Not as much as you are I suspect," said Celeste wryly, crossing over and coming to stand in front of Sami.

Sami made an unhappy face at that accurate observation.

"Come," said Celeste and waved her hand towards the sofa, "Sit."

Sami looked to where Celeste had indicated and made a surprised face at seeing Tarot cards neatly laid out on the table. She looked at Celeste in confusion.

"I told you dahling," said Celeste simply in that languid way of hers, "I've been expecting you."

"I-I don't believe in this stuff," Sami stammered, feeling very uncertain now, particularly in the light of Celeste's certainty.

"Man thought the world to be flat for thousands of years but the earth's shape did not change because of their disbelief," observed Celeste, taking a seat even as Sami still stood uncertainly, rubbing her arms as she felt suddenly cold.

"I don't know why I'm here," she whispered painfully.

"You have come for answers," said Celeste easily.

"And you think you have them do you?" asked Sami, her lips thinning in annoyance, frustrated at the older woman's assuredness when she was still so uncertain.

"Samantha," Celeste purred her name, "You came to me remember dahling – so you tell me."

"My life is-" Sami stopped, trying to find the right words, "-complicated right now."

"All life is complicated," said Celeste calmly, "Simplicity only comes with death."

"How did you know I was coming?" asked Sami with a frown, "I only decided an hour ago."

Sami had woken up that morning after yet another restless night still with that heavy feeling of impending doom sitting heavily in the pit of her stomach. Despite EJ's reassurances from the night before Sami couldn't shake this feeling of unease and it only seemed to be growing. Sami had no idea what to do with all of this restless energy until suddenly thoughts of Celeste had popped into her head. She'd argued with herself half the morning about what a stupid idea it was to go to a self proclaimed psychic but the thought wouldn't go away. Sami had heard enough stories about Celeste to at least make her wonder about what it was the other woman was actually capable of and in the end she couldn't stand it any longer and had given in to her impulse.

"Energy has a way of heralding its arrival," said Celeste simply, confusing Sami.

"Energy?" asked Sami curiously.

"You have a strong life force Samantha," Celeste told her, "It fills any room you enter and leaves behind a vibrant glow."

"I do?" asked Sami hesitantly, "Is that good?"

"It means you are a being to be reckoned with," said Celeste with a small smile, "A wilful cascade of water that cuts a path through even the toughest of stone."

"I'm still not sure if that is good or not," said Sami, wrinkling her nose.

"Like most things it can be either good or bad," Celeste informed her, "It depends where the energy is aimed."

"I don't think this is a good idea," said Sami uneasily.

"Then you should go," said Celeste, making no move to stop her but instead picking up the stack of Tarot cards and beginning to shuffle them in an unhurried fashion.

Sami stood there, watching Celeste shuffle the cards and made no move to leave. She didn't know what she expected Celeste to do about her feelings of unrest but seeing as she didn't have a backup plan to speak of Sami was finding it very hard to leave all of a sudden. She hesitated for a long moment before reluctantly going over and sitting in the sofa that Celeste had first offered her. Celeste waited until she was settled before handing her the cards.

"Shuffle them," she instructed her, "Then deal out three cards on the table, face down."

Sami took the offered cards, beginning to shuffle them and feeling very uncomfortable.

"This is ridiculous," she mumbled under her breath although she still did as Celeste had asked and laid out three cards when she was done shuffling.

"Are you ready?" asked Celeste calmly as Sami stared down at the cards uncertainly.

"I don't know," said Sami fearfully.

"They are only cards Samantha," Celeste calmed her, "They cannot hurt you but they may be able to save you."

"Am I in danger?" asked Sami with a frown, not liking the way Celeste had said that.

"To live is to battle death," she said enigmatically but Sami couldn't help but feel that the older woman had intentionally side stepped the question.

Celeste who was sitting across from her now leant over and flipped the first card. Sami leant closer to it as well although she didn't know what she was looking at.

"The Eight of Swords," Celeste murmured, "The Lord of the Shortened Force."

"Is that bad?" asked Sami, unable to help herself.

"There is jealousy in your life," said Celeste, "From all around you."

Sami wrinkled her nose and thought of EJ and Estelle at that wedding together and had to admit that she'd felt more than a pang of jealousy at the thought. It wasn't that she didn't trust either one of them implicitly it was just the fact that someone other than herself was getting to be with EJ when she couldn't. Sami was jealous of every minute of the day that he wasn't with her. Of course Sami also knew that EJ was struggling with his jealousy over her and Lucas and again, Sami couldn't blame him. All in all there was a lot of the emotion to go around between the two of them.

"Maybe," said Sami reluctantly, not wanting to give too much away.

"And there a sickness, an illness that oppresses," continued on Celeste seriously, "Something that is hidden but will soon be revealed and wreck havoc on those around them."

Sami stifled a little gasp, shocked by Celeste's words. There was no way she could know about Lucas' leukaemia and Sami felt a little chill go through her.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Sami hedged.

"I am merely telling you of what the cards herald Samantha," said Celeste calmly, "This is your story they are telling, not mine. Let us look at the next card eh?"

Celeste turned the next card over and nodded.

"La Papess – the High Priestess," she informed Sami, "Your intuition has brought you here Samantha and you will need it in the times to come. You must trust that part of yourself."

"I haven't been notoriously successful with trusting my decisions in the past," Sami commented wryly.

"But you are not the same person anymore are you Samantha?" asked Celeste rather astutely as she eyed her intently, "You have been transformed into your true self – this card tells me you have a secret knowledge that you never possessed before."

Sami couldn't help but think of EJ and what his love for her had shown her. For the first time in her life Sami was free to be exactly who she was, holding nothing back and it was true, EJ's love and acceptance had changed her. Sami had never felt more like her true self than she did right now, no apologies and it was all because of the strength that EJ's love had given her.

"People mature," Sami mumbled, keeping that truth to herself.

"Yes they do," said Celeste with a half smile, as though she knew everything despite Sami's best efforts to keep her secrets.

"So that is a good card then?" she asked, needing to change the subject.

"It's a card of mystery," Celeste said with a shake of her head, "There is something that remains to be revealed, a duality that concerns me."

"A duality?" Sami queried in confusion, "What does that mean?"

"I don't know," said Celeste softly, closing her eyes briefly, "There is a huge amount of feminine energy converging on you Samantha, an influence that affects all of your life right now, your decisions and happiness. This force is a malignant one, one that will cause untold pain and suffering in your life even though it started from a place of love."

"Right," said Sami slowly, "Well that's less encouraging I guess."

"I'm sorry that this is not what you wanted to hear Samantha," said Celeste regretfully.

"Celeste I don't even know what it is that I am hearing," said Sami in frustration.

"Sometimes these things have more than one application," Celeste told her.

"So what?" asked Sami in annoyance, "There is a gang of women out to get me in Salem – is that what you are saying? Great, just great!"

"No, no," said Celeste with a shake of her head, "The cards tell me that there will be a huge influence from feminine powers on your life, that is all. I do not know where it is coming from. Sometimes there is a short term and a long term fulfilment of these things."

Sami pursed her lips, trying to think. Kate had been leaving her and Lucas alone of late, miracles of miracles and Sami couldn't think of any other woman in her life that was influencing her right then. While she'd been thinking Celeste had turned over the next card.

"La Maison Dieu, The Tower," she informed Sami, "This is a card of disruption, conflict and change. There is a violent loss in your future Samantha and widespread repercussions of actions."

"And it just keeps getting better," said Sami despondently.

She really didn't like the sound of a violent loss and couldn't help but think about Stefano and what having him even in the fringes of her life might bring. The sooner EJ cut his ties with that man the better but they had both agreed that until they could be together properly there was no point in rocking the boat just yet. Both she and EJ had enough to deal with at the moment without adding a vengeful Stefano. Sami suddenly had second thoughts about what Stefano's reaction to EJ's no doubt perceived betrayal actually was going to be. She'd pictured him being cut off by the man but this violent loss had her worried about more far reaching consequences now.

"It is not all bad," said Celeste comfortingly, "This card also speaks of freedom at the end of all the conflict."

"You mean for whoever is left standing?" asked Sami flatly, "Can't wait."

"Quand le vin est tiré, il faut le boire," Celeste murmured.

"What does that mean?" asked Sami in annoyance, not feeling any better after her time with Celeste, in fact, a little worse if anything.

"It's something a friend of mine would say if she was here," said Celeste with a little smile, "What it means literally is that once the wine is drawn it must be drunk."

"Meaning?" Sami asked her in frustration.

"Meaning once a journey has begun it must be completed," said Celeste simply, "You have begun a journey Samantha, your choices have brought you to this moment and they will propel you into the future, there is no stopping that now."

"What's the point of trying to know the future then if you can't change it?" asked Sami in agitation.

"Forewarned is forearmed," said Celeste calmly, "You have many trials ahead of you Samantha and you must be ready to face them. One is coming very soon, something unexpected and life altering."

"Can I buy a vowel with that frustratingly vague statement?" asked Sami in annoyance.

"No," said Celeste with a smile, "But choose another card and we will hear what it has to say."

Sami pulled a face and reluctantly pulled out another card from the deck and prayed it was going to be the Fluffy Hamster of Happiness to counteract all of the other ominous cards.

"Oh crap," she said unhappily when she flicked it over on the table.

"La Diable – The Devil," stated Celeste as they both looked at the card.

"My hand slipped," said Sami quickly, going to put it back in the deck, "That isn't the card that I wanted to choose."

"No," said Celeste, grabbing her hand and stopping Sami from putting back the card, "The card is chosen."

"But-" Sami tried to protest but Celeste was already doing the reading on the card.

"It is upside down," she noted with a frown.

"That's good right?" asked Sami brightly, "A devil on its head is like an angel right?"

Celeste looked at her with an arched eyebrow and Sami grimaced.

"You can't blame a girl for trying," she muttered unhappily, "So what does an upside down devil card mean anyway?"

"True evil," said Celeste without hesitation.

"Lucky me," said Sami flatly, "Oh well, it's not the first time I've been accused of being the devil and it's unlikely to be the last."

"Not you Samantha," said Celeste with a shake of her head and a worried look on her face, "There is an evil casting a shadow over you, one that is taking stronger form every day-"

Celeste suddenly had a faraway look on her face, as though she was no longer sitting there with Sami but was in a different place now. Sami didn't know if it was her overactive imagination or not but the room suddenly seemed colder to her and she gave a little shudder.

"What was one is becoming two, the dark overtaking the light," said Celeste, her voice suddenly hoarse and full of fear, "The evil will consume all in its path, it will want to destroy anyone that gets in its way."

"Does this evil have a name?" asked Sami shakily, actually starting to get a little bit afraid now at how Celeste was acting.

"A," said Celeste without hesitation.

"A what, A who?" asked Sami, leaning forward urgently and grabbing Celeste's arm.

The contact seemed to bring Celeste back from wherever she had gone because she suddenly focused on Sami, blinking rapidly as though she'd just woken up.

"I-I don't know," she stammered shakily, "That was all that came to me – the letter A when you asked that question."

"I don't know anyone whose name begins with A," said Sami in frustration, "I mean there is Alisha my PA at Mythic but honestly, she's so sweet I can't see her being any kind of evil what so ever."

Sami made a confused face.

"Why would anyone want to hurt me anyway?" asked Sami with a hopeless shrug of her shoulders, "I haven't done anything to anyone... you know, recently anyway."

"I have no answer as to why," said Celeste, "Only a warning to be on guard about what you let into your life. All I know is that your present course is heading towards untold heartache."

"But I haven't chosen this course," said Sami in frustration, "Not really. It's just been thrust upon me and I'm only trying to do the right thing."

"I don't know what to tell you other than be careful Samantha," said Celeste quietly, looking at her with great concern, "Your life and those around you that you love is hanging by a thread."

Sami sat back in her chair as a wave of hopelessness came over her and thought to herself that she should have opted to go to a bar for some respite to her fears rather than Celeste.

Pity she couldn't have seen the future on that one thought Sami wryly to herself.

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami sat in the park, looking at the children playing on a nearby playground, lost in her thoughts. She wasn't sure if she felt better or worse after having visited with Celeste. One thing Sami was sure she was though was more confused than ever and that feeling of oncoming disaster hadn't abated any. All in all it had been a waste of a morning she decided. All that talk about evil duality and female forces dominating her life. Sami had no idea what it all could mean but she did know she didn't like the sound of a lot of it. Her phone rang and the person she most wanted to hear from right then in the world was on the other end.

"Hello?"

"The bean of the coffee failed to look both ways before crossing the street but the apple never falls far from the tree."

"Hello EJ," said Sami, a big smile coming to her face, "Coffee sounds great. When?"

"At about two?" he suggested with a chuckle, "The festivities are winding up now."

"So they went through with it?" asked Sami with a shake of her head.

"Yes," said EJ, "Kate is my new mummy."

"Ohh!" exclaimed Sami, wrinkling her nose, "Don't even EJ!"

"That seems to be the general consensus," agreed EJ in amusement, "Although Philip found a few more choice words to describe his feelings on the subject."

"Did he make a scene?" asked Sami curiously, eager for the gossip.

"Nothing too major but there was a lot of pouting," said EJ, "It must be a family trait."

"I was kind of hoping something was going to get thrown," said Sami in disappointment.

"The bouquet was thrown," offered up EJ helpfully.

"Who caught it?" asked Sami, always wanting to know such girly details.

"You're going to love this," said EJ with a laugh.

"Did Estelle catch it?!" asked Sami in amused disbelief.

"She was spectacular," EJ confirmed with a chuckle, "If she ever wants to give up on being a college professor then I see a promising career for her as a quarter back. We thought it would add to the show a little to see my girlfriend that keen to be the next bride."

"Estelle's so great to get into things the way she does," said Sami with a little laugh, "She's been such a good friend to us EJ."

"That and the fact that she was a little drunk by that stage," agreed EJ in amusement, "And she got to be in the middle of an all girl scrum. I'm afraid I'm a little lacking in the titillation area for her."

"And it better damn well stay that way," said Sami warningly, "You've never seen me mad-"

"I haven't?" interrupted EJ in teasing disbelief, "Are you very sure of that darling?"

"You're still upright aren't you?" Sami sniffed, "Then that means you've never seen me really mad."

"Hm," said EJ playfully, "Now I've got this almost uncontrollable to do everything in my power to do just that so I can see the result."

"You really don't want to see me explode EJ," Sami cautioned him, trying to sound ominous but the smile in her voice was ruining it.

"Oh I don't know," said EJ throatily, "I've enjoyed many, many of your… explosions... Samantha and they've always left me panting for more so far."

"EJ," she tutted, attempting to sound annoyed and not aroused.

"Where are you?" he asked, his voice full of husky urgency as the conversation suddenly turned from silly to sizzling.

"I'm in a park," said Sami, biting her bottom lip and feeling the delicious warmth in her stomach at hearing his need for her in his voice, "On a bench."

The passion between them was always on a knife edge, ready to erupt at any moment and swamp them both.

"Are you alone?" he asked her throatily and Sami's fingers curled around her phone, hearing the promise in his voice.

"There are children playing nearby," she cautioned him.

"Dammit!" he said in annoyance.

There was the briefest pause and then EJ's smooth voice was in her ear.

"Is there somewhere you can go where we can be alone?" he asked her, his voice no more than a sexy purr.

"There is a public toilet across the park," said Sami, biting her lip and knowing what EJ wanted to do with her right then, "But I don't really fancy that as a location and besides you're at a wedding EJ – someone might hear."

"That's the best part isn't it?" asked EJ with a sexy chuckle.

"Bad man," she whispered, feeling her heart begin to beat erratically.

"I'd show you just how bad if I was sitting beside you right now," he informed her huskily.

Sami closed her eyes, imagining him doing just that but obviously EJ felt the need to share.

"I'd move in close, so that our thighs were touching and I'd put my hand on your knee and then begin to move it slowly up your legs... my fingers trailing along your inner thigh-"

Sami's breath hitched a little bit as she pictured EJ doing that in her mind's eye and felt her panties become instantly damp, anticipating his imaginary touch.

"I'm so eager to find out how wet you are for me already but I make myself go slow, I want to prolong our pleasure and I know you'll make it worth my wait-"

EJ's liquid tones rolled out of the phone and swamped Sami in their velvety warmth. God how could just the sound of his voice get her this hot and bothered she wondered in despair? Sami closed her eyes and just let EJ's voice take her away with him to a far better place.

"I'd lean in an begin kissing your neck, the soft skin that always makes me hungry for more," he continued on softly.

"People-people would see us," Sami said unsteadily.

"I wouldn't care," EJ informed her thickly, "My need for you is too great by now. My fingers are scraping against the material of your panties now and you're rewarding me for my self control by coating them in your need for me."

"EJ," Sami said, swallowing a groan as her lower body burst into life and began to painfully ache for him now.

"My fingers go where I know the rest of me will soon be. You're so hot and wet, so tight around my fingers that it takes everything I have not to just come right then. Tell me what you want Samantha."

"I want you to taste me," she said without hesitation, "I want to feel your tongue at my core."

"I want that too," he said unsteadily, "I'm on my knees in front of you now, pushing your legs apart and I've got your arousal in my mouth. It's spicy and sweet and makes me need you even more now, I can't stand it any longer Samantha, I have to have you."

EJ's voice was hoarse with his need as he continued to describe in excruciating detail what he'd do next, the way he'd claim her, right there in the park for all the world to see and Sami didn't know how she was going to make it until she saw EJ again...


	57. Chapter 204

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & FOUR**** – ****Confession is Good for the Soul**

It is the confession, not the priest, that gives us absolution.

_Oscar Wilde_

_(Irish Poet, Novelist, Dramatist and Critic, 1854-1900)_

"How did the wedding go?" asked John calmly as EJ settled in across from him.

As soon as it had been polite EJ had bid his father all the best, seen Estelle to her car and made his way over to the penthouse John was sharing with Marlena. He'd made his date with Sami before leaving the mansion deciding to be optimistic about how this would play out. After all John had been in their corner up to now and EJ was confident that he could allay any concerns the man might have. Besides he'd been in a coma for months, how quick could his brain be nowadays EJ reasoned?

John was still moving a little stiffly when he answered the door, clearly still learning to use his wasted limbs again but all in all he was in pretty good shape for a man every assumed was basically dead. EJ just wanted whatever this problem was sorted so he could go and meet up with Sami as soon as he could. Their steamy phone call of earlier had left both of them deeply unsatisfied and yearning for more and EJ could barely contain his impatience to see Sami again.

"Without gun fire," said EJ wryly, "So all in all it was a raging success."

"I hope Kate knows what she is doing," said John with a frown.

"Everyone seems very concerned about Kate but she's not exactly a delicate flower," said EJ in vague annoyance, "No one seems to be considering the possibility that my father is the one in danger."

"What does it matter if he is?" asked John, giving EJ a hard look, "My understanding from our last conversation was that you were done with your father and now suddenly you're his best man. In fact it seems to me I must have misunderstood more than one thing from our late night talk."

"Is that what this is all about?" asked EJ with a frown, "Is that why you wanted to see me John – you wanted an explanation?"

"I don't think that is too much to ask seeing as it is my good will that is keeping you out of prison," said John flatly, "Last time we spoke you told me you were madly in love with Sami and that the two of you were planning a life together and all you planned to do with the rest of your days was make her happy. The next thing I know she and Lucas are back together. What happened to this supposed epic love you had for one another anyway?"

"It's still there," said EJ quietly, "Stronger than ever but there has been a complication."

"What kind of complication?" asked John evenly.

EJ hesitated, not really certain he should say something.

"Well?" John pushed him.

"It's not really my secret to tell," said EJ reluctantly.

"Find a way to get past your reservations," John advised him with a warning look.

EJ grimaced and gave a bit of a sigh as he took a seat across from him.

"I'll tell you," said EJ reluctantly, "But I don't think you'll thank me for it because you have to promise not to say anything to anyone else."

"I'm not making any promises until I hear what it is," said John flatly, clearly still very suspicious of the younger man.

"Lucas is dying," said EJ simply.

"What?" asked John in real surprise.

"He has a kind of leukaemia and only has a couple of months to live," EJ told him.

"But treatment-"

"Isn't an option," EJ interrupted the shocked John, "Short of a miracle Lucas doesn't have long left of this earth. He was falling apart without Samantha so for the sake of making his last days more comfortable and for the sake of Will she has gone back to him."

John didn't speak for a long moment, processing all of this information.

"So neither one of you told him about your relationship?" asked John at last.

"We didn't think it would serve the greater good somehow," said EJ wryly.

"And you're okay with Sami doing this?" asked John, an inscrutable expression on his face as he studied EJ intently now.

"Actually I'm currently emitting a scream that only dogs can hear and have done so since we made the decision," said EJ with a self deprecating smile, "I didn't believe it was possible to be in this much pain and not die. Watching Samantha with Lucas, even when I know she's only gone back to him out of a sense of obligation, is like having the flesh torn from my body every moment of every day. The agony only stops when she is in my arms again but another piece of me dies every time she leaves me to go back to him."

EJ stopped and looked away, shocked at himself for blurting so much out like that. The truth was that he'd been holding back a little from Sami as to how hard this really was for him because he knew she had enough to deal with as it was. It was an odd truth but John was the closest thing he had to a confidant in his life right then, outside of Sami who he was intent on protecting right then.

"So what are you going to do?" asked John, still looking at him steadily.

"Endure," said EJ simply, "Isn't that what that verse in Corinthians says about the nature of love – it endures all things."

EJ pulled a little face then as he pondered those words.

"You sit through wedding ceremonies and those words roll so easily off the tongue, blithely said and blithely understood," he said softly, almost talking to himself then, "But you can only understand the power of those words, what you are truly promising that person when it is put to the test."

EJ looked at John and gave a grimacing smile.

"Love hurts like a bitch," he said with a humourless laugh.

"Yes it does," agreed John without missing a beat.

"But with the right person," continued on EJ, a faraway look in his eyes, "Even the hard times feels like a gift."

EJ looked at John and shook his head.

"I suppose I'm not making much sense am I?" asked EJ a little despondently, "I'm not usually this incoherent."

"Actually for once junior you're making a lot of sense," said John and EJ looked at him in surprise, "There was a time, back in the day when Marlena-"

Now it was John's turn to stop abruptly, clearly not that comfortable with sharing too much.

"Let's just say that I have good reason to understand where you are coming from," said John flatly.

"But you and Marlena made it through those times obviously," said EJ, more of a statement than a question really.

"We did," said John with a nod of his head, "But it was very, very hard."

"But being without her would have been even harder," EJ guessed.

"Yes," said John simply.

He looked at EJ then, a speculative look on his face.

"So how do you see this turning out then?" asked John.

"One of two ways," said EJ calmly, "By some miracle Lucas is cured and Samantha and I will be able to tell him the truth and then we can be together or else he succumbs to his fate and then Samantha and I will be together knowing that we did all that we could for him."

"That sounds like an over simplified version of real life," John commented warningly, "There are a lot of variables in those two scenarios that neither you nor Sami have any kind of control over. Trust me, I've lived through these kinds of things and every time you think you've almost got what you want it has this tendency for something to happen and your happily ever after ends up further away than ever before."

"You're a glass half empty kind of guy aren't you John?" asked EJ wryly.

"I'm a guy who has lived longer than you and loved longer than you," said John knowingly, "And I need to know that I'm entrusting Sami's future to a man who knows what is ahead of them."

"I don't know what is ahead of us John," said EJ, looking at him almost fiercely, "No one does but I know my feelings for Samantha will never falter, I know that my life is with her even if I don't know how that life will look. Even if we have to be in this arrangement for the rest of our lives it will still be a life ten thousand times better than one without her in it."

"It's so easy to say those things when you are young," said John with a sigh and shake of his head.

"Samantha and I may be young," EJ conceded, not backing down, "But our souls are old and have been looking for each other since the very beginning and now that we have found each other nothing is going to tear us apart – nothing."

"Not even death?" asked John.

"Why would you say something like that?" asked EJ with a fierce scowl, his stomach tightening into a painful ball at the thought of something happening to Sami.

"These things have a way of escalating," John warned him.

"Meaning?" asked EJ tersely.

"Meaning I'd hate to see Sami get hurt by being in the DiMera firing range," said John darkly.

"I'm more than just a name John," said EJ curtly, "Having the moniker DiMera doesn't instantly mean that there will be bloodshed and pain associated with everything I do."

"Doesn't it?" asked John coolly.

"Why are you even helping us then if that is the way you feel?" asked EJ sharply, "If you are so certain that all I'm going to bring Samantha is pain and suffering why don't you say the word and I'll be rotting away in some cell within days?!"

"Honestly?" asked John.

"I think that would be for the best," said EJ tightly.

"Honestly EJ there is a very big part of me that wants nothing more than to do just that," said John with a half shrug, "I'm taking a huge gamble on you and your intentions. One that could cause untold pain on so many people and particularly on two women that I love more than life itself."

"So why are you doing this then?" asked EJ with a measure of despair, "If that is the way you feel?"

"When you're young you think you know everything," said John, leaning back in his chair and seeming to lose himself a little in his thoughts, "You think you have all the time in the world and that things will work out because you want them to so badly."

He held EJ's gaze steadily as he continued on.

"I was bullet proof when I was younger," admitted John, "Cavalier with those people in my life, assuming they would always be there. Time passes though and loss starts to come into your life, so much of it sometimes you don't think you'll ever know happiness again."

John gave a wry grimace.

"But then time keeps ticking by and you do find happiness again and this time it is even richer and sweeter for the pain you've endured," said John quietly, "But the regret-"

John shook his head, the emotion written all of his face.

"The regret can eat you alive," he said a little hoarsely, "Every day passes and you find yourself thinking back on the things you've done with wiser eyes and realising all the ways you robbed yourself and others of happiness."

John saw the way EJ was looking at him and arched a challenging eyebrow.

"What?" he queried.

"I just wouldn't have pegged you as such a deep thinker," EJ admitted a little ruefully.

"The arrogance of youth," John informed him dryly, "Like I said, they know so much but don't know enough to know what they don't know."

John shifted in his seat and pursed his lips as he looked at EJ thoughtfully.

"I'm alive today Elvis because I've got good instincts," John informed him, "Ones that have gotten me out of more trouble then I'd care to admit. And those instincts, against the loud protestations of my head tell me that you are sincere in your love for Sami. And I know Sami well enough to know that what I saw when the two of you were together at the hospital was love on her behalf as well. The father in me would have picked a different man for her, I'm not going to pretend otherwise but I think a part of me always knew that Sami wasn't going to end up with the Austin's or even Lucas' of this world. It was never a good fit despite how hard so many people, not the least of which Sami, tried to make it to be."

"Supporting us is not going to make you very popular with Marlena," said EJ, feeling he was stating the obvious but needing to say it anyway.

"Doc and I have weathered a lot of storms in our time," said John with a half smile, "One more won't break us."

"I'm assuming you haven't told her about our understanding?" asked EJ curiously.

"No," John said simply, "Just like I'm assuming you haven't told Sami."

"I didn't want to worry her," said EJ with a bit of a frown, "I don't like having secrets from her – I promised myself I wouldn't do that again."

"You make compromises and then live with them," said John, making it sound like not necessarily a criticism but a fact of life.

"So we are good now?" asked EJ, tilting his head and looking at him, "You understand that Samantha and I are just trying to do the right thing here."

"Are you still seeing each other behind Lucas' back?" asked John, giving nothing away as to his thoughts on such a thing.

"Yes," said EJ and then gave a rueful smile, "We are trying to do the right thing but the wrong way – I'm rather thinking that will most likely be on our family crest."

"You're playing a dangerous game EJ," said John with a shake of his head, "You both are."

"Neither Samantha nor I are playing," said EJ, his lips thinning, "Circumstance has forced us into our current situation but it isn't forever."

"You could have made Sami change her mind about doing this you know," John stated, "If you wanted to."

"Oh I wanted to," said EJ with heartfelt sincerity, "Believe me but ultimately this was about what Samantha felt that she needed to do and I have to find the strength within me to support her in that, no matter what. Every other man she's been with has let her down when she really needed him and I will move heaven and earth and sweat tears of blood before I do the same thing."

EJ gave a little frown at the way John was looking at him then.

"Don't you believe me?" he challenged the older man.

"It's not that," said John with a little shake of his head, "It's just that I've found over the years that God has a very peculiar sense of humour and statements like that always seem to end up with them being put to the test."

"I can't think of anything that would make me renege on the promises I made to myself and Samantha when it comes to our relationship," said EJ determinedly.

"Well I guess that is why God is God," said John with some amusement, "He's a lot more creative then us mortal types."

"You're not much in the way of pep talks are you John?" asked EJ dryly.

"I save them for when they really count," said John simply.

"Let's hope I never need them eh?" asked EJ with a half smile.

"I guess you can hope for that, sure," said John with an impassive nod of his head.

"You do realise that when this comes out you'll be the only person on our side don't you?" asked EJ, scratching his cheek with one finger absently.

"I'll be on Sami's side," John said flatly, "Whichever that will be. But can I recommend against people finding out while Lucas is still with us because you're going to have enough hurdles to leap over without adding that one to the list."

"Mm," said EJ unhappily, "Sage advice."

"I'm assuming that is where the girlfriend comes in?" John questioned him, "A smoke screen?"

"Yes," EJ nodded, "Estelle."

"You don't see any complications there?" asked John with an arched eyebrow.

"Estelle is a glorious and indomitable woman who doesn't find me the least bit sexually attractive," said EJ with a little laugh, "She is gay."

"Are you paying her?" asked John, "Is she going to make trouble for the two of you later on?"

"Estelle's not that kind of person and she is doing this out of the kindness of her heart, to help us both out," said EJ with a shake of his head, "That and the free meals of course."

"I hope you know what you're doing EJ," said John again looking worried now, "There are a lot of things that could go wrong for you and from my experience these things can go real wrong, real quick."

"Then Samantha and I will handle it," said EJ confidently, "We are rock solid John – nothing can touch what we have."

"Now there are famous last words if ever I've heard them," said John wryly.

**oooOOOOooo**

So many times Sami wished she'd had some kind of rewind switch for her mouth and never had that been more true than right then. To her amazement and vague horror her mother had been in the coffee shop she and EJ had agreed to meet in. Before Sami could turn around and walk out again her mother had seen her and called her over. Sami had no choice but to join her and could only hope that her mother was gone before EJ got there which was highly possible because it was only one o'clock at the moment and he wasn't due to arrive until two. Sami couldn't believe that her mother was even there seeing as she and EJ and purposely chosen this coffee shop because it was out of the way and no one they knew ever went there.

What were the odds?

She hadn't been seeing much of her mother lately because Sami had mainly been dividing her time between EJ, Lucas and Mythic and had little time left over for anything else. To see her mother in a place that was so unlikely had caused Sami to unwillingly think back on Celeste's talk of 'feminine energies' infiltrating her life and causing untold pain. It was a ridiculous thought – Marlena was her mother and only wanted what was best for Sami – how could that cause any kind of pain for her Sami had to wonder? It was a moot question now though as she sat across from her mother, wide eyed and hardly able to believe that she'd just blurted out so much to her.

"Say something," Sami prompted her nervously.

"I'm sorry honey," said Marlena a little dazedly, "I'm still trying to process this all."

"I know," said Sami regretfully, "It's a lot to take in."

Sami gave an internal groan and continued to pray for the ability to go back in time...


	58. Chapter 205

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & FIVE**** – ****We're Off to See the Wizard**

I want to feel passion, I want to feel pain. I want to weep at the sound of your name. Come make me laugh, come make me cry... just make me feel alive.

_Joey Lauren Adams_

_(American Actress, b.1968)_

Sami was still holding her breath and waiting for her mother to say something after her revelation, her nerves stretching to breaking point. The two women had ordered coffee when they'd seen each other and begun chatting casually. Sami did her best to move things along and tried not to make it obvious that she was checking her watch regularly. After her phone call with EJ all she could honestly think about was getting him alone and making sure he made good on all of his promises of that phone call – as many times a humanly possible.

Trying to make small talk with her mother of all people was somewhat of a struggle to say the least under the circumstances. Finally her mother finished her coffee and they had gotten up, planning to leave. Sami had decided that she would pretend to leave, going in the opposite direction to her mother and then double back around to finally meet up with EJ. She still had fifteen minutes to get rid of her mother and things were wrapping up now anyway. Unfortunately it was then Marlena made an off the cuff remark that had cause the dam walls to burst for Sami.

"I've been seeing Lucas around the hospital a lot lately," commented Marlena easily as she smiled at Sami, "Is everything alright with him honey? He seems to have lost a little weight to me."

Completely catching herself off guard and before she could stop it Sami found herself just blurting out the fact that Lucas was dying. It had come from nowhere but now it had been said Sami knew she couldn't take it back. Sami felt very guilty about going against Lucas' wishes but until that moment she hadn't realised how badly she'd needed to share such burdensome information. EJ had been spectacular and unwaveringly supportive of her through all of this ordeal but for Sami that made it even harder for her to really let her emotions go in front of him because of how wonderful he was already being.

EJ was doing more than enough for her already and she didn't want to add to his own burden by going on and on about how the thought of Lucas dying was affecting her. She knew EJ would understand on one level but on another level he'd be hurt that she still had another man in her heart, even a little bit. Sami understood that because she knew she'd feel the same way. Not for the first time she wished she'd met EJ as a much younger woman and that they wouldn't have to deal with all of these people that were now intruding on their love story but it was a hopeless desire.

"Are they sure?" asked Marlena, looking very distressed at such news.

"Yes," said Sami painfully, seeing how upset her mother was making her even more so.

"Oh Sami," she said in shocked disbelief, "That is just terrible, honey, how is he coping, how are you both coping?"

Marlena reached out and grabbed her hand, giving it a tight squeeze as she looked at Sami with great compassion.

"Day to day," said Sami simply, feeling the tears starting to come now and she blinked rapidly to keep them at bay.

"But surely there are treatments that-"

"It's too late," said Sami softly, her voice catching a little as she realised that she really was going to be losing Lucas in the very near future.

As much as she was desperate to start her future with EJ and as much as there had been a lot of bad history between her and Lucas over the years it still broke Sami's heart that it should end like this for him. He'd been a constant in her life for so long now, through good and bad times and it was nearly impossible to imagine a life without him there in some capacity. Sami may have no longer wanted to spend her life with Lucas but because of Will she'd expected him to be in it in some form. It was a lot to wrap her head around and to be honest, Sami's emotions were all over the place when it came to thinking of Lucas dying.

"He's too far gone Mom," said Sami, her bottom lip quivering now, "I'm just trying to make him as comfortable as I can, be there for him and pray for some kind of miracle."

"Oh sweetheart," said Marlena unevenly as she drew here into an emotional hug, "Oh honey why didn't you tell me about this sooner, I could have been there for both of you."

"Lucas doesn't want anyone to know," said Sami, giving a broken little sob, "I shouldn't even be telling you now but I guess I just couldn't hold it in any longer."

Marlena drew back and looked at Sami with great concern.

"Sami this is a huge burden to bear alone," she said worriedly, "More than anyone should be expected to carry. You need your family at a time like this – both you and Lucas do."

"Kate knows," said Sami dully.

"The poor woman," said Marlena with a shake of her head, clearly empathising with the prospect of losing a child.

Marlena gave Sami a speculative look then.

"Somehow I'm guessing she hasn't been a sympathetic shoulder to lean on during this for you though," said Marlena with a sigh.

"She's left me alone," said Sami with a hopeless shrug, "For Kate that is the same thing when it comes to me."

"And you're standing with Lucas through all of this," stated Marlena, looking at her with great maternal pride, "Sami that is so incredibly wonderful of you."

"Yeah that's me," said Sami wryly, uncomfortable with her mother's praise considering what she and EJ were doing behind Lucas' back.

Sami didn't regret keeping her relationship with EJ very much alive seeing as he was the man she was going to be spending the rest of her life with but she doubted that her mother would see their actions in such lofty terms somehow.

"Don't sell yourself short Sami," said Marlena firmly, "I can hardly believe that you have grown into such an amazing woman after all the mishaps in your life. It takes my breath away."

"Maybe it was all my mishaps-" Sami gave special emphasis to the polite word her mother had chosen for her past mistakes, "-are what have made me what I am today? Have you thought of that Mom?"

Sami had a flash of annoyance at her mother for putting things the way she had which she quickly tried to stifle, a reflex instinct by now.

"Of course they are honey," said Marlena quickly, seeing she'd upset Sami a little by her choice of words, "I didn't mean anything by it other than how proud I am of you for standing by Lucas during this difficult time."

"I see," said Sami quietly, wondering if it had always been like this – her actions alone being what garnered her mother's approval.

She'd been blinded so long by her desperate need for approval from her family that Sami had taken little time to ponder why it was that she felt the need to be doing something to gain it. Conversations like this were beginning to make it painfully obvious to Sami why she was like she was. EJ was right, as well meaning as her family was they had never succeeded in making her feel like she was enough as she was, without doing anything extra. It was a sad moment for Sami but one that only added to her love for EJ and his unconditional love for her.

"What you're doing takes great courage and strength Sami," said Marlena intently, oblivious to Sami's internal realisations.

She put a hand on Sami's arm and gave her a sweet smile.

"I'm so very proud of you honey," she said again, "I always knew that this was the kind of young woman you really were deep down inside."

Sami forced a smile to her face and realised she'd made a mistake going to her mother about this. For all the insight the famous Dr Marlena Evan's was meant to have with her patients she had this uncanny knack of only seeing what she wanted to see in her children. Sami wondered idly if she did the same thing with Will and hoped not. Her feelings for Will were never dependant on his actions and Sami made a mental note to make sure he knew that one hundred percent and never doubted it for a moment. Her mother might feel the same way but if she did that had been lost in translation over the years Sami realised sadly.

"We should go somewhere more private and talk," said Marlena with an understanding nod.

"Oh," said Sami in dismay, instantly thinking of EJ, "Actually Mom I-"

Sami's gift for lying failed her in the moment when she needed it most as she stumbled over what to say next. She was just so panicked at the thought of not getting to see EJ that her mind went blank.

"We'll go back to my apartment and talk some more," said Marlena solicitously, "Some special mother and daughter time, just the two of us. I feel like you really need me now Sami and I want to be there for you."

Marlena moved in and hugged Sami again as she pulled a little bit of a face, realising that she couldn't get out of this now. Damn her big mouth to hell and back!

**oooOOOOooo**

"Another coffee sir?" asked the waiter.

"No thank you," said EJ with a half smile, "I think I'll save my liver and accept the fact that I've been stood up."

The waiter just gave a sympathetic nod and friendly smile before moving off to take care of the next table. Just then EJ's phone told him that it had just received a text. He pulled it out and read the message.

MOTHER BIRD WON'T LET BABY BIRD LEAVE THE NEST. BABY BIRD MISSES YOU.

EJ gave a rueful grimace and flipped the phone shut. Things like this just strengthened his resolve to whisk Sami out of Salem as soon as this Lucas business came to its natural conclusion he decided.

"Oh well," he said with a sigh as a plan came to him, "A pleasure delayed is a pleasure doubled."

A large smile touched his lips at that thought.

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami walked down the stairs of the darkened basement of her apartment building and tried to peer through the gloom. After the disappointment of not being able to meet up with EJ at the coffee shop that afternoon she'd been overjoyed to get his text that evening.

THE TINMAN WANTS DOROTHY TO FOLLOW THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD TO THE STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN

It was all Sami could do to calmly make up an excuse to Lucas as to why she was heading out at eight o'clock at night and walk, not run to the basement of their building. She was at the bottom of the stairs and still not seeing EJ when strong arms wrapped around her from behind and Sami was drawn back against a long muscled body. She knew EJ's touch instantly but it didn't stop her heart from giving a startled skip as he drew her tightly to him. EJ buried his face into her neck and breathed in deeply the scent of her skin and gave a low moan.

"God Dorothy," he said with a complaining groan, "What took you so long?"

"You only sent the text barely five minutes ago Tinman," she said with a little laugh, "Give a girl a chance."

"Every minute without you in my arms is an agony," EJ informed her, turning Sami around so that they were facing each other now as he put his arms around her waist, "Five minutes is a tortured filled life time."

Sami had to smile at that dramatic statement because she felt exactly the same way.

"I'm sorry I couldn't meet you earlier," she said regretfully, "I was intercepted by Mom."

"I gathered," said EJ with a rueful smile, "How was that?"

"I told her about Lucas," she confessed, wrinkling her nose.

"Oh," said EJ.

"I feel badly about it now," Sami admitted, "Lucas doesn't want anyone to know."

"That's just too much stress to put on you sweetheart," said EJ firmly, "If you felt like you needed to tell your mother then I say you did the right thing. Lucas isn't the only one going through this you know, you are as well."

"You're always on my side aren't you EJ?" she asked him with a lop sided smile, appreciating that so much.

"Of course," he said without hesitation, "Unless we are playing chess and then it is every man for himself."

"Still not over me beating you are you?" asked Sami, tongue in cheek.

"We haven't finished playing yet," said EJ determinedly, "It is best of five if I remember correctly."

"You're just prolonging the agony EJ," she said with a roll of her eyes, "I'm so the better chess player."

"We'll see," he said with a sniff, "The fat lady hasn't sung yet so the game isn't over."

"My poor deluded Tinman," she tutted, giving him a playful look.

"He who laughs last Miss Dorothy," said EJ extreme confidence.

"Wasn't the Tinman the one who was looking for his heart?" she asked him playfully, "It seems like you need a brain if you think you can beat me EJ."

"This Tinman knows exactly where his heart is," said EJ impishly, "He gave it to a beautiful blonde vixen to take care of."

"And is she doing a good job?" asked Sami with a little smile.

"She is doing a breath takingly good job," agreed EJ with a little smile of his own as he pulled her into a languid kiss.

Sami loved how EJ took his time with their kisses, like they had nothing but time to be together. It was in no way the truth but EJ somehow always managed to find a way to linger over taking his time with her. It made Sami feel impossibly desired.

"I'm out getting milk," Sami said breathlessly when they finally broke their kiss.

"You are?" asked EJ with a smile.

"That's what I told Lucas," said Sami, wrinkling her nose, "That I was going to go out and get some milk."

"Hm," said EJ thoughtfully, "I guess you haven't heard about the milk shortage in Salem then eh sweetheart?"

"Milk shortage?" asked Sami in vague confusion.

"Yes," said EJ with mock regret, "You are going to be spending half the night going from shop to shop trying to find that quart of milk I'm afraid."

"Am I now?" asked Sami, a slow smile spreading across her face as she realised what EJ was doing, "That long huh?"

"At least," agreed EJ with a heavy sigh and shake of his head.

"Oh well," said Sami with equal feigned regret, "Can't be helped I suppose."

"I have something for you," said EJ with a cheeky smile, "Well two things actually."

"Do you now?" asked Sami with impish anticipation, "I wonder what it could be?"

EJ took her hand, threading his long fingers through hers and squeezing. Sami revelled in the feeling of his flesh against hers in this simplest of touches and couldn't help the little shudder that went through her. EJ led her over to one corner of the basement to an area where a half wall of boxes had been built up near an overturned table. It was the same table on its side that Sami had stood behind talking to EJ at the top of the stairs while EJ had his wicked way with her just out of Lucas' view. A heated fissure of sensation hurtled through Sami and ignited her core at that sexy memory.

Sami still blushed to think about how wanton she'd been but also knew that if EJ asked her to do it again she would in a heartbeat. All of this sneaking around had shown Sami that she had very few limits when it came to what she was willing to do with EJ in public places. As much as she wanted nothing more than to be completely open and forth coming to people when it came to her relationship with EJ there was something to be said for the titillation of sneaking around as well. EJ had led her around to the other side of boxes and over turned tables and Sami's eyes widened at what she saw. There was what looked like a single bed mattress laid out on the floor but it was draped in a red velvet looking coverlet. There were multiple satiny cushions scattered over the makeshift bed and all in all it looked very inviting and extremely romantic, particularly with the multiple tea light candles that were carefully arranged in groups on various boxes at the head of the bed.

"Oh EJ," said Sami in delight as she bit her bottom lip in amazement, "It's so beautiful."

"Glad you like it," said EJ with a grin before letting go of her hand and quickly heading back up the stairs and locking the door to the basement.

"All those candles," said Sami with a shake of her head as she continued to stare at the romantic sight, "Weren't you frightened of starting a fire EJ?"

"Frightened?" he asked from the top of the stairs as he started back down and gave her a particularly lecherous look, "That was rather my intention darling."

"Hm," said Sami teasingly, "And here was I thinking that the bed was because you were sleepy Tinman."

EJ came up behind Sami and wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her back towards him again as he kissed the long expanse of her neck, making Sami think of their phone call that day.

"Not even a little bit Miss Dorothy," he said throatily as his arms tightened around her waist, "So are you ready for your next surprise sweetheart?"

A slow smile of anticipation spread over Sami's face as she leant back against EJ's hard frame.

"Oh yes," she purred happily, "_Very_ ready Tinman..."


	59. Chapter 206

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & SIX**** – ****Beauty and the Beast**

It is not time or opportunity that is to determine intimacy;-- it is disposition alone. Seven years would be insufficient to make some people acquainted with each other, and seven days are more than enough for others.

_Jane Austen_

_(British Novelist and Writer, 1775-1817)_

"So this other surprise you have for me EJ," Sami began, snuggling back into his arms as he stood behind her and giving an impish smile, "Is it bigger than a breadbox?"

"Unfortunately no," he said with a chuckle.

"Can it fit inside a breadbox?" asked Sami teasingly.

"It could," he said thoughtfully and nodded his head, the cheek that was resting against Sami's scraping her skin ever so softly, "I'm just not sure why you would do such a thing."

Sami gave a little laugh, thinking she knew what they were talking about but it turned out she was wrong. She felt EJ's arms slip from around her waist and then he walked over to one of the boxes and reached over and picked something up. He walked back towards her then, one arm behind his back.

"It's not an actual breadbox is it?" asked Sami with a quirk of her lips.

"No," said EJ with an impish smile, "But all this fixation on the things means I know what I'm getting you for your birthday this year."

"You dare mister and it will be the last thing that you ever do," Sami warned him sternly, "Just for the record I like sparkly things."

"Oh," said EJ, pretending regret, "Then you probably won't like this then – it's not sparkly."

"I'll be the judge of that," said Sami, trying to look past him now to see what he was hiding behind his back but EJ continued to keep it hidden.

Sami pulled a face as he tutted disapprovingly at her impatience.

"EJ," she said with a complaining groan and dying of curiosity, "What is it?"

"Now, now," he said with a grin, "What's the magic word young lady?"

"Gimme, gimme, gimme!" Sami announced excitedly, jumping up and down a little now with her impatience.

"I think it was your grace and charm that first attracted me to you Samantha," EJ said with an amused chuckle.

"Less tell more show!" she demanded of him, sticking her hand out and wiggling her fingers keenly.

EJ just smiled and produced what he was holding behind his back for Sami. It was a single blood red rose, a perfect bud that was just beginning to open.

"Oh," said Sami and then smiled as she took it, breathing in the heady scent of the bloom, "Thank you EJ, it's beautiful."

"It's from the bouquet," EJ informed her of its significance with a half smile.

"Oh!" she said, her face lighting up even more.

"I couldn't have the woman I really wanted to be there at the wedding with me," said EJ huskily, "And I couldn't have the woman I really wanted to catch the bouquet and be the next bride so I wangled this from Estelle-"

EJ stepped closer and looked down at her with those warm loving eyes of his.

"To give to the woman who is going to make the most beautiful bride that ever lived very, very soon," he informed her throatily.

Sami's heart swelled at the thought of being EJ's bride in the near future. On her lowest days she always pictured that event in her mind's eye to get her through things without losing her mind. EJ bent his head and touched his lips to Sami's, moving them back and forth over hers until they parted and he claimed her fully.

Sami melted into EJ's kisses, losing herself in them utterly even as EJ began to slowly peel the clothes from her body, never breaking their kisses. When she was at last naked in his arms EJ finally broke the kiss and drew back to admire his handiwork. He bent down and easily picked Sami up, walking with her to the bed he'd prepared for them and laid her almost reverently down on it.

Sami lay there, her breathing increasingly uneven as she watched EJ straighten up and then quickly dispose of his own clothing so he was as naked as she was now and she could see he was as aroused as she was right then. He moved back down to be kneeling beside her and Sami reached for him, the rose still in her hand. EJ took it from her and kissed her lingeringly on the lips before whispering a request against her lips.

"Turn over."

Sami looked up at him and smiled, EJ moving back a little so she could comply, taking the rose he'd given her from her. She had barely settled in amongst the very comfortable cushions when she felt the lightest of touches to the bare skin between her shoulder blades. Sami gave a little start at the delicate sensation and realised that EJ was running the petals of the rose over her skin. He traced invisible patterns across her skin and each light touch made Sami only hungrier for EJ to put his hands on her body and touch her properly.

"EJ," Sami's breathless protest escaped her lips even as she struggled to hold still under his light caress, "Please!"

"Don't rush me Samantha," he told her throatily, "I'm a man revelling in perfection and I don't want to miss a single inch of this gloriousness."

Sami was forced to swallow a groan and try and find a way to be patient as EJ continued with his slow perusal of her body. The soft petals of the rose crisscrossed her body, making Sami tremble even though the touch of them could barely be felt. EJ trailed the rose down her back, back and forth between her naked bottom cheeks and then slowly down one inner thigh and up the other. The response of Sam's body was electric and she could actually feel her wetness being pushed out of her body and dripping down between her thighs. Sami could remember a time when she would have been embarrassed by such a wanton display from her body but with EJ all she could do was tremble in eager anticipation of his reaction at finding her this wet for him. She knew it always got him incredibly excited and she loved her body having that kind of effect on him. Suddenly EJ's sexy voice was in her ear.

"Close your eyes for me and turn over sweetheart," he instructed her huskily.

Sami bit her lip, the anticipation building to an almost fever pitch in her body as she did as he said. EJ waited for her to settle back against the cushions he'd laid out for her and then she felt him move over her. Suddenly there was the soft touch of his lips to hers, moving over her mouth in a gentle caress. Sami opened her mouth, eager for more, needing the taste of him in her mouth but to her disappointment he withdrew from her.

"Keep your eyes closed for me Samantha," he reminded her but this time his voice was unsteady and Sami gave a little knowing smile that even such a light kiss had affected him so much.

Sami gasped as she felt the rose make contact with her skin once again as EJ moved it slowly all over her body. Down one cheek, across her lips and then down her neck before sweeping along her collar bone, the rose the softest of touches. The heady smell of the rose's rich fragrance filled her nostrils and made Sami's head swim a little, only adding to the sensations EJ was wringing from her body and he hadn't even touched her properly yet. The rose petals were at her stomach now, the muscles clenching involuntarily at the tickling caress. The soft thatch of hair covering her mound was the next to receive attention, tickling her even more. Of their own accord Sami's legs parted for him and EJ continued his voyage of discovery and making Sami wonder how much longer she could last before she couldn't take any more.

She simply wanted to tackle him to the ground and take what was rightfully hers, what she could feel scraping against her thigh, full of a life of its own. Sami swallowed hard and wanted to reach out and touch EJ's swollen length, wanting to feel for herself how big and hard he was for. Sami couldn't contain herself and did just that, wrapping her small hand around EJ's fiercely straining manhood. He made a low growling noise in the back of his throat as she lovingly began to gently stroke him but didn't stop what he was doing, allowing her such liberties without comment save for the occasional stifled groan. EJ had finally traced her entire body with the flower, the rose bud lingering against Sami's for a long, tantalising but ultimately unsatisfying moment.

EJ gently removed her hand from his body as Sami move a little in restless complaint of being denied the feel of his need for her. He was moving again and Sami was tempted to open her eyes to see what he was doing but somehow managed to contain herself. She could feel EJ moving around above her, felt the physical presence of his body rolling off him and enveloping her as she lay there with the warm scent of him.

Suddenly the smell of the rose was once again in her nostrils and Sami realised that he must have put the flower down near her head somewhere so she could still enjoy its fragrance while they moved onto even more enjoyable things. Sami's body was coiled in excited eagerness of what was coming next. Her whole body was a quivering mass of fire and if he didn't touch her soon Sami was sure she was just going to explode into a noisy mess right there on the floor.

His warm body moved over her, just above her own and not quite touching hers, much to Sami's frustration. She needed his hardness pressing into her softness, her hunger growing for him by the second. Sami felt EJ move again and bit down on her bottom lip. She held her breath in anticipation of EJ's first real touch. She could feel his mouth over her breast, not touching it but his warm breath dancing over the hard nipple and making it moist with his own uneven breathing.

EJ hovered over her for a long moment, making Sami lose her mind as she began to make uncontrolled mewing sounds of complaint at being forced so long to wait for him to touch her properly. At last EJ moved, claimed the eager bud that was already tight with its need for him and drew it into his mouth. Sami made a pleased gasping sound, arching her back as began to suckle and pull on her nipple making her squirm helplessly beneath him. Very quickly Sami's breathing was becoming ragged, her body tightening in that pleasurable way that told her it was preparing to climax but EJ knew the signs as well and stopped what he was doing.

"I want you to wait until I'm inside of you to come," he informed her, his voice thick and uneven with his own arousal at this point.

"I-I don't know if I can hold on," said Sami weakly, eyes still closed.

"Think unsexy thoughts," EJ instructed her huskily, "Don't think about my mouth on your breast, teasing your teat with my lips and mouth, getting you even wetter and hotter for me-"

"EJ!" Sami moaned in frustration, pressing her legs together and feeling little fissures of pleasure run from her core to deep in her belly as he purposely tortured her with his words as well as body.

He gave a throaty chuckle at her obvious discomfort and Sami had to wonder how he was maintaining so much control. What she'd been holding in her hand only minutes before had been more than ready to be taking her, twitching and jerking with every one of her light touches and Sami took comfort from knowing he must be in as much pain as she was right then.

"Don't come," he reiterated his instruction firmly and Sami was forced to swallow a groan of complaint as he found her other nipple and latched on.

EJ seemed to know how to bring her just to the brink but then pull back just before she fell over it and Sami could hardly stand it any longer and her sobbing gasps of pleasure were becoming increasingly incoherent and it was then EJ must have taken pity on her. He kissed his way down her body, taking time to nuzzle and nip at her mound, where he'd lingered with the rose previously and then he pushed her legs apart and took time to sample his handiwork. Sami clutched at the sheets, her knuckles going white as EJ ever so delicately flicked at her nub with his tongue, the touch barely there. He tasted her arousal, skimming over the areas Sami desperately wanted him to delve into more fully but always he teased but never delivered. Sami was a tangled mess of nerve endings when EJ finally moved up her body and was holding himself over her again. He kissed her then and she tasted herself on his lips and had to open her eyes now.

"EJ," she said shakily, looking up at him with giant blue eyes that were open wide with her need of him.

Sami put a hand to his face and gave him a tremulous and loving smile.

"I love you EJ," she told him unevenly, her voice barely more than a whisper, "I love how you take your time in pleasing me, how you make me feel like the most important person in the world and that we have all the time in the world to be together. I love how tender and gentle you are with me but EJ..."

EJ looked at her intently, waiting for her to finish her sentence, his body poised to claim hers.

"... if you don't fuck me within an inch of my life right now then I'm never going to let you come in this body ever again, " she finished calmly, her eyes flashing fire as Sami let him see the depth of her need for him.

She just wanted him so badly right then that Sami knew gentle lovemaking wasn't going to do it for her. She wanted EJ to unleash the full force of his manhood inside of her, make her beg him to stop whilst pleading for more. Sami wanted him to take her, in every sense of the word and make her bodies his once and for all. She let him see all of those desires of hers in her eyes, let him see how much she wanted to give her body to him in that moment. There was a flash of shock in EJ's eyes at her explicit statement and the invitation of her eyes which was followed almost instantly by an intense look of hungry excitement in his own.

EJ crushed his lips beneath his own in the same split second as he penetrated her with his engorged length and Sami couldn't even scream at the way that made her feel. Despite how wet and ready she was for him Sami a flash of pleasurable pain at being forced to take something that big inside her body that quickly. It only made her hotter for him and her body more willing to add to the lubrication of their union, fresh moisture escaping her body and swamping EJ's swollen tip as he began to fiercely move inside of her.

The contrast of how gentle and slow he'd been with her previously against how almost violently he was taking her now was quickly driving Sami into a frenzy, one she had no way of having any kind of control over. She wanted to last so much longer and enjoy the thrill of having EJ hammer himself so wildly into her but the build up of their foreplay and the urgent pounding he was currently giving her as though his life depended on it was all too much for Sami. She too quickly was swamped by an intense orgasm, one that shook her whole body in uncontrolled spasms and forced EJ to join her, noisily grunting his own exquisite pleasure as he emptied his life force into her. EJ was nothing but hard straining muscle inside and all around Sami and the feeling of all that force being pumped into her made her climax again, feeling consumed by EJ's desire for her and impossibly desired.

"Is that what you wanted?" EJ panted thickly, his whole body heaving above her as he struggled to regain his breath, his body still twitching within hers.

Sweat was dripping down from his body onto Sami's body and she could hardly breathe with how ruggedly male he looked right then.

EJ looked like a wild animal that had just claimed his mate, staked his territory so that every other male knew not to go anywhere near her ever again.

"Y-yes," she said faintly, looking up at him with overwhelmed eyes, "Oh god yes EJ."

Sami made a complaining groan sound when she felt EJ suddenly pull out of her body at that response. She wasn't done with feeling him inside her like that and was bereft at the lost but apparently EJ felt the same way. Before she could react EJ had flipped her over, holding her hips and drawing Sami up onto her knees even as she buried her face into a velvet cushion as he impaled her again on his still swollen length. Sami had no idea how he could still be that big and hard after having just climaxed as he had but was currently thanking God right then for his ability. EJ had told her that she was the only woman who could make his body perform like this and Sami believed him, her own body a testament to previously untapped reserves of sexual energy.

Already she was craving her next peak, eager for him to start moving inside of her again. EJ didn't disappoint, immediately beginning to pound her from behind and making Sami bury her head into the cushion once again as she began to scream out her pleasure for him. Her body was a mass of sensitised nerve endings and EJ seemed to know how to hit each one with a delirious precision and relentlessness. Sami was sobbing uncontrollably by the time she could feel her next orgasm building in her body and EJ's wild grunts and groans told her that he was in a similar state of unbridled Nirvana.

"SAMANTHA!" he roared and then she felt him once again forcefully release himself once again into her body.

The sensation of that and the desperate moaning sounds EJ was making was enough to push Sami over the edge as well and she climaxed just as noisily, glad that EJ had locked the door of the basement for this particular tryst. Although truth be told Sami knew she would be coming just as hard if they had been in the middle of the Brady Pub during rush hour, maybe even harder if that was possible. Sami's body was still suffering through her many paroxysms of pleasure when EJ collapsed against her back, his body feeling like it was on fire to Sami and slick with the sweat of his exertions. He groaned loudly and rolled them both on to their sides even as Sami was still spasming uncontrollably.

"Oh god sweetheart," said EJ raggedly in amazement as he held her, his arms wrapped around her from behind and still inside of her as his body heaved against her back, struggling to catch his breath, "You were a-amazing."

EJ was struggling to speak and Sami couldn't blame him, incapable of speech right then herself so she contented herself with an agreeing noise and snuggled back against him.

"I want you again," he told her thickly, his blistering hot breath in her ear as one hand reached around and cupped her breast possessively.

"EJ!" Sami exclaimed in amazement but already she felt her body push out fresh moisture at the demand.

Sami clenched down on him with her walls instinctively and EJ gave a pleased hiss at her ministrations.

"Yes!" he encouraged her, "More, don't stop sweetheart!"

Sami gave a shaky groan and had no choice but to comply, her walls massaging him back to life. She'd let this beast out of its cage and truth be told she wanted nothing more than to be claimed by it once again. She gave a brief thought to Lucas wondering where she was but then EJ's hand tightened on her breast and began to toy with her nipple as he leant over from behind her and started to kiss her and Sami didn't give a second thought to what Lucas might be wondering right then. All her thoughts of the man who was inside her body, heart and mind forever more.

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami was sitting on the sofa the next morning, pretending to read the paper but thinking about EJ and listening to Lucas move around in the kitchen.

"Where's the milk?" asked Lucas from behind her.

Sami froze in her seat and forced herself to sound calm.

"Sorry?" she asked innocently.

"You went out for milk last night and took so long that I was asleep by the time you got back," said Lucas, "So where is the milk?"

Sami looked back over her shoulder to see Lucas standing at the fridge with the door open and a disgruntled look on his face. The simple movement caused the dull ache between her legs to spring to life and frissons of pleasure shot through her body and Sami felt like she could come right there and then if she'd been alone... or with EJ. She'd woken up this morning, her body wracked with pleasurable aches and pains over how rigorous her and EJ's multiple couplings had been last night. God but that man could get her body to do things that she hadn't even dreamed of in her wildest imagination before. Every movement that day caused Sami to remember the thoroughness of her lover's attentions the night before.

"Ah I drank it," said Sami, lying through her teeth.

"You drank [i]_all[/i]_ the milk?" asked Lucas in disbelief.

"I was thirsty," said Sami apologetically.

"So what you're telling me is that we don't have any milk, is that it?" asked Lucas with a frown.

"Yes," said Sami and then gave him a bright smile, "But I'll go out and get us some more – how does that sound?"

Memories of last night were bombarding Sami and even though she wasn't sure her body was capable of accepting much more attention from EJ right then she sure as hell wanted to find out.

"I'll just have toast," said Lucas with a shrug.

"Well I'll go out and pick some up for later anyway," she offered, not to be put off.

"Okay," said Lucas, not looking all that interested now in their milk-less plight as he made himself some toast instead.

"I'll be back soon," Sami promised him as she stood up and grabbed her bag, out the door before Lucas could say another word.

Sami headed directly to EJ's door and knocked quietly on the door. Almost immediately EJ answered it, dressed only in a towel and dripping wet, reminding Sami of the first time they'd met.

"You're late getting up," Sami commented with a little smile, not bothering with a greeting.

"I had a hard night," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, his eyes lighting up at seeing her, "A _very_ hard night in fact."

"Lucky you," said Sami mischievously.

"_Incredibly_ lucky me," agreed EJ throatily.

"We're out of milk," Sami announced, feeling her body beginning to tingle at just the sight of EJ and the way he was looking at her.

"Again?" asked EJ with a playfully arched eyebrow, "You must be insatiable for the stuff."

"I am," said Sami cheekily, "Can't get enough no matter how hard I try – I was wondering if you could help me out EJ?"

"Actually you might be in luck Samantha," said EJ, his brown eyes flaring as he stepped back to let her pass, "I think I have exactly what you need in here."

Sami and EJ exchanged knowing smiles before she walked into his apartment and EJ quickly closed the door behind them. Sami turned around and looked at EJ, looking him up and down.

"So EJ," she purred impishly, "Got milk?"

EJ just smiled back and let the towel he'd been holding around his waist drop away and gave Sami an eyeful of his buck naked self and just how pleased he really was to see her.

"I see that you do," said Sami playfully, her eyes widening in appreciation of the sight before her, "Nice."

"I promise you sweetheart," said EJ throatily as he walked determinedly towards her, a gleam in his eyes, "This is going to be anything but nice."

Sami bit her bottom lip in sweet anticipation as EJ picked her up and effortlessly carried her to their bed to prove just how good milk really was for you.


	60. Chapter 207

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & SEVEN**** – ****Tell Me Your Secrets**

Conversation has a kind of charm about it, an insinuating and insidious something that elicits secrets from us just like love or liquor.

_Seneca_

_(Roman philosopher, mid-1st century AD)_

A week later:

"Samantha, oh god, ohH GOD, SAMANTHA!"

EJ's increasingly loud cries were being stifled behind Sami's hand as EJ continued his frenzied thrusting up into her body.

"You're being too loud," she whispered to him urgently.

Easy for her to say, she'd just come a moment before EJ thought but didn't have the wherefore all to actually put that sentiment into words. He'd been kissing her at the time so her screams had been muffled by his mouth otherwise Sami would have been just as loud as he was being. They were in his office, in the middle of the work day so some discretion was probably going to be a good idea – not that EJ gave a toss about decorum in that moment. Sami was straddling his lap and one other very important part of his body and she was currently riding him into an endorphined filled utopia that EJ never wanted to leave. Her lace covered breasts were rhythmically scraping his bare chest and EJ wanted to cup one full orb in his hand but knew it wasn't a good idea.

"Stop stalling," Sami instructed him breathlessly with a knowing smile as she continued to work on his body with her own.

EJ gave an unhappy groan at being found out. He adored coming inside of Sami but he had also grown to dread it because their current fate would mean that almost as soon as he did EJ would have to leave her body and then Sami would go away back to her life without him in it. It was killing EJ a little more each time so he'd work as hard as he could to hold off his orgasms, just wanting as much time as he could being so intimately bound to the woman he loved before real life took her from him again. He and Sami never knew how much time they could have together or when they'd be together again and each encounter was an exercise in curbing their desperation for one another and just trying to enjoy the moment.

"Make me," he said through gritted teeth, a cheeky challenge in his eyes.

Sami knew him so well by now, knew what he was thinking and EJ loved being known like that by her. She knew why he was trying to stave off the inevitable and her eyes told him that she understood. However there was also the pressing problem of people due back from lunch very soon and EJ knew he wasn't going to be coming quietly despite Sami's instructions. It was going to better for everyone concerned if EJ didn't have an audience when that glorious event occurred but he still stubbornly held himself back. He just didn't want to leave Sami's body any time soon, no matter what the consequences. Sami though had taken him up on his word and reached between their bodies, cupping his balls and squeezing them hard.

"OH GOD!" EJ practically bellowed as Sami tried once again to cover his mouth with her free hand.

"I need for you to come now for me EJ," she told him in a throaty command in his ear, his body pounding out a frantic pace in hers now, totally out of his control, "You can feel how ready I am for you to do that don't you EJ-?"

Sami's sultry voice in his ear, whispering the secrets of her body to him and what he was doing to her and her hand working its magic south of the border was just too much for him in the end. Cursing her feminine wiles all the way EJ could only do one thing, exploding deep inside of Sami and calling out her name and every deity he could think of in the process. Her walls were milking him relentlessly as he pumped his maleness into her and EJ found it incredibly sexy that Sami was as eager to take what he had for her as he was to give it to her. A bliss filled state of absolute happiness and contentment coursed through EJ's body as he emptied himself into Sami and if it didn't mean that he could never have this sensation ever again EJ could have quite happily died right then without a regret in the world.

"EJ?"

EJ forced his eyes open and kissed the top of Sami's head as she remained where she was, straddling him, one cheek resting his still painfully thumping heart. His whole body was still in a delirium of pulsating pleasure as the aftermath of his release took a long time to leave his body which EJ wasn't complaining about one bit.

"Mm?" he managed, breathing in the soft fragrance of her shampoo.

"Who do we know that has a name that begins with the letter A?" she asked him out of the blue.

EJ opened his eyes and cocked his head and looked down at her quizzically.

"The letter A?" he repeated a little unsteadily and then couldn't help but tease her, "Is this a new thing darling? Is there going to be a post coital quiz for me from now on? Will the next category be geography?"

"No," said Sami with a little laugh, "I was just trying to think is all."

"Well there is Alisha," he said, "Who rather fortunately is on her lunch break right now otherwise I may have had some explaining to do."

"You were loud," Sami agreed with a smile.

"I find it very hard to keep my feelings to myself when it comes to you my love," said EJ with an impish smile.

"I know," said Sami with a self satisfied smile but then got back to the point, "So who else?"

"Well there is Abe," said EJ thoughtfully.

"He's my godfather," said Sami with a shake of her head.

"Um okay," said EJ, confused as to what the rules of this particular game they were playing were, "Of course there is Alexandra also."

"Lexie!" said Sami, wide eyed, "She's a woman!"

"Unless our father is holding out on us yet again," said EJ wryly, "Sweetheart, what is this all about?"

"Can you think of anyone else?" asked Sami, looking rather serious now and making EJ worry.

"Um Alice Horton?" offered up EJ, thinking hard.

"No," said Sami very firmly, "That's crazy talk EJ!"

"Is it?" asked EJ, completely bewildered now, "How about Abby Deveraux then?"

"No," said Sami with a shake of her head, "I haven't seen her in ages."

"Anna?" suggested EJ, trying to think what this could be all about.

"I haven't seen her since I was a teenager," said Sami with another shake of her head.

"Is that relevant?" asked EJ with an arched eyebrow.

EJ pulled a face.

"I suppose there is Austin if we are talking people recent in your life," he said unhappy at bringing up the other man's name, particularly considering what they were doing right then.

"Austin," said Sami wide eyed, "I'd completely forgotten about him."

Sami stopped and looked a little amazed then.

"I can't believe I just said that," she said with a laugh, "There was a time when that guy was my whole world and now I didn't even give him a second thought."

Sami shook her head in disbelief.

"It's funny how things change," she murmured, almost to herself, "If I could travel back in time I'd have so much to tell myself about that guy."

"Like what?" asked EJ, tilting his head to one side and looking at her curiously.

"Like don't waste your time with a guy who just isn't that in to you," said Sami wryly as she gently disentangled their bodies and climbed off of EJ, "Like he isn't going to solve all your problems and you deserve so much better than a guy who will always think of you as the girl he settled for and not the one he would have moved heaven and earth for."

Sami stood up and leant over, stealing a quick kiss from EJ as he straightened his own clothing after their heated tryst.

"And keep an eye out for a dishy Englishman who is going to rock your world," said Sami mischievously, "And don't give him such a hard time."

"I like that you made it so hard for me," said EJ with a half smile as Sami made her way into the bathroom to use the amenities.

He pulled a bit of a face then as he thought about what he'd just said for a moment, remembering the many, many hoops Sami had put him through before she'd come to her senses and given into the inevitable.

"Well most of the time," he qualified that statement ruefully, "I think courting you Samantha Brady is akin to child birth – a simply agonising affair but when you get what you worked so hard for all the pain and suffering that you endured just melts away into nothingness in the light of having such an extraordinary gift at the end of it all."

Sami walked back into his office with a wry smile on her face at that analogy.

"I guess I should be flattered by that statement," she said with a little laugh.

"It was the aim of it," agreed EJ with a grin as she walked back over and came to sit down beside him again.

He eyed her curiously as she settled in beside him.

"So are you going to tell me what that little guessing game was about before?" he quizzed her.

Sami wrinkled her nose and looked away.

"It's embarrassing and I was stupid for doing it in the first place but now I can't stop thinking about it," she admitted to him, "It was a mistake."

"And it being?" EJ asked with a raised eyebrow.

Sami looked as though she wasn't going to tell him for a moment but then relented.

"I went and saw Celeste," she confessed.

"Aha," said EJ, not seeing a huge problem with that.

"I went and saw Celeste and got my cards read," said Sami unhappily.

"Oh," said EJ, a little surprised.

"I know it was a dumb thing to do," said Sami with a sigh.

"But sweetheart why did you do it if you feel that way?" asked EJ, a little perplexed, "I didn't even know you believed in those kinds of things."

"I don't," she said quickly and then gave a bit of a groan, "I don't think I do anyway. I was had this weird feeling that I couldn't shake and I thought Celeste might have some otherworldly insight that would make me feel better about things."

"And did she?" asked EJ curiously.

"No," said Sami flatly, "She completely freaked me out if anything."

"Why?" asked EJ with concern, "What did she say?"

"She said I've got this feminine force or forces working on me that is going to cause me a world of pain," said Sami glumly, "And then she told me that there was this growing evil coming into my life and that I was in great danger from this person and their name begins with A."

"A?" repeated EJ, a fierce scowl coming to his face at such information.

EJ wasn't exactly a believer in these kinds of things but any kind of talk about Sami being in danger didn't please him and put him on edge.

"So you think someone with the letter A is going to hurt you?" asked EJ tightly.

"Hurt me, hurt those that I love," said Sami with a frustrated sigh, "Celeste was suitably vague of course."

"Samantha you can't let yourself be upset by these sorts of things," said EJ earnestly although truth be told he was more than a little upset himself right then.

"I'm not," said Sami quickly and then relented, "Not really anyway. I told you it was stupid."

"Sweetheart you and I make our own destiny," said EJ firmly, "All of that card stuff is pure bunk."

"But Celeste knew about Lucas' leukaemia," said Sami helplessly, "And she knew about us."

"Whoa," said EJ, holding up a hand in disbelief, "Celeste knows about us?"

"No I mean the cards did," said Sami with a grimace, "She said that I've been given a gift that has changed me and that's your love EJ and that there is a lot of jealousy in my life now and we both know that is true."

"But she didn't mention me by name right?" asked EJ and rolled his eyes, "Samantha these are all the kind of vague statements that allow people to fill in the blanks and make it fit what they know."

"But she knew there was an illness around me, affecting me," said Sami a little stubbornly, "You weren't there EJ, it was really eerie."

EJ leant his elbow on the end of the sofa and rested his head on it, looking thoughtful for a moment even though he still wasn't buying what Celeste was selling and had to wonder at the woman's motives.

"Are you really worried that somebody is out to get you Samantha?" he asked her at last, deeply concerned, "Someone whose name begins with the letter A?"

"I'm worried that some I love is going to get hurt," said Sami, biting her bottom lip, "I'm worried that you are going to get hurt EJ."

"I'm indestructible," he said confidently and smiled at her, "The blood of the Phoenix courses through these veins remember?"

"I remember the blood of the Phoenix spilling all over the ground when you were shot last time," said Sami unhappily, giving a little shudder at the memory.

"The person who did that is out of our lives," said EJ firmly, taking her hand and squeezing it comfortingly, "We don't have to be afraid of something like that again."

"How can you be so sure EJ?" asked Sami a little desperately, "Anything could be coming our way, anything!"

"And when it does we'll handle it," said EJ calmly, "Just like we've handled this Lucas situation and will continue to do so. Everything will be alright sweetheart, I promise."

"You're always so sure of everything EJ," said Sami with an indulgent shake of her head, "How do you do that?"

"Practice and past experience," he told her evenly, "It will all work out darling, our love has been written in the stars remember?"

"How is it that you can say things like that and yet poo poo the stuff with Celeste?" asked Sami sceptically as she arched an eyebrow at him.

"Talent?" he suggested teasingly.

Sami shook her head and laughed at him which made EJ feel better. Seeing Sami smile always made him feel better.

"I can't wait until Kate gets back from her honeymoon tomorrow," said Sami with a cheeky grin and an abrupt change of conversation topic.

"Really?" asked EJ in surprise, "Weren't you the one just commenting yesterday that you hoped to caught cholera in Montebello and never came back?"

EJ was still thinking about what Sami had just told him and deciding a trip to see Celeste might be in order to set the woman straight but he was happy enough now to let Sami change the subject and get into a less stressed state of mind.

"You didn't let me finish EJ," Sami pouted, "I can't wait until Kate comes back so I can rub in her face our trip to Japan to meet up with Shiro Chiba at the end of the month."

"Ah now that makes more sense," said EJ in amusement, "The old girl will certainly be unhappy that he's only requested the two of us be present for the big launch his company is doing in honour of our companies venture together."

"Unhappy," Sami gloated, "She is going to implode!"

"I can't envisage a very positive reaction to the news," EJ agreed with a laugh, "But we'll have to keep our act of indifference up right until we go away sweetheart."

"I know," Sami said and then a huge smile split her face, "But then the very best bit about all this is that you and I can be together for five days, no interruptions from people. I can't wait EJ, I'm so excited!"

"Does Lucas know about the trip yet?" asked EJ with a slight frown, wondering if there were going to be problems.

"I've broached the subject with him," Sami nodded, "He's happy enough for me to go but I haven't mentioned that you are going yet."

"We'll stage a really big fight when he is there," said EJ with a half smile, "Convince him that the trip will be a nightmare for both of us and Lucas won't have any cause to give it a second thought."

"Only it won't be nightmare it will be a dream come true for me," said Sami happily, wrapping her arms around his neck, "I get you all to myself for five whole days."

"And what will you do with me over those five days I wonder?" asked EJ huskily with a cheeky look at her.

"Unspeakable things," Sami promised him throatily, a seductive little smile playing around her lips, "Things that would make even Brandy Mathis blush."

"That is quite a high bar to aim for sweetheart," EJ commented, feeling his body tighten pleasurably at just the prospect of such a thing, "Are you sure you are up to it?"

"I think that is a question you should be asking yourself EJ," said Sami with teasing coolness.

EJ stopped and pursed his lips, making a suitably thoughtful face.

"I've asked myself the question," he said at last, "And I seem pretty certain the answer to that question is going to be yes sweetheart."

"We'll see," said Sami knowingly, "I'll reserve my judgement until I've put you through your paces in Japan."

"Can I assume from that turn of phrase that there will be some kind of whip and bridle action in the land of the rising sun Samantha?" he asked her teasingly.

"I think the safest thing you can do EJ is assume nothing," said Sami with a gleam in her eyes as she stood up, "Just rest up and take a lot of vitamins before we get on that plane."

"And see this is why they say travel broadens the mind," said EJ with a huge grin, not bothering to hide his rampant excitement at what pleasures would be waiting for them in Japan.

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami walked back into her apartment later that afternoon to find Lucas sitting on the sofa.

"Hi," she said with an easy smile, hoping she still wasn't glowing from EJ's stolen goodbye kisses in the car park below.

"Hi," Lucas returned calmly, "How was work?"

He was looking at her so intently that Sami began to feel a little uncomfortable.

"It was fine," she said, keeping her voice determinedly neutral, "EJ was being a pain but when isn't he?"

"The guys consistent," Lucas agreed, still looking at her very intensely.

"What do you feel like for dinner?" asked Sami, moving a little restlessly under his gaze and trying to change the subject.

"I'm not hungry," said Lucas dismissively, "The only thing I'd like right now is answers."

"A-answers?" repeated Sami, feeling her stomach tighten nervously at that, "What kind of answers?"

Lucas stood up slowly and came to stand in front of Sami and to her annoyance she couldn't read his expression as he held her gaze.

"Is there something you've forgotten to share with me Sami?" he asked her, his expression intent.

Sami's heart leapt into her mouth as she stared back at him wide eyed. There was no way Lucas could know about her and EJ… was there? Sami wracked her brain trying to think as she stood there, feeling her whole world tilt. She and EJ had been so careful to keep their affair private but it looked like now it had all been in vain. Sami couldn't even begin to imagine who Lucas was going to handle this and she cringed internally at how bad this was going to be.

"Well?" Lucas pushed her a little impatiently Sami, "Is there? Is there something you need to tell me?"

Sami swallowed hard and tried to think what to say next…


	61. Chapter 208

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & EIGHT**** – ****True Lies**

There are mysteries about out love. Things that neither one of us may ever understand because love is an emotion without limit and understanding. We know we love each other but we could never explain completely as WHY we love each other. Love is not a clock. You simply cannot take it apart just to see what makes it tick, and even if you could, you probably could never get it back together again.

_~Anonymous~_

"Like what?" asked Sami a little faintly, trying to buy some time for her brain to start working again.

"Like why it is that Celeste is ringing here twice a day all of a sudden?" said Lucas, giving her a pointed look, "What is that all about Sami, what is going on with you two?"

"I-I-"

Sami was at a loss for words as pure unadulterated relief coursed through her body. Celeste had been trying to ring her for days now but Sami would always just hang up when she saw the caller ID. That woman had freaked her out enough and after speaking to EJ Sami actually felt a bit better so she certainly didn't want to have Celeste give her fresh reasons to worry. Sami was thinking all of this while Lucas was looking at her expectantly and she just couldn't come up with a lie quickly enough so Sami decided to go with the truth.

"I went and saw her to get my cards read," Sami blurted out unevenly, "I got upset afterwards and now I really don't want to talk to Celeste so I'm not taking her calls."

"You went to Celeste for a Tarot reading?" asked Lucas in disbelief in a strange re-run of her conversation with EJ for Sami.

"Yes," said Sami unhappily, "It was a mistake."

"Why would you do something like that?" asked Lucas in exasperation, "All of that stuff is just a gyp."

"I know," said Sami quietly although she wasn't entirely sure it was but didn't want to get into that with Lucas.

"So what did she say?" asked Lucas with a little frown.

"Nothing," said Sami with a little shrug.

"If it was nothing then why were you upset enough not to be taking Celeste's calls?" asked Lucas, seemingly determined not to let it go.

"Look it was just all garbled warnings that made no sense at all," said Sami, hedging as best she could, "And I don't want to talk to Celeste now because I feel like an idiot for even doing it in the first place."

"Did you tell her about my AML?" asked Lucas, looking at her intently.

"No," said Sami quickly, "But-"

"But what?" asked Lucas with a frown.

"But she kind of knew, at least the cards did," admitted Sami uncomfortably, "She told me there was sickness around me."

"Right," said Lucas quietly.

"Look that is just something vague that those kinds of people say," said Sami earnestly, walking up to Lucas.

She was using the logic EJ had used on her truth be told.

"Everyone has some kind of sickness around them," Sami told Lucas, omitting the ominous talk of death and destruction, "It's just something fortune tellers say because they know people can easily fill in the blanks. You're going to have a windfall, someone you know is going to hurt you, someone you know is going to be sick. These are all everyday occurrences that happen Lucas and it doesn't take any kind of mystical gift to predict them, trust me."

"Why did you even go to that woman in the first place Sami?" asked Lucas in confusion, looking a little mollified by her answers.

"I don't know," said Sami with a hopeless shrug, "I guess I was just having a moment."

"Sami I know how hard this is for you," said Lucas urgently, taking her hand and squeezing it, "And you have been unbelievably wonderful these last couple of months. I mean I wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for you. I could never doubt your love for me now after all that we've been through."

"I do love you Lucas," she said sincerely, putting a hand to his face, "No matter what always remember that."

A wave of sadness came over Sami as she looked at Lucas' drawn and pale face knowing she was looking at a man being eaten alive from the inside. She would have given a lot to be able to really help him, to be able to make sure that Will had his father for a long time to come but Sami knew that she didn't have that kind of power.

"Of course I will," said Lucas with a smile before leaning over to kiss her, "But just promise me that if you are feeling bad about anything that you'll come to me first and not go running off to a crazy like Celeste okay?"

"Okay," said Sami with a weak smile knowing she'd never do that even as she promised him, not when she had EJ but did feel a pang of quilt over having involved her mother in all this without Lucas' permission.

"I know this has been tough on you Sami," said Lucas sympathetically, "And I want you to know there is nothing we can't get through as long as we stick together."

"I know," said Sami and hoped those words didn't ring as hollow in Lucas' ears as they did in hers.

She tried to change the subject now, looking past Lucas to a sandwich on the table with a single bite out of it.

"Is that your lunch?" she asked with a disapproving frown.

"I wasn't hungry," said Lucas with a shrug.

"Lucas you have to eat," said Sami worriedly.

"I couldn't keep it down," Lucas admitted, "I woke up today and didn't feel so great so I took a couple more of my pills to get me over the hump but they don't seem to be working. If anything I feel worse."

"I'll make you some soup," said Sami solicitously.

"You don't have to wait on me hand and foot Sami," said Lucas with a shake of his head, "You've been hard at work all day."

Sami felt a guilty flush colour her cheeks as she remembered just exactly how hard aspects of her day had been... with EJ... in bed. She was feeling exhausted now but not for the reasons Lucas assumed.

"I'm fine," she said quickly, "Why don't you go and lie down and I'll bring the soup into you once it is made?"

"I don't want to be bother," said Lucas unhappily.

"You're not a bother Lucas," said Sami firmly, "I love being able to do this for you so don't give it a second thought."

"You're so great," said Lucas, looking at her adoringly, "I know I'm asking a lot of you all the time, especially with keeping my illness a secret."

"Oh," said Sami, her guilty flush deepening.

Sami bit her bottom lip nervously.

"Actually," she admitted reluctantly, "I was going to talk to you about this. I'm so sorry Lucas but I told my Mom. I didn't mean to but it all just kind of came out and I couldn't help myself."

"Okay," said Lucas calmly.

"Okay?" asked Sami hesitantly, "You're not mad?"

"Sami Marlena is your Mom," he said simply, "I understand why you felt like you needed to talk to her."

"I'm sorry," she said unhappily, "I know it wasn't my secret to share but Lucas, don't you think it is time to perhaps start telling people? I mean really, shouldn't you tell at least your brothers and sister? I know I'd want to know if something like this was going on with my brothers or sisters. They are your family and will only want to love and support you through this."

Lucas' face didn't give anything away as he looked back at her steadily.

"I'll think about it," he said at last, "I just need some more time Sami."

"I know," said Sami sadly and had to wonder just how much more time Lucas really had.

**oooOOOOooo**

A week later EJ and Sami were sitting up in the bed of the hotel room they'd just paid for, EJ at the end of the bed, his back against the footboard and facing Sami who was sitting up against the headboard. Their feet were out in front and they were currently resting the soles of their feet against the other and pressing against each other.

"So where are you this afternoon?" asked EJ casually as they played footsies.

"I'm at the library-" Sami said distractedly.

"Hence the books," EJ nodded, indicating the pile of books by Sami's bag at the door.

"They were ones I prepared in advance," Sami agreed with a grin, "And then I'll probably want to have a coffee and the time will just get away from me."

"Excellent," EJ said happily, "I love it when time gets away from you."

"Seriously," said Sami with a shake of her head as their feet wobbled back and forth just above the bed spread as they pushed against one another, "Your feet are just crazy big EJ. Are you sure Stefano is your father and not Ronald McDonald?"

When they needed some extended privacy the two of them would find a little out of the way hotel and book a room for a few hours. It wasn't ideal but the simple fact that they could just be together without the threat of someone they knew walking in on them or knocking the door was sheer luxury for EJ and Sami. They never stayed at the same hotel twice if they could help it, not wanting people to remember them. It was a rare treat that after making love they could just be together and talk about whatever caught their fancy. Right now it was feet and EJ couldn't even see Sami's feet on the other side of his but he could feel their small warmth pressed up against the soles of his own.

"Big feet run in our family," said EJ as they had a little wrestling match with their feet, Sami trying to push EJ harder up against the footboard while he did the same to her.

"That's probably an ideal thing when it comes to feet," said Sami, tongue in cheek, "The running part I mean. It's better than noses I guess."

"Or mouths," agreed EJ in amusement, "Or worse still, bottoms."

"Oh eww!" Sami exclaimed in mock disgust, "How did I ever fall in love with a man who'd say something like that?"

"I'm thinking it had something to do with how hugely endowed I am when it comes to-" EJ gave her a cheeky look, "Appendages of all kinds."

"You're so full of yourself," said Sami with a roll of her eyes and trying to sound disapproving.

"Actually sweetheart after that energetic romp I'd say it was you who was full of me," said EJ without missing a beat.

"Oh my god EJ!" she exclaimed, blushing bright red but not exactly denying it.

It had been an extended coupling and neither one of them had left an inch of the others body unexplored. The release at the end had been as memorable as always but EJ was finding himself loving the post play as much as he did the foreplay and well, play. He'd never really had that with any other woman, the sex act itself being the actual point of the encounter for him previously but EJ was now finding that it was only a very small part of intimacy and loved that he had so much more to learn and that Sami was going to be his teacher.

"All that British sophistication thing you've got going on is just an act isn't it?" asked Sami, trying to sound annoyed, "Underneath it all you are nothing but a potty mouth school kid."

"It will be our little secret," said EJ with a knowing wink, "I don't want my father to think his very expensive private school education was a complete waste."

"EJ," said Sami, sounding suddenly serious.

She twisted their feet so they made the shape of a V and looked at him intently through the gap.

"I don't want our children to go away to private school," she said unhappily, "It hurts so much to be apart from Will and I couldn't bear it with our children."

"We won't be sending our children away sweetheart," said EJ with a smile, loving the way Sami spoke of the future with so much certainty, "We'll be a family and families should be together."

"Good," said Sami, giving a relieved sigh, "I hated being apart from my parents for so many years."

"Thanks to my father," said EJ a little grimly.

"Yeah well as long as he isn't in our future I can learn to live with the past," said Sami simply.

"He will be," EJ promised her, "As soon as the situation with Lucas is-"

EJ paused, finding a suitably respectful word.

"-resolved then I'll break all ties with my father," EJ reassured her.

"Does that thought make you sad?" asked Sami in concern.

"If it does it doesn't begin to compare to the happiness that we'll be sharing," said EJ with a half smile.

"I wish you didn't have to give up your father for us to be together," said Sami unhappily, "I wish I didn't have to give up my family for us to be together for that matter."

"First of all Samantha my father made his own bed," said EJ firmly, "The choices in his life have simply come home to roost and you were right from the very beginning sweetheart – there is no way I could expose you to such a malevolent force in our life together. My father could have mended his ways many times over but he hasn't and I just have to accept that he won't. He is what he is and although I will always love him I don't want what he brings into our lives anymore than you do. And second of all your family isn't a lost cause sweetheart. I'm going to move heaven and earth to convince them that I am actually a good guy."

Sami gave him a sceptical look at that comment.

"Alright," EJ relented with a grin, "I'm a good guy for you and your family won't be able to argue with that when they see how happy I make you. They'll accept me, you'll see Samantha."

"Do you believe that?" asked Sami with a raised eyebrow.

"Do I look like I believe it?" asked EJ easily.

"Yes," said Sami slowly, eyeing him a little suspiciously.

"Well there you go," said EJ blithely.

"I'm kind of underwhelmed here honey," said Sami wryly.

"Samantha our families are a problem for another day," said EJ calmly, "Anyway there is always-"

EJ stopped abruptly as he realised that he was about to spill the beans about his and John's understanding.

"Anyway there is always?" she prompted him.

EJ blinked and tried to think fast, not wanting to ruin this moment between them...


	62. Chapter 209

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & NINE**** – ****Spilling the Beans**

For everything you have missed, you have gained something else,

and for everything you gain, you lose something else.

_Ralph Waldo Emerson_

_(American Poet, Lecturer and Essayist, 1803-1882)_

"Ahh-" EJ stalled, trying to think what was going to be best for Sami right then, telling her about John or not telling her.

"EJ," said Sami sternly, giving him a warning look as she dropped their footsy playing and came to sit beside him, "What are you keeping from me?"

EJ pulled a face and knew that he didn't want to lie to Sami – omitting what might be stressful information from her was one thing but a bare faced lie was another entirely. He loved their intimacy and how far they'd come but a little voice in the back of his head, no doubt Sam, was warning him that it was a very fragile thing and could be easily torn asunder if EJ wasn't careful.

"I think we have someone on our side," EJ admitted ruefully.

"We do?" asked Sami, perplexed, "Who? How? When did this happen? Did you tell someone about us EJ?"

"Actually we both did," said EJ wryly, "That day at the hospital, when John woke up and you went to see him, remember how we were talking in the corridor?"

"Yes," said Sami slowly.

"Well apparently we weren't alone," said EJ with a little bit of a shrug.

"Who heard us?" asked a bemused Sami.

"John," said EJ calmly.

"John was listening in?" asked Sami, her eyes going wide in disbelief.

"So it would seem," said EJ with a nod, "We had words about it and I managed to convince him that my intentions towards you were utterly sincere as were yours."

"And he believed you?" asked Sami unevenly, "And he was okay with that? I can't believe it!"

"There is more," said EJ, looking at her with concern, unsure of how Sami would react to this, "John doesn't have amnesia."

"He remembered you shot him?" Sami asked with a distressed gasp.

"Actually he never forgot," said EJ dryly, "He just said he did to keep me out of jail."

"But-but why would John do that?" asked Sami faintly.

"Because he loves you," said EJ simply, "Very much and wants you to be happy and watching us in the corridor that day he could see how happy we were together."

"But EJ you shot him!" Sami exclaimed in disbelief, "He was in a coma for months, he could have died so many times! Are you telling me that John wants me to be happy more than he wants revenge for what you did to him?!"

"That's exactly what I am telling you sweetheart," said EJ with a soft smile as he tucked a stray strand of blonde hair behind her ear.

"Oh," said Sami, looking absolutely stunned by that thought.

Her eyes became suddenly bright with unshed tears.

"Oh," she whispered again and then bit down on her bottom lip, clearly upset, "But I've been so horrible to John in the past. I've tried to ruin his life with my mom so many times. How can he be alright with that?"

"Sweetheart I think John feels like he had a part to play in some of the wrong turns you made in your youth," said EJ rather astutely, "I think he feels like his choices affected your life and not always in a good way and he wants to make amends for that."

Sami was silent for a long moment, obviously processing all of this new information and EJ just held her while she did. He suddenly realised that by trying to protect Sami from the anxieties of the power John had over their future lives together he had also been robbing Sami and John of something that could go such a long way to repairing their rocky relationship. Life was rarely cut and dried EJ decided to himself. Even good intentioned acts could have negative ramifications that weren't always considered.

"And he's not going to say anything to my Dad or Uncle Bo or Abe?" asked Sami quietly at last.

"Not as long as I live up to my part of the bargain," agreed EJ with a nod of his head.

"Which is?" asked Sami, her head on his chest.

"Never making you regret choosing me," said EJ softly as he pressed a gentle kiss to the top of Sami's head, "And for me to be the kind of man who is worthy of you."

Sami pulled back her head and looked up at him adoringly.

"You are EJ," she said huskily.

"Not yet," said EJ honestly, "But I'm working on it Samantha."

"We're going to have a wonderful life together aren't we EJ?" she asked him, her face lighting up at that prospect.

"We're going to have a life together that defies being defined by something as small as words," EJ agreed, a big smile coming to his face.

He felt so much better now after having told Sami the truth and made a mental note not to keep anything from her again, even if he did think it was the right thing to do. What John had done for them had seemed to really move Sami and EJ hoped that it would be something that would draw the two closer together.

"I still can't believe John is doing this for us," said Sami with a disbelieving shake of her head.

"Actually I think he is doing this more for you than me sweetheart," said EJ ruefully, "I think John feels the vote is still out on me."

EJ grimaced a little.

"I suppose that is a little understandable, I did shoot him and our conversation before that event wasn't exactly pleasant," admitted EJ with a sigh, "And there are some other less than stellar things that I've done to the residents of Salem in my short but memorable stint here."

"Like?" asked Sami with an arched eyebrow.

"Sweetheart we were having such a nice time," said EJ reluctantly, "Do we really want to sully what short time we have together with-"

"The truth?" interrupted Sami sweetly.

"Well... yes," said EJ with a nod.

"I want to know everything about you EJ," said Sami sincerely.

"And if by doing that you end up reconsidering what you've gotten yourself into?" asked EJ unhappily.

Whilst he'd made the big disclosures pertinent to his and Sami's relationship EJ had been quite happy to skirt around the more ancillary events he'd been involved in with Sami, the ones that didn't directly impact on them.

"I love you EJ," said Sami earnestly, "The truth isn't going to change that and besides, I thought you wanted this relationship to not be like the rest and that means full disclosure."

"Oh that's a bit below the belt," EJ commented with a grimace at her tactic, "So if I don't share I'm Lucas or Austin – is that it Samantha?"

"Take from it what you will," Sami said with an arched eyebrow and EJ rolled his eyes.

"Alright," he said with an unhappy sigh, "I stopped your wedding to Austin."

"I knew you made the car break down on purpose!" exclaimed Sami with a roll of her eyes, "Shame on you EJ!"

"Actually sweetheart," said EJ ruefully, "Think a little bigger."

"What do you mean?" asked Sami a little hesitantly.

"Well remember how there were those pesky blackmailing notes you kept getting before the ceremony?" began EJ innocently.

"That was you?!" Sami gasped in disbelief before slapping his arm as hard as she could, "You scared the hell out of me with those notes EJ!"

"But I was always there to comfort you," said EJ quickly with a winsome smile, "You needed me and I was there."

"I needed you because you were making my life a misery!" exclaimed Sami.

"No," said EJ firmly, "Marrying Austin Reed would have made your life a misery. So when you think about it sweetheart I actually saved you in the long run."

"We're going to be talking about this some more," said Sami with an unimpressed look at him, "Keep going."

"I was blackmailing Patrick Lockhart into doing my bidding before getting him sent to jail," said EJ candidly.

"You'll have to fix that EJ," said Sami sternly.

"Oh," said EJ, pursing his lips, not having considered that before, "Alright, I'll work on that then."

"You do that," Sami nodded, "What else?"

EJ then went on to recount all the things he could think of, his involvement with Steve and Kayla, trying to send the man crazy, organising Stephanie's car crash and so many other things until he could think of nothing else to confess to Sami.

"You know," said Sami slowly after a very long pause during which EJ held his breath in nervous anticipation as to how Sami was going to handle this, "It may take my family a little longer to come round then I first thought."

"Are we alright?" asked EJ a little cautiously.

"Of course we are alright," said Sami with a soft smile before leaning over and kissing him, "Just from now on try not to do any more bad things to my family okay?"

"Absolutely," said EJ quickly, "That was the old EJ, one who unquestioningly did his father's bidding. I don't want anything from your family other than their blessing for our union."

"You weren't planning on holding your breath for that were you?" asked Sami a little hesitantly.

"I'm not a fan of going blue and falling down unconscious so no, I'm not holding my breath sweetheart," said EJ wryly.

"They'll come around," said Sami with determined look at him, "I know they will."

EJ had to smile at her faith in him and made a silent vow to himself that he would be worth it.

"So what are your deepest darkest secrets eh Samantha?" asked EJ with interest, feeling a lot better now that he'd told Sami absolutely everything and she'd accepted him anyway.

"Oh I don't think we have time for me to share as well," said Sami quickly.

"Oh no you don't Trouble," EJ said with a shake of his head and a pointed look, "Tit for tat my dear – time for you to step into the confessional box."

"But-" Sami hedged.

"But nothing," said EJ firmly as he propped himself up on one elbow and rested his head against his hand, "Come on, air that dirty laundry Samantha and then we will be even."

"Ohh," Sami groaned, clearly regretting the can of worms she'd opened now.

"If you can overlook my past indiscretions then I don't see me not being able to do the same sweetheart," he reassured her calmly, "So spill."

"Alright," said Sami reluctantly, "Here goes – I've tried to broken up Carrie and Austin so many times that I can't count-"

EJ gave a snort at that.

"Is that the best you've got?" he asked her teasingly.

"No," said Sami, looking at him defiantly now, "That's only the beginning, trust me! I swapped Belle's DNA results when she was a child so that John wouldn't know he was her father and my parents would stay married. But then they broke up anyway after Stefano showed my dad my diary where I wrote about my mom and John's affair."

"The breakup of your parent's marriage was down to Marlena being in love with a man other than her husband so that was in no way your fault sweetheart," said EJ firmly and then gave her a curious look, "How exactly did my father get his hands on your dairy in the first place Samantha?"

"I'm just giving you the highlights EJ," said Sami with a twist of her lips, "We don't have time to delve into all of this, we only booked the room for three hours."

"Fair enough," said EJ calmly, "Please continue with the abridge version darling."

"I shot a man in the groin," said Sami quietly.

"The man who raped you," said EJ grimly, all softness gone from his face now as he thought about Alan Harris, "I know this story Samantha and all I can say is that bastard is the luckiest son of bitch on the planet because if I'd been around when it happened you can guarantee that being shot would have been a pleasant release from what I would have done to him."

"I know," said Sami softly, putting a hand to his chest and giving a sad little smile, "I know you would have taken care of me EJ."

EJ covered her hand with his own much larger one and they shared a moment of quiet heartbreak over that event.

"But then my life continued to be larger than life," continued on Sami with a brave smile, obviously not wanting to think about it but EJ could see the pain and fear in her eyes at the memory of those events.

EJ just wanted to get out of bed right there and then and hunt that man down and make him pay in ways that couldn't even be imagined but he managed to stifle the urge, knowing that wasn't what Sami needed from him right then.

"I drugged Austin into thinking I was Carrie so he would sleep with me," said Sami, listing her crimes off on her fingers now, "I broke up Carrie and Austin's wedding by telling him that I was pregnant with his child which then later turned out to be Lucas' but I didn't tell either men that. Then I was working for Tony and doing his dirty work-"

"Wait," said EJ in disbelief, "You were working for my brother? Since when?"

"Since he discovered I was dressing up as a man and calling myself Stan to-" Sami stopped abruptly and wrinkled her nose, "It gets a bit confusing after that actually."

"You dressed up as a man?" repeated EJ sceptically, "And people bought it?"

"They did," Sami nodded.

EJ looked Sami up and down and the incredibly feminine vision she made and wondered what was wrong with people. No matter what Sami wore or did to herself he'd know those full, sexy hips and fantastically generous and pert backside anywhere. And that was even before they got to talk about the magnificent chest situation she had going on.

"You know I'm seriously beginning to entertain the fact that there is something in the water in Salem that makes people congenital idiots," said EJ with a straight face.

"I can be very convincing when I want to be EJ," said Sami with a bit of a smirk, "It was almost as though Stan was being played by a completely different person to me."

"I'm going to have to take your word for that sweetheart," said EJ wryly, "But I'm not letting go of my 'Salem water makes you dumb' theory. And I think I'm going to switch to bottled water now just to be on the safe side."

"Bottled water is bad for the environment," Sami chastised him teasingly.

"Well I'm not becoming a moron for anyone so the environment is just going to have to suck it up," said EJ unapologetically.

"EJ," said Sami with a roll of her eyes and a giggle at his carry on.

What did you do with the girls?" asked EJ curiously, inclining his head towards Sami's breasts.

"I wrapped them up," said Sami, wrinkling her nose, "Really, really tightly. It was pretty painful actually."

"Oh my poor babies," said EJ in vague horror and then felt the need to lean over and give each one a sympathetic kiss, "There there, daddy's here now and you'll never have to be hidden away again while I'm around – I promise."

EJ lifted his head and gave Sami a particularly wicked look then.

"In fact if I have my way my dears you'll be allowed a lot more free range action in the very near future," he told her breasts cheekily.

Sami laughed at EJ's carry on, the tension going from the room and she opened up much more freely with her confessions. When Sami was finally finished her voice was a little hoarse and EJ was just sitting there, processing all that she'd told him.

"Well," he said at last, "We are quite the characters now aren't we sweetheart?"

He gave her a lop sided grin at that observation.

"You don't hate me?" asked Sami anxiously.

"If I'm completely honest with you Samantha-" began EJ, looking at her very seriously as she looked back at him worriedly, "I'm more than a little turned on after hearing about some of your exploits."

"EJ," said Sami, giving a relieved laugh at his acceptance although EJ had no idea why she was worried.

He'd made very sure that Sami understood he was just as attracted to the bad in her as he was the good – possibly even a little bit more.

"Want to do something tomorrow night?" asked EJ with a smile, feeling in the mood to celebrate now that they'd aired all their dirty laundry, "It's Friday night, date night."

"For normal couples," said Sami with a little laugh, "For us it isn't so easy EJ."

"We are more than up to rising to the challenge," said EJ blithely, "Surely all of our combined cunning can come up with a nefarious plan?"

Sami smiled as EJ twirled an imaginary moustache and tried his best to look like a suitable villain of the piece.

"Lucas wants me to meet him at the Brady pub after work on Friday," said Sami with a little sigh.

"Will he make it?" asked EJ sceptically, "You said he hasn't been too crash hot lately."

"He's getting sicker," Sami admitted unhappily, "But this week he seems to have gotten a second lease on life for some reason. He seems quite energetic but he flags quickly. He never seems to be home when I get there of late."

"What does the doctor say?" asked EJ curiously, "He goes every week doesn't he?"

"Yes," said Sami with a nod, "Same old same old from what Lucas tells me. No better, no worse but some days he seems better and some days he seems worse. Just depends."

Sami gave EJ a soft smile then, putting her hand on his chest.

"But I'm sure whatever Lucas' plans are for us that they will be over early," said Sami, looking up at him lovingly, "I'd really like to spend some time with you on Friday night."

"That sounds glorious," said EJ huskily, "I love spending time with my girl."

"What should I wear?" asked Sami impishly.

"A smile," EJ suggested cheekily.

"Nothing else?" asked Sami with a chuckle.

"I don't think there will be a requirement for anything else," agreed EJ thoughtfully.

"So I'm guessing we won't be going anywhere too high brow then if nudity is acceptable?" she asked him, tongue in cheek.

"Sweetheart what I've got in mind will involve you leaving all your moral sensibilities at the door," said EJ with a salacious leer her way.

"I'm not envisaging that being a problem EJ," replied Sami straight faced as he leaned in to kiss her.

**oooOOOOooo**

"I like hearing you this happy," Kate commented with a smile.

"Why wouldn't I be happy?" asked Lucas on the other end of the phone, "I've got a lot to look forward to."

"I guess you do," said Kate evenly.

"So everything is organised then?" asked Lucas, unable to contain the big smile on his face.

"Just about," Kate said with a nod even though he couldn't see it.

"Sami is going to be so surprised," said Lucas happily, "She doesn't suspect a thing, I can't wait for tomorrow night."

"Have you made sure that she is going to be there?" asked Kate intently, "Sami's kind of a necessary ingredient for what you've got planned."

"For getting our love life back on course I guess she is," said Lucas, his grin widening even more, "And yes, I'm sure Sami will be there."

"And are you sure you are up for this Lucas?" his mother worried, "It is a lot for you to take on and-"

"I'll be fine Mom," he interrupted her, trying not to show his impatience.

Lucas knew he couldn't be short with his mother now because she'd been so great and helpful since getting back from her honeymoon and he wouldn't have been able to do this without her.

"I couldn't have done this without you Mom," he said aloud and was really grateful for her support, "Thank you."

"All I want is for you to be happy Lucas," she said simply, "And if this is what will make you happy then how can I not support that?"

"I'm glad you feel that way Mom," said Lucas sincerely, "And I just want you to be happy as well."

"So does that mean you'll come and have dinner with Stefano and I one day soon?" asked Kate hopefully.

Lucas grimaced, knowing he'd backed himself into a corner with that one.

"I'll think about it," he hedged.

"Alright," said Kate, seeming to be content with that for the time being.

"So you're sure everything is all set?" asked Lucas, still worrying a little bit.

"Absolutely," said Kate confidently, "I've just got a few last minute things to do and everything will be done."

"Thanks Mom," said Lucas again, "I'll talk to you soon."

They said their goodbyes and Lucas sat down on the sofa, feeling a nervous excitement building inside of him. It had been a while but Sami was just going to love what he had planned – she always did enjoy being swept off her feet Lucas thought to himself in satisfaction. On the other side of town Kate was hanging up the phone from her call with her son and had her own look of satisfaction on her face.

"Right," she murmured with a pleased little smile at what she had planned for tomorrow, "Time to work my magic."

Kate pressed down on her office intercom and called to her young assistant.

"I need to see you right now Royce," she informed him.

Royce hurried into her office from his desk outside and gave his boss a nervous smile.

"Well?" she asked him with an arched eyebrow.

"I've done as you've asked," said Royce fidgeting a little in her presence.

"All of it?" Kate pushed him.

"Yes Ms Rob- ah Mrs DiMera," he caught himself just in time.

"Good," said Kate with a little self-satisfied smile, "I guess it is show time then."


	63. Chapter 210

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & TEN**** – ****Round and Round the Mulberry Bush**

The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.

_William James_

_(American Philosopher & Psychologist, leader of the philosophical movement of Pragmatism, 1842-1910)_

EJ took a deep breath and tried to remain calm letting it out as he fixed a pleasant smile on his face.

"Look-" EJ squinted a little to read her name badge, "-Megan, all I'm asking is for you to check your records one more time."

"I don't need to sir," said Megan just as calmly, "I've already checked them and there hasn't been a David Connolly registered at out hotel in this past week."

"But my PA gave me this hotel address," said EJ through gritted teeth, "She had set up the meeting for five thirty because he couldn't see me before that and this is the hotel she told me that he was staying at and expecting me to meet him in. Linda is extremely efficient and careful and never gets these kinds of things wrong."

"I don't know what you want me to tell you sir," said Megan with a pleasant smile of her own fixed on her face that hinted at her impatience with him underneath, "But we simply don't have a guest by that name staying with us."

EJ made a frustrated sound, still finding this hard to understand.

"It's right here in my PDA," said EJ, beginning to fish around his in coat pocket for the item, "Perhaps you've spelt the name wrong eh?"

Today had been an annoying one for EJ and he was finding it hard to hold onto his temper. First of all he hadn't gotten to see Sami so far that day and the promise of their date later that night still seemed a long way away to EJ. With the ways things were going today something would probably go wrong he decided glumly. The Kate had turned up in his office, being a nuisance and just generally getting in his way and refusing to leave. Linda had to take one of her children to the dentist that afternoon which EJ didn't begrudge because she really was an excellent personal assistant but he'd been caught on a few things that he'd needed her for and she wasn't there so he had work piled up on his desk which he hated.

And then the straw to break the camel's back was finding an appointment on his PDA that Linda must have put in there and forgotten to tell him about. Her note had said that this David Connolly was very interested in what Mythic had to offer him and was a big time casino owner with money to burn. Unfortunately he was meant to be leaving town that night and could only see EJ at this time and at the hotel he was staying in – The Salem Gardens. Linda had gone ahead and taken the initiative and made the meeting which again EJ didn't mind but now no one seemed to have heard of the fellow, much to EJ's vexation. EJ couldn't find his PDA where he normally put it in his coat pocket so he tried the other, with no luck.

"That's odd," he said with a frown, "I can't seem to find my PDA to check the details with."

"Sir might I suggest that it might be The Salem Gazebo that you are looking for," said Megan evenly, "We often find that the two names can get confused by people."

"I'm sure the message said the gardens, not gazebo," said EJ firmly.

"Well perhaps your PA may have made a mistake?" she offered up with a little shrug, "It would be simple enough to do."

"I'll just ring her," said EJ in frustration and then tried to find his cell phone and to his complete ire he found that it also seemed to be missing.

"I can't find my phone," he said with an unhappy scowl.

"Perhaps it is in your car?" suggested Megan in a voice that had just a trace of boredom in it over EJ continuing to take up her time.

"No," said EJ impatiently, "Unlikely."

He looked at Megan and gave her a sweet smile.

"I don't suppose I could borrow your phone for a moment to ring my assistant?" he asked with all of his usual charm.

"I'm sorry sir," said the young girl and EJ could have sworn she was getting some kind of perverse pleasure out of all this, "But the phone is only for the use of patrons of The Salem Gardens."

"Right," said EJ flatly, "I see."

"There is a pay phone just across the street," offered Megan.

EJ looked down at his watch and made a frustrated sound. No one would be at the office at this time anyway so there wasn't anyone to ring.

"Or you could just try The Salem Gazebo on the off chance," Megan gave him a suggestion.

"It's on the other side of town," said EJ, unimpressed by that idea.

"Will there be anything else sir?" asked Megan easily.

"No," said EJ with a twist of his lips, "You've been more then helpful already."

EJ turned on his heel and walked out of the hotel and directly across the road to the pay phone. He wasn't going to drive all the way across town just to be told the same story if he could help it. A quick phone call to the hotel in question should be able to tell EJ if he was wasting his time or not. EJ stepped into the glass booth and picked up the receiver – only to find that it was in no way still connected to the actual unit itself.

"Fan-bloody-tastic!" EJ growled, his face darkening at the sight.

A tap on the glass startled him and his head whipped around to see a very animated Sam standing outside the booth in her usual lingerie only ensemble.

"_Road trip!" she crowed and clapped her hands excitedly. _

EJ leant his head against the glass and prayed to God to give him strength.

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami put her hand on the door of the Brady pub and then stopped. The feeling of dread she'd been carrying around all day was making it hard to breathe all of a sudden. Celeste's voice was in her head, telling her to trust her intuition and Sami frowned. Right then her intuition was screaming at her to turn around and find EJ at all costs and she wondered if he was in some kind of danger and that was why she was feeling that way. It bothered her that he hadn't returned her messages from earlier that day yet but then that often happened with the two of them nowadays, the secrecy making them have to wait to respond to one another. There was no reason to be concerned Sami tried to argue with herself. Tony was long gone from their lives, Stefano was in a happily deluded place of still thinking EJ was going to do his bidding and there was no one else that had a reason to hurt either one of them. So this anxious feeling she had, like something bad was about to happen was all in her head Sami tried desperately to convince herself.

By now Sami had all but decided Celeste and her annoying vague warnings about a person whose name began with the letter 'A' coming to get her was nothing more than crazy talk and scare mongering on the older woman's behalf. Sami pushed aside her concerns, promising herself that she would make an excuse to cut the date with Lucas short, go home and get him settled in for the night and then leave to see if she could track down EJ. There was going to be nothing so sinister in her own grandmother's pub Sami that was going to stop her from doing that after all Sami argued with herself. Plus once Lucas was all sorted with a suitable alibi on her behalf Sami could find EJ and they could spend some quality time together, just the two of them. She'd missed him today and had been unbearably frustrated that they just couldn't seem to cross paths.

It was with these distracting thoughts running through her head that Sami finally walked into the pub. She came to a dead halt though when she saw just about all of her family and Lucas' already in there, milling around, sitting at tables and eating various snacks that had been put out. Hopes of seeing EJ in the near future were dashed as she looked around at the smiling faces of them all as they stopped what they were doing and looked at Sami as one. Damn it! Celeste had told her to listen to her intuition and that was exactly what she should have done Sami realised in aggravation. It looked like everyone was settled in for a party of some kind and it also looked like she was invited. Lucas suddenly appeared by her side and kissed her quickly.

"You're here," he said happily.

"Yes I am," said Sami faintly, looking him up and down and then at everyone else who were smiling or waving their greeting to her, "Along with the rest of Salem."

Sami looked Lucas up and down again.

"And you're all dressed up," she noted, "What is going on Lucas?"

Sami knew it was no one's birthday today and the presence of Kate over in the corner speaking to her father was even more confusing.

"We don't know what is going on either Sami," said Caroline with a little laugh at seeing Sami's shell shocked expression.

"My brother is being very theatrical," agreed Philip who was leaning against the bar, a glass in hand, "I and I'm assuming the rest of us received these mysterious invitations to this little shindig – and he wasn't taking no for an answer – believe me I tried."

"Don't be annoying Philip," his mother chastised him, "This is about Lucas."

"Well that will be a novelty," Philip muttered sarcastically under his breath.

Lucas however seemed oblivious to his brother's bad humour, instead concentrating all of his attention on Sami.

"I have a surprise for you Sami," said Lucas, his smile widening, "And I wanted the people we love to be here for it but first I have something to say."

Lucas turned around and faced the crowd, Sami's parents, her aunts and uncles, John, Kate, Billie, Philip, Chelsea, her grandmother, even Abe, Maggie and Mickey was there and Sami found herself holding her breath. Lucas took her hand as he faced them all and Sami suddenly knew what he was doing and squeezed his hand tightly for moral support.

"There is no easy way to say this," Lucas said calmly, "And I didn't really want to keep making this announcement over and over again so I'm going to do it just the once and get it over and done with."

Sami looked at Lucas and then over at all the expectant faces and felt both a rush of sadness and relief that this moment had finally come.

"I've got cancer," said Lucas simply, "It's a type of leukaemia – Acute Myelocytic Leukaemia to be precise but that is a bit of a mouthful so AML is fine."

There was an audible gasp in the room and Sami tightened her hold on Lucas' hand in silent support of this huge thing he was doing.

"Lucas!" said Billie in obvious distress as she put her hand to her mouth.

"It's alright," said Lucas with a lop sided smile, "Don't worry guys, I'm going to beat this, you mark my words. I'm sorry to just drop this bombshell on you but I just wanted to get it over and done with."

There was this stunned silence that filled the room as Sami looked nervously at all the faces which had varying degrees of shock and concern on them. Then all at once the spell seemed to be broken and they were all talking over the top of one another, wanting to know the details so Sami just stood quietly to one side and let Lucas do all the talking, thinking it would be good for him, cathartic almost. At least the mystery of what all this was about was answered she thought to herself as everyone crowded around Lucas with their questions and hugs. And as wrong as it was in that moment Sami couldn't help her mind straying to wondering what EJ was up to right then.

**oooOOOOooo**

"_So then I said to Cheryl – Cheryl, honey, you cannot wear stripe pants, I don't care how hot they are meant to be this season. Your ass looks like it just came from eating New York and now wants to take a crack at Wyoming! I mean how can looking like a circus tent be fashiona-" _

"Will you shut the hell up!" EJ snapped in agitation as he negotiated traffic deftly, "You've done nothing but prattle on about nothing for twenty minutes now! You don't have a friend named Cheryl, you don't have any kind of friends because you don't exist!"

"_Hey don't you take your bad mood out on me!" Sam huffed from the back seat, "I've got more friends than you my love testicle and that is a fact!" _

"I'm not engaging you in conversation anymore," said EJ through gritted teeth.

"_Well lucky for you then I don't need your snide input to have a conversation," said Sam sweetly._

"In that case you are just talking to yourself," pointed out EJ in annoyance.

"_Look who's talking," Sam snorted, "Technically that is exactly what we are doing." _

"Why do you have to show up on days when everything is going wrong?!" EJ growled the question in annoyance.

"_Because that is when you need me the most," Sam reasoned. _

"I need you now like I need a hole in the head," said EJ tightly as he finally arrived at The Salem Gazebo and found a park.

"_I never understood that expression," said Sam, pursing her lips thoughtfully, "Heads are nothing but holes really – your mouth, your eyes, your nostrils, your ears. The saying should go more like 'I need you now like I need no holes in my head' when you think about it." _

EJ had found a park and turned off the engine, not bothering to reply to her logic.

"Stay in the car," he instructed her tersely.

"_Can you at least crack a window?!" she called after him as EJ strode towards the entrance of the hotel_.

He was tempted just to give up on this meeting but for one thing he was already there and for another it wasn't in his nature to give up on things. Five minutes later EJ was regretting that particular trait of his when he was being told that there was no David Connolly at The Salem Gazebo either. There just seemed no end to today EJ thought in frustration. He looked down at his watch and saw that it was just after six now and pulled a face. EJ couldn't help but wonder how long it would take Sami to get rid of Lucas and hoped it wouldn't be too long. He really needed to see her tonight after a day like today. EJ turned back around and was heading back to the car when he ran into someone he really wanted to talk to. He started to head over towards the person with a determined stride.

**oooOOOOooo**

At last everyone seemed to have asked all of their questions and Sami was just glad that it was over but apparently that was far from the truth of the matter as she was about to find out.

"Okay," said Lucas with a strangely at ease smile, "Enough about that now, that isn't why I asked you all here tonight, not really."

The room quietened down and everyone looked at Lucas expectantly and Sami felt her nerves begin to tighten. Everyone was still looking pretty shocked of course, except for Kate, her Mom and John which was to be expected as they already knew. Sami looked over at John and he gave her a small smile but she could see the concern in his eyes and she knew that he was the only one in the room knowing what she was going through.

Sami had this mad need to run over and throw her arms around the man that she'd tried so hard to evict from her life. She wanted him to hug her like he had when she was a little girl, before her world had exploded into confusion and accusations. It had been a long time but Sami still remembered what it was like to be in the arms of the man she'd thought was her father for the longest time and remembered how reassuring that used to be.

"Throughout this entire ordeal Sami has just been amazing," he told everyone giving her an adoring smile which made Sami shift a little uncomfortably from one foot to the other as she managed to tear her eyes off John and back to Lucas, "She's stood by me even when I made it hard for her she just didn't give up on me; she didn't give up on us."

Sami could feel a sick feeling starting to rise up through her stomach and she could only pray that this wasn't going where she thought it was.

"I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for this amazing woman standing beside me," said Lucas, still smiling, "I would have given up but Sami wouldn't let me. She's a fighter and she made me fight as well."

Sami could feel her family looking at her proudly which was all she'd ever wanted for the longest time but now it only made her feel even sicker.

"We've had our ups and downs," said Lucas with a quirk of his lips, "I know, the understatement of the century but we've weathered all the storms and here we still are, together and very much in love."

Sami wished she could just crawl away into a cave and never come out with the amount of guilt she was feeling as Lucas heaped praise on her. She knew she didn't deserve it, staying with him out of a sense of duty and most importantly for Will then what she'd worked so hard to convince him of. Sami felt like such a fraud as Lucas went on and on about how she was the love of his life and that after going through this together that he knew they were forever. It only made it worse that she had such an approving audience nodding and smiling as Lucas talked and Sami had that old terrible feeling she used to have when one of her schemes backfired and she was being backed into an impossible corner.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

That used to be the motto of the old Sami Brady, the one before EJ's love changed her and Sami thought she'd buried that part of her forever but it seemed like fate wasn't done having fun at her expense just yet.

"I am going to beat this," said Lucas determinedly, still talking as Sami began to feel herself begin to sweat a little, "I know I am and I'm going to have a future with my son, with my family and friends and most importantly with you Sami."

Lucas turned to look at her now and Sami could see in his eyes what he was about to do and all she could do was work hard at not throwing up on the man in front of her. Lucas sunk to one knee and Sami's worst fears were confirmed. She could hear some of the women in the audience give little gasps of excitement at what they were witnessing. Out of the corner of Sami's eye she could see her mother, hand over her mouth looking at the two of them with such joyous emotion and never before had Sami prayed harder for some act of God to distract everyone. Surely Salem must be due an earthquake or tornado sometime soon Sami wondered in a growing panic

"Samantha Brady I love you," said Lucas earnestly from where he was kneeling in front of her looking up, "I want to spend the rest of my life with you and I know you want that too. We took a really broken road to end up back here again but this time it is for keeps, I swear to you. You're all I want, you're all I think of and I know we have a long and happy future ahead of us if you'll just say yes to what I'm going to ask you."

Sami's shaky legs gave way and she sunk down onto a seat as Lucas smiled happily back at her. He then dug into his coat pocket and pulled out a diamond ring and held it up for her to see. Sami felt like all the oxygen had left the room and like the entire room was holding its breath as Lucas uttered those five little words that cut through her heart like a knife.

"Sami will you marry me?"

Sami wanted to scream no, a thousand times no, that this was all wrong, that this was meant to be EJ asking her to marry him, wanting her to be his wife. Tears swelled up in Sami's eyes which she supposed everyone would take as happy ones but truth be told she wanted to burst into tears and never stop. Why hadn't she seen this coming Sami wondered in despair? Because all you think about is EJ the little voice in her head answered her and Sami knew it was true. EJ was just her whole world and it was hard for her to even remember that other people existed and now she was paying dearly for that single mindedness.

Everyone was standing there, waiting for her answer while Sami felt hopelessly trapped. How could she say no now she asked herself despairingly? After all of those things Lucas had said about her it was practically impossible. And if she said no what would her reason be – that I've only been faking my love for you so you won't kill yourself for the sake of our son? It was the truth but never before had this seemed like less of a forum for speaking that truth. If she said no to Lucas now she might as well just hit him with the shovel that she'd just dug his grave with and bury him right there and then.

Sami fought back the panic as the seconds ticked by and no act of God was forthcoming. She supposed God wasn't in that big a hurry to help out adulterers, mores the pity because right now Sami really did need a miracle. Surely she could have gotten some slack for trying to do the right thing she wondered hopelessly? Apparently not it would seem. Sami then began to quickly try and rationalise things in her head. If she said yes to Lucas what did it really matter anyway?

EJ wouldn't be happy but he'd understand and nothing would change after all. Lucas would give her a ring, refer to her as his fiancé rather than girlfriend and everything else would be the same. It broke Sami's heart to accept anyone else's ring then EJ's but it was only a gesture, nothing more she reasoned. Lucas sadly wouldn't be living long enough to be marrying anyone and she could do this last act of kindness for him, helping him to save face and making him happy while she could. So after weighing it up as quickly as she could Sami gave her answer with a heavy heart.

"Yes," she said, forcing herself to smile through her tears.

"Yes?" Lucas repeated a little uncertainly.

"Yes," said Sami, trying to inject more certainty into her voice, "My answer is yes Lucas."

Lucas' face lit up as the room burst into applause as he placed the ring on her finger. He stood up and pulled her up into his arms as well kissing her passionately and the sick feeling was just getting worse for Sami but she did her best to just get through this. Lucas finally broke the kiss after what felt like a life time to Sami and hugged her to him.

"You scared me there for a bit honey," he whispered in her ear teasingly, "You took forever to answer."

"I was overwhelmed," said Sami truthfully before everyone descended on them, congratulating them both and wanting to see the ring.

Sami just had a smile frozen on her face as she accepted everyone's well wishes and hugs and tried to console herself with the fact that at least the worse was over. Unfortunately for Sami she couldn't have been more wrong as Lucas managed to disentangle himself from all of the well wishers and looked like he had another announcement to make. It was hard to quiet everyone down again and Sami couldn't help but think that everyone was overeager to concentrate on the supposedly good news of their engagement rather than the devastating news of Lucas' illness. It was understandable but it didn't make Sami's position anymore tenable.

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ walked up to the woman who was waiting to be seated in the hotel restaurant and tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around and arched a surprise eyebrow at him.

"Elvis dahling," she purred easily, "This is unexpected."

"Really?" asked EJ mockingly, "And here was I thinking that people in your line of work were never caught off guard."

"You're upset," Celeste noted coolly.

"Oh I take it back," said EJ sarcastically, "Maybe you are psychic after all Celeste if you can work that out all by yourself."

Celeste pursed her lips and eyed him speculatively for a moment before speaking.

"What is troubling you Elvis?" she asked calmly.

[center]**oooOOOOooo**[/center]

The room had at last hushed and Lucas was talking again. Honestly Sami couldn't think of how things could get worse for her right then but she was quickly going to find an unwelcome answer to that question.

"Life is short Sami," said Lucas earnestly, "And no one knows that better than I do now so I don't want to waste a minute of our time together any more. I want to marry you."

"I know," said Sami with a shaky smile as she looked nervously out at everyone watching them, "You just gave me an engagement ring remember?"

"I mean I want to marry you now Sami," said Lucas, his face full of glowing excitement.

"Wh-what?" Sami stammered, knowing she couldn't have heard him right.

"I want to marry you now, tonight," said Lucas, beaming at her.

"Lucas that just isn't possible," Sami said unsteadily, the blood beginning to roar in her ears and making her head swim, "You need things for a wedding – a licence, a priest, a church, a dress-"

"Done," he announced proudly.

"What?" asked Sami in amazement.

"It's all done Sami," said Lucas with a big smile, "I've organised everything."

"But-but how?" asked Sami weakly, feeling as though the earth was cracking open beneath her feet and she was about to fall through the floor into oblivion.

"I had help," said Lucas with a smile, "My Mom helped with a lot of the details."

"_Your _Mom?" repeated Sami flatly, instantly suspicious, "Is your Mom still Kate Roberts Lucas?"

"Actually it's DiMera now," said Kate blithely as she walked up to where the two of them were standing, "And all I want is for Lucas to be happy and you make him happy."

"But we can't," said Sami weakly, hardly able to wrap her head around what was happening.

This had to be some kind of horrible nightmare, it just had to be.

"We can Sami," said Lucas happily, "I don't want to wait to make you my wife and we don't have to. I know our last wedding was-"

"A disaster and you divorced me minutes later?" asked Sami, unable to help herself.

"Things were different back then," said Lucas blithely, "You were different back then. You've changed so much Sami and I want you to know that I can see that."

Lucas looked over at everyone and smiled.

"That we can all see that," he continued on earnestly.

Everyone in the room bar Kate and John smiled and murmured their agreement to Lucas' statement and Sami felt the heavy hand of pressure bearing down on her.

"I've invited all the people we love and who love us here tonight because I really want them to be attending a wedding tonight," said Lucas sincerely, "I know this is sudden Sami but I feel like all we've been doing is dealing with my illness for so long now and I just wanted tonight to be about us and something bigger than that."

Lucas was looking at her so earnestly it was hard for Sami to hold his gaze as he made his case.

"So are we going to do this thing then?" asked Lucas with excited anticipation, his eyes bright and looking as well as Sami had seen him look for a long time.

Sami looked around at the sea of smiling faces of both of their families and could practically feel the force of their collective will urging her to say yes. The phrase 'being put on the spot' didn't even begin to cover what she felt right then. So many emotions and thoughts battled for a place in Sami's head and heart in that moment. It was an impossible choice made even more so by the shining trust she could see in Lucas' eyes right then. It would destroy him utterly if she refused him but even knowing that it was all Sami could do from screaming 'no, no, no' at him at the top of her lungs. She began to shake with the effort it was costing her to remain in control.

If it didn't mean separation from EJ forever Sami wished she could die right then rather than give Lucas an answer to that question…


	64. Chapter 211

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & ELEVEN**** – ****Heart to Hearts**

What is uttered from the heart alone, will win the hearts of others to your own.

_Johann Wolfgang von Goethe_

_(German Playwright, Poet, Novelist and Dramatist 1749-1832)_

The nightmare continued for Sami as she was well and truly back into a corner. If you looked up a dictionary for the word 'cornered' then she was sure there would be a picture of this moment. The room was hushed Sami's last thought of EJ and what this would do to him before she did the only things she could for now.

"Yes," she said simply and prayed that EJ would one day find a way to forgive her, "Yes I'll marry you tonight Lucas."

The room erupted once again in excited applause and congratulations as Sami fought against passing out.

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ arched an eyebrow at Celeste's comment and let her see his disdain.

"What is troubling me Celeste is the need you seem to have to go around upsetting young women with all of your craziness," said EJ tersely.

It bothered him no end to see Sami so upset after having talked to the older woman and EJ was determined that Celeste would know his feelings on the subject and know not to go near Sami again.

"I assume you are talking about Samantha," Celeste commented evenly.

"You assume correctly," said EJ curtly, "What were you thinking saying those things to her Celeste? Do you get some kind of sick thrill out of tormenting people?"

"What an interesting question coming from a DiMera of all people," said Celeste wryly, "A name that symbolises pain and torment."

"Don't deflect Celeste," said EJ grimly, "We are talking about you and Samantha and why you felt the need to frighten the hell out of her the other day."

"Yes we are," said Celeste looking at him intently, "And I have to wonder why you of all people are so interested in Samantha's life Elvis? I understood that you had moved on from your fascination with her and yet here you are determined to be her white knight in shining armour."

EJ's lips thinned at Celeste's observation, realising he'd done something he was rarely prone to – speaking before thinking.

"Now isn't this an interesting development?" asked Celeste with a knowing little smile.

"Don't change the subject Celeste," said EJ curtly, "I want you to keep your mumbo jumbo to yourself in future."

"But Samantha came to me," Celeste protested quite correctly, "You speak as though it was the other way around Elvis."

"Next time you can tell her that you're no longer in the Tarot business," said EJ shortly.

"It is not a business and I did not choose it," said Celeste coolly, "And if you want to be a real friend to Samantha then you should take what the cards told her seriously."

"Oh please," said EJ scornfully, "It's all smoke and mirrors and performed by people in desperate need of attention or more so in your case Celeste psychiatric attention."

"People often scorn what they do not understand," she said simply.

"And people often get a kick out of making other people's lives a misery," said EJ harshly.

"I do not wish to make anyone unhappy Elvis," said Celeste, putting a hand out to touch his arm solicitously, "I-"

Celeste stopped abruptly and pulled her hand away from him sharply. She looked at EJ in confusion then, as though trying to work out something in her head.

"Don't tell me – EJ DiMera will be no more," said EJ acerbically, "We've been there and done that remember sweetheart? And I don't know if you've noticed but I'm still here."

"There are many forces at work in your life Elvis," said Celeste, ignoring his sarcasm as she looked at him with great concern, "Many things that mean you harm."

"Have you been listening at all to what I just said to you?" asked EJ in annoyance.

"Today is a dark day for you," continued on Celeste undaunted, her face deeply anxious, "Something is closing in on you – beware the smell of purple."

"Beware the smell of purple," EJ repeated slowly and with disdain dripping off each word, "Right I'll get right on that shall I Celeste?"

"You must take these warnings seriously Elvis," said Celeste earnestly.

"Of course I must," said EJ dourly, "Any other colours you want to warn me about Celeste – be on the lookout for the morning breath of orange or how about running from the harbinger of burgundy?"

"Do not mock what you do not understand!" said Celeste fiercely.

"No one in their right mind understands what 'beware the smell of purple' means!" EJ snapped, "It's the incoherent ramblings of an insane woman!"

"I do not pick my visions," said Celeste a little stiffly.

"I know, I know – they choose you," said EJ mockingly, "You mentioned."

"You need to have your wits about you Elvis," Celeste cautioned him seriously, "Now is not a time to be distracted. The one you love needs you."

Despite himself EJ couldn't help but be drawn into that statement. The thought of Sami needing him would always be his undoing.

"Care to elucidate?" he asked, narrowing his eyes menacingly.

If Celeste knew something he didn't and was just trying to hide behind these garbled warnings then there was going to be hell to pay.

"I don't know," said Celeste unhappily, "These are all just impressions that I am getting – I can make no sense of them either. Only that you should be on your guard."

"Oh I am Celeste," said EJ, giving her a warning look, "Trust me sweetheart I am."

"I am not the one you should be concerning yourself with Elvis," said Celeste, calmly holding his gaze.

"This isn't over," EJ informed her curtly.

"Your story is only beginning Elvis," she agreed readily, "And I wonder whether you will be able to play the part of the hero that she needs you to be?"

"She?" asked EJ tightly, tensing a little and once again wondering what Celeste knew.

"The one who has your heart," said Celeste giving him a knowing look, "She will be needing more from you very soon then you ever thought you could give."

In spite of all of his scepticism EJ couldn't help but feel a chill go through his body at those words.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Come on," said Sami anxiously, "Come on EJ, pick up!"

Sami didn't know how many messages she'd already left for EJ on his cell phone but it must be well into the double figures by now but she didn't care as once again it went to voicemail.

"EJ where are you?!" she asked in desperation as she left her message, "I need you – something horrible is happening I need you to be here – to tell me what to do. Ring me as soon as you get this – it's life and death EJ – please ring me!"

Sami hung up the phone with shaking hands and threw it on the nearby sofa. She was at St Luke's, the church Lucas had chosen for them to get married in and was in one of the rooms that was set aside specifically for the bride. There was a mirror, bathroom, cupboard and sofa – all the things that a bridal party needed to get ready only there wasn't a party, just Sami and she wanted nothing more than to climb out that window she could see on the other side of the room and just start running and never stop.

Everything was made twice as hard by the fact that she couldn't get in contact with EJ for some reason. Sami was really beginning to worry that something had happened to him because just like her he was always careful about carrying his cell phone because often it was the only link between them. Her nerves were stretched to breaking as the numbness Lucas' original proposal had caused began to wear off. Sami still couldn't believe she'd said yes but somewhere in the back of her mind she figured it would buy her more time to think. The trouble was that now she had some time she couldn't think and the more Sami panicked about it the more her brain shut down.

All of her family had been in her face, so excited and proud of her that Sami's head was still reeling from it all and she hadn't been able to get a word in edgewise even if she had known what she wanted to say. She'd been bundled off to the bride's room and Sami had asked to be left alone for a little while to get ready which thankfully had happened. On autopilot Sami had done her hair and makeup, trying not to look at the wedding dress that was hung up in the cupboard while she tried to work out desperately what to do next. There was a quiet knock at the door then.

"Yes?" Sami called out nervously.

"It's me," said John, "Can I come in for a bit Sami?"

"Yes," said Sami unevenly, John being the only person she really wanted to see right then, other than EJ of course.

John opened the door and walked in, taking in her makeup and hair.

"You look beautiful honey," said John with a sad smile.

The sight of John standing there with that sympathetic and understanding look on his face was just too much for Sami.

"Oh John," Sami managed, barely more than a whimper before she threw herself into his arms and burst into tears.

John didn't say anything, just hugged her back in the way only a father knows how and let her borrow some of his strength right then.

"I've made such a mess of things," Sami sobbed into his chest.

"No you haven't," said John firmly, hugging her closer to him, "You haven't done anything Sami."

Sami pulled back and looked up at him with watery eyes.

"EJ told me," she said unsteadily, "He told me what you are doing for him, for us."

"I gathered," said John with a little wry smile.

"Thank you John," Sami whispered in awe, "It is more than I would ever dream of asking from you and I can't believe-"

"That I'd want to see you happy?" asked John with an arched eyebrow as he gently chastised her for such thoughts, "That is all I ever wanted for you Sami."

"I love EJ so much John," said Sami earnestly, wanting to make sure he understood, "I never knew it was possible to love someone like this. It physically hurts when I'm not around him and all I can think about is us being together."

"I know how that is," said John with a soft smile.

"Only now I'm doing this terrible thing to us," said Sami, her eyes filling with fear, "I've already asked so much of him John."

She looked up at John with real terror now.

"What if EJ hates me for agreeing to do this?" Sami asked desperately.

"If he does then he isn't the man either one of us thought he was," said John calmly.

"Thank you," said Sami with a grateful watery smile, "I really needed to hear that."

"Does EJ know?" asked John, looking at her intently.

"I can't get in contact with him," said Sami shakily, "I need him here so much John."

"To do what?" asked John quietly, "Stop the wedding? You know you can do that with one word Sami – you don't have to do this."

"Don't I?" asked Sami despairingly, "You saw Lucas' face – I think me stopping this now would kill him."

Sami then gave voice to her biggest fear then.

"And if I stop this wedding and tell them why like I really want to all Will is going to see his mother tearing apart his family when his father needed her most and blame EJ for it," said Sami unsteadily, the pain obvious on her face.

She grabbed John's arm then.

"I want EJ and Will to have a relationship John," she said earnestly, "He won't have a father after-after-"

Sami stopped and swallowed hard.

"After," she said simply, tears pricking her eyes, "And EJ desperately wants to be a part of his life so that we can be a family and if I stop this wedding because I love EJ I'm afraid I'll lose my son forever."

She made a pained expression then.

"Or at least EJ will," Sami continued on in little more than a whisper, "And it will break my heart everyday if Will turns his back on EJ and can never accept us. I want the two people I love most in the world to love and accept one another and if I stop this wedding I'll be dooming that never to happen."

"Then maybe it is best for everyone that you can't reach EJ," said John calmly.

Sami looked up at him a little surprised at that comment and then she remembered who she was speaking to and her heart dropped. John must have seen the realisation on her face and gave her a lop sided smile.

"It's alright squirt," he told her softly.

"No it isn't," said Sami painfully, the lump in her throat making it hard for her even to talk, "I made yours and Mom's lives a nightmare for so long with my misplaced hatred and vendetta against you. I know you were only following your heart and trying to love me and include me but at the time I was just blinded by-"

"Your Mom and I really let you down Sami," John interrupted her quietly, "You really needed us but we put our own needs first and I don't think I ever really let myself understand how deeply that affected you at the time. I just thought that if Marlena and I were happy everything else would fall into place or wouldn't matter."

John looked very repentant now as he spoke about that time.

"I know hindsight is always twenty twenty," he said with a wry smile, "But if I had my time over I'd do things so differently knowing what I do now."

"You and Mom wouldn't have gotten together?" asked Sami in disbelief at hearing this.

No matter what she told herself about John at the time and since one thing she'd never doubted was their deep love for one another.

"We would have," said John with a little smile, "Love like that can't be held back forever but at the time it felt like the most important thing in the world and we pursued it over everything else – to the detriment of our children. That was something we and they payed for dearly over the years and it hurts me no end to think of all the pain my self-centred decisions cost others that I loved dearly."

"Do-do you regret loving my Mom?" asked Sami a little hesitantly.

"Not for one second in the entirety of my life on this earth will I regret loving your Mom Sami," said John with absolute certainty, "Whatever the future holds loving your mother has made me into a better person. She made me strive to be more than I could have ever imagined and she's given me so many things over the years, priceless things like all of my children."

John moved closer and picked up both of Sami's hands then and gave them a squeeze.

"And that includes you Sami," said John with a warm smile, "The most passionate and alive of all of the children that I love. The one I know more than any of my other is capable of great things."

"Do you mean that?" asked Sami in wide eyed shock.

She'd always felt like a second class citizen when it came to being one of the Brady/Black progeny in the family so she was absolutely stunned to hear John say something like that to her.

"I love all of my children, more than life," said John very sincerely, "But there was always something special about you, something that set you apart from the others."

"I know," said Sami unhappily, looking down.

"I didn't mean it like that," said John, taking a finger and putting it under Sami's chin and making her lift her head to look at him again, "You were different to our other children Sami and I'm so sorry if we ever made you feel like that difference made you something less. In my eyes it always made you something more but to my great regret I never took the time to tell you that."

"I think you did John," said Sami sadly, "I just wasn't listening."

"Then I should have tried again and again and again until you did listen," said John, not letting himself off the hook, "I know you have Roman but I still always thought of myself as your Dad and I should have pursued your heart a lot harder than I did and then you wouldn't have gotten yourself so much trouble trying to find yourself a man who loved you unconditionally because you didn't feel like your family, your father did."

Sami looked at John in complete amazement at his insight into her psyche, all the things EJ had been saying to her and more and couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"That is why you take my breath away with what you are trying to do here," said John very sincerely, "You're putting Lucas' and more importantly still, your son's needs above your own and I know you didn't learn that from your mother or I – that is all you Samantha Jean Brady and I couldn't be prouder of you being that person neither your mother and I could be even though we wanted to."

"I'm not that great John," said Sami with a sigh, "All I really want to do is run screaming from this church and never look back."

"And if you do it will all work out," said John reassuringly.

"Yeah twenty years later," said Sami flatly, "When Will falls in love and realises what it is like and then all the rest of that time is nothing but pain and suffering."

"But we got there in the end," John reminded her with a little smile, "Look at us now."

"I know," said Sami, giving him a grateful look, "But I don't know if I can put Will through that, or EJ for that matter. I'll be caught in the middle of them and that will be hard on him I know as well, just like it must have been for you with Mom."

"It was hard," agreed John, "But worth it – I'd do anything for your mother Sami and for you."

"I know," said Sami quietly and bit her bottom lip.

So many things were running through her head and even harder – her heart that she could barely stand it.

"What if I can't go through with this?" Sami whispered despairingly, "What if I'm standing at that altar and I just can't do it?"

"Sami you just have to do what you have to do," said John simply before giving her hand a quick squeeze, "Just know that whatever that turns out to be I'll back that play one hundred percent."

**oooOOOOooo**

"_What took you so long?" asked Sam in annoyance as EJ got back into the car, "I was about to release the search and rescue hounds to look for you."_

"I ran into-" EJ stopped abruptly and gave her an annoyed look which was directed more at himself, "You were there, you know."

"_I know," she said with a cheeky grin, "Just rattling your cage my chocolate coated water buffalo."_

EJ just grunted with that and started the engine.

"_Where to now?" asked Sam cheerfully. _

"Back to the office," said EJ shortly, "I need my phone so I can contact Samantha and see if she's been trying to ring me."

EJ went to pull away from the curb and then realised something was very wrong.

"_What?" asked Sam as she watched him turn off the engine and climb out of the car. _

"Bollocks!" said EJ in annoyance as he walked around to the passenger side of the car and saw one very flat tyre, "I don't believe this!"

"_You're having a bad day aren't you my little dung beetle of frustration?" asked Sam as she stuck her head out of the window in what EJ assumed was meant to be sympathy._

EJ just gave another grunt at that observation before stalking around to the boot and pulling out the spare tyre and jack. Fifteen minutes later, despite Sam's helpful comments EJ was putting the flat tyre and jack back in the boot and trying again to drive away.

"_You know maybe you should have gotten Celeste to perform some kind of Vatican ritual for you?" suggested Sam conversationally, "You know, to counteract all this bad luck you are having."_

"First of all I believe you meant to say voodoo ritual," said EJ with a twist of his lips as he pulled up at the first traffic light, "And second of al-"

EJ didn't get to finish his sentence as there was suddenly a huge impact from behind the car that propelled EJ and Sam forward, the sound of metal crashing against metal filling the confines of the car and then all EJ saw was stars...


	65. Chapter 212

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & TWELVE**** - ****The Rock and the Hard Place Collide**

Love withers with predictability; its very essence is surprise and amazement.

To make love a prisoner of the mundane is to take its passion and lose it forever.

_Leo F. Buscaglia_

_(American guru, tireless advocate of the power of love, 1924-1998)_

EJ straightened up slowly and grimaced at the sharp pain in his head. He dabbed a couple of apprehensive fingers at the part of his forehead that had contacted with the steering wheel and pulled back, peering at them a little blurrily.

"Am I bleeding?" he asked unevenly.

"_No," said Sam still looking a bit wide eyed, "But you should be pretty glad that you've got brown seat covers when it comes to how I'm going."_

.EJ grimaced and was glad that Sam wasn't real so that was one less thing he had to worry about.

"_What just happened?" asked Sam in confusion. _

EJ smelt before he saw the answer to that question. A heavy cloud of lilac perfume filled the car a split second before a woman with black hair and big glasses stuck her head through EJ's driver's window.

"Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed in horror, her Southern accent very pronounced, "Are you alright?!"

EJ pulled back a little and blinked rapidly, still in a little bit of shock over the accident and now with this woman who was practically in his face.

"Yes thank you," said EJ calmly as he eyed her a little uncertainly.

"I just don't know what happened!" the woman began to babble, "I was comin' round that corner and then I guess my foot just slipped or somethin' because next thing I know our two cars are kissin' cousins!"

"A colourful way to describe you rear ending me," said EJ with a twist of his lips.

"_I wish someone would rear end me," said Sam with a bit of a disappointed pout. _

EJ gave her a dark look for that comment but didn't respond with an audience right there so instead he managed to get the woman to back up a little so he could get out of the car.

"Are you alright?" he asked her solicitously once he was out.

"Oh my yes," she said shakily with a couple of wild hand gestures, "I'm just all shook up as Elvis would say."

EJ could hear Sam snickering away in the car to herself at that comment because the woman didn't know who she was talking to.

"That's good," said EJ calmly before walking around to the back of his car to assess the state it was in.

EJ looked at the indented metal of the back of his car and the bumper bar that was hanging by a thread. The front of what was obviously the woman's car was a little worse for wear but EJ's car had definitely borne the brunt of the collision.

"Oh no!" said the woman in distress, "Did I do that?"

"With a little help from your car, yes," said EJ flatly, surveying the damage.

"My insurance will pay for everything," she informed him enthusiastically, "My husband insists on full cover when it comes to my car insurance."

"A wise man," said EJ dryly as he crouched down and pulled on the bumper bar which then came off in his hands.

"Oh my," she drawled unhappily, "Is that a necessary part of the car do y'all think?"

"Only when you are being rear ended," said EJ wryly as he straightened up, bumper in hand and placed it on the sidewalk out of the way.

"We should exchange details," said the woman, running over to her car and pulling out a huge black bag which she began to dig around in.

A moment later she'd found her purse and a pen and was hurrying back to EJ who had already pulled his wallet out while forcing himself to count to ten to remain calm. How could this day get any worse he wondered glumly?

"Here," she said, holding out her hand for his wallet, "I'll just copy down your details okay?"

EJ gave a bit of a sigh and handed her his wallet, which promptly slipped through her fingers and landed on the large grate in the sidewalk between them before slipping through.

"OH NO!" she gasped in horror, putting a hand to her mouth, "I'm soo sorry, that was totally my fault!"

"We'll add it to the list shall we?" asked EJ in annoyance as he looked down the grate at his wallet lying in a shallow stream of muck and grimy city water.

"Maybe I can reach through and grab it?" she offered him contritely.

"Your arm is too short and mine is too big," said EJ tersely, "I'm going to need to get that grate off."

"That's public property," observed one of the mandatory onlookers that always gathered around after any kind of car accident, "The city will fine you for damaging it."

"I guess you can just add that to the insurance claim," EJ informed the woman curtly, in no mood to play the gallant gentleman after his afternoon.

The woman should just be thankful that she was a woman and not a man otherwise EJ might have been tempted to take out his frustrations on her. EJ walked over to his car but found he couldn't open the boot because of the damage done to the car so he couldn't get to the crowbar he had in there.

"Do you have a crowbar?" asked EJ with an arched eyebrow at the woman.

"I don't know sugar," she drawled thoughtfully, "What's this crowbar thingy look like?"

"Give me your keys," said EJ flatly, holding out his hand, deciding to take matter into his own hands.

Forty minutes later EJ had retrieved his wallet, dealt with the police officer that had turned up because someone called him and was back in the car to find to his relief that it was alright to drive. The last thing he wanted right now was to have to abandon his car and get a cab. The dark haired woman that EJ had never bothered with getting her name continued to be very apologetic about the whole thing which he was finding increasingly tiresome. It would be a nuisance to have to have his car in the shop for however long it would take to fix the damage she'd done plus his wallet was pretty much ruined now as well. In the end it was with great relief EJ was able to get into his car and drive away.

"_Not for nothing poodle," commented Sam idly as they left the scene together, "But if you were ever considering taking up sky diving as a hobby then I don't think today would be the day to do that somehow."_

"Thanks for the advice," EJ ground out from behind clenched teeth.

"_No problem," said Sam blithely, "I've got stacks of the stuff that I'm not even using – like ask my advice about nipple chaffing, go on, ask me – it involves whipped cream and a duck." _

EJ's hands tightened on the steering wheel and didn't comment but thought his own dark thoughts.

"_So when you say you'd like to rear end me is that in the good slutty way?" asked Sam cheerfully as she easily read his mind, "Reading between the lines I think it does."_

"Then it's time for you to get glasses!" EJ snapped unhappily.

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami was just finishing putting on her jewellery by now, having already put on the dress and weathered the storm of both of her parents having been in to see her, showering her with praise and affection. It was clear that they were just overjoyed by this turn of events, both of them looking so happy and it was nearly killing Sami to keep up the charade. She couldn't help but wonder why neither one of them could see through her act to the agonising pain underneath but most likely they didn't want to. They wanted this kind of fairytale for their daughter, as grim as it was with Lucas' AML so like a lot of parents before them they chose to only see what suited them at the time. After they'd left, still gushing her next visitor had been her grandmother.

"You look breathtaking Sami," Caroline told her granddaughter, looking her up and down and smiling sweetly.

"Thank you grandma," said Sami a little unsteadily, not sure how much more she could take from these well intentioned well wishers.

"Are you alright dear?" asked Caroline quietly, studying her carefully.

"I-I… it's a bit overwhelming," said Sami faintly, "Everything is moving so quickly Grandma. This morning I was thinking whether or not to make tuna bake or tuna salad for dinner and now I'm standing here in a wedding dress."

"It's a big step," Caroline agreed, looking at her intently, "Are you sure this is what you want Sami?"

Apart from John her grandmother had been the first person to ask her that question. Sami attempted a brave smile for the older woman's benefit, still undecided about what she was going to do.

"I said yes didn't I?" asked Sami with forced brightness.

"Yes you did," said Caroline softly, obviously seeing something in Sami's face to give her cause for concern.

She put a hand on Sami's arm then.

"I just want you to be happy dear," she told Sami sincerely.

"I know grandma," said Sami, forcing a smile to her lips, "I know."

If only EJ would call her then Sami might know what she should do she thought despairingly. Mind you, whatever happened she knew that happiness was unlikely to be at the end of today, at least not for her and EJ even if the wedding didn't happen.

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ hurried down the corridor of Mythic hardly able to believe he'd actually made it back to the office. It seemed as though the universe was conspiring to give him the run around thought EJ in annoyance. The offices were empty of course, it being after seven by now and everyone had well and truly gone home. The lights were all dimmed and that was why EJ immediately noticed the sliver of light coming from underneath his office door and EJ's eyes narrowed suspiciously. Without giving it a second thought and eager to vent his frustrations on someone EJ burst through his office door, wanting to catch the interloper, whoever it was in the middle of his game. The door made a terrific noise as it slammed against the wall and EJ launched himself into the room.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" he yelled before he even saw who it was, wanting the element of surprise and apparently it worked.

"SHHHHEPHERD'S PIE!!" the woman screamed as she leapt back at the imposing sight EJ made silhouetted in the doorway, all big and bristling.

The papers she was holding where launched abruptly into the air and then proceeded to flutter down ever so gracefully around them.

"Oh," said EJ, taken aback when he saw who it was, his voice immediately returning to normal, "Linda – it's you."

"What _the hell_ was that?!" exclaimed Linda wide eyed in a rare display of lack of professionalism because of the fright he'd given her.

"I thought you were someone else," said EJ apologetically, "I'm sorry."

"No, no," she said shakily putting a hand to her chest, "I'm sorry Mr DiMera – I didn't mean to speak to you like that."

"Yes shepherd's pie," said EJ with a twitch of his lips, "I'm still reeling from that profanity."

"I have small impressionable children at home who would just love to hear their mother cuss so that they can repeat it at church in front of the minister," said Linda with a roll of her eyes, "I'm well practiced in finding suitable replacements for what I really want to say."

"Very creative of you," said EJ with a little laugh and then bent down to start helping Linda pick up all the sheets of paper that had by now found a place on the ground, "What are you doing here at this hour anyway? I thought everyone had gone home."

"I just came back in to check on how things went this afternoon and saw the paperwork on your desk that needed sorting out," said Linda.

She stopped then as they both straightened up with great wads of said paperwork in hand.

"Now more than ever," she commented dryly at all the mixed up pieces of paper.

"You didn't have to do that Linda," said EJ with a half smile at her dedication.

"Well I just wanted you to know that I appreciate the amount of leeway you give me with this job," said Linda sincerely, "Running around after three kids and trying to hold down a full time job gets a bit overwhelming at times."

"I guess it would," EJ nodded, "But you have you husband as well don't you – Eddie isn't it?"

"Eddie's great," Linda agreed readily, "But half the time he's my salvation and the other half I'm always wanting to send him to the naughty chair."

EJ had to smile at that and wondered if he and Sami should invest in a naughty chair once they were married. The thought made his smile widen even more.

"And Ed is useless at the dentist," said Linda in exasperation, "He takes one look at that chair and is unconscious on the floor so I get that particular joy."

"And how are your daughter's teeth?" asked EJ politely.

"Slowly bleeding me into a heaving cess pit of financial ruin," said Linda with a heavy sigh, "I'm tempted to just have the lot pulled and buy her a food processor so she can suck her food through a straw for the rest of her life."

"I'm sure it isn't that dire," said EJ with quirk of his lips, "I never did understand American's fixation about having frighteningly white and even teeth anyway."

Linda opened her mouth and then closed it again, pursing her lips.

"You were going to make an unkind observation about English oral hygiene weren't you?" asked EJ in amusement.

"I was but like I just said," said Linda straight faced, "I really need this job. If I lose this job I'll have to resort to selling a kidney to finance all of this dental work."

"Don't say that too loudly around a DiMera," said EJ dryly.

"Sorry?" asked Linda in confusion.

"Family in joke," said EJ wryly with a wave of his hand, "I've had a hell of an afternoon and apparently I'm beginning to think I am funnier than I actually am."

"Why are you having a bad day?" asked Linda in concern.

"Actually I wanted to ask you about that," said EJ, his lips thinning a little as he remembered the frustrations of his afternoon, "That meeting you booked for me on my PDA-"

"For Monday?" asked Linda, "With Mr Marshall?"

"No, no," said EJ with a shake of his head, "This afternoon at five thirty with David Connolly."

"Who?" asked Linda in confusion.

"Didn't you put an appointment in my PDA?" asked EJ in surprise.

"No," said Linda with a frown.

"But who would do something like that?" asked EJ with a frown of his own, "Maybe when you were out Alisha put it in?"

"She wouldn't do that," said Linda with a shake of her head, "Not without letting you know."

"Are you sure Linda?" asked EJ, looking at her intently.

"I'm sure," she said firmly.

"Would Royce have done it?" suggested EJ, trying to consider this from all angles.

"Unlikely he'd have the time with all the running around he's been doing for Mrs DiMera," said Linda thoughtfully.

"What has Kate got Royce doing?" asked EJ, instantly on guard now at the mention of the other woman's name.

"Oh," said Linda and looked distressed, "It's meant to be a secret."

EJ's nerves tightened at that information, knowing a secret involving Kate would be anything but good news.

"Linda," said EJ sharply, "What is going on, what is Kate up to?"

"Well I suppose it doesn't matter now," she said, looking at her watch and clearly wanting to share, "It should all be happening by now."

"What should be happening by now?" asked EJ impatiently as he walked over and picked up his cell phone, fearing that Kate's plan might involve Sami in some way.

When he flicked it open he saw to his great distress that there were over twenty messages on his phone, all from Sami. EJ's blood pressure just shot through the roof as a huge surge of adrenalin ripped through his body at the thought Sami was in trouble and he wasn't there for her.

"Linda tell me!" he ordered her fiercely, all politeness gone now as he feared they were wasting precious seconds Sami might not have.

"Mrs DiMera's son was going to propose to Ms Brady this afternoon," said Linda, flinching a little bit at EJ's tone, "They were going to do it at the Brady Pub with all of their family and friends around."

"The Brady Pub?" repeated EJ quickly, the blood roaring so loudly in his ears he could barely hear her.

EJ turned to go, intent on getting to Sami as quickly as he could now as Linda nodded her confirmation.

"Wait!" she stalled him, "They're probably not there anymore, not if Ms Brady said yes anyway."

"Where Linda?" he asked her tersely, "Where would they be now?"

"The catholic church on Third and Main," said Linda nervously, "St Luke's."

EJ just gave her a curt nod as he turned around and started to head off towards the elevator. He pulled out his phone as he went and found to his eternal frustration that now Sami wasn't answering her phone. EJ's stomach dropped at the thought of what Sami might be doing rather than answering the phone – like saying her 'I do's' to a man other than himself. The thought made EJ move even more quickly to get to Sami before she made a terrible mistake. Linda bit her bottom lip and watched with concern as EJ made a mad dash for the elevator and then when it didn't come quickly simply took the stairs at a great speed. She pulled out her cell phone and dialled a number quickly.

"Hello?"

"I think I've done something really bad," said Linda anxiously.

"Bad is a relative term," observed Royce, "Bad how – bad as in bedroom bad?"

"Bad as in I've just told Mr DiMera about the engagement thing and now he's racing off with a bee in his bonnet looking like he is set to ruin the whole thing," said Linda unhappily.

"Oh," said Royce, "Okay."

"Okay?!" Linda exclaimed, "Did you hear what I just said?"

"I did but what do you want me to do about it?" asked Royce off-handedly.

"Ring your boss," said Linda urgently, "Warn her to be on the lookout for my boss."

"I'm not ringing Mrs DiMera," said Royce firmly.

"Why not?" asked Linda in exasperation.

"Because I'm not having my cell phone number coming up on hers out of hours so that it can be traced back to me," said Royce simply.

"Are you still worried about her husband?!" asked Linda in annoyance, "He'll understand this is work related – kind of – once you explain it to him."

"Actually Lin that guy struck me more as a slowly dismember you, feed you to the sharks, ask questions later kinda guy," said Royce flatly, "I'm not contacting that guys wife out of office hours – end of."

"Well you'll have to go there then," said Linda frustration.

"Oh yeah," said Royce sarcastically, "That's an even better idea – not!"

"We have to do something," said Linda with a roll of her eyes.

"I am," said Royce simply, "I'm going to go and pour myself another drink and then let the chips fall where they may. Let the bosses all slug it out between each other – it is nothing to do with us."

Linda wrinkled her nose at that observation.

"I suppose you're right," she said reluctantly, "I mean what's the worst that can happen anyway?"

_In four months time Linda and the rest of Salem would know the answer to that question… _

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami was staring blankly at her reflection in the full length mirror, barely taking in the wedding dress she was wearing and thinking about all that she and John had talked about. She believed him when he'd said that he'd support her whatever her decision and the temptation to walk out that door and not look back was an incredibly fierce one. But then everything she and John had talked about rolled around in her head as well, all that regret and lost time over his and her Mom's actions and Sami wondered if she and EJ would be headed down that same path. They'd already followed in the older couples footsteps with their affair so it wasn't too big a stretch to imagine what the fallout from pulling out of the wedding was going to look like for her and EJ and most worryingly, for Will.

Add in on top of that the fact that the groom was at death's door and this could well be the thing that could topple him over into a downward spiral that Lucas simply wouldn't have the strength to pull out of it. Sami wondered if she could live with that on her conscious and fretted over what carrying that kind of guilt would do to her relationship with EJ, the man she really wanted to be marrying that day. The trouble was that going through with this could well damage her and EJ's relationship horribly regardless and Sami put a hand to her stomach as it flipped over nervously at the thought of EJ being angry with her for even entertaining the notion of her marrying Lucas.

If only they'd discussed it before hand, either one of them seeing it coming then Sami might have had an idea how EJ would react to seeing Lucas' ring on her finger. But they hadn't, too wrapped up in each other to give Lucas much thought and now they were paying for it dearly. Sami couldn't help but think about Colleen and Santo and how their star crossed love affair had ended and more than anything Sami was fearful of something horrible happening to EJ. Sami could see Lucas losing all control if he found out about her and EJ and doing something rash like trying to kill the other man.

After all by that stage Lucas would have very little to lose and Sami didn't know how she'd be able to live with something like that either. She remembered Santo's heartbroken letters, the way he'd mourned Colleen and felt their separation with every fibre of his being and she had lived through the out workings of such grief thanks to the monster he'd created in his son Stefano. Could she really be responsible for unleashing such pain on the word Sami wondered helplessly and then she had to wonder if she really would be able to survive if EJ rejected her if she went through with this wedding? There was a brief knock at the door and then her father was sticking his head around the door.

"Show time honey," he said happily, "Everyone is waiting for you."

**oooOOOOooo**

"_So are we racing to stop this wedding?" asked Sam curiously as she turned in her seat to eye EJ thoughtfully._

"Of course," said EJ through clenched teeth.

He'd been trying to return Sami's calls but there was no answer so EJ could only assume the worse, that the wedding had already started. There was still a dim hope that Sami would put a stop to all this madness herself, EJ having been horrified to hear her voice message that finally confessed that she was going to be marrying Lucas but if she hadn't then he was going to put a stop to proceedings quick smart, that was for sure.

"_Is that what Sami would want?" Sam posed the question to him._

"What the hell kind of question is that?!" EJ growled in annoyance, "Of course Samantha doesn't want to be marrying Lucas!"

"_Maybe not but if she has gone ahead and said yes for any number of reasons that don't involve loving him then how do you see bursting through those church doors and stopping the wedding helping any?" Sam reasoned._

"I'm not letting Samantha marry any other man but me," EJ gritted out, his knuckles going white on the steering wheel.

"_But if she has gone ahead and agreed to this wedding then we both agree that Sami had her reasons right?" Sam continued to argue with him. _

"Yes," EJ snapped unhappily.

"_And weren't you the one promising her just yesterday that you were going to be there for her whatever happens?" Sam queried._

"And I am," said EJ determinedly as he swerved wildly in and out of traffic, going at a break neck speed, "By stopping this travesty of a wedding I'll be being there for Samantha."

"_But weren't you also the one promising Sami that you'd work hard to win her family over?" asked Sam sceptically, "I can't see how pulling a stunt like this is going to put them on their Christmas list any time soon."_

EJ glanced over at Sam, a troubled look on his face as he thought about what she'd just said.

"_I know you are just thinking short term right now," said Sam giving him a pointed look, "But I thought you and Sami were meant to be long term." _

"Of course we are," said EJ unevenly.

"_Well as much as it might blow like a jumbo colonic if you stop this wedding then you are going to be the bad guy to Sami's family and give them plenty of ammunition to add to the already impressive arsenal to make Sami's life a living nightmare," pointed out Sam calmly, "Is that something you want to bring into your lives? Do you think Sami is going to thank you for that in the long run?"_

EJ didn't have an answer for that, just continuing to drive.

"_I mean you know that Sami loves you and not Lucas right?" continued on Sam evenly._

"Of course," said EJ unevenly, "I don't doubt that."

"_So you know she wouldn't be doing this to hurt you," Sam reasoned._

"You're asking me to just hand over the woman I love to another man," said EJ hoarsely, "You realise that don't you – that is an impossible ask Sam!"

"_Maybe this is what Celeste meant by you having to man up when it came to the person that you love," said Sam with a half shrug._

EJ shook his head, not wanting to hear that right now when all he could think about was stopping this train wreck about to happen.

"_I guess it just comes down to whether you want to be Sami's hero short term or long term," Sam said knowingly, "How about it Elvis – do you have the guts to go all the way with this or are you like all the rest of the guys in her life with putting conditions on how far you'll go for Sami's love?"_

"Samantha doesn't want to marry Lucas," said EJ between clenched teeth, "She needs me."

"_Now more than ever," agreed Sam readily, "I just wonder if you have it in you to give her what she really needs."_

Sam's pointed question hung in the air between them, EJ not answering her again as he put his foot down, intent on getting to the church in time.

In time for what exactly was something he was still grappling with...


	66. Chapter 213

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & THIRTEEN**** – ****I Do, Don't I****? **

Wise are they who have learned these truths:

Trouble is temporary.

Time is tonic.

Tribulation is a test tube.

_William Arthur Ward_

_(American dedicated scholar, author, editor, pastor and teacher)_

Sami stood at the altar, facing Lucas, his hands holding hers and was suffering through the strangest out of body experience. EJ hadn't turned up in time to stop the wedding so Sami had taken that as a sign she was doing the right thing. She couldn't seem to register what was going on around her, the priest having to continually prompt her as Sami had trouble focusing on what she was meant to be doing next.

"Don't be nervous honey," Lucas whispered to her with an encouraging smile as he misinterpreted her distraction, "We're almost at the best bit."

Sami managed a weak smile back because she knew Lucas was talking about the 'I do's' which she'd been dreading. They'd already done the 'if anyone here has good cause why these two people shouldn't be joined in holy wedlock then speak now or forever hold your piece' part and for the first time at one of her weddings Sami was praying that someone would take up that challenge. Unfortunately also for the first time in history no one seemed to have any problem with her and Lucas getting married. Sami's eyes met with John and he gave her a reassuring look and a half smile.

"Do you have the rings?"

Sami forced her attention back on the proceedings at hand and saw Lucas reach into his coat pocket and pull out a pair of gold rings. She stared at them as though they were pit vipers and swallowed hard trying not to think of the irony of all those weddings she'd been terrified about not getting to this part and with this one now she was. Lucas handed the rings to the priest and he laid them on the open bible he was holding.

"Please face one another," he instructed Sami and Lucas and they did, Sami very reluctantly.

Sami put her hand over her heart, frightened it was going to beat right out of her heart. The priest had opened his mouth to say the next words when suddenly there was the sound of the heavy wooden doors at the end of the aisle being opened. Sami and everyone else in the church turned their heads to see who it was. Every skerrick of breath left Sami's body as EJ appeared through those doors and she couldn't take her eyes off the man walking towards her so confidently. Everyone in the church watched his progress down the aisle while Sami was desperately searching his face for some kind of indication as to what EJ was going to do next.

EJ paused briefly and there was the briefest of smiles on his face and Sami could see in that his support and understanding even though for the life of her she couldn't understand why he would be offering her that. This must be killing EJ but instead he seemed to follow her lead as he took a seat in the pew and looked expectantly up at her and Lucas.

"How did he find out about this?" Lucas growled unhappily.

"I-I don't know," said Sami hoarsely, still unable to look away from EJ.

He gave her a little wink and a nod and Sami really didn't know what to make of that.

"Shall we continue?" asked the priest calmly and Lucas smiled and nodded.

The rest of the ceremony happened in a blur for Sami and if asked she would never be able to recall a single detail about it other than the fact that there were a pair of warm chocolate eyes on her the whole time and they weren't Lucas'. Old insecurities had reared up and horrible voices in Sami's head were telling her that EJ had finally had enough – that she'd pushed him too far and what she'd witnessed in the church was his indifference to what she did with the rest of her life.

It wasn't exactly logical after all that they'd been through but Sami was so overwrought and stressed by what had gone on that afternoon that thinking straight wasn't really an option right then. After the ceremony there was a press of people all around Sami and even though she wasn't sure what it would achieve she couldn't help but feel her anxieties build when EJ didn't attempt to speak to her, instead hanging back. The party then moved to the hotel where the reception was being held at, Sami just going with the flow but then she lost sight of EJ in the transition and she realised to her great sorrow that he must have left.

"That was so beautiful honey," her mother gushed as she and her Dad congratulated her and Lucas at the reception, "I cried all the way through it."

Me too thought Sami glumly to herself but forced a smile to her face.

"Thanks Mom," said Sami a little unsteadily, "To be honest my head is still reeling from all of this."

"You've done the right thing Sami," said Marlena warmly, "You and Lucas are a perfect match after all the years you've been together and Will is going to be so excited about all of this."

"I don't even know if Will knows," said Sami faintly.

"I rang him just before the ceremony started," Lucas informed her as he put his arm around her waist and smiled at her lovingly, "He was over the moon."

"Of course he is," said Roman happily, "His parents are back together and married as it always should have been."

"And nothing went wrong," Marlena beamed, "I'm so happy you had the wedding of your dreams at long last Sami."

Nothing went wrong except it was the wrong groom thought Sami with her heart breaking. Apart from that little detail it was just swell.

"I know you are going to make my little girl very happy," Roman said to Lucas warmly, "And I know you are going to beat this AML thing Lucas – after all you have a whole lot to live for now don't you?"

"That I do," said Lucas with a big grin and kissed Sami's cheek, "The best reason in the world."

The smile frozen on Sami's face was causing her head to ache so it was without much enthusiasm she heard Lucas' next words.

"And tonight is a long ways from over yet," said Lucas cheerfully, "First I've organised a photographer to take some photos of us and all of our guests and then we can start the reception – I'm starving."

"Isn't this getting a bit much for you Lucas?" Sami asked with some concern, "I mean maybe we should just let everyone go home so you can get some rest."

"Eager to get your new husband alone are we honey?" asked Lucas with a cheeky grin.

"It's not that," said Sami quickly, "I just don't want you overdoing things Lucas. You need your rest."

"I feel like I could run a marathon tonight Sami," said Lucas with a grin, "Having you as my wife has just given me a new lease on life and I can't wait to have our first meal together as husband and wife."

"Alright," said Sami, forcing yet another smile to her face, "But I need to get freshened up first."

"You look perfect," Lucas informed appreciatively.

"I need to check my makeup and do girl things," Sami hedged, "I'll be back soon."

"Alright," Lucas nodded, "I'll start organising the photographer to start with the guests."

"Okay," said Sami, already starting to head towards the bride's room.

"Do you need a hand honey?" Marlena called after her.

What I need is some time alone and a rewind button was what Sami really wanted to say but instead she contented herself with a polite refusal.

"No thanks Mom," she said with a smile, "I'll be fine."

It took a lot of effort but somehow Sami managed to walk and not run back to what was serving as bride's room, another little room at the hotel where the reception was being held whilst being forced to accept many congratulatory hugs and kisses along the way. When she was at last inside the bride's room she closed the door behind her and lent back on it heavily, closing her eyes. Sami took a moment to compose herself before slowly straightening up and walking over the mirror and looking at herself in despair.

"What have you done?" she whispered to her traumatised looking reflection, "What have you done Sami?"

The sound of the door being opened made Sami whirl around and she gave a gasp at seeing who it was, the panic flooding through her.

"EJ!" she exclaimed, feeling herself on the verge of tears as she scrambled to explain why she'd done what she'd done, "Oh god EJ I'm so sorry, I tried to call you, I didn't want to do this but-"

EJ didn't interrupt her garbled and frantic explanations, just closed the door behind him and there was the click of the lock as he started to head determinedly towards her. Sami was terrified to stop talking because if she did she was so scared that EJ was going to tell her that he was done with her so she just kept going.

"I know you hate me," she said painfully, "And I know you feel like I've betrayed you EJ, that I've betrayed us but-"

EJ was directly in front of her now, having not taken his eyes off her and whatever Sami was going to say next was lost as he hauled her towards him and kissed her in the a fiercely passionate kiss. Sami gasped into the kiss which EJ just used to deepen his possession of her mouth. The dam had burst, the pressures of that day exploding into a riot of want and need between the two lovers and neither one could stop now. Sami felt EJ crushing her to him, backing her up against the wall behind her and she was trapped between the wall and his body. EJ ground his hard angles into her softness, not breaking the kiss and Sami revelled in the feeling of his urgency. She'd been so frightened that EJ would never want to be near her again, never want to touch her after what she'd just done.

EJ's hands were at her skirt, pushing up the many layers of satiny whiteness to find her underneath all of that material. Sami groaned loudly into the kiss when he found her with his hand, cupping her mound and pushing his fingers against the lace covering her core from him. Sami's own hands fumbled with EJ's zip, her eager hands gratified to find him already more than ready for her. EJ picked her up, holding her against the wall as he did what they both so desperately needed after what they'd both endured in the name of their future.

Their ensuing frantic coupling consumed them both, neither one caring that someone might walk in on the two of them at any moment. There had been too much stress and angst from that day for there to be any words between them, both of them just needing the reassurance of the other's most intimate of touches. Sami tried to block out the horror of the fact that she was now married to a man other than EJ and just concentrated on the man holding her, his ragged breathing against her neck as he strained frantically away inside of her. Their ensuing climaxes were too quick for what they both really needed but right then it was all that they had.

"EJ," Sami whispered brokenly as they rested their foreheads against one another, both of them struggling for their next breath after the force of that release.

"I know," said EJ unsteadily, "I know sweetheart, it will be alright, everything is going to be alright. It's just a piece of paper, it doesn't change anything between us, nothing ever could."

"Oh EJ," said Sami with a little sob and clung to him even more as he proved to her once and for all that he was the man truly worthy of her heart.

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ walked out into the reception room foyer, straightening his tie. It had killed him to leave Sami but she'd told him that it would be for the best. He supposed she was right, watching her play Lucas' blushing bride was only going to be an exercise in agony although the thought of getting under Lucas' skin was not without its appeal. Truth was that EJ was a bit concerned about the wedding night but Sami had reassured him with his concerns. As she quite rightly pointed out if she'd kept Lucas at bay for this long then nothing was going to change. In between mind numbing kisses Sami reminded EJ how very good she was at playing men and that the only man who would make love to her ever again was him. It had mollified EJ slightly but it still wasn't a happy thought for him but Sami seemed very confident so he had to trust in his beloved wiles which were indeed world class.

"DiMera," growled a voice behind him, "What the hell is a piece of scum like you doing here?"

EJ turned back around and smiled calmly back at the owner of the voice.

"Actually Roman I've just finished coming several times inside of your daughter and it was a bliss filled delight with no equal."

The words were on the tip of EJ's tongue and he would have given a lot to say that to the man currently glaring at him but if he did he would have negated the whole purpose of this little charade tonight. After all both he and Sami had come to the conclusion independently that if the wedding was stopped because of their relationship then her family was going to be nothing but a blot on their happiness for the rest of eternity. Of course the Lucas and Will factor had loomed large as well and as much as it left a very bad taste in EJ's mouth he did feel like they'd done the right thing, as much as it mortified him.

It was satisfying though to realise how alike they'd gotten in their thought processes, how simpatico they were now. It was a small glimmer of light in an otherwise dark day. However when Sami had confided in him that she'd been fearful that he was going to leave her over this EJ couldn't help but feel again a deep anger at her family for making her so insecure about being loved unconditionally. It was an anger he was more than happy to take out on the man currently looking at him like EJ was something he just scraped off the bottom of his shoe.

"I'm here simply to wish Samantha and Lucas every happiness," said EJ smoothly.

"Really?" asked Roman in disbelief, "And here was I thinking you were here to cause trouble for my daughter."

"Now why would you suspect me of such a terrible intent?" asked EJ, opening his eyes wide and looking suitably hurt, "I have nothing but the greatest respect and admiration for your daughter Captain Brady and I only wish her well in whatever endeavours she undertakes."

"I don't believe a word that comes out of your mouth DiMera," bit out Roman, his eyes narrowing, "I want you the hell out of here now."

"I was just on my way out anyway," said EJ coolly, "But I do wish you didn't hold so much animosity against me Roman. Samantha and I-"

"Have nothing to do with one another," Roman growled, "And I want to keep it that way!"

"Actually we are business partners remember?" asked EJ with a quirk of his lips, "And by a strange quirk of fate we are brother and sister as well now."

Roman's eyes narrowed menacingly at that thought.

"Well step sister in law to be more correct," said EJ, amused by that thought as he worked out the convoluted relationship in his head, "It's a small world isn't it Roman?"

"Get it through your thick skull DiMera," said Roman tersely, "Sami wants nothing to do with you so why don't you go back to that woman you've been flaunting around town like there is no tomorrow?"

"The wonderful and gifted Estelle would have been on my arm tonight if I'd been given any kind of notice about this shindig," said EJ evenly, "I was rather caught on the hop by these impromptu nuptials but I couldn't let such a momentous occasion go by without popping my head in and stealing a kiss from the bride."

Amongst other things thought EJ in satisfaction.

He wondered what this pompous little man with his blustering rhetoric would make of his and Sami's heated tryst. The man didn't look like he had a passionate bone in his body – no wonder Marlena got on her back the first chance she had to be with a real man.

"You stay the hell away from Sami," said Roman curtly, "She's at last happy and I don't want you and your twisted DiMera ways getting in the middle of that."

"Know her so well do you Captain?" asked EJ bitingly, "That you can speak for your daughter so confidently. I guess it is easy to be such a great and protective father to her when she is doing what you want her to do. I have to wonder over the many absences in Samantha's life when she wasn't towing the Brady family line – where you were then?"

"Who the hell are you to have any kind of opinion on my relationship with my daughter?" Roman growled out, "Like you would even know what a normal, loving relationship looked like!"

"I know what it doesn't look like," EJ returned swiftly and couldn't help himself, "And I have a very strong sense Samantha does as well... and I wonder who gets to shoulder the burden of that particular responsibility eh Roman?"

"I'm not standing here and debating the merits of my parenting with a guy who was raised by a twisted old monster like Stefano DiMera," said Roman in disgust, "You wouldn't know what normal looked like if it walked up to you and hit you in the face!"

"None so blind as those who would not see," said EJ with his own disgust.

He arched an eyebrow at Roman and pursed his lips, suddenly done with wanting to even be breathing the same air as this posturing fool.

"Goodbye Roman," he said tersely, "Enjoy wallowing in your self-satisfied delusions."

EJ turned around and started to make his way through the throng of wedding guests, just needing to get out of there now. Today had been a hard day but there was one more little piece of pressing business that needed to be seen to. Being tall had its advantages EJ decided as he could see over the top of everyone else's heads a person he very much wanted to talk to right then disappearing into the bathrooms. A waiter with a tray of drinks glided by and EJ picked up a glass and downed it in one easy swig. He set the empty glass down on a nearby table as he determinedly made his way to the bathroom's, weaving his way in and out of the many people standing between him and his destination.

"Right," EJ muttered under his breath as he drew closer, "Show time."


	67. Chapter 214

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & FOURTEEN**** – ****Wicked Games**

Please don't ask me what the score is, I'm not even sure what the game is.

_Ashleigh Brilliant_

_(English Author and Cartoonist, b.1933)_

EJ was about fifteen feet away from the bathrooms when a blonde woman emerged from the ladies room that Kate had just disappeared into and then started to walk away from him towards the exit. EJ didn't recognise the woman from the fleeting glance he'd gotten of her and uncaring of who else might be in the ladies walked determinedly through. Kate was reapplying her lipstick and gave a bit of a start to see him there.

"A little lost aren't we EJ?" she asked him sweetly as she rubbed her lips together and then turned to face him, putting the lipstick back into her purse.

"Rather your intent I should imagine Kate," said EJ coolly.

"Have you been drinking?" asked Kate with an arched eyebrow.

"Not enough for you to get out of here without answering a few of my questions," said EJ, giving her a pointed look.

"What kinds of questions?" asked Kate, returning his gaze steadily.

"I'm assuming you are behind this impromptu wedding," said EJ, stating a fact.

"I helped Lucas out certainly," said Kate with a little shrug, clearly not feeling the need to deny it, "With the organisational details – there were a lot of them that had to get done in a very short period of time."

"See now I find that extremely odd Kate," said EJ, his eyes narrowing, "You helping Lucas and Samantha to get married. Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't you usually the one trying to break them up?"

"Things change," offered up Kate by way of explanation, "I want Lucas to be happy, especially now."

"But you never believed that Samantha could make Lucas happy," EJ pointed out, "So again, what is this all really about Kate?"

As he asked that question EJ took a step closer to her and then stopped abruptly. EJ cocked his head to one side and closed his eyes and didn't speak for a long moment as he breathed deeply. Something he'd noticed when he'd first walked into the bathroom came back to him and it was then that all of the pieces of that day fell into very clear relief for EJ. Suddenly his eyes snapped open to see a confused looking Kate staring at him in annoyance.

"Who was that?" asked EJ, looking at her intently.

"Who was that who?" asked Kate in confusion.

"The blonde woman I saw leaving the bathroom just before I came in?" EJ clarified, his eyes darkening now.

"I don't know what you are talking about," said Kate annoyance, "This is a lady's bathroom, women come in here to powder their nose – we don't all know one another."

EJ's lips twisted in a humourless smile as Kate continued to be Kate. She had to know what he had just put together but in typical fashion she wasn't giving anything away. EJ however was in no mood to keep his emotions in check. Without a word EJ grabbed her arm and started to drag Kate towards the door.

"What are you doing?!" she asked, trying to wriggle her arm free, "Let me go EJ!"

EJ just tightened his grip on her arm and pulled her out of the bathroom and into one of the side rooms that ran off the reception area, one that had a view out onto the city and the street below. Once inside EJ released her but not before he swung her around to face him. Kate looked mad as she faced off against him but he saw something else that told him what he wanted to know – fear.

"What the hell was that all about?!" Kate huffed, straightening her clothes, "I don't know what class of women you usually hang around but a real woman doesn't enjoy being man handled."

Kate turned away from him then and smoothed down her hair with one hand.

"Oh I'm going to do more than that Kate," said EJ tightly as he came up behind her and put an arm around her chest, just below her shoulders and dragged him back towards him.

"Wh-what are you doing EJ?" asked Kate and to EJ's satisfaction there was the faintest hint of fear that she couldn't quite hide, the fear he'd seen in her eyes.

"It's not what am I going to do but what you are going to do Kate," he hissed in her ear, "For me, right now."

Sami's imminent wedding had overshadowed everything else in EJ's thought processes up until right then but now he had some pressing questions of his own. EJ moved them over to the window, still with his stronghold on Kate so that they could look at the street below. Just then the blonde haired woman, the one who had been leaving the bathroom as EJ entered appeared on the street.

"EJ what is this?" asked Kate shakily.

"I want you to make a phone call," he purred in her ear.

"A phone call?" repeated Kate in confusion.

"Actually more accurately I want you to hit redial for me," said EJ, his voice low and ominous, "Now."

"What are you going on about?" asked Kate, trying to wriggle away from him, "You really are drunk aren't you?!"

EJ tightened his hold on her, his arm coming up so that he now had Kate in a stranglehold. He applied just enough strength for Kate to be uncomfortable and for her to feel the power he had over her right then. How if he wanted to EJ could end her life now in an instant. Kate obviously got the message because she suddenly froze.

"Don't make me ask you again Kate," he bit out, the cold menace in his voice unmistakeable.

"I don't know why you'd want me to do this EJ," said Kate shakily, still trying to get free.

"Don't you now?" EJ purred.

He reached around to the front of Kate with his free hand and found her purse. EJ deftly opened the little bag and pulled out her cell phone seeing as Kate wasn't being helpful and flicked it open. He held it up so it was in line with Kate's face, facing them both as he pressed redial.

"I've got one word for you Kate," he told her tightly as the number dialled, "Lilacs."

No sooner had EJ spoken the word then the blonde woman across the street suddenly stopped as she was unlocking what must have been her car. The woman dug around in her bag before emerging with her cell phone. The next thing that could be heard was her voice coming from Kate's phone.

"_Hello? Hello? Kate is that you?"_

EJ simply hung up the phone without answering her. He tightened his hold on Kate so that she would be decidedly uncomfortable now.

"Now I thought you told me that you didn't know that woman from the bathroom?" he growled into her ear.

Kate gave a violent wrench to get herself away from EJ and he allowed it, barely able to stand being that near to the woman who had done this terrible thing to him and Sami.

"I don't have to give an account of my acquaintances to the likes of you EJ!" Kate threw back at him.

"Oh I beg to differ when one of those acquaintances saw fit to ram me with her car earlier tonight after donning a black wig," EJ bit out, "And no doubt let the air out of one of my tyre as well."

"What on earth are you rambling on about EJ," said Kate giving a very good impression of confusion, "You're making no sense!"

"See what doesn't make sense to me Kate is the extremes you went to in ensuring I wasn't going to be around for this wedding," said EJ, fixing her with a cold hard look, "I mean I can understand the fake potential client run around but then to go to all the effort of sabotage and road accidents seems a little extreme, even for you Kate."

Kate stared back at him, clearly trying to gather her thoughts.

"Don't bother lying Kate," said EJ harshly, "You don't want to make me any angrier than I already am."

"Alright fine," she said with a little shrug, "So I did organise it all – what of it?"

"Are you seriously going to ask me that question?" asked EJ, his eyes narrowing menacingly.

"You are done with Sami aren't you?" Kate hurled back at him, "You've got that Estelle creature hanging off your every word so why should you care if she and Lucas are married now anyway?"

Of course EJ was devastated by Sami's marriage to Lucas but he was going to try hard to be the kind of man she could rely on in these kinds of things but the last thing EJ wanted was Kate to know such a thing. There was no way he was going to hand over any kind of power to Kate when it came to her knowing about his relationship with Sami. EJ was deeply suspicious though of Kate's over the top way of keeping him away from the wedding. Something just didn't add up. But the one thing he wasn't going to do was waste all the effort he, Estelle and Sami had put into this sham relationship to put everyone off by letting Kate know it was the wedding he was upset about.

"You think I care that Samantha has married your dim witted off spring?!" EJ bit out, "You couldn't be more misguided Kate. Like I give a toss! That marriage isn't going to last the distance anyway."

"You sound very sure of the EJ," said Kate, her lips twisting, "I wonder why that is?"

"Maybe because your son is dying and if he doesn't manage to shuffle off this mortal coil in a timely fashion I'm sure he'll screw up that marriage like he has all the ones before it," said EJ in disgust, "It's time to face facts Kate – there are winners and losers in life and your precious little boy is definitely the former rather than the latter."

"You are such a sick animal EJ DiMera," Kate spat out, "It's not enough that my son is dying – you have to say such things about him as well. What would your father say if I told him what you were saying?!"

"He'd agree with me," said EJ flatly, "Don't think just because you are in my father's bed Kate that his brain will stop working. He's not like the other poor unfortunates you've managed to bamboozle with your wiles."

"You know for someone who supposedly doesn't 'give a toss' about this wedding you're giving a very good impression of it," Kate baited him.

"The only thing I care about when it comes to the events of today is that you seem to have gotten it into that little brain of yours that I'm someone you can play Kate," EJ said, his eyes darkening to almost black as he bit out his words to her, "What is this Kate – some kind of early onset dementia thinking you can play me for a fool?"

"I just wanted to make sure Lucas' wedding was perfect," said Kate stiffly, "I didn't want to take any chances with you causing a ruckus just because you were in the mood to be a bastard."

"Do you think you've seen my bad side Kate," asked EJ angrily, closing in on her and forcing her to crane her neck right back to maintain her defiant eye contact, "Well do you?!"

"I know you're no Stefano DiMera," said Kate with a challenging look and clearly trying hard to resist the urge to take a step back from EJ's overwhelming physical presence.

"You're so right Kate," EJ bit out, his voice low and cold, "I'm nothing like my father – you think you know him and what he is capable of but I can promise you that you can't even begin to imagine what I'll do to you if you try to start screwing with me."

"I thought you enjoyed that part of our relationship," Kate purred, putting her hands on EJ's chest and running them up and down.

EJ's hands snapped out and grabbed her by the wrist and Kate made a pained hiss at how tightly he was holding onto her, his fingers biting into her flesh.

"You seem to think a lot of things that aren't true Kate," he growled out at her before pushing her away from him.

Kate took a couple of quick steps backwards, almost falling with the violence of EJ's movements. She recovered and glared up at him for his rough treatment of her.

"How dare you treat me like that EJ DiMera!" she hissed at him, "When I tell your father-"

"You won't be saying word one to my father or anyone else," EJ spat back at her, "Otherwise I'll tell him that his wife was propositioning me yet again."

"Don't pretend you don't like it," Kate said curtly.

"Unlike your son Kate the thought of bedding my mother doesn't get me hot," EJ threw back at her harshly.

"Lucas and I have a perfectly normal relationship!" Kate said, glaring daggers at him for that comment.

"Come on Kate," EJ goaded her, "I saw your face during that wedding – you were being eaten alive with jealousy watching Samantha marry your little man."

"I'm happy for Lucas," said Kate through gritted teeth.

"You look it," said EJ sarcastically.

"Everything I do it's for my children," Kate declared emotionally, "Everything!"

"Does that include marrying my father?" asked EJ quickly, arching an eyebrow.

"I married Stefano because I wanted to," said Kate coldly.

"And the fact that you are my father's wife affords you one free pass Kate," EJ said tersely, "And you can now consider it used. If you interfere in my life in anyway, ever again then you're not going to be so fortunate. Do you understand me?!"

Kate just looked back at him with cool indifference and EJ took another step closer to her menacingly. She quickly backed up and tried to glare at him again.

"Alright, alright," she sniffed, "I understand you EJ."

"For your sake I hope you do," EJ growled before turning abruptly around and leaving the room.

EJ stalked out of the conference room, certain he'd gotten his point across because he hadn't been kidding, he really wasn't going to be taking any more of Kate's crap. If she crossed him again then EJ was seriously thinking that it might be time to cut a brake line in her car. But then that was a bit ham fisted EJ decided. It was then that EJ decided that he was going to spend the rest of the evening coming up with the most creative and ruthless way of doing Kate in… while getting very, very drunk. The combination of those two things were no doubt going to sooth EJ's torn psyche he decided.

He was making his way out of the reception when unable to help himself his eyes sought out Sami. She was standing talking to her guests with her back to him from across the room. As though she could feel his eyes on her Sami turned her head and their eyes met. She had such a sad and defeated look on her face that it broke EJ's heart. He wanted nothing more in that moment to just push through the crowd and pull her into his arms and never let her go. EJ could see the pain Sami was going through, the angst of the decision she'd been forced to make without him weighing heavily on her.

The one thing EJ had always wanted for Sami is for her not to have to carry around this kind of fear and uncertainly and his fingers curled into fists at how impotent he felt right then to help her. All these men that had brought Sami pain and suffering infuriated EJ but right then he was helpless to save her from Lucas unfortunately, all for the sake of their future. Belying his own angst EJ sent her a quick little wink, letting her see his love for her and wishing there was more he could do for Sami right then. Sami's eyes brightened and she gave him the barest of smiles, careful not to draw attention to them but EJ saw it and it was enough.

**oooOOOOooo**

Kate leant against the door once EJ was gone and blew out a long, unsteady breath. She had expected EJ to put some of the pieces together but not all of them so quickly. Kate made a mental note to be more on her guard when it came to her dealings with the youngest DiMera. She couldn't afford to slip up now, she had too much at stake. Handling a DiMera wasn't like dealing with other men – they were as sly and crafty as she was and could smell a con a mile off. Kate straightened up and moved away from the door, pulling an unhappy face.

The lengths Kate had gone to in ensuring EJ wasn't going to be at the wedding were necessary by her way of thinking. After all Kate knew about Sami and EJ's affair and she was still undecided if she bought the 'we're over it' act with each other that they were trying to sell. EJ's relationship with Estelle seemed very convincing but Kate more than anyone knew that things were rarely as they seemed. It was important in securing Lucas' happiness and future that he and Sami should get married and Kate wasn't about to take the risk of EJ barging in and breaking things up. Her heart had nearly jumped out of her mouth when EJ had walked down that aisle and she more than anyone knew that anything could have happened.

To say Kate had been caught off guard when EJ had just quietly taken a seat and sat silently through the rest of the service would have been an understatement to say the least. It almost made Kate think that this break up was the real deal. However she wasn't about to put all of her eggs in that one basket, that was for sure. Kate walked over to her purse and picked it up, tapping a finger against it. This night was far from over and Kate was going to make sure of it.

"Fortune favours the bold," she murmured to herself and then gave a little knowing smile.

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami rubbed her temple with one hand and gave a little grimace. Her head was thundering right then and she just wanted this night to be over.

"You alright honey?" asked Lucas solicitously when he caught her.

"I've just got a headache," said Sami and then quickly started to play that angle for putting Lucas off sex that night if he did ask for it with the true and tried excuse.

"Too much excitement hm?" he asked her teasingly.

"Too much something," Sami agreed with a half smile.

"Do you want me to go and get you some Tylenol?" Lucas asked.

"No I'm sure it will be gone soon, thanks," said Sami with a bright smile.

Only she was very certain that by the time it came to going to bed it was going to be a raging migraine somehow which would put an end to any romantic aspirations Lucas might have when it came to their wedding night. Sami was definitely intent on laying the groundwork now for that outcome just in case Lucas had any ideas to the contrary.

"How about a toast to the happy couple?" asked Kate with a sweet smile as she walked up to them with two wine glasses.

Sami accepted the wine glass while giving Kate a sceptical look. It still freaked her out that Kate was being so supportive of this union. However Sami couldn't miss the irony of all those weddings where the other woman had made her life a misery and was still doing it, even if she didn't realise it.

"Thank you Mom," said Lucas sincerely as he took the offered drink as well, his being filled with apple juice, "I couldn't have done this without you – Sami and I are indebted to you, aren't we honey?"

"I still can't believe you did all of this for us Kate," said Sami, eyeing her suspiciously and side stepping Lucas' statement.

"It's certainly one for the history books isn't it," agreed Kate in vague amusement.

"You can say that again," said Sami with a twist of her lips.

"So what should we drink to?" asked Lucas cheerfully.

"To a happy future?" suggested Kate as she held up her glass, "For all of us."

Now that was something Sami could drink to. Her future lay with EJ and as long as he was in it then it would indeed be a happy one. The three of them clinked glasses and drank, Sami finishing her drink almost in one go. This night seemed endless; her new wedding rings a heavy weight around her finger and all of Sami's thoughts were with EJ and how he was spending the rest of this night without her.


	68. Chapter 215

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & FIFTEEN**** – ****Bottoms Up**

It takes only one drink to get me drunk.

The trouble is, I can't remember if it's the thirteenth or the fourteenth.

_George F. Burns_

_(American comedian 1896-1996)_

"The same again my good man," said a clearly inebriated EJ as he wobbled a bit on his bar stool.

"Don't you think you've had enough sir?" asked the bartender patiently.

"Am I still upright?" asked EJ in all seriousness.

"Mostly," said the bartender, taking in the decided list EJ was currently sporting and the fact that he was slumped over the bar.

"Then keep 'em coming," slurred EJ happily, "The name of the game my old boy is oblivion."

"I can't let you get that drunk," the man said calmly.

"Of course you can," EJ snorted, "It'll be easy, I promise."

"It's alright," said a voice to his right, "I'll look after him."

EJ, his head now propped up by his hand somehow managed to turn to look at who had spoken without falling off the stool, his eyes having trouble focusing.

"Estelle!" he said in delight, "Wh-what are you doing here?!"

"Answering the call of the wild," she said wryly, "Or rather the wildly inappropriate man who made a garbled and basically incoherent phone call to me fifteen minutes ago."

"That was you?!" EJ gasped in amazement.

"You didn't know who you were talking to?" asked Estelle in exasperation.

"When?" asked EJ, wrinkling his brow and getting a bit confused.

"When you were on the phone," said Estelle patiently.

"I'm not on the phone," EJ pointed out to her to with an intent if unfocused look.

"Okay, moving swiftly onwards," said Estelle with a roll of her eyes as the conversation went nowhere, "Let's say you and I go and line that alcohol drenched stomach of yours with something a little more solid hm?"

"I'm fine," EJ informed her with a dismissive and uncoordinated wave of his hand which sent a bowl of pretzels flying, "Whoopsy. Sil-silly place for those anyway."

"Yes on a bar in plain sight," agreed Estelle dryly, "Clearly a booby trap in wait."

Five minutes later Estelle had somehow managed to detach EJ from his barstool and they were at a table, waiting for some food to arrive. Estelle realised she may well be slamming the gate after that horse that had well and truly bolted but she wanted to try and get EJ a little more sobered up if she could before attempting to get him home.

"That wasn't what I had in mind when I said I wanted you to have something more solid in your stomach," said Estelle disapprovingly as she watched EJ suck on the three olives he'd ordered with his latest martini.

"It's fruit," said EJ with a drunken smile, "Fruit is good for you."

"Mm," said Estelle, clearly unconvinced when it was soaked in that much alcohol, "So I heard you right on the phone didn't I? Sami really did marry Lucas tonight."

"Yes," said EJ and looked so heart broken by that thought that maternal instincts Estelle didn't even know she had kicked in and she felt the need to give him a bit of a cuddle.

"I'm sorry honey," she said, patting his hand sympathetically, "That must really suck."

"It sucks donkey ass," agreed EJ morosely as he leant on his arm on the table and propped his head up with it.

"That is indeed some major suckage," said Estelle wryly.

"I mean we both agreed it was for the best," said EJ very sadly, "But if we're doing the right thing shouldn't this feel better than it does?"

"I find there is very little correlation between doing good and feeling good about it often times," said Estelle with a sigh, "If anything there seems to be an inverse relationship if you ask me."

"If you were going to kill someone in the most painful and degrading way possible how would you do it?" asked EJ with intent if somewhat unsteady interest as he changed the subject abruptly.

"I'd use Kenny G's greatest hits and Steve Urkel," said Estelle without missing a beat, "And if that didn't finish them off then I would get them adopted by the balloon boy family and have them wish they had died."

"Creative and ruthless," commented EJ thoughtfully, sucking on his olive kebab as he struggled to keep his eyes open, "I like that in my women."

"Are you planning on killing Lucas?" asked Estelle conversationally as she started to nibble on a bread stick.

EJ gave a loud snort at that.

"Not-not worth my effort," he sneered unsteadily, "The little twerps dying all-all-albeit inconsiderately schlowly."

EJ's words were beginning to slur together as he continued to seem to have trouble focusing on her.

"So who's on the hit list then?" asked Estelle with interest.

She knew she should probably be more concerned seeing as she was talking to a DiMera and such things were not automatically idle talk as they would have been with someone else. But Estelle had a bit of a dark side to her as well and had never been one to shy away from the underbelly of life, finding it more intriguing then repellent like most. EJ put his fingers to his lips and made a noisy shushing sound.

"I can't tell you," he told her, his head wobbling a bit now, "I may need you as an alibi."

"Okay," she said, accepting that at face value, "Just as long as it isn't me."

"I wouldn't kill you," said EJ, looking offended by the suggestion, "I like you Es-Estelle – you're like fam-family to me and Samantha."

"Ah that's sweet," said Estelle with a half smile.

"Samantha," EJ repeated her name with a broken sigh, looking devastated again, "I thought being in love would be easy, that all our problems would just fade-fade away when she told me she loved me."

"In my experience that is generally when the problems start," Estelle commented dryly.

"It's that bloody Walt Disney's fault!" exclaimed EJ, suddenly looking very angrily.

"Interesting segue," said Estelle calmly.

"All those movies about true love and love pixies," EJ growled grumpily.

"Love pixies?" Estelle repeated questioningly.

"You know," said EJ with a vague wave of his hand, "The blonde one with the little green dress."

"Tinkerbell?" offered up Estelle.

"That's her!" EJ exclaimed, "Lit-little trouble maker shaposedly sprinkling all that love dust around and messing up everyone's lives!"

"Wasn't the pixie dust to help people fly?" Estelle tried to correct him but EJ was having none of it.

"If I ever caught that smug little glorified fire fly I'd pull her wings off-" EJ mimicked doing just that, his movements uncoordinated and quite comical, "And then squish her like a bug!"

"I'm guessing no amount of clapping is going to get that fairy back on her feet after that little misadventure," said Estelle, pursing her lips.

"She's making me suffer so every good turn deserves another," EJ sniffed unapologetically before continuing to mumble to himself about evil fairies.

"Well this conversation has taken a disturbing turn," said Estelle with a roll of her eyes, "If you're not going to eat then I think I should take you home."

"No thank you," said EJ politely, taking a big gulp of his martini.

"Oh sorry," said Estelle sweetly, "I phrased that incorrectly. What I meant to say was it is time for you to get your ass into my car so I can drive said drunken ass home before you make more of an ass of yourself then you already have."

"That sentence had a lot of ass in it," commented EJ wide eyed, drunkenly intrigued, "I thought-thought you were a lady Sstelle."

"You're not the first person to make that mistake," deadpanned Estelle, "I doubt you'll be the last."

"You go home," said EJ, waving a dismissive hand at her while he tried to call the waiter over to order another drink, "I'll be fine on my-my own."

"EJ," said Estelle calmly as she shook her head at the waiter to stop him coming over, "You have two options here – you can either do as I say or I'll take great delight in gauging your eyes out with this here bread stick."

Estelle held up the bread stick for EJ to view and he peered at it blurrily, trying to focus.

"That would be hard to do," he commented, swaying a little now.

"I'm highly motivated," said Estelle flatly, "Now do as I tell you to do otherwise you are going to be crying breadcrumbs any minute now."

EJ pulled a face at her threats but ten minutes later Estelle had finally gotten him out of the restaurant.

"Come on," said Estelle as she supported the wildly swaying EJ, "Get into the car."

"This isn't my car!" EJ exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at it, "You-you can't just take any car that tic-tickles your fancy Estelle."

"It's mine you idiot," said Estelle with a roll of her eyes.

"What about my car?" asked EJ with a bit of a pout.

"It's in the boot," Estelle told him straight faced.

"Oh," said EJ, seeming to accept that, "Fair enough."

Estelle opened the passenger door and indicated that EJ should get in with a sweep of her hand.

"You-you know I got rear ended today," he said conversationally, in the mood to chat rather than do as Estelle had asked.

"Lucky you," commented Estelle, "Now be a good boy and get in the car."

"I think I'll walk," said EJ with a bobbling nod of his head, "It's good for you."

"In your current state I don't think you could find your ass with your own two hands so I don't see you making it all the way across town somehow," said Estelle patiently, "So in the car okay?"

"You're very bossy!" exclaimed EJ with an accusatory finger that wobbled about drunkenly.

"It's one of my many charms sure," said Estelle flatly, "Now stop making a scene and get in the car."

"I'm not making a scene," EJ sniffed petulantly, "_This_ is making a scene."

EJ extended his arms above his head, touching his fingers together and began to sway back and forth whilst making a shooshing noise.

"What's that?" asked Estelle, wrinkling up her nose in confusion.

"I'm a we-weeping willow by a babbling brook!" EJ declared triumphantly as he swayed back and forth, more from the amount of alcohol he'd consumed then any attempt to imitate a tree though, "That's me making a schene!"

"Well I can certainly see the babbling bit," said Estelle with a roll of her eyes, "But what I'm mainly getting from this little display is drunken idiot in car park."

"Everyone's a critic," EJ sniffed in annoyance.

Five minutes later Estelle and EJ were finally underway and she was heading towards his apartment.

"You know I get lesbianism, I really do," EJ drunkenly informed her, obviously being a very chatty drunk.

"Do you now?" asked Estelle wryly, concentrating on her driving.

"Sure!" said EJ with an expansive hand gesture that forced Estelle to realign her rear view mirror when he knocked it, "I mean, I've been there, done that and I gotta tell you – it's great!"

EJ grabbed Estelle's arm, causing the car to swerve a little over to the wrong side of the road which she quickly corrected.

"EJ!" she chastised him, heart in her mouth but he hadn't even seemed to notice.

He was doing his best to fix her with a very intent look but it was obvious that he was finding it almost impossible to focus right about then.

"Hoo hoo's," he informed Estelle with the utmost of serious, "Are. Made. Of. AWESOME! I love them! I could spend my entire day down there and not get bored. There is always something to do."

"I've always held them in high regard myself," agreed Estelle straight faced.

"Of course you do!" said EJ triumphantly, looking very pleased, "I'm telling you if I was a woman I'd so be a leshbian!"

"Well with that kind of attitude you are halfway there," said Estelle in wry amusement.

"I'd be a great leshbian," said EJ knowingly, sitting back in his seat an nodding away to himself.

"You apparently would be a very enthusiastic one," Estelle agreed with him.

"And the things you can do with it!" he exclaimed in amazement, seemingly determined to expand on the many delights of the female reproductive system at length, "Wow – just wow!"

EJ grabbed her arm again, wanting make sure Estelle was listening to all the important things he was saying.

"I mean guy bits are okay," he told her sincerely.

"Stop that!" Estelle commanded him, slapping at his hand, "You're going to make us crash if you keep doing that!"

"I mean sure, we can do the ob-obvious with our bits," slurred on EJ undaunted, swaying a little as he gave his discourse on the differences between men and women, "And yes, writing your name in the shnow is pretty cool but hey-"

He threw his arms up again in the air in a gesture Estelle assumed was meant to communicate wonder but instead he just knocked her mirror again.

"You can make babies with yours," said EJ in drunken wonder, "That's, that's, that's just ahh-"

He seemed to be struggling to find the right adjective right then.

"Great?" offered up Estelle helpfully.

"No," said EJ with a fierce shake of his head which made him dizzy and forced him to clutch at the dash board to get his balance back, "Better than that. Being able to have b-babies with your hoo hoo makes you-"

EJ trailed off again, his face scrunching up in fierce concentration.

"Incontinent?" Estelle tried to help him out again.

"No," said EJ in exasperation, "Not incon-inconsin-incouch- not that."

"I think a few women might disagree with you there stretch," said Estelle wryly as she pulled into EJ's apartment block and found some parking.

"Magical!" EJ declared happily, finding the word at last, "Women are-are magical creatures, every last one of them!"

"We are great aren't we?" Estelle agreed with him patiently, "Now how about we get you non magical, snow autographing ass upstairs hm?"

"Where are we?" asked EJ, looking around himself in confusion.

"Well I'm in my car in the parking lot of your apartment," said Estelle wryly, "I'm not really sure where you are EJ."

EJ leant over in the small car space, so that his face was directly in front of Estelle's, their noses almost touching.

"Me either," he admitted with a sad little drunken sigh, "I think I'm losht."

"Okay," said Estelle, reeling back a little and waving a hand at the air as she pulled a disgusted face, "Note to self – don't take you past any naked flames on the way upstairs."

It took a bit of doing but Estelle eventually got EJ from the carport into the elevator and up to his floor. It was all going well, Estelle supporting EJ with his arm around her shoulder, EJ looking like he was about to fall asleep any minute when he seemed to get his second wind. EJ's head jerked up and he recognised where he was.

"I'm home!" he declared in amazement.

"Yup it's a Christmas miracle alright," said Estelle dryly, as she staggered a bit to her left as EJ lurched unexpectedly that way.

"I have to see Sc-Schmantha!" EJ exclaimed loudly and pulled away from Estelle, toddling over to Sami's door and beginning to knock loudly, "Schmantha! Schmantha!!"

"Stop it you idiot!" Estelle said in annoyance at his antics, "Sami's not in there remember – she's staying at The Regent for her honeymoon night?!"

"Honeymoon."

EJ repeated the word in tragic despair, his arm raised in mid hammering position. He turned around, unsteady on his feet as he looked at Estelle with devastated eyes.

"Ss-samantha is on her honeymoon," he wailed and then leant back heavily against her door before sliding slowly down it to end up a pile of drunken despair on the floor, "And I'm not there!"

"I know," said Estelle looking at the sorry sight he made with great sympathy, "Things aren't too great for you now are they honey?"

"But I have to be there," EJ told her earnestly, swaying a little even as he sat on the floor, back against Sami's door, "I know wh-what Samantha likes. Like when I take three of my fingers and use my tongue to-"

"Whoa there big boy!" said Estelle, waving a warning hand at him as she came to stand directly in front of him, "I think we are galloping into 'too much information' territory so let's dismount now shall we and take a depth breath."

"I like mounting Samantha," said EJ with a dopey grin, a faraway look on his face finding an untoward segue from what Estelle had said.

Unfortunately this wasn't what Estelle had been hoping he'd take away from her last statement.

"She makes this little noise when I do," continued on EJ in a happy, blurry way and with a candour only really drunk people can achieve, "It makes me so happy to hear that noise and I always try and ma-make sure I angle my-"

"Okay I think we both have something to add to this conversation!" Estelle interrupted him forcefully, "But what I think you should add to it right now EJ is silence."

"But I want everyone to know how happy Sa-Samantha and I make each other," said EJ urgently, grabbing at Estelle's hem of her skirt and tugging, "She makes me come like well trained dog."

Estelle wrinkled her nose at the image EJ's unsolicited words had conjured.

"Wow it's hard to put into words how much I didn't want to know that kind of information," said Estelle wryly, rolling her eyes.

"It's true," said EJ with albeit groggy but dreamy smile, "She sexes me up but good."

"Sami would most likely be knocking you out but good if she heard you saying things like that to anyone else but her," Estelle commented astutely.

"I like it wh-when she plays rough," said EJ unsteadily, a wicked little smile coming to his lips.

"Okay you, enough sharing," said Estelle firmly, "It's time you go home to your own apartment and go to bed."

"No thank you," said EJ very politely, folding his arms in front of his chest, "I-I'm going to stay here and wait f-for my girl to come home."

"She's not coming home EJ," said Estelle with a sigh, "With Lucas remember."

"She's always with Lucas," EJ pouted unhappily, "Why isn't she with me?!"

"I don't think the words 'it's complicated' really covers the answer to that question but you already know that don't you honey?" said Estelle with a pointed look, "Stop being difficult and go to bed."

"Why don't you stop being difficult and go to bed," said EJ petulantly, "You're not the boss of me Es-Estelle!"

"If I was I'd be docking your wages right now," said Estelle in annoyance.

She grabbed his arm and tugged but EJ remained stubbornly resistant.

"Stop being a pest EJ," Estelle said firmly.

"No," EJ pouted.

"Right," said Estelle determinedly, "The hard way it is!"

She began to pull on EJ's arm and he just remained a dead weight as she dragged him across the fortunately very smooth corridor floor.

"There had better be a Louis Vuitton bag at the end of all this when you sober up," she muttered to herself under her breath as dragging EJ took its toll.

EJ just continued to play dead as Estelle basically tugged him through the door, grabbing both of his arms as he lay on his back, both arms extended over his head as she tugged him back to his place. She had to dig out EJ's keys from his pockets to get him actually over the threshold.

"You break it you bought it," EJ mumbled, his eyes mostly closed now as Estelle rummaged around in his pants pocket.

"Honey there is nothing of interest to me in there except for those keys," said Estelle flatly, "Aha!"

With the keys she was at last able to get EJ home and when she did Estelle left him on the floor and collapsed on his sofa.

"Dang that was hard!" she panted and shook her head, "Screw the shoes, I want the whole summer collection after all that effort."

"I'm thirsty," EJ announced, propping himself up on his elbows, "How a-about a nightcap?"

"I think not sunshine," said Estelle with an arched eyebrow, "You go into the bedroom and get ready for bed and I'll bring you a glass of water."

"With scotch in it?" asked EJ hopefully.

"You're persistent I'll give you that but fortunately for your liver so am I," said Estelle dryly, "Water, no scotch, you, bedroom."

EJ could be heard to be muttering under his breath but he did go into his bedroom, albeit on his hands and knees.

"Now I remember why I opted not to have children," said Estelle with a wry shake of her head.

She stood up then and went and got EJ his glass of water. Heaven knows he was going to need it with the amount of alcohol he'd consumed.

"Whoa," said Estelle in surprise when she walked into the bedroom to see EJ standing in the middle of the room completely naked, "Hello big boy."

"I'm not sleepy," EJ announced, suddenly deciding to be difficult again.

"Well I'm not Snow White but you're still going to bed," said Estelle, putting down the glass of water.

"Hey that's funny!" EJ declared, looking at her and giggling, "Snow White, Sleepy the dwarf – you made a funny!"

"I did didn't I?" agreed Estelle calmly, "Now how about getting into bed for me?"

"I'm notttt-"

EJ's declaration trailed off into nothingness as he suddenly passed out, rather fortunately falling forwards onto the bed into an unconscious heap.

"Ohh," said Estelle appreciatively, "Lucky."

She walked over to the bed and looked down at the completely naked EJ, his perfectly proportioned body on full display. He really was a work of art Estelle decided, at the peak of his physical prowess and that coupled with his painfully handsome features made him quite an eyeful, even if he was snoring drunkenly into his pillow right then. Estelle's gaze swept up and down his long body, taking in each dip and plane and noticing the small mole he had on one bottom cheek.

"Sorry Mom," she said with a regretful sigh as the sight did absolutely nothing for her, "It appears I really am gay."

If the sight of a naked EJ DiMera couldn't pique her interest then it was a pretty certain bet that she wasn't going to be leaving Vagina Tow any time soon Estelle decided wryly. She pulled the sheet up over EJ and left him sleeping soundly, making her own way home and very glad that she wasn't going to be waking up with the kind of hangover that EJ no doubt would be.

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami rolled over in bed and slowly came awake. She was alone in the bed and for one moment she had the sweet oblivion of not remembering what had happened the day before. Unfortunately it didn't last and Sami groaned into the hotel pillow as she remembered that she and Lucas were now married. She could remember a time when Sami had thought that was all she wanted, all that she needed to make her happy and now that ring around her finger felt like a noose around her neck.

It was one thing to stand by passively and let herself get carried along by the events of last night, sacrificing so much to invest in her and EJ's future ultimately but now she had to live it out. Sami couldn't help but worry about EJ and wonder how he was doing. She longed to be with him and was already wondering if they had really done the right thing. Sami really needed to see EJ and have her tell her that this was going to be alright one more time. She sat up in bed and then gave a shocked gasp as something became obvious, just as Lucas walked into the bedroom with a breakfast tray.

"Good morning Mrs Roberts," said Lucas with a proud smile.

"I'm naked!" Sami exclaimed, ignoring his greeting.

"Of course you are," said Lucas with a laugh, himself dressed only in a hotel dressing gown, "It's the day after your wedding night."

Sami's eyes went wide as she frantically tried to remember what had happened last night and very scarily she couldn't remember a thing. The last thing she did remember was talking to Philip and Billie and then after that it was a complete blank.

"Did we-?" Sami couldn't even complete the sentence, it was too horrifying to even contemplate.

"Make beautiful love?" asked Lucas smugly, sitting on the bed and stealing a quick kiss from Sami's numb lips, "Of course we did, it was our wedding night."

Sami's stomach lurched violently and she could feel the bile rising to the back of her throat. Oh god no, please no, this couldn't be happening, it just couldn't! Lucas didn't seem to notice her distress as he went about setting out their breakfast while Sami felt her heart break into a thousand pieces, unable to comprehend how she could have betrayed EJ in this unforgivable way. This was going to break EJ's heart and Sami had never hated herself more in her entire life. How could she have let herself get that drunk she wondered in despair? Of all the terrible things she'd done in her life she'd never let herself and someone she loved down this badly before.

How on earth was she going to be able to tell EJ what she'd done...?

**AUTHOR'S NOTE****:** Okay, clearly many of you hate me now. I know, it was a truly horrible thing to do but this little twist is very necessary to the story otherwise I wouldn't have gone there and I also made it as painless as possible. I know many of you would disagree with that but I'm trying to give Sami and all my ducklings a blank memory about that little event... Lumi sex is like Safe sex anyway, as exciting as clipping your toenails. And also remember in this story as I said before everything has a purpose and there are things in this story that aren't all that they seem, several things past and coming up, just a heads up.

So hopefully I'll see those of you who are still talking to me on Friday and for those of you who were wondering I think we can safely say we are at the lowest ebb of this story – it won't get any worse than this so if you can survive this you're laughing.


	69. Chapter 216

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & SIXTEEN**** – ****Facing the Music**

Remorse is a violent dyspepsia of the mind.

_Ogden Nash_

_(American Writer of humorous poetry who won a large following for his audacious verse. 1902-1971)_

"Did I make a complete tit of myself last night?" asked EJ with a heavy sigh as he sat on his sofa the next day, a glass of his patented hangover remedy in one hand and the phone in the other.

He'd woken up this morning with a pounding headache and not much recollection of what had gone on after he'd left Sami at her reception. Just the thought of Sami now being married to that little weasel made EJ's already queasy stomach want to hurl. What he did have though was dim recollections of Estelle so he thought the first thing he should do is check in with her.

"Boy howdy," agreed Estelle readily.

"I'm sorry," said EJ with a grimace, leaning back against the sofa, "Was it a terrible trial for you?"

"A bit vague about the events of last night are we?" Estelle asked in amusement.

"You could say that," agreed EJ ruefully, "You could also say it's pretty much a blank. Was I very embarrassing?"

"You were more entertaining than anything else," said Estelle with a laugh, "Apart from the heavy lifting and you trying to crash the car of course. And you also appear to have some fairy vendetta going on which is a bit disconcerting."

"Fairies?" asked EJ in confusion, trying hard to think.

"I'm thinking you and Tinkerbell had an acrimonious break up and you're still holding a bit of a grudge," said Estelle, tongue in cheek, "It's the only thing that makes sense of what you said last night."

"Me having a break up with a fictional character of a fictional creature I might add makes sense of what I said last night?" asked EJ in disbelief, "Oh god – how incoherent was I?!"

"A little more than a beauty queen and a little less than Tommy Cruise's sofa bouncing antics," said Estelle easily, "I'd give it a good solid 7.5. It would have been higher but the Russian judge always marks down – that's communists for you, always trying to level things out."

"And I was naked," said EJ with a grimace.

"I noticed that as well," said Estelle, tongue in cheek.

"Did you-?"

EJ wasn't really embarrassed so much as dismayed as to the fact Estelle had to put up with undressing him.

"No it was all you baby," said Estelle with a laugh, "You European types aren't that inhibited are you?"

"Not when we've had that much to drink," EJ agreed wryly, "Thank you for last night Estelle – you were a real brick about everything clearly."

"Is that a good thing?" she teased him.

"Of course it is," said EJ quickly.

"Explain to me again how being compared to a brick is a good thing?" asked Estelle in amusement.

"Because bricks are reliable I guess," said EJ, wrinkling his nose and realising he really didn't know where that saying had come from, "Keep houses standing and all that."

"From now on you can just describe me as a demi-goddess rather than construction material okay?" Estelle informed him.

"Demi-goddess it is," said EJ with a bit of a laugh and then gave a groan as his head reminded him why noise was a bad idea right then.

"Have you seen Sami yet?" asked Estelle curiously.

"No," said EJ morosely, "I heard them get back from the hotel about an hour ago and I guess Sami is just trying to make up an excuse to get away. I texted her but she hasn't gotten back to me yet."

"Everything will feel better once you see her again," Estelle comforted him.

"I know," said EJ, closing his eyes and sighing heavily, "It kills me every night that we spend apart – I just want our future to start so badly."

"Good things come to those who wait," Estelle reminded him, "That's what my Gran used to tell me. Although this is the same woman who claimed that lemons become oranges when you leave them on the tree for awhile so consider the source."

"She sounds like an interesting character," EJ observed with a smile.

"Gran has a certain way about her," Estelle agreed with wry affection.

"Sounds like she'd get on famously with my Granny Violet," EJ commented, "She's another one with that way about her."

EJ and Estelle chatted for a bit longer before he said his goodbyes and hung up.

"_You really lucked out with her," Sam commented, appearing suddenly in his kitchen._

"Yes we did," EJ said gratefully, "I don't know what Samantha and I would have done without Estelle – she is certainly making it possible for us to maintain our relationship under that particular smoke screen."

EJ looked over at Sam, taking in the little black, lacy and barely there ensemble she was wearing and arched an eyebrow.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked her dryly.

"_I'm just here to keep you company," she said with a bit of a shrug, "You're nervous."_

"Why would I be nervous?" asked EJ, his lips thinning in disapproval.

"_Because you're waiting to see Sami and this is her first day as Mrs Lucas Roberts and despite all the justifications, reassurances and pep talks you are giving yourself you can't help but be nervous that Lucas now has a hold on Sami that you don't." _

EJ didn't respond to her immediately, just looked back at her unblinkingly.

"It's a little early in the morning to be that intrusive in my psyche don't you think Sam?" asked EJ flatly.

"_The truth never sleeps," said Sam sagely and then paused and looked confused, "Wait – or is that justice never sleeps or maybe it is jaguars. Do jaguars sleep do you think?"_

"Can you see why I have trouble taking your pearls of wisdom seriously?" asked EJ with a twist of his lips, "When you go on with guff like that."

"_Don't throw the baby out with the bath water Elly," Sam sniffed, "This is still all really good stuff and you should be writing it down."_

"Right," said EJ sarcastically, mimicking doing just that, "Insomniac giant cats – I'll just jot that down now shall I?"

"_Sarcasm only looks cute on me," Sam informed him in annoyance, "In you it just makes you look a little chunky." _

As annoying as Sam's presence was it did at least pass the time for EJ as they bantered back and forth. The truth was that Sam had of course hit the nail right on the head and EJ was incredibly nervous about seeing Sami again for some reason. He loathed the fact that she was now wearing Lucas' wedding ring on her finger and it maybe old fashion of him but EJ really did believe in marriage and there being something deeply binding about it. Of course he didn't doubt Sami's love for him but it just opened an old wound for EJ of the many times in the past Sami had chosen Lucas over him. She'd done it this time to secure their future in a roundabout way but even while EJ's head understood that his heart was still in agony. EJ was certain that Estelle had been right when she'd said that seeing Sami again would put all of his fears to rest so right then it was just a matter of waiting on Sami.

If ever there was an Olympic event based around that skill EJ knew he'd be a certainty for the gold.

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami stood at EJ's door and could already feel herself on the verge of tears. She took a deep breath, trying to get herself to calm down. Lucas was having a sleep and she could at last get away to see EJ but for the first time in a long time that thought terrified Sami. She still couldn't believe that she'd let Lucas have sex with her, even if she had no memory of it. In the shower that morning Sami had scrubbed herself practically raw because of how dirty she felt for letting Lucas touch her.

She lifted her hand to knock on EJ's door and then dropped it again, knowing she was burning into their precious time together with her indecision. Her instincts were battling her heart and Sami still didn't know what she should do. Instinct told her to lie and not tell EJ about what had happened, self protection being a very hard habit to break. It would devastate him and nothing could be changed now unfortunately. Sami couldn't bear the thought of hurting him anymore than she already had by marrying Lucas in the first place and just didn't know if she had that kind of strength in her. On the other hand she didn't know if her heart could take lying to EJ. Lies had been the hallmark of all of her other relationships in the past and she just couldn't stand bringing all of that old baggage of hers into her and EJ's relationship.

It was yet another impossible decision for Sami and still undecided she knocked on his door. When there was no reply she tried the door and found it unlocked. Sami let herself in and looked around. EJ wasn't anywhere so she continued walking into the bedroom. He wasn't there either but Sami couldn't help but close her eyes and inhale the comforting scent of him in the air. The sound of a toilet flushing told her where EJ was and a few seconds later he appeared in the bathroom and gave a bit of a start to see her.

"Samantha!" he exclaimed, his whole face lighting up with pleasure at seeing her and making Sami feel like the worst person in the world.

"I wondered where you were," she said with a half smile, taking in how gorgeous he looked.

He was wearing a suit, his tie loosened and hadn't gotten around to shaving yet. He looked scruffily elegant, a deadly combination that made her heart flutter and her pulse race.

"Doing my penance for last night's overindulgence I'm afraid," said EJ ruefully, still smiling at her warmly.

"Did you get drunk?" asked Sami, feeling incredibly guilty at that thought.

"I wish I could say I rose above my adversities and handled the events of last night with calm aplomb but basically I drank myself into a stupor," said EJ with a self deprecating laugh.

"I'm so sorry EJ," said Sami, feeling herself on the brink of tears again, "This is all my fault."

"It's fate's fault," EJ as he moved towards her and pulled her into his arms and stole a kiss, "It brought us together and now it's have a little fun at our expense."

"I'm not having fun," said Sami sadly, EJ's light hold on her searing her skin and making her feel like even more of a traitor.

She hated feeling this way in his arms – it was unbearable.

"I can't say I'm having the time of my life either right now," said EJ wryly, "But this is only a short term thing, soon we'll be together properly."

_Only when you find out what I've done you'll never want to be near me again._

The horrifying thought rattled around in Sami's head – screaming at her that she was going to lose EJ and it was all her own fault.

"What's wrong sweetheart?" asked EJ, picking up on her strange mood.

"I wasn't sure you were home," said Sami, moving a little uncomfortably under his gaze and not answering his question, "Your car wasn't there when we got home."

"It's at the hotel I got very drunk at," admitted EJ ruefully and then pursed his lips thoughtfully, "At least I think it is – I really should have checked that out with Estelle."

"Estelle?" asked Sami with a bit of a frown.

"She rescued me from the bar," admitted EJ with a half smile, "Before law enforcement had to be called."

"That should have been me," said Sami with so much regret, "I'm the one who should be there for you in times like that."

"I don't think you would have had the upper body strength for the job darling," said EJ in amusement, "Apparently there was some major dragging that was involved."

"Dragging?" repeated Sami, taking a step back and looking up at him.

She felt like such a fraud in EJ's arms and knew she didn't deserve any kind of affection from him.

"According to Estelle I was an uncooperative drunk," said EJ, wrinkling his nose, "Who'd like to be a lesbian and kill Tinkerbell in his spare time."

"Wow that was pretty drunk," said Sami wide eyed.

"Apparently I was rather spectacular in living up to the family motto – if you're going to go then go large," said EJ ruefully.

He took a step closer then and gave her a regretful look.

"Actually along those lines I have somewhat of a confession to make to you," said EJ looking a little sheepish.

"Confession?" asked Sami anxiously, the word reminding her of her own sins that needed some confessions of their own.

"Estelle saw me naked," said EJ with a bit of a grimace, "Apparently I stripped off to go to bed with little regard for public decency, before seconds later passing out onto the bed. She said it was like watching a redwood fall and had to resist the urge to yell timber. She also thanked me for confirming that she was indeed a lesbian once and for all. I myself have absolutely no recollection of any of this but was happy to help her out with that life affirmation."

It was such a harmless little thing, quite comical actually that EJ had even volunteered the information because he didn't want to have any secrets between them. It made what she'd done with Lucas seem even worse now and Sami couldn't hold back the flood gates any longer. She sank down onto the bed and burst into tears, burying her head in her hands.

"It's not that big of a deal sweetheart," said EJ, clearly shocked by her emotional outburst, "At least the way Estelle tells it. Apparently me in my birthday suit was rather underwhelming – the words disconcertingly unsexy were bandied about."

He crouched down in front of her and put his hands on her knees, giving them a comforting squeeze and smiled, trying to coax one out of her as well.

"You trust me don't you sweetheart?" asked EJ softly, pulling out a handkerchief an wiping away her tears, "I'd never do anything to betray us – you know that."

Sami just wanted to die, then and there, just have the floor open up and swallow her or lightening rip from the skies and strike her dead as she sat there. Anything other than having to sit here and have EJ looking at her with such trust and love. This was unbearable and Sami took one last long look at his face as she knew she was about to destroy their love forever.

"I slept with Lucas."

The dully spoken words hung between them, filling the sudden strangled silence.

EJ froze in his self appointed task of wiping away her tears as Sami looked at him with a stony expression of heart break, steeling herself for what was about to come.

"Wh-what?"

EJ's stammered words cut through Sami's heart as did his shocked expression.

"Don't make me say it again," she begged him, fresh tears slipping from her red eyes as she fought the near violent urge to throw up.

"No," said EJ hoarsely, straightening up and taking a step back from her, "You wouldn't have... you couldn't have Samantha, not now."

"I know," said Sami, her voice thick with so much regret as she looked up at him with traumatised eyes, "EJ I'm sor-"

She didn't get any further as EJ made a strangled sound, the truth of what she was saying hitting him in that moment as he whirled around and knocked all the contents of his dresser against the wall in a sudden outburst of violence. Sami flinched to see it, not because she was afraid EJ would hurt her but because she'd caused him so much pain that he'd had to lash out at something, anything to help him cope.

"Why?" asked EJ thickly, his back to her now and she could see how stiffly he was holding his body.

Sami didn't have an answer for him because she had no idea how even if she'd been drunk that she would have allowed Lucas to touch her in that way. It was so unlike her to drink away control of herself like that, particularly knowing what was at stake and it still didn't even seem real to Sami. But it was done now and even thought Sami would have given anything to take it back she just couldn't.

"Well?" asked EJ grimly, as he turned around to face her, "Why Samantha, why?"

There were so many emotions struggling for a position on his face – pain, confusion, betrayal, disbelief. Sami bit her bottom lip and shook her head, more tears spilling out onto her cheeks.

"Was it a pity thing?" asked EJ with an angry hopeless shrug, "A for old times sake thing? A caught up in the moment thing? I still secretly love him thing? What?!"

"No!" said Sami, standing up abruptly and shaking her head fiercely, "I don't love Lucas EJ, not in any kind of way that really matters anyway."

"But you had sex with him," EJ threw back grimly, "You're not the kind of woman to take that lightly Samantha so forgive my confusion."

"I don't know why it happened or even how," said Sami throwing her hands up in despair, "It's all a complete blank, I don't remember a single thing about it, not even going back to the hotel, nothing."

"You were drunk?" asked EJ unevenly, a fierce frown coming to his face.

"I guess a must have been," said Sami hopelessly, desperate for him to believe her, "Because I would have never willingly let Lucas make love to me EJ, you have to believe me! I would have jumped out of that hotel window rather than let him do that!"

EJ's eyes bore into hers, looking at her so intently that Sami felt like he was touching her soul. She held nothing back from him, let him see her deep regret, her horror and revulsion over what she'd let happen to her, to both of them really.

"So you would have been obviously been practically incapacitated and Lucas had sex with you anyway," said EJ, his face darkening and his eyes turning almost black with the realisation.

"Don't!" said Sami in distress, holding up her hand to him as a shudder of uncontrolled revulsion ran through her at the thought.

Memories of Alan Harris and how it had felt to be powerless to protect herself against his touches flooded through Sami and to know that she'd suffered a similar fate at the hands of a man who claimed to love her, someone she'd trusted was just too horrible to endure.

"Don't tell it like it is Samantha?" asked EJ harshly, his anger at Lucas spilling out on her as she seemed to be defending him yet again, "Why do you always do that, why must you always protect that man?! If a woman can't say yes or no it's nothing more than rape!"

"You think I don't know that!" she shouted back at him, unable to stop her shaking now as the repulsion of what had happened over took her, "Do you think I don't know what being raped is EJ?! I can't have had it happened to me again – I just can't okay?! I wanted to die after Alan Harris did what he did to me, I just wanted to close my eyes and never open them again! It was the darkest time in my life and I swore to myself that no man would ever make me that vulnerable again! And now I've had it happen again! Can you even imagine how dirty I feel right now? How I just want to crawl out of my skin or set it alight or just do something to make me feel clean again. When Alan Harris raped me he took a part of my soul I'll never get back and now Lucas has done it as well because he obviously thought I wanted it too! Alan said the same thing to me – that he knew deep down that I wanted him to do that to me and now I know he must have been right because it's happened again! They can see that there is something inside of me that knows that is all I deserve!"

"It wasn't your fault Samantha," said EJ unevenly, frowning down at her, "Neither time was and no woman deserves that, ever!"

"Oh really?" said Sami achingly with obvious disbelief, "I have that happen to me by two different men and you say it isn't me?! I must bring this kind of thing on myself – I must!"

"Samantha-" EJ began with a shake of his head.

"I should never have married Lucas," said Sami despairingly, "For any reason! I should never have put our relationship at risk like that but I did and now I've ruined everything for us. You're never going to look at me the same way and you know, I deserve it."

Sami choked back a sob at that as she realised the full enormity of what she'd done by being so confident that she could handle any situation only to find that she couldn't.

"I always do this," she said achingly, "I always have something wonderful come into my life and then just sabotage the hell out of it and the worse thing is that you've only ever been amazing to me EJ."

Sami shook her head and closed her eyes as she spoke what felt like the complete truth to her.

"I'm not good enough for you EJ," she whispered painfully, "All I've done is bring pain and disappointment into your life over and over again and I know better than anyone that you deserve more than that."

Sami opened her eyes and gave him a despairing look.

"You deserve a woman who isn't damaged goods," she said achingly, "Who hasn't had men-"

Sami looked away briefly, unable to go on for a moment.

"You deserve someone better than me," she finished quietly, looking back at him, "I love you so much EJ, I don't think you'll ever know how much but I think the kindest, most loving thing I can do for you is to make sure you get as far away as you can from the train wreck that is Sami Brady. Your love changed my whole world and all mine did for you was break your heart. I can't even ask your forgiveness because what I've let happen to us is beyond forgiveness. I just want you to be happy and being with me-"

Sami shook her head and swallowed the painful lump in her throat as she tried to force out the next words.

"You'll never be happy with me EJ," she said painfully, her blue eyes full of remorse and sadness, "No one ever is. For your own sake you need to walk away right now before I hurt you again because we both know I will. I'll do something stupid or impulsive or thoughtless and I'll hurt you yet again and I can't bear the thought of that. I need to do the right thing for you EJ, I need to walk away now and let you have a chance at a happy life."

This whole time EJ hadn't spoken, just stood there and let her talk, Sami looked at his face and tried to read what he was feeling but frightened in case she saw loathing and disgust there. She knew she deserved it but it was still going to kill her.

How could she have thrown away the best thing that had ever happened to her Sami wondered in despair, knowing she was never going to know happiness again if EJ left her but also knowing it was the only loving thing that she could do for him now. A part of her wanted to fight to the death for him like she had the other men in her life but then her motives had always been selfish. She loved EJ far too much to see him this unhappy and experience told her that she was only going to continue hurting him like everyone else in her life. Her life would be over if EJ left her but he might actually have a chance at happiness if he did and that was all Sami ever wanted for him.

"I'll always love you EJ," Sami said softly, letting him see her adoration of him burning in her eyes, "With my dying breath I'll love you and there will never be any man for me but you but you need to get out now while you still can – it's your only hope to be happy."

Sami's words hung between them in the silence of the room as she braced herself for what EJ's response to them would be...

Let man fear woman when she loves: then she makes any sacrifice, and everything else seems without value to her.

_Friedrich Nietzsche_

_(Classical Scholar, Philosopher and Critic of culture, 1844-1900)_


	70. Chapter 217

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & SEVENTEEN**** - ****The Penny Drops**

Never despair, but if you do, work in despair.

_Edmund Burke_

_(British Statesman and Philosopher 1729-1797)_

EJ sat on a bench at the Salem pier, staring sightlessly out into the murky grey waters, scotch bottle in hand. There was no need for a bar tonight to drown his sorrows, he was cutting out the middle man and going straight to the source. Besides, being around people in his current mood was not to be recommended. EJ was simply devastated, there was no other word for it. Today had ripped his heart out and he was completely shattered and despite the amount of scotch he'd already consumed the pain was still an aching thump throughout his whole body. If he'd ever wondered what real love as opposed to lust or desire felt like now he knew. If his interest in Sami had only been the latter and not the former then right now it would have been the fact that Sami and Lucas had slept together that would have been consuming his thoughts but it wasn't.

Whilst it had been gut wrenching to have Sami confess that such a thing had happened it was nothing compared to the agony of standing there and listening to her tell him that she deserved what had happened to her, that she'd brought the abuse on herself both times. EJ made a low growling sound in the back of his throat, even remembering her saying those things making him want to kill the people whose actions had led her to believe such an atrocity could be true. All of those Brady's that had made her believe that her position in the family was dependent on their opinion of her behaviour. The Austin's and Brandon's that had cast her to one side so willingly when it suited them and people like Kate who had made it their mission in life to quench the flame that burned so brightly inside of Sami and put them to shame.

EJ had just wanted to grab Sami and scream in her face to stop saying those things, that she was the most precious and amazing thing in the world to him, that no one would ever be her equal. He wanted to fall at her feet and beg her to stop and sob out his regret that he hadn't been there throughout her entire life to protect her from such things happening to her. He'd wanted to kiss her and make love to her the way she should always be made love to – with infinite love and tenderness. But EJ hadn't done any of those things, too worried that showing her the violent emotion that was inside of him would frighten Sami even more than she was. Instead he'd just taken her into his arms when she'd told him that he should leave her and just held her tight.

He hadn't trusted himself to speak, EJ hadn't trusted himself to do anything other than just hold Sami because in the moment he could have walked across to her apartment and strangled Lucas with his bare hands and not had a moments remorse over it. The thought of that man with his hands on Sami's body, taking something from her that was clearly not being offered in the state she must have been in just filled EJ with a murderous rage he wasn't sure he could have controlled right then. Only having Sami in his arms, knowing she needed him to be there for her right then rather than exacting revenge on her behalf saved Lucas' life today.

"I failed you Samantha," he said to the empty surrounds, the grey dampness of where he was suiting his mood perfectly as his lips twisted in self disgust, "You needed me and I failed you."

EJ took a long swig of his bottle, trying to rinse the ugliness aftertaste of his words from his mouth with the cheap liquor. He swallowed, welcoming the unforgiving burn as it slid down his throat, the lack of quality of the alcohol guaranteeing EJ an impending oblivion that he was going to regret bitterly the next day which is what he wanted – to be punished. EJ just wanted to hunt down every person that had wronged Sami in her entire life and tear them to pieces with his bare hands, he wanted to make them pay for ever letting her think for a moment that she deserved such a heinous fate as being raped, not once but twice. If EJ ever needed another reason to hate most of the people in Sami's life to date he certainly didn't now.

"Out with all of your friends I see."

The mocking voice belonged to just about the last person EJ wanted to see right then.

"Go away Kate," he said dully, not even bothering to look at her, "I'm not in the mood to play nice."

"So when did you ever play nice?" Kate sniffed, eyeing him thoughtfully as she walked down the last of the stairs and over to where he was sitting on the bench.

"Just walk away Kate," said EJ, looking over at her now and fixing her with a hard look, "I'm not going to be taking any of your crap today."

"It's a free country EJ," Kate said coolly, "At least it was the last time I checked. I don't believe I need your permission to be anywhere in Salem."

"What are you even doing here anyway?" asked EJ curtly, "Trying to supplement my father's no doubt generous stipend with falling back on your old profession perhaps? This would be the best place to pick up desperate sailors after all, ones who don't care about what they are getting as long as it is willing."

EJ's own words reminded him of Sami's less than willing plight of yesterday and he stood up abruptly, unable to handle the pain. He tried to hide it from Kate, not wanting her to see him with any kind of weakness.

"What's the matter lover?" she goaded him, "Jealous that another man has me, perhaps you're regretting letting me go hm?"

EJ gave a humourless crack of laughter at that comment.

"I didn't let you go Kate," he said sourly, "I threw you back into the gutter that I found you in."

"Well I'm not the one drinking myself into oblivion with a-" she squinted to look at the bottle in EJ's hand and wrinkled her nose in disgust, "-very cheap and nasty bottle of scotch now am I?"

"My life and what I do with it never was and never will be any of your concern Kate," said EJ flatly as he looked out onto the grey waters of the pier.

EJ had a moment's flash back when he dived into the water to rescue Sami after she'd fallen in the night he'd taught her the tango further along this very waterfront. He'd saved her then and EJ cursed himself for his ineptitude to be able to do it again. Everything had seemed so much simpler back then, so much more straightforward. EJ had known what he'd had to do to save Sami then. Stop her wedding to Austin and get her to fall in love with him so they could have a long and happy life together where Sami never once had to ask forgiveness for who she really was. Right now though EJ wasn't sure of what was the way forward, everything becoming such a tangled mess so quickly. All he knew for sure was that despite Sami's well intentioned but completely misguided pleas he was never going to let her walk out of his life.

"So what is with the pity party EJ?" asked Kate, clearly not wanting to give up on it.

"Whatever this is it is a party you aren't invited to," said EJ tersely, taking another swig from his bottle, "So sling your hook Kate."

"You look like a man who's love of his life has just rolled out of some other man's bed."

EJ's head snapped up at that and he looked at her with a fierce intensity. There was something in her words, some kind of smug satisfaction in her tone that had EJ's instant attention.

"What did you say?" he asked her hoarsely.

"What?" asked Kate, back pedalling a bit when she saw the suddenly avid look in EJ's eyes.

EJ turned to face her, starting to advance on Kate slowly.

"What did you just say?" he repeated, his mind going at a thousand miles an hour despite the amount of alcohol he'd just consumed.

"Nothing," said Kate with a frown, "I was just trying to get under your skin EJ."

"You know," EJ stated the accusation unevenly, staring at her unblinkingly.

All of the events of the last little while were clicking into place and all of a sudden EJ had such a clear picture of what had been going on that he could hardly believe he hadn't put it all together before just then.

"Know what?" Kate hedged, backing away from him a little now.

"You knew all along that Samantha and I were together," said EJ in dawning comprehension, shaking his head at her in disbelief, "You knew we were seeing one another."

"Are you telling me you and Sami had an affair?" asked Kate, giving him a convincing look of shock but EJ wasn't buying it, not any longer.

"I'm not telling you anything because you already knew," said EJ grimly, "That's why you went to such lengths to keep me from the wedding yesterday – it all makes sense now."

"If I had proof that Sami was the whore I've always known her to be then why wouldn't I have gone to Lucas about it?!" Kate spat out in disgust.

"Because you wanted to screw us over," said EJ, still advancing on her, his eyes narrowing menacingly, "Because your desire to hurt Samantha and myself and gain leverage at Mythic is stronger than your love for your son and his feelings."

"Nothing is stronger than my love for Lucas!" Kate threw back at him, "How dare you EJ!"

"How dare I?" asked EJ tightly, his face full of a cold rage, "You're asking how I dare, is that it Kate?!"

"Lucas thinks Sami is the one who can make him happy and all I did was make that wish come true for him by organising the wedding," Kate said tightly.

"That's not all you did though is it you lying, twisted whore?" asked EJ, his face darkening so much that Kate tried to take another step back but EJ's hand lashed out so quickly that she couldn't get out of the way in time.

His long fingers wrapped around her neck and held her in place as EJ put his face in hers.

"Samantha has no memory from last night," he bit out each word, "That's what she told me, that it was completely blank. I should have realised then but I was too upset."

"Realised what?" Kate squawked, her hands going to his wrist and trying desperately to free herself but it was to no avail.

There was no way EJ was letting her go now.

"You drugged Samantha's drink," said EJ grimly with absolute certainty, "You drugged Samantha so that your son could then rape her."

"You're insane!" Kate bleated, wriggling to get free but EJ simply tightened his hold on her neck and she was forced to stop.

"How could you do something so heinous to another woman?" asked EJ raggedly, his outrage knowing no bounds, "No matter who she was how could you make such a thing happen?!"

"I didn't need to drug anyone," said Kate in little more than a strangled whisper now, "They are married, why wouldn't they sleep together?"

"Because you knew our secret," EJ hissed, his fingers tightening unconsciously on her neck, "You knew Samantha would never give herself to Lucas willingly so you drugged her so she'd have no say in the matter!"

"EJ!" Kate gasped, "I can't breathe!"

"Is everything alright down there?"

The male voice drifted down from them from above where the walkway to the pier was. A concerned passerby must have heard them arguing and seen EJ with a stranglehold on Kate's neck. EJ shoved Kate away from him so that she stumbled a bit and almost fell.

"No problem here," said EJ calmly, at odds with his violent actions of seconds before.

He knew how to control himself when he needed it.

"Lady?" the voice asked in concern.

"I'm fine," Kate managed, putting a hand to her throat.

"Do you want me to call the police?" the man asked, looking down at them worriedly.

"Yes Kate," said EJ sweetly, not taking his eyes off her, "How about we call the police eh? I'm sure we both have stories to tell that they'd love to hear."

"There is no need," called back Kate shortly, staring back at EJ, "Thank you, like he said, there is no problem here."

"If you're sure," said Kate's would be rescuer reluctantly but when it was clear that she wasn't going to take him up on his offer the man moved on.

"You have absolutely no proof of your insane accusations!" Kate spat out at him once he was gone, "What are you going to do EJ? Kill me over some misguided hunches?!"

"Oh I'm not going to kill you Kate," said EJ with a cruel smile, "Although by the time I'm done I'm thinking you'll wish I had."

Kate looked back at him wide eyed before backing up slowly and then turning around and hurrying back up the stairs.

"Run all you want you shrivelled up old witch but there is nowhere to hide for you now," said EJ as he watched her leave, drinking a toast to the gaining of wisdom and more importantly the getting of revenge.

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ rolled over in bed and gave a low groan – two hangovers in two days was definitely not a good idea he decided as his brain screeched its disapproval at him. To make matters worse he wasn't alone when he woke up and EJ groaned again very loudly at seeing the woman perched on one of his dressers looking at him with a perky smile. Today was not off to a good start.

"_So," began Sam conversationally, "When does all this getting blind drunk cross the line from kind of cute and endearing into raging alcoholic territory, sucking the spilt liquor from hotel carpets and urinating in public?" _

"I'm not an alcoholic," said EJ curtly as he attempted to sit up and being forced to stop as he squeezed the bridge of his nose to help relieve some of the pressure he was feeling there.

"_That would be a more convincing statement if you hadn't gotten ripped off your tits the last two nights in a row," said Sam knowingly, "So much so you couldn't even remember what happened last night." _

"It was a one off thing," EJ growled.

"_That happened twice," Sam shot back easily, "That is pretty uneven ground you are staking your claim on there counsellor." _

Sam pulled a thoughtful face.

"_You know Lucas is an alcoholic," she pondered, "And you're well on your way to drinking those last few brain cells into oblivion. I'm seeing a kind of common factor here in Sami driving the men around her to drink."_

"Samantha didn't cause me to do this!" EJ snapped, instantly leaping to Sami's defence, "It was Lucas' actions, not hers! If anything Lucas is the common denominator in making everyone's lives a misery, not Samantha!"

EJ hauled himself out of bed and staggered to the bathroom. He returned a few moments later to see Sam now sitting on his bed.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" he asked her tersely.

"_Actually I'm waiting for you," said Sam, still looking at him intently._

"Well here I am in all my glory," said EJ sarcastically as he hunted through his drawers for some clothes to wear after the shower he was planning to take.

"_No I mean I'm waiting for you to remember," said Sam._

"Remember what?" EJ asked grumpily as he looked for his favourite pair of jeans.

"_What happened last night," Sam prompted him. _

"I got drunk," said EJ shortly.

"_And you found out something," Sam continued to push him._

"That drinking is bad for you?" offered up EJ with sweet sarcasm.

"_No moron," said Sam with a roll of her eyes, "Something very important when it comes to you and Sami – something really, really important."_

EJ turned around and looked at her, a frown on his face.

"_Guess I've got your attention now huh?" asked Sam with pursed lips and a mocking look._

"What is it?" asked EJ sharply, "What about Samantha and I? What did I find out?"

"_I can't tell you," said Sam with a shrug._

"Why the hell not?!" asked EJ angrily.

"_Because it's buried in your still alcohol soaked psyche and you have to remember on your own," said Sam easily._

"That's insane!" EJ snapped, "You're me, I'm you – if you remember something just tell me!"

"_That isn't how it works my little eternal sunshine of the alcohol addled mind," said Sam brightly, "I can just help you to remember."_

"So help then!" EJ snarled impatiently, "What happened last night?"

"_You know I think now might be a good time to have a little talk about the evils of drinking too much alcohol," said Sam, clearly enjoying having all of his attention, "You may be pretty to look at but if you keep killing brain cells at this current rate all that beauty is not going to be enough distraction from the fact that you only have the ability to do this now-"_

Sam began to blow a noisy raspberry, roll her eyes back in her head and slap her hands together like she was a lingerie clad seal performing at Sea World.

"I swear to God if you don't stop that and start being helpful I'll-"

EJ so wanted to make a suitably terrifying threat but how can you threaten an apparition exactly?

"_Alright, alright," said Sam with a roll of her eyes, "Keep your chest hair on puddin'. I'm here to help."_

"First time for everything," EJ growled in annoyance, "Now tell me what happened last night!"

EJ was frantically wracking his brain trying to remember but in part his own desperate panic to do just that was inhibiting him somewhat which put in squarely at the mercy of Sam unfortunately.

"_Okay," said Sam with a grin, clearly enjoying EJ needing her, "Let's start at the beginning. Do you remember where you went after you drank all the liquor in the apartment?"_

"I went to the store to get some more," said EJ curtly.

"_And then you went to the-" Sam trailed off and looked at him expectantly._

"What does it matter where I was?!" EJ snapped in frustration, "Just tell me what I found out about Samantha and I that was so important!"

"_I'm setting the scene," Sam sniffed, "It's very important Elvis. Here, I'll give you a clue-"_

Sam put her hand to her forehead and seemed to be looking off to the distance with great interest, squinting a bit even.

"Looking," said EJ in frustration, "I went to a look out?"

EJ wracked his brain trying to think where that might be in Salem.

"_No jerk in the box," said Sam with a sniff, "Try again."_

Sam redoubled her efforts and EJ tried again.

"You're looking, you're seeing, you're peering-" he began, trying to run through all the possibilities in this unsettling game of charades he was playing with himself.

Sam stopped and jumped up and down excitedly on the spot, clapping her hands and nodding her head.

"What, peering?" asked EJ, taken aback at her reaction and then realised, "The pier, I was at the pier!"

"_Yay!" said Sam, bouncing around, "You got it. Who said you're just a congenital idiot with a good plastic surgeon?!"_

"Wait," said EJ with a frown, "Who says that?"

"_No one important," said Sam quickly with a bright smile, "I always defend you anyway – I tell them you've never been to a plastic surgeon."_

"Cheers," said EJ dourly at the implication the congenital idiot comment was still valid though.

EJ rubbed the and back of his neck and tried to remember.

"Alright yes," he said with a slow nod, "I remember being at the pier and thinking."

"_And then..." Sam said, looking at him expectantly._

"And then..." EJ's brow wrinkled as he tried to remember for himself.

"_You had a visitor," she continued to prompt him._

"A visitor?" EJ repeated, his brow furrowing even more, "Who?"

EJ honestly couldn't remember and he couldn't believe he'd been so stupid as to get that drunk that he'd affected his memory. It was beyond frustrating and he could just kick himself.

"_I can do it if you want," Sam volunteered cheerfully as she read his mind yet again, "The Dallas Cowboys didn't want to sign me up for quarterback for no reason."_

"Just tell me who was at the pier," said EJ dourly, giving her an unamused look.

"_Okay," she said brightly, "So you were glug glug-"_

She mimicked swigging from the bottle and EJ rolled his eyes and tried to hang on to his temper.

"_And then along came-"_

Sam threw herself backwards onto the bed, arms and legs outstretched and then began writhing about.

"An epileptic starfish?" offered up EJ in confusion at the sight in front of him.

Sam stopped what she was doing and propped herself up on her elbows and gave him a disgruntled look.

"_Yes an epileptic starfish, you got it in one," she said sarcastically, "An epileptic starfish came up to you on the Salem pier and let slip something about you and Sami."_

"If you would just tell me who it was we wouldn't have to go through this ridiculousness!" said EJ in frustration.

"_If you hadn't gotten so drunk we wouldn't need to be!" Sam huffed back, "This is your fault Elvis – I'm the good guy here trying to help you out. If you'd rather not know then I can just-"_

"No I want to know," said EJ quickly, knowing it would be just like her to leave when he actually wanted her to stay for once, "Please Sam, help me."

"_That's better," said Sam with a self satisfied smile, "All I ask is to be appreciated."_

"I appreciate you," said EJ through gritted teeth and giving her a forced smile.

"_Did you just throw up a little in your mouth?" she asked with an unimpressed arch of an eyebrow._

"I'm smiling," said EJ, still talking through his gritted teeth.

"_Well it looks like one of your haemorrhoids has just popped out so don't strain yourself on my account," she said with a sweet smile, showing him him how it was done. _

EJ took a deep and hopefully calming breath and got himself back under control.

"Can we try again please?" he asked her with exaggerated politeness, "Who was down at the pier with me Sam?"

"_Alright," said Sam, "It was a-"_

She patted her hair and preened a little, wiggling her shoulders and looking up at him coquettishly.

"A woman," EJ finished for her and then pulled a face, "Hopefully."

"_Right," said Sam happily._

"A woman in Salem," EJ pondered as Sam went back to her starfish impersonation, legs and arms akimbo, "Kate!"

"_You got it!" exclaimed Sam excitedly, clapping her hands together, "I figured me flat on my back in a bed would ring a few bells." _

"When it comes to men who've had sex with Kate it is a rather big bell," said EJ with a twist of his lips, "So Kate was at the pier with me-"

EJ's brow furrowed as he had a dim recollection of her being there now, a smug smirk on her face. His head snapped up and he looked at Sam in disbelief.

"I was trying to strangle her!" he said hoarsely.

"_Do you remember why?" asked Sam intently._

"Ahh-" EJ's face scrunched up in concentration.

"_Oh god," said Sam with a roll of her eyes, "It's like trying to drag a zeppelin out of a cat's bum! Here-"_

She pointed back and forth between them and then wrapped her arms around herself, pretending to be making out with him. Then it was back to the starfish who then stopped and looked wide eyed and then shifty eyed. Then Sam scrambled off the bed and got down on her knees, alternatively pretending to be first Lucas and then Sami at the altar. Then the starfish was handing Sami a drink and she was drinking it before falling over unconscious.

"Kate knows about my relationship with Samantha and she put something in her drink so that her toad of a son could finally get sex!" EJ exclaimed, it all rushing back to him now.

"_Phew," said Sam with a sigh of relief as EJ's memory of what had gone on between him and Kate finally came back, "It's true what they say, even the slowest train pulls into the station eventually."_

"My god how could I forget something like that?" asked EJ in horror before his face darkened ominously, letting the realisation of this new knowledge hit him once again.

Kate was going to pay and pay dearly for what she'd done to he and Samantha was his first grim thought.

"_What are you going to do now?" asked Sam, looking at him a little cautiously. _

EJ looked back at her, his face hardening with a burning hatred.

"Open the gates of Hell," said EJ, his voice as harsh as his intentions.

"_I wonder what kind of shoes one wears to something like that?" Sam pondered thoughtfully. _

EJ didn't answer, just starting to pull clothes from his drawers intent on getting dressed because he had places he had to be and one person in particular to do...


	71. Chapter 218

**AUTHOR'S NOTE****: **Okay guys, I know it has been a bit of a rocky ride of late but I can promise you happier times ahead. LOL But just to let you know those of you who are reading this in real time – I'm heading off for a week holidays so there will be no more updates for a week. This is a nice long one though so I hope it entertains – I had a lot of ground to cover in this one. Till next week...

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & EIGHTEEN**** – ****Clash of the Titans**

If an injury has to be done to a man

it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.

_Niccolo Machiavelli_

_(Italian writer and statesman, Florentine patriot, author of 'The Prince', 1469-1527)_

Kate walked into the DiMera mansion living room, her mind on other things but came to an abrupt halt when she saw EJ standing there, a hard look on her face.

"This is a surprise," said Kate, quickly gaining her composure.

"Is it Kate?" EJ asked her, his voice low, "Is it really?"

"Your father is upstairs," said Kate, obviously deciding to pretend yesterday's conversation hadn't happened.

"I didn't come here to see my father," said EJ coolly, never taking his eyes off her, "I'm here to see you."

"And why would that be?" asked Kate, looking ever so innocent it just made EJ want to wring her neck again.

"We aren't done with our conversation from yesterday," said EJ with quiet menace dripping from his voice.

"What conversation yesterday?" asked Kate, clearly trying to bluff her way out of facing the music.

"The one we had yesterday," said EJ tightly, "When you came across me imbibing a little excessively."

"Honey if you were drinking then I think the problem is that you imagined this conversation we supposedly had," she said with a cool little shrug, "Perhaps you should seek some psychiatric help if you're having these kinds of delusions EJ."

"Perhaps I should seek law enforcement help instead eh Kate?" asked EJ grimly, holding up his cell phone, "How about a quick call to one of your former husbands and we can have a little discussion about how you drugged his daughter so your son could rape her? How does that sound like for a fun way to pass a morning?!"

"I don't know what you think you know EJ-" began Kate calmly, obviously still thinking she could talk her way out of this.

"Oh I don't think, I know," EJ ground out between clenched teeth, "It's all so obvious now I can't believe I didn't see it before."

"See what?" asked Kate innocently as she crossed the room but EJ could see that her mind was working a mile a minute to find a way out of the hole she'd dug herself.

"So very many things," said EJ as he turned around as well to face her, his lips twisting in self disgust, "All those questions answered now."

"I have no idea what you are talking about EJ," said Kate, still trying to put him off.

"Now I know why the whirlwind marriage to my father," said EJ with a humourless laugh, ignoring her protests, "You thought he would be some kind of protection for you when I found out about what you'd done."

"I haven't done anything," said Kate looking wounded, "EJ this is all in your head."

EJ shook his head and looked at her in disgust.

"You're so confident aren't you?" he said in revulsion, "So sure you'd never be found out. In fact I'm willing to bet you were so sure that you wouldn't be discovered-"

EJ stalked over to a side table and picked up the purse that he recognised as the one Kate had been carrying two nights ago at the wedding.

"Hey!" protested Kate as she hurried over and tried to take it off him but EJ easily kept her at bay.

He rummaged around in it very briefly and then emerged with a half empty vial. He threw Kate's purse to the ground and held the little vial in front of Kate's face.

"-that you wouldn't be bothered with getting rid of the incriminating evidence," said EJ tightly, his eyes gleaming with a grim satisfaction.

"I don't know what you think that is but-" Kate began to cover for herself.

"Let's run a little test eh Kate?" asked EJ, his lips thinning as he walked over to the bar and poured some water into a glass along with the rest of the contents of the vial.

He swirled it around as he walked back to Kate and offered it to her.

"Why don't we drink to your good health eh?" asked EJ sarcastically, "And if you are still upright in ten minutes then no hard feelings hm? If you are passed out on the floor however you can only imagine what I'm going to be doing to that body of yours while you can't do a damn thing about it and it's not going to be anything as simple as sex I can promise you that."

"You're crazy EJ," said Kate a little hoarsely.

"So drink it and prove me wrong," EJ taunted her, wiggling the glass back and forth in front of her face, "We're about to see who the crazy person is here."

Kate took the drink and giving him a defiant look she raised it to her lips but then faltered. She put the glass down and straightened her shoulders.

"I did what I did for love," she said calmly, at last admitting it to EJ.

"Love?" EJ spat out the word bitterly, "You call what you did to Samantha, to us love?!"

"When I came back from Switzerland and saw the two of you making a mockery of Lucas' love for that tramp I wanted nothing more but to tell Lucas so he could be done with her once and for all," said Kate angrily, "Lucas doesn't deserve that kind of treatment from anyone and certainly not the likes of you and Sami!"

"So why didn't you go running back to Lucas?" asked EJ, his eyes narrowing dangerously, "If all you wanted was us out of your son's life?"

"You know what happened EJ!" said Kate painfully, "Lucas was diagnosed with AML and he became convinced that Sami was the only thing in his life worth living for. I couldn't destroy all his hopes like that so I did the only thing a loving mother could and kept quiet about your disgusting behaviour. I figured the least Sami owed Lucas was to keep her legs closed long enough for him to die with some peace and happiness in thinking he had a woman who loved him by his side!"

"But that was the problem wasn't it Kate?" asked EJ bitterly, "Sami wasn't sleeping with Lucas so you decided to take matters into your own hands once again, didn't you?!"

"You don't know what it is like!" Kate sobbed out, tears starting to run down her face, "You're not a parent EJ. You don't know the agony of the thought of losing a child! I'd do anything to make Lucas happy and if you had even the beginnings of a heart you'd know what I was talking about!"

"Don't talk to me about heart Kate!" EJ spat out angrily, "You're a cold, calculating bitch and always have been!"

EJ was so angry then he just wanted to throttle the woman trying to play on his sympathies right now. His fingers curled into a ball, every muscle in his body straining as he fought to hold himself back.

"And don't think the fact that you've managed to squeeze out a few crocodile tears from your desiccated body convinces me of your sincerity in all of this!" EJ raged at her, "You've done nothing but torture Samantha and I!"

"How am I torturing you?" asked Kate in disbelief, sniffing a little but giving as good as she got, "I didn't make Sami marry Lucas – that was her decision, hers! I had nothing to do with it and she could have stopped the whole thing in her tracks at any time by just saying no! If you ask me I think the person you are really mad with is Sami EJ!"

"Oh I know exactly who it is that is deserving of my wrath and it certainly isn't Samantha," said EJ coldly, "What you did was beyond disgusting Kate."

"I did what I had to do to make my dying son happy," Kate said stubbornly, not back down from EJ's accusations.

"You've been Lucas' pimp for years!" EJ threw back at her, not accepting that this was because of Lucas' condition, "This isn't exactly new behaviour now is it?! You paid that Walker woman five million dollars to sleep with your son but you knew that Samantha wouldn't be for sale so you took matters into your own hands! You had a hand in the rape of another woman – that makes you less than human in my eyes Kate and don't think that my revenge won't reflect that!"

"How dare you threaten me in my own house!" Kate threw back at him emotionally, really playing the grieving mother angle for all it was worth.

"This is my father's house!" EJ roared.

"And I'm his wife and you don't get to speak to me like this!" she spat back at him.

Stefano suddenly appeared at the door and looked between the two feuding parties, taking in EJ's obvious wrath and Kate's stricken expression.

"What is going on here Elvis?!" asked Stefano sternly, "Why is Kate so upset?"

"Why don't you go and ask your blushing bride that question?" asked EJ bitterly, "Perhaps she can fill you in on what she has been up to."

On cue Kate gave a distressed little sob that made EJ shake his head in disgust.

"Come with me Kate," Stefano ordered her as he took her arm, "We will discuss this privately."

They walked past a fuming EJ and Stefano stopped briefly on his way out.

"You will stay here and wait for me to return," said Stefano with an imperious waggle of his finger, "This in house fighting will not be allowed to fester."

EJ gritted his teeth and had an urge to throw that command back into his father's face but then it would have been short sighted of him not to hang around to see what new lies Kate was going to peddle.

"I'll be here," he said curtly and gave Kate a warning look, "Trust me, this isn't over."

Kate looked suitably wounded, the innocent victim in all of this and EJ had to wonder what his father would make of all of this. He didn't have long to wonder because barely ten minutes later Stefano was coming back into the living room, this time alone.

"So what sweet lies did she whisper into your ear Father?" asked EJ, a glass of scotch in hand which was in no way dulling the pounding headache he was currently sporting.

"Kate has told me her hand in Samantha's wedding and her reasons why," said Stefano evenly.

"Doubtful," said EJ sourly as he swallowed the last of his drink and put the glass down, "That woman couldn't lie straight in bed. What she'd told you Father is her version of events I'm sure, anything but the truth."

"You are upset," said Stefano evenly.

"With good reason!" EJ roared, "That-that-"

EJ jabbed an accusing finger to the other room.

"That jackal has known all along about Samantha and I and has been actively working against us!" EJ spat out.

"She is a mother trying to see her child happy," said Stefano raising conciliatory hands, "I understand what she has done."

"What she has done is facilitated the rape of my future wife!" EJ bit out, beside himself now, "The future mother of your grandchildren and you are telling me you are alright with that?!"

"That was a very unhappy decision on Kate's part," agreed Stefano with an unhappy sigh, "I told her as much."

"A little slap on the wrist for such an atrocity?!" EJ asked in outrage, "She must be reeling from that!"

"I do not expect you to understand Elvis but a parent will do anything for a child," said Stefano, looking at him compassionately.

"So Kate just gets to play the mum card and it is a get out of jail free is that it?" asked EJ bitterly.

"Of course not," said Stefano easily, "All I am saying is that I understand, that is all my son."

"Well I don't!" said EJ harshly, "And this isn't over."

"You must do whatever it is that you feel you need to in being able to move past this," said Stefano calmly.

"What does that mean?" asked EJ tightly, folding his arms in front of his chest in annoyance, "Are you sanctioning me getting my revenge on Kate?"

EJ didn't need his father's approval but the answer to that question would give him an idea of the kind of hold Kate had over him.

"She is not to be physically harmed," said Stefano firmly, laying down the ground rules.

"Is that it?" asked EJ with a shrug, "Is that your only proviso?"

"I believe it is," said Stefano with a half smile, "Even though Kate is my wife she must learn that all actions have consequences."

"I don't need your blessing for what I have in mind for that woman," EJ reminded him tightly.

"But it is good for the family as a whole to have it eh?" said Stefano with a little laugh, "These little in house squabbles are to be expected in the beginning of a new family hm?"

EJ wanted to say that they were anything but a family but bit his tongue.

"Little squabbles like making sure the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with is being married off to another man you mean?" asked EJ bitterly.

"What does it matter anyway eh?" asked Stefano softly, seeing how unhappy EJ still was, "You told me that both you and Samantha decided she should be with Lucas until he passes anyway – what does a scrap of paper really mean anyway?"

"It means that Kate thinks she can play me," said EJ grimly.

"And you've proven her wrong my son," said Stefano simply, "Lesson learned eh?"

**oooOOOOooo**

Kate walked into the living room a little later on and looked a little uncertainly around herself.

"Elvis has departed," Stefano reassured her as he put down his paper and stood up, smiling down at her, "You need not be concerned."

"You spoke to him?" asked Kate cautiously, "You made him understand why I did the things that I did?"

"We spoke and an agreement was reached," Stefano said easily.

"I don't even understand all of his anger," said Kate, playing the misunderstood but well intentioned woman to the hilt, "I thought EJ had moved on anyway. What about Estelle?"

"I'm allowing him his amusements until the situation with your son is resolved," said Stefano easily, "And then he and Samantha can resume their relationship."

"Which they had behind my son's back," said Kate bitterly.

"Your son has the unhappy lot of being the person that it is easy to cheat on," agreed Stefano wryly, "Although no one would have stood in the way of EJ claiming Samantha as his own – it was my intent that he should do so all along and my son is a good and obedient son in these things."

"Why are you so behind a Sami and EJ union?" asked Kate in confusion.

"It is the completing of a very important circle," said Stefano with a half smile and not really answering her question, much to Kate's frustration.

"But you understand why I did what I did don't you Stefano?" asked Kate, looking at him anxiously, eager to make sure her standing in the household was secure, "You understand what a mother would do for the love of her child."

"I will allow you your wiles Katherine," said Stefano calmly, clearly suspecting there was more to her motives then what she was telling him, "I will even applaud them – there is nothing I abhor more than boring people but do not for one moment believe that the grace I extend to you as my wife is limitless. I will have my way in this matter, make no mistake. Nothing will stand between me bringing to fruition my father's dream of a DiMera/Brady union – nothing."

"And if Sami sees it differently?" asked Kate a little unsteadily, "What if she wants to stay married to Lucas?"

"Her wants are of no importance to me," said Stefano with an offhand shrug, "Samantha Brady's preferences will have no impact on the outcome of all of this, this I know."

Kate gave him a troubled look at that.

"You know someone like Sami isn't that easy to control," Kate pointed out tightly.

"Then it is just as well I am a master of getting what I want then isn't it eh my dear?" said Stefano with a half smile.

He put a conciliatory hand on Kate's shoulder but there was an underlying firmness to it that she couldn't miss.

"My darling wife," said Stefano convivially, "I wish with all my heart that you would not have to endure the agony of burying one of your own children. I have suffered through this fate and the pain is beyond description. But make no mistake, if Lucas does have his miracle and God willing for your sake he will then his marriage to Samantha is over."

"You're doing this for a son that-" Kate began bitterly and then stopped herself.

"Do go on my dear," said Stefano with an arched eyebrow, "What were you going to say?"

"Are you very sure Stefano that a union between EJ and Sami is what the DiMera family legacy really needs?" asked Kate coolly.

"And what does that mean?" asked Stefano evenly.

"It means that aren't you worried that Sami is going to turn EJ's head so that he rejects you?" asked Kate with a pointed look, "That she is going to be a bad influence on him like she has been every other man she's come in contact with."

"You can leave the handling of my son to me Kate," said Stefano confidently, "I have trained him well and Samantha will learn what it is to be a DiMera."

"Or?" Kate asked him with an arched eyebrow.

"Or learn what it is to displease a DiMera," said Stefano with the barest of smiles.

"I hope you know what you are doing Stefano," said Kate, her lips thinning in disappointment.

"Kate you are in a situation that you cannot lose," said Stefano reassuringly, "Either, God forbid, Lucas passes from this mortal coil at peace with a loving wife by his side or he is miraculously cured and you have your son back."

"Just those two options hm?" asked Kate tightly.

"Yes my dear," said Stefano, his tone brooking no further discussion on the subject, "Just those two options."

**oooOOOOooo**

"_Well that went well," said Sam brightly as EJ walked into his apartment and slammed the door shut behind him. _

EJ was still livid after talking to Kate and his father but that rage was beginning to give way to more of a cold calculation. He had a known enemy now and if there was one thing EJ knew how to do it was fight. Kate had shown her hand and EJ was going to show no mercy. When it came to protecting Sami his will knew no bounds.

"_What are you going to do?" asked Sam curiously._

"What I should have done from the very beginning," said EJ grimly, "Protect Samantha."

"_So Kate is about to know what it is to cross a DiMera?" asked Sam cheerfully, "That should be fun." _

"I'll get to Kate," said EJ, his eyes narrowing as plans begin to formulate in his head.

This situation had been out of control for some time unbeknownst to either one of them but EJ was intent on reigning all of that in. He and Sami were no longer going to be a pawn in anyone's twisted game.

"I'm going to neutralise that threat," said EJ, his face hard and unyielding as he looked back at Sam with a bitter resolve, "I have to take care of Samantha."

Sam arched an eyebrow at him as his eyes narrowed menacingly.

"And I'm going to start at the beginning."

EJ's words hung between them and Sam gave him a slightly startled look before giving him a grim nod.

"_I think that is a very good idea," she said quietly, for once backing one of his plays. _

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami sat on EJ's private jet and looked uncaringly out of the window. It had been five days since her wedding to Lucas and Sami had barely seen EJ since. He'd held her in that glorious way of his that day when she'd told him about what had happened and that he'd be better off without her. After her emotional outburst EJ had held her for a very long time and pressed a kiss to her forehead and promised her that it was all going to be alright. Sami couldn't see how that could be after what she'd done to them however. Sami had easily kept Lucas at bay since then, feigning everything from a headache to falling asleep before he got to bed.

She'd tried to see EJ privately again but he always seemed to be off doing something and then two days ago she'd gotten an email from him informing her that the upcoming Japanese trip was going to require an extra week of set up which meant she was to leave in two days rather than the week and a half previously planned. Sami's heart had leapt at that, immediately assuming that EJ had organised it all so that they could have extended time together but when she'd gone to his office to confirm it was only to be told by Linda that EJ had flown out that morning already.

Sami was confused now because if this early trip to Japan was a rouse by EJ for them to be together then why hadn't he spoken to her about it? She couldn't help that be concerned that despite his reassurances of the other day EJ had indeed decided that he would be better off without her. The fact that they hadn't really spoken since worried Sami and she had to wonder if EJ had discovered that he really couldn't get past the fact that she'd slept with Lucas. Sami couldn't blame him if that was the case. Basically she'd done everything to put EJ's love to the test ever since they'd met and how could she blame him if this was the straw that broke the camel's back? So now Sami was sitting on that plane with no idea what she was flying towards and just very fearful that it was the end of her relationship with EJ. She moved uncomfortably in her chair as she remembered her farewells with Lucas.

"_At least we have that magical night yesterday," said Lucas, looking at her lovingly, "The memory of that can keep us warm while we are apart."_

_Sami couldn't stop herself from welling up, hot tears stinging her eyes and running down her pale cheeks as she remembered the betrayed look on EJ's face when she'd told him about sleeping with Lucas. It didn't matter that she couldn't remember it happening or why she even let it happen – all that mattered was the fact that she'd betrayed EJ in the worst possible way. _

"_Hey, hey," said Lucas quickly, wiping them away and drawing her into a hug, "Don't be sad baby, we'll be together again soon – you're not going away forever. You'll be back before you know it."_

Lucas' words rattled around in her head. He'd meant them as a comfort but instead they were like a heavy weight pressing down on her heart. If EJ meant to be done with her after this trip then Sami knew it would be unbearable returning to Lucas. Only the hope of her future with EJ was keeping Sami going and without that she just wasn't sure how she could go on.

"We are almost there Ms Brady," said Genevieve in her unassuming way.

Sami looked up at her and tried to manage a smile, remembering how her last flight with Genevieve and Adam had turned out and wishing more than anything that she could return to that time and have it over again. There was so much she would do differently now.

"Already?" asked Sami, not wanting to correct her about her name.

She didn't want to be married to Lucas and certainly didn't want any kind of reminders of the fact that she was.

"I thought it would be a longer flight to Japan," said Sami in surprise.

"But we are not heading to Japan," said Genevieve looking puzzled.

"We're not?" asked Sami in surprise, straightening up in her seat, "Where are we going then?"

Genevieve stepped back from blocking Sami's line of vision and indicated that she should look out the window. Sami leant forward and then caught her breath at what she saw.

The brilliantly green island rose out of the sparkling blue water like an little piece of heaven that had fallen to earth.

"Ara Caman!" gasped Sami in disbelief.

"Of course," said Genevieve with a little smile at her surprise.

"Is-" Sami paused, hardly able to contain herself to ask the question because she knew that the answer to it would have the power to crush her utterly or rescue her from this pit of despair, "Am I going to be-"

"Mr DiMera is waiting for you Ms Brady," said Genevieve calmly.

"He is?!" asked Sami, her whole face lighting up at that prospect.

"But of course," said Genevieve with a serene smile, "He has been in contact with Adam and I every half hour to know how much longer we would be. It is driving both of us crazy."

"How-how did he sound?" asked Sami uncertainly, their last meeting still fresh in her mind.

"Anxious," said Genevieve with a smile, "Anxious to be with you."

"Oh," Sami breathed.

Suddenly Sami's heart was racing madly in her chest, her palms sweating. It probably only took another ten minutes before the jet had landed and she was unbuckling her seat but to Sami it felt like ten life times. She got out of her seat on shaky legs as Adam and Genevieve discretely held back. Sami walked down the stairs of the jet and couldn't take her eyes off the man waiting for her by the battered jeep.

EJ was wearing worn jeans and a casual blue t-shirt that made him look especially handsome but then to Sami he always looked breath taking. He was holding a bunch of wild flowers in his hand and Sami recognised them as the ones that grew around the island mansion. They walked towards each other, never taking their eyes off one another, EJ's eyes overflowing with love and excitement as Sami knew hers must be. They stopped in front of each other and Sami bit her bottom lip, suddenly nervous.

"The eagle has landed," Sami said unevenly, giving him a tremulous smile as she used one of their playful codes.

"So I see," said EJ huskily, his eyes never leaving her.

He handed her the makeshift bouquet and their fingers brushed, causing electricity to shoot up Sami's arm.

"I wasn't sure," whispered Sami emotionally, hardly able to believe he'd done all this for her, trying to communicate her fears to him.

EJ understood as he always seemed to when it came to her.

"Always be sure of me Samantha," he said unevenly, his own eyes brimming with intense emotion, "Always."

A single tear slipped from Sami's eyes as she knew once and for all that she was looking at her soul mate. EJ put out a hand and tenderly stroked her face, cupping one cheek. He bent his head and kissed her slowly, lingering over the taste of her as though they had all the time in the world.

And for the first time in a long time they did.

Women are like apples on trees, the best ones are on the top of the tree. The men don't want to reach for the good ones because they are afraid of falling and don't want to get hurt. Instead, they just get the rotten apples from the ground that aren't so good but easy. So, the apples at the top think something is wrong with them, when in reality they are amazing. They just have to wait for the right man to come along, the one who's brave enough to climb all the way to the top because they value quality.

_~Anonymous~_

**oooOOOOooo**

**POST SCRIPT:**

The dark hair man knocked on the door and didn't wait for a response, opening the door and walking straight in.

"What the hell are you doing?!" asked the other man who was standing in the middle of the room, camera in hand and glaring angrily at the intrusion.

The very young woman he was leaning over, her top off and a stricken look on her face looked over at him wide eyed.

"Go," the newcomer advised her in a calm voice.

"Do you mind?!" the photographer snapped, "We're working here!"

Despite the photographers bravado this looked like anything but work to the newcomer. The girl looked incredibly grateful at the intrusion, appearing to be no more than sixteen at best. She snatched up her discarded blouse and quickly threw it on, the shame and fear obvious on her face before dashing past the man as he stepped back to let her past, closing the door quietly behind her.

"Who the hell are you?!" barked out the photographer, throwing his camera down on the bed, his apartment clearly doubling as a makeshift studio, "You can't come barging in here like you own the place!"

"Alistair Harrington?"

The man spoke quietly but there was an underlying force to his voice that had the other man answering despite himself.

"Yeah?" he said impatiently, "Who's asking?"

"Formerly Alan Harris of Salem?" continued on the man evenly, not responding to his question.

A look of sudden hesitation came over the photographer's face but he still gave an answer.

"What of it?" he asked with a defiant shrug.

"Sami Brady sends her regards," the dark haired man informed him coolly as he reached into his coat.

Alistair's or rather Alan's brow furrowed in a frown before his eyes widened in shock as the man drew out a gun with a silencer attached from his coat jacket.

"Son of a bitc-!"

Alan Harris didn't get to finish his last words on this earth, not that anyone would have cared what they were anyway. He was dead before he hit the ground and the police concluded it was a robbery gone wrong and the matter was laid to rest. On the day of Alan Harris' funeral there were few people that had turned up but after the funeral was done and the freshly turned over earth left to settle a group of about six women gathered around the new grave. They didn't know each other and didn't speak to one another but they all knew why they were there. A shared horrific experience had drawn them all there and they wanted to see for themselves that their tormentor was indeed dead and buried.

"I hope it hurt like hell," said one woman grimly, as they all gathered around the grave in a semi circle, looking at the nondescript grave stone.

Everyone nodded and murmured their agreement to that statement, joining hands and squeezing each other's hands tightly as their nightmare was finally laid to rest. They were free of looking over their shoulder and jumping at the sound of a knock on the door and now all that had to be done was to find a way to live with what had happened to them at the hands of this man. But knowing he was rotting in the ground went a long way towards giving them their lives back and each one of them sent a silent prayer of gratitude to the man who had done this for them all.

**oooOOOOooo**

"_Sometimes I think I'll never be free of him," Sami whispered into EJ's chest as he just held her tightly to him after she'd pleaded with him to leave her and find happiness and he'd refused. _

"_I think I see him sometimes in the street, at the shops," she continued on unevenly, "Someone who looks like him and I can't breathe, the fear just overwhelms me. Every knock on the door somewhere in the back of my mind I wonder if it is going to be him, back to do it again to me. My own actions made sure he is a free man and I often lie awake at night and wonder what he is doing, if there are other girls that he is abusing out there and it's my fault because I couldn't get him sent to jail where he belongs." _

"_Samantha I had no idea," said EJ, sounding shocked as he hugged her to him even more tightly, "You've never said anything to me like this before."_

"_I've never said this before to anyone," said Sami, her quiet voice sounding strangled now, "It's my burden that I have to carry alone because I let it happen."_

"_You're not alone now sweetheart," said EJ hoarsely and she felt him press a kiss to the top of her head and Sami closed her eyes, feeling the comfort the familiar gesture between them gave her, "No one is ever going to hurt you like that again – I swear to you."_

_There were a million reasons why that was an impossible promise to make but right then, against all logic Sami believed him and let herself feel truly safe for the first time in a very long time. _


	72. Chapter 219

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & NINETEEN**** – ****Take These Broken Wings****... **

Never fear shadows.

They simply mean there is a light shining somewhere nearby.

_~Anonymous~_

"Right," said EJ as he walked back down the stairs of the island mansion, "That's the last of the suitcases."

He gave her a cheeky grin as he came to stand in front of Sami.

"Am I correct in assuming there may have been two suitcases of shoes this time?" he asked her teasingly.

"No," said Sami with a pout, "The other suitcase was only half full with shoes – the other half was hand bags. I wanted to be prepared."

"Well my little girl scout," said EJ impishly as he put his arms around her waist, "I think you are certainly that."

Sami was still trying to process the fact that they were on Ara Caman together and she had a million questions that needed asking but right then EJ's light touch drove all other thoughts from her head. Since what had happened between her and Lucas on their wedding night, which fortunately for Sami was still a complete blank but she'd been unable to stop herself from reliving the nightmare of her previous rape. It made her feel guilty and dirty and that she didn't deserve anything from any man except disgust ever again. Sami had fought hard over the years to suppress all of those feelings but the truth was they had always been there. That was why deep down inside when every man she'd ever poured her heart into had rejected her or been playing her Sami had felt on some level that they'd been right to do that.

She hadn't really let herself think about it consciously until now. What had happened with Lucas had torn open an old wound that had never healed in the first place and Sami's emotions were all over the place. She couldn't even blame Lucas even though EJ clearly did. It was she who had gotten drunk and Lucas just wanted to have sex with his new bride – hardly an unusual thing for a bridegroom. Sami just still couldn't believe she'd let it happen but again there was some part of her told her that she deserved what had happened to her, not least because she'd been cheating on Lucas this whole time with EJ.

The trouble was that she loved EJ so much and only wanted to be with him and no one else that it always felt to her that she was cheating on EJ with Lucas and not the other way around and in every way that mattered that was the truth. It amazed Sami that this man was still standing there in front of her, wading through all the usual fallout her plans seemed to entail with barely a murmur. EJ's steadfastness just intensified Sami's feelings of unworthiness and his light touch, normally so comforting, burned like a brand because she knew she didn't deserve this level of endurance from anyone. She stepped back out of his arms, trying to make it seem like a casual movement and not any form of rejection. The only rejection Sami had was for herself, certainly not for EJ but she couldn't bring herself to accept his loving gestures because she knew she wasn't worthy of them. EJ let her move out of his arms with no comments but then gave her a warm smile.

"Shall we go and say hello to Jelly?" he asked with calmly.

"Oh yes!" said Sami excitedly, "Let's do that."

EJ smiled at her enthusiasm and Sami was relieved to have something else to focus on. She wanted so much for this time away with EJ to be perfect but she was incredibly worried that she wasn't going to find a way past all the mess that was going on in her head to let that happen. Once again she was going to disappoint EJ and the thought jumbled her stomach into a painful mess. Sami wanted this to be a passionate and wonderful getaway for them but the thought of sex just intensified her anxieties even though that was the last thing she wanted to happen when she thought of their lovemaking.

EJ was the most amazing and giving lover she'd ever had in her life and when they made love it was pure, golden moments of happiness for Sami that renewed her like nothing before in her life. But Sami still felt impossibly dirty after what had happened with Lucas, like she was soiled goods now and there were too many emotions for her to identify when it came to the thought of EJ and her making love again. Sami both wanted his touch so badly but also feared it as well. What if half way through EJ found he couldn't deal with what had happened with her and Lucas after all? EJ rejecting her like that would leave her a crumpled mess on the floor. What if it was then that he discovered that his feelings for her had changed? What if when EJ touched her all Sami could see was Alan and Lucas taking her body without her consent even if she was trying desperately not to let that happen?

Sami was very much afraid that she would end up making EJ feel rejected when that was the very last thing she wanted. But then how much longer could she expect his patience to last with her anyway? What if she never figured out this tangled mess in her head when it came to love, men, sex and who she was? What man in their right mind would want to hang around to wade through the disaster that was Sami Brady – especially a man with as many options as EJ? Sami's anxiety levels were going through the roof as she began to process what losing EJ would be like. It scared her the dark emptiness that she saw without him and Sami tried to control the panic that was welling up inside of her.

"Come on," said EJ, slipping his fingers through hers and amazingly his simple touch stilled the torrent of anxieties that were nearly crippling Sami, "Jelly is very keen to see you."

"He is?" asked Sami, feeling her heartbeat slow down to a more normal pace as EJ threaded his fingers through hers and they walked from the house onto the pathway that led to the stables.

It was crazy the effect this man had on her.

"Of course," said EJ with a lop sided smile as they walked along, "I've been driving him crazy with my nonstop chattering about you."

Sami had to give a little laugh at that mental picture and felt a little more tension seep from her body.

"When did you get here?" she asked him, happy to have a neutral topic to talk about.

"Yesterday," EJ supplied.

"But you left two days ago," said Sami with a bit of a frown.

"I had some business matters to take care of," he said rather mysteriously.

Sami gave him a curious look at that statement but EJ just smiled.

"Later," he promised her an explanation.

They walked into the stables still hand in hand but Sami let go of EJ's hand when she saw Jellybean munching away happily on some straw and hurried ahead to him.

"Jellybean!" she exclaimed in delight, genuinely pleased to see him, her fears when they'd first met completely forgotten, "It's so wonderful to see you."

Sami confidently put her arms around the large horse's neck and gave him a hug. Jelly returned her affections with a whiskery nuzzling of her neck which made her laugh. He then began pushing his nose against the pockets of Sami's jeans and looking at her expectantly.

"He remembers me," said Sami happily.

"Jelly always remembers beautiful blondes who throw food in his face," said EJ with a mischievous grin, "And besides, you two shared some special moments coming back from the lagoon that first time if I recall correctly. I don't think Jelly is likely to forget that, I know I certainly won't."

Sami blushed bright red at EJ's teasing, knowing exactly what he was talking about.

"That only happened because you had been so-" Sami floundered to finish the rest of her sentence.

Despite all the confusion in her head Sami's body still knew how to respond to EJ and she couldn't help the sudden dampness between her thighs when she recalled how he'd opened her eyes to just how good oral sex that first time by the lagoon could be with someone who knew what they were doing.

"Thorough?" EJ supplied with an impish twinkle in his eyes.

"Yes," Sami mumbled, feeling her blush deepen as she buried her face in Jellybean's neck to hide from his teasing gaze.

EJ walked up and put his hand on the other side of Jelly's neck and smiled down at her with warm eyes.

"I love that I can make you blush," he told her huskily.

"Well you're very good at it," said Sami, trying to give him a disapproving look but not pulling it off.

She adored his teasing of her and despite the embarrassing context it did make Sami feel for a brief second that things were going to be alright.

"Are you hungry?" asked EJ.

"Wh-what?" Sami stammered, her nerves returning.

"For food," he corrected her obvious leap in the wrong direction.

It wasn't that big a leap considering what they'd just been talking about but Sami still felt bad about being so nervous at the thought of intimacy between them. She wanted EJ to make love to her so badly but was just unbelievably afraid.

"I'm not really hungry," said Sami a little unevenly, "I had a muffin on the plane."

"An entire muffin eh?" asked EJ with a quirk of his lips, "I guess I won't need to be feeding you for the rest of our stay."

"I'm not very hungry these days," said Sami unhappily.

"A lot on your mind eh sweetheart?" asked EJ as he tucked a stray blonde strand of hair behind her ear.

"You could say that," said Sami with a grimace.

"Well I've got a story to tell you that may add to or take away from all of that noise in your head," said EJ wryly, "I'm not sure which it will be."

"A story?" repeated Sami with a frown, "A story about what?"

"A story about a wicked old witch, a beautiful princess and a poisoned apple," said EJ with a humourless twist of his lips.

"EJ you're not making any sense," said Sami, her frown deepening.

"Let's walk and talk at the same time hm?" EJ suggested, giving Jellybean a final pat, "I don't think Jelly needs to hear this."

Sami had no idea what EJ could be talking about but she let EJ led her out of the stable and along another track and they were at the graveyard when Sami finally stopped him.

"Okay EJ," she said determinedly, "No more stalling, what is going on?"

EJ gave a bit of a sigh and put his hands on the tomb stone in front of him, seeming to be thinking deeply.

"I really struggled with telling you this," he confessed to her, turning his head to look at her, "I just don't know if this will make you feel better or worse Samantha."

"Better or worse about what?" asked Sami, still confused.

"Kate knows," said EJ simply, turning to face her.

"Knows what?" asked Sami in consternation and then it dawned on her that it could only be one thing, "Oh!"

Sami blinked a couple of times trying to take in this information.

"But how?" she asked unevenly, "And why hasn't she told Lucas if that is the case? Why did she organise a wedding when Kate has been looking for an excuse like this for years to get me out of Lucas' life?!"

"Well apparently she got an eyeful of us one time," said EJ ruefully, "I'm not exactly sure when but it was sometime after she got back from Switzerland and before Lucas was diagnosed."

"Oh," said Sami quietly and then looked at EJ, still confused, "But why-?"

"Well her story is that when she found out Lucas had AML and how he decided he desperately needed you to go on Kate decided to let sleeping dogs lie out of overwhelming love for her son," said EJ, not without some sarcasm.

"But you don't believe her," said Sami with a half frown.

"Let's just say that I've come to understand that the very best liars always mix a certain element of the truth into their lies to make it that much more convincing," said EJ dryly, "I think it is safe to say that the fact that Kate volunteered that information so freely means that it is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to her motives regarding keeping our secret for us."

Sami rubbed her arm, worried by this information but still confused.

"But it has to be true EJ," she argued, albeit a little uncertainly, "Kate actually made my wedding to Lucas happen – that kind of proves that she is doing this for Lucas doesn't it? I mean it must have damn near killed her to let it happen but she was the one who actually did all the work."

"Another thing that is highly suspicious to me," said EJ dourly, "I just know that all of Kate's behaviours have a payoff for herself somewhere down the line and I'm pretty sure that the wedding was not so much of a 'I love you Lucas' kind of thing but rather a 'screw you EJ and Samantha' kind of thing. Especially when I tell you this next bit."

"There's more?" said Sami, wrinkling her nose in vague horror.

"Unfortunately yes," said EJ before giving her a very remorseful look, "Samantha I'm so sorry that I was too late to protect you from this but it was Kate who put something in your drink the night of the wedding. That was why you couldn't remember anything, you were drugged because Kate was making sure that Lucas could have you because she wasn't entirely convinced by our act that our relationship was over."

Sami looked at him blankly, trying to take in what EJ had just said.

"Sweetheart," said EJ with a frown as he moved closer and put his hands on her arms, "Did you hear what I said? You weren't responsible for what happened with Lucas, it was all Kate's doing. I can see her getting a sick thrill out of it – letting you finally have your dream wedding with Lucas that you used to long for but still managing to screw you over in the meantime."

"I see," said Sami quietly, moving away from EJ and turning her back on him to briefly collect herself.

The news was somewhat overwhelming and Sami was trying to sort through how she felt about this latest betrayal from the woman who had made it her mission in life to make Sami miserable.

"Samantha?"

Sami could hear the concern in EJ's voice at her reaction or lack thereof she supposed and she took a deep breath before turning back round to face him.

"I thought you'd be angry," said EJ, looking worried now at her lack of reaction to the information, "I thought you'd want Kate's head on a platter."

"Why?" said Sami with a hopeless shrug, "How can I condemn Kate for what she has done when I've done exactly the same thing with her other son?"

EJ looked taken aback by her response.

"Samantha what happened between you and Austin was nothing like what happened with you Kate," he said earnestly.

"Of course it was EJ," said Sami dully, suddenly feeling utterly defeated because she'd seen the revulsion in EJ's eyes when he'd told her about what Kate had done.

She'd done the exact same thing so even though EJ wasn't admitting it to her surely he must feel the same way about what she'd done.

"No it wasn't," said EJ fiercely, "Samantha you were a confused young woman who absolutely believed that if she could just get this man to look at her then he'd see how amazing she truly was then he'd love her the way she thought she loved him. What you did, whilst not right, came from a place of desperately needing love and thinking that a man like Austin Reed would be the one to give it to you. Your actions were misguided but came from a place of love, as wasted as it was on one so uninspired as Austin. What Kate did came from a place of pure malevolence. She is playing a game of manipulation not only with us but with the son she claims to love so much. This was all a malicious game to get Lucas indebted to her, her favourite thing when it comes to her children and to hurt you and get back at me. She knew exactly what she was doing and there was no love there, trust me sweetheart. What you did in no way compares to what Kate has done."

Sami looked at EJ in almost disbelief. He couldn't really see it that way – could he?

"But-" Sami began shakily, hardly daring to let herself accept EJ's take on things.

As weird as it sounded she truly had believed that if Austin could just be with her then he'd fall as in love with her as she had been with him. Sami had been convinced that Carrie wasn't the one who was going to make him happy but that she was. Of course it had all gone horribly wrong but Sami had absolutely believed that she'd been doing the right thing and that ultimately the ends would justify the means.

"But nothing sweetheart," said EJ firmly, "You are not Kate and your motives were nothing alike."

Sami's shoulders sagged a little as she battled with herself to let herself believe that.

"You're scaring me Samantha," said EJ softly, moving in to take her into his arms but Sami took a step backwards and bit her bottom lip, shaking her head hopelessly at him.

"I can't EJ," she said shakily, her eyes pleading with him to understand, "I just, I don't know, I'm so confused-"

Sami's stumbling words made no sense and she shook her head in frustration at her uselessness at trying to explain how she was feeling.

"Just take a breath and tell me what is going on inside of that gorgeous head of yours sweetheart," said EJ softly, his voice immediately calming her down.

Sami did as he said, taking a shaky breath and tried to look him in the eye.

"I love you so much EJ," Sami said emotionally, her eyes sliding away in shame now, "But I just don't know if I can be the person you need me to be now, the person you fell in love with."

"And who do I need you to be?" asked EJ, cocking his head and looking at her with great intensity.

"Someone not so screwed up," she said hopelessly, "Someone who isn't afraid to have you touch them because they don't know if things can be how they used to be between them because of all the mistakes they've made. I feel so dirty all the time now EJ, I used to be able to control it but now I just can't get what happened with Alan and Lucas out of my head and I'm scared it is driving me crazy and I'm even more scared that you'll see that and leave me. You thought you were getting someone you could spend the rest of your life with and instead you just ended up with a big bag full of crazy!"

Sami stopped then after having blurted all of that out in one go, her breathing uneven now.

"Samantha," said EJ patiently but firmly, "You couldn't be more wrong about what I need from you."

"I-I am?" asked Sami uncertainly.

"I just need you," said EJ simply, "All of you. All of the sexy gorgeousness, the neurotic insecurities, the glorious and passionate mistakes you've made, the temper tantrums, the irrational outbursts, the tender funniness, the fierce loyalty. All of it makes up who you are Samantha and I'm undone by every aspect of you and I wouldn't change a single thing except the pain you've endured in your life but even that makes up the beguiling woman standing in front of me, the one who has me totally bewitched."

Sami moved a little uncertainly under his intense gaze, knowing she'd heard words like this before from him but still finding it almost impossible to believe that someone could actually feel that way about her, especially now. EJ read her mind in that frighteningly comforting way of his.

"I'm going to tell you those things, the truth I might add, over and over again until you believe them and me," said EJ in no uncertain terms, "I know no one else in your life has given you cause to believe that you are a singularly stunning young woman but that is their short coming, not yours. My mission in life, whether it takes a week or a hundred years, is to make you understand how breath taking you really are."

"I don't deser-" Sami began to say but EJ cut her off.

"Don't you dare say that I don't deserve you," said EJ, fixing her with a disapproving look, "I'm the son of a mass murderer who grew up with little to no moral compass. I lived selfishly and hurt so many people in my life all to please myself and a father whose evil know no bounds. Meeting you, loving you Samantha – it's given me a heart to lose to you and a soul that might actually be worth something. I was nothing before I met you, I had nothing to recommend me to anyone but when I fell in love with you it was you who gave me eyes to see what I could really be in this world and it wasn't the instrument of destructive revenge which was all my father saw in me. You changed my whole world and all I'm asking from you is that you let me return the favour and change yours. You're not a shameful family disappointment or a bad girl that has no place in the world. You're Samantha Jean Brady – an unashamed schemer who dreams big and has the passion and lust of life to go after what she wants when no one else would dare. She is fiery, passionate, impossible and full of life. The Samantha I know you to be wouldn't accept what has happened to her by Kate's hand as being her punishment but she would push back just as hard, harder even."

Sami just looked at EJ wide eyed after that outburst, a little stunned by EJ's vehemence on the subject.

"So not crazy then?" she managed at last, giving him a weak smile, still overwhelmed by the force of his feelings on the subject.

"Sweetheart the only thing that makes you look crazy to me is your trying to convince me that you deserve what Kate has done to you," said EJ with an unhappy frown at even the notion, "I know all that has happened has rocked you and that it has brought up a lot of painful and confronting memories for you."

"I thought I was over it," said Sami unevenly, "I thought I'd dealt with all of this baggage."

"You were raped Samantha," said EJ solemnly, "Twice now thanks to that evil witch Kate and no one, least of all me expects you to just get over that. It was a horrific experience, whether you remember both times or not and I want you to know that whilst I can't really understand what you're going through I do want you to know that I'm here for you – whatever you need."

"But I don't want to waste this time we have together EJ," said Sami emotionally, "We're alone at last and we should be making love all the time, just like we've both fantasised about so many times since this nightmare with Lucas started."

Sami made a regretful face now.

"And I'm ruining it all," she whispered shakily.

"Samantha simply being with you is an orgasmic experience," said EJ with a lop sided smile, "We don't have to be making love to be intimate and as long as you are with me then I am easily the happiest man in the world. So don't concern yourself on that front, whatever does or doesn't happen between us on Ara Caman this is still going to be perfection because we are together and that is all that matters."

Sami felt the tension instantly leave her body at EJ's reassurances. His calming words made her immediately feel more relaxed.

"I don't think you'll ever stop showing me more ways to fall in love with you," said Sami, looking up at him with complete amazement.

"Just remember those words and this moment when I do something that drives you completely crazy," said EJ teasingly.

"I think you've more than earned a few get out of jail free cards lately," said Sami ruefully as she moved in to hug him, "Thank you EJ."

To Sami's great relief she didn't feel awkward in EJ's arms anymore, his words having eased her tensions over the physical side of their relationship right then.

"If you're happy I'm happy," said EJ simply as he returned her embrace, "And I'll do whatever it takes to make that happen."

Sami lifted her head, craning her neck up to look at him.

"Am I to take it from that little statement that you have plans for Kate?" asked Sami, arching an eyebrow at him.

"Just because you are in no fit state to redress the balance right now doesn't mean that I can't act on your behalf," said EJ unrepentantly, "That's what couples do after all – help each other out."

"And just how was that balance redressed exactly?" asked Sami curious as to what EJ had done.

"Let's just say that I didn't waste the day I had before leaving for Ara Caman," said EJ with a suitably mischievous smile, "And that it is very fortunate that I can claim an acquaintance with a subterranean computer expert."

EJ smiled down at her and then began to tell Sami a little story...

**oooOOOOooo**

Kate settled down at her laptop and began to check her bank accounts. Her main bank balance caused her some concern so she immediately rang her accountant, intent on finding out what was going on. What he had to tell her had her swearing very loudly and slamming down the phone.

**oooOOOOooo**

Kate stormed into the living room of the DiMera mansion to find Stefano pouring himself a glass of bourbon.

"Is there a problem my dear?" he asked mildly, taking in her livid expression.

"There is an extra one hundred thousand dollars in my bank account!" she snapped angrily.

"And is that cause for so much ire?" asked Stefano with a little chuckle.

"They are for my stocks in Mythic!" said Kate, obviously beside herself.

"You sold your stocks in your company?" asked Stefano, vaguely surprised.

"NO!" said Kate bitterly.

Stefano pursed his lips, looking at her thoughtfully as he tried to make sense of what she was telling him.

"Then-?" he prompted her.

"My stocks were sold without my permission!" said Kate, clearly beside herself with anger, "And they were sold for a wildly reduced amount! With this Chiba deal going forward they were worth at least two million and all I got was a paltry hundred thousand which was less than what I put into the company to begin with!"

"Ah I see," said Stefano calmly.

"You see?!" shouted an incensed Kate, "You know who did this don't you?! It was your son! I don't know how but he managed to put my stocks on the market and then he promptly bought them for a bargain basement price!"

"That sounds like something a son of mine would do," Stefano commented thoughtfully, not sharing her outrage.

"How can you just stand there and be so calm?!" Kate asked him bitterly, "I've been robbed!"

"Of stakes in a little company," said Stefano with a dismissive shrug, "What have you lost really eh?"

"Millions of dollars!" Kate exclaimed in disbelief.

"Which you don't need," Stefano pointed out reasonably, "Certainly not as my wife."

"My self respect!" she snapped, "What are people at that company going to think of me now?!"

"You never struck me as a woman concerned by what people thought of her," Stefano commented casually.

"I won't be played by EJ!" Kate yelled, still outraged.

"Like you attempted to play him eh?" asked Stefano coolly.

"You're on EJ's side with this?!" Kate asked in utter disbelieving indignation, "He's gotten me sacked out of my own company!"

"What did you expect after what you did to he and Samantha?" asked Stefano mildly.

"What I expect is for my husband to support me and get this undone!" said Kate angrily.

"You can expect all you like my dear," said Stefano evenly, "But that will not make it come to pass."

"How can you be alright with this?!" Kate asked him with horror.

"The same way I am alright with you having drugged my future daughter in law and devastating my son," said Stefano coolly, "With stoic long term thinking. I was very displeased to hear what you had done to the future mother of my grandchildren Kate and I have allowed Elvis his revenge. It is the DiMera way and you must learn to accept that crossing a DiMera, for whatever reason, will have its consequences. In my opinion you have gotten off lightly my dear."

"I can't believe I am hearing this," said Kate in wide eyed disbelief.

"You have had your fun Katherine and now Elvis has had his," said Stefano firmly, "I will expect to hear nothing more on the subject."

"Just like that?" asked Kate tightly, "Just get over it?"

"That is what I am expecting from both of you," agreed Stefano with a nod of his head.

"How am I supposed to do that?" asked Kate, her face clouding over.

"The same way Elvis will come to live with the fact that you prostituted out his wife to be one would assume," said Stefano flatly.

Stefano watched the play of emotion over Kate's face until finally she managed to give him a calm smile.

"Very well," she said evenly, "Even though I don't agree with your decision we'll call it even."

"That is very gracious of you Kate," said Stefano, unable to help a little amusement at her expense.

Stefano was too old and far too wily to believe her sweetly spoken words of resignation. Kate wasn't done yet but then he suspected either was Elvis. Stefano didn't especially mind their bickering at the moment, as long as it didn't interfere with his plans for the future of course. He was of European blood and expected drama and high emotion within a family – in fact it made Stefano feel like they were indeed a real family. Of course his benevolence relied on the fact that every one played by his rules and as long as they did it wasn't beyond him to enjoy the show.

"You're enjoying this aren't you?" Kate said accusingly, looking at him unhappily.

"I relish seeing passion in people," conceded Stefano with a chuckle.

"This isn't passion it's-it's-" Kate struggled to find a word to encompass her intense emotion on the subject, "It's insanity!"

And with that defiant assessment Kate left the room in a definite huff.

"Often times I have found those two things to be the same thing my dear," said Stefano to himself with another indulgent chuckle at his family's histrionics as he took a sip of his drink.

The sex tonight was no doubt going to be legendary Stefano decided to himself with some satisfaction. There was nothing like an angry and vengeful woman in your bed to keep things extremely interesting and Stefano did so much enjoy having his interest sustained.

Amongst other things...


	73. Chapter 220

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & TWENTY**** – ****And Learn to Fly Again****... **

To love at all is to be vulnerable.

Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken.

If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal.

Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness.

But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change.

It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.

_C.S. Lewis_

_(British Scholar and Novelist, 1898-1963)_

"I'm sorry," said Sami, wrinkling her nose as she watched EJ eat his cheese sandwich at dinner that night.

"It's perfectly alright sweetheart," he said calmly around a mouthful of sandwich, "This is very tasty."

"It isn't that I wasn't appreciative of what you were doing," Sami tried to explain ruefully.

"Showing off my manly hunting and gathering skills you mean?" asked EJ impishly, looking at her over the top of his sandwich, "It just didn't quite have the effect I was hoping for."

"Yeah I'm sorry about all the crying," said Sami sheepishly, putting down her peanut butter and jelly sandwich, "I'm pretty emotional these days it would seem. I just couldn't help myself – they looked so sad and I felt so bad about killing them."

EJ had taken her down the beach to try her hand at fishing. Sami had turned out to be rather hopeless but enjoyed EJ trying his best to teach her. EJ on the other hand had seemed to catch half the fish in the ocean with the utmost of ease. The trouble had come when EJ had gone to take the fish out of the bucket full of sea water he was keeping them in and kill to fillet them for their dinner. Sami had taken one look at those wide eyed desperate fish eyes flailing for life and had burst into tears at the thought of taking the beautiful creatures lives.

"Refresh my memory sweetheart," he said teasingly, "Your grandparents did own a fish shop did they not?"

"Yes," said Sami, her bottom lip pouting, "But I wasn't all that involved."

"Clearly," said EJ with a chuckle, "Otherwise it would have been a vegetarian fish shop I'm thinking."

"I'm alright with killing things without eyes," Sami protested, wrinkling her nose.

"I'll make a mental note of that," said EJ with a mischievous wink, "That feels like information I should remember somehow."

Sami gave a little smile at his teasing. EJ had been nothing but charming and attentive all day with her, clearly trying to put her at ease and it had worked. Sami had actually found herself laughing out loud for the first time since the nightmare of that night with Lucas. Although now Sami was beginning to feel anxious again as it got closer to the two of them going to bed and she fretted over how she was going to react to EJ being in the same bed with her. Her heart wanted him beside her all night but Sami's head was nothing but a jumbled mess of worries and what ifs.

"Where's your ring?" asked EJ, giving a pointed look at Sami's bare ring finger as he ate the last of his sandwich and was watching her finish her own.

"I took it off as soon as I got on the jet," she said, making an unhappy face, "I hate it so much."

"I am not the hugest fan of it either," said EJ wryly and then lifted an imperious finger, "Don't Samantha."

EJ must have seen in her face that she was about to launch into another series of apologetic ramblings and he wasn't going to have it.

"It was a mutual decision," he said calmly, "We both came to the same conclusion that this was something we should do so you're not to keep on blaming yourself for all of this."

Sami pulled a face, not completely convinced that EJ was as much to blame as she was for their current situation but dutifully ate her sandwich and didn't comment further. They cleaned up after dinner and Sami could feel herself growing more nervous as the time for bed approached.

"I'm just going to tuck Jelly in for the night," EJ told her as he hung up the tea towel he'd been using to dry the dishes, "You know, tell him a bed story or two."

Sami couldn't help but smile at that mental picture.

"Which story is his favourite?" she asked with a little laugh.

"Oddly enough 'Black Beauty'," said EJ impishly.

"I guess that makes sense," said Sami with mock seriousness.

"I'll be back in a while," said EJ, "He likes me to act out all the good bits."

EJ gave her a smile and then he was gone and Sami shook her head at how amazing this man was to her. She knew that checking on Jellybean was just a ruse to allow her to get ready for bed alone and the sweetness of the man melted her heart. Half an hour later Sami was sitting on the bed, freshly showered and nervously listening to EJ taking his shower now. Her palms were sweaty and her heart was beating a nervous tattoo.

She hated feeling this way and wanted only the sweet anticipation of EJ's touch which she normally had but despite EJ's heartfelt words to her earlier that day Sami was still struggling to accept what he had said. Her past experiences were having an effect on her physically now and Sami felt the despair seep into her that she was never going to be able to get past this and be truly intimate with EJ again. Her heart broke into a thousand pieces at that thought.

"Sweetheart I-"

EJ stopped abruptly when Sami practically leapt into the air at the sudden sound of his voice as he walked out the bathroom. She'd been so caught up in her dark thoughts that she hadn't noticed him walk out of the bathroom.

"Sorry," he said with an apologetic frown, "I didn't mean to startle you sweetheart."

"No it's alright," said Sami quickly as she jumped up off the bed, immediately contrite, "I was miles away, that's all."

"Samantha," said EJ quietly, coming to stand in front of her and the smell of bath soap and his maleness filled her senses, "You don't have anything to be worried about, I promise. If it will make you feel better I'll happily sleep in one of the other bedrooms – they are all made up anyway."

"No!" said Sami hastily, shaking her head and looking up at him desperately, "I don't want that EJ – I want to be near you."

Sami made a hopeless gesture with her hands then.

"But being near you also makes me so worried that I can't be normal for you like I used to be after-" Sami faltered and looked away, "-after what happened. I want to make love to you EJ, to have you make love to me but I can't get what happened to me in the past out of my head no matter how hard I try."

Sami gave him a sad look.

"I feel like I'm breaking this relationship," she confessed to him unhappily, starting to well up again.

"This relationship isn't broken it is in flux," said EJ confidently, giving her a gentle smile.

"Flux?" repeated Sami uncertainly and then gave a bit of a laugh at his choice of words, "You really are a lawyer aren't you EJ?"

"There is a lot of power in how we chose to describe things that happen to us in this world," said EJ rather wisely, "If we put a name to it that is disheartening then how can we be but disheartened? All that is happening with us is that we are going through a period of change because you are changing. That is a wonderful thing Samantha, even if it does hurt like hell, especially as you're allowing me to be a part of that. Letting me into your heart and your head isn't going to drive us further apart my love, it is only going to bind us more tightly together. The only thing that has the power to break this relationship is not being honest with one another and not letting the other person see you for all that you are – good, bad and indifferent and that cuts both ways."

"Well if this is all so wonderful then why do I feel so crappy?" asked Sami with a sigh even though she'd found his words to be very encouraging.

"Anatole France, a famous French writer, once said that all changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy," said EJ knowingly before going on with the rest of the quote, "For what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another."

Sami pondered those words for a moment.

"And the man won a Nobel Prize for literature in 1921 I think it was so I'm thinking he knows what he is talking about," said EJ with a half smile.

"You know a lot of stuff don't you EJ?" asked Sami in quiet amazement.

"I'm memorised a lot of facts," EJ corrected her statement before giving her a tender look, "But loving you was when I really began to learn the important things of this life."

"I love you," she whispered up to him unevenly.

"I love you," he returned to her simply, his eyes full of tender warmth.

Sami put shaky hands onto EJ's chest and felt the reassuring comfort of his hardness beneath her hands. His heart was pounding steadily against her palm and she closed her eyes against the rush of familiarity touching him brought her. Sami opened them again as she ran her hands over his muscled chest, nerves battling a slowly gathering desire. She looked up at EJ and saw the flicker of hunger in his eyes which he was trying to keep from her and Sami knew he was trying not to frighten her with his need.

"I want us to make love EJ," she told him achingly.

"I want that too," said EJ, his voice roughening despite the control he was trying to have over himself, "But we have time Samantha – all the time in the world – you don't have to rush this to prove something to me."

"I feel-" Sami searched for the right word to describe what it was like for her, "-frozen inside and I don't want to feel that way anymore. Only you know how to make me feel alive EJ - please."

Her whispered plea made EJ's dark eyes flare as he looked down at her with hungry adoration.

"We can stop any time," he promised her ragged, looking at her intently, "You just say the word Samantha."

"I know," she said unevenly, swallowing hard and fighting against her nerves.

Sami really had no idea how her body or more correctly her mind was going to respond to EJ's touches but she couldn't bear the thought of not being close to him right then so she was willing to take the risk. EJ pressed a lingering and gentle kiss to her forehead, the gesture reassuringly familiar. He then began to drop soft kisses down along one cheek, moving ever so slowly until he was at her neck. EJ then kissed his way down the slender length, the vague stubble on his chin tickling the sensitive flesh.

Next he was making way along her collar bone, pressing kisses along it's delicate line and making it hard for Sami to catch her breath. When he came to the dip in the middle of her collar bone EJ lingered, his tongue darting out and making teasing circles against the little indentation. Sami could feel the pulse that lay underneath that delicate skin beating madly and EJ was clearly savouring the feel of it as well. Eventually EJ moved on but not before Sami's nipples had hardened to painful peaks beneath her pink camisole. She could feel how tensely EJ was holding his body and knew he was fighting his own arousal.

They hadn't made love for almost a week now and Sami knew EJ must be ravenous for her, their sexual appetite for one another growing more fierce after each union it would seem. The way he was carefully keeping his body away from hers as he made his way up the other side of her neck with his soft kisses told Sami that he was already most likely fully engorged. An excited and nervous tremor ran through her body at the thought and gathering all of her courage Sami stepped closer so that their lower bodies were touching and closed her eyes, allowing herself to relax into EJ's attentions to her neck.

Sami could immediately feel EJ's swollen length pressed against her stomach, at full attention and needing her. She pressed her lower body more fully against EJ's and caused a rumbling groan from deep inside of him. Sami's heart skipped a beat at hearing the hunger in that guttural noise but she stayed where she was, creating gentle friction between their bodies and causing EJ's breathing to become decidedly ragged. He was kissing along her jaw line now and Sami suddenly needed the taste of him in her mouth.

"Kiss me," she pleaded with him shakily.

EJ lifted his head and looked down at her with eyes full of desire filled disorientation. He didn't hesitate though, cupping her face and drawing Sami into a heated kiss.

He started gently but Sami parted her lips and EJ wasn't able to stop himself from having the proper taste of her in his mouth. Sami adored EJ's kisses, so full of certainty, longing and need of her. They made her head spin and knees go weak, all the things the best kisses were meant to do. Her body was on fire despite the reservations she was still feeling as Sami surrendered herself to the mastery of EJ's kisses. Sami wasn't sure how much time passed as she became utterly lost in his kisses but finally EJ lifted his head and looked down at her, his breathing just as laboured as hers was.

He was looking at her intently, clearly making sure that she was still okay and Sami suddenly felt the need to reassure him. She stepped back a little bit and put her hands to the bottom of his black tank top. Sami began pulling it up EJ's body and helped her at the end to pull it off over his head. She put her hands on his now naked chest and this time there wasn't a gentle thumping of his heart against her palm but rather a raging tattoo.

"You're so beautiful," she said in amazement at the sight of the tanned and muscled chest in front of her as she ran her hands over his lightly hair covered flesh.

"Am I?" asked EJ distractedly, his gaze never leaving her face as he looked down at her adoring.

"Yes," said Sami with a half smile, "Way too beautiful in fact."

"You'll always be the show stopper in this relationship Samantha," he told her huskily, running his fingers through her long blonde hair lovingly.

Sami rather doubted that the entire female population of the earth that had a pulse and at least one good eye would agree with him on that but she didn't argue. Instead she began to remove his only other article of clothing, the dark navy sweat pants. It was a bit tricky because of the huge impediment that was making its presence known as Sami struggled a little bit to get EJ's pants off.

"So big," Sami gasped in wonder at seeing his throbbing member properly once she'd managed it.

"I'm sorry," said EJ with a rueful grimace, "We haven't made love for a little while and-"

"-and you want me," Sami completely his sentence a little unsteadily as she continued to stare at his impressive manhood on high alert.

There was something about seeing a man that big and hard for you that curled a woman's toes and Sami was no exception.

"Yes," said EJ but with his body on full display he could hardly deny it, "Am I frightening you sweetheart?"

It was almost comical to be having this conversation on the one hand Sami decided. This wasn't exactly the first time she'd seen EJ naked and wanting her and she prayed it wouldn't be the last. This time however there were so many ghosts from her past screaming away at her that Sami couldn't even work out what it was that she was feeling.

"I'm frightened by how badly I need you inside of me," she answered him truthfully if a little unsteadily as she tried to put into words all of her emotion, "And terrified that I'll won't be able to handle it when you do."

"We can stop Samantha," he promised her determinedly, "Anytime you want, we can stop."

"But you're-" Sami looked down again at his painfully engorged looking member anxiously.

"Despite what teenage boys around the world say to the contrary no one ever died of a hard on," said EJ with a lop sided smile, "I promise you I'll live."

Sami bit her bottom lip and had to laugh at that admission, the tension between them instantly lessening.

"That's good to know," she said around a little giggle.

"We can stop now or maybe go for another shower together, slow things down a bit," EJ suggested to her, his uneven breathing giving away that he wasn't quite as calm and in control as he was trying to portray.

"I don't want to stop EJ," she told him emotionally, "I really need us to keep going. I want you."

"In that case may I undress you?" he asked her huskily, "It's been forever since I saw your perfect body Samantha and I miss it so much."

It hadn't really been forever, not even quite a week but Sami couldn't help but feel the same way. She nodded shyly at him and EJ's brown eyes flared in gratitude for her trust. He moved closer and began stripping away her night clothes until she was as naked as he was. Sami crossed her arms in front of her chest, covering her breasts from his avid gaze, suddenly self conscious. EJ cupped her face and looked down at her lovingly at Sami's wide eyed uncertainty.

"You grow more lovely and bewitching every day Samantha," he reassured her huskily, "You have a body that would make angels weep."

"Oh," Sami breathed at the beautiful sentiment.

This man really did have a way with words.

EJ moved away from her then and let her collect herself as he laid down on the bed on his back, propped up against the head board and then looked over at her with a soft smile. He was letting Sami set the pace despite what it was no doubt costing him and it settled her fears yet again. Sami walked over to the bed and without letting herself think about it she climbed onto the bed and straddled him. She felt EJ's erection rubbing against her backside as his hands settled lightly on her thighs.

"Tell me what you want sweetheart," he encouraged her throatily, his fingers moving lightly against her flesh now.

"You haven't touched my breasts," she told him unsteadily.

Normally EJ couldn't keep his hands off them. He was definitely what you would call a breast man, well at least with her he was. Sami loved how attentive he was with them because they were a highly erogenous zone for her as well and they were tight and aching right now seeing as EJ had been obviously restraining himself.

"I wanted to," EJ rasped, his eyes dropping to her fullness and looking at her through suddenly heavy lids.

Sami put her hands to the back of EJ's head and guided him to one aching breast.

"And I want you too," she told hum huskily.

Sami whimpered as he took her rock hard bud into his mouth, nibbling on it delicately. He knew all the things to do that drove her into a frenzy and within minutes she could feel herself getting hopelessly wet.

"EJ," she said helplessly, swallowing a moan.

"God but that is sexy," mumbled EJ around a mouthful of her breast, clearly feeling the pool of wetness she was leaving on his stomach.

Sami flushed, knowing how much EJ enjoyed seeing her excitement like that. She used to be self conscious about it but EJ's obvious appreciation of her body's response to his touches had caused her concerns to fade. Sami threaded her fingers through his hair and tugged on it, making EJ detached himself from her and look up at her. She gave him a determined smile, wanting to do this for him and truth be told, for herself as well. Sami moved off EJ, feeling his unblinking eyes on her as she bent down over him and began lapping at the wetness on EJ's stomach. EJ squirmed under her light touches, trying his best to hold still but his gasping groans told Sami what a trial it was.

"Samantha!" EJ cried out raggedly as could stand it no longer and drew her up into a needy kiss.

His tongue urgently pushed past her lips, hungry for the taste of all that she'd just lapped up off his stomach. EJ was moaning mindlessly into her mouth as he sampled her arousal for him. Sami abruptly broke the kiss and EJ made a complaining noise instinctively, not sated yet but she couldn't wait any longer. She moved so that she was lying beside him on the bed, on her back and watching as EJ moved unsteadily to find his way between her legs. Sami looked up at him wide eyed, holding her breath as EJ gently moved her legs apart. He moved over her, keeping most of his weight off of her but it was still an imposing feeling having all of this maleness above her. EJ nudged her legs a little bit further apart and then Sami felt him resting his swollen head against her core.

"Are you sure?" EJ asked her unevenly, even now holding himself back.

"Yes," she whispered back and hoping that her mind and body would soon be in sync again.

EJ's head pushed against her opening and Sami couldn't help but tense, wanting this union so badly but still fearing it.

"Relax sweetheart," EJ encouraged her, "It's alright."

"I know," said Sami biting her bottom lip, "I know."

EJ's vast size right then didn't exactly help right then as he tried to push past that initial barrier where despite her best efforts Sami just couldn't seem to relax properly. They both knew that if he was a bit more forceful with her then mounting her wouldn't be a problem but neither one wanted that right now. Sami could feel her frustration at herself growing as EJ continued to gently press against her, hoping for her to let him inside of her and she reached up and began kissing him, just wanting to lose herself. After a moment or two of EJ's kisses Sami had forgotten herself enough that when one of EJ's nudging requests for entrance into her body actually worked her eyes flew open in surprise.

Her walls stretched to capacity to accommodate him and EJ broke their kiss to throw back his head and give a loud groan at his success. He was panting heavily but dutifully remained still inside of her while she got used to him again. EJ went back to kissing her, one of his hands finding her breast and massaging it. Then he'd break the kiss and find her breast, suckling gently at her nipple and servicing it thoroughly before going back to her mouth. The whole time he managed somehow to remain almost perfectly still inside of her, letting her need of him grow until she could stand it no longer. Of her own accord Sami began to move under him and the feeling of her rolling her hips around his engorged girth made EJ pull his mouth from her swollen teat and look down at her with a rabid hunger.

"You're ready?" he asked her, his breathing laboured.

"Yes," said Sami, still moving under him, "Please EJ, I'm ready."

"Say the word and we'll stop," he reminded her hoarsely even as he began to move his length in and out of her, starting with shallow strokes and then slowly building to bigger movement.

Sami trusted EJ completely when he said that but even though she still felt anxious there was no way she wanted him to stop doing what he was doing right then. She could feel the arousal building in her body but something was still holding her back from reaching that final peak. EJ's patience with her was mind blowing as he continued to hold wait for her, taking his sweet time.

"I love you," EJ told her, his voice a hoarse whisper in her ear as he moved gently inside of her, "You're... ahh... you're my life Samantha, my g-goodness... ahhh..."

EJ's endless endearments and tender words kept being interrupted by the uncontrolled groans and grunts he was making as his body made soft love to her. Sami had no idea how he was managing to be so restrained considering how worked up he must be by now but she revealed in the way EJ was loving her with his mind and his body.

"My temple," he rasped, "Where I... mmm... I want to worship every minute of every day."

Sami could feel something happening in her body, something new and unexpected as EJ's love seeped into every fibre of her being and changed something fundamentally within her very core.

"Il mio cuore (my heart)," said EJ raggedly, looking deeply into her eyes as he surged again into her.

"Mo chroí (my heart)," Sami breathed the Gaelic words back at him, not even knowing where they had come from but perhaps Colleen had given them to her in that moment to say.

Sami would never know but right then her whole body gave way and she was suddenly EJ's in every sense of the word, the two of them no longer individuals but part of the same whole as he was able to find his way deeper into her body then he'd ever been before.

"Can you feel that?" EJ asked her in wide eyed wonder at the new sensation, surprise making him stop exactly where he was.

"Yes," Sami managed to grit out between clenched teeth, her eyes filling with tears of astonishment.

It felt like to Sami that EJ had never been so deeply inside of her before as he was right then. She didn't know if some part of her had finally just relaxed so completely with him that it made this kind of penetration possible or if they'd just lucked upon an exceptionally accommodating positioning but whatever it was it simply defied explanation.

"Am I hurting you?" asked EJ, instantly concerned when he saw the tears and beginning to withdraw from her.

"NO!" Sami said in panic, frightened she was going to lose the sensation of being so completely filled.

She grabbed at his backside and pulled him back into her and EJ made a guttural sound of disbelief.

"Oh god!" he whimpered, helplessly grinding his heavily engorged length back into her and finding that the capacity for the incredibly deep penetration was still there, "Oh god, oh god, thank you god!"

While EJ was mindlessly praying to God Sami closed her eyes and simply revealed in his presence in her deepest parts. His swollen head was pressing against her cervix, Sami was sure of it and the feeling simply defied description. Both of their faces were wet with tears from the enormity of the moment and the sensations they were giving one another.

"I want you this deep when you come," Sami gasped, opening her eyes and looking up at him pleadingly, "Please EJ."

"Yes," he grunted, "Oh god yes!"

The tenderness was gone now, replaced by something that made them both cry out mindlessly each time EJ brought his hardness fully home to her waiting softness. EJ kept his face just above Sami's, their eyes never leaving one another's even as their bodies surged against one another, dancing to a rhythm of their own. Each time EJ practically withdrew from her before sliding back into Sami's waiting heat and driving himself into her, pounding his length against that new place with her and making them both scream. Sami's fingernails dug into EJ's flesh as the intensity of the sensations their bodies were generating within one another became almost impossible to bear. At the exact same moment the flood gates opened for them both and they were both shouting their orgasmic pleasures to the high heavens.

In all her life Sami had never come so hard, even with EJ. Every muscle in her body quivered and strained and by the time her orgasm was done with her Sami felt like she'd run a marathon. The feeling of EJ pumping his seed into her added to the utter blissfulness of the moment, listening to him howl out his delight as he jerked and thrashed away inside of her. They were both panting, heaving messes when they were finally done but EJ was still rock hard inside of her and Sami couldn't believe what she was feeling as EJ began to move desperately inside of her.

"I need more," he told her in equal amazement as his body once again took over.

"Oh god YES!" Sami hissed as her body unbelievably joined in with his urgency.

She arched her back and dug her heels into the bed as EJ continued to pound away inside of her. Mercifully this time their release came much quicker and Sami was suffering through paroxysms of delight even as EJ began to tense and deposit himself into her once again. He was barely done before he was moving inside Sami once again and she could still feel that he was incredibly and pleasingly hard. Somewhere in the back of her mind Sami wondered if this was going to be how they lived out the rest of their days, making each other come endlessly, never stopping.

God she hoped so.

"I can't stop," said EJ helplessly, even as his muscles clenched against the painful goodness of more friction between their bodies after such intense love making.

"I don't want you to," Sami panted, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him as she surrendered herself to his next assault and already hoping EJ would have yet another one in him.

Sami was insatiable, all of her reserve and worries completely forgotten, only knowing the man who was once again working her body up into a frenzy with his forceful strokes and her love for him. In the end EJ had indeed had one more round in him but it had taken a long time to get there for that final explosion. Sami decided that there would have to be new words created in the English language to describe the pleasure that they wrung from each other's body as they worked towards that final climax. It wasn't like they should have been satisfied already with three extremely powerful orgasms already in the one session but both EJ and Sami were greedy for more so when that last wave of intense pleasure came they were both more than ready for it. It took a long time for either one of them to find the strength to speak but it was EJ who finally found the energy first.

"Not that I rank these kinds of things," he said unevenly, still looking a little dazed, "But if I did then I think we'd have a new number one in the lovemaking department."

"Yes we would," said Sami with a satisfied, albeit exhausted smile, "With a bullet."

"Several bullets actually darling if you remember," said EJ with an impish grin and leaning over to steal a kiss from her.

"I remember," she said huskily, smiling into the kiss.

EJ settled in next to her, turning on his side to look at her as he took her hand in his.

"How are feeling sweetheart?" he asked her softly.

Sami looked at him and smiled tenderly. The scared and tentative woman who had climbed into this bed who knows how long ago felt like a distant memory now for Sami, almost like a dream. How could she ever have been afraid of making love to EJ she wonder in amazement? It didn't even seem possible that she'd been so paralysed with fear before this but now all Sami felt was like she was utterly alive for the first time in her life.

"Like a handsome prince came along and woke me from my enchanted slumber with his kisses," Sami answered him with a warm smile as she went back to EJ's analogy from earlier that day about wicked witches and poisoned apples.

"My lips and all other parts of my body are at your service milady," said EJ mischievously as he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it lightly.

"I'm glad to hear that," said Sami cheekily and then made a bit of a rueful face, looking up at the ceiling, "And next time there will be fewer tears – I promise."

"I don't think I can make the same promise," said EJ huskily, "Making love to you Samantha always moves me to tears."

Sami looked back over at him and put a hand to his face before leaning over and kissing him softly. They continued kissing each other until exhaustion finally overcame them and both EJ and Sami fell into a deep and contented sleep.

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami sat on the window seat, looking out at the night sky, the stars unbelievably bright with no other lights on the island to mask them. She was only wearing EJ's discarded shirt and it smelt reassuringly of him. Her legs were tucked up against her chest and Sami was resting her chin on her knees. Sami looked back over her shoulder at the fast asleep EJ. He was face down on the bed, his head turned towards her and his countenance relaxed in sweet post coital oblivion. Sami gave a soft smile to see him so content. It was impossible to put it into words that could be made sense of but the way EJ had made love to her so tenderly and thoroughly had just healed something in Sami that she didn't think could ever be fixed after only just understanding how broken she'd be.

More so than ever she'd given herself completely to him. It had been an unbelievable step of faith for Sami as their bodies became one, offering herself up to this man when so many had violated her trust before him. It was a conscious decision on Sami's behalf to trust EJ completely, not having realised that she'd kept back some part of herself believing it too damaged or ugly to show to him. Sami was totally his now and it actually felt like for her as though they'd made love properly for the very first time. It was a life defining moment for her and Sami wondered if EJ would ever know what he'd just done, how he'd freed her. People had hurt her before in her life but EJ now had the power of life and death over her heart and Sami had never felt more safe in her life at that thought.

She felt reborn, liberated from every fear and insecurity and the reason why was sleeping soundly in the bed nearby, the moonlight playing on his naked back and half covered backside. Sami couldn't help the loving smile that came to her lips. She loved him so much and for the rest of her life Sami just wanted to show that to EJ. She knew they were both going to make mistakes in the relationship but for the first time that thought didn't fill her with absolute terror. When things came up in their relationship then they'd deal with it and move on.

She didn't have to live in fear that the next trial that came their way was going to be the end of them and a lightness filled her being at that knowledge. Sami looked back out the window and felt something blossom inside of her, the real Sami Brady began to emerge from inside the scarred shell she'd been trapped in for so long. She thought about EJ and his confused vexation at her lack of emotion over what Kate had done to her. The old Sami had believed she deserved it but this new Sami, well she had other ideas about that and more than a few when it came to one Kate Roberts.

Payback could indeed be a bitch Sami decided with a vague smirk and Kate was about to find out that the bitch had a name.

Sami Brady.


	74. Chapter 221

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & TWENTY ONE**** – ****Love and Pancakes**

Happiness comes of the capacity to feel deeply, to enjoy simply, to think freely, to risk life, to be needed.

~Storm Jameson~

"You're up early," EJ noted into her neck, his hands moving over her stomach as Sami attempted to turn over the pancake she'd just poured.

"I wanted to make you breakfast in bed," she informed him, moving her head to one side to allow EJ better access to her neck.

"How domesticated of you my love," he said teasingly, rubbing his body against hers now.

"Also I thought I'd avoid temptation by getting up before you," Sami confessed with a little laugh, "I'm thinking you must be as tender as I am after last night's marathon efforts."

"There are definitely parts of me that would appreciate a little kiss better from you sweetheart," agreed EJ impishly.

"Well that was the problem," said Sami in mock exasperation, "We can't keep our hands off each other so I thought I'd get up and try and pre-empt the issue so we wouldn't have to find a way to restrain ourselves for the time being."

One of EJ's hands slipped down Sami's stomach and confidently cupped her still aching mound, making Sami go up on her tip toes instinctively and distracting her from the fact that EJ's other hand had slipped inside of her V-necked blouse and was currently fondling one of her breasts.

"And how is that plan working out for you sweetheart?" EJ asked her impishly as found her nipple and began to pull on it.

"Not that great," admitted Sami unevenly as she closed her eyes and put more of her weight back onto EJ, "There may have been a couple of flaws in the plan."

"Such as?" EJ purred into her neck.

"Such as how much I want you all the time," Sami said huskily, reaching back behind her to put her hand to the back of EJ's head and guide his mouth to hers as he stood behind her.

The hunger was immediately back between the two of them, EJ doubting it would ever be properly sated for them. Sami turned around in his arms, making him reluctantly relinquish his prizes that had been occupying his hands but her kisses soon made EJ forget everything else.

"Pancakes," Sami mumbled against his lips as things became more heated between them and they both knew that neither one of them would be calling a stop to this no matter how tender they might be.

Without breaking the kiss EJ reached out a hand, blindly looking for the handle of the frypan and removed it from the heat before drawing Sami back into his arms and starting to back her up towards the kitchen table.

"Gas," she said into another one of his kisses.

EJ groaned loudly at yet another interruption and Sami seemed to find his impatience amusing because she began to laugh.

"I'm dying here," EJ grumbled, letting Sami go to hurry back over to the gas stove and turn off the flame.

"Didn't you tell me last night than no man ever died of a hard on?" Sami asked him teasingly, watching in amusement as EJ practically fell over his feet in his haste to get back to where she was now leaning against the table.

"I'm thinking I might be the first," said EJ with a laughing groan at feeling the painful throb between his legs.

"That's still better than dying in a house fire," Sami argued back impishly as EJ put his arm around her waist and effortlessly lifted her up onto the table.

EJ quickly discarded his sweat pants, the only article of clothing he was wearing and Sami's eyes widened at the impressive sight of his arousal springing free.

"Although at least with a house fire you might be able to put the lid on the coffin," she said with a giggle, her eyes on EJ's mighty appendage standing proudly at attention.

"I haven't made love to you for hours," EJ complained good naturedly, "What do you expect sweetheart – I'm not made of stone."

"I can attest that certain parts of you have a certain unyielding, stone like quality to them," said Sami mischievously.

"And is that a complaint I wonder?" EJ teased her back.

"Did you hear me complaining last night?" asked Sami throatily as she wrapped her arms around his neck and drew EJ closer, parting her legs.

"There was a lot of screaming but I don't remember any complaints," said EJ not without some satisfaction.

His hands went to her skirt and pushed it up to reveal some bright pink panties underneath.

"Why did you bother?" asked EJ with an uneven groan, his eyes flashing complete lust at her.

"I thought it might slow things down," said Sami breathlessly.

In less than two seconds EJ had pulled the little scrap of material from her body and was carelessly throwing it over his shoulder.

"Think again," said EJ with a roguish grin, "I wouldn't bother in the future if I were you sweetheart."

"What kind of woman walks around with no underwear on?" asked Sami, sounding scandalised.

"Hopefully my woman," said EJ with a lecherous waggle of his eyebrows.

"I'm not going to let you completely morally corrupt me EJ DiMera," Sami sniffed even as he moved back between her legs.

"That sounds like a challenge to me," said EJ, his eyes sparkling pure mischief.

"You're such a bad man," said Sami, shaking her head and looking at him adoringly.

"And don't you just love it Samantha?" said EJ throatily as he moved closer, letting his aching head rest against her pleasingly wet and hot core.

"So much," said Sami with a groan, "I love my bad man so much."

"And I love my bad girl," said EJ huskily, moving to complete their union.

They both moaned loudly as he did, from pleasure and pain.

"Oh god!" Sami groaned, lying back on the table and reaching over her head to grab the far edge of the table while arching her back, "You're killing me EJ!"

"Do you want me to stop?" EJ panted the question, even as he gritted his teeth against the complaints of his own body.

"Don't you dare!" said Sami imperiously, glaring up at him, "Don't stop EJ, don't you dare stop!"

Having Sami always wanting him so badly was an aphrodisiac like none other for EJ and he felt himself harden even more. The last of him slid home into her waiting heat and EJ was forced to swallow another moan as he was able to penetrate her just as deeply as he had done last night.

"Ohhhh!" Sami squealed in appreciation of his eagerness.

She gave a sexy little writhing movement on the table, still gripping the table edge with both hands and because EJ was so deeply inside of her it felt as good as it was to watch.

"Not a fluke then," Sami said unsteadily, looking up at him with eyes that blazed blue with desire for him as she commented on her new ability to allow him to penetrate her so fully.

"It would seem not," said EJ thickly, all of his concentration being used up on not simply exploding inside of her right then and there.

EJ couldn't stop himself from starting to move inside of her now, his hips moving of their own accord. They both hissed a little at the vague feeling of uncomfortableness this initial movement caused but very quickly their bodies became used to this friction. Their quickly building arousal meant that when their explosive ends came it was nothing but pure pleasure. Sami's feet were on EJ's chest bracing herself against his frantic pumping while she gripped the table edge so tightly her knuckles went white. EJ meanwhile had a tight hold of her thighs so that even as Sami bounced around on the table, moaning out her climax he was still able to ride her into an oblivion of his own.

The sensation of a deep and warm pressure came upon EJ and he knew he was past the point of no return now. Fierce and infinitely pleasurable contractions began to overcome his lower body, ones that had him going up on his toes, fighting against so much intense gratification all at once. His orgasm had barely started before there was the gratifying sensation of his balls tightening and the warm rush of his seed leaving his body and entering Sami's willing one. At the end of such an intense climax all EJ could do was collapse down on top of Sami, trying to find his strength again.

"Heavy!" Sami gasped, pushing against his slick shoulders as EJ's full weight came down on top of her.

"Sorry," EJ mumbled, managing to find the where for all to take his weight off of Sami by supporting himself with his elbows.

"Nice," Sami sighed happily, clearly as content as he was right then.

She hooked one leg over his backside and made him keep his place inside of her, not that EJ was complaining mind you or had any intention of going anywhere right then.

"Very, very nice," agreed EJ raggedly into her shoulder.

**oooOOOOooo**

"I think pancakes are my new favourite food," EJ announced happily as he mopped the last of his honey from his plate with the last of his pancake.

They were taking breakfast out on the patio area, where they'd had their first meal on the island all that time ago, the one where Sami had passed out due to stubbornly overdressing for the occasion.

"Is that because my pancakes are so delicious or because you're eating them in a post coital haze?" asked Sami in amusement as she watched him devour the last of her handiwork.

"I'm uncertain," said EJ pulling a thoughtful face, "I guess we'll have to put it to the test eh? How about we have loud sex again and then I'll eat some of Jelly's food and if I love that as well then we'll have our answer."

"No more sex for right now," said Sami with a complaining laugh at his train of thought, "I'm still trying to recover."

"My offer to kiss things better still stands," said EJ, giving her a devilish look over the top of his coffee mug.

"Oh no you don't mister," said Sami with a roll of her eyes, "I know how that is going to end."

Sami gave him a sideways look then, unable to help herself.

"Maybe later," she said with an impish smile of her own.

She knew from experience that it wouldn't take that long to recover from EJ's energetic lovemaking and be more than ready for more – they just needed to keep their hands off each other until at least tonight. Sami wondered if they'd make it. She looked over at the man she loved, looking so contented and happy and couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed at how far they'd come in such a short amount of time.

"Thank you," she said softly, reaching out and taking EJ's hand.

"For what darling?" asked EJ, looking at her with a warm smile.

"For being so amazingly patient and kind with me last night," said Sami, suddenly full of emotion, "It was the most perfect thing."

"You deserved nothing less Samantha," said EJ very sincerely, "I'm just so grateful that you let me in."

"You'll never stop caring will you EJ?" asked Sami in amazement.

"Of course not," replied EJ, looking a bit shocked at even the suggestion, "I love you Samantha, you have my heart."

"_Il mio cuore."_

"_Mo chroí."_

There whispered words of last night came back to Sami as she lifted EJ's hand to her lips and she kissed the back of it.

"And you have mine," she said softly.

A thought occurred to her out of the blue and she made an unhappy face.

"What is it sweetheart?" catching that look.

"I suppose I should get in contact with Lucas and let him know I arrived safely," said Sami regretfully, hating having to bring up Lucas' name at all, "Is your lap top set up?"

"You can just ring him," EJ informed her.

"But last time you said that we didn't have any reception on the island," exclaimed Sami in surprise.

"Oh that," said EJ easily as he popped a piece of apple in his mouth and munched away happily, "I was lying."

"You were?!" said Sami in disbelief, "EJ!"

She slapped his arm for that admission.

"Actually I didn't expect you to believe me," EJ said with an unconcerned laugh at her ire, "So I took the battery out of your cell phone but you didn't seem to notice. I wasn't expecting you to be so trusting."

"I was too busy trying to keep you at bay," said Sami in exasperation, "And myself. I couldn't think straight the whole time I was here – you were driving me crazy."

"Only because you were being completely stubborn and unreasonable," said EJ indulgently.

"You were coming on pretty strong EJ," Sami reminded him with a roll of her eyes.

"I had to sweetheart," said EJ unapologetically, "I had to have a good run up to storm all those defences you've had in place for so long."

"You certainly were tenacious," said Sami around a little smile, remembering their times on the Ara Caman previously.

"Let's just say I was highly motivated with what was at stake," said EJ, giving her an admiring look.

"So I can ring Lucas and just get that over with?" asked Sami and then she frowned again, "And how are you making sure that everyone believes we are in Japan? What if Lucas tries to ring the hotel that you gave me, the one I thought I was going to be staying at before the plane brought me here? How are we going to get around that?"

"Ah there is the curious kitten I know and love," said EJ cheerfully.

Sami arched an eyebrow at him and could see that EJ had a story to tell her and she smiled to think about what he might have been up to now...


	75. Chapter 222

**AUTHOR'S NOTE****: ** I thought I'd just drop a quick note in here – it's been a little while. LOL I couldn't respond to a very kind review from tiff c. via the email so I thought I'd answer her questions here. First of all about the length of the chapters. The last few have been exceptionally long – on average 12 pages... which takes me about 7 hours to write and then I find screen caps for them for my illustrated version over at "Forbidden Love" – the EJami fan board which is at least another two hours. So that is pretty much why I don't do a lot of chapters that long – I don't have a spare 9 hours every day. LOL

Most of my chapters are around 5 to 7 pages long which is doable for me and means I can have time to go to work, run a household – all the boring real life things. ;) The last chapter which was 5 pages only felt so short because the last couple of chapters were sooo long. I will undoubtedly have more long chapters to come – I'm chatty that way. LOL

And as for the amount of postings. I was away last week on holidays so I couldn't post. Normally I shoot for 4 posts a week – usually Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. On Sunday I also post spoilers and prevuzes for the upcoming week of "Fated" over at "Forbidden Love." I try to keep to that but again, sometimes real life invades and I can't find the four or five hours I need to get a chapter done. I would post two updates a day if I had the strength, I really would but I'm afraid I probably wouldn't retain my sanity if I was doing that much writing. LOL

So here is the chapter, these next few chapters are light and breezy compared to all of the angst I've been putting you guys through but I figure you all earned a bit of a breather. I've got some great pay offs planned for all of the angst... followed by more angst and even more payoffs. Things are really going to heat up once Sami and EJ return to Salem, that is for sure. Thanks for everyone for hanging in with this story. I know it's crazy long and it's probably got another 100 chapters to go at least (I try not to think about it) so I appreciate everyone's stamina.

Hope you enjoy this chapter and that my explanations in it actually make sense – they do to me but that may not be saying that much...

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & TWENTY TWO**** - ****Slight of Hand**

In war as in life, it is often necessary when some cherished scheme has failed, to take up the best alternative open, and if so, it is folly not to work for it with all your might.

_Winston Churchill_

_(British Orator, Author and Prime Minister during World War II. 1874-1965)_

"Come with me – I've organised everything," said EJ as he stood up from the table.

"Big surprise," said Sami with a laugh, "You love being sneaky don't you EJ?"

She took his offered hand as they walked back into the living room and Sami saw that EJ's lap top was all set up.

"And that is one of the many reasons you're so very attracted to me," said EJ confidently as they both settled into the sofa and he started up the lap top.

"True," Sami admitted happily, "So what is all this then?"

"Well EJ DiMera and his lady friend booked into the Hilton in Japan yesterday," said EJ.

"Did they just?" asked Sami with an arched eyebrow.

"So this is how it works," said EJ, "There is no real time difference between Salem and Ara Caman."

"Okay," said Sami.

"Now then," said EJ carefully, "Salem is sixteen hours behind Japan so right now Lucas thinks it is..."

EJ paused and looked at his watch.

"Six o'clock yesterday evening for you seeing as it is ten o'clock in the morning here," said EJ, "So all we have to do is remember that and we should be fine when we are contacting anyone in Salem."

"So basically just add eight hours onto the time it is now and change the am to a pm or vice versa and remember that we are talking about yesterday," said Sami, quickly working it out in her head.

"Clever girl," said EJ approvingly, "That's it exactly."

"That's easy enough," said Sami with a smile, "So how does it work exactly when someone rings the hotel to speak to one of us?"

"Ah," said EJ with a grin, "That is where my plan becomes especially cunning."

By now the computer had booted up and EJ was dialling a number via Skype. Within seconds the phone call was answered and suddenly Estelle's image was on the screen.

"Konnichiwa!" she proclaimed happily, "How are my two favourite erstwhile lovers?"

"Estelle!" said Sami in delight, "You're in Japan!"

"You bet I am," said Estelle looking very pleased with herself, "When that man of yours offered me an all expenses paid, impromptu visit to the land of the rising sun well I was just a gal who couldn't say no."

"So you're staying there alone?" asked Sami in amazement.

"EJ has an impersonator of his make a few little entrances and exits – dark glasses, scarves and hats being the order of the day," said Estelle with a grin, "Very James Bond I must say."

Sami looked at EJ questioningly.

"I have a man working for me that is very similar looking," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "I use him on the odd occasion for some misdirection."

"There is so much about you I still don't know," said Sami, shaking her head at him in disbelief.

"And we have the rest of our lives to fix that," said EJ with a smile.

"Well the switcheroo is working wonderfully," volunteered Estelle easily, "Especially as he is using your cards EJ."

"I have special purpose ones for just that," said EJ, "Ones where it is Claude's signature on the cards to avoid any forgery issues."

"The man who thinks of everything," said Sami, still taken aback by all the set up EJ had done in such a short amount of time.

"And you've checked in as well Sami," Estelle brought her up to speed, "You're on a level below us. You're look alike is pretty hot I have to say."

"But not as hot as the real thing," said EJ, leaning over to kiss a still bemused Sami.

"So there is a faux Sami over in Japan just like there is a faux EJ," said Sami slowly.

"And when we leave in another five days to actually attend the real meetings with Shiro-san then we will all simply swap hotels and no one will be any the wiser that it wasn't the real EJ and Sami at the first hotel."

"All that effort," said Sami with a shake of her head, "EJ do you think it was necessary?"

"I think seeing as you are now technically married to Lucas and made that kind of commitment to our original plan and our ultimate future it seemed like complete folly not to back that play and cover our tracks as it were," said EJ calmly, "Now when anyone rings looking for us Estelle will answer and then through the marvels of technology we will be able to use this phone-"

He picked up a cell phone to Sami's left to show it to her.

"-to speak to whomever is calling, no matter what number they rang," said EJ, "It's got a re-routing thing set up in it. Estelle will be able to keep us abreast of such things as the weather and local going ons so we won't be caught out. It's quite simple really."

"In a complicated way," said Sami, wrinkling her nose.

"Sweetheart after what Kate did to you I'm not taking any chances by not covering our tracks," said EJ firmly, "We have a lot of balls up in the air and it would be crazy not to remain in control of them all. We have the power while our secret remains only known to the select few."

"Like me," Estelle piped up.

"Yes like you Estelle," said EJ with a smile.

"On a FYI side note," said Estelle conversationally and holding up a rather large glass of sparkling wine to the monitor, "I'm bankrupting you with the room service."

"Well your room servicing for two my dear," said EJ with a chuckle, "So knock yourself out."

"An offer you will come to regret no doubt," said Estelle with an evil grin, "But I have a witness in Sami so basically you're screwed now."

"I've got your back Estelle," Sami agreed with a wink at the other woman, "We really appreciate you doing this for us – thank you Estelle."

"Well as terrible a hardship as it was to fly first class to Japan and stay in a five star restaurant and spend money I didn't earn and don't have to account for but I guess I'm just going to have to suck it up and make the best of it," said Estelle, tongue in cheek.

"Make sure to use those credit cards I gave you in several stores," EJ reminded her, "I want a strong trail left behind of our visit."

"I don't envisage that being a problem," said Estelle with a big smile.

She took a sip of her drink and then gave EJ a cheeky look.

"And just so you know we had loud vigorous sex just before," said Estelle easily as she munched on a strawberry, "I put on quite the show and there maybe something a little extra on the bill because I knocked some plastering out of the wall with all the jumping on the bed – just a heads up."

"Was it good for you?" asked EJ with a deep chuckle at her enthusiasm at playing the part.

"It was okay I guess," said Estelle tongue in cheek, "But I knocked your socks off – you said I was the best you'd ever had."

"How could it be any other way?" asked EJ in amusement.

Sami and EJ exchanged entertained looks at Estelle's attention to detail.

"Have you seen these?" asked Estelle excitedly, holding up a brown little ball to the monitor and clearly still very excited about her trip, "Chocolate coated coffee beans!"

She made a happy sound at that thought before throwing a handful in her mouth.

"It's like someone got together and worked out all my happy places and combined them in one," she informed them chirpily, munching away on the sweet caffeine treat, "Now if I could be eating them off Heidi Klum's naked body there would be no need for me to leave this room ever again."

"I know Heidi," EJ offered up conversationally.

"Do you?" asked Estelle with obvious interest.

"Do you?" asked Sami with obvious displeasure.

"She's delightful," EJ nodded, "But I'm afraid her husband might have something to say about her being used as a serving platter."

"Oh phooey," said Estelle, wrinkling her nose, "How about Claudia Schiffer, do you know her?"

"I do as a matter of fact," EJ said easily.

"You do?" exclaimed Sami in distress, "How do you know all of these super models EJ?"

"The party circuit in Monte Carlo was thick with them and other famous people," said EJ with a little laugh, "Sweetheart you have nothing to worry about – that was all in my past."

"We're going to be discussing this more when we are alone," Sami huffed, giving him a pointed look.

She knew EJ's life before Salem had been glamorous but come on – super models! What woman in their right mind was going to let that go without a few intense discussions at least.

"Well your dance card just got filled up real quick if the expression on Sami's face is anything to go by," said Estelle in amusement.

"She does seem a little annoyed with me," EJ agreed, studying Sami with a smile of his own, "I guess I'll have my work ahead of me smoothing things over eh darling?"

"How much work it will be depends on how much you've got to tell me," Sami sniffed, giving him a displeased look.

"Oh well it shouldn't take any time at all," said EJ quickly.

"Good god man," said Estelle in exasperation, "You are going to have to learn to lie a bit better than that if you want to succeed in a relationship."

"At least I have a woman," EJ said, giving her a pointed look.

"Hey I don't need a woman I have these," said Estelle happily, holding up the half eaten bag of chocolate covered coffee beans to the monitor, "They are just as good and just like the women I like to date will go straight to your thighs within minutes."

"Estelle," said Sami with a laugh at the other woman's candour, "Don't you want to find true love?"

"True love is a lot of work," said Estelle pragmatically.

"But worth it with the right person," said Sami, leaning into EJ and giving him a loving look.

"Hm I suddenly feel as though my presence is no longer needed," said Estelle with a smile as she took in the way EJ and Sami were looking at each other, "I'll call back in a while and keep you updated with what is going on in my side of the world."

"Thank you Estelle," said EJ with an appreciative look at her after forcing himself to drag his eyes off Sami, "Your demi-goddess status is fully intact it would seem."

"I know," said Estelle with a quirk of her lips, "I really do rock don't I?"

The three said their goodbyes and then it was just Sami and EJ again.

"Well?" asked EJ.

"Well I'm still a little blown away," Sami admitted, "I can't believe you did all that for me EJ."

"I did it for us," EJ corrected her with a lingering kiss, "I'd do anything for us."

"So we've got the whole day together," said Sami, her face beaming at the prospect, "I'm so happy I could burst. What shall we do?"

"Whatever your little heart desires my love," said EJ with an indulgent smile as they both stood up, "Just as long as you don't tire yourself out for tonight."

"Oh?" said Sami with an arched eyebrow, "And what is happening tonight EJ?"

"A little surprise I have in mind," said EJ, a self satisfied smile on his face.

"What kind of surprise?" asked Sami, her curiosity instantly piqued.

"A secret kind," said EJ firmly.

"But you just said last night that there should be no secrets between us," Sami protested, intent on getting what it was out of him, "I think you should live up to your word and tell me what the secret is – remember, we're not to keep anything from each other ever."

"Alright," said EJ, not missing a beat, "How much do you weigh sweetheart?"

Sami wrinkled her nose at his comeback.

"Fine," she muttered, putting her hands on her hips in mock annoyance, "Have your secret EJ – I bet it sucks anyway."

"I bet you it doesn't," said EJ confidently with an impish wink as he started to walk out of the room, "Shall we go and feed Jelly eh? Let him out for a run about?"

"Alright," said Sami, her mind still occupied with EJ's tantalising talk of a secret and following him out, "Do I at least get a hint?"

"About what?" asked EJ innocently as he held open the door for her in that gentlemanly way of his.

"About the secret of course," said Sami in exasperation, knowing he was only playing with her but already the curiosity was practically killing her.

"I don't think so," said EJ easily, "After all what would be in it for me?"

"I wouldn't smother you in your sleep?" offered up Sami sweetly as they walked out into the sunshine of the day.

"And which part exactly of your body would you be smothering me with I wonder?" asked EJ, running an appreciative eye over her body.

"Pillow," said Sami flatly, trying to look annoyed.

"Ah," said EJ with a happy sigh and a very pointed look at her breasts, "I love your pillows Samantha. I can certainly think of worse ways to go."

"You're impossible," said Sami with a groan as they walked to Jellybean's stable, "And I will get that secret out of you."

"No you won't," said EJ confidently.

"Oh yes I will," said Sami stubbornly.

"Oh no you won't," said EJ just as stubbornly and giving her an impish look.

Sami made a huffing noise and promised herself that this wasn't over yet. It didn't really matter of course, whatever EJ had planned she knew that she was going to love it, just like all of his surprises. Sami didn't want to wish away any of her time on the island but suddenly she couldn't wait for night to come.

"Secrets, super models," she grumbled, still intent on not making this easy for him, "You and I are going to have to start setting some ground rules for this relationship."

"Yes dear," said EJ meekly but not quite managing to hide his smile from her.

Impossible man thought Sami again as she hid her own smile from him.


	76. Chapter 223

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & TWENTY THREE**** – ****Jack and Jill Went up a Hill****... **

Women are natural guerrillas.

Scheming, we nestle into the enemy's bed,

avoiding open warfare, watching the options, playing the odds.

_~Sally Kempton~_

Sami was starting to get organised for her date with EJ tonight. He'd continued to be mysterious throughout the whole day and despite Sami using every trick in the book she hadn't been able to get anything further from him. It had still been a wonderful day though and Sami couldn't believe that it didn't have to end with her heading home to Lucas. She swallowed hard at even the thought of that and had to wonder how she was going to manage such a feat when they did return to Salem. The thought of being near any other man than EJ made her stomach churn and Sami wasn't sure she could keep up the act any longer, no matter what was at stake. Those unhappy thoughts were forgotten for the moment though as some thorough searching of her five suitcases and room revealed something to her.

"That man!" she huffed, shaking her head, "If EJ thinks he is going to get away with this then he is as crazy as everyone in Salem thinks he is!"

With that Sami determinedly headed off downstairs and found EJ in the living room, reading a book. He looked up at her and smiled with sweet innocence.

"Hello my love," he said cheerfully.

"I can't find any of my underwear," Sami announced, looking at him pointedly.

"Fancy that," said EJ, giving a good imitation of being surprised, "I wonder what happened there?"

"I know exactly what happened," said Sami, giving him a disapproving look.

The truth was she'd fully intended granting EJ his wish from that morning when it came to no panties, finding the thought somewhat thrilling herself and in particular imagining the look on EJ's face when he first made the discovery. She hadn't been nearly as outraged when he had first suggested it as she'd tried to make out. After all a lady couldn't make it too easy for a man now could she? The thing was now that EJ had gone and taken matters into his own hands Sami was duty bound to put up a fight – just on principle alone.

"So do I," said EJ with a regretful sigh, "The culprit is obvious."

"You're darn tootin' it is," said Sami flatly, intent on not letting him think he'd won in this matter – even though she'd decided to do it anyway.

Being a woman was complicated sometimes.

Truth be told though Sami really did adore their little power play games. She loved that she'd found an equal in EJ who relished the fact that Sami was capable of giving back as good as she got. The fact that neither one of them were above playing dirty was something both of them seemed to find particularly alluring.

"Well I'll just go down to see Jelly and have a stern word to him about it all shall I?" offered EJ helpfully as he stood up.

"Jellybean did not creep up those stairs and steal my underwear!" said Sami, putting her hands on her hips and trying her best to glare at him and not laugh instead.

"So what you're saying darling is that you suspect there is some kind of panty thief intruder on the island is that it?" said EJ, looking to be considering this possibility very closely, "I'll just pop off and release the island tigers eh? That should sort it."

"I thought all the bears ate them?" asked Sami sweetly with an arched eyebrow, remembering his teasing of her last time they were there.

"Two escaped," said EJ in utmost seriousness, "I call them Siegfried and Roy."

He gave her an amused look.

"I'll pause a moment to let you appreciate the irony in those monikers," said EJ, his lips twitching.

"What I would appreciate EJ DiMera is my underwear back," Sami huffed, feigning annoyance very convincingly.

"I can see you are quite put out about it," said EJ agreeably.

"Of course I am," said Sami with mock indignation, lying through her teeth.

"I'm not entirely sure why you would be," said EJ before giving her an impish look, "I myself am going sans underwear even as we speak and I'm not put out."

"But you're a guy," Sami said in exasperation.

"And some might make the argument that only makes my point stronger," said EJ with a smug smile, "More down there that requires packaging. Female underwear is just for show really."

"You always seemed to enjoy that show," Sami pointed out with a knowing look, remembering his past appreciations of her lingerie.

"That I do," agreed EJ with a ready chuckle before giving her a very sexy look that heated Sami from within, "But I must confess my real delight was in what the packaging contained when it comes to you my love."

"EJ I need my underwear," Sami lied with a groan.

"Right well I'll get on that straight away," said EJ, pursing his lips, "The first thing to do is to back track – can you remember where you last saw the underwear in questions sweetheart, before you lost them?"

"I didn't lose them you stole them!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air.

"You-you think I committed this most heinous crime?" asked EJ looking utterly crushed that she could even think such a thing about him, "Samantha, how could you?!"

"There is me, you and Jellybean on the island," said Sami, not buying his act for a second, "A horse can't walk up the stairs-"

"Not true," EJ interrupted her quickly, "Horses can walk upstairs and that was why the fireman's poles were invented. Back in the day when fire trucks were pulled by horses the fireman who slept on the second floor would often find their horses going for a bit of a wander during the night – hence the need for poles."

Sami narrowed her eyes and gave EJ a suspicious look. She didn't know if what EJ was saying was true but that wasn't really wasn't the point anyway, as interesting as that little titbit of information was.

"And he wouldn't have any reason to," she finished off as though EJ hadn't spoken.

"Actually darling we don't talk about it much in the family but before Jellybean came to the island he ran with a rough crowd, did a lot of crazy stuff," said EJ with utter seriousness, "His name was Poppa J Diddly Bean on the streets and he was the horse to go to if you were looking for horsey treats – uppers, downers, things that would make you run faster and all of it dipped in sweet molasses to make it go down easy. But then the law caught up with him and that were our family found him – horse jail. We decided to give him a second chance and the rest they say is history."

"EJ!" she said with a groaning laugh.

He was making it very hard to keep up her annoyed and disapproving act with him when he went on with silliness like that.

"It's all true Samantha," said EJ straight faced, "Only we don't talk about it because Jelly is embarrassed by his past misdeeds."

"You're certifiable," said Sami, putting her hands over her face.

Impressive and complicated lying though that he'd managed to come up with on the spot which Sami couldn't help but admire his skill.

"Because we decided to take a chance on a young horse that had simply lost his way?" asked EJ in mock indignation, "Samantha – where is your heart?!"

"Crazy skips a generations right?" asked Sami with a roll of her eyes at EJ's theatrics, "Our kids are going to be fine aren't they?"

"Just what are you implying Samantha?" asked EJ, looking offended.

"Look I didn't take my panties, Jellybean didn't take my panties," Sami held up a finger to silence EJ's protests about that fact, "No he didn't! So that only leaves one person who could have done it and that is the same person who only this morning expressed an avid interest in my not wearing any underwear while we are at the island."

"That is purely circumstantial evidence," EJ sniffed, "And I'm disappointed that you would come to such an erroneous conclusion based on so very little."

"What other conclusion could I come to?" asked Sami challengingly.

"Well it's very humid in the tropic and your panties are only wisps of cotton at best," reasoned EJ, "Maybe they melted."

"In half a day?" asked Sami, unimpressed by that explanation, "And besides, melting underwear isn't a real thing anyway. You're just making things up to cover for yourself!"

"More slander," EJ said with a despairing shake of his head, "I hope you know a good lawyer young lady."

"I know a crazy one who has stolen my underwear!" Sami said without missing a beat.

EJ just smiled down at her for that comment.

"You realise this means war don't you," Sami informed him, pursing her lips and giving him a defiant look.

EJ's smile only widened at that threat, only steeling Sami's resolve.

**oooOOOOooo**

"You brought me back to our spot," said Sami happily.

They were at the base of the hill later that evening where they'd counted back from ten and seen the shooting star, a sign according to the legend of the island that they were meant to be. Sami and EJ had both dressed for the occasion, Sami in a slinky black dress and EJ in a suit and tie. There was a basket of food in the back of the jeep and Sami smiled to think of the night ahead of them.

"So this is my surprise is it?" she asked him with a smile.

"Nope," said EJ easily, taking the basket of out of the jeep and walking back to her side.

"More to come hm?" she asked him with a raised eyebrow.

"Much much more," EJ agreed with a quirk of his lips, "But first we eat."

"I don't think I'm wearing the right footwear again," said Sami, "I may need some help."

"Always at your service milady," EJ said with a grin, "Don't want you breaking that pretty little neck of yours now do we?"

He walked over to her and as though she was a child bent down and picked her up with one arm and holding her to his side while Sami put her arms around his neck. He easily began to carry her and the basket up to the plateau on top of the hill. They were almost there, EJ not having even broken a sweat when Sami made a little distressed sound.

"What is it sweetheart?" asked EJ, looking at her with a bit of a frown.

"I bought something special for you," said Sami, "But I've left it in the car."

"You can give it to me later," said EJ with a smile.

"No," said Sami, "It has to be over dinner."

"Alright," said EJ agreeably.

Without another word he turned around and walked back down the uneven ground with her still in his arms. EJ deposited her gently on the ground five minute later and Sami walked over to the jeep and started to look around in the passenger seat side. She made a regretful sound before coming back to stand in front of EJ.

"I must have left it at the house," said Sami in annoyance.

"No harm done," said EJ with another smile, "There will be other meals – you can give it to me then."

He bent down and picked Sami up again and headed back up the rather steep hill. They were nearly at the top again when Sami spoke again.

"Oh I remember now," she exclaimed, "I put it in the back of the jeep – for safe keeping."

EJ looked at her a little askew now.

"EJ," said Sami, her voice dripping sweetness and light, "Would you mind terribly?"

"We're almost there," said EJ, his breathing a little uneven now from carrying her up the hill twice now, "Why don't I take you the rest of the way and I'll just pop back down myself?"

"But then it won't be a surprise," said Sami in distress, "I'll just go back myself and get it. I probably won't fall... in the dark... with these shoes on."

"No, no," said EJ, "I don't mind – really."

"Sorry to be such a pest," said Sami, pulling a remorseful face as EJ put down the basket.

"You're not being a pest," EJ reassured her as he now moved her so that he was just carrying her in both arms and Sami could see the beads of sweat forming on his forehead from all of his exertions.

EJ started to make his way back down the hill, his breathing decidedly uneven by this stage. When they were at the bottom again Sami went around to the back of the jeep and started to rummage through there but came up empty handed.

"It's not there either," she said, looking perplexed now, "How weird."

EJ's eyes narrowed suspiciously as he gave her a long considered look.

"Oh well," said Sami brightly, "I guess I must have left it back at the house after all."

"Have you checked the glove box?" asked EJ evenly before giving her a pointed look, "Or were you going to wait until we were almost to the top of the hill again before thinking of that?"

"Why EJ," said Sami, giving him her best wounded look, "Whatever are you implying?"

"I don't know Samantha," said EJ with a quirk of his lips and a knowing look, "What do you think I'm implying?"

"I do think that you think that this present of yours was all a fabrication to make you carry me up and down that hill," said Sami, looking wide eyed and innocent, "Well nothing could be further from the truth EJ. I did have a present for you and I can't understand what happened to it."

Sami suddenly snapped her fingers and looked as though a thought had just occurred to her.

"Oh wait!" she exclaimed, "Maybe I do know what happened to it. Someone told me once that in these tropical and humid climates things can melt. _That_ must have been what happened to your present – it's the only possible explanation. That or Jellybean stole it."

Sami folded her arms in front of her chest and gave EJ a challenging look, arching a defiant eyebrow. The corners of EJ's lips had turned up in an amused smile at her manipulation of him.

"I've heard Jelly can be rather unscrupulous when the mood takes him," agreed EJ trying not to smile.

"Well I'd be bracing yourself for more of Jelly's antics," Sami informed him with a smirk, "At least until some underwear are returned anyway."

"Like that is it?" asked EJ with an arched eyebrow.

"It is soo like that EJ DiMera," said Sami with a pointed look.

"I would just like to once again reiterate my complete innocence in all of this," said EJ straight faced, "I am being punished for a crime I did not commit."

"Well this will just make up for the free pass you've gotten for all the crimes you did commit," said Sami sweetly, "Now won't it?"

EJ opened his mouth and then closed it again, Sami having gotten him on that one.

"Samantha," said EJ, trying again, "All I can do is keep on protesting my innocence. It is not my fault that you are currently standing there with no underwear on. Your full and sexy hips unadorned by such trifles, that luscious bottom of yours completely at the mercy of anyone who should happen to push that snugly fitting skirt of yours up those creamy white thighs-"

EJ was getting a decidedly faraway look in his eyes as his hungry gaze raked her body and Sami shook her head.

"EJ," she interrupted his lyrical waxings about her body.

"Sorry," said EJ, blinking a little dazedly at her as he'd obvious gone to other places right then, "What were we talking about again?"

"You were trying to convince me that you weren't a big fat liar," said Sami, not without some amusement.

"And how did I do?" asked EJ, looking down at her with a sweet smile.

"Oh you absolutely convinced me EJ," said Sami straight faced.

"Excellent," said EJ happily.

"You're definitely not a big fat liar," Sami continued on blithely, "You're a big fat _horny_ liar it would seem."

"I have a good mind to make you walk up that hill by yourself," said EJ, pretending to be put out by that observation, "You won't fall – the devil looks after his own after all."

"Oh I do hope we have more to drink with dinner then just those sour grapes EJ," she cooed up at him, "Being carried up and down a hill has made me quite thirsty."

"Treacherous minx," said EJ in mock annoyance.

"Panty thief," she threw back at him.

"Viper," EJ came back with as he bent down once again, this time throwing Sami over his shoulder before heading back up the mountain.

"Jerk!" returned Sami without missing a beat.

"Shameless manipulator," EJ shot back just as quickly as he begun the long trek back up the hill yet again.

"Horse's ASS!"

With that last insult Sami gave EJ's backside a hard swat.

"Ow!" EJ complained at her treatment of his back end, "You are so going to pay for that young lady."

"Just shut up and walk pack horse," said Sami with a giggle.

She knew EJ wouldn't let her walk up this hill, the chances of her hurting herself too great so she was confident that despite the name calling he was going to take her all the way to the top.

Let the games begin...


	77. Chapter 224

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & TWENTY FOUR**** – ****Come Live in my Heart & Pay No Rent**

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.  
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height  
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight  
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.  
I love thee to the level of everyday's  
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.  
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;  
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.  
I love thee with a passion put to use  
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.  
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose  
With my lost saints, --- I love thee with the breath,  
Smiles, tears, of all my life! --- and, if God choose,  
I shall but love thee better after death.

_~Elizabeth Barrett Browning~_

"I can't believe you managed to bring a table and chairs up here," said Sami in wonder as she ate the last of her dessert – fruit in a rich liqueur with fresh cream.

"It was but a trifle," said EJ with a smile, finishing his dessert as well.

"I mean I don't know how you found the time in between stealing my underwear," said Sami with a sweet smile.

"It was easy because I'm not the Ara Caman panty thief," said EJ with a sweet smile of his own as he took a sip of his wine.

"You're not fooling anyone with that innocence act," said Sami wryly, "You know that right?"

"It's no act sweetheart," said EJ with an easy smile.

"Mm," said Sami but let it go.

EJ could see that Sami didn't really care about her underwear beyond not wanting to let him win on principle alone. Besides, she was having trouble keeping her ire up as they'd been having too nice a time to fight, even pretend fighting. EJ could barely even remember what they'd eaten because his eyes had never left Sami during the whole meal. She kept catching him with his warm gaze on her all the time but EJ couldn't help it. He was utterly captivated by her and simply couldn't look away. They'd just sat and ate and talked about any and every subject that came to mind. It was so wonderful to be completely relaxed with a person and not be afraid of saying the wrong thing or giving your latest lie away to them. EJ knew that would have to be a first for Sami when it came to relationships. All EJ knew was that he felt like he could breath for the first time in his life when she was near him.

"I'm sorry," said Sami, interrupting their latest conversation about favourite cars when she felt she needed to say something.

"Sweetheart you don't have to like Maserati's just because I do," said EJ with a half smile, "They are a fabulous car though – excellent handling on the road."

"No," said Sami with a half smile, "I mean I'm sorry that I was such a pain the last time you bought me here to this spot – well, the whole island stay really."

"Nothing worthwhile is easy Samantha," said EJ with a loving smile, "And being with you now, like this just proves what I knew from the first moment I laid eyes on you – that you were worth it."

Sami's seemed to glow when he'd said that and EJ still found it hard to imagine he was the first man in her life with the intelligence to see her for the staggeringly amazing woman that she was. It made him sad to think about it but even more determined that he was going to right all the wrongs she'd suffered at the hands of others. Sami reached out and she put her hand over EJ's as it rested on the table.

"No one ever wanted to be with me the way you did," Sami marvelled, "You swept me off my feet despite all of my stubbornness."

"I adore your stubbornness," said EJ, picking up her hand and kissing the soft skin on the back of it with a lingering touch.

"No one's ever said that to me before," said Sami with a little laugh.

"No one knows you like I do," EJ assured her throatily, "No one sees you like I do."

"That's true," Sami whispered, looking overwhelmed that EJ loved her the way he did, "I was so wrong with all those bad things I said about you."

"No you weren't," said EJ with a deep chuckle.

"No I wasn't," Sami agreed with a laugh of her own.

"But you love me anyway right?" EJ asked her, looking at her so intently now, knowing the answer to the question of course but never tiring of hearing Sami say the words.

"I'm hopelessly in love with the good man I know you to be EJ," said Sami softly, looking at him with all the love she had in her heart, "But the bad boy in you-"

Sami trailed off, letting EJ see the sudden hunger in her eyes.

"-gets me so hot I can't stand it sometimes," she confessed to him with a wicked little smile.

EJ's lit up at Sami's admission and his heart immediately began to beat noisily in his chest.

"Would you care to dance?"

Sami looked across the table at him and bit her bottom lip.

"There's no music," she reminded him gently, playing this little game of theirs.

"There is always music when we are together Samantha," EJ corrected her just like she knew he would.

EJ stood up and took Sami's hand and drew her to her feet as well.

Sami moved into his arms without even having to think about it and then as one they began to move to a beat that only they knew. She sighed happily and put her head on EJ's chest, just moving with his body and he could feel all of softness fit against his hard planes perfectly.

"This feels so right," she told him contentedly, "I love you EJ."

"I love you too sweetheart," said EJ a little unevenly suddenly feeling very nervous as he knew the perfect moment was drawing near.

Sami gave a bit of a frown when she must have heard something in his voice just then and realised he was holding himself a little tensely. Sami looked up at him in concern.

"What's wrong EJ?" she asked, looking at him intently.

"Nothing," said EJ quickly, too quickly.

Sami searched his handsome face, looking for the real answer to her question. EJ tried to return her look with calm reassurance but he could already feel a few beads of perspiration forming on his forehead and upper lip.

"You're sweating," she informed him with a frown, also noticing this and not doubt the fact that his hands were now decidedly clammy.

"It's a warm night," said EJ and drew her close again, continuing to dance with her.

EJ could tell Sami wasn't completely convinced but followed his lead anyway. She put her head back on his chest and EJ knew she must be able to feel the way his heart was hammering away frantically in his chest. It hadn't been beating like that even after she'd tricked him into carrying her up the hill three times that night but EJ could do nothing to slow it down as his nerves tightened to near breaking point.

"EJ what is it?" she asked him gently, stopping their dancing and looking up at him with tender concern.

EJ just looked down at her, wide eyed as he fought some great internal struggle. He hadn't expected to be this nervous about it all and he was caught off guard by the rush of great emotion he was feeling.

"EJ it's alright," she told him reassuringly, putting a hand on his arm, "Whatever it is we'll face it together.

Without a word EJ dropped to his knees before Sami and she gave a strangled little cry at seeing what he was doing. He had gone down on both knees, his heart beating a mad tattoo in his chest as EJ gazed up at Sami, her eyes wide and already beginning to look suspiciously bright as she looked back down at him.

"Yes!" Sami blurted out before EJ could say anything more and her eagerness made him laugh and the feel of the warmth of her love sent a tingling glow through his entire body.

"Sweetheart," he told her with an indulgent chuckle, his nerves suddenly dissipating in the face of such eagerness on Sami's behalf, "I feel like it's taken us a very long time to get here and I'd very much like to do this right and get to ask the question first if I may before you accept my proposal?"

Sami bit her lip and grinned down at him as he smiled back up and just nodded her head, the excitement shining in her eyes and lit her entire countenance from within. She looked so beautiful in the moonlight, her expression full of adoring love for him that EJ suddenly found he couldn't breathe - the nearness of her, the way the blood was roaring through his ears – he felt oddly dizzy and he put out both his hands to rest lightly on her thighs as she stood in front of him. The feeling of Sami's softness beneath his hands did little to calm EJ down and the smile dropped from his face as he looked up at this woman who was smiling down at him, overwhelmed by the magnitude of his love for her.

"Samantha," he said thickly, emotion choking his voice.

EJ had planned exactly what he'd wanted to say to Sami in this moment, practiced it over and over in his head, desperate to get it just right. He'd wanted to tell her that his life had no meaning before meeting her, that he hadn't even really existed before their eyes had met. He'd just been a half imagined dream that only came into reality when she'd smiled at him for the first time. EJ wanted to tell Sami that the only meaning in his life was from loving her and making her happy and that was all he wanted to do with the rest of his days. That if he could never walk in this world any longer if she wasn't by his side because the pain of separation would be too much to bear. But kneeling before her now, Sami's beauty all around him everything faded from his mind and all he knew was her.

"Samantha," he rasped, drawing her closer so that their bodies were touching, his arms wrapped tightly around her legs now, holding her to him.

Sami put her hands to his shoulders, making EJ shudder as he continued to stare up at her, suddenly finding himself unable to look away from her radiance, even to blink. She seemed almost otherworldly to EJ in that moment, her blonde hair glowing in the moonlight, her face seemingly luminescent as she looked down at him so lovingly that all EJ could do was repeat the only word in the universe that had any meaning for him now.

"Samantha," he said again, his voice little more than a hoarse whisper.

There was so much he wanted to say to her but all he could do was keep repeating the mantra of her name but evidently his face told her what his nonexistent words couldn't because Sami cupped his face, both of them beginning to cry now at the huge amount of emotion passing between them in that moment.

"Can I say yes now?" she asked him with a watery smile, her voice also strained with all that she was feeling.

"Yes please," said EJ unevenly, gazing up at her wide eyed.

Sami moved then, dropping to her knees as well so that they were now face to face again. She looked deeply into his eyes, her hands still cupping his face and EJ would swear later that his heart actually stopped beating in his chest, frozen in anticipation of this moment.

"Yes," she breathed and EJ felt a joy take hold of his entire being that strangled any hope he had of speaking in that moment.

Instead he crushed Sami to him, holding her against him so tightly that neither of them could breathe and then that wasn't important as he claimed her mouth in a searing kiss.

"I have a ring," said EJ unsteadily, breaking the kiss as he suddenly remembered.

"You do?" asked Sami in delighted surprise, "Oh EJ."

EJ fumbled with his coat pocket, his body still coursing with adrenalin after having just proposed. Despite the unfortunate state of affairs with Sami and Lucas right then EJ didn't take marriage lightly. He only wanted to do it once and forever and that once was with Sami. No other woman had come close to making EJ even think of making a life time commitment and he wanted her to know how seriously he was taking what he was asking of her. He drew out the ring from his coat pocket and held it up for Sami to see, the two of them still kneeling on the ground. Sami gasped when she saw it.

"It's the ring Santo gave Colleen," EJ told her, watching Sami's face closely to see if that was going to be a problem for her.

After all their relationship hadn't exactly ended happily and EJ wondered if that would make Sami uncomfortable to be wearing the ring that was meant for the doomed couple.

"EJ," Sami gasped, staring at the ring, "It's gorgeous!"

"So you don't mind?" asked EJ a little hesitantly, "Because I can get you a ring of your own Samantha."

"No," she said with a definite shake of her head and a big emotional smile, "This is perfect EJ – fitting somehow. I love that you thought of this. This ring was meant to be a part of a couple that were soul mates and now it is."

"That's how I feel," said EJ, giving her a relieved smile.

"Can I put it on?" asked Sami, seeming to be unable to take her eyes off it.

"Of course," EJ laughed, "It's yours sweetheart."

Somehow EJ just knew it would fit her as he slid it on Sami's finger and it did, perfectly.

"It's gorgeous," said Sami faintly, still staring at it as she wiggled her fingers around, seeming to be having trouble believing this was real.

Sami managed to tear her eyes off the ring to look at EJ in complete disbelief.

"We're engaged," she said tremulously, her eyes filling with tears.

Neither one of them lingered on the unpleasant reality of her marriage to Lucas right then. At that moment, underneath the moonlight and with Ara Caman beneath them there was only the two of them in the world and nothing else mattered or even existed.

"To be married," EJ said, wanting to make sure that Sami understood that.

Just because they were in a messy place right then didn't mean that EJ's eyes weren't on the future. In fact most days that future was all that was keeping him going.

"To be married," Sami agreed breathlessly, her face lighting up.

EJ put his arms around her waist and drew Sami more closely to him, bending his head to claim her mouth in a kiss. Things quickly began to spiral out of control before EJ found the strength to stop briefly.

"Wait," he said thickly, moving out of Sami's embrace and standing up on unsteady legs.

Sami was looking at him in disappointment but EJ wanted to make them a little more comfortable before things went any further. He moved over to the basket he'd carried up the hill, more than once thanks to Sami's shenanigans and pulled out a blanket and lay it on the ground. EJ then walked over to where Sami was still kneeling and picked her up into his arms.

"I thought you might have had enough of carrying me for one night," said Sami teasingly.

"Never," EJ vowed with a grin, "I'll never tire of having you in my arms Samantha."

EJ was kneeling down on the blanket now and setting Sami down gently on it.

"And I'll never tire of being in them," said Sami with an emotion filled smile.

EJ quickly divested himself of his coat jacket while Sami's hands went to his tie. Once both articles of clothing were gone from his body Sami pushed EJ back down on the ground and straddled him, leaning down to kiss him. Sami's blonde hair hung like a curtain around EJ's face before he reached up and took her head in his hands, his fingers revelling in the soft strands. The way Sami came so eagerly into his arms still had the ability to shock and amaze EJ. Each time felt like a gift and to know that Sami was now wearing his ring and had promised herself to him forever was something that he EJ was still pinching himself to believe.

"I love you," Sami breathed against his lips, making EJ shudder.

Her hand moved between their bodies and she was undoing his pants, EJ lifting his bottom off the ground so Sami could push them down his body a little bit. EJ's hands went to Sami's thighs, pushing up her little black dress and cupping her naked bottom cheeks. Sami gave him a knowing look at the excited expression he knew he must be sporting and then raised herself up and in one easy movement sunk down on his already impressively hard member. EJ made a strangled noise of appreciation at her actions.

"I guess we should thank the panty thief for that," said Sami with a mischievous smile.

"That's exactly what I'm doing right now," EJ groaned laughingly.

"I don't think you're naked enough for my taste," Sami informed him impishly.

"You're definitely not naked enough for mine," said EJ unsteadily.

"Well that's easily fixed," said Sami with a wink.

EJ watched as she reached behind herself and pulled down her zip and then she simply pulled it off over her head and threw it carelessly to one side. Sami was completely naked now and EJ made a low growling sound in the back of this throat seeing his goddess now fully exposed to him. His eyes raked her body hungrily.

"What are you thinking?" Sami asked him with a pleased little smile at his attention.

"I'm thinking I can't believe it took you an hour to get ready for our date tonight when you are only wearing one article of clothing," EJ teased her.

"Wasn't I worth the wait?" asked Sami, arching an eyebrow and wiggling around on his rigid member.

"Oh god yes!" EJ cried out, both to Sami's question and what she was doing.

"I thought so," Sami giggled.

He instinctively moved to cup one of her breasts with one hand, wanting its fullness in his hand but Sami stopped him.

"No touching," she informed him with a quirk of her lips, "Yet."

"You get very bossy when you're engaged," EJ grumbled playfully, "Did you know that?"

"I know that you're going to do as I tell you and love every minute of it," said Sami with a knowing look down at him.

To prove her point Sami clenched down hard around his stiffness that was impaling her and forcing a ragged groan from EJ's lips. Sami leant down the, still holding her walls tightly around EJ's aching manhood and put her hands either side of his head. She kept herself just off him enough so that EJ could feel the tight buds of her nipples scraping against his chest through his shirt.

"Lose the pants," she instructed him and EJ happily obliged.

Sami didn't change her position above him so EJ had to kick off his shoes and socks and then work on wiggling out of his pants and briefs. It was a decidedly delicious exercise to be moving around like that while Sami kept him tightly inside herself. By the time EJ was done with ridding himself of his pants EJ was having to concentrate hard not to just come right then. Sami began to slowly unbutton his shirt now, so slowly in fact that EJ was beginning to squirm helplessly underneath her.

"Behave," Sami said and slapped his naked thigh, "Lie still."

"Can't," EJ panted, "You're taking too long Samantha. I need-"

"You need what I'm going to give you, when I give it to you," said Sami, a pleased little smile on her lips at seeing him this worked up already.

EJ knew he was playing right into her hands by being this desperate but couldn't help himself and besides, he loved it when Sami took charge. At last Sami had managed to get EJ free of his shirt and they were both completely naked. EJ was very eager to begin making love properly but again, Sami had other ideas. She leant back over him and began to rub her nipples over his chest again, this time without the barrier of his shirt. Sami teased and tantalised him until EJ really couldn't take it any longer. He sat up abruptly making Sami give a surprised squeal. Sami's legs were now straddling EJ's lap as he began to move himself forcefully in and out of her.

"You get very bossy when you're engaged EJ," she teased him with his own words even as she arched her back contentedly because of his movements inside of her.

EJ didn't actually have words to use right then, this body in a frenzy already from all of her teasing and could only groan his response. He reached out with his hands and placed them on her breasts, thumbs on her nipples as Sami demonstrated her flexibility.

"Feel good?" she purred.

"Yes," said EJ raggedly as Sami was now lying back down on the blanket.

She was so tight in that position that EJ could feel himself starting to shake trying to hold back the inevitable. Sami then lifted her legs so that her calves were resting on EJ's shoulder while he instinctively bent his knees and planted his feet on the ground to allow better traction. They hadn't tried this position before but EJ was quickly becoming a fan.

"You want control big boy?" she purred up at him, ever the seductress, "Then take it."

EJ made a guttural sound that was ripped from deep within his chest as he didn't need to be asked twice. Bracing himself with his feet EJ's hand went to the tops of Sami's legs and he began immediately pumping himself into her. Sami tilted her hips to receive him each time but ultimately it was EJ who had complete control over the depth and pacing of the penetrations. The heady sense of power just added to the thrill of the position, especially when Sami began to make gasping groans of approval at his technique. EJ wanted this moment to last longer but in this position he had an unobstructed view of all of Sami's body including her face and it was driving him crazy. Watching her face screw up with intense pleasure every time he pushed his way fully into her and her breasts jerk back in forth in time to the pounding he was giving her wasn't helping EJ remain in control.

"Samantha!" he said in desperation, his movements beyond urgent now but still trying to hold on.

"I know," she moaned, writhing around on the blanket now as her body was worked into a frenzy as well.

Sami propped herself up on her elbows and seemed to understand his dilemma.

"Just come EJ," she panted her encouragement even as he continued to move desperately inside of her, "You can have me as many times like this as you want for the rest of our lives."

Sami's promise was too much for EJ and unable to contain himself he slammed himself into her one last time and began to climax noisily. His excitement and the last frantic pumping on his behalf was enough for Sami as well as she began to spasm wildly around him, prolonging EJ's climax. Sami's legs slide from his shoulder as he leant forward, holding himself off her with wildly shaking arms.

"Whoa," said EJ faintly once he found the strength to speak, the roaring in his ears almost deafening, "Being engaged rocks."

Sami burst out laughing at his summation of what had just passed between them and the carefree sound made EJ join in. He was so happy in that moment it was hard to imagine that life could get any better.

"Catch your breath EJ and we can rock again," said Sami mischievously as she wiggled a little under him.

Her breathing was just as ragged as his right then but EJ wasn't one to quibble.

"Did I ever tell you how much I love it when you are bossy?" EJ asked with a big grin on his face.


	78. Chapter 225

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & TWENTY FIVE**** – ****The Bitch is Back**

True strength lies in submission which permits one to dedicate his life, through devotion, to something beyond himself.

_Henry Miller_

_(American Author and Writer, 1891-1980)_

They lay on the blanket, looking up at the stars, EJ having covered them with a spare blanket he'd brought with them. He turned his head to admire Sami's profile as she continued to star gaze up at the heavens and pulled her a little closer to him.

"Just so we're clear," he said huskily, still a little out of breath from their exertions, "I was asking you to marry me before."

Sami turned her head to look at him, their noses almost touching.

"You bet you were," she said with a quirk of her lips.

"And you said yes," he reminded her, looking at her adoringly.

"You bet I did," she said softly, putting a hand to his still sweaty cheek, "A thousand times over I say yes EJ."

They sealed their promise to one another with a long, lingering kiss before Sami paused then and looked suddenly concerned.

"Is it bad that we are doing this when I'm already technically married?" she fretted.

She just didn't feel in anyway married to Lucas – it was all still so surreal, like it had happened to someone else entirely.

"You and Lucas aren't married," said EJ firmly, "What you did was an act of kindness, nothing more."

"In a church in front of God," said Sami regretfully, "I wish I could take all of it back but at the time it felt like the only way we could have a future."

Sami shook her head and looked up at the heavens in consternation.

"What the hell was I thinking?" she asked in bemusement.

"You were thinking that you were giving Lucas a happy last few days of his life, your son some peace when the inevitable happens and one less reason for your family to hate me when we tell them about our relationship," EJ listed the reasons in that pragmatic way of his.

"They are still going to hate you when they find out about our affair EJ," said Sami in frustration.

"I was rather assuming that we were going to all of this trouble so that it would appear to your family that our relationship started after Lucas' passing," said EJ wryly.

"Oh," said Sami in surprise, propping herself up on her elbows to look down at EJ wide eyed, "I hadn't thought of it like that."

"But it makes sense doesn't it?" pointed out EJ.

"Well yes but then that means we'll have to wait yet again to be together," said Sami in distress, "I'm not waiting another six months or something after Lucas, well, you know, before we can go public about our engagement! There is no way I'm waiting that long to make sure that every woman in Salem knows you are spoken for – no way in hell!"

"Whilst I adore the thought of you laying claim to me darling I do believe we need to think this out a bit more," said EJ with a little laugh, "It would make more sense for your family to think we got together after Lucas and not before, that's all I'm saying. They have the power to make your life very unhappy and I don't want that."

"I don't care about that," said Sami urgently, "I just want to be with you EJ."

"You don't care about it now," said EJ gently, "But I know how hard it will be to think of our children growing up not knowing their grandparents, uncles and aunts. I don't want you to have any regrets associated with loving me Samantha."

"I'll never have any regrets about loving you EJ except that I didn't meet you sooner," said Sami earnestly.

"Be that as it may I know I have to admit to a certain part of me regretting deeply that our children will not know their paternal grandfather and would like to think they could lay claim to at least your side of the family when it comes to family," said EJ with a bit of a sigh, "I can't help but hold out the vain hope that my father will see the error of his ways and change so that he can still be in my life."

"Oh," said Sami quietly, a little taken aback by his confession but understanding what EJ was saying.

It would make her very sad not to have her family in her life but ultimately if they couldn't find a way to accept EJ then there was no way that Sami was going to allow them to be a permanent blot on their happiness. How couldn't she allow EJ the same emotions when it came to his own father? When EJ had been shot Sami had seen enough of the father heart of Stefano DiMera to make her understand that he wasn't all bad – just mostly bad. The trouble was that he was too toxic, too filled with his own unscrupulous agendas to ever safely have him in their lives together and Sami knew it had taken EJ awhile to accept and deal with that aspect of his father but he'd done it for them and their future.

"I'm not saying that I've changed my mind about my father," said EJ quickly, seeing her expression.

"I know," said Sami softly, putting a hand to his face and looking at him lovingly, "I just want you to know that I understand and appreciate what you are sacrificing for us."

"It doesn't feel like a sacrifice," said EJ huskily, "Especially not now you are wearing my ring."

"Your ring," said Sami with a happy sigh, her face lighting up at the way that sounded.

Sami held her hand up in front of her and admired the way that the exquisitely cut gem caught the moonlight.

"Santo had great taste," said Sami, captivated by the way her ring was sparkling away so pretty, "He certainly could recognise quality when he saw it."

"Just like his grandson," said EJ huskily, kissing her bare shoulder and Sami knew they were no longer talking about jewellery.

"This is really happening isn't it?" asked Sami faintly, "I don't want to wake up tomorrow and find this was all a dream."

"This is real," EJ reassured her, "Completely and utterly, in every way."

"You were so nervous," said Sami with a little smile at the memory, touching his cheek, "You didn't need to be EJ."

"I couldn't help it," said EJ ruefully, "I was terrified that you were going to say no."

"You were?" asked Sami in disbelief, looking at him wide eyed, "Why on earth would you think that EJ? I've wanted to be your wife for the longest time now – I'd fantasise about this moment over and over in my head."

"And did it live up to expectations?" asked EJ with a soft smile.

"No," said Sami honestly and then hurried on when EJ's face dropped, "It was a thousand times better than anything I'd ever imagined EJ. Being here on the island, at this special place and that beautiful proposal-"

"I could only say your name," EJ interrupted sheepishly.

"When you say my name the way you do I hear everything that is in your heart EJ," Sami whispered, "Everything. My name on your lips is the sweetest sound in the world to me."

"I had so much more planned you know," said EJ, his eyes brightening at her admission, "I had planned it all out in my head with all the things I wanted to tell you Samantha but I just couldn't get it out."

"You can save them for our wedding vows," said Sami with a half smile, "But I already know EJ. You showed me everything I'd ever need to know about you when you made love to me yesterday. You fixed something that has been broken in me for so long I didn't even realise it."

"We are fixing each other Samantha," said EJ sincerely, "We'll never be what the world would call model citizens but in loving each other we are going to be the best people we were meant to be."

"Do you think anyone in the history of the world has ever felt like this before?" asked Sami softly, looking at EJ adoringly.

"Absolutely not," said EJ with great assurance, "No one has ever come close, I'm sure of it."

Sami had to laugh at his certainty and shook her head.

"I hope that isn't true," she said snuggling into him, "I think everyone in the world should feel like this at least once in their life."

"I think the world would be a happier place if that was true," EJ agreed, holding her tightly to him.

Sami sighed contentedly and just let the happiness she was feeling right then warm her from the inside out.

**oooOOOOooo**

Lucas leant against the counter of the kitchen and swallowed his last two pills, washing them down with orange juice that he hoped would stay down this time. He felt horrible and was kind of relieved that Sami wasn't there so he didn't have to put a brave face on for her. For all of the positive talking he did when she was around Lucas knew that things weren't looking good for him. Whilst his doctor's visits didn't bring any further bad news they weren't giving him any good news either. He'd already lived longer than they'd expected and Lucas had to wonder just how much longer he really had.

He walked over to the desk table and looked down at the paperwork on it. It was his life insurance policy and he'd just altered it to make sure Sami was on it to be beneficiary along with Will. It made him feel better to know that his family was going to be taken care of after he was gone and steeled his resolve for what he was planning. The truth was he didn't want to be some vegetable on a machine at the end and he had been starting to make plans for that eventuality. Some discrete enquiries had put him in contact with a man who had dealings with terminal patients wanting to have control of when they took their last breath.

Lucas wanted to go out on his own terms but there was a no suicide clause in his life insurance and he had to make it look like a natural part of the disease process and not a choice on his behalf. He hadn't told anyone about his plans, not envisaging a happy response from people. Lucas had decided that this was something he wanted to do and no one was going to talk him out of it. The newspaper had just been delivered and he picked it up, happy for a distraction from his current unhappy thoughts. The headlines on the front pages certainly turned out to be distracting enough.

"Holy crap!" Lucas exclaimed, his eyes widening as he began reading the article.

A knock at the door had Lucas wandering over to answer it, still reading. He opened the door and glanced up to see who it was.

Upon seeing his mother he hurriedly put his newspaper behind his back, hiding it from her.

"Hi Mom!" said Lucas brightly.

"Hello honey," smiled Kate, "I'm just bringing you your pills."

Kate had taken it upon herself to pick up and deliver his pills to him, saying it was one less thing Lucas had to worry about and she was happy to help.

"Oh thanks," said Lucas quickly, "I've just run out."

"Can I come in?" asked Kate with an arched eyebrow.

"Of course," said Lucas unevenly, looking at her intently and deciding she must not have seen the paper yet today.

"So how are you feeling?" asked Kate, walking into the room and turning around and smiling at him.

"Good," Lucas lied, "How are you?"

"What's wrong?" asked Kate, seeing how on edge he was.

"Nothing," said Lucas, trying to give her a carefree smile but apparently didn't carry it off.

"Lucas," said Kate sternly, not giving up.

"Alright," said Lucas with a sigh, knowing she was going to find out sooner or later anyway, "Have you seen today's paper?"

"No," said Kate with a frown, "Why?"

Lucas sighed heavily and handed her the paper that was behind his back. Kate took it and began to read the front, her mouth dropping open as her face went a bright red.

"SON OF A B-!!"

**oooOOOOooo**

"Do you want to take Jelly for a moonlight ride along the beach?" EJ suggested to her as dinner time was fast approaching, "Work up an appetite?".

They'd spent the day just being together - walking, talking and going for a swim in the ocean in between just eating and relaxing. Every time EJ caught a glimpse of his ring on Sami's finger it was all he could do not to do a little happy dance. He somehow managed to restrain himself but hadn't fully expected the effect this simple symbol of commitment to one another would have on him. It made him proud and so grateful that Sami had accepted his proposal and the proof of that acceptance lay on her finger.

"Sounds great," Sami said happily, looking up from where she was reading a book from the vast library the house contained.

EJ's cell phone rang and he moved to answer it.

"Don't forget it's eight o'clock yesterday morning," she reminded him, glancing at the clock on the wall and quickly doing the conversion in her head.

"Thank you my gorgeous talking clock," EJ said impishly as he answered the call, "Hello? Oh Kate it's you – you're sounding haggard my dear, how are you?"

Out of the corner of his eye EJ saw Sami smile at his little jab at the older woman as she kept on reading her book. EJ's attention was pulled from Sami though as Kate launched into a verbal attack.

"How dare you ask me how I am after what you did!" she raged at him, her voice so loud that EJ winced and had to hold the phone away from his ear a bit.

"Oh you're still not upset about the whole Mythic thing are you Kate?" asked EJ with a roll of his eyes, "It's been days, time to move on old girl. Your shares came up for sale and I bought them – it was a simple business transaction."

"Except that I didn't put them up for sale!" Kate snapped at him, "And if I did it certainly wouldn't have been at that price!"

"Oh well," said EJ easily, "Water under the bridge now eh darling?"

EJ sent Sami a wink, both of them clearly enjoying Kate's ire.

"I'm not ringing about the shares," said Kate, still sounding very angry, "I'm ringing about the newspaper article. Who the hell do you think you are EJ DiMera – to do something like that to me!"

"What newspaper article?" asked EJ in genuine confusion.

"Oh don't play the innocent with me EJ, like you don't know!" Kate spat out, "My entire past history splashed on the front page of the Salem Spectator!"

"Really?" said EJ in surprise, "Your entire history eh? I find that very hard to believe Kate."

EJ looked over at Sami who now all of a sudden seemed completely engrossed in her book.

"Well believe it!" Kate spat out.

"What I meant to say was that I find it hard to believe that your entire past would fit on the front page," said EJ, unable to help himself and he could hear Sami snickering now, "Was it an especially small font that they used or is there a PTO at the bottom of the page?"

"You BASTARD!"

EJ was forced to hold the phone away from his ear as Kate then launched into a vitriolic rampage about what he'd done to her. He caught words like public humiliation and promises of death or worse for this. EJ let her vent for a little bit, giving a considered look at Sami who still had her head down and supposedly reading as though her life depended on it but he wasn't fooled for a second. After a bit EJ decided that enough was enough.

"Kate darling," said EJ coolly, making himself heard over her stream of abuse, "Are you almost done because Estelle and I are just heading down to breakfast and I don't want to keep the lovely lady waiting?"

"This isn't over EJ!" Kate growled at him.

"I beg to differ," said EJ simply and hung up the phone on her.

He then turned around to look at Sami who was still reading. She looked up at him then and gave him an easy smile.

"Who was that?" she asked innocently.

"Kate," EJ answered her, playing along, "She was a little upset."

"Oh?" said Sami calmly, still claiming ignorance, "Why is that then?"

"It appears a rather large article was run on the front page of the Salem Spectator detailing some of the less than stellar moments of her life," said EJ, unable to stop himself from smiling at that thought.

He would have given a lot to see the expression on Kate's face when she'd first seen that. It would have definitely been worth catching but nothing less than she deserved to EJ's way of thinking. There was no doubt in his mind

"Oh no!" said Sami, giving a good impression of being distressed which only made EJ love her more, "That must have devastated Kate, how awful."

"She was a tad unhappy," agreed EJ in amusement.

"Wow," said Sami, looking wide eyed and still in shock, "It's almost as if someone rang the editor of the Salem Spectator and suggested a feature piece on the new wife of Salem's resident head bad buy and then supplied them with a lot of juicy details about her full life so far."

"That _is_ what it looks like isn't it?" agreed EJ, tongue in cheek, "I wonder who could have done such a thing?"

"I guess it's one of those things we'll never know," sighed Sami with regret, "Poor Kate – she must feel terrible having her past as a prostitute splashed on the front page of the newspaper for everyone in Salem to read. And all of those schemes she was involved in as well."

Sami shook her head and made a sad clucking noise.

"I bet it's going to be hard for her to show her face in public for awhile," said Sami, looking upset at that thought, "She'll be a social outcast – a pariah even. She'll be lucky if people don't spit on her in the street."

"That does sound like a terrible fate," EJ agreed, coming to sit down beside Sami on the sofa and looking at her admiringly, "I wonder what she could have done to deserve such a fate?"

Sami and EJ exchanged knowing looks, both of them sharing an intense moment of pleasure at the thought of the anguish Kate must be going through right now.

"Who knows?" said Sami with a little shrug, still playing the game, "But karma has a way of finding people and equalling things out."

"And do you think karma has had its day now?" asked EJ, looking at Sami curiously.

EJ adored seeing Sami push back against the woman who had wronged her so horribly and it made his heart jump for joy. Whilst he was more than happy to exact revenge on Kate for both of them it was with real pleasure he realised that Sami had some ideas of her own.

"I don't know," said Sami thoughtfully, "Karma seems to have a pretty big axe to grind when it comes to Kate."

"I wonder if karma knows how much I love her?" asked EJ, putting his arm around Sami's shoulder and moving in to start planting a series of kisses along her neck.

"I think karma might have an inkling," said Sami with a self satisfied smile and tilting her head to one side, "But it never hurts to make sure."

EJ lifted his head and looked at her with eyes darkened with his need of her.

"Early night then?" he asked huskily, giving her a hungry look.

"A very early night," Sami agreed as she leant in to kiss him.


	79. Chapter 226

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & TWENTY SIX**** – ****Race You to the Altar**

The real act of marriage takes place in the heart, not in the ballroom or church or synagogue. It's a choice you make, not just on your wedding day, but over and over again and that choice is reflected in the way you treat your husband or wife.

_Barbara De Angelis_

_(American researcher on relationships and personal growth)_

Sami walked down the stairs of the island mansion and headed towards the kitchen. She'd woken up alone in bed and wanted to start her day with a good morning kiss from EJ. She walked into the kitchen to find EJ standing behind the kitchen counter working away.

"Hello sweetheart," he called out cheerfully, "I was just making us some breakfast in bed to enjoy."

"Sounds good," said Sami with a sleepy smile.

EJ walked over to the other side of the kitchen and it was then that she noticed something.

"You're naked!" she exclaimed, staring at EJ's taunt and unadorned bottom cheeks as he grabbed down two coffee mugs from the cupboard.

"As a jay bird," agreed EJ happily as he turned back around and set down the coffee mugs on the counter.

"I've never had a completely naked man make me breakfast before," said Sami in amusement.

"It kept me on my toes when I was making the scrambled eggs," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "I was a bit worried about singing my important bits but it's all turned out for the best."

"Good," said Sami playfully, "I'm not finished with your important bits yet."

"And they are not finished with you sweetheart," said EJ throatily and gave her an impish wink.

Sami had to giggle at the promise in his face and felt her heart skip a beat. She watched as EJ began to put all the breakfast that he'd prepared for them on a tray and for some reason everything seemed impossibly perfect in that moment.

"Let's get married!" she blurted out, not even thinking about it.

"We are," EJ reminded her with a smile, "Hence the ring on your finger darling."

"No I mean today, now," said Sami urgently.

"Today?" repeated EJ, looking at her in surprise.

"EJ we've already been here two days," said Sami unhappily, "We've only got another four to go before we have to leave Ara Caman and go to Japan for a week. This is the only place we can be completely free with one another and not be afraid of people seeing our love and I want to spend that time being your wife."

Sami gave him a worried look now.

"Did you want a long engagement?" she asked uncertainly.

"No," said EJ slowly, "Of course not but you are technically married Samantha. As soon as that annoyance had been removed I was planning on marrying you as soon as I could."

"I know it's not ideal," said Sami quickly, hurrying over to where EJ was and coming to stand in the kitchen with him, "I know it's not even going to be legal technically but when have either one of us ever done things according to normal convention anyway? I want to be your wife EJ, I want to make those promises to you and have you know how committed I am to you and our life together. I don't know what is waiting for us back in Salem but I want you to be able to know that I'm your wife in every way that matters."

A slow smile spread over EJ's face at Sami's impassioned plea. She'd meant every word of it. Somehow it felt like a matter of life or death for them to be married now, Sami couldn't quite explain it but she knew it was important.

"Do you mean that?" asked EJ, looking at her intently, "Really?"

"EJ I've never meant anything more in my life," said Sami with utmost sincerity, "I know it won't be legal-"

"Which is rather apt in some ways for us just like you said," EJ interrupted her huskily, "Samantha nothing would thrill me more than to marry you today."

"So that's a yes then?" asked Sami a little apprehensively.

"That's a hell yes," said EJ, the biggest smile spreading across his face now.

"Yes," said Sami, nodding her head before launching herself into his arms, "We're going to get married today EJ!"

"Yes we are," said EJ, his voice catching a little as he hugged her tightly to him, "Yes we are Samantha."

**oooOOOOooo**

The rest of the day seemed to go in a blur as they made the decision to get married at sunset on the beach. They had both been busy organising things and Sami had banned EJ from going down to the beach while EJ had been up to some mysterious things of his own and Sami wasn't allowed out the back of the house. After having had lunch together Sami had suggested they not see each other until the wedding ceremony, just to add a little more spark to the moment and EJ had agreed. EJ had left Sami in the main house and taken himself off to the guest house to get ready. The same house they'd made that incredible love in during that thunderstorm. It was getting closer to the time they'd agreed on for getting married and Sami's stomach was a bundle of nerves.

She'd never felt like this with her other weddings. She'd been nervous certainly but mainly because she was frightened that her lies were going to find her out and it was all going to come crumbling down around her. Of course with this last time with Lucas the reverse had been the problem but now preparing to be married to EJ Sami only felt excited anticipation. Everything with this man was a first for her and Sami just knew that this wedding, legal or not, was going to make the others fade into the shadows where they belonged. She'd just come from fixing up the beach how she wanted it and was emerging from the shower when she discovered she'd had a little visitor.

Whilst she was in the shower EJ must have snuck into their room because laid out on the centre of the bed was a pair of white satin panties for her to wear. Beside that was a bouquet of blue wild flowers and beside that was a simple gold ring. Sami made a delighted gasping sound at the sight in front of her. Next to the little line of articles there was a white envelope and Sami picked it up and opened it, eager to see what EJ had written.

For my bride,

Something borrowed,

Something blue,

Something old,

And the something new I'll give to you soon...

EJ

Sami couldn't contain the smile on her face as she looked at EJ's gifts for her. The white panties were definitely a borrowed item despite his strenuous denials that he wasn't the panty thief and the bouquet EJ had picked for her was beautiful in a simple and rustic way. As for the something old she picked up the man's wedding ring that was on the bed. It was a plain gold band and Sami hadn't expected for her and EJ to be able to exchange rings. It seemed like EJ really was a man prepared for every eventuality. Sami have a happy sigh and walked over to her cupboard and pulled out the dress she'd chosen for their wedding.

A halter cream dress in satin – understated and elegant and one Sami hadn't even worn yet. It was an impulse buy at the time and she just hadn't had an occasion to wear it yet. She was so glad now that she hadn't because now it was going to be especially for EJ. Sami glanced at the clock by her bed and saw that it was less than half an hour until the time they'd scheduled to meet. Her heart skipped a beat at the thought before she quickly hurried to finish getting ready.

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ made his way down to the beach, fidgeting nervously with his cuff. He'd opted just to wear cream, loose fitting pants and an off white dress shirt that he had decided against tucking in. This was a beach wedding after all and somehow informality, considering their circumstances was the order of the day. EJ walked from the trees and onto the beach and came to an abrupt halt.

"My girl has been busy," he said to himself with a big smile.

The light was just starting to leave the day and the surrounds were bathed in that growing greyness but dotted along the beach were dozens of tea lights, all lit and making little pin points of brightness in the gathering gloom. Sami had obviously found the emergency stash of lighting in case the generator ever failed and EJ had to say he approved. He walked down amongst the twinkling lights that flickered in the slight breeze rolling in off the ocean, thick with the fragrance of salt and tropical warm coolness with the line of trees behind him. In the middle of all the lights was a big love heart drawn in the sand and EJ grinned to see it. It looked like Sami had decided where they were to exchange their vows and that was fine by him. In the middle of the love heart Sami had written ED + SB and EJ had to wish the tide would never come in again to wash her sweetness away.

EJ checked his watch and moved nervously from foot to foot. Perhaps no one in the world would agree with him but this felt like the most real of experiences to him. It didn't matter about the legalities of their situation, EJ knew that what Sami and he were about to do was utterly right. Even if they had another wedding ceremony in a church and surrounded by family and friends this would always be his and Sami's real wedding in his heart. They were always going to be an unconventional couple so this felt strangely fitting in a way. Of course EJ would have loved nothing more than to have the spectre of Lucas gone from their lives once and for all but nature was going to take care of that for him. Mind you if this went on for much longer EJ was seriously considering taking matters into his own hands.

After all was it really murder if someone was dying already?

Whilst EJ had no great issue about killing Lucas per se it was more about the impact it would have on Sami and Will. As much as he hated it Lucas had a place in Sami's heart and EJ didn't want to do anything that he felt he couldn't tell Sami about. The Alan Harris thing was an example of that. When she found out about his untimely demise which she no doubt would at some point and asked EJ would be able to answer her questions unflinchingly and stand by his decision to do what he'd done. He wasn't so certain that he'd be able to look Will in the eye though and explain his reasons for killing his father because EJ really did want a relationship with the teenager. Family EJ decided, was complicated.

"_It's because you're in the process of developing new instincts," a voice behind him piped up conversationally._

"Bloody hell!" said EJ loudly, whirling around to glare at the newcomer, "What are you doing here?!"

"_I'm your best man," said Sam who was wearing a white bikini, "See-"_

She pointed to the bow tie around her neck.

"_-I'm all dressed up for the occasion," said Sam brightly._

EJ eyed her string bikini warily and pulled a face.

"I don't think anyone could ever accuse you of being dressed for anything," said EJ dryly.

"_If that's a complaint this is the first I'm hearing about it," said Sami cheekily, taking a jab at EJ's usual avid interest in her barely there clothing. _

"Can I help you Sam?" asked EJ in annoyance, "I'm kind of in the middle of something important here – life changing actually."

"_I'm here because you rang," said Sam simply._

"I most certainly did not," said EJ shortly, "That last thing I want is you anywhere near this special moment for Samantha and I."

"_I was just listening to what you were thinking," said Sam casually as though he hadn't spoken, "I'm not sure you've got all your ducks in a row there."_

"Meaning?" said EJ tersely, glancing over at the tree line and making sure Sami hadn't arrived yet.

"_Meaning you keep going on about how much of a changed man you are but I wouldn't start resting on my laurels anytime soon," said Sam with a pointed look._

"Can't you talk gibberish at me another time?" asked EJ with a groan, "This really is an inconvenient time Sam."

"_You're the one contemplating murder on your wedding day," said Sam with an arched eyebrow, "Not me."_

"That has nothing to do with you," said EJ curtly, "My thoughts are none of your business."

"_Do you really think Sami would be so quick to walk down this sandy aisle to you if she thought there was a murderer waiting for her at the end of it?" asked Sam, ignoring him completely._

"I'm not a murderer," said EJ coolly.

"_Alan Harris might disagree with you on that one," said Sam wryly, "You know if he could talk right now instead of currently making his way through a worm's lower intestine."_

"Alan Harris got what he deserved," said EJ flatly, his face hardening.

"_Okay I'm prepared to give you a pass on that dirt bag," Sam agreed, "Particularly when we found out how scared Sami still was of him and the other women." _

"So glad I've got your approval," said EJ sarcastically, "Can you go now please?"

"_What has me worried though is what you are thinking about Lucas," continued on Sam blithely, "I mean a serial rapist is one thing but just killing a man because he's in love with Sami isn't quite the same thing now is it."_

"He's already dying," said EJ, throwing her an annoyed look.

"_Technically sugar lumps we are all dying," said Sam logically before looking a little pleased with herself, "Except for me of course. I'm going to remain this firm and hot forever."_

"When I die you die," EJ informed her coolly.

"_Oh right," Sam snorted, "Like I can't live without you Mr Vainy Mc Vain Vain."_

"You are ruining my happy day," said EJ with a groan, not bothering to argue anymore, "Why are you ruining my happy day Sam?"

"_I'm trying to save your happy day," Sam protested, "You need to work out who you are Elvis DiMera."_

"I'm currently getting more and more annoyed," said EJ sweetly, "Does that count?"

"_That's a what, not a who," Sam dismissed easily, "You can feel it can't you?"_

"Feel what?" asked EJ with a frown.

"_Something's coming," said Sam with a matching frown, "Something isn't right, you don't know what yet but not all the pieces are fitting together and it is making you uneasy."_

"I don't know what you are talking about," said EJ stiffly.

It was a moot point denying such a thing to Sam seeing as she was privy to all of his thoughts and feelings anyway but for the longest time EJ had felt that there were things he was missing. The feeling that events were happening around him which he had no knowledge about but that they could still affect him and more importantly he and Samantha's future. He hadn't been able to put his finger on it exactly but Sam was right, there was something no quite right going on in Salem. EJ was determined to get to the bottom of it and deal with those who might be making plans against them once and for all.

"_And see that's why I'm here," said Sam, throwing up her hands, "You need to work out who you are and how you go about things. If you don't spend time working out what your limits are then you'll just revert to the original factory settings which your father installed!"_

"Can we talk about this some other time?" said EJ with a scowl, "I'm about to get married."

"_Yes," said Sam with a disapproving look, "You're about to get married, to commit yourself to this woman for life and ask her to do the same. If you don't know who you are and what your limits are then you are going to be condemning that poor woman to a life time of angst of heart break."_

"NO!" said EJ sharply, "No! Samantha and I are going to be blissfully happy together. I'm not my father, I've proven that I can put someone else's needs ahead of my own, that I can sacrifice everything for one person."

"_Stefano sacrificed all of his dreams and hopes for his life to live out the expectations of another," pointed out Sam wisely, "His father Santo had a warped idea of revenge for all that he'd lost when Colleen died and Stefano sacrificed everything he could have had in his life to make his father's dream come true. That was a selfless act of love that has only caused pain and devastation to everything he touches."_

EJ looked at her in horror at that analogy, never having thought of it like that before.

"_Being selfless is wonderful EJ," said Sam, pressing her advantage, "When it is used in the right way but that right way can quickly become corrupted in the hands of a person whose moral compass is on the fritz. What you're about to do, binding your life to Sami's forever – that is a huge thing and now whatever your fate is then it will be hers too. You need to work out if you're the kind of man who would do anything if he thought he was justified or whether you've set internal limits for yourself about the important things."_

"I don't know what you are getting at," EJ said unsteadily, frightened that he did indeed know what Sam was saying but not wanting to hear it yet.

"_Would you ever hit Samantha?" asked Sam casually._

"NO!"

EJ practically yelled the answer at her.

"_Even if she wanted to leave you for another man or had hit you?" Sam pushed._

"No," said EJ unsteadily, "I'd never lay a finger on Samantha ever – no matter what the reason."

"_There you go," said Sam with a smile, "An internal limit. Now all you've got to do is set a few more of those when it comes to dealing with life's little hiccups and you'll be all set."_

"If you're referring to Lucas and my idle thoughts I've already decided against it," said EJ tersely.

"_For now," said Sam with an arched eyebrow, "What if Lucas is still around in six months time, a year? What kinds of justifications are you going to come up with for having him out of the picture then I wonder?"_

EJ looked away and grimaced. He truly didn't know what he would do if in a year's time Lucas was still lingering at death's door. Sam was right, he didn't have the normal compunctions that others had when it came to maiming and destroying others to get what he felt he deserved.

"_You are your father's son Elvis," said Sam quietly, "But there is still time for you to work out who you really are before your life ends the same way. His methods don't have to be yours."_

"Why are you doing this now?" asked EJ hoarsely, looking back at her with anguish in his eyes.

"_It's my wedding gift to you," said Sam with a lop sided smile and a bit of a shrug of her shoulders, "To remind you that you are far from having arrived at being the man you were meant to be tug muffin and not to stop trying to be a better man just because you're about to put a ring on Sami's finger. Your job is just beginning and you're signing up for a life time of putting her before your needs and considering the consequences of your actions for the family you are starting today. You are no longer alone EJ – your actions aren't just owned by you anymore once you say 'I do' and you need to really take that on board and step up to the plate buckaroo." _

"I'm not perfect," said EJ faintly, "I'll fail Samantha."

"_Of course you will," said Sam in real amusement, "That's not the point Elvis. Women don't want men to be perfect but to just keep on trying when they do screw things up. Do you think that all your ploys were what won Sami over in the end? Well it wasn't, it was because you kept trying and coming back time and time again. You proved your consistency to her, no matter what the circumstance. Now all you've got to do is keep on doing that for the rest of your lives."_

EJ felt his stomach tighten nervously at the prospect and had a moment of self doubt about whether he could be the man Sami needed him to be. He had always taken marriage very seriously but for the first time EJ had an inkling of what it was to be responsible for another person's happiness. EJ wanted nothing more than to make Sami happy but their life together was never going to be that simple – no one's was. It was daunting thing what he was taking on but EJ realised in that moment that even if he couldn't get it right all the time nothing in the world was going to stop him from getting up every new day and trying.

"_I guess now when you say 'I do' you know what it is you're agreeing to," said Sam with a satisfied nod at EJ's internal conclusion. _

EJ looked over at her and she gave him a little wink before suddenly he was alone again. EJ turned and looked out at the seemingly never ending ocean, the brilliant orange sun beginning to dip near the horizon now and change the water to a glorious amber colour. It was huge what he and Sami were doing here this evening but EJ couldn't imagine himself with any other woman for the rest of his life. This was all he'd ever wanted since first laying eyes on Sami and even though he was just beginning to understand what it might mean to be a husband EJ knew that he wanted to make this commitment to Sami more than he wanted to take his next breath.

"EJ?"

The sound of Sami's soft voice behind him had EJ whirling around and the sight of her caused his last breath to leave his body. She smiled a soft little smile at him, standing on the edge of all the lit candles, about fifteen feet away from him and EJ's was hers forever.


	80. Chapter 227

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & TWENTY SEVEN**** – ****My Endless Love**

Passion is the quickest to develop, and the quickest to fade. Intimacy develops more slowly, and commitment more gradually still.

_~Robert Sternberg~_

EJ knew he was just staring at Sami like an idiot but he couldn't seem to do anything else but do just that. Sami looked like a vision to EJ as she slowly began to walk towards him. She was like an angel with stars dancing at her feet thanks to the tea lights and EJ began to feel a little dizzy, his palms beginning to sweat profusely. Sami came to a halt just in front of him and smiled this serene smile up at him that made EJ just want to start kissing her and never stop.

"Hello," she said with the sweetest smile up at him.

"Hel-hello," replied EJ and to his embarrassment his voice cracked like a thirteen year old boys.

Sami's smile widened on hearing his obvious nervousness.

"It's not too late you know," she teased him with a little laugh, "We can always do this another time EJ."

"No," said EJ urgently, unable to take his eyes off her, "This is the night Samantha, this is the moment that it was meant to happen."

Sami arched a little eyebrow in surprise at his certainty but didn't quibble.

"So this is it then," said Sami softly.

"This is most definitely it," agreed EJ whole heartedly.

Sam's impromptu visit had given EJ a lot to think about in a short period of time but it had only ended up making him more certain that marrying Sami was the right thing to do and that he was determined to be the kind of husband she deserved.

"Thank you for my gifts," said Sami with a tremulous smile.

"Thank you for yours," said EJ, touching her face.

"I didn't give you anything EJ," said Sami in surprise.

"You've given me everything Samantha," said EJ unsteadily, knowing what it had taken Sami to give him all of her trust.

"Yes I have," agreed Sami softly and once again EJ had the sense of what he was taking on but with Sami standing there smiling up at him it didn't feel so daunting.

In fact it felt like he was about to start living properly for the first time in his life. Living just for himself had never been a satisfying experience he was just realising. Now that there was another focus in his life other than just himself EJ was realising what it was to truly be alive.

"Do you want to go first?" Sami asked him with a small smile.

"Ladies first," said EJ with a little shake of his head and a smile.

"Before we do EJ," said Sami, looking up at him curiously, "I have to ask – where did you find wedding rings on a deserted island?"

"They are the ones Santo had made for Colleen when they were going to be married," said EJ.

"But Santo didn't know if Colleen was going to accept his proposal and then she died almost immediately after," said Sami in confusion, "How could Santo already have wedding rings made?"

"I guess he just had faith," said EJ with a lop sided smile.

"And you just happened to bring them to Ara Caman with you is that the story EJ?" Sami teased him.

"Actually," said EJ and paused, giving her a sheepish look, "My father gave me the rings just after he told me about Santo and Colleen and I've been carrying them with me ever since."

"You have?" asked Sami in surprise.

"I guess faith runs in the family," said EJ with a quirk of his lips.

"Wow," said Sami with a shake of her head.

"Is that a bit too much do you think?" asked EJ a little nervously, wondering what Sami would make of what he had done.

"I think I'm about to marry the most stubborn and single minded man in the world," said Sami with a huge smile, "And I couldn't be happier about that."

"Good," said EJ with a sigh of relief, "Because I don't think I could change that about me."

"EJ," said Sami, suddenly very serious now, "I don't want you to change. I'm not one of those women who marries a man thinking they can 'fix' them once they are married. You are perfect to me right now, flaws and all and I wouldn't change anything about you. The man you are right now is the man I want to marry and be married to for the rest of my life."

Sami's words just made EJ want to strive even harder to be a better man for her and for the first time he had a glimpse of what his unconditional love must be like for her because that was exactly what she was offering him right then. To have someone accept you so wholeheartedly for who you were just made you want to do more, to be more and in a strange twist Sami had just given him the same gift he'd given her before EJ even realised he knew it.

"Was that your wedding vow?" asked EJ teasingly and trying to bring the intensity level down a bit because if he didn't this wedding ceremony was going to consist of him crying like a little girl and little else.

"When have you ever known me to have so little to say?" asked Sami with a laugh, "I've been thinking about my vows all day EJ and there is so much I want to say to you."

Sami took his hand then, still holding her bouquet in the other.

"EJ," she said huskily and he knew they were about to do this and he just prayed that when it came time for his vows that his mind wouldn't go completely blank like it had during the proposal.

"I've taken a lot of wrong turns in life," said Sami unevenly, looking up at him with big blue eyes, "So many that I thought I'd never be happy and even worse, that I didn't deserve to be happy."

EJ made a pained grimace at the thought of Sami believing that, the notion still unbelievable to him.

"But then you exploded into my life," said Sami with a soft smile, "And messed it up completely."

EJ smiled at her description of what had happened and couldn't argue with her.

"I was all ready to settle," continued on Sami wryly, "To make myself into the kind of woman others expected me to be because I didn't think the real Sami Brady was worth fighting for."

Sami squeezed his hand then.

"But then there was you EJ," she said, her voice choked with emotion, "And you fought for her, tooth and nail you fought for the real Sami Brady and ruined all of my plans just to let her fade away into nothingness. I made it so hard for you and for me but you didn't give up."

Sami put her hand on EJ's chest now as she looked up at him with such love in her eyes.

"Thank you," she said softly, "For never giving up, for rescuing me when I didn't even know I needed it."

EJ blinked rapidly as he felt the hot sting of tears in his eyes at Sami's words and was forced to swallow hard at the sudden lump in his throat.

"You asked me once on this island to tell you seven things that I liked about you and I didn't answer you properly," said Sami unsteadily, clearly emotional as well, "But now I want to tell you seven things that I love about you EJ DiMera."

Sami took a deep breath and just spoke from her heart.

"I love your strength," Sami told him emotionally, "Not only because you always let me borrow some of it when I need it but because instead of using that to change me you've used it to set me free and let me be who I was always meant to be."

EJ's heart swelled to hear her say that, knowing that was one of his dreams that Sami should feel that way.

"I love the way you make me want to kiss you and kill you all in the same moment," said Sami with a tremulous smile, "I love that you are relentless and that you drive me crazy with all that stubbornness. I love the way you laugh and the little lines around your eyes when you do. I love the way you always look for me first when you walk into a room."

EJ swallowed hard again, feeling himself starting to get choked up now as Sami spoke. It was all he'd ever wanted to hear her say and more.

"I love the way you tease me until all I want to do is strangle you and then you kiss me and I can't remember why it was that I was mad with you in the first place," said Sami with an impish smile.

EJ gave a little laugh at that.

"I'll remember that," he told her huskily with a cheeky wink.

"I know you will," said Sami with a laughing groan.

"One more," EJ prompted her, not sure his heart could take much more but unable to get enough of what Sami was saying to him.

"I know," said Sami with a quirk of her lips, "I love that you're not perfect, that you are just as broken and messed up as I am."

EJ arched an eyebrow at that last thing and Sami explained.

"I love that the most about you EJ," she told him quietly, her own eyes beginning to look bright now, "Because when you put your arms around me it feels like I've come home to the man who understands me and loves me anyway. You're my equal, the other part of myself that I've been looking for all of this time EJ and now I'm not alone anymore."

"You'll never be alone again Samantha," EJ vowed to her unevenly, touching her face with his finger tips and letting her see the fierce intent in his eyes, "Never."

"I know," said Sami with a brilliant smile, "I know EJ."

"I promised you something new Samantha," said EJ, his voice thick with emotion after all that she'd just said, "And here it is. I promise you a new life, a clean slate. Our story begins here and now, our life begins right this minute. What came before, all the things we've done is over with. All the mistakes and wrong turns they don't matter anymore. No more looking back, just looking forward. I can't promise you a life without pain or heartache Samantha, would that I only could, so I'll promise you this instead."

EJ drew Sami a little closer now, let her see the utter certainty in his eyes.

"I'll never leave you," EJ swore to her, his voice suddenly hoarse, "I'll always love you Samantha, no matter what there will never be another woman in the world for me. You'll never have to look at me and wonder if you are still in my heart because I will show you every day that you are. I'll always accept you for who you are Samantha, even when you are driving me crazy or making me lose my mind – in fact I love you even more when you do."

Sami put her hand to her chest again and looked like she was having trouble breathing as EJ continued on.

"I promise you I will put you first sweetheart," vowed EJ, "Before my father, my mother, everyone else in my life and when our children start to arrive I'm going to strive to be the kind of father that will have our children growing up knowing they are loved unconditionally."

"I know you will EJ," said Sami, a single tear slipping down her cheek.

"Nothing is real until I share it with you," said EJ hoarsely, looking her squarely in the eye, "You're my touch stone, my way home, my salvation. Without you in my life, by my side food has no flavour, sleep has no rest and love has no meaning. I knew you the moment I saw you, knew that I was meant to be yours forever. Your name was inscribed into my soul before I was even born and I am completely and utterly yours."

EJ reached out and cupped Sami's face tenderly.

"Only you Samantha," he said raggedly, "There will only ever be you."

"EJ," Sami whispered, another tear sliding down her cheek.

"Be mine forever beautiful girl," he pleaded with her quietly, "Just like I am yours."

Sami nodded and smiled up at him through her happy tears.

"Together?" EJ said huskily, his voice strained from all of the emotion of that moment.

Sami knew what he meant and nodded as they retrieved the wedding rings. They both lifted up their left hands and then Sami and EJ with their other hands placed their wedding rings on the others hand. It was such a moment of unity as the bands slid into place that EJ could never find the words to explain how utterly complete he felt at that moment.

"I take you Samantha Brady to be my wife from this day and forever more," EJ said emotionally, his eyes not leaving hers.

"I take you EJ DiMera to be my husband from this day and forever more," said Sami, her eyes becoming very bright with unshed tears.

As the rings slid into place on both of their fingers a single shooting star blessed the heavens making them gasp as its brightness made both Sami and EJ look up. Almost immediately after a brilliant meteorite shower followed, lighting up the heavens briefly in a streak of celestial fireworks that captivated the newlyweds.

"Oh," said Sami when she could speak again, still amazed that the display had been so beautiful and had happened at that perfect moment.

"I think Santo and Colleen approve," said EJ unevenly, greatly moved as well.

"That wedding gift is going to be hard to beat," said Sami, her face glowing now with happiness, "EJ?"

"Yes Samantha?" asked EJ, looking down at her and thinking she'd never looked more beautiful than she did right then.

"Your wife was just wondering if you were ever going to get around to kissing the bride?" Sami asked him with an impish gleam in her eyes.

EJ just smiled, not answering her but instead gather Sami in his arms and kissing her with all the love he had for her inside of him. It was probably just as well that there was no one to see that kiss because it certainly wasn't the chaste kiss that was the proper etiquette for such things. They finally broke the kiss but stayed in each other's arms.

"Mrs DiMera," said EJ throatily feeling like his heart was about to burst from happiness.

"Mr DiMera," said Sami with a happy sigh.

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami had prepared a light supper for them to enjoy but to be honest she could barely taste a thing. She was still in a heightened sense of bliss over what she and EJ had just done on the beach. As many weddings as Sami had already had and almost had in her young life not one of them had felt so real and meaningful as what she and EJ had just done. Sami didn't care about legalities or other such trifles then – all she knew was that she was completely and utterly EJ's wife and no one elses. Ara Caman allowed them the wonderful luxury of pretending the rest of the world didn't exist and Sami was going to take that gift with both hands and not let go of it until she absolutely had to.

"Shall we go to bed Mrs DiMera?" asked EJ when they were done, picking up her hand and kissing the back of it.

Sami knew she'd never tire of him calling her that which was funny when she thought about it because last time she was on the island such a concept had terrified her. But it had only been her true self that she'd been running from so desperately last time, not EJ and now that she'd stopped running Sami only knew true happiness and contentment.

"I'd like that Mr DiMera," said Sami, feeling her heart skip a beat and her pulse begin to race.

They'd had a wonderful meal just chatting generally about everything that came to mind but there was an underlying tension between them as well. As crazy as it seemed Sami could feel that they were both nervous about consummating their marriage. She supposed it was because that despite the unhappy situation she found herself in with Lucas right then Sami knew that both she and EJ took marriage very seriously. Even though they'd made love just last night now they were going to be doing it as man and wife in every way that mattered. People might argue that the rings they were both sporting on their fingers now was a relic from a bygone era and that such things weren't important anymore but Sami couldn't find it in her heart to agree with them.

What EJ and she had done on that beach was vitally important and such a huge step in their relationship. Despite being divorced more times then she cared to think about Sami truly didn't believe in such a thing. What she and EJ had done was a life time commitment and she took that extremely seriously. It seemed to add depth and meaning to everything between them now and that was why she was nervous about their lovemaking even as she longed for it. EJ stood up and pulled back Sami's chair so she could stand up as well. They walked hand in hand to the foyer where the staircase would take them upstairs to their bedroom but EJ stalled her.

"This way," he told her with a smile.

"EJ?" asked Sami curiously as he led her out the front door.

"I have a surprise for you," said EJ with a wink.

"I don't think my heart can take any more surprises," said Sami with a laugh but even as she protested she couldn't wait to find out what else EJ had in store for her.

They walked along the side of the house, past the guest house and a little deeper into the jungle. There was a little clearing ahead but by this time it was so dark that Sami couldn't really see anything other than there wasn't any trees there. She looked up at EJ expectantly as, still holding her hand he reached up with his other to somewhere above his head to the right of them. There seemed to be some kind of extension cord hanging from a tree with a power board and that was what EJ was reaching for.

All of Sami's questions were answered when EJ flicked the switch and suddenly the clearing was lit up in a sudden flooding of light. There were party lights strung from all the of the surrounding trees which illuminated the little area and Sami assumed that the extension cord must run back to the generator by the house. What really caught Sami's eye though was the fact that there was a wrought iron queen bed sitting in the middle of that clearing, all made and ready for them.

"EJ!" Sami gasped in disbelief at seeing a bed in the middle of the jungle like that, "How did you do this?!"

"It took a bit of doing getting it down the stairs by myself," said EJ with a chuckle, "But it is one of the beds from the guest house – I wanted our first night as husband and wife to be memorable."

Sami looked up at him wide eyed, knowing now what EJ had been doing today while she'd been organising dinner and the beach. It was still hard to imagine how one man had managed to manoeuvre such a big bed down the stairs by himself but if anyone could do it then it was EJ. He'd even managed to sprinkle the luxuriously made up bed with flower petals and Sami could hardly believe how romantic it all looked.

"I can't believe you did all of this for me," said Sami faintly.

"Why wouldn't I do such a thing for my new bride?" asked EJ throatily as he moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing Sami back to him, his lips at her ear.

Sami couldn't help the little shiver that ran through her at the thought she was EJ's bride now.

"Are you cold?" he asked her solicitously, drawing her back closer to his warmth.

"I don't think I'll ever be cold again," admitted Sami as his warmth and love enveloped her.

Sami turned around in his arms and looked up at EJ with a big smile.

"Thank y-" she began but EJ put his finger to her lips to stop her.

"Love never means having to say thank you," he told her with a smile.

"Actually the saying is that love never means having to say you are sorry," Sami corrected him in amusement.

"I'm a realist Samantha," said EJ tongue in cheek, "I'm not envisaging a life together without me having to say sorry on a pretty regular basis."

"Clever boy," said Sami with a laugh at that, "You really do know me."

"Not so much that you don't surprise me every single day," said EJ throatily, "You are a glorious enigma in so many ways to me sweetheart and I'll never get tired of the puzzle that is Samantha Jean DiMera."

"EJ," said Sami, wrinkling her nose, "This is going to sound crazy but-"

"I'm nervous too sweetheart," EJ interrupted her.

"You are?" asked Sami in surprise.

"I want this to be perfect Samantha," said EJ sincerely.

"Every time is perfection with you EJ," Sami told him emotionally, "Every time."

EJ gave a slow smile at hearing that. He cupped her face with his hands.

"I love you," he said and it sounded more like a vow.

"I love you," she whispered back, feeling her stomach muscles clench in excited anticipation of EJ's first kiss.

As soon as EJ's lips touched her own Sami felt all of her fears just dissolve away. There was only the two of them in the world and this was the most perfectly right moment. EJ's kisses continued to undo her even as his hands began to stroke Sami's body. She felt his finger tips dance up her spine, along her shoulders and arms – a light, tickling touch that had Sami yearning for more. Her dress was held up by a tie at her neck and EJ's nimble fingers made short work of it. Sami felt the soft material shimmy down her body until it was a pool of cream satin at her feet. She was left now only in the white panties EJ had regifted to her as the dress hadn't required a bra.

EJ's hands were now on her bare skin and she felt her nipples harden painfully at the sensation. He must have felt their hard points against his chest because EJ abruptly broke their kiss only to bend his head and seek out one perky nub and then the other hungrily. Sami groaned and buried her fingers into his dark hair as his skilful mouth did all the things to her sensitised peaks that she just loved. Her panties were almost immediately soaked through thanks to his thorough ministrations. EJ suckled, nipped and teased at this delicate part of Sami's body until she didn't think she could stand it any longer.

Eventually Sami felt EJ reluctantly pull his mouth from her body to survey his handiwork. He gave a satisfied growl at the sight of the pink and swollen nubs and gave them each a quick kiss before bending down and picking Sami up in his arms. EJ laid her down on the bed, his hungry gaze sweeping her body before quickly divesting himself of his own clothing. As he came to stand by the bed Sami was left in no doubt as to how much he wanted her right then. His manhood was at full attention and clearly longing for her. It never failed to amaze and thrill Sami that she could do that to his body.

EJ came sat on the edge of the bed and placed a large warm hand on Sami's inner thigh. He watched her face with rapt attention as he moved it higher until his fingers were against the scrap of material covering her core from him. EJ rubbed his fingers against the soaked material, forcing Sami's helpless body to make more moisture for him to discover. EJ made a guttural sound of approval at her body's eagerness as his fingers slipped past the barrier of her panties to find her slick and dripping centre. Sami groaned and arched her back as she was invaded by two of his fingers, feeling them stretch her pleasingly.

She reached out and wrapped one hand around EJ's straining manhood which was twitching wildly throughout his voyage of discovery. EJ gave a groan of his own as Sami squeezed him tightly, her thumb rubbing his velvety tip teasingly even as his body supplied its own lubrication in the form of pre-cum, oozing from his tip. They continued to torment one another briefly before EJ obviously decided he couldn't take anymore. He moved so that he was on the bed with her, drawing Sami into his arms.

EJ kissed her deeply before his hands moved to make short work of her now drenched underwear. It took him barely any time at all before Sami was now as naked as he was. Sami began kissing along EJ's neck and chest, adoring the taste of his skin in her mouth. EJ's hand went to her breast, massaging it while Sami licked and kissed her way up and down his torso. The urgency between them was building but they were both holding off for as long as they could, wanting to prolong this moment. EJ drew Sami back into his arms to kiss her, rolling on his side a little bit even as Sami slung one leg over his hip. She could feel the throbbing heat of his hardness against her stomach and was suddenly desperate to have him inside of her again.

"Now," she panted the request against his lips, "Take me now EJ."

EJ's hips instinctively jerked against hers at that breathy request and he didn't need to be asked twice. Sami settled herself back on the bed as EJ moved over her. Sami parted her legs to accommodate him even as she felt his tip pressing for entry against her opening. She wrapped her arms around EJ's neck, drawing him down on her so that their bodies were touching. EJ kept most of his weight off Sami by resting on his elbows but there was enough there to create a perfect friction between their bodies. EJ held her wide eyed gaze unblinkingly as he oh so slowly mounted her. They both felt her body give way to his and to her amazement she saw tears fill EJ's eyes. Sami felt herself well up as their bodies consummated the promises they'd made each other on the beach.

"I'm yours," she whispered up to him and EJ gave a groan at hearing that, the emotion between them at fever pitch.

"I'm yours," he repeated back to her raggedly, his body beginning to move inside of hers now.

They quickly found their rhythm, Sami unable to help herself from making complaining noises every time EJ all but withdrew from her body. She knew each time that she was going to be rewarded with him driving himself ever more forcefully into her body but being without him, even for that split second was making her crazy. They made love for a long time, both of them knowing the others body so well by now that as one began to lose control the other would calm them before they started again. In the end Sami couldn't remember a time when EJ hadn't been inside of her body, labouring away and bringing them both so much pleasure.

She knew it was going to have to end, wanted the bliss of that last explosion desperately but didn't want EJ to stop what he was doing. Finally there was no other choice for Sami as EJ's strokes inside of her became so frantic that all he could do was empty himself into her as he climaxed noisily through gritted teeth. The force of his release and the feeling of EJ pumping his seed into her while he shouted out his adoration of her pushed Sami past the point of no return. Her husband's climaxing body was her undoing and Sami was quickly joining him in a series of powerful orgasms that had definitely been worth the wait.

EJ, as was often the way with him, refused to leave her once he was spent, instead rolling on his side and taking Sami with him, still inside of her. He'd told her once that there was no point leaving her body the first few times because he was going to be ready to go again within minutes anyway. His confession had made her come helplessly one more time and since then EJ had always enjoyed staying right where he was for a long time afterwards. Sami looked up at EJ's sweaty face that was glowing with contentment and knew she must have the exact same expression on her face right now.

"What are you thinking?" she panted, still trying to catch her breath.

A self satisfied look came over EJ's face at her question. Sami was expecting him to say some kind of beautiful and eloquent expression of his deep and abiding love for her.

"I'm thinking I just came inside of my wife," EJ growled, looking down at her with the territorial possessiveness that always made her toes curl, "Twice in fact and I can't wait to do it again."

"EJ!" said Sami in a laughing complaint at his lascivious bluntness, "Is this the kind of talk I can expect now that we are married?"

"Absolutely," said EJ with a lecherous smile.

"Oh," said Sami with a pout before giving him a sly smile of her own and pulling him down into a heated kiss, "Goody."


	81. Chapter 228

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & TWENTY EIGHT**** – ****A New Day**

Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect.

It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections.

_~Anonymous~_

Sami slowly came awake, momentarily disorientated. She blinked in the slowly appearing morning light and looked up at the trees above her in confusion. Putting her hand to her face to rub her eye Sami caught sight of her wedding band on her finger and it all came rushing back to her. A huge smile split Sami's face as she remembered the events of yesterday. She turned her head to see EJ still sleeping soundly beside her in their jungle bed.

Sami went to snuggle closer to him when her foot contacted something soft and furry at the bottom of the bed under the sheets. Sami's eyes opened to the size of saucers when she felt the furry thing begin to scrabble around. She had absolutely no idea what it could be and began to panic. She and EJ were naked underneath the sheet that they were currently occupying with god knows what and Sami wanted to be as far away from the thing as she could possibly be.

"OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD!" she began to scream, thrashing about wildly as the thing began to move all around, obviously looking for a way out as well.

"BLOODY HELL!" exclaimed EJ, having been woken from a very deep sleep to find Sami screaming in his face and thrashing about wildly.

There were arms, legs and sheets everywhere and EJ couldn't get his bearings, especially while Sami was yelling her head off. He blinked rapidly trying to focus but Sami wasn't making it easy.

"IT'S ON ME!" she bellowed, "IT'S TOUCHING ME! OH GOD I'M GOING TO DIE!!"

EJ opened his mouth to try and reassure her but it was too late. Sami's mad scrabbling about had them both on the edge of the bed and with last frantic kick from her it saw both of them tumbling out of bed onto the unforgiving jungle floor in a squirming mass. Sami was still kicking wildly, uncertain if she'd taken the creature with her but just then a orange brown coloured creature bolted from the bed and scrambled up a tree, taking its time to look down at her accusingly. Sami stared up at it wide eyed, having no idea what it was.

"WHAT IS IT?!" Sami screamed at the top of her lungs, "WHAT IS IT?!"

EJ tried to peer out from underneath the tangled heap of Sami and sheets to see a little furry creature with a black and white striped tail make good its escape.

"It's a coatimundi," said EJ, beginning to laugh now that he saw they were in no danger.

"A what?" asked Sami in horror, still sure she could feel it all over her.

"A coatimundi," EJ said again in amusement, "It's like a raccoon – lives in trees around here."

"Is it venomous?" asked Sami anxiously, "Oh god I think it bit me."

"Really?" asked EJ in concern.

"Ah no, maybe not," Sami confessed uncertainly, "I think I kicked it several times though."

"Poor thing," said EJ wrinkling his nose, "And no, they are not venomous."

"Poor thing!" Sami huffed, trying to sit up a bit more even as she was still sprawled over EJ, "It attacked me! What was it even doing in bed with us anyway if they are meant to live in trees?!"

"It probably thought it had found a nice warm bed for the night," EJ said with a chuckle, "And instead woke up in a tumble dryer."

"Oh god why are all these things out to get me?" asked Sami unsteadily, beginning to calm down

a bit now after the initial shock, "This whole place is just teeming with critters. It's like a-"

Sami stopped abruptly, realising what she was about to say.

"-a jungle out there?" EJ supplied in real amusement.

"I was half way through that sentence when I knew I was in trouble," said Sami with a rueful laugh at his teasing.

"I feel like we are really on Ara Caman now," said EJ impishly, "Being launched out of beds is rather a hallmark experience for us here."

"One I could live without," Sami groaned.

She smiled down at him and he smiled back, both of them clearly thinking about their wedding on the beach in that moment.

"Hello Mrs DiMera," said EJ throatily, looking up at her adoringly.

"Hello Mr DiMera," said Sami a little shakily, her heart still pounding from her fright.

Sami bit her bottom lip as the events of last night overwhelmed her.

"We're married," she said in wonder.

"In every way that matters," agreed EJ huskily, "The universe even approved our union."

"That was something else alright," Sami said, a huge smile coming to her lips as she remembered the meteor shower as they'd exchanged rings, "I don't think anyone has ever had a more beautiful wedding then we did."

"Or a more eventful wakeup call the next day," said EJ playfully, "And I would love nothing more to make it even more memorable for you right now but I currently have a rock wedged into my spine that is making its presence known in a rather unpleasant way."

"Oh EJ I'm sorry!" Sami gasped, quickly scrambling off him, "Are you alright?"

EJ sat up, still tangled in all of the sheets of the bed and rubbed his back with a rueful smile.

"I'll live," he announced.

"Here," said Sami, offering him her hand as she stood up.

EJ used it to pull himself to his feet and in the same fluid motion to take Sami into his arms, both of them still naked from last night.

"I'm up," he informed her with a grin.

"In more ways than one," Sami giggled as she felt him already stirring against her thigh.

"I'm on my honeymoon," EJ informed her knowingly as he backed her towards the bed, "I'm allowed to be horny."

"And how is that different from when it wasn't our honeymoon exactly?" Sami laughed as they tumbled back onto the bed.

"Why don't I show you?" offered EJ cheekily.

"Yes please," Sami sighed happily as she lay back on the bed and EJ began to kiss his way down her body, settling between her legs.

Sami arched her back in excited anticipation but couldn't help but send a nervous look out to the canopy of trees overhead, wary of where their uninvited bedfellow might have gotten to.

"Hey," said EJ, playfully nipping her inner thigh when he saw her momentary distraction, "The only furry creature you need to worry about between your legs right now is me Mrs DiMera."

Sami burst out laughing at that observation and couldn't argue with him.

"Well then Mr DiMera," she said playfully, putting her hand to his head and pushing it towards the apex of her thighs, "You'd better show me what you mean."

EJ spent the next hour doing just that and at the end of it all they were both a sweating, heaving heap of contentment. Sami was so happy then that she could barely breath but she couldn't help her thoughts from wandering.

"EJ," said Sami after a little while of them snuggling, "You know men don't you?"

"What _are_ you implying sweetheart?" asked EJ with a quirk of his lips.

"I mean men who'll do whatever you ask them to do with no questions asked," Sami clarified, a plan brewing in her mind, not done with Kate yet.

"Again, just what [i[_are_ you implying sweetheart?" asked EJ teasingly.

"Nothing," Sami giggled.

She looked over him with a cheeky look then.

"I was just wondering if I could ask for a special wedding gift from you?" asked Sami, a twinkle in her eye.

"I rather thought I just gave you one," said EJ mischievously as he snuggled in closer and nuzzled her neck.

"And that was very nice," agreed Sami in amusement, "But I had something else in mind actually."

EJ lifted his head and eyed her speculatively.

"What is going on in that gloriously wicked mind of yours I wonder?" EJ pondered, his eyes lighting up at the thought of a wicked Sami.

A slow smile spread across Sami's face as she leant in towards him in a conspiratorial fashion.

"Well..."

**oooOOOOooo**

"Hey Mom," said Lucas, stepping back from the door and letting his mother in, "How are you?"

Kate swept past him and turned around and seemed to be choosing her words carefully.

"Fine," she said at last.

"Are you over the newspaper thing?" asked Lucas a bit tentatively.

"Of course honey," she said with a fake smile.

"It will blow over," Lucas tried to be supportive.

"I'm sure it will," said Kate with a tight smile.

"I mean sticks and stones as the saying goes," continued on Lucas encouragingly.

"Will break bones," said Kate with somewhat of an evil smile at that thought which had Lucas concerned.

"But there is no point in obsessing about it seeing as you don't know who was responsible right?" Lucas prompted her.

"No point at all if I didn't know who did it," agreed Kate coolly, "Which as you said, I don't."

Lucas didn't know if he was completely convinced by her little act but had other things on his mind right then.

"So how are you?" asked Kate, abruptly changing the subject.

"Pretty much over people asking me that question," said Lucas flatly.

"We're all just concerned about you honey," said Kate sincerely, "You should be happy so many people care."

"I guess dying does bring out people's sentimentality," said Lucas flatly, "Phillip has been visiting me every other day and when he's not here Billie is."

"But that's lovely that your brother and sister are doing that," Kate protested.

"Yes there is nothing like guilt to make you put that extra effort in," said Lucas wryly.

"Stop it," said Kate firmly, "Phillip and Billie love you Lucas and want to spend time with you."

"Well it's true I'm a lot of fun to be around these days," Lucas dead panned.

"Why are you in such a mood?" asked Kate, wrinkling her nose, "I'm the one who has had her past splashed across the local newspaper like I was some common little tramp – not you."

"Yes Mom," said Lucas with a roll of his eyes, "I forgot how it is all about you. I'm only dying – you on the other hand was caused a little embarrassment."

"It was more than a little," said Kate in annoyance, "I've been publically humiliated."

"And what did your new hubby have to say about all this?" asked Lucas curiously.

"It didn't seem to bother him at all," said Kate sullenly, folding her arms in front of her chest, "If anything he seemed to find it vaguely amusing."

"I thought he'd be upset," said Lucas in surprise.

"Why?" asked Kate with an arched eyebrow, "Did you think Stefano would be concerned that I'd caused a black mark on the name of DiMera? If anything I think he rather enjoys having a wife with a colourful past."

"Sicko," Lucas growled unhappily at the thought.

"Oh sorry," said Kate sweetly, "And when exactly did your bride leave the convent Lucas? You are one to talk about men being attracted to women with ugly pasts!"

"Wow," said Lucas mockingly, "We almost went a whole five minutes without you maligning Sami – is that a new record for you Mom?"

"I don't know why you continue to be surprised with my disdain for Sami Brady," said Kate curtly, "I've never made any secret of it."

"Sami Roberts," Lucas corrected her quickly.

"Mm," said Kate, sounding disinterested in the conversation now.

She walked over to the other side of the room and went to put down the pills she was still carrying for him and as she did Kate frowned and picked up a piece of paper.

"Who's Dr McCallum?" she asked, looking at Lucas intently.

Lucas cursed under his breath at himself for being so careless. Without Sami there he hadn't felt the need to hide anything away. He hadn't counted on his mother's eagle eye.

"No one," said Lucas quickly, going to take it off her.

"He's clearly not no one," said Kate, her lips thinning into a worried line, "Who is he Lucas?"

Lucas weighed up the pros and cons of telling his mother the truth and even though he wasn't sure it was a great idea he decided to tell her his plans. It had always been hard for him to keep anything from her.

"He's a doctor," said Lucas reluctantly.

"Yes I got that already," said Kate dryly, "What kind of doctor?"

"A doctor who specialises in-" Lucas paused, not sure really how to tell his mother this.

"In what?" asked Kate impatiently.

"In assisted suicides," said Lucas calmly.

"Wh-what?" asked Kate and she looked as though he'd just hit her.

"I'm dying Mom," said Lucas determinedly, "And I don't want my last days as me as some vegetable in a bed. When I go I want it to be on my terms – it's that simple."

"NO!" Kate practically yelled at him, "You're never to see this murderer again do you hear me Lucas!!"

"He's not a murderer and it's not up to you," said Lucas firmly as he grabbed the piece of paper off of Kate now, "This is what I want."

"You don't know what you want," said Kate, suddenly getting angry now, "You never did! I know you, you don't want to die Lucas, not like this!"

"My options are getting kind of limited Mom," said Lucas stiffly, "And you're wrong, this is something I want."

"You don't know what you are saying!" Kate exclaimed in distress.

"I'm saying I don't want to be a burden on anyone," said Lucas, steeling his resolve.

"You're not a burden on anyone," Kate dismissed tightly.

"Not yet but I will be," said Lucas unhappily, "And before that happens I'm going to do the right thing."

"How can killing yourself be the right thing?!" asked Kate in horror, "Especially when-"

She stopped so abruptly then that Lucas was immediately on guard.

"Especially when what?" he prompted her, his eyes narrowing.

"Especially when you have so much to live for," said Kate weakly.

"What aren't you telling me?" asked Lucas, suddenly suspicious.

"I don't know what you mean," said Kate quickly and a little unconvincingly.

"Mom?" said Lucas, the warning obvious in his voice.

He suddenly had a very bad feeling about this.

"You've got that look," he said accusingly.

"What look?" asked Kate innocently but not meeting his gaze.

"That look that tells me that you are up to something," said Lucas with a fierce scowl, "What is it Mom? What are you up to?"

"Everything I've done I've done because I love you," said Kate defensively.

"Oh god," Lucas groaned, "That can't be good."

"Why do you always think the worst of me Lucas?" asked Kate with an unhappy frown.

"A life time of experience," said Lucas flatly, "Just tell me what you've done Mom. I want to know."

Kate pursed her lips and seemed to be thinking about what she was going to say next.

"Alright," she said at last, "If you insist."

"I do," said Lucas bracing himself.

Whatever she was about to tell him Lucas knew from experience he wasn't going to like...


	82. Chapter 229

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & TWENTY NINE**** – ****Confession is Good for the Soul**

All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.

_Galileo Galilei_

_(Italian natural Philosopher, Astronomer and Mathematician who made fundamental contributions to the development of the scientific method and to the sciences of motion, astronomy and strength of materials. 1564-1642)_

EJ rolled over in bed, this time at the mansion. They'd finally managed to get out of their jungle bed and had some brunch but then one thing had led to another and he and Sami had found themselves back in bed for most of the afternoon. It was going to kill him EJ decided when they had to go back to Salem and they didn't have such easy access to one another. He pushed thoughts of leaving Ara Caman from his head though, not wanting to spoil the time he and Sami had left. Besides, there was still a week in Japan that while they'd have to be a little discrete about EJ had already planned ahead. He, Estelle and Sami would all check into a new hotel when he and Sami arrived in Japan and after keeping up appearances Estelle and Sami would simply switch rooms. That meant he and Sami could continue their honeymoon at least while they were are the hotel.

"I'm starving," EJ announced, reaching behind him to put his hand on Sami and suggest they have a late lunch.

His touch only came up with more bed sheets though and EJ rolled back over to discover that Sami wasn't there.

"And alone," he finished off wryly.

EJ rolled out of bed and pulled on a pair of old jeans before padding downstairs on bare feet. A check of downstairs didn't produce Sami either.

"Well she can't get far, we're on an island," EJ mused and then pulled a face, "He said, talking to himself."

EJ played a hunch and walked out of the house and headed towards the stables. Once there he walked inside and went straight up to Jellybean who pricked his ears on seeing EJ.

"I know," said EJ ruefully, "I haven't taken you for a run today, I'm sorry."

EJ held up his ring finger then and showed off his wedding band.

"It's just that I'm a married man now and I have certain responsibilities to fulfil," he said, patting Jellybean's mane and smiling, "And just between you and me Jelly – my new wife is insatiable."

Jellybean gave him a considered look, as though he didn't completely believe it was as one sided as EJ was trying to make out.

"And speaking of the little woman," continued on EJ blithely, "I don't suppose you've seen her about have you?"

"She's behind you."

"Wow Jelly," said EJ wide eyed, "You said that without even moving your lips!"

"EJ."

"You did it again!" said EJ in feigned amazement before turning around and seeing the real owner of that voice, "Oh Samantha it is you."

He tried to look very disappointed then.

"I thought I was about to make my fortune with a talking horse," he said teasingly.

"Nope," she said with a little smile at his silliness, "Only a talking wife."

"Well that isn't so unusual," EJ mused in faked disappointment even as he revelled in Sami referring to herself as his wife.

If they ended up being married for a hundred years EJ couldn't imagine ever getting tired of that. EJ walked over to where Sami was sitting on a hay bale and sat down beside her.

"What are you doing?" he asked her with a half smile.

"Just thinking," said Sami with a sigh, "And I didn't want to disturb you so I came out to see Jellybean."

"Well Jelly is a good listener," EJ conceded, looking at Sami intently, "A bit pesky with the advice but still good. Mind you, I'm better."

EJ gave her an enquiring look, silently prompting Sami to share with him what was on her mind.

"I was so afraid when I came to this island," Sami confessed to him regretfully, "Of my feelings for you, what they would do to my life if I let you in."

"I gathered that," said EJ wryly, "That's why you put up such of a fight."

"I know I was horrible to you," said Sami with regret.

"You weren't horrible," EJ objected to her, "You were feisty and I loved every minute of it."

Sami gave him an askew look and shook her head at his take on thing.

"Now I'm just so afraid of not having you in my life," she admitted to him ruefully.

"Samantha you are my wife now, in every way that matters," EJ reassured her, "You're never going to have to worry about that again."

"I'm scared you'll get sick of all this EJ," said Sami with a groan.

"We've had this conversation sweetheart," said EJ firmly, "Whilst we will both undoubtedly be frustrated at times at the situation that is waiting for us back in Salem that is not going to change the way we feel about each other. We just have to be able to pull through it together."

"So no second thoughts then?" asked Sami only half jokingly, "About marrying me I mean. No urges to run screaming to the hills?"

EJ smiled at her question. He was under no illusions about the hardships awaiting them back in Salem but he knew what he was fighting for and any amount of angst was going to be worth it in the long run.

"You know I was thinking of trying this new thing seeing as I'm already an outsider in Salem," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "I'm going to marry only one woman, once and stay married to her for all my life."

"That will be a first in Salem," said Sami with a tremulous smile as his playfulness made her feel better, "Maybe they'll do a mounted statue of us hm?"

"I think holding hands would be just fine," EJ said straight faced, "We don't want to frighten the children."

Sami laughed at that and leant her head against his shoulder.

"Are we the worst people in the world?" she asked with a despondent sigh, "For doing what we are doing to Lucas?"

**oooOOOOooo**

"I guess there are a couple of things that I've omitted from telling you lately," said Kate with a resigned sigh.

"Because I'm dying," said Lucas grimly, sick of being treated with kid gloves because of that reality.

"No," said Kate evenly.

"Of course it is Mom," said Lucas in annoyance, "Everyone is doing it – treating me like a child because of my condition."

"I meant no you're not dying," said Kate calmly, holding his gaze steadily.

Lucas just stared at his mother, blinking a couple of times as he tried to work out what this is.

"Mom you're just in denial," he said unsteadily at last.

"No I'm not because you're not dying," said Kate without batting an eye, "At least no more than the rest of us anyway."

"Mom," began Lucas hesitantly, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder, "I know that the thought of me dying is upsetting but you can't just-"

"You're not dying Lucas because I set the whole thing up," said Kate firmly.

Lucas' hand dropped from her arm as he felt all the blood drain from his body. He'd heard the words she'd just spoken but they didn't seem to make sense to him.

"You-you what?" asked Lucas faintly, the blood roaring in his ears.

"I'm sorry darling but it was for your own good," said Kate unrepentantly, "You'll understand why I did it when I explain."

"I don't know what you are saying to me," said Lucas hoarsely, backing away from her.

"I had a doctor friend of mine in Switzerland make the original call to Dr Bremner at Salem U," said Kate blithely, "And then of course I set you up with my Dr Taylor."

"Dr Taylor is in this with you?" asked Lucas unsteadily, still not really believing what she was telling him.

"No," said Kate easily, "He's acting in good faith."

"But my blood work results?" said Lucas unevenly, his mind racing to try and make sense of this all.

"A lab tech and I at Salem University hospital have an understanding," said Kate with a bit of a shrug, "He's making sure your blood work looks like someone with AML."

"This-this is insanity," Lucas stammered, shaking his head bemusedly, "This can't be happening."

"Lucas honey this is good news," Kate reminded him with a smile.

"Good news?!" Lucas practically yelled back at her, "Are you kidding me?!"

"See this is why I didn't tell you," said Kate in mild exasperation, "I knew you'd be weird about it."

"Weird about it?!" Lucas repeated in disbelief, staring at her open mouthed now, "You made me think I was dying – how can anyone not be weird about that – my own mother!"

"I did it out of love for you," protested Kate hotly.

"You let me think I was dying out of love?" Lucas repeated her words again, still having trouble grasping what she was saying to him, "How is that even possible Mom?!"

"You got the girl didn't you?" she asked with a little shrug.

"Are you telling me the only reason Sami married me was because I was dying?" asked Lucas bitterly, "Is that what you are saying Mom?"

"It's a strong possibility," said Kate with a twist of her lips.

"Sami loves me and that is why she married me," said Lucas stubbornly, "I didn't need you to manufacture this heinous lie to make her do that – why would you think that?!"

"Maybe I had reasons to have my doubts," said Kate flatly.

"You mean EJ?" asked Lucas in confusion, "You told me there was nothing going on there – that he was done being infatuated with her – wasn't that true?"

"Let's just say that I thought that it might be prudent to have your deck stacked a little in your favour honey," said Kate wryly.

Lucas frowned fiercely at that cryptic statement as his mother clearly wasn't telling him everything.

"And your version of 'stacking the deck' was making me think I had leukaemia?!" asked Lucas in absolute disbelief, "I've been so sick-"

He stopped abruptly and frowned again.

"I have been really sick," he said, suddenly nervous now, "Are you telling me that was all psychosomatic or what?"

"It may have had a little something to do with the pills you've been taking," said Kate, rather innocently.

"You gave me drugs to make me sick?!" asked Lucas unevenly, the depth of his mother's deception staggering even him.

"I had to make it look real!" Kate protested, "And I knew you wouldn't go along with it if I told you about my plan straight out so I thought this was the best way to go about it."

"You thought it was best to put me through mental and physical hell for months now?" asked Lucas faintly, wondering if his mother truly had finally snapped.

"I was going to tell you when the time was right," Kate defended herself, "And you'll see that it was for the best. You'll have a miraculous recovery when we decide the time is right and it will all work out nicely."

"You expect me to keep this disgusting charade up?" asked Lucas, utterly staggered by her gall, "Are you kidding me Mom?!"

"Well you've come this far," Kate reasoned, "No sense in rocking the boat now."

"I'm not going to let Sami think that I'm dying for one more minute!" Lucas growled, "I'm going to end this farce right now!"

"Are you sure that is what you want to do honey?" asked Kate with an arched eyebrow, "You don't think she'd going to make a bolt for the door the first she hears of this – and that's with her not believing that you had anything to do with it of course."

"I trust in our love," said Lucas grimly, "Sami will just be happy that I'm going to be alright and that we have a future together."

Lucas began to pace back and forth now, so many emotions bombarding him that he was having trouble sorting through them all. A slowly gathering relief as the information that he wasn't dying began to seep into his consciousness, a burning anger that his mother could do something like this to him, disbelief, shock, confusion – Lucas really didn't know what to think or feel first.

"Why would you do something like this to me?" asked Lucas, staring at his mother in desperation, "Do you hate me that much Mom?"

"No!" said Kate urgently, going over to him, "Of course not Lucas – I love you. Everything I did I've done for your happiness."

"Do I look happy to you Mom?" asked Lucas incredulously, "Do you really think that making me believe I was dying was something that would bring me joy?!"

"Do you remember how you were in Switzerland?" asked Kate tightly, "How you were taking those pain pills and drinking again? How you were talking about taking your own life because you were convinced you couldn't live without Sami? Do you remember that Lucas?"

"And that's the reason you did all this?" asked Lucas wide eyed, hardly able to process what she was saying.

"You were beside yourself," said Kate unhappily, "No one could talk any sense into you and I was afraid you'd do something drastic when you were in one of your moods."

"So your solution to that was to torture me for months?" asked Lucas in disbelief.

"I knew that you thought that being with Sami Brady was the only way your life had any meaning," said Kate, her lips twisting in obvious disgust at that notion, "I had to do something to make sure that Sami was going to stay with you, at least until you got over this latest infatuation and could stand on your own two feet again and make rational decisions again."

"Are you really going to preach to me about rational decisions?" asked Lucas, his eyes narrowing menacingly at his mother's gall, "Really Mom, really?!"

"I had reason to believe that Sami was going to leave you for EJ when you got back from Switzerland," Kate said coolly, "And I knew I couldn't let that happen."

"You said that before," said Lucas, his face darkening into an angry scowl, "What reason are you talking about – what do you think you know Mom?"

"I don't think I know," said Kate in annoyance, "I know that EJ wormed his way into your precious Sami's bed and was going to make sure she left you. No doubt he had some twisted plan for her after that, not that I care. All I cared about was not seeing you have your heart broken yet again and doing something stupid!"

"Why didn't you tell me about what you knew?" asked Lucas tightly, "Why did you keep it a secret?"

"I told you why," said Kate in annoyance, "I didn't want you to do anything stupid."

"So you did instead," said Lucas, the irony of the situation suddenly hitting him and despite himself he began to laugh.

"What's so funny?" asked Kate stiffly.

Lucas shook his head and buried his face in his hands, trying to fathom the depth of this mess.

"You know Mom," said Lucas with a humourless smile as he dropped his hands away from his face, "It's times like these that makes me realise that I really am your son."

"What does that mean?" asked Kate in confusion and Lucas had a sense of grim satisfaction that it was finally his mother who had some questions in all of this.

Lucas wasn't intending on giving her an answer right then, more intent on getting to the bottom of his mother's plans.

"How did you see this playing out exactly?" asked Lucas angrily, "If what you are saying is true and EJ and Sami were going to run off together then as soon as I have my miraculous cure and I'm not dying Sami will leave me for him! How does this supposed plan of yours help me Mom if I've got to play dying for the rest of my life?!"

"No, no, no," said Kate with an emphatic shake of her head, "I have it all worked out honey. Now that I'm married to Stefano I have his ear. I'm going to set up a scenario by which I need something really terrible done and I'll go to Stefano for help. Something that requires a murder or something like that to be done. I'll set it up that only EJ can be the one to do it and make sure Stefano orders him to do it."

Lucas was staring at her opened mouth at the complicated machinations she'd already pulled and intended on pulling. Now at least he had an answer as to why the sudden marriage to Stefano but not that strangely it didn't make Lucas feel any better about things. The depth of his mother's lies were staggering, even to him and the more she told him the more Lucas struggled to understand.

"Murder?" he asked faintly, "You're going to have someone die for this sick plan of yours Mom?"

"Of course not," said Kate blithely, "I haven't worked out the finer details but whatever happens no one is going to die, I'll make sure of it. I just need to set things up so that it looks like something drastic needs to be done to save me, protect the DiMera fortune blah blah blah. I'm working on the details."

"This... is... madness," said Lucas shakily, sure that any moment he was going to wake up and find out that this was all a dream.

"No it isn't," said Kate hotly, looking offended at the suggestion, "My plan is brilliant. EJ will either do as his father has asked and do this heinous thing that I have yet to concoct and Sami will hate him forever or he won't and Stefano won't forgive him and have him taken care of, locked away in a dungeon or on an island or something. Either way EJ will be out of the picture and Sami will be all yours for as long as you can put up with the creature. All I have to do is come up with something horrible, convince Stefano that it needs doing and by EJ and then either make sure there is photographic evidence of EJ doing it that I can blackmail him with or otherwise make sure that Stefano knows his son betrayed him. It's simple."

"That is in no way simple Mom!" exclaimed Lucas in horror, "That is impossibly complicated and full of potential for things to go wrong! At least when I-"

Lucas stopped talking abruptly, realising too late that he'd almost said too much in his outrage.

"When you what?" asked Kate sharply, of course picking up on it.

"Nothing, forget it," he mumbled, not looking directly at her.

Dammit – why hadn't he kept his mouth shut?!

"Lucas I think now more than ever it is time for full disclosure between us," said Kate firmly, "Tell me what you've done."

Lucas looked at his mother and could see she wasn't going to give up on this now. What the hell he decided, like this situation could be made any worse with letting one or two of his secrets out of the bag as well.

"You know the old saying great minds think alike?" asked Lucas bitterly.

"Yes," said Kate slowly, eyeing him warily.

"Did you really think I didn't know about what EJ was doing to Sami?" asked Lucas with an arched eyebrow, "Do you really think I'm that stupid Mom?"

"Wh-what?" asked Kate, looking taken aback now and Lucas gave a grim smile at seeing it.

"And knowing that did I run to my mommy to fix things for me?" he asked her bitterly, "Or did I take care of things myself?"

"What are you saying Lucas?" asked Kate, looking at him worriedly now.

Lucas just returned her gaze unblinkingly, letting her have the feeling of being blindsided for a while. Kate stared back at him in confusion and Lucas could see the cogs of her mind going mile a minute trying to work out what was going on. Her eyes suddenly widened as she stared at him in disbelief, the penny finally dropping.

"Oh my god," said Kate faintly, looking like she was about to pass out, "It was you – you were the one who shot EJ."

Kate put her hand to her stomach and looked distressed at the thought.

"Wasn't it?" she asked him grimly, her face hardening, "Wasn't it?!"

Lucas' lips twisted up in a cold smile, enjoying his mother's distress before giving her the answer to her question...


	83. Chapter 230

**AUTHOR'S NOTE****:** Okay so just a little heads up about this chapter – the word for this week of updates if FLASHBACKS! LOL A good old soapy device for filling in some blanks. For this one you have to cast your minds back to Chapter 121 if you can believe that. Yes, I really do take that long to get to the point. *blushes furiously*

I really hope this will all make sense to you because there is a lot of explaining to be done this week and fingers crossed I've justified it all enough for you all to go there with me. So hope you enjoy this latest chapter and come back for more exposition in the next chapter.

**CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED & THIRTY**** – ****Better Out Then In**

If our lives are endangered by plots or violence or armed robbers or enemies, any and every method of protecting ourselves is morally right.

_Marcus Tullius Cicero_

_(Ancient Roman Lawyer, Writer, Scholar, Orator and Statesman, 106 BC-43 BC)_

"We're not the worst people in the world," said EJ confidently, hugging Sami to him, "I mean there are reality TV producers, people who say y'ello when they answer the phone, people who blow their nose and then check their handkerchief-"

"EJ!" Sami said with a groaning laugh at his silliness, "I'm trying to be serious."

"So am I," said EJ looking indignant, "People who say y'ello ought to be ostracised from society in my opinion."

"I married a crazy man," said Sami with a lop sided smile but not looking particularly worried about that thought.

"We crazies prefer reality selective if you please," EJ sniffed, feigning being indignant.

"I just never thought I'd be this person you know," said Sami with a sigh, "I feel like I'm cheating on you and Lucas with this whole set up. Whichever way I look at it I'm a terrible, terrible person."

"First of all terrible people don't feel guilty about things they do," said EJ firmly, "Which means you are definitely not terrible and certainly not terrible, terrible."

"I think your opinion might be a bit biased when it comes to me," said Sami, smiling despite herself.

"I don't think so," said EJ confidently, "I'm an excellent judge of character."

"Still," said Sami with a wrinkle of her nose, "You'd be about the only person in the world who wouldn't condemn me for what I'm doing."

"I'm pretty sure that everyone would be saying that I led you astray somehow," said EJ wryly but then gave her an intent look, "Does it matter?"

"Of course it does," said Sami with a frown, "You haven't led me astray EJ, not at all – you've saved me."

"Actually I was meaning does it matter if everyone thinks the worst of you?" asked EJ rather seriously.

Sami couldn't blame EJ for asking that question of her. After all she'd spent a lot of their relationship being paralysed by what everyone thought of her so it was important to her that he understood the truth.

"No," said Sami without a second thought and then gave him a rueful look, "It's not like my first time at the rodeo with that kind of thing and it doesn't bother me what people think so much as what I think."

Sami put her hand on EJ's leg and looked up at him with all the love she had for him in her heart.

"I believe so much in what we did yesterday EJ," she said honestly, "I believe in faithfulness and commitment and loyalty – all those things that we promised each other, I really do."

"I know you do sweetheart," said EJ with a moved smile.

"And I feel like what I'm doing with Lucas kind of cheapens the things that I'm saying to you in a way and that is the thing I hate the most, not what people may make of my choices," said Sami sincerely and then pulled a regretful face, "Except for Will maybe. I so want to be a mom that he can be proud of and I haven't really excelled in that area unfortunately."

"Samantha you were very young when you had Will," said EJ, putting his arm around her and drawing her close to him, "It was inevitable that you would make mistakes, you were no more than a child yourself. Besides-"

EJ smiled and hugged her closer to him briefly.

"I'll let you in on a little secret sweetheart," he told her with a wink, "Every parent in the world that has ever been and ever will be have cocked things up royally when it comes to their children – it is simply impossible not to. The thing that matters is what you said to me in your wedding vows yesterday – you don't need me to be perfect but to keep on trying. That's all Will needs from you Samantha – not perfection but the fact that you will keep on trying and being there for him."

Sami gave a soft smile at EJ's reassurances and laid her head on his shoulder.

"You're going to make such a wonderful father," she said huskily, "Our children are going to be so lucky to have you EJ."

"To have us Samantha," EJ corrected her quickly, "I'm nothing without you."

"That's not true," said Sami with a half smile, "But thank you for saying it anyway."

"We'll agree to disagree on that point," said EJ not giving up.

"You know for once I'm trying to do the right thing by standing by Lucas until he-" Sami paused, still not quite able to say anything about Lucas dying yet, "Well, you know and I feel even worse than when I'm doing the wrong thing."

Sami grimaced at that thought.

"That doesn't seem right to me somehow," she lamented, "We're both trying to do the right thing EJ – even if it is the wrong way to probably go about it."

"I think that should be our family crest," said EJ thoughtfully, "_Bivium virtutis et vitii._

"What does that mean?" asked Sami wide eyed, as always impressed by the vastness of EJ's knowledge.

"Literally it is Latin for the crossroads of virtue and vice," EJ translated for her and Sami gave a little laugh and shook her head at his humour, "Basically striving to be good, destined to be bad."

"I'm just so tired of all the lies," Sami groaned, "I don't want to lie to Lucas anymore EJ, I just don't. I want to be married to you and not hide it and still be able to help Lucas."

"I'm not seeing him being too keen for your help after you've divorced him and married me somehow," pointed out EJ logically.

"I know," said Sami, putting her face in her hands, "We're trapped and I'm the one who trapped us. I'd give anything to undo all of this and for Lucas not to be dying. He so doesn't deserve all of this EJ. I feel so guilty that I'm not being honest with him over something this big. It's just not right."

**oooOOOOooo**

_Lucas walked up the hallway of his apartment returning from having just thrown out the trash and grimacing a little as his bad leg protested the exercise. Lucas was keen to get back to the apartment and take at least one more of his pills so he could have some relief. This trip to Switzerland couldn't come soon enough for him – to be without pain would be like heaven on earth he decided. He was just about to round the corner when he heard raised voices. Lucas stopped, recognising the voices immediately. He peeked his head around the corner to see EJ and Sami in the middle of what was obviously a fight. _

"_I hate that you've made me into a cheater EJ! I hate it!"_

_Lucas' stomach fell to his toes as he heard Sami's inadvertent confession. Oh god Sami had cheated on him with EJ – not again, he couldn't bear another woman cheating on him!_

"_Lucas doesn't deserve that!" Sami continued on brokenly, unaware of her audience, "He's a good man and I love him so much that it breaks my heart every time I think of what I've done. I know I should confess everything to him and beg his forgiveness but I'm so afraid of losing him and even worse, hurting him that I can't do it! But I want to make this work between him and I and I will spend the rest of my life making it up to him if I have to! Lucas loves me EJ, this isn't a game to him like it is for you and I won't let you ruin my life or his!"_

_Despite his pain Lucas couldn't help but love all the things Sami was saying about him and her words made him suspect that she wasn't a willing participant in all of this. _

"_Are you done?" asked EJ grimly, "Nothing you just said was true Samantha, nothing do you hear me! You love me as much as I love you and I don't know why you are pushing me away but you don't have to do that. Whatever it is we can face it together."_

"_You only ever hear what you want to hear don't you?" asked Sami angrily, "I don't love you EJ; I don't want to share anything with you or even have to look at you ever again. It's Lucas I love and not you; get that through your thick skull why don't you?! The only thing I want from you is to leave us alone so we can be happy, that's it! You will never be the man Lucas is-"_

_Lucas couldn't help the grim smile that came to his lips as Sami put EJ in his place. Not that it seemed to have any kind of impact on the twisted animal._

"_Thank god! Lucas doesn't know how to make you wrap your legs around his body and scream to the high heavens for more now does-"_

_Sami's hand connected with EJ's face painfully, cutting off the rest of his sentence and Lucas wished it had been his fist, he really didn't need to hear such things. _

"_So we're back to the rough stuff eh sweetheart? Is that it?"_

_Lucas swallowed hard, hating to think what that comment might mean. It was becoming pretty obvious that EJ had forced his attentions on Sami and that she was frightened of him. His instinct was to walk around that corner and beat the crap out of the man but their next words stopped him. _

"_We are back to you staying the hell out of my life!" hissed Sami, "I don't want to hear any of the disgusting things you have to say or think about that ever again! I love Lucas with my whole heart and we are going to build a life together. He's the great love of my life and I won't have you destroy that EJ! Lucas and I have a future together and that is all I want!"_

"_I am never going to let you settle for that moron Samantha," bit out EJ as he leaned in closer to her, his own eyes angry and dark, "You know that I will do what it takes to see Lucas out of your life and thrown to the curb like he's done to you so many times!"_

"_Is that some kind of threat EJ?!" asked Sami, drawing back in horror. _

"_It's a promise Samantha," said EJ, his jaw tightening, "Lucas doesn't get to have you sweetheart and I'll do what I have to, to make sure that you come to your senses about that man."_

"_Don't you dare hurt him EJ!" said Sami, her eyes wide in distress now, "You promised me!"_

"_We have both said a great deal of things to one another sweetheart. You can say what you want to me but I know what you really want is for me to rescue you from that idiot and if you won't leave him then maybe I'll just have to make him leave you – one way or the other."_

"_You wouldn't dare!" gasped Sami, looking up at him in distress. _

_So that was his game thought Lucas grimly, his jaw tightening. EJ was threatening Sami with harm to him so that she would do whatever he wanted. Sami was only trying to protect him and while the way she was going about it turned Lucas' stomach he couldn't hold it against her. He could hear the fear in her voice, knew that she was deathly afraid of that monster and Lucas could only forgive her for what she'd done to protect him. EJ on the other hand was another matter entirely. EJ was going to pay. _

"_You bastard," she whispered._

"_I'm determined Samantha and I always get what I want."_

"_No matter who gets hurt?" _

_Lucas had heard enough, he wasn't going to let Sami stand there alone and take this kind of threatening abuse. The thing was he needed time to think about what was his next move – it didn't pay to not think things out when it came to a DiMera. Instead Lucas decided to buy himself some time._

"_Who is getting hurt?" asked Lucas, rounding the corner and walking up to the feuding pair and not letting on that he'd heard anything more than the last sentence. _

_The two immediately backed away from each other, Sami looking guilty, EJ with his usual look of disdain. The guy thought he was so smart, so above everyone else that the rules didn't apply to him. Well Lucas had news for him but he knew it would be pointless going to the police about what EJ was doing to Sami, the other man too smart to be caught out and would have certainly covered his tracks. It would basically be his word against Sami and Lucas didn't want to put Sami through another public humiliation. _

_Lucas barely slept that night, weighing up his options and trying to work out what was the best way to get EJ out of their lives forever. By the time dawn came Lucas had come to only one conclusion, the only way to make sure EJ would never bother he or Sami again. He'd terrorised so many people in Salem, basically raped Sami at least once if the conversation he'd overheard was anything to go by and it was time EJ DiMera payed for his crimes. DiMera's had a long history of avoiding punishments for their crimes and Lucas was sick of it. The thought of him touching his Sami made Lucas want to walk across the hallway and kill EJ with his bare hands and be done with it but he knew he needed to be smarter than that. _

**oooOOOOooo**

"Tell me you weren't the one to shoot EJ," said Kate shakily, still waiting for him to put her out of her misery.

"What if I was?" asked Lucas with an unconcerned shrug.

"Oh my god," said Kate, putting distressed hands to her face, "Oh my god no Lucas, no."

"He was blackmailing Sami and worse," said Lucas fiercely, "I had to protect her – he was trying to get her to do things she didn't want to and I couldn't let that happen. It was the only thing I could do to keep her safe."

"You did this insanity for Sami's sake?!" asked Kate, looking even more horrified by that thought somehow, "Oh god Lucas how could you be so stupid – to risk your life for that little whore?!"

"Sami was only with EJ to protect me," said Lucas angrily, "All you had to do was come to me and I could have told you what was really going on with this supposed affair of theirs but no, you had to go and take matters into your own hands and fix a problem that I'd already solved!"

"How did shooting EJ solve anything?!" asked Kate in disbelief.

"Well I was hoping he was going to be dead," said Lucas grimly, "But obviously it was enough of a trauma without that happy outcome to make him rethink everything. I mean he and Sami can't stand to be near one another now and he's with that Estelle woman so whatever EJ had planned for Sami he obviously gave up on it."

"Trying to kill EJ was your solution?" asked Kate faintly, "Lucas that is just insanity."

"Well it was better than your way of going about things," said Lucas harshly, "Trying to kill me! My way was quick and if I had succeeded we wouldn't be standing here now!"

"But you didn't succeed," said Kate urgently, "Lucas, they are still looking for the person who shot EJ – your life is in danger."

Kate began to pace back and forth then, clearly upset. She swung around then and threw up her hands at him.

"Do you know what Stefano would do to you if he ever found out that you shot EJ?" Kate practically shouted at him, the fear obvious in her voice.

"He's not going to find out, no one is," said Lucas determinedly, "Not unless you keep on screaming it out like that at the top of your lungs of course."

Kate just looked at him wide eyed, clearly trying to take all of this on board and Lucas had a surge of satisfaction that he was able to pull one over on her at long last.

"Besides," said Lucas coolly, "From what Sami says it seems like Stefano is convinced Tony was behind it all and we haven't seen him in a long time so I'm guessing justice was swift."

"But it wasn't justice because Tony didn't shoot EJ," said Kate grimly, "You did."

"What the hell do I care if that family kills one another?" asked Lucas bitterly, "I hope they all put knives in each others back so the whole family is no longer a blot on humanity."

Kate looked taken aback by Lucas' opinions on the subject.

"What is it Mom?" asked Lucas mockingly, "Don't you think I inherited at least a little blood thirstiness from you?"

"I am not blood thirsty," said Kate shakily.

"Oh come on Mom," said Lucas, not letting her get away with that, "I've seen you've rubbing your hands together in glee when one of your plans works out and you obliterate whomever the enemy of the moment is. You love destroying anyone who gets in your way – admit it."

"I'm a survivor," said Kate stiffly.

"And don't tell me you don't get off on some of the stunts you pull to survive," said Lucas sourly.

"How can you speak to me this way?" asked Kate, looking distressed now, "All I've ever done is try and love and protect you Lucas."

"I remember how you tried to love and protect me when I was twelve," said Lucas dully, "I remember that."

"Don't," said Kate painfully, putting a hand to her mouth, "We said we'd never speak of it again Lucas – there is no point in-"

"Vandalising the picture perfect mother son relationship you're always trying to portray for us?" Lucas finished off for her coldly.

"I did everything I could to make things right," said Kate, looking a little desperate now, "You know I did Lucas."

"I know I needed my mother to protect me back then and she wasn't there," said Lucas grimly.

The old memories were causing his gut to churn. Lucas had determinedly not thought about it for a long time but suddenly he couldn't seem to stop the memories from flooding back. It was a secret between them that only they knew and one that bound them closer together then any of his brothers and sisters.

"I did what I could to fix it Lucas," said Kate, starting to well up now, "I did my best."

Lucas gave her a considered look, knowing indeed what she'd done for him. It was funny in a way, what had happened back then and what Kate had done to fix it had given Lucas the ambivalent feelings of both feeling like his mother owed him plus feeling like he was beholden to her at the same time. They were two emotions that were hard to reconcile and probably was the reason their relationship seemed to vacillate between punishment and doting.

"I know what you did for me Mom," said Lucas hoarsely, "And I thought that might help you understand what I did for Sami and why."

Kate looked away and shook her head, clearly still struggling to come to terms with them. She looked back at him then as a thought occurred to her.

"But you couldn't have shot EJ," she argued with him, "You were in Switzerland with Will when it happened."

Lucas could see that Kate was desperate to find a way out for him with this particular truth but he wasn't backing down.

"Was I?" asked Lucas with a cool smile and then began to tell her a story...


	84. Chapter 231

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & THIRTY ONE**** – ****Smoke and Mirrors**

Tricks and treachery are the practice of fools, that don't have brains enough to be honest.

_Benjamin Franklin_

_(American Statesman, Scientist, Philosopher, Printer, Writer and Inventor. 1706-1790)_

EJ held Sami as they sat in the stable together, Jellybean chewing contentedly on some hay while they talked.

"I don't know what to hope for," said Sami with a groan against his chest, "All I can think of is being with you but that means that in a way I'm basically wishing Lucas dead."

"And we're still on the mindset that such a thing is a bad right?" asked EJ thoughtfully.

"Of course we are," said Sami in exasperation, "EJ be serious."

"I am being serious Samantha," said EJ unrepentantly, "I've always loathed Lucas and just because he happens to be dying now doesn't make all the things he has done to you just magically disappear to my way of thinking."

"But isn't this the time that we should try and be merciful and forgiving?" asked Sami, looking up at him intently, "I mean isn't that what being a compassionate human being is all about?"

EJ just looked back at Sami for a long moment before replying. Sam's warning on the beach last night were still ringing in his ears about how far he had to go to be the man Sami needed him to be and this conversation seemed to be highlighting that.

"You know it never really came up with my father," EJ admitted with a lop sided smile, "He taught me compassion was another name for weakness and had no place in business."

"But this isn't business EJ," said Sami with a frown, "This is family and you have to forgive people if you want to be forgiven yourself."

EJ sat back a little, thinking about that.

"I've never really felt the need for forgiveness before," he said slowly and then looked intently at Sami, "Until you."

"But surely Susan and Edward taught you about right and wrong and forgiveness," said Sami in surprise.

"They tried," said EJ ruefully, "But I guess I was more enamoured of my father's mantra of putting yourself first and everyone else be damned. It suited me more as a spoiled and over indulged young man to take on that edict rather than being humble and giving."

"So what do you think now about love and forgiveness?" asked Sami, looking suddenly worried.

"I'm thinking that I have a hell of a lot to learn," said EJ honestly, "Sweetheart I wish I could tell you that these things come easily to me but my father taught me to never show any mercy to someone who has wronged you or those that you love."

"But that is no way to live life EJ," Sami argued with him, "If all you want is revenge for everything that was done to you then you'll end up exhausted and alone. You can never be happy if all you are doing is protecting yourself and justifying all of your actions – believe me I know."

A small smile touched EJ's lips at Sami's impassioned reasoning.

"When did you get so brilliant I wonder?" asked EJ gazing at her in admiration.

"When you loved me," said Sami simply and smiled up at him, "EJ as much as my family and I have struggled with each other over the years they have given me the basics of what I want to aspire to be. They gave me the foundation and what I build on it, well that is up to me – up to us now that we are married."

"You and I had two very different upbringings Samantha," said EJ regretfully.

"Well our lives are linked now, forever," said Sami firmly, "We'll take bits of your upbringing and bits of mine to start a new foundation and what we build on that is up to us. It's like you said in your vows to me – it's a new start for both of us. All the things we did before, the way we were – it doesn't have to be who we are now."

"You're not going to turn into a Stepford wife on me now are you?" asked EJ with a quirk of his lips and completely amazed by her insightfulness.

"Hell no," Sami snorted in disdain, "I'd sooner die then be some pandering, vapid female who needs a big strong man to rescue her every five minutes and run her life."

"I'm very glad to hear that," said EJ with a grin, "I don't think I could stand being married to beige for the rest of my life. Although I hope you'll let me rescue you every now and then."

"And what makes you think that I'll be getting into trouble now that I'm a respectable married woman?" asked Sami with a sniff, feigning indignation.

"The fact that you can ask me that question with a straight face just makes me love you even more sweetheart," said EJ with a chuckle.

Sami pursed her lips and arched an eyebrow, obviously trying not to smile now.

"You're going to be nothing but trouble I can tell Samantha DiMera," said EJ with a throaty chuckle, "Thank god."

"Well I don't want you getting bored with me," said Sami with a sniff, "And you can only rescue me on the odd occasion if I get to rescue you as well."

"Sweetheart you rescued me the day you loved me," said EJ with a big smile, "I am now officially invincible now that I have your love."

"Don't say things like that," said Sami with a groan, "You'll tempt fate. I don't think I could live through something like you being shot again and still have my sanity."

"I'm sorry I put you through that sweetheart," said EJ regretfully.

"You didn't," said Sami grimly, "The person who shot you did. Now there is someone that I don't think I could ever find a way to forgive. I'm so glad Tony is gone from our lives now. What kind of a man shoots someone in the back? He got what he deserved."

"And where is that famous Brady compassion now?" EJ gently teased her.

"No one messes with my son or my man," said Sami, her lips pressing together in fierce displeasure, "Tony's just lucky that Stefano got to him before I did. I wouldn't waste an ounce of compassion on the man who tried to kill you EJ."

**oooOOOOooo**

_Lucas walked out of his flea bitten hotel room in the seedier side of Salem and pulled his cap down and then began walking, trying his hardest not to limp. He really didn't want to draw any unnecessary attention to himself right then. He hailed a cab and got into it, giving instructions of where he wanted to go. Sami had put him on the plane to Switzerland last night but while his luggage was currently on route, Lucas wasn't. His planned visit to Will couldn't have come at a more opportune time. Lucas knew that once EJ was dead he would be a very definite person of interest in the ensuing police investigation. All he had to do was make sure everyone thought he was on that plane to Geneva and no one would think to check his story. _

_The cab was heading to EJ's apartment where Lucas was planning on going up the fire escape and making sure EJ was out of their lives forever. However on the way he spied EJ's car at the park and couldn't believe his luck. After getting the cab to drop him off Lucas entered the park from the other side and walked along, making sure he stuck to the trees and wasn't being seen by anyone. He was still wearing his cap and dark sunglasses but he didn't want to take the chance of being recognised. As he hurried along Lucas put his hand into his pocket and wrapped his fingers around the cold metal of the gun that he'd purchased last night from some guy in an alley. It wasn't exactly legal but then none of this was and Lucas didn't want any kind of trail leading back to him, especially one that said he had a gun in his possession. _

_He came up to where the line of trees ends and could see EJ standing and talking to someone. Lucas couldn't see who until EJ moved to one side and Lucas groaned under his breath at seeing Sami. He really hadn't wanted her here for this but the opportunity seemed too good to pass up. Besides he told himself, maybe Sami would enjoy seeing the man who had tormented her for so long taking his last breath. Lucas watched as Sami and EJ went and sat on a park bench and he could see Sami's face better now. She was clearly upset and Lucas couldn't blame her. It must be a nightmare to have to keep on dealing with the man who was forcing himself on her continually. _

"_It will be over soon honey," Lucas muttered the promise as he drew out the gun. _

_He looked around himself quickly to make sure that no one could see him and then lifted the gun, taking careful aim. Lucas' jaw hardened when he saw EJ lean in towards Sami and brazenly put a hand on her breast to which Sami slapped it away and stood up, looking very upset. _

"_Bastard," Lucas grunted and took aim as EJ conveniently stood up and presented his back to Lucas. _

_He'd spent the last two nights battling with the ethics and his conscience about what he was contemplating but watching EJ manhandle Sami like that made this suddenly seem like the only right thing to do. If you loved someone then you protected them, whatever it took – his mother had taught him that from an early age. The shots ringing out and Sami's horrified screams told Lucas that the deed was done even though he didn't quite consciously remember pulling the trigger but he had, twice in fact. He watched with satisfaction as EJ crumbled to the ground and even from his vantage point he could see the bright red blood that was beginning to stain the other man's shirt as he lay on the ground, gasping for air. _

_Lucas wished he could stay and gloat a little longer but a crowd was already beginning to gather and he knew he had to get out of there. He quickly pocketed the gun and began to make his way back the way he'd come. Lucas was almost clear of the trees when he had a funny feeling he was being watched. He turned back around and scanned the thick trees and was relieved to see that his worries were only in his head. Turning back round Lucas continued to make good his escape even as the sounds of sirens filled the air. Hailing another cab he was back at the airport in less than hour. After that there was only a matter of an hour wait until it was time for him to board the plane to Switzerland, albeit a tense one. Once in the air Lucas had blown out a huge sigh of relief. His plan had gone off flawlessly and right now they were probably wheeling EJ to his new home – a slab in the Salem mortuary. _

"_Would you like something to drink sir?"_

_The flight attendants polite voice was in his ear and Lucas looked up at her and grinned._

"_Why not," he said, feeling very pleased with himself, "I'm in the mood to celebrate."_

"_Good news sir?" asked the attendant as she poured Lucas his drink._

"_You could say that," said Lucas with a bit of a smirk, "I've just had a cancerous growth taken care of."_

"_That must be a weight off your mind," said the attendant with a smile as she handed him his drink._

"_You have no idea," said Lucas wryly as he accepted the drink. _

_There was only one more step in his plan to make sure he had the perfect alibi. Lucas arrived in Geneva and then rang Sami as he was eager to make sure that EJ was indeed dead and that the police were none the wiser as to who had done this. Fortunately for Lucas as EJ was a DiMera there were more than enough suspects to keep the police interviewing for years to come. Lucas worked out the time difference and then rang Sami, hopeful of finding out some information from her as to EJ's condition and to put the last piece in place for his alibi. _

"_Hello?" Sami answered the phone distractedly._

"_Hey honey."_

_Lucas wasn't surprised that Sami was still sounding like she was in shock and felt a pang of regret again at frightening her like that. But another up side of Sami actually being at the shooting of EJ she was another one that the police could rule out as having done this because there were a lot of witnesses to say they'd been just talking at the time. A little bit of shock on Sami's behalf was going to be worth it in the long run, especially with EJ out of their lives for good. The thought put him in a very good mood. _

"_How's my favourite girl?" asked Lucas chirpily. _

"_Lucas," she said faintly, "I'm good, how are you?"_

_Her reply was stilted and oddly formal but Lucas forgave her because hopefully Sami had witnessed a murder today or rather yesterday._

"_How's Will?" asked Sami._

"_I don't know," said Lucas with a dramatic sigh, calling on his acting skills now, "I'm not in Geneva yet."_

_There was a pause and Sami was most like working out time differences. _

"_You're not?" Sami asked in surprise as she stood up and started to walk around distractedly, "Where are you? What's happened?"_

_Lucas smile to hear the concern in her voice and now more than ever he was glad he'd taken this huge risk in getting rid of EJ who had been nothing but a blight on their happiness from day one. He had practiced his story on the plane flight over many times so when Sami asked the lies flowed effortlessly from his tongue. _

"_Well first our plane had engine problems of some kind and we had to put down some place I can't remember the name of and we had to wait for hours for that to be fixed," said Lucas, injecting as much annoyance into his voice as he could, "And then that threw all the connecting flights off and long story short – I'm still about three hours out of landing in Geneva. I rang you because I didn't want you to worry honey because I said I'd ring you when I got there – I've already spoken to Will and let him know when to expect me. I didn't mean to make you worry – I'm sorry honey."_

"_I'm just glad you are alright, I was starting to get worried," said Sami._

"_I'm fine," said Lucas easily, "How about you Sami? Are you missing me like I'm missing you?"_

_Sami hadn't said anything about EJ being shot yet and Lucas was trying to prolong the conversation in the hopes it would come up soon. _

"_You haven't been gone even a day Lucas," she said with a little laugh that sounded a bit strained to his ears. _

"_So?" he said teasingly, "I still miss you even if it has been less than a day."_

"_That's sweet," said Sami._

_They chatted for a bit longer and then Sami said she had to go, telling him to give Will a big hug from her when he did arrive in Geneva. Lucas promised to do just that and hung up, mildly frustrated that Sami hadn't mentioned anything about EJ. He thought he knew why – she didn't want to worry him while he was with Will and ruin their time together. It was sweet of her but that didn't help Lucas with finding out if he'd managed to get the job done or not. The last thing he wanted to do was just wound EJ. If he'd taken such a big step Lucas wanted to make sure that it was worth it, meaning EJ was dead. Lucas checked his watch again and had three hours now to kill before he could ring Austin and Carrie to come and pick him up. _

_He walked over to a nearby news stand and picked up the first English newspaper he saw. Sure enough a picture of EJ and Stefano was splashed across the front page. The shooting of a DiMera was always guaranteed to make international headlines. Lucas eagerly scanned through the article and had to bite back a groan of frustration when he read that EJ was still clinging to life. Lucas shook his head, his jaw hardening. DiMera's were like cockroaches he decided grimly – near impossible to kill. The article didn't make it sound like very promising for EJ though and Lucas could only pray that the next time he picked up a paper it was to read about funeral services for the junior DiMera. _

**oooOOOOooo**

Kate just stood there and listened as Lucas explained how he'd manufactured his alibi, still clearly in shock.

"I did what I had to do," said Lucas unrepentantly.

"If Stefano ever finds out," said Kate faintly, shaking her head, "He is going to kill you Lucas."

"Guess that is why I'm so lucky that you have my back hm Mom?" asked Lucas sweetly, "By getting on your back with old man DiMera of course."

Kate lifted her hand to slap the smirk off Lucas' face but he was too quick for her, grabbing her arm before it made contact.

"No more Mom," said Lucas ominously, "It's getting real old."

"Don't you care about what you've done?" asked Kate angrily, shaking her arm free, "You've tried to kill Stefano's son!"

"Don't you care that you've put me through hell for months now?!" asked Lucas just as angrily, "You made me think I was dying Mom! You can't imagine what that was like for me – all the times I lay awake at night so scared of what was going to happen to me!"

"I'm sorry honey," said Kate tightly, "But I had to do something – you wouldn't listen to reason."

Lucas turned away from her and shook his head, tired of hearing her excuses now. Kate turned away from him as well and the tension between them was palpable.

"Alright," said Kate at last, collecting herself as she turned back around to Lucas, "I suppose there was no real harm done. Everyone is certain Tony shot EJ and he's not around to dispute that fact anymore so Stefano isn't looking for another shooter. All we have to do now is keep up the illusion of your illness until-"

"I told you Mom!" Lucas spat out, "I'm not going to keep up this lie! I'm going to tell Sami and everyone else in Salem about what you did!"

Kate pursed her lips and took a moment to respond.

"Do you really think that is the wisest thing you could do right now Lucas?" she asked calmly.

"To tell Sami that she doesn't have to worry herself sick and that we've got a real future together?" asked Lucas bitterly, "Yeah Mom I do."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you honey," said Kate flatly.

"Why because if I do Sami will go running back to EJ?" asked Lucas mockingly, "I told you Mom, the only reason Sami was having anything to do with EJ was to protect me. He's moved on and is no longer interested so we have nothing to fear from him."

"Certain of that are you?" asked Kate tightly.

"I know Sami," said Lucas determinedly, "And I'd be able to tell if she was cheating on me."

"Like you were able to with all of your other women you mean?" asked Kate cuttingly, "Face it Lucas, you've got a real blind spot when it comes to that kind of thing."

"Sami and I have a future together Mom," said Lucas bitingly, not budging, "And that future is one that isn't going to include you! I'm done with this and with you – I want you out of my life, do you hear me Mom – OUT!"

"You're upset," said Kate, raising placating hands, "I can see that. But once you calm down I'm sure you'll see that what I've done is for the best."

"Best for whom Mom?" asked Lucas angrily, "You say you did this out of love for me but you know what I think? I think this is all about you getting one over on EJ and Sami and taking Mythic for yourself. That's really what is at stake here – not your supposedly overwhelming love for me. But I guess EJ got the jump on you there didn't he?"

"Wouldn't you rather I be in charge of Mythic and Sami and EJ nowhere near each other?" asked Kate with a raised eyebrow, "And if that was a consideration on my behalf it was one only secondary to my love for you."

"I'm tired," said Lucas flatly, done with talking now, "Apparently I've been poisoning my body for months now and I need to do some detoxing."

"The pills were harmless," Kate protested.

"They made me feel like crap," said Lucas sharply, "They didn't feel harmless to me. I've lost all this weight-"

"Which started with all the pills and booze you were taking," Kate interrupted with a frown, "That isn't all down to my pills."

Lucas just stared back at her, stunned by the gall of the woman. As flawed as he was Lucas knew he'd never do something like this to Will, no matter what the reason and it still boggled his mind.

"So is there anything else I should know?" Lucas demanded flatly, "Any other little gems that you've been keeping from me at all before I throw you out of my life for good and ring Sami with the good news?"

"What do you mean?" asked Kate innocently.

"Oh god there is more," said Lucas, closing his eyes in resignation.

Was there no end to this woman's lies?

"What do you mean by that?" asked Kate indignantly.

Lucas opened his eyes again and fixed her with a hard look.

"Every time you mean to lie you answer a question with a question," said Lucas tersely.

"Why would you say such a thing?!" asked Kate in annoyance and then frowned, realising what she'd just done.

"Case in point," said Lucas, folding his arms in front of his chest, "Alright Mom, spill it – what else have you been up to?"

Kate pursed her lips and lifted her chin, looking back at him defiantly.

"I can wait Mom," said Lucas, not backing down, "I have all the time in the world because as it turns out I'm not dying after all."

"Funny," said Kate with a roll of her eyes.

"I'm laughing on the inside," said Lucas dourly.

"Alright," Kate admitted reluctantly, "There is one little thing."

"God give me strength," said Lucas, closing his eyes again and bracing himself for whatever was coming next.

"Now don't be upset..."


	85. Chapter 232

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & THIRTY TWO**** – ****The Honeymooners**

Live and work but do not forget to play, to have fun in life and really enjoy it.

_Eileen Caddy_

_(Scottish Writer and Spiritual leader, Findhorn community co-founder)_

EJ led Jellybean back into the stables after some runs up and down the beach and removed his saddle and bridle.

"That was fun," announced a beaming Sami, following him in.

"You're becoming quite the expert horsewoman," said EJ with an approving grin, "And to think how frightened you were when you first met Jelly."

"I was frightened of a lot of things then," said Sami ruefully as she walked over and patted Jelly's long and now very sweaty neck.

"And now look at you," said EJ happily, looking at her over the top of Jelly's neck, "You're a dervish."

"And don't you forget it," said Sami playfully.

"Unlikely," said EJ with a chuckle before patting Jellybean's neck affectionately, "Alright old boy, how about a nice rub down for you eh?"

EJ looked over his mane at Sami and then gave her a particularly lecherous leer then.

"And then I'll give you a very nice rub down," he said throatily to Sami, "How does that sound old girl?"

"Unlikely to happen in this life time if you ever use the word old when referencing me again," Sami sniffed, feigning great disdain.

"See," said EJ with a regretful sigh to Jellybean, "This is why I like you so much better Jelly – less of the back chat."

"Well in that case I'm sure Jellybean would be happy to share his bed with you tonight if you think he's so great," said Sami sweetly.

"I don't think so," said EJ straight faced, "He talks in his sleep – it's very annoying."

Sami shook her head and turned away so EJ couldn't see her smile. EJ just loved that they could play like this, not a care in the world. Thoughts of returning to Salem and watching Sami go back to Lucas was heart breaking but EJ determinedly pushed them to the back of his mind right then.

"I'm going to go and makes a snack," Sami announced and arched an eyebrow at him, "And leave you two love birds alone for a bit."

"Aren't you going to stay and watch me rub down Jelly?" asked EJ with a bit of a pout.

"And why would I do that exactly?" asked Sami with a roll of her eyes.

"Now that you are my wife it is your duty to watch me perform these manly tasks and be on hand if I should require some assistance," said EJ with an air of great entitlement that he just knew was going to get him into trouble, or at least he hoped it was.

"Keep talking to me like that and all you'll be requiring is medical assistance," said Sami with a warning look that sent EJ's pulse rate through the roof.

"Silence woman!" EJ ordered her, taking his life in his own hands, "And fetch me yonder brush."

Sami's eyes narrowed menacingly at EJ's tone and he struggled hard not to smile and ruin the effect. EJ walked around the other side of Jellybean, ready to start brushing him down when said brush collected him squarely in the chest making him grunt a little.

"Heads up," said Sami sweetly far too late for it to be anything more than an ironical statement.

"This kind of churlish insolence makes me very glad that I'm not chopping wood," said EJ, tongue in cheek, "Otherwise that could have been quite nasty if I'd asked you to fetch me an axe."

"If you're going to be married to me EJ DiMera you're going to have to get faster on your feet," said Sami cheekily.

"Is that right?" EJ purred, his eyes narrowing, "Do you want to see how fast I really am young lady?"

With that EJ made a lunge for her but Sami was too quick for him, just managing to elude his grasp.

"Too slow grandpa," she goaded him cheekily.

"So that's how you want to play it eh?" asked EJ with mock menace in his voice.

EJ went to grab for her again but Sami managed to scramble up on a stack of hay bales just in time to avoid him.

"Where to now Rapunzel?" asked EJ mockingly as he looked up at her and began to close in on the seemingly cornered Sami but she had other ideas.

EJ was in front of her, the stable wall behind her and to her right but to Sami's left was an empty stall and she lithely jumped down from the hay bales just as EJ made his grab for her. He was left literally grasping at straws while Sami now had a put a stall half wall between them.

"Wow EJ," said Sami as she gave him a sweet smile, "If you moved any slower I'd have to be checking for a heart beat right about now."

"Right!" said EJ firmly, "Enough, you are going down young lady!"

"You're all talk and no action EJ DiMera," Sami taunted him teasingly as she backed up, ready to jump through the beams of wood into the next stall, "I guess you must be getting old."

"Old eh?" asked EJ coolly.

Before Sami could react EJ had effortlessly leapt over the side stall separating them. Too late Sami tried to get out the other side but EJ caught her up and swept her off her feet and threw her over his shoulder.

"Put me down!" Sami yelled, wiggling around and pretending great indignation.

"What's that my dear?" asked EJ teasingly as he carried the struggling Sami out of the stall, "We old folks get a bit hard of hearing."

"I'm warning you EJ!" Sami threatened him, her voice coming from behind him as she was still slung over his shoulder and he could already hear the laughter in her voice, "I'm going to make you pay for this!"

"You're all talk Samantha DiMera," EJ said mockingly as he gave her backside a playful slap.

If he could Jellybean would have rolled his eyes at all of this carry on. He was never going to get his rub down at this rate he decided. Ignoring the two warring lovers Jellybean simply took himself outside to chew on some grass and enjoy a bit more sunshine.

"OWWW!" Sami protested loudly, neither one of them even noticing Jellybean leaving them to it.

"Now are you going to be a good wife and do as I command you?" asked EJ teasingly as he refused to let her down.

"You better sleep with one eye open tonight mister!" Sami threatened him as she still tried to get free, "Because I'll be coming-"

"I always enjoy you coming Samantha," EJ interrupted her mischievously, "So that will definitely be something I'll be staying awake for – thanks for the heads up."

"And that will be the only kind of head you'll get from me if you don't put me down, " said Sami imperiously.

"How on earth did I marry a woman with such a potty mouth," EJ marvelled even as his heart rate went through the roof.

The mental image of Sami on her knees pleasuring him orally was enough to make his mouth go dry and all of his blood head south. Already having Sami wiggling around all over his naked upper body was making it very hard for EJ to concentrate on their game. The thought that under the black halter top sun dress she was wearing there was only Sami and nothing else did little to calm EJ down either.

"The same way I married a bullying thug!" Sami raged back at him, giving a good impression of being outraged, "Now put me down EJ DiMera or else you will regret it."

"You know," said EJ with a big grin as he repositioned her on his shoulder a little bit, "I think I'll take my chances with that one."

"EJ I – OWWW!"

What no doubt was about to be another string of threats from Sami was interrupted by her squealing loudly. EJ tensed, unable to help himself from responding to her sound of distress.

"Something bit me!" cried out Sami in horror.

"What?" asked EJ in concern, all thoughts of their game leaving his head now.

"Something bit me," Sami groaned, "My wrist – I must have picked up a spider or something when I was in the stalls. It really hurts EJ, what if it was venomous?!"

EJ quickly put same down, straightening up to see her with a pained expression on her face and one hand clamped around her left wrist.

"Let me see," said EJ urgently, knowing there were indeed some nasty spiders on the island and that spider bites had the potential to be life threatening.

"Ow ow ow!" Sami complained looking very upset and backing up.

"Samantha," said EJ, his heart hammering in his chest noisily now.

Oh god if anything were ever to happen to Sami he knew he couldn't go on living. Sami looked up at him as though she was on the verge of tears and EJ was forced to swallow a large lump that had formed in his throat. Suddenly then her expression of distress immediately dissolved and was replaced with a self satisfied smirk.

"Ain't no cure for stupid," she mocked him and EJ quickly realised she'd just played him again.

The relief was monumental and almost made EJ's knees go weak. The control this woman had over his emotions was frightening. Loving Sami as much as he did just intensified every single feeling he had about her. She was looking up at him with a pleased expression on her face and well she might. He was hard to fake out and just proved to EJ once again what a perfect match they were.

"That was a heinous thing to do Samantha Jean DiMera!" EJ declared in only half joking outrage.

"I girls gotta do what a girls gotta do," said Sami sweetly, "All's fair in love and war after all."

"Haven't you ever heard of the boy who cried wolf?" asked EJ, trying to keep up his act of displeasure but meanwhile all he could really think about was the way Sami's chest was heaving up and down and how her bodice was struggling to contain what was underneath.

"You know next time you try that I might not come to your aid," EJ tried to warn her, putting his best serious face on.

"You'll always come when I call EJ DiMera," Sami said confidently, "Always."

EJ knew that her back talk was all meant to be a part of their game but as Sami said those words he heard the catch in her voice and knew the truth of her words was affecting her deeply. She blinked a couple of times, suddenly teary at the emotions that knowing he was totally hers caused in her. EJ loved that Sami was so sure of him now, adored that she could speak those words and know in every cell of her body that it was true. The blood was roaring in his ears as he began to advance on her slowly, all games forgotten now as EJ's need for her suddenly overwhelmed him.

"Call me now," he ordered her huskily, the tension between them suddenly painfully intense.

"And why do you want me to do that EJ?" asked Sami unsteadily as she began to back up but his eyes told him full well she knew why.

"Because I want to come," EJ told her thickly, never taking his eyes off her, moving in closer now as she backed her closer to the wall.

"Maybe I don't want to," suggested Sami shakily despite the different story her eyes were telling him, clearly intent on drawing out this delicious tension between them.

EJ stopped advancing on her then and let his eyes wander freely all over her body. He could hear the way Sami's breath roughened at such close scrutiny from him, saw the way her nipples hardened and pushed against the black material of her and knew she was as helpless to resist the pull between them as he was. EJ's eyes lingered on her thighs, his eyes flaring as he imagined what intoxicating heat was waiting for him there.

"Liar," he informed her raggedly.

"Prove it," said Sami breathlessly, the eagerness undeniable in her voice even as she challenged him.

"Gladly," EJ growled as he advanced on her now.

EJ caught Sami up in a fierce kiss, crushing her lips hungrily underneath his and delighting in the equally needy answer she gave him. All EJ could think about right then was possessing her, burying himself as deeply in her body as he could and just losing his soul in Sami. Their games had heated his blood and his need for her was driving every other thought out of his head. Sami's hand came up to the back of his head, a silent plea to deepen the kiss which EJ did without hesitation. Still kissing her EJ swung Sami around and effortlessly lifted her up onto a nearby table that was usually used for cleaning equipment. Sami's arms wrapped around EJ's neck as he laid her back on the table, one hand running down the length of her body and feeling every soft curve and undulation.

EJ's hand was at Sami's knee then and he pushed her skirt up as his hand sought out her core. His fingers brushed her folds and felt Sami tense underneath him in eager anticipation. Still kissing her because EJ was addicted to the taste of Sami in his mouth he ran his fingers along her folds, plump and slick with her craving for him. Unable to stop himself EJ gently traced her opening, making Sami shudder underneath him now before slowly inserting one long finger into her heat. Her walls quivered around him at the intrusion and Sami's arms tightened around his neck. EJ crooked his finger, finding that sweet spot deep inside of Sami and beginning to massage it for her. Sami groaned loudly into their kiss, arching her back and tensing against him at the pleasure he was causing her.

"Come when I call Samantha," he demanded of her raggedly as she began to writhe helplessly underneath him.

"EJ!" Sami moaned loudly, squeezing her eyes closed and gritting her teeth against the obvious pleasure he was giving her.

EJ moved so that his lips were against her ear and began whispering to Sami all the things he wanted to do to her, the ways he wanted to take her and be taken by her. How he was going to make her scream and beg him to stop because she couldn't take anymore and then he was going to take her again, fill her body with his maleness until she couldn't live without his body in hers. Sami's breathing was coming in ragged pants now as her excitement grew to fever pitch which matched EJ's own rasping breaths. Sami clutched at his shoulders as suddenly it became too much for her, she dissolved underneath EJ in a paroxysm of uncontrolled shudders and broken cries. EJ just continued to rub that spot inside of Sami, prolonging her pleasure even as his own arousal pushed painfully against the denim of his jeans.

When EJ was finally done with her he removed his finger, leaving Sami a helplessly panting mess on the table. She looked utterly spent, barely able to keep her eyes open and EJ felt a thrill of male pride at knowing he'd put that look of utter female contentment on her face. With one hand he began to undo his jeans, eager to sample what was on display for him right then whilst his other hand, the one that was coated in Sami's arousal he lifted to his lips and sampled her sweetness. EJ stepped out of his jeans and cupped Sami's mound, massaging it gently and loving how she shuddered helplessly under his touch, knowing how sensitive she must be now.

He then picked up her legs, slinging each one over the crooks of his elbows as he put his hands flat on the table top, either side of Sami's thighs. She opened for him like a flower and EJ could feel the heat radiating out of Sami's body as his engorged tip pressed for entrance against her opening. Sami was just smiling up at him with a dreamy smile on her lips, too contented to offer him resistance or help. EJ rather liked her being so submissive like this right then. He loved it when Sami took charge but he also loved it when she made him feel like she was totally his to do with whatever he wanted. The thought made a low growling sound erupt from the back of EJ's throat as he penetrated her in one hard stroke. Sami was so wet already that she took him easily despite his girth and a knowing smile touched her lips at seeing EJ's intense pleasure at the way she was encasing him in all of that dripping wet heat. EJ tried to keep his strokes slow in the beginning but he quickly began to lose control, his body straining inside of hers towards completion.

EJ's self control wasn't helped by the way Sami was looking up at him with those big blue eyes, clearly enjoying watching his pleasure as he plundered her body. He wanted her to come with him but knew he didn't have the strength to slow things down to let her catch up. Anyway Sami seemed more than content to just watch him take pleasure from her body just as he'd enjoyed so intensely watching her before. The power of his strokes began to pick up and EJ could feel his body beginning to get ready to empty himself into her.

"That's it sweetheart," Sami encouraged him throatily, her eyes flaring at his obvious approaching of his peak, "Go harder, I need this as much as you do."

"Samantha!" EJ groaned helplessly, unable to stop himself pounding her even harder now, the table she was lying beginning to creak noisily with the force of each stroke.

"And when you're done filling me up I'm going to take you into my mouth and make you feel so good," she promised him huskily, "I'm going to make you hard again so quickly-"

"Yes!" exclaimed EJ in wide eyed desperation, already imagining it, "Oh god yes!"

"I'll make you come in my mouth and then... oh EJ!"

Sami's breathy promises were interrupted by EJ unable to take it anymore. He began a vocal climax and then felt his maleness shoot from his body, drowning her in his seed as Sami used her body to gently milk his dry. She was stroking his chest and arms throughout it all, telling him how good it felt to have his seed inside of her and it only made EJ come even harder. Still shaking wildly and panting uncontrollably EJ let Sami's push against his chest and he reluctantly removed himself from her body. His obedience was rewarded though when Sami promptly slipped from the table and dropped to her knees, making good her earlier promise.

EJ gave a resonating moan as Sami took him eagerly into her mouth and began to work on him once more. The promise to make him hard again wasn't going to take long EJ decided as he already felt his stomach muscles clench in mounting excitement as she lavished attention on his recently spent member. EJ's knees nearly gave way on him at the attention and he was forced to grip the table for nearby support. His head lolled to one side as EJ surrendered himself to Sami's skills. Everything between them was so intense because of the depth of their love for one another and the last thought on EJ's mind before he lost himself totally in Sami yet again was that he wasn't going to rest until she was finally free of Lucas and they could be together forever...


	86. Chapter 233

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & THIRTY THREE**** – ****The Truth Will Out**

You can bend it and twist it...

You can misuse and abuse it...

But even God cannot change the Truth.

_Michael Levy_

Kate moved a little uncomfortably under Lucas' impatient gaze.

"Okay Mom," said Lucas tersely, "What is it now? I mean I can't imagine it is going to be any worse than letting your own son think he is dying all of this time so just tell me."

Kate took in Lucas' angry expression and reconsidered her candour. They'd both caught each other off guard today and she still needed to process his confession about what he'd tried to do to EJ. Kate liked to cover every eventuality but she just hadn't counted on Lucas already knowing about Sami and EJ. She wasn't as convinced as he seemed to be though that it was coerced on Sami's behalf. He claimed to have witnessed proof of that but Kate also knew what she'd seen on the roof and it hadn't seemed that way to her.

In Kate's opinion EJ had hoodwinked her into thinking she was in love with him for his and his father's own reasons. Her conversation with Stefano had confirmed that for Kate. The DiMera men had a plan for Sami and Kate didn't know what that was. All she knew was that Lucas' supposed condition was all that was buying him any time in his little fantasy world of setting up house with Sami. Kate didn't want to tell Lucas any of that or the other things she'd done to help his dreams come true. Lucas was still looking at her with angry expectation so Kate had to tell him something and she decided on something that had a partial truth to it.

"I only married Stefano to cover my tracks for what I've done," volunteered Kate, deciding leading him up that garden path was better than telling Lucas some other home truths.

"I figured that," Lucas grunted, "I'm not stupid Mom, no matter what you might think."

"I don't think you're stupid Lucas," said Kate quickly, "Just a little misguided sometimes."

"Coming from the reigning queen of Misguided-topia that really means something your majesty," Lucas sneered.

"Lucas I know you're angry right now but if you just took a moment and thought things through-" Kate began to try and calm him down.

If Lucas went off half cocked now blabbing to anyone who would listen about what she'd done Kate knew she was going to be in a very tenuous position with Stefano. He'd let the thing with drugging Sami alone but had been clearly displeased which was why he was letting EJ have his fun with her now. If Stefano decided that she'd crossed an even bigger line despite not knowing his plans at the time Kate really didn't want to think about what his reaction might be. Not good for her, she knew that much.

"I've thought things through and decided there is nothing to think about," said Lucas tersely, "Sami has to know that I'm not dying – Philip, Billie, the rest of Salem has to know that this is all just a concoction of your twisted mind! And when that happens Mom there is no one who is going to be taking your side, I can guarantee you that!"

"I don't care what people think of me," said Kate angrily, "I care that you are making a huge mistake telling Sami anything!"

"Sami is the woman I love, the woman I'm going to be spending the rest of my life with," said Lucas, glaring angrily at her, "She deserves the truth!"

"Sami deserves a lot of things but the truth isn't one of them," threw back Kate in disdain, "You go on and on about your precious relationship with Sami and it's not even real. She's not who you think she is, this caring charade she's putting on is just that – a charade! Nothing is as it seems, hell even your marriage is a sham-"

Kate stopped abruptly then, realising once again she'd said too much. She was still off kilter from Lucas' news about shooting EJ and Kate knew she wasn't thinking straight.

"What does that mean?" asked Lucas, his face darkening.

"Um just that Sami married you thinking you were dying," Kate tried to back track quickly, "That's all."

"Mom," said Lucas warningly, a scowl covering his whole face, "If you lie to me now I will never speak to you again in this lifetime and I'll make sure Will won't either. Tell me the truth – what about my marriage to Sami?"

Kate searched Lucas' face and could see he wasn't bluffing and made an annoyed noise at herself.

"It's not technically legal," said Kate with a little offhanded shrug of her shoulders as though it was no big deal.

"What?" asked Lucas, his eyes widening, "Why wouldn't it be legal Mom?!"

"Because there is an outside chance that the priest that I organised to marry you isn't a priest but an out of work actor I met," offered up Kate innocently.

Lucas clutched at a nearby chair, seeming to have difficulty staying upright all of a sudden.

"You did what?" he asked her weakly, clearly having not suspected a thing.

"Well I knew you wanted to get married to Sami but I also knew it wouldn't last," Kate explained her logic, "And honey, I just don't want yet another divorce against your name – it's kind of getting out of hand. I knew you'd eventually throw Sami out when she disappointed you as she always does and I didn't want you have to face messy divorce number four so I gave you what you wanted without the unpleasantness at the inevitable end of the relationship."

"You really are insane aren't you?" asked Lucas, looking at her wide eyed.

"No I'm not," said Kate in annoyance, "I'm just someone who likes to plan ahead. I don't see the problem Lucas. You got what you wanted but with an escape hatch if you needed it later on. If it lasted between you and Sami, as highly unlikely as that was, then I would have eventually told you and then you could have made things legal. I don't see what harm was done."

"You really don't do you?" Lucas marvelled, looking at her in disbelief, "This all makes perfect sense in your mind doesn't it?"

"Of course it does," said Kate stiffly, frowning at the way Lucas was looking at her like she was some kind of alien life form, "And you'll see I'm right. Trust me Lucas, everything is going to work out for the best."

"Oh yeah," said Lucas sarcastically as he started to recover from this latest blow, "Because you've proven yourself to be so trustworthy so far haven't you Mom?!"

"I've given you the most recent happiest moments of your life Lucas!" Kate argued back stubbornly and deciding Lucas definitely didn't need to know the little helping hand she gave his faux honeymoon night.

"And the most nightmarish ones!" Lucas threw back at her in disgust.

"Swings and roundabouts," said Kate with an unapologetic shrug, "You can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs."

Lucas just stared at her for a long moment before speaking.

"I think you should go Mom," he said expressionlessly, "I've got a call to Japan to make."

"Don't you think you should wait and give such news face to face?" suggested Kate quickly, desperate for Lucas not to act rashly but trying not to show it, "Plus it will give you some time to think about what it is you are doing."

"I don't need to think," said Lucas tightly, "What to do is obvious – I need to tell the truth to those that matter to me."

"But what's to be gained from telling everyone the truth now?" Kate argued with him urgently.

"The fact that you have to ask me that just shows how far removed from reality you really are," said Lucas darkly.

Kate just arched an unimpressed eyebrow at his take on things. Honestly, her children were just such a thankless bunch when it came to acting on their behalf. They made it sound like she was trying to hurt them intentionally. Lucas had turned away from her and was looking out the window, clearly collecting himself. Finally he turned back around and fixed Kate with a resigned look.

"So to recap," said Lucas grimly, "I'm not dying and I'm not married – is that about the size of things Mom?"

"Yes," said Kate with an attempt at a winsome smile.

"Right," said Lucas flatly, "You can go now Mom."

"Honey I just want you to take some time to process all of this and then decide what you want to do," Kate cautioned him anxiously, "Don't rush into anything."

"Thanks for the advice Mom," said Lucas bitterly, "That wouldn't be self serving in any way now would it?"

"All I'm asking for you to do Lucas is to think," said Kate earnestly.

"Duly noted Mom," said Lucas coldly, "Now get out. You've screwed up my life enough for one day don't you think?"

Kate pressed her lips together unhappily at Lucas' summation of events but didn't argue. He was upset and experience told her that leaving him be for a little bit would give her a better chance of being able to reason with him later.

"I love you Lucas," said Kate quietly but her words were only met with a stony silence.

With a last regretful look at Lucas' reaction to all of this Kate did as he asked and left. She stood outside in the hallway and made a thoughtful face. Honestly that could have gone worse she decided but still couldn't help but be hurt by how dismissive Lucas was of her. Could he really not see that she'd done all this for him wondered Kate in despair?

"I guess there is only one thing for it right now," she said to herself, pursing her lips before making her way determinedly towards the elevator.

Lucas heard his mother's footsteps leaving and shook his head, still in disbelief about all the revelations of that afternoon. His gaze was caught by the bottle of pills his mother had bought him and was suddenly enraged. Lucas picked them up and flung them against the wall in a fit of rage, so angry right then he could barely think straight. The pills scattered everywhere as Lucas stalked over to the kitchen and pulled out the bottle of whiskey he'd secreted away before getting sick – check that, before being made to think he was sick. He didn't bother with a cup, simply downing a big gulp of the burning liquid.

Lucas had a lot to think about but that was for tomorrow – tonight was for getting obliterated so he didn't have to think about his mother and what she'd done to him in the name of love.

[center]**oooOOOOooo**[/center]

"Hello?"

"Hello Kate," said Stefano's calm voice over her cell phone, "Where are you my dear?"

Kate looked around the bar she was currently sitting at after having left Lucas' but wasn't in the mood to give him an answer.

"Out," she said shortly.

"Are you still mad at me my love?" asked Stefano with a deep chuckle.

"Why would I be mad?" asked Kate in annoyance, "Just because my husband finds my public humiliation at the hands of his own son to be amusing? It was bad enough you didn't lift a finger when I was thrown out of my own company but now you just laugh about what was written about me – how could you Stefano?!"

"What would you have me do Kate?" asked Stefano and to her frustration Kate could hear the amusement in his voice.

"How about suing the Salem Spectator for slander?" asked Kate bitterly.

"But everything they wrote was true," Stefano pointed out mildly which only made Kate madder.

"That's not the point!" Kate snapped.

"You may have difficulty convincing a lawyer of that fact," said Stefano and again there was that maddening chuckle of his.

"You know I really expected my husband to be a bit more supportive of me!" Kate said angrily.

"You know what you did to invite these things into your life," said Stefano unapologetically, "You should just be grateful my dear that your punishment is not more severe."

"And that's the end of it is it?" asked Kate tightly, "EJ just gets to continue torturing me until he gets tired of it and you won't lift a finger to stop him?"

"Do not do the crime if you cannot do the time Kate," Stefano advised her but not in an unkind way, "Come home my dear and I will make you forget all about your troubles eh? I will have the chef prepare for us a beautiful meal."

"I'm not hungry," said Kate childishly, "And I'm not ready to come home to a man who thinks so little of me."

"My darling Katherine," said Stefano indulgently, "It is only because I think so highly of you and your strength that I am allowing any of this to happen."

"If you wanted to give me a compliment Stefano couldn't you just say I looked beautiful tonight?" she asked him with a sniff, refusing to be mollified.

"I would do just that if you were to come home," said Stefano with a laugh, "But I cannot compliment a woman who is not here eh?"

"I'll think about it," said Kate coolly, "But don't wait up."

Kate knew that Stefano found her even more intriguing when she was being difficult so she knew she wasn't threatening their relationship in anyway by being this way. It was a relationship she was going to need to strengthen in the coming weeks for her plans to work and Kate was aware of that. She knew that Stefano would be deeply suspicious if she suddenly fell all over him so Kate was being careful in the way she played this game.

"You do that and I won't," said Stefano with another little laugh, "Goodbye my love."

Kate hung up and put away her phone before finishing the last of her drink and her thoughts turning back to her conversation with Lucas. Whilst Lucas' reaction hadn't been completely unexpected it still hurt her with how dismissive he'd been with her. Kate had done all this for him and all Lucas seemed to see were the negatives. Sami had him so convinced that she was in love with him as he was with her but Kate knew better. Lucas was heading towards more heartache to be sure and if he told everyone about what she'd done then Kate wasn't sure how she could protect him anymore.

Her plans were too far in motion now to be stopped and Kate would never have told Lucas, at least not yet, except he'd frightened her so much with this planned suicide thing. There were times when she felt like she didn't know Lucas at all. He'd been so angry with her and all Kate had really wanted to do was give him something to live for. Lucas had thought he'd wanted Sami and so Kate had made that happen because without her intervention she was sure that Sami and EJ would now be together. That was certainly Stefano's plans anyway. Kate knew she was taking a huge risk in getting in the middle of that but the thought of getting Mythic back and EJ disowned by his father was worth it from her point of view.

Kate was angling to become the most powerful woman in Salem and more. She wasn't getting any younger and Kate knew she had to make her plays to secure her future sooner rather than later. The fact that she believed she'd be helping out Lucas at the same time just made her even more sure it was the right thing to do. Now if only she could get her son to agree with her thought Kate dryly. She could only hope that when he calmed down Lucas would see reason and realise she'd acted in both of their best interests. If she played her cards right Kate was hopeful that at the end of this little game both EJ and Sami would be in the gutter where they belonged. That was a happy thought for Kate, imagining those two broke and alone in the world. If it was the last thing she did in this world Kate was determined to make them pay for the pain and humiliation they'd caused her.

"Can I buy you a drink?"

The owner of the voice was a rather distinguished looking man in his mid to late forties. He was well dressed with dark hair that was beginning to grey at the temples. He had a pleasant smile on his face as he came to stand beside her. Kate eyed him suspiciously though, despite his handsome good looks. Thanks to that little newspaper articled she'd had more than one man who recognised her come up and try their luck. Kate had quickly put them in their place but she wasn't in the mood for another one of those idiots.

"You know I'm not in the habit of accepting drinks from strangers," she lied with an arched eyebrow.

"I'm sorry," said the man with a lop sided smiled, "I'm just passing through town, arrived this morning and I'll be leaving tomorrow morning. I guess I was just looking for someone to chat to and forgot my manners."

"You're not from Salem?" asked Kate with interest, sitting up a little straighter in her seat.

This sounded more promising. Since marrying Stefano Kate hadn't cheated on her husband and had no intention of doing so. Even though she was currently annoyed at him right now for his cavalier attitude to EJ's torture of her Kate did have a soft spot for the man. She believed in marriage and even though there were other factors involved with her agreeing to marry Stefano Kate fully intended to keep the vows she made to him on their wedding day. This man however looked like he might possibly be a pleasant distraction for Kate considering what was going on in her life right then. Some attentive male company would certainly go a long way to salvaging today she decided.

"No," said the man with another warm smile, "Boston. My name is Thomas by the way."

"I'm Katherine," said Kate, giving him the formal version of her name in case he had read something and it jogged his memory.

She gave him her hand and they shook.

"Very pleased to make your acquaintance Katherine," said Thomas as he took a seat beside her at the bar, "Now how about that drink I promised you?"

"I'm married," she informed him calmly.

"So am I," the man grinned, holding up his left hand and wiggling his ring finger about, "I can promise you Katherine, I'm just looking for some company tonight. You seem to me to be an interesting woman that I wouldn't mind spending some time talking to and it seems to me you might be in need of an ear as well."

"Today has not been a great day," agreed Kate wryly as Thomas nodded his head at the bartender to get them another round.

"And why is that?" asked Thomas kindly.

"Two words," said Kate flatly, "Ungrateful children."

"Oh now I've got one of those," said Thomas with a laugh, "My daughter Lizzie – she's fifteen going on thirty. All we seem to do at the moment is fight."

"Yeah well mine is twenty eight and it doesn't get any better," said Kate darkly.

"Don't tell me that," Thomas groaned, "The thought that this will end soon is all that is helping me hang onto my sanity."

"Daughters are different," said Kate knowingly, "Son's are something else again."

"I'm sure you two will work it out," said Thomas sincerely, "You obviously love him a lot."

"You wouldn't know it to talk to him," said Kate unhappily, "To hear him talk I'm the worst mom in the world."

"You always hurt the ones you love," said Thomas philosophically.

"I always hated that philosophy," said Kate in annoyance, "I think you should hurt the people you hate and try and protect the ones you love."

"That sounds like the voice of experience to me," Thomas commented with an arched eyebrow.

"It isn't," said Kate quickly.

She didn't know why but for some reason Kate didn't want this man to think ill of her – like every other person in her life right now. Thomas turned to take the drinks off the bartender before straightening back round to face Kate, drinks in hand.

"Let's drink to something hm?" he suggested, handing Kate her drink.

"Alright," said Kate with a half smile as she took the drink, "What do you suggest Thomas?"

"How about to love and hate?" he offered up impishly by way of a toast, "And working out who deserves what in our lives."

Kate had to smile at his gentle teasing of her but had toasted to lesser things. They clinked glasses and drank, Kate eying him over the rim of her glass. It looked like tonight she'd found a friend and with sex off the table it promised to be a nice, relaxing night. Besides she wanted to be as late home as possible to punish Stefano and this seemed as good a way as any.

"So Kate," said Thomas, looking like he was settling in for a good, long chat, "How long have you lived in Salem?"

"Depending on who you ask the answer to that question is most likely going to be too long," said Kate wryly.

Thomas laughed at her humour and Kate joined in. It looked like today wasn't going to be a complete waste after all...


	87. Chapter 234

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & THIRTY FOUR**** – ****Brotherly Love**

The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.

_~Flora Whittemore~_

"Are you ready?" asked EJ with a smile as Sami walked down the stairs, dressed only in a bikini and sarong.

They were going to spend the day at the lagoon and EJ was just excited about spending yet another day with Sami all to himself.

"Almost," said Sami with a grin and then pulled a face.

"What?" asked EJ as he picked up the picnic hamper that he'd prepared for them.

"Lucas hasn't rung today," said Sami with a bit of a sigh, "I wonder if I should contact him before we go to the lagoon?"

"Estelle will cover for us," said EJ easily, "She wasn't kidding about bankrupting me with room service so it will be good for her to earn her keep."

"Is it that bad?" asked Sami with a giggle.

"I'd pay any room bill if it meant I could spend time with you," said EJ with a grin and bending his head to plant a lingering kiss on Sami's lips, "So don't worry about Lucas – he'll get around to calling."

"But-" Sami began worriedly.

"Sweetheart if there was bad news then we would have no doubt have been informed by now," said EJ firmly, "I'm sure everything is fine."

"You just want to get me down to that lagoon so you can have your evil way with me," said Sami, trying to give him a disapproving look at his casual attitude.

"Actually I was planning on molesting you on the way to the stables," said EJ with a lecherous waggling of his eyebrows.

"You're insatiable," said Sami with a laughing shake of her head.

"Is that compliant my darling?" asked EJ as he opened the door for her.

"Not even a little bit," said Sami, sending him a seductive look as she walked out the door.

**oooOOOOooo**

Lucas sat in the coffee shop stirring the cup of coffee he wasn't really interested in drinking. After his mother had left yesterday from delivering her bombshells Lucas had drunk himself into an unconscious state. It wasn't exactly a noble thing to do or even a smart one but it's not every day that you find out your mother was trying to make you think you were dying. He took a sip of the dark liquid at that thought and had to wonder what it his life would have turned out like if he'd had a normal mother. Lucas didn't even know why he was surprised. After all he found out at twelve just what lengths she would go to in protecting him and his mother's behaviour over the years hadn't exactly shown that she was backing away from the over reactive parenting thing.

He rubbed his forehead, grimacing at the headache he was currently sporting thanks to his hangover. Lucas had actually woken up in his car with no memory of how he'd gotten there which had given him some cause for concern that he'd actually attempted driving in the state he was in. Fortunately he'd parked a little off kilter that afternoon and the car was still in the exact same position the next morning so at least he hadn't managed to drive in his inebriated state it seemed. Lucas had no idea where he had been going, everything pretty much a blank for him after he'd opened that bottle of whiskey. Whatever his drunken plan had been though it was clear he hadn't gotten far which was a relief anyway. One less thing to worry about but thanks to his mother his plate still seemed pretty full Lucas had thought bitterly at the time.

Lucas knew he should be on the phone right now, telling Sami the good news but for some reason, he was hesitating. Despite himself his mother's words were rattling around in his head and making him think twice. Lucas was almost certain that EJ had given up on his plan to win over Sami and that the other man had moved on. He certainly didn't seem to be in their lives the way he used to be apart from Sami having to work with him. Admittedly Lucas had been somewhat distracted with thinking he was dying and all but it really did seem to him that EJ had given up and moved on to his next victim. Whilst Lucas felt bad for the poor woman he was now dating that didn't stop him from being relieved that he and Sami didn't have to deal with him anymore.

His mother seemed intent on convincing him that EJ and Sami's relationship wasn't as one sided or coerced as Lucas knew it was though which annoyed him. Why he would be taking advice from right now though boggled the mind and Lucas was currently fighting a battle between his reason and instinct. His mother had been so insistent that telling Sami was a bad idea and despite what he'd said Lucas could tell it was a completely self interested plea. He thought back over their relationship, particular before he'd gotten sick and remembered how Sami had seemed to be pulling away from him.

Their lack of sex, whilst always seeming to have a good reason for it at the time, gave him pause for thought as well. Even taking into account their separations and his injuries surely having sex more only twice in six months, certainly at the beginning of a rekindled relationship was a little odd. Lucas made an annoyed sound at himself for letting himself buy into his mother's manufactured paranoia. The most likely explanation for his and Sami's lack of intimacies apart from bad timing was the fact that EJ had been blackmailing her for sex for all of that time practically. That had to do things to a woman's psyche so no wonder Sami wasn't initiating intimacy with him because she was traumatised by what EJ had been doing to her.

Lucas' jaw hardened at the thought and wished once again that his bullets had been better aimed. A DiMera was probably like a vampire Lucas decided bitterly – you had to drive a wooden stake through his heart and cut off its head to have any long lasting effects. Lucas gave a little smile as he imagined himself doing just that and the look of surprised confusion finally wiping that smug smile off of EJ's face as he fell to the floor. That would be a hallmark moment for sure and despite his mother's horror Lucas couldn't help but feel that Salem would probably give him a medal rather than a jail cell for riding it of one EJ DiMera.

"What's so funny?"

Lucas gave a little start and looked up to see Philip looking down at him curiously, cup of coffee in hand.

"I was just thinking about killing someone," said Lucas calmly.

"Oh well sure," said Philip easily as he took a seat across from his half brother, "We've all been there. Anyone I know?"

"EJ DiMera," said Lucas flatly, "And possibly Mom."

"Well you'll have to get to the back of a long line when it comes to EJ," said Philip with a quirk of his lips, "And one just as long for Mom."

"She's something isn't she?" said Lucas darkly, posing the rhetorical question.

"So what's the meddling matriarch of our family done now?" asked Philip with an arched eyebrow.

Lucas looked back at Philip and considered telling him the truth. After all Kate had interfered in his life almost as much as she had in his. If anyone was going to understand it was Philip. At the last moment though Lucas decided against it.

"Oh you know," said Lucas vaguely, "Just Mom being Mom."

"She does have a way about her," said Philip dryly and must have been able to see that Lucas didn't want to talk about it, "So how's things? Heard from Sami lately?"

"I spoke to her yesterday," said Lucas.

_Before his world exploded into a million pieces – thank you very much Mom. _

"How's the Shiro Chiba deal going?" asked Philip, trying not to look that interested but Lucas wasn't fooled.

"Are you pumping me for information about another company's multimillion dollar deal?" asked Lucas wryly.

"Just enquiring after family," said Philip, oozing innocence.

"Aha," said Lucas, sounding less than convinced.

"I still can't believe it was Sami who snagged it," said Philip with a shake of his head, "Mind you I don't know why I'm surprised – it's not like Sami doesn't know how to get what she wants when she puts her mind to it."

"Hey that's my wife you're talking about," said Lucas, his lips thinning in displeasure at the implication although it was hard to dispute exactly.

_And Sami wasn't actually his wife, again - thanks Mom. _

"No offense intended," said Philip holding up a conciliatory hand, "I'm just saying that I'm glad to see Sami using her-"

Philip hesitated, looking for the right word.

"-skills shall we say for something more worthwhile then just pinning down a man," said Philip conversationally, "I always thought her brain was being wasted by all those complicated plots just to get a ring on her finger. I guess now that she's finally got that then her powers are being used for something more useful – like making truck loads of money."

Lucas could hear the admiration in Philip's voice and was a little taken aback by his sentiment.

"So you don't think love is worth fighting for?" asked Lucas with a bit of a frown.

Philip made a rueful face at Lucas' obvious disbelief.

"I guess that is kind of a hard sell coming from me isn't it," he said wryly, sitting back in his chair and giving Lucas a thoughtful look, "I did after all kidnap my wife and child to get them away from Shawn."

"Do you regret that?" asked Lucas, looking at him intently, "Doing all that because you loved Belle and Clair so much and thought you were losing them?"

Philip considered the question for a long moment before answering him.

"The only thing I regret was the outcome," said Philip quietly at last.

"But don't you regret all the stuff that you were reduced to?" asked Lucas curiously, "How extreme everything got?"

"What I regret was not stepping up to the plate sooner when I felt that things weren't right between Belle and I," said Philip, his jaw hardening at the thought, "I should have done everything in my power back then and not when it was too late. I handed Belle over to Shawn on a silver platter because I didn't make her understand properly how much I loved her – what I'd do for her and Claire to keep them. So if you're asking if I regret how things panned out then sure but if you are asking if I regret going to those extremes then no. My wife and my child were on the line and my life with them. I was going to fight for that tooth and nail, using every resource at my disposal, fair or foul to get them back."

Philip made a sad face then as he admitted the truth to Lucas.

"It turns out it just wasn't enough," he said with quiet unhappiness, "But at least I know I did everything in my power to keep my family together. I'm not going to take that back."

"Do you think we are all doomed to become Mom?" asked Lucas hopelessly, "Is that our future – doing crazy things in the name of love?"

"You're philosophical today," Philip commented with an arched eyebrow.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking lately," Lucas said vaguely, "About my life, my choices."

"I guess you would," said Philip and looked troubled which made Lucas instantly feel guilty.

"I'm not dying," Lucas blurted out without thinking about it.

"What?!" asked Philip in amazement, leaning closer to Lucas, "You've been cured?! Lucas that's amazing, it's a miracle!"

"Not so much a miracle as Mom," said Lucas flatly, "I was never dying, Mom just engineered it all so that it looked like I was."

"I'm sorry," said Philip looking stunned, "I'm going to require a little bit more information on that little nugget Lucas."

Philip sat quietly and listened to Lucas tell him the story of their mother's intricate lies and plots and how he and Sami weren't really married. Lucas omitted the part about him shooting EJ of course but told his brother about EJ's blackmailing of Sami to get her into bed and what Kate had planned to oust EJ from the family fold. Philip didn't speak for a long time after that and Lucas couldn't blame him, it was a lot to take in.

"You do realise at some point we are going to have to have a conversation about getting Mom institutionalised right?" asked Philip conversationally when he finally did speak.

"I'm already there," said Lucas darkly.

"You've got to hand it to the old girl," said Philip with a slowly amazed shake of his head, "Mom's plans have a certain grandiosity to them."

"The woman's insane," said Lucas flatly.

"Oh that goes without saying," said Philip with a casual wave of his hand, "So how did you two leave things between you?"

"With me threatening her with never seeing or speaking to me or her grandson ever again," said Lucas in annoyance.

"Ah the grandkid card," said Philip with a knowing nod, "One that can't be trumped."

Philip gave Lucas a thoughtful look then.

"So," he said curiously, "Mom's deranged thought processes aside this is basically good news right?"

"Not having a death sentence hanging over your head could be called that," agreed Lucas morosely.

"And yet I'm not getting a happy vibe off you," Philip observed, "Why is that I wonder?"

"I'm not sure what I should do next," said Lucas unhappily, looking down at the now cold coffee he was cupping with his hands, "I mean my first instinct was to tell everyone the truth of course, especially Sami but Mom was against it."

"Gee I wonder why?" said Philip mockingly.

"What would you do?" asked Lucas with a frown, "I mean I know what Mom did was twisted but in a weird way she did it because she loved me. If I tell everyone what she's done then her life in Salem will basically be over."

"Plus I can't see Stefano taking this well," Philip mused, "At least I know why she married him now."

"That's what I said to her," said Lucas with a roll of his eyes.

"Alright," said Philip, fixing Lucas with a steady look, "You asked for my opinion and here it is for what it is worth and if ever asked about it I'll deny it strenuously but I agree with Mom – you shouldn't tell anyone about what she'd one, especially not Sami."

"Wh-what?" asked Lucas, sitting back in his seat in amazement, "How can you say that Philip?"

"Look," said Philip earnestly, "Whilst I think what Mom did was wrong on so many levels that I can't even begin to find words to describe it I think you have to ignore the moral issues and deal with the facts."

"And the facts are?" asked Lucas dazedly.

"The facts are you guys are tangling with EJ DiMera and by association Stefano DiMera," said Philip intently, "Both of those men play for keeps and it seems to me that if either one of them has any plans for Sami which is what you are telling me then you my brother are in a lot of danger."

Lucas frowned at that observation on Philip's behalf, never having really thought about it in those terms before.

"It seems to me that Mom has bought you some time," said Philip intently, "DiMera's never give up on their plans, no matter what it looks like. If Stefano has plans for EJ and Sami then he isn't going to just let them go by the wayside. Clearly being married to Mom and thinking you are dying the old man is letting sleeping dogs lie for now. The safest thing for you and Sami is to let him and the rest of Salem to think that in my opinion. If other people know then there is a risk of a loose word being spoken and we both know that Stefano's spies are everywhere. Give Mom time to work her magic and then you and Sami will be in the clear to be together safely."

"But what she's got planned is incredibly dangerous," Lucas argued anxiously, "There is a million ways her plan to get EJ on the outers with his father could back fire."

"Have you met our mother?" asked Philip dryly, "That woman works best under fire and besides, she always lands on her feet."

"Mm," said Lucas, not entirely convinced, "But if I don't say anything and go along with her insane plans I go from innocent victim to accomplice."

"I'd rather be an alive accomplice than a dead victim," said Philip flatly, "You have to weigh everything up Lucas. I mean there are a lot of men who did the right thing that are now six feet under, especially when it comes to the DiMera's. Why don't you look at it like this – you're doing something a little questionable in the short term to secure a worthwhile future. You have to look at these things in perspective – see where they fall in the grand scheme of things."

"Just so you know," said Lucas conversationally, "You're a pair of stilettos and a Botox treatment away from being Mom right now."

"Uncalled for," said Philip with a quirk of his lips, "You asked for my opinion and I gave it. It's not my problem that you don't want to hear what I have to say."

"So you think I should keep quiet, lie to the woman I love," said Lucas with a frown.

"Lucas you've just had a death sentence taken from you," said Philip with a pointed look, "I don't see the point in now painting a target on your back. If that family has plans for Sami then I suggest keeping quiet for now because you know they won't stop until they get what they want. This way you'll be protecting you and Sami both."

"You're scaring me Philip," said Lucas unhappily.

"Because I'm not making any sense to you?" asked Philip astutely, "Or because I am?"

"But I should tell Sami the truth right?" asked Lucas anxiously, "She has a right to know."

"It's your call," said Philip with a bit of a shrug, "I can't tell you what to do."

"You just did," said Lucas flatly.

"Because you asked," huffed Philip, "You know now that you're not dying I'm remembering how annoying you can be."

"Now that I'm not dying I can tell you that the tie you are wearing is awful," said Lucas sweetly.

"Excuse me while I fall to the ground and cry myself to sleep after that crippling insult," said Philip dryly.

"I'm out of practice," Lucas admitted ruefully, "EJ hasn't been around lately and I was trying to be nice to people, you know, on account of the dying."

"If I had to be nice to everyone than I'd be the one welcoming death," said Philip with a twist of his lips.

"So I guess your pity visits are over and done with now hm?" asked Lucas, sitting back in his chair.

"Lucas I think you will always be in need of pity for one thing or another," said Philip straight faced, "I guess I can still put in an effort and drop by now and then."

Lucas hid his smile at Philip's answer. The brother's were hiding their affection for each other behind gruff words and put downs which most brothers did and Lucas was actually enjoying the normalcy of it all.

"Well I won't keep you," said Lucas, just as straight faced, "I'm sure you've got a Gamblers Anonymous meeting to go to."

"I have," agreed Philip without missing a beat, "Do you need me to drop you at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting on my way?"

The two men gave little smiles at each other and then Lucas stood up, ready to go. He was still confused over what he should be doing right now but talking to Philip had given him food for thought if not clarity.

"Hey," said Philip suddenly, standing up as well, "Before you go-"

Philip hugged him then, catching Lucas a little off guard. His brother wasn't usually a demonstrative guy.

"I'm glad you're not dying and will be around to bug me for a while longer," admitted Philip quietly into Lucas' ear.

"I'm glad I'm not dying and you can blind me with your tie colours for a while longer," Lucas returned, hugging him back.

"It's an expensive tie," said Philip, pulling back and defending his choice of tie.

"Money doesn't buy taste," observed Lucas with a grin.

"Money doesn't by a lot of things," agreed Philip before giving Lucas complacent smile, "But there is a hell of a lot it does buy."

"So they tell me," said Lucas, watching as Philip sat back down to finish his coffee.

"Good luck with your decision making," said Philip with a nod of his head.

"Thanks," said Lucas, grateful for his brother's support in this confusion time.

"You're going to need it."


	88. Chapter 235

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & THIRTY FIVE**** – ****Taking Out the Trash**

Everybody, sooner or later, sits down to a banquet of consequences.

_Robert Louis Stevenson_

_(Scottish Essayist, Poet and Author of fiction and travel books, 1850-1894)_

"Is it cold?"

Sami looked down at EJ from the little ledge she was standing on to where he was already in the lagoon, swimming happily.

"No," he said, smiling up at her.

Despite the warmness of their surrounds because the lagoon fed off a mountain in the middle of the island the water could be surprisingly cold at times, Sami remembering this from her last visit. EJ's reassurance though made her eager to join him and just as she began a graceful dive he finished his sentence.

"-once you're in."

It was way too late by then when Sami heard EJ's teasing words, she was already feeling the sting of the freezing water. She dove under the water and resurfaced beside a laughing EJ.

"You pig!" she yelled at him, smacking his arm.

"But darling," EJ protested around his laughter, "I'm a DiMera – you know not to trust a word I say, just ask your family."

"Does that mean I can't believe a word of your wedding vows?" asked Sami with an arch of an eyebrow as they both treaded water.

"Ah that was the Banks side of me speaking from the heart," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "Because as you've no doubt been reliably informed by your family all DiMera's have their heart removed at birth."

"They'll come round though won't they?" asked Sami with a groan as EJ's words weren't far off the truth, "When they see how happy you make me."

"Sweetheart I'm doubtful that even if I found a cure for cancer whilst saving orphans from a burning building and bringing the population of pandas back from the brink of extinction that your family would view me as anything less than the devil incarnate," said EJ wryly.

Sami made a sad face at that, hating to think that EJ was probably totally correct on that score.

"Hey," said EJ, reaching out a hand and lifting Sami's face up and smiling down at her, "But you know I love nothing more than an impossible challenge now don't you Samantha? And converting Brady's over to see the truth happens to be a specialty of mine."

"Just as long as you don't use all the same methods on them as you did me EJ," said Sami, trying her best to give him a censuring look even as his words made her feel so much better.

"I think that goes without saying but the DiMera side of me couldn't help but enjoy the expression on your father's face if I-"

EJ leant forward and whispered in Sami's ear about what he'd done to her during one of their many encounters on the island and she couldn't help but blush bright red at the imagery.

"Eww EJ!" she said with a complaining laugh as she pushed against his chest, "That's my dad you're talking about!"

"It does take something beautiful and makes it rather weird," agreed EJ with a throaty chuckle.

"And I don't see Dad ever coming around if you tried something like that," said Sami with a shake of her head and a little laugh.

"It probably would put somewhat of a dent in our already rumpled relationship," said EJ thoughtfully, "We might call that plan B eh, in case my first approach doesn't work."

"Let's call it plan Z and never talk of it again," Sami huffed, pretending affront.

"Ah see now I've upset you," EJ tutted and looked suitably repentant, "Now how can I make it up to my girl I wonder?"

"Well," said Sami slowly, looking like she was thinking, "I am still very cold."

"Would you like me to warm you up sweetheart?" asked EJ with an arched eyebrow of definite interest.

"I might," said Sami coyly, "I do happen to have a very hot husband."

EJ grinned at that and closed the distance between them, collecting Sami into his arms, treading water for both of them now.

"What a coincidence," said EJ, his hands going to Sami's bikini bottoms as he began to lick the water from her neck, "I happened to have an insanely hot wife."

"That is a coincidence," Sami giggled even as she felt her body begin to tingle at his light touches.

EJ moved to kiss her now and Sami just drowned in those kisses, losing herself in them utterly.

"Tell me it is always going to be like this," she pleaded against his lips softly, her breathing already uneven.

"No," said EJ with great certainty even as his voice was tightening with his own need, "It's only going to get better."

"EJ," Sami breathed and lost herself in this man yet again.

It was late in the afternoon when they finally managed to drag themself home from the lagoon, tired and content as they rode back on Jellybean. Once back at the mansion Sami walked straight over to her phone. EJ watched her curiously as a wicked smile came to her lips as she received some mail.

"Good news sweetheart?" he asked her, stowing the now empty picnic basket in the kitchen.

"The best," said Sami with a grin, "Actually this is a belated wedding gift to you – I'll send it to your lap top."

"Well aren't you just full of surprises?" said EJ, arching an eyebrow at her as he sat down at the lap top.

"Open your emails," Sami instructed him, coming to sit beside him, "I think you'll like what you see."

"Judging by the wicked expression on your face I'm wondering if I'm about to see something illegal or just plain immoral," said EJ throatily.

"You're in luck Mr DiMera," said Sami impishly, "It's both."

"I married my dream women," said EJ in utter delight.

"You sure did," said Sami happily, stealing a quick kiss as the email loaded, "Now look."

EJ somehow managed to tear his eyes off Sami beautiful face and forced himself to concentrate on the email. There were attachments to an email with the title "job done" and at first EJ didn't know what he was looking at before he started to realise.

"Is that-?" EJ paused and squinted at the computer screen, "Oh my."

"Sorry I couldn't wrap it," Sami giggled as she leant up against him as they both looked at the computer screen.

"But how did you-?" asked EJ curiously around a big smile of his own.

"How did we do it you mean," said Sami smugly, "It was a joint effort."

**oooOOOOooo**

Kate awoke slowly to the smell of rancid meat in her nostrils. She lifted her head, finding it oddly heavy and she just couldn't seem to clear her brain. It was dark and Kate had no idea where she was or what she was lying on. The smell was overwhelming and there were lumpy and slimy feeling things all around her. She scrambled to sit up as best as she could with strangely uncoordinated limbs. Kate tried to leap to her feet and promptly banged her head on the metal ceiling above her. She gave a complaining cry of pain and dropped back down into the foul smelling bog.

Her senses were starting to come back to her and she tried to stand up again, this time putting her hands above her and on pushing found that ceiling to her stench ridden and dark prison actually moved. She needed to get out of there, the smell was overpowering and Kate pushed with all her might against the ceiling. As light was let into her cell Kate realised where she was at last – it was an industrial dumpster that must belong to a restaurant because there was nothing but decaying food scraps too far gone to even identify any longer plus boxes that had soaked up the putrid liquid of all the rotting food stuffs.

Kate scrambled to get out of the large container, struggling to hold the heavy lid open while she did. She finally managed it and half leapt, half fell onto the dirty pavement of the alleyway below. The smell in the alleyway was only marginally better than in the dumpster and Kate instantly regretted the deep breaths she'd taken. Her body couldn't take it any longer and Kate suddenly found her leaning against the dumpster and vomiting violently. The vomitus splashed all over the one remaining shoe she had left and if they weren't ruined before they certainly were now.

Kate groaned at the disgusting mess she'd just made of herself, well more of herself really and tried to move away from all of the foul smells. She stumbled along the alleyway trying desperately to work out where she was. Tentatively poking her head out of the alleyway Kate, whilst not sure exactly where she was, realised that she was in the less than affluent part of Salem. Kate leant against the wall and tried to remember what had happened the night before for her to end up here but had absolutely no idea what had gone on. The last thing she remembered was drinking with Thomas but Kate had been careful not to overindulge so how was it possible that she couldn't remember?

Suddenly it hit Kate like a freight train what had happened and she realised to her despairing disgust she'd been set up.

**oooOOOOooo**

"I thought I'd give Kate a taste of her own medicine," said Sami with a little shrug and a smirk, "Literally."

"I'm guessing this was why you wanted to get in contact with one of my men," said EJ, enjoying the ingenious machinations of Sami's mind so much.

"That's why I said I wanted a good looking one," said Sami with a quirk of her lips, "I had Thomas befriend Kate at a bar and then all he had to do was slip a roofie into her drink and Kate gets to wake up on the other end of one of her plans."

"Well having her thrown in the trash has somewhat of a poetic and almost operatic feel to it," commented EJ in amusement.

He looked back again at the image on his lap top of an unconscious Kate surrounded in disgusting looking rubbish before grinning up at Sami.

"I think this should be our Christmas card this year," he commented straight faced.

"What a great idea darling," said Sami without missing a beat, "We should definitely do that."

"You certainly have a flair for revenge my love," said EJ indulgently as he scrolled through the various pictures of Kate unconscious and floating in refuge.

"I wasn't completely heartless," said Sami with a smile, "Thomas didn't touch her for one thing, beyond just throwing her in the dumpster of course. I then had him keep watch over Kate from the other end of the alley and periodically check up on just to make sure she hadn't choked on a rotting tomato or something. Then all I asked of him was to take a few happy shots of the special moment."

"You realise that she is going to go insane when she comes to right?" asked EJ, not looking particularly phased by that idea.

"How will we ever tell the difference?" asked Sami sweetly, "Maybe next time Kate will think twice about who she does what to in this world."

"God but you're evil," said EJ, looking at Sami with nothing but shining admiration in his eyes.

"I only dish it out to those who deserve it," said Sami with a sniff and then had to correct herself when EJ gave her a look, "Well from now on that is my motto. I don't care who it is but no one is going to be pushing Samantha Brady DiMera around anymore."

"_Oderint dum metuant eh?"_ asked EJ with a grin, "Let them hate provided that they fear."

"Ohh I like that one," said Sami happily.

"Thought you might," said EJ in amusement.

"Kate should be slinking home right about now," said Sami, checking her watch with a satisfied expression on her face, "I hope Stefano catches her and demands to know what is going on. I'm thinking he'll be able to smell her coming somehow."

"So are you done now?" asked EJ in amusement, "Do you feel like Kate understands your pain or do you think we should put our heads together and work a little more of our magic eh?"

"I don't think Kate will ever understand the pain she's caused me over the years," said Sami wryly.

Sami looked up at EJ and put her arms around his waist, squeezing it tightly as she smiled up at him.

"But I'm too happy to think about revenge now," she admitted to him, "I don't want to waste a minute more of our honeymoon thinking about that evil witch. I just want to be with my husband and pretend that no one else in the world exists."

"I think that will be the best possible revenge in the world," agreed EJ, cupping her face and gently stroking her cheek with his thumbs, "Our happiness."

**oooOOOOooo**

Kate walked into the DiMera mansion with only two thoughts on her mind – burning these clothes and a bath that was going to be at least three hours long. This had Sami's grotty handprints all over it and if Kate ever needed something to steel her resolve about destroying both EJ and Sami utterly then she had it now. Lucas could delude himself all he wanted but it was clear to Kate that they were still working together. She couldn't use what had happened to her to convince Lucas of that fact because then she would have to get into why it was that EJ and Sami felt the need for revenge and her relationship with her son was tenuous enough as it was.

"If they think this is the last of it then they are crazy," muttered Kate through gritted teeth.

Kate couldn't help but dry retch yet again as she removed her clothes – the smell just defied description. She took a shower, followed by a long bath and then another shower and still Kate couldn't seem to get the smell of rotting garbage out of her nostrils, it was like it had permeated into her very soul somehow. To top things off her ego was hurt as well. Normally she prided herself on being able to read people well but Thomas, if that was even his real name, had done a total number on her which Kate just hated. She was no one's fool and especially not EJ and Sami's and they were going to pay for what they'd done, one way or the other.

Kate dressed, applied liberal amounts of perfume and walked regally down the stairs as though nothing untoward had happened to her. Stefano certainly wasn't going to hear about this unfortunate turn of events, that was for sure. Kate was nearly down the stairs when she heard the voices of two men talking in hushed tones. She instinctively froze, knowing that many an important fact could be picked up during a whispered conversation.

"You will do as I ask Rolf," said Stefano, his rolling tones quiet but commanding.

"I vill Stefano but zis cannot remain like zis," said Rolf, obviously anxious, "Ve cannot keep zuch a zecret right here in za mansion – it iz not zafe."

"Always with the worrying," said Stefano and Kate could actually hear him rolling his eyes.

Kate crouched down and peeped through the hand rails at the men who were standing at the other end of the corridor, oblivious to her presence. A door to the left led to the kitchen and one to the right to Stefano's study and at the end of the hall was just a wall.

"You should vorry too," said Rolf disapprovingly, "Zis iz zerious Stefano – you are taking too big of a risk."

"Just do as I tell you Rolf," Stefano commanded him impatiently, "Let me worry about the risk."

Rolf made a grumbling sound but appeared to be giving up the fight but then did something that amazed Kate. Rolf pushed against what Kate assumed was the wall at the end of the hallway and a door suddenly sprang open. Just in time she managed to swallow her gasp of amazement as Rolf disappeared into it, the hidden door closing behind him. Kate quickly straightened up as Stefano started to head down the hallway towards her, hastily backing up a few steps so it would appear like she was just starting down the steps.

"Ah there you are my dear," said Stefano with an affectionate smile as Kate gracefully swept down the last of stairs.

He moved to kiss her and Kate coolly offered him her cheek to kiss. Unphased Stefano did just that and regarded her with vague indulgence at her air of continuing annoyance.

"I did not hear you come home last night," Stefano commented.

"I slept in one of the other bedrooms," Kate lied easily.

"To teach me a lesson eh?" asked Stefano with a bit of a chuckle.

"One you still don't seem to have gotten," Kate sniffed even as her brain was going at a million miles a minute at what possible kind of dangerous secret was hidden behind that secret door.

"Come," said Stefano with a half smile as he picked up Kate's hand and kissed the back of it tenderly, "Let us fight no longer hm? Life is too short for such unpleasantness."

Despite herself Stefano made quite an endearing picture smiling down at her and Kate found herself nodding.

"Alright," she said, "All is forgiven."

"But not forgotten," pointed out Stefano with a chuckle.

"No," said Kate with a disapproving look, "Not forgotten."

"Ah then I might have to see about Rolf fixing that for us eh?" Stefano teased her as he took her arm to walk with her to breakfast.

"That is not funny Stefano," Kate huffed to which Stefano just chuckled louder.

"Do you smell rotting fish?" asked Stefano suddenly, tilting his head to one side and sniffing the air.

"No," said Kate quickly, "You're just imagining it, it's probably due to the medication you are on."

Stefano pursed his lips not looking completely convinced and Kate held her breath waiting to see if he'd accept her explanation. He gave a little shrug and appeared to which caused Kate no end of relief. Kate let Stefano placate her over breakfast but the whole time she couldn't help but wonder if what lay behind that secret door was an answer to all of her problems.

A question she was determined to find the answer to...


	89. Chapter 236

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & THIRTY SIX**** – ****Play Your Cards Right**

Last night I stayed up late playing poker with Tarot cards.

I got a full house and four people died.

_Stephen Wright_

_(American Actor and Writer, b.1955)_

"Where are we going?" asked Lucas for what felt like the hundredth time.

After having left Philip at the coffee shop Lucas had just been walking and thinking, lost in his own world which was why he'd almost knocked Celeste over when she'd walked out of a store into his path. He'd apologised but as always the astute woman could see something was troubling him. Lucas had no intention of telling Celeste anything about what was going on in his life other than he was wrestling with a decision he had to make.

"You said you had a decision that you could not make on your own dahling," said Celeste calmly as they walked along increasingly narrow streets, "And I offered to help."

"And remind me again why I said yes?" asked Lucas, still a bit confused how Celeste had managed to talk him into this.

The woman just had a way about her that you found yourself doing things that you never dreamed you would and it all somehow made perfect sense at the time. Celeste's insistence that he needed to see a friend of hers saw him following her down all of these streets until they were finally stopping in front of an odd little shop that even from the outside seemed to be filled with all sorts of curios that looked vaguely witchcraft-like to Lucas.

"I've changed my mind," said Lucas curtly, hiding his nervousness behind dismissal, "Life's too short to waste time with this mumbo jumbo."

"Ah yes your illness," said Celeste calmly but then that statement wasn't followed by the usual sentiment of regret that most people gave.

Lucas looked at her a bit askew, wondering if there was some way Celeste might know the truth but that seemed unlikely to him. His mom and Celeste were hardly BFF's and seeing as Lucas didn't believe in second sight or psychic ability there was no other way she could know.

"We are here now," pointed out Celeste pragmatically, "What do you have to lose dahling? Come in and meet Miss Perpétue – she is expecting us."

"Because she is some kind of psychic?" asked Lucas disparagingly even as he found himself following Celeste into the little shop.

"Because I texted her we were coming," said Celeste, not missing a beat and Lucas gave a self deprecating grimace at that.

As they entered a tiny woman with rich coffee coloured skin and very long grey hair swept towards them in a long flowing and colourful skirt. She looked very exotic to Lucas and despite the fact that she was far older than him he couldn't help but find an enticing beauty in the woman and her calm smile. Lucas would have been shocked to find out how old she really was but this woman seemed to transcend time and defy description. It was an odd sensation being in her presence but not necessarily an unpleasant one.

"Miss Perpétue this is Lucas Roberts," Celeste introduced them and Lucas wasn't sure if he was meant to shake her hand or not.

She helped him out by simply inclining her head in a rather regal way and Lucas found himself nodding back, a little nervous in the face of this woman's serenity. The room was dimly lit, candles flickering all about and no doubt meant to add to the atmosphere of mystery – all part of the show thought Lucas cynically.

"And what brings you to my house Lucas Roberts?" asked Miss Perpétue, her accent just as unique as the rest of her.

French with some other underlying lilt to it.

"You're the psychic," said Lucas sweetly, mustering up some false bravado so he didn't feel so out of his depth, "Shouldn't you be telling me?"

"You reek of fear and of uncertainty," said Miss Perpétue with an arched eyebrow, clearly unperturbed by his attempt.

"Wow," said Lucas flatly, "That's quite the spiel you've got going on there – I'm guessing you must have people beating down your door for that kind of abuse."

"The truth stings eh _ma jolie_ (my pretty)?" said Miss Perpétue with a quirk of her lips, "_Il faut qu'une porte soit ouverte ou fermée_."

Lucas pulled a face at that.

"I'm sorry," he said with a frown, "I don't speak French."

"A door must be opened or closed," Celeste translated for him.

"Right," said Lucas slowly, deciding he really must be crazy to be sitting here listening to these two whack jobs.

"It means there can be no middle course," said Miss Perpétue firmly, "Decide if you want to do this child or no longer waste my time."

"What is _this_ exactly?" asked Lucas a little nervously, "Tell me my future?"

"Your future, your past and present," said Miss Perpétue with a shrug of her elegant shoulders, "That is for the cards to decide."

"I already know my past and present," said Lucas with a twist of his lips, "How is that going to help me exactly?"

"The cards will tell you what you need to know," said Miss Perpétue knowingly, "What you need to see now."

Lucas looked back and forth between the faces of Celeste and Miss Perpétue who were both looking at him with the same calm expression and couldn't help but feel like MacBeth all of a sudden.

"Shouldn't there be three of you?" he asked wryly, still hedging for time.

"There are as many of us that needs to be," said Miss Perpétue in that lilting French accent of hers.

"Right," said Lucas with a sigh, realising that such answers were no doubt going to be the order of the day.

A few minutes later and against his better judgement Lucas was leaning forward and looking at the card he'd just turned over for Miss Perpétue. Celeste was at the table as well, sitting to one side and the older woman was directly across from him.

"The Three of Swords," announced Miss Perpétue, "The Lord of Sorrow."

"Well that sounds promising," said Lucas sarcastically, "I guess you were all out of the fluffy bunny of happy huh?"

"Your words only show me your fear," said Miss Perpétue with casual dismissal.

"Do I have to pay extra for the abuse or is it all part of the package?" asked Lucas flatly.

"It would normally mean sorrow and extreme pain but with a positive view in end," said Miss Perpétue, ignoring his attempt at humour.

"Really?" said Lucas, sitting up a little straighter in his chair and thinking that sounded pretty good for him.

"But it is reversed, upside down," said Miss Perpétue, tapping the card in question, "There is spiritual and mental confusion, treachery and discord tied together with a physical or mental disorder."

"Right," said Lucas calmly, his face giving nothing away.

Well that proved it – this woman was a charlatan. It was no doubt pretty common knowledge by now in Salem that the son of Kate Roberts DiMera was dying of AML so it wasn't a leap to think that Miss Perpétue had heard of the stories. The thing was that Lucas now knew he wasn't dying now which if she was the supposed psychic she claimed to be then Miss Perpétue would know that as well.

"Well I have been diagnosed with leukaemia," said Lucas, playing along, "I guess you got that right – I'm impressed."

"Do not placate me child," said Miss Perpétue coolly, "I do not need your approval and be not so sure that you know what the cards are trying to tell you."

Lucas just rolled his eyes but didn't comment further. Miss Perpétue then turned over the next card he'd chosen from the deck that he'd shuffled.

"The Ten of Swords, The Lord of Ruin," said Miss Perpétue with a frown, "And it is ill dignified."

"Reversed," Celeste translated for him and she too looked worried.

"There has an illusionary lifting of burdens or release from afflictions," said Miss Perpétue, looking at him very intently now, "Your suffering will continue, your good fortune is only temporary."

Lucas' heart skipped a beat at that dire prediction. The news that he hadn't been dying had indeed been welcome but what was this woman trying to tell him, that it wasn't true – it was some kind of weird double bluff on his mom's behalf? Why would his mom do that Lucas argued with himself but then why would she do anything he argued back. It would be so like her to make his dying all about her. Suddenly the relief Lucas had been feeling at having his death sentence removed dissipated and was replaced with nagging uncertainty again and her next words didn't help any.

"Extreme change is coming your way," said Miss Perpétue, her eyes burning into his soul, "I see Violence and death in your chosen path and the path thrust upon you."

Lucas blinked, confused a little by that but actually too nervous to ask for confirmation. What he was going to do though was find a doctor, one his mother knew nothing about and have a thorough check up because though he hated to admit it, this woman with her dire predictions had freaked him out more than a little bit. Suddenly Lucas just hated his mother for bringing so much uncertainty and fear into his life.

"Turn the next card and we will see who it is that you are thinking of now," Miss Perpétue instructed him and Lucas looked at her in surprise at that.

She tapped the table.

"The card child," she prompted him.

With a slightly unsteady hand Lucas turned over the third and last of his cards, conscious of how intensely the older woman was scrutinizing him – like he was some kind of book she was intent on reading. Her expression was inscrutable but the intensity of her gaze was unnerving.

"The Queen of the Thrones of Flame," murmured Celeste, leaning in and frowning.

"The person you were thinking of, the woman," said Miss Perpétue, "She has a tendency to dominate, a bent towards bitterness."

"Are they still giving out awards for understatements of the year?" asked Lucas dryly thinking that was pretty much his mother in a nutshell.

"This woman is an envious matriarch, always imagining people are out to get her," said Miss Perpétue, looking at the card.

"Usually because she's done something to them," said Lucas flatly, "That's my mom but then isn't that half the moms out there?"

"I think your mother might be ahead of the curve when it comes to such things dahling," said Celeste dryly, giving him a pointed look.

Lucas grimaced, not exactly able to disagree with her.

"So is that it?" asked Lucas with a shrug, "We're done now."

"No," said Miss Perpétue, grabbing his hand and looking very troubled, "There is something else, something hidden that is trying to stay that way."

Lucas tried not to look guilty at the secret he was keeping from everyone but Philip right then. Every moment he said nothing made him more into a monster like his mother which he just hated.

"Well I've done my three cards," said Lucas just wanting to get away now.

Some of the things had just come too close to home for Lucas' liking and he really didn't want this woman with those burning eyes delving any deeper. He had a huge decision to make about what he was going to do about his mother's lies, not least of which making sure that they were in fact lies.

"Another," said Miss Perpétue, her hand tightening around his wrist, those bright eyes never leaving his face, "Chose another."

Lucas frowned but found her oddly compelling so despite himself he watched himself draw another card from the deck as though it wasn't even him doing it.

"The King of Cups," whispered Miss Perpétue, "The Prince of the Chariot of the Waters."

"At least it isn't another sword right?" asked Lucas hopefully, sure that must be a good thing, "And why are all my cards coming out upside down."

"Because they were meant to," said Celeste, rather unhelpfully Lucas thought.

"A violent and unscrupulous man stalks you," said Miss Perpétue, her voice a little hoarse and if Lucas didn't know better she almost sounded afraid, "He is a double dealer, his only responsibility is to himself, there is no moral sense, only the vacuum of his soul. He involves those around him in scandal and vice, corruption and evil and he comes for you Lucas Roberts, to take your life, to take your being while he whispers sweet words to you."

"This guy got a name?" asked Lucas grimly, pretty sure he knew who it was already.

That entire description screamed EJ DiMera to Lucas because he knew given a chance EJ would take him out in a heartbeat and that smart mouth of his never shut up. Plus he'd already involved Sami in scandal and vice by blackmailing her into his bed. Damn but why hadn't he managed to kill him when he had the chance thought Lucas in aggravation?

"A," Celeste breathed, looking like she was in some kind of trance.

"A?" repeated Lucas in confusion.

"A," said Celeste urgently, looking very upset, "It was the same letter given to me when I warned Samantha. This person, he hunts you both Lucas and neither one of you are safe!"

Lucas' frown deepened as he tried to think who 'A' might be. Suddenly Lucas thought he had a memory that EJ's name had originally been Elvis Aaron Banks at some point and wondered if that was what Celeste was picking up on because there could be no one else out to get he and Sami other than EJ. He'd have to check that he decided, not even wondering why he was buying into this so heavily now. Everything the old woman had said had struck a chord for Lucas, even as he now worried about that he might still be dying after all. His mother's warnings about what EJ would do to get Sami if he made it known that he was supposedly no longer dying also rang in his ears though. And that was without EJ knowing that Lucas had been the one to shoot him.

It seemed to Lucas he had plenty to worry about whether he was dying or not.

"Much to think about eh child?" said Miss Perpétue in that throaty voice as she studied his face carefully.

"My life is a little complicated right now," Lucas hedged.

"An uncomplicated life is usually called death," said Miss Perpétue with the barest of smiles, "Be not in such a rush for no complications little one."

"Are you sure about the letter 'A' person?" asked Lucas with a frown, "That their name begins with the letter 'A' and not maybe 'E'?"

"I don't know if that is their first name or last or what but the sense of association is incredibly strong, particularly with you Lucas," Celeste worried, "And whatever this force is I know this, it is a malevolent one – its hatred knows no bounds."

"Yeah," said Lucas flatly, "Sounds like someone I know."

Lucas said his goodbyes then and walked out onto the street, Celeste having opted to stay and visit with her friend for a bit. He began walking, not even sure exactly where he was going, just needing to be doing something. A sudden feeling of being watched came over him and Lucas quickly turned around only to find no one there.

"These women are making me paranoid," he muttered under his breath, annoyed at his own nervousness.

Lucas saw a phone box up ahead and walked up to it. He found the phone book and began flipping through it, looking for a doctor on this side of town – one his mother would definitely know nothing about. He found a name and dialled the number making an appointment for that afternoon to have a complete check up.

"First thing first," he said to no one in particular.

He needed to make sure that his mother's lies were indeed just that, lies. After that Lucas could make some informed decisions rather than having his fate decided for him by the likes of his mother.

It was fairly late in the afternoon when he finally made it home after having seen the doctor. He'd been for blood tests that he wouldn't get results for until tomorrow morning so Lucas was staring down an anxious wait for that now. Sami had rung a couple of times but he'd dodged her calls, still not knowing what he wanted to say to her yet. There was no point in telling her he wasn't dying if it turned out that he was in fact dying Lucas decided. He looked around the empty apartment and sighed heavily, knowing he was in for a long night of worry.

Even if he didn't have AML the stress of it all was most likely going to kill him anyway he thought grimly to himself.


	90. Chapter 237

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & THIRTY SEVEN**** – ****The Dark of the Night**

When I saw you, I was afraid to meet you...

When I met you, I was afraid to kiss you...

When I kissed you, I was afraid to love you...

Now that I love you, I'm afraid to lose you.

_~Anonymous~_

"_It's getting dark," said Sami, moving a little, the blanket soft against her bare skin, "We should be getting back."_

"_Mm," said EJ, not sounding particularly interested in that concept, his head lying on her naked stomach. _

_The swimming and lovemaking followed by eating a big lunch had made neither one of them inclined to end their day at the lagoon quickly. But as Sami was lying on her back looking up at the sky she could see the black storm clouds gathering and hanging low in the sky. The air was filled with a sense of anticipation that was warning them that the heavens was soon going to open and shower them with its bounty. _

"_A storm is coming," whispered Sami, stroking EJ's soft hair as they lay naked and entwined on the picnic blanket._

"_Let it," he mumbled against her stomach. _

"_We should get out of its way," Sami persisted half heartedly._

"_Some storms you can't avoid," EJ murmured as he rubbed her stomach with one roughened cheek, "No matter what you do there is no escaping them."_

_Sami gave a little frown at that, a shudder running through her body at his words. _

"_Cold sweetheart?" EJ asked her as he lifted his head from her midriff and looked down at her. _

"_I don't want to be caught in the storm EJ," said Sami shakily, looking up at him wide eyed._

_She had this sudden feeling that they were no longer talking about the gathering storm clouds. _

"_Don't be scared Samantha," said EJ with a half smile, "I'm here."_

"_Promise you'll never leave me," Sami pleaded with him unevenly._

"_I promise I'll never leave you," said EJ, his warm, certain gaze holding hers confidently. _

_His words which usually comforted Sami didn't this time and she moved a little nervously underneath him. _

"_Come on," he said huskily, "We'll go home now."_

_Sami nodded mutely and watched as EJ lithely rolled to his feet and offered her his hand to pull her up as well. They dressed in silence, Sami wishing she knew why this sense of foreboding was so strong._

"_Jelly's gone for a wander," EJ announced, looking around them, "I'll just go and get him."_

_EJ walked over to where Sami was buttoning her blouse and kissed her lingeringly._

"_Back in a minute sweetheart," he told her throatily, "Wait here and I'll fetch your chariot."_

_But he wasn't back in a minute or even five and Sami was becoming more and more nervous as the storm continued to roll in overhead, the grumbling of the thunder growing steadily louder. _

"_EJ?" Sami called out, starting to walk towards the track EJ had disappeared down._

_There was no answer so Sami just continued to walk, looking for the lost man and horse. She pushed deeper into the jungle, calling for EJ as she went. _

"_SAMANTHA!"_

_The sound of EJ calling out her name loudly made Sami jump and then break into a run as she ran towards where the sound had come from. Sami ran through the jungle, trying to catch up with EJ as the thunder began to rumble noisily and the lightning began to flash, momentarily blinding her as she ran._

"_EJ!" Sami cried out, "EJ!"_

_With her hands out in front of her Sami continued to run through the jungle, ignoring the sharp sting of the branches and painful stubbing of her feet on rocks and exposed roots. She stumbled into a clearing and the first thing Sami saw was Lucas standing there in the middle of it, looking down at a dark form at his feet._

"_Lucas!" she gasped in distress at seeing him there, knowing her lies must have found her out now and hating that she'd hurt him in this way._

_Those thoughts of guilty remorse were quickly gone though when another flash of lightning revealed what it was at Lucas' feet._

"_EJ!" she cried out in distress._

_He was a crumpled heap in front of Lucas and the lightning had revealed to Sami the fact that Lucas was holding a long knife, with a dark substance dripping from the blade. It was the same dark redness that was covering EJ and it was then that she realised the horrible truth. _

"_NO!" she screamed as EJ looked over at her wide eyed and gasping for breath, "LUCAS NO!"_

_Lucas turned to her and didn't look like Lucas at all, his face twisted into a menacing sneer._

"_A storm is comin'," he drawled at her, his eyes blacker than the clouds above them. _

_With that he turned on his heel and marched off into the jungle, Sami didn't see where, unable to take her eyes off EJ's prone body. She ran over to EJ, dropping to her knees beside him, horrified to see that there was even more blood then she could have imagined. Sami put her hand on his chest, trying to stem the flow of bleeding while she pulled EJ into his arms._

"_It's alright EJ," she babbled, tears making it hard for her to see his face properly, "It's alright, you're going to be alright, it isn't bad, it isn't bad, you're going to be fine."_

_EJ looked up at her and blinked a couple of times. _

"_Samantha," he said her name, no more than a breathless whisper she was hardly able to hear. _

_And then that was it, EJ's eyes slid close and Sami actually felt the life leave him. _

"_EJ NO!" Sami sobbed inconsolably, clutching his blood covered body to him and rocking back and forward on the jungle floor, "EJ don't leave me, EJ!"_

**oooOOOOooo**

A loud crack of thunder woke EJ from his slumber and he lifted his head off his pillow from where he was lying on his stomach.

"Samantha?" he mumbled, his voice hoarse with sleep as a bolt of lightning lit up the room and made it appear as daylight and he realised he was alone.

EJ rolled out of bed and pulled on a pair of sweat pants intent on battening down the hatches as the violent tropical storm approached and of course finding Sami. He secured the doors and windows, blinds flapping wildly in the strong winds, palm trees bending already against the might of the oncoming gale. The whole time he was calling out Sami's name and getting no response.

By now EJ was becoming worried. It seemed unlikely to him that she would have gone for a walk in the jungle at night what with her aversion for creepy crawlies and things that leapt out of trees at you. But if she wasn't in the house then there were limited places she could be. A quick check of Jellybean's stable told EJ that she wasn't there and now he really was concerned. He'd taken a flashlight out to check on the Jellybean but he barely needed it, the lightning strikes were coming so thick and fast now, it was almost like daylight outside.

EJ shone the light around none the less and his eye was caught be a flash of white on a tree near a track that led deeper into the jungle. He walked over to it and saw it was a piece of white cotton which looked suspiciously similar to the little night dress Sami would keep by the bed, EJ often teasing her about her need for modesty when going to the bathroom or such things. He had no answer to why Sami would head off into the jungle in the middle of the night with a storm coming but seeing as he had no other leads he began to quickly head down the small track and see if he could she had indeed done just that.

"Samantha!"

EJ called out her name as he moved quickly through the trees. His expression revealed the feeling of dread that was gnawing at his stomach as he forced himself to remain calm. In all his dealings as a DiMera, his misadventures on the race track and off EJ had never been one to panic with whatever he had to deal with but the thought of Sami alone and out in this jungle was causing an anxiety in him that he was struggling to control. The great paradox of love – it both enabled you to anything whilst at the same time could cripple you. He was about to give up and turn back when over the thunder he heard the sound of Sami crying. EJ's heart leapt into his mouth as he started to run...

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami was still rocking back and forth and sobbing over her lost love, her heart breaking so painfully in her chest that she couldn't stand it as she rocked EJ's lifeless body in her arms. She looked up to see that Lucas had returned, that cruel knife flashing in the lightning.

"Samantha!" he called out, starting to run towards her.

"Get away from us!" she screamed out, clutching EJ closer to him to suddenly find her arms were empty, that he'd disappeared.

She looked up in horror to see that Lucas had morphed into EJ now, using some kind of new trickery to deceive her. Sami reeled back in horror as the pretend EJ dropped to his knees in front of her and grabbed her arms.

"Samantha sweetheart what are you doing?!" he asked her almost fiercely, "What's wrong?!"

He looked so much like EJ that Sami couldn't stand it, sure that she could still feel the real EJ's warm blood soaking through her nightdress.

"No," she mumbled incoherently as she shook her head violently at the cruel apparition playing tricks on her, "No."

"Samantha," said EJ intently, gripping her arms tightly, "A storm is coming, we have to get out of here!"

"NO!" Sami screamed, still confused between reality and dreamscape, EJ's words too close to what Lucas had said to do anything but strike complete and utter terror into her heart.

Sami was scared she was still dreaming and that this was Lucas trying to trick her now and she just began to lash out.

"NO!" she yelled, "Get away from me! Don't touch me, you killed him, you killed EJ – I HATE YOU!!"

"Samantha!" said EJ urgently struggling with her and refusing to let her go, "You're just having a nightmare, it's me EJ, I'm here."

The phantoms words didn't make any sense to Sami – how could this be EJ when she'd held the real EJ in her arms and watched him take his last breath she wondered in despair?

"NO!" she protested violently, still struggling wildly in his arms and lashing out at him, "It's a trick, I don't believe you! I hate you – you're a murder!"

"Samantha!" said EJ fiercely, pulling her so tightly to him that she couldn't struggle anymore and hurt herself.

The next thing she knew was his lips crushing down on hers, kissing her so hard that Sami could taste blood but she didn't know if it was his or hers as he pushed her down to the ground and covered her with his body. His tongue pushed its way into her mouth, demanding she take him even as Sami struggled against it with all of her might. The taste of EJ exploded in her mouth, glorious in its familiarity and Sami could only groan at the thought she would never know this again. He heard her sad noise and showed some mercy finally releasing her lips from his.

"How can you be so cruel?" she sobbed, her eyes closed as she finally wilted in his arms, unable to continue fighting, "Why are you pretending to be him?"

"Samantha it's me, it's EJ," a soft voice spoke directly into her ear even as little kisses began to be peppered down her neck and along her cheek.

"I watched you die," she whimpered even as his gentle touch began to sooth her broken heart.

"It was just a dream sweetheart," he said, his lips against hers now but this time oh so gently, "Open your eyes Samantha, I'm right here."

"I can't," said Sami, tears beginning to escape her still tightly closed eyes and streak down her face, "I can't bear it."

"Samantha."

His voice was rich and commanding but so full of loving tenderness that Sami just had to obey him. She hesitantly opened her eyes to see EJ holding himself over her after having wrestled her to the ground.

"It's me Samantha," he said with a gentle smile as he looked down at her lovingly, "It's me."

Sami raised a tentative hand and touched his cheek with her fingers, blinking through her tears as she finally began to wake up properly from the terror of her dreams.

"It was just a nightmare Samantha," he reassured her as though being able to read her mind, "I'm alright."

"I-I was so scared EJ," Sami whispered, feeling herself come back to reality and realising that they were lying in the middle of the jungle, their bodies tangled together.

"So was I," said EJ a little hoarsely, "Sweetheart I couldn't find you – I was terrified."

Sami blinked a couple of times and looked around herself from where she was lying on the ground and realised what must have happened.

"Did-did I sleepwalk?" she asked in confusion.

"I'd say so and scared the living hell out of me in the process," said EJ unevenly, "I'm going to have to take better care of you my precious girl, I can't ever lose you again."

Sami saw the real fear in EJ's eyes and knew what he was feeling. Facing the prospect of losing the other person was too daunting to even be entertained. The air was heavy with electricity now, heated and full of the oppression of impending rain. The clouds hung so loud that it seemed like you could reach up and touch them, the noise and majesty of the thunder and lightning all around them putting on a violent show that neither one even noticed.

"EJ," Sami whispered, just needing him right then like she'd never needed him before.

"I know," he whispered back and began kissing her with such tenderness that Sami started to cry again.

She ran her hands over EJ's naked back, felt the way his muscles rippled under her light touch. Her nightmare had been so terrifyingly real that all that mattered right now for Sami was being as close to EJ as humanly possible right then. The quickly mounting urgency of his kisses told Sami that he felt the same way as she helped him push down his sweat pants letting him kick them off carelessly without breaking their kisses. She felt his hands go to the scrap of cotton she was wearing that Sami didn't remember putting on but nonetheless he pushed up the hem of the garment so that it was at her waist. EJ seemed unwilling to lose contact with her for even the moment that it would take to remove the night dress from her body and Sami was so relieved because she felt the same way.

A flash of lightning so bright that it made them both flinch filled the clearing but neither stopped what they were doing. The crack of thunder that followed almost immediately signalling that the storm was at last here shook the very ground that they lay on with its ferociousness. Big, fat droplets of rain began to fall from the heavens, Sami feeling them on her hands that were at EJ's back because his body protected practically all of the rest of her from it. The sound of the rain bearing down on them, moving across the jungle in a growing cacophony of noise was like an oncoming stampede of wild animals that they were unconcerned about getting out of the way of.

EJ broke their heated kiss and moved down her body, rain quickly slicking both of their bodies. Sami moaned loudly, competing with the thunder as he found one nipple through the now drenched material of her cotton night dress. It hardened obediently in EJ's mouth but he came quickly impatient at the barrier. He lifted his head and crooked a finer in the bodice of the light material and simply pulled at it, ripping the flimsy fabric so that Sami's breasts were exposed. Attaching himself to pert peak hungrily EJ mounted her in a single hard thrust at the exact same moment and causing Sami to dig her heels into the ground and her nails into his back. EJ didn't move inside of her right away though, instead contenting himself with nipping and suckling at Sami's breast ravenously as one of his hands stole between their bodies.

Sami knew he wanted her to come so he could enjoy the sensation of being inside her when she did and knowing that just made her insides melt so that at the first touch of EJ's fingers to her nub she just exploded under and around him. Sami felt EJ tense at the unexpected ferocity and speed of her release, fighting against joining her right away. He bit down harder on her nipple, causing fresh fissures of pleasure from Sami's core and then EJ was beginning to move inside of her. Sami had expected him to take her hard with the storm and their emotions egging him on but instead EJ's strokes were incredibly slow and measured, as though he was intent of feeling and filling every intimate part of her.

Sami looked up at his face and saw it twisted in intense pleasure and concentration as he moved inside of her with a steady pace. She lifted herself up from the ground and kissed down EJ's throat and chest, the taste of rainwater and his skin against her lips. Her night dress was a ripped and sodden rumpled mess around Sami's middle now and she didn't care. The horror of her dream still lingered and all Sami could think about was EJ. He supported his weight with his hands on either side of her and increased the force of his movements inside of her, his restraint beginning to wear thin and Sami only craved more.

Sami suddenly understood all of those mythology stories where gods came down to earth and took human maids for their lovers. She had always wondered why the women hadn't put up more of a fight but now she finally understood. With the thunder and lightning framing him as she looked up at EJ she felt like she had a fallen god between her legs right now – impossibly powerful and compelling and all Sami could do was give more of herself to him. Each thrust of his member that was fiercely hammering her right now felt like it stole another part of her soul and Sami never wanted it to end – wanted him to consume every last part of her.

Her fingernails scratched at the wet earth as another series of powerful contractions overwhelmed her, each orgasm seeming to get more intense then the last. EJ made a guttural sound of approval as he felt her going again and remembered him tell her there was no greater aphrodisiac for him then knowing he was making her come so Sami just surrendered to it despite her instinct to fight so much pleasure at once.

"God yes!" EJ cried out, "That's so beautiful, keep going sweetheart!"

Sami didn't need much encouragement as she continued to orgasm for him, finding it impossible to stop. Her nightmare had heightened all of her senses and it seemed that all she was now as a mass of sexual energy which was bursting out of her. If Sami had been able to open her eyes she would have seen EJ's rapt expression as he watched her got through wave after wave of intense pleasure.

"EJ," Sami whimpered, still shuddering under him even as she felt his strokes become faster and harder.

EJ moved so that his forehead was pressed against hers even as their lower bodies were involved in a frantic dance towards completion. Sami didn't think she could possibly find her release yet again but feeling EJ moving so desperately inside of her, his laboured breathing on her face with his eyes blazing down at her she didn't care. It was always a heavenly feeling, the feeling of EJ approaching his climax and Sami's hands moved to his buttocks, encouraging EJ even deeper into her towards the Nirvana that awaited.

"Please," she whispered to him through his urgent strainings, "Please make me yours EJ."

EJ gave one final hard thrust, tensing so much that Sami felt like she was holding granite in her arms before there was the sound of his choked release as he began spasming inside of her. Sami clung to him, revelling in the sensation of EJ coming so hard inside of her. Suddenly all of his weight was on her and Sami realised that he'd actually lost consciousness for a split second even while his body continued to empty itself into her. EJ blinked a couple of times as he came to, clearly disorientated, his body still pumping the last of itself into her in a series of uncontrolled jerks and spasms.

"Samantha," he said raggedly, the awe written all over his face.

Sami knew how EJ felt, her whole body was still one pulsating nerve ending after the series of orgasms he'd given her. The weather raged around them but the real storm was between the two lovers and what they'd just shared. Sami clutched EJ tightly to her, never wanting to let him leave her arms again...


	91. Chapter 238

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & THIRTY EIGHT**** – ****Team EJami**

Worry is like a rocking chair...

it gives you something to do but it doesn't get you anywhere.

_~Anonymous~_

"How are you feeling sweetheart?"

EJ's warm voice in her ear made Sami smile, the horrors of her nightmare last night seeming a long way away when she was in his arms.

"Blessed," said Sami simply, snuggling back into him as he was spooned around her.

EJ nuzzled her bare shoulder and pulled her closer to him.

"Me too," he informed her, his lips moving against the delicate skin.

They lay like that for a long moment, just enjoying being in each other's arms and not wanting to move.

"I should check for storm damage," said EJ regretfully at last.

"And check on Jellybean," Sami nodded, "I bet he was frightened last night."

"Not as frightened as I was to find you out in that storm I'll wager," said EJ wryly.

"I'm sorry," said Sami regretfully, "I haven't slept walked since I was a child – I don't know what was wrong with me."

"Nothing is wrong with you sweetheart," said EJ propping himself up on an elbow and giving her a reassuring smile, "You're perfect."

"It just seemed so real," Sami whispered and then gave him a stricken look, "I thought I'd lost you forever EJ, that Lucas had killed you."

EJ made a disparaging snorting noise at that idea.

"Darling do you really think that when it came right down to it that in a fight between Lucas and I that I wouldn't come out the winner?" asked EJ confidently.

"You mightn't if Lucas had a knife," Sami worried, the images of her dream still horrifying real.

"Oh please," said EJ with a roll of his eyes, "I'd simply put my hand on his forehead and keep him at bay that way – the little man just simply doesn't have the reach that I do."

"I wonder if that was what Goliath thought before he fought David?" proposed Sami, still unable to stop worrying.

"Sweetheart I'm fighting on the side of true love," EJ argued with her, "True love always wins out, practically every book ever written or movie ever made proves my point."

"You mean like with Santo and Colleen?" said Sami unhappily thinking of their doomed love.

"This dream really has you rattled doesn't it?" asked EJ with concern at seeing how upset she was, "Sweetheart it was only a dream."

"But I've had this feeling for the longest time EJ," said Sami unhappily, "Like, I don't know, like something evil is watching us, wanting to hurt us."

"Is this about Celeste and her dire predictions about the letter 'A' person?" asked EJ with a frown.

"I felt like this before that but yes," said Sami unevenly, "I still think about this 'A' person and who they might be and them hurting someone I love – hurting you."

"Darling I will take on this letter 'A' or any of the other 25 letters of the alphabet if it came down to it head on and win," said EJ firmly even as he gave her a little beguiling smile, "You know me Samantha, nothing will stop me in protecting you."

"But are you protecting yourself EJ?" Sami fretted, "I don't think I'm the one in danger, I think you are."

"I'm a DiMera," said EJ with a little unconcerned shrug of his shoulders, "I'm always in danger – comes with the territory. I'm not dead yet despite several attempts. I'm like my father sweetheart, hard to kill."

"Are we even sure that Tony was the one to shoot you though?" asked Sami, her frown deepening as she looked up at him seriously, "I mean really sure? We never found the gun on him and he never admitted to it that I know about. What if there is someone else out there trying to kill you EJ and we are being all complacent like and then suddenly they try again?!"

"If I do get shot again will you dress up in a little sexy nurses uniform?" asked EJ giving her a lecherous look with a waggle of an irrepressible eyebrow but Sami wasn't to be charmed.

"EJ this is serious," said Sami tightly, "If something was to happen to you I'd just die, I know I would."

"Don't talk like that Samantha," said EJ with a sigh, "Sweetheart I don't think anyone is out to get us, you're just still upset from your nightmare but if it will make you feel any better I will do some further investigations into my shooting and just make sure of a few details."

"And you'll be careful," Sami pushed him, "You won't take any unnecessary risks and upset people that might want revenge."

"Says the woman who had Kate drugged and dumped into a trash can," commented EJ in amusement.

"Kate is a heartless, manipulative and lying bitch but she isn't a murderer," said Sami unconcerned.

"In my experience darling anyone is capable of murder given the right circumstance," said EJ knowingly, "But sweetheart here is the thing-"

EJ moved Sami so that she was facing him now, their noses almost touching as he reassured her.

"It doesn't matter what anyone throws at us in this world because now it isn't just Samantha or EJ they are attacking but Samantha _and_ EJ and that is a force to be reckoned with," said EJ with great certainty, "There is nothing the two of us love better than a fight and the dirtier the better. People might have been able to best one of us in the past but together we are truly unstoppable."

"Team EJami huh?" asked Sami with a slow smile.

"EJami?" asked EJ with a raised eyebrow.

"You know it's that thing that they do, put two names together to make one – like Brangelina," said Sami with a giggle.

"Oh," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "You mean a portmanteau."

"I do?" asked Sami, surprised there was a name for it, "I guess I do."

"I always saw us as Team Sex," said EJ mischievously, "Samantha, EJ and that X-factor that makes us so damn amazing."

"Why doesn't it surprise me that would be your name for us?" asked Sami with a rueful chuckle.

It was funny though that despite his silliness EJ had made Sami feel better about her premonitions of foreboding ill. Being with him always made Sami feel safe even though she wasn't completely sure that he was right about nobody being out to get them. She just couldn't shake that feeling for some reason, no matter how many times EJ tried to reassure her. Call it feminine intuition but Sami knew something wasn't right. What did ring true for her though was his assurances that they were in it together and that as a united front they'd be near impossible to beat. The thought of having a partner in life to weather all storms with made her smile.

It was all she'd ever wanted, an equal that let her be who she was meant to be and loved her unconditionally. Really, it was what most people wanted Sami decided. They lounged in bed just talking about the future and all the happy times that lay ahead, all the things EJ wanted to show her, all the things they wanted to do together. They could have done that all day only Sami began to worry about Jellybean again and they both got up to check on him. The grounds of the mansion was in complete disarray, even worse than the last storm they'd weathered on the island. Debris from the trees scattered everywhere but no real structural damage done to either house, in fact they hadn't even lost power, the generator working through the storm without a hitch.

"See I told you he'd be fine," said EJ as they walked back into the house from checking on Jellybean and feeding him.

"He's a part of the family EJ," said Sami firmly, "You can't just assume these things."

EJ smiled to hear that and walked over to where she was standing and slipped his arms around her waist.

"I love that you love Jelly as much as I do," EJ chuckled in her ear.

"How couldn't I love Jellybean?" asked Sami with a smile, "He's sweet and gentle and loves it when I scratch behind his ears."

"I love it when you scratch behind my ears," EJ informed her throatily as he rubbed his body against her back, his hands beginning to wander.

"Is that right?" Sami giggled.

EJ's hands had drifted down her stomach and were now sliding up her legs, taking the hem of her skirt with them and Sami knew exactly where he was heading and just gave a knowing smile. EJ's hands glided up Sami's legs and then came to an abrupt halt.

"What is that?" he asked in confusion, peering over Sami's shoulder to see what his hands had encountered.

"What is what?" asked Sami innocently.

EJ moved so that he was now standing in front of Sami, looking curiously at her. Sami didn't say anything as he lifted her skirt again and pursed his lips at what he found.

"You're wearing my underwear," EJ said, stating the obvious.

"Only because someone stole mine," said Sami sweetly, "And I couldn't be walking around the island like some wanton with no panties on."

"You couldn't?" asked EJ in disappointment and then quickly collected himself, "I mean you couldn't, of course not."

Sami smirked up at EJ, letting him know he wasn't going to have the last word when it came to their little game of hide the panties.

"Now if my underwear was to somehow miraculously turn up again then I could go back to wearing them instead," Sami suggested, all sweetness and light.

"But we don't know who took your underwear Samantha," protested EJ, still playing the innocent.

"Well I guess you're stuck with me in your pants then," said Sami smugly.

A big smile came to EJ's lips then.

"Do you have any idea how long I've waited for you to say those words to me?" he teased her mischievously, "Since the day I met you all I wanted was you in my pants Samantha."

Sami tried to look annoyed at him turning it back around but it was too hard, the smile giving her away.

"Since the day I met you all I wanted was you out of yours," said Sami cheekily.

"I wasn't wearing pants the day I met you," EJ reminded her with a chuckle, "Only a towel."

"And not even that at one point," said Sami and then gave him a considered look, "Tell me the truth EJ – that towel drop, accident or deliberate?"

"What are you suggesting Samantha?" asked EJ, looking scandalised, "That I'd expose myself to a young woman on meeting her for the first time like some dirty old man in a trench coat lurking around public toilets?"

"Yes," said Sami without missing a beat, a smile on her lips.

"You know me so well," said EJ with a grin.

"You are without shame EJ DiMera," Sami tutted with a shake of her head.

"You'd know," EJ said teasingly, "You didn't exactly look away now did you darling?"

"Yes I did," Sami protested.

"Eventually," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "After you got a good hard look at what was on offer eh?"

"I think good and hard just about sums it up," said Sami cheekily, "And what's a girl to meant to do? A firm bodied hunk moves in next door and puts his wares on display – I didn't want to be rude."

"Mental note," said EJ straight faced, "When we buy a home it is going to be in the middle of a retirement village so there are no firm bodied hunky neighbours to tempt you."

"Don't you trust me EJ?" asked Sami with a sweet smile.

"Of course I do darling," said EJ with an answering smile, "Just like I'm sure you'd be delighted if we moved in next door to a houseful of supermodels."

"It wouldn't worry me," said Sami calmly.

"Really?" asked EJ in disbelief.

"Absolutely not," said Sami evenly, "Because they wouldn't look that super after I'd gotten through with them."

"Do you know how erotic it is for a man to hear his woman threaten bodily harm to any other woman within his vicinity?" asked EJ throatily.

"You find everything I do a turn on," said Sami in feigned exasperation.

"That's because everything you do is a turn on," said EJ with a lecherous smile, "Take those underwear for example. Now I've never found myself sexually aroused by men's underwear before but on you I'm finding them quite the honey trap – literally."

"Aha," said Sami, playfully swatting away his hand as he went to make a grab for her, "We've got work to do EJ."

"Believe me it won't seem like work sweetheart," said EJ throatily as he moved in again.

"The weatherman said there might be another storm," said Sami as she laughingly slapped away his grabbing hands again, "We have to get this all cleaned up just in case."

"You enjoy bossing me around don't you?" EJ pouted.

"You don't usually complain," said Sami with an arched eyebrow, "Usually you like me telling you what to do."

"That's true I do," said EJ, slowly licking his lips, "Especially when its things like 'go harder EJ, don't stop EJ, make me come EJ'."

"Well then," said Sami with a sultry smile, "Let's get this all cleaned up so I can boss you around some more hm?"

"You make an offer that is hard to say no to," said EJ wide eyed.

"I don't ever remember you saying no when you were hard," Sami shot back to him with a devlish smile.

"You're such a bad girl," said EJ with a happy sigh at that thought.

Sami smiled as she turned away and began picking up more fallen branches again. She loved how EJ still flirted with her shamelessly despite the fact his ring was on her finger and he must know by now he could have her any time any way with just a crook of a finger. It was comfortable between them but still with this underlying tension of need, like every time they came together it was a gift that both shocked and thrilled.

Sami prayed that it would always be like this and that her worrying was just her being silly. It was pretty much a knee jerk reaction for her – when things were going well in her life it invariably meant the rug was about to be pulled out from under her. It had happened every other time in her life when she'd been happy and perhaps all this feeling was due to was old habits dying hard. Despite comforting herself with that thought Sami's nerves still tightened though when her phone rang and she saw who it was.

"It's Lucas," said Sami, looking over at EJ where he was still picking up fallen branches and palm fronds from the grounds around the mansion.

"I suppose you'd better answer it," said EJ calmly as he picked up an armful of palm fronds and began walking to the pile he was making, "We don't want the little guy worrying himself into an early grave-"

EJ looked over at Sami then and arched an eyebrow.

"Unless we do of course."

Sami sent him a mildly censuring look for that and quickly worked out what the time difference was meant to be for him. It was mid morning for Ara Caman and Salem but tomorrow night for Japan where she was supposed to be.

"Hi Lucas," said Sami as she answered the phone, "You just caught me, I was about to go to bed."

"Sorry for the late call," he said regretfully.

"No, no," said Sami quickly, "It's no problem really."

Sami could see EJ working away industriously out of the corner of her eye and no doubt listening in on their conversation.

"How are you?" asked Sami, "I was worried when you didn't call earlier and then didn't answer my calls."

"Sorry, got caught up," said Lucas vaguely.

"Well as long as you are alright," said Sami with a smile.

"Sami," said Lucas, sounding suddenly serious.

"Yes Lucas?" she responded, absently picking up some branches and throwing it into EJ's growing pile.

"Sami I have something I need to tell you," Lucas said and Sami stopped what she was doing and frowned at how intense he sounded.

"Okay," she said slowly, "I'm listening..."


	92. Chapter 239

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & THIRTY NINE**** – ****Good News Everybody**

Some choices we live not only once but a thousand times over, remembering them for the rest of our lives.

_Richard Bach_

_(American Writer, author of 'Jonathan Livingston Seagull', b.1936)_

Sami waited expectantly for Lucas to say what he wanted to say, finding herself holding her breath for some reason. That dream had just left her so on edge that everything was making her nervous.

"You know about my AML," Lucas began.

"Yes," said Sami slowly.

"And how you wanted me to ring Will and tell him about it?" Lucas continued on.

"Yes," said Sami, "Have you decided to do that?"

"I don't need to," said Lucas simply.

"Lucas," said Sami with a sigh, "He's your son, he has a right to know."

There was this long pause on the other end of the phone and Sami became concerned.

"Lucas are you alright?" she asked worriedly.

EJ stopped picking up branches and walked over to Sami, putting a comforting hand on her back and frowning down at her in concern. Sami looked back up at him and shook her head helplessly.

"I'm fine Sami," said Lucas dully.

"Are you taking care of yourself?" asked Sami anxiously, "Did you make your doctor's appointment yesterday?"

"I did," said Lucas calmly, "They just phoned me with the results."

"And?" Sami prompted him, "How does your blood work look?"

"It looks perfect," said Lucas and Sami thought he sounded strangely emotionless about it all.

There was this very long pause again, as though Lucas was fighting for control of himself.

"For someone dying of leukaemia that is."

"Oh Lucas," Sami sighed, feeling the pity well up in her over that burden Lucas must be carrying around inside of him every minute of every day and guilt over finding so much happiness with EJ.

"I don't want to tell Will over the phone," said Lucas.

"But maybe you could go and see him then?" suggested Sami and tried not to think what Lucas not being around would be like for her and EJ – heaven.

How bad a person was she really thought Sami in despair?

"I'm not well enough to travel Sami," said Lucas curtly.

"Then maybe we should get Will to come home," said Sami earnestly, "Lucas it's important for you to have your family with you now more than ever and Will loves you so much."

"Which is why I don't want to put him through this," said Lucas harshly, "Please Sami, I want you to promise me to respect my wishes on this – Will isn't to know until I say so."

"Lucas," said Sami unhappily, rubbing her forehead.

"Promise me Sami," said Lucas intently.

"Alright," she said reluctantly, "I promise."

"So how are things in Japan?" asked Lucas, pointedly changing the subject, "I can't believe you've got another week there to go."

"I know," said Sami and closed her eyes against how short of a time that sounded to her right then.

She and EJ only had one more day on Ara Caman and then it was off to Japan for real for the two of them and whilst they would still be able to be together it wouldn't have the same freedom that the island offered them. But at least they had that time before she had to go back to Salem and Sami clung to that thought like the life line it was for her.

"I really miss you," said Lucas huskily, "I wish you were home right now Sami."

"Me too," Sami lied, trying to inject as much enthusiasm into that as she could but it wasn't much.

"And EJ is behaving himself?" Lucas asked worriedly, "Keeping his hands to himself?"

"EJ's hands are exactly where they should be," said Sami with a half smile up at EJ as he stroked her back tenderly and returned the smile, "On the woman he is madly in love with."

"Oh yeah, Estelle," said Lucas thoughtfully, "So you think it is the real deal with those two then?"

"Oh yes," said Sami with great emotion she couldn't contain as she continued to gaze up at EJ unblinkingly, "After this time away I'm more sure of that then anything else in this world."

"Good," said Lucas with some satisfaction, "It's nice to know he's someone else's problem for a change."

EJ leant down and pressed his forehead against hers, gently nuzzling her nose with his and Sami felt her knees go weak just like they always did when he was tender with her.

"Yes," Sami replied in barely more than a whisper, completely mesmerised by the man who was now holding her in his arms, "It's very good."

**oooOOOOooo**

"Lucas," said Kate, the surprise evident on her face.

"Mom," said Lucas shortly, "Can I come in?"

He'd just gotten off the phone to Sami and was feeling like the worst person in the world. Just before calling her Lucas had indeed gotten the doctor's blood work back, the one he'd gone to without his mother knowing and to his immense relief everything had been normal. So much for Miss Perpétue and her dire predictions thought Lucas dourly. The woman had scared him half to death with her vague warnings and implications.

"I wasn't sure you'd want to see me just yet," said Kate slowly, stepping back and letting him walk into the apartment she still kept despite now living with Stefano.

"I don't," said Lucas tersely, "But I thought you should know my decision."

"About keeping quiet about your condition you mean?" asked Kate, turning to face him.

"Or lack thereof," said Lucas bitingly, "I spoke to Sami today."

"And?" Kate prompted him.

"And nothing," said Lucas tightly, "I didn't tell her anything."

"Oh," said Kate, looking very relieved, "You've done the right thing Lucas."

"I've done anything but the right thing Mom," said Lucas angrily, "I'm part of your lie now."

"We're both keeping each other's secrets," said Kate, giving him a pointed look, "It's what families do for one another."

"I'm pretty sure most families don't keep the kind of secrets we do," said Lucas curtly.

"You'd be surprised," said Kate dryly, "Most people have secrets to hide that would shock others."

"You keep telling yourself if that makes you feel any better," said Lucas bitterly.

Kate gave a little shrug and then eyed him curiously.

"So what made you change your mind?" she asked him.

Lucas thought about his talk with Philip and despite himself his reading with Miss Perpétue but decided to keep both to himself.

"I'm only doing this until the EJ threat is neutralised once and for all," said Lucas determinedly, "And after that I'm going to tell Sami the truth."

"That should go well," said Kate mockingly, "I can see that little hypocrite being less than thrilled at being lied to."

"It's a heinous lie Mom," said Lucas defensively, "She'd be right to be upset but I'm hoping once she found out why I allowed it that she'll forgive me. If Sami really loves me then she will."

"That's a big if," said his mother flatly.

"I know you'd love to think that Sami and I don't really love each other but just deal with it Mom because we do," said Lucas shortly.

"Alright fine, whatever," said Kate with a twist of her lips, "Sami isn't our main problem here right now – it's making sure that EJ is out of the picture and doesn't get wise to what either of us have been up to."

"There's no reason for EJ to start investigating into his shooting," said Lucas firmly, "And with Tony out of the picture there is no reason for the status quo to be in danger."

"And if Tony suddenly turns up?" asked Kate coolly.

"Then I'll deal with it but I'm not about to borrow trouble right now," said Lucas tightly, "Right now we need to focus our energy on getting rid of EJ once and for all and then Sami and I will be safe and you can be the queen of the DiMera's unchallenged."

"Me taking over of the DiMera empire was just a side benefit of everything that I've done for you Lucas," protested Kate, "It wasn't my main reason for doing this."

"Whatever," said Lucas, not wanting to get into that right now, "Just tell me what you have planned to bring EJ down."

"I'm still working on that," said Kate vaguely, "But I did discover a potentially interesting titbit of information yesterday which I'm intent on following up."

"Such as?" Lucas prompted.

"Let's wait and see until I've done some more investigating honey," said Kate mysteriously, "It may be nothing."

"I'd just really like to know the plan you have to get us out of this mess you've created," said Lucas tight lipped, "You're taking a huge risk with both of our lives now that I know."

"Lucas have I ever let you down in protecting you before?" asked Kate, looking offended.

"Just that one time but it was pretty memorable," said Lucas bitterly and Kate made a pained expression, "And sometimes your ideas of protection aren't exactly mine."

"This will work Lucas," said Kate determinedly, "It has to."

"I guess if it doesn't then we'll both be too dead to care," said Lucas coldly.

"Don't say things like that," said Kate unhappily before drawing him into a tight hug, "Everything is going to work out for us, you'll see."

Lucas didn't answer her, just hugged his mother back, his thoughts anything but happy ones. He was risking everything by siding with his mother like this but there didn't feel like there was an option. Lucas was sure that EJ was still a huge threat to he and Sami and his attempts to take care of the matter by himself had been disappointingly unrealised. Like it or not he needed his mom's help in this and that meant falling in with the plans she'd already put in motion, whether he liked it or not. Kate pulled back and smiled up at him.

"You won't regret this honey," said Kate sincerely.

"I already regret it," said Lucas dourly and could only wish it hadn't come down to this.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Who are you ringing?" asked EJ curiously as he walked in from exercising Jellybean.

"Your parents," said Sami with a smile, "I think they should know we are married."

Susan and Edmund knew about the current state of affairs when it came to Sami and Lucas and as they always were they'd been supportive but Sami knew they were worried as well. She was so looking forward to telling them good news at last and couldn't wait until to tell them how happy she and EJ were. Sami gave him an uncertain look then.

"Unless you think they will be upset?" Sami worried, "Maybe your mom will be mad at me for going ahead with the wedding without them – even a symbolic one."

"Darling Mum and Edmund adore you," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "You could kill kittens and they'd still think you were the most wonderful woman in the world who could do no wrong."

"Eww on the killing kittens but thank you for the other part of that," said Sami with a smile, "It will be so nice to finally have a mother in law who doesn't think I'm Satan in heels."

"It helps that you're not marrying yet another of Kate's offspring," said EJ wryly.

"Yeah," said Sami with a sigh, "What was I thinking?"

"That they were worthy of having a woman like you," said EJ looking unimpressed, "Which of course they weren't."

Sami just smiled at EJ's rampant bias towards her and had to wonder why she'd settled all those years for men who only supported her when it suited them.

"So you think it's a good idea to ring then?" asked Sami happily.

"I think it is an excellent idea sweetheart," said EJ with a grin, "Mum will be thrilled to pieces."

Sami grinned at EJ's certainty and then dialled the number.

"Howdy," said Susan's familiar drawl, "Crumb Gardens, the lady of the house speaking."

"Hello Susan?" said Sami, smiling at the formal way Susan had answered the phone but doing it in such a sing song voice it sounded anything but, "It's Sami."

"Well hello there peaches!" exclaimed Susan happily, "I was just stuffing a chicken and thinkin' about you."

"Oh," said Sami a little taken aback by the connection, "You were?"

"Well sure hun," said Susan easily as though it was obvious, "I had to take my weddin' ring off before I stuck my hand right up that old chicken's privates and it got me ta thinkin' about your weddin' ta my little Elvis."

"Because of the wedding ring?" asked Sami with a soft smile as she looked down at the ring EJ had placed on her finger so lovingly.

"No," said Susan, sounding confused, "Because of all them cavity searches they're giving out at airports now after all that bad stuffed happened – you know, when Edmund and I will fly back to the States for your wedding."

"Oh," said Sami again at Susan's strange sideways habit of looking at things, "I guess I can see that."

EJ saw Sami's vaguely confused look and gave a little chuckle and winked at her teasingly. Clearly he was used to conversations with his mother that caused those kinds of expressions.

"But talking about weddings," said Sami, bravely moving on and wondering if her mother in law could be any cuter with her quirky ways, "EJ and I have something to tell you and Edmund Susan."

"EDMUND!" Susan bellowed into the phone excitedly, so that Sami was forced to hold the phone away from her ear, "COME QUICK DUMPLIN', THE KIDS HAVE NEWS!"

Almost immediately Sami heard another phone being picked up.

"Hello," said Edmund, his clipped English tones immediately recognisable.

"Hello," said Sami with a grin as EJ sat on the sofa and pulled her onto his lap and moved so that he could listen in on the conversation, "How are you Edmund?"

"Tickety boo thank you my dear," said Edmund, "And yourself?"

"Oh hush Eddie bear," said Susan impatiently, too eager to find out what was going on, "The children have news to tell us – you go on dear."

"It's good news," EJ informed them.

"Oh Elvis there you are," said his mother happily, "Now I just knew it would be – a bee flew into the window this mornin' so I just knew that good news was a comin' my way!"

"Are disorientated bees a traditional harbinger of good tidings?" asked EJ with a chuckle, unable to help himself from teasing her, "I should imagine it would be the reverse if anything – certainly from the bees point of view."

"Oh he was fine, just winded is all," dismissed Susan blithely, "He was just woozy for a few minutes and flew right on off to visit with Edmund's roses."

"Maybe I should move the hive further from the house?" Edmund mused thoughtfully.

"Edmund is an apiarist," EJ told Sami to one side, "He keeps bees."

"I know what an apiarist is EJ," said Sami with a roll of her eyes, "You didn't marry an idiot you know."

"Marry?" asked Susan, her ears pricking up, "What do you mean marry?"

"EJ and I got married on Ara Caman," said Sami, loving saying those words out loud as she looked over at EJ as her heart filled to overflowing with love, "In every way that matters we are married now."

The high pitched scream that Susan suddenly emitted was so deafening that Sami almost dropped the phone.

"Oh!" said Sami in surprise as she held the phone at arm's length from them both, "Is she upset EJ?"

"That's my mother's happy squeal," said EJ with a chuckle, "It's been known to strip paint from the walls."

Susan just kept screaming and screaming and who knows if Edmund was saying anything.

"Is she okay?" asked Sami, looking up at EJ uncertainly.

"She'll stop when she runs out of oxygen," said EJ confidently, "Or passes out – whichever comes first – either way she'll stop eventually."

"And you're sure those are screams of happiness right?" asked Sami nervously.

"Absolutely my darling," said EJ calmly, "You'll know when its screams of unhappiness, trust me."

Finally Susan's screams lessened and Sami gingerly put the phone back to her ear.

"Hello?" she said hesitantly.

"My baby is married!" Susan squealed and this time there was no mistaking the joy in her voice, "Oh my little boy is a married man!"

"And a very happy one Mum," EJ agreed with a ready chuckle, "We're sorry you couldn't be with us – it was kind of a spur of a moment thing."

"Oh never mind about that," Susan dismissed easily, "I want to hear all about it and you all be sure not to leave a single thing out now you hear!"

Sami gave a happy sigh before beginning to recount all the details of the proposal and wedding to their rapt audience with EJ chiming in his thoughts along the way. Susan was all full of ohh's and ahh's throughout the whole thing and they had to stop several times as she began squealing again.

"I'm sorry you and Edmund weren't there Susan," said Sami regretfully when she was done, "You being there would have made it even more perfect."

"Oh we were there in your hearts," said Susan happily, "That's how it is when you love people, you carry an itty bitty piece of them wherever you go."

"I like the thought of that," said Sami with a soft smile.

"Of course your next wedding we'll be there with bells on," continued on Susan blithely, "You know, when it's legal and all."

"That is just an expression right Mum?" asked EJ with a chuckle, "You won't actually be wearing bells right?"

"Of course not Elvis," Susan sniffed, "They will be on my hat. Everyone knows that any respectable weddin' hat has bells on it – that's why they are called weddin' bells!"

"Well at least we won't lose you if there is a black out," EJ teased her in amusement and Sami giggled as well.

"Your mother has been working on her wedding hat since we got home," chimed in Edmund proudly, "It's quite the work of art."

"I can only imagine," said EJ wryly, "I'll look forward to seeing it Mum, if it is anything like your Easter bonnets I'm sure we're in for a treat."

Sami bit her bottom lip and tried not to laugh out loud at the faces EJ was making to her.

"I'm just so relieved you're not mad at us Susan," said Sami happily.

"Oh darlin' like I could ever be mad at you when you make my little boy so happy," said Susan in amazement, "We're just as thrilled as thrilled can be isn't that right Edmund?"

"Oh yes quite, well done old boy," said Edmund, joining in on the congratulations, "You've done very well for yourself, Samantha is quite the prize and you make sure you make her feel like that every moment of everyday."

"He does Edmund," said Sami, her face beaming as she sat on his lap, "No one has ever loved me like EJ."

"Oh you sound so happy," Susan gushed, "Are you happy darlin's?"

"In ways I didn't even know existed," said EJ huskily, unable to take his eyes off Sami now.

Sami smiled back at him softly, the rest of the world fading around them. Susan was talking again but neither one noticed as EJ leant down and began to kiss her and Sami's happiness in that moment knew no bounds.


	93. Chapter 240

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & FORTY**** – ****All Good Things Must Come to an End**

Disappointment to a noble soul is what cold water is to burning metal; it strengthens, tempers, intensifies, but never destroys it.

_~Eliza Tabor~_

"Yes of course, I know," said EJ nodding his head as a grim expression settled on his face, "It can't be helped. We will just have to re-strategize. No, I appreciate the forewarning Shiro-san, no, it's far better to get the product just right, no use in jumping the gun."

EJ and Shiro Chiba spoke for a little longer before they said their goodbyes. He put down the phone and stared ahead expressionlessly, trying to process what the news from the older man meant for he and Sami. Actually it was pretty straightforward what it meant for him and Sami – bitter disappointment. EJ sighed heavily at the thought of telling Sami the bad news just as she walked back in the room with a tray of breakfast food for the two of them.

"Is everything good with Shiro-san for tomorrow?" she asked conversationally, taking a seat on the sofa and putting the tray on the coffee table in front of it.

EJ paused before answering her, taking in the happy and content picture Sami made and was loath to destroy her good mood which he was about to unfortunately. Sami looked over at him enquiringly.

"EJ?"

EJ gave her a little smile and then came to sit beside her on the sofa.

"What's wrong?" she asked with a frown, taking in his serious expression.

"I was just talking to Shiro-san and there's been a complication," said EJ regretfully, "A last quality check on the engine has discovered a flaw."

"A flaw?" asked Sami in concern, "What kind of a flaw?"

"One that can be fixed with a bit more development," said EJ quietly, "But until it's fixed Shiro-san doesn't want to go ahead with promoting it and I have to agree."

"How long will this development take?" asked Sami, looking distressed now.

"Shiro-san is confident that they'd have it ironed out in a couple of months," said EJ with a bit of a grimace.

"Two months?!" repeated Sami in horror, "So that means we're not going to Japan now?"

"No," said EJ unhappily, "There is no point because the product launch has to be put back now."

"Oh," said Sami quietly, her shoulders sagging with absolute disappointment, "Oh."

"I'm so sorry Samantha," said EJ, putting a hand on her leg even as he himself felt like he'd been completely gutted by the news as well.

"It's not your fault EJ," she said quietly, "It's no one's fault."

The both sat there for a moment, taking in what it meant for them.

"So that means we are going back to Salem tomorrow," said Sami at last, her voice dull at the prospect.

"So it would seem," agreed EJ grimly.

"EJ I don't know if I can," said Sami suddenly, looking at him with stricken eyes, "I'm not ready to go back and have to leave you and go back to him."

"It won't be forever sweetheart," EJ tried to comfort her even as he felt like punching a hole in the wall from the sheer frustration of it all.

"But I don't know if I can bear to be around him," said Sami in desperation, a tear slipping down her cheek as she looked at EJ in fear, "I don't know if I can stand having any other man near me than you – I think it will kill me!"

"Samantha we've come this far," said EJ unsteadily, trying to be rational when all he really wanted to do was keep her on this island forever, "It can't be much longer and just remember why you were doing this in the first place – for Will."

Sami looked away and shook her head in grief.

"Why is everything so hard for us?" she lamented unsteadily, more tears coming.

"Because nothing worthwhile is easy remember?" EJ said with a half smile, "We can do this Samantha and when all of this business with Lucas is over we'll have the rest of our lives to be together and this will feel like nothing at all."

"I can't imagine thinking of this as nothing," said Sami sadly.

"I know this has been a bitter disappointment for us both," said EJ, taking her in his arms and trying his best to make this better for them, "But it won't be for very much longer, I'm sure of it. Lucas is already living on borrowed time and I know you Samantha, I know you'll look back and regret not being there at the end and don't want you to have to carry that burden."

"But how will you bear it?" asked Sami despairingly as she looked back at him, "How will you bear it knowing that I'm going back to him EJ when I can't even stand the thought of it?"

"Because loving you is worth any kind of pain," said EJ quietly, "I'd endure anything to make you happy, to be the man you need me to be."

EJ looked down a little then as he now had to find the strength to stand behind those words.

"You need to do this Samantha," he said unevenly, "You need to do this one last thing so you can have no regrets coming into our marriage and I'm going to support you in that."

"Oh EJ," said Sami emotionally, "I don't deserve you. I'm sorry that I've gotten you into this."

"Some might argue that I was due a little penance for my previous nefarious dealings," said EJ wryly.

"No past remember," said Sami firmly, "For either of us, it's only the future that counts now."

"I know," said EJ softly, looking down briefly as he summoned all of his courage to say his next words, "And it is the future I'm thinking of when I think of us going back to Salem."

"But what if I can't do it?" Sami whispered to him in despair, "The thought of being near Lucas, having him even look at me like his wife makes my skin crawl."

"Are you frightened of him?" asked EJ seriously, his heart quickening at that thought, "Are you worried that what happened will happen again?"

"I'm not frightened of Lucas," said Sami with a half smile, "And what happened won't be happening again because I know to be aware of Kate and her tricks and I sure won't be drinking any more alcohol period, just in case. It's just the thought of being near any other man than you EJ, it just makes me crazy."

"It doesn't do much for my mental health either," said EJ with a lop sided smile, "Sweetheart I don't want to force you into anything you don't want to do and if you really want to go back to Salem and end it with Lucas I will support you in that. I'm pretty certain Salem won't be very welcoming of either of us after that so we'll just go on a yearlong honeymoon, set up base in the country of your choice until things blow over."

"I really want to go back to Salem and end it with Lucas," Sami confessed to him achingly and making EJ's heart skip a beat.

EJ gave a sad little smile though.

"I hear a but coming," he said quietly.

Sami looked down and seemed to be collecting herself for a moment before looking back at him.

"EJ," said Sami emotionally, putting a hand to his face and EJ closed his eyes for a brief moment, revelling in her soft touch, "I've been a selfish person all of my life, taking what I wanted without regard for other people's feelings and all it has done is bring pain and grief to me and those people around me that I loved. I want that clean slate that we promised each other in our marriage vows and I can't keep on repeating my old behaviours and expecting a different kind of outcome. You've helped me grow up so much EJ and loving you and your love for me has given me strength I never knew I had. More than anything I don't want to do this, all I want is to run into your arms and never leave them but you're right, I'm always going to regret hurting so many people, particularly Will to get what I want yet again."

"I know sweetheart," said EJ softly, "I've always known that and I love that giant heart of yours and how strong you are. You and I have always thought of ourselves first and others as a means to an end no matter how we've tried to justify it to ourselves at the time. I want a new beginning as well and to be able to prove to you that I've grown up as well. When I first met you Samantha I was a selfish being and if we'd been having this conversation back then I'd say to hell with Lucas, for us to just run off together and let everyone else just deal with it but I want more for us then just us. I saw how happy you were when you were talking to Mum and Edmund yesterday, how much pure joy it brought you to be able to share our love with others who loved us and I don't want to rob you of that sweetheart."

EJ smiled at Sami then, wanting her to really understand what he was trying to say.

"It's like the old saying goes," he told her huskily, "Shared joy is joy doubled and shared sorrow is sorrow halved. I want you to have those kinds of relationships in your life Samantha and if we just run off together now then that may never happen for you when it comes to your family and most importantly your son. I don't want to be the reason for that, as I said sweetheart, I want more for you than that."

"Do you really feel that way EJ?" asked Sami, looking amazed.

"Well to be truthful I'm torn," EJ admitted with a lop sided smile, "Part of me wants to be that kind of generous and selfless man who would have such lofty hopes for the woman that he loves but then there is the DiMera part of me screaming at me to strand us on the island and never let you out of my bed again."

"I love the DiMera side of you," said Sami with a warm smile.

EJ's eyes widened at hearing her say that.

"You do?" he asked in amazement.

He'd been working so hard to quash the self interested DiMera inspired aspect of his personality for Sami and to hear her say those words to him was breath taking.

"I love your version of the DiMera side of you," Sami clarified, looking up at him lovingly, "You told me once that we were parts of the same whole and I didn't want to hear that because it was true. I was a DiMera long before you put this ring on my finger just like you were a Brady before you said I do EJ. We carry parts of both worlds in us and I can't deny the DiMera side in me any more than you can. We just have to learn to temper it a little bit maybe, find a way other than Stefano's but we'll never be my parents either."

"Our children are going to be brilliant you know that don't you?" said EJ in complete awe of Sami's insight right then, "With you as their mother they can't help but be anything but."

"Any wisdom I've gotten I've gotten the hard way," said Sami ruefully.

"Which is the best way," said EJ firmly, "Things easily won are never treasured as they should be."

EJ looked at Sami then and made sure that she could see in his eyes that he was no longer talking about just lessons. Sami's tremulous smile told him that she'd gotten the message.

"I can't believe how much you're prepared to sacrifice for me EJ," said Sami in wonder, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Nothing I do for you feels like a sacrifice Samantha," said EJ, looking at her with fierce intent, "Nothing."

Sami leant forward and gave him a tender kiss for those heartfelt words before sitting back a little in the sofa.

"I guess we shouldn't waste any of today then," she said with a brave smile, "It's our last day together, we have to make it count."

"We will," said EJ, standing up and taking Sami's hand to draw her to her feet as well, "But you're wrong Samantha, this isn't our last day together, far from it."

Sami smiled up at him as he put his arms around her waist.

"I suppose it isn't," she agreed softly.

"Our story is just beginning," EJ promised her warmly, "We have so many days left to come that they can't be counted."

Sami looked up at him with suddenly desperate eyes.

"Tell me that everything is going to be alright EJ," she pleaded with him, "That we're doing the right thing."

EJ drew Sami into his arms and held her tightly against him as she laid her head on his chest.

"Everything is going to be alright," he promised her as he put a comforting hand to the back of her head, "I swear to you Samantha, everything is going to be alright. No one can touch our love."

EJ looked ahead, his jaw hardening as he thought of all the trials that were no doubt going to be ahead of them. Strength that was never tested was no kind of strength at all he reminded himself grimly. This woman in his arms needed all of his strength and ability to endure that EJ had to give and he was going to do just that. He'd made a lot of promises to Sami during their island stay and he intended on keeping every single one of them. They'd come so incredibly far in their relationship and EJ would protect that with his life, just like the woman he was holding.

"No one," he said hoarsely.

**oooOOOOooo**

A sudden violent shudder ran thought Celeste as she stood at the coffee house counter. A feeling of dread clawed at her stomach as a coldness swept over her. She turned and saw Lucas and Kate walking into the coffee shop. Celeste stared at them, the feeling of horror growing. Unable to help herself she walked over to where they'd just taken a seat. Kate looked up and saw her coming and made an annoyed face.

"It's too early to have my day ruined," Kate said curtly, "Keep walking Celeste."

"You two," said Celeste with a grave shake of her head, "What are you doing?"

"I'm having breakfast with my son if that is alright with you Celeste," said Kate dismissively.

"Death is stalking you both," said Celeste, unable to stop the words from falling from her lips.

"We already know about the Danish rolls in this place thanks Celeste," said Kate sweetly, "We'll steer clear of them."

Celeste blinked, Kate's sarcastic words not really penetrating the dark fog she was suddenly in.

"Your plans will be the end of you," she warned them darkly, "Stop now or this will end badly."

"You know Celeste," said Kate coolly, "There is a fine line between being quirky and just flat our crazy and that line if you are interested is way back there-"

Kate pointed out of the window to across the street.

"So take your dime store Miss Meg impersonation which as we all know is just a desperate cry for attention and take it to whatever weak minded person you can swindle with it next," suggested Kate calmly, "My son and I are trying to have a nice breakfast and quite frankly my dear the odour of your perfume alone is ruining it."

Celeste gave a long look at Lucas who was moving a little uncomfortably under her intense star but didn't volunteer any information along the lines that he was one of those 'weak minded' people that his mother was talking about. The pit of Celeste's stomach just dropped even more as she had the strongest sensation that it was already too late, whatever was to happen was already in motion.

"Be careful," she whispered to them hoarsely.

Celeste was no fan of Kate but the darkness she saw around the other woman she wouldn't wish on her worst enemy. Celeste turned and left then without another word, knowing she'd done all she could right then.

"God but that dog and pony show is getting old," said Kate with a roll of her eyes once Celeste was gone, "What is wrong with that woman?"

"I think she's just trying to help," Lucas defended her weakly.

"Help with what?" asked Kate caustically, "Getting herself re-institutionalised."

Lucas' lips quirked then.

"What's so funny?" Kate demanded of him.

"Just remembering a conversation I had with Philip," said Lucas cryptically.

Kate's lips pressed together in vague annoyance over the fact Lucas obviously wasn't going to elaborate.

"You're looking well," she said accusingly, "Have you stopped taking those pills I've been giving you?"

"Yes," said Lucas in annoyance, "Forgive me if I didn't want to feel like puking my guts up everyday – what was I thinking?!"

"I was violently ill every day I was pregnant with you," said Kate unsympathetically, "Get over it. You have to keep taking those pills otherwise you'll start looking too healthy Lucas and people will know something is up."

"Maybe it will be the beginning of my miracle?" suggested Lucas with a shrug.

"It's too soon," said Kate disapprovingly, "We need to get EJ neutralised before my prayers are answered."

"Really Mom?" asked Lucas sarcastically, "You're going to be telling people that you prayed me back into good health. I think it is safe to say that God stopped answering your calls a long time ago."

"Is there no limit to your lack of gratitude?" ask Kate curtly.

"Seems not," said Lucas blithely and further arguments were suspended when his phone rang.

A few minutes later Lucas was hanging up with a big smile on his face.

"That was Sami," he announced rather unnecessarily because he'd used her name several times during the conversation, "She's coming home tomorrow – the Japan deal got postponed."

"There is something wrong with the Chiba deal?" asked Kate in concern.

"Just a developmental issue that will take a couple of months to iron out," said Lucas easily, "I thought you'd be glad to see that deal tank, what's with the worry Mom?"

"When I take that company back over I want it to be a thriving concern," said Kate with a smirk, "It suits me having EJ and Sami working hard to build Mythic up and then have me take it from them when the time is right."

Lucas shook his head and picked up a napkin.

"What?" she demanded of him.

"I feel like you should be stroking a white cat and ordering James Bond to be thrown into a tank of remote controlled piranha when you say things like that," said Lucas wryly.

"Isn't it funny when a man takes control of his future he's called strong and forward thinking," said Kate flatly, "When a woman does it she's called maniacal."

"Yes because there is nothing maniacal about drugging your son and letting him thinking he is dying and then organising a fake wedding for him," said Lucas mockingly, "I heard that Bill Gates did the exact same thing and that was how he got ahead."

"You're quite moody before your first cup of coffee in the morning aren't you?" said Kate coolly, unfazed by Lucas' criticism.

"I'm not moody Mom I'm anxious," said Lucas tersely, "I'm in this lie with you now and we need to get our game plan straight or better still, just get a game plan."

"We just maintain the status quo for now," said Kate calmly, "I'm working on a couple of angles and as soon as I come up with an iron clad way of dealing with EJ that protects us both you'll be the first to know."

"I can't believe I agreed to this," said Lucas with a groan, "What was I thinking?"

"Enough with the whining Lucas," said Kate determinedly, "We've both got jobs to do and I suggest we just get on with it until the time is right."

Lucas pulled a face and didn't look happy as Kate picked up her menu and began to read it.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," he muttered.

"Don't you start," said Kate, not looking up from her menu.


	94. Chapter 241

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & FORTY ONE**** – ****Make Hay While the Sun Shines**

The heart of marriage is memories; and if the two of you happen to have the same ones and can savour your reruns, then your marriage is a gift from the gods.

_Bill Cosby_

_(American Actor, Comedian and Producer b.1937, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA)_

"Thanks for being so understanding Estelle," said Sami with a small smile as they spoke via the lap top.

"Well I will admit to being a bit bummed about cutting short my holiday but I'm guessing that is nothing compared to what you two are feeling," said Estelle sympathetically.

"It has been a bit of a blow," said EJ sadly, putting his arm around Sami's shoulders and squeezing, "I'll send the jet for you tomorrow."

"I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing those words," said Estelle with a grin and making EJ and Sami smile despite themselves, "Will I have your doppelgangers as company?"

"You will," said EJ with a nod, "Have to make the numbers add up and all."

"Good," said Estelle with a grin, "Craig is complete rubbish at cards, I've been whooping his ass all week. I've already won one of his twin sons; I should be able to win the other on the trip home."

"You're gambling with his children?" asked Sami with a laugh.

"He ran out of other assets after the second day," said Estelle straight faced, "I also get his lungs if I should ever need them."

"And what are you planning on doing with Craig's twin boys?" asked EJ in amusement and playing along with Estelle's silliness because it was a nice distraction from the sad reality at hand.

"I'm starting an army of minions," said Estelle conversationally, "I was going to take over the world with them but then I thought that sounded like there would be too much on going work when I became the unquestioned ruler of the world."

"There probably would be a lot of meetings," agreed EJ, tongue in cheek, "And committees you'd have to be on."

"Exactly," said Estelle in distaste, "There is a reason that a group of vultures is called a committee of vultures. I'd rather eat my own toe jam then be on endless committees."

"Eww Estelle," Sami laughed, wrinkling her nose, "That's disgusting."

"Sorry," said Estelle blithely, "It's past happy hour here in Japan, I'm a little buzzed – that sake is great stuff!"

"Well make the most of it sweetheart," said EJ indulgently.

"Waay ahead of you," said Estelle with a little wink, "I'm already starting to empty the mini-bar and steal the towels."

"Well I guess we won't be staying there again," said EJ in amusement.

"But we will be back right?" asked Estelle hopefully, "When Shiro-san sorts out everything, there will be another trip to Japan on the cards?"

"Absolutely," said EJ, looking at Sami as he said that so she could see the certainty in his eyes, "We'll have our time in Japan – just the two of us."

"Just as well you're cute because you can't count," said Estelle with a quirk of her lips.

"Sorry Estelle," said EJ quickly, "I meant the three of us of course – two beautiful women on my arm, what more could a man want?"

"Or a woman," said Estelle with a grin.

"Estelle you'll never know how grateful EJ and I are for what you've done for us," said Sami sincerely, "You're just our dearest friend."

"And in this circle of friends of which I'm the dearest," Estelle teased her, "Do I happen to be the only one in that particular circle honey?"

"It is true that Samantha and I have a small pool of people on our side," agreed EJ with a chuckle.

"It's your mom and Edmund EJ," said Sami with a roll of her eyes, "That isn't a pool it is puddle!"

"And John," EJ reminded her, "He's on our side as long as I treat you like the princess you are."

"Oh yes John," said Sami with a soft smile, "How could I forget."

"And my father of course," said EJ.

"We both know that is only temporary once he finds out you plan to disown him," said Sami wryly.

"That will be an awkward conversation," EJ agreed, pursing his lips, "But a necessary one."

"So I'm in quite the elite club then," said Estelle with a smile, "Friends of EJ and Sami."

"At least there are plenty of cookies to go round during our weekly meetings," said EJ with a quirk of his lips.

Estelle gave a laugh and then suddenly looked very serious.

"Wait!" she said intensely, "There are cookies?! I've been missing out!"

"How can you keep that fantastic figure and eat the way you do?" Sami groaned in laughing frustration.

"I have a lot of vices that burn fat," Estelle informed her straight faced, "Plus there is that pact with Satan I made."

"Our very own Dorian Gray eh?" said EJ in amusement, "Or should that be Dora Gray?"

"Hey my fake boyfriend is funny," said Estelle with a chuckle, "Who'd have thought?"

**oooOOOOooo**

"Do you want to go for a walk?" asked EJ softly.

They were snuggled up on a hammock that looked out over the water and watching the sun set. They'd spent the day together, just being together, enjoying each other's company and determinedly not thinking about tomorrow. Today had been perfect and Sami never wanted it to end.

"I'd love to," said Sami with a soft smile.

EJ climbed out of the hammock and held out his hand to help Sami out as well. They walked hand in hand along the rapidly darkening beach and Sami couldn't help but smile.

"Do you remember when you first asked me to walk with you on this beach?" she asked EJ, looking up at him.

"I do," he chuckled, "You tried to run a mile."

"I was so scared of being alone with you," said Sami ruefully.

"Sweetheart we were already alone on the island," he reminded her teasingly.

"Yes but walking along a beach is the quintessentially romantic thing to do," Sami said, "I didn't know if I could handle it with you – I was frightened you might try and take advantage of me-"

Sami gave him a little sideways look then.

"And terrified that you wouldn't," she admitted with a sly little smile.

"You know I have no idea why there is that rumour out there that women are complicated," said EJ straight faced, "That certainly hasn't been my experience with you darling."

"Don't," Sami groaned, bumping against him in playful protest of his teasing of her, "I know I was impossible and made everything hard for you EJ."

"You certainly did," he said throatily and arched a lecherous eyebrow at her, "The entire stay on the island I couldn't sleep on my stomach for fear of doing myself a permanent mischief."

"You did alright out of our last stay on Ara Caman," Sami reminded him with mock censure.

"I did more than alright," EJ purred, stopping walking and swinging Sami around so that she was in his arms now as the sun set behind them.

"You told me that you loved me on our first walk here," Sami said huskily, "Of all of your dreams for us."

"And you ran," he reminded her with a half smile.

"I'm not running now," said Sami, looking up at him lovingly, "I'm right where I belong, in the arms of the man I love."

"You know I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing you say things like that to me Samantha," he told her huskily.

He smiled then.

"How about a last dip in the ocean eh?" he suggested.

"Sounds great," said Sami with a grin and despite the fact she was wearing a bikini she stripped off all of her clothes anyway for the swim.

EJ did the same and they waded into the water still holding hands. The water still had the heat of the day in it and it welcomed them both into its warm embrace. Even though it was slowly getting warmer in Salem it couldn't compete with this tropical velvetiness where the gentle warmth enveloped you like a lover's touch. They both dove under the water and resurfaced further out, just playing in the water together. Eventually Sami's stomach reminded her that it had been a long time since lunch.

"I'm hungry," she announced to him.

"Well best I'd feed my new wife then eh?" said EJ with a grin as they tread water side by side, "Otherwise what kind of a husband would I be?"

They swam back to the beach, walking as the water became shallower. When the water was about hip height for Sami she stopped and turned towards EJ and he stopped as well, smiling down at her expectantly.

"EJ," said Sami as she put her arms around his thighs and looked up at him pleadingly, "Can we not sleep tonight? I don't want to waste one minute of the time we have left by sleeping."

EJ gave a half little smile as he drew her closer to him.

"Done," EJ promised her as he pressed a soft kiss to the top of Sami's head.

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ watched as Sami walked out of the bathroom after having just showered. She was wearing some flimsy lilac negligee but all EJ saw was the woman in it. They'd just had a romantic dinner followed by some moonlight dancing and now they'd retired to the bedroom. They hadn't made love all day, some wordless agreement between them that they should wait, holding off the inevitable until the sweet anticipation overwhelmed them both. EJ fully intended to make good his promise to Sami about staying awake all night and was equally determined that he was going to be making love to her the whole time. Sami gave a soft smile at the way he was looking at her and walked over to him. She began to silently undress EJ, unbuttoning his shirt and pushing it from his shoulders.

EJ gave a little shudder as Sami's hands stroked his chest, her light touch already sending the blood screaming around his body as he watched her intently. She must have been able to feel the way his heart was pounding against her palm because Sami then leant forward and pressed a kiss to the skin over his thumping heart. EJ could never imagine a time when he didn't want this woman more than life itself. Sami licked and kissed her way across his chest as EJ shrugged the rest of the way out of his shirt and let it drop to the floor. She took his hand then and walked them over to the bed where Sami sat on the edge of it and drew EJ between her legs.

EJ watched her with eager anticipation as Sami began to kiss her way down his stomach now, undoing his pants as she went. EJ hadn't bothered with underwear the whole trip, finding himself enjoying Sami in them more than enough for him so he was quickly naked in front of her. Sami gave a satisfied smile at seeing how hard he already was for her but it couldn't have been a surprise. EJ felt like he was always on the point of disgracing himself around Sami. A simple look, the way she said his name or brushed up against him innocently had EJ's blood heating to boiling point and his body screaming at him to bend her over the nearest chair or table and take her like a possessed man.

The fact that EJ was pretty confident that Sami would let him do that each and every time and beg for more if this time away was anything to go by just made it extra hard for him – literally and figuratively. Sami's sexual appetites matched his so closely that sometimes EJ was afraid they'd consume each other in a frenzy of unbridled couplings and leave nothing of them left. There were definitely worse ways to go EJ decided.

He made a grunting sound then as Sami's small hand reached out and wrapped itself around his rapidly stiffening member, his stomach muscles clenched into a fierce knot and EJ was pretty sure he'd be bullet proof right about then. Sami looked up at him and smiled that knowing little smile of hers as she felt his reaction to such a simple touch. She held his gaze steadily as she began to milk him, pumping her hand up and down his member and EJ couldn't help the whimpering sounds he was making in the back of his throat. A little pre-cum oozed out of his swollen tip and Sami made a satisfied face at seeing it. EJ swallowed hard as he watched Sami duck her head and begin to delicately lap at his juices all the while still pumping him gently for more.

EJ dug his nails into his thigh, possibly drawing blood, just to distract himself from the mammoth need he had to simply blow his load right then. He knew he'd be able to recover quickly and they'd continue but EJ so didn't want to pre-empt whatever delights Sami had planned for his body so he struggled to remain in control. Sami now seemed satisfied that she'd lapped up all that his body had for at this time and now had other ideas. EJ drew in a strangled breath as Sami took him completely into her mouth, having perfected how he liked this particular act down to an art form. EJ was pretty sure that there wasn't a Nobel Prize given for this type of talent but if there ever was then Sami would be an undisputed shoo-in.

One of Sami's hands went to his balls and began massaging them, first softly and then more firmly, swapping between the two types of contact continuously. Her other hand went to his rock hard stomach, dragging her fingernails across his flesh and causing a riot of confusion through EJ's body. There was the sharp and not unpleasant tickle/scraping her of Sami's fingernails mixed with the soft, hot cavern of her mouth with a delicious sucking sensation and the squeezing and massaging action that was sending a cacophony of mixed messages to EJ's nerve endings and causing him to make strained grunting noises against the intensity of it all.

Sami suddenly released him just when EJ feared that he could take it no longer, clearly knowing his limits just as well as he did. Sami gave a satisfied look at her handiwork and well she should, EJ was at full attention and simply huge. His engorged member twitched frantically at the way Sami was looking at it and licking her lips, eager to take her body and return some favours. Sami looked up at him, that insanity inducing smile still on her lips as she held his gaze, sliding up the bed until she was propped up against the cushions. EJ moved to join her but she held up a finger and shook her head, silently commanding him to wait. He swallowed a groan of impatience but let Sami have her way.

Sami pulled off her slip and fortunately for EJ was now entirely naked. Making sure he was watching her every move Sami very slowly drew up her knees so her feet were flat on the bed and then even more slowly, enjoying the strained anticipation on EJ's face she let her legs fall open so he had an unobstructed view of her womanhood. EJ knew instinctively that he was only allowed to look and not touch right then and it took a supreme effort of will to do just that. Instead his hand went to his wildly straining member and squeezed tightly, trying to keep himself in check. Sami meanwhile had put one arm behind her head to prop herself up a little while her other hand drifted down her body. She stopped briefly to tug on her nipples, making sure they were tight buds, knowing how EJ loved seeing them like that. Her hand then travelled further south, over her flat stomach to the mound of crinkly dark blonde hairs that covered it. EJ moved restlessly, unconsciously beginning to stroke himself as Sami's hand moved lower still, dipping between her legs and into the moist folds that hid her most secret places.

Sami settled back against the cushions as her hand sought out the little nub of flesh that was the centre of her ability to feel pleasure and began to rub it. EJ stood transfixed by the show she was putting on for him, his breathing becoming painfully ragged even as Sami's breath started to come in short pants, her fingers working herself up into a quick frenzy. It took less than a minute for Sami to make herself climax and EJ loved knowing that she was always as close to coming as he was. Little shudders wracked her body, her face twisting in pleasure at the little explosion between her legs. EJ knew Sami was far from done or satisfied because it had been so quick. He knew Sami's real satisfaction would come when he was pounding himself between her legs and making her scream out to the high heavens that he was killing her and that she'd kill him if he ever stopped.

Sami gave a happy sigh then and looked up at EJ who was still standing by the bed. She crooked a finger at him and EJ happily climbed onto the bed, knowing what he wanted to savour first. Sami opened her legs a little wider as EJ knelt down between them. She'd made him wait and now he wanted to return the favour. He could see Sami's sex at the apex of her thighs, pink and plump and begging for EJ's attention and his mouth actually began to water at the thought of how good she was going to taste but he made them both wait. Instead of tasting the nectar of the gods waiting for him between Sami's legs right away EJ started to kiss his way up one bent leg.

He let his hand glide over the soft flesh as his mouth moved ever higher until Sami was also moving restlessly against his touches. The smell of her arousal as he drew closer to her core was intoxicating and EJ's head was beginning to spin from the headiness of it all. He kissed his way up Sami's inner thigh, enjoying the way her breath was roughening in anticipation until finally he was at his prize. EJ's tongue moved between her juicy folds, instantly seeking out her dripping centre.

Sami moaned loudly and arched her back as he began to drink deeply from her, her sweet and spicy juices inflaming EJ's senses and making him ravenous for more. Her body kept pushing more of its sweetness out for him, especially when EJ began to gently massage her now swollen nub with one hand. Little explosive shudders tore through Sami's body at his soft touch and rewarding EJ for his trouble with more of her spicy goodness. Sami was still shaking uncontrollably when EJ reluctantly tore himself from his bounty and moved up her body.

"Have fun?" asked EJ impishly as moved to kiss her, Sami framing his face with her hands.

"Just as much as you did," Sami replied with a grin before he kissed her thoroughly as she was no doubt able to feel his violently hard member pushing against her stomach.

EJ made sure that Sami tasted herself thoroughly before finally breaking the kiss. It excited him endlessly knowing he was feeding the flavour of Sami's own arousal back to her. EJ's body broke the kiss as the screams of his body to mount her and take her roughly were almost deafening him. Sami bit her bottom lip, watching him with intense expectation as EJ knelt back between her legs. He wanted to see his body disappearing into Sami's, needed to see as well as feel her take him. EJ took his now painfully engorged erection in his hand, rubbing the tip over her folds and nub finding Sami was already sopping wet for him again despite his careful attention to her from only a minute or so ago.

The way her body craved his and responded to him was near frenzy inducing. EJ saw Sami's stomach muscles clamp down and he knew she was tensing up to give him more friction when he penetrated her this first time but she was too wet for it to make a real difference. EJ slid into her easily after that initial slight resistance of Sami having to take his giant head. EJ grunted loudly as her wet heat enveloped him, still very tight despite all the lubrication her body was providing.

"Let me," he panted the instruction to her unevenly as Sami continued to tense up, a vixen-esque little smile on her face as she denied him complete penetration into that newly discovered core of herself.

EJ was completely addicted to that place inside of her now, never feeling like he'd really had Sami until he was pounding himself into that secret place of hers. Being denied it was driving him to the brink of madness.

"You have to earn it," Sami purred up at him, oozing teasing seduction.

EJ growled harshly, knowing he was helpless against her wiles. He'd wanted to make love slowly this first time but Sami's games weren't going to let that happen. EJ was desperate to pleasure Sami's body enough so that she had no choice but to give him what he wanted so desperately. Hard strokes began to punish Sami's body as EJ thrust in and out of her forcefully. There were no complaints from Sami though as she gave excited little squeals and grunts every time EJ rammed himself home into her, demanding her to give him what he was craving.

"Oh god," she panted out weakly as he mercilessly drilled her body, "You-you really want it don't you?"

"Always," he grunted from behind clenched teeth, the sweat dripping off his body onto her, "Give it to me Samantha!"

"You mean this?" asked Sami throatily and to EJ's indescribable joy Sami relaxed her body and suddenly he was as deep inside of her as he needed to be.

"YES!" EJ howled deliriously, "OH GOD YESSS!!"

There was no holding back now for either of them as all EJ could think about was climaxing inside of this devil woman and pushing his seed deep into her, marking this new territory as his alone. His pounding into her was so fierce that Sami's backside was actually being lifted up off the bed with each complete penetration but EJ knew she needed it this hard after so many mini-climaxes to find her end yet again. He strained away inside of Sami mercilessly until he knew the very next thrust would have him spewing his maleness into her body.

"DO IT!" Sami begged him, obviously able to feel the way his body was tensing, getting ready to deliver itself into her.

EJ exploded inside of Sami, his hot maleness shooting from him in almost painful goodness even as Sami melted around him in her own climaxes, her body convulsing and eagerly milking EJ dry to both of their delights. Sami had barely finished coming when she was pushing on EJ's shoulder and he gave a complaining groan at the thought of leaving her but she had other ideas. Managing to manoeuvre them so EJ stayed embedded deep inside of her Sami was now on top, sitting astride him. EJ looked up at the wild vision straddling him, her pale skin flushed a glowing pink colour and her body shimmering from a combination of both her own sweat and his. He looked up at her helplessly, watching the way Sami's breasts moved up and down in time with her trying to catch her breath.

The pale orbs with their swollen nipples lurching back and forward with each of Sami's strained breaths and mesmerising him even as his lungs struggled to find the air required to breathe. Sami threw her long blonde hair to one side in an easy head flick and looked down at EJ hungrily. She took his head in her hands and drew him up, directing him to one hardened teat which EJ latched onto eagerly, suckling the nub into his mouth roughly; like he knew she'd like it.

"More," Sami commanded him unevenly, beginning to rock back and forth on his spent member, encouraging it back to life and EJ didn't need to be told twice...

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I was vaguely concerned that people might not know exactly what a shoo-in was because it is a typically British/Australian expression so even though I'm sure you don't care and could glean what EJ was meaning from the context he used it in I thought I'd better explain. It originally came from horse racing and to 'shoo a horse to certain victory'. But it is now commonly used across the board as meaning a dead cert or a very high possibility of winning.

Just in case anyone was curious and hadn't heard the expression before.


	95. Chapter 242

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & FORTY TWO**** – ****Duty Calls**

The family is the country of the heart.

There is an angel in the family who, by the mysterious influence of grace, of sweetness, and of love, renders the fulfilment of duties less wearisome, sorrows less bitter.

The only pure joys unmixed with sadness.

_Giuseppe Mazzini_

_(Italian propagandist and revolutionary, Founder of the secret revolutionary society Young Italy (1832). 1805-1872)_

EJ walked into his apartment the next day and looked around dully. He threw his suitcase down on the floor and walked over to his desk and sat down heavily on the chair. EJ had been putting a brave face on for Sami's benefit ever since finding out that they were coming back to Salem sooner than expected but now that he was alone he could allow his disappointment to really show. He looked dully ahead at nothing in particular, already trying to plan how he could get Sami alone again, thoughtfully resting his fingers against his lips.

His cell phone rang, annoyingly interrupting his thoughts and EJ pulled a face before answering it. He really didn't want to talk to anyone other than Sami right now and the number that flashed up on his screen was not one he recognised. EJ was trying not to think about the reunion going on across the hall and what Sami must be going through with Lucas. Why wouldn't that damn man just die already thought EJ in frustration? He remembered a crack he'd made just after Lucas was hurt in the cabin to Sami that the other man wasn't going anywhere. He'd told her that the boring and uninspired were always the last to leave any party and it seemed his words were coming true, much to EJ's annoyance.

"Hello," he said curtly into the phone, not really in the mood for niceties.

EJ frowned at the formal English voice on the other end of the line.

"Yes this is he," said EJ, a feeling a dread curl his stomach.

EJ listened to the voice on the other end of the phone, the colour draining from his face.

**oooOOOOooo**

"I'm so glad you're home honey," said Lucas for what felt the hundredth time to Sami, "Where you belong."

Home was in EJ's arms, where she belonged was nestled up against his beating heart.

That was what Sami really wanted to say as a wave of depression rolled over her yet again at being back in Salem and without EJ by her side. She didn't of course; instead she put a brave smile on her face and lied through her teeth.

"I'm glad to be home to Lucas," said Sami, hoping her voice didn't sound as strained as it felt to her.

She looked at Lucas and gave a little confused smile.

"You look really good," she told him, a little perplexed by that, "How do you feel?"

"Oh you know," said Lucas with a casual wave of his hand, "I have good days and bad days, you know that and today is definitely a good day because you are back."

"I didn't know I could have such an impact on your health," said Sami with a weak smile, hating the thought of that because it made her feel more trapped than ever.

"Of course you do honey," said Lucas in surprise, walking up to her and putting his arms around her waist, "You're the reason I'm going to beat this thing."

Sami swallowed hard to prevent herself from throwing up at Lucas' light touch. To the very core of her being she knew she was EJ's wife now and not Lucas' and she just hated betraying him by letting Lucas ever touch her, however benignly. Thankfully her phone rang just then and Sami practically tore herself out of Lucas' arms to answer it.

"Leave it," he instructed her in vague annoyance, "You've just gotten back; I want to hear all about your trip to Japan."

"It might be important," said Sami her heart skipping a beat when she saw who it was on caller id.

EJ.

Oh god she'd only been home an hour and it felt like a life time and he must be feeling the same way.

"It's work," she told over her shoulder, answering the phone with shaking hands, "Hello?"

"Can I see you?"

EJ's warm voice enveloped her, making Sami's knees go weak.

"I'm sure that will be alright," said Sami, doing her best to keep her voice steady for Lucas' benefit.

"I'll meet you in the alleyway beside the apartments," said EJ, "Take a coat sweetheart; it's still quite chilly out there."

Sami gave a little frown, not having expected for EJ to suggest such a meeting place. She'd expected him to want to see her in his apartment or something.

"Is everything alright?" she asked in concern.

"Just meet me darling," said EJ, "I'll explain everything then. Can you get away now?"

"Yes of course," said Sami nervously.

She hung up then and made a concerned face before collecting herself and turning around to face a curious Lucas.

"I'm sorry," she said, trying to sound as regretful as she could, "But I've got to go into work Lucas – seems like there might be some kind of problem developing."

"Can't EJ handle it?" asked Lucas in frustration, "You've just gotten home."

"Sorry," said Sami again, already grabbing for her coat, "Can't be helped, I'll be home as soon as I can, promise."

Sami didn't give Lucas a chance to protest anymore as she hurried out of the apartment and didn't bother to wait for the elevator, taking the stairs instead. She practically ran the distance to the alleyway and came to a halt when she saw EJ was already there.

"What's wrong?" she asked him as he turned around and gave her a small smile, "What's going on EJ?"

Sami then caught sight of the suitcase that was beside him.

"Are you going somewhere EJ?" she asked him intently, as EJ looked away unhappily.

"I've received some bad news," said EJ quietly, "I just took a phone call from a hospital in the city near where Mum and Edmund live and they've been involved in a car accident."

"Oh no!" Sami gasped, putting her hand over her mouth in distress, "Are they alright, please EJ, tell me they are alright?!"

"They're alive," said EJ seriously, "But it appears they've managed a fair amount of injuries between the two of them. Mum has broken both legs and if you can believe it Edmund has broken both arms."

"Oh my god," said Sami shakily.

"Fortunately apart from a few cuts and bruises that appears to be the extent of their injuries," said EJ with real relief in his voice.

"Do they know what happened?" asked Sami anxiously.

"My mother hit a cow," said EJ wryly.

"What?" asked Sami in confusion, not sure she'd heard right.

"Apparently they were going for a Sunday drive and a rabbit hopped onto the road and my mother wanted to avoid hitting it so she ran into a cow instead," said EJ with a roll of his eyes.

"Oh my god," said Sami in disbelief, "Did it survive?"

"The rabbit did but the cow not so much," said EJ ruefully, "It had to be put down. Mum seems more upset by that then anything else."

"I'd feel pretty bad if I killed a cow as well," said Sami sympathetically.

"Says the woman standing there in leather shoes and still digesting the steak dinner we had on the plane home," EJ said teasingly.

"I meant personally," said Sami pulling a face, "If I personally killed a cow I'd feel bad, particularly if I used a car to do it."

Sami knew he was only teasing her to lighten the mood but she still had so many questions to ask.

"So does that mean you've spoken to your mom then?" she asked him anxiously, "And Susan is really alright, Edmund too?"

"I've spoken to them both after that initial heart stopping phone call from the hospital," said EJ ruefully, "They're both in good spirits despite the lamenting over old Bessie-"

"They knew the cow?!" asked Sami in horror.

"No it was a random cow-iside," said EJ, smiling properly for the first time since she'd gotten there, "My mother limits her cow killing sprees to ones she doesn't know."

"This isn't funny EJ," said Sami with a pout.

"I know," said EJ with a sigh and tried to hide his smile and look remorseful, "There is nothing funny about a dead cow, not like there is about a dead clown anyway."

"So they're going to be alright then," said Sami, giving him a disapproving look at his attempts at humour, "Really?"

"Yes," said EJ with a nod, growing serious again, "But Samantha I have to go to them."

"Of course you do!" exclaimed Sami without even having to think about it.

Sami put her hands on EJ's chest and looked up at him with great certainty.

"Of course you have to go to them EJ," she said firmly, "They're your parents and they need you. How on earth are they going to manage with those many broken bones between them otherwise?!"

"I'm not sure how long I'll be gone for," said EJ sadly.

"You'll be gone for as long as they need you," said Sami with a brave smile, "They're family EJ, you have to do right by them."

"I know and I want to," said EJ and then grimaced, "But it kills me the thought of leaving you alone Samantha."

"I'm not alone," said Sami calmly.

"Yes well," said EJ flatly, "That kills me even more truth be told."

"I meant I have your love and as long as I have that I'll never feel alone," Sami clarified quickly, not wanting him to think that Lucas was any kind of substitute for him.

"You've taken your rings off," said EJ with great unhappiness as he looked down at her hands on his chest.

Sami had waited until the last possible moment to do that, replacing Lucas' rings with EJ's and had almost burst into tears doing it. She knew EJ wasn't blaming her but it must hurt him like it did her to see that.

"But they're still close to my heart," she promised him and then drew out the long gold chain from around her neck and showed EJ his rings on the end of them.

"What will you tell Lucas if he sees them?" asked EJ huskily, picking them up and running his fingers over the gold bands.

"That they are Colleen's and I feel a special connection to her and want to wear them," said Sami simply, "And it's not even a complete lie either. The rings were meant for Colleen originally."

"I like the thought of being close to your heart," said EJ with a soft smile.

"Always," Sami promised him tremulously.

EJ kissed her then and Sami just gave herself over to his kisses, soaking him into her very being and storing up the feel and touch of him in preparation of their separation.

"I'll drive you to the airport," said Sami unevenly when the kiss finally ended.

"I've called a taxi," said EJ with a sad, lop sided smile.

"Oh," said Sami in disappointment.

"I thought it would be easier," volunteered EJ.

"Yes of course," said Sami stiltedly, suddenly realising that he was really going.

She turned away abruptly, trying to compose herself.

"Give Susan and Edmund my love won't you?" she said shakily, fighting back tears, "Tell them that I'm thinking about them."

"Of course I will sweetheart," said EJ softly, coming up behind her pressing a lingering kiss to the top of her head.

"The important thing is that they are alright," Sami whispered, "And that I'll be here waiting for you EJ."

Before the news about Susan and Edmund Sami had wanted to tell EJ that she couldn't do this, that she couldn't be around Lucas for a minute longer but she didn't want to add to his worries right then. He needed her support and Sami was determined to give it.

"I love you," EJ whispered, his lips resting against her cheek now as he hugged her from behind.

"I love you too," Sami whispered back, closing her eyes and leaning back into his hard, long body and drawing on his strength one last time.

Why did fate keep working to keep them apart and would it always be like this?

The unwelcome thought crept into Sami's brain and she valiantly tried to ignore it. This was only temporary she determinedly told herself.

It had to be.

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ walked down the hospital corridor, seeking out his mother's and Edmund's room number that he'd been given. The flight over had gone in a blur and EJ was too buzzed to feel even tired right then. He was full of emotions – anxiety to see his parents and make sure for himself that they were alright, huge remorse at having left Sami in Salem with Lucas and missing her already more than words could describe. EJ had been so grateful at the way Sami had immediately told him to go and be with his mum and Edmund, without a second thought. It made all of this that little bit easier but EJ had still hated to leave her. He found the room he was looking for and gave a brief knock on the door before entering.

"Elvis!" exclaimed his delighted mother, "You're here darlin'!"

"Of course I'm here Mum," said EJ affectionately as he walked over to his mother who had stretched out her arms to him and embraced her in a gentle hug, mindful of her injuries.

"Now you didn't have to come you know," said Susan easily as EJ kissed her cheek and breathed in the familiar mother smell of her, "Eddie Bear and I would have been just fine on our own."

EJ straightened up and looked over at Edmund, taking in the way both of his arms were in casts and sticking out in front of him and his mother's legs were in a similar state.

"Yes," said EJ dryly as he walked over to Edmund to give him a relieved hug as well, "Between the two of you there is almost a complete functioning human being."

"It's not as bad as it seems son," said Edmund cheerfully, "I can walk quite easily, it's your mother that is in a bit of a state."

"Oh don't be so dramatic Edmund," said Susan dismissively, sitting up in bed and obviously eager for some conversation, "I'm just as fine as fine can be."

"Well at least I can get to the bathroom under my own steam my love," Edmund tutted.

"And when you've gotten to the bathroom under that own steam what do you do exactly?" asked EJ a little tentatively as he eyed Edmund's arm cast and pretty sure he didn't want to know the answer to that.

Edmund pursed his lips and gave a little frown as he realised that actually being able to relieve himself was going to present a bit of a problem when it came to being able to get a grip on certain important bits. Susan weighed in, obviously seeing the issue as well.

"You can just sit down darlin' and do what you have to do," said Susan easily.

"But how will I pull my pants down?" Edmund fretted.

"Don't wear any," said Susan blithely, "I won't mind."

"Yes well seeing as I'm going to be staying with you I do mind," said EJ wryly.

"Oh honey beetle you don't have to stay with us," Susan protested, "I mean I love that you came and all but you've got a new wife that needs you. You should be with Sami."

"Sami wanted me to come," said EJ, still so proud of her for that, "She was devastated to hear that you've both been hurt and wouldn't hear of me not going to be with you."

"Oh that little girl of yours is just a pearl beyond description," said Susan in awe, "She is so the daughter of Dr Marlena Evans with that big old heart of hers, oh yes she is."

"Mm," said EJ without making further comment.

Clearly his mother's encounters with Sami's mother had been different to his own.

"It's very kind of you to do this for us old boy," said Edmund gratefully, "I guess your mum and I would have been in a bit of a pickle when it came to some things."

"We'll get a nurse," said EJ with a pained expression, "I love you Edmund but I fear there are limits."

"Now then Elvis Edmund used to change your stinky diapers when you were a little 'un," Susan reminded him.

"That was a long time ago and I thankfully have no recollection of that," said EJ dryly.

"Well I'm not having some hussy woman around my Eddie Bear," Susan huffed, "My husband is a whole hunk of burn' love and I'm not having some woman get all fixated on him."

EJ looked over at the bespectacled Edmund with the pleasant and non threatening expression on his face and had difficulty picturing him as that burning hunk of love but didn't say so. Possibly the fact that all of EJ's life he'd only known his step father to have eyes for his mother made the suggestion of him being involved with another woman to be quite amusing.

"Alright," said EJ patiently, "We'll get a male nurse."

"Nope," said Susan stubbornly, "Edmund will turn him for sure."

"I think this warrants further discussion," said EJ, exchanging a resigned look with Edmund, "But I'm sure we'll be able to come up with a compromise."

EJ pulled up a chair and took a seat between them and smiled at them both lovingly.

"I'm just very happy to see that you are both going to be alright," he told them huskily, "You two scared the hell out of me – next time just hit the damn bunny alright?"

"I feel real bad about that cow still," said Susan unhappily.

"Well don't child," said a strident voice behind EJ, "She's gone to a better place."

EJ turned around and his face lit up at seeing his grandmother standing in the doorway.

"Granny Violet," he said happily, immediately standing up and going over to give the tiny woman with the giant personality a hug.

"Oh hello Ducky!" exclaimed his grandmother, returning his hug tightly, "Look at you, I swear you're still growing – we need to put a brick on your head we do."

EJ smiled affectionately down at her, Violet Crumb always saying the same thing to him when she'd first see him from the time he was about ten.

"I fear you might be a little late Granny," EJ chuckled.

She put her arm around his waist as EJ walked them back to between the beds and gave the older woman his chair before fetching another one for himself. His grandmother had been with his parents almost immediately after it had happened and EJ had noticed over the years there was nothing his grandmother loved more than a good crisis.

"When you say a better place," said Susan, still obviously worried about the fate of the cow, "Do y'all think that she's gone to cow heaven Mum?"

"I was actually meaning my freezer," said Violet in that straightforward way of hers, "I've got meat enough to see me and the pub through to next winter I reckon."

"You're going to eat the cow?!" asked Susan in distress, "Mum how could you?!"

"Well I wasn't going to let it go to waste," said Violet, a practical country girl through to the bone, "If the good Lord saw fit to have you hit it with your car then I'm thinking he'd want us to not be wasteful. That farmer didn't even want any money for it, can you imagine?!"

"You can't eat something just because I hit it with my car!" Susan argued, "It ain't right."

"Of course it is," said Violet easily, "It's the circle of life and if you could see fit to drive over a few turkey's come Christmas this year I'd be okay with that too."

EJ put his hand up to hide his smile from his mother at his grandmother's pragmatic view on livestock. Edmund was being dragged into the debate and EJ was suddenly drawn back into his childhood where Sunday dinner often ended up being a raucous affair when his mother and grandmother got together with Edmund in the middle. The two women adored each other but were very different people and made for quite an amusing show at times, particularly when they'd gang up on the unsuspecting Edmund.

EJ loved those memories from his childhood and felt a warm glow at being surrounded by his family again, as odd as they were at times. The only thing that would have made this absolutely perfect was Sami being by his side and giggling along at the women who had now moved on to debating what was and wasn't acceptable to hit with your car and eat. EJ's thumb went to the wedding ring he was still wearing and began to rub against it, smiling at his family's carry on and missing Sami like hell.


	96. Chapter 243

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & FORTY THREE****– ****No Means No Negotiation**

In true love the smallest distance is too great, and the greatest distance can be bridged.

_~Hans Nouwens~_

**A month later:**

"Mum just leave it and I'll get it as soon as I get off the phone from Samantha alright?" EJ called up to his mother from the bottom of the stairs.

"Ohh you tell that little pumpkin I'm thinkin' about her!" called back Susan, "And tell her that there is goin' ta be be another weddin'! A beach weddin' is all well and good but it ain't legal unless it is in a church!"

EJ rolled his eyes, having had this discussion with her on more than one occasion already. There were a lot of reasons that his and Sami's beach wedding wasn't legal but the location wasn't one of them. He'd been taking care of his mother and Edmund for a month now and had been at their beck and call the whole time. It was made a bit more difficult again because they kept trying not to bother him and do things themselves which rather defeated the purpose of him being there in the first place. So there had been a bit of tussling in the help department but seeing as EJ was the only able body person he usually won the skirmishes.

"Tell that sweet little darlin' that I've kept my weddin' dress to John Black and she would just look as cute as a button in it!" called back Susan.

"Run," advised EJ to Sami in all seriousness, "Run now and don't look back."

"Oh come on EJ," said Sami with a laugh, "That is sweet of her to offer and how bad could the dress be really?"

"It was the eighties," said EJ wryly, "Do the words exploding taffeta mean anything to you?"

EJ delighted in the sound of Sami's laughter and felt the familiar clawing need to kiss those smiling lips. This separation, whilst he didn't begrudge his mother or Edmund his time or help, had been absolute hell. EJ had thought it was hard to be separated from Sami by a hallway but it turned out that an ocean was an exercise in unrelenting agony.

"Do you miss me?" asked EJ huskily, a little smile playing on his lips.

"You ask me that every time EJ," said Sami indulgently, "I miss you so much I can't stand it."

"Do you love me?" asked EJ, closing his eyes and just loving to hear the words on her lips.

"More than any pastry I've ever eaten," said Sami impishly.

"Wow," said EJ with a chuckle, "That much eh?"

"This is the real thing for sure," Sami giggled, "I'd rather be biting into you than a Danish right now."

"Well maybe you'll get your wish," said EJ throatily.

"What do you mean?" asked Sami unsteadily, "Don't tease me EJ; I couldn't handle it right now."

"I'm coming home Samantha," said EJ warmly, so happy to be able to say those words to her.

"You are?!" she squealed in excitement, "Oh EJ, really?!"

"Absolutely," said EJ happily.

"But how?" asked Sami in confusion, "Your mom and Edmund are still in casts aren't they?"

"Well we are off to the doctor's tomorrow and from the x-rays we had done yesterday everything is going very well with the knitting of broken bones," said EJ in relief, "Mum will have both her leg casts off and Edmund will have one of his arm casts removed, the other one will need another week or two. I've hired a nurse to take care of them until they are at full strength again but all things being equal I should be home in a couple of days, end of the week at the latest."

"You're coming home!" said Sami with complete and utter joy in her voice, "Oh EJ I'm so happy!"

EJ knew how Sami felt. It had aged him ten years being away from her for this last month and he was so looking forward to going home and putting his arms around her and kissing that sweet mouth of hers.

"We need to plan some extended time alone," said EJ throatily, "A simple hello isn't going to work for me right now."

"Or me," Sami giggled excitedly, "Leave it to me, I'll work something out so that we have the whole day together as soon as you get back."

"Mm," said EJ throatily, "The whole day you say?"

Violet walked in the door just then and put down her bag of groceries. She glanced at her watch and grinned up at EJ.

"Talking to your girl eh Ducky?" she teased him, "I could set my clock by you two."

"Is that Granny?" asked Sami, hearing the other woman's strident voice.

"Yes she's cooking dinner tonight," said EJ with a quirk of his lips.

"My Edmund's favourite," said Violet happily, "Spotted dick."

"Did she just say what I think she said?" asked Sami uncertainly.

"It's not as bad as it sounds," EJ assured her, "It's a steamed suet pudding with currents in it."

"Why on earth did they call it something that sounds like a sexually transmitted disease?" asked Sami in consternation.

"I'm not entirely sure," admitted EJ with a chuckle, "It's just a very English dessert, I'm not sure why."

"Because it's blooming lovely all covered in custard all steaming and the like from the pot," announced Violet with a grin.

"I think I'll take her word on that," said Sami, wrinkling her nose.

EJ looked over at his grandmother who was looking at up at him expectantly.

"Can I help you Granny?" he asked her with a polite smile, "I'm on the phone."

"I know," said Violet easily, "I want to talk to my new granddaughter."

"ME TOO!" Susan's voice yelled down to them.

"What are these walls made of paper?" asked EJ in exasperation, "I'm speaking to Samantha now and I'd like a little privacy."

"For sex talk eh?" asked Violet with a knowing nod.

EJ could hear Sami laughing on the other end of the line as he pulled a face.

"No not for sex talk," he said with a roll of his eyes, "I'd just like to be able to talk to my new wife in peace."

"See now Ducky it's always been the same," Violet tutted, "You never were good at sharing."

"Why does she call you Ducky?" asked Sami curiously.

"Because she's a senile old woman," said EJ, giving her a mock glare as Violet still refused to leave them be.

"Hand it over Ducky or I'm putting you over my knee," ordered Violet, holding out an imperious hand.

"You only come to my knees," EJ grumbled but thought the best way to get rid of her so he and Sami could be alone was to let her have a quick chat.

When Violet Crumb wanted something she was relentless.

"Hello dear," said Violet happily to Sami.

"Hi Granny," said Sami with a laugh, "How are you?"

"Right as rain my dear," said Violet as she looked up at EJ's impatient expression, "Although someone has storm clouds gathering on that handsome face of his that promises bad weather. Ducky is a terror when he can't get his own way."

"Hark who talks," said EJ with a shake of his head as he tapped his watch.

"Why do you call EJ Ducky?" asked Sami, not letting it drop.

"Ah," said Violet with a big smile, "Good question, even better story."

"Did Samantha just ask you how you got that nickname?" asked EJ in concern, "She doesn't want to hear that story Granny."

"Oh yes Samantha does," said Sami cheekily, "Do go on Granny."

Violet wasn't to be stopped now despite EJ's best attempts as she gleefully told Sami about the duck pond that was at the bottom of her garden. One day when EJ was about five or so he'd gone down to the pond but disturbed some ducks that were sitting on a nest of eggs. Being very territorial when they were hatching their young the mother duck flew at the young EJ and as he tried to turn and run the duck latched onto his vulnerable bottom... and didn't let go. EJ had run screaming back to the house with the duck still attached to his derrière and Violet had to hit it over the head with a wooden spoon to get it to let go. The name after that had rather stuck. EJ could hear Sami's riotous laughter on the other end of the phone from where he was standing and decided enough was enough.

"Alright thank you, you little menace," said EJ, wrestling the phone off his grandmother, "You've embarrassed me enough for one day, off to the kitchen with you before I have you put into a retirement home and you can be a terrible burden to them instead."

"You and what army Ducky?" asked Violet unconcerned by his threats as she gave him a mischievous look and then went and collected her groceries.

"Leave anymore you might have," EJ called after her, "I'll bring them in for you in a minute alright?"

"I'm not an invalid yet boyo!" she called back defiantly, "I'll bring my own groceries in!"

EJ sighed heavily and decided he needed some sympathy.

"My family is driving me crazy," he said with a groan to Sami.

"Of course they are," said Sami with a laugh, "That is what a family does. But on the upside I'm getting a lot of entertainment out of it."

"I think I'm going to have to make you pay for that comment when I have you naked in my arms again," said EJ throatily.

"Oh?" asked Sami, dripping innocence, "And how would you do that exactly EJ?"

"I'd start by kissing along your-"

"ELVIS, CAN I TALK TO SAMI YET?!" Susan's booming voice rolled down to them.

"YOU CAN'T!" yelled back Violet, "THEY'RE SEXING EACH OTHER UP OVER THE TELEPHONE!"

"Oh god," EJ groaned, leaning against the wall in defeat, "I can't do this with an audience."

"That hasn't been my past experience," Sami teased him huskily.

"Alright I can't do it when my audience consists of my mother and grandmother," said EJ with another groan.

"I can see how that might be a problem," Sami agreed with a chuckle, "Oh EJ I just miss you so much and I can't wait until you're back home with me and I can put my arms around you and hold you tight."

"You have no idea how badly I want that as well," said EJ softly, "I've just hated not being able to see you every day, know that you are alright."

"I'm alright," Sami reassured him.

"And Lucas?" asked EJ with a twist of his lips, "Is he still alright?"

"Yes," said Sami and EJ thought he heard something in her voice.

"What?" he asked a little sharply, "What's wrong Samantha?"

"Nothing I guess," she said hesitantly, "It just that Lucas seems really well of late – which is a good thing of course."

"Really?" asked EJ suspiciously.

"I mean he still has his bad days but they don't seem to be as often," said Sami, sounding perplexed.

"What do the doctors say?" asked EJ intently.

"That he's still dying of leukaemia," said Sami with a little shrug, "I guess he's just one of the lucky ones that the symptoms aren't as severe as other people's."

EJ pressed his lips together and thought about the likelihood of 'luck' and 'Lucas' being in the same sentence with the word 'bad' preceding it. He was very glad to be going home in the next couple of days because this definitely warranted further investigation on his part.

"So when will you know when you'll be back?" asked Sami hopefully, "I mean the actual date."

"I'll ring you tomorrow darling," EJ promised her, "I should have finalised details by then."

"I can't wait," Sami sighed happily.

"You and me both sweetheart," said EJ with a sigh of his own.

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami sat on the sofa the next day, with the smile she'd been unable to get off her face since her phone call with EJ yesterday. He was coming home at last and Sami could barely contain her joy. Their separation had seemed interminable and all she could think about was that very soon she'd be in EJ's arms again, savouring his kisses.

"You look happy."

Sami gave a little start and looked up at Lucas as he came to sit on the sofa with her.

"Some work stuff is going well," she lied vaguely to him.

"Movement on the Chiba deal?" asked Lucas conversationally.

"It's getting there," Sami nodded, thinking of her last conversation with Shiro-san.

"You know I was thinking that maybe the next trip to Japan I'd come with you," offered up Lucas.

"No!" Sami exclaimed in horror and then had to quickly back track when she saw Lucas' surprised expression, "I mean you're not well enough to travel that kind of distance Lucas."

"I'm feeling not too bad these days," said Lucas with a little shrug, "I think I could manage it."

Sami's heart dropped at the thought of Lucas tagging along on the Japan trip when it did finally happen.

"But I wouldn't have any time for you Lucas," she tried to talk him out of it, "I'll be so busy with the launch that I'll just be coming back to the hotel room to sleep and that is it. You'll be alone nearly the whole time."

"It almost sounds like you don't want me there Sami," said Lucas, looking a bit hurt.

"Of course it isn't that," said Sami quickly and putting a reassuring hand on his knee, "I just think we have to be careful when it comes to your health Lucas."

Lucas put his hand over Sami's that was on his knee and gave her a warm look.

"You know," he said huskily, "I'm feeling pretty good today. I was thinking that maybe you and I could have a little quality time together right about now. It's been a long time since our wedding night."

Sami resisted the urge to tear her hand out from under his but barely. His mentioning their wedding night was like a knife in Sami's heart and it was all she could do not to burst into tears at the thought of it. As awful as it sounded she'd hoped Lucas would be getting sicker all the time and these conversations weren't going to be an issue anymore.

"I don't think that is a very good idea," said Sami, thinking quickly, "I've got my periods."

"Oh," said Lucas, looking disappointed.

He pulled a face then.

"There always seems to be something doesn't there Sami?" he asked her darkly, "You're too tired, got a headache, have to get up early in the morning."

"What are you saying Lucas?" asked Sami managing to look hurt, learning long ago that a good defence was often a good offence – it worked both ways.

"I mean I disgust you now don't I?" asked Lucas tightly, "You don't want to touch me because I've got this disease."

"Lucas," said Sami, giving him a look of censure, "How can you say something like that to me?"

There were a lot of reasons that Sami couldn't bare his touch but his illness was not one of them.

"Just admit it," said Lucas unhappily, "You're revolted by me."

"Now you're just being silly," she told him, "You know that isn't true."

"It's just that I love you so much Sami," said Lucas painfully, "And I want to be with you for the rest of my life, for us to be husband and wife."

"We are husband and wife," said Sami, swallowing a painful lump as she showed him her wedding rings as a reminder, "Lucas you're letting your imagination run away with you. Of course I love you and want to be with you but I really think you should be conserving all of your energy for fighting this disease."

"So you want me to live then?" he asked her, looking strangely intent then.

"Lucas," said Sami painfully, "How can you ask me these horrible questions? Of course I want you to live, you're Wills father and I love you."

"I'm sorry honey," said Lucas regretfully as he saw how upset he'd just made her.

Lucas pulled her into a hug so that Sami's head was resting on his chest.

"I didn't mean to upset you," he told her regretfully, "Forget I said anything."

Sami didn't answer him, an upset expression still on her face. Whilst she didn't want Lucas to die and she did love him in a way a sister loves a brother she just didn't know how much more of this she could take. She felt so hopelessly trapped by what she'd set in motion here and she wondered if there would ever be an end to this torture. Fortunately for Sami she had the excuse of work to go to that day so she was able to escape Lucas' presence for awhile. She was sitting at her desk and wondering how many more excuses she could come up with to avoid sleeping with Lucas before he got really suspicious. It was a shame the period excuse could only be used once a month really.

Sami frowned then as she tried to remember when her last period actually was. Thanks to EJ and his pill tampering her periods had been all over the place and now that she was thinking about it Sami couldn't actually remember when her last period was. Her nerves tightened at that thought as she tried to dismiss the fact that there could be another reason for her lack of periods of late. In the end though Sami couldn't stop worrying about it so on the way home she bought a pregnancy kit, determined to put her mind at rest on the matter. Fortunately Lucas was out visiting his mother so Sami had the apartment to herself. She followed the instructions on the kit and then had an agonising three minute wait. Sami sat in the bathroom praying that no blue bar would appear on the white stick that was sitting on the bathroom counter.

She checked her watch and swallowed hard, seeing that the time was up. This reminded her of the first time she'd feared she was pregnant, sitting on the toilet at her mother's house and wondering what was to become of her. It was a horrible sense of déjà vufor Sami and she could only hope against hope that she was worrying for nothing. She didn't want to bring a baby into this mess and particularly one that she couldn't be sure of the paternity of yet thanks to Kate and her loathsome meddling. Sami picked up the stick and looked at it, her heart dropping.

"Oh no," she whispered, "Oh no."


	97. Chapter 244

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & FORTY FOUR**** – ****Snake in the Grass**

He who has a mind to do mischief will always find a pretence.

_Publilius Syrus_

_(Roman author, 1st century B.C.)_

Lucas sat up in bed and looked around, seeing that he was alone. He frowned and got up, quickly getting dressed. When he walked out of the bedroom into the living room he saw Sami stretched out on the sofa with a blanket over her, fast asleep. She was still in the same clothes from the night before.

Lucas looked down at her and thought how angelic Sami always looked when she was sleeping. It reminded him of when Will was a baby. He'd always had that same look of utter contentment on his face when he slept as well. Lucas hadn't been enjoying the sleep of a clean conscious for awhile now but he had no one else to blame except for himself. There were days he had to ask himself why he was doing this but then sometimes he'd look at Sami and think of the future that lay ahead of them, sans any DiMera's and he knew it was worth it. Lucas knew that he hadn't always been there for Sami when she needed it – far from it in fact. However he was determined to prove to her that all the lies were behind them now.

He pulled a face at the irony of that thought considering the circumstances. He'd always gotten so frustrated with his mother and Sami over their 'the ends justifies the means' stance they had on so many things. Lucas had never really been comfortable with that outlook on life but circumstances had forced him to go along with it at times. That was how he felt now, like fate had ganged up on him and forced him into lying to Sami for her own good. Sometimes Lucas considered telling Sami the truth about his illness but every day that passed he felt like he was deeper into the lie and it was going to be harder to explain. He sighed and knew that this was a bed he'd made himself and now he just had to lie in it. Speaking of which, Lucas put a hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle shake.

"Hey," he said softly.

Sami stirred and came awake, blinking blearily up at him.

"Why did you sleep on the couch?" he asked her with a bit of a frown.

"I didn't mean to," said Sami as she sat up and covered a yawn with her hand, "I was doing some work and I guess I just fell asleep."

"Why is there so much work to do with Mythic all of a sudden?" asked Lucas as he watched Sami stand up and begin to fold up the blanket.

"Because with your mother gone and EJ away everything is falling to me," said Sami with a little shrug, "EJ's doing what he can but I think looking after his parents is a full time job."

Lucas made a bit of a face.

"What?" asked Sami in confusion.

"Just you saying 'EJ's parents' like that," Lucas said flatly, "It almost makes him sound normal."

"EJ was raised just as much by Susan and Edmund as he was by Stefano," said Sami, not meeting his eye as she bent down to stow the blanket in the chest of drawers by the door.

"You sound like you're defending him," said Lucas unhappily.

"I'm just stating fact," said Sami simply, "Things are rarely black and white when it comes to people."

Lucas looked at Sami intently then, wondering if she knew how close to the mark her words were when it came to him. She just smiled back pleasantly at him and Lucas relaxed. It was clear Sami wasn't suspicious of him although he had seen her give him some confused looks when his appetite seemed too good or he forgot to move slowly. He'd still been taking the pills his mother had given him but not every day and he was slowly but surely regaining his health which was becoming a bit problematic. His mother was always nagging him that he looked too well.

"Yeah well at least he's out of our hair for awhile," said Lucas coolly, "That cow did us a real service."

"That's an awful thing to say Lucas," said Sami in horror, "Susan and Edmund could have been killed! I wouldn't have thought you'd be taking life so lightly nowadays."

Lucas wanted to say that they were talking about EJ's family so that didn't make them real people but he didn't want to upset her further.

"You look tired," he told her instead, "Why don't you go to bed and get some more rest?"

"I can't," said Sami, "I've got a lot to do before EJ gets back."

"Who knows when that will be?" said Lucas with a shrug, "You don't have to kill yourself for that guy."

"First of all it is just as much my company as EJ's," said Sami firmly, "And we have employees depending on us to build a strong and thriving company and I plan to do just that. Second of all EJ's going to be home in the next couple of days."

"He is?" asked Lucas in distress, "Are you sure?"

"He rang me to let me know," said Sami calmly, "Barring anything further happening with his folks he should be back in a day or two."

"And you're alright with that?" asked Lucas moodily.

"Why wouldn't I be Lucas?" asked Sami in exasperation, "You said yourself that it will lighten my workload."

"It doesn't bother you being around that guy?" Lucas growled unhappily.

"I don't think about it," said Sami, holding his gaze steadily, "I have a job to do and I'm going to do it – end of story. EJ is my business partner, simple as that and I just have to deal with it."

"But you fight all the time," Lucas protested, "Don't you get sick of that?"

"I don't know if you've been paying attention Lucas," said Sami wryly, "But I fight all the time with most people in my life – it's kind of my gift."

"We're getting along fine though aren't we?" asked Lucas huskily, coming to stand beside her and pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"Of course we are," said Sami with a half smile as she put her hand over his, "We've already argued about every possible thing we can by this stage in our relationship."

Lucas smiled at that.

"I guess we have," he said ruefully.

"I'm going for a shower," Sami informed him, "Try and make myself feel more human."

"Okay," said Lucas, "I'll make us some breakfast."

"Just toast for me thanks," said Sami as she headed towards the bedroom.

Lucas watched her go and waited to hear the shower running before picking up the phone and dialling quickly.

"He's coming home," Lucas announced in annoyance when the phone was answered.

"Well we knew that was going to happen at some point," said Kate calmly, "Do you know when exactly?"

"A day or two according to Sami," said Lucas curtly, "We need to start our plan to get rid of this guy once and for all Mom. I don't want him anywhere around Sami anymore."

"Patience honey," said Kate firmly, "I'm almost ready to get my plan underway. You just be ready when I call."

"Could you be anymore vague Mom?" asked Lucas in frustration, "You were almost in danger of giving me some real information then."

"Just be ready when I call," said Kate, not budging.

Lucas made an annoyed sound but didn't have any option right then other than following his mother's lead.

**oooOOOOooo**

The next morning Kate lay in bed, feigning sleep. She felt the bed rise up as Stefano quietly got up but her eyes remained resolutely closed. It was so early that it was still dark outside but Kate had been planning this for awhile, biding her time and working out her husband's routines. It was Thursday and Thursday mornings Stefano always rose exceptionally early. Kate had asked him about it once, knowing he'd be suspicious if she wasn't curious and Stefano had told her he liked to make international calls to his various business interests then. Kate hadn't commented further but she certainly hadn't taken her husband at his word either. As soon as Stefano was gone Kate sat bolt upright in bed.

Once day she'd followed him at a discrete distance and whilst he did stop briefly in his study Stefano had continued on to meet Rolf in the corridor before both of them operated the hidden door and disappeared behind it. They'd done the exact same thing the last three Thursday's in a row so Kate was pretty confident that today would end the same way it had the previous three times. Rolf and Stefano would reappear in about twenty minutes and then they'd go into Stefano's study again for about ten minutes and then Rolf would leave the mansion on whatever mysterious mission Stefano had for him.

Kate had been biding her time, making sure of the other men's routines and choosing her moment carefully. Like clockwork Stefano and Rolf appeared through the hidden doorway that Kate had quickly worked out required a key and started to walk off down the corridor together. Kate held her breath, waiting for the two men to be far enough away before making her move as she watched the door slowly begin to swing shut.

Stefano and Rolf turned into his study and Kate leapt out of her hiding place and made a mad dash for the almost closed door. She rested a small piece of paper up against the latch so that when the door actually closed the paper stayed in place and prevented the door from locking again. Kate blew out a relieved breath as her little trick worked. Checking that the corridor was still clear she hurried back upstairs and made an important phone call.

"Lucas," she said urgently in the phone, "I need you to come to the mansion now."

"Who is this?" asked Lucas groggily, "What mansion?"

"Lucas it's your mother," said Kate impatiently, not having time for Lucas dragging his feet - time was of the essence.

"It can't be," said Lucas hoarsely, "Because my mom wouldn't ring me at – oh god – at four thirty in the morning!"

"I told you to be ready," said Kate in frustration, "So get your butt over here."

"Why?" asked Lucas as he got up and looked down at the still fast asleep Sami in the bed.

He walked out of the bedroom so their conversation wouldn't disturb her at such an early hour.

"I'll explain when you get here," said Kate sharply, "Now stop wasting time; I need you over here right away!"

Before Lucas could ask any more questions Kate hung up, impatiently tapping her foot.

"This is going to work," she reassured herself, a determined look on her face, "This is going to work."

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ settled into his rental car's bucket seats and couldn't help but smile. Despite the annoyance at getting into Salem to discover the car he'd booked with his usual rental firm had no record of him and thus forcing him to find another car rental company he still couldn't be happier. It didn't even bother EJ that he'd dropped his cell phone in a puddle at Heathrow and now the thing was completely dead. He was back in Salem and in a couple of hours or so he was going to have his arms around his gorgeous wife once again and that was all he was thinking about. EJ had missed Sami so much that he could hardly bear to think about it but his excitement at seeing her again after a whole month apart was almost worth it.

He hadn't told Sami that he was going to be back today, telling her that he'd be back on Saturday instead because he wanted to surprise her. EJ had it all planned. He'd booked himself into an out of the way hotel, one he and Sami hadn't used already and was going to pose as a possible investor wanting to meet with one of the CEO's of Mythic which of course there was only Sami at the moment. EJ's grin widened as he imagined her surprise when Sami turned up at his suite for their meeting the potential new client and he was standing there. Then they'd have some extended time alone, just the two of them, in that suite before the rest of the world intruded.

EJ could hardly contain himself, his whole body was buzzing with excitement at seeing Sami again. He glanced up to the rear vision mirror and saw the ridiculous smile he was wearing and didn't care. No one had ever made him as happy as Sami did and the thought of being with her again just overwhelmed him. It was still very early, barely past five in the morning and the road was dark so EJ was forced to squint when a car came up behind him with their headlights on high beam.

"Bad form," he muttered to himself as he glanced up quickly to the rear vision mirror.

The car was right on his tail so EJ maintained his speed, expecting the person to overtake him but it didn't happen. Instead the car remained annoyingly right on his bumper.

"Right," said EJ in annoyance and sped up, intending to put some distance between himself and the other vehicle.

It was now though that the car decided it was time to pass. EJ rolled his eyes as he eased off the gas to let them go by. If he wasn't in such a good mood he'd have a few choice words for the idiot driver as the car zoomed by him. EJ had a flash of the driver, taking in no more than a white cowboy hat before he was past him.

"Idiot," EJ growled and then was forced to slam on the brakes hard as the other driver cut in too close in front of him and skidded on the still icy roads.

Fortunately thanks to his previous career as a racing car driver EJ had very quick reflexes and the skills to know what to do. He skilfully got the car back under control after some fish tailing just in time to see the car up ahead of him put on the brakes again. The only way EJ had to avoid a collision this time was to drive off the road. He skidded out on the gravel beside the road, the car doing one full rotation before crashing into a fence. They were still on the outskirts of Salem so this was a relatively rural area and a brief thought flashed through EJ's head before impact that at least it wasn't a cow. The stop was sudden but EJ had already braced himself for it and was unhurt when the car at last came to a stop. His head had just stopped spinning when the air bags went off.

"Bloody things!" EJ snapped as he fought his way out of the car.

He climbed out of the car and looked up the road to see the car was long gone now.

"A DiMera can't go five steps in this town without a cop falling from the sky and accusing them of something and yet when we need them you're suddenly on your Pat Malone," EJ muttered to himself in annoyance.

He walked around to the front of the car and pulled an unhappy face.

"And that's why you always get the insurance," he said wryly, taking in the state of his hood and fender.

EJ reached for his phone to ring for help and then remembered that his phone wasn't working.

"This is my happy day," he reminded himself grimly, "Just remember – Samantha, you're going to see Samantha very, very soon so none of this matters."

EJ looked down the road as a car's head lights appeared on the deserted road from where the menace car, probably driven by a drunk trying to get home before his wife discovers he's missing, had disappeared down. EJ lifted his hand to signal that he needed some help and then moved further off the road when the car didn't appear to be slowing down. In fact if anything the car appeared to be speeding up from what EJ could make out and with its headlights on full beam all he could see was this bright light making a bee line for him.

"Or maybe it wasn't a drunk," said EJ to himself, his concern growing as the car began to barrel down on him.

The roar of the car motor filled EJ's ears as he turned around and began to run out of its path, his heart beginning to pound in time with the way his legs were pumping. There was no way he could out run the speeding car and all EJ could think as he ran for his life was that surely he was due a change of luck soon today...


	98. Chapter 245

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & FORTY SIX**** – ****A Miss is as Good as a Mile**

If you define cowardice as running away at the first sign of danger, screaming and tripping and begging for mercy, then yes, Mr. Brave man, I guess I'm a coward.

_Jack Handy_

_(American Writer and cast member of Saturday Night Live from 1991-2003)_

The car was almost on EJ now and he could see the fence he'd been running for almost within reach. The question was whether or not the car was going to get to him before he could make it. EJ made a last push, throwing himself over the fence and hitting the ground on the other side and rolling to his feet. The car didn't stop though, barrelling into the fence at top speed and forcing EJ to jump again, this time on to the hood of the car. Fortunately the fence had absorbed a significant amount of the car's force but it was still a very jarring experience when EJ hit the hood and then bounced off the windscreen.

He hit the dirt once more about fifteen feet away, the adrenalin coursing through his body making it hard to work out if he'd been really hurt or not. EJ leapt to his feet, knowing that lying on the ground was a very bad idea under the circumstance. The car's engine was roaring as the driver attempted to reverse out of the fence, its wheels slipping on the wet and muddy ground. EJ blinked rapidly a couple of times, trying to get his bearings.

He was off to one side of the car now, away from the glare of the head lights and his eyes were adjusting from being away from them and the fact that being near blinded by them all this time made his surrounds seem even darker. EJ tried to focus on the driver who was struggling to get the car to reverse and again all he could make out was a large white cowboy hat again that was obscuring the man's features through the heavily tinted windows. EJ began to stalk towards him, determined to find out how a fair fight between would turn out, one where the other man didn't have a car around him. He was closing in on him just when the other man managed to find some traction and the car began to reverse.

Mud and dirt was splattered everywhere and EJ had to wonder if he'd made a mistake going on the offensive when he should have just been running. The only good thing was that as long as EJ avoided going under those wheels the car was too close to pick up any real speed to hurt him with. It was a small mercy but one EJ was willing to take. His would be assassin though seemed to have had enough fun and games for the moment though because he just kept on reversing, heading back onto the road and speeding off. EJ tried to look at the number plate now that he wasn't being blinded by lights or running for his life but the mud had almost completely obstructed it and all he could make out was a 3 and a J. He watched the car disappear down the road as the sun finally began to make an appearance, his mind going almost as fast as the speeding car.

This was no random road rage incident EJ was sure of it and it sure as hell wasn't an accident. Someone was trying to kill him and his first thoughts went to Sami and if she was alright. They'd kept their relationship very quiet but that didn't mean that someone didn't know about it and there would be no better way to strike at EJ then through Sami. His hand went to his coat pocket and then he cursed, remembering his phone was still dead. He needed to get out of there and check on Sami; right now it was all he could think about. EJ's head began to throb and he put an unsteady hand to it only to draw back his fingers and see them covered in blood. He couldn't turn up at Sami's in this state; he'd frighten the life out of her. EJ needed time to think and to get cleaned up and then he was going to take care of business.

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami rolled over in bed and yawned tiredly, making the welcome discovery that she was alone in the bed. Every day she woke up without EJ beside her was a like a knife in her heart. In those few moments between sleeping and waking Sami was still with EJ on the island but then every time she'd wake up properly and die a new death to see Lucas there beside her. It was why she was continuing to find reasons not to go to bed and sleeping on the sofa. Even when she and Lucas would go to bed together Sami would often wake during the night and get up and lie down on the sofa, making sure she was back with Lucas by morning so as not to arouse suspicions.

All the broken night sleeps were really starting to take their toll on Sami plus the fact about her newly discovered pregnancy wasn't exactly conducive to a good night's sleep. She was so conflicted about this new baby. On one hand she was overjoyed to have a new life growing inside of her. Despite the less than auspicious circumstances she'd found herself in whilst pregnant with Will Sami had loved being pregnant. She'd adored having this little child so close, her body giving it life and she'd never felt alone when she'd been carrying Will which was a rare experience for Sami back then. But finding out that she was pregnant complicated an already torturously complicated situation.

Sami's biggest fear was that this child wasn't EJ's.

It would break her heart into a million pieces if the baby was Lucas' and couldn't bear to think about what it would do to EJ. An old insecurity raised its ugly head and wondered if EJ would stick around to raise Lucas' baby, given his feelings about his former rival. Sami knew EJ would say the right things in the beginning but how long could he really live with it, how long could any man? She knew EJ loved her but just how many more trials could their love really go through before changing into something else she wondered in despair? These dark thoughts had been stealing Sami's rest and peace of mind for the last couple of days and now she was caught between needing EJ to be home and holding her in his arms and dreading it.

She hated feeling this way about something that should be a joyous thing between the two of them Sami couldn't help it. It always seemed the way with her, perfect happiness would be within her grasp and then something would happen to dash her dreams and Sami had dreamt of this moment between EJ and herself. That moment when she'd told him that she was pregnant with his child, how there could be no doubt about it. That moment when Sami would place EJ's first son or daughter in his arms and know that their family was now more complete than ever before. She'd wanted to give EJ all of those things to cherish forever but as usual the Sami factor had come into play and all of those dreams were in danger.

Sami knew she wasn't to blame for what happened with Lucas but that still didn't change the fact that she was now having to live with the consequences of Kate's heinous act. Kate would have the last laugh indeed if this baby ended up being Lucas', her act of revenge having far larger repercussions than even the older woman could have anticipated. Sami put her hand on her still flat stomach and rubbed it protectively at the thought of this baby being conceived that way rather than in the many acts of wonderful love between her and EJ.

"It's alright," she promised her unborn child in a whisper, "No matter what I love you so much already and I promise you that I'm going to be the best mother in the world to you."

Sami had made a similar promise to Will when he was born and had failed miserably at protecting her first born, her youth and inexperience coupled with how mixed up she was had heart breakingly caused Will to have anything but the best mother in the world. Sami supposed that was what was really at the heart of what she was doing for Lucas now when all was said and done. She'd robbed Will of so much in his young life due to her own selfish actions and brokenness and she wanted to be able to look him in the eye and know that she'd done all that she could to make his father's last days happy ones.

Every loving word from Lucas was a new form of torture for Sami because all she wanted was to be with EJ but she endured it because EJ's love gave her the strength to endure it and be the kind of person she'd always wanted to be. Although this pregnancy was going to threaten this last act of mercy on Sami's behalf. She wasn't going to be able to hide her current condition forever, especially sleeping in the same bed with Lucas and Sami really didn't know if she could handle Lucas knowing she was pregnant and thinking it was his if it was EJ's. Like it or not this pregnancy might put an end to this charade before Lucas succumbed to his condition. Sami closed her eyes and sighed heavily, her head already hurting from her chaotic thoughts.

Sami walked out into the living room, expecting to find Lucas and surprised not to. She glanced up at the clock on the wall and was surprised to see it was past nine in the morning. Sami rarely slept that late but with all that was going on her body must have decided she needed it. She walked to the pantry and pulled out a box of crackers, munching on a handful of them. Thankfully morning sickness seemed to have left her alone as of yet but as Sami had no idea how pregnant she was she just assumed she had that to look forward to. She hadn't been that sick with Will so hopefully this was going to be the same with this pregnancy. Just then Lucas walked in the door and Sami looked at him in surprise.

"Where have you been?" she asked around a mouthful of crackers.

Lucas looked just as surprised to see her for a moment and if Sami didn't know better she could have sworn she'd seen a flash of guilt as well.

**oooOOOOooo**

"_Well you took your sweet time," said Kate in annoyance as she opened the door to Lucas, "What took you so long?"_

"_We don't all drive like an extra from Mad Max Mom," said Lucas in equal annoyance, still half asleep._

_In fact he could barely remember the drive over – he just wasn't that great this early in the morning. Besides, his mother was known for being a lead foot at the wheel, driving with her was definitely taking your life in your own hands. _

"_So shoot me for obeying all of the road rules," he grumbled, "If you ever tried it you might know how long it legally takes to get from one place to the other."_

"_But you've been ages," said Kate in exasperation._

"_I have not," Lucas shot back at her, "I came straight over after you called me but I had to get dressed quietly so I wouldn't wake up Sami." _

"_I guess that shrew does need all the beauty sleep she can get," said Kate sweetly, "I saw her the other day and she looks downright haggard."_

"_And I got out of a warm bed to listen to you insult my wife why exactly?" asked Lucas flatly, "And how urgent can it be if you've got time to diss Sami like this?"_

"_When I say its urgent then you need to take me at my word," said Kate with a note of censure in her voice as she pulled him into the house._

"_Maybe I would if you told me what the hell I'm meant to be doing here," Lucas grumbled._

"_I found a door," said Kate, lowering her voice. _

"_Good for you Mom," said Lucas wryly, "You alert the media and I'll organise the parade."_

"_A secret door that leads to a hidden passage within this house," said Kate, her lips twisting disapprovingly at Lucas' attitude. _

"_Well that's a huge shock," said Lucas, interested despite himself, "Stefano has secrets."_

"_But the big question is what kinds of secrets lie behind that door," said Kate with a knowing little smile, "And how can we use it for our advantage." _

"_Okay," said Lucas slowly, "Sounds like a bit of a long shot to me but anyway, what do you need me for Mom?"_

"_I've rigged the door so I can get into the door," said Kate intently, "I just need you to distract Stefano while I do that – he can't find me snooping around."_

"_And how am I meant to distract that guy?" asked Lucas in annoyance._

"_Tell him that you want to clear the air between the two of you, over the wedding," said Kate quickly._

"_But I don't," said Lucas, his jaw hardening. _

"_Then fake it," said Kate flatly, "I just need fifteen minutes or so."_

"_I'm not talking to that evil old monster for fifteen seconds let alone fifteen minutes," said Lucas sharply._

"_Don't talk about my husband like that!" said Kate scowling at him._

"_You really care about the old guy don't you?" asked Lucas, taken aback by that concept. _

"_I enjoy my time with Stefano," said Kate defensively, "Do you know how hard it is to find a man strong enough not to be overwhelmed by a woman who knows what she wants and is prepared to go after it? There aren't many men out there that I'd call my equal and Stefano is definitely one of them." _

_Lucas shook his head, wondering why he was surprised that his mother had actual feelings for Stefano. In some ways it was nice to know that this wasn't all about his mother's machinations but on the other hand it was deeply unsettling for Lucas to think of his mother loving Stefano DiMera. _

"_So just go in and talk to him," continued on Kate, "Bide me some time to do what I have to do."_

"_Is me saying no an option at this point?" asked Lucas dourly._

"_What do you think?" asked Kate coolly. _

**oooOOOOooo**

"I couldn't sleep so I went for a drive," said Lucas, starting to take off his coat, "And then I visited Mom."

"Wouldn't Vampira be back in her coffin by now?" asked Sami with a roll of her eyes.

"Mom says hi back," said Lucas wryly.

"I thought you said you were never going to step foot inside of the DiMera mansion," said Sam, looking at him curiously, "That it was putting a tacit rubber stamp on your mother's relationship with Stefano and you were never going to approve of their marriage. I think they were about your exact words."

"A guy can change his mind can't he?" asked Lucas shortly, his early morning meanderings clearly not having put him in a good mood.

"So now you approve of Kate and Stefano?" asked Sami in confusion.

"No of course not," said Lucas impatiently, "It doesn't have to be one thing or the other Sami."

"You seemed to think it did yesterday," pointed out Sami, still confused.

"Is there some reason why I'm walking in to the Spanish Inquisition this morning?" asked Lucas curtly.

"No," said Sami in surprise, "No I was just wondering what was going on with you Lucas, that's all."

"Nothing is going on with me Sami," said Lucas, holding her gaze steadily, "Absolutely nothing."

Sami was rather grateful in that moment that EJ wasn't there right then to make a meal out of Lucas' last statement. EJ made no secret of the fact that he thought Lucas was a zero with nothing going on up top and Sami knew he would have been able to stop himself from having something smart to say back to the other man.

"Did I say something funny?" asked Lucas with an arched eyebrow at seeing Sami's smile.

Sami couldn't help the smile; every time she thought of EJ's sharp wit and cleverness at insults she couldn't help but get more than a little turned on.

"No," said Sami quickly, "No of course not Lucas, I'm just glad that you're alright. I hope you and your mother had a nice time together."

Lucas' face suddenly became hard to read as Sami said that.

**oooOOOOooo**

"_Well?" asked Lucas impatiently when his mother met him out by his car to see him off, "What is the old man hiding in behind the hidden door?"_

_Kate looked more than a little troubled as Lucas looked at her expectantly before it was replaced with a calm smile. _

"_Nothing," she said easily._

"_Nothing?" repeated Lucas in disbelief, "How can it be nothing if he's hiding it away like that?!"_

_Lucas had spent a very uncomfortable half hour talking to Stefano, asking him about his 'intentions' towards his mother and trying not to make the crafty old boy suspicious. He wasn't exactly sure if he'd pulled it off or not – with Stefano it was always hard to tell. _

"_Keep your voice down," Kate cautioned him sharply, "There were just some of Rolf's lab equipment and bits of furniture and things."_

"_You're lying," Lucas said accusingly, "You saw something else didn't you Mom?"_

"_I need to think about this some more," Kate conceded, gnawing on her bottom lip thoughtfully, "I don't know if this is going to help us or not."_

"_If what is going to help us or not?" asked Lucas in frustration, "Come on, I did my part and distracted Stefano and it wasn't that easy. Stop keeping me in the dark Mom."_

"_I'm not," said Kate, starting to push him into the car, "Now you should go home before Sami gets suspicious."_

"_You are the most impossible person I have ever known," Lucas grumbled as he got behind the wheel of the car, "Next time you need a sidekick check the yellow pages and let me get my sleep."_

"_A few missed hours of sleep won't kill you," said Kate unsympathetically, "And you could do with looking a little more drawn."_

_Kate gave him a disapproving look then._

"_Take those pills," she instructed him in annoyance, "I don't care if they make you feel sick, we need you to sell this dying thing to people otherwise we're screwed."_

"_Spoken like a true loving mother," said Lucas sarcastically._

"_I'm doing this for us Lucas," said Kate unapologetically._

"_Funny," said Lucas flatly, "A couple of weeks ago you were doing this for me – now it's us."_

"_We'll we're in this together now," said Kate coolly, "So now it is us – we're both going to get something out of this Lucas."_

"_Well I'm getting high blood pressure and an ulcer out of this," said Lucas unconvinced, "What are you getting out of it?"_

"_Go home Lucas," said Kate with a roll of her eyes, "And keep your histrionics under control." _

"_I hope you're not expecting a big Mother's Day gift this year," Lucas said snarkily as he started the car._

"_All I want is grateful children for all that I do for them," said Kate, ignoring his dig._

"_And what do you want for all that you do to them Mom?" asked Lucas with a raised eyebrow, driving off before she could answer him. _

**oooOOOOooo**

"Well you know it's Mom," said Lucas cryptically, "What can you say?"

Sami arched an eyebrow at that but Lucas was already walking towards the bedroom. It looked like something was going on between mother and son but Sami couldn't bring herself to care right then. She was tired and overwrought and missing EJ so much that it physically hurt to think about him, the separation was so bad. Sami's hand unconsciously went to the wedding rings on the chain around her neck and began playing with them. Just touching them brought back so many wonderful memories of Ana Caram for her. The way EJ had comforted her so tenderly when they were first there, how he'd broken through the very last of Sami's reserve and made her whole again. The fun, the laughter, the love making – Sami relieved every moment of their time away over and over again.

She clung to those memories like a woman drowning and with EJ away now that and her regular phone calls from him were the only things keeping her even vaguely sane. Sami just didn't have the strength to spend too much time thinking about Lucas' odd behaviour of late. Some little voice in the back of her head warned her that might be a mistake but right then Sami didn't care. EJ was going to be home in a couple of days and they had a lot to talk about. Sami's hand went to her stomach again, stroking it in a gesture of self comfort. How could you be so looking forward to something and yet terrified at the same time Sami wondered in despair?

Sami just needed EJ home so he could make everything alright again...


	99. Chapter 246

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & FORTY SIX**** – ****Thinking Caps On**

Truth is the daughter of time, and I feel no shame in being her midwife.

_Johannes Kepler_

_(German1 Astronomer, 1571-1630)_

"Oh hey boss man," said Bart easily, "How's things?"

"Better if you'd let me inside the house Bart," said EJ shortly.

He wasn't in the mood for chit chat.

"Oh sure," said Bart happily, stepping back and letting EJ through.

As EJ passed him by he noticed the cut that was on his cheek that was beginning to bruise.

"Cut yourself shaving huh?" he asked conversationally.

EJ arched an eyebrow and looked back at Bart over his shoulder at that observation seeing as the cut was high on up on his cheekbone, close to his eye and quite obviously not where most men shaved.

"The same thing used to happen to me and now I use an electric shaver," said Bart helpfully, "They are a bit tricky in the beginning, got a lot of scratches out of it."

"How do you get scratches from an electric razor?" asked EJ in consternation, drawn into this conversation despite his better instincts not to.

"Well there is this one little trick to them," said Bart, leaning in towards EJ in a conspiratorial fashion, "You've got to plug them in and turn them on, then you don't need the shaving cream."

"You were using an electric shaver without turning it on and using it as a conventional razor?" asked EJ in disbelief, "Didn't the 'electric' part of the electric razor give you pause for thought Bart?"

"I thought it was just like a sales gimmick," said Bart with a shrug, "You know, like when something is electric it means good."

EJ just shook his head, hardly able to believe that this man could dress himself in the morning sometimes.

"Well thanks for the advice," said EJ dryly, "I'll take it under advisement. Now I was wondering if you could be a dear chap and fetch my father for me."

"He's on the phone but I'll let him know you're here," said Bart cheerfully.

EJ watched the other man leave and shook his head. Right then though he had better things to think about then Bart being flummoxed by household items – like the events of earlier that morning. EJ had walked to the nearest house after the mystery car had sped off and called for a taxi. From there he'd had himself taken to the hotel he'd booked, the one he'd intended to rendezvous with Sami at but instead he cleaned himself up. Then EJ rang the rental car company and told them he was going to buy the car outright from them, they were a bit surprised but it is amazing what throwing a lot of cash at a person can do for getting what you wanted. Finally EJ organised to have the car towed to one of his father's many garages around town. It might yield some vital information about his assailant and EJ wanted to examine it himself.

He'd done all of this because he didn't want police involvement. If this was a threat to him and by extension Sami then there was no way in hell EJ was going to hand over the investigation to the local Keystone cops, of that he was certain. Sami was too precious to him to pass over her safety and well being to such a bungle prone group of so called professionals. No, EJ was going to get to the bottom of this himself and make sure Sami was well protected in the meantime.

Whilst EJ had been cleaning himself up and checking for injuries his mind had been going a mile a minute. There was a long list to be considered when it came to possible enemies for him. First of all it could just be someone with a DiMera vendetta – trying to strike at the father through the son. But anyone who had dealings with Stefano knew better than to hire someone to do a half assed job. You don't send a warning shot over the bow with the likes of Stefano DiMera. It would be suicide to give that man forewarning.

So if it wasn't something to do with the DiMera business side of things the thought occurred that it might have something to do with EJ's business – Mythic. He and Sami were about to make a small fortune with the Shiro Chiba deal and it was the talk of the town on many continents in the business and there was more than a little professional jealousy. Money was always a powerful motivator for people and EJ had seen people kill for a lot less then the sums he and Sami were talking about in that deal. That scenario was a deeply concerning one to EJ because that meant that Sami would be just as much in the firing line as he was and he did not like the thought of that.

With Mythic's two remaining CEO's out of the way then the company would be ripe for a takeover. But then if the two CEO's were mysteriously killed then there would also be police involvement and assets frozen – all in all not very good for business. To EJ that seemed fairly unlikely that someone with business aspirations would be so short sighted as to kill off CEO's of the company they wanted and draw a lot of unwanted attention that would ultimately harm the business they wanted in the first place. EJ was happy to put that particular possibility to the bottom of his list because of the potential danger to Sami.

Then he started to make it more personal. Kate after their recent run ins came to mind first but as Sami had pointed out to him not so long ago, despite her many flaws, being a cold blooded murderer wasn't one of them. She would be too clever to really think that killing the son of Stefano DiMera would get her what she wanted. Kate would know that no marriage vows would protect her from that kind of betrayal in Stefano's eyes. Whatever her agenda in marrying his father EJ knew that even Kate wouldn't have such delusions that she could get away with such a thing.

Lucas popped into EJ's mind as a possibility also, particularly if he knew the truth about his and Sami's relationship but EJ found that to be highly unlikely. The man didn't have the patience and cunning to lie in wait like this, biding his time. If he found out about Sami's relationship with him EJ would have bet money that Lucas would have had an ill conceived outburst with a lot of ranting and raving rather than hiring someone to run him down. The man had too quick a temper to think things through so carefully and act. EJ could see Lucas taking a swing at him and even picking up a gun or knife in the heat of the moment but not doing something so cool and calculated.

Besides, the guy seemed so wrapped up in dying, however slowly, that there didn't seem to be much going on in his life anyway. EJ knew that if he was dying and separation from Sami was looming he'd be doing everything he could to fight it and for he and Sami to live as many life times as they could while he did. Lucas on the other hand seemed happy enough to lie around the house having Sami as his own personal little housemaid, waiting on him hand and foot. EJ's hands balled into a fist at the thought of Sami being treated like that but he knew this was the parting gift she wanted to give Lucas so that she could enter into her life with EJ in good conscience. So EJ endured it, for the sake of Sami and for their future together.

EJ had then considered the Brady's, after all he'd wronged more than a few of them in his short time in town but he quickly ruled them out. For all of their faults which EJ saw many, the most heinous of them to him was how they always seemed to make Sami feel like she had to work for their love and approval. Despite that though, he knew that murdering people in cold blood just wasn't their style. Anyway he'd left that family alone since falling so completely under Sami's spell because hurting one of her family meant hurting Sami and EJ couldn't endure the thought of that. He'd done those things to please his father and those days were over.

EJ had a fleeting thought about his father being behind this attempt on his life but there was no reason for it, at least not yet. His father knew that he and Sami were still together, biding their time until Lucas finally saw fit to shuffle off this mortal coil and was alright with it. There was nothing EJ had openly defied his father about recently that would warrant such retribution. Plus there was no way Stefano could know about EJ's plans to separate from him once he and Sami were together properly so there was no reason for Stefano to threaten EJ's life.

So after all of that thinking and whittling away at the possible suspects there ended up being just one name that EJ kept coming back to – Tony. Tony would be the one person with the means, motive and madness to do something like this EJ had decided. After all he'd already shot EJ so a little thing like hitting him with a car didn't seem to out of left field. Another thought EJ couldn't get out of his head was Sami and her worrying over this letter 'A' person and how she was so sure that they were a threat to him. Tony's proper name was Antony, a coincidence no doubt but one EJ couldn't entirely dismiss under the circumstance.

"My son!" said a jovial Stefano as he walked into the room, "What an unexpected surprise!"

EJ turned around as his father walked in and Stefano made a surprised face.

"But what has happened to your face eh?" asked Stefano in concern.

"Someone tried to kill me today," said EJ calmly, "Any thoughts on who that might be Father?"

"Someone tried to kill you?" repeated Stefano in disbelief and EJ didn't doubt his sincerity, "But this is unacceptable!"

"That was rather my thoughts as I ran for my life with a car attempting to run me down," said EJ dryly.

"Are you alright my son?" asked Stefano, walking up to EJ and looking at him closely, intent on seeing for himself the state he was in.

"A bit bumped and bruised but otherwise intact," said EJ evenly.

"What exactly happened Elvis?" asked Stefano with a scowl.

"I was driving into Salem from the airport when I was run off the road and then someone attempted to just run me down," said EJ simply.

"Who is this maniac?" asked Stefano angrily, "He will be dealt with!"

"And I fully intend to do just that and that is why I'm here," said EJ, holding his father's gaze steadily.

"Why would I know of any of this?" Stefano, looking hurt, "Surely you do not think that I had anything to do with this Elvis."

"Of course not Father," said EJ tightly as he took a seat, "But the last time my life was threatened it was down to Tony. Now I don't believe I ever received a straight answer as to Tony's fate in the end Father – care to elaborate now?"

"Antony did not do this," said Stefano with great certainty.

"And that confidence on your behalf is because-?" EJ left the question hanging, waiting for him to fill in the blanks.

"Because he is out of the country on a business trip," said Stefano coolly, "As I have told you."

"And what would stop Tony from returning from said business trip without your knowledge and driving me off the road eh Father?" asked EJ tersely.

"You're brother is not behind this latest attack," Stefano simply reiterated.

"But how can you be so sure Father?" asked EJ stubbornly, "Unless of course Tony's business trip is more along the lines of the permanent kind that you simply never return from."

"Meaning?" asked Stefano with an arched eyebrow.

"Meaning the only way I'll be convinced that Tony isn't behind this is if he was dead," said EJ flatly.

"Why would you think Antony was dead?" asked Stefano looking suitably surprised.

"Father," said EJ darkly, "I'm a little too overwrought at this point in the day to be playing these cat and mouse games. I can take care of myself but what if it is Tony and he has Samantha in his sights? That is the mother of your future grandchildren we are talking about – are you really alright about that?!"

"Samantha is pregnant?" asked Stefano in delight.

"No," said EJ impatiently, "And thank god that she isn't. It is doing my head in to think of her in danger, I'm not sure I would be able to cope if there was a child as well to worry about."

"You would be fine," said Stefano dismissively, "Never wish away the life of a child Elvis, they are far too precious a thing."

"Of course I'm not wishing away a child between Samantha and I," said EJ in annoyance, "Nothing would thrill me more to know that she was carrying my child but until I contain this threat to us I am relieved to have one other life to worry about rather than two. If anything ever happened to Samantha or our children because of me I don't know what I would do."

"You would take revenge like a true DiMera!" said Stefano roundly, "Just as my father did."

"All of Santo's revenges didn't give Colleen back into his arms," said EJ angrily, "It didn't make him happy like a life with her would have. I'm not going to follow in my grandfather's footsteps Father. I'm going to protect Samantha and our future children at any cost. I will not be caught off guard as Santo was!"

"Calm down my son," said Stefano, putting a hand on EJ's shoulder, "You are becoming overwrought, that is not the DiMera way."

EJ turned away and shook his head, angry at how cavalier he was being about Sami's life. He walked away and put his hands on the back of one of the arm chairs, leaning on it and taking a deep breath, trying to get his emotions under control.

"I sometimes wonder Father if you have ever really loved anyone in your life," said EJ darkly, his jaw hardening, "Because if you did you might have the first clue about how I felt and not continue to keep things from me."

"Elvis," said Stefano gravely, "I can promise you that Tony did not do this thing to you."

"Set it up for someone else to do it then," suggested EJ grimly, giving up on his father telling him what his brother's fate really had been.

"No," said Stefano with such certainty that EJ had to wonder about his protestations that Tony was still alive.

"You're really not going to be any more forthcoming then that are you Father?" asked EJ angrily, "Even when it comes to the life of your own child."

"I love you Elvis," said Stefano fiercely, "All the resources of the DiMera's are at your disposal to find this person and deal with them, of that you should have no doubt."

EJ shook his head, not sure what he'd hope for from his father but still feeling disappointed for some reason.

"You must maintain a cool head my son," said Stefano intently, "Do not let these things have any kind of power over you otherwise all is already lost."

EJ would have had no problem with all of this if it was only his life at stake but with Sami in the mix now he had to admit that he was struggling with the panic of thinking something might happen to her. Loving someone changed everything, every priority and EJ knew his father was right and that he needed to regroup.

"I will deal with this Father," said EJ, his lips pressing together into a menacing line, "Make no mistake about that."

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ stood in his hotel room looking out onto the grounds below but not really seeing anything as he was in deep thought. If Tony really was off the list of possibilities as his father insisted so strongly then that meant there could well be a wild card in the mix and EJ really didn't like the thought of an unknown working against him. He'd already put an army of people in place to start investigating what happened to him this morning and to have another look at his shooting. EJ knew he was going to get to the bottom of all this, one way or the other but that wasn't what was concerning him right then. He'd come to an unwelcome decision in the short term and was putting off making a last phone call. In the end though there was nothing for it and EJ reluctantly made the call.

"Hello?"

EJ closed his eyes and leant against the wall of his hotel suite, letting the sound of her voice wash over him.

"Hey," he said huskily.

"EJ," she breathed.

"How's my girl?" he asked her softly.

"She's good," replied Sami tremulously.

"I miss you so much," said EJ, trying to hide the desperation in his voice.

"But not for much longer right?" asked Sami hopefully, "You'll be home tomorrow won't you?"

EJ swallowed hard and steeled himself to do this.

"Actually darling Mum has had a bit of a setback so I'm going to stay over the weekend and hopefully be back by Tuesday instead," said EJ with real regret in his voice for his lie, "I'm sorry."

"Is Susan alright?" asked Sami in concern.

"Yes," said EJ quickly, "But she's having a bit of trouble getting back on her pins after being in the casts for all of that time. I want to be around just in case. I'd hate for her to take a tumble at this stage of the game."

"Oh yes of course EJ," said Sami sincerely, "You have to stay."

"I'm sorry," said EJ again, feeling like a complete bastard for lying to her like this.

"It's alright EJ, really," said Sami softly, "A few more days isn't going to kill me."

A muscle ticed in EJ's cheek at her choice of words – that was exactly his hope.

"Are you alright?" he asked her quietly, "You sound-"

EJ paused, trying to find the right word.

"I sound what?" asked Sami with a bit of a frown.

"Tired maybe, I don't know," said EJ helplessly, "Are you taking good care of yourself Samantha?"

Sami put her hand to her stomach and rubbed it absently.

"Of course," she said a little dully, "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Samantha I know this has been hard on you," said EJ urgently, "And I only want to make things better for you, you know that don't you?"

"I know that EJ," she said with a little grimace, "You don't have to worry about me EJ."

"But I do," said EJ earnestly, "You know I do and I hate hearing you this unhappy."

"I'm not unhappy EJ," Sami corrected him quickly, "I'm just-"

Sami stopped and seemed to be struggling to find the words.

"Don't worry about me EJ, honestly," she said again instead, "I'm just missing you is all."

They spoke for a little longer before hanging up. EJ sat down on a nearby chair and looked ahead, a worried look on his face. Something was wrong with Sami; he could feel it and the knowledge made EJ's stomach churn.

EJ put his head in his hands and reminded himself why he was doing this. After much thought EJ knew that he didn't want Sami worrying about this latest threat to their happiness on top of everything else and their last conversation confirmed that for him. She sounded exhausted and strained and EJ was fighting the urge to drive over to her apartment right now and simply take her away from all of this but there were too many unknowns for him to do that right now. Doing such a thing could be painting a giant bullseye on her back however and EJ was not prepared to do that.

Having five days before 'coming home' EJ knew his wounds would have healed and hopefully he'd have more leads on who was doing this. Sami didn't have to know how close he came to being more seriously hurt and have to carry that burden as well. EJ sat back in his chair and rubbed his face tiredly. He had to get this situation locked down before seeing Sami again and putting her into any possible kind of danger.

And just when he thought life couldn't get more complicated...

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami put down the phone after talking to EJ and fought back the tears. Whilst she was very sad to think that she wasn't going to be seeing EJ tomorrow after all in some ways it was almost a reprieve – a sad relief but a relief nonetheless. Sami had decided that there was one way to hopefully find out if this child was EJ's or not. She needed to go to a doctor and ask for a proper pregnancy test because that would tell her how far along she was. Unfortunately if she was only five weeks gone then that wasn't going to helps clear up anything but if it was anything more or less than that then the baby could only be EJ's.

Sami picked up the phone book and began to look for out of town doctors to visit. She didn't want there to be any chance that she might run into someone she knew. Hopefully Sami would have good news for both her and EJ when he did return home and she could have this heavy burden lifted from her. She knew she'd worried EJ in that last phone call. He knew her so well now, could hear the hesitation in her voice despite Sami's best attempts to hide it from him. Sami wanted to tell EJ and she would soon enough but maybe fate had kept them separated for a little longer for a reason. Maybe EJ didn't ever have to go through what she was going through and Sami felt like she owed the man she loved that much at the very least.

"You're daddy's coming home soon little one," she told her stomach quietly, patting it comfortingly, "I know he's your daddy, he just has to be and he is going to love you like no one else in your life ever will because that is the way he loves me. You're going to be the luckiest baby in the whole wide world with a daddy and mommy who love you and each other so much."

Sami closed her eyes and prayed with everything that was inside her that this was going to turn out how her heart desired otherwise she didn't know what she was going to do.


	100. Chapter 247

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & FORTY SEVEN**** – ****Stand By Me**

There can only be one state of mind as you approach any profound test; total concentration, a spirit of togetherness, and strength.

_~Pat Riley~_

Sami walked out of the corner grocery store with a bag of groceries in hand. EJ was due back tomorrow and Sami had hoped to have the results back from the doctor by now but she was still waiting. She kept rehearsing two different conversations in her head when it came to giving EJ the news. If she was more than five weeks pregnant then Sami couldn't wait to tell EJ. If she was only five weeks then Sami couldn't help but dread that conversation. I wave of hatred came over Sami at Kate for what she was putting her through.

"I should have had her dumped on a rubbish barge," Sami muttered under her breath, "She'd be half way to China by now."

Sami sighed heavily and changed arms with the groceries. She was just so tired nowadays from all the stress of everything and of course not sleeping well. Plus she just missed EJ so badly that Sami could barely breathe. Just one more day, all she had to do was get through one more day and EJ would be home with her again and just him being there always made everything seem that much more bearable for Sami. It was so hard to imagine her life before EJ was in it and it was unbelievable to Sami that only six months ago she was still running so hard from him. Now it was impossible to imagine her life without him in it.

Funny how things could change so drastically in life in such a short amount of time.

Sami brushed back a strand of blonde hair that she'd just messily tied up, not having bothered with makeup or dressing nicely today. She was too tired to care and besides, EJ wasn't there so what did it matter? There was no one else Sami wanted to impress or have them look at her like she was the most gorgeous woman on the planet, only EJ. As Sami walked back to the apartment she had a sudden cold chill run through her. She stopped abruptly and looked around herself, feeling as though she was being watched. Everyone seemed to be going about their business so she resumed walking but the feeling of eyes on her remained.

"Great," she said in annoyance, "Now I'm paranoid, that's just swell."

Sami knew her nerves were stretched to breaking point so she just tried to ignore the feeling, figuring it was due to her being so hormonal and anxious these days. She made it back to the apartment with no incidence and couldn't help the flood of relief that went through her at the thought that Lucas wasn't going to be there all day. He was at the hospital right now and was then going to head over to meet his mother in her apartment.

Lucas had been so angry with his mother when she'd married Stefano but now it seemed all was forgiven. They were as thick as thieves nowadays and when Sami had asked Lucas about it he'd just told her life was too short to hold a grudge and she couldn't really argue with that under the circumstances. Still, something still felt a little off to Sami but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. More paranoia Sami had decided in the end, not wanting to think about it anymore.

She let herself into the apartment and put away her bag of groceries before pulling out her phone and checking that she hadn't missed any calls. A watched kettle never boils and apparently a watched phone never rings either. Sami pulled a disappointed face at the thought of having to continue to wait, still holding onto the hope that she'd have some news from the doctor's surgery before EJ came home. She walked over to the lap top, intending to do some work from home for Mythic but there was a knock on the door. Sami sighed tiredly, not really in the mood for company right then. She just wanted to be left alone and was frankly exhausted with putting on a happy face for Lucas and her family whenever they were around. Nonetheless Sami fixed a determinedly bright smile on her face as she answered the door.

"You know you should really ask who it is first," said the most beautiful voice in the world, "It's not safe to just answer doors willy nilly like that sweetheart."

Sami just stood there, her mouth hanging open, one hand gripping the door for support at the sight of EJ standing in her doorway, a small smile playing around his lips.

"EJ," she squeaked, hardly able to breathe all of a sudden.

"Samantha," he said huskily, his warm gaze running all over her, "How is it that you get more impossibly beautiful each day?"

Sami put a self conscious hand to her hair, knowing she must look like a mess right then.

"I look horrible," said Sami in embarrassment, wishing now that she'd taken more care with her appearance.

"You look radiant," EJ corrected her huskily and Sami couldn't help but swallow hard at his choice of words.

"Lucas isn't here," said Sami faintly, suddenly incredibly nervous around him.

"Three of the sweetest words in the English language," commented EJ with a quirk of his lips, "So may I come in then?"

"Yes-yes of course," Sami stammered, standing back and letting him walk into her apartment.

EJ walked into the room and turned around, looking back at her. Sami for her part couldn't take her eyes off him.

"I thought you weren't coming home until tomorrow," she said unevenly.

They were both just looking at each other and both of them holding off for some reason. Well, Sami knew why she was so nervous but to her EJ looked a little uncertain as well. It was like when you anticipated something for so long that when it was there you were kind of frozen to the spot, too overwhelmed to even react.

"I couldn't bear to be parted from you a minute longer sweetheart," he confessed to her throatily.

"You couldn't?" asked Sami, a delighted smile coming to her lips.

"Absolutely not a second longer," said EJ warmly.

"How's your mother and Edmund?" asked Sami, hardly able to believe that she was standing here making small talk when all she really wanted to do was start kissing EJ and never stop.

The anticipation of that first touch was almost killing Sami.

"Mobile," said EJ with another smile, "And once again a threat to all livestock in a fifteen mile radius."

Sami bit her bottom lip and gave a little laugh at his humour. EJ was looking at her so intently now that Sami put a self conscious hand to her face again.

"What?" she asked nervously.

"You're so beautiful I'm almost afraid to touch you," he confessed.

"That's never been a problem for you before," Sami observed tremulously, her heart beating an uneven rhythm.

"But what if you're just a dream?" asked EJ softly, "What if my fevered imagination has just dreamed you up and I'm still in England and when I touch you you'll be gone."

"EJ," said Sami very seriously, "If I was a dream I wouldn't be wearing these shoes, trust me."

EJ's face lit up in a grin then at her candour.

"I've missed you so much Samantha," he told her softly.

He'd said those words to her so many times now over this last month but Sami could never grow tired of hearing them.

"Me too," said Sami shakily as EJ began to walk towards her.

Suddenly Sami panicked, she knew that if EJ touched her, began kissing her she would lose herself completely and she really needed to tell him about this baby before that happened. She took a quick step back, not trusting herself to be too close to EJ because her self control around him was less than zero.

"Samantha?" he said her name, looking at her in confusion.

"I don't want there to be any secrets between us EJ," she blurted out in a rush.

EJ frowned a little at that statement.

"Either do I darling," he said slowly, looking at her rather intently, "What kinds of secrets would there be between us Samantha?"

"I-I know that you love me EJ," said Sami, all her carefully rehearsed speeches going out the window as she stammered her way through this, "And I know you'd do anything for me."

"I would," agreed EJ seriously, "Sweetheart what is this about? What's going on?"

"I just want you to know that you don't need to do anything you don't want to do when it comes to me," said Sami, knowing this was coming out all wrong but unable to help herself.

"Sorry?" asked EJ, looking very perplexed now, "I'm not catching your drift Samantha – what is it that I might not want to do?"

"I mean I don't want you to ever feel obligated to me EJ," said Sami unevenly.

"I don't," said EJ in consternation, "Why would you ever think that I might feel obligated to you sweetheart?"

"Well things change," said Sami, still stumbling to find the words, "And I just wanted you to know that it's alright if when those things do change that you might want to change as well, I'd completely understand EJ."

"Well that would make one of us," said EJ looking at her in utter confusion, "Darling I have no idea what you are trying to say to me and frankly you're making me very nervous."

"I'm sorry," said Sami unhappily, "I've been practicing this over and over in my head to get it just right and I'm totally blowing it now because I didn't expect you home until tomorrow and I thought I'd have more time to practice it but now you're here and I can't remember any of the things that I wanted to say to you and now I don't even know where to begin because I'm so afraid of what this could do to us-"

"Samantha!" said EJ urgently, walking up to her and gripping her arms almost too tightly, "Please take a breath otherwise you are going to pass out."

Sami did as he said and took in a shaky breath.

"Alright," said EJ seriously, "I've officially moved past nervous and am downright terrified right now. Please sweetheart, just tell me what is wrong and we'll deal with it together, I promise. It can't be as bad as all that I'm sure."

Sami looked up at him with wide eyes, the words on the tip of her tongue and then just all the emotion of what she'd been going through and how much she'd been missing overwhelmed her and she just burst into noisy tears. EJ looked surprised for a brief moment before pulling her into his arms, holding her tightly to him. Sami buried her face in his chest, taking in the reassuring smell of him and finally felt like she was home at long last. Sami could feel the way EJ's heart was racing madly and she knew she was frightening him and tried to reassure him as best she could.

"I'm sorry," she said around her sobs, "I don't mean to be doing this."

"Samantha please," he pleaded with her achingly, "Just tell me what is wrong."

Before Sami could answer him her phone rang and her heart skipped a beat. She drew back out of EJ's arms and quickly answered the phone as he looked at her in disbelief. Sami knew her answering the phone right then must have seemed odd but there might be an answer to her worries on the other end.

"Hello?" she said, aware of EJ's eyes on her, "Yes this is Sami."

EJ watched her intently as she took the phone call.

"Alright," she nodded, "That would be great, ten o'clock would be wonderful. Thank you doctor, I'll see you then."

As soon as she'd hung up EJ was throwing questions at her.

"Doctor?" he repeated in horror, "Samantha why are you going to a doctor? What's wrong? Is that why you were crying? Has something happened? Why didn't you tell me?"

"EJ," said Sami, putting up a hand to still the flood of his questions, "It's alright, don't panic."

"I'm not panicking," said EJ tightly and then corrected himself, "Alright, maybe I'm panicking a little bit – Samantha please, please tell me what is going on."

"I'm pregnant."

The words hung there between them for the longest time, Sami holding her breath while EJ just stared back at her with a shocked expression on his face. He blinked several times before speaking.

"What?" he rasped at last.

"I'm pregnant," said Sami and then rather unnecessarily because she needed something to say whilst trying to gauge his reaction, "With a baby."

The odd expression lifted from EJ's face to be replaced with one of pure joy, his whole face lighting up.

"You're pregnant?!" he repeated in utter amazement before his face suddenly clouded over again, "Is there something wrong with you or the baby Samantha? Is that why you are going to see a doctor?"

"No I'm fine, the baby is fine," said Sami confidently, even though she hadn't been thoroughly checked out yet.

"You're pregnant?" asked EJ in little more than a whisper and Sami gave a shy little smile and nod.

EJ moved and drew her into a tight embrace, holding her against him so she could barely breathe.

"You're shaking," said Sami as she felt his long frame trembling against her.

"I know," said EJ hoarsely, burying his head into her neck.

"Are you happy?" asked Sami nervously.

"Samantha," said EJ, drawing back and she could see the tears in his eyes, "Samantha I'm, I'm-"

EJ stopped and tried to collect himself.

"I'm beyond describing what I feel right now," he said shakily, looking at her with complete adoration, "Samantha you've made me so very happy, there are no words."

Fresh tears welled up in Sami's eyes as she savoured these moments before EJ worked out why this could be a huge problem for them, just basking in the way he was looking at her.

"Aren't you happy?" he asked a little uncertainly.

Sami's lower lip wobbled and she tried to smile through her tears, her whole being a riot of emotion.

"Yes," she said and then promptly began to cry again and a concerned and confused EJ quickly drew her against his chest to comfort her as she continued to sob, "I'm so-so happy EJ, I want to have your baby."

Her last words drove home to Sami that the fact that the possible paternity of this child was what the problem was in the first place and began to cry harder.

"Well I'm glad you're not unhappy about it," said EJ wryly as he rubbed her back comfortingly, obviously just deciding to be there for her right then and asked questions later.

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami and EJ sat in the doctor's office, her hands fidgeting nervously as they waited for the doctor to arrive. EJ looked over at her and took her hands in his and held them on his lap, squeezing them tightly. It hadn't taken him very long to work out why Sami had been crying like she was when she told him about the baby. His concern for her had stopped him from working it out right away and it was true, it did feel like a kick in the stomach. Even so EJ just knew this child was his and couldn't help the excitement that was bubbling up inside of him. He knew Sami's concerns were valid but there was just something inside of him that just knew that this child was his. Of course he was glad that Sami had possessed the foresight to make a doctor's appointment to confirm it as well.

"It will be alright Samantha," he reassured her huskily.

"But what if this test comes back with me being only five weeks pregnant?" Sami fretted.

"Well first of all that doesn't mean that this child still isn't mine," said EJ calmly, squeezing her hand again and then giving her a mischievous look, "If you remember my darling on the day in question you and I had a quiet moment ourselves."

EJ was desperate to get that sad and anxious look off Sami's face and he hated himself for leaving her alone to deal with this by herself but it couldn't be helped. His facial wound had healed very quickly, his tanned skin making it easy to hide any residual marks and in the end EJ just couldn't stay away from Sami one day longer so he'd turned up at her door a day before he told her he'd be home. He'd been like a starving man knowing there was a veritable banquet in the next room and to know that Sami was just a short car drive across Salem had ultimately been his undoing. EJ could feel himself going slowly insane, particularly when his investigations into the cowboy hat man had stalled for the moment. He'd just needed to see Sami otherwise EJ was sure he was going to lose his mind permanently. Five weeks was too long and EJ vowed that he'd do everything in his power to make sure that they'd never be apart that long again.

"It wasn't that quiet," said Sami with a quirk of her lips and EJ was relieved to see that she was letting him distract her.

"I tried," said EJ with a chuckle, "But you make it very hard for me to contain my joy sweetheart."

"We did make love that day didn't we?" said Sami, nodding to herself.

"And add that to the fact that our many, many acts of love performed with great enthusiasm over quite a few months prior and post to that same event then the odds are really in our favour Samantha," said EJ confidently, "An encounter when you're unconscious doesn't even begin to compete with our heated trysts."

"Let me guess," said Sami wryly, appreciating his efforts but still worrying, "Science wasn't your strongest subject in school was it EJ? Lucas could still be the father of this child; it only takes one after all and then what? It would be just my luck that this was Lucas' baby."

"Samantha," said EJ, turning in his chair so he could look her squarely in the eye, "Listen to me."

EJ needed Sami to understand what he was going to say next and he needed her to believe him that it was the truth and came from the heart.

"Samantha the genetic origin of this child doesn't matter," he told her sincerely.

Sami opened her mouth to protest but he stopped her.

"It doesn't sweetheart," said EJ determinedly, "I love you Samantha, every fibre and part of your being and I love this child growing inside of you because it is a part of you. Regardless of what happens with Lucas you and I are going to be together and we are going to be raising this child as his or her parents."

"But I know you want this child to be yours just like I do," said Sami unevenly, "That you're going to be so disappointed if it turns out not to be. I know how badly you wanted a child of your own to love EJ and this won't be the same."

"Samantha," he tutted, "What are you saying? That only genetics links parents to their children? That adoptive parents are unable to love their children the same way biological parents can?"

"No of course not," said Sami quickly, looking guilty then.

"I know I will have no trouble loving this child regardless of what these or any other hospital tests might reveal," said EJ huskily, "I already adore this baby-"

EJ put out a hand and put it over Sami's stomach, rubbing it gently and feeling a rush of disbelief and amazement that there was a new human life in there. He looked back at Sami and couldn't help the tears in his eyes.

"This child is a miracle, a gift and nothing is going to change the way I feel about your pregnancy Samantha," he assured her unsteadily, letting her see the depth of his sincerity in his eyes, "I am more in love and in awe of you then I have ever been before and I can't wait to be a parent to this child with you."

"Thank you EJ," said Sami tremulously, "I really needed to hear that."

"Sweetheart," said EJ with a slight frown, "You couldn't think for a moment that this would change anything between us surely? I mean not after all that has passed between us, the promises we've made to each other. You have to know that nothing is going to take me from your side."

"I know," said Sami but then gave him a vaguely concerned look, "But when I told you there was this expression on your face like-"

Sami gave a bit of a shrug as she struggled to find the words.

"Like I don't know," she said hopelessly, "You looked like this was bad news for a moment."

EJ knew about the look of hesitation that Sami was talking about but it wasn't for any reason she was most likely imagining. He'd been struck with a real sense of fear briefly before the joy had overwhelmed him as EJ knew his burden of responsibility had just doubled. It was a burden he'd carry joyfully but in that instant he knew that two lives were in his hands and that he couldn't fail them.

"Darling you just caught me off guard," EJ reassured her, "I was frightened I wasn't hearing you right and had to play it over a couple of times in my head before I'd allow myself to get excited."

EJ leant his forehead against hers and looked into her eyes adoringly.

"This is the most amazing thing that has happened for us Samantha," EJ said softly, "And I'm going to take such good care of you and our baby sweetheart, I swear to you."

Sami gave a wobbly smile and put a hand up to EJ's cheek, stroking it lovingly.

"Ahem."

The doctor cleared his throat to one side, both Sami and EJ having not even noticed he'd walked into the room. EJ gave the tip of Sami's nose a quick kiss before straightening up and half standing to shake the other man's hand as he introduced himself.

"Dr Brown," the older man said, "Sorry to keep you waiting Mr and Mrs Devlis."

EJ had smiled to hear the name Sami had chosen to register under at the clinic, loving how much history they already had between them.

"That's alright," said Sami distractedly, "Do you have my results?"

"I do," nodded Dr Brown with a smile, "And congratulations on your pregnancy."

"Thank you," EJ said with a big smile, "We're both thrilled."

He slipped his hand into Sami's and gave it a calming squeeze.

"How pregnant am I?" asked Sami anxiously, clearly not being able to wait any longer.

The doctor looked down at the test results as he answered her.

"I'm happy to report you are already into your second trimester Mrs Devlis," said the doctor evenly, unaware of the huge significance he was making to their lives, "You are sixteen weeks by these levels. I can do an examination to help pinpoint an actual due date but I'd say you are both going to have an early Christmas gift this year, say early to mid December."

He looked up again to see both EJ and Sami's face simply glowing in happiness.

"I see this is good news," Dr Brown with a chuckle.

"This is the best news in the world Doctor!" exclaimed Sami excitedly as she looked over at EJ, her eyes brimming with joyful tears, "We're going to have a baby EJ!"

"Yes we are," EJ grinned back, knowing he had the biggest, stupidest smile on his face and not caring.

He'd just known that this child was his but it was very nice to have confirmation. EJ wanted to kiss Sami so badly just then but he was rather fearful that if he started he simply wasn't going to stop. Whilst the old doctor had probably seen it all in his day the two of them going at it on his office floor was something he'd no doubt be able to live without.

"Now I'm going to assume that you've had no antenatal care thus far," said Doctor Brown, continuing on.

"No she hasn't," said EJ, a sliver of concern cutting through his joy, "Is everything alright Doctor, with Samantha and our child?"

Our child – the words just made EJ's heart sing.

"Well everything looks fine from my initial examination but we'll set you up with some antenatal vitamins and I'll book you in for an ultrasound seeing as you are so far along," said the doctor.

"See," Sami admonished him indulgently, "I'm fine, we both are, don't worry so much about us EJ."

"It's expectant father's duty to worry," said the doctor with a chuckle, "It's their main role."

EJ and Sami smiled at that. The doctor then gave them a pleasant smile.

"Now do either of you have any questions?" asked Doctor Brown.

"I'm sure I have a million of them but right now I can barely remember my own name," said EJ, his face actually beginning to ache from how big a smile he was wearing.

"This is my second pregnancy," said Sami happily, "The other one was awhile ago but I know what to expect."

"Well we'll set up an appointment for that ultrasound and take it from there eh?" suggested the doctor.

EJ couldn't exactly remember the rest of the appointment, he was just in a euphoric blur of unbridled happiness and he could tell by Sami's expression she was in the same state. Suddenly all of these people around the two of them were driving EJ mad – he just wanted Sami all to himself so they could celebrate this new joy in private. Finally they were out of the doctor's office and standing in the waiting room with instructions to make their next appointment before Doctor Brown disappeared back into his office to get ready for his next patient.

The waiting room was full to overflowing of people waiting to see the doctor but EJ honestly could only see Sami. They looked at each other, saying all the things they wanted to with their eyes because right then both of them were too happy to speak. EJ couldn't contain himself any longer, five weeks without the touch of Sami's lips to his, the taste of her in his mouth was too much and he just succumbed to what he'd wanted to do since first seeing her that morning. He pulled her into a passionate kiss in the middle of the waiting room, heedless of their audience and was forced to swallow his moan as Sami just melted into him, returning his kisses with equal enthusiasm.

**oooOOOOooo**

Doctor Brown pulled out the chart for his next patient and perused it briefly, smiling as he thought of his last patients. It was always such a nice part of his job delivering what was obviously welcome news and it was one of the reasons that thoughts of retirement were untenable to him. A glowing wife, a clearly doting and adoring husband – if only all of his patients had such happy stories to tell. The doctor walked out of his room to call the next patient only to find his previous patients were having a rather heated show of affection in the middle of his waiting room, locked in a passionate embrace that didn't seem to be showing any sign of stopping soon.

The people around them were either looking a little embarrassed as the display continued or vaguely amused at the young people's obvious enthusiasm for each other. Dr Brown cleared his throat to catch their attention but neither of them so much as glanced his way, so wrapped up in each other. He pursed his lips and then couldn't help but smile at the way the two of them where carrying on. After forty seven years of marriage to his dear wife there were still more than the odd occasion that they'd share such a moment in a public place and the good doctor didn't give a fig what people thought of them. To have someone that you were so as hopelessly in love with as the day you married them in your life and loving you back was more than worth a few disapproving stares.

"We'll just work around this hm?" he said to his waiting room full of patients with an indulgent smile.

There was some laughter at the doctor's easy going attitude and the fact that the young lovers still seemed oblivious to the attention they were garnering.

"Mrs Sabatino?" he called out his next patient's name and the heavily pregnant blonde woman stood up and edged her way past the passionately kissing couple.

The doctor and patient shared amused looks as Doctor Brown opened the door to his office for her to go through.

"Just let me know if clothes start hitting the floor Kylie," he said conversationally to his receptionist, "I might have to stage an intervention if that happens.

"Yes Doctor," said Kylie with a laugh.

And throughout it all EJ and Sami the only thing that mattered for them was each other...


	101. Chapter 248

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & FORTY EIGHT**** – ****Baby Love**

Be happy. It's one way of being wise.

_Sidonie Gabrielle_

EJ had a tight grip on Sami's hand as they stepped off the elevator in their apartment block. Sami had rung Lucas quickly to see where he was and to both of their great joy he told her he'd be spending the rest of the afternoon at his mothers. That meant to EJ that he had the entire afternoon with the woman he'd done nothing but dream about holding again and he was going to use every last moment of it. He quickly opened the door to his apartment and as soon as the door slammed shut EJ was scooping Sami up in his arms.

"You walk too slow," he mumbled, intent on getting her into that bedroom come hell or high water.

"What?" she teased him, "Don't I even get something to eat first?"

EJ stopped dead in his tracks and looked down at her in concern.

"Are you hungry sweetheart?" he asked her solicitously even as his body screamed at him to shut the hell up and they could eat later, "Do you need me to make you something?"

"No you idiot," Sami laughed up at him as she wrapped her arms around his neck, "The only thing I'm hungry for is standing in one place when we should already be in the bedroom."

"Don't toy with me Samantha," he told her urgently as he practically ran with her into the bedroom now, "I'm a man on the edge."

Sami began to laugh at that, clearly in a very carefree mood after the good news at the doctors. They'd barely made it out of that waiting room without being arrested for public indecency and the ride home had been interminable. Sami's hands had gone to places whilst EJ was driving that had him forgetting how to change gears. EJ was fit to burst and if he didn't have this woman in the next five minutes he was certain there was going to be permanent physical damage.

No one ever died of a hard on my ass – EJ felt like he was about to make medical history.

Once in the bedroom EJ carefully deposited Sami on the ground and then ripped off his own clothing in record time.

"Wow," said Sami wide eyed, "I hope everything today isn't going to be that fast EJ."

"I can't make any promises," said EJ completely seriously, "Particularly if we are going to stand around all day talking like this."

"So shut up and get on my back is that it?" asked Sami impishly, clearly in a playful mood.

"Sweetheart," said EJ, doing his best to look wounded, "Of course not, what a thing to say... it doesn't have to be your back – lady's choice."

"And what if I want to talk for a bit?" asked Sami with a sweet smile, obviously intent on killing him.

"We can talk while we're doing it," said EJ practically as he began to advance on her.

"Oh god, oh god I'm coming doesn't constitute conversation EJ," said Sami cheekily as she backed away from him, obviously going to make him work for this.

"I can throw in some world politics between the orgasms if it would make you happy sweetheart," offered up EJ with a devilish smile.

"You can barely remember your own name during sex," Sami tutted, "I don't know if I can believe that EJ."

"Samantha?"

"Yes EJ?" she replied with a coy little smile.

"I normally love this game," he said shakily, "But seriously, after five weeks without you we are in real danger of all this-"

EJ was standing in front of Sami completely naked and clearly in urgent need of her as he indicated that straining need with one hand.

"-going to waste," he finished hoarsely.

"Now that would be a shame wouldn't it," said Sami and EJ could see the desire flare in her eyes as her gaze lingered on that particularly swollen part of his anatomy and then slowly licked her lips.

EJ's hands clenched at his side as he fought against a surge of desire to take her roughly where she stood. The enormity of the news they'd just received was still trying to sink in for him.

"I've never made love to a pregnant woman," he told her unsteadily.

"Yes you have," she reminded him with an indulgent smile, "Lots of times."

"Oh yes," said EJ with a little laugh as he thought about it and relaxing a little bit, "I suppose I have haven't I? Well what I meant was that I've never made love to a woman that I knew was pregnant."

"With your child," said Sami with a happy sigh.

"Yes," said EJ thickly, the emotion of that thought nearly overwhelming him, "With my child."

EJ stepped closer and this time Sami didn't step back, watching him with intent blue eyes as he began to undress her. EJ's hands were shaking so badly with his need for her that he kept fumbling with the tiny buttons of Sami's blouse.

"Here," said Sami, slapping his hands away as she was just impatient to be naked as he was, "You're taking forever."

"I'm sorry," said EJ with a groaning laugh, "I'm just a little anxious to get started."

"Well don't get too anxious," said Sami cheekily as she deftly began to unbutton her own blouse, "I don't want this over before it starts remember."

"Says the woman that will most likely come as soon as I'm inside of her," said EJ throatily, his heart pounding out of his chest imagining the way her body would be convulsing around his helplessly when that happened.

"You bet I will," she promised him throatily, looking up at him through her eyelashes and dripping seduction.

"Hurry up sweetheart," EJ groaned impatiently as his hands went to her pants and began to undo her jeans.

Sami finished unbuttoning her blouse as she kicked off her jeans and then shrugged out of her blouse so that she was just standing in front of EJ in her underwear, non matching bra and panties. EJ didn't care about the lack of co-ordination in her lingerie though as his hands immediately went to her breasts and squeezed them through her bra.

"My girls are bigger already," he announced proudly.

"Are they?" asked Sami sceptically, not obviously having noticed as yet.

One of EJ's hands relinquished its prize to quickly undo Sami's bra at the back and pull it from her body before settling back on her breasts. He squeezed them again, testing their weight.

"Sweetheart I'm an aficionado of every inch of your body," said EJ confidently, licking his lips hungrily as he massaged her breasts, "Trust me, you're definitely bigger."

"I'm going to get so fat," Sami groaned.

"Bigger breasts don't make you fat," EJ assured her throatily, his thumbs running back and forth over her nipples, making them harden.

"My butt is going to get huge," said Sami a little anxiously, "It was enormous last time with Will."

"Samantha," said EJ throatily, moving in closer and putting his arms around her waist and then cupping her cotton covered bottom cheeks in two large hands, "I'll let you in on a secret. Men love having something to hold onto when they need some traction – the more there is the deeper I can go into you."

"EJ!" said Sami in laughing outrage at his graphic confession.

"I hope you do get huge," said EJ roughly, bending his head and kissing along Sami's slender neck, "More of you to adore and worship."

"You certainly know the right things to say Mr Devlis," said Sami huskily.

"The truth between two people who love each other always is," said EJ against her neck, addicted to the taste of her skin now.

EJ pushed down her panties and Sami shimmied out of them, kicking them to one side.

"Oh god EJ," said Sami weakly as one of his hands returned to her breast as he began making his way up her neck to her mouth, "I feel like I'm going to burst."

"Me too," he mumbled against her lips before beginning a heated kiss.

Not breaking the kiss EJ picked Sami up again and she wrapped her legs around his waist. EJ could feel the wetness between her thighs on his stomach now and it was almost his undoing. He quickly laid Sami down on the edge of the bed and pushed her legs apart, kneeling with one knee on the mattress and the other foot on the floor. One of Sami's legs went to his shoulder while he held the other leg to the bed with one hand.

Sami was looking up at him with hungry anticipation and EJ had fully intended this first coupling to be a gentle one after so long apart and considering her condition. The first touch of her heated centre with his painfully engorged tip changed that though. EJ had been going to gently move into Sami, letting her get used to his size again but his hips wouldn't hear of it. He'd been denied for too long the thrill of penetrating Sami and he just couldn't stop. EJ drove himself home into her with a hard stroke, drilling into her soaking core and impaling her fully on his rock hard member.

"EJ!" she squealed, spasming against him as a little orgasm rocked her invaded core.

"Oh good girl," EJ groaned, squeezing his eyes closed tightly as he worked to hang onto his control.

Sami shuddered underneath him helplessly while EJ stayed perfectly still, just enjoying her body's response to his.

"I love it when you keep your promises to me," he said raggedly when her body had finally stopped shaking.

"Me too," said Sami faintly, still trying to recover.

EJ began to move then, thrusting deeply inside of Sami and watching with satisfaction the way her toes curled every time he did. Sami stretched dreamily, clearly settling in for an enjoyable ride but EJ was already done, it had just been too long. He gave a cry of disappointment as his body began to squirt its seed into her, even as a very pleasing orgasm enveloped him. It wasn't enough though, he wasn't satisfied and he could see by her expression either was Sami.

"Mm," sighed Sami happily as EJ gasped for breath against her shoulder, "I love our warm ups."

EJ smiled against her skin, pleased that she knew that he was far from done.

"Want more?" he asked her a little unevenly, a smile playing around his lips as he lifted his head and looked down at her.

"After five weeks without you?" asked Sami with an arched eyebrow, "What do you think EJ?"

"I think I want to come inside of you again very soon," said EJ a little hoarsely, beginning to move within her again.

Sami tightened her walls around him to increase the friction between their bodies and quickly bring him back to full strength. EJ moaned his appreciation, his arousal fast returning. He reluctantly pulled out of Sami after a few minutes though despite her gasp of disappointment. EJ just smiled and moved around to sit on the bed, legs out in front of him. He then took Sami's hand and indicated she should sit in his lap, facing him. Sami did just that, settling back down on his eager manhood and making them both sigh happily.

EJ's hands went to Sami's backside and cupped it as he hooked both of Sami's legs over each of his elbows. Sami wrapped her arms around his neck and their bodies were in intimate contact, her breasts rubbing against his chest, their stomachs touching even as their lower bodies were joined as one. EJ used the hold he had on Sami's backside then to lift her off the bed so that he was the one controlling the depth of penetration. Sami cried out and arched her back, her long blonde hair falling down her back as EJ began to pump her up and down slowly on his engorged length.

"You're so strong," said Sami breathlessly, biting her bottom lip at the pleasure he was giving them both.

"You don't weigh anything," said EJ a little unevenly, concentrating on going more slowly this time.

Sami just smiled at that before kissing him deeply. Momentarily distracted by her kisses EJ let Sami sink down all the way onto his manhood, the depth of penetration making Sami squirm a little in his arms which EJ really enjoyed.

"Is it too much?" asked EJ in vague concern as Sami broke their kiss and threw her head back, crying out.

"Oh god no!" she groaned beginning to roll her hips on his swollen length and causing EJ to moan raggedly.

Sami's hands went behind her to rest on EJ's thighs and she used that to roll around on his thick and straining manhood, alternating between rolling her hips and jerking back and forward. He let her do that for a little while longer and then needed to be in control again. One of EJ's hand went to Sami's back and pulled her up close to him again, her arms around his neck before it returned to her bottom, pile driving her down hard on him.

"EJ," said Sami thickly as this time his rhythm was harder, less forgiving and Sami's head lolled to one side in ecstasy.

Sami's breasts were bouncing up and down against his chest, their soft fullness with their hard nipples adding a whole new dimension to what EJ was feeling. He lasted longer this time, EJ's orgasm a lot deeper and more satisfying, Sami's groaning spasms telling him that it was the same for her. He gently dropped her back onto the bed, his muscles shaking wildly from the work out and the intensity of his release. Sami fell back on the bed, unable to keep her eyes open any longer.

"Oh yeah," she panted as EJ collapsed beside her, eyes still closed, "That's the stuff."

Sami rolled on her stomach and buried her face in the cushions with a happy sigh.

"So good," she said blissfully, her words beginning to slur a little.

EJ knew how she felt. He didn't feel like he'd slept since he last saw Sami, at least not properly and it looked like Sami was in the same boat. His endorphin soaked body wanted nothing more to just sleep now and EJ was struggling to keep his eyes open as well. Despite being so tired though looking at Sam's glowing body stretched out on his bed, the smell of her in his nostrils, the taste of her in his mouth EJ just couldn't get enough of her.

"I want more," he whispered raggedly in her ear.

"Mm please," she murmured back sleepily.

Sami remained on her stomach but push her bottom up a little higher in the air in invitation. Five weeks apart certainly guaranteed that EJ wasn't going to get any complaints about his sex drive from Sami, not that he'd ever had before of course. EJ half rolled his body onto Sami's as she looked back over her shoulder and they began to languidly kiss. It was slow and unhurried, like they had all the time in the world and that was an aphrodisiac in of itself for the two of them. EJ began to gently stroke his spent manhood as they kissed; coaxing it back into life and when he was hard enough once again he moved to roll over the top of Sami completely.

He kept the bulk of his weight off her but made sure she could feel his body along every inch of her body as she lay face down in the bed. Sami's legs were together with EJ's either side but she raised her bottom up again as he moved to mount her once more. He penetrated her easily and they both sighed happily at the feeling of him being inside her once more. EJ began to move very slowly inside of Sami now, both of them on cusp of sleep. It was a very intimate and loving position despite the lack of direct face to face contact. EJ was encasing Sami with his body just as much as Sami was enveloping him as they moved slowly together. The arousal fire burned dimly between them as they danced between the world of consciousness and sleep.

Sometimes Sami would doze off for a few moments and EJ's gentle strokes would rouse her and sometimes EJ would still inside of her, his breathing slow and long as he drifted for a moment as well even as Sami would begin to move her hips, keeping the friction between them going. It was like when you first woke up in the morning and reached for your lover, neither one of you completely awake but your bodies already craving one another and it was a deliciousness that EJ never wanted to end. He had no idea how long they continued on like this – a life time, maybe two but in the end his thrusts were becoming more demanding as his body required some relief from this slow torment. Sami met each one of his pushes into her with willing eagerness, her own body demanding some relief at long last as well.

Her panting gasps were being muffled by the pillow she was lying on but the sound of Sami's mounting arousal spurred EJ on. His own ragged grunts began to fill the air as he felt his body getting ready to empty itself into Sami's waiting one. EJ could feel Sami's body against all of his and he closed his eyes, moaning loudly as his strokes began to quicken.

"I want to make you come so hard sweetheart," he grunted into her ear.

"You're going to," said Sami weakly, her voice strained as she began to lose herself as well.

The burn in EJ's balls was beginning as he felt them tighten; his frantic poundings into Sami making the whole bed shake and bang against the wall in an ever increasingly demanding tattoo. EJ watched Sami's hands clutch at the sheet, saw her nails digging into the mattress as she began to climax around him. He made a satisfied guttural noise to know he was the reason for all of her muffled excited cries and that was all EJ needed to hear. Even as Sami continued to climax around him EJ began his orgasm. He felt his burning seed shooting into Sami as his orgasm just seemed to keep going on forever. Every muscle in his body strained around and in Sami and EJ felt like he was going to spend the rest of his life coming inside of this woman.

"Yes," Sami sighed happily when he was finally done and EJ used the very last of his strength to pull his body out of hers and roll to one side.

Sami immediately moved into his arms and then in the next second her slow breathing told EJ that she as asleep already. It took less than thirty seconds and EJ had joined her. They both knew that they were home at last as they fell into a well deserved slumber. He wasn't sure what time it was when he woke up again, just that he'd had the best sleep of his life with Sami there beside him. EJ rolled over on the bed to check his watch and saw there was still time until Lucas would be home which made him very happy. Sami stirred beside him at his movement and rolled back into him, not bothering to open her eyes.

"What time is it?" she asked groggily.

"Time enough for us to stay exactly where we are for a bit longer," said EJ, his voice thick with sleep as well.

"Goody," said Sami, stretching her hands above her head and yawning mightily.

EJ watched Sami's body with avid attention as she did that before reaching over her to pull the blinds by the bed.

"What are you doing?" asked Sami in surprise as bright light flooded the dim bedroom and she blinked blearily.

"I want to see you properly," said EJ intently.

EJ then began a careful inspection of Sami's body, a body that was pregnant with his child, determined to make good use of their time together.

"You're darker," he informed Sami, rubbing one long finger around one of her areola's which normally were a light pink colour but now had darkened to a rosier colour.

Sami looked down in surprise.

"I hadn't noticed," she confessed and then nodded, "I guess I am."

"I like it," said EJ, his avid gaze taking in how different her breasts looked now.

Most likely it was because he'd been away from Sami for so long that the change was so marked for him. EJ leant down and licked his way around each darkened areola before giving Sami a cheeky look.

"Tastes the same though," he commented impishly.

"Disappointed?" asked Sami with a little laugh.

"Never," he vowed firmly, "You're still my favourite flavour – Samantha."

"Good to know but I didn't realise Samantha was a flavour," Sami giggled.

"Trust me," said EJ throatily, "It's the most addictive flavour in the world."

"It's a shame that only you get to taste it then if it is that good," said Sami impishly.

"Damn straight I'm the only one," EJ growled, possessively tightening his hold on her.

Sami smiled at how territorial he was being but didn't comment.

"God but I'm going to adore watching your body change," said EJ in awe as he moved lower until his head was at Sami's stomach.

He reached out a finger and very gently tapped on Sami's flat stomach.

"Hey little one," he said huskily, "It's me, your daddy. You can wake up now, I've had my wicked way with you mother."

"How could anyone possibly have slept through all of that?" Sami asked around a laugh.

"There was a lot of rocking," said EJ confidently, "I'm sure it put the little tacker off to sleep."

"I know I certainly feel sleepy now," said Sami with a bliss filled sigh and a little stretch.

"We'll have to remember that when the baby is born," said EJ with a grin.

"I don't think us having sex is going to put this baby to sleep once it is born," said Sami wryly.

"I think it's worth a shot," said EJ straight faced to which Sami had to laugh at his optimistic enthusiasm.

Just then EJ's cell phone rang and Sami groaned.

"Leave it," she pleaded with him, "This is our time EJ, I don't want to share you."

"It will just take a minute sweetheart," said EJ, always conscious that the next phone call could bring him news of his would be assassin.

The sooner EJ found out who this person was the sooner he could deal with them and keep Sami and their baby safe.

EJ sat on the side of the bed and answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Mr DiMera this is Leishman," said the voice on the end of the phone.

"Yes," said EJ, conscious of Sami in the bed beside him and not wanting to alarm her, "Do you have anything for me?"

"It's a dead end so far sir," said Leishman, "We're still working on it and it will take time but the paint pieces we pulled from the other car aren't really helping. It was a common brand of car in a common colour so this is going to take time to get to our man."

"Well keep on it," said EJ shortly, "I"ll expect to hear from you soon."

EJ hung up then as he felt Sami snuggle up behind him.

"Who was that?" she asked curiously.

"Just someone I knew who thought he might have a lead on some new clients for Mythic," said EJ, the lie coming easily even if it pained him to keep the truth from Sami.

EJ knew though a white lie was going to be easier for Sami to handle then the thought that someone might be trying to kill them and she looked so tired and stressed nowadays that EJ refused to add to her burden of things to worry about. If things played out as he hoped then Sami need never know.

"You know it's probably time we talked about me leaving Lucas now," said Sami with a bit of a sigh.

"What do you mean?" asked EJ, looking over at Sami with an arched eyebrow.

"I mean that I'll have to finish this sham marriage now," said Sami slowly, looking back at him in confusion, "What else?"

EJ steeled himself for a conversation he really didn't want to have.

"I don't think that is a very good idea," he said, keeping his voice steady despite the way the words stuck in his throat.

Sami's mouth dropped open as she looked at him in shock and EJ knew he was going to have a very hard sell ahead of him...


	102. Chapter 249

**AUTHOR'S NOTE****: **Just a quick note to one of my reviewers (thank you BTW) about your question about Rafe. There will be no Rafe in this story, promise. I have an idea for another fic percolating in the back of my head where he would be a part of it but I think it might not be suitable to post here. The subject matter might be a bit touchy to some people.

Anyway, I hope you are all enjoying the story so far. Things are about to heat up very quickly (well for me LOL) as this story comes to a head. A lot of things are going on to be going on, I've got a lot of balls up in the air so hopefully I won't drop any. Hope you enjoy the chapter guys...

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & FORTY NINE**** – ****Don't Rock the Boat**

Tomorrow night is nothing but one long sleepless wrestle with yesterday's omissions and regrets.

_William Faulkner_

_(American short-story Writer and Novelist, Nobel Prize for Literature in 1949, 1897-1962)_

"What do you mean you don't think that is a good idea?" asked Sami, looking at EJ in disbelief.

"I think we should think this through sweetheart," said EJ calmly, "That's all."

If Sami left Lucas now then she was going to be exposed as a possible target if she wasn't already. EJ just couldn't have that, no matter what Sami and their child had to be protected and as much as it galled him staying with Lucas might actually be the safest place for Sami right now.

"EJ I'm four months pregnant," said Sami sitting up in bed and looking at him in confusion, "I'm not going to be able to hide my condition for that much longer."

"Samantha you're not even showing yet," EJ argued back, "We still have time."

"Time for what?" asked Sami with an arched eyebrow.

"Time for you to be there for Lucas," said EJ calmly.

"Okay," said Sami slowly, "You look like EJ, you talk like EJ but clearly you're not EJ if you're saying I should stay with Lucas now that I'm pregnant with your baby."

"I just think that it wouldn't be a bad thing to maintain the status quo for awhile," EJ hedged.

Sami was looking at him as though he was crazy and EJ couldn't blame her. He had to come up with a reason for Sami to stay put that wouldn't make her suspicious and so far he was coming up with nothing.

"So when I'm the size of a hippo what am I going to tell Lucas exactly?" Sami asked flatly, "That I've just let myself go?"

"Well that might work for awhile," said EJ thoughtfully.

"EJ!" Sami exclaimed, smacking his arm, "I thought you'd jump at the chance for us to end this charade."

"But Lucas isn't dead yet," EJ pointed out logically and then couldn't help but add to that statement, "The thoughtless bastard."

"But EJ everything has changed," Sami protested, "I'm pregnant and Lucas is going to work that out sooner or later and then it will really hit the fan."

"I just think we have more time darling," EJ argued stubbornly.

"Why are you being like this?" asked Sami with a frown, "I don't understand. I don't want to be in Lucas' bed and carrying your child EJ."

EJ was unable to help the way he blanched a little at that graphic picture Sami just painted. He tried very hard not to think about Sami and Lucas going to bed every night and lying side by side. It was the best way to keep a grip on his sanity. Sami was looking at him obviously completely unconvinced by his arguments.

"Samantha we started this because we wanted to start with a clean slate and try and do what was right by Will in particular," pointed out EJ, "And that hasn't changed."

"But I'm pregnant EJ and there is no way I'm going to be able to pretend that I'm not for too long or convince Lucas that it is his," said Sami, not backing down, "You have to see that we need to change the plan now."

This was not going well – EJ decided to pull out the big guns.

"Sweetheart," he said intently, "If we do as you say and you leave Lucas then we are going to be vilified by all of Salem-"

"So?" Sami interrupted with a shrug, "It won't be the first time."

"-and then everyone will know about this child," continued on EJ determinedly, "Our child."

"Good," said Sami happily, "I want them all to know."

EJ paused briefly and pursed his lips.

"What?" asked Sami, seeing the look on his face.

"I'm just picturing your parent's reaction," said EJ dryly, "I'm not envisaging it will be a happy one."

"Well tough," said Sami defiantly, "You're the man I love EJ and they are just going to have to deal with it. My happiness should be enough for them if they love me."

EJ smiled to hear her say that but wasn't entirely convinced things were going to be that simple but that was definitely a problem for another day.

"And it won't only be your family that finds out about this baby but my father as well," said EJ knowingly.

"Stefano?" repeated Sami with a frown.

"Samantha my father sent me to Salem to father a Brady child, a new DiMera heir," said EJ urgently, "I know that he wanted stem cells for his failing health but I know that was only the beginning. I don't want to expose you to that sweetheart."

"But that will have to happen sometime," Sami said stubbornly.

"But it doesn't have to be now," said EJ firmly, "With five more months of your pregnancy to go. That gives my father a lot of time to plot and plan and we know he will."

"EJ you're going to cut him out of your life," said Sami, "Stefano can do what he likes, it won't matter."

"Samantha," said EJ with a shake of his head, "You know it doesn't work that way with my father. He will be enraged enough that I'm choosing to build a life with you over pursuing his twisted agenda. If we add a child to that mix then he will never stop coming after us. He will want to claim this child as the next DiMera heir and will do whatever it takes to make it happen."

Sami had a suddenly very fearful look on her face and EJ deeply regretted putting it there but he was only speaking the truth unfortunately.

"Sweetheart I just need some time to work out our exit strategy," said EJ intently, taking her hand and squeezing it comfortingly, "Everything is going to be alright but we can't be spur of the minute when it comes to my father – we need to carefully plan this out so when the truth comes out I have a way of keeping you and this baby safe."

Sami didn't speak for a long moment as she absorbed EJ's word but then she finally made a regretful face.

"I suppose you are right," she said quietly, obviously disappointed that she couldn't end things Lucas now.

"Darling I am so sorry," said EJ sincerely as he took her in his arms, "I wish things were different, you have no idea how badly I wish that but they are not. We have to deal with the hand fate dealt us and I'm trying to do that. All I want is your safety and happiness."

"But I guess right now we can't have both right?" asked Sami sadly as she hugged him back, "For this baby to be safe there has to be some unhappiness."

"Short term unhappiness that will guarantee us a joyful future," EJ reminded her intently, "Samantha we just have to hang on for a little bit longer and I promise you I will find a way to protect us against my father."

"When did our lives get so complicated?" asked Sami with a groan as she buried her face in his chest.

"When haven't our lives been complicated?" EJ countered with a deep chuckle, "Sweetheart you and I will always lead complicated lives because we are complicated people."

"As long as those lives are together then I don't care," said Sami earnestly, looking up at him.

"Of course they are going to be together darling," said EJ huskily, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, "This child places a seal on the family we started on Ara Caman when we said our vows to one another. Nothing is going to change that; we just have to do some manoeuvring to ensure we get the life we dream of."

"And no one manoeuvres like us do they EJ?" asked Sami with a little smile.

"I think as couples go we are definitely in a league of our own when it comes to that kind of thing," agreed EJ in amusement.

Sami seemed to accept what EJ was saying and she didn't bring up leaving Lucas again – for now. EJ knew that he was working under a pretty unyielding time constraint now though with Sami's steadily advancing pregnancy. Not only did he have to work out who was out to get him and most likely Sami as well but what he said about his father was also the truth and would require a plan. As Sami snuggled into him contentedly EJ pursed his lips and decided that his dance card had gotten very full very fast.

Too soon EJ was having to walk Sami back to her apartment, their time together having to come to an end because Lucas would be home soon. They stood at Sami's doorway and EJ watched as she opened the door before turning around and looking up at him with a soft smile. EJ reached out a finger and traced her lips gently and uncaring of where they were. He cupped her face with his hands then and bent his head to kiss those same lips in a slow, lingering caress. Sami sighed into the kiss, melting into him, her hands on his chest.

"I love you," she said, looking up at him dreamily.

"I love you," said EJ a little unsteadily.

He then bent right down so his lips were on level with Sami's stomach.

"And I love you too little one," he told their unborn child, "Now you be a good boy for mummy while I'm not there eh?"

"How do you know that it's a boy?" asked Sami indulgently as she stroked the back of EJ's head lovingly.

"Father's intuition," said EJ knowingly as he pressed a quick kiss to her stomach and straightened up.

"And if it is a girl?" Sami queried with a half smile, "Are you going to be disappointed EJ?"

"I'll be terrified if it is a girl," said EJ only half joking, "With you as her mother she will be drop dead gorgeous and I'm never going to get a moments rest keeping all those horny men at bay."

"She'll probably be a hell raiser too," said Sami with a little laugh, "Considering who her parents are."

"You're giving me heart palpations Samantha," said EJ and put a hand to his chest and grimacing, "Maybe the devil, like insanity skips a generation eh?"

"That would certainly explain a lot in my family," said Sami wryly.

"Samantha," said EJ intently, "I'm very happy about this pregnancy, you know that right?"

"I guessed as much," said Sami, her face lighting up, "I am too, even though it could have been under better circumstances."

"Just promise me that if you need me for anything that you will call me," said EJ earnestly, "I want to be there for you two."

"I will," said Sami with a smile just before he kissed her again.

EJ leant his forehead against hers and smiled down at Sami.

"I'd better go," said Sami regretfully, "Lucas will be back soon."

EJ pulled a face but nodded.

"Alright," he said unhappily as Sami started to go through the door, "Samantha wait-"

Sami turned back around as EJ quickly stole another kiss from her before kissing her stomach again.

"I love you little one," he told Sami's stomach.

"Go," Sami laughed, "We get it, you love us EJ."

EJ grinned down at her, letting himself forget for a moment all the dangers that were pressing in on them. Right now all there was to him was Sami and their child. He was going to have a child with Samantha and despite all the pressures that brought with it EJ was just delirious with happiness.

A pair of dark eyes watched from the fire escape as EJ finally tore himself away from Sami and headed back to his apartment. The eyes watched as Sami bit her bottom lip, a big smile on her face before she also disappeared into her apartment and closed the door.

"Well," the owner of the dark eyes drawled, "Don't that just beat all and make everything a might more interestin'?"

The man gave a sly smile and pulled his cowboy hat down over his face a little more.

"We're gonna have some fun now," he murmured and the thought was obviously an amusing one to him as he began to chuckle away to himself quietly.

The man turned around, his fancily decorated cowboy boots with the shiny steel cap toe surprisingly quiet on the metal fire escape as he started to make his way down the ladder. No time for just rubber neckin' now was there – not when there were things to be gettin' on with after all. The man stepped off the ladder and walked down the alleyway, heading towards his car at the end of it. He stopped by it and shook his head at the long scratches that ran along its side.

"Time to get you all fixed up now darlin'," he said with a quirk of his lips, "Can't have my ride bein' all banged up like that now can we?"

The cowboy opened the car door and climbed in, he and the car quickly disappearing down the street.

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ lifted up the lid of the trash can and deposited his bag of rubbish into it. He wiped his hands and turned around, intending to head back upstairs when Lucas appeared from the parking lot under the apartment block.

"Hm," said Lucas calmly, "I thought you were throwing out the trash but you are still here so I guess not."

"Oh Lucas," said EJ with faked joviality, "I think it is your humour I'll miss the most when you are pushing up daisies."

"It really doesn't bother you that I'm dying does it?" asked Lucas bitterly, "It's all just a big joke to you that I'm going to leave a widow and son behind."

"If you didn't want to leave a widow then you shouldn't have married Samantha," said EJ logically, "And correct me if I'm wrong but your son has been living happily without you for some time now. You know, seeing as he's now living with the man who cuckholded you in your last marriage and that's the guy that actually raising him now. Conveniently it's your brother so at least you are keeping it all in the family."

"My relationship with my son is none of your damn business DiMera," Lucas growled.

"Well you brought it up," said EJ with vague annoyance, "Don't bring things up that you don't want me to comment on."

"Why are you even still in the building?" asked Lucas angrily, "Shouldn't you be moving in with daddy or something now?"

"What, with your mother you mean?" asked EJ sweetly, "Now there's a thought, she and I getting all cosy again."

Lucas' lips thinned angrily as EJ's dig hit its mark.

"Wouldn't that make your girlfriend jealous?" asked Lucas just as sweetly.

"Estelle is extremely broad minded," said EJ calmly, "I might run it past her and see what she says. If you never ask you never know."

"You're such a sick freak," said Lucas in disgust, pretty sure EJ was just trying to rattle his cage but it was an unnerving thought anyway which was no doubt the point.

"Speaking of which you're looking disappointingly well," observed EJ, looking him up and down intently.

Lucas' heart leapt at that observation on EJ's behalf but managed to maintain a calm exterior.

"I've been trying a new therapy regime," said Lucas, holding his gaze steadily, "I guess it is working for me."

"So you're getting better?" asked EJ in confusion.

"No of course not," said Lucas quickly, "It's just that my symptoms are more under control."

"Mm," said EJ, not looking entirely convinced.

"My health is nothing to do with you Elvis," said Lucas curtly, "And I have to wonder why you are so keen to see me dead all of a sudden?"

"Be fair old man," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "I've wanted you dead ever since I met you – this is not a sudden sentiment on my behalf."

"And why is that I wonder?" asked Lucas, his suspicions being raised now.

"I'm surprised to be the first person to tell you this Lucas but you are a truly annoying human being," said EJ with a little shrug, "You're not going to be a huge loss to humanity."

"You know what galls me?" asked Lucas bitterly.

"That you can't go on those rides that say you must be this tall?" asked EJ innocently, indicating a point over Lucas' head.

"That you're still drawing breath when you should be dead," said Lucas curtly, ignoring EJ's last comment.

"Do you mean the shooting thing?" asked EJ with an arched eyebrow, "A couple of bullets won't stop a DiMera."

"Maybe next time the guy will aim for your head," said Lucas angrily, "Maybe he'll learn from his mistake next time."

"If he's learnt from this mistakes he won't try again," said EJ coolly, "You'd have to be a very special kind of moron to try and kill a DiMera and a dribbling buffoon to mess with them again."

Lucas' jaw hardened at statement from EJ even though he couldn't know that he was talking the gunman right then.

"I'm going in," said Lucas dismissively, "It looks like it is about to rain and I've got my beautiful wife waiting for me."

"Good idea," said EJ with a calm smile, "I hear things shrink in the rain and you really can't afford that now can you Lucas?"

Lucas didn't comment, just turned away and began to head back into the apartment building. It was going to be his very great pleasure to wipe that smirk off that guys face and suddenly he was happy that his mother was going to such great lengths to destroy EJ. It wasn't the way he would have gone about it but the thought of having EJ disowned by his father and hopefully a whole lot worse was a very happy one for Lucas. He was especially looking forward to the expression on EJ's face when he found out that Lucas had undergone a 'miracle cure'. Lucas would have everything, a life, Sami, everything and EJ would have nothing.

That was going to be one happy day and it couldn't come soon enough for Lucas.


	103. Chapter 250

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & FIFTY**** – ****Hidden Things**

The man who can keep a secret may be wise, but he is not half as wise as the man with no secrets to keep.

_Edgar Watson Howe_

_(American Editor, Novelist and Essayist,_

_He was known as the Sage of Potato Hill, 1853-1937)_

EJ walked out of his bedroom the next morning, a big smile on his face. He'd woken up this morning and his first thought had been of Sami as always and then he'd remembered about the baby. It was a euphoric feeling to think of Sami carrying something their love had created together inside of her. EJ felt like he was always with her now – the baby his body had given to hers linking them in a way that he'd only dreamed of before. EJ was in such a good mood that even the sight of Sam sitting on his sofa didn't diminish it as he pulled on his shirt.

"I'm going to be a father!" EJ announced joyously, not having anyone to share the news with and he was just bursting to tell someone.

"_You already are a father love pumpkin," said Sam knowingly. _

"I am aren't I?" asked EJ with a huge grin, "Sam I can't tell you how happy I am right now."

"_I'm glad for you muffin top," said Sam evenly._

"You don't seem very glad," said EJ with annoyance, folding his arms in front of his chest as he took in the way she was looking at him.

"_It's just that we've got twice the worry now," said Sam with a bit of a shrug, "I just wish we knew who was trying to kill us."_

"I'm working on it," said EJ shortly, feeling his good mood evaporating as Sam introduced some unwelcome reality.

"_And I notice you haven't told Sami about it yet either," Sam prodded him._

"I don't want her to worry," said EJ tersely, walking over to the kitchen to make himself a cup of tea.

"_You're right," said Sam agreeably, "It's much more fun for her to find your bloody corpse somewhere and have it be a surprise. Women love surprises."_

"I don't want Samantha worrying," insisted EJ stubbornly, "She doesn't need that kind of stress in her condition and there isn't going to be a bloody corpse – at least not mine."

"_So you're just going to keep on lying to her then?" said Sam disapprovingly._

"I'm doing this for Samantha's own good," said EJ curtly, "This is the right thing to do."

"_The truth between two people who love each other is always the right thing," Sam mimicked his accent and what he'd said to Sami only yesterday. _

"Why do you always do this?!" asked EJ angrily, "I'm happy and you come in intent on destroying that happiness!"

"_Happiness based in a fantasy world is no kind of happiness at all!" Sam shot back unrepentantly, "You need to get your head out of that firm and biteable ass of yours and start thinking clearly. Sami isn't going to thank you for keeping her in the dark about something so serious – trust me, I know that girl."_

"If I play my cards right then she'll never know," said EJ coolly.

"_That's a big if," said Sam with a roll of her eyes, "You married the wrong girl if you wanted a bimbo who wasn't going to ask any questions. That girl is more inquisitive then a bagful of cats."_

"Samantha has a lot going on with her life right now," said EJ, unable to argue with that, "I'm hopeful that she'll be distracted."

"_Okay then," said Sam, folding her arms in front of herself, "Putting aside the whole moral aspect of you lying to Sami which you said you'd never do by the way and here you are, five minutes into the marriage and those ass hugging pants of yours are on fire!"_

"Yes putting that aside," said EJ sweetly through gritted teeth.

"_You're not making great progress with the whole 'who shot JR' thing when it comes to your little the fast and the furious debacle," said Sam unrelentingly. _

"I've got a team of people working on it," said EJ tightly.

"_And while all that work is going on Sami is a ticking time bomb," said Sam knowingly, "First of trying to convince her to stay with Lucas for a bit longer, nearly choked on my breakfast wheaties when I heard you doing that by the way."_

"It had to be done," said EJ with a grimace, "For her own safety."

"_How much safer can she be with a man who only comes in fun sized, not regular?" asked Sam flatly._

"Because if this person is only coming after me then Sami can't be near me because she might end up being collateral damage," said EJ unhappily.

"_And if this guy is coming after both of you?" asked Sam unimpressed, "What then lobster lips?"_

"I've taken precautions," said EJ coolly, "You know that."

"_I know that for a smart guy you are a huge idiot," said Sam with a bit of a shrug._

"Well what do you suggest I do Sam?!" asked EJ angrily, "Just be with Samantha and consequences be damned?! Have a target painted on her and our unborn child? Is that what you want me to do eh?! And what about my father? He's not going to make it easy for us to have any kind of life now that there is a child involved – I have to work to protect my family from my father's reach and all of that takes time!"

"_Time you don't have as Sami is no doubt going to pop any day now," said Sam disapprovingly, "How on earth is she going to hide a pregnancy for much longer? Send her into a witness protection program?!"_

"That might actually work," EJ mused, almost to himself, "Only they'd probably send some FBI lunk to look after her that would end up being a huge pain in my ass. Some guy with one facial expression and a hero complex."

"_So no witness protection then?" asked Sam wryly, "So what then?"_

"I just have to find out who is after me as quickly as I can and then neutralise the threat," said EJ determinedly.

"_And when you say 'neutralise' what do you mean exactly by that?" asked Sam with an arched eyebrow._

"It means that I am never going to allow someone who would harm Samantha to continue drawing breath on this earth," said EJ, his jaw hardening.

"_So you're planning on killing him then?" asked Sam challengingly, "When you find this guy?"_

EJ just looked back at her steadily; not answering her but the expression on his face said it all.

"_And what if there is more than one person involved?" Sam challenged him, "Are you going to kill them as well?"_

"I'm going to do what it takes to keep Samantha safe," said EJ coldly, "Whatever it takes."

"_See this is you being a cow's dingle dangle again," said Sam, throwing up her hands in exasperation. _

"Excuse me?" asked EJ in annoyance, "How is me protecting my family a bad thing exactly?"

"_Weren't you listening to me at all that day on the beach at Ara Caman?" asked Sam impatiently, "You're protecting Sami but who is protecting Sami from the murderer in her bed?!"_

EJ scowled at that assessment on Sam's behalf.

"I wouldn't be a-" EJ began but then had to stop abruptly.

"_A murderer?" finished off Sam sweetly, "Well what do you call a person who kills people exactly? Correct me if I'm wrong but murderer seems to be the word that fits here big boy." _

"Some situations just call for drastic solutions," said EJ tightly, "This is Samantha we are talking about here."

"_So I guess this is it then," said Sam flatly, "Apply a little pressure and your true colours come out eh Elvis? Suddenly you've reverted back to true DiMera form. I wonder how Sami is going to feel putting her newborn baby in the arms of a murderer? I wonder what she is going to say when she discovers that she thought she was marrying Elvis and got Stefano instead? How are you going to look your child in the eye and know that you're a man worthy of raising it?"_

"Stop it alright!!" EJ yelled at her, "Just shut the hell up Sam!"

"_I'm trying to stop you from being stupid and ruining your life and Sami's!" said Sam, not backing down, "You talk about wanting to be there for Sami and being a better man well this is it love chunks – this is the moment that you need to work out who the hell you are and quick! Sami needs you and by that I don't mean she needs you killing people on her behalf either! You promised her that you'd be a man to believe in well time walk the walk buster!"_

EJ's shoulders slumped as he realised what Sam was saying was true. Now he had even more on his plate then ever before thanks to her harping. Not only did he have to plan a way to keep Stefano out of their lives long term but he also had to keep Sami safe without compromising the new principles he was trying to learn or worse still, formulate.

"_I know," said Sam with a sympathetic nod, "It's a lot – I see a drinking problem in your future."_

"I'm not going to start drinking," said EJ coldly.

"_Probably a good idea considering what happened last time," said Sam with a shake of her head, "I was so embarrassed!"_

"How can you be embarrassed?" asked EJ in annoyance, "A woman who wears little more than a hankie on any given day."

"_Don't let this push up bra and crotchless knickers fool you puddin'," said Sam knowingly, "I'm very shy at heart."_

EJ just arched an eyebrow at her for that comment and pursed his lips, the disbelief obvious on his face.

"_Well I could be shy if I wanted to be," Sam huffed._

"You're as shy as I am likely to become a jockey," said EJ flatly.

"_Hm," said Sam with a lecherous look at him, "Is that a roundabout way of asking if you can ride me to glory Elvis? Tell you what buffalicious – I'll even let you use the whip on me if you're good boy."_

"See how am I meant to take what you say to me seriously when you come out with ridiculous things like that?" asked EJ in exasperation.

"_Just because I'm up for a little game of pin the tail on the donkey now and then doesn't make what I'm saying any less valid," she sniffed. _

"I've got a headache," said EJ, rubbing his face and suddenly feeling very tired.

Pin the tail on the donkey – what the hell did that even mean?!

"_Maybe it's not a headache?" suggested Sam easily, "Maybe it is a harbinger of your own untimely and undoubtedly messy demise warning you that the end is nigh."_

EJ dropped his hand away from his face and just glared at her.

"I swear to God that if I knew a way to get rid of you permanently you'd be so out of my head Sam that your feet wouldn't touch the ground," said EJ from behind gritted teeth.

"_But you don't so you're stuck with me," said Sam, sticking her tongue out at him cheekily, "So suck it."_

**oooOOOOooo**

Kate walked down the stairs that lay on the other side of the hidden doorway and tried not to make any noise. She'd managed to catch the door again when Rolf had left and despite herself Kate was going back for another look. She'd heard Rolf make arrangements to be out for the rest of the day and Stefano was on an out of town business trip and wouldn't be back until later that night. As Kate had never seen anyone else enter or exit the hidden door her fingers were crossed that she wouldn't find anyone down there waiting for her.

At the bottom of the stairs she started to walk along the twisty corridor, going ever deeper into the labyrinth of corridors. The first time Kate had come down here she'd had no idea what to expect but now she did and that actually made her more nervous, not less. She wasn't even sure what it was that she was doing here, almost certain that this was a bad idea. Despite her misgivings though Kate had found herself drawn back to this place and the secrets it kept. She kept on walking until she was at a familiar door, one with a glass inset so you could look into the room on the other side. Kate cautiously peeked into it and then ducked away but apparently she hadn't been quick enough.

"Kate my dear," said the drawling voice calmly, "You've come to visit with me again, how lovely."

Kate frowned worriedly, uncertain how he could know it was her and shocked to discover that she'd been noticed by him the first time around. After all the man had his back to her, leaning up against the bars of the cell that contained him as he sat on a stool, reading a book in his lap.

"In or out Katherine," the accented voice told her, "You must make a choice."

Kate had this sudden feeling that she was making much more of a choice then one just to enter the room or walk away and her nervous feeling increased. Regardless of her misgivings though, Kate was never one to turn away from something that she might be able to work in her favour. She opened the door and walked confidently into the room, not willing to show any kind of weakness to the man. The room was divided in two by a row of bars and on the other side of the bars was a cot and a toilet with a basin and very little else. It was obviously intended as a cell and that was what it was being used for.

"Hello Tony," she said calmly, proud of how steady her voice was.

He put down his book and turned on the stool so that he was looking up at her now and gave that cat like little smile of his.

"Well this is a pleasant surprise," he said, his smile widening, "It has been a little while since I've had the pleasure of a woman's company, especially one as beautiful as you Kate."

"How long have you been in here?" asked Kate with a little frown, looking around and steeling herself not to shudder.

"Long enough," he said with a little shrug.

Kate knew about Tony's supposed business trip that Stefano had sent him on and she knew it was because Stefano thought Tony had been the one to shoot EJ. She felt a pang of guilt at Tony's fate and her part in keeping him here. There was no alternative though for Kate. She could hardly give up her own son when it came to what he'd done to EJ so unfortunately Tony had to pay the price of Lucas' poor impulse control.

"But it's not so bad," he continued on evenly as he indicated the book in his hand, "My uncle is nothing if not magnanimous about keeping me entertained."

He held up the book for Kate to see the title – "Bob Dole – A Memoir". Kate pulled a face as he gave a little chuckle.

"I know," he said in amusement, "The man has quite the sense of humour."

"Wait," said Kate, suddenly confused, "You said your uncle, do you mean Stefano?"

"That is correct," he said calmly as he looked back at her steadily.

"But you're Tony, his son," said Kate with a scowl, "If Stefano was your uncle that would make you-"

Kate trailed off as she realised that the person she was dealing with was even more dangerous then she'd first imagined.

"-André," she finished in little more than whisper.

"Intelligence in a woman is so damn sexy, did you know that Kate?" asked André throatily.

"But-but you can't be," stammered Kate.

"But I am," André sighed, "Life is just full of surprises isn't it?"

"How long have you been André for?" asked Kate in confusion.

"Pretty much all of my life," André chuckled at her question.

"No, I mean how long has it been you and not Tony being Tony?" asked Kate, knowing that was a pretty garbled question but hoping he knew what she meant.

"For a long time now," said André with a quirk of his lips, "I don't know whether to be happy to think that I'm such a good actor or saddened to think how many dim witted people there are in Salem. It's like a Mecca for the banal and brainless."

"Does Stefano know you are André?" asked Kate tentatively.

"I didn't think so," said André, pursing his lips, "But after our last little fracas it turns out he knew all along. Cunning dog that he is."

"And he didn't care that you were masquerading as his son all these years?" asked Kate in consternation.

"Stefano is a realist my dear," said André coolly, "He received good and loyal service out of me unlike what his actual son was offering so he just left sleeping dogs to lie so to speak."

"You're all insane," Kate declared wide eyed.

"Why?" asked André in consternation, "It was working perfectly, everyone was happy."

"Well you can't be happy now surely?" exclaimed Kate, waving her arm around at the cell.

"Mm," said André philosophically, "My relationship with Stefano is on somewhat of a downward swing at the moment. He's been rather angry with me of late."

"If Stefano is so angry with you why aren't you dead?" asked Kate with a frown, just blurting out the question.

"My uncle doesn't like to throw anything away that might one day prove useful to him," said André with a bit of a smirk, "We've had a somewhat recent example of that."

"What does that mean?" asked Kate in confusion.

"Oh Katherine," said André in vague amusement, "I think you've made enough discoveries for one day eh? We must leave some mysteries between us."

"I can't let you go," said Kate suddenly, "You know that don't you? I won't help you escape André."

"No?" asked André with an arched eyebrow, "How interesting that you should reach that conclusion before hearing what it is that I could offer you. Now that isn't the astute business woman that I've grown to know over all of these years."

"There is nothing you could offer me to make it worth my while to defy Stefano like that," said Kate flatly.

"But you already intend to defy Stefano now don't you my dear?" asked André, that sly smile back on his lips.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," said Kate haughtily, drawing herself up to her full height.

"I'm just thinking about that old adage about keeping your friends close and your enemies closer," said André thoughtfully, "You know if I knew my son had done something foolish, like try and shoot Stefano's favourite son for example, that the best place to be would be right by the old man's side to run interference and keep abreast of the situation."

Kate knew she was on shaky ground here but she couldn't back down now.

"What are you saying André?" said Kate, her face giving nothing away, "That Lucas shot EJ for some reason and that I married Stefano to protect his secret?"

"I couldn't have said it better myself," said André with a chuckle.

"Well if you believed that then why didn't you tell Stefano that and avoid all of this?" asked Kate defiantly, trying to work out the man's angle.

It was clear that he knew Lucas shot EJ and Kate couldn't figure why he wouldn't have told Stefano yet, especially considering where he ended up.

"I like to wait until I can get the maximum use out of the things that I know," said André mysteriously.

"You can't tell Stefano that Lucas shot EJ!" Kate informed him imperiously.

"And why not?" asked André with a little smile.

"Because he didn't do it," Kate said haughtily, "That's why."

"But he did," said André with a mock regretful sigh, "We both know that Kate."

"Stefano wouldn't believe you after all of this time anyway," Kate threw back at him, "If you were going to blame Lucas to escape your fate then you would have already done it!"

"My issues with Stefano run a little deeper than a few stray bullets," said André with a twist of his lips, "He thinks I am defying his wishes by wanting the DiMera empire for myself."

"And do you?" asked Kate with a raised eyebrow.

"Let's just say that I'm not sitting in this cell for my health," said André wryly.

"Do you really expect me to believe that being imprisoned like this is all part of your grand plan?" asked Kate sceptically.

"In order to be ultimately triumphant plans must be flexible," said André coolly, "I'm sure I'm not telling you anything you don't know eh Kate? A prison cell is an excellent place to bide your time and think."

"And what is it exactly that you are thinking André?" asked Kate flatly.

This man was a real danger to Lucas and she needed to find out as much as she could about what he was up to.

"I'm thinking that you being here is quite serendipitous but could be just what both of us are looking for," said André with a sly little smile.

"I'm not looking for anything," said Kate quickly.

"But nonetheless you have found it," he purred, "Is this not an interesting state of affairs we find ourselves in hm?"

"I'm not here to play games André," said Kate coolly.

"Actually I believe that is exactly why you are here," said André with a small smile, "And I can't help but think that perhaps we can be helpful to one another."

"How could you help me?" asked Kate with an uncertain frown.

A slow, evil smile crept across André's face at that question.

"Ah," he said throatily, "I'm so glad you asked Kate."

The colour drained from Kate's face as he began to talk and she had to wonder what the hell she'd gotten herself into here...


	104. Chapter 251

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & FIFTY ONE**** – ****A Trip Down Memory Lane**

The gift of fantasy has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing positive knowledge.

_Albert Einstein_

_(German born American Physicist who developed the special and general theories of relativity. Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921. 1879-1955)_

EJ and Sami sat in his office working on a seating plan for a promotional party they were planning in a couple of days.

"You can't put those two together," said Sami conversationally.

"Why not?" asked EJ, looking down at the seating plan, "They have a lot in common – they run businesses that would be helpful to one another."

"And also that guy slept with the other guys underage daughter," said Sami calmly.

"Really?" asked EJ in surprise.

"Oh yeah," said Sami with a knowing nod, "It was a whole to do."

"How do you know these things?" asked EJ in amusement.

"I still see Maggie regularly," said Sami simply.

"That woman is a font of knowledge," agreed EJ wryly.

"Well that's the nicest way of saying town busy body that I've ever heard," said Sami straight faced, intent on not letting anyone who might be looking in at them that they were having a civil conversation with one another.

They were still keeping up the façade of hating each other for everyone else's benefit and they both enjoyed the verbal sparring. In private though they could be free with one another, just as long as they didn't look like they could stand one another. EJ put his hand up to his mouth to hide his smile from any on lookers.

"How are you feeling today sweetheart?" asked EJ, eyes down on the seating plan in front of him.

"Good," said Sami calmly.

"No morning sickness?" he quizzed her.

"I think I've missed it this time around," said Sami with a little shrug, "No complaints from me. I was sick enough for three pregnancies with Will."

"Is that normal?" asked EJ, his calm demeanour belying the concern in his voice, "I thought I read somewhere that the sicker a woman is the healthier the pregnancy."

"I'm fine EJ," Sami reassured him, "The baby is fine, stop worrying about us. Every woman is different and every pregnancy is different."

"I just wish I could be with you all of the time," said EJ unhappily.

"You're with me when it counts EJ," said Sami sincerely, rubbing his leg under the table with her foot.

"I want to do more," said EJ in frustration.

"Well there is one little thing," said Sami easily.

"What's that sweetheart?" asked EJ keenly.

"I love how tenderly you make love to me now that I'm pregnant EJ," said Sami softly, "You make me feel so special."

"You are so special," said EJ warmly, chancing a little look at her as they both pretended to be looking the other way.

"There is just one little request that I was going to make if it isn't a bother though," Sami continued on calmly.

"Of course my love," said EJ, his face not giving away to anyone who might be looking in on them the kind of conversation they were having.

"Next time could you bang me like I was a twenty dollar hooker in an alleyway?" she asked conversationally.

The pencil EJ was holding snapped in his hand and then he was forced to noisily clear his throat.

"I suppose if you were a good girl then that could be arranged," said EJ when he could speak, still reading his notes but the way his voice cracked a little giving away the strain he was under.

"And if I'm a bad girl would you take me so hard that I couldn't walk for a week afterwards?" asked Sami easily, moving some names around on the seating board.

"Why are you trying to kill me?" EJ asked with a groan as he struggled to not show his rampant arousal on his face.

"A girls gotta have a hobby," said Sami sweetly, a sly smile on her lips.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Your move," observed Stefano, studying the chess board.

"I know," said Kate coolly, "You can't rush greatness."

"You seem distracted today my love," said Stefano, "What is wrong?"

Kate looked up at him in vague surprise, sure she'd been able to keep a façade up for Stefano's benefit but apparently he'd seen right through it. He was a wily one, that was for sure. Lucas had just rung before, all anxious that people were going to discover that he wasn't dying, insisting that EJ was starting to get suspicious. Kate had tried to calm him down and reassured her son that it was all just in his head. Having such a skittish partner in crime wasn't great though and Kate had to wonder if Lucas had it in him to back her on this. Their past teaming up attempts had always gone poorly in the end and Kate knew she really couldn't afford that with this game she was playing.

Seeing Tony, sorry, André in that cell had been a sobering sight for Kate. Her husband really could have no mercy when it suited him and André was proof positive of that. It had suddenly hit home to her the enormity of the risks she was taking. One wrong move and she'd be in that cell right beside André, never to see the light of day again. The thought sent a cold shudder through her body.

What was even more disturbing for Kate though was to look into the face of that insane, twisted man and wonder if she was looking into her future. What did a life time of scheming and ruthless agendas reward you with Kate had wondered dully? In doing what she was doing was Kate fashioning a prison of her own making for herself even if she managed to pull this off how she wanted? Was that to be her fate, to ultimately be left with nothing but her dark machinations and plots?

"I was just thinking about-" Kate paused to find the right word, "Legacies I guess. What I want for my children and grandchildren, who I want to be for them."

"It is a tricky question," said Stefano with a nod, "As you grow older you are given the gift and the curse of being able to look back on your life and see all that you have done, laid out before you in an unforgiving diorama."

"What do you see when you look back Stefano?" asked Kate intently, curious to know.

"I see a man who did what he had to do to make what he wanted happen," said Stefano calmly.

"No regrets?" Kate pushed him, "You don't ever have misgivings over some of the things you've done Stefano?"

"Regret is the folly of a weak mind," he dismissed easily.

"But doesn't regret help you not to repeat your mistakes?" Kate protested, "You know, those that don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it?"

"I make my own future," said Stefano unrepentantly, "I know the consequences of my actions and consider them and then come what may I shoulder the responsibility of them. Too many people mew about what life has done to them and play the victim. I take charge of my life and face down what comes my way unflinchingly – it is the only way to live."

"You make it sound easy," said Kate with a half smile.

"Of course it is not easy," said Stefano with a shake of his head, "It is not an easy life to lead. It can be very lonely because very few people have the ability to stare into the abyss and not flinch. There is little greatness to people I find nowadays. It is all lost in political correctness and going with the crowd. They are all sheep and that does not interest me. What I am looking for is a-"

"Wolf?" supplied Kate with an arched eyebrow and half smile.

"Indeed," he chuckled, "A fierce creature who will not shy away from what must be done in life."

"Well this she-wolf is wondering what she is doing at the moment," said Kate and then realised she'd been a little too free as Stefano looked at her expectantly, "I mean with Lucas' AML and everything."

"Kate," said Stefano sincerely, putting his hand over hers, "This I promise you – when I married you I took on the responsibility of your children's happiness as well, whether they like it or not."

"My children say they don't need me anymore," said Kate quietly, feeling the pang that only a mother could know at that thought.

"Bah," said Stefano decisively, "They are children what do they know eh?!"

Kate had to smile despite herself at that observation.

"A child will always need the guiding hand of a parent," said Stefano knowingly, "And whether they know it or not they look for it, require it to go forward in life. Samantha and Elvis will be together, this is my wish and so shall it be."

"And what about Lucas?" asked Kate unhappily, "How does that fit into you looking after my children Stefano?"

"Samantha is not the one for your son Kate, any of them," said Stefano firmly, "This you know yourself eh? Otherwise why would you have campaigned so long and hard against these unions?"

"Of course Sami isn't meant to be with Lucas," said Kate in annoyance, "But he can't see that."

"As a parent it is sometimes our role to do things which displease our children but ultimately will bring them happiness," said Stefano easily, "When he was a little boy Elvis would always love to eat olives, as many as he could get. I would tell him no, that he'd had enough because I knew too many would be bad for him. One day though Elvis defied me, he was no more than five or six and he stole three jars of olives from the pantry eh? I found him that afternoon so sick with all the olives, he'd eaten a jar and a half of them and very sorry for himself. I cleaned him up and put him to bed and stayed with him all night."

Stefano paused then, a soft smile coming to his lips.

"I have not thought of that for years," he mused with a soft chuckle, "Such a wilful child."

Stefano shook his head affectionately.

"But I was there to pick up the pieces of his folly and Elvis learnt an important lesson that day," said Stefano.

"That eating your own body weight in olives is a bad idea?" asked Kate wryly, trying to picture the EJ she knew as a young child and floundering.

"That I only wanted what was best for him," Stefano corrected her, "These things, these trials that pass between a parent and child they forge the bonds even more strongly between them and should not by shied away from. If Lucas survives this illness it will be to start a life with a woman who matches him far better than Samantha ever could and you will have a hand in that happiness Kate."

"Do you think that doing anything for your children is justifiable?" asked Kate in concern.

"Of course," said Stefano without hesitation, "They are your children, there is no stronger bond then flesh."

Kate sat back in her chair and regarded Stefano steadily, wondering about André's fate if that was the case.

"So pensive my dear wife," said Stefano softly, "Perhaps I can help?"

"You're a complicated man Stefano DiMera," said Kate with a little shake of her head.

"And you are a complicated and beautiful woman," said Stefano, picking up her hand and kissing the back of it softly, "A combination that has always been my undoing."

"I can't imagine what would undo you Stefano," said Kate wryly.

"Perhaps if you came here and kissed me you would find the answer to that question eh?" Stefano chuckled, a bright light burning in his dark eyes.

Kate smiled and stood up, walking around the table to go and sit on his lap. She pressed a soft kiss to Stefano's lips before drawing back.

"We are a strange pair," said Kate, resting her forehead against his.

"Unique," Stefano corrected her, "Something that I will not apologise for."

"You make everything sound so easy," said Kate with a bit of a sigh, still feeling very conflicted about what she was going to do next.

Stefano just smiled at that and drew her down into another kiss and Kate just let herself get lost in his kisses. Thoughts of André were for another day.

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami walked down the deserted corridors of the third floor of the Mythic building. She'd just texted EJ – the eagle wants to land, prepare the dinghy – and was now going to meet him. The vacant offices above them had turned out to be a rather convenient find for the two of them which they had been putting to good use. Sami walked into the unused conference room, complete with a large desk and chairs in the middle of the room and looked around. The room was dark and she didn't want to put on the lights and draw any unnecessary attention to herself but she couldn't see EJ and she knew that he'd left before her so he should already be there. Sami lifted a hand to turn on the light anyway so she could see better when a voice across the room stopped her.

"Leave it."

EJ's deep commanding voice made Sami's toes curl in her shoes as she tried to peer through the darkness.

"But I want to see you," Sami protested with a little pout.

"Well I just want to fuck you," said EJ's voice, suddenly at her ear and making Sami jump, not having realised he'd covered the distance between them so quickly.

Sami's pulse went through the roof at the way EJ was talking to her, her panties immediately soaked through. She felt EJ's hands go to her hips and swing her around so she was facing the wall as he roughly dragged up her tight fitting skirt to her hips. Sami figured she may as well get the wear out of this type of clothing while she could, soon enough she'd be dressing to hide her body. EJ's hands were at her panties now, hooking his fingers in the sides.

"Don't rip them," she said unsteadily to which EJ promptly did just that, tearing them from her body in a hard movement and making Sami gasp.

"I'll do whatever the hell I want seeing as I'm paying for this," EJ growled in her ear, still standing behind her.

His hand moved around to in front of Sami and shoved something down her cleavage. She looked down and saw it was money, she assumed a twenty. EJ had clearly been listening when she'd told him what she wanted. He pulled back on her hips, forcing Sami to plant her hands flat on the wall in front of her to steady herself and then there was the sound of a zip being undone. That was the only warning before Sami suddenly found herself impaled on his engorged member.

Sami squealed at being forced to take so much all at once but didn't complain. He gave her no chance to prepare herself either as EJ began to immediately hammer her roughly from behind. Already Sami could feel her stomach muscles contracting with each forceful penetration and her arms began to shake as the pressure built inside her body. The sound of the slap of EJ's body against her backside and his rough breathing filled the room just added to Sami's arousal. She loved EJ like this, out of control and just lost in the moment.

Sami moaned loudly as her body began to give way to the rough treatment he was giving it, feeling her orgasm build in the pit of her stomach, spreading out to her womb and then with one particularly hard thrust that impacted on her highly sensitised nub Sami was done. Her body exploded around his which EJ ignored, continuing to drill her to the wall even as she shook violently, crying out until she was hoarse. Sami's knees gave way and EJ grabbed her just in time, his arms around her waist.

Still sobbing out her pleasure he picked her up like that, still inside of her and turned them around. The next thing Sami knew was she was being bent over the conference table, one cheek against the smooth, polished finish. Sami's nails scratched at the wood to find something to grip onto as EJ began to mercilessly pound her again and she sobbed her gratitude that he had more to give her because she was already craving her next orgasm.

She was insatiable nowadays, needing more and more all the time. The pregnancy had taken her sex drive to a whole new level and Sami just craved EJ's attentions endlessly. He'd just say her name and her panties would be wet through, he'd look at her and her nipples would turn into painfully hard pebbles. If things were different Sami was pretty sure she wouldn't let that man out of her bed for weeks on end with how much she needed him all the time. EJ would have to give her at least three orgasms now before she was beginning to be satisfied and Sami had no idea how he was keeping up with her but just thanked god that he could.

EJ was beginning to grunt loudly now each time he impaled her, making Sami go up on her toes and she knew he was getting close and also knew that she'd be ready to come with him in no time at all. Sami reached behind herself and grabbed at EJ's wrists that where at her hips, holding her in place so he could drill her as deeply as he pleased and held on tightly. EJ had complete control of her now and was using it to his best advantage, Sami reaping the benefits of having a lover who knew her body so well. EJ's penetrations were becoming more urgent, speeding up to the point where Sami barely had time to register the fact that he'd left her body before he was slamming himself back into her.

EJ's panting grunts were suddenly interrupted by a guttural noise and Sami felt him go rigid behind her and then there was the feeling of his hot seed being pumped into her. The sensation made Sami come and she moaned loudly into the wooden desk, helplessly responding to what was happening. EJ continued to pump himself into her for a long moment as Sami convulsed under him. When he was finally done EJ withdrew from her abruptly and Sami could feel his hot maleness seeping out of her and trickling down the inside of her legs. Sami lay there, panting loudly as she heard EJ fall into a chair behind her, his breathing just as noisy. She lifted her head shakily from the table and looked over her shoulder. EJ was sitting in the chair, his head thrown back and his body still shaking from how hard he'd just come inside of her. It looked like the twenty dollar hooker was a shared fantasy because EJ definitely looked as though he'd enjoyed himself.

Sami slowly moved off the table, unsure if her legs could support her after such a thorough seeing to from EJ. She turned around unsteadily and looked down at EJ, a small smile on his lips, his head still lolled back as he tried to catch his breath. Unbelievably Sami just wanted him again so badly. Her last orgasm was forgotten as her body screamed at her that it needed more. Sami sunk to her knees in front of him and eagerly took his spent member into her mouth. EJ's head snapped up at her touch and he gave a pleased moan at her initiative. She could taste their combined arousal on him and it was a heady sensation.

"Like that do you?" EJ purred in satisfaction, stroking her head as she worked on him industriously.

Sami's answer was to suck and pump him harder, causing EJ to lose the power of coherent speech.

"Yes... more... so good... mmm... aaahhhHH."

EJ's noises were becoming increasingly more enthusiastic in line with how he rapidly stiffening within her mouth. She'd never know how he could recover so quickly but just counted her blessings. Sami reached up and took EJ's hands that were at the back of her head encouraging her to take more of him in her mouth and directed them to her breasts, helping him to slide under her blouse. She knew what an aphrodisiac her breasts were for EJ, particularly now as they were indeed getting noticeable bigger. The bra she was wearing didn't really contain them but she hadn't gone shopping for larger sizes yet because Sami knew how much EJ seeing her practically falling out of her bra.

"You're so big," EJ moaned his approval as he fondled her breasts, feeling their size and weight.

"So are you," said Sami, drawing back and still pumping him with her hand as she admired her handiwork.

EJ moved then, clearly impatient for more than just her hand on him, reversing their positions. EJ stood and picked Sami up, depositing her in the chair he'd just vacated. Before Sami could move EJ took control again and put his hands on the arms of the chair and hooking Sami's legs up over his arms at the same time. Sami was laid out on full display for EJ and even in the low light he must be getting an eyeful and the way his eyes flared hungrily told Sami he liked what he saw. Sami's breasts were moving unevenly with her ragged breathing, the twenty dollar note still sticking out between them.

"Time for you to earn that," EJ growled as he nodded at the note, the promise of more excruciating pleasure obvious in his tone.

Sami made a strangled sound as EJ pushed into her again, her hands going up above her head to grip the back of the chair tightly as he began to pound away fiercely into her. EJ was being just as forceful this time around as he was before and it was all Sami could do not to beg him to go harder. The chair was backed up against the wall so that Sami was literally between a rock and a hard place and that hard place was not relenting at all. She arched her back and moaned out her pleasure as EJ worked his magic on her body. It took longer for them to reach a climax this time, the first two times feeling like a warm up to the orgasm Sami could feel building up deep inside of her.

EJ was taking a long time to get there and the feeling of him labouring away so hard in her body, completely lost in what he was doing drew Sami ever closer to that blessed peak. The steely determination on EJ's face as he worked up a sweat pleasuring them both told Sami that he wasn't going to stop now until he came, no matter what. Lucas himself could walk in on them and Sami was confident EJ wouldn't even miss a stroke. In fact if anything he was likely to come even harder inside of her so Lucas could witness him marking his territory. Sami gave a very loud moan at that thought, unbearably excited by it.

"I want you to come when I tell you to," EJ rasped down at her, his body slapping against hers forcefully.

"EJ!" she moaned helplessly, her body on overload already.

One of EJ's hands moved to between their bodies and found her nub, beginning to rub it hard. Sami screamed and bucked up.

"Not yet!" he ordered her through clenched teeth, still massaging her forcefully.

"Oh god, oh god!" cried out Sami incoherently, throwing her head from side to side.

"You come when I tell you otherwise you don't get your money," said EJ thickly, not relenting for a moment in the way he was torturing her with that hard body of his and his skilful fingers.

He released her nub briefly to begin tugging on it and Sami had a moment to catch her breath but as soon as EJ returned to rubbing it she was done. Her body just exploded into a thousand pieces, too intense for Sami to even scream as she squeezed her eyes closed and brilliant points of light danced before her eyes as her body bore down incredibly hard on EJ's. Clearly that was too much for EJ as well, her climaxing body milking his ruthlessly and Sami could hear EJ hollowing his satisfaction as he shot more of his seed deep into her. Their bodies convulsed together helplessly before EJ was finally done. He withdrew from her and straightened up, having to lean back on the table behind him to steady himself briefly as he tidied himself up and straightened up his clothing.

"I believe this is mine," said EJ unevenly, still a little shaky on his feet as he plucked the twenty dollars from between Sami's breasts as she was still sitting in the chair, "A deal is a deal after all and you came before you were called."

"Mm," murmured Sami, too spent to even be able to keep her eyes open properly as she looked up at him groggily.

Her entire being was throbbing pleasurably and Sami didn't know if she'd ever be able to move again. EJ looked down at the deeply satisfied picture she must make and a small smile came to his lips. He walked back over to Sami who was still slumped in the chair, too tired to move and gently nudged apart her legs. Her eyes widened a little then as she wondered if even she could take any more attention from him right then but EJ simply took the twenty dollar bill and began to wipe between Sami's legs with it, cleaning up the wetness of their combined arousal. Sami gave a little gasp and bit her bottom lip at this raunchy little end note to their game. EJ straightened up then and held the note to his nose and inhaling deeply before pulling out his wallet and placing the versatile bill inside.

"Something to remember you by sweetheart," said EJ throatily before turning on his heel and leaving the room without another word.

Sami gave an exhausted and bliss filled sigh after EJ had left, knowing she'd need a little more time to collect herself.

_Did that man know how to rock a fantasy or what?_


	105. Chapter 252

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & FIFTY TWO**** – ****Strange Bed Fellows**

There is no delight in owning anything unshared.

_Seneca_

_(Roman philosopher, mid-1st century AD)_

EJ looked down at the picture Sami had sent him on his cell phone. It was a photo of her bare stomach and she'd texted him – baby says hi – to him. EJ grinned at the picture and just wished he could hug them both right then but Sami was meeting with a client that morning and unfortunately he was going to have to wait. EJ was still at home and had some time on his hands, his meeting that he'd scheduled having to be postponed to later that day so he was at a bit of a loose end. On impulse he picked up the phone and dialled.

"Hey there handsome," answered the female voice.

"Hey there yourself," replied EJ with a grin, "How are you Estelle?"

"I'm having my first coffee of the day so I'm on my way to feeling fabulous darling," said Estelle with a chuckle.

"Sorry," said EJ with a bit of a frown, "Am I interrupting you?"

"No I've got a free period first up on Thursday's," said Estelle.

"Oh of course you have, sorry, I knew that," said EJ.

EJ had gotten familiar with Estelle's work schedules as part of selling the fact that they were in a relationship.

"So what's with the early call lover?" Estelle teased him, "Can't get enough of me?"

"Well I thought we could meet for lunch if you're free?" EJ suggested, "Fly the colours and all that?"

"Okay," she agreed readily, "But I feel I should warn you that I'm in the mood for lobster."

"That's fine honey," said EJ with a quirk of his lips.

"Wait, I wasn't finished," continued Estelle, "A lobster as big as your head on a bed of truffles."

"I'm not sure the Brady Pub does truffles," said EJ, tongue in cheek.

"Hey if you want quality in the girlfriend department then you have to pay for it," said Estelle unapologetically.

"I'm now starting to understand why you are between girlfriends at the moment my love," said EJ teasingly, "Clearly the ladies have to save up to afford you."

A thought occurred to EJ then.

"Actually," he said conversationally, "Perhaps you can answer something that I've always been curious about Estelle. When two lesbians go out to dinner – who pays?"

"The more masculine looking one," said Estelle, not missing a beat.

EJ laughed out loud at that answer.

"Same goes for the menfolk," she continued on blithely, "The one that requires the most manscaping has to pay."

"Knowing you is a true education Estelle," chuckled EJ, "And here was I thinking it would be the one who asked the other would be the first to pay."

"You breeders are so uninspired," said Estelle and EJ could hear her roll her eyes at him.

Her use of the word breeders reminded EJ about the reason why he called. He was just dying to tell someone about the baby but he and Sami had promised each other faithfully that they'd just keep it between themselves for now. It was safer, loose lips sink ships and all that but EJ was practically bursting at the seams to share and he figured Estelle would be perfect. He felt a flash of guilt for going back on his word to Sami but EJ just couldn't help myself.

"Actually I have some news along those lines," said EJ, unable to stop the excitement in his voice, "Samantha and I are having a baby!"

There was the briefest of pauses before Estelle replied.

"Oh honey I'm so happy for you," she said delightedly but EJ knew something was up.

"You already knew didn't you?!" he accused her.

"Ahh," she hedged, "Define knew exactly?"

"Samantha has already told you she is pregnant," said EJ in exasperation.

"Oh then yeah, sure, I knew," said Estelle easily.

"That little minx!" exclaimed EJ in outraged, "She looked me in the eye and promised me that she wouldn't say word one to anyone about her pregnancy!"

"I know," said Estelle in mock outrage as well, "What kind of person gives their word and then promptly goes and does the opposite hm? You got any ideas EJ, any ideas at all?"

"It's completely different me ringing you to tell you Estelle," EJ protested.

"How is it different?" asked Estelle with a little laugh.

"Because Samantha did it before me and therefore is more in the wrong because I lasted longer," said EJ, triumphant at his logic.

He wasn't upset that Sami had told Estelle; in fact it made EJ so happy to know that she was excited as he was about the baby and just as desperate to share the news. That didn't mean he wasn't going to give her a hard time about it though. EJ's lips curved up in a smile as he thought about how Sami might go about 'appeasing' him.

"You are both as bad as each other," said Estelle indulgently.

"I know," said EJ with great satisfaction, "We're perfect for each other."

"Just as well," said Estelle with a laugh, "Sami showed me the rock you gave her for your engagement. That thing has its own gravitational pull."

"I wanted Samantha to know how much she means to me," said EJ with a soft smile.

"I love a man who can express sentiments like that in carats," said Estelle wryly.

"Poor love," EJ teased her, "Are you feeling left out?"

"Maybe," she pouted, "What does a fake girlfriend have to do to get a little bling around here anyway?"

"Come with me to a charity fund raiser tomorrow night and I'll answer that question," EJ said with a chuckle.

"Tomorrow night?" asked Estelle thoughtfully, "Desperate Housewives is on but I suppose I can tape it. What is the fundraiser for?"

"It's one of my father's things where I'm expected to attend," said EJ, pursing his lips, "It's either a gun rally type thing where monies are being raised to ensure that all American's continue to have the right to bear arms-"

EJ paused and wrinkled his nose.

"-or arm their bears, I can't remember which," he said thoughtfully.

"Well I'm not crazy about all the gun love," said Estelle hesitantly, "But I'll just go on the off chance it's the bear thing which would be way cool."

"You're for arming forest animals are you?" asked EJ with a chuckle, "You don't think those sharp claws and pointy teeth are enough?"

"I think when bears start making rugs out of humans for their living room floor then we can talk," Estelle sniffed, "Until that time comes though I think the bears need all the help they can get."

"Who knew you were such a conservationist?" EJ said with a smile.

"I just like to see a fair fight," said Estelle unapologetically.

"You're not going to do anything embarrassing at the fundraiser are you?" asked EJ only half joking, "Launch some kind of anti-gun protest perhaps?"

"Oh EJ," she laughed at him and EJ relaxed as she seemed so dismissive of the question, "Would I tell you if I were?"

"Hm," mused EJ, "That's less than comforting my dear."

"You'll just have to trust me Elvis DiMera," she told him smugly.

"I do trust you Estelle," said EJ warmly, "We both do."

"Aw shucks," she teased him, "We're having a moment."

"I guess we are," EJ said with a little laugh.

"Oh and by the way," she said conversationally, "I've decided I need to have a pet name for you."

"You have?" askí EJ, blanching a little bit as he remembered all of Sam's names for him, "It's not poodle is it?"

"Poodle you say?" asked Estelle, sounding very interested.

"Oh no," EJ groaned as he realised he'd just made a tactical mistake.

**oooOOOOooo**

Lucas shook out the white pill onto the palm of his hand and looked at it without enthusiasm. He knew he had to go back to taking these things more regularly but he really just didn't want to. People kept commenting on how well he looked though so he knew that it was something he had to do. Lucas quickly threw the pill into his mouth and swallowed, grimacing as he did. This was all for the greater good he told himself. A bit of discomfort now was going to see EJ out of their lives once and for all.

The truth was the fact that EJ was walking around made Lucas very nervous. Not just because he might to decide to come after Sami again on a whim but because there was still the possibility that EJ might work out that it wasn't Tony who shot him and then start asking some questions. Lucas knew if that happened then his life really would be in danger so a neutralised EJ who was out of the picture sounded like a very good thing to him.

"This will be worth it," Lucas muttered to himself.

He was doing this for Sami and for the life they were going to have together – anything was worth that.

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ straightened his tie and knocked on the door, waiting for it to be answered. Telling Estelle about the baby first had been a bust but EJ still had one more person up his sleeve that he could trust not to say anything and be able to share the news with. Considering whom it was that was a pretty strange realisation to make but it was true nonetheless. The door opened and EJ straightened his shoulders.

"Elvis," said John Black calmly, "I was a little surprised when you called."

"I know," said EJ evenly, "I haven't been in contact lately but I thought you might appreciate being kept abreast of where Samantha and I are up to all things considered."

"I would like that," John said with a little nod, "I need to keep an eye on you."

"Well here I am," said EJ wryly.

John stepped back so EJ could walk through the door. He looked around the apartment and arched an eyebrow.

"Marlena isn't here?" he quizzed John.

"She's at work," said John, walking over to the sofa and EJ noticed he was still limping ever so slightly as he sat down, "At the hospital."

"Then it is just us menfolk," said EJ, taking a seat across from the older man.

"So it would seem," said John evenly.

"I'll get to the point," said EJ, feeling himself getting excited at just the thought of saying the words, "I have some news about Samantha and I – some very big news."

John looked back at him steadily.

"Is that right?" asked John calmly.

"Samantha is pregnant," said EJ joyously, "With my child; Samantha is pregnant with my child."

"I see," said John, no flicker of emotion on his face.

EJ sat back in his chair and regarded the other man suspiciously, his eyes narrowing. He hadn't been exactly sure what kind of reception what news would elicit from the other man but this wasn't what EJ was expecting.

"You know don't you?" he said accusingly, "Samantha has already told you!"

"Yes," said John without hesitation.

"Unbelievable!" exclaimed EJ, throwing his hands up in the air, "That woman is impossible. She promised me that she wouldn't tell anyone!"

"I guess you're both as good as each other at keeping your promises," said John wryly.

EJ gave a rueful smile at that and then just had to know.

"Was Samantha happy when she told you?" he asked a little uncertainly.

"Sami was overjoyed," said John easily, "She couldn't contain her happiness."

"I know," said EJ, a big smile coming to his face, "It's all I can do not to shout it from the roof tops."

"Sami told me about Ara Caman, about the wedding ceremony," continued on John steadily, not taking his eyes off EJ.

"I meant every one of my marriage vows to Samantha John," said EJ, straightening up and looking intently at the other man, "I took what we did on that island extremely seriously and we are as committed as two people can be to one another."

"You know the only reason that I'm letting this play out and you to remain a free man is because I believe you when you say things like that," said John, not giving anything away, "And I see how happy you are making Sami and I want that kind of happiness for her."

"So do I John," said EJ earnestly.

"Well here's the thing that just doesn't make sense to me," said John, eyeing him speculatively, "This baby changes everything but apparently you're trying not to let it? What is Sami still doing with Lucas when any day she is going to start showing and people are going to start asking questions? What's the plan EJ – to let Lucas think this baby is his as well?"

"No!" said EJ sharply, knowing his heart couldn't take that as well.

The thought of Lucas claiming this child as his own was just too much for EJ. It was hard enough watching him swaggering around thinking that Sami was his wife which technically EJ knew she was but it still galled him no end.

"So why are you even leaving Sami in that impossible situation?" asked John, arching a challenging eyebrow at him, "You two might have had a plan to play this out for Lucas' sake but that plan isn't really viable unless he takes a turn for the worse very quickly. I saw him the other day and that doesn't look like it is going to happen anytime soon. He even seems to have gained some weight back."

"Yes he is looking annoyingly healthy," EJ scowled, looking away, "Mores the pity."

"Nice," observed John flatly, "But that wasn't my point. Why is Sami still with Lucas considering her condition now?"

"My father-" EJ began but John cut him off.

"I know the story you gave Sami about Stefano," said John, "About how you needed to work out your, how did you put it, exit strategy?"

"Yes," said EJ a little stiffly, "That's a perfectly valid reason."

John cocked his head and looked at EJ thoughtfully.

"And yet why do I get the feeling that Stefano isn't what this is all really about?" asked John coolly.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," said EJ just as coolly.

"See now Elvis I thought you were starting to wise up," said John with a regretful shake of his head as he stood up and went to pour himself a drink.

He indicated to EJ but EJ shook his head declining the offer for his own drink.

"Meaning what exactly?" asked EJ defensively.

"Meaning that you don't have many people in your corner," said John flatly.

"I've never needed people in my corner before," said EJ, his lips thinning.

"You've never been a father before," John countered before giving EJ a look, "I'm assuming?"

"Yes of course this is the first time," said EJ in annoyance.

"Alright then," said John as he regarded EJ steadily, "So how much of an idiot does a man have to be to go things alone when he doesn't have to? Particularly when he suddenly has all this extra responsibility thrust on him."

"You don't strike me as a man who made his way in this world asking for help John," said EJ dryly.

"So learn from my mistakes," said John without missing a beat as he took a sip from his drink, "And tell me what is really going on here."

EJ looked at John, surprised by the insight of the man. But then John had a wealth of experience on his side when it came to things not being as they seemed, even when a reasonable explanation was given. EJ blew out a deep breath and considered what he was about to do carefully. His father had always taught him to give out the truth very carefully to others because such a thing would give them power over you. EJ had withheld the truth from Sami not because he feared she'd have power over him but to protect her. John was another story altogether.

"You either trust me or you don't," said John steadily, "You decide."

EJ thought about what he was doing for a moment longer before making that decision.

"Someone is trying to kill me," admitted EJ at last as he stood up and faced John.

"I take it from the way you said that it is not your shooting we are talking about," said John astutely, "What happened?"

"I was driving back into Salem after having arrived home from England and a car drove me off the road and then promptly tried to run me down," said EJ seriously.

"Clearly he failed," said John, eyeing EJ speculatively.

"Clearly," said EJ with a twist of his lips, "But he came damn close enough for me to be concerned that this wasn't a one off thing."

"You seemed pretty confident that it was Tony who shot you," John mused, "Has that changed since this incident?"

"I went to my father, demanding to know what Tony's fate was," said EJ tightly, "Business trip just wasn't going to cut it anymore."

"And let me guess," said John with a humourless smile as he turned away to take a seat again, "Your old man came right out and told you the truth."

"He hedged," said EJ flatly, knowing the question had been a facetious one on John's behalf.

"So are you now thinking that Tony was behind this?" asked John curiously.

"I have to consider that such a thing is a real possibility," said EJ unhappily, "He seems to think that I am what is standing between him and the DiMera empire."

"And are you?" asked John flatly.

"In my father's eyes yes," said EJ truthfully, "But I don't want the business that he has built up – I don't want to become the next DiMera warlord. I want to be a man that Samantha and our child can be proud of."

"Stepping aside gracefully isn't exactly the DiMera way," said John thoughtfully, "I can see Tony not taking the chance that you might change your mind about not wanting the keys to the kingdom."

"We don't have a very sturdy retirement plan in our family," EJ agreed dryly, "It tends to be the six feet under plan that we opt for."

"But if Tony is behind this then how does this get him back into the good books with Stefano?" asked John with a frown, "Unless he plans to kill off the old man while he is at it. But then why give him this kind of heads up? A more sensible plan would be to kill you all at once, like in an explosion or something."

"You seemed to have come up with that scenario pretty damn quickly," said EJ with a note of displeasure in his voice, "Perhaps I should reconsider who my enemies really are eh John?"

"Relax Junior," said John wryly, "If I wanted you outta here you'd be gone. One phone call to Roman with news of my miraculous return of memory and you'd be working the orange jump suit look."

"It's always so nice to be reminded of that fact," said EJ with a twist of his lips.

"I'm just reminding us both where we stand," said John evenly.

"Yes well I'll take a leap of faith that you don't own a cowboy hat," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "But then that doesn't seem like Tony's style either. Plus my father was so adamant that it wasn't Tony."

"Stefano loves you," observed John, "I don't think he'd wittingly put you in harm's way, at least not at the moment, so if he's that sure about Tony then maybe we should listen to him."

"That were my thoughts," agreed EJ with a nod of his head, "Which means that I'm back to square one about who this might be."

EJ then told John about all the people he'd considered, the reasons they might have for wanting him dead and the reasons he thought them unlikely. At the end of it EJ was still drawing a blank.

"Do you want my opinion?" asked John after he'd considered all that EJ had told him.

"Of course," said EJ with a little hand gesture.

"I think you've got someone new in the mix," said John, holding his gaze steadily, "I think that there is someone out there with an agenda that you haven't considered yet."

EJ pursed his lips as he mulled that over.

"That isn't a very comforting thought," said EJ at last.

"No it isn't and for what it is worth I think you are doing the right thing with trying to keep Sami out of it for now," said John calmly, "When you have so many unknowns the situation is just too hard to control. If this person is only coming after you which I hope is the case-"

"Me too," said EJ sincerely.

"-then Sami is safest where she is," continued on John, "If he is after both of you then it would make more sense to kill you first before moving onto Sami. You always take out the strongest first and the rest will crumble. I'm guessing this person knows that if he killed Sami first then you'd become a complete wild card with nothing to lose. It would be much smarter to pick you off first and thus leave Sami by herself and vulnerable."

"That makes sense," said EJ, nodding slowly, "In a disturbing way."

EJ looked at John intently then.

"You have to promise me that if anything should happen to me that you will protect Samantha and our child John," said EJ urgently.

"As though that was ever in question," said John steadily, "I've loved Sami for nearly her entire life, you have a long way to catch up to me when it comes to worrying over her well being EJ."

"I suppose I do," said EJ quietly.

"You need help," said John firmly.

"Are you offering?" asked EJ with a raised eyebrow.

"I've been around the track more than once, I know people," said John calmly, "I could be an asset to you."

"That goes beyond you just saying nothing to Roman about my shooting you," said EJ slowly and frowning, "Why would you help me John, considering what I did to you?"

"I love Sami," said John simply.

"I thought you might tell me to stay away from her because of that with this uncertainty around me now," said EJ thoughtfully.

"Sami's pregnant with your child and living with a man who is dying," said John without missing a beat, "She needs you."

"And I need her," said EJ quickly, "And I'm going to be there for her and our child whenever she needs me."

"Well then we'd better make sure that you don't end up dead then hadn't we?" said John dryly.

EJ gave a half smile at that as he scrutinised John carefully. Never in his wildest dreams could EJ have imagined that John of all people would be willing to go this far for him but had to admit to a feeling of some relief to know that he wasn't in this alone anymore.

_Life really was just full of surprises it seemed. _


	106. Chapter 253

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & FIFTY THREE**** – ****Panic Stations**

Fear has a large shadow, but he himself is small.

_~Ruth Gendler~_

EJ walked out of the restaurant that afternoon, Estelle on his arm.

"That was wonderful," she said with a happy sigh, "We have to remember to come back here – I only got to try two of their desserts."

"I have no idea where you put all this food Estelle," said EJ in amusement as he walked her to her car.

He looked the long legged, lithe woman up and down, shaking his head.

"You must have hollow legs," he concluded as he took her car keys and opened her car door for her.

"I have the metabolism of a hummingbird," said Estelle gleefully, "I can eat whatever I want whenever I want and never put on any weight."

"Do me a favour and don't say things like that around Samantha eh?" asked EJ with a wry chuckle, "She's already obsessing about her weight with this pregnancy."

"Sami's gorgeous," said Estelle dismissively as EJ held the car door open for her, "Pregnancy is only going to make her more beautiful."

"And how," said EJ with a dreamy smile on his face, "Her body is already starting to change."

"Bigger boobs huh?" queried Estelle with a bit of a smirk, taking in EJ's expression.

"Oh yeah," said EJ in satisfaction.

"Nice," said Estelle with a grin, "Well enjoy them while you can, soon you'll be sharing those puppies with a baby."

"Something I couldn't be happier about," said EJ jovially, "But in the meantime I'm going to make hay while the sun shines."

"I bet you will Farmer Brown," Estelle chuckled, "You lucky bastard."

"I am aren't I?" asked EJ cheerfully, "Samantha is quite rampant at the moment, it's all I can do to keep up with her."

"It must be horrible being you Poodle," said Estelle with a mock sigh of sympathy.

"Oh yes," said EJ with a lecherous grin, "It's very hard being me."

He pulled a face then.

"And I thought we decided against Poodle as your name for me?" he said with a disapproving look.

"No you decided against it," said Estelle with a smile, "I was for it. It was deadlocked."

"And then you said you'd change your vote if I bought you two desserts," EJ reminded her with a quirk of his lips.

"Oh yeah," said Estelle thoughtfully, "I guess I lied – bummer for you eh?"

"I'm strongly adversed to you calling me Poodle in public," said EJ, trying his best to look stern.

"Well it comes down to Poodle or Love Hammer," said Estelle, not backing down, "Your choice."

"Love Hammer?" asked EJ with a pained expression on his face, "Oh god."

"I think it's cute," Estelle insisted straight faced, "Or even better Love Poodle!"

"Well I guess that is better than Poodle Hammer," said EJ with a roll of his eyes.

"You'd be fielding a few questions about that one," said Estelle with a grin, "At best it sounds like you are doing cruel things to or with a poodle."

"Can't you just call me EJ?" asked EJ with a groan, "Or even Elvis, I don't mind."

"Hm," said Estelle, pursing her lips, "Elvis Elephant Pants – works for me."

"Is there some reason why you keep referencing the contents of my trousers?" asked EJ in exasperation.

"I want everyone to know that my man has a giant salamander stashed away in his trunks," said Estelle blithely, "You heteros like that don't you? Size matters and all that – I'm just being a good girlfriend and keeping the legend alive."

"I don't need to be reassured about my masculinity by advertising the size of my member Estelle," said EJ wryly, "I'm secure about who I am."

"But if you've got it flaunt it," argued Estelle, "And I've seen you naked so I know there is a lot of flaunting to be done."

"When have you seen me naked?" asked EJ in surprise.

"How quickly they forget," said Estelle with a big smile, "Sami's wedding night when I dragged your sorry ass to bed. You were all naked bits and inebriated drooling."

"Oh yes," said EJ with a grimace, "Again, I can't apologise enough for the spectacle I made of myself that night."

"Don't worry about it poodle," said Estelle with a grin, "I'm just sorry the show was wasted on me."

"So we're really going to do this poodle thing?" asked EJ with a pained expression on his face.

"I tell you what," said Estelle cheerfully, "I'll call you Poo for short."

"My joy is complete," said EJ dryly as he leant over to kiss her on the cheek, "Thank you for coming to lunch with me darling."

"You're welcome," Estelle said with a smile, "I had fun."

"I'll call you tomorrow about the fund raiser," EJ told her, "You know, the one which you are going to behave yourself at."

"Oh that one," said Estelle, tongue in cheek, "I'll do my best but no promises."

"I'll take it," said EJ with a half smile as Estelle settled herself behind the wheel of her car and he carefully closed the door for her.

"See you later Elephant Pants," said Estelle cheekily.

"Alright we'll go with Poo," said EJ in exasperation as she started the engine, "It's the lesser of all the evils you presented so far."

Estelle gave a happy little wave as she drove off and EJ watched her leave, shaking his head. He was very lucky to have Estelle in his life he decided, she helped make this all seem a little more bearable with her humour and wit. On impulse EJ decided he'd buy her a pair of earrings for the fund raiser tomorrow. Money was no problem for EJ and what better way to spend it then on delighting your friends.

Estelle teased him about the bling but he knew she wouldn't be expecting it so that would be a nice surprise for a woman who was doing so much to help Sami and himself. EJ crossed the road, heading back towards his car, deciding on the jeweller he was going to see. He absently reached for his car keys to unlock the car and wondering if he had time before his meeting to pick out the earrings now.

"Look out!"

The woman's cry alerted EJ to the fact that something was very wrong. He looked up to see the car screech around the corner and bear down on him. All he had time to do was to throw his body to one side, hitting the hood of his car and rolling over the top of it and hitting the pavement hard. The momentum then took EJ into a row of trash cans, sending them clattering everywhere in a noisy cacophony of metal and concrete.

The sound of the car's engine filled the car as it roared off, quickly disappearing around the next corner. EJ tried to get his bearings as quickly as he could and stand up but the trash cans were everywhere and he kept stumbling. By the time he was upright the car was long gone though as the woman who had cried out was by his side.

"Oh my god!" she exclaimed, putting a hand on EJ's arm, "Are you alright – you could have been killed?!"

"I'm alright," said EJ, glaring at the corner that the car had made good its escape around.

Damn it, another missed opportunity.

"I'm calling 911," said the woman urgently, grabbing for her cell phone with noticeably shaking hands.

"No!" said EJ sharply, putting his hand over hers and stopping her.

"Wh-what?" she asked, looking up at him in confusion.

"I'm fine," said EJ trying to inject as much calmness as he could into his tone, "There is no need to call anyone."

"But that guy just tried to run you down?!" she exclaimed in disbelief, "We have to at least call the police."

"Did you see him?" asked EJ intently, "Did you see the man who was driving?"

"Not really," said the woman hesitantly, "I saw that he was wearing a white cowboy hat."

"Anything else?" EJ pushed, "Anything else at all?"

"It-it all happened so fast," she stammered, "I didn't really get a chance to look properly."

"The car," said EJ unrelentingly, desperate to know, "Did you get the make and model, the licence number?"

"I'm not really good with cars," she said uncertainly, "The car was black-"

"Yes I know that," said EJ impatiently.

This woman wasn't telling him anything he didn't already know and it was frustrating the hell out of EJ.

"What about the licence plate, did you get that?" asked EJ urgently.

"I think there was a U in it," said the woman unevenly, "Or maybe it was an O – I don't have my glasses on."

EJ couldn't help but groan in frustration. Another near miss and he was still no closer to finding out who was behind this. He had to wonder how many more lives he had left and just how much bolder his would be assailant was going to get.

"I'm sorry," said the woman, pulling a regretful face.

"No I'm sorry," said EJ, reigning in his frustration, "It isn't your fault and as you said, it all happened so quickly. I'm sorry to be barking at you like this, I realise you're only trying to help."

"I still think you should call the police," said the woman, looking slightly mollified now by EJ's apology, "That maniac could be on his way to killing someone else right now."

EJ frowned at that, his thoughts immediately turning to Sami but then John's words from that morning came back to him. It would be more sensible for the killer to come after him first as he'd said which to EJ's way of thinking meant that he needed to stay alive to protect Sami.

"I'm sure it was just an accident," EJ lied and gave the woman an easy smile, "Thank you for your concern, you really saved my bacon there."

"Well if you're sure," said the woman in a way that clearly indicated she didn't share his feelings about this.

"I am," said EJ confidently and nodded his head at her, "Thank you again."

With that EJ quickly moved over to his car which was now sporting a noticeable dent in the hood, much to his annoyance and climbed in, driving off quickly. EJ followed the direction where he'd last seen the black car with its cowboy driver only for somewhere to go, not because he thought that the man would still be there. He pulled out his cell phone and dialled.

"Hello?"

"He tried again," said EJ curtly, manoeuvring through the traffic expertly.

"What happened?" asked John, EJ instantly having his full attention.

"I was getting into my car and the man tried to mow me down in his car again," said EJ in aggravation.

"When?" asked John intently.

"Just now," said EJ angry at being on the back foot like this, "A few minutes ago."

"So in the middle of the day," John mused thoughtfully, "Were there any witnesses?"

"Just this one woman but she was no help," said EJ in frustration, "She wasn't paying attention to the car or the man driving it beyond what I already know."

"Broad daylight in front of potential witnesses - he's getting more impatient," said John thoughtfully, "That's a good thing for us."

"It didn't feel like a particularly good thing when I was becoming a hood ornament for my car," said EJ dryly.

"Impatient people do reckless things," said John calmly, "When you're reckless you make mistakes and that is going to work in our favour."

John's easy use of the word 'our' reassured EJ when he hadn't even realised he'd been looking for it. Keeping Sami and his child from harm was a heavier burden then EJ had expected. Burden was the wrong word because it made it seem like loving Sami and wanting her safe was some kind of hardship which of course it wasn't for EJ. It was just that the thought of her being in any kind of danger or getting hurt because of him made EJ's heart pound in his chest and his guts twist painfully.

"So did you learn anything new about this guy?" asked John evenly.

"No," said EJ tightly, his frustration evident, "The woman thought there might be an O or a U in the number plate, that's it. Cowboy hat, black car – she didn't even get a make."

"Did you?" asked John.

"A Lincoln," said EJ intently, "Late model sedan, 2007, maybe 2008."

"Pretty common car," John commented.

"I know," said EJ grimly.

"I'll get in contact with some people I know," said John, "See what I can dig up."

"Thanks John," said EJ sincerely, "I really appreciate your help."

"Just try not to end up dead otherwise I'll be very annoyed," said John, "I'm not going to break Sami's heart like that."

"I'll do my best," said EJ wryly before hanging up.

Whilst he was on the phone he saw that he'd gotten a message so he quickly checked it. His face immediately lit up when he heard Sami's voice on the other end but it was a terrible connection and he was only getting every other word.

"It's Sami... need you... Claremont Hospital... need... come... quickly or else... EJ."

EJ slammed on the brakes of the car, causing the person behind him to honk noisily at him but EJ didn't even notice. He quickly replayed the message, a feeling of sick dread coming over him. The second listening to the message didn't help anymore than the first and EJ made a growl of frustration. He knew Claremont Hospital – it was on the outskirts of town and EJ immediately swung the car around and began to race towards the hospital in question, not caring of little things like speed limits. He swiped absently at his mouth to clean off the thin trickle of blood that was at the corner of his mouth after hitting the concrete so hard, not even thinking about it.

As he manoeuvred skilfully throughout traffic, going at a terrific speed he tried to calm himself down. Sami rang him, he'd heard her voice so whatever it was, why ever she was at the hospital it couldn't be that bad he tried to reason his way out of this growing panic. EJ changed gears swiftly, sneaking ahead of a car in front of him and racing through a red light, just missing the oncoming traffic but again, barely noticing.

But if even if Sami was alright then something could be wrong with the baby. A guttural sound of anguish escaped EJ's lips at that thought. What if this person who'd tried to kill him had gone on directly to attack Sami? What if he had an accomplice? There were too many unknowns for EJ to even contemplate and his repeated dialling of Sami's number only sent him to message bank, driving EJ to the edge of insanity. Why the hell wasn't she picking up? What had happened to her? Another red light was run by him before there was a wail of a police siren behind him.

"Son of a bitch!" he muttered at seeing the flashing lights in his rear vision mirror.

There was no way he was going to stop and chat with these police officers while Sami needed him so instead of slowing down EJ simply put his foot down. He always chose to drive cars with some real grunt to them and this temporary replacement for his beloved Geraldine was no exception. He hurtled down a side alley way, intent on losing his annoying tail and after a few very swift and skilful manoeuvres EJ had done just that. All those years at the racing track had not been for nothing. EJ still had the moves when he needed them. It felt to EJ as though it took him several eternities to get to the hospital but he at last made it. Double parking out the front EJ simply bolted into the hospital and to the front desk.

"I need you to tell me where Samantha Brady is," said EJ urgently to the young nurse behind the counter.

The nurse was obviously used to people coming up and demanding such things of her in that abrupt way because she didn't comment, just smiled and nodded, turning to her computer.

"I'm sorry sir," she said calmly, "But we don't have a Samantha Brady anywhere on our computer."

"Samantha Roberts," EJ corrected himself with a grimace, hating the way that sounded on his lips.

EJ didn't care though; he just needed to be with Sami and to find out what was wrong. Please God let her be alright, let them both be alright. EJ felt himself begin to shake at the thought of what might be happening with Sami.

"No sir," she said regretfully after having checked the computer once more, "There is no Samantha Roberts here either."

EJ was taken aback; suddenly concerned that he'd heard the hospital wrongly. He'd definitely heard Claremont Hospital but the message was so distorted Sami could have been saying anything. EJ felt his nerves tighten to breaking point before a thought occurred to him.

"Try Samantha Devlis," he said this time.

The young nurse arched a suspicious eyebrow at him for the many names and EJ just pulled a face and gave a bit of a shrug.

"It's complicated," he told her, making the understatement of the century.

"Clearly," said the nurse but dutifully checked the computer once more, "Here we are; she's up one level, Room 21B, maternity."

"Is she alright?" asked EJ urgently.

"I'm sorry sir but I don't have any details," she said, "You'll need to-"

But EJ was already off and running, not bothering to wait for her to complete that sentence. He drew a few disapproving looks for running but he didn't care. EJ couldn't wait for the elevator, taking the stairs instead and just needing to get to Sami now, his heart a gaping wound until he could look at her again. A mantra was playing in his head – she's alright, she's alright – and EJ clung to that thought like a man drowning. He climbed the stairs in record time and was on the ward, hurrying down the corridors, his heart in his mouth as he walked towards who knows what...


	107. Chapter 254

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & FIFTY FOUR**** – ****Double Trouble**

Surprise is the greatest gift which life can grant us.

_Boris Pasternak_

_(Russian poet, 1890-1960)_

EJ strode down the corridor of the hospital, his long legs covering the distance to the room he could see up ahead of him in record time. He opened the door to 21B and saw that there were several drawn curtains. EJ pulled back the closest one and found Sami sitting on a bed, her back to him. She turned around at the sound and gave him a bright smile.

"Oh good," she said happily, "You made it, I was beginning to worry."

"Samantha," EJ rasped, his voice hoarse with tension, "Are you alright? What happened? What are you doing here, is something wrong with the baby?"

"Oh," said Sami, looking a little taken aback at his flood of questions, "No of course nothing is wrong – why would you ask that EJ?"

"Because I received a message from you that you were in hospital," said EJ, his voice strained and unable to let himself believe what Sami was saying to him just yet.

"A message saying a spot opened up to have the ultrasound today," said Sami, looking at him in confusion.

"The connection was bad, I only got a few words," said EJ, swallowing hard, "You're just here for an ultrasound then?"

"Yes," said Sami with a smile, "And I desperately wanted you to be here as well, that's why I told you to hurry otherwise you'd miss out."

"But I couldn't ring you back," said EJ weakly.

"I had to turn my phone off," said Sami regretfully, "Hospital policy."

"Oh my god," said EJ faintly before sinking down onto a nearby chair and burying his head in his hand, "I think I'm going to be sick."

"EJ!" Sami exclaimed in great concern, quickly going over to him and sitting beside him, putting a hand on his back, "What's wrong? Do you need a doctor?"

"No I don't need a doctor," said EJ unsteadily as he straightened up and looked at her with pain filled eyes, "I just need you and this baby."

"Well you've got us," said Sami in consternation, "EJ why are you being like this?"

"I thought-" EJ's voice cracked a little and he had to clear his throat before continuing, "I thought something had happened to you or to the baby. I was going crazy driving over here."

"EJ you have to stop worrying so much," said Sami in concern, putting an arm around him, "We're both fine and don't need you fretting over us like this."

"I can't help but worry Samantha," said EJ tightly, "I love you – losing you or the baby would be nothing short of devastating to me."

"And what makes you think you are going to lose us?" said Sami, trying to cajole him out of his funk, "I've told you before EJ DiMera – you are so stuck with me, with both of us."

"Promise?" asked EJ painfully.

"Cross my heart and hope to-"

EJ quickly put his hand up to her lips to stop that last word.

"Don't," he pleaded with her, "Never say those words."

"You really are rattled aren't you?" asked Sami in concern, "I didn't think you'd be like this – what's going on EJ?"

What was really going on was that EJ knew there was a very frightening possibility that someone might actually be trying to kill her but he could not say that to Sami. On the drive over he had just been so intent on getting to Sami that now that he was by her side all the depths of his emotions were overwhelming him. EJ knew he loved Sami but it was in moments like these that he even came close to understanding how much. A life without Sami in it now would be beyond unbearable to him. EJ thought briefly of Santo and what his grief over losing Colleen had turned him into and understood his grandfather's pain more than ever.

Sami was now pregnant with his child just as Colleen had been with Santo's at the time of her death. EJ had experienced the dizzying high of discovering he was about to become a father with a woman he loved more than life and suddenly EJ was terrified that he was also going to be in the soul destroying position of losing her. He remembered Sami's fears the night they'd seen the shooting star, how she worried that the timing was slightly off and that she was going to lose him. EJ had easily dismissed her concerns at the time but now everything felt different and he couldn't help but feel how tenuous life really was.

"What's going on is that I love you Samantha," said EJ, refusing to cause Sami the same amount of grief he was going through.

"You could sound happier about that," said Sami wryly.

"I am happy," said EJ softly, stroking her face gently, "Unbelievably so."

The doctor appeared then and smiled down at them both.

"So shall we do this ultrasound then?" she asked with a smile.

EJ and Sami both smiled and nodded eagerly.

A few minutes later Sami was lying on the table, EJ holding her hand as they began the procedure.

"The gel will just be cold for a moment," the doctor warned Sami before she squirted the goo onto Sami's stomach.

Sami wrinkled her nose at the sensation but then smiled up at EJ in happy anticipation.

"Alrighty then," said the doctor, "Let's take a look round."

"My OB said that the tests showed I was about four months along," Sami informed her, "Will you be able to tell for certain?"

"We'll do some measurements and pinpoint that date for you," she nodded easily.

"My wife hasn't had any prenatal care to date," said EJ with a bit of a frown, "Is everything alright with her and the baby?"

"EJ stop making yourself sick over this," Sami tutted, squeezing his hand, "We're fine aren't we doctor?"

"Everything looks to be in tip top shape," said the doctor with a reassuring smile up at EJ before looking back at the screen as she rolled the wand around on Sami's stomach.

"See," said Sami triumphantly, "I told you EJ – you have to stop worrying so much. It will be the death of you."

"First time father?" asked the doctor indulgently.

"Guilty as charged," said EJ ruefully.

"Yes," said Sami with a roll of her eyes, "And suddenly I'm made of glass."

"I just need to know that everything is alright with the two of you," said EJ unrepentantly, "You're my whole world Samantha."

The doctor smiled at his sentiment and how obviously in love these two were.

"Well everything is looking fine," said the doctor, "Heartbeat is good and oh-"

"Oh?!" repeated EJ, tensing and inadvertently squeezing Sami's hand tightly as his own heartbeat began to beat an unhealthy rhythm.

"Oh what?" asked Sami, sounding anxious as well now.

The doctor turned to look at them both, opening her mouth to speak.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Twins!" said EJ joyously for what was most likely the hundredth time.

"I know," Sami said with a laughing groan, "I suppose we should have expected it with your mother and my mother and me."

They were at yet another hotel, lying in crumpled sheets, naked, hot and sweaty after some energetic celebration sex. After the examination had been done and they were both assured that everything looked completely normal and healthy the two of them had driven to a nearby hotel in their own cars. Sami had barely taken a step inside the door when EJ had swung her around and kissed her like his life depended on it. It was more than just a 'I want sex' kiss, Sami could taste his desperation and relief in that kiss and was still at a loss to understand his strong feelings about this all.

She knew EJ loved her and worried over her but with the news of the baby, babies now, EJ's worrying had seemed to go to another level. He kissed her like a man terrified to ever let her out of his arms again. Sami had done the only thing she knew would help seeing as her words of reassurance didn't seem to calm him – she comforted him with her body. She made love with EJ, giving her body over to him completely as she always did and let him feel for himself how very, very right everything in the world was just then. The strangled sob he made as their bodies joined again had the sound of completion in it as Sami strived to show EJ the way she loved him and how utterly perfect everything was going to be.

Sami was still reeling from the news that she was carrying twins – a boy and a girl they'd been told because both EJ and Sami had wanted to know. The news had suddenly made Sami miss Eric terribly and could only pray that her babies were going to love each other the way she loved her twin. You were never really alone in the world when you had a twin Sami had always thought. Somewhere out there in the world was someone you had shared your very first moments with in the world and no matter what the distance there was between you somehow you were always tied together. Sami was ecstatic at the thought of her children having that kind of bond.

"My mother is going to be beyond thrilled," said EJ, his face lighting up as they cuddled in bed enjoying the afterglow.

"Have you told her yet?" asked Sami curiously.

"I rather think I should be asking you that my darling," said EJ dryly and arched an eyebrow at her, "Considering John and Estelle seem to be in the know, even after our little discussion of keeping this to ourselves."

Sami pulled a guilty face.

"It came up in conversation," she protested.

"What you mean the conversation that began with 'EJ and I are having a baby'?" he said, looking down at her sternly.

"Yes that's the one," she said with a little smile.

"You're impossible," EJ said with an indulgent shake of his head and to her relief Sami could see that he wasn't upset, "I have a good mind to put you over my knee and spank you."

Sami bit her bottom lip, suddenly remembering the spanking he'd given her on Ara Caman during that thunderstorm the first time. Her low body tingled at the memories.

"What are you thinking about?" he quizzed her, taking in her expression.

"Bad things," said Sami throatily, looking up to him with big blue eyes.

"I love it when you think about bad things," said EJ hoarsely as he bent his head and began tasting the skin along her neck.

Suddenly something occurred to Sami even as she shivered under EJ's lapping tongue.

"How did you know that I told Estelle and John unless you went to tell them yourself EJ?!" she said, slapping his shoulder in feigned outrage.

"It came up in conversation?" offered up EJ hopefully, a winsome smile on his lips.

"You were going to tell them," she accused him hotly.

"But my wife had already beaten me to the punch," said EJ in amusement, "So I guess that makes us even. Unless you've told my mother of course?"

"As if I'd ring your mother and Edmund to tell them news like that," protested Sami in indignation.

EJ only arched a sceptical eyebrow at her and Sami wrinkled her nose.

"She wasn't home," Sami confessed ruefully.

"You are beyond redemption Samantha Jean DiMera," EJ tutted with a shake of his head.

"Do you love me anyway?" Sami asked hopefully, looking up at him playfully.

"Darling that is why I love you so much," said EJ with a wicked light in his eyes.

Sami gave a happy sigh at hearing him say that to her.

"You can tell your mother and Edmund," said Sami with a smile.

"Very magnanimous of you I'm sure sweetheart but we can tell them together if you like," said EJ and then looked at her sternly, "But they are the very last people we tell alright Samantha? This is meant to be a secret."

"Yes honey," said Sami, doing her best imitation of meekness.

"You're not fooling anyone with that act, you know that right?" EJ informed her with a roll of his eyes.

"Your mom and Edmund are going to be happy about this aren't they?" asked Sami, suddenly anxious.

"Samantha they will be so overjoyed that you will be glad that you are in another country so you can survive said joy," said EJ wryly, "I can see my mother starting work on a 'I'm about to be a granny' hat before we even hang up the phone."

"People don't make hats for something like that," Sami laughed.

"People no, my mother – hell yes," said EJ with an affectionate chuckle, "When I was home I saw the infamous wedding hat she's all but completed. All that it needs now is my mother to develop the neck strength to wear such a monstrosity and the two live doves to sit atop it."

"Your mother isn't going to have live doves in her hat for our wedding," Sami snorted in disbelief.

EJ pursed his lips and looked back at her silently.

"Is she?" asked Sami a little uncertainly now.

"One Easter my mother made an Easter bonnet that contained a live rabbit," EJ informed her with a quirk of his lips, "My rabbit in fact, the one Edmund secured from me from that beach side magician."

Sami just looked at EJ, blinking a couple of times and trying to decide if he was kidding or not.

"He was asleep most of the time," said EJ thoughtfully, "I guess being an ex-magician's rabbit he was used to hats. But then Gerald woke up during the church service with all of the organ music and escaped. There was some ensuing chaos after that; let me tell you – you'd be surprised how fast little old ladies can move with some motivation."

"Are you teasing me?" asked Sami, still not quite able to believe his mother would have worn a live rabbit to church of all places.

"As God as my witness and about a hundred startled parishioners can attest to I do not tell a lie," said EJ very seriously, "Gerald is still talked about in hush voices in those hallowed halls – especially when he ate out half the centrepiece the ladies auxiliary had so lovingly prepared."

"Gerald?" repeated Sami with an arched eyebrow, "You named your rabbit Gerald?"

"Yes," said EJ unapologetically.

"Why not Roger or Bugs or something?" she asked with a shake of her head.

"You didn't know him Samantha," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "That rabbit was definitely a Gerald."

"Okay," said Sami straight faced, "Just so you know I am now taking on sole responsibility of naming these children."

"Oh come on Samantha," said EJ looking hurt, "And I already had so many wonderful ideas."

"That's pretty much what I'm afraid of," said Sami wryly.

"I thought we could do a theme," said EJ his eyes twinkling, "Great couples of history – you know, like Romeo and Juliet."

"I'm not calling my babies after two people that killed themselves!" exclaimed Sami with a roll of her eyes.

"Now then," EJ tutted at her obvious reluctance, "You have to admit that Romeo DiMera does have a certain ring to it eh?"

"The ring of insanity," Sami laughed, "No way EJ but I could live with Juliet DiMera, just no Romeo."

"No,no," EJ insisted, "They have to be a pair – like Antony and Cleopatra-"

"I'm not calling our son after your insane brother who shot you," said Sami darkly.

"Oh," said EJ with pursed lips, "Good point darling. How about Rhett and Scarlett?"

"Don't you think it's a little weird to call fraternal twins after romantic couples?" asked Sami wryly although secretly she rather liked the name of Scarlett.

"Alright, good point," said EJ with a ready nod, "How about famous partnerships then?"

"What you mean like Turner and Hooch?" asked Sami with a quirk of her lips.

"You can hardly have a Hooch DiMera being the next president of these United States," said EJ in exasperation.

"President?" repeated Sami with a laugh, "Not setting your sights a little high perhaps?"

"Our offspring will accomplish anything they put their minds to," said EJ proudly.

"And if say your son wants to be a hairdresser?" asked Sami teasingly.

"Then I will be the proudest father of a hairdresser that ever lived," said EJ without missing a beat, "And embarrass him endlessly by showing up his work and informing anyone who will listen how brilliant my child is."

"I'm sure he'll appreciate that," said Sami with a chuckle.

"I'm going to be an amazing father to these babies Samantha," EJ vowed to her as he put a hand on her stomach and caressed it gently, "I swear to you, they'll want for nothing."

"As long as they have you they won't," Sami agreed readily, "They are going to have two parents who love them and each other – that is all any child needs."

"But I still get to spoil them rotten right?" asked EJ anxiously.

"Absolutely not," said Sami firmly, "I don't want our kids to be brats. You're going to have to learn to control yourself EJ."

"We'll discuss it," said EJ with a knowing look.

"We just did," said Sami determinedly.

EJ just gave a wicked smile and set about changing her mind about the benefits of spoiling the people you loved...

**oooOOOOooo**

Lucas looked up as Sami walked in the door and it was obvious he was annoyed. Sami was in such a good mood after having spent the afternoon with EJ and with the news of their twins that she really didn't want to be brought down by Lucas.

"Where have you been?" he asked with a frown.

"You know where I've been," said Sami in surprise as she took her coat off, "I rang you earlier today and told you. I had a client meeting on the other side of town."

"You didn't ring me Sami," said Lucas curtly.

"Yes I did," said Sami in exasperation, "Don't you remember? We talked about what you'd like for dinner."

Sami was always very good at making sure she could account for her absences with Lucas. Lying like this required a very good memory and fortunately Sami had one. She hated all of the lies she had to tell him but with each passing moment of being with EJ Lucas just seemed to fade a little more from her life. It was like she was living with a ghost, a phantom of a life she once dreamed about but now was just a terrible burden. And it was a life that was keeping hers from beginning one with EJ. Sami felt terribly guilty feeling this way because she knew none of this was Lucas' fault and that she was the bad guy here, not him. Lucas' frown deepened at her response.

"I don't remember a phone call," he admitted at last.

"We agreed on pasta," said Sami, frowning herself now as she walked over to him and couldn't help but be concerned, "You said you wanted carbonara."

"I don't like carbonara," Lucas protested.

"That's what I said but you said you felt like trying something new," said Sami with a worried frown, "You really don't remember that?"

"No," said Lucas quietly, "No I don't."

Actually Sami had noticed that Lucas was becoming more and more vague all of a sudden. He'd forget where his keys were or what they'd had for dinner. Once she'd watched him take two showers before bed, having completely forgotten about the first one. It had only been happening sporadically before this but Sami was really beginning to notice the change in Lucas now. She supposed it was the disease process starting to take its toll. It was easy to forget just how sick Lucas really was sometimes and Sami had been lulled into a false sense of security for awhile now, particularly with how well Lucas had been looking lately.

She'd pulled his doctor aside one day and quietly asked how it was that Lucas seemed so relatively well despite the dire prognosis. The doctor had told her it happened that way sometimes. Patients with a lot to live for would seem to hold the disease at bay by sheer will power and the need to survive for their loved ones. It would only last for so long though because when these people did at last succumbed it tended to be incredibly quick. Sami was glad to think that she'd given Lucas something to hang onto for this long; she felt she owed him that but it looked like this might be the beginning of the end with his sudden mental confusion.

Despite how desperately Sami wanted to be with EJ it was with real pain that she thought of Lucas actually dying. Theirs had been a painful and rocky relationship but it hadn't been all bad. He'd taken her to her first dance, dressed up so handsomely in his cadet's uniform and Sami had felt so special that night. Lucas had also given her Will which was a gift that a price couldn't be placed on. Sami felt a pang as she realised a chapter of her life was going to be buried with Lucas when the time came. It hadn't been a bed of roses the whole time but her history with Lucas was a part of her, just as her history with EJ was.

"It wasn't that great of a conversation," said Sami, trying to put a brave face on it and make light of the situation, "You didn't miss much, trust me."

Lucas gave a half hearted smile but still looked distressed and Sami couldn't help but worry about the road ahead of them…


	108. Chapter 255

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & FIFTY FIVE**** – ****Sneaky, Sneak, Sneaks**

Danger gleams like sunshine to a brave man's eyes.

_Euripides_

_(Greek playwright, c. 480-406 BC)_

"What do you mean he died?" asked Kate in annoyance.

"I mean the guy I've been swapping your son's results with has died," said Terry anxiously.

"Well get another person with AML to swap with then," said Kate in exasperation, "It isn't brain surgery you know."

"How much longer is this going to go on for?" asked Terry nervously, "You only said a couple of months and it's nearly been six already."

"I don't pay you to count I pay you to do as I tell you and swap those results," said Kate flatly.

"I could lose my job if this gets found out," he fretted, "I could even go to jail!"

"Both of which are nothing to what would have happened to you if I'd left you to that bookies devices," said Kate roundly, "My money saved your worthless, gambling butt and it will continue to do so just as long as you do what the hell I tell you to!"

"But-"

Kate hung up the phone before she was enforced to endure anymore whining from the man. How it could be that he thought he had the rough end of the deal considering all that she was dealing with Kate would never know? She had so many balls up in the air that at any given moment Kate wasn't entirely sure if she was coming or going. Kate put her hands to her head and rubbed, counting to ten to calm herself down. Her cell phone rang again and Kate grimaced as she picked it up, fed up with the panicky lab worker.

"Grow a pair and suck it up!" she snapped into the receiver.

"I love you too Mom," said Lucas wryly.

"Oh," said Kate, momentarily taken back, "I'm sorry honey, I thought you were someone else?"

"Someone else who exactly?" asked Lucas curiously.

"No one you'd know," said Kate breezily, not wanting to concern Lucas with the details, he seemed to be struggling as it was.

"Are you ever going to answer one of my questions?" asked Lucas in annoyance.

"Yes," said Kate calmly.

"Just not this one," said Lucas dryly.

"So how are you honey?" asked Kate brightly, moving on the conversation.

"Funny you should ask Mom," said Lucas bitterly, "I'm not great now that you mention it."

"Are you coming down with something?" asked Kate, idly playing with her necklace.

"No I'm taking pills that are making me sick!" Lucas snapped.

"Oh good you're back on them then," said Kate with a nod, "Excellent."

"No it's not excellent Mom," said Lucas curtly.

"Well you're the one worried that EJ is getting suspicious," Kate reasoned, "So you not being well is a good thing – it will throw him off the scent."

"I think these pills are doing something to me," said Lucas anxiously.

"That is what they are meant to do honey," said Kate dismissively.

"No I mean _really_ doing something to me," said Lucas worriedly.

"How do you mean?" asked Kate in confusion.

"Like all of a sudden I'm dropping things and tripping over things," said Lucas unhappily, "And my memory is shot to hell, I have chunks of my day I don't remember, my food tastes funny, my fingers are starting to tingle-"

"Are you taking what you normally take?" asked Kate, concerned now as well.

"Yes," said Lucas in agitation.

"And you didn't have all of these symptoms before?" asked Kate in confusion.

"A bit but it seems to be getting a lot worse this time around," said Lucas, absently scratching at his stomach, "Oh yeah and I'm itchy all over too."

"I suppose I'd better check with my supplier that these pills don't have a cumulative effect," said Kate thoughtfully.

"Some people might argue that a loving mother would have checked that little fact out first _before_ feeding them to her unsuspecting son," said Lucas bitterly.

"I was told they were safe," said Kate tightly.

"Except for all of the vomiting and cramping," said Lucas angrily.

"Well they were meant to do that," said Kate in exasperation.

"Do you even care that you are doing this to me Mom?" asked Lucas in resignation.

"Lucas honey I'm doing this for you, not to you," Kate tried to reason with him.

"Funny how it doesn't feel that way," said Lucas in annoyance, "Just how much longer before this master plan of yours springs into action anyway? If you don't hurry up I may not be around to enjoy its benefits – what with being dead and all."

"Don't say such a thing Lucas!" Kate chastised him, "It would destroy me if anything happened to you."

"Something is happening to me Mom and I'd kinda like it to stop if you don't mind," said Lucas in frustration as he scratched at his neck now.

"Alright," said Kate, "I'm working on it, just hang in there for a little longer."

Lucas sighed heavily on the other end of the phone and Kate grimaced. It looked like her options were becoming drastically reduced thanks to Lucas' reaction to the medication that was helping them to sell his 'condition' to others. If Stefano found out that Lucas was faking his illness he would not be as benevolent as he had been about waiting for his son and Sami to be together. Kate knew it was her relationship with Stefano that was buying her time and if Lucas was 'cured' too early then there was going to be hell to pay. Her options were diminishing and suddenly there only seemed to be one way out of this even though Kate hated the thought of it…

_Andre._

**oooOOOOooo**

A couple of weeks later:

Sami moaned and arched her back, clutching at the sheets around her as EJ worked her body up into a frenzy; his head between her legs. He'd come too quickly for even Sami to keep up this time. Usually she was just as ready as he was when they would first find each other again after their enforced time apart but EJ must have needed her desperately because he climaxed as soon as he entered her. Sami didn't mind at all, loving how frantic he was with her nowadays, especially with her burgeoning pregnant body.

Truth be told she'd been a little nervous over how EJ would look at her once her body started to change, knowing he was used to flat stomached, lithe women in the bedroom and she was anything but that now. Her stomach had a nice rounded shape to it and her breasts, whilst always ample before had begun to get simply enormous. They were pretty hard to miss nowadays. Her fears were immediately put to rest yet again when EJ had proudly first noticed the little swell to her stomach and had come so hard inside of her that time he'd nearly lost consciousness. It was then that they both discovered that EJ found her changing body to be quite the aphrodisiac.

He couldn't keep his hands off her which was a little bit of a problem in their circumstances, not least of which because Sami never wanted his hands off her. She didn't remember being in this perpetual state of arousal when she was carrying Will but then her circumstances were very different back then. Now she had an adoring man who was beyond excited that she was carrying their children and who loved her deeply. That along with all the swirling hormones in Sami's body was more than enough to keep her as horny as hell for him as well.

"Oh god yes!" she yelled as EJ's crooked fingers rubbed against that sensitive spot deep inside of her, "Right there – please god don't stop EJ!"

She heard his throaty chuckle at Sami's loud orders but didn't care in the least. His tongue was working wonders in her swollen nub and Sami could feel her body drawing ever closer to that sweet release that only EJ could give her. Suddenly his fingers and tongue left her and Sami's eyes snapped open in horror.

"NO!" she cried out at being denied his touch, "EJ please!"

Sami propped herself up on her elbows just in time to see EJ straighten up, kneeling between her legs. Her eyes widened at seeing him at full attention again.

"That was fast," she panted as he pulled her backside towards him, hooking her legs over his elbows.

"You inspire me," he told her with a wicked smile, "Now where was I?"

EJ slide his length into her, making Sami moan mindlessly as he moved around a bit, finding the exact right spot.

"I think it was right there," he said, pushing himself deep into her and making Sami gasp and sit up, resting back on the palms of her hands now.

"Oohh," she moaned out between clenched teeth, "Yes!"

EJ began to pump himself hard into her and Sami groaned her approval loudly. She loved him being this forceful with her. After the incident in the board room and the twenty dollar note Sami had never had to remind EJ that he didn't need to be so gentle with her again. Whilst Sami had loved how tenderly EJ had made love to her when they'd first found out about the pregnancy she was very happy that she'd managed to convince him that some hard screwing of each other's brains out wasn't going to do her any harm. Far from it in fact if the sensations rapidly building in her body were anything to go by.

"God but you're gorgeous!" EJ panted out distractedly, his eyes glued to her full body jerking up and down with each of his increasingly hard thrusts.

Sami put her hands up to rest against his muscled, sweaty stomach, thrilling to the hard strength she could feel there.

"So-so are you," she said around a helpless moan.

Their ensuing climax curled Sami's toes and a lot more beside and she couldn't imagine a time would ever come when she didn't want him this badly and that he couldn't satisfy her this deeply.

"EJ?" Sami said huskily, snuggling in closer to him as their combined breathing slowly returned to normal, her whole body still throbbing pleasurably from the force of her release.

"Mm," he mumbled tiredly, eyes only half open.

"You know how-" Sami paused to find the right word, "-enthusiastic you are about my bump?"

"Mm," he murmured, a sexy smile coming to his lips.

"It's just me right?" asked Sami curiously.

"What's just you sweetheart?" asked EJ, forcing his eyes open and looking at her indulgently.

"I mean it's just my pregnant body that turns you on right?" asked Sami a little uncertainly, "You haven't suddenly become a pregnophile."

"A what?" he asked her and Sami felt the rumble of his laughter.

"A pregnophile," repeated Sami, feeling a little foolish now, "You know; someone who is only turned on by pregnant women in general."

"They have a name for that?" asked EJ, propping himself up on one elbow and looking down at her, clearly having all of his attention now.

"Yes," said Sami with a little pout.

"Hm," said EJ thoughtfully, "The things you learn when you spend the afternoon in bed with your wife."

Sami couldn't help but thrill a little every time EJ called her his wife. It just never got old.

"Well?" she pushed him.

"Well?" he teased her, arching an eyebrow.

"Well are you?" asked Sami in exasperation.

"Sweetheart," said EJ, an amused smile touching his lips, "The only woman that turns me on is you, full stop."

"But you really like my pregnant body," Sami said and then wrinkled her nose, "Well so far anyway. It might not be that way when I'm giving Moby Dick a run for his money. Especially now we know it's twins – I'm going to be the absolutely huge."

"You're going to be gorgeous," EJ corrected her without hesitation, "And if I have to spend every day of this pregnancy convincing you of that fact then I will."

"I bet you will," said Sami with a quirk of her lips.

"It will be a terrible burden but I'll soldier on," said EJ, tongue in cheek, "And in answer to your question – no, I don't believe I'm a pregnophile. I do however have a new appreciation for just how amazingly glorious pregnant women are but the only woman I want in my bed is you Samantha, now and forever."

Sami looked up at him very happily at that as EJ leant his forehead against hers.

"Mind you," he said with a devilish glint in his eyes, "I won't deny that watching your body change and grow bigger isn't an unexpected aphrodisiac to me."

"As long as it is just me," said Sami, giving him a warning look.

"Always," EJ assured her huskily.

Their time together passed too quickly and before either of them were ready EJ was having to organise Sami a cab to get back to her car at Mythic. They were standing at the curb to one side of the hotel they'd just spent the afternoon in, waiting for the cab and EJ with his arms around Sami, kissing along her neck.

"You're so damn sexy," he growled into her neck and Sami could hear the renewed hunger in his voice.

EJ turned them so that his back was to any possible on lookers and backed Sami up against the wall, his hands going to her bottom cheeks and squeezing them. Sami felt her knees go weak at his familiar touch and gave a half hearted protested.

"People will see EJ," she murmured, even as she rubbed her breasts against his chest.

"Can't help it," he said, lips moving against the skin of her neck, "You're driving me crazy Samantha."

One of EJ's hands moved between their bodies so that it was resting against the soft swell that her stomach now sported and rubbed it.

"Don't start otherwise we won't be able to stop," said Sami weakly.

"Do you want me again?" he demanded of her, nipping at her flesh possessively.

"Yes," said Sami with a groan.

"I want to take you back upstairs and do bad things to you Samantha DiMera," he confessed to her, nipping at her bottom lip now.

Sami couldn't help the look of excitement that she gave him at EJ's words.

"Bad things?" said Sami faintly.

"Very, very bad things," EJ confirmed throatily.

The loud honk of a horn behind them stopped things escalating any further. EJ groaned loudly and dropped his head onto Sami's shoulder.

"Guess that is for me," said Sami ruefully.

"I guess," said EJ unhappily, reluctantly straightening up removing his hands from her body.

Sami went up on her toes and kissed him lingeringly.

"Hold that thought," she encouraged him throatily.

A big grin lit up EJ's face at the promise in her voice. EJ took Sami's hand and walked her to the waiting cab, helping her into the car. Still smiling goofily at Sami EJ handed the man a twenty for the cab fare, knowing it wouldn't cost much more than that.

"See you at home," said Sami softly, leaning out of the car to kiss him one last time.

"I'll be there," said EJ with a big smile.

He went to put away his wallet and looked suddenly distressed as he took a second look at its contents.

"You have to give me it back!" he practically yelled at the surprised cab driver who was about to put away the twenty EJ had given him.

"I ain't doin' this job for free pal," said the cab driver with a bit of a scowl.

"I'll give you another twenty," said EJ urgently, holding out his hand for its return, "I just need that one back."

"Why?" asked the cabbie suspiciously.

"EJ," said Sami a little uncertainly, "What are you doing?"

Suddenly Sami realised why EJ might be making a fuss.

"EJ," she said in concern as she grabbed his arm and dragged him closer to her in the back of the cab, keeping her voice low, "That's not, you know-"

"Aha," said EJ, looking a bit annoyed that the man was being more helpful.

"You kept it!" squeaked Sami, blushing bright red as she remembered the intimate act EJ had performed with that twenty dollar bill.

"Sweetheart I fully intend to be buried with that twenty dollar note," said EJ with complete seriousness, "And it's certainly not going to be out of my hands!"

He turned his attention back to the cab driver.

"I'll give you a hundred dollars for that twenty," said EJ calmly.

"You'll give me a hundred dollars for this twenty?" asked the man suspiciously, waving the note around and making Sami's blush deepen, "Why?"

Sami's eyes widened as she looked up at EJ through the open window and prayed he wasn't going to have a surge of truthfulness.

"My grandmother gave it to me just before she died," said EJ without missing a beat, "It has huge sentimental meaning for me."

Sami blew out a relieved breath as the EJ she knew and loved remained true to himself.

"Two hundred dollars," said EJ flatly, "Final offer before I come in there, beat you to a bloody pulp and take my twenty back anyway."

The man blinked, sizing up EJ and obviously deciding if the younger man was bluffing or not. Clearly the taxi driver decided EJ was serious because he begrudgingly handed over the twenty and true to his word EJ handed him the two hundred dollars.

"There," said EJ coolly as he tucked the note away in a special compartment, "Now that wasn't so hard now was it?"

The driver didn't seem to feel the need to answer him as he stuffed the money into his own wallet and EJ bent down to put his head through the window to say one last goodbye to Sami.

"You're insane," Sami informed him as EJ leant in to give her one last kiss goodbye.

"I keep what's mine close," he growled unrepentantly; kissing her hard.

EJ straightened up then and gave the address to the impatient taxi driver.

"And make sure my wife gets there in one piece please," said EJ sternly, noting the annoyed countenance of the other man, "Otherwise there will be hell to pay, trust me."

"I'll be fine," said Sami with a soft smile, loving how concerned he was about her all of the time.

With a last look the cab was pulling away from the curb, Sami looking back over her shoulder to see as EJ watched her leave.

"Your husband is quite the charmer," said the cabbie flatly, clearly unhappy about the turn of events despite his windfall.

"He has his moments," said Sami with a self satisfied little smile.

Sami settled into the rest of the cab ride, thinking only about EJ and they were back at Mythic before she knew it. Climbing out the taxi she went to walk to her car that was parked there but then decided she wanted to check a few things in the office so instead she headed into the building. Sami didn't bother with lights on the Mythic floor, knowing her way round by now as she walked into her office. She turned on the lamp on her desk and began to check through some paperwork. Sami didn't really want to go home to Lucas anyway and she'd already told him that she'd be late for dinner that night. The paperwork in hand Sami walked over to the window and glanced out absently on the street below. It was starting to get dark but her eye was caught by a car across the road. The dark sedan seemed oddly familiar to Sami even though it was a common car.

For the longest time now she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. At the oddest times a chill would come over her and she'd turn around to see no one there but the feeling of eyes on her remained. Sami kept putting it down to pregnancy hormones making her jittery but she began to have second thoughts as a man emerged from the black car and crossed the road, heading into Mythic's foyer. Sami frowned, knowing she was the only person here at this time of night and seeing as the offices below were an accounting firm who had gone home hours ago it was unlikely he was heading there.

A few minutes later Sami heard the door to the stair way open and close and her eyes widened. She quickly turned off the light in her office and held her breath. Sami crept to her door which was slightly ajar and sneaked a look through the crack. A dark haired man was confidently but very quietly making his way down the corridor, a cell phone to his ear. Sami softly closed the door to her office, seeing that he was heading her way. Her heart pounding wildly she looked around herself, looking for something to defend herself with and not finding anything she retreated into the little bathroom suite that joined her room.

Sami stood in there, holding her breath as to her horror the sound of her office door being opened came to here. She made a regretful face as she realised in her panic that she'd left her bag by her desk... the bag that contained her cell phone. The sound of muffled footsteps on the carpet began to approach and Sami heart was practically beating out of her chest. The door handle began to slowly turn and that was it for her. In a moment of inspired panic Sami leapt up on the vanity behind her and pushed against the door of the bathroom with her feet and using all of her might. There was a surprised strangled noise of pain as the door hit the man in the face with an almighty thwack sound. The next noise Sami heard was the sound of a big body hitting the floor and then not moving.

Sami grabbed the handle of the door and pulled the door shut again, pulling on it for all she was worth in case the man got up and tried again. The minutes ticked away, Sami tensed and ready to react at a moment's notice. But as nothing happened she began to realise that she just couldn't keep standing there, hanging onto a bathroom door knob forever. Summoning all of her courage Sami knew she needed to get to her phone. Sami hunted around for another weapon but all that she could find in the bathroom was a toilet brush but she took it anyway. Very cautiously she opened the door and peeked out, toilet brush clamped tightly in one hand. The man was stretched out on the carpeted floor, bleeding quietly from what certainly looked like a broken nose from where Sami was standing. She inched out of the bathroom, carefully stepping over the man's legs and heading towards her bag.

Sami stopped briefly to look down at the man, wondering if she recognised him. He was dark haired and well built but his face didn't ring a bell, even if Sami attempted to picture him without his bloody nose. He was still completely out of it and Sami was about to make good her escape when she noticed that his coat jacket was open a little and what she saw underneath made her breath hitch in her throat. He had a gun holstered under his jacket and Sami's eyes widened at the discovery. If she'd been uncertain if the man was up to no good before she now knew for sure. A man she didn't know followed her into a building with a gun. Sami put a protective hand on her stomach, feeling her heart lurch fearfully at the thought of her children being hurt. She needed help, she needed EJ but being a cop's daughter all of her life told her that she couldn't leave an armed man to wake up suddenly and further threaten her life.

Taking yet another deep breath Sami steeled herself to bend down and reach into the man's jacket. She had to take the gun off him, there was no other way. If he came to there was no way she could outrun him if she tried and certainly no way she could over power him. A gun at least evened the playing field up somewhat. Sami knew that she would use it too, if it came down to the man's life or that of her unborn children. No mother was going to sit idly by and let someone hurt their child, born or not. Sami raised the toilet brush above her head, ready to bring it down on the man as hard as she could should the need arise. With a shaking hand Sami began to retrieve the gun she could see in her would be assailant's jacket. She'd just touched the cold metal when suddenly the man's eyes snapped open as he grabbed her wrist tightly.

Sami screamed loudly, struggling to break free...


	109. Chapter 256

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & FIFTY SIX**** – ****Taking Your Medicine**

When angry, count to four. When very angry, swear.

_Mark Twain_

_(American Humorist, Writer and Lecturer. 1835-1910)_

The man had a vice like grip on Sami's wrist and her instincts just kicked in. She began hammering the toilet brush down on the man's head as hard as she could. He groaned very loudly as the bristly object connected with his broken nose. The pain must have been extremely intense because the man suddenly lapsed into unconsciousness again. Her heart pounding so wildly in her chest Sami was sure it was going to beat out of her chest she stared at the man, arm still raised with the toilet brush in case he should get a second wind. After a moment she realised that she was wasting valuable time and Sami quickly made a grab for the gun.

The gun safely in her hand now she stood up on shaky legs, intending to call the police now but just then there was the sound of the door to the stairwell being opened and slamming shut. Sami gasped in fear, realising the man must have had an accomplice. He'd been on the phone at the time she'd hit him with the door so obviously the other man realised something was wrong and had come to investigate.

Heavy running foot falls could be heard outside her office, getting very close extremely quickly. Sami stood her ground though and simply took the safety off the gun and pointed it at the door. It slammed open and Sami just closed her eyes and pulled the trigger, adrenalin pumping through her body as the sound of the shot was painfully loud, filling the room.

"BLOODY HELL!"

Sami's eyes snapped open at the familiar voice as she stared in horror at EJ who was standing in the doorway, a shocked expression on his face.

"That one parted the old hairs on the head," he said a little unevenly, brushing the side of his face before shaking his head a little.

"EJ!" Sami squeaked the full horror of what she'd almost done starting to penetrate her brain.

_Oh my God, she'd almost shot EJ!_

"Oh my God I almost shot you!" she practically screamed at him.

Although Sami wasn't sure if she was yelling or not because suddenly everything seemed to be strangely muted, the shock making everything feel that it was happening to someone else.

"I noticed," said EJ wryly before looking at her and the unconscious man at her feet, "Sweetheart are you alright?"

EJ covered the distance between them in two giant strides, catching Sami as her knees began to give way.

"No I'm not alright," she said in distress, "I nearly killed you!"

If her eyes hadn't been closed and her hands hadn't have been shaking so badly Sami could only shudder to think what may have happened.

"A miss is as good as a mile darling," said EJ cheerfully, clearly glad to see she was alright beyond some shock.

Sami made a little strangled noise now, words beyond her. EJ reached down and took the gun from her hand, carefully putting the safety back on and guided Sami to a seat. She sat down heavily, still unable to comprehend what had just happened. Once she was settled EJ walked over to the man on the floor. He crouched down beside him and examined him closely.

"Is he shot?" asked EJ calmly, taking in all of the blood.

"N-no," said Sami shakily, "I think I just broke his nose."

"It does look somewhat lop sided," agreed EJ readily enough, tilting his head to one side as he examined the appendage.

"I-I came to the office to check on some things and this man-" Sami swallowed hard before she could continue, "And then I heard him coming up the corridor so I hide in the bathroom and then he came into the office and then I broke his nose."

"How?" asked EJ curiously, taking in the size of the man.

"With the door," said Sami, pointing a shaky finger at the bathroom door which still sported some blood on it.

"Ah," said EJ thoughtfully, nodding his head.

Sami looked at EJ and how calmly he was taking all of this and blinked a couple of times, her naturally inquisitive nature.

"Why aren't you surprised by this?" she asked him sharply.

"Sweetheart when that bullet whistled past my ear, trust me," he said wryly, "I was surprised."

"We need to call the police," said Sami determinedly, the shock beginning to recede now.

EJ stood up and pulled a face.

"Actually I don't think that is necessary darling," said EJ evenly, "Why don't I just get you home and you can get some rest. You look very pale, not to mention the fact you scared the living hell out of me. I was beside myself coming up that corridor."

"How did you know?" asked Sami with a frown, things suddenly not making any sense to her.

"Know?" EJ hedged.

"How did you know I was in trouble EJ?" asked Sami curtly, standing up now.

"I didn't," said EJ quickly, "I decided to pop in at the office as well and I heard-"

"That is crap!" Sami snapped, folding her arms in front of herself and looking up at him angrily, "I heard you, you came out of the stairwell at a full run. Why would you be running EJ? You couldn't have heard my tussle with this guy from the stairwell!"

"Ah-" EJ pulled a bit of a face, "Call it male intuition eh darling? You know you still look very unsteady on your pins. Why don't we go to my office and I'll make you a nice soothing cup of tea with lots of sugar to calm your nerves? In fact I'd feel a whole lot better if we went to have you and the babies checked out. You've had quite the scare."

"I don't need tea or doctors I need answers EJ!" Sami said, glaring at him, "What the hell is going on?!"

EJ sighed heavily, clearly not happy to be put in this position but Sami wasn't to be dissuaded.

"Clay works for me," admitted EJ at last.

"Clay?" repeated Sami, completely stunned.

"Clay," EJ nodded, indicating the prone man on the floor who was beginning to stir at the sound of his name.

"And why is Clay stalking me exactly?" asked Sami, her lips thinning.

"He's not stalking you Samantha," EJ corrected her, "He's protecting you."

"From what?!" Sami snapped, "Being frightened out of my mind?! Well news flash, it isn't working EJ!"

"I've had a few recent altercations and I just wanted to ensure that you and our children are safe," said EJ rather vaguely.

Sami's eyes narrowed at the way EJ still wasn't telling her everything but just then Clay gave a loud ground and started to sit up. Reassured by the fact that the man worked for EJ, Sami went over to him and helped him as he unsteadily got to his feet. Clay put a hand to his still bleeding nose and looked at EJ apologetically.

"Sorry boss," he said, his voice muffled by his hand and all of the blood that was still coursing out of his nose.

"Mm," said EJ, obviously unimpressed by this turn of events, "You realise you scared the hell out of my pregnant wife with your ineptitude. I've got a good mind to-"

"EJ!" Sami chastised him, feeling terribly guilty about the man's injuries now, "Leave the man alone – he's hurt!"

Sami turned to Clay and looked up at him with much regret.

"I'm so sorry," she told him earnestly, "I had no idea – I thought you were after me."

"It's not your fault," said Clay he mumbled behind his hand, "It was mine."

"Damn straight," said EJ, glaring at him.

"You need to go and get that nose checked out," Sami fretted, "I'll drive you to the hospital."

"Thank you ma'am," he said quickly before EJ could interject, "But I'm alright to drive myself."

"Really?" asked Sami uncertainly, taking in the mess he was.

"I'll be fine," said Clay evenly.

"Call for a replacement," EJ instructed him.

"Yes sir," Clay nodded as EJ handed him back his gun.

"Replacement?" repeated Sami in bemusement.

"I've had men watching over you around the clock," EJ informed her unrepentantly, "Three of them in fact."

"I don't believe this," said Sami faintly.

"I'll be going," said Clay, clearly sensing his presence was no longer required.

Sami looked over at the bloody man and pulled a pained expression, momentarily diverted from what EJ had done.

"Again," said Sami apologetically, "Really sorry about the nose thing Clay. EJ will give you a bonus to make up for it."

"Why am I giving a bonus to a man who couldn't do his job properly in the first place?" asked EJ in mild exasperation.

"Because I said so," said Sami, glaring at him warningly, "It's your punishment for being an idiot!"

"And if only I could believe that would be the end of it," said EJ wryly.

Clay gave a little nod of his head and then was out the door, leaving Sami and EJ alone. Sami folded her arms in front of herself and glared up at EJ.

"Well then," said EJ cheerfully, "Now that everything is sorted how about that cuppa sweetheart?"

"Oh this is far from sorted EJ," Sami bit out, "How dare you?"

"How dare I what?" asked EJ with an arched eyebrow, "How dare I protect you and our children?"

"How dare you lie to me!" Sami yelled at him, "How dare you keep things from me EJ?!"

"I was protecting you!" EJ protested.

"How is keeping me in the dark protecting me?" asked Sami angrily, "How long has this been going on for?! What kind of altercations are we talking about EJ?!"

Sami pointed an accusing finger at him then.

"And by god this had better be the truth or else I'm going to hurt you so bad!" she threatened him.

EJ pursed his lips, obviously weighing up his options but Sami's expression made it clear that he didn't have any at this point.

"When I arrived back from England a car drove me off the road," EJ volunteered, "And then someone tried to run me down in the same car the other day, the day of the ultrasound."

"Your hands," said Sami suddenly, remembering how she'd commented on the grazes he'd been sporting at the time when they were snuggling in bed afterwards, "You told me you fell down and that was how you hurt your hands!"

"Well technically that wasn't a lie darling," said EJ earnestly, "I did fall down."

"After a car tried to kill you!" said Sami in anguish.

"It didn't seem that important at the time," EJ said with a hopeful smile, "Considering the wonderful news the ultrasound bought."

"Not important?!" Sami repeated, her voice getting louder at how casually EJ seemed to be treating all of this, "The father of my children was almost killed twice and that isn't important?! Is that what you are saying EJ?!"

"I'm saying that in the general scheme of things-"

"Attempted murder is always a big deal!!" Sami yelled at him at the top of her voice, not letting EJ side step this, "I can't believe you didn't tell me EJ! It just boggles my mind!"

"Samantha I was trying to do the right thing-" EJ began to protest.

"See theses?!" Sami demanded, interrupting them again as she picked up the rings that were around her neck and shook them at him, "You made promises to me EJ-"

"To protect and love you always!" said EJ heatedly.

"Lies aren't protecting anyone except yourself!" she threw back at him, "You didn't think I could handle it could you?!"

"I didn't want you to handle it," EJ said in frustration, "I don't want this to be how our lives are Samantha."

"Well this is how our lives are," she said shortly, "And keeping me in the dark doesn't change that EJ. We are in this together otherwise what's the point?!"

"The point is your safety," said EJ urgently.

Sami shook her head as EJ seemed to refuse to hear her. Couldn't he understand how upsetting the thought of him lying to her now, after all the things they'd been through was to her? Like most men he just seemed to be focused on the reason behind it and not the actual outworkings of all of those supposedly good intentions.

"The point is EJ that you lied to me," said Sami tightly, "That you didn't trust me, trust us."

"You're the only thing that I do trust Samantha," said EJ intently, "You have to believe that."

"How?!" she demanded of him angrily, "Your actions sure don't show it!"

EJ threw his hands up and shook his head, looking frustrated.

"You're deliberately taking this the wrong way," he said in vexation.

"Excuse me?!" repeated Sami, his words like a red flag to a bull, "Excuse ME?! I'm _deliberately_ taking this the wrong way?! What the hell does that mean EJ – you lied to me – what other way is there to take that?!"

"Samantha," said EJ huskily, walking up to her and putting his hands on the tops of her arms and looking down at her with a heartfelt expression on his face, "I love you, the thought of you being in danger undoes me. All I wanted to do was be the husband you deserved and protect you from any and all harm – you have to understand that."

Sami looked up EJ wide eyed, saw how sincere he was being and let her face soften.

"Oh EJ," she said huskily and she watched as EJ began to smile lovingly down at her, thinking the worst was over.

Sami took her opportunity and drew back her hand, making a fist and punching EJ as hard as she could in his stomach. The unsuspecting EJ made a pained grunting noise as he doubled over in pain.

"I understand that you don't trust me!" Sami yelled at him even as she shook her hand painfully, "OWW!"

"Ughf," was EJ's response as he staggered backwards, clutching at his stomach.

He straightened up slowly and gave Sami a wounded look.

"That hurt!" he complained.

"It was meant to," said Sami through gritted teeth.

"But sweetheart I did this for you," EJ continued to try and justify his actions, "Because I love you."

"Oh EJ," said Sami with a sweet smile as she picked up the stapler on her desk, "I love you too honey."

With that she threw the stapler as hard as she could at EJ's head. He was too fast for her but it did bounce off his shoulder.

"Steady!" EJ said, holding up his hand.

"Steady this!" growled Sami, finding a vase now and throwing it at him.

"You're being irrational!" EJ exclaimed as he ducked and the glass shattered against the wall.

If there was one thing guaranteed to make a situation worse it was to be called irrational, particularly when you were the one in the right.

"HOLD STILL!" Sami shouted at him as she tried to line up the darting EJ with the paperweight she had in her hand.

"Not bloody likely!" exclaimed EJ as he narrowly dodged the paperweight, "You'll do me a mischief with those things!"

"That's the idea!" said Sami angrily as she turned around and began hunting for more objects to throw at him.

Sami was just so angry at him for doing this to her, to them. She thought she was his equal but apparently not. Apparently all EJ thought she was good for was being wrapped in cotton wool and the thought just incensed her. The whole point was that they'd meant to have found a partner in one another but it seemed like EJ had decided that he was the boss. Well Sami wasn't having that, not now, not ever! Meanwhile EJ took his chance while she was distracted and wrapped his arms around Sami from behind, preventing her from grabbing anything more.

"Let me go!" she yelled at him.

"Not until you calm down," said EJ stubbornly, "All of this carry on isn't good for your blood pressure, you need to calm down Samantha!"

Sami gritted her teeth, knowing he was probably right but not appreciating that fact.

"Alright I'm calm," said Sami icily, "Now let me go."

"Will you behave yourself?" asked EJ not convinced.

"Yes," said Sami coolly.

She felt EJ slowly loosen his hold on her, enough for her to turn around in his arms but he didn't let go of her completely. EJ finally dropped his arms and that was all Sami was waiting for, she was still livid with him and she went to take another swing at him but this time EJ was expecting it. He grabbed her wrist and then Sami's other wrist as she tried to hit him with her other hand.

"Behave!" he ordered her.

"Drop dead!" she threw back at him.

EJ's answer to that was to crush her lips under his and despite or maybe because of how angry she was Sami couldn't help herself from responding. He moved her arms behind her back, pinning them there as EJ lifted her up onto her desk, still kissing her fiercely. Sami was caught between so many emotions, still angry but beyond relieved that she was getting to kiss this man at all after the close calls he had. That thought reminded Sami that he was keeping things from her and she bit down on his bottom lip.

"OW!" he complained pulling away briefly but very quickly resumed kissing her.

Sami's heart was pounding and all she could think about was how much she wanted him. She could feel the effect their fighting had caused to his body as EJ pushed his way between her legs to stand between them. Sami couldn't help it; EJ aroused always turned her on so much. She fumbled between their bodies, finding his zipper even as EJ pushed up her skirt. The next thing knew EJ was joining his body with hers and despite their lovemaking from earlier that afternoon Sami was still ravenous for him.

"You lying bastard!" she hissed at him even as she felt the tension building inside of her body with each of his forceful strokes and knowing that this coupling was not going to take very long at all.

"S-samantha," EJ managed to choke out, the intensity of his movements increasing.

Sami threw back her head, managing to free her hands and putting them to EJ's chest and raking them down him as the intense pleasure built in her body. It was unbearable.

"EJ!" she exclaimed raggedly, feeling herself begin to peak, "I love you!"

"YESSS!" EJ growled excitedly and he was following her over that peak in a noisy climax of his own.

They shuddered together for a long moment before EJ reluctantly withdrew from her and took a step back. Sami moved off the desk on unsteady legs as she tried to catch her breath. Her whole body was on fire and was a throbbing, quivering mess.

"Just so you know," Sami managed to huff as she shakily straightened her clothes, "You are in no way off the hook – I'm still as mad as hell at you Elvis DiMera!"

"Understood," said EJ weakly as he collapsed in a nearby chair, his voice cracking a little.

**oooOOOOooo**

Next day:

"_See I told you that you should have told Sami straight away about what was going on."_

"Go away," EJ mumbled into his pillow, "It's too early for you Sam."

"_Now you have to deal with the consequences," said Sam, not letting up._

"Yes the rigorous sex on Samantha's desk was quite the cross to bear but somehow I managed," EJ said wryly, rolling over onto his back.

"_Not the sex you ninny!" said Sam in annoyance, "The fact that you scared the woman you are meant to love more than life itself half to death!" _

EJ put his hand over his face and rubbed it tiredly as he fought the guilt he felt over that. He'd been on the phone to Clay at the time Sami had hit him with the door. The other man had been reporting back to him that she was at Mythic but that he hadn't seen any lights on. Clay had grown concerned and was checking up Sami when the door incident happened. All EJ knew was that there had been this almighty crash sound and the line had gone suddenly dead.

He'd been driving back to his apartment at the time and nearly died of fright. EJ had immediately raced over to Mythic which he was fortunately only a few minutes from in his car. He'd practically flown up the stairs, terrified of what he might found and that was when Sami had almost shot him. Strangely enough his brush with death hadn't fazed him like it had Sami.

He was just so damn relieved she'd been alright that nothing else mattered. The fact that she'd taken down a highly trained, ex-CIA operative to boot just made EJ fall that little bit more in love with her. The woman was a human dynamo, even four and a half months pregnant she was a force to be reckoned with. They had left things still badly between them and EJ was anxious to right it but had figured it was best to let Sami cool off a bit before he did. He knew once Sami calmed down she'd have a lot of questions for him and this time EJ knew he had to tell her everything and just pray that he was doing the right thing.

"_Of course you are," Sam snuffed, rudely reading his thoughts yet again, "So why couldn't you have trusted her to handle this whole killer on the loose thing in the beginning?"_

"I didn't want her to worry," repeated EJ for what felt like the hundredth time.

"_Lame," Sam pronounced with a roll of her eyes, "You know that you'd be all over Sami like a rash you picked up from a guy in a bar who told you had pretty eyes if she did the same thing to you." _

"I'm trying to do the right thing here," EJ grumbled.

"_Tell you what love critter," said Sam conversationally, "Whatever your instincts tell you is the right thing just go with the complete opposite and then you should be fine."_

"I hate you," EJ announced sullenly.

"_Don't shoot the messenger squirrel butt," said Sam with a bit of a shrug, "I can't help it if you have the problem solving capacity of a door knob."_

There was a knock at the door just then and EJ grimaced.

"Be a dear and get that for me would you?" asked EJ sweetly.

"_Wow funny and thoughtful," said Sam sarcastically, "Sami has got herself quite the catch. Just as well you finally managed to knock her up otherwise you might have to develop a personality beyond obnoxious."_

EJ just grunted at that and rolled out of bed, pulling on a dressing gown and going to answer the door, mumbling under his breath.

"Obnoxious," he muttered moodily, "Pot. Kettle. Black anyone?"

EJ opened the door and blew out a heavy breath when he saw who it was.

"Ah," said EJ flatly, "My second unwelcome visitor of the day."

Roman arched an eyebrow at that.

"Second?" repeated Roman thoughtfully, "It's a bit early in the day to be receiving visitors isn't it EJ?"

"You tell me," said EJ ironically as he gave Roman a pointed look.

"I'm here on police business," Roman informed him.

"A life outside your job would be required for me to think anything else Captain Brady," said EJ coolly, not in a good mood after his early morning conversation with Sam.

"I need a little of your time EJ," said Roman, looking at him steadily.

"Because you need some light bulbs changed that you can't quite reach or is it something more sinister?" asked EJ, pursing his lips and looking at Roman thoughtfully.

"Are you going to make this difficult EJ?" asked Roman flatly.

"Am I going to make what difficult exactly?" asked EJ in exasperation, "You haven't told me what you want from me yet?"

"That's a nasty scratch you've got on your shoulder," commented Roman, looking at the damaged flesh intently, "I wonder how you got that?"

"Estelle, my special lady is quite demonstrative," said EJ calmly, not missing a beat, "She likes playing rough."

Actually it was his own daughter who had inflicted that particular wound on EJ and he would have loved nothing more to let Roman know that but he bit his tongue instead.

"Mm," said Roman, his eyes narrowing, "I'll wait while you get dressed."

"What?" said EJ, affecting a disappointed pout, "I can't go as is? Does Salem PD have such a strong anti-nipple stance that I can't go in my robe?"

Roman just stared back at him dourly and EJ made a regretful face.

"You're not saying anything but I'm hearing the implied anti-nipple sentiment," said EJ with a sigh, "I'll go and get dressed."

With feigned indifference EJ turned and went to get dressed but all the while his mind was racing.

And the hits just kept coming...


	110. Chapter 257

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & FIFTY SEVEN**** – ****Wrong Place, Wrong Time**

I busted a mirror and got seven years badluck, but my lawyer thinks he can get me five.

_Stephen Wright_

_(American Actor and Writer, b.1955)_

Sami stood in the shower and let the warm water wash over her. She gave a soft smile as she rubbed her baby bump lovingly.

"Hello you two," she said quietly, "How are you both today?"

Sami knew it wouldn't be long before she'd be able to feel her children's movements inside of her and couldn't wait. There was just something so awe inspiring about feeling your child moving around inside of you and Sami hoped desperately that EJ was going to be there the first time one of the children kicked.

"Sami have you seen my brown shirt?!"

Lucas' voice called to her on the other side of the bathroom door and Sami gave a little start.

"Is it in there?" asked Lucas and Sami's eyes widened in panic as she saw the door handle turn.

"Don't come in here!" Sami practically yelled, covering her stomach protectively.

If Lucas saw her naked there would be more than a few questions to answer because she was quite obviously pregnant now. Loose clothing hid her bump during the day but naked was a different story.

"What?" asked Lucas, clearly taken aback by her vehemence.

"Ah your shirt isn't here," she said quickly, "I put it in your cupboard."

"Okay," said Lucas, sounding a put out and Sami couldn't blame him.

She quickly got out of the shower and dried herself off, getting dressed and walked out into the bedroom.

"I'm sorry," she apologised, "I didn't mean to be rude."

"You're my wife Sami," said Lucas shortly as he pulled on his shirt, "I've seen you naked before."

"I'm sorry," said Sami again, not meeting his eye, "I'm just having a fat day – you know how I get. I just didn't want you to see me when I'm feeling so ugly."

"Sami you're gorgeous," said Lucas with an indulgent shake of his head, "And you're not fat."

"Old insecurities," said Sami with a bit of a shrug, glad that he seemed to be buying it.

"Well there is no reason to be insecure around me honey," said Lucas firmly, "And maybe tonight you can give me a chance to prove that to you."

Lucas gave her a needy look as he said that and Sami had to swallow hard and force her expression not to change.

"That sounds wonderful Lucas but I have to work back late tonight," said Sami regretfully.

"Again?" asked Lucas in vexation.

"I know," said Sami as she pulled a remorseful face, "I'm sorry. Things are just crazy at the moment."

"Will EJ be there?" asked Lucas in annoyance.

"He will but I think he's hoping to be gone early because he and Estelle have something planned," said Sami quickly.

That was a complete lie on her behalf but Sami had discovered that bringing up Estelle always seemed to placate Lucas.

"I wonder what she sees in that guy?" said Lucas bitterly.

"Who knows," said Sami with a little shrug, "And who cares?"

"Exactly," said Lucas with a big smile, "And maybe you won't be as late as you think and we can still have a bit of alone time together eh?"

"Maybe," said Sami cautiously even as she knew that wasn't going to happen.

She and EJ needed some extended time to sort out a few issues. Now that she'd calmed down Sami had a lot of questions that she needed some answers to and EJ had better be straight with her. Sami had known EJ was distracted recently but she was angry with herself for not seeing what was really going on. It looked like they had to sort out a few rules to this relationship and pretty quickly. There was no way Sami wanted to be blindsided like that again and if she was it was EJ who had better worry about the broken noses.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Is this going to take long?" asked EJ casually even as he wracked his brain trying to think what this might be about.

They both stepped out into the corridor and EJ locked his apartment behind them.

"It's going to take as long as it takes," said Roman coolly.

"Edifying as always eh Captain Brady?" asked EJ wryly, turning back around.

Just then Sami came out of her apartment and came to an abrupt halt as she looked at them in surprise.

"Dad what is going on?" asked Sami in concern.

"Nothing honey," said Roman calmly, "Just some police business."

"That's code for not being able to stay away from me," interjected EJ jovially, playing it light and not wanting Sami to worry, "I think the good Captain just wants some alone time with me sweetheart."

EJ put his hand up to his mouth in a gesture of keeping a loud secret.

"I think your Dad is going to ask me to the Prom but I'm playing it cool," said EJ in a stage whisper to Sami, "I don't want him to think I'm easy."

Sami tried to hide her smile from her father even as she continued to look worried.

"It's time for you and that smart mouth of yours to come with me now," said Roman dourly.

"He noticed my mouth!" cooed EJ excitedly, "It must be true love."

Roman gritted his teeth and gave EJ an unamused look.

"Dad EJ and I have a meeting with a very important client at ten," Sami told her father, "He'll need to be back by then."

They didn't have a meeting but EJ loved her a little bit more for lying for him.

"I can't make any promises Sami," said Roman evenly.

"Hence the succession of ex-wives," said EJ, unable to help himself.

"EJ!" said Sami sternly and he grimaced.

He was already on thin ice with Sami but the words had just slipped out. There were just some people in the world that deserved to have the mickey taken out of them and Roman Brady was definitely one of them. Although really he had promised to start winning over Sami's family so EJ decided that he'd better find a way to curb his tongue.

"Sorry," he apologised to Roman, "That was a bit below the belt."

EJ was determined to be more civil with the annoying man for Sami's sake.

"I'd expect nothing less from a DiMera," said Roman coolly, "Trash talk from trash."

_Starting tomorrow._

"Ah this morning is just going to fly by I can tell," said EJ laconically.

"Bye honey," said Roman as he indicated that EJ should go ahead of him into the elevator.

"Bye," said Sami, throwing EJ a quick anxious look to which he just smiled calmly and gave her a wink.

It was only twenty minutes later and EJ was sitting across from Roman in his office.

"Is it just me or is there the tiniest bit of déjà vu going on here?" asked EJ casually as he leaned back in his chair and arched an eyebrow at Roman, "All of this seems strangely familiar."

"It does doesn't it?" agreed Roman, looking interested, "It's so funny how you keep coming to our attention now isn't it EJ?"

"It might be if I knew what the attention was in relationship to," said EJ with a roll of his eyes, "What is it now, someone's taken candy from a baby or pushed a nun down a flight of stairs?"

EJ was annoyed; he wanted to be sorting everything out with Sami, not wasting his time with her dim witted father.

"Oh and kudos by the way on the brilliant job you did on finding the man who shot me," said EJ sarcastically, "I feel so much safer knowing that Salem's finest is on the job."

"The case is still open," said Roman unapologetically, "We're working on it."

"I'll hold my breath shall I?" asked EJ dryly, "So can we hurry this along Roman? As your daughter informed you I have a rather important meeting that I don't want to be late for."

"You really like the fact that you're in business with Sami so you can rub my face in it don't you?" asked Roman with a twist of his lips.

"You never fail to disappoint me Roman," said EJ with a disgusted shake of his head, "It didn't even occur to you that me being in business with Samantha is all about how brilliantly she is doing in our company now did it? That she is about to close on a deal she brokered that will see her make more money in a couple of months then you'll see in a lifetime of plodding through your so called career. No, it's all about me getting back at you, not about how amazing your daughter is. It's no wonder she threw herself at every man who even gave her the time of day with a father who thinks so very little of her."

Roman looked taken aback by EJ's attack but he just couldn't help himself. It made EJ want to just lean across the desk and smack that pious expression off Roman's face as he once again showed that Sami was just an afterthought to him at best.

"Who the hell are you to comment on my relationship with my daughter?" asked Roman bitterly, "Like you'd know the first thing about anything when it came to Sami."

"Yes," said EJ with a humourless laugh, "Like I'd know anything."

"You're just all bent out of shape because she wants nothing to do with you," said Roman, his eyes narrowing.

"Is this why you dragged me down here?" asked EJ in vexation, "To bicker about Samantha?"

"No," said Roman evenly.

There was a long pause then and EJ knew that the other man was trying to make him nervous by waiting to speak but EJ wasn't to be manipulated. He just stared back coolly, making sure his face showed no flicker of concern.

"You missed a spot when you were shaving," EJ observed, tapping his chin and nodding at Roman.

"A couple of weeks you were at the Brady Pub buying some chowder from my mother," Roman calmly, ignoring EJ's comment.

EJ arched an eyebrow at the odd segue.

"I forget," he said slowly, "Is that still a hanging offence in these here parts?"

"My mother commented on your hands," continued on Roman evenly.

"My hands?" repeated EJ, trying to think back.

"They were all scratched up and she said you should take care of them otherwise they'd get infected," Roman prompted him.

"Oh," said EJ as he remembered, "Yes, that's right."

He looked at Roman expectantly.

"So?"

"How did you hurt your hands?" asked Roman casually.

"I fell down," said EJ vaguely.

"Really?" asked Roman coolly.

"Yes really," said EJ in exasperation, "Is this what this is about – the fact that I spoke with your mother Roman? Are you going to warn me off her now?"

There really was no limit to this man's capacity to be annoying it seemed.

"Want to tell me again how you got the scratch on your neck?" asked Roman, giving nothing away.

"I've already told you how that happened Roman," said EJ in annoyance, "Are you getting a special thrill from hearing about other's love lives? Has it really been that long for you?"

Roman didn't comment but instead pulled out a picture from the file that was in front of him and pushed it over towards him. EJ looked down at it and grimaced at the image of a badly beaten woman, her eyes swollen shut, face black and blue.

"No cute comment to make laughing boy?" asked Roman flatly.

"The poor woman," said EJ quietly, "What happened?"

"She was raped and beaten yesterday," said Roman tightly, "Got some crack to make about that Elvis?"

"Of course not," said EJ sharply, "Such a heinous and cowardly act is nothing short of vile. I hope you break from your usual habits and actually solve a case and find out who did this to the poor woman."

"Me too EJ," said Roman with a cold smile.

He pulled out another picture and passed it to EJ and it was another image of a beaten woman.

"This happened just over two weeks ago," Roman informed him, "Exactly the same MO."

"So what are you telling me Roman?" asked EJ with a frown, "There is some kind of serial rapist running around loose in Salem?"

EJ's stomach tightened as he thought about Sami and how vulnerable she was.

"Do you have any leads?" he asked sharply.

"I do as a matter of fact," said Roman looking very pleased with himself, "This woman was attacked at around one pm in Marshall Street on the 15th. I don't suppose you'd care to explain why at around that time you were identified as speeding away recklessly from the general vicinity at the same time, ignoring the police car chasing you?"

EJ's eyes widened, not knowing why he was surprised by now but he was.

"You're kidding me right?" asked EJ incredulously as he stood up and scowled down at Roman, letting his cool momentarily slip, "It's like everything that happens in Salem the only suspect you seem to consider is me. You know you might want to consider the fact that such a mind set is the reason you can never seem to catch the real criminals!"

"I'm looking at a real criminal EJ," said Roman unapologetically as he stood up faced off against the younger man, "And I'm waiting for my explanation."

EJ had been racing to be with Sami; fearful that she was hurt but he wasn't going to tell Roman that.

"I'd just had a lovely lunch with my girlfriend Estelle and wasn't in the market for having my good mood brought down by one of Salem's finest," said EJ, his face hardening, "So I didn't. It's not my fault that the Salem PD drive like my grandmother on the way to church and couldn't keep up."

Actually that wasn't completely true – his Granny Violet was a demon on the roads, driving like a woman possessed but that wasn't the point right now.

"Your girlfriend," said Roman in disgust, "That's your alibi? How very convenient."

"Well there is also the roomful of diners and the restaurant who took my booking," said EJ with an arched eyebrow.

"I'd expect a clever man like you to cover his tracks," said Roman, not backing down.

"So this man," said EJ in annoyance, "Is there a physical description, something to identify him by, something that would make you so very certain it was me?"

"The man always came up behind the women and put a bag over their head before dragging them off," admitted Roman reluctantly.

"Did he speak?" asked EJ sharply, "Did he have an accent?"

"He was too smart for that," said Roman, giving him a pointed look, "And he wore gloves."

"So in fact you know nothing about this man," said EJ in exasperation, "And in lieu of actual evidence and the desire to do any real police work you just figured that pinning it on me would be the best thing to do. Am I in the ballpark here Roman?"

"I just find it very suspicious that you were in the vicinity of one of the rapes and was seen speeding away and seem to keep turning up with scratches all over you," said Roman, holding his gaze unblinkingly, "Not to mention there have been actually six rapes now which stopped while you were overseas and then started again when you got back."

"That's what is called a coincidence Roman," said EJ tartly, "And whilst I realise a word that has four syllables might stretch your somewhat limited mental capacities but try your hardest eh, there's a good boy?"

"You have a lot of coincidences in your life EJ," commented Roman with an arched eyebrow, "It just seems kinda odd if you ask me."

"Well do you have the dates of these attacks?" EJ challenged him, "I'm sure I will be able to account for my whereabouts."

"I'm sure you will," said Roman flatly, "Like I said, I don't think you're stupid enough to not make sure you had ready made alibi's in place."

"But apparently I am stupid enough to draw attention to myself by drag racing a police car minutes after supposedly attacking a woman," said EJ sarcastically, "Care to explain how that works Roman?"

"Maybe you panicked?" suggested Roman with a shrug.

"Do I look like a man that panics easily?" asked EJ in aggravation, "And I can't believe the fact that I will undoubtedly have alibi's for these terrible attacks will actually convince you even more that I'm guilty!"

EJ gave him an annoyed look then.

"It seems to me that you are in the perfect place for that style of deductive reasoning Roman," said EJ bitterly, "The Salem witch trials have nothing on you. If she floats she's a witch so they burn her and if she sinks and drowns then she wasn't. There is no real way to win now is there?!"

"I'm not apologising for seeing the man you really are EJ," said Roman unflinchingly.

"Well last time I was in I was a murderer and this time I'm a rapist," said EJ bitterly, "I'm not sure where you can go from there. How can you really believe that I'd rape a woman, or even need to for that matter?"

"Rape isn't about sex it is about power," pointed out Roman sharply.

"I don't need power either," EJ said curtly, "I'm a DiMera, I run my own company – everything I've turned my hand to I've excelled at."

EJ pursed his lips and eyed Roman speculatively.

"If anything I'd think you'd be looking for a man decidedly less successful," said EJ, giving Roman a pointed look, "A man who has a string of failed relationships behind him and where his wife betrayed him with his best friend perhaps? A man who has been in the same dead end job now for years, being continually overlooked as others are promoted around them. If anything I think a man like that might have a grudge against women and an axe to grind in general."

EJ gave Roman a cool little smile then.

"Do you know anyone like that Captain Brady?" asked EJ innocently, "Anyone at all?"

Roman's face darkened as EJ's barb hit home but he wasn't done yet.

"And then that same person is in the position to pick out the perfect scapegoat to cover their own wrongdoings," said EJ and arched a challenging eyebrow at Roman, "Food for thought eh Captain Brady?"

"Twist things however you want Elvis," said Roman bitterly, the muscles in his neck standing out as he struggled to keep his cool, "But I'm watching you."

"Knock yourself out Roman," EJ threw back, "I've got nothing to hide."

Not quite the truth but Roman didn't need to know that.

"Now unless you've got something to add then we're done here," said EJ coolly as he picked up his coat, "I'll show myself out – I know the way."

EJ turned on his heel and left Roman just standing there but he needed to get out of there otherwise he was going to do something that would be hard to explain to Sami. The very thought of anyone thinking he was capable of beating and raping a defenceless woman just made EJ shake with fury. That nerve was especially raw when he thought about what had happened to Sami, twice now. EJ stalked from the police house and walked to his car, needing some time to cool off before he saw Sami again.

**oooOOOOooo**

Lucas sat at the kitchen table in the apartment, staring at the bottle of pills in front of him. He scratched his arm absently lost in thought. Whatever his mother had planned she was just moving too slowly for his liking. Plus she wasn't telling him what was going on and it was frustrating the hell out of Lucas. He was running out of time with everything and there was something in his gut that was telling him that he was slowly but surely losing Sami as well. She was pulling away from him, there but not quite there.

It was hard to explain but Lucas had to wonder if Sami was already pulling away as what she assumed was the inevitable, his death, supposedly drew closer. Sami probably didn't even know she was doing it but the way she seemed to avoid any kind of real intimacy with him was telling in Lucas' opinion. He just felt he needed to make one last push to convince everyone how 'sick' he really was and give him and his mother some breathing space when it came to EJ and his suspicious looks.

Lucas had decided to speed things up a little and perhaps get himself some of Sami's attention which had been in pretty short supply of late. He picked up the bottle of pills which had been full an hour ago but were now half empty. His mother had rung yesterday to reassure him that she'd checked about the medication and that it was harmless beyond just making you feel unwell and that there shouldn't be any long term effects. Lucas really hoped she was right because it was too late now if it wasn't.

He hadn't told his mother what he had planned, figured she would enjoy the surprise. Lucas' lips quirked humourlessly at that thought. He stood up then, finding his mouth was suddenly very dry and went to fetch himself a drink of water. Almost immediately Lucas felt his head begin to spin wildly and his heart begin to pound painfully in his chest. For the first time Lucas considered that what he'd done, overdosing on pills that he wasn't even sure what they were, might not have been the smartest thing to do. Unfortunately now though it was too late – the damage was done.

He blinked a couple of times, trying to pull himself together but it was a losing battle. Lucas started to walk over to the phone, knowing he needed to call someone for help. His first thought was that it should be Sami but as each step became increasingly difficult Lucas began to rethink that and consider just calling 911. He was at the phone now but when he tried to pick up the phone his fingers were numb and he dropped it on the ground. There were spots before his eyes and a roaring sound in his ears that was almost painful. Suddenly Lucas' legs gave way on him and he collapsed on the floor, flailing about helplessly. His vision began to fade as he valiantly tried to lift his head up off the floor and see where the phone had landed.

Everything was blurry to him now and getting increasingly dark as he struggled to get off his back. He thought he saw some movement, that there was a pair of dark coloured shoes approaching him but Lucas couldn't lift his gaze anymore to see who they belonged to. He was utterly helpless, unable to even call out as his voice seemed suddenly paralysed. His blood was still roaring in his ears and he couldn't hear anything beyond that so he didn't know if the owner of the shoes was there to help or hurt him. To his horror Lucas realised that this might be it, he might actually be dying and by his own hand.

The irony of the situation didn't escape Lucas as slipped into unconsciousness…


	111. Chapter 258

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & FIFTY EIGHT**** – ****Clearing the Air**

Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.

_Thomas Jefferson_

_(American 3rd US President (1801-09). Author of the Declaration of Independence. 1762-1826)_

"So my father really thinks you are behind those rape attacks on those poor women?" asked Sami that afternoon.

Sami had been waiting anxiously for EJ to return to the office and had almost cried with relief when he'd turned up at mid morning. She'd been completely horrified when EJ told her what her father had wanted him for.

"Your father would like to think that," agreed EJ wryly, "But fortunately for me and for justice's sake he requires evidence of that wishful thinking."

"It's just so horrible," said Sami, really upset that her father could think that about EJ, "I mean I know you've done some things that are-"

"Questionable?" offered up EJ brightly as he sorted through some paperwork on his desk.

"Yes," said Sami dryly, "But to think that you are capable of beating and raping women-"

Sami shook her head sadly.

"He's never going to accept you as my husband and father of these babies," said Sami, heartbroken at that thought.

"Hey," said EJ softly as he stood up and came to stand behind Sami, his arms around her waist comfortingly.

EJ kissed the side of her neck tenderly.

"First of all I am both of those things whether your father likes it or not," said EJ firmly, "At least I will be once Lucas is no longer with us and we make everything nice and legal. And second of all I simply take your father's-"

"Hatred?" offered up Sami dryly.

"I was going to say hesitation over me but whichever," said EJ with a little chuckle, "Anyway, you know how I love a challenge sweetheart."

"You must hate him for thinking such a thing about you," said Sami unhappily, turning around in his arms and looking up at him in concern.

"It didn't endear himself to me no," said EJ wryly, "Mainly because Roman's sheer bloody mindedness and tunnel vision is ensuring that that the real rapist is going to go free if he's not careful. If all of his attention is on me for this then no one is looking for the actual perpetrator of these disgusting acts which means that the women of Salem aren't safe."

"I'm sure my father will realise quickly enough that it isn't you EJ," said Sami sincerely, "I mean you're going to have an alibi for at least one of those attacks right?"

"I'm sure I will sweetheart," said EJ reassuringly, "Your father is just wasting precious time though, barking up the wrong tree. In the meantime those poor women are waiting on their justice."

"Is it just me or do our lives seem to get more complicated by the day?" asked Sami with a bit of sigh.

"Things could be a little easier," EJ agreed ruefully, "But this thing with your father will blow over and that will be one less thing to worry about."

"EJ we still need to talk," said Sami, giving him an earnest look.

"I know," EJ said quietly, sitting on the edge of his desk and pulling Sami between his legs, his arms loosely around her waist, "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you about the attempts on my life sweetheart."

"Are you sorry because you know it was wrong to keep things from me or sorry that you got caught?" asked Sami with an arched eyebrow, not ready to be placated that easily.

"A little of both," said EJ with wry truthfulness, "Sweetheart I acted with your best interests at heart, you have to know that."

"My best interests are not being shut out of what is going on in your life EJ," Sami tried to get him to understand, "You scare me when you do things like that because I thought we'd gotten past all of that. You keep telling me we are a team but when it really counts you go off on your own. Do you know how that makes me feel? I feel like you don't trust me, that I'm not someone you can lean on when things get hard."

"Samantha that is completely and utterly untrue," said EJ urgently, "You're my rock, the only reason I can endure everything that is happening right now. I'd be completely and utterly lost without you."

"Those are just words until you back them up with your actions EJ," said Sami firmly, "I know you've lived your whole life being the one in charge but you're in a partnership now, one that includes me and you have to get your head around that."

Drew back a little, looking at her closely before a little smile came to his lips.

"You never fail to amaze me with how brilliant and insightful you are," he commented huskily, looking at her admiringly.

"I've had a lot of experiences with relationships," said Sami wryly, "Bad ones and I know what I don't want in a relationship from those past experiences. EJ you are the first man that I didn't feel like I either had to take charge of to move the relationship forward or to change who I am to be in it. You've given me this incredible gift of acceptance and unconditional love and I want to give you the same gift. I want to give you the gift of having an equal that you can lean on and be honest with, no matter what."

"I suppose being a couple is a little bit more of a mindset shift then I'd first anticipated," said EJ with a lop sided smile, "I truly am sorry sweetheart if I ever made you feel redundant in our partnership, even for a minute. Nothing could be further from the truth."

"I know that Stefano has taught you never to really let someone in and to deal with everything yourself but things don't have to be like that anymore EJ," said Sami softly, putting her hands on his chest and looking up at him lovingly, "You've got me – all of me – my mind, my cunning, my strength and my loyalty."

"And nose breaking abilities," added EJ around a chuckle.

"Oh yes," said Sami, wrinkling her own nose, "How is Clay?"

"Sporting a broken nose," said EJ, not looking too fazed, "Serves him right for being so useless at his job and scaring you so."

"You set it all up EJ!" Sami huffed, slapping his chest and giving him an annoyed look, "And don't think that just because we've cleared a few things up that this is over with either!"

Sami stepped back from his arms and gave EJ a pointed look.

"Alright," she said firmly, crossing her arms in front of her chest, "From the top, tell me everything and don't leave anything out because I'll know."

"I know," said EJ with a roll of his eyes but proceeded to tell her all about the attempts on his life, his suspicions and what he was doing about it.

Sami listened intently and then a thought suddenly occurred to her.

"What about Estelle?" she asked worriedly, "Do you have someone keeping an eye on her as well? After all if they are coming after you and not knowing that Estelle is just a front then she could be in danger as well."

"Thought of that," said EJ with a nod, "And yes, I've got people watching her as well?"

"Does she know?" asked Sami with an arched eyebrow.

"No," said EJ easily.

"EJ!" said Sami sternly, "You're probably putting poor Estelle what I went through – always feeling like someone is watching you, looking over your shoulder endlessly! You need to tell her what is going on."

"Ug," EJ protested, looking less than thrilled by that prospect, "I don't really want both my wife and my faux girlfriend punching and yelling at me. Do you really think that is necessary darling?"

"Yes I do EJ!" Sami huffed and gave him a warning look, "And right away too!"

"She'll want me to buy her something," said EJ with a rueful chuckle.

"Well you buy Estelle two of whatever she asks of," said Sami emphatically, "She didn't sign up to be stalked!"

"You do realise she's going to hit me right?" asked EJ, feigning a very worried expression at that thought.

"I'm completely fine with that," said Sami breezily, "You deserve it."

"Aren't you in the least bit worried about my well being darling?" asked EJ with a playful little pout, "You know I bruise like a peach."

"Well Peaches," said Sami sweetly, "You just need to suck it up now don't you?"

"I married a heartless woman," EJ said, bemoaning his fate.

"Well I married a brainless man so I guess we're even," said Sami with a defiant look.

"You know most women would swoon at a man being so proactive about her safety," EJ grumbled.

"Well sucks to be you because you didn't marry most women now did you EJ?" she asked him with a saccharine smile.

"No," said EJ wryly as he watched Sami go over and sort through some paperwork, "No I didn't."

Despite their playing now Sami was just so relieved to have the air cleared between them and for EJ to know that he needed to think differently about some things. To his credit EJ seemed to have taken it all on board and Sami was just grateful that she had someone in her life who was willing to work at their relationship and not just pull the plug at the first hardship.

"So," said EJ huskily as he came up behind her again and kissed her cheek, "Do you still love me Mrs DiMera?"

"I'm thinking about it," said Sami, trying to look cross but the smile ruined it.

"Mm," murmured EJ throatily, his hands beginning to wander, "Is there anything I can do to help you make up your mind sweetheart?"

"You mean like make me a cup of tea?" Sami asked innocently as one of his hands rubbed her belly.

"Actually I was thinking of something more hands on," said EJ, his breathing beginning to roughen already.

"Oh were you indeed?" said Sami coyly, trying to play it cool but already her insides were tightening with need for this man.

EJ's other hand slipped inside her blouse and cupped one very full breast, his thumb rubbing back and forth against the already hard nipple.

"Definitely more hands on," agreed EJ as he began to nip and lick his way down her neck.

"I might have to be convinced that this is a good idea," Sami warned him although her body was already betraying her, the wetness between her legs telling her that she needed no further such thing.

EJ seemed to have an instinct for this kind of thing now though because the hand that had been rubbing her stomach immediately moved lower, pulling up Sami's skirt and moving between her legs.

"Nice," he purred in her ear as he ran his fingers across the dampness of her panties, the arousal clear in his voice.

"I'm-I'm just being polite," said Sami unevenly as she practically came at his first touch.

"I love politeness in my women," said EJ with a husky chuckle, his lips at her ear now.

EJ turned her around then, beginning to kiss her hungrily and Sami returned his kisses with just as much passion. She could feel him backing her up, heading her towards the sofa in his office even as her hands went to his shirt. Sami loved the feel of EJ's hard, muscled chest under her hands when they made love, it was a real aphrodisiac for her. Actually who was she kidding, the whole man was sex on two legs and Sami couldn't get enough. EJ gently lowered Sami down onto the sofa and shrugged out of his shirt before quickly covering her body with his own. He skilfully unbuttoned her shirt until her bra covered breasts were laid bare to him. EJ immediately settled his mouth around one tight peak he could see pushing against the lace of Sami's bra, bitting down on it.

"OH!" Sami groaned, arching her back and feeling the beginning of the fissures at her core.

Her breasts were even more sensitive than they were before now thanks to the pregnancy.

"Too much?" EJ panted in concern.

"Not enough," Sami groaned, pushing his head back down to the turgid peak.

EJ eagerly resumed his duties at her breast and within seconds Sami could already feel her orgasm building. When EJ swapped to her other breast she could hold it back no longer, bucking up suddenly as a short sharp climax rocked her core and left her shuddering underneath him. EJ was wasting no time either, quickly releasing himself from his pants and then he was joining their bodies in a single hard thrust.

"God yes!" EJ cried out as he enjoyed the last tremors of Sami climax and it only took a couple of thrusts before he was erupting inside of her, coming just as quickly as she had.

"Ohh," said Sami shakily as she tried to recover.

"Round one," said EJ unevenly against her neck.

"How many rounds are there going to be?" asked Sami cheekily.

"As many as you want sweetheart," EJ promised her throatily.

"Oh," she sighed happily as EJ began to move inside of her again, "Goody."

EJ kissed her again, tasting her deeply as he moved slowly and surely within Sami, building their arousal once again. Sami hooked her feet around EJ's backside, letting him move even more deeply into her and EJ groaned his appreciation. Over their roughened breathing and the sound of their bodies moving together Sami noticed an annoying noise.

"My phone," she mumbled against his lips.

"Leave it," EJ instructed her raggedly, quickening his pace possessively, "I'm not sharing you right now."

"It-it could be important," Sami protested faintly.

"Your next climax is the only thing important to me," said EJ determinedly, slipping a hand between their bodies and beginning to massage her sensitised nub.

Sami made a guttural noise at the contact and immediately forgot all about the phone until it rang again a few minutes later.

"Damn it go away!" EJ growled in annoyance at her cell phone that was sitting on his desk.

"Just keeping going," Sami begged him, her eyes closed tightly as her body was once again on that precipice, "I'm so close."

EJ renewed his efforts, pushing increasingly harder and faster into her and Sami couldn't take it anymore. A choked cry escaped her lips, climaxing just as EJ did, revelling in the way his body burst inside of hers and the strained noises of pleasure EJ was making.

"I can go again," he promised her even as Sami blew out a satisfied sigh.

"Mm," she said happily, satisfied but still wanting more, "I know, me too. We're going to be the death of each other."

Sami's cell phone rang yet again and EJ lifted his head and glared at the hapless object.

"Buggar off!" he demanded of it.

"I'd better answer it," said Sami regretfully, "They aren't giving up."

EJ made a very annoyed noise but reluctantly moved off Sami. She sat up and pulled her blouse on as EJ moved to pick up his shirt.

"This had better be about a matter of life and death," EJ grumbled as he did up the buttons of his shirt.

Sami walked over to retrieve the cell phone from the desk and frowned when she saw the caller ID.

"It's Maggie," she said in surprise, "Why would Maggie be calling me?"

"Maybe she's got some juicy gossip she wants to share and is working her way through the Salem phone book?" offered up EJ with a quirk of his lips.

"She's left messages," said Sami, quickly calling them up and listening to her voice mail.

Sami gasped when she heard the first one.

"What's wrong sweetheart?" asked EJ in concern.

"Maggie is calling from the hospital," said Sami in disbelief, "Lucas has collapsed."

"Is he alright?" asked EJ, looking at Sami in shock.

"They don't know yet," said Sami unevenly, "The doctors are still checking him out. I have to go EJ."

"Of course you do sweetheart," said EJ quickly, "I'll come with you."

Sami wasn't sure that was a good idea but if this really was it she knew she'd need EJ's support, even if he was standing off to one side, just knowing he was there was going to make the world of difference to Sami.

"Alright," she said quietly.

"It's going to be okay Samantha," said EJ, walking over to put a comforting arm around her shoulders, "We knew this was coming – we just have to get through it together."

"I know," said Sami sadly.

It looked like this was the beginning of the end for Lucas and Sami's heart couldn't help but break a little at that thought.


	112. Chapter 259

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & FIFTY NINE**** – ****The Prodigal Son**

Families are about love overcoming emotional torture.

_Matt Groening_

_(American Cartoonist, creator of The Simpsons. b.1954)_

Sami hurried down the corridor of the Salem University hospital intent on getting to the room number Maggie had given her. She had no idea what she'd find in that room when she got there however and could feel the fear curling in her stomach. For months now she'd tried to prepare herself for this moment but now that it might be here Sami realised there was no way to prepare for this.

The father of her son could well have already passed away and that was a hard thing to reconcile. She was so glad that EJ was with her, albeit opting to stay on the bottom floor of the hospital and out of sight in the short term. Just knowing he was nearby was all Sami needed to stay strong. She practically ran the rest of the distance to Lucas' room and the first person she saw by the nurse's station was Maggie.

"Maggie!" she exclaimed fearfully, "How is he?"

"Sami honey," said Maggie in that kind way of hers, "It doesn't look very good."

"What are the doctor's saying?" asked Sami anxiously, "He was fine when I left for work today, he really was Maggie. I would never have left him if I thought-"

"Of course you wouldn't have Sami," Maggie interrupted her kindly, "No one saw this sudden turn for the worse coming."

"He'd seemed so much better lately," said Sami faintly, feeling like this was all some kind of terrible dream, "I guess I just let myself forget how sick Lucas really was."

"You have to think like that to go on," said Maggie firmly, "And Lucas was looking better, I even commented on it the other day to him. This has been a huge shock for all of us."

"Who found him?" asked Sami shakily as she felt so guilty about being with EJ when Lucas really needed her.

"I did."

The familiar voice had Sami whirling around and her mouth falling open with disbelief.

"Will!" she exclaimed in shock at seeing her son standing there.

"Hi Mom," he said with a half smile, "I came home to surprise you and Dad."

He made a rueful face then.

"Surprise," said Will wryly.

"Why didn't you tell us?!" Sami said in disbelief even as mother and son hugged each other tightly.

"That would be the surprise part of surprise visit Mom," said Will dryly.

Will drew back from their hug and looked at her a little oddly, his eyes flicking down to her stomach.

"I-I've put a little weight on lately," Sami said quickly, very conscious of Maggie standing right there, "It must be all of the stress."

"You look beautiful Mom," said Will sincerely and smiled down at her lovingly, "Really beautiful."

"I just can't believe you're here," said Sami faintly, wanting to get the conversation away from her expanding waist line, "For you to come all this way and then find your father like that – honey I'm so sorry."

"Mom what is wrong with Dad?" asked Will seriously, "I can't get a straight answer from anyone."

Sami grimaced and hated that this moment had come. This was a scenario she'd wanted to avoid by telling Will about Lucas' illness earlier but Lucas wouldn't hear about it. Now it was left to her to break the bad news to Will that his father was dying. Sami looked over at Maggie who gave her a sympathetic smile and patted Sami's arm.

"I'll leave you two alone to catch up," she said softly.

Maggie looked up at Will and smiled,

"Will honey, it's so good to have you home and just remember all of your family is there for you," she said, walking over to give him a quick hug.

"Thanks Aunt Maggie," said Will, the look of concern on his face deepening as he obviously quite rightly surmised that this was more serious than even he'd first imagined.

"Let's go and sit down," suggested Sami, nodding at the chairs over in the waiting area.

"Mom just tell me what is going on," said Will tightly.

They both settled themselves in the chairs and Sami took a deep breath, her hand going to her wedding rings on the chain around her neck and rubbing them for comfort.

"Your dad's sick Will," said Sami quietly.

"I gathered that," said Will with a twist of his lips, "I'm the one who found him unconscious on the floor remember Mom. What's wrong with him?"

"He's got leukaemia," said Sami, hating to tell him such shocking news and knowing there was no easy way of doing it, "It's called Acute Myeloid Leukaemia – AML."

Will's eyes opened in real shock at this news.

"But the doctors can fix it right?" he asked unsteadily.

"No honey," said Sami with a sad shake of her head, "No they can't."

"So-so Dad is dying?" asked Will faintly.

"Yes," said Sami, feeling the tears beginning to well up in her eyes, "Will honey I'm so sorry but yes, your Dad is dying."

"No," said Will with a definite shake of his head, "No they can fix it! Modern medicine can fix this I know it can. People survive leukaemia all of the time, Dad isn't dying!"

"Will it was too late when the AML was diagnosed," said Sami unhappily, "The doctors said there was nothing to be done."

"Well you just have to go to different doctors," Will insisted stubbornly, "You can't give up on Dad like this Mom, you just can't!"

"We've done all that we can Will," said Sami softly, taking his hand and squeezing it, "I'm just trying to make him comfortable until-until well-"

Sami trailed off, not knowing how to finish that sentence.

"How long have you known for?" asked Will, his voice subdued.

Sami made a remorseful face, not really wanting to answer that question because she knew Will was going to feel very betrayed.

"About six months," said Sami quietly, not quite able to meet his eyes.

"Six months?!" repeated Will in horror, "You've known for six months?!"

"I'm sorry sweetheart but-"

"How could you not tell me something like this?!" Will raged at her, "My father is dying and no one tells me?! I would have come home, I would have been with him! How could you do this to me Mom?!"

"It was what your father wanted Will," said Sami earnestly, "He didn't want to burden you with-"

"With what, the truth?" asked Will bitterly.

"Your dad has been very confident that he'd beat this," said Sami softly, "I think he felt like if he told you then it would be – I don't know – real I guess and he hasn't wanted to give up hope."

"Is that why you got married?" asked Will painfully, "Because he is dying?"

"Yes," said Sami simply, "Will I love your father and I'm trying to do everything I can to give him a reason for living."

"And apparently I'm not a part of that," said Will, his face hard but there was the shine of unshed tears in his eyes.

"Sweetheart you are absolutely a part of that," said Sami earnestly, "Your father loves you more than anyone else in this world, we both do and hurting you is the last thing we'd want to do."

"Then why are you two so good at it?" asked Will bitterly, standing up and turning his back to Sami.

"Will honey I know you're upset," said Sami standing up as well and putting her hand on Will's back trying to comfort him.

Will shrugged it off though, keeping his back stubbornly to her.

"I'm sorry," said Sami sadly, "I'm sorry that you had to find out like this Will. I wish it could have been different."

"You could have made Dad tell me!" Will said accusingly, turning around to glare at her, "You're always getting him to do things he doesn't want to do anyway! And since when did you do anything he said anyway?! You always just did what the hell you wanted Mom so why didn't you tell me if you really wanted me to know?!"

Sami was taken aback by the vehemence of her son's reaction. She couldn't blame him or even really defend herself, everything that he'd said was true.

"Will," said Sami unsteadily, "Your father didn't want you to have to go through what we have these last months – I had to respect that. I couldn't go against his wishes, no matter how much I might have wanted to."

"So instead of being with him and watching him live the last six months I get to come home and watch him die, is that it?" asked Will resentfully, "Well thanks Mom – you're right, this is much better!"

"Will-" Sami began, not even beginning to know how to make this better when Maggie reappeared.

"I'm sorry," she said, interrupting the feuding mother and son, "But I just have to tell you, the doctor is finished with Lucas."

"They didn't want to see me?" asked Sami in distress.

"There was an emergency honey," said Maggie, "He had to leave quickly but he did tell me that Lucas has rallied incredibly well."

"What?" asked Sami in disbelief, "Lucas is alright?"

"Yes," said Maggie with a big smile, "Well alright except for the AML obviously. They're giving him some fluids because he was a bit dehydrated but apart from that he's awake and talking."

"Oh my god," said Sami faintly, looking down and trying to collect herself as a whirlwind of emotions stormed her body.

Of course she was happy that Lucas was feeling better but in many ways it would have been simpler if this had been it but then she felt guilty for thinking such a thing, especially with Will standing right there.

"Can I see him?" asked Will anxiously.

"Actually honey why don't you let your mom go in first?" said Maggie wisely, "I think they just need a moment. The doctor said only one visitor at a time."

Will didn't look overly happy at that but gave a little nod.

"Alright," he said quietly.

"I won't be long," Sami promised him, "Your dad will want to see you."

"Whatever," said Will in that off hand way that only a teenager knew how to pull off.

Sami knew it was all an act though and she saw how heartbroken Will was and forgave him instantly for his attitude. This had all been a terrible shock for him and she couldn't blame him for his attitude right then. Maggie have her an encouraging smile and a nod as Sami began to walk towards Lucas' room. She gave a quick knock before opening the door.

"Hey," Sami said softly to him as Lucas looked back at her, propped up on some pillows.

"Hey," he rasped.

Sami walked the rest of the way into the room and sat on the edge of his bed and looked at him with such emotion.

"You really scared me," said Sami unevenly, tears stinging her eyes.

"I'm sorry," said Lucas contritely.

"It's not your fault," said Sami with a little laugh, putting her hand over his.

"No," said Lucas, not meeting her eyes and looking away.

"I'm just glad you're alright," said Sami, "Did the doctor say what happened?"

"I was just a bit dehydrated," said Lucas with a bit of a shrug, "It was nothing."

"It doesn't look like nothing," Sami argued, taking in how haggard he looked right then.

"I guess it was just a bit of a wakeup call," said Lucas, "I have to be a bit more careful."

"I'm not taking good enough care of you," Sami berated herself.

"It's not your fault Sami," he reassured her quickly, "I'm just glad you're here now."

"I'm just so glad Will found you when he did," said Sami emotionally.

"Will?" repeated Lucas, looking taken aback.

"Yes," said Sami in surprise, "Hasn't anyone told you? It was Will who found you at the apartment and called 911."

"What is Will doing here?" asked Lucas in shock.

"He wanted to surprise us," said Sami with a watery smile.

"You didn't tell Will about the AML did you?" asked Lucas anxiously.

"I had to Lucas," said Sami with a frown, "He wanted to know what was going on."

"Well you didn't have to tell him!" said Lucas angrily.

"What was I meant to say?" asked Sami, taken aback by his reaction.

"Lie!" he said sharply, "You know how to do that right?!"

"Lucas," said Sami, hurt by his vehemence.

Lucas shook his head and looked away, obviously getting himself back under control.

"I'm sorry," he said at last, "I didn't mean to take it out on you Sami – I just didn't want Will to know."

"He's your son Lucas," said Sami painfully, "He has a right to know."

"And what about my rights Sami?" asked Lucas bitterly, "What about that?!"

Sami sat back and bit her bottom lip – she couldn't seem to do a thing right according to either Lucas or Will – damned if she did, damned if she didn't.

"Well it's done now," said Sami quietly.

"Dad?"

Sami turned around to see Will standing in the doorway.

"Hey Will," said Lucas, forcing a smile to his face.

Sami stood up, looking between father and son and felt helpless. She watched as Will crossed the room and went straight to his father and hugged him tightly. Backing quietly out of the room Sami let them have their moment alone. She walked out into the corridor and took a few unsteady breaths.

"Sami are you alright honey?" asked Maggie, who was still in the waiting room.

She looked at the clearly shaken younger woman in concern.

"I just think I need some fresh air," said Sami with a forced smile.

"You did the right thing in telling Will," said Maggie sympathetically, "I know that couldn't have been easy."

"Well no one seems to think it was the right thing," said Sami with an unhappy grimace.

"Lucas isn't thinking straight," said Maggie reassuringly, "And Will is just in shock – don't take to heart what they are saying Sami."

Sami didn't comment on the fact that clearly Maggie had been listening in on both her conversations with Will and Lucas. Right now that was the least of her problems. She just felt like she'd failed both Will and Lucas horribly.

"I won't," said Sami, somehow managing a brave smile, "I might get that fresh air now."

"If there is anything you need Sami you just have to ask," offered up Maggie kindly.

"Thanks Maggie," said Sami with the same smile frozen to her face, "That's very kind of you but I'm alright."

Actually Sami was anything but alright but it wasn't Maggie that she needed right then, however well meaning her intentions might be. With a last smile at Maggie Sami began to walk back down the corridor. She kept walking, turning this way and that until she was walking out of the hospital and into the gardens that were at the back of the hospital. Sami just kept walking, knowing what she needed more than her next breath right then.

She rounded a corner and found EJ standing there; leaning against a tree and watching some children play off in the distance. He turned as though he could feel her coming and smiled at her warmly. Sami didn't hesitate, she just walked into his arms and EJ wordlessly enfolded her in a comforting embrace. He held her to him, still not speaking and just letting her be soothed in his arms. Sami buried her face in his chest and listened to the steady beat of his heart and let EJ make her feel like this was all going to be alright.


	113. Chapter 260

**AUTHOR'S NOTE****: **So I just thought I'd let anyone who might be reading this a heads up. My work is going to be very full on for the next five weeks – no days off – so I'm not sure how many updates I'm going to get done in that time. I just wanted to let you know that I'm not forgetting about this story. LOL I might be able to get an update done here and there but I'm not promising anything. I just wanted to thank people for hanging in there with me when it comes to this story. It's not for the faint hearted with how long it has gotten, that is for sure!

Lots of action coming up soon so I hope you will join me.

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & SIXTY**** – ****The Things We Do For Love**

To endure is greater than to dare; to tire out hostile fortune; to be daunted by no difficulty; to keep heart when all have lost it; to go through intrigue spotless; to forego even ambition when the end is gained - who can say this is not greatness?

_William Makepeace Thackeray_

_(Indian born English Author and Novelist of 'Vanity Fair', 1811-1863)_

"I'm not a child," said Lucas in exasperation.

"Good," said the rather sturdy nurse who was looking after him, "Let me know when you're planning on stopping like acting like one."

"Look I'm going home and I'm not having any blood taken," said Lucas determinedly, "I've had enough of being poked and prodded by you lot."

The nurse just arched an eyebrow at Lucas' lack of gratitude considering the state he was in yesterday but didn't comment.

"Well if you won't help yourself then I can't either," she said coolly, "I'll tell the doctor you're refusing medical tests."

"You do that," said Lucas sharply.

Things hadn't gone exactly to plan yesterday and it was a miracle that his secret hadn't been exposed. Without his mother organising blood tests to be switched Lucas knew he'd been in a very vulnerable way. Fortunately he'd come around from his self induced unconsciousness to negate blood work needing to be done which was very lucky. What wasn't lucky though was Will now knowing about his supposed illness. Lucas really regretted putting his son through that but he was in too deep to be able to start telling the truth now. He just needed to get out of this place with all of its doctors and tests.

"And has my brother turned up yet with my clothes?" asked Lucas, not caring about how rude he was being.

He wanted to be gone from here before Sami and Will visited again. Lucas was pretty sure that Sami would try and insist that he stay there and have a lot more tests done but for obvious reasons that wasn't going to suit him. He'd phone Phillip to come by and bring him some clothes so he could just get out of the hospital without the arguments.

"Well if he's as charming as you are I'm sure he's just being waylaid by his adoring fans," said the nurse sarcastically.

"Hey I'm not paying you extra to be funny," said Lucas unamused.

"If you're paying for anything it should be for having that stick removed from your butt," muttered the nurse as she turned around and left the room.

"What was that?!" demanded Lucas in annoyance, not quite catching it but doubting that it was complimentary.

"I said I'm just going to keep my mouth shut," replied the nurse casually before she was closing the door behind her.

A few seconds later the door opened again and this time it was Phillip standing there.

"Finally!" said Lucas in annoyance, "What took you so long?! I rang you ages ago."

"Well first I had to find a Ken doll and then I had to remove all of its cloths," began Phillip straight faced and not missing a beat.

"Blow me," said Lucas dourly.

"Nice," commented Phillip, "Do you kiss our mother with that potty mouth?"

Phillip looked thoughtful then.

"Speaking of which," he said, "What is wrong with this picture? Her little man is in hospital and there is no sign of super mom anywhere? What's up with that?"

"I haven't told Mom," said Lucas coolly, "And it doesn't look like anyone else has thought to either – thank god."

"The woman has raised over parenting to an Olympic sport," agreed Phillip casually, watching as Lucas quickly got dressed, pulling on the shirt Phillip had bought for him.

He cocked his head to one side.

"Still weird she isn't here though," said Phillip, "I just always assumed the tracking devices she had planted in our asses at birth would inform her of such things."

Lucas just grunted at that. He didn't want their mother there right now, making a scene, telling him how stupid he'd been which of course she would. Lucas just wanted to get home and try and make up some lost ground with Will.

"So?" Phillip prompted when Lucas just silently continued to get dress.

"So what?" asked Lucas curtly.

"So what are you doing in hospital num-nuts?" asked Phillip in exasperation, "Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't the AML a ruse? How did you end up unconscious on the floor? What was it, some kind of hysterical coma?"

Lucas threw Phillip a dirty look for that comment.

"Assuming there is such a thing of course," continued on Phillip blithely.

"I just needed to convince everyone that I was really dying," said Lucas shortly.

"By killing yourself?" asked Phillip sarcastically, "Brilliant plan big brother. You know it's times like these that I get down on my knees and thank God that we are only half brothers and I've clearly inherited a brain from my father."

"Yeah?" asked Lucas mockingly, "And where did you keep that brain when you were running around kidnapping women and children and sailing into a hurricane? Somewhere sunny with a nice view I hope."

"A momentary lapse," said Phillip dismissively.

"Well that was what I had yesterday as well," said Lucas stubbornly.

"Mm," said Phillip off handedly, "I'd work on a better cover story than that when you tell Mom. Try temporary insanity – if anyone is going to understand that it is going to be our old girl."

"I'm not telling Mom," said Lucas flatly.

"Oh right," said Phillip with a thoughtful nod, "You're going to keep a secret... in Salem... with Maggie Horton involved."

Phillip arched an eyebrow at him.

"Good luck with that," he said wryly, "You'll have to let me know how it turns out."

"Well she's not telling me what she's up to so I figure I've got a right to do things my way," said Lucas defiantly.

"Your way involved nearly killing yourself," said Phillip in exasperation, "I don't want to hurt your feelings here Lucas but your way sucks."

"And Mom's is so great?" asked Lucas bitterly.

Just then Kate burst into the room, surprising them both. Phillip had been standing by the door and had to step back quickly to avoid catching said door with his face. Kate didn't even see him there, storming into the room.

"Are you crazy?!" she demanded of him angrily, her eyes spitting daggers.

"Speak of the devil and the devil appears," said Lucas wryly.

"You could have blown everything with that little stunt of yours!" exclaimed Kate in horror, "And what if you'd actually managed to kill yourself?! Are you out of your mind?! I've been working so hard to cover all our bases and then you go ahead and do this! And you don't even tell me! What about all of our plans Lucas, did you even think before you took all of those pills I gave you?! What if they had done blood tests and found out your really didn't have AML – what then?!"

"Hey Mom."

Kate jumped so high at the sound of Phillips voice behind her that it was almost comical.

"Ph-Phillip," she stammered, "I didn't see you there."

"Clearly," he said wryly.

"I was just so upset," said Kate, trying to back pedal for all she was worth, "I didn't know what I was saying."

"You were saying Lucas doesn't have AML," offered up Phillip helpfully.

"No, no," said Kate quickly, shaking her head urgently, "You misheard me darling. What I was saying was that I didn't want him to have AML and that your brother wasn't dying after all. The pills I was talking about are meant to help him feel better and you just misunderstood, that's all. Of course Lucas is still dying of AML and it just breaks my heart into a thousand pieces-"

"He knows Mom," said Lucas flatly, interrupting Kate's frantic attempts to salvage the situation as he put on his shoes.

"Wh-what?" asked Kate in shock.

"I know," said Phillip cheerfully, "But way to go to cover your tracks Mom – very entertaining."

"Oh for God's sake!" Kate snapped in annoyance as she glared at Lucas, "Do you have no idea how to keep a secret?"

She turned her attention to Phillip then.

"And you had better keep your mouth shut about this Phillip," she said sternly, shaking a finger at him, "This is very serious."

"I know," said Phillip without missing a beat, "As serious as cancer eh Mom?"

"Clearly you've only heard your brother's take on all of this," Kate sniffed.

"Mom I've been on the receiving end of your love," said Phillip dryly, "I can fill in my own blanks."

"What have I ever done to deserve two such ungrateful sons," Kate complained.

Phillip and Lucas exchanged looks at that but wisely bit their tongues. Lucas wasn't surprised that his mother had found out or that she'd correctly guessed what he'd done. He just didn't want to deal with her right then.

"So are you going to tell me why?" Kate demanded of him.

"Why what Mom?" asked Lucas innocently as he started to pack the clothes he'd arrived in back into the now empty bag Phillip had bought him.

"Why would you do something so stupid?" said Kate, her lips thinning but Lucas could still see how worried she was.

"Oh I know the answer to this one!" said Phillip quickly, raising his hand as though he was in school, "Because he is stupid?"

"You're not helping Phillip," Kate huffed.

"I'm not sure what would help this situation," pointed out Phillip practically, "Except maybe two air line tickets to Brazil and a stint in the witness protection program."

"I wanted to make sure everyone believed I was still sick," said Lucas in annoyance, "That's it."

"Well mission accomplished," commented Phillip, "Everyone I know is dry cleaning their black dresses and suits."

"I didn't expect to end up in hospital," Lucas grumbled.

"What did you expect when you take a handful of those pills I gave you?" asked Kate in aggravation, "I'm assuming that's what you did right?"

"You told me they were safe," Lucas argued.

"Not if you take your own body weight in them," said Kate through gritted teeth, "What if you'd killed yourself with them?!"

"That would be pretty ironic," commented Phillip thoughtfully, "Like that guy who invented the parachute and jumped off the Eifel Tower to his death when it didn't open in time."

Kate and Lucas looked at him, unamused by his input.

"I'm just saying," said Phillip with a bit of a shrug, "Ironic."

"You're still not helping," said Lucas flatly.

"Hey I bought the clothes didn't I?" asked Phillip, "I agreed with you that our mother is crazy."

"What?!" demanded Kate of both of them.

"Mom I love you," said Phillip, walking over to her and pressing a kiss to her forehead, "But you are a whack job when it comes to your children."

"So shoot me for caring!" Kate snapped.

"That's kind of my concern," said Phillip with a grimace, "If you two crazy kids don't start getting your act together and pull together on this and Stefano or EJ find out what you've been up to then there will be hell to pay and then some. I don't want to end up having to come up with an eulogy for either one of you if you don't mind."

"I'm working on everyone getting what they want," said Kate determinedly.

"Well that's great Mom," said Lucas mockingly, "Are you ever going to share your brilliant plans with anyone?"

"I just need-"

"A little bit longer," finished off Lucas in exasperation, "I know, you've said."

"You two are playing a dangerous game," said Phillip with a shake of his head, "I hope you know what you are doing."

Phillip pulled a wry expression then.

"What am I saying?" he asked mockingly, "Of course you don't know what you're doing – that's how you got into this mess."

Lucas grimaced and feared his brother was right. How the hell was this meant to play out in their favour anyway? He must have been crazy to agree to play along with his mother.

"I just want to go home and be with my son," said Lucas dully.

"You do that," agreed Kate readily, "And don't worry about the other thing – I'm handling it."

"Famous last words if ever I heard them," noted Phillip dryly.

**oooOOOOooo**

"So yesterday Lucas was at deaths door and now he's going home?" asked EJ in confusion, "How does that work exactly?"

"Lucas doesn't want to stay in hospital," said Sami helplessly, "We can't make him."

Sami had rung the hospital to check on Lucas only to be told that he was checking out that day. She'd been so surprised but apparently Lucas was insisting. Straight away she'd come down to the hospital to see if she could talk some sense into him. EJ had come with her, albeit in a separate car, for moral support. Will as with his grandmother Caroline who had insisted he come by for some breakfast at her house.

"But the man just collapsed," said EJ in vexation, "You'd think they'd want to make him stay a little longer."

"I don't know what to tell you EJ," said Sami in frustration, "Lucas wants to come home."

"I'm sorry sweetheart," said EJ quickly, "I didn't mean to badger you – I'm just trying to make sense of all of this."

"I don't know if there is any sense to be made," said Sami unhappily.

"How was last night with Will sweetheart?" asked EJ sympathetically, rubbing the tops of her arms reassuringly.

"He barely spoke to me," said Sami, fighting against crying, "He's just so angry with me EJ, for not telling him about his father."

"The only person Will should be angry about when it comes to that is Lucas," said EJ with a scowl.

"How can he be?" asked Sami with a sigh, "Lucas is dying and don't want Will being angry with him now."

"So instead once again you have to shoulder the repercussions of Lucas' inability to deal with things like a man," said EJ, his jaw hardening.

"They're both going through a lot EJ," said Sami, trying to be fair.

"And so are you Samantha," said EJ firmly, "You don't need this right now in your condition."

"I'm alright EJ," said Sami softly.

"But I want to be there taking care of you and our babies every moment of every day," said EJ emotionally, putting his hand on her swelling stomach that was hidden underneath her loose fitting blouse.

"That's sweet," said Sami with a big smile, "But you realise I'd want you dead by the end of the day right? There is only so much molly coddling that I can take EJ."

"Well I fully intend to find that limit and work on it," said EJ with a loving smile and Sami couldn't help but return it.

"EJ about the babies," said Sami worriedly, "I'm nearly five months – I really can't keep this a secret too much longer. Will keeps looking at me oddly. He's angry now but when he calms down he's going to work it out, not to mention Lucas."

"I know Samantha," said EJ with a frown.

"I know our reasons for keeping things as they are," said Sami unhappily, "But it's going to be a moot point very soon EJ."

"Look Lucas seems to be on his last legs if this last incident was anything to go by," said EJ practically, "I say we try and take this as far as we can get away with it sweetheart. It's the best way I know of keeping you safe right now and honestly, I just don't want you dealing with the fall out of leaving Lucas at the moment."

"Well I'm not going to be any less pregnant when it does happen," Sami argued back, "EJ I really think we should consider just cutting our losses."

"Sweetheart you know how much I want that," said EJ urgently as he put a hand to her face and stroked it tenderly, "But give me a couple more weeks to try and resolve the threats against us eh?"

"I just want us to be together EJ," said Sami mournfully, "I want to be able to feel your arms around me and hear you telling me that you love me whenever I want."

"I know darling," said EJ unevenly, drawing her into that all encompassing embrace of his that Sami loved so much.

She felt him press a kiss to the top of her head.

"Soon," he promised her, his lips against her hair, "Soon my darling girl, we are almost there. I just need to know that you and our son and daughter are going to be safe when it happens."

"I guess we won't be waiting to go public about our relationship," said Sami ruefully as she snuggled up against him, "There is no way in hell that I'm going to let people think that these babies are Lucas'."

"We could you know," offered up EJ huskily and Sami loved him so much for suggesting it because she knew what it must have cost him.

"No," she said without hesitation, "These babies are yours EJ and I want everyone in the world to know that."

"Even Will?" asked EJ a little ruefully.

"He'll be mad at me," said Sami sadly, "Nothing new there I suppose."

"He'll get over it Sami," EJ promised her, "When it all comes down to it you are his mother and he's going to see how much we need him to be a proper part of our family."

"I'm worried that he'll feel like he's betraying his father if he ever accepts us," Sami said anxiously.

"Well we'll face that hurdle when we come to it," said EJ calmly, "There is no use in worrying about it now though darling. I'm really concerned about your stress levels Samantha. So much is going on and I just don't want you worrying over everything."

"I'm tougher than I look EJ," Sami promised him with a little smile, "I can handle it."

"I wish you didn't have to," said EJ softly.

"Do you love me EJ?" asked Sami, looking up at him lovingly.

"With every fibre of my being and then some," EJ said throatily.

"Then that's all I need," said Sami huskily.

EJ gave a soft little smile, his hands coming up to stroke her face gently. Sami tilted her head up in invitation and EJ obliged, his lips meeting hers in a lingering kiss. She just allowed herself to fall into the kiss and EJ's soft touch, letting him sooth all of her fears.

"I'd better go," said Sami regretfully when EJ at last lifted his lips from hers.

They'd found a little out of the way nook in the hospital but Sami knew they shouldn't push their luck.

"I'm going to try and convince Lucas that staying here for a few more days is a good idea," said Sami with a sigh.

"We might be able to get some proper time alone if you do," suggested EJ with a warm smile.

"I know," said Sami dreamily, "It would be like heaven."

"I'll hang around," EJ reassured her, "Just in case you need me darling."

"I'm always going to need you EJ," said Sami with a cheeky look.

"Get away with you," EJ warned her, "You keep looking at me like that Mrs DiMera and I'm going to be forced to do unspeakable things to you in one of these spare hospital beds."

Sami's smile widened and she bit her bottom lip, really wishing she didn't have to go and see Lucas right then.

"Hold that thought," she encouraged him impishly before finally managing to tear herself away from him.

Sami started to walk down the corridor and felt EJ following her. She looked back over her shoulder and he winked at her as he headed towards the garden area she'd found him in yesterday. Sami hid her smile and kept walking, steeling herself at the thought of having to deal with Lucas now.

**oooOOOOooo**

Kate quickly slipped into a thankfully vacant nearby room and closed the door as EJ and Sami walked by. She was still reeling from the news of Sami's pregnancy. On leaving Lucas' room she'd seen the couple up ahead and darted behind a corner before they'd seen her. She'd learnt a lot the last time she'd listened in on their conversation and it looked like Kate had hit the jackpot again.

"I knew that little slut wouldn't be able to keep her legs together!" she growled angrily to the empty room, "Pregnant! This is going to ruin everything!"

Kate had been right to be suspicious of EJ's relationship with Estelle it seemed. The baby or rather babies by the sound of it were obviously EJ's and even Lucas was going to be able to do the maths on that. Once Stefano heard about these babies then everything was going to be over. There was no way he'd let Sami play house with Lucas anymore, dying or not. He'd want the next generation of DiMera's under his watchful eye and Sami and EJ paired off. Lucas would be left out in the cold. Of course Kate didn't want Lucas with Sami anyway but it would have been better if he'd come to that conclusion on his own. She'd learnt forcing her son into anything when it came to Sami always seemed to back fire.

These babies would also cement EJ as the apple of his daddy's eye as well and his role as Stefano's successor would be without question. Kate's chance to get a slice of the DiMera pie would indeed be over. All it would take would be for news of these babies to get out and Kate knew her goose would be well and truly cooked. It did seem though that she had at least a couple of weeks to do what needed to be done to do what needed to be done. Kate had been dreading it coming to this but it was down to the wire now and she was working on a shorter time line then even she'd first imagined. It was time to pull out the big guns and let the chips fall where they may.

_After all - no guts, no glory..._


	114. Chapter 261

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & SIXTY ONE**** – ****Power Plays**

The most important of life's battles is the one we fight daily in the silent chambers of the soul.

_David McKay_

EJ watched from the window of the hospital as Sami and Lucas left in her car and wrinkled his nose. It looked like Sami hadn't been able to convince him to stay after all.

_Damn it!_

EJ had been looking forward to having some time alone with Sami albeit around Will's schedule of course. The man was like a black cloud that hung over his and Sami's happiness, casting a shadow on everything. EJ would have really liked to have been spending some time getting to know Will better at this point as well but that would be impossible with Lucas back in the fold. Mind you, EJ reasoned, with this bull's eye painted on his back the last thing EJ wanted to do was put Will in the firing line as well. Nothing seemed to be going as he had planned thought EJ in annoyance and he didn't like this feeling of being so out of control of his own destiny.

EJ glanced down at his watch and decided he might make a call on the Mole and see what he'd found out for him so far. Despite having every resource at his disposal EJ was finding that they weren't making any progress which was maddening, especially with the unyielding time curfew that Sami's pregnancy was putting on everything. EJ couldn't help the soft smile that touched his lips at the thought of Sami carrying his children though.

Every time he thought about it he wanted to just jump for joy and tell the world. Of course he couldn't do either of those things and in some ways having this secret that only they knew just increased the bond between them which EJ loved. He turned around, intending to head back to his car and more determined than ever to find out who was after him when he nearly knocked Kate over.

"Kate," said EJ in surprise, coming to an abrupt halt just in time.

"Where is the fire EJ?" she asked with a cool smile.

"Perhaps I should be asking you that," suggested EJ with an arched eyebrow as he eyed her suspiciously, "You always seem to be around when bad things happen."

"That's a pretty amusing observation coming from a DiMera," said Kate wryly.

"Darling any DiMera worth their salt is a hundred miles away when there is trouble," said EJ calmly, "That's why we have minions."

Kate rolled her eyes at that comment from him.

"Speaking of dogs bodies," said EJ casually, "I heard your little minion has been under the weather of late my dear. Nothing trivial I hope"

"Is that why you are here EJ?" Kate challenged him, "To try and finish him off when he's helpless?"

"For the record Kate your son has always been helpless," said EJ dryly, "Or at the very least hapless-"

Kate's lips thinned angrily at that little jab.

"And killing a dying man seems a bit redundant to me," continued on EJ blithely, "Smacks of overkill if you'll pardon the pun."

"You have so much to be pardoned EJ I wouldn't be wasting them on puns if I were you," said Kate sweetly.

EJ jerked back at that statement and looked above Kate's head in feigned nervousness.

"What?" asked Kate in annoyance, unable to help herself from looking up as well.

"Sorry darling," said EJ with a slight smirk to his smile, "I just rather assumed that there would be a bolt of lightning that would be accompanying that statement about pardons considering your past history. I guess God must be on a tea break… or watching the cricket."

"You think you're pretty funny don't you EJ?" asked Kate tightly, "I bet you were laughing yourself silly over what you had done to me."

"You mean the newspaper article or the dumpster?" asked EJ with a grin, "Either way there was a fair amount of merriment on my behalf, certainly."

"The punishment didn't fit the crime," Kate snapped, "If you can even call it a crime!"

"I definitely call having a woman drugged and enabling her son to rape an unconscious woman a crime Kate," said EJ all teasing gone from his voice as his eyes narrowed menacingly, "And you should be thanking God that the punishment didn't fit the crime, that's all I can say."

EJ was pleased to see a flash of fear pass over Kate's face as he said that. In his eyes though there would never be enough punishment for what she'd done to Sami. For the briefest moment EJ cursed the new found principles that loving Sami had bought him otherwise dumpsters would have been the least of Kate's problem, he would have made sure of it.

"I wouldn't be so quick about issuing veiled threats if I were you EJ," said Kate, lifting her chin and glaring up at him as she fought back, "I hear the Salem PD thinks you've been a bad boy."

"The Salem PD has always thought I was a bad boy," said EJ wryly, "As far as they are concerned it is the only flavour I come in."

EJ gave her a considered look then, weighing up what Kate might mean.

"What have you heard Kate?" he asked her calmly.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Kate baited him.

"I would actually," said EJ dryly, "Hence the question."

"Apparently my new step son is looking good for a series of particularly ugly crimes," said Kate, a small gloating smile on her lips.

"And how would you come by that little nugget of information I wonder?" asked EJ with an arched eyebrow, "Is the Salem PD having t-shirts with my face printed on them again?"

"Roman and I used to be married," Kate reminded him.

"Oh yes," said EJ wryly, "That's right – the ex-prostitute and the cop – a complete shocker that the relationship didn't work out. Who could have seen that coming eh?"

"You don't know the first thing about my marriage to Roman," said Kate shortly.

"I know you couldn't make it last," commented EJ easily, "And I know Roman, whilst looking good on paper was ultimately far too boring and common for your tastes Katherine."

"Roman is a good man," said Kate, her lips thinning in annoyance.

"Yes," agreed EJ readily, "And that is only the beginning of his flaws, let me assure you. Indiscretion would seem to be another. It's poor form to discuss an open investigation publically and the suspects involved in that case – not to mention libellous. If I thought that man had a single thing of worth in his life I'd seriously consider suing him for deformation – along with the Salem Police Department of course."

"But you wouldn't want to draw any attention to those accusations now would you EJ?" asked Kate sweetly, "I can't see you liking the town thinking you are a rapist."

"Well seeing as I'm not one then certainly, yes, that would irk me," said EJ coolly, "But seeing as the town already thinks I eat babies for fun then it's not a huge weight on my mind to be concerned about what people might think of me. My biggest bug bear with Captain Brady's tunnel vision is the fact that no one is actually looking for the real perpetrator of this crime."

"Such civic concern EJ," Kate said flatly, "I didn't think you had it in you."

"You seem to have made quite the hobby out of underestimating me Kate," said EJ giving her a warning look, "You might want to reconsider what you do with your leisure time."

"Is that a threat EJ?" asked Kate defiantly.

"Oh no my dear," said EJ with a chuckle, "Of course not."

All humour left his face then as he fixed Kate with a deadly cold stare.

"A threat would be me telling you that if you ever come near Samantha or I again then I will have you killed," said EJ, his face made of stone, "A threat would be me promising to destroy the lives of all of your children systematically if Samantha ever has cause to be hurt by you again Kate. Both of those things would be threats or more accurately – promises."

EJ let Kate see the absolute relentlessness in his eyes as he said that because he did mean exactly what he was saying. The thought of this woman going after Sami again caused an almost uncontrollable rage to boil up from deep inside him. Mercy would not be in his vocabulary if Kate ever wounded Sami again, of that EJ was certain.

"You don't frighten me EJ DiMera," said Kate challengingly but the waver in her voice gave her away.

"And here was I thinking you were smarter than that," said EJ coldly, "I guess time will tell eh Kate?"

"Stefano would-" Kate began, trying to regain some ground.

"-do nothing," said EJ harshly, "Don't think for a moment that the fact that you've been wearing my father's ring for a couple of weeks in anyway challenges my position in our family Kate. You are nothing short of delusional if you think he would choose you over me. I don't care how good you think you are on your back – my father thinks with his head and no other part of his body. You just remember that eh darling if you're thinking of staging a coup any time soon."

"And so his true colours come out," said Kate bitterly, "I knew all along that what you really wanted was to be Stefano's successor, despite all of your protests to the contrary."

"Kate you couldn't even begin to have the first idea about what I want," said EJ tightly, "Just keep your nose out of my business and then I won't have the need to cut it off eh darling?"

Kate looked away then and EJ tried to read what she was thinking. He was still highly suspicious of the way she'd insinuated herself into his father's life and knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Kate had an agenda. Just how much it involved he and Sami EJ wasn't sure and the not knowing irked him. There were just too many damn unknowns in his life right then and EJ just wasn't going to take it anymore. He was going to make Kate understand that he meant business, one way or the other.

**oooOOOOooo**

Kate walked the last of the way down the dark corridor, thinking over her conversation with EJ and the one she'd overheard between EJ and Sami. Her time was running out and there was nothing for it but to face up to what she had to do. After waiting until Stefano was out of the house Kate had made her way through the secret door once again and was relieved to not encounter anyone on the way. She walked up to that last door, hesitating only briefly before opening it. The dark hair man looked up from where he was pacing his cell like a caged animal.

"Hello my pretty," smiled André in that silky way of his, "Come to dance with the devil I see."

"My son tried to kill himself today," said Kate emotionally, knowing it was a mistake to show weakness to this man but she was still reeling from Lucas' close call.

"Really?" asked André in surprise, "I wouldn't have thought Lucas had it in him."

"It was an accident," said Kate unhappily, "He tried to make himself appear sicker by taking the extra pills I'd given him all at once and it nearly killed him."

André pursed his lips and looked thoughtful at this information.

"How inconvenient," he offered up at last by way of commiseration.

"Is that all you've got to say?!" asked Kate in outrage, "Lucas could have died yesterday!"

"Darling you are just reaping the whirlwind of the very plan you put in place," pointed out André mildly, "It is not my fault that you are now wracked with maternal guilt and second guessing yourself now is it?"

Kate looked away sharply, attempting to compose herself, knowing that losing control around André would serve no purpose other than giving him the upper hand.

"What did you expect with such a plan anyway?" asked André easily, "It was deeply flawed from conception."

"There is nothing wrong with that plan!" Kate insisted tartly.

"Well putting aside the moral issues of a mother leading her son to believe he is dying," said André wryly, "There is also the little matter of Stefano. Take it from one who knows, going against my uncle's wishes rarely goes well. You've also put some rather limiting time constraints on yourself with this dying ruse. After all how long can Lucas do the dying swan act before eyebrows are raised?"

Kate grimaced, knowing that André was only speaking the truth. Things had gone on for too long as it was. She just hadn't expected it to be this hard to find a way to put that rift between father and son that she needed.

"That's the least of my problems," said Kate dourly, "Sami's pregnant."

"Really?" said André, arching a thoughtful eyebrow, "So my cousin has finally managed to implant the DiMera seed in his Brady brood mare eh?"

Kate pulled a bit of a face at that. She was certainly no fan of Sami's but hearing any woman talked about in such a way made her cringe.

"Well that complicates things a little now doesn't it?" pondered André thoughtfully, "And confirms our partnership."

"How does that work?" asked Kate with a frown.

"Well I'm assuming you want the little DiMera bastard kept under wraps as much as I do," commented André wryly, "Once Stefano finds out about a grandchild then all bets will be off – it will be near impossible to separate Elvis from his good side then."

"Stefano is going to find out some time," said Kate in frustration, knowing how limited their time was now.

"Not necessarily my dear," said André thoughtfully, "If we do away with Elvis then Samantha will take that baby and run. She can be foolish but even Samantha Brady will not take a chance that Stefano will find out about her baby and take it from her."

"You think?" said Kate hopefully.

She hadn't really figured on Stefano not finding out about the twins which would be the best case scenario for Kate.

"All we have to do is have EJ discredited in his father's eyes before news of the impending blessed event becomes public knowledge," said André with a nod, "I'm assuming no one else knows?"

"I don't think so," said Kate slowly, "I can't believe there would be anyone in town that would be on their side. EJ and Sami would have to be on their own."

"Excellent," said André with a sly smile, "Divide and conquer then."

"Easier said than done," said Kate unhappily, "Even married to Lucas and dating Estelle those two are as thick as thieves."

"Tell me everything you know," André ordered her, "If we are to formulate a plan to bring down the little prince then I need to know everything."

"Well there is something else," said Kate with a frown, "I overheard EJ going on about resolving some issue."

"What kind of issue?" asked André intently.

"I don't know," said Kate in frustration at her lack of information, "But it was something holding them back from making the pregnancy known other than Sami's marriage to Lucas, something that EJ was worried about when it came to Sami."

"Like someone was out to get them you mean?" asked André slowly.

"I guess," said Kate with a bit of a shrug and then a thought occurred to her, "Actually I spoke to EJ just after that and he was very blunt in his warnings for me to stay away from he and Sami. At first I thought it was because of the pregnancy but what if you're right? What if someone is out to get them and for some reason EJ thinks it might be me?"

André pursed his lips together thoughtfully as he considered that possibility.

"It is unlikely that he has any real fears or doubts about you Kate," said André at last, "If he did then you would have been neutralised by now. I know how besotted Elvis is with Samantha and he would stop at nothing to protect her and the baby she is carrying. The baby that will cement his place by Stefano's side mind you. He wouldn't allow you to live with all of that at stake. No, I'd say my cousin is just blindly covering his bases, shooting warning shots to anyone he might consider a threat."

"Babies," Kate corrected him idly, thinking about what he'd just said.

"Samantha is carrying twins?" asked André in surprise.

"Apparently," said Kate dourly.

"My uncle's cup of fatherly pride will be overflowing," commented André dryly, "But that gives us even more power over them. Elvis will be frantic trying to protect his offspring and frantic people make mistakes."

"I'm not really comfortable with doing anything to unborn children André," said Kate warningly.

"Darling I'm sure there has been a great deal in your life that you've had to get comfortable with over the years to get where you are today," said André with a knowing look, "Let's not muddy the waters by developing a conscience now eh?"

Kate's lips thinned in annoyance at that but let it slide. You had to pick your battles with the likes of André, she'd learnt that a long time ago and she'd fight that battle if it became a more concrete plan. After all, the man was locked in a cell and couldn't really do anything without Kate's help and despite all the lines she'd crossed in getting herself into this situation harming children, born or unborn just wasn't something she could stomach.

"Is there anything else?" André pushed her, "Anything at all that you can think of Kate. Knowledge is power and the more we have the more I have to work with."

"Well EJ was brought in by Roman to answer some questions," Kate offered up.

"What for?" asked André, looking very interested in that piece of information.

"There have been a series of brutal rapes lately," said Kate off handedly, "Apparently he was in the area of one of them and was caught speeding off from the scene."

"Is that it?" asked André curiously, "Do they have a description of the man or anything else to help with identification?"

"No," said Kate with a shake of her head, "Roman said he attacks the women from behind and puts some kind of bag over their head. None of the women could give him much by way of a description."

"Mm," said André coolly, mulling this news over.

"What good does that do us?" asked Kate in exasperation, "Of all the things EJ is a rapist isn't one of them. Roman's going to reach a dead end soon enough when it comes to EJ, he's just got a bee in his bonnet when it comes to the guy."

"Wait until he hears that his precious daughter has been violated by a DiMera," said André, chuckling at the thought, "And is carrying yet more bastard grandchildren. I wish I could be there to see his face."

"Well that's a bit unlikely," said Kate with an arched eyebrow and indicated the bars, "Considering where you are André."

"All things are but for a season Kate," said André knowingly, "You are going to help me get out of here."

"I told you," said Kate quickly, "I can't. Stefano would kill me – and that would be the best case scenario."

"We need each other now Kate," said André, "Otherwise why would you have come?"

Kate didn't want to admit the truth of those words to herself but she did indeed need André. She'd dug a hole for herself so deep that she simply couldn't get out of it by herself.

"I need some time to think," André informed her, "Give me twenty four hours and return to me Kate – I will have a plan by then."

"Don't I get a say in all of this?" asked Kate in aggravation, worried now where this would all end.

André just smiled at that and the sight of that cold expression on his face sent a chill down Kate's spine.

**oooOOOOooo**

André listened to Kate's retreating footsteps and made a thoughtful face. It seemed his patience had indeed begun to pay off. Stefano's curious new bride had presented him with an opportunity too good to be missed. André knew that Kate knew that Lucas had been the one to shoot Elvis. He'd seen it in her eyes and her knowing that pleased him. It meant it gave him the upper hand in dealing with her, despite his currently restrained position. Kate felt guilty over him suffering the consequences of her son's actions plus she was anxious to keep him happy and not saying anything to Stefano about the real perpetrator of that crime.

André had followed his instincts in keeping quiet about seeing Lucas shooting Elvis. Admitting to being there would have opened up too many questions but this way the truth could come out about Lucas and he would be completely exonerated. André didn't care what happened to Lucas or to Kate for that matter but right now it wasn't in his best interests to make that known. No, right now he needed Kate on side and by forging an alliance with her it was the best way André knew to get himself out of his current situation.

Once he and Kate had sullied Elvis' stock with his father then that would give André the perfect opportunity to fill the breach the loss of the old man's successor would create. André would have already paid his penance for defying Stefano openly with his opposition to Elvis being the next in line for the throne with his stint in this cell. With his youngest child disgraced André knew he'd been in the prime position to take over the reins of the DiMera empire. He would have to be very careful though. Stefano was a wily old fox and André had already slipped up there. However if André could have Kate firing his bullets so to speak then he'd be nicely protected once the waste substance hit the fan which it inevitably would. Stefano would then turn to him and everything will be as it should have been all along.

André stroke his chin, pondering all that Kate had told him. There had to be a way to use what she'd told him against EJ. That upstart needed to be dealt with once and for all and to be made to pay for his part in André's imprisonment. It had to be something drastic to get the old man to change his mind about his golden child and André had no problem with that. He'd spent a lot of time in this cell thinking about revenge and now at last he had his opportunity. A plan began to form in his head and a wicked smile came to his lips.

"All the old knives that have rusted in my back, I drive in yours," he murmured before starting to chuckle away to himself.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE****:** Just a by the by but that last quote of André's comes from Phaedrus' fables (Thrace of Macedonia) – don't want to claim any greatness that isn't mine.


	115. Chapter 262

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & SIXTY TWO**** – ****Putting Your Foot Down**

Worry is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind. If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.

_Arthur Somers Roche_

_Sami rolled over in bed and sat up, blinking blearily and still half asleep from her afternoon nap. After a moment she got out of bed and walked out of the darkened bedroom into the living room to find EJ with a blonde little baby on his lap. _

"_What's this then?" she asked indulgently, walking up to the two._

_EJ just looked so right holding their child in his arms. The little blonde haired, blue eyed baby looking adoringly up at him – it was just such a beautiful picture, it made Sami's heart melt._

"_Well missy's brother here went down to sleep without any bother but someone who shall remain nameless decided to make a fuss," said EJ with a little smile and a nod to the little girl on his lap. _

"_That wouldn't be you now would it my darling girl?" asked Sami with a feigned look of surprise at the baby who grinned a one toothed smile back up at her._

"_We have a night owl on our hands," said EJ as Sami moved behind him and put her arms around EJ's neck, kissing his cheek affectionately, "Or rather an afternoon owl. I'm just trying to tempt her to sleep with the tale of the three little pigs."_

_EJ looked down at the book in his hand and pulled a pensive face._

"_We're only half way through and I have strong reservations about at least two of the little pig's houses not being up to building code standard," said EJ straight faced, "And I think the big bad wolf is up to no good as well."_

"_Probably that's given away a bit in his name," commented Sami with a quirk of her lips as she came to sit beside them on the sofa. _

_The blonde little girl made a happy gurgling noise at her mother._

"_Oh you're pleased with yourself aren't you," Sami tutted around a smile, "Having your daddy all to yourself without your brother around."_

"_I think she's just pleased to be awake," said EJ with a chuckle._

_He looked at Sami then._

"_How was your nap sweetheart?" _

"_Much needed thanks," said Sami with a happy sigh, "I feel like a new woman."_

"_Well I'm very happy with the one I've got," said EJ with a smile, leaning over the little girl on his knee to give Sami a quick kiss. _

_EJ then looked at his watch and pulled a regretful face._

"_Although on that note I'm meant to be meeting Estelle at the wedding planner," commented EJ ruefully._

"_Wedding planner?" repeated Sami in confusion, "Why?"_

"_Well we have to make some final decisions about colour schemes and china patterns," said EJ, "All life and death stuff apparently. Who knew Estelle would have turned out to be heavily into such things? She's thrown herself into planning our wedding with gusto."_

"_You and Estelle are getting married?!" squeaked Sami in utter distress._

_Her stomach was churning all of a sudden and she felt like she was going to be sick at any moment._

"_Well yes of course we are darling," said EJ slowly, looking at her a bit askew, "We talked about it and agreed after all of this time we should really tie the knot to keep up the pretence of our relationship. Estelle's been such a good sport about all of this, a real brick."_

_Speaking of bricks Sami felt like she'd just been hit by one._

"_When was all of this decided?" she asked urgently, still utterly confused, "Why is this the first I'm hearing of it?"_

"_Darling this isn't the first you've heard of it," said EJ indulgently, "We've had endless discussions about it – in fact it was your idea."_

"_What?!" exclaimed Sami in abject horror._

"_I'd better get going," said EJ, checking his watch again, "Don't want to be late."_

_He picked up the little girl on his knee and deposited her into Sami's lap and Sami instinctively held onto her but her mind was racing a mile a minute trying to catch up._

"_Besides," EJ continued on blithely as he stood up, "Lucas will be home soon so I'd better make myself scarce."_

"_Lucas!" Sami gasped in shock, "What are you talking about EJ?! You and I are living together now – us and the babies."_

"_No," said EJ, looking down at her with a confused smile, "We're not. You still live with Lucas, Lucas Junior and Katie here. You know that darling."_

"_Why are we still sneaking around EJ?" asked Sami in disbelief and then suddenly realised what he'd said, "Lucas Junior? Katie?! We named our daughter after Kate? What the hell EJ?!"_

"_We had to," said EJ with a bit of a shrug, "She found out about our secret and blackmailed us."_

"_And Lucas Junior?" asked Sami weakly, feeling her head beginning to spin._

"_Well Lucas was so keen and it's not like I could make any claim to the twins so LJ it was," said EJ philosophically._

"_But these are your babies EJ!" said Sami in horror, "I don't understand, why aren't we together, why are you marrying Estelle?! This wasn't the plan EJ!"_

"_Sweetheart you are in a muddle today aren't you?" said EJ with a quizzical look at her, "I think you need to go back for a bit more of a nap."_

"_I need you to tell me what is going on EJ!" said Sami sharply, "Why aren't we together?!"_

"_Darling you know why," said EJ, putting a calming hand on her shoulder as Sami stood up with Katie on her hip, "The death threats."_

"_We haven't dealt with that yet?" asked Sami in disbelief._

_She looked at the baby in her arms and she looked to be nearly a year old. How on earth could this still be going on after a year?!_

"_Look sweetheart we're going to have to talk about this later," said EJ, checking his watch again, "I really must dash. I think you're just still half asleep."_

_EJ quickly pressed a kiss to Sami's forehead and then the little girl's cheek._

"_You my little princess don't be giving your mother any grief now you hear?" EJ instructed the child indulgently. _

"_EJ I don't want you to go," said Sami shakily._

_She was just so confused. _

"_I have to Samantha," said EJ patiently as he went for his coat, "Estelle is waiting for me."_

"_And I don't want you to marry Estelle!" said Sami loudly._

"_You know I feel like we should give Estelle something for going along with all of this," commented EJ as though she hadn't spoken, "Something personal."_

_EJ made a thoughtful face._

"_You know Estelle mentioned wanting to have children of her own one day," said EJ, "Perhaps I could help her out with that?"_

"_Wh-what?" asked Sami, her mouth hanging open._

"_We wouldn't have sex of course, her being gay and all," continued on EJ easily, "But maybe a turkey baster full of the good stuff might be something Estelle would appreciate in due course. It would also make our marriage look all the more real. What do you think darling?"_

_Sami made this strangled noise in the back of her throat, words completely and utterly beyond her right then. EJ didn't seem to notice though as with a last little wave at Katie he turned and began walking towards the door. _

"_EJ stop!" Sami said frantically, "Come back!"_

_EJ didn't stop or come back, he just kept walking, the door slamming behind him with a kind of grim finality._

"_EJ!" Sami yelled as the baby in her arms began to cry, "EJ no!"_

Sami sat bolt upright in bed, her eyes wide and her heart beating madly. She looked over at the sound asleep Lucas and blew out a ragged breath at seeing her sudden movement hadn't disturbed him. She quietly slipped out of bed, grabbing her robe and hurried out of the bedroom. Sami's heart was still thundering from her nightmare and she was covered in a fine layer of sweat. She put her hand on her stomach and rubbed it, trying to comfort herself. Unable to help herself Sami grabbed her cell phone and making sure not to disturb anyone in the house she climbed out onto the fire escape before she made her call.

"H'lo," EJ's tired voice mumbled.

"EJ!" exclaimed Sami urgently, "Don't give your sperm to anyone but me!"

"Who is this?" asked EJ, still sounding mostly asleep.

"It's Sami you idiot," said Sami in frustration.

"Thank god," said EJ sounding very relieved, "For a moment you sounded just like your mum and I really didn't know what I was going to say next."

There was the sound of EJ moving around and most likely sitting up in bed.

"Sweetheart it's, good god, it's three o'clock in the morning," said EJ unevenly as he obviously checked the time, "What's wrong, are you alright? Are the babies alright?"

"Yes we're fine," said Sami agitatedly, "I just need to know that you're not going to have any babies with anyone but me."

"Since when has that been a huge concern of yours Samantha?" asked EJ in confusion.

"I had a bad dream," said Sami unhappily.

"A bad dream involving my sperm?" asked EJ hesitantly.

"Yes," said Sami tremulously.

"I'm not entirely sure how to feel about that," EJ admitted wryly, "But let me assure you of this sweetheart – I'm all yours and that includes my ah... excretions as well."

"That's so sweet EJ," said Sami with a happy little sigh.

"Good," said EJ with a chuckle, "I was going for sweet rather than icky. Now about this dream, do you want to talk about it?"

"The babies were born and I was still living with Lucas," said Sami, her lower lip trembling emotionally, "And they were called Lucas Junior and Kate and you were marrying Estelle and going to give her a turkey baster full of your sperm!"

There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone as EJ clearly digested all of that.

"Lucas Junior?" he finally offered up.

"I know," said Sami with an unhappy groan, "It was awful EJ."

"I'll say," said EJ dryly, "I know I briefly sported the moniker of Junior there for awhile but it's safe to say I won't be inflicting it upon any of my offspring."

"It was a horrible dream," said Sami sadly.

"But that is all it was sweetheart," EJ comforted her, "Just a dream."

"Tell me that we'll be together when these babies are born EJ," Sami implored him.

"Samantha this is not going to go on for much longer," EJ reassured her, "It simply can't. You're not too far off people noticing your gorgeous bump."

"And we're not going to tell them that these babies are Lucas' right?" Sami fretted.

"Absolutely not," said EJ firmly, "That is not and never will be part of the plan Samantha. I'm sure that we are closing in on this cowboy person and when I do then nothing will be stopping us from making our relationship public."

"I've made such a mess of everything," Sami groaned unhappily as she imagined what this was going to do to Lucas.

"We both did what we thought was the right thing at the time Samantha," said EJ determinedly, "Now we just have to deal with where we are now – together."

Sami gave a soft smile at the certainty in EJ's voice.

"I love you," she said huskily.

"I love you too my gorgeous crazy woman," said EJ affectionately, "Are you alright now?"

"Yes," said Sami with a sigh, "Now that I can hear your voice I'm fine."

"Good," said EJ affectionately, "Now hop to bed sweetheart – you're sleeping for three now."

"I don't think it works like that honey," Sami laughed.

"Indulge me," said EJ with a chuckle, "I'm a first time father."

"I'll see you in the morning?" Sami said hopefully.

"Of course darling," said EJ, "We have that meeting at lunch time with that new client."

"I love going to work with you EJ," said Sami with a big smile, "I love running our company together."

"Me too," said EJ softly, "I'll see you soon my love – sweet dreams."

"They will be now," said Sami, closing her eyes and letting EJ's silky voice wash over her.

**oooOOOOooo**

"You're up early."

Sami looked around and smiled at Will.

"I thought I'd make us pancakes," said Sami, holding up the bowl she was mixing, "Like we used to."

"I'm not hungry," said Will.

They were still at somewhat of a standoff but Sami wasn't to be deterred. Her dream last night convinced her that she needed to start to prepare Will for her and EJ. She knew it was going to be a very tough sell, particularly under the circumstances but Sami felt like she needed to be doing something with working towards her and EJ being together. She'd created this mess, Sami wanted to be front and centre solving it or at the very least doing damage control.

"Being mad at me doesn't mean that you shouldn't eat," said Sami firmly, placing a pile of pancakes on the table and nodding that Will should sit down.

He did so reluctantly and then just stared at the stack of hot pancakes.

"Do you need your mommy to cut them up for you?" Sami teased him light heartedly.

"I'm not a kid Mom," said Will with a grimace as he took four pancakes and put them on his plate before reaching for the maple syrup.

"I know," said Sami with a sad little sigh as she took a seat across from him.

Where had the time gone?

"Is Dad still in bed?" asked Will as he shoved a forkful of pancakes in his mouth, seeming to have rediscovered his appetite.

"Yes," said Sami, "He's still recovering from his hospital stay."

"But he isn't is he?" said Will moodily as he stabbed another forkful of pancakes, "Recovering I mean."

"No he isn't Will," said Sami, feeling her heart tighten at that thought and the obvious effect it was having on her son, "I'm so sorry Will, this must be so horrible for you."

"It's always like this with you two," said Will with a sullen little shrug of his shoulders.

"What do you mean?" asked Sami in surprise.

"I mean you guys have been trying to kill each other most of my life," said Will dourly, "I guess you're going to be the last man standing after all Mom – congratulations, you must be thrilled."

Perhaps it was the pregnancy hormones, perhaps it was just days of walking on egg shells around her son and trying to placate him or perhaps she was tired from her broken night sleep of the previous night but Sami just snapped. Will was intentionally trying to hurt her, to punish her because he didn't feel like he could punish his father for keeping the news of his AML from him – Sami was smart enough to know that. But one thing having EJ's unconditional love had taught Sami was that she didn't have to and didn't deserve to take any crap from anyone – even her own son. On a reflex Sami grabbed the closest thing to her on hearing Will's intentionally hurtful words which just happened to be the maple syrup and dumped it on Will's head.

"HEY!" yelled the shocked teenager, leaping up and wiping at the sticky goo that was running through his hair and over his face, destroying the work he'd done with getting his hair to look just so that morning.

Will grabbed up a few napkins and tried to catch the worst of it while he glared at Sami.

"Mom!" he complained in annoyance, "Are you crazy?!"

"Most likely," said Sami easily, "At least if you listen to half of Salem."

"I'm going to have to take another shower," said Will in agitation as the wiping of the maple syrup only seemed to be spreading it around more.

"Sit down," Sami ordered him.

"I'm going for a shower," grumbled Will, wrinkling his nose in disgust.

"William sit!" Sami commanded him, brooking no argument.

Will looked at her in surprise at the rare use of his full name but slowly sat down.

"Right," said Sami determinedly, "Now you listen to me Will Roberts – I know you have a lot of things to be angry with your father and I over the years – I'm not going to deny that or pretend that they are less than what they are. But as much as I might want to I can't change the past. However another thing that isn't going to change is the fact that I'm your mother."

Will looked at her wide eyed, clearly surprised by Sami's vehemence even as maple syrup trickled down his forehead and nose.

"You can be angry with me but that isn't going to change anything," said Sami firmly, "I love you Will, I'd die for you in a heartbeat but I am not going to let you treat me like this any longer. Everything is hard enough without you pulling the surly teenager routine on me."

"Well excuse me for being a bit upset that my dad is about to die," snapped Will, "I don't know what I was thinking!"

"Enough with the attitude Will," said Sami, her eyes narrowing, "If you need to talk I'm here, if you want help with dealing with what you are feeling I'm here for you. But I'm not going to be your punching bag any longer do you hear me? You keep saying that you want to be treated like an adult well this is how that works. Adults talk about what is going on and deal with it – they don't pout and lash out."

Sami put her hand over Will's sticky one.

"I know what I'm talking about Will," she said earnestly, "Because until very recently I could pout and lash out with the best of them but it never got me anywhere except a lot more hurt and anger. I know that I have been a terrible mother to you over the years. I was so young and messed up and I had no right trying to bring up a child and you'll never know the depth of my regret of so many of the choices I made when it comes to you Will. You're my child, my baby boy and I only wanted to give you good things and instead I gave you so much heartache and I have to live with that knowledge every day."

"Mom," began Will with a shake of his head but Sami was on a roll and didn't stop.

"But I can't keep looking back," she continued on sincerely, "I have to start looking forward and that is what I am doing now. I haven't given you much as a mother but starting today all that is going to change. Will I can promise you two things in this life – one, I will undoubtedly hurt and disappoint you again. I wish it wasn't so but I can't help it, I'm human, I make mistakes."

Will shifted a little in his seat and looked away.

"And two," said Sami, taking his sticky face in her hand and making him look back at her, "Two – I love you more than anyone else on this earth and that will never, ever change. I will be in your life, loving you, worrying over you until my dying day and there is nothing you can do or say to change that."

"You sound like Grandma Kate," said Will dryly.

"Do you want to wash that maple syrup down with milk?" asked Sami, giving him a threatening look at saying such a thing to her as she picked up the carton of milk and held it over his head.

"No," said Will quickly, looking at her warily and clearly deciding that his mother wasn't to be trifled with today.

"Alright then," said Sami, putting down the carton and holding Will's gaze determinedly, "Now you may not feel like I've earned it but you owe me some respect young man. I'm your mother, I carried you in my body for nine months and pushed you out of it with a great deal of pain and exertion-"

"Eww Mom," said Will, wrinkling his nose in disgust, "Too much information."

"Well tough," said Sami unrepentantly, "Despite my track records those are my credentials for being your Mom and you just have to deal with it. I don't know what the future holds for all of us Will but whatever happens we are in this together, you and me."

Will sat there for a long moment digesting all that Sami had said.

"Can I go for a shower now?" he asked her quietly at last.

"Yes," said Sami calmly, "You're beginning to drip on my clean floors."

"You're kind of a nut Mom," said Will in vague resignation.

"Yes I am," said Sami unapologetically, "And I'm your nut so the sooner you deal with the fact that I'm not the PTA soccer mom type making cookies for bake sales then the happier we'll all be."

Will was just openly staring at her now, obviously trying to work something out in his head.

"You're different," he announced after a moment.

"I am?" asked Sami with an arched eyebrow.

"Yeah you're more-" Will pursed his lips, trying to find the right words, "You're less-"

Sami looked at him expectantly waiting for him to finish a sentence. The truth was she felt like a completely new person ever since the day she let herself believe in EJ's love for her but she hadn't really thought about other people noticing it. She knew her and Will's relationship was going to be under a great deal of strain very soon when it came out about her and EJ's relationship and she regretted that a great deal.

But Sami knew that if there was a way forward for her and Will then he'd have to learn to respect her more and the only way Sami knew for that to happen was to show him that she respected herself more. Her whole life felt like it was a monument to getting people to try and like her by getting what they had or trying to please them. It had all failed miserably and Sami knew now that trying to work out who you were by what people around you thought about you was a mission in futility. She was what she was and EJ had taught her not to be ashamed of that any longer.

"I don't know," said Will with a hopeless shrug, "You seem more sure of yourself I guess."

"What I'm sure about is that if you sit there too much longer you're going to be carried away by the ants," said Sami with a half smile, "Go and take that shower."

Will stood up began to head towards the bathroom.

"Will," Sami stalled him.

Her son turned around and looked back at her questioningly.

"I love you," she said simply.

Will grimaced a little, still obviously dealing with a huge internal battle. It looked like he wanted to say something but at the last moment changed his mind. Will just nodded and gave her a vague smile before heading off to the bathroom. Sami looked down at her stomach and cupped its gentle swell lovingly.

"Don't think badly of your big brother," she told the babies she was carrying, "He'll come round – there is just a lot going on for him right now. You'll see – we're all going to get through this and be one big happy family."

Sami pursed her lips and thought about the promise she'd just made. It was a big one but she had no problem fighting for the family she wanted with EJ and that included Will as well. It wasn't going to be easy but like EJ always said, nothing worthwhile ever was. What Sami did know was that she could rely on EJ one hundred percent when it came to wanting to be a part of Will's life. She also knew that EJ wasn't going to be deterred by some troubled teen angst either.

Sami gave a soft smile, loving the fact that she was in love with a man where they were actually pulling together on things. She loved feeling like she was part of a team instead of always on the outside working the angles. EJ was home to her, the safest place on earth and Sami was going to make sure that her dream of the night before was never going to become a reality. She was going to hold EJ to his promise of only a couple more weeks of hiding this pregnancy, come hell or high water.


	116. Chapter 263

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & SIXTY THREE**** – ****Suspicious Minds**

Dreams are illustrations... from the book your soul is writing about you.

_Marsha Norman_

_(American Playwright and Dramatist won Pulitzer (1983) for her play Night Mother. b.1947)_

"This won't take long," EJ said, glancing at Bart over the top of some paperwork.

They were in the coffee shop, Bart having couriered over some paperwork of his father's that needed some attention from EJ.

"That's okay boss man," said Bart easily, "I like to be out and about."

"I guess you don't get a lot of that working for my father," EJ commented thoughtfully, going back to the paperwork, "I should imagine it would be rather demanding."

"I like to keep busy," said Bart with a little shrug.

"Don't we all," said EJ, turning a page before giving a little sigh, "Although I have bigger dreams for my life than this kind of thing."

His dreams included Sami and their children somewhere in the world together. It didn't matter where because as long as Sami was by his side then EJ was home. He felt another flash of annoyance about the predicament they were in and how in the short term his dreams would have to wait. At least the ones involving Sami would have to wait. The ones involving a certain cowboy hat loving gentleman was top of EJ's to do list. He looked up to see Bart taking a sip of his cappuccino and leaving behind a foam moustache.

"And what would your dreams be Bart?" asked EJ, curious despite himself.

"Well I've got this one," said Bart a little shyly.

"Do tell," EJ prompted him, trying to imagine what a man like Bart might dream about.

"I want to sail around the world one day," said Bart happily, "In my very own Luxury Gulet with the works."

"That's a nice boat," EJ commented, "I didn't know you could sail Bart."

"I used to be in the navy," volunteered Bart easily.

"Really?" said EJ in surprise, trying to picture that.

EJ had a cross between McHale's Navy and Gilligan's Island in his head – with Bart as Ginger.

"Yeah," nodded Bart, "And that's what gave me the idea for the name of the boat."

"I Used To Be In The Navy?" asked EJ teasingly, "I guess it's memorable if nothing else – a little long perhaps – just as well it is a ninety two footer."

"No boss man," laughed Bart, "I'm going to call her 'Sizzling Sailor' – you know, promote myself a bit to all those beauties in every port. When they see the name they'll know what they'll be getting."

"I guess a bit of self promotion never hurt anyone," said EJ wryly.

"Or even 'Sizzling Seaman'," announced Bart innocently, "It's more classy like I think. How does that sound?"

EJ blanched at that, his smile frozen on his face at that name.

"It sounds like a breakfast special that I definitely wouldn't be keen on sampling," said EJ, wrinkling his nose.

"Huh?" asked Bart, clueless as always.

"Why not 'Hot Seaman' and be done with it?" asked EJ with a quirk of his lips, unable to help himself.

"Hey that sounds pretty good boss man," said Bart, his face lighting up and clearly not getting what was amusing EJ, "I really like that 'Hot Seaman' – I think I just found the name of my fantasy boat."

Oh god, apparently playing word games with Bart Beiderbecke was not to be recommended.

"I think the 'Sizzling Sailor' is an infinitely preferable name Bart," EJ said quickly, "Depending on the kind of port side action you were hoping for of course. Let's stick with that eh?"

"I don't know," said Bart, pulling a face, "I really like 'Hot Seaman'."

Philip's timing was unfortunate as he walked up just in time to overhear that.

"I'd ask," said Philip dryly, arching an eyebrow at the two men, "But I'm really frightened you'd answer me and I'm having a nice day so far so I really don't want that."

"Ah Philip," said EJ jovially, looking up at the man and unable to resist some verbal sparring, "Something evil this way hops."

"Big talk coming from a man who apparently likes a little hot semen action," said Philip with a quirk of his lips.

"Oh no," said Bart quickly, "The 'Seaman' is mine."

"Didn't need to know that DiMera lackey," said Philip, wrinkling his nose.

"His name is Bart," EJ offered up with an affectionate look at the other man.

Drinking milk straight from the container in the fridge and Bart – his two simple pleasures in life EJ decided.

"Well kudos for you for knowing the help's name," said Philip dryly.

"And kudos to you for knowing the word kudos Phil," said EJ with an easy smile, "See, you're not as dumb as the writing in the gentleman's bathroom would suggest."

"A huge shock that you'd be familiar with a gentleman's bathroom hm Brit boy?" said Philip with a sweet smile.

"What are we playing?" asked Bart, looking between the two men in confusion.

"Who can say the most witty and cutting thing and make the other one cry," EJ informed him calmly.

"Oh," said Bart uncertainly, "Right."

"Don't worry about it Bart, you can just take the papers and go," said EJ with a bit of a smile, "Tell my father I'll deal with the rest of it later."

"Okay boss man," said Bart happily, picking up the papers and looking pleased to be going.

"That's one interesting guy," commented Philip as he watched the other man leave.

"You have no idea," said EJ dryly.

"So how's the Chiba deal going?" asked Philip, turning his attention back to EJ.

"Nice segue way," said EJ wryly.

"Time is money EJ," said Philip with an unapologetic shrug.

"Well mine is," said EJ with a little smile, "I don't know how much you'd get for yours nowadays."

"So I take it from that the Chiba deal is going ahead," said Philip, looking at EJ with interest.

"Mythic has many irons in the fire and we are attentive and deeply committed to all of our clients, large and small," said EJ smoothly.

"Spoken like a lawyer," said Philip with a twist of his lips.

"I am a lawyer," said EJ easily.

"Yeah right," Philip snorted in disbelief.

"Why does no one believe me when I tell them that?" EJ asked the rhetorical question with a roll of his eyes.

"It figures you'd be a lawyer," said Philip flatly.

"I'll take that as a compliment," said EJ calmly.

"I wouldn't," said Philip with a shake of his head.

"Is there something I can help you with Philip?" asked EJ in mild exasperation.

"Can't a guy stop and chat to a friend?" asked Philip casually.

"He can," said EJ with a nod, "But that still doesn't explain what you are doing here."

EJ cocked his head and looked up at Philip thoughtfully.

"I guess you must just be in a good mood," EJ offered up.

"Why?" asked Philip with a frown.

"Because your brother just got out of the hospital," EJ prompted him, "Everyone thought he was a goner but he rallied at the last moment."

"Oh yes," said Philip a little too quickly, "Of course I'm happy about that."

"Mm," said EJ, unconvinced.

"I didn't realise you were keeping such a close eye on Lucas' health EJ," said Philip giving him a challenging look.

"I work with Samantha," EJ reminded him.

"I didn't think Sami would be sharing personal details with the likes of you," said Philip with a frown.

"We were together when she received the news," said EJ easily.

"You know no one likes the fact that you and Sami are working together," Philip informed him tersely.

"Fortunately it is not up to anyone other than Samantha and I," said EJ coolly.

"Yeah that's real fortunate for you EJ," said Philip with a scowl.

"What are you implying Philip?" asked EJ calmly.

"I'm implying you're working an angle Elvis," said Philip, his eyes narrowing, "And I don't want my brother or Sami in the middle of that."

"You know you might want to consider the fact that these paranoid delusions could have been what contributed to the demise of your marriage Philip," said EJ dryly, "You might want to work on that."

"Gee advice from a DiMera," said Philip mockingly, "I'll get right on that."

Philip gave EJ a cool little smile and turned and left then leaving a suspicious EJ in his wake.

"What was all that about?" EJ muttered.

It seemed to him that Philip had been on a fishing expedition but for what he wasn't quite sure. More unknowns – this was getting ridiculous thought EJ grimly. His phone rang then and EJ smiled to see who it was.

"What are you up to?" asked Sami and he could hear the smile in her voice.

"I'm at a coffee shop and just had a rather sticky conversation with Bart," said EJ and then realised what he'd said, "Unfortunately."

"What kind of sticky conversation?" asked Sami with a laugh.

"Darling would you still love me if I had a boat called 'Hot Seaman'?" asked EJ mischievously.

"I don't know honey," said Sami without missing a beat, "Would you still love me if I had a pet beaver called Bushy?"

A big grin split EJ's face at her quick wit.

"If possible I think it quite likely that I'd love you a little bit more than I already do if that was the case," said EJ, chuckling at her humour.

"Well too bad," Sami laughed, "You can't keep beavers. So can you pick me up?"

"Aren't we worried about what people might think?" asked EJ with a smile.

"We're saving the planet by carpooling," said Sami unrepentantly.

"I love saving the planet if it means I can spend more time with you sweetheart," said EJ happily.

"I'll see you soon?" asked Sami, "I don't want us to be late for the meeting."

"We won't be," EJ reassured her, "I'll see you soon my love."

**oooOOOOooo**

"So tell me again why we are here sweetheart?" asked EJ indulgently, looking out of the car window at the large warehouses lined up against the industrial pier of Salem.

"I wanted to surprise you," said Sami with a smile.

They'd just come from a very successful meeting with a new company that wanted to sign with Mythic to promote them and Sami had insisted EJ take a detour to the industrial side of Salem. Large warehouses were in a line on a pier where ships would unload their cargoes directly into for distribution.

"You take me to the most romantic places Samantha," EJ teased her with a chuckle.

"This isn't about romance this is about work," Sami sniffed, pretending affront, "You know our new client, the Michael Brothers and how they are starting to import their new motor cycles to the States and we're promoting them?"

"It rings a bell," said EJ with a smile.

"Well I was thinking of a huge launch party," said Sami with an excited grin.

"What here?" asked EJ in surprise, looking around as he drove at the very utilitarian landscape.

"Absolutely," said Sami emphatically, "We do it all up, lights, band, catering – the music can be as loud as we want considering where we are-"

"There might be a few irate seagulls but beyond that I can't see the neighbours complaining too loudly," agreed EJ with a chuckle.

"So we have a big party – invite everyone who might have the slightest interest in these motor cycles and we line it up so that they get wheeled off the ship at the same time," said Sami animatedly.

"A debutant ball for motorcycles," said EJ, pondering the thought.

"What do you think?" asked Sami excitedly.

EJ glanced over at her as he turned the car around and began to drive away from the warehouses seeing as he'd run out of road.

"I think," he said slowly, "That I am married to a complete and utter genius."

"Really?" asked Sami delightedly, "You like my idea EJ?"

"No I love your idea sweetheart," said EJ with a grin, "We'll make a name for these motorcycles in one night."

"I was thinking we could have some stunt people do some trick riding on them as well," said Sami happily, "Showcase what they can do."

"I use to do some motorcycle racing back in the day," said EJ thoughtfully.

"Oh no," said Sami, laying down the law, "Don't even think about it mister."

"I was quite good you know Samantha," said EJ with a bit of a pout.

"I don't care if you were Evil Kineval," said Sami firmly, "You're not doing any trick bike riding and that's the end of it."

"Can't we at least discuss it?" EJ protested.

"We just did," Sami informed him with a warning look.

"Are all our marital discussions going to go like this?" asked EJ with a quirk of his lips as he drove along the pier.

"All the ones that start off with you wanting to get yourself killed," confirmed Sami determinedly.

"I can see I'm going to have to work on you my darling," said EJ with an impish smile.

"You can try EJ," said Sami undeterred, "But you married a stubborn, stubborn woman who will do what it takes to get her own way."

"I know," said EJ with a self satisfied look, "Lucky me."

It felt so natural to refer to themselves as husband and wife despite the inconvenient truth of the matter and EJ could just let himself fall into the fantasy that Lucas didn't exist.

"I saw Philip today," commented EJ, the thought making him recall the strange conversation.

"Kiriakis?" asked Sami distractedly as she looked in her purse for something.

"Mm," said EJ.

"What did he want?" asked Sami as she took out her lip stick and began applying it using the small compact she'd also found.

"I'm not entirely sure," said EJ thoughtfully.

"What does that mean?" asked Sami, looking at him in confusion.

"I don't know yet," said EJ with a grimace, "Do you ever get this feeling that everyone knows something you don't know?"

"Usually I know something they don't know and I'm trying to keep it from them," said Sami dryly.

"Yes," said EJ wryly, "We're both pretty experienced at that it would seem."

"Maybe you're just emoting?" suggested Sami helpfully, "Because we've got secrets you're thinking Philip has as well."

"Mm," said EJ again, not completely convinced.

He looked over at Sami quickly.

"How's Will?" he asked with interest, changing the subject.

"A teenager," Sami groaned, "But I think we may have reached an understanding."

"And how did you achieve that miracle my love?" asked EJ in admiration.

"I dumped a breakfast condiment on his head," admitted Sami ruefully.

"Ah that old chestnut," said EJ with a grin.

"I just couldn't take how he was talking to me anymore," said Sami with a grimace.

"Good for you darling," EJ applauded her, "And nor should you."

"I've still got a long way to go," said Sami a little gloomily. "Will is going to be a hard sell."

"Well you're not in it alone Samantha," EJ reassured her, "I-"

EJ's next words were cut off as he suddenly made a surprised noise and the car began to swerve along the pier.

"EJ!" Sami exclaimed in shock, "What's wrong?!"

"The steering is gone," said EJ urgently, trying to wrestle the car back under control.

EJ jammed on the breaks but there was no response.

"No brakes," he said through gritted teeth.

There was nothing EJ could do, the car was a dead weight with a mind of its own. It slipped on a wet patch and the car began to turn sideways.

"EJ!" Sami said in fear.

"Hold on Samantha!" he said fiercely, putting a hand out across her chest to help brace her against a feared impact.

The car hit the guard rail of the pier at speed. It was all happening so fast but EJ knew that they were going to go into the water below. His thoughts were immediately about Sami and the babies' safety but there was nothing he could do right then. They were suspended for a moment as the car left the pier, sailing through the air before impacting with a loud smacking sound on the water. EJ and Sami were thrown forward in their seats as they hit.

"Samantha are you alright?!" EJ asked her urgently, releasing his seat belt so he could turn properly to face her.

"I-I don't know," said Sami weakly, clearly in shock.

EJ put his hand out to cover her stomach.

"Does anything hurt?" he asked her anxiously.

Sami lifted her head and looked around them, suddenly realising what was happening.

"We're sinking!" she said in distress, "EJ we're sinking! The car is sinking!"

EJ looked out the window and saw Sami was right, water was beginning to edge up the window and was rushing into the floor. He could feel it soaking into his shoes as the water moved ever higher. EJ looked over at Sami and she was looking back at him fearfully as the car began to slowly sink below the water level...


	117. Chapter 264

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & SIXTY FOUR**** – ****I've Got That Sinking Feeling**

Danger can only be overcome by more danger

_Greek proverb_

_Celeste could hear the repetitive sound but she couldn't work out what it was. The sound of metal clicking together but she couldn't quite place it. She kept walking down the long dark corridor, following the noise. The sound grew louder until she was at a door at the end of the corridor, a door with 32B written on it – Sami Robert's apartment door. The clicking noise was definitely coming from the other side of the door and despite her sense of foreboding she pushed on the door. The clicking stopped abruptly as Celeste cautiously walked through the door. Sami's living room was dark, not pitch black but still dim. _

"_Samantha?"_

_Celeste's uncertain voice bounced off the walls and back in on her but there was no response. She kept walking into the room, squinting into the gloom. Her foot contacted with something and before Celeste could save herself she was falling to the ground. The air rushed out of her lungs as she made a pained grunt at the sudden contact with the floor. Celeste looked back over her shoulder to see what it was she'd tripped on. She gave a horrified gasp at seeing what it was. Sami's sightless gaze was staring back at her, the young woman stretched out on the floor and clearly dead as she lay on her stomach, her head turned towards Celeste. _

_Celeste made a panicked sound and quickly scrambled away from the corpse, still sitting on the floor. Her back hit up against the sofa and she could go no further so Celeste just kept staring wide eyed at Sami's inert body. The blonde woman was soaked through, her skin pale and her normally bright blue eyes disturbingly milky. Celeste stumbled to her feet, not knowing what she should do but knowing she needed help. She turned to run towards the phone that she could see on the wall and then that was when she saw EJ. He was stretched out on the floor, face up and his own dead gaze looking up towards the ceiling. EJ was as wet and dead looking as Sami was and Celeste put a distressed hand to her mouth._

"_What is this?" she asked in horror, "How did this happen?"_

_As though in answer to her question Celeste suddenly felt water running through her shoes. She looked down and saw dirty coloured water starting to fill the floor, running over the tops of her feet now. It looked like river water and smelt like it too. The water was rising relentlessly fast and Celeste panicked, wanting to get away for it. She waded through the water, heading towards the door she'd entered through even as EJ and Sami's body's were enveloped in the brown wetness. Celeste clawed at the door, struggling to open it and when she did manage it she fell through the door, landing on the ground yet again. _

_Strangely enough though the corridor floor was completely dry. The metal clicking sound was suddenly back again as a pair of ornate cowboy boots stepped into Celeste's line of view as she lay on the floor. Her gaze slowly travelled up the length of the legs standing in front of her. Celeste's at last saw what was responsible for that clicking noise. The man was clicking a lighter on and off repeatedly. The lighter was silver and Celeste could see through his fingers that it was monogrammed with a large letter 'A'. _

"_Time to wake up darlin'."_

The stranger's drawl woke Celeste in a cold sweat. She sat bolt upright on the sofa that she'd been taking a nap on that afternoon. That was the first time she'd seen him. Every time she closed her eyes Celeste would be plagued by the same dream – each time another piece of it was revealed. For so long now she'd felt the cloud threatening Sami and EJ and her dreams were relentless. The darkness coming for EJ and Sami was almost upon them and Celeste felt helpless to do anything about it. She'd tried to warn them but neither one seemed to take what she was saying seriously.

Each time she dreamt this dream a new part was shown to her. The cowboy boots, that ominous letter 'A' that just wouldn't leave her alone – Celeste knew that her dreams would ultimately show her who this man was but would it be in time? Needing to feel like she was doing something Celeste stood up and picked up her phone, calling Sami's number. When there was no answer Celeste tried EJ's cell phone.

She had to get one of them to listen to her... before it was too late.

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami made a grab for the door handle, intending to get out of the car before it went under.

"No!" said EJ, quickly grabbing her hand, "Samantha no, the water rushing in will be too much. We have to wait for the car to sink and let the pressure equalise and then we can open the windows and get out that way."

Sami looked at him, her eyes wide with fear at that thought.

"It will be alright sweetheart," EJ promised her as he quickly reached over her to undo her seat belt, "I'll be right here beside you – we can do this."

EJ put his hand to her face, his eyes looking all over her body frantically for any signs of injury.

"Does anything hurt Samantha?" asked EJ anxiously.

"No," she said shakily, watching nervously as the water moved up the windows, "I don't think so."

The truth was she was still so shocked that she couldn't entirely feel her body right then. Plus the fear she was feeling as the car continued to sink made it hard for her to think beyond that.

"Samantha we just have to let the pressure equalise," EJ tried to reassure her, "Trust me darling, it will be alright."

"I do trust you EJ," said Sami tremulously, looking over at him.

EJ took her hand and squeezed it tightly. The car had sunk beneath the water level now and it was a strange sensation of slowing dropping down, the murky water with its stringy plants hugging them in a lover like embrace.

"This will be a story to tell the little ones eh?" said EJ with a wink at Sami, clearly trying to keep her calm.

"I guess so," said Sami and gave him a weak smile, wanting to be brave for him.

EJ looked behind them quickly before looking back at Sami.

"We're nearly at the bottom," he informed her, "It won't take us long to swim to the top – are you up for a little dip sweetheart?"

"I didn't bring my bathers," said Sami, forcing a smile to her lips.

"I always preferred you out of them rather than in anyway," said EJ with a cheeky look her way.

Sami gave a real smile at that – trust EJ to be flirting with her even as they headed for Davey Jone's locker.

"Now when we hit the bottom I want you to take a couple of very deep breaths," EJ instructed her, "And then I'll open the car windows. You'll feel the rush of the water coming in but if you just let it settle for a moment we'll both be able to swim free quite easily."

"How do you know all of this?" asked Sami, giving him an uncertain look.

She looked out through the windows at the murky river depths and gave a little shudder. It was like going to one of those underwater aquarium places where you could walk under the water. Sami didn't feel anywhere near as unsafe as she did in her current position though.

"I used to watch a lot of survival shows," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "Seemed kind of sensible being a DiMera and all."

"And this is going to work?" asked Sami anxiously.

"Undoubtedly," said EJ with that confidence Sami just loved about him, "And don't worry Samantha, I'll be right there beside you the whole time."

Sami just nodded and swallowed hard as the car hit the river bottom with a gentle bounce.

"Alrighty then," said EJ, putting his hand on the window button, "Here we go – all set sweetheart?"

"As I'll ever be," said Sami with a grimace.

EJ leant over and kissed her then, holding her gaze with those dark eyes of his.

"I love you," he informed her huskily.

"I love you," Sami returned to him without hesitation.

"Deep breaths darling," EJ said with a nod, doing the same thing, swallowing several big mouthfuls of air.

He looked over at Sami and nodded.

"The water is going to be quite forceful," he warned her.

"I know," said Sami, "The quicker we do this the quicker it is over."

"Good girl," said EJ with a smile.

EJ hit the button of the electric windows which amazingly still worked. Water poured in and quickly filled the car. Both EJ and Sami kept their faces in the air pocket for as long as they could before it was all gone. It was hard not to panic and try and struggle out of the window straight away but with EJ's hand gripping hers tightly Sami held on. He gave it a squeeze then once the car was completely flooded and nodded, pointing with a finger for them to go up now. Sami nodded back; glad she was as strong a swimmer as she was. They both climbed out of the car windows and started to swim up towards the water surface.

Sami was keeping her eye on the light as she struck out towards the surface but then noticed she couldn't see EJ anymore. She stopped swimming and looked back, her eyes going wide at what she saw. EJ's leg was caught on something, Sami couldn't quite make out what in the gloomy water but he wasn't free of the car properly yet. She moved to go back and help him but EJ saw her and gave a violent motion for Sami to keep on swimming up. By now Sami's lungs were beginning to burn with the lack of oxygen but she couldn't leave EJ. She started to swim back down to him when EJ gave an emphatic shake of his head, pointing to her stomach and then making a baby rocking motion.

For a brief moment Sami had forgotten about her unborn babies at seeing EJ in peril but he had clearly not. She could feel her air running out which meant the air to her babies was also running out so with a last desperate and reluctant look at EJ Sami began to swim urgently towards the surface. She made it with no oxygen left in her lungs, taking great gulps of the stuff now that her head was above water. Sami sucked in the sweet air and let if fill her lungs even as she prepared to go back down. She wasn't going to lose EJ to a watery grave, she wasn't going to lose EJ period. Sami duck dived back under the water, adrenalin coursing through her body as she began to swim back down to EJ.

He must almost be out of oxygen by now and Sami was trying not to let herself panic. She was no use to him as a blubbering mess and Sami wasn't about to fail him now. She reached him in record time, finding strength reserves even Sami didn't know she had. EJ was still struggling to get his foot free and now that she was closer Sami could see the problem. When the car had settled on the bottom of the river bed it had knocked a log up against EJ's side of the car. EJ had managed to get his body out but then his foot had become trapped between the log and car and he was at the wrong angle to try and get free short of snapping his ankle in two.

EJ was looking at Sami in horror that she'd returned to him, shaking his head angrily at her but Sami ignored him. She swam along the length of the log to find out that it was sitting on the edge of an even deeper drop off. Sami began to frantically dig at the sand beneath the end of the log and sure enough she'd quickly removed enough dirt that the log began to slide down the embankment of its own accord. The only trouble was that digging away at that river bottom had made visibility fall to absolutely zero. Sami could no longer see EJ and if her efforts had freed him or even her own hand in front of her face for that matter. She didn't even know which way was up anymore. Her head was spinning from lack of oxygen as she realised that she didn't know which way to swim now.

A panic welled up in her that she was going to run out of oxygen before she could figure it out when a her arm was suddenly grabbed in a vice like grip and she was being dragged what Sami could only assume was upwards. It didn't take long before they were clear of mud filled waters and Sami could see again and what she saw was EJ just ahead of her, his hand tightly around her arm as each of his powerful strokes took them closer to the water's surface. Sami tried to kick but EJ didn't seem to need her help and besides she was so exhausted that she didn't have much left in her anyway.

It was with a sense of rebirth that Sami's head came above water just after EJ's, her oxygen starved lungs practically choking on the rush of oxygen it dragged into itself. Coughing Sami looked over at EJ who was heaving in great mouthfuls of air as well and she practically burst into tears seeing that he was alright. She hadn't let herself think about losing EJ while it was happening but the thought that he might not have been there beside her just then was a devastating one for Sami.

"Can you make it to the shore?" EJ panted, pointing towards the land that was about three hundred feet away.

Sami looked over at where EJ was pointing, every muscle in her body already shaking for all of her exertions.

"Yes," said Sami shakily but she must not have sounded very convincing because EJ shook his head.

"Float on your back," he instructed her, "I'll take us both in."

"I can do it EJ," Sami protested even as she wasn't entirely sure that was true.

"Just do it Samantha," EJ ordered her firmly.

Sami gave him a reluctant look but just treading water alone was sapping the last of her energy reserves and despite it being July now the water was incredibly cold and that was draining her as well. Sami did as EJ requested and EJ put his arm gently around her chest, holding onto her in the classic rescue position and began to start swimming. Sami tried to help him by kicking her legs as well but in the end she just had nothing left to give. She could hear EJ's heavy breathing beside her when he turned his head to take a breath but beyond that he gave no indication that this was difficult for him.

For a brief moment Sami wondered what it must be like to have that kind of physicality to your being that you could ask so much of it and it could deliver. There were times that Sami just bemoaned the weakness of her own body despite how she tried to keep herself in shape. There was just no way she could do for EJ what he was doing for her right then and the thought frustrated her no end. She wondered if men actually understood how lucky they were to have that kind of strength at their disposal when it was really needed. It was doubtful.

Sami had no idea how long it took them to reach the shore, time losing all meaning for her by now. It was clear that no one had seen them go over into the water because there was no one rushing to their aid. But then the docks were deserted around this time of day so there was no reason to imagine there should have been. At last Sami could feel solid ground beneath her feet and with wildly shaking legs that could barely carry her she and EJ walked out of the water together before collapsing on the ground.

The lay side by side on the water's edge, both of them breathing heavily. Sami could barely move from exhaustion and just the trauma of what had happened to them and how close they'd come to not getting out of that wreck. Now that EJ had told her everything Sami just knew that their accident was no accident and all she could do was be grateful that she'd been with EJ when it happened because if she hadn't then he may well not have survived. Sami turned her head to look over at EJ as he lay beside her. His eyes were closed as he lay on his back, his chest moving up and down quickly as he struggled to regain his breath. EJ had swum them both to the shore line in the end and Sami was in awe of him. She put a hand out to his heaving chest, just wanting to feel EJ beneath her hand.

"EJ," she said unevenly, wanting to share the total miracle that they were both still alive with him.

EJ opened his eyes and turned his head towards Sami as she looked at him with emotion filled eyes. There weren't even words to describe how much she loved this man at that moment. Sami's heart swelled with absolute and blinding love for EJ and she'd fear she'd burst from the sheer emotion of it all.

"Damn you Samantha," EJ growled at her, his brown eyes going almost black, "Damn you to hell and back."


	118. Chapter 265

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & SIXTY FIVE**** – ****Biting the Hand That Feeds You**

Every man is afraid of something.

That's how you know he's in love with you; when he is afraid of losing you.

_Anonymous_

Sami was looking at him agape at his sudden outburst but EJ simply couldn't contain himself.

"Wh-what?" she stammered at him in shock.

"How could you do that Samantha?!" he asked her angrily, standing up on unsteady legs and glaring down at her.

"How could I do what?" asked Sami in bemusement, going to stand as well.

Her legs were weak and she stumbled a little and EJ quickly put out a hand to support her. As soon as Sami was alright EJ withdrew his hand. He couldn't be touching her right then; all thoughts left his head when he touched her.

"You risked your life!" EJ raged at her in horror, "The lives of our unborn children all for me?!"

EJ was shaking all over, he couldn't help it – he was just consumed in a paralysing fear of all that could have been lost today.

"Yes all for you EJ!" Sami shouted back, using what looked like the last of her energy reserves to get mad at him, "Always all for you – I love you!"

"If you loved me you wouldn't risk your life like that!" EJ yelled at her.

Why couldn't she understand that EJ thought in angry frustration? When he'd looked up and seen Sami heading back down to him he'd died a thousand deaths. He'd been trapped and was facing certain death but to know that at least Sami and his children were safe had flooded him with an otherworldly calm. Nothing really mattered as long as they were safe. To see Sami swimming back down to him, risking her life for him had all but destroyed him. It had turned out alright in the end but the what ifs were screaming at EJ, causing his head to nearly explode and his chest to ache.

"If I loved you there was nothing else I could do!" Sami snapped back at him, "Tell me you wouldn't have done exactly the same thing if positions hadn't been reversed EJ!"

"That would have been different!" EJ shouted.

"How!" Sami demanded.

"I'm not pregnant with two little lives inside of me!" EJ threw back at her.

He knew that he was making a mess of all this – that all he should really be doing is holding Sami in his arms and telling her how thankful he was and how grateful that they had this second chance but now that he'd started EJ couldn't stop. All this raw emotion just kept spewing out of him and for a man who always prided himself on being in control EJ knew that at that moment he was anything but. Sami as always had undone him and the depth of emotion he would have normally hidden away from anyone else in the world couldn't be contained from her.

"That is complete crap EJ!" Sami called him on that, "Don't use these babies to win an argument!"

She was right; EJ knew he'd be feeling like this with or without the twin's presence because it was about Sami. It was always about Sami. The thought of losing her threw EJ into a panic like he'd never experienced before – it addled his thought processes, his heart screaming at him to do something, to protect it from being irretrievably broken if any kind of harm was ever to come to her.

EJ loved those babies with every fibre of his being and would die for them without a moment's hesitation but Sami was a part of him now. She was wrapped around his sinews and bones, entangled in his heart and mind and EJ knew that if Sami ever died he'd die with her. The man he'd become, the EJ DiMera that was worth a damn would be gone forever without his Samantha. Just like Santo became a walking shell without Colleen EJ knew that he'd be doomed without Sami.

"I can't lose you!" EJ yelled at her, his voice cracking as he screamed the ultimate truth at her.

"You haven't," Sami told him fiercely, "You won't."

"How can you say that when you do stupid things like you just did?!" EJ shouted at her hoarsely.

"Saving your life was stupid?" asked Sami in disbelief, "Are you kidding me EJ?!"

"I would have gotten free," EJ insisted stubbornly, "I would have found a way."

"No you wouldn't have!" Sami snapped, "And you would have left these babies without a father and me without the man I love! I saved your life just the way you saved mine when you loved me!"

EJ took an unsteady step backwards, her words impacting on him deeply. He was just a tumble of high emotions and he just couldn't work out what to feel first. Anger, relief, joy, fear, gratitude, ire, frustration, love... they all fought for a place inside of him.

"You shouldn't have risked yourself Samantha," EJ said shakily, unable to get past that.

Sami walked up to him and put her hands on his arms.

"Look EJ I'm trying to be patient here EJ," said Sami through gritted teeth as she looked up at him, "But you have to understand this honey-"

Without warning Sami made a grab for some of his chest hairs and yanked what felt like a great handful from EJ's body.

"Buggar me!" EJ yelped in surprise, taking a quick step back and putting his hand over his chest and rubbing it and giving her an accusing look, "[i]_That's_ [/i]you being patient?!"

"No," said Sami unrepentantly, throwing his chest hairs to the wind and dusting her hands together, "That was me [i]_trying_[/i] to be patient."

EJ was just staring at her wide eyed, wondering if he'd ever truly figure out this mercurial creature that had his heart.

"Now then you're going to start acting like a normal human being and say thank you to me for saving your life like the goddess I am or I'm warning you-" Sami gave him a particularly menacing look then, "I'm not afraid to go pubic next time!"

EJ opened his mouth and then closed it again and then opened it again before one final emotion overwhelmed all the rest and he began to laugh. Sami's eyes narrowed for a moment until her lips started to turn up at the corners as well and she joined in, their laughter mingling together and bouncing off the water that had tried to claim their lives only minutes before.

"You're impossible," EJ gasped as he bent over, putting his hands on his knees and trying to catch his breath yet again around all of his laughter.

"I'm impossible?!" laughed Sami, trying to look outraged at the same time, "Who yells at the person who saved your life?! A dumbass, that's who!"

EJ straightened up, still laughing a little bit and marvelling at the fact that only a minute before he was afraid he was going to die from the anguish he felt and now his sides were hurting from laughing.

"May this dumbass kiss you?" asked EJ, his laughter having stopped now but the smile still on his face.

"I guess," said Sami, pretending to look annoyed still even as she battled her own smile, "But it had better be the best damn kiss I ever had or you're in trouble!"

EJ closed the distance between them in two long strides and very gently took Sami into his arms. She went willingly despite all of her attempts to be standoffish and EJ relished the way Sami simply melted into his arms as he pressed his lips to hers. He was immediately granted access to the sweetness of her mouth and EJ took it without hesitation. His tongue found hers, doing a lazy dance of two lovers who had all the time in the world. EJ's lips moved back and forth over Sami's, tasting her again and again until he finally lifted his head.

"How was that?" he asked her, his voice thick with emotion.

"You lucked out mister," said Sami unsteadily, clearly as affected by his kisses as he was by her, "It was in my top three."

"We need to get you out of those clothes sweetheart," said EJ huskily.

"I like the way you think EJ," said Sami with a slow smile.

"You'll catch your death in those wet things and heaven only knows what horrible things are in that river water," finished off EJ.

It was very easy to get distracted around Sami but EJ knew her safety and their children's safety came first so he really needed to make sure she was alright. The other stuff could wait until after Sami had been thoroughly checked out. EJ knew he needed to focus on keeping Sami safe right then and not on any kind of need he might have... checked that, did have. His pants were feeling a little tight already just from their kisses but EJ determinedly forced those feelings to one side. Sami didn't need a raging beast right then, she needed a loving husband and that was what he was going to give her. Besides, EJ was also aware of the fact that their lives may still be in danger, particularly out in the open like this. Whoever did this to them may have come to check out their handiwork.

"I take that back," said Sami with a disappointed wrinkle of her nose, "I don't like the way you think."

"Come on Samantha," said EJ, taking her hand, "I can see a building up on the bank across the road, we need to find a phone."

EJ was pretty certain his cell phone was going to be defunct after that impromptu dip. He was going through the things like they were going out of fashion of late it seemed.

"Gym," said Sami as she let him move her along.

"Jim who?" asked EJ a little distractedly as he looked around himself to see if there was anyone around.

"No gym as in big, sweaty heaving men with rippling muscles gym," said Sami with a sideways look at EJ.

"What about it darling?" asked EJ looking down at her in confusion.

"The building we're heading for is a gym," Sami informed him, "I had a look at it when I was checking out this location for the launch party. It's opening next week."

"In the industrial part of town?" asked EJ, looking at her a bit askew.

"Yes it's part of the gimmick," said Sami wryly, "A kind of trendy thing. It's meant to have it all, weights, swimming pool, sauna, healthy coffee shop-"

"Phone," offered up EJ hopefully.

"I'm guessing," said Sami with a nod of her head.

EJ felt her give a little shudder then as they reached the road.

"Are you alright?" asked EJ, instantly concerned.

"I'm cold," admitted Sami reluctantly, pursing her lips.

"We'll be inside soon," said EJ, tightening his hold on her hand as they crossed the road, "You'll feel better out of this wind while I make my call."

"Dad is going to freak," said Sami with a sigh.

"I wasn't going to ring the Salem police department sweetheart," said EJ with a roll of his eyes.

"You weren't?" asked Sami in surprise.

"With every offence intended to your father, uncle, aunt, cousin and godfather but they couldn't find their asses with both hands," said EJ flatly, "I'm not trusting this misadventure into their Keystone cops-esque hands."

"Don't we kind of have to report something like this?" asked Sami hesitantly as EJ tried the handle on the front door of the soon to be opened gym, "Isn't it illegal not to?"

Not unsurprisingly it was locked.

"Darling you know as well as I do that something is only illegal if people find out about it," said EJ pragmatically, "What the eye doesn't see the heart doesn't grieve over. My people will give this incident the undivided attention it requires. Plus we don't need your father butting in and asking any annoying questions."

"I guess not," said Sami with a sigh, "Our lives are pretty complicated right not – we don't need more people involved then already are."

"Exactly," said EJ with a nod, "Back in a tick."

"Will you be alright?" asked Sami with some concern as she watched EJ climb up onto a dumpster around the side of the building so he could get to the first floor window that was slightly ajar, "Be careful EJ."

"It will be alright sweetheart," said EJ confidently as he jumped up to grab the ledge of the window, "I have the grace and agility of a cat."

As EJ said that the dumpster rolled away from him and he missed his mark, forcing him to grab at a conveniently located drain pipe. He clung to it tightly before starting to shimmy up it to get to the ledge.

"And this cat that you speak of," said Sami dryly after her gasp of fear before seeing EJ was alright, "His name wouldn't happen to be Garfield would it?"

"It was all part of my plan Samantha," EJ grunted as he grabbed hold of the ledge the second time round and clambered onto it.

"If your plan was to frighten me and look like an idiot then bravo," said Sami sarcastically, "Job well done honey."

"I'm detecting a decided lack of encouragement coming from the peanut gallery," said EJ wryly, looking back over his shoulder down at her.

"You're going to hurt yourself EJ," Sami fretted, "And I don't think I have it in me to rescue you twice today."

"Never fear sweet maiden I have it all well in hand-"

EJ swung one of his legs over as he said that and his knee made a sickening cracking sound as it connected with the window pane.

"Did that hurt?" asked Sami with a grimace, "That sounded like it hurt EJ."

"Certainly not," said EJ through gritted teeth, willing himself not to burst into a string of profanities as pain shot all up his leg and into his thigh.

He gave Sami a very forced smile.

"Barely felt it," he said brightly.

Sami just rolled her eyes at his macho display and EJ could hear her muttering something about vain men but chose to ignore it. By now EJ had managed to get both of his legs under the slightly opened window and was pulling up on it with all of his might. The window gave without too much bother and he was able to get into the building at last.

"Wait there!" EJ called down to her before hurrying off to find the stairs that would take him back down to the bottom floor and the door to the alleyway Sami was waiting in.

"What else am I going to do?" asked Sami in exasperation but EJ was already gone.

Less than a minute later EJ was opening the door for Sami, a pleased smile on his lips.

"There had to be a way for you to do that without giving me a heart attack," Sami grumbled as she walked into the building.

"You're welcome sweetheart," said EJ wryly as he closed the door behind her.

Sami walked over to where she saw a pile of towels and picked one up, starting to dry herself with it.

"You try and get warm darling," EJ encouraged her, "I'll make that call and get us out of here."

"Who are you going to call?" asked Sami, "One of your men?"

Sami gave him a funny look then.

"Actually why isn't Clay or one of the others here now EJ?" Sami asked him, "Aren't they still following me?"

"Yes," EJ confirmed, "But not when we are together."

"So you don't have someone watching your back then?" said Sami with a frown, "Only mine and Estelle's."

"That's about the shape of it," agreed EJ easily.

"Call me crazy but wouldn't it make more sense to have them keeping an eye on you EJ?" asked Sami in exasperation, "You know, the guy who actually keeps having attempts made on his life."

"I can take care of myself Samantha," said EJ confidently.

"This matter is going to require more discussion EJ," said Sami, giving him a disapproving look, "Your logic is deeply flawed."

"I'll just make that phone call," said EJ, quickly trying to change the subject.

"So who are you going to call then?" asked Sami with a shake of her head.

"John," said EJ simply, "We can trust him and he strikes me as a man who is good in a crisis and at keeping secrets."

"Oh yes," said Sami with a nod as she wrapped the towel around herself and gave another little shudder, "Good idea."

"Get warm," EJ instructed her, "I'll find a phone."

"There's one," Sami nodded at the one on the reception desk.

EJ picked it up and held the receiver to his ear and then pulled a face.

"It doesn't sound like they've connected the phone lines yet," he said in annoyance.

He looked up then at the floor above them.

"I saw a pay phone on the first floor," he announced, "Perhaps that will be working. I'll be right back."

"Okay," said Sami, wrinkling her nose as she smelt her blouse distractedly.

EJ quickly mounted the steps to the first floor again and was relieved to find that it did indeed have a ring tone. He dialled a reverse charges call to John's cell phone only to have it go to voicemail.

"It's me," said EJ, confident that the other man would recognise his voice, "Me and mine have gotten into a spot of bother down at the docks and could do with a little help as soon as you can."

EJ gave the address and hoped that John checked his messages regularly. Hanging up the phone EJ headed back downstairs only to find that Sami wasn't where he'd left her. '

"Where are you?" EJ called out, looking around himself in confusion.

"In here!" Sami called back.

He followed the sound of her voice until he was at the door to the gym's sauna. EJ walked into the steam room and found Sami there, wrapped in a white towel. He squinted through the steamy mists that were already starting to form and realised that Sami had turned on the sauna. Apparently a room that could fill up with steam was more important to get working then the phone system thought EJ wryly as walked over to Sami.

"You know you can only use the sauna if you are a member right?" EJ said with a quirk of his lips.

"So they can bill me," said Sami unrepentantly, "I was cold and I was wet – this seemed like the perfect solution."

"To the cold maybe but not so much the wet," said EJ wryly, seeing how Sami's skin was already starting to glisten.

"The steam is clean, unlike the river water," said Sami, wrinkling her nose.

She looked him over then.

"You need to get out of those clothes," she informed him, "You smell funny EJ."

EJ's eyes widened a little at the look in Sami's eyes. She's pregnant with your children and has just gone through a traumatic emotional and physical ordeal EJ reminded himself frantically. Don't even think about what you know you want to think about. Sami reached for him, clearly doing more than just thinking right then. EJ took a hurried step backwards.

"EJ?" said Sami with a half little smile on her face at seeing him retreat from her.

"Ah yes?" replied EJ a little nervously.

"We just had a fight," Sami reminded him.

"Yes," said EJ slowly.

"You know what that means don't you?" said Sami with a sly little smile.

"Ahh," EJ hedged.

"Make up sex," said Sami with a self satisfied smile.

"Sweetheart I don't think either of us is in any kind of condition to contemplate anything physical between us right now," said EJ hastily.

"Oh I don't know," Sami drawled as she looked down at the tent that was already developing in EJ's crotch, "You seem to be in the perfect condition to me."

Sami gave him a seductive look then which made EJ swallow noisily. Curse his traitorous body which already had given in to her feminine wiles but EJ was determined to put Sami's welfare first. It was a battle of mind over body and EJ was confident he could say no to this woman when he really put his mind to it and when it was for her own good.

Right...?


	119. Chapter 266

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & SIXTY SIX**** – ****All Steamed Up**

A hard man is good to find.

_Mae West_

"She's not here," Will said, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

"Do you know where your mother is dahling?" asked Celeste with a frown.

"I don't know," said Will with a bit of a shrug, "At work with EJ I guess."

"With EJ?" said Celeste in distress, the memory of her dream that afternoon still very fresh in her mind.

"Yeah well they run Mythic together," said Will with another shrug, "She hangs out with the guy a lot."

"No, no," said Celeste, shaking her head in concern, "That is not good."

"You're telling me," said Will, his lips twisting in disgust, "I don't know how Mom can stand to be around that guy. He's nothing but a slimy, self serving DiMera."

"What?" asked Celeste distractedly.

She hadn't really been listening to Will's mini rant – rather she was worrying about her dream coming to fruition. Hearing that EJ and Sami were most likely together right now didn't make Celeste feel any better about things - especially as she seemed to be having trouble getting in contact with them. Neither one of them were answering their cells phones which worried her.

"I said EJ is a no good snake," said Will flatly.

"What has he done to you William?" asked Celeste, arching a surprised eyebrow at the young man.

Will looked taken aback at that question, obviously not having expected Celeste to question him on it. After all, the whole town hated the DiMera's – explanations weren't really necessary.

"EJ tried to get between my Mom and Dad," said Will quickly.

"I heard it was the other way round dahling," said Celeste with a knowing look at Will, "Your father and you coming between EJ and Samantha."

"That jerk wasn't serious about my mom," said Will defensively, "We were just looking out for her. Besides, she's happy now – married to my dad like it was meant to be. For once Mom hasn't managed to screw things up."

"You seem very critical of your mother William," pointed out Celeste, looking at him with interest.

"Don't you think I have a right to be?" Will grumbled, "She's always doing crazy stuff."

"So young and yet so critical," Celeste tutted, "What do you know of the world and the choices a woman must make in them?"

"I know that screwing with other people's lives is wrong," said Will with a fierce frown.

"We all have an impact on those around us William," Celeste informed him knowingly, "Whether we would wish it or not. You hold so much vitriol for your mother and yet your father-"

"My Dad is dying," interrupted Will, his face contracting in pain and making him look like a little lost all of a sudden..

"So you cannot be angry with him eh?" said Celeste wisely, "Your mother must take all of the blame for your upbringing."

"You don't know what it was like Celeste," said Will unevenly, "Being pushed and pulled between the two of them. That is when they even remembered I existed."

"Your parents were very young and very unprepared for you William," said Celeste with an empathetic nod, "But you must know better than anyone that all time is precious eh? Do not continue to harbour this anger against your mother. Samantha is not without her faults but she is your mother – the only one you will ever have. You are growing into a man and a man must know how to love."

"And how should a man love?" asked Will a little petulantly at being lectured but looking interested nonetheless.

"Love, all types of love, survives only by sifting through your time together and letting the chaff simply blow away, only holding onto the good bits," said Celeste with that calm little smile of hers, "A repeated wrong, one that we rehearse over and over in our minds grows strong by taking your own strength and freedom from you. If you do not find a way of letting go of the past you will lose the future you have with those who love you the deepest."

"Forgive and forget you mean?" asked Will, trying to act nonchalant but Celeste could see her words had impacted on him.

"_Il faut qu'une porte soit ouverte ou fermée,_" said Celeste, not unkindly.

"What was that about a door?" asked Will with a frown.

"You have learnt a little French in Switzerland eh dahling?" said Celeste with a little smile, "A door must be opened or closed."

Celeste put her hand on Will's arm in a motherly way.

"You must choose William otherwise you will only live half a life," Celeste said softly, "Life and love is precious – do not let the spectres of the past rob you of both eh dahling?"

Will's shoulders sagged a little, clearly defeated by Celeste's quiet concern.

"I'll tell Mom you were looking for her," he mumbled, having no answer for the older woman's sage advice.

"If you would," said Celeste with a little inclination of her head, "It is most urgent that I speak with her."

"Is something wrong Celeste?" asked Will with a frown.

"Yes dahling," said Celeste very gravely, "I feel something is very, very wrong."

**oooOOOOooo**

Okay time to change the subject EJ decided even as he felt his skip an excited beat at Sami's words.

"_Oh I don't know," Sami drawled as she looked down at the tent that was already developing in EJ's crotch, "You seem to be in the perfect condition to me." _

"I rang John," said EJ, trying to distract himself from the sight of Sami standing there dressed only in a white towel.

"Is he coming?" asked Sami casually, knowing what he was doing and clearly not concerned.

"Wh-what?" asked EJ distractedly, loving to hear the word 'coming' on Sami's lips.

It reminded him off all the times she begged him to make her come.

"John?" she prompted him even as a little knowing smile came to her lips as she walked up to him and began unbuttoning his still damp shirt.

"I got his voice mail," said EJ, shifting a little nervously in her presence with the way Sami was continuing to look at him, "I left a message."

"So we have some time then?" commented Sami as she helped him shrug out of his shirt.

"Maybe I should go and look for some help?" suggested EJ, still not happy that Sami wasn't going to be seeing a doctor right away.

"We're in the middle of nowhere EJ," Sami reminded him, "That will take ages and besides, you don't want to leave me all alone do you?"

She looked up at him with an unabashed coquettish gleam in her eye. EJ grimaced, she had him between a rock and a hard place and they both knew it.

"Well maybe if I just jogged out to the road," EJ suggested unevenly, still fighting this valiantly, "It's only about a mile and I could find someone passing by quickly and then we could come back and-"

"You're rambling EJ," Sami interrupted him with a quirk of her lips.

"I know," said EJ with a grimace, "I think it's because so little of my blood supply is currently around my brain."

"Do you know what I think we should do about that honey?" asked Sami with a coy little smile as her hands went to his belt pocket.

"Have a nice cup of tea until my blood flow redirects itself?" offered up EJ hopefully.

"I think we should just go with the flow," said Sami with a cheeky grin, "So to speak."

"Samantha-" EJ began determinedly even as he hissed in a sharp breath as she undid his pants and they fell to the floor.

The feeling of her soft hands grazing that part of his body made EJ's head spin and his knees go weak. He automatically stepped out of his pants and now he was left only in his silk black boxers.

"Yes EJ?" asked Sami, her voice dripping with innocence as she took a step backwards and in one easy movement let her towel fall to the ground.

EJ made a strangled noise of a man who had just lost the ability for coherent speech. Sami could be suffering from any number of internal injuries EJ courageously tried to remind himself. It didn't matter that he was looking at the body of a goddess with those more than generous breasts with their pouting nipples simply begging him to suckle them. Or at those full hips that were practically ordering him to grab so he could turn Sami around and plunge his already rock hard member into her without any more delay. His manhood gave an eager twitch at that visual yelling at him to do just that.

"We-we need to have you checked out properly Samantha," said EJ, unable to take his eyes off the way Sami's body was lightly swaying back and forth as she walked towards him.

The gentle swell at her midriff was getting more pronounced every time EJ saw Sami naked and it practically made him come in his pants every time he saw it or even thought of it. He'd been completely caught off guard at how much of an aphrodisiac seeing the seed that he himself had planted inside of Sami growing. It was like the sight of Sami's expanding stomach reminded him of every orgasm he'd ever had inside of her, nerve endings screaming their mutual memories at him and demanding more.

"You could do that," Sami suggested, her voice low and full of infinite promise.

"I'm a lawyer," EJ reminded her unsteadily as Sami stood so close that they were almost touching but not quite, "Not a doctor."

"Lawyers are good at getting to the bottom of things," Sami offered up huskily as she took his wrists and guided his hands to her bottom which EJ instinctively cupped.

"Your bottom is getting bigger," EJ informed her hoarsely, unable to stop himself from squeezing it's firmness.

It was a last desperate attempt to halt this by picking a fight with Sami. If he could make her mad with him again then he might have a fighting chance to resist her.

"And don't you just love it," Sami growled confidently, clearly having taken his previous reassurances to heart.

EJ was beat and he knew it.

"Yes," EJ moaned helplessly, swallowing a groan as he gripped her cheeks even more tightly in his hands.

EJ closed his eyes and had to bite down on his cheek as his member swelled to near bursting point. God but she knew him so well.

"And wouldn't you like to be in that fine ass one of these days?" Sami played with him mercilessly.

EJ's eyes flew open in shock as he looked down at her wide eyed. Who was this creature that he'd dragged up from the depths of the Salem river? She might know him but apparently EJ had a lot more to learn about this little vixen.

Thank you God.

"I see I have your attention," she said with a throaty little chuckle.

EJ made an unintelligible garbled noise in the back of his throat at her offer. The sheer fact that Sami would even suggest something like that to him, regardless of it ever happening or not was a stimulant more powerful than an entire bottle of Viagra.

"Who are you?" asked EJ unevenly in a thrill of awed anticipation.

"I'm the woman who is going to make you come so hard that you forget your own name," said Sami with a confident smile.

This she-devil was seducing him and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it except succumb. EJ knew why Sami was doing this and he felt the same gnawing need to be as close to her as he physically could. They'd come so close to losing each other that hugs and I love you's weren't going to cut it. EJ needed to be inside of Sami's body, feeling her in every possible way to reassure himself that they truly were alright and he could clearly see the same need in Sami's eyes.

"You are killing me Samantha," said EJ raggedly.

"Tell me where it hurts big boy and I'll kiss it better," Sami offered with an impish grin.

"All over," said EJ thickly, "I hurt all over."

"Oh," Sami said breathlessly, "Goody."

EJ closed his eyes and this time he couldn't contain his moan as Sami began to lick at his sweaty chest, making her way to one of his nipples and biting down on it playfully. He groaned as she teased it into hardness before treating its mate to the same pleasurable torture. Sami's busy hands meanwhile were divesting him of his last item of clothing – EJ's boxers falling to a pool of silk around his ankles which he quickly kicked out of the way. Sami immediately grabbed his swollen rod tightly with one hand which elicited a loud groan from EJ.

"Does it hurt there sweetheart?" Sami purred against his skin, stroking him lightly.

The soft friction was driving EJ insane because he needed something firmer, more forceful. Sami was just teasing him now and EJ shifted uncomfortable against her hand.

"Yes," he bit out tightly, "So much."

Sami looked up at him then, her chin resting on his chest as she had to crane her neck all the way back to look at him.

"Want me to kiss it better?" she offered with a sly smile.

"More than anything right now," said EJ raggedly.

Sami dropped slowly to her knees, dragging her nails lightly along his chest and stomach as she did and making EJ shudder. Her hands went to his hips then and EJ was bathed in sweaty anticipation of that first touch. His member was quivering excitedly at the thought of some attention from Sami's sweet mouth, its second most favourite part of her body to be in. Sami took one finger and ran a nail up the delicate underside of his heavily veined manhood, watching in fascination as some pre-cum oozed from the tip.

"You're so beautiful," she whispered, looking at his engorged member in awe.

Her nails were tickling his balls now and EJ gritted his teeth, trying to hold onto his load for all he was worth. He didn't want to waste it on the ground when he could be spurting it into Sami's hot, wet and oh so tight cavern. EJ just adored coming inside of Sami, there was no feeling like it in the world and he was addicted to it as he was to this woman. A harsh moan escaped his lips when Sami finally took him into her mouth.

She was without doubt the most gifted woman he'd ever been with when it came to this particular act and to think that she was going to be his forever just rocked EJ to his core. Within minutes she'd reduced him to a shuddering mess, each suck, lick and squeeze driving EJ to more and more intense pleasures. Holding onto him tightly Sami began to flick her tongue out at his purple head, teasing his slit ruthlessly.

"FUCK!" EJ cried out at the hard and soft sensations combined as he clutched for Sami's head to keep himself upright.

He didn't like to swear too much when making love to Sami – he didn't want her to think that he was being disrespectful in any way to her. EJ worshipped Sami, never wanted her to think for even a moment that he wasn't incredibly aware of the enormity of the gift of her body was to him each and every time she gave it to him. There just wasn't a time that EJ could imagine himself taking their lovemaking and what Sami would give to him each time, for granted. But there were just certain moments even EJ couldn't control himself. Sami looked up at him, blue eyes full of satisfaction at having caused such a reaction from him.

She stood up then but quickly sat back down on the bench behind her, beckoning EJ to come closer. EJ wasn't sure how much more of Sami's sweet mouth he could take but he just couldn't say no to this woman. Instead of taking him back into her mouth though Sami put her hands to her voluminous pregnancy breasts and wrapped them around EJ's painfully stiff member. His hips reacted instinctively, beginning to jerk up and down, riding the soft mounds. Quiet moans escaped EJ's mouth as he drove himself again and again into Sami's intoxicating breasts, adoring how she created such delicious friction by pressing them tightly against his ecstatic manhood.

"Oh god!" he cried out mindlessly, "Oh god, oh god!"

EJ's hands went to Sami's head to steady himself even as he began to pound harder into her cleavage. More pre-cum was squeezed from his head, lubricating his energetic pounding of Sami's chest. She was wet and hot from the sauna steam as well and the sensation was almost as good as Sami spread open for him, his member embedded deeply into her, tight walls straining against him.

"Slow down," Sami instructed him breathlessly, letting her hands fall from her breasts and removing the friction from EJ's member, "I want some of that action."

EJ groaned his frustration at being denied more but wanted the same thing Sami did despite how his body was complaining bitterly right then. He looked down at his heavily distended member and couldn't remember if he'd ever been bigger or harder. How it was that he wasn't already just exploding all over Sami right now he'd never know. She pushed against him then and made EJ take a step back which he did. Sami stood up then and EJ's hungry gaze raked her body.

"You get bigger every time I see you," EJ marvelled raggedly, his hands cupping the weight of Sami's ever expanding breasts.

"Too much for you to handle EJ?" Sami teased him.

EJ's only answer to that was a deep growl and he bent his head and roughly took one pink nipple into his mouth. Sami made a breathy groan as he clamped down on her teat, suckling enthusiastically. The little nub of flesh quickly tightened in his mouth, encouraging EJ to go harder, begging for more of the same. His other hand sought out her other nipple, catching it between his thumb and finger, making sure it didn't feel left out. Sami's pregnancy had darkened her areolas even more and they were a flushed deep pink colour now – the colour of summer strawberries and EJ couldn't get enough.

He could taste some of his own juices on Sami's teat and the knowledge made him shudder in delirious expectation. Sami was making appreciative little gasping noise at his attentions one hand going to the back of EJ's head and encouraging him to drink more deeply from her. Meanwhile Sami's other hand crept between her legs as she clearly felt the need for a little release now. EJ knew how she felt, fit to burst himself right then but he was suddenly jealous of those fingers and what they would find at the apex of Sam's thighs. Her body was all his in that moment, no one else's – EJ couldn't bear to share her, not even with Sami herself. He'd come too close to losing her today to stand anyone but him touching her.

"Mine," he said thickly, his eyes dark and possessive, pulling her hand away.

EJ normally enjoyed watching Sami pleasure herself but today he wanted to make sure he was the one making her body quiver and clench helplessly. Only he was allowed to give her pleasure and make Sami understand how consumed he was by her. EJ released her breast and straightened up, picking Sami up in his arms in one easy movement. He then laid her carefully down on the wooden bench before quickly straddling the same bench and placing her legs over his shoulder so that he could bury his head in the apex of Sami's thighs. EJ slowly licked his way up one side and down the other of her swollen lips, heavy with desire for him, savouring her deeply. Her little nub was already eagerly poking out of its hood, urgently seeking his attentions and EJ wasn't going to deny it. He nibbled at the little piece of highly sensitised flesh, making Sami buck up in the process and squeal excitedly.

EJ kept her close, bringing Sami to her peak over and over only to draw back at the last moment until she was a sobbing mess. He loved hearing her cries of utter desperation for him to let her climax – the perfect punishment for what she'd put him through today. Sami's body kept pumping out its juices and the spicy taste of her arousal in his mouth had EJ's manhood throbbing painfully but he didn't care. He was besotted by the taste of Sami and couldn't get enough. EJ's tongue pushed as deeply as he could into Sami's tunnel, eager for more of her and she never disappointed. The scent of Sami's need for him was all around EJ and making his head spin.

"Please EJ!" Sami was sobbing now incoherently, "No more, no more!"

EJ lifted his head from between her legs and groggily looked at her, drunk on the flavour of her.

"I need it now," Sami ordered him desperately, "No more games EJ!"

"No," agreed EJ thickly, taking in the way her body was covered in droplets of water from the steam of the sauna, her body flushed pink from the heat and arousal, "No more games."

He sat up abruptly, just needing to be surrounded by Sami now. EJ sat on bench and took Sami's hand, helping her to sit up. He moved her so that her legs were either side of his and guided her still dripping core down onto his straining member. Sami grimaced to take so much of him at once but she didn't stop until she'd sunk down on him completely.

"Yes," EJ growled, appreciative for her efforts.

"God but you feel good," Sami groaned, throwing back and her head and clearly revelling in the feeling of being impaled on him this way.

EJ grunted his agreement but already he was moving his hands under Sami's legs so he could grab her bottom in both hands. Sami's legs naturally fell over the crook of EJ's elbows which also meant that he was in total control of her now which was exactly what he wanted. Using his upper body strength alone EJ began to move Sami up and down on his rigid staff, slowly at first, letting her get used to his vast size but then more urgently as his need built. Sami groaned her approval at this position and surrendered herself to him completely.

"Hold onto me sweetheart," he urged her excitedly.

Sami wrapped her arms around his neck which caused her breasts to be pressed up against his chest. EJ gave a ragged grunt of satisfaction at feeling them bounce up and down against him, her hard nipples scrapping against the light smattering of hairs that were there. Just as exciting was the feeling of Sami's expanding stomach against his, rubbing along his and letting him feel it's growing firmness. The feeling made him lift Sami up higher and ram her down harder onto his steely manhood.

"I want to make you pregnant again as soon as I can after these babies," EJ told her raggedly, sweat dripping from his forehead into his eyes but he didn't care, "I want to be inside of you and come again and again until we make another life."

He was just desperate for Sami to understand what her being pregnant with his children was doing to him, how it made him feel utterly complete.

"I always want my babies inside of you," he confessed to her thickly, beginning to pant now from all of his exertions.

EJ stopped briefly, rolling her around on his staff now as they pressed their sweaty foreheads together.

"You'd like that wouldn't you?" Sami purred breathlessly, "Knowing there is a piece of you inside of me, growing bigger all of the time all the time."

"Yes!" EJ grunted excitedly, almost coming right then at that thought.

It was just so damn sexy the very thought of it and EJ just needed to come now. He began to urgently hammer Sami up and down on himself now, all restraint gone. Sami was moaning his name, encouraging him on and EJ was in a kind of heaven that had no name. His balls tightened, warning him that he was past the point of no return even as his whole body went rigid, his climax building in the very centre of his being and exploding out to every nerve ending EJ possessed. He couldn't help but howl as he pumped his seed into Sami energetically, not even knowing if she was climaxing with him but helpless to hold back the tidal wave. Wave after wave of hot seed spurted out of his pulsating tip until EJ could feel it dripping back out of Sami and down onto his own thighs.

God but it was glorious.

"I love how long it takes you to cum EJ," Sami whispered in his ear, "I love how much you give me every time you do – I'm full to overflowing with you."

EJ gave an ecstatic little moan at hearing Sami's sexy confession and just wanted this moment to last forever. His arms finally gave way though and EJ was forced to drop Sami back onto his lap even as his body still pulsated wildly. He realised then that Sami was yet to find her own peak as she somehow managed to swivel around on him so that she was now facing the same way as EJ was. She leant back against him as EJ continued to shudder out his climax and began to move up and down on his only slightly softening member urgently, Sami's hands on his thighs. She rolled around on him before riding him in earnest then.

EJ gave a loud groan of enjoyment at her enthusiasm and reached around her body, expertly seeking out her nub and beginning to massage it for her. Almost immediately Sami was climaxing around him, her body jerking back and forth on his and she moaned out her satisfaction. Her body's movements prolonged EJ's pleasure as he continued to relentlessly tug at that sensitive little piece of flesh between Sami's legs, making her panting sobs grow even louder. Finally Sami collapsed back against him, completely shattered as EJ now only gently rubbed on the nubbin of flesh, causing little explosions to continue to rock her body intermittently.

"God," EJ grunted in her ear as one such tremor rocked them both, her walls milking him mercilessly still, "Do you have any idea how good that feels?"

"If it feels anything like it does for me then it's beyond description," Sami panted as yet another wave of pleasure rolled over her and EJ grimaced as more of her contractions pleasured them simultaneously.

Eventually they were both done and EJ reluctantly let Sami leave him as she stood up. He leant back against the wall of the sauna as Sami came to sit beside him. She instantly moved into his arms and EJ kissed her tenderly. They both just held each other for a long moment, both too spent to do anything else.

"I'm thirsty," Sami declared with a contented sigh after awhile.

"I'll get you a bottle of water sweetheart," EJ offered groggily, "There is a fridge full of them out in the hallway."

"It's okay," said Sami as she stood up and retrieved her towel, "I'll get it-"

EJ was exhausted and could barely keep his eyes open but that didn't stop him from shamelessly ogling Sami's body before it was covered in a towel. He'd just come like a freight train in the body and the thought sent a delicious shiver down his spine and lower.

"You deserve a rest after that effort," said Sami with a mischievous wink at him.

EJ could only smile back at her, words too much effort right then. When John did turn up EJ was going to have to give him a big fat kiss for taking his time. He wouldn't have traded his time with Sami just then for anything in the world. He may well have to buy this gym just so he and Sami could revisit this little outing as many times as they wanted. Sami meanwhile had walked up to the door and pulled on the handle. It didn't open right away so she pulled harder this time.

"It's stuck," said Sami over her shoulder to him.

EJ had seen she was struggling so he'd stood up and found his boxers, slipping them on and walking over to the door.

"Out of the way chicken arms," EJ teased her as he dropped a quick kiss to her bare shoulder before taking hold of the handle now.

EJ gave it a firm tug but nothing happened. He tried again, this time using more of his strength but the door didn't budge.

"You were saying?" asked Sami with a raised eyebrow.

"It's locked," said EJ with a frown.

"How can it be locked?" asked Sami in exasperation.

EJ pressed his face to the glass just in time to see the retreating figure of a man heading down the corridor... sporting a large white cowboy hat.

"Godammit!" EJ cursed, totally frustrated he'd let his guard down.

How could he have done that with so very much at stake?

"EJ?" asked Sami uncertainly.

"I'll tell you how," EJ bit out, pulling on the door with all of his strength now, "Willie bloody Nelson strikes again!"

"Willie Nelson?" repeated Sami in confusion until it dawned on her.

Her hands flew to her mouth as she gasped.

"The cowboy?!" she asked in distress.

"In the yellow belly flesh," said EJ through gritted teeth, giving up on the door but not before giving it a frustrated kick.

Just then extra steam began to shoot into the room, practically filling it. Sami grabbed EJ's arm, looking at him in distress. EJ put his hand over hers and tried to give her his best reassuring smile.

"It will be alright sweetheart," said EJ confidently, "I'll get us out of here."

"How?" asked Sami unevenly.

EJ's smile remained frozen on his face at her very good question.

Yes, how indeed...?


	120. Chapter 267

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & SIXTY SEVEN**** – ****It's Getting Hot in Here**

A timid person is frightened before a danger,

a coward during the time,

and a courageous person afterwards.

_Jean Paul Richter_

_(German Novelist and humorist, 1763-1825)_

"He's trying to steam us to death!" Sami exclaimed in horror.

She looked at EJ a little uncertainly then.

"Is that even possible?" asked Sami with a wrinkled nose before she gasped again and grabbed at her stomach, "EJ our babies! They can't take this heat."

"Sweetheart those babies inside of you are going to be just fine," EJ reassured her calmly, "They are the offspring of Samantha Brady and Elvis DiMera – that is as near to devil spawn as you are going to get so if anything they are loving this heat."

"EJ," Sami groaned, smiling despite the seriousness of the situation.

EJ just always seemed to know what to say even if it was to annoy her so that she wouldn't worry.

"I'm just pointing out the facts," said EJ straight faced.

"Don't call our babies devil spawn," Sami huffed, smacking his arm.

Someone was on the other side of the door trying to kill them and yet with EJ by her side it didn't feel that bad.

"Fine," said EJ with a roll of his eyes, "Satan's seed it is."

"Don't listen to your father little ones," Sami said earnestly, talking to her stomach and rubbing it, "You two are going to be perfect little angels who never do anything wrong."

"I think you've had too much heat sweetheart," said EJ wryly as he began to look around the room for something to help their current predicament, "They're our children – they will be little hell raisers."

"Just get us out of here EJ and I don't care if they turn to ash in daylight," said Sami with a grimace.

"Working on it my love," said EJ even as he quickly ran out of things to find in the small room.

Sami meanwhile put her face up to the little window in the door and wiped the steam off it, wanting to see if the cowboy was still around.

"Is he still there?" asked EJ behind her.

"I don't see him," said Sami, looking from side to side, "But this window is pretty small."

She turned back around and looked at EJ in concern.

"What are we going to do EJ?" she asked him anxiously.

"Well you are going to sit down," said EJ firmly, "You need to conserve your energy."

EJ took her arm and guided Sami to the bench that only minutes before they'd been making love on. Sami gave a sudden gasp at that thought.

"EJ!" she exclaimed in horror, grabbing his arm as she sat down.

"Are you alright?" asked EJ, instantly concerned, "Does something hurt?"

"No," said Sami with a quick shake of her head and a very stressed look on her face, "The Cowboy locked us in here EJ – do you know what that means?"

"That he's a cowardly bastard?" suggested EJ in annoyance.

"No!" Sami exclaimed in distress, "It means he would have seen us… you know!"

"Ah," said EJ and gave a bit of a shrug, "I guess the odds are good."

"Oh god that creep saw me naked!" wailed Sami in disgust, putting her hands to her face.

"Sweetheart that is really the least of our worries right now," EJ said, trying to put things in perspective which Sami really didn't appreciate.

"That's easy for you to say!" she snapped, "Guys don't care about seeing other guys naked! Women don't like it – it's an invasion of privacy EJ!"

"Of course it is darling and I understand that," said EJ quickly, "It's just that right now we have bigger fish to fry. But don't worry, when I catch up with him I'll make sure to gouge his eyes out just for you."

"Would you?" asked Sami hopefully, really liking the sound of that right then.

"Absolutely," said EJ without hesitation, "Nobody looks at my woman naked and gets to brag about it."

EJ pulled a thoughtful face then.

"I guess I should pull out his tongue as well," he reasoned, "And chop of his hands just to be sure he couldn't write about it either."

"Oh EJ," said Sami with an adoring smile, "Would you really dismember for me?"

"Consider it done," said EJ with an emphatic nod, "There is a long line of things I'm going to do to that earthworm when I get my hands on him."

"But you're not going to kill him right EJ?" Sami fretted.

There was the briefest of hesitations before EJ answered her.

"Of course not sweetheart," he said calmly.

"You're lying EJ!" Sami exclaimed, "EJ I told you – no killing! I don't want the father of these babies to be a murderer!"

"Don't worry Samantha," said EJ determinedly, "I won't kill him unless the man leaves me with no choice but I am going to dedicate my life to making his a living misery for the rest of his days."

EJ looked at her with very serious eyes now.

"We are going to get out of this," he told her with absolute certainty, "But he is going to pay for putting you through this."

"I just want us to all be alright," Sami said unevenly.

"And we are going to be," said EJ with his usual confidence as he sat down on a seat across from her and picked up Sami's discarded bra.

He put it to his mouth and began to bite on one edge of it.

"EJ," Sami complained, "Don't do that you'll ruin it."

"I'll get you another one," said EJ distractedly as he managed to open one seam.

He then began to pull out the under wire of the bra. EJ looked over at her then, a warm, cheeky look on his face.

"Besides you need a bigger one anyway," he said huskily, his eyes drifting over her towel covered breasts.

"You're obsessed with my breasts EJ," Sami chided him, trying to sound put out.

"I'm not obsessed," EJ corrected her with a cheeky smile, "I'm just deeply, deeply admiring of them and think they should have their own national holiday."

"EJ," Sami said with a laugh and shook her head at his silliness.

She gave him a considered look then.

"I wouldn't have thought you'd like other people, men in particular, taking off a day to think about my breasts," she said with a pointed look.

"Well no," EJ conceded as he at last managed to free the under wire from her bra, "We'd make it a private holiday."

"A private national holiday?" Sami questioned him sceptically with a raised eyebrow, "How would that work exactly?"

"Mostly it would just be us spending the day in bed together with me getting free access to the girls," said EJ with a cheeky wink.

"So not so much of a holiday as just a grope fest for you then hm?" said Sami wryly, trying not to smile.

"We Italians do love a good festival," said EJ with a grin.

"I bet," said Sami with a roll of her eyes and a little laugh, "So what are you going to do with the wire EJ?"

"I'm going to be terribly impressive and jimmy open the door with it," said EJ with a cocky look her way.

"You can do that?" asked Sami in surprise, sitting up a little and looking at him with interest.

"Without a doubt," said EJ confidently.

"Because you've done that kind of thing before right?" asked Sami, feeling her nerves lessen as EJ seemed to know what he was doing.

"Not really," EJ confessed.

"Then how do you know you can do it?" asked Sami in exasperation.

"Truthfully?" said EJ brightly as he looked over his shoulder at her and Sami nodded, "I've never failed at anything I've tried and I don't see this being any different."

"Oh my god but you are conceited!" said Sami, trying to look disgusted but failing.

There was something about a man who looked at everything as a challenge rather than a problem that just made Sami melt inside – even if it came with an ego the size of Texas. She wouldn't change a single thing about EJ and the way he was – to her he was just perfect.

"It's only conceit if you can't back it up," said EJ blithely as he began working on the lock with the piece of wire, "And I-"

EJ's next words were cut abruptly short as there was this strange almost bang noise just an instant before he was flown back across the room and landed on his back at Sami's feet. She screamed in horror, not having the first idea what had happened.

"EJ!" she cried out, dropping to her knees beside his inert body, "Oh my god EJ!"

She put a hand on his chest and even though it took her a moment she was relieved to see that it was slowly rising and falling. He was breathing but still unconscious.

"It's going to be alright honey," she said frantically, stroking his face, "It's okay, I'm here."

Sami looked over at the door, still completely in the dark as to what had happened. It was almost like EJ had received an electric shock but why would a sauna door be electrified? It wasn't an electric lock system either, Sami had noticed that so how could EJ have gotten electrocuted? She was at a loss to explain what had happened but now all Sami could think of was getting them all out.

"I'm sure that's a great comfort to him darlin'."

The sarcastic voice with the decided southern drawl to it snapped Sami's head up. With a last look at EJ and making sure he was still breathing Sami leapt to her feet and practically ran over to the door.

"You bastard!" she yelled at him, forgetting herself for a moment and banging on the door with angry fists, just catching the white of the man's hat as she did.

"Careful now little missy," The Cowboy cautioned her as he held up something to the little window.

The sound of the taser zapping menacingly had Sami quickly jerking her hands away from the door.

"You don't want to be joinin' your boyfriend on the floor now do you?" he asked mockingly.

Sami backed away from the door, seeing red at the callousness of this man.

"You cowardly son of a bitch!" she yelled at him, "What kind of weak little toad are you to do something like that?! Why don't you come in here and fight a fair fight!"

Sami hadn't really thought about what she'd do if he took her up on that but she was so angry over what had happened to EJ that she didn't doubt that she could take this guy down, pregnant and mostly naked to boot. Hell hath no fury like Samantha DiMera when it came to protecting her own.

"Well that's a temptin' offer little missy but I think I'll stay where I am," The Cowboy chuckled.

"Why are you doing this to us?!" Sami demanded of the man angrily.

"Why does anyone do anything darlin'?" asked The Cowboy philosophically, "I'm doin' all of this for love of course."

"For love?" repeated Sami in disbelief, "You're trying to kill EJ and I for love? What the hell does that mean?!"

"Ah little Sami Brady," The Cowboy chuckled, "As beautiful as you are dumb."

"I'm not dumb!" she shot back at him sharply.

"Yet here you are in the trap I made for y'all," commented The Cowboy, "It's like shootin' fish in a barrel."

"Yeah well you weren't too successful yourself _pardner_ with all of those other attempts!" Sami threw back at him, not really thinking that one through.

She didn't care though – Sami was just so mad that this man could be doing this to her and EJ.

"I'm savin' the best for last," drawled The Cowboy, "Elvis and his whore all broiled to perfection in their very own pressure cooker."

"I'm not a whore!" Sami spat back at him, stung by the horrible word.

"Well sure you are darlin'," he said conversationally, "And I bet that idiot husband of yours would agree if he ever gets smart enough to figure out your little game. Maybe he'll finally grow a pair when he does and throw you back into the gutter where you belong."

"You leave Lucas out of this!" Sami said fearfully.

"I'm not the one draggin' him into all of this," pointed out The Cowboy, "I'm not the one happy to get on her back for any guy who can remember her name now am I?"

"Who are you working for?!" Sami demanded to know, not dignifying his last comments with a reaction.

"Ahh," purred The Cowboy and Sami could see his hat moving dimly through the steam covered window now, "Now there is the sixty four thousand dollar question now is it? Who says I'm workin' for anyone little missy?"

"EJ and I are going to stop you, you know," said Sami defiantly, "You're going to rue the day you decided to cross us."

"Well I'm a quivering in my boots now," said The Cowboy, openly laughing at her now, "A spoiled little rich boy and a troubled, malcontent slut is a comin' after me – whatever will I do?"

"Pray," said Sami darkly, her eyes going the colour of blue ice.

"I reckon that would be some advice you should be takin' yourself there," said The Cowboy, sounding unfazed now, "I don't reckon that fella of yours has made any noises for awhile now. You real sure you're not enjoying a nice little sauna with a dead man?"

Sami looked down at EJ and hastily dropped to her knees, suddenly realising that EJ's chest wasn't moving anymore.

"Oh my God EJ!" exclaimed Sami in great distress, instinctively moving him so she could begin CPR on him.

"Well I'll leave you two love birds to it," said The Cowboy mockingly, "I heard everything goes stiff on a dead man after awhile. That'll be good news for you eh Sami – a last ride for the little whore – just for old time's sakes?"

Sami tried to block out the man's sickening words and only concentrate on EJ and breathing life back into his body. She had no idea how long it had been since he'd taken his last breath and panic welled up in her. Angry tears stung her eyes even as she continued mouth to mouth and chest compressions as she thought about how she'd allowed herself to be drawn into a verbal fight with The Cowboy instead of taking care of EJ. If something happened to him it was going to be all her fault. Time ceased to have meaning as Sami worked on EJ until her arms ached and her head was spinning but she stubbornly refused to stop. She'd keep going until EJ opened his eyes or until every last piece of strength left her body.

"I love you," Sami kept telling him frantically over and over again as she did her chest compressions, "Don't you leave me, don't you leave these babies EJ!"

Sami just knew that if EJ could hear her voice he'd follow it back to her because that is what his voice was for her – her life line. EJ suddenly made a gasping noise and Sami could have wept with joy as his eyes flickered open.

"EJ!" she said ecstatically, "EJ I'm here, it's alright!"

"S-Samantha," he said raggedly, his voice hoarse as he looked around himself disorientatedly.

"It's alright EJ," Sami reassured him frantically, pulling him into her arms so she could cradle him where he laid on the ground.

"Wh-what happened?" he asked dazedly, looking up at her with confused but concerned brown eyes, "Are you alright?"

"Yes," said Sami, her eyes brimming with tears at the way he thought of her first always, "I'm fine EJ – you had a shock and stopped breathing but now you're okay – I gave you CPR and you're going to be alright."

"I thought you said you couldn't save me twice in one day?" asked EJ groggily.

"You got lucky," said Sami, emotional tears filling her eyes now.

"I certainly did," said EJ thickly, putting an unsteady hand to the back of Sami's head and gently pulling her down so that their foreheads rested against each other.

"Don't you ever do something like that to me again," Sami begged him raggedly, her tears falling onto his face now.

"I won't," EJ said quietly.

It was an impossible promise but Sami didn't care, she just needed to hear EJ say the words.

"How do you feel?" asked Sami anxiously as EJ attempted to sit up.

"Like I've been kicked by a bad tempered mule the size of a freight train," said EJ unevenly, grimacing as he shook his head.

"Just take it easy EJ," Sami said worriedly, "Don't push yourself."

"What happened?" asked EJ hoarsely, "How did I get shocked?"

Sami couldn't believe how quickly EJ seemed to be rallying especially when moments before he'd been dead for all intents and purposes.

"That animal put a taser to the door and zapped you," said Sami, her face clouding over angrily, "He could have killed you EJ!"

"Rather his point I think sweetheart," said EJ wryly before looking at her lovingly, "He just didn't count on you."

"I'm rethinking my no killing rule," Sami said angrily, "You should have heard the things he was saying-"

"You spoke to him?" asked EJ, his eyes widening in surprise, "What did he say?"

"Horrible things," said Sami, her mouth turning downwards.

"Did he sound familiar?" asked EJ urgently, "Could it be someone we know? Did he give any clues as to why he was doing this to us?"

"Mainly for love apparently," said Sami wrinkling her nose, "And because I'm a big old whore seems to have a part in it as well."

"He said that?" asked EJ, his eyes darkening angrily, "He called you that?!"

"Don't get upset EJ," said Sami, not liking how fresh sweat was breaking out on his forehead, "It doesn't matter what some sick creep thinks of me."

"Did he sound familiar?" asked EJ grimly, the look in his eyes telling Sami that the man would have hell to pay for calling her that.

He'd have to get in line behind her she thought in annoyance.

"He had this really thick Texan accent," said Sami with a frown, "I don't know EJ – he didn't sound like anyone I knew. I just wish he'd open the door and let me at him."

"Well thank God he didn't," said EJ unsteadily, looking ill at that possibility.

"I don't need you to protect me EJ," said Sami hotly, her emotions at boiling point after all that she'd been through, "I can kick ass with the best of them!"

"I know," said EJ with a half smile, touching her face with one hand and looking at her adoringly, "My very own Valkyrie."

"I would have you know," said Sami, only half pacified, "No one hurts my man and gets away with it."

A thought suddenly occurred to Sami.

"He might still be here!" she exclaimed, leaping up and hurrying to the door.

"Samantha!" said EJ urgently, trying to get up but his legs still too weak to carry him and he couldn't manage it.

As EJ reached out for her his eyes widened in horror as the handle on the sauna door began to move downwards, signalling that someone was about to enter the room even as Sami ran towards it.

"SAMANTHA NO!"


	121. Chapter 268

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & SIXTY EIGHT**** – ****Who's That Knockin' at my Door****?**

What to do if you find yourself stuck in a crack in the ground underneath a giant boulder you can't move, with no hope of rescue. Consider how lucky you are that life has been good to you so far. Alternatively, if life hasn't been good to you so far, which given your current circumstances seems more likely, consider how lucky you are that it won't be troubling you much longer.

_Douglas Adams_

_(British comic Writer, 1952-2001)_

EJ's heart practically pounded out of his chest in fear as Sami barrelled into the man who had just opened the door. She reacted without thinking, balling her fist and giving the man the upper cut of his life.

"OWW!" complained John in painful surprise as he took a step back, "What the hell was that Sami?!"

"John!" she gasped at him in a combination of horror and relief, "Oh John!"

Sami threw herself into his arms even as John gingerly dabbed at his lip looking for blood and EJ sagged back on the floor in relief.

"I got your call Elvis," said John as he hugged Sami back.

"Thank God you are here John!" exclaimed Sami as she drew back and looked up at him gratefully.

"Yes thank God," said EJ unevenly.

"Didn't mean to interrupt your sauna," said John wryly before wriggling his jaw about and giving a grimace, "Aren't saunas meant to relax you – what was with the punch Sami?"

"John did you pass anyone on the way in?"

"It was The Cowboy he tried to kill us!"

Both EJ and Sami spoke loudly at the same time.

"One at a time," said John, putting up his hand, "What's this about that cowboy goon?"

"He locked us in her John," said Sami urgently, "And then he tasered EJ – you need to call 911!"

"You saw him?" asked John, immediately reaching for his cell phone and beginning to dial.

"It was through the door," said EJ in frustration, "Samantha spoke to him – are you sure you didn't see anyone John when you came in?"

"No," said John with a shake of his head and then he was talking to the dispatch officer.

"I don't need an ambulance," said EJ in annoyance as John hung up.

The older man walked over to where EJ was still sitting and helped him to stand, EJ forced to lean heavily on him as his legs seemed to not be co-operating very well.

"Yes you do!" Sami snapped, "You were just electrocuted EJ – don't be so stubborn!"

"You need to get out of this heat," EJ argued back as Sami got on the other side of him and helped John half carry him out, "Stop that – I'm too heavy Samantha!"

"You ain't whistling dixie bud," said John wryly as he took most of EJ's weight.

The three of them limped out of the stream room and John quickly laid EJ back down on the floor. Sami immediately knelt down beside him.

"You need to drink some water," EJ instructed Sami, even as he seemed to be having trouble focusing on her, "You have to cool yourself and those babies down Samantha."

"We're alright EJ," Sami said unsteadily, stroking his sweaty brow, "You just need to be quiet and lay still until the ambulance gets here."

"Do you feel alright sweetheart?" asked EJ unevenly, cupping her face with one large hand, "Does anything hurt at all – this has been such an ordeal for you."

"I'm alright as long as you're alright honey," said Sami, tears spiking her eyes once again, "You scared me so much before."

"Ditto," said EJ shakily as Sami pulled him into her lap and pressed a kiss to his flushed forehead, "Please promise me that you won't run headlong into danger like that ever again. What if that hadn't been John coming through that door? You practically gave me a heart attack sweetheart – never do anything that reckless again alright?"

"I won't," Sami vowed with a gentle smile.

Sami stroked some sweaty hair back from his forehead before speaking again.

"You know that was a lie right?" she asked him conversationally, a half smile coming to her lips at the promise she'd just made.

"Well obviously darling," said EJ, not missing a beat as he smiled back at her adoringly, "But a fellow likes to hear lies like that every now and then so he can sleep at night so thank you for taking the time to humour me."

"You're welcome," said Sami, her grin widening as she cuddled him closer.

John had silently been taking in the exchange between the two young people. If he was ever in any doubt that EJ knew what he was getting with Sami then it was gone now. John had watched Sami tie herself into knots for all the men in her life as she attempted to be something she wasn't – all to please their expectations of her. Sami was passionate, reckless, impulsive and extremely mercurial – too much for most men to handle. For EJ though with the way he was looking at the woman holding him in his arms it seemed to John that he couldn't get enough of his fiery step daughter.

"What did The Cowboy say to you Sami?" asked John, his mind going into action mode, "Did he tell you why he was doing this?"

It seemed like this guy was getting cocky and in John's experience that always led to mistakes.

"He told me it was for love," said Sami, managing to tear her eyes off EJ to look up at John.

"For love?" repeated John with a frown as he walked over and took a bottle of cold water from the nearby fridge and handed it to Sami, "I wonder what that means?"

"Good question," said EJ, his voice sounding a little strained now.

"You don't have any jilted ex-girlfriends with overprotective brothers in your past do you?" asked John with an arched eyebrow at EJ.

"Hardly," said EJ flatly.

"Are you sure EJ?" asked Sami, looking at him a bit askew before taking a drink of the bottle of water.

"I didn't date any Americans before you my love," said EJ practically as he took Sami's bottle of water that she offered him and drank from it.

"What about you Sami?" asked John, "Maybe he is someone from your past?"

"Well I didn't recognise him," said Sami in frustration, "But if he is a brother or something of someone I've hurt in the past then how would I know that?"

"If this was because of Samantha then why all the attempts on my life?" reasoned EJ, "No, it has to be down to me that this is all happening."

He gave Sami a regretful look then.

"I'm so sorry sweetheart," he said unhappily, "To put you through all of this."

"You're not," said Sami firmly, "That lunatic is the one doing this – not you EJ."

The sound of an ambulance siren began to be heard, growing quickly closer.

"Not Salem University!" said EJ quickly, "Don't let them take us there John."

"Are we keeping this a secret?" asked John sceptically, "That is going to be a bit tricky Elvis."

"It won't be so tricky if we go to a hospital other than Salem U," EJ insisted.

"We don't want police involvement John," Sami explained, "EJ is going to have his people check on the car and work out what happened and hopefully get some clues."

John opened his mouth to protest but EJ interrupted him.

"You know that DiMera resources far outstrip any that the Salem PD can offer John," said EJ seriously, "It's for the best. Police involvement at this point will only muddy the waters."

"Literally," said Sami, wrinkling her nose, "Considering where the car is."

"Car?" asked John in confusion.

EJ and Sami looked at each other and then proceeded to tell John the whole story. He listened patiently, not letting emotion show on his face although he was quietly horrified at how close to death Sami had come. EJ not so much but the younger man was slowly growing on him over time and John didn't particularly wish him any harm as long as he kept to his promise about Sami.

"This guy isn't fooling around," said John with a frown when they'd finished, "Seems like he's starting to up the ante."

"That is why it is more important than ever to let my people handle this John," said EJ urgently as the sound of approaching feet could be heard, the ambulance having arrived by now, "Too much is at stake."

Both men looked over at Sami then and she pulled a face.

"EJ is important too," Sami protested.

"No he isn't."

"No I'm not."

EJ and John spoke together and then looked at each other.

"Cheers for not sparing my feelings John," said EJ wryly.

"You're welcome," John dead panned.

[center]**oooOOOOooo**[/center]

"Are you done yet?" asked EJ impatiently as he glared at all of the white coats working around him.

"Just about Mr DiMera," said one of the white coats, "You are a lucky man."

"Mm," EJ grunted, uninterested in his own luck, "I need someone to tell me how the woman I came in with is doing, can someone do that for me please?"

"You just need to calm down Mr DiMera," said one of the attending nurses evenly.

"What I _need_ is to know how Samantha is," said EJ through gritted teeth.

God grant him the strength not to punch each one of these do gooders out. He couldn't care less about his own welfare but every moment that he was left in the dark about Sami and the babies' condition was another minute that EJ convinced himself of the worst.

"For God's sake stop fussing and tell me how she is!" EJ exploded, slapping away hands and scowling at everyone fiercely.

"Stop making a nuisance of yourself Junior," said John calmly as he entered the room at that exact moment, "These people are only trying to help you."

"John how is Samantha?" asked EJ urgently, "Have the doctors finished looking at her?"

"Yes and she's a little bit dehydrated but apart from that she and the babies are in excellent health," John said evenly.

EJ sagged against the pillows at hearing that, feeling like his last nerve was all but shot with worrying over her.

"You're sure?" EJ pressed him, not quite ready to believe it yet, "You're not just saying that to keep me quiet?"

"Well if I was then it doesn't appear to be working," said John dryly, "And I don't tend to joke about the health of my children."

"No, of course not," said EJ vaguely, relief flooding his entire being, "Thank God they are alright."

He looked at John intently then.

"You should be with Samantha," he informed John firmly, "She needs you and these ridiculous people won't let me out of bed so she needs someone she loves and trusts with her."

"Sami just sent me to stay with you," said John in exasperation.

"Well I don't need you," said EJ determinedly, "Please John, stay with Samantha."

"She's going to give me grief you know," said John with a twist of his lips.

"Nothing you're not used to I'm sure," said EJ with a half smile.

"True," agreed John easily, "And I like her better anyway."

"That goes without saying John," said EJ wryly.

"I still like saying it though," said John with a look of vague amusement, "Go figure."

"Just stay with Samantha John and watch over her please," said EJ as the people around him began finishing up with all of their tests.

EJ paused, choosing his next words carefully, aware of their audience.

"I think her having you there now, considering what happened and how it happened today would be a very good idea," said EJ with a pointed look, "To make sure that it doesn't happen again."

John nodded slowly, getting EJ's veiled message.

"I'll tell her not to worry," said John, starting towards the door, "You're as bossy and objectionable as you ever were so I'm sure that will make her happy, God knows why though."

"Love is a strange creature," said EJ, his lips curving up a little at John's response.

"Ain't that the truth," agreed John stoically before he was walking out the door.

Forty minutes later EJ had finally gotten rid of all the hospital staff and had begged the use of a phone from one of the nurses and was making some very important phone calls. He already had some of his men retrieving the car and were now checking on the gym to see if The Cowboy had left anything of himself behind in anyway.

"Just get back to me the minute you have something," said EJ grimly, "And I want two men on Samantha's from now on. Send several over to the hospital as well to keep an eye on her room and the hospital itself."

After having made a few more plans EJ hung up and threw the phone carelessly onto the bed. He closed his eyes and lay back on the pillows, suddenly tired. The day was catching up with him.

"_Rough day huh?" _

"You were there," said EJ flatly, not bothering to open his eyes, "You tell me Sam."

"_I was out shopping with the girls," admitted Sam as she came to stand by his bed, resplendent in her usual lingerie, this time a deep purple set, "I didn't pay much attention."_

"What does that even mean?" asked EJ, giving into exasperation and opening his eyes to look at her with annoyance, "You don't exist, there are no 'girls' – you're just being annoying for the sake of it now."

"_Well look who's a grumpy gus," said Sam with a roll of her eyes, not taking offence as usual._

"I'm sorry if I'm a little testy-" began EJ grimly.

"_Teste," interrupted Sam with a giggle._

"What are you, eight?" asked EJ in annoyance, "You know what I meant Sam."

"_I know that testes are the exact problem here and the fact that you couldn't find yours today," said Sam coolly, checking on the tie of one of her suspenders absently. _

"Excuse me?" asked EJ, taken aback.

"_I mean Sami saved you what, twice today?" Sam said mockingly, "And what did you do? Nothing, nada, zippity do da. You were an embarrassment Elvis, you made us look like a complete wimp today. Sami is probably in there rethinking her choice of male protector with that pathetic display of yours."_

EJ's eyes darkened angrily at Sam's criticism of him but he didn't actually have an answer for it which made him even madder.

"_It's time for one of us to man up," declared Sam, putting her hands on her hips and glaring down at him, "And it clearly isn't going to be you rose petal now is it?"_

"Says the woman standing there in a push up bra and satin suspenders," EJ growled unhappily, "I guess that is what all the real men are wearing these days eh?"

"_Lots of real men wear these kinds of clothes under their regular clothes," said Sam defiantly, "J. Edgar Hoover, Denis Rodman, Ryan Seacrest."_

"You are insane," said EJ flatly.

"_I'd rather be crazy then a wimp," Sam goaded him, "I've seen a more convincing display of manhood at a eunuch convention."_

"I hate you so much right now," said EJ through gritted teeth.

Sam was only saying what was buzzing around in EJ's own head of course but that didn't mean he liked hearing it anymore than thinking it. He'd really let Sami down today and EJ felt sick with self loathing because of it. He hadn't been able to avoid the car crash, he hadn't been able to get himself out of that car by himself. Then EJ had been unable to control himself around Sami and they'd end up having sex despite the harm it might have done her and the babies and then of course there was his less than glorious turn out with his run in with The Cowboy. EJ had really failed Sami today and he just couldn't get past that – what must she be thinking of him right now?

"_Ah don't beat yourself up squirrel lips," said Sam, relenting somewhat as she came to sit on his bed, "That's my job."_

"And one you're very good at," noted EJ dourly.

"_It's not all me Elvis," Sam protested, sharing the love, "You being a gigantic jackass most of the time makes my job easy, it really does."_

"I wasn't there for Samantha when she needed me," said EJ quietly, "What if it had been The Cowboy and not John that had come through the door? I could barely stand; Samantha would have been at his mercy."

"_I don't know," said Sam thoughtfully, "That Sami is a bit of a pit bull when the mood takes her. I think I'd back her in most fights."_

EJ just grunted at that observation. Whilst he had no doubt that Sami was a fighter by nature there were just some things that were beyond even her fiery nature – like defending herself against a psychopath.

"_Maybe it is time to leave town?" suggested Sam casually._

"Runaway you mean?" asked EJ tightly, not enamoured of that concept.

"_Sometimes a strategic retreat is as good as a full frontal attack," offered up Sam easily, "You're not getting anywhere with Roy Rogers so maybe you should pack up Mama bear and head for the hills?"_

It wasn't in EJ's nature to retreat from a fight. He rarely started things but he certainly had no compunction in finishing them.

"This man would always be hanging over our heads," said EJ moodily, "We'd always be looking back over our shoulders."

"_You'll be doing that anyway when you tell Steffy that you don't want the keys to the kingdom," pointed out Sam practically, "What's one more person after you?"_

EJ frowned, not liking the sound of the future Sam was painting for him. He didn't want him and Sami to be living that kind of life and certainly not their children.

"No," said EJ determinedly, "I need to deal with this cowboy fellow and my father once and for all so that Samantha and I can have a real future together. But I think you might be right about one thing – perhaps it is time to send Samantha away and keep her heavily protected when I do. It's the only way I can guarantee her and the twin's safety."

"_How are you going to guarantee your safety when you tell her about that plan?" asked Sam sceptically, "You'll be lucky that she doesn't kill you herself."_

"This would be for her own good," said EJ intently, "I need to be able to focus all of my energies on catching this madman and dealing with my father and I can't do that while I'm worrying over Samantha and the babies."

"_I take it back," said Sam flatly, "You do have balls if you are thinking about going through with suggesting to that hormonal, pregnant woman that you two should be separated for God only knows how long. Of course the point will be moot when Sami cuts said balls off and uses them to beat you to death with them when you tell her what you are thinking."_

"I'll make Samantha understand," said EJ, his jaw hardening as he thought more about his idea and became more convinced that this was the only way.

"_I don't think anymore separation between you two is a good idea," said Sam sharply, "You're strength is in being together. You keep citing your fear for Sami's safety as weakening you but I think you are looking at this all wrong Elvis."_

"I just have to come up with a way to broach this so that Samantha will listen to what I have to say," said EJ distractedly, not listening to what Sam had just said, "If I make this about our children then I'm sure she'll see reason."

"_Being apart is a bad idea Elvis," said Sam earnestly, "You are going about this all wrong."_

"You wanted me to be a man well I'm being a man," said EJ grimly, "I'm going to take charge of this situation and send Samantha away for her own good."

"_You are so going to regret going down this path," said Sam with a roll of her eyes, "Samantha won't stand for it, I'm telling you. And getting all up in her face about things is not what being a man is by the way."_

"This is the right thing to do," said EJ determinedly, "Thank you Sam, for once you've been helpful."

"_Hey don't lay this impending nuclear holocaust at my feet," said Sam, holding her hands up and shaking her head, "This is all you testosterone for brains. I'm just going to stand here quietly with my pom poms out all ready to do the 'I told you so dance' when Sami knees you in the rattlers for even thinking such a thing."_

"I'll make Samantha understand," said EJ confidently, enamoured of his idea now.

Sam's only response to that was a loud snort which EJ studiously ignored. At last he felt like he was in charge of things and not just reacting to events. He'd send Sami away somewhere safe, deal with everything in Salem and hopefully Lucas would have had the good sense to die in the interim. Making Lucas' last days happy ones and building bridges when it came to the Brady's had dropped way down on EJ's list of important things. Sami and their unborn children were at risk and that was all EJ cared about now.

This was for the best... now all he had to do was convince Sami of that – how hard could that be?


	122. Chapter 269

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & SIXTY NINE**** – ****A Friend in Need**

Yes, I now feel that it was then on that evening of sweet dreams- that the very first dawn of human love burst upon the icy night of my spirit. Since that period I have never seen nor heard your name without a shiver half of delight, half of anxiety.

_Edgar Allan Poe_

_(American short-story Writer, Editor, Poet and Critic, 1809-1849)_

"Excuse me," said Estelle as she hurried up to the nurse's station, "I was told you have EJ DiMera here?"

"And you are?" asked the nurse calmly.

"His plus one," said Estelle, blinking away tears, "Please tell me he is alright – I don't know what I'd do if something happened to my Elvis."

"The doctors have just finished checking him out," said the nurse kindly to the obviously distraught woman, "You can go in and sit with him if you like."

"Oh thank you," said Estelle gratefully, wiping away tears.

The nurse walked with her to EJ's room and gave a brief knock before opening the door to see EJ propped up in bed in a hospital gown.

"Oh thank God!" exclaimed Estelle, sweeping into the room and throwing her arms around EJ's neck.

"Estelle!" EJ exclaimed in surprise, his eyes widening when he saw the tears on her face, "Darling what's wrong, what's happened?!"

"The love of my life is in hospital," said Estelle through a fixed smile and making a little head movement back towards the nurse standing behind her, "Why wouldn't I be upset?"

"Oh yes," said EJ hastily, quickly catching on, "Of course, me – yes, well I'm fine now, no need to worry darling."

"But Poodle you could have died!" Estelle wailed and buried her head on his chest.

"There there my love," said EJ straight faced and patting Estelle's back as he gave a long suffering look at the nurse.

"I'll let you have some time alone," said the nurse, tactfully withdrawing.

"Is she gone?" Estelle mumbled against his chest.

"Yes Meryl Streep," said EJ dryly, "You're in the clear."

"I was good wasn't I?" asked Estelle in satisfaction as she straightened up and perched herself jauntily on the side of EJ's bed.

"The tears were an impressive touch," said EJ with a quirk of his lips.

"I jabbed my finger in my eye," said Estelle proudly before giving him a knowing nod, "I'm a method actor."

"Well not that I don't appreciate you flying the colours and all darling," said EJ, arching an eyebrow at her, "But how did you know I was here exactly?"

"A man with a sexy, no nonsense voice rang me," said Estelle blithely.

"John rang you?" asked EJ in surprise.

"Apparently he's quite the detailed actor as well," said Estelle with a little laugh, "Likes to have layers in all of his scenes so having the grief stricken girl friend was a necessity and adds oomph to our whole faux relationship we have going on."

She gave him a considered look then.

"Faux or not though I have to admit I'm happy to see my little Poo is doing well," said Estelle with a warm smile, "You had me worried there for a moment big boy – where else can I find a straight man to shower me with gifts and fly me out to exotic locations on a whim?"

"I should imagine we are a little thin on the ground," said EJ with a little laugh before becoming serious, "Have you seen Samantha at all?"

"No I came straight here," said Estelle, "It would have looked a little weird for me to see your business partner before you right?"

"Of course," said EJ hastily, "It's just that they won't let me out of this damn bed and-"

"You're worried about your girl," Estelle finished off with an indulgent look, "John said she and the babies were doing fine."

"I know," said EJ, moving restlessly in the bed, "But I just want to make sure."

EJ looked up at her with big pleading eyes.

"I don't suppose you could be a doll and check on her for me?" he asked hopefully.

"Of course I can Poo," said Estelle happily.

"Are we still doing the Poo thing?" asked EJ with a pained grimace, "You know I have nearly drowned today, been electrocuted and required CPR – I was rather hoping you might reconsider the whole Poodle/Poo thing considering my current frail condition?"

EJ gave her a soulful look then, complete with a little pout and Estelle couldn't help but find him very cute just then which was of course his intention.

"Oh honey," she said with an emotional sigh before putting a hand up to his cheek to pat it lovingly, "No."

"But-" EJ began to protest as Estelle got up off the bed.

"No means no negation Poo," said Estelle firmly, "Now conserve your strength – you look like death."

"Thank you my dear," said EJ wryly, "I have been through somewhat of a trial today."

"Are you sure the doctors say everything is as it should be?" asked Estelle, looking a little concerned now.

"Well I've been poked and prodded and that seems to be the general consensus," said EJ with a roll of his eyes, "Even lost more than few chest hairs with that damn ECG thing."

EJ rubbed his chest in remembered pain.

"Samantha helped herself to a fistful of them today as well," he grumbled, "I should just wax the damn things off all together be done with it."

"The love play got a little rough huh?" Estelle teased him.

"Actually we were fighting," said EJ, "I took umbrage at her saving my life whilst risking hers and our children's."

"Wow," said Estelle with a shake of her head, "Men really are stupid – good to have that confirmed."

"How is it stupid not to want harm to come to those who you love?" asked EJ in exasperation.

"I'm not going to dignify that with an answer," Estelle sniffed.

EJ looked suitably bemused by that response.

"Looking after the people you love isn't always a straight line," said Estelle with a knowing look at him.

"Estelle," said EJ slowly and looked like he was about to do something he didn't want to do, "I have a confession to make – I actually meant to do it earlier but haven't quite got around to it."

"This sounds juicy," she commented, looking at him with interest.

Say what you will about the DiMera's – there was rarely a dull moment.

"Now I want you to keep in mind that what I did I did in your best interests," said EJ earnestly, "And I also want you to keep in mind how close I came to death today, not once but twice."

"You make it sound like I'm going to hit you when I hear this," said Estelle, really intrigued now.

"Samantha did," said EJ, wrinkling his nose.

"Nothing says I love you like a left hook," said Estelle in amusement, "So what this big crime you've perpetrated then – colour me curious?"

"I've been having you followed," admitted EJ with a grimace.

"Why?" asked Estelle perplexed, "Frightened I'd run off with another man?"

"No," said EJ with a sigh, "I've been kind of having these death threats thingies and I was concerned that they might try and get to me through you or Samantha so I've had men tailing you both for weeks now and making sure you are safe."

EJ held up an imperious finger then.

"Before you say anything remember that I only did it because I love you both and want to protect my girls," he said quickly before giving a weak and unconvincing cough, "Plus I think this is all catching up with me and I shouldn't be subjected to any kind of physical violence whatsoever."

"Oh my god," said Estelle in amazement, "You're James Bond with the bad guys out to get you!"

"I suppose you could say that," said EJ slowly.

"The next thing you know there will be sharks with rabid bees strapped to their backs slipped into your bed in the middle of the night," said Estelle, quite excited by the idea of being caught up in all this cloak and dagger goings on.

"Well let's hope it doesn't come to that," said EJ wryly.

"Do you know what that makes me right?" asked Estelle mischievously.

"Well not mad at me for one thing I think," said EJ, looking up at her hopefully.

"Psst," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand before continuing on excitedly, "If you're James Bond then I'm Pussy Galore... which coincidentally was top of my Christmas list to Santa this year."

Estelle pursed her lips.

"I suppose I should make that clearer next time," she said thoughtfully, "This wasn't exactly what I had in mind."

"So you're alright with the whole vaguely deceptive thing then?" asked EJ tentatively.

"I'm not sure," said Estelle, doing her best to keep the smile off her face, "It might be very hard to hit you though if there was something weighing down my wrist though – something like a new bracelet or the like just as an example."

"I think that could be arranged," said EJ with a grin, "Samantha was not so reasonable."

"What did she want?" asked Estelle curiously.

"My head on a platter and then angry sex," said EJ with a rueful smile.

"You're one lucky bastard EJ DiMera," said Estelle enviously.

"We had sex today," said EJ, looking suddenly anxious.

"See now you're just rubbing my face in it," said Estelle in exasperation, "When did you find the time with the drowning and electrocutions anyway?"

"It was in the middle of the two," said EJ with a sigh, "Samantha was very insistent."

"Okay I get it Poo," said Estelle with a roll of her eyes, "You two are going at it like bunnies in heat."

"No," said EJ with a shake of my head, "That wasn't my point – I'm worried that we might have been too ah... vigorous."

EJ gave Estelle an anxious look.

"I'm really concerned that after all Samantha has been through today that something is going to happen to her or the babies because I couldn't control myself," said EJ unhappily.

"Honey I'm sure that isn't the case," said Estelle comfortingly, "The doctor's have all given her and the babies a clean bill of health – you need to stop worrying but I'll go and check on her now for you."

"Thank you," said EJ, leaning back against his pillow gratefully.

"Anything for my guy," said Estelle with a smile.

**oooOOOOooo**

"I just need you to make sure John," said Sami anxiously, "They must have finished all of EJ's tests by now."

"I feel like I'm a ball in tennis match," John commented wryly, "I go one of you and you send me to the other and then vice versa."

"I can't relax until I know the results of all the tests," said Sami, putting her hand over his, "Please John."

"I'll go and check on him," John promised her, "Stop worrying Sami and just try and take it easy."

With a last reassuring look at Sami John left the room and moved down the corridor to where EJ's room was. On the way he crossed path with a long legged brunette moving purposely towards Sami's room. They stopped and looked at each other, John guessing right away that he was looking at Estelle.

"John," he announced, sticking out his hand for her to shake, "Former brainwashed DiMera pawn and Sami's stepfather."

"Estelle," said the woman, taking his hand and shaking it, "English professor, faux girlfriend and rampant lesbian."

"Nice to meet you Estelle," said John with a quirk of his lips at her humour.

"Likewise," said Estelle with a smile, "I guess these crazy kids of ours have really gotten themselves into a mess hm?"

"They're just lucky that they both have nine lives," commented John.

"That's eighteen between them," Estelle observed, "Something tells me they are going to need all of them before this is over."

"I hate to say it but I think you're right," said John unhappily.

"I'm on orders to check on Sami," Estelle with a soft smile.

"Same with Elvis," said John dryly.

"They're as bad as each other," Estelle said with a little laugh.

"Yeah well I'm counting on them being as good as each other," said John calmly.

He knew there was just as much angel in Sami as there was devil and he was taking a huge gamble that the same could be said of EJ. John and Estelle exchanged knowing smiles before heading to their respective rooms. John walked back into the room just as EJ was unsteadily climbing out of bed.

"Oh no you don't sunshine," said John firmly, "Back into bed."

"I have to see Samantha," said EJ stubbornly, trying to stand and failing.

"I've just been with Sami and she is perfectly alright," said John, walking over to where EJ was now sitting on the side of the bed, "Get back into bed – you've got a Sharon Stone thing going on which threatening to psychologically scar me for life."

EJ looked down at his lap and the gapping hospital gown he was wearing.

"They took my clothes," said EJ unhappily, trying to cover himself better.

"Well seeing as you were only wearing boxers when they bought you in it wasn't a huge loss now was it?" commented John pragmatically, "I'm here to tell you, once again, that Sami is fine."

"And the babies?" asked EJ anxiously, "Everything is still alright with them? No residual effects from all of the trauma Samantha has endured?"

"They are both as healthy as a pair of horses," John reassured him, "You have to stop worrying EJ."

"God but I don't know how," said EJ desperately, putting his hands over his face, "The thought of anything happening to them just utterly destroys me."

"It only gets worse once they're born," said John wryly, "Trust me. At least at the moment if Sami is safe then they are safe."

"And a bang up job I'm doing on that front," said EJ with grim sarcasm, "She could have died many times over today and I couldn't do a damn thing about it."

"But she didn't," John pointed out, "So there is no point in dwelling on the what ifs."

"When I find this man," said EJ, his eyes going cold and black, "When I find him-"

"I think we should concentrate on the first thing before getting all caught up in the second," said John practically, "And whatever happens there is to be no killing do you hear me Elvis – that will be a deal breaker."

"I'm growing a little weary of you holding me to ransom dependent on your whims John," said EJ with a scowl.

"Well Junior you should have thought about that before you shot me," said John stoically, "Actions have consequences."

"Yes thank you for that," said EJ dourly.

"So this guy is escalating which is good," commented John, pulling up a chair to sit beside EJ's bed.

"Yes when I was nearly drowning I thought what an excellent thing that was," said EJ sarcastically.

"You're not thinking straight Junior," said John flatly, "Get your head in the game. This guy is stepping things up a notch and that means he's bound to start making mistakes."

"I need to get Samantha out of this mess," said EJ, closing his eyes and letting his head fall back on the pillow, "She can't go through another day like today."

"Sami is a lot stronger than you are giving her credit for Elvis," said John evenly, "She's tough."

"I know," said EJ, a soft smile coming to his lips, "Samantha is an Amazon."

EJ pulled a thoughtful face.

"Well a short Amazon," he corrected himself, "If that is possible."

"So stop worrying about her, as admirable as that might be," said John practically, "It's not getting you any closer to solving the mystery of who this cowboy guy is and it's not helping Sami any."

"I know," said EJ with a grimace, "It's just hard to turn my feelings off when it comes to Samantha."

EJ gave a humourless laugh then.

"That always used to be my trademark move," murmured EJ, almost seeming to be talking to himself now, "To be distant, calculating. But when it comes to Samantha I'm just undone, particularly when I think of her or the babies being harmed in anyway."

"I know," said John looking at him seriously, "But you have to find a way Elvis otherwise you're just handing this creep the upper hand."

EJ's expression told John that he knew that and the older man didn't feel the need to labour the point anymore.

"So have you thought about what this guy said to Sami?" asked John, trying to work this all out.

"It sounds very personal," said EJ, looking lost in thought.

"It's a shame you're a DiMera otherwise we could start making a list of everyone who hates you and start from there," said John calmly, "Unfortunately that is just about everyone you know so that is no help."

"It must be your charm that so attracts Marlena to you," said EJ flatly.

"I'm not trying to charm you Elvis I'm trying to help you," said John unrepentantly, "Now let's go over the facts again."

EJ nodded slowly, an intent looking coming over his face. It was clear the younger man was a man on a mission and God help The Cowboy when EJ did catch up with him. John only hoped he was on hand when it did happen so he could stop EJ from doing anything foolhardy. John understood what EJ was going through, had been through it himself many times with Marlena and his own children in fact.

The need to protect the ones you loved was a wild beast beating in the heart of most men and John was just thankful that there had been people on hand with his best interests at heart to stop him doing something that couldn't be undone. Never in a million years would John had thought he'd want to offer the same thing to the likes of EJ DiMera but then never could he have imagined seeing Sami so happy and content. This situation needed to be resolved quickly but it needed to be handled in a way that didn't make things much, much worse for the young couple.

John had been handed more difficult assignments in the past but right then he couldn't think what they might be…


	123. Chapter 270

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & SEVENTY**** – ****Great Expectations**

True friendship multiplies the good in life and divides its evils. Strive to have friends, for life without friends is like life on a desert island... to find one real friend in a lifetime is good fortune; to keep him is a blessing.

_Baltasar Gracian_

_(Spanish Philosopher and Writer, leading Spanish exponent of conceptism, 1601-1658)_

"You look disappointingly gorgeous for a woman who's just been through all you have sweets," commented Estelle as she smiled at Sami, "The least you can do is cut us mere mortals some slack and look a little haggard."

"I'm just so happy EJ is going to be alright," said Sami with a big grin.

"Well you're glowing," said Estelle, giving her an admiring look, "I guess that is the pregnancy plus the good seeing to my boyfriend gave you in between all of the drama."

"EJ told you?" asked Sami with a little laugh, not worried that EJ had shared such intimate details.

Estelle felt like a sister to Sami and there never would be a way to thank her for all that she'd done for her and EJ. More than anything she'd been a good and understanding friend when there weren't many of those to be found for the two of them.

"I ravished him," said Sami, not without some satisfaction.

"He mentioned," said Estelle with a chuckle, "But now of course he's all bent out of shape that he's done you and the little ones a mischief."

"I wouldn't have started anything if I thought that was even a slight chance," said Sami with a roll of her eyes, "Men."

"That's why I stick to women," said Estelle with a wise nod.

She looked down at Sami's stomach then and the way the bed clothes were lying quite tellingly over her bump.

"So how much longer before the gruesome twosome become public knowledge?" asked Estelle curiously, "You can't have much longer to be able to hide it honey."

"I know," said Sami with a grimace, stroking her stomach, "I just want to end this charade with Lucas and be done with it now but EJ is still dragging his heels. He wants this cowboy guy caught and dealt with before we make our relationship known."

"What about Lucas?" asked Estelle, tilting her head and looking at Sami intently, "You started all of this to spare his feelings and make his last days happy ones."

"Short of Lucas going blind at this point or-" Sami swallowed hard, still feeling sick at the thought of her friend dying.

"Or worse," Estelle filled in kindly.

"Yes," said Sami unevenly, "This pregnancy means it can't happen. In my usual fashion I tried to do the right thing the wrong way and it has all blown up in my face and now Lucas is probably going to curse me with his last breath."

Sami's heart sank at that thought. She just didn't want to be fighting with Lucas anymore, not when she'd found such happiness with EJ and now she'd all but guaranteed that Will was going to see yet more ugliness between his parents at the end. It made her so sad to think about it.

"But there is nothing I can do about that now," said Sami with a brave smile, "I just want all the lies done with now and if I can convince EJ I want to come clean with everyone now then I'm just going to face the music. It's going to be horrible so I'd just rather get it over and done with – the waiting is killing me."

"I guess I'll be looking for a new sugar daddy when that happens," said Estelle with a quirk of her lips.

"We can share him Estelle," said Sami with a giggle, "EJ would love it."

"I'm more interested in sharing you sweets," said Estelle with a sexy look.

"Sorry Estelle," said Sami with another giggle, "EJ got to me first."

"I know," said Estelle with a rueful sigh, "But if you ever get sick of him you know my number."

"I'll tell him that," said Sami with a cheeky wink, "I like to keep my men on their toes."

"So the bubbies are all still hush hush then?" said Estelle thoughtfully.

"No one from my family knows I'm here but I've told all the staff here to keep this pregnancy under wraps on pain of death," said Sami determinedly, "I was very clear. I want EJ and I to let these particular kittens out of the bag, no one else."

"Speaking of my beau he had a message for you," said Estelle with a little smile.

"He did?" asked Sami, her eyes widening in excited anticipation..

"Poo told me to tell you that he, oh," Estelle pulled a concerned face then, "Oh what was it – I have the worst memory."

"Estelle!" Sami groaned at the other woman's teasing of her.

"He said tell Samantha that he something's you," said Estelle thoughtfully, tapping her lips with a finger and feigning trying to remember, "He jogs you – no, that doesn't sound right. He rollercoaster's you – hm, no that sounds illegal-"

"He loves me?" supplied Sami, her face flushed excitedly at the prospect.

"That's it!" said Estelle, snapping her fingers together, "EJ says to tell you that he loves you."

"Ohh," said Sami with a happy sigh, falling back into her pillows with a dreamy smile on her lips, "And I love him so much."

Sami grabbed Estelle's hand then.

"You have to go and tell EJ that I love him too," she said earnestly.

"Alright," said Estelle without missing a beat, "I'll pass him a note in gym class."

"You think we're being silly," said Sami with a self deprecating smile.

"I think you two are being very cute," Estelle corrected her.

The doctor walked in then and gave a distracted smile at the two women.

"And how's the mother to be doing?" he asked, looking down at his notes absently.

Sami's eyes widened at his offhand comment, instantly seeing red.

"She's pissed off!" Sami snapped, "What did I tell you not even an hour ago?!"

"Wh-what?" stammered the doctor in shock at Sami's outburst.

"I said that no one is to know about this pregnancy and you come in here announcing it at the top of your lungs!" Sami said angrily, "Are you an idiot or just really, really stupid?!"

"Whoa," said Estelle with a raised eyebrows, "Back away slowly from the angry pregnant woman."

"I don't think I'm asking too much in asking for a little bit of professionalism from my doctor!" Sami continued to rant at the speechless doctor as John walked into the room just then, "What part of 'no one is to know about my pregnancy' was beyond your mental capacities exactly?!"

"Well answer the woman," said Estelle, joining in on the fun.

"Just don't make any sudden movements when you do," said John calmly, "Otherwise you'll be glad you're in a hospital."

"I-I didn't think that-" the young doctor began to try and explain himself but Sami gave him little chance.

"No you didn't think!" Sami said angrily, "I have a good mind to have your licence revoked for gross professional misconduct! My husband is a lawyer and he'll make sure you never work in a job that doesn't require a hair net ever again and that is before I even start on you! You're life will be over and that of everyone you've ever loved!"

"Just in case you think that is a turn of phrase I've known this woman all her life and she is understating her capacities to inflict horror," offered up John conversationally, "You may want to chose your next words very, very carefully son."

"I'm very sorry Mrs Devlise," said the doctor unsteadily, "It will never happen again."

"It had better not," said Sami coldly, "Now are you done wasting my time or do you have something new to tell me?"

"Just checking in," said the doctor lamely, starting to back up now.

"Well consider things checked," said Sami coolly, "On your way."

The doctor quickly scampered from the room after that dressing down.

"Oh my god Sami," said Estelle in admiration, "You're _such_ a bitch – I love that in my women!"

"The man is an idiot," said Sami, not completely mollified by his apology.

"I think you've left him in no doubt about your opinion," said Estelle in amusement.

"Well what if someone else other than you had been here?" Sami huffed, "Things would have turned into an even bigger nightmare then they already are."

"Settle down honey," said Estelle, patting her arm, "The only nightmares are going to be the ones belonging to that doctor, don't get yourself all worked up."

Sami knew it was good advice but she was still very annoyed. She and EJ had enough to deal with now without having that on their plate. Sami really needed them to be in control of how the news of her pregnancy came out. She couldn't bear it if Lucas heard from some other person or God forbid, thought they were his.

"So EJ's doctors have said he has to stay in overnight," said John, walking over to the bed, "Just to err on the side of caution."

It was late afternoon by now and Sami was anxious to see EJ and hopefully be let out of hospital. After all what was she going to tell Lucas if they made her stay overnight? It wasn't going to help the whole keeping this a secret thing that she and EJ were trying for. When she told Lucas about EJ Sami wanted it to be on her terms, not being caught out in a lie – yet again.

"I think you should stay in as well Sami," said John, looking at her intently.

"How can I John?" asked Sami in frustration, "Lucas will be expecting me home soon. What am I meant to tell him?"

"I think this thing you and EJ have going has just about run its course," said John practically.

"EJ and I aren't a thing John!" said Sami hotly, "We love each other and we are going to build a life together!"

"I meant the Lucas thing actually," said John calmly.

"Oh," said Sami, pulling a face, "Sorry – I guess I'm a little on edge today."

"And there is a doctor currently crying in a corner somewhere who can attest to that," said Estelle with a half smile.

"EJ and I will talk about it," said Sami quietly, "I think I need to have this over with Lucas as well. EJ says he doesn't want to make me more of a target by publicly aligning myself with him but after today it is pretty obvious The Cowboy already has me on his hit list anyway. I think it's more important that Will and Lucas don't get added to that list by my being around them."

"You make a valid point," said John with a nod, "But I don't think your boy is going to quite see it like that somehow."

"That's where my skills in arguing the point come in handy," said Sami with a self deprecating smile, "I'll wear him down."

"I think that is a match that I'll have to take an each way bet on," said Estelle with a smile.

It was nearly an hour later and John and Estelle had made their leave of her. A rather large man had appeared to be casually loitering by her hospital room door and Sami was in no doubt that he was one of EJ's men keeping an eye on her. She only hoped he had the good sense to do the same for himself, however doubtful that thought might be. All that male ego made him certain he was bullet proof and it was unlikely that today's events would have swayed him about that delusion. Sami was just about to get out of bed and go and see EJ for herself when he actually rolled through her door in a wheelchair.

"EJ!" she exclaimed, so happy to see him.

"Hello sweetheart," said EJ, a vaguely pained expression on his face as he wheeled himself towards her, "How are you feeling?"

"Like I haven't seen you forever," said Sami truthfully, scrutinising him carefully as he came to a stop beside the bed, "Are you alright EJ? Have the doctors got all their test results back?"

"They have," said EJ with a little nod.

"And?" Sami prompted him anxiously.

"And" said EJ, hesitating slightly, "There might be a slight complication. Apparently during our exertions in the sauna I may have done some internal damage due to how insistent you were."

EJ gave her a suitably hangdog expression as he said that. Sami was instantly horrified but something wasn't quite right here.

"EJ," said Sami, looking at him pensively, "This isn't you feigning being hurt because you think it would be cute and funny is it?"

"Ahh-" EJ hedged.

"Oh my God!" exclaimed Sami, hardly able to believe that he'd even think about joking about something like that.

"Well you did put me through my paces darling," said EJ with a big smirk, "It's a wonder I have use of any part of my lower body ever again."

"Ohhh!" growled Sami in utter annoyance, grabbing the first thing she could and throwing it at him which just happened to be a glass of water.

"I'm all wet," EJ pouted, shaking his head as he took the water straight in the face.

He gave Sami a particularly salacious look then.

"Care for me to return the favour sweetheart?" he asked her throatily.

"You'll be lucky if I ever let you touch me again!" Sami snapped, glaring at him in aggravation, "How can you think jokes about your health are in any way amusing EJ!"

"It seemed amusing on the ride over here," said EJ with a quirk of his lips.

"You're an idiot," Sami announced flatly.

"Permission for this idiot to come aboard ma'am?" asked EJ, nodding his head at her bed.

"Denied," Sami huffed.

"I'm going to take that as a yes," said EJ happily as he stood up and lay down on the bed beside Sami, both of them propped up with pillows.

"I wouldn't," said Sami grimly, trying to elbow him off the bed.

"Ow," EJ complained, wrinkling his nose as her elbow connected with his ribs, "Pointy."

"I've been here all afternoon worrying myself sick about how you are and then you just come in here and try and give me a heart attack!" Sami huffed, "What kind of person does that?!"

"Alright I was probably misguided," conceded EJ, looking at her with warm eyes, "Can I tell you how lovely you look now?"

EJ bent his head and kissed Sami's exposed neck as he said that.

"No," said Sami flatly even as she felt the familiar flutter in her stomach at even the lightest touch from him.

"I was so worried about you Samantha," said EJ huskily, his lips brushing her skin as he spoke, his hot, moist breath a singular caress.

EJ put a large hand on her stomach and spread out his fingers to cup her ever growing bump.

"About all of you," he said softly, nuzzling her neck now, "I wouldn't believe that you were alright until I could see it for myself."

"I know," said Sami a little unsteadily as she put her hand to his and leant her head against his, "I feel the same way."

"I want you to stay in overnight Samantha," EJ said quietly, "Just to make sure."

"How can I unless-"

Sami paused and looked up at EJ. Now seemed as good a time as any to bring up the subject of ending this charade with Lucas. Surely EJ was going to have to concede that the time to tell Lucas about her lies was here?

"Unless?" EJ prompted her with interest.

"Unless I just tell Lucas the truth and be done with it," said Sami, looking at EJ hopefully, "I mean I'm getting to the point that it is almost impossible to hide my stomach anymore and honestly EJ, I just want to be with you. I can't stand us always having to be separated. I just want the lies to be over and done with so we can move on with our lives."

EJ didn't speak for a long moment, seeming to be thinking about what she'd just said. Sami found that she was holding her breath as she waited for him to speak. And speak EJ did at last, opening his mouth and uttering a single word.

"No."


	124. Chapter 271

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & SEVENTY ONE**** – ****A Man's Man**

Some men are so macho they'll get you pregnant just to kill a rabbit.

_Maureen Murphy_

"No?" repeated Sami in surprise, "No to what EJ – no to our being together, no to our starting a life together?"

"No to not telling Lucas yet sweetheart," said EJ firmly, "After everything that happened today-"

"That proved it wasn't just about you being a target," Sami interrupted him determinedly, "So all of your arguments about keeping me out of this are moot because I'm already squarely in it."

"I just wasn't very magnificent for you today," said EJ unhappily, "What with the almost drowning and the electrocution thing."

Sami blinked, not sure what that had to do with anything but she couldn't let that pass.

"EJ you fought your way back from death for me," said Sami in disbelief, "How is that not magnificent?"

"But it was because of you," said EJ with a grimace, "I'm the one meant to be saving you Samantha, not the other way around."

"Excuse me?" asked Sami, arching an eyebrow at him, "What does that mean?"

"It means I'm the man and I'm the one who should be keeping you safe," said EJ firmly.

"I hope you're not expecting me and these babies to live in that cave you just crawled out of Elvis DiMera," said Sami, giving him a very disapproving look, "What the hell is that? When we start our lives together is it going to involve getting into a time machine and going back to the 1950's? We're equals in this marriage EJ!"

"Of course we are sweetheart," said EJ quickly, "It's just that there are certain things in a relationship that one of us might be better at then the other and men traditionally are more the protectors in a family situation."

"So we're both equal partners in this," said Sami slowly, "Only sometimes you're more equal than I am – am I understanding this right EJ?"

"That is not what I'm saying Samantha," said EJ with a roll of his eyes, "Stop being so-"

"Foolish?" Sami supplied for him tartly, "Idiotic? Female? You're absolutely right EJ, I should just do what my big strong husband tells me to do at all times, what was I thinking?"

"You know I in no way think of you in those terms Samantha Jean," said EJ firmly, "Don't make this more than it is."

"What this is is a repeat of the whole being followed thing," said Sami flatly, "I thought we'd dealt with this EJ but it appears you're still stuck in the mindset of being the big man in this relationship and I'm the helpless female."

"That is not how I see you Samantha," said EJ firmly.

"It's not how you think you think of me but when push comes to shove all you can think about is taking over the relationship!" Sami threw back at him.

"Samantha I'm a DiMera," said EJ stubbornly, "It is engrained in me to take control of all situations."

"And people," said Sami tightly.

"If it results in keeping you safe then yes," said EJ unapologetically.

"So I'm going to be more like a possession then," said Sami slowly, "Something you lock up at night and all I have to do is stand around and look pretty."

"That is absolutely not how I think Samantha," said EJ with a scowl.

"It's the natural progression of your thinking EJ," Sami argued back, "You're meant to be the big protector which means you get to take charge of the relationship and call the shots. You'll let me have a say when there isn't much riding on it but when push comes to shove only you know how to get us out of any trouble."

"That is not my mindset Samantha," said EJ, his frown deepening.

"You don't want to think that you do," Sami disagreed with him, "You want to think you're a million miles away from your father's archaic attitude towards women but the truth is that you're not. You can't have it both ways EJ – I'm either an equal in this relationship and that means all the time or I'm not."

"Samantha sometimes I'm just the better man for the job," said EJ, not giving up.

"And sometimes I am," said Sami roundly, "Like today - that's what a relationship is EJ – give and take and you have to be able to take help just as much as you can give it and not hold that against me."

EJ opened his mouth and then closed it again, clearly trying to formulate a comeback for that statement and having a bit of difficulty. Just then they heard voices coming down the hall and Sami's eyes widened.

"That's my dad!" she exclaimed in disbelief, looking at EJ, "What is he doing here?"

"I'm guessing not turning up with a bouquet of get well flowers for me," said EJ dryly.

He seemed to Sami not so much perturbed by her father's appearance as glad to be able to get out of their conversation. Sami however wasn't having any of that.

"Well it's good that he's here," said Sami determinedly, "I can tell him the truth about us."

"I thought you'd want to tell Lucas first," pointed out EJ with a challenging look.

Sami pulled an annoyed face, knowing he'd gotten her there. She did want to tell Lucas before anyone else, it was the right thing to do and she didn't want to add having him hear it from someone else to her list of crimes.

"Okay fine," she conceded ungraciously, "I'll wait."

EJ quickly got out of bed then and started to head towards the bathroom.

"Where are you going?" asked Sami in surprise.

"To make myself scarce," said EJ with a quick look back over his shoulder at her, "I don't think Captain Brady is going to love finding me in your room."

"I don't care," said Sami but EJ was already in the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

"He drives me crazy," Sami muttered to herself as she heard the sound of approaching footsteps now and this time the sound of her mother's voice.

At the beginning he would do everything he could to try and get them caught by her family like the time they'd made love at the police station and now he was all about discretion. Sami didn't have any more time to ponder the frustration that was EJ DiMera before her parents burst through the door.

"Mom, Dad," she said, wide eyed, "What are you doing here?"

Sami quickly drew her knees up so that the sheet wasn't lying flat against her stomach anymore, hiding its swell from them.

"Sami honey are you alright?" asked Marlena anxiously, crossing to where she was.

"Yes I'm fine," said Sami as her mother hugged her, "How did you know I was here?"

"One of the nurses in the ER recognised you and rang me," said Marlena, looking upset, "And then I rang your father."

"Oh right," said Sami and pulled a bit of a face, "So much for discretion I guess."

"Sami why didn't you ring and tell us what happened?" asked Roman unhappily as he kissed her forehead now.

"It was no big deal," said Sami vaguely, hoping to put them off, "I'm going to be out of here soon so there was nothing to tell."

"What exactly happened?" asked Marlena, looking confused, "I don't understand."

"Well EJ and I-"

Roman made an unhappy grunting sound at the mention of the other man's name.

"I might have known he'd be involved with putting you in hospital," said Roman darkly.

"No he wasn't Dad," said Sami with a frown, "EJ was fantastic today, I don't know what I would have done without him."

Marlena and Roman exchanged disbelieving looks at that assertion from Sami which annoyed her no end.

"Anyway," she said tightly, "We were down at the docks, the part with all the warehouses and something broke in EJ's car and we drove off the pier and into the water."

"Oh my God!" gasped Marlena in horror, putting her hand to her mouth.

"We got out," Sami said quickly and made a rueful face, "Obviously."

"I was told you were in a sauna accident though," said Marlena, looking very confused now, "What does that even mean Sami?"

"Well I was cold and wet when we got out of the water and there was that new gym nearby so EJ and I went there," said Sami, trying not to give too much away, "And I thought I'd turn on the sauna to get warm while EJ rang for some help and then we both got locked inside."

"How?" asked Roman with a frown.

"Don't know," lied Sami, "I think the latch was faulty somehow."

"So you were locked in that room with EJ," said Roman, his face darkening, "What did he do?"

"_Oh god, oh god, oh god, I'm coming!"_

"He prayed a lot," said Sami, not missing a beat.

"EJ DiMera prayed?" repeated Marlena sceptically, "I find that unlikely."

"Well he did Mom," said Sami defiantly, knowing EJ was getting an earful, "Very loudly in fact."

"I asked at the desk," said Roman, "He's in here as well?"

"Wh-what?" asked Sami in surprise, unable to figure out how her father knew EJ was in the bathroom.

"In the hospital," Roman clarified, "He was admitted as well – for electrocution?"

"Oh right," said Sami, glad she hadn't said anything now, "Yes, EJ must have touched a live wire somewhere and was knocked unconscious. He stopped breathing for awhile so I had to do CPR."

"That was very-" Marlena paused, looking for the right word clearly, "Generous of you Sami."

"Saving someone's life was generous?" Sami repeated in disbelief, "What does that mean?"

"It just means that EJ was very lucky he was in there with you because there are other people in this town that might not have been so helpful towards him," said Roman coolly, answering for Marlena.

"You mean like you Dad?" asked Sami, unable to stop the anger welling up inside of her at that thought, "You would have let EJ die on the ground like that?"

"No," said Roman with a frown but there was something in his voice that told Sami that he would have considered it, "Of course not Sami."

"You know I was taught that all life is sacred by my family," said Sami, looking between them in annoyance, "I didn't realise that by all you didn't mean everyone."

"Of course we meant everyone Sami," said her father firmly, "We're proud of you for what you've done."

"It was very brave of you honey," Marlena chimed in.

"But neither of you seem overly happy that EJ was the recipient of my bravery," said Sami with a note of censure in her voice that she didn't bother to disguise.

"That man deserves everything that happens to him," said Marlena tightly, obviously not feeling the need to lavish any concern on the younger man, "The things EJ has done in the name of his father deserve some kind of retribution."

"That's a great theory there Mom," said Sami dryly, "Except that I was in the car and locked in the sauna with EJ so what exactly are you trying to say?"

"Of course I didn't mean you deserved those things to happen to you honey," said Marlena quickly, realising her mistake too late.

Sami didn't comment, just scrutinised her mother carefully. She had to wonder in that moment if her mother's hatred of all things DiMera would be too much to be counteracted by her love for Sami. More than ever Sami knew that telling her family about her and EJ would not elicit a happy response from her family and she knew that they had a tough road ahead of them but Sami would fight anyone and anything to be with EJ – even EJ.

"So has Lucas been to see you yet?" asked Marlena brightly, obviously trying to change the subject.

"Lucas doesn't know," said Sami, pressing her lips together, "And I don't want him to, he's got so much to deal with already I don't want to worry him."

"But Sami I'm sure he'd want to know," Marlena argued, "That is what love is about, being there for one another when the times get tough."

Sami hoped EJ had gotten an earful of that statement even though he probably didn't put much stock in the source after no doubt listening in on their conversation.

"Lucas doesn't need the stress Mom," said Sami stubbornly, "He only just got out of the hospital himself."

"But you're staying in overnight Sami," said Roman, ever practical, "You can't lie to the man."

Shows what you know Dad thought Sami unhappily as all she'd done was lie to Lucas for a very long time now.

"We'll tell him," said Marlena helpfully and being anything but.

"I'm not staying overnight," Sami argued with them, "I don't need to."

"I think it is a good idea," Marlena argued right back, "It is better to be safe than sorry after all."

"But-" Sami tried to protest but apparently the decision had already been made.

"Now is there anything we can get for you honey?" asked Marlena kindly.

_The patience of a saint maybe?_

Sami bit back her smart ass answer just in time.

"No Mom," said Sami a little unevenly, "I think I just need to rest now."

"And don't worry about EJ either," said Roman firmly, "I'll take care of him."

"EJ doesn't need taking care of Dad," said Sami with a frown, "He didn't do anything wrong."

"Well a lot of those things that happened to you both today don't sound like accidents to me," said Roman darkly, "EJ would have a lot of people out to get him. See, this is why no one likes you working with the guy Sami – he's just trouble and you're getting caught in the cross fire. The man is dangerous."

"I can take care of myself Dad," said Sami coolly, "And I don't need any help with getting into trouble if you recall."

"But those days are behind you Sami," said Marlena with a motherly smile, "You've settled down and become a young woman we are all so proud of."

Sami looked at her mother and gave a sad smile, knowing that was all going to change very soon. Very soon she'd be back to the disappointed looks and hang wringing that she was used to from her family. Sami knew that she'd deserved it in the past but this time was different, not that they'd see that of course. She was in love, really in love, for the first time in her entire life and she wanted nothing more than her family to be happy for her but of course they wouldn't be. She'd gone about it all wrong and of course their hatred of EJ went without saying. No, to her family, what was the most joyous and significant relationship of Sami's life would be nothing but a horrendous mistake in a long line of horrendous mistakes and they would be spending all of their time telling her so.

"What's the matter Sami?" asked Marlena with concern, coming to sit on the bed beside Sami and taking her hand, "You look so sad."

"I was just thinking," said Sami quietly, "I know I've hurt you guys a lot over the years-"

"That's all water under the bridge honey," said Marlena, interrupting her with a warm smile, "No matter what happened in the past your father and I never stopped loving you Sami and knowing that you'd turn into this wonderful and responsible young woman that we see today."

Sami looked away quickly as emotional tears clouded her eyes.

"I'm not Carrie you know," she said thickly, blinking rapidly to clear her tears before looking back at her parents, "I'm never going to be that person who does all the right things and says all the right things."

"Your sister has made her own mistakes," said Marlena, surprising Sami with her truthfulness about Carrie, "But the important thing about mistakes is learning from them."

"And what if the lessons learned don't result in an outcome you'd approve of?" asked Sami, looking at them both intently.

Her mistakes had taught her that she'd never be happy being anyone other than who she was and EJ's love had released her to believe that what was once such an unthinkable concept was perfectly alright. The mistakes Sami had made had taught her that she needed an equal who loved her as she was, right that moment and not for the potential inside of her. You couldn't live in the past, nor in the future, there was only now and EJ loved the now Sami and set her free to do the same in that single act.

Once again Sami just wanted her parents to be happy for her that she'd figured all of this out at long last and trust her judgement about EJ but she knew that was never going to happen. Deep down Sami knew that her family thought of her as a silly child in need of constant direction and correction and in the past that may have been true but not any longer. The trouble was that for any child, breaking free of their family's opinions of them can be an almost impossible task and for Sami it was going to be even worse.

"I don't understand Sami," said Marlena, sharing a confused look with Roman, "What wouldn't we approve of?"

"I know I've made mistakes in the past Mom," said Sami, choosing her words very carefully now, "But that doesn't mean that everything I do is a mistake."

"We're not saying it is Sami," said Roman, looking even more confused now, "Honey I'm not sure what you are trying to tell us."

Sami grimaced, knowing she wasn't making sense right then but she was trying to prepare them for what was about to happen as gently as she could without giving anything away. Talk about impossible tasks. If EJ's point about telling Lucas first wasn't still ringing in her ears Sami would have absolutely told her parents the truth right then but she couldn't bring herself to betray Lucas yet again by doing that.

"I guess that what I'm saying is that no matter what happens in the future I'd like to know that my parents are on my side," said Sami unevenly, "And that they can find it in themselves to trust my judgement when it really counts."

"What you did in marrying Lucas and following your heart was incredibly courageous of you Sami," said Marlena, squeezing her hand, "Of course we're going to support you in those kinds of tough decisions."

"I did follow my heart Mom," said Sami seriously, "But not in the way you think and soon, very soon that is going to make sense to you and I need to know that when it does you and Dad will listen to what I have to say and trust me that I know what I'm doing."

"Sami have you done something?" asked Roman, looking suddenly nervous.

"Oh Dad," said Sami with a sad little laugh, "When have you ever known me not to do something?"

"Sami what is going on?" asked Marlena with a frown, "What are you telling us?"

"I'm telling you that I'm your daughter and I love you both, very much," said Sami, proud of how calm her voice sounded, "But that I'm a grown woman now and I'm going to make my own choices in this world and I don't need the approval of my family any more. I'd still like it of course but it isn't going to change the decisions I've made."

"Decisions about what Sami?" asked Roman, looking at her a little tentatively.

"To be true to myself," said Sami, holding his gaze unwaveringly, "And not to make any apologies for what and who I am."

"Well that's good honey," said Marlena a little uncertainly, patting her hand now, "We want you to be a confident young woman – that's what any parent wants for their child."

Sure her mother was saying that now but Sami knew that such a sentiment was going to be put to the test when her idea and her mother's idea of what a confident woman was faced off.

"We'd better let you rest now," said her father with a bit of a smile, "You've had a big day. We're just so thankful that you are okay Sami, we were so worried."

"I know you were Dad," said Sami with a slightly sad smile, "But you don't have to worry about me anymore, you really don't."

"You're our child Sami," said Marlena with one of those sweet smiles of hers that crinkled her eyes, "We'll always worry."

A few minutes later they were leaving and Sami waved them goodbye, a feeling of poignancy coming over her as she thought about how that may well be the last time there was real peace between her and her parents. EJ emerged from the bathroom then and arched an eyebrow at her.

"I thought you were about to spill our collective beans darling," he said, looking at her speculatively as he approached the bed, "Are you alright?"

"I guess," said Sami with a sigh, "It's just I think it is going to be every bit as horrible as I feared it would be when it comes to their reaction to us."

"Reading between the lines of their conversation with you I did take away the subtext that death was too good for me according to Marlena and Roman," said EJ wryly as he took a seat on her bed again, "It was subtle but it was there."

Sami rolled her eyes at that statement.

"However," said EJ, a big smile splitting his face as he tapped her hand playfully, "You probably couldn't see it but whilst you were talking to your parents and letting them know that you are your own woman I was doing the biggest and happiest of dances in that bathroom. I even wiggled my booty."

"Well don't you get all happy just yet EJ DiMera," said Sami, her lips thinning as she sent him a vague glare, "Because that booty of yours is still in deep trouble with me. You and I have some things to sort out mister."

"Ah," said EJ pulling a face.

"Yes EJ," said Sami firmly, "Ah."


	125. Chapter 272

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & SEVENTY TWO**** – ****Don't Poke the Bear... Or the Wolf**

He was a dreamer, a thinker, a speculative philosopher... or, as his wife would have it, an idiot.

_Douglas Adams_

_(British comic Writer, 1952-2001)_

"Alright yes," said EJ, surprising Sami, "We do need to finish our conversation because I haven't said my piece yet."

"Really?" said Sami with an arched eyebrow as she folded her arms in front of herself, "You had something to add to that idiocy from earlier – really EJ?"

"If I agree to work on my alpha male tendencies will you agree to hear me out?" said EJ, facing off with her.

"Maybe," said Sami, not giving too much away.

"I think in light of recent events that we should find a safe place for you to be until all of this is over," said EJ seriously.

"Don't you mean for us?" asked Sami, her eyes narrowing menacingly.

"No I don't," said EJ firmly, "Samantha I think it is only smart to put your safety and the safety of our unborn children at the top of our priority list and the best way to do that is for you to go into hiding until all of this gets sorted out."

"Sorted out by you, you mean?" said Sami flatly.

"Well, yes, of course," said EJ with a nod.

"Colour me crazy but haven't we already had this exact same conversation?" asked Sami in disbelief.

"But that was before," reasoned EJ.

"Before what?" she snapped, "Before you lost your mind EJ?"

"Before you almost died today," said EJ urgently, "Before this cowboy maniac made direct threats to you sweetheart. The what ifs are out of this scenario now and we know for certain you are a target and we have to directly deal with that."

"And the way to deal with it is sending me away," said Sami coolly, "Are we back there again?"

"It's the only thing that makes sense sweetheart," said EJ earnestly.

"No, the only thing that makes sense is me smothering you with a pillow right now," said Sami darkly, "I can't believe you are saying these things to me when not even a minute ago you promised to work on the caveman thing EJ!"

"But the two aren't related," EJ argued back determinedly.

"Are you sure the doctors said you were okay?" asked Sami in disbelief at that, "Because I'm pretty sure something got fried in your head if you think that is in anyway true EJ!"

"You are in real and imminent danger Samantha," said EJ urgently.

"So are you EJ but I don't see you running for the hills," said Sami flatly, giving him a decidedly warning look.

"There are too many variables in the situation," said EJ in frustration, "I can't control them all Samantha!"

"Sending me away has just as many variables as me staying," said Sami hotly, "Why are you being so pig headed about this EJ?"

"Because I've never had to take care of anyone but myself before and I don't want to screw this up!" snapped EJ in frustration.

"Well newsflash big boy," bit out Sami, "You are! I stood on the beach and promised to be with you through thick and thin and well here we are – in the thick and I'm not budging! I take my promises seriously EJ!"

"I don't have another plan Samantha!" said EJ throwing up his hands in exasperation, "That is the best one that I have!"

"I've got a crazy idea," Sami said curtly, "Why don't we come up with a plan together? How about that wacky concept EJ?"

"Your plan is to tell everyone about us," said EJ in frustration.

"And that is a fantastic plan!" Sami snapped back, "That is the most brilliant plan I've ever heard in fact!"

"Since when has telling the truth ever been a plan of yours?" asked EJ in exasperation.

"Since I grew up and realised that facing things was way better than running from them!" she threw back at him, "You may want to try it sometime EJ!"

"And how is having all of your family and Lucas and Will all up in our face and getting in our way at this crucial point in anyway going to be helpful Samantha?" said EJ flatly, "Explain that to me will you?"

Sami paused, knowing that as much as she hated to admit it EJ did have a point. That conversation with her parents had just reaffirmed that there was going to be hell to pay when the truth about her and EJ did surface. It went without saying that the Brady family would descend on her en mass and try and 'talk some sense' into her. It was going to be very hard to focus on the real problem at hand whilst so many people will undoubtedly want to be putting themselves in between her and EJ. And of course that didn't even factor in Lucas' and Will's reaction which no doubt would be nuclear. The news would probably end up killing Lucas and fresh guilt washed over Sami but to her way of thinking there was no way to go but forward.

"It's not a perfect plan," conceded Sami reluctantly, "But yours just plain sucks!"

"I think once you calm down and give this some careful, unemotional thought Samantha you'll see the validity of my plan," said EJ firmly.

_Hello red flag, have you met my old friend the bull?_

"You and I are never going to be separated EJ!" Sami said, glaring at him angrily, "Now get the hell out of my room you gigantic ass!"

"Somewhat mixed messaging going on there my love," commented EJ with an arched eyebrow.

"Out EJ DiMera before you need the services of more doctors!" she ordered him imperiously.

"But-" EJ began to protest so Sami made good on her threats, picking up the nearest object which just happened to be a vase and threw it with all her might at EJ.

He ducked just in time but it made an almighty crashing noise as it hit the door. Within less than a second one of the large men Sami had seen outside her door had flung open the door, his hand inside his coat pocket as he clearly went for his gun.

"It's alright Duncan," EJ reassured him quickly as he brushed glass from his hair distractedly, "False alarm."

"Yes Mr DiMera," said Duncan slowly as he looked between the two of them, slowly withdrawing his hand from his coat pocket, "Sorry to intrude, it was just that it sounded serious."

"Just my beautiful wife being a bit hormonal," said EJ with a lop sided smile.

"Duncan you carry a gun right?" asked Sami, perfectly seriously and holding out her hand, "Give it to me."

"Don't do it Duncan," said EJ hastily, "She'll kill us both without batting an eyelid."

"Don't be ridiculous EJ," Sami snapped, "Why would I kill Duncan?"

"You know maybe I should let you sleep on it?" suggested EJ ruefully, backing away, "See what the morning brings eh darling?"

"If it isn't your head on a platter then I don't see what a few hours is going to make to you being an idiot," said Sami flatly, folding her arms in front of herself and glaring at him in annoyance.

EJ opened his mouth and then closed it again, clearly thinking twice about answering her back.

"The key to being a good husband is to know when to hold your tongue," said EJ knowingly to the stalwart Duncan.

"If I may sir," Duncan dead panned, "The key to being an alive husband is to get the hell out of Dodge when your wife starts trying to source a gun."

"Your men are getting smarter EJ," said Sami sweetly, "Shame I can't say the same about you _eh darling_?"

Sami was so far from done with this topic that they hadn't come up with a measurement yet that was big enough to even get close to that kind of distance.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Dad are you going to visit Mom?" asked Will, looking at his father a little anxiously, "I know she said not to bother but maybe we should anyway?"

"Visit your Mom where?" asked Lucas distractedly as he looked up from his newspaper.

He glanced at his watch then and frowned.

"Where is your mother anyway?" said Lucas, his frown deepening, "It's nearly time for dinner."

"Dad," said Will slowly, "Are you alright?"

"Why wouldn't I be alright?" asked Lucas, looking at him in confusion.

"Because it wasn't even an hour ago when Grandpa Roman rang and you spoke to him," said Will, looking at his father in concern now.

"Roman?" repeated Lucas, looking confused, "I haven't spoken to him today."

"Yes you did Dad," said Will, looking upset now, "He rang to tell you that Mom was in the hospital."

"Sami is in the hospital?" repeated Lucas in horror, standing up, "What happened?"

"She was in an accident with EJ," said Will, looking very distressed now as his father clearly didn't recall any of this, "You spoke to Grandpa and then you told me. You then rang the hospital and said that Mom didn't want us to worry about visiting her and that she was fine – you said we'd go in the morning together to pick her up."

Will put an uncertain hand on his father's arm.

"Dad," he said unevenly, "You really don't remember any of that at all?"

"I-I- of course I do," said Lucas quickly and completely unconvincingly, "I just... ah... I was thinking about something else and it slipped my mind for a second."

"Dad," said Will, his face darkening in real concern.

"It's alright Will," said Lucas, giving him a reassuring smile, "Honestly, of course I remember all of that. I'm just glad your mother is alright and hopefully this might have her rethinking being in business with that gangster EJ."

Will didn't look convinced and Lucas couldn't blame him.

"How about take out for dinner tonight hm?" suggested Lucas, trying to change the subject, "Just a boy's night – how does that sound?"

"Sounds good Dad," said Will with a sad little smile, "I'll go and order."

"Seeing as your Mom isn't here make it double peperoni okay?" suggested Lucas a smile fixed to his face.

"Okay," agreed Will as he headed into the other room.

The smile dropped from Lucas' face once Will was gone though and he sat down heavily in the chair he'd just gotten out of and put his head in his hands. He'd been lying – Lucas had no memory of anything phone call from Roman, it was completely blank. It didn't matter what his mom said, keeping his regime of pills up to make it look like he was still dying was definitely affecting Lucas. At the thought of his mother Lucas quickly grabbed for his cell phone and dialled.

"Mom Sami is in the hospital," said Lucas urgently when she answered.

"I know," said Kate flatly, "Unfortunately it's nothing serious."

"How did you know?" asked Lucas in confusion, thinking it unlikely that Sami would have rung Kate.

"Stefano told me," said Kate offhandedly, "EJ rang him – apparently he was electrocuted but he is okay as well. I'm naught for two."

"I didn't know," said Lucas unhappily.

"Big surprise," said Kate tartly, "Sami isn't great at keeping you in the loop Lucas."

"Meaning?" asked Lucas suspiciously, the feeling of his mother knowing something he didn't intensifying yet again.

"Meaning that woman couldn't lie straight in bed," said Kate vaguely, "She lies about everything – it's a reflex for her."

"Don't start Mom," said Lucas tightly.

"You asked," said Kate unapologetically.

"The thing is that I didn't know but I should have," said Lucas, keeping his voice down as he looked back over his shoulder checking for Will, "Roman rang me and told me supposedly only I don't remember a damn thing about that conversation."

"You're still having the memory loss?" asked Kate in surprise.

"I guess," said Lucas in frustration, "I don't know. Mom I can't keep this up – I'm going to do permanent physical harm to myself with those pills. This has to end – I need to come clean with Sami."

"NO!" said Kate sharply, "You can't do that Lucas!"

"I have to," said Lucas through gritted teeth, "You're not doing anything to get rid of EJ Mom!"

"Tomorrow," Kate promised him, only a slight waver in her voice, "Tomorrow honey it will be all over for EJ DiMera, I promise you."

"What are you planning Mom?" asked Lucas in sudden concern, "You have to tell me."

"Just trust me Lucas," she begged him, "I'm doing this all for you, you have to know that."

Normally Lucas would have argued with her on that point but there was something in her voice that held him back.

"I know Mom," said Lucas quietly.

"I'd do anything for you Lucas," said Kate unevenly, "For us to be a proper family again. I know I have so much to make up to you."

"I just want this to be over with," said Lucas unhappily, "And EJ gone from our lives for good."

"And it will be," said Kate a little shakily, "You'll see, tomorrow Lucas, everything will fall into place tomorrow I promise."

Lucas knew he should be happy about that but an ominous feeling ran through his bones and he gave a little shudder, suddenly cold. He had to wonder what tomorrow would bring and if it was going to make things better or worse for them all.

**oooOOOOooo**

"_I don't want this."_

_Celeste's voice echoed in the aching quiet around her as she closed her eyes and willed herself to wake up. These dreams were unrelenting and try as she might Celeste couldn't stop them. She opened her eyes and saw a door in front of her and frowned. It wasn't Sami's door, the door she usually saw in this dream and Celeste wondered if this was a new dream. She tentatively pushed on the door and stepped from a corridor into the outdoors. Celeste looked down and saw grass underneath her feet and then out at the landscape in front of her. It was night, everything bathed in an inky greyness that seemed to match the breathless quiet of her environment. Celeste took a tentative step forward and continued to look around. In front of her was a body of water, still and dark, reflecting the row of dead looking trees behind it. They stood all in a row, like crooked soldiers standing to attention waiting for a general that was never coming. _

_The stillness was all consuming, as though the landscape was holding its breath and waiting for something to happen – something horrible. Celeste began to walk around the edge of water, hardly daring to breathe herself. Her footfalls felt unbearably noisy in the still around her but there was nothing she could do about it. Celeste kept walking until she was at the edge of the forest with its dead trees and hesitated briefly. A flash of red caught her attention and Celeste moved towards it. She came to a clearing only to see the red belonged to a cape, complete with matching hood. The person wearing the hood had her back to Celeste but then she turned around and her eyes widened with surprise at seeing who it was._

_Kate._

_Kate was dressed in the red cape and hood, a big wicker basket looped over one arm when suddenly a giant grey wolf emerged from the skeletal forest. Celeste put her hand over her mouth, horror filling her as it approached the unsuspecting Kate as she rearranged the apples in her basket distractedly. Celeste wanted to call out and warn her of the evil looking wolf that was approaching her but the words died in her throat. The wolf drew nearer to the defenceless woman but as he did he began to change, his face contorting and shortening, his fur receding until suddenly it wasn't a wolf any longer. Tony DiMera straightened up from the ground uncaring of his nakedness and not missing a step of his advancement towards Kate during his transformation. He came up behind Kate and slipped a hand around her neck, making her give a little gasp of surprise._

"_All alone little girl?" he rasped in her ear, an evil smile touching his lips. _

_Kate's look of shock receded and a little smile came to her lips now._

"_Not anymore," she purred as she nestled back against him, "André."_

_Celeste had to stifle a gasp of her own at hearing that name uttered. She was looking at André, not Tony it seemed and this dream continued to baffle her with what it was trying to tell her. The sound of someone else approaching their little party now could be heard and both Kate and André looked towards the sound. _

"_It is time," announced André in a low voice before he slinked back into the shadows of the forest so that only Kate, dressed in her red hood and cape was left. _

_EJ stepped confidently out into the clearing and came to a dead stop when he saw Kate standing there. Kate sauntered up to him confidently and then reached into her basket and drew out a bright, rosy red apple and offered it up to EJ._

"_Peace offering," she said huskily._

_EJ eyed the fruit suspiciously and then Kate even more suspiciously. _

"_Grandma's house is yours EJ," she told him throatily, "You have no reason to fear me – Grandma has made it so."_

_EJ pursed his lips and reluctantly reached out and took the apple from Kate. He looked down at it with a considered gaze before taking a big bite of it. A satisfied smile touched Kate's lips at seeing that first bite as a suddenly stricken look came over EJ's face as he looked down at his legs. A greyness began to creep up them as the apple fell from his hand, EJ struggling to move now. The grey sped up his legs, to his torso until it had enveloped him completely, leaving behind nothing but a statue of a shocked EJ._

"_He is trapped," said Kate with satisfaction at seeing her handiwork, "Caught in his stone prison."_

_She turned and looked at André who had once again come up behind her._

"_Grandma's house is ours," she announced triumphantly._

"_No my dear," said André, his eyes suddenly going completely black as he took a step away from her, "Grandma's house is mine."_

_Celeste eyes widened in horror as once again André transformed - this time back into the big grey wolf – muscle and sinew twisting into horrifying shapes before the change was complete. The wolf lunged at Kate and she screamed loudly, just escaping him but his long claws still tore at her flesh, deep wounds scoring her bodice. Kate turned and began to run, screaming into the forest and the wolf paused, seeming to want her to get ahead of him so he could enjoy the chase. The powerful beast coiled his body up then before leaping forward in a movement so fast he was just a blur of grey fur and muscle and then he was off, hunting down his helpless prey. _

_Celeste couldn't stop herself as she followed after them, not sure if she could help but needing to try. She crashed through the dead forest, trying to keep up but suddenly Kate's screams had stopped and the heavy snorting of the beast chasing her could no longer be heard either. Celeste stopped and looked around herself, the gloom of the forest reaching out and embracing her in a cold embrace. Everything was grey and dark and Celeste suddenly realised she had no idea where she was. Something warm and wet dripped on her face, once and then twice, three times. Now it was raining it seemed and she put a hand to her face to wipe away the wetness. _

_A light abruptly flickered into being and Celeste's eye was immediately drawn towards it. The Cowboy was leaning nonchalantly against one of the gnarled trees, his hat drawn down over his face as he lit up a cigarette. The glow of his lighter stopped abruptly as he shut off the flame but then Celeste watched as he threw that silver lighter at her feet. She bent down to tentatively pick it up. The creak of the dead trees was all around her, the wind moving their lifeless limbs and causing groans of protest from them. Celeste flicked on the lighter and was immediately rewarded with a little beacon of light in the gloom. The letter 'A' was again highlighted on the silver lighter. Once again her eyes were immediately drawn towards the red but this time it was on her hand. She made a strangled sound of horror as she realised her hand was covered with it. Celeste stricken gaze turned to The Cowboy who was still casually smoking his cigarette, the shadow of his hat hiding his face from Celeste's view. _

"_Who are you?" Celeste called out desperately, "What do you want?"_

_The Cowboy's only answer was to point a finger skyward and Celeste's reluctant gaze followed its direction. Above her head a pair of feet dangled, not quite covered by the red cape, rivets of blood trailing down them and that was what had been raining down on Celeste. She dropped the lighter and tried to move away but fell backwards over a twisted root. The breath rushed out of her lungs as Celeste found it impossible to look away from the horrific sight. Kate was strung up in a tree, the odd angle her neck was at testifying to how the rope around it had broken it. _

_Celeste's stomach turned nauseatingly at the graphic sight and she looked away abruptly. Only then did her stricken gaze find new horrors to grapple with. In a tree behind Kate Sami was dangling by her neck as well, her sightless blue gaze and bones sticking out of her neck telling Celeste she was as dead as Kate was. To the right of Sami was another body swinging in the breeze, that of Will's, his face pale, lips blue as he and his mother swung in a sympathetic rhythm together up in those trees. Then as though that wasn't bad enough Lucas could be seen over Will's shoulder, dangling and lifeless. _

"_No!" Celeste screamed at the gruesome sight, "NO!" _

_She looked back at The Cowboy, eyes as big as saucers._

"_How could you do this?" she demanded of him, "I won't let you do this!"_

_The Cowboy's lips were visible now even if the rest of his face was still in shadows and the little smile that came to them at Celeste's threats was sickening. He slowly raised a finger to his lips and made a shushing gesture, urging her to keep his secret before his finger directed her gaze to one last place. Celeste's anguished gaze followed where he was pointing and there it was. The last body had its back to them but then a soft gust of wind turned her around and Celeste found herself looking into her own dead eyes before the screaming started and she just couldn't stop. The Cowboy's laughter could still be heard over the top of her cries though, mocking and heartless, like the creature himself. _

Celeste woke from her dream in a cold sweat, her heart almost beating its way out of her chest at the intensely real feeling dream. Only she knew it wasn't a dream, it was a vision and that vision was warning her of the intense evil that was weaving its way into so many people's lives. Celeste put a shaking hand to her face, still feeling sick from all that had been shown to her.

"I have to stop this," said Celeste hoarsely, knowing that was why she'd been shown all of these horrors, "I have to stop this."


	126. Chapter 273

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & SEVENTY THREE**** – ****Whispers From the Past**

To accept good advice is but to increase one's own ability.

_Johann Wolfgang von Goethe_

_(German Playwright, Poet, Novelist and Dramatist. 1749-1832)_

Sami sighed a little and rolled over in bed, caught between the worlds of awake and asleep. A movement in the corner of the darkened room caught her eye.

"EJ?" she murmured, blinking blearily at the familiar broad shouldered silhouette in the corner, "Is that you?"

The shadow moved, approaching her bed and then standing beside it and looking down at her.

"No la mia bella bambina (no my beautiful child)," said a deep, lilting voice.

Sami's eyes widened as she sat up in bed abruptly and stared at the man beside her bed with disbelieving eyes. He was dressed in an old fashioned coat with a waist coat underneath and even in the dark Sami was able to see how shiny his shoes were. She looked up at his face in incredulity and watched as the neatly trimmed moustache turned up in a little smile at her shocked expression. His dark hair was swept neatly to one side and his warm brown eyes held quiet amusement at her reaction to seeing him.

"Santo!" Sami gasped, hardly able to believe she was giving voice to such a thought but unable to help it.

She recognised him from the photo EJ had shown her and of course the uncanny resemblance to EJ, or rather EJ to his grandfather.

"Non abbiate paura bambino (do not be afraid child)," said Santo softly.

"I-I don't speak Italian," Sami stammered, still unable to believe that this was happening to her.

"But mya grandson hasa taughta you a little eh?" asked Santo, his smile widening.

His heavily accented tones were rich and rolling and Sami had an instant understanding of what it must have been for her great aunt to first meet this man, how impressive and captivating he was – just like his grandson.

"I'm dreaming," said Sami a little unsteadily, "This is a dream."

"Isa it?" asked Santo with interest, a teasing light to his eyes – so much like EJ.

"I don't believe in ghosts," said Sami firmly.

"Ah," nodded Santo thoughtfully, "Ina that case I cannot bea one eh?"

Sami frowned, her fear gone at his gentle teasing of her.

"I'm not afraid of you," she announced defiantly, not sure why he was here.

"So fierce," tutted Santo, his eyes twinkling, "Justa likea your Aunt eh?"

Santo gave a little sad smile then as he scrutinised Sami's face carefully.

"Cosi bella (so beautiful)," he murmured, almost to himself, "Justa like Colleen."

"What do you want from me?" asked Sami, feeling her heart begin to race under that warm gaze.

"I needa you toa save my family Samantha," said Santo softly, "My grandson, he needsa you."

"Your grandson wants to send me away," said Sami unhappily.

"Ah," said Santo, sticking his hands in his pockets and making a little shrug of his shoulders.

"I know he thinks that he is protecting me but I can't get him to see that we are better off together," said Sami in frustration, "He is so stubborn!"

Santo laughed at that, a velvety chuckle that rolled around Sami's head and made her toes curl.

"Anda you would know abouta stubborn eh Samantha?" he said in amusement.

"Stubborn is one thing," Sami huffed, "I just didn't think EJ would be this, this _chauvinistic_ towards me – I thought I knew him better than that."

Sami gave Santo a sideways look then.

"You know what that word means right?" she asked him hesitantly, unsure that his English was that good or that the word had even been around in his day.

"Si," he said with a quirk of his lips at her question, "I knowa the word but youa misjudge mya grandson Samantha."

"I think I know EJ a little better than you do Santo," said Sami defensively, "You haven't even met him and he's being a complete jerk about this whole thing. He wants to be the big man while I play the helpless female to boost his already very large ego."

"No Samantha," said Santo with a shake of his head, "Elvis isa afraid."

"Look I know he worries about me and the babies," began Sami dismissively, "But-"

"My grandson isa not worried Samantha," Santo corrected her, "He isa terrified."

Sami paused then, taken aback by the concept of EJ being terrified about anything.

"The thoughta ofa losing you and youra babies isa all my Elvis can think about," said Santo softly, "Ita clouds hisa reason, consumes hisa thoughts anda steals his rest."

Sami's eyes welled up with tears at the thought of EJ being so troubled. She hadn't realised the depth of his concern for her before that moment. He'd always tried to play it pretty cool around her and Sami suddenly saw what all his high handedness was really about – a false bravado to reassure them both that he had a handle on the situation. The thing was that he didn't, neither of them did and that was what Sami was trying to say to EJ.

"But sending me away isn't the right thing to do," Sami said desperately, "Why can't EJ see that?"

"My Stefano taught Elvis thata the way toa peace of mind isa to control everyone arounda you," said Santo, looking regretful at that statement.

"But it doesn't work like that," said Sami in frustration, "You can't truly control anyone, not really – their hearts and their minds will always be their own. No one can ever have power over that."

"You seea," said Santo with a half smile, "Thata isa why my grandson needs you eh?"

"And EJ has me only he keeps trying to push me away," said Sami in irritation, "I don't know what to do Santo, I really don't. EJ just won't see reason."

Santo didn't speak, looking lost in his own thoughts for a long moment before speaking at last.

"I oncea had everything I ever dreamed about ina my hands," said Santo quietly, "Ita wasa all there, I coulda touch it, taste it, heara it say my name witha so much love."

"Colleen," Sami whispered, knowing who he was talking about.

"Si," said Santo achingly, his voice little more than a whisper, "Colleen anda our child, made ina love, meant toa be loved."

"I'm sorry about what happened Santo," said Sami unevenly, feeling compelled to apologise for her family, "It was so sad and so unfair."

"I wasa so lost without her," said Santo, staring at a spot in front of himself, seeming to be talking to himself now, "The resta of mya life I wasa just lost."

Sami felt a pang at seeing so much regret and pain on the older man's face.

"My broken heart hasa poisoned my family," said Santo sadly, shaking his head, "My son, my little Stefano-"

There was real grief on Santo's face now and he looked to be close to tears.

"My hatred anda thirst fora revenge hasa stolen hisa life," choked out Santo, "The lifea he should ofa had."

Sami didn't know what to say to that so instead she reached out and took his hand, surprised to find it warm beneath her own and squeezed it.

"Hatred," said Santo quietly, looking at her with sad eyes, "It has a reacha beyonda the grave."

Santo looked down at Sami's hand on his and then back at her face full of compassion. This man had lost everything in one heartbreaking moment and his devastation in those letters she read had been so achingly real that Sami's heart broke for him.

"You 'ava kind heart Samantha," he told her huskily, putting his other hand over the top of hers, "My Elvis needsa that kind heart eh, very mucha."

"EJ has my heart Santo," said Sami raggedly, "He knows that."

"You 'ava grande task Samantha," said Santo seriously, "You musta save my Elvis froma his demons, froma himself. You musta show him another waya to whata I showed hisa father yes? Only youa can save him Samantha – only you knowa what isa at stake."

"But what if I can't?" asked Sami anxiously, suddenly feeling the weight of having another human being needing her that much.

EJ had always seemed the one in control, the one with his head on straight in their relationship and Sami was very used to being the wreck in all of her relationships to date. To expect more of herself in that department was actually a concept that she hadn't really considered herself. For all of her talk about being equals in their partnership with EJ there was still a part of her that expected to screw up at some point and be a disappointment to him so she'd held back from taking full responsibility and in many ways had let EJ take the lead up until this moment.

She'd been as guilty as he'd been about not viewing them as equals because to date Sami's experience with such a concept had been nil. She'd never felt an equal member of her family nor in any of her past relationships so just like it was for EJ, this was a first for Sami. She'd let him pursue her, make all of the moves so far and now Sami knew it was time for her to step up to the plate. She'd told EJ once that he'd saved her when Sami hadn't even realised she'd needed saving.

Time to return the favour.

"Soa Samantha," said Santo with a little smile, as though he knew the epiphany that was going on in her head, "Ara youa ready fora fight?"

Sami squared her shoulders, a bright gleam coming to her eyes as she lifted her chin to look up defiantly at Santo.

"I'm Samantha Jean DiMera," she said roundly, "I'm always ready for a fight."

Santo's smile just widened at that and he nodded slowly, a look of satisfaction coming over his face.

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ gave a little nod to the man standing outside of Sami's door before passing through the door and into her room. The sound of a shower running told him immediately where she was and EJ began to move towards the bathroom. He'd spent what was basically a sleepless night going over their argument and still not coming up with any other solution than his. That didn't matter right then though because all EJ wanted right then was to be close to Sami again, to feel her close to him. He quietly entered the bathroom, locking the door behind him as he did.

His goddess was showering and hadn't noticed him coming in. EJ took a moment to enjoy the way the rivulets of water coursed down her pale and perfect body, finding every nook and cranny and making him jealous with their easy freeness with Sami's body. Slipping his robe and pyjamas from his body EJ moved purposely towards the shower and the woman. Sami gave a little gasp of surprise as EJ suddenly appeared behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"EJ," she murmured and to his great relief she didn't pull away.

He ducked his head, pressing his lips to her wet shoulder and the shower spray now doused EJ as well. Sami's hand reached up behind herself and buried itself in his hair, pulling him closer. EJ's hands flared out over her stomach and began rubbing it gently, his own body already hardening in response to the feel of this woman in his arms. One hand came up to cup a full breast, testing its weight as his thumb ran back and forward over her nipple. Sami turned around in EJ's arms then and went up on her toes to kiss him deeply.

EJ took what was being offered to him eagerly, glad that for the moment at least they were done with fighting. The water sloughed down between their tightly entwined bodies and EJ wished he had it in him to have more foreplay but he just needed her so badly right then. He effortlessly picked Sami up and she accommodatingly wrapped her legs around his as EJ pressed her up against the wall. Sami looked up at him through wet eyelashes, biting her bottom lip in silent expectation. Thank God she was aroused as he was right then was all EJ could think before he slowly plunged himself into her heat. Sami whimpered and held EJ closer, her arms around his neck.

EJ pressed his forehead against Sami's and closed his eyes, his body immediately beginning to move inside of hers. His breathing quickly became ragged as the fierceness of his arousal took him over. The pleasure washed over his body in ever increasing waves as EJ quickly reached his peak. He managed to move one hand between their bodies, finding Sami's nub and making sure she came with him when the moment came.

In fact Sami actually climaxed before him, convulsing around him and crying out loudly as her body spasmed fiercely around his. EJ buried his face in her shoulder as her body drove him over the edge, indescribable pleasure tearing through his body. They held onto each other tightly before EJ's legs couldn't support them anymore and he slid down the wall so that they ended up sitting in the shower cubicle together, Sami on EJ's lap. He reached up and turned off the water, having had enough of water for the foreseeable future after yesterday's adventure. The lovers just held each other for a long time until EJ finally felt the need to speak.

"I hate it when we fight," said EJ unevenly, rubbing his cheek against the top of her hair as he cradled her in his lap, "But I have to confess to loving the makeup sex."

"Have we made up then?" asked Sami evenly, her head on his chest.

"Well you let me have my wicked way with you so I thought perhaps you've come to your senses," said EJ with a quirk of his lips.

"Don't ruin the moment by speaking idiot," said Sami dryly.

"You sound like Sam now," said EJ with a little laugh.

"Who's Sam?"

Too late EJ realised his mistake as Sami lifted her head and looked up at him expectantly.

"Oh, I, ahh-"

EJ wished he wasn't in such a post coital haze that he could come up with something better than that on the spot but unfortunately he was so he couldn't. Throwing caution to the wind EJ impulsively decided to come clean with Sami. He wasn't sure if she was going to go screaming to the hills or have him committed but EJ just needed not to be the only one who knew about her anymore.

"Do you really want to know who she is?" asked EJ hesitantly.

"Oh I definitely want to know who _she_ is EJ," said Sami, her lips pressing together in a disapproving line.

EJ tried to come up with a way to describe Sam that encapsulated her entire being and was struggling.

"I think is some kind of extension of my psyche who is rather my devil's advocate, handing out unsolicited advice in wildly appropriate ways," said EJ unevenly, "She looks like you which I think is my mind projecting and seems to favour lingerie over any other kind of clothing. Sam appears and disappears on what appears to be her own whim but I must have a hand in it somehow seeing as she comes out of my head right?"

EJ stopped talking then and looked at Sami nervously, waiting to see what she'd make of all that. It was pretty hard to explain Sam to someone else when he hadn't really worked out what she was himself.

"So she's your imaginary friend," supplied Sami calmly at last, "Who looks like me and only wears lingerie."

"Ah," said EJ hesitantly, "Yes, I guess that rather sums it up."

"Oh," said Sami.

"Soo," said EJ slowly as he tried to gauge Sami's reaction, "Do you think there will be a lot of paperwork involved in getting me committed sweetheart?"

Sami was just looking at him steadily and didn't reply immediately.

**oooOOOOooo**

"_I'm Samantha Jean DiMera," she said roundly, "I'm always ready for a fight."_

_Santo's smile just widened at that and he nodded slowly, a look of satisfaction coming over his face. _

"_My grandson isa ina good 'ands," said Santo happily, "Goodbye Samantha – I ama 'appy to havea met youa. My Elvis hasa chosen very wisely."_

_Santo have a little inclination of his head and then turned, beginning to walk towards the open door of her room. _

"_Wait!" Sami called out after him, "Santo!"_

_He turned back and looked at her expectantly._

"_I have to know," said Sami unevenly, "Did you and Colleen-"_

_Sami paused and swallowed hard, almost too frightened to know the answer of a question that had plagued her ever since learning of the tragic end._

"_Did you and Colleen find each other again?" she asked him shakily, "You know – after."_

_A slow smile came to Santo's lips and he looked back out of the door to someone who was standing a little ways down the corridor. Sami's eyes widened at seeing the blonde woman standing there, her hands neatly clasped in front of herself as she looked at Santo with shining eyes. Santo walked towards her confidently and took both of her hands in his. Colleen smiled up at him lovingly as their fingers intertwined. Santo only had eyes for her now as he bent his head and captured her lips, their images beginning to blur and fade now. _

"_Oh," said Sami softly at the beautiful sight, sagging back in her bed as happy tears formed, "Oh."_

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami pursed her lips, finally speaking.

"These things happen," she announced easily before putting her head back onto EJ's chest.

"Ah-" EJ once again struggled to find words, her reaction to his confession not at all what he'd expected.

"_Just take it and run Elvis," advised Sam wisely who had suddenly appeared in the corner, sitting on the toilet seat, "Don't push your luck."_

EJ pulled a bit of a face and decided that for once, Sam was right on the money. He wasn't sure why Sami had found that particular revelation so easy to accept but then why question providence? EJ cuddled Sami closer to him and just counted his lucky stars that he'd found this amazing woman who wasn't so easily unnerved.

"You know," said Sami softly, snuggling into EJ's broad and damp chest, "I've been thinking about your idea of me going away into some kind of safe house EJ."

"You have?" asked EJ, rubbing his cheek against the top of her head as he stroked her naked back absently.

"Yes," said Sami with a nod of her head before pulling back and looked up at him, "And I've come to a conclusion."

"And what conclusion would that be my love?" asked EJ, bracing himself for more assertions that he was an overbearing idiot.

"I think it's a good idea," said Sami, holding his gaze steadily, "I think we should absolutely go ahead and do that, as soon as possible in fact."

EJ arched an eyebrow at her, wondering if he was hearing Sami correctly. This all seemed a little too easy somehow...


	127. Chapter 274

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & SEVENTY FOUR**** – ****Give a Little Get a Little**

The score never interested me, only the game.

_Mae West_

"I'm just agreeing with you EJ," said Sami easily, "I think it is a good idea that I go away into some kind of safe house with body guards to look after me."

"You do?" repeated EJ slowly, looking at her askew now at this sudden about face on her behalf.

It wasn't like Sami to give in so easily and EJ was suspicious and as it turned out, with good reason.

"If you think it is a good idea having me all locked up with other men, you nowhere around then I guess all I can do is go along with you," said Sami easily.

"Samantha," said EJ, realising where she was going with this now, "I trust you implicitly."

"And well you should but you know how it is when you end up in such close quarters," said Sami with a casual shrug, "People get walked in on in showers – accidents happen."

"No one is going to walk in on you in the shower Samantha," said EJ with a scowl, shifting a little uncomfortably.

"Not intentionally of course," agreed Sami quickly, "But these things happen. And then you know how groggy and disorientated I am first thing in the morning."

She threw him a sideways look.

"If memory serves that how you got your first kiss from me EJ," she said innocently.

EJ blinked and looked at with vague horror.

"And of course these pregnancy hormones don't help," Sami sighed regretfully, "I'm just so-"

Sami bit her bottom lip and looked up at him through her eye lashes seductively.

"-overwrought these days," she finished breathily.

For overwrought EJ read horny as hell which was of course her intent. The green eyed giant reared its ugly head as EJ imagined other men in close proximity to the burgeoning Sami, watching her body fill out more every day, becoming more feminine with each passing moment. EJ's stomach twisted at the thought, some primal force deep inside of him screaming at him to keep other men away from her at all costs.

"I mean I often find myself overwrought three or four times a day," continued on Sami coquettishly, "Sometimes more – that could be a lot for my body guard to handle."

EJ grimaced, trying to block out the mental image of any man handling any part of Sami, literally or even figuratively. It was his job to be by her side, no one else's and Sami was having great delight in hammering that fact home to him it seemed.

"But if you think that going away to a safe house with another man is the best thing for our family then of course I'll do it EJ," she said sweetly, "I'd do anything for you. I just hope it doesn't go on for too long otherwise who knows, one of those body guards could be delivering these babies. It would be a bit of a shame if the first face the twins saw wasn't their daddy's."

Sami gave a regretful sigh then.

"Oh well," Sami said calmly, "I guess some things just can't be helped."

Sami moved out of the stunned EJ's arms then, both of them standing up now.

"I'd better get dressed," she announced, "Lucas will be here soon."

She turned around then and not bothering with covering herself whatsoever the completely naked Sami sauntered out of the bathroom leaving a shell shocked EJ in her wake.

"_Well," said Sam, making a sudden appearance again beside EJ as they both watch Sami leave the room, hips swinging confidently, "Looks like Sami just screwed your brains out HR Puff n Tuff-"_

Sami pursed her lips thoughtfully then.

"_But on the upside you did get sex," she concluded blithely, "So it wasn't a total loss."_

EJ blinked, not quite up to words as he tried to work out what just happened.

"Oh my God," he said hoarsely at last, "I absolutely can't let Samantha go off on her own – it's a recipe for disaster."

"_There you go, thinking with your head at last," said Sam happily before giving him a sideways look, "Well one of them anyway. I'm glad Mr Pee Pee has woken up and smelled the coffee."_

Sam idly scratched her chest then, lost in thought.

"_Assuming Mr Pee Pee had a nose of course," she commented casually, "Which I suppose technically he doesn't. Probably just as well considering where he spends most of his time."_

EJ turned slowly and looked at her in utter disbelief as Sam rambled on happily.

"_You know," she prompted him, "So close to your bot bot – the old fart factory."_

"Should this conversation be making any sense whatsoever to me?" he asked Sam shortly.

"_It's not been a requirement of our relationship thus far," said Sam carelessly, "So no, not really my love blancmange." _

EJ just shook his head, not up for this right now. The mental images Sami had left him with of other men being in close proximity to her had addled his brain and just made him want to hit something – hard.

"_Do you know what's really funny about what Sami just did?" asked Sam with a grin and then didn't wait for him to reply, "The really funny thing is that if you weren't such a Neanderthal about other men being around Sami, regardless of her unquestioned fidelity to you then her little ruse just then wouldn't have worked."_

Sam gave him an amused look then.

"_And this is the really funny part Elvis," she continued on merrily, "If you weren't such a He-man in the first place then you wouldn't have come up with this idea of sending her away. You have been well and truly hoisted by your own petard my petunia blossom. You dug your own grave, climbed down into it and then pulled all the dirt back down on top of yourself and then gave your own eulogy – how funny is that?"_

Sam looked at EJ who was just looking grimly back at her.

"_You're not laughing," she pointed out, looking perplexed, "How come?"_

"Because it's not funny," EJ growled.

"_You see," said Sam knowingly, "That's why I like Sami so much better than you Elvis. I bet she is laughing her ass off right now."_

"Of that I have no doubt," said EJ in annoyance.

"_You married a woman smarter than you EJ," said Sam, patting his arm sympathetically, "You're just going to have to learn how to deal."_

"Mine was the smart option," EJ insisted flatly.

"_Obviously," nodded Sam accommodatingly, "That was why it was so hard for the Samster to debunk it."_

"What do you really think Sam?" asked EJ angrily, "That I'm doing all of this just because I'm some kind of chauvinistic pig, is that it?"

"_Yes," said Sam without hesitation._

"You can take some time to think about it," commented EJ in annoyance at her ready answer.

"_Don't need it," said Sam simply. _

"You told me on that beach the night I married Samantha that I had to start thinking about her first," said EJ angrily, "That I had to take care of her, well that's what I'm trying to do!"

"_You're doing it wrong," Sam informed him simply, "Rethink this Elvis – you have to work out how to do this as a team, not a one man show."_

"Any hints?" asked EJ bitingly.

"_Try to be less of an ass," said Sam with a bit of a shrug, "That should help a little."_

"Very insightful," said EJ dourly.

EJ got up then and collected his pyjama bottoms and pulled them on quickly before heading out to talk to Sami some more.

"You know EJ," said Sami conversationally as he walked out of the bathroom, tying his bathrobe around him, "I think Duncan would be a good choice to be my bodyguard."

She was already dressed and obviously getting ready for Lucas to pick her up. Sami turned back around, brushing her hair as her face dripped innocence.

"He has a quality about him that makes a girl feel very protected," she observed sweetly.

"We're not doing the body guard thing," said EJ shortly, walking past Sami to the door.

"But EJ," protested Sami with a pout, "I was just warming to the idea and you know what I'm like when I get all warm."

"I know, that's what worries me," said EJ grimly as he reached for the door.

He looked back over his shoulder then and gave Sami an exasperated look then.

"Alright you won okay?" said EJ in frustration, "I don't want you to leave my sight Samantha."

"I don't know EJ," said Sami thoughtfully, putting a finger to her lips, "Your plan has really grown on me now."

"Now you're just being cruel," said EJ turning back around to look at her in annoyance.

"Maybe," said Sami with a little shrug and a half smile, "So what did we learn EJ?"

"That you're a conniving vixen who knows all my buttons and has no compunction in pressing any or all of them on a whim," said EJ in vexation.

"Come on now EJ," Sami purred as she sidled up to him and put her hands on his chest and looked up at him through her eyelashes seductively, "Not ten minutes ago you were begging me to press your buttons – amongst other things."

"You've made your point Samantha," said EJ begrudgingly, "But I still don't think we should tell anyone just yet. Give me another week and my men should have gotten to the bottom of this cowboy thing."

"A day," said Sami, arching an eyebrow at him defiantly.

"Four days," EJ countered.

"Two," said Sami flatly, "Take it or leave it EJ because with or without you I'm coming clean with Lucas in two days time."

"You drive a hard bargain Samantha," EJ griped.

"We compromised," said Sami in satisfaction.

"Yes," said EJ in annoyance, "Neither one of us got what we wanted – the perfect definition of a compromise."

"Get used to it mister," said Sami with some amusement, "It's called marriage."

"I should have read the fine print," said EJ, wrinkling his nose.

"Woulda, shoulda, coulda," said Sami dismissively, "Too late now."

EJ made a frustrated sound as he looked down at Sami and admitted defeat.

"I love you," he grumbled, leaning down and kissing her hard.

"I love you too honey," said Sami, returning the kiss, "And you've got two days and then this fat lady is gonna sing."

"God but you drive me crazy," said EJ, his hands going to her backside and cupping the firm cheeks.

"As any good wife should," said Sami smugly, rubbing her body against his.

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ was finishing dressing with the clothes he'd gotten sent to the hospital by Bart. Fortunately EJ always kept some clothes at the DiMera mansion in case of emergency. He was eager to get out of hospital now and start hunting down The Cowboy once and for all. Sami had given him two days and EJ knew that he didn't have a minute to spare because he also knew she wasn't bluffing. The pressure of the situation bore down on EJ but all he could do was keep on moving forward through all of this.

"Elvis."

He gave a little jump at the sound of his name and turned around, looking at his visitor in vague annoyance.

"It's customary to knock Celeste," EJ chided her as he reached for his shoes, sitting on the bed and starting to put on his socks.

"Elvis I must speak to you and Samantha," said Celeste urgently, "It is very important."

"Samantha has already left with last legs Lucas," said EJ distractedly, "And I'm in a rush."

"I've been having these dreams," continued on Celeste and not taking the hint.

"Good for you," said EJ dismissively as he put on his shoes now, "I'm very pleased for you Celeste."

"Stop!" she ordered him as EJ stood up and went to move past her, "You must listen to me Elvis!"

"Listen to you prattle on about your dreams?" asked EJ with a roll of his eyes, "I really don't have the time to indulge your eccentricities today Celeste, can we do it some other time?"

"You have no more time left Elvis," said Celeste seriously, "You, Samantha – all of you are running out of time."

Despite himself EJ couldn't help but hesitate at the mention of Sami's name.

"Look we've played this game before," said EJ in annoyance, "You say something vague and unhelpful and then nothing comes of it."

"I saw you and Samantha drowning," said Celeste with a deep frown, "And that happened."

"See now that really would have been helpful information," said EJ flatly, "But you didn't tell me that Celeste now did you?"

"I didn't know how it would play out," said Celeste unhappily, "I only saw all of the water and the two of you-"

"Yes well it's always easy to be psychic after the fact now isn't it?" EJ snapped impatiently.

"The thing," said Celeste urgently, "The thing I have been warning you about is almost upon you EJ and he wishes you and many others dead."

"Again still suitably vague Celeste," said EJ in frustration, "How about some names, some addresses?"

"Kate is up to something," said Celeste quickly.

"When isn't Kate up to something?" asked EJ in exasperation even though his interest was piqued, "Care to give more details Celeste?"

"She plans to do away with you," said Celeste earnestly, "But I don't believe it will turn out how she expects."

"Well if she expects me to go quietly into that good night then no," said EJ flatly, "It's not going to turn out how she expects. Celeste Kate has been gunning for me for awhile – there is bad blood between us. You're really not telling me anything new here."

"There is someone else in the background," said Celeste unhappily, "He is threatening you all – the cowboy."

"The cowboy?" repeated EJ, his eyes widening.

"This means something to you?" asked Celeste, looking up at him intently.

"Has this cowboy got a name?" asked EJ coolly even as his heart skipped a beat.

"Yes," she said and EJ straightened, Celeste having all of his attention now, "But I don't know it."

"Of course you don't," said EJ dryly, rolling his eyes, "What was I thinking?"

"His name begins with the letter A," Celeste said unevenly, "He is the one I warned Samantha about months ago – he is very close now."

"Celeste you are still not telling me anything I don't already know," said EJ in frustration.

He looked away before shaking his head.

"Let's say that I am worried," offered up EJ impatiently, "Let's say that I do think someone is coming after Samantha and I – exactly what kind of help do you think you can offer me Celeste?"

"Dahling this is very serious," said Celeste with a grimace, "This man, this cowboy – he is hiding in plain sight. He has been with you all along, watching everything you're doing but soon he won't be hidden any longer."

"So you're saying I should just wait around and this guy is just going to expose himself of his own accord is that it?" asked EJ flatly, "So your advice is to do nothing, is that right Celeste?"

"My advice is to do everything you can to find him before that moment comes," said Celeste seriously, "Because once he is revealed it will already be too late for some."

"That's what I'm trying to do Celeste," said EJ tightly, "So if that is all the help you can give me then you'll have to excuse me – I've got work to do."

"You are fighting for so much more than just your own life Elvis," said Celeste with quiet worry, "Or even Samantha's. There is so much at stake, you must use every resource you have dahling to stop this from happening."

"Pretty much the plan Celeste," said EJ coolly.

"If anything else comes to me I will tell you," said Celeste.

"I'll sit by the phone," said EJ sarcastically.

For one wild moment he'd thought Celeste was actually going to be helpful but that moment had passed now it seemed. Celeste gave him a little nod and an anxious last look before she left, closing the door behind her.

"Well the crazy is coming thick and fast today," commented EJ flatly after Celeste had left.

The thing was though that her words had troubled him, deeply. The fact that Celeste had referenced a cowboy in her dream was worrisome to EJ. Was it a coincidence or was this another trick on behalf of The Cowboy – Celeste somehow being involved? Instead of getting answers to questions EJ kept finding that he only had more questions and that knowledge was vexing. His cell phone rang then, again a new one Bart had dropped off for him and EJ answered it.

"EJ DiMera," he said tersely into the phone.

"Boss it's Carlos," said the voice on the other end, "We've just finished going over the gym with a fine tooth comb."

"And?" EJ prompted him impatiently.

"And nothing boss," said Carlos, "The whole place is on security camera-"

"You found footage of what happened?" asked EJ, his hand tightening on the phone in excitement.

"The tape was missing boss," said Carlos apologetically, "Either there wasn't a tape in there to begin with which is highly probably because the place hasn't opened yet-"

"Or it's been taken," said EJ grimly, knowing that The Cowboy could easily be that smart.

"Yeah," agreed Carlos, "Or that."

"Keep at it," said EJ tightly, "Use every resource at your disposal – I want some answers by the end of the day do you understand me?"

"Yes boss, we're on it," said Carlos quickly.

"Damn it!" said EJ in frustration as he hung up, unable to comprehend why this guy was so hard to catch.

EJ could only hope that John was right and that The Cowboy was going to slip up soon. He pocketed his phone, eager to get on with some investigating of his own and headed out of his room. As he did EJ almost knocked Kate over as she was coming the other way.

"EJ!" she exclaimed in surprise, taking a quick step back.

"What are you doing here Kate?" asked EJ impatiently.

"Why EJ," said Kate innocently, looking up at him, "I've come to see you of course."


	128. Chapter 275

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & SEVENTY FIVE**** – ****The Spider Casts its Web**

He harms himself who does harm to another,

and the evil plan is most harmful to the planner.  
_~Hesiod~_

"Why?" asked EJ flatly, looking Kate up and down.

"Your father and I were so worried when we heard what happened," insisted Kate, "Of course we wanted to know that you were really alright."

"Kate," said EJ, eyeing her speculatively, "Whatever this is I really don't have time right now."

"Don't near death experiences make you want to take time and smell the roses though?" asked Kate with a half smile.

EJ's eyes narrowed as he looked at her then, deeply suspicious. Celeste's words about Kate being out to get him, whilst not a new concept, were very fresh in EJ's mind.

"Kate if I find out you had anything to do with this 'near death' experience," EJ said threateningly, "Then the next hospital visit you make won't be so voluntary."

"Are you threatening me?" asked Kate in a good facsimile of shocked outrage.

"We've played out this scene before," said EJ tersely, "I hate to repeat myself Kate."

"I know," said Kate with a roll of her eyes, "I'm to stay away from you and your precious Samantha – I remember."

She arched an eyebrow at him.

"But you can't think I had anything to do with what happened yesterday EJ," she said, "I mean what do I know about cars and brakes?"

"I never told anyone that the brakes failed," said EJ with a scowl, "How did you know that Kate?"

"I didn't," she said with a bit of a shrug, "It was an educated guess – why else would you drive you and Sami into the river? Unless of course you were trying to shut Sami up at the time? God knows I've contemplated worse to achieve the same result."

Kate had turned away from him casually then but her words had EJ on edge. He grabbed her arm, pulling Kate back against him so he could talk directly into her ear.

"I'm telling you now you black heart bitch," EJ hissed into her ear, "I'm going to find out who did this and when I do they are going to pay in ways that they could never imagine. And if it is you Kate-"

"Stop it EJ!" she demanded, trying to wrestle free of him but EJ wouldn't let her, tightening his grip on her arms.

He used his strength not to bruise but to leave Kate in no doubt that he had the power over her if EJ so chose it.

"If it is you Kate," continued on EJ, roughly holding her in place, his lips by her ear, "And you try and take Samantha's life then I promise you – I will take yours."

"EJ you're hurting me!" Kate wailed just as Stefano rounded the corner and gave a disapproving scowl at the scene in front of him.

"Elvis!" he said sternly, "Take your hands off her!"

EJ looked up and met his father's angry gaze and tried to rein his feelings of frustration and being under pressure in. He shoved Kate away from himself, suddenly unable to stand being that close to the vile woman.

"What is this?" Stefano demanded angrily, "Elvis explain your behaviour immediately!"

"Your wife and I are just coming to an understanding," said EJ unapologetically, throwing a disdainful look at Kate.

"Elvis I know you have been through a trial," said Stefano tersely, "But I will not have you being disrespectful to Kate."

"Well I'm sorry Father," said EJ just as tersely, "But disgust is all I've got for that creature."

EJ turned his back on them both and stormed off down the corridor, too much to do today other than waste time here. Stefano watched his son leave with great concern.

"What is happening to my Elvis?" he asked with a sorrowful shake of his head.

"He's unhinged," said Kate shakily, rubbing the tops of her arms where EJ had grabbed her.

"Are you alright my dear?" asked Stefano in concern, coming to stand in front of her.

"I know EJ and I have had our differences in the past Stefano," said Kate, her eyes looking a little bright with unshed tears, "But I really am trying to make this family work Stefano. I didn't expect it to be easy but I didn't expect EJ to hate me as much as he does."

Stefano pulled Kate into a warm embrace and patted her back comfortingly.

"He does not hate you my love," said Stefano reassuringly, "And all of this will work itself out, I promise."

_Kate walked into the small, dark room and squared her shoulders. André looked her over before walking up to the bars and holding her gaze steadily. _

"_It is time," said André throatily._

_Kate nodded slowly, a sombre expression coming over her face. _

"_Yes," she said hoarsely, "It is time."_

"That's all I want Stefano," said Kate unevenly, closing her eyes and resting her head on his chest, "For everything to work out."

**oooOOOOooo**

"Thanks for coming to pick me up Lucas," said Sami a little uncomfortably as they walked towards their apartment.

Lucas had opted to park out in the street because he was planning to see his mother soon.

"Why wouldn't I pick you up Sami," said Lucas, looking at her a bit askew, "You're my wife. I'm just glad you're okay."

"Lucas."

He stopped and turned back to look at her expectantly as Sami looked at him a little nervously.

"Yeah?"

"We've had a long history together haven't we?" said Sami a little unsteadily.

"I guess," he said with a little shrug.

"And we haven't always been kind to one another," said Sami unhappily.

"A vague understatement," said Lucas wryly, "But no, we haven't."

"I just want you to know," said Sami, her blue eyes clouded now, "I really regret my part in all of that and if there was some way to take it all back I would, in a heartbeat."

"I know Sami," said Lucas with a bit of a frown, "We've both done things in the past that we aren't proud of but that was a long time ago – there is no point dwelling on it."

Lucas thought that was the end of it but Sami put out her hand to stall him once again and he went to start walking again.

"I wouldn't hurt you for the world Lucas," she said seriously, her eyes imploring him to believe that, "You have to know that Lucas, not now."

"You always hurt the ones you love," said Lucas with a half smile, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yes," said Sami quietly, looking away then.

"What is it Sami?" he asked her with a frown, "What's wrong?"

"When-when I found out about the AML Lucas," said Sami, looking at him with distressed eyes, "All I wanted for you was to find some peace and happiness, no matter what happens you have to believe me when I tell you that."

"I know that Sami," said Lucas slowly, wondering what had brought all of this on, "Of course I know that."

"Just always remember that okay?" Sami implored him quietly.

"Sami is there something you're not telling me?" asked Lucas, feeling suddenly nervous.

All of his mother's thinly veiled warnings coming back to haunt him now as he watched the emotions play across Sami's expressive face.

"Yes," said Sami unevenly before taking a deep breath, "Yes there is. I want you to know how proud I am of you for dealing with your alcoholism, how grateful I am that you've been as good a father as you have to Will and how thankful I am that we can still have a friendship between us despite our past. That's so important to me Lucas, that Will knows he has two parents that care for each other deeply."

"Of course we care for each other deeply Sami," said Lucas with a bit of shrug, "We're married."

Only they weren't of course thanks to his mother thought Lucas in annoyance.

"I take marriage vows very seriously Lucas," said Sami, looking guilty now, "You may have cause not to believe that but I do. Everything I tried to do for you was because I wanted you to be happy when-when-"

Sami looked away briefly before looking back at him with water filled eyes.

"At the end," she finished off achingly, "I was trying to make you happy Lucas."

"Hey, hey," said Lucas, taking her hands as Sami looked on the point of bursting into tears properly then, "I know that honey and you have made me happy, you do make me happy."

A pained expression came over her face then at his reassurances.

"I have a lot of regret in my life Lucas," she said unhappily, "And you and Will are at the top of that list – I'd die before hurting either one of you but I'm afraid that is all I really know how to do."

"What is with all of this talk Sami?" asked Lucas with a sigh, "You make it sound like you're saying goodbye or something. Don't give up on me okay – I'm not out of this fight yet."

"I know," said Sami, moving uncomfortably, "I guess I'm just saying that I've really loved these past months where we haven't been hating one another – it's been a nice change from our usual relationship and I don't want to lose that."

"You're not going to lose anything Sami," said Lucas firmly as he gathered her in his arms, "You'll see, everything is going to work out, just as it should be – just as it should have been all along."

Sami didn't answer him and just silently returned the hug. Lucas didn't know what had brought all of this on but he was more determined than ever to make that his future with Sami was secure. He'd thrown away the pills that morning and whatever his mom had planned Lucas was going to make this all come out right, with or without his mother's help.

**oooOOOOooo**

"I'm glad you're home Mom," said Will, giving her a quick hug.

"Well I'm glad you're glad," said Sami with a little smile as she accepted his embrace.

Things were still strained between her and Will but after the maple syrup incident he was at least treating Sami with a bit more respect. Sami's heart broke when she thought about what the news of her and EJ was going to do to her son but that simply couldn't be helped now. The rather awkward conversation she'd just had with Lucas had been Sami's way of trying to prepare him for the news she'd be telling him in two short days. However just like her parents Sami wasn't sure if all she really managed to do was confuse him.

Telling them all about EJ and the twins was going to be a huge shock for everyone and Sami wasn't really looking forward to the fall out which promised to be toxic. What she was looking forward to though was to be able to be honest at last about which man it was that she actually did love. Sami wanted to be able to walk into a room, EJ by her side and be open about the love they shared – even if they were being pelted with rotten tomatoes at the time. It wouldn't be the first time she was hated by Salem and Sami just couldn't bring herself to care what all those faceless hypocrites thought of her. It was her life to live and that was exactly what Sami intended to do – live it with EJ right beside her.

"So I think you should take it easy today honey," said Lucas, putting a hand to Sami's back.

"Oh I've got work to do at Mythic," said Sami quickly, "No rest for the wicked and all that."

"Only you're not wicked anymore," Lucas reminded her playfully.

"Depends who you ask," said Sami with a roll of her eyes.

She turned her attention to Will now.

"What about you honey?" she asked him brightly, wanting to change the subject, "What are you doing today?"

"I was going to go and see Grandma Marlena this morning and then Grandma Caroline wanted me to have lunch with her," said Will.

"That's nice that you're spending time with them," said Sami with a soft smile, "I'm sure they're very happy to have your company."

"Yeah well I've been away for awhile," said Will with a little shrug, "And family is important right? Isn't that what you are always telling me?"

"There are all kinds of family Will," said Sami, suddenly feeling very serious.

"Um, okay," said Will looking at her in confusion, "I guess."

Sami shook her head and knew this wasn't the time, at least not yet. She'd promised EJ two days and she'd give him that but not a minute longer. So that meant Sami had two days to enjoy the relative peace of for the moment and try not to think about what it would be like after her confessions.

"I've just got to go and make a phone call," Sami volunteered. "Back in a minute."

Sami walked into the bedroom and pulled out her cell phone and dialled quickly. She looked back over her shoulder briefly to make sure that Lucas hadn't followed her.

"It's me," she said into the receiver when the other person picked up.

Sami listened intently as the other person spoke and then nodded, a look of determination coming over her face.

**oooOOOOooo**

Later that morning EJ stalked into DiMera mansion and glared at the woman standing there.

"I don't appreciate being summoned Kate," he snapped, "Make this quick – I have more important things to do than you today."

"I feel badly about how we ended things earlier EJ," said Kate quietly.

"Excuse me?" asked EJ in disbelief.

"I don't want us to fight," said Kate a little unevenly, "I want us to be a family."

"Are you drunk?" asked EJ with a scowl as he walked over and perched himself on the end of the desk in the corner.

"I promised your father that I would try and make peace between us," said Kate evenly.

"You expect me to make peace with a woman that allowed Samantha to be raped?" asked EJ with cool disgust as he folded his arms in front of his chest, "Are you really that detached from reality Kate?"

"What is in the past is in the past," said Kate coolly, "I can't undo it, only try and make a better future for us all."

"Well that is very enlightened of you Kate," said EJ sourly, "But seeing as I happen to know for a fact that you don't do something without getting something in return you'll have to forgive my scepticism."

"We used to be close EJ," said Kate softly, sidling up to him and putting her hand on his arm, "Very close."

"We had sex," said EJ flatly, shaking her hand off, "And tried to hurt some people together – I don't see where the closeness bit comes in."

"I'm making an effort EJ," said Kate in annoyance, "You might like to try and do the same – for your father's sake if nothing else."

"Don't pretend like you care about my father's feelings Kate," said EJ curtly, "I know he's just a means to an end to you."

"Not that I care if you believe me or not," said Kate, her lips thinning, "But I happen to love my husband very much."

"Of course you do," said EJ with a roll of his eyes.

"I do!" she said sharply.

"The only person you love Kate is yourself and those sons of yours," said EJ sharply, "At least Austen and Philip have enough sense to cut their own apron strings but poor little Lucas is as tightly bound to your side as ever isn't he? I swear, death is most likely going to come as a relief for that little loser just because he can be free of you at last!"

"Bastard!" Kate hissed, raising her hand to strike him but EJ was too quick for her, grabbing Kate's hand.

Her other hand came up and Kate's nails raked the back of EJ's hand.

"Son of a bitch!" he cried out in surprise at the attack.

He looked down at his hand and the thin lines of blood they now sported.

"You crazy bitch!" he yelled at her.

"You attacked me!" she yelled back.

"I was defending myself from you attacking me!" counted EJ angrily, shaking his hand, "What the hell is wrong with you Kate? You really are losing it aren't you?"

"I'm just sick of you making my life so hard EJ!" Kate threw back at him, "I tried to offer you an olive branch but you just threw it back in my face!"

"Only because what you were most likely going to do was jam that olive branch through my heart," said EJ through clenched teeth as he poured himself a drink and went to sit on the sofa.

"I'm not the bad guy here EJ!" Kate threw back, "I'm trying to do right by your father and make him happy!"

EJ rubbed his face tiredly with one hand, suddenly over the histrionics of all of this.

"Kate I don't care if you are married to my father," said EJ grimly, his hand dropping from his face now, "I don't want anything to do with you – ever."

"Well your father will be very disappointed to hear that," said Kate stiffly.

"But I'm sure you'll enjoy telling him and playing the wounded party," said EJ tightly.

"I'm sorry you feel this way EJ," said Kate with an unhappy pout, "But I guess there is nothing I can do to change your mind."

"Correct," said EJ flatly, "Not a damn thing."

"I left a few things at Mythic," said Kate sharply, "Do I have your permission to go and retrieve them today?"

"Take them and go," said EJ harshly as he stood up then.

He downed his drink in one easy gulp.

"Just make sure I don't see you," EJ warned her as he put the glass down on the tray a little noisily, "You've been warned."

"It didn't have to be like this EJ," Kate called out after him as he left, "Remember that."

EJ stormed out of the DiMera mansion, stifling the urge to hit something as hard as he could as he didn't rise to the bait in her parting shot. Kate just infuriated him with her attitude, particularly this latest one of appearing to be some kind of saint. He knew that woman was anything but a saint and EJ didn't buy this sudden about face for one moment. But Kate would have to know that so why she was trying to sell something to him so hard that she knew he'd never buy just baffled EJ. She was up to something and for a brief moment EJ considered speaking with Celeste again and seeing if she had anything to add to her warnings about Kate. His thoughts on the subject were interrupted when his phone rang. EJ flipped open his cell phone, still irate from his fight with Kate.

"What?" he barked into the phone, seeing that it was one of his men calling him.

"We've got something sir."

EJ's eyes widened as the man began to speak.

At last.


	129. Chapter 276

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & SEVENTY SIX**** – ****Time is Ticking**

Wisdom is not acquired save as the result of investigation.

_Sara Teasdale_

EJ carefully navigated the back streets of Salem's less than stellar west side. This was just the break he'd been looking for. Only the day before EJ had put his car in to be serviced, the same car now that had what you might call a flooded engine. Whilst the gym security tapes might be gone what one of his men had secured was the tapes from the garage EJ had taken his car to. Thank God for everyone in America having security cameras nowadays was all EJ could say. The tapes had shown a man with a cowboy hat come in the same day. Unfortunately the angle of the camera had made it impossible to see the man's face but he was dropping off a black Lincoln to the garage.

So EJ now knew that The Cowboy had been in the vicinity of his car while it had been in the shop. It didn't take out a genius to work out several scenarios where The Cowboy could have had access to EJ's car and done some damage. What did come out of finding out The Cowboy had been at the same garage as EJ was that he'd left details at the desk to be contacted on. A quick phone call to The Mole had seen them get access to those computer records and then they had The Cowboy's cell phone number. It had been a simple process from there for The Mole to get an address for EJ – an address EJ was just pulling up in front of.

EJ craned his neck to look up at the deserted looking warehouse. The sign out the front said it belonged to a supply company for mattresses but a quick background check told EJ that it hadn't been occupied for years. He wasn't sure if this was The Cowboys base but there was only one way to find out. EJ got out of the car and looked around himself, taking in the lack of neighbours. They really were in a derelict end of town. The buildings on either side of the warehouse looked like they were held together by one nail and very little else. The whole area was unkempt and did not look like it got a lot of traffic unless you counted the rats.

EJ crossed the street and went to open the door but then decided against it. Instead EJ began to walk around the warehouse, checking for any other ways in. He wanted to be cautious because this cowboy had proven himself to be both wily and ruthless and EJ didn't want to take any chances about walking into a trap. He carefully scrutinised the building for quite some time, making sure there were no clues on the outside to be gained before venturing inside.

There was no black Lincoln around so EJ was relatively confident that The Cowboy, whoever he was, wasn't there. There was a stack of planks leaning up against the building, creating a bit of a cubby hole and EJ decided he'd better check it out, just in case. He stuck his head under the beams and looked around to make sure there were no nasty surprises hidden away inside.

"Watcha doin' EJ?"

The casually asked question directly behind him caused EJ to start violently and made him hit his head on the beam of wood just above him.

"Bollocks!" he yelled, grabbing his painful head and staggering to one side.

EJ straightened up, still holding his head and stared at Sami in horrified disbelief.

"Samantha!" he exclaimed, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Watching you try and put yourself into a coma," said Sami with a quirk of her lips and a nod at the head he was still clutching, "Are you alright?"

"No I'm not alright!" said EJ in horror, "What are you doing here?"

EJ thought about that quickly.

"And how did you even know were here was?" he asked, looking at her in confusion.

"I have someone following you," Sami announced sweetly as though that was the most usual thing in the world.

"You did what?" asked EJ, his eyes so wide that they nearly fell out of his head.

"I've had you followed since you left the hospital," Sami volunteered blithely, "They rang and told me where you were so I got into my car and drove out here."

"Are you insane?" exclaimed EJ in disbelief.

"I love you so yes," said Sami with a careless shrug, "I guess that qualifies me as being insane."

"You can't have me followed!" EJ exclaimed, still trying to grapple with that concept.

"You had me followed," Sami countered easily.

"That was completely different Samantha," EJ bit out but knowing as he said that he wouldn't be able to back that up.

"Of course it is honey," agreed Sami with a calm smile, "Apparently I'm better at it."

"You can't be here!" EJ insisted.

"And yet I am," said Sami casually, shining the flash light she was holding on him, "Now be a good boy, build a bridge... and get over it."

"Why do you have a flash light?" asked EJ, arching an eyebrow.

"Because I like to be prepared when I break and enter," said Sami with a big smile.

"You are neither breaking nor entering young lady," said EJ firmly, "This is far too dangerous."

"You need me EJ," said Sami with a half smile, "You don't have a torch."

"I could take the torch from you," EJ argued.

"You could but then you wouldn't be able to walk anywhere anyways after I viciously knee you in the family jewels," argued back Sami rather reasonably.

EJ eyed Sami in vague frustration for a moment, not doubting for an instant that she would do exactly as she promised.

"I am unhappy about this turn of affairs," EJ announced flatly at last, "And we are going to be having a discussion about this being followed business Samantha DiMera."

"It will be a moot point in another day anyway," said Sami with a smug smile, "We'll be together permanently so I'll be able to tail this-"

Sami gave EJ's backside a playful slap.

"-all by myself," she finished off with a wicked grin.

"My next wife is going to be easier to handle," EJ threatened her.

"There won't be enough left of you for other women once I'm done with you EJ DiMera," said Sami with a cheeky wink over her shoulder as she headed back around to the front of the warehouse.

"Of that I have little doubt," agreed EJ dryly as he quickly caught her up.

They both came to the door at the front of the warehouse and stopped.

"Now stay behind me at all times," EJ cautioned her.

"EJ," Sami snorted, "Haven't you ever watched a horror movie – it's always the ones at the back that get picked off first while no one notices."

"Well I don't want you at the front," EJ said with a scowl.

"I'm going to beside you Elvis," said Sami with a stern look, "You have to start embracing that concept."

"I'm trying," EJ grumbled.

"Well try harder," said Sami as she picked up the padlock on the door, "No big surprise, it's locked."

"I'll bust down the door," said EJ confidently stepping up to it.

"You will do no such thing," said Sami throwing him an annoyed look, "You just got out of hospital. We'll pick the lock."

"Assuming either one of us knows how to do that," commented EJ evenly.

Sami looked up at him and arched an eyebrow and then they both grinned at each other.

"Not much of a stretch eh?" asked EJ with a teasing wink as they both considered each other's past.

"When other girls were playing with Barbie dolls I was learning to forge documents and pick locks," agreed Sami with amusement.

"Well I know you're an outstanding forger because I've seen you forge my signature on the Chiba deal papers to throw your father off," said EJ with a smile, "Are your lock picking skills as notable I wonder?"

"Stand back and let me work my magic EJ," said Sami with a confident grin, "And then you can tell me how notable I am."

Sami pulled a hair pin from her hair and started to work on the lock.

"Ah a hair pin," nodded EJ approvingly, "A tried and true classic."

"For a reason," agreed Sami as within seconds the lock was undone.

"Very impressive," said EJ admiringly, "I guess I don't ever have to worry about you locking your keys in the car sweetheart."

"No you don't," agreed Sami as she undid the last of the chains.

EJ reached out and tested the door which didn't appear to be able to be locked which was no doubt the point of the padlock.

"It's unlocked," said EJ as he moved through the door, "Stay close sweetheart."

"I will," she promised him, turning the torch on and shining it into the gloom.

Everything seemed very dusty and as though no one had been there in years which EJ was hoping wasn't true. This was all they had by way of a lead for The Cowboy and he really needed this to yield some information that would end up in EJ being able to find this man. Rows of mattresses were littered everywhere, stacked up on top of each other, leaning against the wall. There were high shelves and the mattresses were also on them as well, almost to the ceiling. Sami shone the torch around and gave a little shudder as several sets of reflective eyes were illuminated and scurried from the beam of light.

"Ug," she said in disgust, "Rats."

"Probably making their homes in the mattresses," said EJ logically as they slowly moved forward, "But there is only one rat I'm interested in today."

The two of them edged forward, disturbing dust and rodents as they went. At one point Sami stumbled over something and EJ quickly reached out and grabbed her.

"Careful sweetheart," he said.

"I'm trying but there is just so much stuff in here," said Sami, shining her torch on the ground to see what she'd tripped over but not seeing anything now.

"What's that?" asked EJ, nodding his head over to something along the wall.

Sami directed her torch there and then looked up at EJ excitedly.

"It looks like it is an office of some kind," she said.

The two exchanged hopeful glances before they quickly moved towards the door to the office. It was of course locked.

"My turn," EJ announced as he crouched down and drew out his wallet, selecting a credit card.

"You look very sexy doing that," said Sami with a knowing little smile as she held the torch over what EJ was doing so he could see.

"Do I now?" asked EJ impishly, looking up at her.

They should be in fear of their lives but somehow with Sami by his side this felt like a big adventure and damn it if EJ wasn't even having fun right now. But then Sami made everything fun for EJ, even the bits that weren't meant to be.

"Mm," said Sami throatily, "Play your cards right big boy and I'll let you pick my lock after this."

EJ looked back at Sami again at that and then they both began to laugh at her offer.

"Can't wait," said EJ as he straightened up and stole a quick kiss, "I'm done."

"Well here's hoping you won't be that quick when it comes to my locks," commented Sami mischievously.

"Eye on the prize Mrs DiMera," EJ admonished her teasingly as they moved into the office, "Eye on the prize."

"Trust me it is," said Sami throatily shamelessly ogling EJ's backside as he walked into the office ahead of her.

As Sami walked through the door she noticed something.

"Hey a light switch," she announced, "Here's hoping."

She reached out a hand and switched on the light and the lights did indeed come on.

"Jackpot," she said happily, turning off her torch and turning around to see EJ seemingly frozen to the spot, "EJ, what is it?"

Sami followed his line of gaze and gave a startled gasp herself at what she saw.

"Oh my god."

EJ shared her sentiment but was having trouble speaking right then as a slow anger began to build up in him. All four walls of the office were almost completely covered in photographs – photographs of him and Sami. EJ walked up to the wall in front of him, scowling deeply as he looked at all of the photos, trying to work out when this might have started. There were pictures of him in all sorts of scenarios, arriving at Mythic, crossing the street, having coffee. EJ pulled a couple that looked like they were taken on the same day and tried desperately to remember when this might have happened.

"He's been watching us," said Sami shakily as she took in the wall as well, "Oh my god EJ he's been everywhere we've been, everything we've done."

Sami turned around slowly, looking at all of the pictures on the wall.

"There must be hundreds of them," she said in distress, "Oh god but that is so creepy."

"He must have been watching us for months," said EJ slowly, looking up from the photos in his hand to wall, "Here this one-"

EJ pulled one from the wall and showed it to Sami.

"I remember this one," said EJ of the picture of he and Kate talking by his car, "This was before we got rid of Kate from Mythic, before we even went to the island that second time."

Sami looked down at the picture and frowned.

"How long has this been going on for EJ?" she asked him unsteadily.

"A lot longer than either one of us suspected," said EJ grimly.

EJ turned around and began looking at the other photos on the rest of the walls.

"He's been stalking us," said EJ slowly, looking at them all, "Working out our patterns and habits, watching everything we've done."

"But how?" asked Sami in disbelief, "How could The Cowboy have done all this without our noticing EJ?"

"I supposed we've been pretty self absorbed," said EJ with a grimace, "A lot has been going on in our lives and I guess we just weren't paying attention."

EJ slowly shook his head, mad at having not suspected anything sooner.

"But he was," said EJ darkly.

"Oh no EJ!" Sami gasped as she hurried over to the wall behind him and grabbed down a picture.

Sami held it up to him with distressed eyes and EJ grimaced when he saw it was a picture of the two of them in bed together. It had obviously been taken from a fair distance away because the picture was grainy but that didn't make him or clearly Sami feel any better about it.

"This sick freak has been watching us-" Sami made a pained expression, unable to finish her sentence, "I think I'm going to throw up."

"I'm sorry sweetheart," said EJ, quickly moving to put his arm around her and kiss the top of her head, "I'm so sorry you had to see this."

"I'm glad I did," said Sami, her voice muffled against his coat jacket, "Now all I want to do is get this guy whatever it takes."

"We need to start looking for some clues as to who this guy is," said EJ firmly, knowing they both needed to feel like they were doing something now.

"Yes," said Sami, nodding her head and moving away from him, "He has to have left something behind that we can use."

The two of them began scouring the office then, looking for something, anything that would point towards who was doing this to them. There were several desks in the room but none of them with drawers and there didn't appear to be anything of interest on the actual desks either – just some pens and markers which clearly The Cowboy had used to draw on some of the pictures. He'd circled some images, an occasional note made which would only have made sense to him – like L9 or 'waiting'.

"Boy but your wrist watch is loud EJ," Sami commented as she looked under one of the desks now.

"Hm?" asked EJ absently as he looked through a pile of photos that hadn't made the wall yet.

"Your watch," said Sami straightening up and walking over to him, "It's ticking like crazy."

Sami reached out and took EJ's arm, raising his watch to her ear.

"Samantha," said EJ slowly, a sinking feeling in his stomach, "That isn't my watch you can hear."

Sami let go of EJ's arm and looked up at him wide eyed.

"Then what is that ticking noise?" asked Sami with great apprehension.

EJ suddenly remembered Sami tripping over something on their way towards the office and his stomach tightened.

"It was a trip wire," EJ said unevenly, cursing himself for not paying more attention, "It must have set off a countdown on a bomb."

"A bobby trap," said Sami in distress, "And we walked right into it!"

"Samantha!" said EJ urgently, grabbing her hand and already starting to drag her towards the door, "RUN!"

He heard Sami gasp in fear but then she was running just as fast as EJ was to get out of that building. EJ's heart was pounding as he held on tightly to Sami's hand, guiding them through the gloomy warehouse at top speed. He had to get her out of there and all EJ could do was run and pray that they had enough time. They both burst out of the warehouse door, EJ practically dragging Sami behind him as his much longer legs covered more ground. They were almost at the curb when the blast found them, the noise deafening as they were thrown to the ground like rag dolls, splintered wood and debris showering down on them as EJ protected Sami with his body.

**oooOOOOooo**

"I still think we should go and have you checked out."

"For the hundredth time EJ I'm fine," said Sami with a roll of her eyes as she took the cup of tea EJ offered her, "I just got out of hospital, I'm not going back in."

They'd both gotten a couple of scratches and bruises but other than that they'd been miraculously unhurt.

"Mm," said EJ not sounding that convinced, "Just let me know if you start feeling off alright darling?"

"I will," she promised him as she took a seat on the couch.

They'd decided to make themself scarce before emergency services turned up to investigate the blast. Answering tricky questions wasn't what either of them wanted right then. EJ took a seat beside her and leant over to press his forehead against the side of Sami's head.

"That was too close," he said, closing his eyes.

"I know," said Sami, wrinkling her nose, "That guy is playing for keeps."

"You see," said EJ with a slight frown, "That is why I don't want you involved in all of this Samantha."

"First of all I'm involved whether you like it or not," said Sami practically, "The Cowboy made sure of that and second of all you wouldn't even be here looking all disapproving if I hadn't noticed the ticking!"

"I would have noticed," EJ protested.

"Eventually and that could have been too late," said Sami knowingly, "Saving your butt is getting to be a full time job it would seem."

"Well me and my butt are very grateful that you were there," said EJ with a half smile.

Sami looked up at him and smiled as EJ bent his head and kissed her gently.

"I'm just sorry we didn't get anything more from the warehouse," said Sami unhappily when EJ finally broke the kiss.

"He's made his first mistake," said EJ confidently, "There are going to be more."

Sami smiled at how sure of himself EJ was and felt immediately better about everything.

"You two have had a lot of excitement lately haven't you?" EJ asked the twins as he put his hand on Sami's stomach, stroking it lovingly.

As EJ said that Sami felt one of the babies give an almighty kick.

"Oh!" she said in delight at the wonderful feeling.

"The baby kicked!" exclaimed EJ in utter joy, looking at Sami wide eyed, "Our baby kicked me!"

"Our baby kicked us both," Sami laughed, just so happy that EJ had been there for this first special moment.

"That felt amazing," said EJ in awe, "Did that feel amazing sweetheart?"

"Yes," Sami said indulgently as EJ put his head on her stomach and she stroked the back of his head, "It always does unless they are doing it on your bladder."

"Hello little ones," EJ said softly into her stomach, "Daddy's here."

EJ's statement was rewarded with another kick, almost as strong as the first. EJ lifted his head from her stomach after having felt that as well, a huge grin splitting his face.

"They know me," he said in delight.

"Of course they do honey," said Sami, lovingly brushing a loose strand of hair back from his forehead, "You're their daddy."

"We're going to get through this whole ordeal Samantha," EJ promised her passionately, "And then there is only going to be me and you and our babies."

"I know EJ," said Sami with a soft smile, "I know we will."

EJ went to kiss her again but they were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Are you expecting anyone?" asked Sami with an arched eyebrow.

"Not that I know of," said EJ wryly, "But then I had a lot of visitors at the hospital."

"Did you?" asked Sami in surprise but EJ was already up and answering the door.

Her eyes widened in surprise when she heard a familiar voice.

"Roman," said EJ calmly, "This is a surprise."

"I just bet it is," said Roman in satisfaction.

Roman looked past EJ in time to see Sami stand up from the sofa, setting down her tea.

"Sami!" he growled, shocking her with his vehemence, "What are you doing here?"

"EJ and I had some business matters to discuss Dad," said Sami, a bit taken aback by his tone.

"And you had to meet here?" asked Roman, his scowl deepening, "Alone?"

"It was convenient," said Sami, looking at him awry, "I don't see what the problem is Dad."

"And actually Roman I don't appreciate you barging your way into my apartment and haranguing my guests if you don't mind," said EJ tersely, "Kindly state your business or you can just trot along eh?"

"There is nothing more I want to do then to state my business EJ," said Roman with a bit of a smirk.

Roman reached inside his coat jacket and before Sami knew what was happening he'd clicked a handcuff on EJ's wrist. The older man pushed the surprised EJ up against the wall, turning him around and grapping the other arm.

"Dad you can't do this!" Sami exclaimed in horror as she watched Roman roughly finish handcuffing EJ, "What do you think you are doing?"

"My job," Roman bit out in satisfaction as he swung the now handcuffed EJ around.

"But what is it that EJ is supposed to have done?" asked Sami in disbelief at this drama playing out in front of her.

"Now there's an excellent question," said EJ through clenched teeth as Roman pushed him against the door.

EJ turned and glared down at the older man.

"I believe it is customary to make people that you've just arrested aware of the charges levelled at them," bit out EJ tightly, "Or did I just image that part in law school?"

'

"EJ DiMera," said Roman, clearly relishing every moment of this as a cold, satisfied look came over his face, "I am arresting you for the assault and rape of Kate DiMera. You don't have to say anything but anything you do say will be taken down and used against you in a court of law-"

"Rape!" Sami gasped in distress, looking over at EJ in disbelief as Roman continued to Mirandize him, "Dad no!"

EJ's jaw tightened as he grimly held Roman's gaze and Sami's stomach did a sickening turn as this day continued to go downhill...


	130. Chapter 277

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & SEVENTY SEVEN**** – ****Past the Point of No Return**

Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it.

_Adolf Hitler_

_(German Chancellor, leader of the Nazi party, 1889-1945)_

Philip practically ran down the hospital corridor, nearly knocking over people as he did. He came to a halt at the nurse's station and grabbed the woman behind the desk's arm.

"My mother," he said urgently, "Kate Roberts – dammit! Kate DiMera, where is she?"

"I ah-" began the startled desk clerk, looking at him wide eyed.

"She was brought in about half an hour ago," Philip prompted the woman impatiently, "I'm her son and I want to see her."

"She is still with the doctors."

The thickly accented voice behind him made Philip whirl around.

"You!" he hissed angrily, "How could you let this happen? What kind of sick twisted hell hole has my mother been living in that this could happen to her?"

Philip's face was flushed and his eyes were spitting death at the older DiMera.

"We do not know for sure what has happened Philip," said Stefano calmly even though his expression was very grave.

"The hell we don't!" Philip snapped angrily, "Your psychotic son raped my mother!"

"I cannot believe that my Elvis would do such a thing," said Stefano grimly, hardly able to take in the events of today himself.

"Well Roman told me that isn't what my Mom is saying," Philip growled, "She identified her attacker easily and it was your son!"

"Sometimes in the heat of the moment some things may not be clear," Stefano hedged, "Your mother maybe confused after such a traumatic event."

"You're kidding me right?" bit out Philip, "Right now they have EJ in a cell so the police don't seem to share your reservations – they seem pretty certain!"

"The Salem police department lives to put a DiMera, any DiMera in a cell for any reason," said Stefano flatly, "I would not take their diligence as any kind of indication of guilt if I were you Philip."

"How can you stand there defending him?" asked Philip in disbelieving disgust, "EJ raped my mother – your wife, don't you even care?"

"I care more than words that this great tragedy has befallen Kate," said Stefano, showing his rage for the first time, "And trust me when I say Philip that whoever is responsible for this heinous crime will know my retribution."

"Even if it's EJ?" Philip challenged him, his eyes going hard.

"No matter who it is," reiterated Stefano firmly, "They will be punished in the way only a DiMera knows how."

"I'll believe that when I see it," said Philip mockingly, "You lot always stick together and people like my mother have to deal with the consequences!"

"I would give all of my fortune to have been able to protect Kate from this horror," said Stefano gravely, meaning it in that moment, "What is done to someone I love is done to me and there will be no mercy to be found for them when the time comes."

"Yeah right," said Philip darkly.

A doctor appeared beside the two warring men just then and looked between them a little uncertainly.

"Mr DiMera," he addressed Stefano, "Were finished with you wife and she is resting now."

"How is she?" asked Stefano a little unevenly.

"Badly beaten but all things considered she is doing very well physically," said the doctor seriously, "The police have collected a rape detection kit from your wife and hopefully that will yield some information in bringing the person who did this to justice."

Stefano nodded slowly, taking in the information.

"Can I see her?"

Both Philip and Stefano spoke at once and looked at each other.

"I will speak to your mother first and see how she is," Stefano informed him, "And if she is up to it then of course you may see her Philip."

"Who died and made you the boss of everything?" asked Philip flatly.

"Your mother does not need us at each other's throats Philip," said Stefano evenly, "She needs support and consideration."

"That's rich coming from the father of the rapist," said Philip bitterly.

"Enough," said Stefano, raising an imperious finger, "We will not discuss this matter any further until more facts are known."

"Buried don't you mean?" asked Philip sarcastically, "That's the DiMera way isn't it – cover up and lies?"

"I will return presently," said Stefano coolly, "Please take the time to compose yourself Philip."

Philip gritted his teeth and glared at Stefano but stayed where he was as the older man began to walk towards Kate's room. Stefano stepped into Kate's room, closing the door behind him. She was sitting up on the side of the bed, obviously having just finished being examined.

"My dear you must lie down," Stefano tutted, moving over to be by her side.

"I want to go home Stefano," said Kate unevenly, her eyes pleading with him, "I've changed my mind, I don't want to do all of this."

"But the worst is over eh?" he said gently, putting a light comforting hand on Kate's back, "With the police and everything. Now you just need to rest."

"You believe me don't you?" asked Kate unsteadily, looking a little desperate now, "You believe me when I tell you that it was EJ who-who-"

Kate faltered and looked away abruptly, choking on her words and beginning to shake a little now.

"My love," said Stefano with a frown, "Why would Elvis do this terrible thing – perhaps you were just confused eh? Someone similar to Elvis-"

"It was him!" Kate interrupted him hoarsely, looking back at Stefano now, her bruised face wet with tears, "And he did this because he is jealous of you and me Stefano, he thinks I'm going to come between the two of you and take away his inheritance. Plus I'm the mother of a man he hates – that's all the reason he needs!"

"You are becoming upset," said Stefano, his heart grieving over Kate's insistence, "That is not good, please, just rest for now and I will get to the bottom of all of this eh?"

Kate was looking very pale, one side of her face was bruised black and blue and those bruises disappeared down her neck and under her hospital gown. Surprisingly the other side of Kate's face was untouched, as though her face had been slammed against something hard but on one side only. Her arms had scratches and bruises and every little movement seemed to be a painful one for her. The violence of the attack on her was obvious and Stefano was struggling to believe that his son had done this. It wasn't so much that Stefano didn't think EJ was capable of hurting someone like this but rape was so cowardly and he knew he hadn't raised a coward in his youngest child.

For EJ to go up against him so blatantly and in this way just seemed so out of character to Stefano and he'd always prided himself on knowing his children. However a little voice in his head couldn't help but point out some of EJ's wilful behaviour of late and no doubt if his son had done this he would not have expected to be identified. Basically it came down to one of the people he loved most in this world was lying to him – one of them would have to be dealt with harshly... and permanently. Stefano knew this situation was going to be one with no winners.

"Philip is here to see you," said Stefano, changing the subject, "Shall I send him in."

"I don't want him to see me like this," Kate fretted.

"He is very upset," said Stefano, "I think it would be good for you both to spend a little time together eh?"

"Alright," said Kate reluctantly.

"I will give you two some privacy," said Stefano, pressing a careful kiss to Kate's forehead and retreating from the room.

Less than a minute later Philip was walking through the door and he made a pained expression at seeing his mother in this condition.

"Mom," he said, clearly distressed.

Philip went to hug her but Kate shied back a little.

"I'm sorry honey," said Kate shakily, "But I just hurt all over."

"Of course you do," said Philip with a frown, "I'm sorry Mom."

He walked up to Kate and took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I can't believe that bastard did this to you," said Philip, looking at Kate in horror.

Kate just grimaced, not answering him. Philip looked at her very seriously then.

"EJ did do this right Mom?" asked Philip, suddenly appearing very hesitant, "I mean this isn't about the plan you and Lucas are cooking up to get rid of EJ right?"

"Philip how could you even ask me that?" asked Kate, looking stricken, "What kind of person would make something like this up?"

Philip paused before answering her, obviously not wanting to answer that question.

"I think you should go," said Kate coldly, looking away from him now.

"I'm sorry Mom but you've done some really crazy things in the past-" began Philip apologetically, "This just seems so out of left field that I-"

"Just go," said Kate emotionlessly, "I don't need this right now Philip."

Philip made a regretful noise, obviously feeling badly about his suspicions now.

"Mom-"

"Go Philip!" Kate ordered him angrily.

**oooOOOOooo**

"What the hell do you think you're doing Kate!"

Kate turned her head and looked at the flushed and very angry Sami.

"Not now Sami," said Kate, looking away from her and closing her eyes, "I don't want to talk to you."

"Well tough!" Sami snapped, slamming the hospital room door behind her, "Because I want to talk to you!"

Sami threw her bag down on the seat next to her and glared death at Kate. She'd just come from watching her father drag EJ off in a police car and she was not in the mood to play nice right then. Sami had tried to give EJ an alibi but it quickly became obvious that Kate's supposed attack had happened whilst she'd been with Lucas and Will. She could have still lied but there was no way those two were going to back her when push came to shove. Sami had no doubt that Kate had planned it exactly that way.

"Of all the sick and twisted stunts you've pulled Kate this is the absolute worst thing you've ever done!" Sami yelled at her, "How could you say those evil things about EJ – how dare you?"

"Sami I was just raped," said Kate quietly, her eyes filling with tears, "Don't you have any kind of decency in you at all?"

"Like I believe you even were raped!" Sami spat out, "You're making a mockery of all the pain of women who have actually endured such a horrible thing – you disgust me! And save your crocodile tears for someone who might actually believe them!"

Kate turned and looked at her then and Sami grimaced at the bruises that darkened one side of her face and ran down to her neck, disappearing into her hospital gown.

"Does this look like I'm making anything up?" asked Kate bitterly, "I was beaten and raped and EJ did it."

"You're lying!" Sami spat out, "EJ would never touch you!"

"He more than touched me in the past," Kate reminded her flatly, "Only this time I rejected him and he didn't take it well."

"How can you sit there and say those things?" asked Sami in utter disbelief, "There isn't one word of truth in them."

"How can you be so sure Sami?" asked Kate tightly, "Were you with EJ all of today?"

"No but-" Sami began but Kate interrupted her.

"So how can you be so sure of what your precious EJ did or didn't do?" asked Kate flatly, "He couldn't get what he wanted from me so he took it by force, to show me who was boss – just like he did with all those other women."

"Excuse me?" asked Sami in disbelief, "_Other_ women?"

"He put a bag over my head," said Kate unevenly, "Beat me and raped me – just like the man who has been doing it to all those other women. Roman told me EJ didn't have an alibi for any of the other attacks-"

"He didn't need one because he's innocent!" Sami snapped, feeling like she was in the middle of a very bad dream, "You're just some lying, demented bitch with an axe to grind!"

"I've had tests done," said Kate coldly, "So we'll know soon enough who the liar is here Sami and I recommend you brace yourself because the shine is going to go off your golden god pretty damn suddenly when the truth comes out. EJ is not the man you think he is and I'm living proof of that. He's evil and twisted and if you had half a brain in your head you'd put as much distance between you and him as you can. The man is obsessed with you and believe me I know what it is to be on the wrong side of his anger."

"There is nothing you could ever say that would make me believe that EJ is capable of doing such a thing Kate," Sami bit out, "Nothing!"

"But isn't there a little seed of doubt, somewhere in the back of your head?" asked Kate, looking at her intently, "Something that wonders about his upbringing and just how much influence Stefano ultimately has over him, whether EJ likes it or not? You've made your bed with a sociopath and you could be about to reap the consequences of that at any moment."

Sami frowned at Kate, wondering what she was referring to. It was almost as though Kate knew about her and EJ's relationship which Sami was struggling to believe. If Kate had known about Sami's infidelity then she would have been on Lucas' doorstep in a heartbeat, crowing the news to him, she was certain of it. But that didn't explain what Kate meant by that last statement.

"But I guess you're free to go into business with whoever you want," said Kate sourly, "I can't stop you – you've always done whatever the hell you wanted anyway Sami and lived to regret it."

Kate was talking about her and EJ in regards to Mythic and Sami relaxed slightly even though she was still on guard.

"You're crazy Kate for saying EJ did this to you," said Sami grimly, "And even crazier if you think I'm going to stand idly by and let you get away with this. I'm going to prove all of your lies to be just that – lies!"

"You're in for a rude awakening Sami," said Kate bitterly, "And it couldn't happen to a more deserving person. EJ did rape me and all those other women and now he is going to pay for his crimes."

Sami's eyes narrowed menacingly as she listened to Kate threaten EJ. She bent down so that she and Kate were at eye level, fixing her with a cold, blue stare.

"I'm looking at the only person who is going to pay for their crimes," said Sami coldly, death dripping from every word, "I'm going to make sure of that Kate. You're going to rue the day you dreamt up this sick little scam, mark my words, your life is officially over."

Sami's only thoughts right then were clearing EJ's name and getting revenge on Kate once and for all for starting such a heinous thing in motion.

"There is nothing you could do to me Sami that would hurt me more than I am right now," said Kate unevenly, more tears coming now.

"Try me," said Sami grimly.

**oooOOOOooo**

"If Kate was raped I had nothing to do with it," said EJ coolly, leaning back in his chair, the chains around his wrist tinkling quietly.

"If?" repeated Roman coldly, "You think she'd lie about something like that?"

"I think Kate would lie about absolutely anything if it got her her way," said EJ flatly, "That woman is border line psychotic. The way she hangs off her children's lives it's downright creepy."

"Kate is a good mom and a good person," Roman said sharply.

"You sing her praises and leap to that woman's defence but if you had the first idea what she did to-" EJ stopped talking abruptly, swallowing his words.

He couldn't finish that last sentence without giving away the real situation between him and Sami. Somehow EJ didn't feel that now was the best time to blurt out the truth about his relationship with Sami because that would only make the man more rabidly determined to see him behind bars. Whilst it would be nice to wipe the self satisfied smirk off the other man's face EJ didn't want to use the most significant relationship in his life as some kind of weapon to score a few cheap shots. Sami meant everything to him and their love wasn't about one upmanship. Also on a more practical note EJ might need Sami to be his eyes and ears if this turned out to be more than just a little blip in the radar.

"Did to?" Roman prompted him coolly.

"Kate's past glories need no exposition from me," said EJ flatly, "I'm sure she's forever in the annals of Salem's history for all the wrong reasons."

"You're one to talk Elvis," said Roman with an arched eyebrow.

"Can we move this along?" asked EJ calmly, "I've got a pedicure at three that I'd hate to miss – that Michelle really knows feet."

"Looks like you could do with some upkeep," agreed Roman steadily.

He nodded down at EJ's hands.

"You're always covered in cuts and bruises EJ every time I see you," said Roman, a smug little smile on his face, "Why is that I wonder?"

"I live a very full life," said EJ unapologetically.

"Yeah, raping and beating women," said Roman, his lips twisting in disgust.

"You can't really believe that," said EJ in disbelief, "I mean somewhere underneath all of that swaggering and posturing there has to be a cop with some modicum of intuition, surely?"

"I know I'm looking at a man with means, motive and an eyewitness statement," said Roman smugly.

"The eye witness being Kate of course," said EJ dryly, "The woman who has been intent on driving a wedge between my father and I ever since he put that ring on her finger."

"And does that make you mad EJ?" asked Roman with a knowing look in his eyes, "Does that make you want to make you lash out?"

"Oh dear God he's trying to use pop psychology on me," said EJ with a disgusted roll of his eyes, "My joy is complete."

"You can save all that dry British wit for someone who is easily impressed Elvis," said Roman coolly, "You were seen at the hospital this morning having words with Kate and then you went to her house-"

"At Kate's invitation," interjected EJ and then pulled a face as he realised she'd well and truly set him up, "The crafty bitch. I knew she was up to something."

"Kate was attacked at the underground car park at Mythic – a place you knew she'd be," said Roman, "Or are you going to deny that too?"

"I knew Kate was going to collect some things from Mythic but I had no idea when she was planning to do that," said EJ with an off handed shrug.

"Yeah well that is not the story she tells," said Roman smugly.

"Huge surprise there," said EJ dryly.

"You know you could save us all a lot of time and energy if you just came clean now EJ," said Roman with a pointed look, "You don't have an alibi for the attack on Kate or any of the others for that matter. You finally slipped up and left DNA behind this time and as soon as those results come back it is going to be all over."

"I should certainly hope so," said EJ roundly, "Because those DNA results will show that I'm not responsible so I say bring it on. If Kate found herself a repository for semen I can assure you that it wasn't mine – more likely some poor chump who bought her a drink if her past history is anything to go by."

"You don't even care that this has happened do you?" asked Roman in disgust, "Human suffering means nothing to you."

"Kate has dished out her fair share of human suffering to others," said EJ coldly, "And I'm not convinced this event even occurred and it certainly didn't happen like she is claiming – ie. I was not in any way involved."

"We'll see," said Roman evenly, leaning back in his chair, "This is one comeuppance I'm going to really enjoy is all I have to say."

"You know Roman," said EJ flatly, "I really think you should make an effort to get out more if this is what passes for fun for you."

It wasn't long after that exchange that Roman was leading EJ back to his cell.

"Get used to these bars Elvis," Roman suggested as he tapped one iron rod as he closed the door of the cell, "Your view is going to be framed with them for a long time to come."

"So we're going to do away with that pesky innocent until proven thing then?" asked EJ wryly, "Glad to know you'll be working hard to prove my innocence Roman."

"You'll get your day in court," said Roman coolly, "We play by the rules here."

"First time for everything I suppose," said EJ looking less than convinced, "And I'm going to be out on bail soon enough anyway."

"We'll see," said Roman, folding his arms in front of his chest and looking at EJ with some satisfaction, "With that fancy private jet of yours you are quite the flight risk EJ."

"Why would I want to go anywhere whilst I still have this blight on my name?" asked EJ, arching an eyebrow, "I want the truth to come out just as much as you do Roman."

"I bet," Roman snorted in disbelief, "DiMera truth which is no kind of truth at all."

EJ just shook his head, suddenly tired by this man's bull headedness and determination to see things only one way. It frustrated EJ no end because he knew that bottom line women were still in danger because they'd given up looking for the man who was actually hurting all of those women. EJ was highly sceptical of Kate's story and feared she was just using the general hysteria around the attacks to muddy the waters and point the finger at him. It was hard to believe she'd attempt such an easily disproved ruse but then maybe Kate was more desperate than even EJ had first thought.

"I'll leave you alone with your thoughts," offered Roman coolly, "I'm sure you've got a lot to think about."

EJ looked the older man up and down, pursing his lips.

"So you'll send my lawyer straight through?" asked EJ calmly.

Roman just gave a bit of a grunt and started to leave.

"I'll wait here for him shall I?" EJ called out to him as Roman left.

As Roman was leaving someone else walked in, causing a smirk to come to Roman's face.

"I'll leave you two be," he said in satisfaction, "I bet you've got lots to talk about."

With that being said Roman continued out of the room, leaving EJ alone with the newcomer. They looked at each other unblinkingly for a long moment before the silence was broken.

"Hello Father."


	131. Chapter 278

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & SEVENTY EIGHT**** – ****From Bad to Worse**

Many of us crucify ourselves between two thieves - regret for the past and fear of the future.

_Fulton Oursler_

"Hello Elvis," said Stefano evenly, walking up to the cell and standing directly in front of EJ.

EJ cut right to the chase, conscious that every moment in jail was another minute that Sami was out there without him and The Cowboy was still on the loose. Hell for all EJ knew it could well be The Cowboy who was raping all of these women and Kate was just trying to take advantage of the situation.

"Father," said EJ urgently, gripping the bars in front of him, "You can't believe this about me. It's obvious what Kate is trying to do – she's trying to drive a wedge between us. This is all about pushing her own sick agenda."

"Do you really think Kate would go to such lengths?" asked Stefano hoarsely, his dark eyes giving nothing away but the strained emotion obvious in his voice, "She is badly hurt Elvis."

"I think Kate would do anything to get what she wants," said EJ without hesitation.

"I know that you do not care for Kate," Stefano began.

"There is a difference between dislike and a sexual assault Father!" EJ snapped, "How can you even think me capable of such a thing?"

"One of you is lying to me," said Stefano, searching EJ's face carefully.

"And it's not me," said EJ sincerely, moving closer to the bars and looking down intently at the older man.

Even though EJ knew he was going to displease his father greatly when he made the split from him with Sami it was still important to EJ that Stefano believe him. Stefano was still his father, no matter what the future held and it was a horrible thought that he wouldn't take EJ's side on this.

"They think I've been going around raping women," said EJ unevenly, the thought turning his stomach, "Can you really believe such a thing of your son Father? I don't know what happened to Kate – whether she paid someone to do this to her or if she really was attacked – all I know is that I had nothing to do with it!"

"I want to believe you my son," said Stefano seriously.

"Then believe me Father because I am telling you the truth," said EJ sincerely.

"Sorry to break up daddy/daughter bonding time but I've got some results back from the lab on the DNA found on Kate," said Roman, reappearing in the room.

"That was fast," said EJ in surprise.

"I put an extra rush rush job on it," said Roman with a smug smile.

"It's amazing how quickly things get done when you are trying to frame a DiMera eh?" said EJ wryly, "But in this case I appreciate your drive Roman as you are no doubt here to inform me because that DNA result is going to exonerate me."

"I haven't opened them yet," said Roman with a half smile, "I thought you gentlemen might enjoy being here when I do."

"Cocky isn't a good colour on you Roman," said EJ flatly, finding the man more annoying every moment, "It brings out the beige in your eyes."

Roman turned to Stefano then, a look of satisfaction on his face.

"I guess this is a situation that you can't win Stefano," noted Roman, "One way or the other someone is lying to you. That must make you feel pretty bad huh?"

"Not as badly as if I was in a dead end job with no woman, no money and no hope for a happy life," commented Stefano calmly.

EJ looked away and smiled at his father's easy put down. The bad blood between them was obvious and even though he didn't know all of the history EJ knew that there were still a lot of unresolved things between the two.

"Let's cut to the chase," said Roman sourly.

He pulled out an envelope from his coat and opened it, pulling out the report inside. Roman's face gave nothing away as he began to read. After a moment he looked up at EJ.

"There were two lots of DNA," said Roman evenly, "One from skin collected under Kate's fingernails-"

"Which is mine," said EJ impatiently, shoving his hand out through the bars to show the two men the scratches, "Kate invited me over to the mansion with the express purpose of picking a fight with me and being able to get that DNA. I thought it was odd the way she just scratched me for no good reason but apparently she had a very good reason indeed."

It had occurred to EJ after he'd been arrested that such a thing might have been the point of his and Kate's little dance at the mansion – it was the only thing that made sense really. She was one clever cat but EJ also knew that he could give his version of what happened and introduce reasonable doubt into the scenario and that was all he needed to do. Kate had built herself a shaky house of cards if that was all she had.

"There is more," said Roman, looking less than convinced, "Kate's attacker left semen behind as well."

"Which won't be mine," said EJ confidently, "I haven't been near the woman for months."

EJ was anxious to get this cleared up so he could get out of there and be with Sami. He didn't like to think of her walking around Salem without him, particularly after their find at the warehouse today.

"There wasn't much viable sample left," said Roman, looking down at the report, "But they could narrow it down to DiMera DNA."

Roman looked back at EJ, a cold look of satisfaction in his eyes but the younger man was less than impressed.

"You mean like my father's?" asked EJ dryly, "Kate's husband? I don't think we have to think too hard to work out how that might have got there eh Roman?"

Roman looked over at a very quiet Stefano expectantly.

"Kate and I have not been intimate this last week," admitted Stefano stoically, "It is not mine."

EJ's stomach twisted at that news, trying to work out how Kate had managed this one.

"Well it's not mine!" said EJ in vexation, "There's been some kind of mistake!"

"Gee EJ," said Roman with a bit of a smirk, "That's the first time I've heard that."

"I demand the test be repeated!" said EJ imperiously, "Your lab people have gotten it wrong!"

"That's impossible," said Roman smugly, "And there isn't enough of the sample left to do any repeat testing anyway."

Roman leant into the bars then and looked at EJ with cold satisfaction.

"You've gone too far this time Elvis," he gloated, "You thought you were untouchable well guess you were wrong huh? We've got your lying, raping ass in a sling and there isn't a damn thing you can do about it except face the consequences of your actions for once."

EJ's eyes narrowed menacingly at the other man's words and it took all of his strength not to reach through those bars and grab the smirking man by the throat. That wouldn't exactly have helped his case EJ knew but damn if it wouldn't have felt great. EJ's fist's balled as Roman gave him a happy little wink and then turned and walked out of the room, sparing Stefano a knowing smile of sick pleasure.

"Let's hope it's the start of a downward trend for the DiMera's," offered up Roman casually as he left the room, "Slippery slope."

"Idiot," EJ muttered after Roman had left.

How Sami could have in anyway come from such a petty, small man just boggled EJ's mind. EJ turned his attention to his father who hadn't spoken during all of this.

"Father," said EJ, his voice low as he gripped the bars in front of him tightly, "Father you can't believe this of me – there has been some kind of mistake – I'm being framed."

Stefano held his gaze steadily for a long moment, his face impossible to read. Without speaking one word Stefano finally turned his back to EJ and began walking away. EJ's eyes widened in disbelief to see his father literally and figuratively turn his back on him in this way, never having thought it would have been possible. How could his father believe such a thing about him EJ asked himself in anguish – didn't the man know at him all? EJ's only answer to that question was the sound of the heavy metal door slamming shut behind his father and the younger man was left alone to his dark thoughts.

**oooOOOOooo**

"You're quiet," said Kate hesitantly, throwing a sideways look at Stefano as he helped her through the doorway of the DiMera mansion after having picked her up from the hospital.

"Today has been upsetting," said Stefano quietly, "For everyone."

"I'm sorry," said Kate, biting her bottom lip, "I know this must be hurting you a lot Stefano."

"What's done is done," said Stefano, his face hardening, "Now consequences will be handed out."

"What kind of consequences?" asked Kate, looking at Stefano a little fearfully now.

This was what she'd wanted all along but now that it was here Kate couldn't help but be a little afraid.

"They are not your concern my dear," said Stefano, patting her hand gently, "Please, take some time to rest eh? Today has been very trying for you."

Kate nodded slowly and began to walk up the stairs to the second floor.

"Are you coming?" asked Kate unevenly, looking back down at him.

"I have some matters to attend to," said Stefano calmly, "I will bring you up some tea in a little while my love."

"Alright," said Kate with a little nod.

Stefano turned to walk into the living room but Kate stalled him.

"Stefano!" she called out.

He stopped and turned, looking up at her expectantly.

"Thank you," said Kate unevenly, emotion threatening to overwhelm her, "You'll never know what it is to me to have you support me like this."

"I'm only gravely sorry that it came to this Kate," said Stefano softly, "I have failed to maintain order in my own household and you have payed the price for that and I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault Stefano," said Kate, choking a little on her words.

"Yes it is," Stefano disagreed with her determinedly, "But I will see it right now."

Stefano gave her a little smile and nod before heading back on his way. Kate turned slowly and continued up the stairs and went to their bedroom. She sat down painfully on the side of the bed, putting an arm across her aching ribs, looking dully at one spot on the floor.

**oooOOOOooo**

"_Well that was fun," said André in satisfaction as he stepped back from the bars and pulled his pants back up, readjusting himself._

_Kate didn't answer him, just pushed down her skirt._

"_A reasonable amount of difficulty doing it around these bars," commented André, tapping one playfully, "But I think we got there in the end, or at least I know I did."_

"_This wasn't about fun," said Kate coolly, "This is about revenge and getting what is rightfully ours."_

"_Can't it be both?" asked André with a little shrug. _

"_Not for me," said Kate flatly._

_They just had sex, an integral part of the plan for framing EJ and Kate wasn't enjoying her and André's plan rolling into action as much as he obviously was. When André had first come up with this plan Kate had said no, it was too risky but then things had become more urgent once Kate found out about Sami's pregnancy. Now time was of the essence and there was just simply none of it left to drive apart father and son – this was the only way. It was a huge gamble but the pay off would be well worth it if it worked. Kate had sold her body before to get what she wanted and she'd told herself that this would be no different – simply a means to an end, that was it. When it had come down to it though she'd found it unexpectedly harder than she thought it was going to be. _

"_Now a lot of this is going to depend on you Kate," André reminded her as he smoothed his hair, "You got to play the victim part to the hilt – Stefano can't suspect for a moment that you are lying."_

"_I know my role in all of this," said Kate flatly, "Let's just get this next part over with."_

"_But of course my dear," said André with a little smile, "I do love a woman who is all business."_

"_That's all this is André," Kate reminded him darkly, "A business arrangement for us both getting what we wanted."_

"_Of course it is Katherine," said André with a cool smile, "What else? This is all for our own good."_

_With that André suddenly lashed out and threw Kate against the nearby wall, surprising her with the force he managed despite being limited by the bars. She slid down the wall, her head spinning at the impact and her face nothing but burning pain. _

"_Now be a good girl and try not to get blood on everything won't you?" asked André casually as he crouched down and reached through the bars, grabbing Kate's neck tightly. _

_Half an hour later Kate sat in her car in the Mythic underground car park. It was a Sunday so no one was around so Kate had the place to herself. She'd somehow found the strength to drive herself over to Mythic after the beatings André had given her – Kate had to, it was the only way their plan could work properly. She'd gotten out of the car, let her blood drip onto the concrete, throwing herself against a few columns and her own car to mimic a brutal assault before getting back into the car. _

_Everything felt like it was happening to someone else, like Kate was watching all of this from a distance. She knew it was probably shock from the beating she'd just taken and the way her whole body was in agony but Kate hadn't counted on feeling like this. She suddenly wanted to call the whole thing off but it had gone too far now and the only way she could go was forward, whether she liked it or not. Kate tried to remind herself why she was doing this, picturing Lucas in her head. This had to make up for their past she thought dully, it just had to. Finally Kate found the will to reach for her phone and dial. _

"_911 – what's your emergency?"_

"_My name is Kate DiMera and I've just been raped," said Kate hollowly before the phone slipped from her fingers and she covered her face with her hands and began to cry. _

**oooOOOOooo**

The memories of earlier that morning were unrelenting and hot tears filled Kate's eyes and began to stream down her face. This was what she'd wanted, she'd won – she and André's gambit had payed off. Right now Kate should be the happiest woman on earth, she'd vanquished a foe and was a heartbeat away from securing a fortune. An image of Stefano's troubled, grey face flashed before Kate's eyes as she remembered the clear anguish he was in. This plan was cruel, even by Kate's standards and even though it was getting her what she wanted she didn't know how she was supposed to live with it. She just hadn't expected to feel like this. Kate lay down on the bed on her side and pulled her knees up to her chest, adopting the foetal position and just let the tears come, painful sobs wracking her entire body.

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ stalked back and forth in his cell, his mind racing. He'd just come from his hearing and of course, bail had been denied. He could feel the frustration welling up in his body as the walls of Kate's treachery closed in all around him.

"Hey man stop that pacing!" snapped a disgruntled voice behind him.

EJ turned and arched an annoyed eyebrow at his new cell mate. The burly and heavily tattooed man had been in the cell when EJ had been returned from his hearing.

"I'll persist from my activity when you persist from emitting that stench from your body," said EJ curtly.

"You sayin' I stink pretty boy?" asked the man darkly as he lumbered to his feet and came to stand in front of EJ, only a couple of inches shorter than him but what he lacked in height the man more than made up for in girth.

"That was the general thrust of my statement," said EJ coolly, staring back at him unflinchingly.

"Apologise," the man grunted and managing to show EJ that he only was missing more than a few teeth in the process.

"Alright," said EJ steadily, "I'm sorry that you smell like road kill on an Arizonian highway after three days."

The man's eyes narrowed at EJ's insult.

"I'm goin' mess you up real good pretty boy," he growled angrily beginning to reach for EJ.

EJ was too fast for him though and simply head butted him as hard as he could. The man was instantly knocked out, falling backwards on the floor, stretched out and in sweet oblivion to the headache he was going to wake up to. EJ reached up a hand and calmly pushed a lock of hair back into place, before straightening his jacket. That released some of EJ's frustration but he still had a lot more to spare.

He walked over to the bars and stared morosely out, silently planning what it was exactly that he was going to do to Kate when he got out of here. This was just so over the top, even for Kate and EJ was struggling to believe that she was in this alone. It seemed like there was a very real chance that Kate was indeed working with The Cowboy to EJ. The door handle turned, signalling he had another visitor and EJ's face lit up when he saw who it was.

"Samantha!" he exclaimed excitedly.

"Hey honey," said Sami with a big smile, hurrying over to him and giving him a lingering kiss through the bars.

"I've missed you," said EJ with a lop sided smile through the bars, his eyes dancing over her face adoringly.

"I've missed you too," Sami said with a sad little smile, "Oh EJ how can this be happening?"

"I underestimated Kate," said EJ grimly, "And just how sick and twisted she really is."

"I didn't think there were any new depths that woman could sink to," said Sami darkly, "Boy was I wrong."

Sami looked past EJ and at the still unconscious man on the floor.

"Making friends I see?" she asked with a quirk of her lips.

"He fell," said EJ straight faced.

"And broke his nose," Sami commented, looking at the blood coming from the man's nose, "While falling on his back."

"I know," said EJ with feign surprise, "I'm as stunned as you are."

"But not as stunned at that guy," said Sami wryly.

"So you've heard the latest about the DNA?" asked EJ with a bit of a frown, getting back to more important things.

"Aha," said Sami calmly.

"So no doubts then?" asked EJ a little hesitantly, "Despite the DNA results?"

Sami looked up at him in surprise before an annoyed look came over her face.

"You are so lucky there are bars between us otherwise I'd be giving you the slap down of your life for even thinking about asking that question EJ DiMera!" she said angrily.

"It's just that the evidence is somewhat compelling," said EJ wryly, loving how certain Sami was about him nowadays.

"I was thinking about that EJ," said Sami excitedly, "We never found out what happened to Tony – maybe he and Kate are in on this together and he supplied the DNA?"

"It's a nice idea sweetheart," said EJ with a half smile, "But Tony is a DiMera in name only, he's the son of the gardener, not Stefano."

"Oh," said Sami, her face falling, "I think I knew that."

Her expressive face became immediately more resolved.

"Okay then, Kate has obviously bribed someone to make the DNA match," said Sami dismissively, "And I'm going to prove it."

"And how are you going to do that my love?" asked EJ, adoring that fierce warrior like look on her face.

It made his knees go weak and parts of his body tingle.

"Don't you worry your pretty little head about it EJ," said Sami with a teasing smile, "I'm on it."

"Don't do anything crazy Samantha," EJ warned her nervously.

"EJ," she said with mock hurt look, "It's me you're talking to."

"Yes," said EJ with a grimace, "That is what I'm worried about."


	132. Chapter 279

**Chapter TWO HUNDERED & SEVENTY NINE**** – ****Helping Hands**

In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins. Not through strength, but through persistence.

_Anonymous_

Sami stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked around uncertainly. It had broken her heart to see EJ in jail like that and everyone so certain he was guilty and all Sami could think about was proving him innocent. She was certain Kate had messed with the DNA results somehow and now all she had to do was prove it.

"Mr Vogelpoel?" she called out hesitantly into the gloom.

Sami remembered EJ telling her all about Maurice Vogelpoel aka The Mole and his computer expertise. If anyone could find out what Kate had done it would be him.

"He's not home!" a frantic little voice from one corner where boxes were piled almost to the roof announced.

EJ had told her about Maurice the Mole's painful shyness but she wasn't to be put off – too much was at stake. Sami walked over to the pile of boxes that the voice had come from and tried again.

"Mr Vogelpoel I'm sorry to barge in on you like this but I'm Sami-"

She went to say DiMera because that felt good and right and the way EJ and she always referred to each other. Even though technically it wasn't true it was something for them both to hold on to through being separated for so long and make them look forward to a future where it would actually be true.

"Sami Brady," she finished off, unable to bring herself to say Roberts.

She'd never felt like Lucas' wife, had never wanted to either. Another mistake to add to her never ending pile it seemed.

"Samantha Jean Brady," said the voice, "Daughter of Roman Brady and Marlena Evans, five foot six, social security number 342840034, lives at-"

"Okay," Sami interrupted him in vague amusement, "You know who I am then."

There was no answer but Sami could hear a rustling noise and she assumed that he was nodding.

"Mr Vogelpoel I really need your help," said Sami earnestly, still talking to the pile of boxes, "EJ is in a lot of trouble and I know you know all about computers and hacking systems so I need you to help us both."

"I only take orders from the DiMeras," he said nervously.

"I'm a DiMera," said Sami with great certainty, "You can take orders from me."

Not even a year ago Sami would never have been able to imagine her saying such thing and with such proud conviction but from the moment she'd embraced EJ's love for her and hers for him that is exactly what she was and their ceremony on the beach placed a seal over it. It didn't matter to Sami that it wasn't legal, it was the most binding thing she'd ever entered into and it meant the world to Sami to be able to have the rings EJ gave her with her at all times.

"I don't know," said Maurice, still sounding nervous.

Sami gave a little bit of a sigh but she wasn't going to give up. She didn't care if it took all day she'd convince this skittish man to help her. Her stomach turned over a little queasily and Sami immediately reached into her bag. She had missed lunch today and her blood sugar was getting low so even though it wasn't ideal she pulled out her emergency supply of Hershey Kisses and opened one. The sound of chocolate wrapper being rustled aroused some interest from the man hiding behind all the boxes it seemed as she heard him move around.

"Would you like one?" she offered him kindly.

There was no answer but Sami placed a wrapped chocolate kiss on a box near where she could hear his voice coming from anyway. Nothing happened for a moment but then suddenly a hand shot out and grabbed the little treat before disappearing back into the refuge of the boxes. Sami smiled to see that and quite correctly guessed the man wasn't used to company and that she had to put him at ease if she was to get any help from him.

"You know this is a great cubby," she said conversationally, craning her neck and looking at the vast structure of boxes and paper, "My son and I used to build them when he was little but nothing this grand – he would have been jealous."

"1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,10," said the man suddenly, reminding Sami of what EJ had told her about his tics.

Sentences ending in 's' always made him count. Sami made a mental note to try and be more careful.

"You have to make the foundations right," said Maurice knowingly, as though the counting hadn't happened, "Otherwise it won't work."

"I can see that," Sami said as she nodded, "And I bet it has different ways in and out too."

"Aha," said Maurice excitedly, "And I made a moat."

Sami looked down to see a circle of white paper enclosing the pile of boxes and a little cardboard box bridge built over the top of the 'water'.

"You did too," said Sami with a little laugh, "It looks great. Does your castle have a name?"

"A name?" he asked hesitantly.

"Well yeah you know, like Camelot," said Sami with a smile, "Or Windsor castle. A castle's got to have a name."

"I hadn't thought about it," said Maurice uncertainly.

"Will, my son called his cubby's Sir William's castle because he was always a knight," said Sami with a smile of remembered affection.

Sami laid down another chocolate and looked around thoughtfully at the impressive arrangement as Maurice's hand reached out once again and grabbed for it.

"I think a cubby this big and beautiful definitely needs a name," said Sami firmly.

Suddenly Maurice's buck toothed, bespectacled head popped out from behind one of the boxes and Sami gave a little start at seeing it.

"Oh hello," she said with a smile.

"Hello," he said shyly, clearly not used to talking to women.

"Mr Vogelpoel I know we've just met but I really do need your help," said Sami sincerely, "Please, you're the only person that I can turn to."

The man scurried out from behind a stack of boxes and stood nervously to one side of Sami, his eyes flicking all over the place as he didn't seem to look at her directly for more than a few seconds.

"Maurice," he mumbled, "You can call me Maurice."

"Thank you Maurice," said Sami with a warm smile, "So will you help us?"

"1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10," he said urgently before briefly meeting her eyes shyly, "Okay."

Sami smiles widened as she knew that if anyone could get to the bottom of the DNA mystery it was her new friend. Kate must have tampered with the results or even The Cowboy and this man was the guy to prove that.

"Thank you," she said sincerely, "You don't know what this means to me Maurice."

"Samantha," said Maurice, blushing now.

"Yes?" she responded.

"1111111111, 2222222222, 33-"

Sami pulled a little bit of a face as she realised she ended a third sentence with 's' so that meant he had to say ten sets of each number. She waited patiently until he was done and then looked at the man expectantly.

"Samantha," he said bashfully, "The name of my castle is Samantha."

"Oh," said Sami with a big smile, "Well that's lovely – I'm very honoured, thank you Maurice."

He just nodded quickly, avoiding eye contact before hurrying over to his computer to begin work.

**oooOOOOooo**

"This is a surprise," said EJ evenly, arching an eyebrow at his latest visitor.

"I bet," Will snapped, "I bet you never expected to face the consequences for what you've done."

"Will-"

"You raped my grandmother you sick freak!" Will yelled at EJ, interrupting him.

"Will," said EJ with absolutely sincerity, "I did not rape Kate or any other woman for that matter – not now, not ever."

"That's just what a rapist would say!" Will sneered at him in disbelief.

"It's also what a man who didn't rape anyone would say," said EJ, steadily holding his gaze.

EJ reached out through the bars and put his hand over Will's, not letting the younger man pull away when he tried.

-"Will it is extremely important to me that you believe what I am telling you," said EJ, his dark eyes blazing.

"I bet it is," Will choked out, managing to pull his hand free now, "But no one is going to believe that you are innocent EJ!"

"I don't care about everyone," said EJ, his voice calm and commanding, "I only care about what you think Will."

"Why-why would you care about what I thought?" asked Will in disbelief, "What am I to you?"

"You're Samantha's child," said EJ, as though that explained it all.

Will wanted to feel only disgust when he looked at this man but there was something strangely compelling about those dark eyes that never left his face.

"What does that matter?" asked Will hoarsely.

"Your mother is a remarkable woman," said EJ sincerely, "What is important to her is important to me."

"Why?" asked Will in annoyance, "My Mom and me have nothing to do with you."

"I'm in Samantha's life," said EJ evenly, "With our business and because we are friends."

"My Mom hates you EJ!" said Will in disbelief, "You're not friends!"

"Will relationships are complicated," said EJ intently, "Things aren't always straightforward but I have this sense that you already know that."

Will shifted his weight from one foot to the other uncomfortably at EJ's insight. He'd learnt that exact lesson from a young age thanks to his parents. He loved them both so much but sometimes they'd done so much to him that he hated them as well. All Will had ever wanted to be was in a normal family and he'd never gotten his wish. That was why living with his aunt and uncle had been so great, he could close his eyes and pretend they were his real parents but deep down Will knew it wasn't enough. For better or worse his parents were who they were and what they were and nothing could change that. It was a lot to get your head around.

"I want you to stay away from my Mom," said Will unevenly.

"Will I would die before hurting your mother in anyway," said EJ emphatically, "And she is in absolutely no danger from me because I didn't do the things they said I did. You'll see, I'll prove my innocence and be free very soon."

"What does it matter?" asked Will bitterly, "You'll always be a DiMera!"

"Yes I will," agreed EJ with a hesitation, "But that doesn't have to mean the same thing it always has Will. I am more than just Stefano DiMera's son just like you are more than Samantha and Lucas' son – that title doesn't have to define you."

Will blinked, wondering how they'd gotten to here. He'd been so angry when he'd heard what had happened to his grandmother he'd just wanted to lash out at the man responsible. Will hadn't expected to be having this kind of conversation with EJ and he didn't want to think about the things he was bringing up so he did the only thing he could think of.

"I will always hate you for this!" he vowed vehemently, as he turned on his back on EJ and stalked away, "Always!"

**oooOOOOooo**

Lucas took a deep breath before knocking on the door.

"Mom it's me," he called out.

"Come in," said a quiet voice.

Lucas opened the door and walked through into the bedroom. The room was dark, the drapes drawn and his mother was propped up on the bed. She was dressed but only casually. Her bruises were covered in makeup and Lucas could still see them. It turned his stomach to see her like this.

"Oh Mom," he said with a sad shake of his head as he came to stand by the bed.

He didn't even need to ask if what she'd said about EJ was true, Lucas knew it wasn't. His mother had told him to wait one more day and she'd fix everything and now here they were. Lucas had held out a faint hope that he might have been wrong but one look at his mother's face had told him all he needed to know.

"Don't look at me like that," said Kate unevenly.

"This?" asked Lucas painfully, "This was your plan?"

Kate looked like she was going to deny it but then changed her mind.

"I did what I had to do," she said emotionlessly, "We're in too deep for half measures Lucas."

"But this?" asked Lucas in distress, "If Stefano finds out what you've done then he is going to kill you!"

"If either one of them find out about you did then they are going to kill you!" said Kate urgently, "Something drastic had to be done and now it's done!"

"But how did you do this?" asked Lucas unsteadily, still trying to understand, "How did you do the DNA?"

"You don't need to know the details," said Kate, looking away abruptly.

"But Mom this is crazy," said Lucas desperately.

"Doing nothing to keep us safe would have been crazy!" Kate disagreed with him sharply.

"But did it have to be this?" asked Lucas in despair.

His stomach was tied up in knots to think that his mother had not only thought up but gone through with such an act.

"Honey you don't need to worry," said Kate holding his gaze unflinchingly, "The worst is over. We've gotten what we wanted and things are going to start looking up for us."

"But would it have been worth it?" asked Lucas desperately, "What you've put yourself through – how can it be?"

"Of course it is worth it Lucas," said Kate sharply, "It has to be. I did this for you."

"Please stop saying that," said Lucas swallowing hard, "I didn't want this."

"You see that has always been your problem Lucas," said Kate tightly, "You want what you want but you're never prepared to do what it takes to get it."

"Unlike you?" said Lucas, his lips thinning.

"Some things in life are a hard choice," said Kate coolly, "But once you make them you just have to stand by them."

"Only you made this choice for both of us," said Lucas angrily.

"No you did that when you did what you did!" said Kate, giving him a pointed look.

She was deliberately not saying the words about Lucas having shot EJ and that was probably wise considering where they were. His mother was trying to say he started all of this and Lucas couldn't stomach that thought. How could anyone deal with the fact that their mother had let themselves be violated and mistreated like she'd been for their sake?

"I want this to be over," said Lucas shakily, his heart pounding unevenly.

"And it is," said Kate firmly, "We just stick to our parts – me the damaged victim and you the outraged son. I know we can both do it."

Lucas swallowed hard and was glad she thought so. There wasn't much else to say it seemed to him so it wasn't too long before Lucas left and was sitting in his car staring sightlessly ahead as he tried to comprehend what his mother had just done. It was too overwhelming to even have an emotion about right then. Never in his wildest dreams did Lucas imagine his mother could stoop to such depths and if it had been over anyone other than EJ he didn't know if he'd be able to look at her again. But she had done all this to bring down EJ and Lucas would be lying if he didn't admit to looking forward to watching the other man's downfall play out. His mother had done what she said – neutralised EJ DiMera and it looked like it was going to stick.

Stefano had turned his back on his own son and Lucas hadn't imagined anything would have done that but his crafty mother had worked out the one thing that would. It still shocked Lucas to think that Kate had come up with this idea on her own, not having thought her capable of such depths despite their chequered history. Her assertions of having done it all for him were still ringing in Lucas' ears and it was hard to accept that he was the reason for all of this happening, for what his mother had allowed to happen to herself. But then given their past this wasn't the first time his mother had gone to deadly extremes for him.

Lucas' jaw hardened as he resolutely tried not to think about when he was twelve. It was done and over with, he reminded himself grimly, just like this was. All they had to do now as they had done then was to look out for each other. Lucas turned his head and looked over at the glove compartment of his car. He reached across and opened it up, taking out a video tape before sitting back in his seat and looking down at it dully. As soon as he heard about Sami and EJ's misadventures in the sauna Lucas had gone directly to the gym and checked for security tapes.

His first thought had been that his mother had done this to them and Lucas knew he had to protect her. There had been people everywhere and Lucas wasn't sure if they were cops or EJ's people but he'd managed to sneak past them unnoticed and get to the tape first by some kind of miracle. Lucas didn't know what was on the tape if anything and had frankly been too scared to look for fear of seeing his mother.

She hadn't admitted anything to him but the chances were still pretty high that he'd be seeing her on that tape and right then Lucas didn't want to think about his mother trying to kill Sami. If she had done that as well as this latest stunt then Lucas was really beginning to worry about her mental state because his mother was clearly becoming unhinged. Lucas shoved the tape back into the glove compartment and started the car engine, not wanting to think about that right now.

"I hope to God you're right about the worst being over Mom," he muttered under his breath as he drove out of the DiMera mansion gates.

_As it turned out... she wasn't. _


	133. Chapter 280

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & EIGHTY**** – ****And the Truth Shall Set You Free**

More important than the quest for certainty is the quest for clarity.

_Francois Gautier_

"Stefano it iz time for your medizine," said Rolf as he walked into the room.

Stefano didn't respond, just continued to look into the fire. Rolf walked up to him with the tray of pills and looked his long time employer and sometimes friend over.

"All zis strezz iz not good for you," Rolf tutted.

"My son betrayed me," said Stefano hollowly, "You expect me think nothing of this?"

"I expect you to take your medicine and get zome rest," said Rolf, placing the tray down and pouring a glass of water for Stefano.

"Something is not right," said Stefano with a shake of his head, "It goes around and around in my mind and something is not right Rolf."

"What are you going to do about Elviz?" asked Rolf, looking at him askew.

Stefano didn't answer right away, thinking it over.

"I'm going to get to the bottom of all of this," said Stefano at last, his jaw hardening.

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami walked down the city centre of Salem trying to calm herself down as she headed back to the police station. She'd gone from her new friend Maurice's house back to her own only to find Will and Lucas all het up about EJ. On one hand Sami couldn't blame them for thinking what they did about him – after all her own father had all but convicted EJ himself. The thing though was even as Sami tried to stay calm and point out some reasonable doubt all she really wanted to do was to tell Will and Lucas to shut the hell up and that they didn't have the first idea about who EJ DiMera really was.

In the end they'd done the shouting, yelling at her for defending him so Sami had just left before she said something she really regretted. More than anything she needed to get EJ's name cleared and then she could tell them both the truth, consequences be damned. Her cell phone rang then, making her jump a little. She pulled it out of her bag and looked at it hopefully in case it was Maurice but saw that it was John instead.

"He didn't do it," she said urgently into the phone before John could even speak.

"That's some compelling evidence there kiddo," said John evenly.

"I don't care John," said Sami unhappily, "I know EJ, I know what he is capable of – the good and the bad and I know he would never do this."

There was a long pause on the other end of the phone before John spoke again.

"Alright," he said at last.

"You believe us?" asked Sami, almost crying with joy that someone was at last taking their side.

"I do," said John, "I agree – EJ wouldn't do this."

"Oh John I could kiss you," said Sami unevenly, "Everyone is so certain that he's done this horrible thing."

The only other person who would normally be on their side, Estelle, was out of town for a week. In some ways though, even though Sami would have enjoyed the moral support she was glad that the other woman wasn't involved in this mess.

"So what are you thinking?" asked John straight down to business now, "The Cowboy?"

"I don't know," said Sami in frustration, "But if he is then he has to be working with Kate surely?"

"That's an unhappy thought," said John and she could hear the frown in his voice.

"John I know you and Kate have a history but you can't be blind to what she is capable of," said Sami unsteadily.

"Even so," said John and Sami could hear he didn't want to believe this about Kate, "This would be a new low."

"Well EJ and I have told you all about what happened with Mythic and then what Kate did to me at the wedding," said Sami, moving out of the way of oncoming pedestrians, "I guess things are just snowballing. I think Kate wants Mythic back and EJ out of the way when it comes to the DiMera fortune."

"Kate is already very comfortably off," John reasoned with her.

"Some people will never have enough money," said Sami tightly, "And besides, getting in on the DiMera legacy affords her power and she's always wanted that more than anything."

"You might be right," John admitted reluctantly.

"Maybe you can go and talk to her?" suggested Sami, the thought occurring to her just then, "Kate trusts you and maybe she'll let something slip, something that will help us?"

"I can try," said John slowly.

"Anything you can do John," said Sami gratefully, "EJ and I would really appreciate it."

"Did EJ make bail?" asked John.

"No," said Sami with a grimace, "But I'm on my way to see him again because I know EJ was going to try again."

"Sami don't make your relationship with EJ known," John cautioned her, "That is only going to make it worse for him while he is in there, worse for the both of you."

"But if they know that EJ and I are in love then maybe Dad will look more carefully at the evidence," argued Sami because telling him about her and EJ had definitely been on her mind.

"Sami all your dad is going to hear is that his daughter has gotten herself caught up with a rapist," said John logically, "He's going to think EJ is either blackmailing you into saying that or that he's duped you."

"Do you really think my Dad thinks I'm that stupid for either of those things to happen?" asked Sami in frustration.

"Roman's your father Sami," said John evenly, "He's always going to want to protect you and he's got that straight line thinking that isn't going to let him consider what you are trying to tell him right now. Roman's emotions will get involved in this even more than it already is and I can't seeing that being a good thing. That goes for all of them – Bo, Hope, Abe."

Sami was at the police station now and looked up at the impressive stone building and pulled a face as John's words hit home to her.

"I suppose you're right," said Sami reluctantly, "I just wish they trusted me more to know that I know what I'm doing."

Sami knew with her history that was probably asking too much but everything was so different this time around and a part of her just wanted her family to be able to recognise that.

"That will come Sami," said John reassuringly, "But right now we need to try and contain this as much as we can. The Cowboy is still on the loose and you're more vulnerable then you have ever been."

Sami bit her bottom lip, knowing that was true.

"EJ and I did something this morning," she admitted to him, "Now don't be mad John-"

Sami then proceeded to tell him all about their adventures at the warehouse and what they'd found.

"You should have called me," John told her with a note of censure in his voice.

"Well I was too busy following EJ to think of that," said Sami ruefully.

"At least you're both alright and now we know that this guy has some pretty up close and personal access to you and EJ," said John and Sami could actually hear his mind working, "Chances are you've already seen this guy and don't know it."

"You think?" asked Sami in surprise.

"You only keep seeing his hat right?" reasoned John, "Without it he could be anyone."

"I hadn't thought of that," said Sami slowly.

"Sami whatever you do make sure you stay with people," John cautioned her, "No going off alone to solitary warehouses – you have to have crowds around you at all times – don't give this guy any kind of opportunities okay?"

"Okay," said Sami with a soft smile at his concern for her, "Thanks John."

"I'm going to go and see Kate and see just exactly what her involvement in all of this really is," said John practically, "You'll hear from me soon."

"I'll be waiting," said Sami with a half smile.

They hung up and Sami continued on into the police station, intent on seeing EJ. She didn't get too far before she was stopped.

"Hi Sami," said Bo, "What are you doing here?"

"Oh hi Uncle Bo," said Sami and gave him a bright smile, "How are you?"

"I'm fine," said Bo with a lop sided smile, "But you didn't answer my question."

"I'm here to see EJ," said Sami, meeting his eye squarely.

"I don't think that is a great idea," said Bo dourly, "And why would you want to anyway?"

"I've got some Mythic business to discuss with him," Sami lied, taking John's advice and not giving anything away.

"Sami," said Bo, pulling a face, "That guy is going to be spending a long time in prison – he's got no business anymore."

"EJ hasn't gone to trial yet," Sami argued back, swallowing her annoyance at how certain her uncle was of EJ's guilt, "We're still in business together until that time."

"Why would you even want to be around a guy like that?" asked Bo in disbelief, "He's a rapist who beats women nearly to death – he's dangerous."

"But EJ's behind bars right?" Sami said with a bit of a shrug, "I'm in no danger."

"And there he is going to stay despite the new bail hearing EJ's managed to wrangle for himself this afternoon," said Bo, looking very unimpressed.

"So EJ might be out this afternoon?" asked Sami, trying to stifle the hope in her voice and not quite pulling it off.

"He sure thinks so but I've got more faith in the justice system then that," said Bo coolly, "Despite all the money the guy is no doubt trying to bribe judges with even now. Without Stefano behind him EJ's power isn't what it used to be."

"Oh," said Sami, still hopeful that EJ would win round two of the bail hearing anyway, "Well I won't be long anyway, I just have something for him to sign."

"I don't think so Sami," said Bo with a shake of his head, "I know your Dad wouldn't be thrilled to know you're still having anything to do with EJ and I'm right there with him."

"But-" Sami went to protest but she could see that stubborn look on her uncle's face that told her she wasn't going to get anywhere.

Sami's shoulders drooped as gave in, not wanting to make a scene. All she could do now was pray that Maurice the Mole would come up with something and quickly.

**oooOOOOooo**

An hour later…

"Visitor," a guard announced as he walked into the room.

"I feel like the Queen with all of these audiences I'm granting," said EJ with a quirk of his lips.

"Well get used to it your Highness," said the police officer sarcastically, "I'm sure your dance card will be full where you are heading."

"What's the matter Officer McCluskey?" asked EJ with a waggle of his eyebrows, "Jealous? There is no need to be, I'll always have a special place in heart for you."

"Wise ass," the older cop grunted.

"So where is my visitor?" asked EJ with a quirk of his lips as he looked around and could see no one.

Officer McCluskey turned around and it was then EJ could see his most surprising visitor so far, his small frame having being hidden behind the wide officer's.

"Maurice," he said arching an eyebrow, "This is a surprise."

The man had a rather worn fedora clutched between his hands and a rather dirty looking coat on as his eyes darted nervously around the place. His greying hair stuck up at odd angles all over the place and it looked like the man was going to make a run for it at any moment. Maurice was the ultimate shut in so for him to be here now meant something was really up. The little man seemed even odder out of his normal surrounds and EJ couldn't help but get his hopes up that his presence here was a good thing. He was about due some good news EJ decided grimly. Maurice glanced over at the guard nervously and then back at EJ.

"Do you mind?" asked EJ calmly, "My friend and I have some matters to discuss."

"Keep it short," said the Officer tartly, "You've already caused me enough trouble today."

"It's not my fault that my former cell mate was a fainter," said EJ innocently.

Officer McCluskey had returned at one point to find a barely conscious man on the cell floor and had been forced to move him to another cell and he'd been none too pleased at the extra work.

"Yeah sure, he fainted," said Officer McCluskey sarcastically as he turned to leave, "That was what happened."

As soon as the other man was gone EJ turned to Maurice and looked at him expectantly.

"What are you doing here?" he asked intently, "Did you find something?"

"Samantha came to see me," said Maurice, still looking around himself nervously, "A couple of hours ago – she wanted me to check on those DNA results the police have."

"And?" EJ prompted him eagerly, really needing a break right about now, "Did you find something?"

"No," said Maurice simply.

"Oh," said EJ with a grimace, "You really didn't need to come all the way down here to tell me that you've got nothing Maurice."

"I don't," said Maurice, blinking owlishly behind his enormous glasses.

"You don't what?" asked EJ in confusion.

"I don't have nothing," said Maurice very seriously.

EJ unscrambled that in his head to work out what the other man meant.

"So you did find something wrong with the DNA result?" EJ quizzed him, trying to get to the bottom of this with his patience intact.

"No," said Maurice again, "I told you, there was nothing wrong with them."

"So what is the not nothing that you have for me Maurice?" asked EJ in exasperation.

"I was inside Samantha and it was then I realised something," said Maurice getting a little excited now.

EJ's eyebrows shot up at the other man's turn of phrase.

"What does that mean?" he asked Maurice slowly, "You were inside of Samantha?"

"Yes that's right," said Maurice, nodding eagerly, "And something came up, something odd."

"No," said EJ, pursing his lips, "You're still not making sense Maurice."

EJ just knew it couldn't be how it sounded, there was just no way so he once again tried to make sense of what the other man was trying to tell him.

"I was in Samantha my castle," said Maurice, looking a little impatiently now, "She said I should name my castle and I did – I called it Samantha."

EJ grimaced, that only making vaguely more sense to him.

"Okay," he said, "Moving swiftly on then – you were in all those boxes which we are now calling a castle – a castle that goes by the name of Samantha – am I in the ballpark at all?"

"Yes," said Maurice, his head bobbing up and down eagerly, wispy grey hair flying everywhere, "I was reviewing some details that you had me checking into and I found this-"

Maurice pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to EJ.

"See," he said as EJ began to read, "The dates are anomalous to what you told me."

EJ skimmed the report, taking a moment to absorb what they meant.

"This is the day of my shooting," said EJ slowly.

"Aha," nodded Maurice eagerly, "And you told me to check into everything Lucas Roberts did and you told me that he got onto a plane the day before of your shooting well that flight manifest says otherwise. He didn't get on that plane to Switzerland until after you were shot."

"He told everyone that his plane was delayed," said EJ, his eyes widening.

"No plane to Geneva was delayed that day or the next," said Maurice knowingly, "I checked."

"The sneaky bastard made himself an alibi," said EJ in disbelief.

So much had been going on just after he was shot that EJ hadn't given much attention to Lucas, simply glad the other man was in another country. Only the computer printouts that he was looking at told a different story it would seem. It wasn't rock solid evidence by any means that Lucas did the shooting but there was no other reason for the man to have lied and EJ's gut just told him they were right. Undoubtedly a little digging would find a lot more but for right now this was all EJ needed. The little weasel had tried to kill him and more unforgivably to EJ, could have killed Sami seeing as she'd been standing so close to him at the time.

If Lucas had plenty of motive to want EJ out of the picture and he could just see the other man doing something this poorly thought out. Trying to kill a DiMera was akin to suicide, everyone knew that and yet Lucas had still gone ahead and done it. And then of course when EJ hadn't died he'd conveniently come back from Switzerland supposedly dying. Now more than ever EJ wasn't buying the AML story. It was just too damn convenient. His stomach twisted at the thought of Sami having been so near to Lucas this whole time, living in that apartment with a man who had tried to kill him.

"I am going to kill that troll with my bare hands," EJ vowed angrily, his face hardening, "And now this whole Kate thing makes perfect sense. She knows and is protecting her little boy, just like she always has."

"So this helps then?" asked Maurice a little anxiously, "This is what you wanted Mr DiMera?"

"This is exactly what I wanted Maurice," said EJ tightly, "You've done very well."

"So can I go now?" he asked unsteadily, still looking stressed at being out of his little basement.

"Why didn't you tell Samantha all of this?" asked EJ with a frown, taking in the way the other man was sweating now, clearly not happy to be out of his comfort zone, "Then you wouldn't have to come down here yourself."

"I tried but I couldn't reach her on her cell phone," said Maurice, fidgeting with his collar, "And I didn't think that this could wait."

"You couldn't reach her?" asked EJ, suddenly feeling his stomach clench.

He knew that there was no way Sami would not have her cell phone with her right now and there was also no way she wouldn't be answering it if it rang. A feeling of dread started to come over EJ at this news. If Lucas would do something so stupid as to try and kill EJ then the man was obviously unstable and EJ didn't want that around Sami and who knew what he really knew about his and Sami's relationship. Plus there was also the little problem of The Cowboy casting a shadow over everything. EJ still didn't feel like he had all the pieces to makes sense of this story yet but things were definitely starting to fall into place now.

"I have to get out of here," said EJ tightly, "Something's wrong."

EJ started to pound on the bars, calling out to anyone who would listen.

"Hey… HEY… I need some help in here!" yelled out EJ.

A very disgruntled Officer McCluskey appeared in the doorway.

"What's your problem DiMera?" he asked in annoyance.

"My friend here has information vital to my case and about an unsolved crime on your books," said EJ quickly, "We know who shot me."

"Solved that in that cell of yours did you?" asked the police officer sarcastically, "Well aren't you the original Sherlock Holmes? Tell you what, we're still looking for Jimmy Hoffa – maybe you can help us out with that one too."

"I need to talk to your superior," said EJ, his jaw hardening, "I demand to see Roman Brady this instant!"

"Captain Brady doesn't take orders from low life, raping criminals bud," said the officer roughly, "So I recommend you shut the hell up or else I'm going to make you!"

With that Officer McCluskey turned on his heel and left, slamming the door behind him.

"Son of a bitch!" EJ snarled, "This place is unbelievable!"

EJ almost felt like he could snap the bars with the sheer frustration of his situation. Sami was out there without him and now there were at least two madmen on her trail and that didn't even factor in Kate – this was not good. EJ really needed to get out of here. EJ turned and looked at the skittish older man.

"What now?" asked Maurice nervously.

"Now I get out of here," said EJ grimly.

"But they won't listen to you," said Maurice fretfully, "They're not going to let you go Mr DiMera."

"Then I'm not going to ask," said EJ, his eyes narrowing with determination.

He turned to Maurice and looked him up and down.

"How good are you at making a scene?" he asked EJ calmly.

"I know how to draw a crowd," said Maurice reluctantly, looking none too pleased about that fact.

"Good," said EJ with satisfaction, "Because I've got a plan but first I need to borrow your phone."

**oooOOOOooo**

Stefano sat at the mansion in his favourite chair and let EJ finish talking. This new information just brought everything into sharp relief for Stefano and the pieces all suddenly fell into place for him.

"Do you understand what I am telling you Father?" asked EJ urgently, "Lucas was the one who shot me."

"I understand my son," said Stefano evenly.

"That's why Kate has gone to such lengths to frame me, it all makes sense now," EJ continued on in frustration, "She knew and she was protecting Lucas. If she could get you to disown me then Kate knew her son would be safe – that was her plan all along. The only thing I don't know is how."

Stefano for his part did know how as he thought of their guest in the underground cells. The only other person who could have provided DiMera DNA in fact – Stefano's hand curled around the phone as everything fell into place. Something had been off about all of this from the moment he'd heard about it but he'd allowed the evidence to temporarily overwhelm his instincts.

It caused Stefano great pain to think of Kate and André teaming up against him but his gut told him that was exactly what had happened – his youngest son had simply provided the last piece of the puzzle to have it all make sense. Even though there was no outward sign Stefano could feel the white hot rage rushing through him and the need to deal with these violators of his trust was welling up inside of him.

"Father?"

EJ's uncertain voice came to him on the other end of the phone.

"Do you believe me now?" asked EJ a little unevenly, "That I had nothing to do with what happened to Kate and that she manufactured all of this to push us apart?"

"I do believe you my son," said Stefano steadily, "And I'm sorry for having doubted you."

"I think Samantha may be in danger," said EJ unsteadily, "I have to help her."

"Do what you must Elvis," said Stefano gravely, "And I will do the same."

Stefano knew EJ was still in jail but had little doubt that such a thing would not be a problem for long. Right now the older man had a household to bring back to order and that outweighed everything for the time being. He could not allow such wild cards with their own agendas to continue on as they had been doing, plotting behind his back. His wife and nephew had made a grave mistake in thinking that they could have ever gotten away with this.

"What are you going to do Father?" asked EJ and even he sounded a little hesitant now.

"My wife has betrayed me and her son tried to kill my flesh and blood," said Stefano ominously, "I am going to richly reward them both for their gifts to me."

He could hear EJ going to reply to that but he didn't want to hear words of caution right then.

"Take care my son," said Stefano calmly, "I will look forward to our next meeting when you are a free man eh?"

He hung up then and put the phone carefully down on the receiver. Whilst Stefano didn't have exact proof of André and Kate's duplicity the knowledge of Lucas trying to kill EJ was enough for him. It all made perfect sense in a twisted way and it was Kate's skewed way of looking at things that had always attracted Stefano to her but she had crossed a line with this one. Whilst he would miss her company dearly the die was cast and Stefano had absolutely no compunction about what he was going to do next.

"Bart!" yelled Stefano, his eyes darkening to almost black as he stood up.

"Yes boss?" asked Bart brightly as he appeared from the kitchen.

"Bring Mrs DiMera to me," said Stefano imperiously.

"I think she is out boss," said Bart with a frown, "She was talking about it after her son left."

Stefano's jaw hardened at the mention of Lucas. That whelp had tried to kill his beloved Elvis and now there was going to be no mercy for him, dying or not.

"As soon as she returns I want you to bring her to me," said Stefano darkly, "The minute she returns do you hear me?"

"Ah sure thing boss," said Bart, looking at the older man nervously but knowing better than to ask any questions right then.

"What iz going on Stefano?" asked Rolf as he appeared from the kitchen as well, just as Bart went back in.

"I have been betrayed," said Stefano ominously, "I have welcomed jackals into my fold and now they seek to destroy my family."

Stefano turned and looked at Rolf coldly.

"Kill him," said Stefano, his face cold and hard.

"Kill who?" asked Rolf in consternation.

"André," said Stefano, his face twisting as he said the words, "And make the hole you dig big enough for two."

"Stefano," said Rolf with a worried look, "What iz happening?"

Stefano held the other man's concerned and confused gaze unblinkingly.

"I'll tell you what is happening Rolf," said Stefano, his voice dripping with vengeance, "I'm getting a divorce."


	134. Chapter 281

**AUTHOR'S NOTE****: **Hello all you faithful readers who are still hanging in there with this impossibly long story. LOL Just wanted to give you a heads up that I won't be updating for the next week – company is coming. Kind of wanted you to know because we are getting towards the climax of this part of the story and stopping now kind of breaks the flow unfortunately but it can't be helped. I might be able to do one update next – just depends on how things go.

The pacing has changed a little in the last couple of chapters and with upcoming ones and I hope it is working for you. I feel like I'm rushing but then I think I kind of drag my feet with my usual story telling style so maybe that is a good thing eh? Anyway, there are still lots more twists and turns to come in this part of the story and my fingers are crossed that I can keep you entertained as it all plays out.

Thanks again for sticking around and hope you enjoy the chapter...

**Chapter TWO HUNDERED & EIGHTY ONE**** – ****The Gloves Come Off**

The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it,

but in the end; there it is.

_Winston Churchill_

_(British Orator, Author and Prime Minister during World War II. 1874-1965)_

Two hours previously...

Sami sat at the little coffee shop and looked around absently. She'd needed something to eat and some time to think. There had to be something more to be done then simply wait for Maurice the Mole to ring she thought in frustration. Sami couldn't stand the thought of EJ being behind bars for a crime he had nothing to do with. She was toying with the idea of going over to Kate's again and simply slapping the truth out of her when she was interrupted by the waiter.

"Will that be all ma'am?" he asked politely.

Sami hadn't paid him too much attention when she'd given him her order but now she looked up at him and smiled.

"No that's fine thanks," she said and then frowned as she looked at him properly for the first time, "Sorry but have we met?"

"I don't think so," said the waiter but then Sami saw something flick in the back of his eyes and she knew that wasn't true."

"Your face is very familiar," said Sami, her frown deepening as she racked her brains to remember where she'd seen this man before.

"Maybe you've eaten here before?" suggested the man brightly, starting to edge away now, "I'll bring you your cheque."

"No that's not it," said Sami slowly, "I've never eaten here before."

"Maybe I just have one of those faces?" said the waiter with a nervous smile.

Sami's eyes narrowed in concentration as she tried to place the man, studying his suddenly sweaty face intently. The information came to her all in a rush then and her eyes snapped open as wide as they could go.

"YOU!" she exclaimed loudly, "It's you!"

"Ah yes it's me," said the waiter with a weak smile and looking around himself self consciously at the other patrons of the coffee shop.

"You married us!" Sami hissed, "The last time I saw you was at a church and you were a priest!"

"I think you're mistaken ma'am," said the profusely sweating man now, "I'm obviously not a priest, I just remind you of him."

"Like hell!" Sami growled, absolutely certain she was looking at the man who had performed her and Lucas' wedding ceremony.

She stood up abruptly and grabbed the man's arm in a vice like grip and dragged him out of the main area of the coffee shop into a little alcove that had all the spare plates and cutlery neatly stacked. Sami knew she'd need privacy for this because she felt like she was about to explode.

"You faked being a priest and performed a marriage ceremony!" Sami yelled at him, "Why would you do something like that? Who put you up to it?"

Sami already had a pretty good idea about the answer to that question seeing as Kate was the one who had organised the whole impromptu wedding in the first place.

"I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about," protested the red faced waiter.

"Don't push me bud," Sami threatened him through clench teeth, "I'm having a bad day and am as hormonal as hell – you don't want to be on the wrong end of that!"

"You have the wrong guy lady," the waiter vowed vehemently, "I've never done OOOWWWW!"

The man gave a strangled cry as Sami casually picked up a fork and jammed it into his leg as hard as she could. The man looked down at the implement now protruding from his right leg in absolute horror.

"Oh my God!" he squawked, "You stabbed me!"

"That's nothing compared to what I'm going to do with this spoon!" said Sami angrily, holding up the soup spoon to the frightened man's face, "It's going to take a team of doctors a month to extract this from your body if you don't start talking buddy!"

"You're insane!" said the traumatised waiter in horror.

"Most likely," agreed Sami casually, "Now start talking or things will start to get ugly."

"Start to?" said the man in distress as he clutched his leg which still had the fork sticking out of it, a circle of blood starting to stain his trouser leg.

Sami took a menacing step towards him, spoon clutched tightly in one hand and he quickly backed up, his back hitting the wall.

"Alright yes it was me!" he exclaimed quickly, "I'm an actor waiting for my break and this woman came in one day and said she had a job for me to do."

"What was her name?" Sami asked him, her jaw hardening.

"I don't remember," the man stalled and Sami simply reached over hit the fork with her hand.

"ARRRGGH!" the man cried out and Sami was glad it was a noisy coffee shop because no one seemed to have heard him, "Alright, alright – her name was Kate okay?"

Sami didn't doubt that it had been Kate but it was very nice to have the confirmation. That sly, twisted cow was at it again. Sami had no idea why she would plan a wedding only to fake it – it just didn't make sense. What she really wanted to know though was whether Lucas had known about it.

"Who else knew?" Sami demanded of him, "Who else knew that you weren't a real priest?"

"I don't know," said the man unevenly, "I was just told what to do, I turned up in costume and did it and was paid – that's all I know, I swear."

"Kate didn't tell you why she was doing this?" asked Sami, her eyes narrowing.

"She said it was a practical joke," said the man shakily, "You know like for one of those reality shows where people get pranked. All I know was that I was paid two grand for an hour's work and that was all I cared about."

"So I'm not married then," said Sami slowly, the information starting to sink in.

"No," the man grimaced and looked at her fearfully, "Please don't fork me again."

A slow smile spread over Sami's face. Even though she wanted to disembowel Kate even more than she had before right then Sami felt as though a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She hadn't realised how thinking she and Lucas were married had been pressing down on her but now that she knew that wasn't the truth Sami actually felt a little light headed with relief. That meant not another divorce for Sami when she and EJ could finally be together properly and this time it wasn't even down to Sami. In a very roundabout way Kate had almost done her a favour.

"I'm going to be needing you to repeat this story," Sami said, giving him a determined look, "So you'd better be around when I come looking for you again."

"Oh sure," said the waiter quickly, "I'll be here."

Sami could tell he was just saying that to get rid of her and would no doubt run as soon as he could.

"Because if you're not then I'll send every one of the DiMera resources after you to bring you back," she informed him coolly, "And I think you'll agree that you wouldn't want that now would you?"

"Di-DiMera?" stammered the hapless man before swallowing hard.

Sami allowed herself a little smile of satisfaction at the obvious fear the name invoked in him.

"That's right," said Sami in smugly, "So do yourself a favour – don't run."

"Okay," said the man weakly, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

"Good boy," said Sami, knowing she'd won this round, "Now stay here until I leave and don't make a scene."

Sami turned around and left the way she'd come in, quickly throwing some money down on her table that would more than cover the bill and continuing on out of the coffee shop. She heard a strangled cry behind her which was no doubt her waiter and one time priest pulling out the fork. All Sami could think about was sharing her news with EJ but she knew she wouldn't be able to get past her relatives to see him unfortunately. Instead Sami headed directly home, wanting to confront Lucas with this new information. She needed to know if he was in on this too or was as much a victim of Kate's warped mind as she was.

Fifteen minutes later Sami was back at her apartment only to find it empty, Will and Lucas were out. They were no doubt together and bad mouthing EJ and most likely her as well for defending him. So instead Sami let herself in EJ's apartment. Sami walked in and sat on the sofa, feeling so much more at home here than in her own apartment. There was a discarded shirt of EJ's on the sofa and Sami picked it up and held it to her nose, breathing in deeply his unique smell. It made her feel safe and loved and Sami just lost herself in it for a moment. So much had happened today that her head was still spinning from it all. Could Lucas have been in with Kate from the beginning she wondered helplessly and if so why would he play along? Each new answer to a question just seemed to raise more questions.

Sami put down the shirt and walked over to the computer desk and sat down, absently turning it on. EJ had shown her how he'd been checking on Lucas' blood results in the hospital computer – the link courtesy of The Mole. Sami clicked on it and opened up the medical records, scrolling down to find Lucas'. She knew EJ wouldn't have time to check recently and Sami was curious herself as to how he was going. Lucas was all over the place when it came to his health. Some days he seems completely fine and yet other days he could barely stand. Sami had just supposed it was part of the disease process.

She clicked on the patient name and their most recent blood results were displayed. Sami wrinkled her nose unhappily at seeing all the asterixes denoting abnormal results. Lucas' blood work clearly was that of a very sick man indeed. It was then that Sami noticed she'd opened the file of someone else by mistake, someone else with AML judging by the comments in the reports. She quickly closed it, not meaning to invade anyone else's privacy and opened up Lucas' this time. As Sami began to scan his results she was struck by something amazing.

She frowned and then to make sure her mind wasn't playing tricks on her she went back to the other person's results that she'd accidentally opened in the first place. They were exactly the same Sami realised in amazement as she looked back and forth between the two. There were very slight differences in results but it was obvious that the same blood had simply been run twice through the analysers. Hardly able to believe what she was seeing Sami began to check back over time comparing the two results and to her amazement she kept seeing the same thing again and again. Lucas' blood results had clearly been falsified by running this other person's as his and that could only mean one thing.

"Lucas isn't dying," said Sami weakly as what this meant filtered through her brain.

At first this was just this surge of unbelievable relief that Will wasn't going to have the trauma of burying his father at such a young age but that was quickly followed by a white hot rage.

"Son of a bitch!" Sami bit out as the enormity of what all this meant sunk in, "Lucas isn't dying – I'm going to kill him!"

All this time he'd allowed her to think that he was dying when it was completely untrue. Suddenly those pills he'd been taking began to make sense. When he was taking them he looked sick but as soon as Lucas stopped he was suddenly miraculously improving. Whatever those pills were he'd been taking them deliberately to make himself appear sick to get everyone's sympathy.

"OOHHHH!" Sami cried out in angry frustration as she threw the paperweight which was on EJ's desk as hard as she could against the wall.

It bounced harmlessly off but Sami didn't even bother to look. She had put herself and EJ through this entire trauma, kept them apart all this time because Sami had honestly thought she was doing the right thing by Lucas. The whole time she'd been wracked with guilt about cheating on her so called dying husband but as it turned out neither of those descriptions of Lucas were accurate. Sami wanted to simultaneously cry and hit things and she didn't know what to do first. All that wasted time for her and EJ, all that pain and angst of them sneaking around together when they could already be building a life together. Sami was literally seeing red in that moment. If Lucas had been there right now Sami honestly didn't know what she would have done, she could cheerfully kill him and not have a moment of remorse.

She had to find Lucas and have this out with him – there was no way this sham was going to go on for one more second. Sami grabbed her bag and pulled out her cell phone as she headed out of EJ's apartment and to her car. She was going to search all of Salem until she found Lucas and then she was going to tear him a new one before letting him know how she really felt. There was no doubt in Sami's mind that Lucas was in on all of this although there was definitely the foul stench of his mother in this massive deception as well. Something this grand could only have come from Kate's mind but Lucas had obviously gone along with it.

Sami wasn't exactly sure why – perhaps Lucas had sensed that such drastic action was the only way he'd be able to hold onto her and he was right. Now that Sami knew the truth she never wanted to be in the same room as the disgusting man again – after she'd ripped him to shreds of course. Of all the heinous things Sami had done nothing had ever come close to this she thought angrily. The worst part of it for Sami was not what he'd done to her though but to his own son.

Sami's heart simultaneously broke and was enraged that Lucas could allow Will to believe he was dying. No wonder the lying little bastard hadn't wanted to tell Will for so long thought Sami angrily. When people in Salem found out what Lucas had done they would never forgive him – Sami was going to make sure of that. By now she was almost at her car and Sami had dialled EJ's number. She was very hopeful that he'd be out of jail very soon with the second bail hearing and would get this.

"Hi EJ it's me," Sami said urgently in the phone as she began hunting through her bag for car keys, standing by her car which was parked at the back of her apartment block, "I really hope you get this because I've had a big afternoon. You're not going to believe this – first of all I found out that Lucas and I aren't really married – Kate hired an actor to be the priest at our wedding, can you believe it? And wait for this, I've just discovered that you were right all along, Lucas isn't dying. They've been swapping his results with a guy who really is dying of AML this whole time! I can't believe that Lucas would stoop this low-"

Sami's next words were cut off as a hand around her face shoved a foul smelling rag in her face. Her head began to spin wildly at the strong chemical smell and Sami felt her knees begin to go weak. She wrenched herself out of the man's grip, turning around and trying to see who had just attacked her but her vision was so blurred now that she simply couldn't focus. All Sami could make out as she staggered backwards was the white cowboy hat before she collapsed to the ground completely unconscious…

**oooOOOOooo**

Present time…

"_I'll tell you what is happening Rolf, I'm getting a divorce."_

Kate put a stricken hand over her mouth as she listened in on the men's conversation, feeling her stomach lurch in sickening fear. The game was up, Stefano knew what she and André had been up to and now there was nothing to do but to try and save herself and Lucas – it was all unravelling to quickly now to be selvedge. Kate had walked down the stairs just as Stefano had picked up the phone to what was obviously EJ and she'd eavesdropped on their conversation. To her horror she had overheard the fact that he and now Stefano knew about Lucas shooting EJ.

This was the very thing that Kate had been trying to buy insurance against but EJ had somehow managed to get the jump on her, from a jail cell no less. This was exactly what Kate had been terrified of happening and now it was here. Stefano had obviously put things together pretty quickly after getting that vital piece of information that Kate had no idea how EJ knew for sure but it didn't matter now. Kate had briefly considered trying to talk her way out of this but she knew by the tone of his voice that trying to front Stefano now would be a grave and most certainly fatal mistake.

No, all Kate could do now was run and pray that Stefano and his long reach didn't catch up with her. Kate was no fool and had planned for this eventuality, just in case and now she looked like she was going to need that careful planning. Kate quietly let herself out of the mansion and called for a cab once she was out on the street. One arrived swiftly thankfully and then she was on the way to her apartment to collect her emergency bags and passport. She made another phone call whilst the cab was taking her to her old apartment.

"Hello?"

"Lucas it's me," said Kate urgently, "You have to leave town – now!"

Lucas arched an eyebrow, sitting back in the sofa after having just arrived home.

"Why?" he asked coolly, looking down at the surveillance video that he'd just been about to watch before his mother rang.

"Stefano knows," said Kate fearfully, "And both EJ and he know what you did – you're not safe, you have to get out of there!"

"I knew this would happen," Lucas growled, "I knew this would blow up in our face!"

"Not now Lucas," Kate said firmly, "There will be time for recriminations later – just pack a bag and meet me at the Horton cabin and make sure you bring your passport, I'll handle the rest."

"I don't want to leave town Mom!" said Lucas in frustration.

"Well I bet you don't want to be dead even more!" she snapped back at him, "Do as I say Lucas – now!"

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ looked around himself unobtrusively before walking up to the public phone. He was a free man thanks to The Mole and he intended to keep it that way at least until he found Sami and made sure she was safe and sound. He'd used an oldie but a goody to stage the prison break – these things were a classic for a reason. EJ had collapsed, feigning great distress and the guard had been forced to open up the cell to check on him. He'd quickly overpowered the guard and took his gun. Then EJ used a willing but still terrified Maurice as a human shield to get out of the building. EJ got out to the street, hotwired a car and then the two of them drove away together at great speed. It hadn't taken EJ much to lose the police cars on his tail and after dropping off a wobbly Maurice at his house EJ had continued on his way before ditching the car and making his way on foot now.

He was relatively confident that the police would have great difficulty working out who Maurice the Mole actually was because he'd been a recluse for so long so it was unlikely they were going to turn up on his doorstep anytime soon. As for EJ all he could think about was finding Sami and making sure she was safe. He knew going back to his apartment would be a bad move for any fugitive to make and of course he didn't have his cell phone so EJ was instead ringing his voice mail in the hopes that Sami had left him a message. EJ's heart gave an excited leap when he heard Sami's voice on the other end of the phone. The voice mail message told him that she'd made the call at three fifteen, nearly two hours ago and EJ wished there had been a more recent one from Sami.

"_Hi EJ it's me. I really hope you get this because I've had a big afternoon. You're not going to believe this – first of all I found out that Lucas and I aren't really married – Kate hired an actor to be the priest at our wedding, can you believe it? And wait for this, I've just discovered that you were right all along, Lucas isn't dying. They've been swapping his results with a guy who really is dying of AML this whole time! I can't believe that Lucas would stoop this low-"_

EJ's eyes went wide at Sami's message to him. He knew it! He knew this AML thing had been fake all along! With the sense of justification came an overwhelming urge to wrap his hands around Lucas' neck and not stop until his eyes popped out of his head. How dare he do this to Sami thought EJ angrily, how dare he do this to his own son – the man was beyond redemption! It made EJ so angry that they'd all been put through so much because of this man and his twisted lies. He knew how upset Sami had been about the thought of Lucas dying, had seen her tears for him and now to find out that the other man had been faking it all along was just too much to endure.

EJ just wanted to tear the little wanker limb from limb. And of course Kate would be up to her neck in all of this as well EJ thought bitterly – those two weren't going to know what hit them when EJ caught up with them. Sami's message to him had stopped abruptly and that worried EJ, wondering what had happened. It could have been something as simple as a battery running out but today didn't seem the day for simple explanations somehow. EJ made another phone call, one finger tapping impatiently against the phone as he waited for the person to pick up.

"Hello?"

"John it's EJ," he said quickly, "Is Samantha with you?"

"No," said John and EJ could hear the frown in his voice, "Why?"

"No one has heard from her in hours and I can't get in contact with her," said EJ in fearful frustration.

"Are you out of jail?" asked John in surprise.

"Yes," said EJ impatiently.

"So you got bail then?" John asked.

"Not in the conventional sense, no," said EJ coolly.

"What does that mean?" asked John unhappily.

"It means that those stupid fools wouldn't listen to what I was trying to tell them so I took matters into my own hands," said EJ shortly.

"You broke out of jail," said John flatly.

"Yes," said EJ unrepentantly.

"Are you kidding me with this Elvis?" asked John in frustration, "How does that help your case exactly? Now you're going to have every cop in Salem on your tail."

"I don't care," said EJ stubbornly, "I need to find Samantha."

Each minute EJ couldn't locate Sami was like a knife in his heart and he was fighting with all his might not to let the panic over her well being to overwhelm him.

"John there have been a lot of developments that have happened very quickly," said EJ urgently, "I've got proof that Lucas was the one who shot me in the back."

"You what?" asked John in surprise as he parked his car and got out.

He'd driven to Kate's apartment on the off chance she might be there rather than at the DiMera mansion. It was more likely he'd get the truth from Kate if she was at her apartment rather than that mausoleum.

"Well as good as proof," EJ clarified, "It won't take much to dig a little deeper and prove it beyond all reasonable doubt and now I've just listened to a message Samantha left me and she told me that she'd discovered that Lucas isn't dying at all, it was all a big set up and that she and Lucas aren't even married – the marriage was a sham too!"

"Whoa," said John, "Slow down there EJ – what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that witch Kate and her deranged son have plotted between themselves to keep Samantha and I apart and to have me either dead or in jail," said EJ angrily, "They've been playing everyone and we've all fallen for it until now."

John looked up then as a car came around the corner of the underground car park to Kate's apartment block. His eyes locked with the driver of the car. Kate's eyes widened at seeing him there and a myriad of emotions flicked over her face but the one that John couldn't mistake was guilt as she looked back at him. In that moment John knew everything EJ was telling him was completely true and his jaw hardened as he stared angrily back at her. Kate must have read his expression as well because she had a moment of fearful distress before a look of cold resolve came over her face. The next thing EJ knew was the rev of engines coming down the phone line and then the sound of metal crunching and the clatter of the phone hitting the ground.

"John?" EJ called out into the phone, "John what is happening? Are you alright? John!"

There was no answer, just the screeching of car tyres in the distance. EJ swallowed hard as he realised what he must have just heard.

"John answer me!" he called out into the phone, "John!"

John didn't answer, couldn't answer as he lay deathly still face down on the cold concrete floor in an ever widening pool of blood. He'd bounced off the hood of Kate's bonnet like a rag doll as she mowed him down and he hadn't moved since. EJ feared the worse but the trouble was that he had absolutely no idea where John was right then so he couldn't even call 911.

"John," EJ said helplessly into the phone as the events of that day continued to pile up on them all…


	135. Chapter 282

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & EIGHTY TWO**** – ****One Plus One Makes Three**

Clear your mind must be, if you are to discover the real villains behind this plot.

_Yoda_

Marlena ran down the corridor of the hospital, her heart in her mouth. She'd received the phone call from the ER only minutes before when she'd been in her office about John being admitted. One of the staff had recognised her husband being brought in and rung to tell Marlena. They'd told her he'd been hit by a car and Marlena just felt sick at the thought of what she might find. She'd just gotten back the love of her life from the coma EJ DiMera shooting John had put him in and now Marlena just didn't know if she could face yet another brush with death. The sight of John's deathly pale face as she made it to the ER did little to allay Marlena's fears. The only colour was the dark blood that was drying on one side of his face.

"Oh my God John!" she said in distress, running to his side and taking his hand, "Oh no John, please no."

"Ma'am," said the ambulance man, nodding at her to move a little so they could wheel John into the alcove where doctors were waiting to start working on him.

Marlena didn't leave John's side but stood a little more out of the way as the doctors began to check him over.

"How did this happen?" asked Marlena in distress of the paramedic, dragging her anxious gaze briefly from John to the other man.

"Someone rang in a 911 call in the building," said the paramedic, "Don't have a name for you. They just found him in the car park of a block of apartments."

"Which apartments?" asked Marlena unevenly, biting her bottom lip as they began to cut away John's clothing to reveal the ugly bruises already forming underneath.

The paramedic gave the address and Marlena looked at him in shock.

"That's Kate Robert's old apartment," said Marlena in surprise, "What was he doing there?"

"I'm sorry ma'am," said the paramedic apologetically, "He hasn't come round at all since we've been looking after him."

The doctor's began working frantically on John and Marlena could only send up silent prayers that this wasn't as bad as it looked. A couple of minutes later a familiar face appeared at the curtain of their alcove.

"Roman!" said Marlena, grateful to see him there, "Thank goodness you're here!"

"I came as soon as I heard," said Roman with a worried frown, looking down at John, "How is he?"

"We don't know yet," said Marlena anxiously, looking at one of the attending doctors.

"We need to do a CT scan," the doctor said to her silent question, "We need to see how severe this damage to his head is – that's our real worry now. Apart from that there looks like bruising and some broken ribs but we'll know more after the scan – at this point we can't entirely rule out internal bleeding."

"But he's going to be alright?" Roman pushed the younger man.

"We don't know yet," said the doctor honestly, "We'll do the scans and then I can give you a better answer to that question."

"How could this happen?" asked Marlena in despair, her eyes filling up with tears, "I just got him back and now this."

"Where did this happen?" asked Roman with a scowl, clearly not liking to see his former wife so upset.

"That's the weird thing," said Marlena unevenly as she tried to compose herself and stay out of the way of the medical team, "He was found in the undercover car park of Kate's apartment."

"Do you have any idea why he'd be there?" asked Roman with even more of a frown.

"I don't know," said Marlena helplessly, "Maybe he was wanted to check on Kate after what happened to her – thank God you've got that evil DiMera spawn in custody Roman, that's all I can say."

"Actually," said Roman with a grimace, "He escaped earlier."

"What?" exclaimed Marlena in disbelief, "How is that even possible?"

"He's sneaky and used an innocent bystander to hide behind," said Roman in disgust.

"So EJ DiMera is on the loose?" asked Marlena in distress, thinking immediately of her daughter.

Sami had always been a fixation of that man's and Marlena couldn't help but worry what someone like EJ was capable of, especially now when he had so little to lose. Marlena looked over at Roman who had pulled out his cell phone and was waiting for someone to pick up.

"Kate isn't answering," said Roman tightly after a few moments, "I'm just getting her voice mail."

"He's waking up," announced one of the nurses at that moment and Marlena instantly gave all of her attention to her husband.

"John honey I'm here," she said emotionally, squeezing his hand tightly, "Everything is going to be alright."

"Kate," John rasped, his voice barely audible.

"We're looking for her," said Roman over Marlena's shoulder, "Don't worry pardner."

John weakly shook his head, his face screwing up in pain as he did.

"No," he said unsteadily, struggling to get the words out, "EJ... EJ is..."

John's eyes rolled back in his head rather frighteningly then he fell into unconsciousness again.

"John!" Marlena exclaimed in horror, "John!"

"We need to get him upstairs," said the doctor quickly, cutting in, "We have to see what is going on."

With that the staff all promptly descended on John and were wheeling him out of the cubicle and hurrying John towards the elevator on the way to the CT scan Marlena presumed. She wrapped her arms around her stomach, feeling sick as she watched John disappear behind the elevator doors.

"He'll be alright Doc," Roman reassured her, putting his arm around her, "John's a tough guy."

"But he's already been through so much," said Marlena anxiously, looking up at Roman.

"And he'll get through this," said Roman confidently, "Have faith."

"I'm trying," said Marlena shakily, "I'm trying."

"At least we know who did this to John," said Roman, his eyes narrowing angrily.

"EJ," said Marlena, putting a shaking hand to her face as she remembered what John was trying to tell them, "Oh god, why won't that man leave us alone?"

"I'd say EJ was after Kate and John just got in the way," Roman speculated, "Guess the guy really doesn't think he has anything to lose now."

"So you think EJ has Kate now?" asked Marlena in horror, "Oh no, the poor woman – like he hasn't done enough to her."

"I'd say it's a good bet unless Kate turns up soon," said Roman grimly, "Dead victims tell no tales and I'm guessing that was EJ's plan to deal with her DiMera style."

"But you still have all that DNA evidence against him," said Marlena unevenly, "Killing Kate won't change that – what could EJ be thinking?"

"I don't believe he is thinking right now Doc," said Roman unhappily, "He's like a wounded animal on the run and twice as dangerous. He's just reacting now and heaven help anyone who gets in his way."

"Roman you have to find him and stop him," said Marlena emotionally, "Before anyone else gets hurt."

"And that's exactly what I'm doing to do," Roman promised her tightly, "EJ DiMera is running out of lives and I'm going to be there when he uses his last one."

Marlena knew the thought of someone possibly dying shouldn't please her but when it came to EJ it did, it was a simple as that. He'd tried to kill John not once but twice now and had an unhealthy obsession with Sami. EJ was too much like his father, exhibiting all the same ruthless, controlling aspects of his nature and Marlena just wanted him gone forever and she didn't care what kind of person that made her.

**oooOOOOooo**

Celeste raced up the stairs of Sami and EJ's apartment block determined to warn the young woman. She'd just had another vision, this time she hadn't even been asleep, it had simply come to her and this time she knew what they were all up against.

_Celeste opened the door to her kitchen and walked in only to find herself suddenly standing in the middle of a ballroom. She came to a dead halt, having had this happen to her before where her visions just seemed to come to life around her. The ballroom was very grand with rich looking velvet curtains hanging from large arch windows and a brilliant chandelier gracing the centre of the room with its' presence, winking and glowing in all of its' magnificence. Suddenly Sami emerged from one of the doorways and started to walk towards Celeste. She was resplendent in a gorgeous green ball gown that made her skin glow and her eyes look especially blue. Her hair was swept up in a tastefully elegant style and glittering jewels adorned her slender neck. _

_She looked like nothing less than a princess as she moved gracefully towards Celeste. Her face was radiant, absolutely brilliant with happiness but that smile wasn't for Celeste. Instead Sami's eyes were fixed on a point over Celeste's shoulder, her eyes shining with absolute joy as she moved purposely forwards. Celeste looked back over her shoulder and saw EJ standing a little ways behind her, a huge smile on his face as he held Sami's gaze just as adoringly, dressed immaculately in a tuxedo. The happiness in the room was absolutely palatable as EJ reached out a hand and Sami took it before he drew her into his arms. Their faces beamed at one another, having eyes only for each other. EJ bent his head and tenderly kissed Sami, oblivious to the rest of the world and only seeming to know the woman in his arms. _

_They began to move then, dancing together perfectly as though they were one creature, their eyes never leaving the others. EJ and Sami moved gracefully over the dance floor to music that clearly only they could hear. Celeste knew she was looking at two people perfectly and absolutely in love, no matter what their circumstances might be and watching them move together like that was a thing of beauty. Her dreams and visions had shown her over and over again that Sami and EJ were linked but now Celeste knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that what linked them was a deep and abiding love. The young couple just seemed so happy and at peace that it brought tears to Celeste's eyes. EJ stepped back and twirled Sami under his arm with a cheeky smile in a grand gesture and she giggled and played happily along, her long skirt flowing out around her ankles._

_EJ smiled warmly down at her as he held her out at arm's length, just before he was about to spin her back into him but suddenly the smile dropped from his face. A crimson stain marked EJ's shirt and it began to spread rapidly over his crisp white shirt and undoubtedly soaking into his black jacket. He made a strangled noise which caused blood to spit from his mouth before dropping Sami's hand and falling to his knees, clutching his stomach. _

_Sami began to scream, rushing over to him but before she could reach EJ suddenly a man was behind her. The Cowboy grabbed at Sami's hair, pulling her off her feet and then beginning to drag her along the floor, kicking and screaming by her hair. He was looking down, his face covered once again by the white cowboy hat as he enjoyed watching the helpless woman scream and struggle to break free, her hands batting at his above her head and trying to get him to let her go. _

"_NO!" Celeste yelled in horror as EJ now collapsed to the ground in an ever widening pool of his own blood._

_She rushed towards the thrashing Sami, intent on helping her._

"_Leave her alone!" she shouted at The Cowboy._

_The man looked up, meeting Celeste's eyes at last and her heart just about stopped beating in her chest when she finally saw who it was._

Her dream had ended there but Celeste knew that there was so much going on than anyone had suspected so far and she just had to get someone to listen to her. It was obvious that Sami was in real danger and now that Celeste knew who The Cowboy was she had to warn her. Celeste knew that EJ was in jail so that meant he was relatively safe for now but Sami was another story. She arrived at Sami's apartment, a little out of breath from running in heels and knocked frantically on the door.

"Sami!" she called out urgently, "Sami I have something to tell you – you're in horrible danger! I know who The Cowboy is – Sami, open up!"

Celeste was relieved to see the door open but it was short lived when she saw who opened it.

"You!" she gasped in horror, taking a frightened step back as her nightmares came to life.

"Yeah darlin' – me."

Celeste started to run but it was too late – it was too late for everyone now.

**oooOOOOooo**

It was getting late as Lucas paced up and down nervously at the Horton cabin waiting for his mother. He'd thrown a few things in a bag and just left, grateful that Will hadn't been around to ask any questions. At the thought of his son Lucas' jaw hardened. Not only had his mother cost him his relationship with Sami but with Will as well. If Stefano now knew that Lucas had been the one to try and kill EJ then he knew his life was more or less over, at least any kind of life he used to know. If Kate had just left everything alone then everyone would have kept thinking that Tony was the killer and no one would have bothered to look any closer. But no, his mother had to go in, guns blazing with this crazy and elaborate scheme that backed EJ up against a corner and made him look harder for any discrepancies.

"Damn her!" Lucas bit out angrily.

Lucas shook his head in useless frustration. Everything was ruined and most likely he'd never get to see Sami and Will ever again. If his mother had been there right then he could have cheerfully killed her. But then if they didn't get out of town before Stefano DiMera found them then that wasn't really going to be an issue anyway. Lucas checked his watch again and made another frustrated noise. He stalked back to his bedroom and opened his suitcase, the one he'd packed in a very big hurry, and pulled out the video tape lying on top. He picked it up and looked at it, trying to decide if he wanted to know or not but a knock at the door interrupted him and Lucas put it back down and went to answer it.

"Why was the door locked?" asked Kate in annoyance when Lucas opened the door to find her standing there.

"Oh I don't know," said Lucas bitingly, "Maybe because I've got a mob boss on my tail wanting me dead."

"A locked door won't stop Stefano," said Kate grimly as she sailed past Lucas, leaving him to carry in her suitcases for her.

"Yeah well I hope you have a plan for something that will," said Lucas, just as grimly as he bent down and brought in the suitcases.

"I have a private plane booked under false identities to take us to Venezuela," said Kate as she put her hand bag down, "From there we can lay low for a bit and work out our next step."

Lucas put down her suitcases and looked at his mother in disbelief.

"So that is going to be our lives now is it?" he asked angrily, "Running from one continent to another?"

"We don't have a choice Lucas," said Kate tightly, "We have to do what it takes to stay alive."

A brief look of pain flashed over Kate's face then, as though she was remembering something horrible but it was quickly replaced with a stalwart demeanour.

"There is nothing left to do Lucas," she said calmly, "We just have to grin and bear it."

"Grin and bear it?" he repeated in astonishment, "You completely and utterly destroy my life, every relationship I have in it and every hope for the future and you are telling me just to grin and bear it!"

"What I did I did to secure our future Lucas!" Kate snapped back, "If it had worked out-"

"But it didn't work out did it Mom?" Lucas snapped back, "Your plan was crazy from start to finish and I don't know why the hell I went along with it!"

"We both agreed it was best at the time," said Kate stiffly.

"This is just like before!" Lucas ranted, "When I was twelve-"

"Please Lucas," said Kate emotionally, "We don't have to talk about that, not now."

"Why not now Mom?" asked Lucas, not backing down, "Our lives are over so what else do we have to do eh?"

"What's done is done," said Kate, looking away and swallowing painfully, "There is no point rehashing everything."

"You're right," said Lucas with biting sarcasm, "What good could come out of us talking about it after all of this time. How Arthur raped me when I was twelve-"

"Please don't!" said Kate, holding up a hand and shaking her head, "I didn't know Lucas, I would never have left you alone with him if I'd thought for one second-"

"You never thought back then Mom, just like now," said Lucas, his face hard and unyielding, "You never thought what that stream of men going through your life did to me – you only thought about your own needs. Arthur was just another of your boyfriends who did what he did but you were the one who really screwed me!"

Lucas spat the words out, having been a long time in coming. They'd never talked about it, just pretended that it was all over and done with but for Lucas that night still haunted him for many reasons. It had coloured his whole world, the way he looked at things and to keep on pretending that it didn't matter now was an affront he couldn't allow any longer.

"Oh god please don't say that Lucas," said Kate, her eyes welling up with tears, "I did my best, I tried to protect you afterwards."

"Oh I know Mom," said Lucas coldly, "I know how you protected me – you killed Arthur in cold blood and now I have to live with that on my conscience as well – that you killed for me!"

"Wh-what?" asked Kate in horror.

"What you think I didn't know?" asked Lucas resentfully, "How could I not know Mom?"

She was looking at him with such disbelief that Lucas couldn't stand it. Lucas wanted his mother to acknowledge how screwed up she was and in turn how badly she'd messed him up with her overprotective ways.

"You killed Arthur Mom!" he yelled at her, just wanting her to admit it after all of this time.

**oooOOOOooo**

Lucas rolled over in bed the next morning and made a defeated sound as he woke up properly and remembered his plight. His mother was intent on ruining his life it seemed and he'd been crazy to go along with her in the first place so in some ways he had no one else to blame but himself. Mind you Lucas was still fully intent on blaming his mother anyway. The fight last night had been bad and he'd gone to bed angry in the end. Lucas wasn't even sure if she was still here but assumed that his mother wasn't too far away – after all, where could she go right now? That woman had tied the noose around both of their necks and Lucas would never forgive her for that.

Not ready to face his mother yet Lucas crawled out of bed and quickly dressed. He looked over at the video tape thoughtfully and then pushed it into the VCR in his bedroom, at last getting a chance to watch it. Lucas had this depressing thought that all it was going to show was more of his mother's insanity and yet another thing that they were both going to have to avoid answering for. The tape started to play as Lucas sat on the end of the bed, picking up the remote and beginning to fast forward through the scenes of simply an empty gym.

Finally Lucas came to the part where EJ and Sami arrived and he watched them on fast forward move around before they both disappeared into what Lucas assumed was the sauna. It still didn't make sense to him how they thought going in there was a good idea but he was distracted from those thoughts by the appearance of a man in a white cowboy hat. Lucas sat up straighter on the bed, surprised at this new development.

The man was standing with his back to the camera as he locked the door and then took out what looked like a taser from his pocket. He held it to the door but as he did the cowboy looked back over his shoulder and directly up at the camera so Lucas got an unobstructed view of the other man's face for the first time. All the air left Lucas' body in a rush and he sat back on the bed as though he'd been physically struck.

"Oh my god," he whispered in complete and utter disbelief as the bile gagged the back of his throat, "Oh my god..."


	136. Chapter 283

**AUTHOR'S NOTE****: **Okay guys, this is it at long last, the big reveal about the identity of The Cowboy. I hope it doesn't disappoint. Just a word of warning though – things are going to get pretty dark and ugly for a few chapters – just to let you know. There will be happier stuff coming up but not for a little while.

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & EIGHTY THREE**** – ****Show and Tell**

Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality.

_Edgar Allan Poe_

_(American short-story Writer, Editor, Poet and Critic, 1809-1849)_

All the colour drained from Lucas' face as he looked at a very familiar face staring back at him on the TV screen – his own. None of this made sense, he'd never been to that gym before he went to retrieve the tape so how the hell was he standing there with a cowboy hat on and locking Sami and EJ in a sauna.

"What is this?" asked Lucas hoarsely, unable to comprehend what he was seeing.

He staggered to his feet and lurched out of the bedroom. Right away he saw his mother sitting in a high backed chair, looking out the window into the woods surrounding the cabin.

"Mom," Lucas said in distress, walking unsteadily up to her, "Mom something is going on that I don't understand – I need your help."

Kate didn't respond, she didn't even look at him and Lucas realised she must still be mad at him over their fight last night but he was over that for the moment because right now he really needed her.

"Mom please," he begged her desperately, hurrying up to where she was sitting and putting a hand on her shoulder and shaking it, "Help me."

Kate slumped to one side, her head lolling back as she stared up at the ceiling with sightless, blood shot eyes.

"Mom?" said Lucas weakly, looking at her in horror, "Mom what's wrong with you?"

Lucas' brain just couldn't take in what he was seeing, no matter how much he stared at it.

"She's dead," offered up a casual voice behind him.

"No," Lucas rasped, not even bothering to look to see where the voice was coming from right then, his eyes riveted to the purple bruising around his mothers neck, bones pushing awkwardly against the skin.

Her neck was clearly broken but Lucas couldn't bring himself to accept that.

"Aren't you gonna thank me Lukie boy?" asked the mocking voice, "I just did you the biggest favour of your life."

Lucas whirled around then, his body still numb from shock at what he was seeing. No one was standing there but he caught his reflection in the mirror only it wasn't his face that was looking back at him. The face was his but not, the expression twisted into a hard cruelness that seemed full of spiteful amusement.

"Don't look so surprised boy," said the insolent reflection, talking to Lucas now, "You knew I was always here."

"Wh-what are you?" whispered Lucas hoarsely, beginning to shake now.

"Why I'm your guardian angel," said the reflection with a smirk, "But you can call me Artie."

"I don't understand," said Lucas weakly, his heart hammering away in his chest, "What is this?"

"This is me looking after you," said Artie, sounding a little impatient now as Lucas didn't respond how he obviously wanted him to, "Like I've always done, since you were twelve years old."

"You killed my Mom," said Lucas in distress, tears welling up in his eyes as he spoke the unimaginable words.

Even now Lucas couldn't wrap his head around the fact that his mother was gone. She'd been this huge part of his life forever and now to have it suddenly gone just made Lucas feel utterly lost.

"With a little help from you," agreed Artie with a throaty chuckle, "I couldn't have done it without you Lukie boy."

"No," said Lucas in horror, shaking his head, "NO! I'd never hurt my mother – I'd never hurt anyone!"

"I know you ball-less wonder," said Artie in disgust, "You always leave the heavy liftin' to old Artie don't you and never a word of thanks mind you. Just as well I enjoy my work."

Lucas was just staring wide eyed at the reflection of the smirking man in the mirror unable to find the words to describe what he was feeling in that moment. This had to be a dream, some horrible, horrible dream and he was going to wake up any time now. None of this was real, none of this made sense.

"This ain't a dream Lukie," said Artie with a roll of his eyes, "This is you finally waking up and realising what old Artie has been doing for you this whole time. I tell ya, I've been working my fingers to the bones for you and you don't even seem grateful."

"Oh god," said Lucas in distress, "What have you done?"

"You already know what I've done," said Artie with a casual shrug, "You've seen the tape and you can hear the flies your old lady is already starting to attract."

"No," said Lucas shakily, his voice breaking, "That was a fake, someone is trying to trick me."

"You see," said Artie with a disgusted shake of his head, "That is why you need me so much Lukie, you can't deal with nothin' about nothin'. It's always been like this – me lookin' after you when you were too weak just like all those years ago."

"What are you talking about?" asked Lucas wide eyed, almost too frightened to know the answer to that question.

"Why when I killed Arthur for you," said Artie with a little chuckle, "Kinda cute that I took his name as well as his life don't ya think Lukie?"

"My Mom killed Arthur," argued Lucas unsteadily, shaking his head, "After she found out that-that-"

"He drilled your tight little ass?" offered up Artie brightly.

"Don't!" said Lucas swallowing noisily at the painful memory, his shaking getting worse.

Memories of the big man cornering him that day when his mother had been away and overpowering him so easily flooded Lucas' mind. He'd buried them so deeply for so long but standing there now he was being forced to remember everything, the smell of whiskey on the man's hot breath, his rough hands and the way Lucas had been helpless to stand against the man's much greater strength. He'd had no idea what was happening to him by his mother's boyfriend hand, not even knowing things like that could happen and when it was over it was like something had been ripped out of him forever.

"And that's where I found you," said Artie with no compassion at all, "Snivelling in a corner like a beat dog – you were going to let that animal get away with what he'd done but I wasn't havin' none of that. You weren't goin' to man up so I did what you were too weak to do."

Lucas staggered backwards as he tried to escape the other man's words.

"Come on Lukie," Artie cajoled him, "You were right there, you saw what I did – how I did it all for you."

_A twelve year old Lucas pulled his legs up to his chest, arms wrapped around them and cried uncontrollably in a corner in his room. His sobs wracked his slender frame as the pain and humiliation swamped his body. He could still hear Arthur moving around downstairs and was shaking in fear, paralysed by it. His mother was out for the evening and it had just been Lucas and her current boyfriend Arthur alone for the evening. Lucas hadn't liked Arthur at first sight but then he never liked any of his mother's beaus. They came and went so often though that Lucas rarely had time to really hate them. Arthur had been different though, he'd stayed around longer and his mother had seemed especially taken with him which just made Lucas dislike him even more. _

_His body was shaking uncontrollably after the trauma of what the big man had just done to him and Lucas could feel the way his breath was being constricted and how he couldn't catch his breath as though he was drowning. His head began to spin and then there was just the bliss of darkness as he passed out. Lucas suddenly looked up and his tears gone in an instant even if they still stained his cheeks. _

_He stood up on legs that were no longer shaking and wiped the last of his tears with the back of his hand, his lips twisting in disgust at the sight of them. He began to walk out of his bedroom and caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror, a cold little smile coming to his lips as black eyes stared back soullessly at him. He made his way quietly down the stairs to the living room where he could hear Arthur helping himself to more whiskey. The older man looked back over his shoulder and gave a little smile._

"_Back for some more?" he asked casually, his voice a little unsteady from all the liquor he'd taken that night, "Glad to know you enjoyed yourself because I sure did. But you got to remember now, it's our little secret Lucas."_

_Arthur turned back and lifted the glass of whiskey he'd just poured himself to his lips. Lucas just continued to walk up behind him, picking up a nearby ice pick as he did. Arthur threw back his head as he downed his drink in one noisy gulp. Lucas raised his arm and sank the ice pick into the much bigger man's back, puncturing a lung. Arthur dropped his glass, it shattering all over the floor as he turned around, his eyes wide with shock and pain. _

"_You little bastard!" he gasped, his breath already starting to wheeze. _

_He made a lunge for Lucas but he easily avoided him and simply jammed the ice pick into the man's neck. Arthur fell to the floor, his hand going to his neck as blood began to squirt out all over the place, Lucas having found his jugular. _

"_Help me!" rasped Arthur, stretching out a bloodied hand to Lucas, his eyes full of fear. _

_Lucas just smiled and cocked his head, watching with interest at the red jets of blood staining his mother's tiles. He reached down casually and pulled out the ice pick from Arthur's neck, giving a little amused chuckle as more blood squirted from the wound escaping between the other man's fingers. Lucas turned around and walked back into the kitchen._

"_Call 911!" Arthur begged him frantically, "Call 911!"_

_Lucas heard his cries but had no intention of doing that at all. Instead he returned with a large carving knife and walked back into the living room where the man was now flailing around in a rapidly growing pool of his own blood. Lucas straddled him, sitting down on his chest and looked down at the struggling man with interest, totally disconnected from the bloody sight in front of him._

"_Please Lucas," said Arthur weakly unable to defend himself now, even from a twelve year old boy as all the blood continued to drain from his body, "Please I'm sorry, don't do this."_

_Arthur's terrified gaze was on the large knife that Lucas was holding._

"_Hush now darlin'," said Lucas, his accent decidedly southern all of a sudden._

_He place the knife tip against the lips of the terrified man to silence him. _

"_We're goin' ta have some fun now," he promised him, his voice low and full of throaty anticipation. _

_Frantic screams filled the room as Lucas set to work..._

"No, no, NO!" Lucas screamed, covering his ears to try to block out the hysterical screams of the man being butchered in his memories, "That didn't happen! That didn't happen – I didn't do that!"

"Of course you didn't you little pussy," said Artie in annoyance, "It was man's work and you ain't no man – not back then and sure as hell not now. Look at you – all snivelling and spineless – you disgust me."

Lucas was crying from the trauma and graphic reality of his memories, his nose was running and he couldn't breathe. This nightmare just wouldn't stop. He'd been so sure that his mother had done away with Arthur after she'd found out about the rape, Lucas had convinced himself of that fact all these years and that was why he'd always been so bound to her. His mother had done this huge thing to protect him and Lucas had always felt like he owed her for that only now nothing was as he thought it was.

"How could I not know?" asked Lucas in despair, looking at Artie in the mirror, pleading with him to help him understand what was going on, "All this time, how could I not know?"

"You didn't know because you didn't want to know," said Artie coolly, "You always knew I was inside of you but you never wanted to look too close now did you Lukie? You'd put me away for years on end but when things happened that you couldn't handle that was when old Artie came to help you out."

"The pills," whispered Lucas hoarsely, the terrible truth starting to dawn on him, "The pills let you out of me."

"Well sure they helped," said Artie with a chuckle, "They messed you up so I could get to work but only because you needed me."

"I didn't need you!" exclaimed Lucas in horror, "I didn't need you to kill- to kill-"

Suddenly Lucas' stomach lurched violently as he looked over at his mother with her broken neck and finally had to accept that this was real. He ran over to the sink and threw up ferociously into it, his stomach emptying itself of its contents with gusto. When the vomiting finally stopped more tears came.

"Mom," he sobbed brokenly, knowing he'd lost her forever now and feeling utterly bereft.

And to know that it was by his own hand was something Lucas still just couldn't comprehend, his heart broke into a thousand pieces that the woman who had loved him so much had come to such a violent end because of that love.

"Oh don't shed any tears over that controlling bitch," said Artie dismissively, "She was only holding us back."

"There is no us!" Lucas spat out, a sudden anger pouring through him.

He whirled around and glared death at the reflection of Artie, wiping the last of the sick from his mouth as he did.

"Come on Lukie," said Artie with a cold curve of his lips, "There has only ever been us – you know that."

"I'm going to stop this!" declared Lucas emotionally, "I'm going to stop you!"

"But Lukie," protested Artie mildly, "We've only just begun – we haven't even gotten to the best part yet and you want to stop?"

"Best part?" asked Lucas fearfully, "What have you done?"

"Go and check the boot of your car," offered up Artie with a happy little chuckle.

Lucas swallowed hard and despite not wanting to found himself walking out of the cabin and hesitantly making his way to his car parked outside. His mother's was parked beside it and fresh tears welled up at seeing it and knowing she would never drive it again, that she'd never do anything again. Lucas stood in front of the boot of the car, looking down at it apprehensively.

"Open it," said Artie excitedly, as though he was a parent eager for their child to open presents on Christmas day.

Lucas dully popped the boot and opened it up. He gave a little gasp of shock at what he saw. Celeste was tied up in the back lying perfectly still.

"Is she dead?" asked Lucas in distress.

"Well she wasn't when I put her in," said Artie blithely, "But that was awhile ago so maybe."

Lucas slammed down the lid of the boot quickly, not wanting to know if he had another dead body on his hands. He just couldn't deal with knowing right now.

"Why?" asked Lucas in horror.

"She knows about me," said Artie before thoughtfully pursing his lips, "Don't know how – maybe she really is a witch but anyway, I couldn't have her wandering around Salem blabbin' away about me now could I?"

"Oh god this isn't happening," said Lucas faintly, covering his face with hands.

"Don't worry Lukie boy," said Artie blithely, "I'll take care of her when the time comes, just like I take care of everything."

"I want you to stop," said Lucas desperately, "You can't keep going on like this Artie!"

Artie gave Lucas a considered look after that outburst.

"You wanted EJ DiMera dead didn't you?" asked Artie casually, "I mean you tried and failed already."

"I-I wanted him to leave Sami and I alone," said Lucas weakly, "I wanted to protect her from him."

"My poor deluded Lukie boy," tutted Artie with a shake of his head, "Always the last train to pull into the station aren't you?"

"What does that mean?" asked Lucas with a scowl.

Artie just laughed then.

"Don't worry Lukie," he chuckled, "Like I said - I'll take care of everything like I always do. EJ DiMera is going to be dead real soon and you won't have to worry about him."

"How?" asked Lucas hoarsely, "EJ is in prison."

"No prison is going to hold a DiMera," said Artie dismissively, "You know he's goin' ta be comin' for you now he knows you shot him. It's only a matter of time."

"What are going to do?" asked Lucas tentatively.

"Why finish what you started of course," said Artie with a sly smile, "Go look in the spare bedroom."

"Oh god," said Lucas shakily, "What have you done now?"

"Just go look," said Artie said with a jerk of his head towards the cabin, "Check out the spare bedroom."

Lucas gave Artie a fearful look before walking back into the cabin. He hesitantly walked up to the door of the room and reluctantly opened it. The first thing he saw was Sami stretched out on the bed, her wrists bound to the bed head above her. She wasn't moving and her eyes were closed. Lucas stared at her wide eyed, taking in the ugly bruises on the inside of her arm and the used needle and syringe beside the bed.

"What have you done to her?" asked Lucas in distress.

"Just kept her quiet until I need her," said Artie casually, walking up behind Lucas now.

"Need her?" repeated Lucas unevenly, "What do you need Sami for?"

"Every good trap needs a little honey to attract the bee now doesn't it?" asked Artie with a smirk.

"No," said Lucas, shaking his head as the full horror of all of these revelations pressed in all around him, threatening to overwhelm him completely.

He dropped to his knees and put his head in his hands as he began to shake again.

"No," he gasped, unable to breathe suddenly, "No, no, no."

Lucas' chest was so tight that it hurt to draw in his next breathe as panic began to overwhelm him. The room started to go dark as Lucas started to lose consciousness. His head snapped up abruptly then and looked around the room, a slow smile spreading across his face as his eyes went cold and hard as he spoke.

"We're goin' ta have some fun now."

A low, throaty chuckle full of malice filled the room as he threw his head back and began to laugh.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Maurice," said EJ urgently into the phone, "Do you have it?"

He'd been forced to hang up on John in the end because there was absolutely nothing he could do for him. All EJ could do was pray that John was alright because he was almost certain that he'd just been run down. EJ suspected The Cowboy seeing as the man had been following them for so long and would no doubt know about John's involvement with them. He'd been forced to lie low overnight, the cops out in force and EJ was fairly confident he was the reason.

"I-I need a moment," said Maurice unsteadily, still sounding overwhelmed from the events of the afternoon.

"You don't have it," EJ growled in frustration, "Samantha doesn't have it – I need that information now!"

There was too much at stake for EJ now to be gentle and kind with Maurice the Mole. Something deep inside of him told him that Samantha needed him and EJ could only think of finding his way to her. He was almost certain that Kate was working with The Cowboy now and EJ was almost as sure that The Cowboy had Sami. He had to find them and the easiest way he knew how was through Kate. He'd rung his father back to be informed that Kate wasn't at the mansion right then so EJ knew he needed to track her down. Fortunately his habit of keeping a close eye on everyone he didn't trust was about to pay off.

"I'm just triangulating now," said Maurice shakily.

EJ looked around himself impatiently as he waited on Maurice getting the required information from the tracking device he'd had planted on Kate's car. As long as Kate was with her car then EJ could find her.

"Got it!" said Maurice triumphantly, "The car is on Littleton Island."

EJ's eyes narrowed as he took that in. Littleton Island wasn't an island per se as there was a thin strip of road that connected the little circle of land to the mainland but EJ knew about it. In his research before coming to Salem he knew it was owned by the Horton's and that there was a cabin on it.

"She's running," EJ said grimly, knowing that could be the only reason Kate was there.

Somehow she'd found out that both he and his father knew about her crimes and was intent on escaping their wrath.

"You'd better get there fast," advised Maurice, "That road goes underwater at high tide and-"

EJ could hear some tapping of keyboards as the other man checked his details.

"And that is in less than an hour," supplied Maurice, "When that road goes under you won't be able to reach the island without a boat until morning."

"Thank you Maurice," said EJ sincerely, grateful for the man's help, "After today anything you want is yours – all you have to do is ask."

"I just want you not to use me in anymore prison breaks," said Maurice unevenly.

"Consider it done my friend," said EJ with a quirk of his lips.

EJ hung up quickly, intent on getting to the island as fast as he could.

"Don't move!" a voice ordered him loudly.

EJ turned his head to find a uniformed police officer with his gun drawn pointed directly at him.

"Officer," said EJ very calmly, "I don't really have time to explain but there are lives at stake which rely on me being somewhere very soon. I don't have time for this."

"You're an escapee who rapes women and attempted to kill a member of the public," said the officer, his face hard, "You're going to make time – hands on your head!"

EJ stared back at him, his face inscrutable. John must be the member of the public the man was referring to – no huge shock to think that Roman and his crew of trained monkeys would immediately pin the crime on EJ. Every cop in the city was no doubt out looking for him.

"You're making a mistake," said EJ through gritted teeth as he put his hands on his head slowly.

"Tell it to someone who gives a crap," said the cop as he advanced on him, one hand going for his handcuffs.

The man roughly turned EJ around and shoved him against a nearby wall.

"You're making a mistake," said EJ darkly again, one cheek pressed up against the brick wall.

A DiMera on the run was dangerous enough but one backed into a corner...the officer was about to find out just how big his mistake really was.


	137. Chapter 284

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & EIGHTY FOUR**** – ****A Mother's Love**

A Freudian slip is when you say one thing but mean your mother.

_Anonymous_

"Problem Uncle?"

Stefano continued to stare out the window for a long moment before turning around and addressing the person who had spoken. He regarded André silently before giving a dismissive nod to the men standing on either side of him – the guards that had brought him up from his cell.

"This is a dark day André," said Stefano sombrely.

"What darker than when you imprisoned your own flesh and blood?" asked André laconically, "But then I forget myself don't I Uncle – it is standing room only down there when it comes to imprisoning flesh and blood."

Stefano looked him up and down and gave a slow, disgusted shake of his head.

"Such an evil plan," he said coldly.

"I thought you'd be proud to know your gene pool is still strong," said André with a little shrug.

"Proud?" asked Stefano in disbelief, "Proud of such a disgusting plot? How is that even possible eh? Answer me that?"

"You've had your fair share of disgusting plots Uncle," said André easily, "Don't pretend affront now because it suits you."

"You have betrayed me for the last time," said Stefano, his eyes going dark.

"Believe it or not Uncle I was trying to protect you," said André coolly, "I did what I did to protect, not betray you."

"You hatched this plot with Kate to usurp my power, the two of you," said Stefano darkly, "And you will both pay with your lives for your greed."

"No," said André strongly, "You will see Uncle, one day you will see. You are so hell bent on handing over the DiMera empire to a fool who doesn't even want it. All that you have built, all that you have created will be destroyed by Elvis and his foolish love for Samantha Brady."

"My son is under my control," said Stefano coldly.

"You have a blind spot when it comes to Elvis," said André, his jaw hardening, "And it will be your undoing."

"Enough!" Stefano roared, "I will have order in my own house! Carlo, Umberto!"

The two men that had dragged André up from his dungeon appeared in the doorway dutifully.

"Kill him," said Stefano emotionlessly, "And take his carcass far from this place."

André's lips thinned at the obvious disgust in the other man's voice but he wasn't beaten yet. As the two men bore down on him he managed to evade them and make a lunge for an ornamental sword on the wall. André quickly snatched it down and ran one of the guards that was nearest him through the stomach. The next was quickly dispatched in the same manner. André turned then, his eyes flaming as he stalked towards Stefano, his sword drawn. He placed the tip of the blade to Stefano's neck, blood still dripping from it and staining the extremely expensive Persian carpet. Stefano simply stared impassively back at the younger man, seeming not to care about his suddenly precarious position.

"Remember this moment Stefano," said André, his face full of barely contained fury, "Remember how I held your life in my hands and how I tried to save you from your own blindness."

The two men faced off, powerful emotions passing between them and neither one backing down.

"I will indeed remember this day," said Stefano coldly, showing absolutely no sign of fear.

"One day you will come to understand the errors of your ways Uncle," André prophesied, "And I'll be waiting – I will be waiting."

André withdrew the sword from Stefano's neck after a long tense moment and slowly backed up, heading towards the French doors.

"You'll be dead before you make the estate walls," said Stefano coolly, making a prediction of his own.

"No I won't be," said André with a quirk of his lips before giving Stefano a little nod of his head and then disappearing through the doors.

Stefano stood there for a moment, not moving before looking down at the two dead men in the middle of his living room floor.

"Bart!" he called out as gun shots could be heard coming from the garden, his men chasing André down.

"Yes boss?" said Bart cheerfully as he appeared from the kitchen in an apron.

"Clean that up," said Stefano with a dismissive jerk of his head towards the two dead men.

Bart followed his line of vision and blanched at seeing the bloody bodies before promptly throwing up all over the expensive Persian carpet. Stefano rolled his eyes, looking unimpressed. And he'd really like this carpet as well.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Don't move," the cop ordered EJ as EJ could hear the clink of handcuffs being prepared to be snapped on his wrist.

He reacted swiftly, totally disregarding the police officers command and snapped his elbow back, catching the much shorter man in the face. The officer reeled backwards, clutching his bloody nose but EJ had no time for pity. He quickly turned around and punched the other man in the stomach as hard as he could, causing him to drop to his knees before EJ delivered the final blow, a left hook which sent him all the way to the ground completely unconscious.

"Stop!"

Another voice behind EJ alerted him to the fact that the now unconscious cop was travelling with a partner. The newcomer was in the process of drawing his gun but EJ didn't give him time to finish the job. He charged at the man, knocking him to the ground. EJ wasn't given to physical altercations as a rule but when push came to shove he knew how to handle himself. The two of them rolled around a bit but EJ managed to get on top of the other man despite him being a fair bit bigger than his partner before landing a series of blows on the man's face.

The second officer was quickly knocked out and EJ had the bleeding knuckles to prove it. There was no time for first aid right then though as he'd lost precious minutes in grappling with these two idiots, minutes Sami might not have. The thought spurred EJ on and after grabbing the police officer's gun he leapt up even as a crowd began to appear from nowhere having heard the fight. He pushed his way between them before anyone could stop them and raced towards the car he'd stolen, jumping in and turning it around in a screech of rubber and smoke, driving as fast as he could towards the landing at Littleton Island.

"Hang on Samantha," he said through gritted teeth, manoeuvring through the traffic at high speed with all of his skills even as the adrenalin from the fight coursed through his body, "I'm coming, just hang on sweetheart."

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami came slowly awake, blinking groggily as she tried to shake off the sleep clouding her mind. Her head felt like cotton wool and her mouth was incredibly dry as she tried to work out what had happened to her. Slowly memories filtered back to her and she remembered someone coming up behind her and covering her mouth with a foul smelling cloth. She looked around herself frantically, trying to work out where she was.

Sami's hands were bound behind her, hooked over the back of the chair she was sitting on but not tied to the chair. It looked like it was the morning and the last thing Sami remembered was it being late afternoon so she'd been out for some time with whatever had been given to her. Sami looked down at her arm and saw the ugly injection bruises and felt a little sick. She immediately thought of her babies and what being drugged like that might have done to them but then one of them gave a reassuring kick and Sami could have cried with relief.

"It's alright little ones," she reassured them in a hushed whisper, "Mommy is going to get us all out of this, I promise."

Sami spoke with more confidence than she actually felt because she knew this could only be the work of one person – The Cowboy. She could only pray that EJ was out of jail and looking for her even now and that this was all going to work out. Sami looked around for something to cut the ties off her wrists with when she noticed that someone was sitting in the wing backed chair not too far away from her. Sami could only see a hand resting on the arm of the chair but she recognised it anyway.

"Kate!" she said urgently, "Kate help me!"

There was no response and Sami made a frustrated growl. She wiggled around in the chair and slid down as far as she could so she could stretch out a leg to reach one corner of the chair the other woman was sitting in.

"Kate," said Sami as loudly as she dared, "Kate!"

Sami pushed at the chair with the tip of her foot, trying to get the older woman's attention. Kate suddenly toppled forward and landed on the ground, her lifeless gaze directed to somewhere behind Sami. Some bones of Kate's neck pushed out at an odd angle, stretching the skin but not quite piercing it. Sami gave a strangled scream at the horrifyingly graphic sight.

"Oh my god Kate!" said Sami in distress, suddenly feeling sick.

"Oh don't mind her," said Lucas as he suddenly appeared in the doorway and leant against it casually, "Old Katie just has a little case of the deads going on."

"Lucas!" gasped Sami in disbelief, her eyes wide at the hideous sight of the now very dead looking Kate, "Oh my god what happened?"

Her brain couldn't seem to work right then as Sami had expected to see The Cowboy, not Lucas and the way he was acting and talking was too bizarre for words. Perhaps it was the shock of seeing his mother in this state – it had just overwhelmed him. Sami knew she was feeling pretty overwhelmed by it all and Lucas' next words didn't help any.

"I snapped the meddling old bitch's neck," said Lucas with a bit of a smile, "Wish I'd done it years ago now – it's kinda liberating."

Sami blanched at the casual way Lucas said that, praying to God that she was still asleep and this was some kind of horrible nightmare. Sure she hated Kate but to see her like that was turning Sami's stomach and she couldn't understand what was going on with Lucas.

"Why are you saying those things?" asked Sami in horror, "Why are you talking like that? Untie me right now Lucas!"

"Now than missy I ain't goin' to be takin' any orders from a little whore like you," said Lucas dismissively, "So you best shut that mouth of yours."

"Lucas!" Sami gasped in dismay, "Why are you talking to me like that?"

"I'm sorry," he said, sauntering up to her now, "But Lucas isn't in right now but if you'd like to leave him a message after the beep then he'll be sure to get back to you."

Lucas put his hands on either side of the arms of Sami's chair and placed his face right in Sami's so that their noses almost touched.

"Beeeep," he said mockingly.

"What happened to Kate?" asked Sami unevenly, her voice little more than a whisper as the true horror of her situation began to sink in.

**oooOOOOooo**

"You killed Arthur Mom!"

"What are you talking about Lucas?" asked Kate unsteadily, "I didn't kill Arthur – I would never do something like that."

"Then who did?" sneered Lucas angrily, "Santa Claus?"

Kate looked at him wide eyed, trying to work out if Lucas was being serious or not.

"Don't you remember?" asked Kate tentatively.

"Remember what Mom?" asked Lucas impatiently.

Kate gave him a distressed look, hardly able to believe what she was hearing. All these years she'd kept Lucas' secret but now it appeared not even he knew it.

"You did," she whispered, swallowing hard, "It was you Lucas."

"_Arthur I'm home," called out Kate casually as she let herself into her house._

_Kate took off her coat and placed it in the hallway cloakroom. She continued to walk down the hallway, taking her gloves off as she went._

"_Did you miss me honey?" she asked with a little smile, seeing the light in the living room was still on and knowing Arthur was no doubt enjoying a late night whiskey – his favourite nightcap. _

_Kate walked into the room and came to an abrupt halt as an utterly horrific sight met her eyes. The living room was just covered in blood – it was everywhere – up that walls, staining the floor and furniture. For a moment all Kate could see was the blood before she noticed the man stretched out in the middle of the floor. _

"_Arthur!" she gasped, her hand flying to her mouth as she took in the mutilated corpse. _

_It was the single most horrific thing Kate had ever seen in her life. It was like he'd been attacked by a wild animal but one with a knife – the attack appearing long and brutal. Her very next thought was of her son._

"_Lucas!" she gasped in abject fear, looking up at the ceiling._

_Kate turned and ran out of the room, dashing up the stairs in a mad panic over what she might find when she got there. She rushed into Lucas' room and looked around for him frantically._

"_Lucas!" she called out, her voice cracking, "Lucas baby where are you?"_

_There wasn't a direct answer but a little whimper from his closet had Kate immediately running to it and finding Lucas hunched up in the corner of the large, walk in wardrobe. His clothes were stained bright red with blood and Kate's heart nearly stopped beating at the sight._

"_Lucas!" she cried, dropping to her knees and crawling into the closet with him, "Lucas are you alright? Are you hurt?"_

_Lucas lifted his tear stained face from his knees and looked at his mother wide eyed. _

"_Arthur hurt me," he said hoarsely._

"_Arthur?" repeated Kate in confusion, blanching as saying his name brought back vivid memories of the grim tableau downstairs. _

"_He did bad things to me," Lucas whispered, his eyes wide with distress and fresh tears, "Mom, he-he-"_

_Lucas couldn't finish what he was trying to say, instead starting to cry again._

"_Oh my god," said Kate weakly as she realised what he was trying to say, "Oh my god no, please no."_

_She went to take him into her arms but her hand came in contact with a bloody knife. Kate stared at it in dawning realisation of what must have gone on tonight. Her first thoughts when she'd come home and found Arthur in that state was that a madman had broken into the house and done this or Arthur had tried to stop a home invasion. Kate now knew that it was far worse than either of those two options. The thought of someone touching her baby in that way brought up a mother's wrath inside of her and horror that she hadn't been there to protect him from such an evil act. But then there was more than one evil act to be accountable for now it seemed. She'd let Lucas down and now it was time to make it all right again._

"_It's alright sweetheart," said Kate unevenly, taking the blood stained Lucas in her arms and holding him tightly to her, rocking back and forth, "Mommy is going to fix this, she is going to fix all of this." _

"I didn't kill anyone!" Lucas insisted angrily, "It was all you Mom and I've had to cover for you all these years!"

"No Lucas," said Kate painfully, tears filling her eyes, "It was you. I came home and found you covered in blood and Arthur dead. I did what I could to protect you – I cleaned everything up and got rid of the body – we left town and I did what I thought was right for you then."

Kate bit her bottom lip as she remembered the grim job of wrapping Arthur up in the carpet and managing to get his body into the boot of her car. In the end she'd had to get Lucas to help her because he was so heavy. She'd driven him to a nearby lake, weighted down the body and simply dumped him in the river. Kate supposed she should have felt more of a sense of loss but watching that paedophile's body sink from sight was the only bright spot of the night back then.

She'd spent the rest of the night scrubbing every single inch of the living room, hallway, stair case and Lucas' room. Then she'd made a story up about Arthur having left her a week beforehand when the police came knocking and looking for the now missing man. Kate had talked her way out of everything, thinking only of Lucas the whole time and in the end when she deemed it non suspicious to do so they left town.

"Military school," said Lucas unevenly, "You sent me to military school after that."

"I thought it was for the best honey," said Kate emotionally, "You were so removed from everything and I thought a change would be good for you – help you to put some distance between everything that had happened."

Kate made a worried expression.

"Lucas are you telling me you really don't remember any of this?" she asked him hesitantly, "You don't remember killing Arthur?"

"I didn't kill Arthur," said Lucas, his voice sounding strained now as he obviously fought against that kind of information.

"Oh Lucas," said Kate sadly, shaking her head at him.

Surely he couldn't have convinced himself all this that she'd been the one to kill Arthur? Kate had figured that Lucas had been deeply traumatised by what had happened to him but nothing like this. They'd just made a pact never to speak of it again and now Kate wished that hadn't been the case.

"Yes you did honey," said Kate softly, "But I fixed it so no one would ever find out and now I'll fix this too."

"No, no, NO!" he yelled, putting his hands to his ears in a demonstration of childish refusal to believe, "I didn't kill him, I didn't!"

Lucas' eyes abruptly rolled back in his head and for a moment Kate wondered if he was having a fit brought on by all the emotion of the moment. Lucas recovered quickly however and was abruptly looking her straight in the eye, a cold stillness coming over him as his hands dropped from his face.

"He's right you know darlin'," said Lucas, his voice suddenly low and oddly accented, "He didn't kill Arthur-"

A cruel smirk came to his lips.

"I did."

"Lucas?" said Kate tentatively and taking an unconscious step backwards now at the look of pure evil that had come across her son's face.

"Poor Katie," he tutted, shaking his head, "So desperate to be everything to her children when the truth is that you're nothing at all to them – kinda sad in an amusing way when you think about it don't y'all think?"

"Why-why are you talking that way Lucas?" asked Kate, taking another step backwards, "Stop it, you're frightening me."

"Good," he said with a satisfied look on his face, "You deserve to be afraid Katie – it's reckonin' time – time for you to pay for all that you've done to Lucas."

"What is this?" asked Kate, feeling a flash of anger now, "Stop playing games Lucas! All I've ever done is love you and try to protect you!"

"All you've ever done bitch is screw his life up and you weren't there when he really needed you!" snarled Artie.

His hand snapped out and grabbed Kate tightly around the neck as she gave a pained gasp.

"But I was," he growled, eyes black and unforgiving.

Kate's hands flew to the one around her neck and tried to get Lucas to let her go, batting at his hand which had a very surprising strength to it. She could feel herself unable to breathe, spots appearing before her eyes. Lucas had never shown this kind of violence towards her before and Kate was deathly afraid.

"Let me go!" she ordered him, her voice sounding strangled now, "You're hurt-hurting me!"

"Good," he said gleefully, "You deserve pain you meddling bitch."

This couldn't be happening her rapidly fading mind tried to tell her, it just couldn't be. Lucas would never hurt her like this. Kate began to struggle in earnest now but it was all in vain, he was just too strong for her.

"Lucas," Kate choked out the words, looking at him in horrified disbelief as he slowly squeezed the life out of her, "I-I love you."

"Lucas ain't here Katie and I don't care," said Artie cruelly before snapping her neck in one sharp motion.

Kate's last thought before the life left her body was that she didn't understand before she fell into the dark abyss waiting for her.

**oooOOOOooo**

"_Thank you," said Kate softly as she and Stefano danced together in their bedroom._

"_For what my love?" asked Stefano with a little smile as he held her close to him._

"_For giving me a beautiful day to always remember," said Kate, pulling back and smiling softly up at her new husband._

"_Should not a bride be given a perfect day on for her wedding eh?" asked Stefano with a smile. _

"_You treat me so well Stefano," said Kate softly, "Why is that?"_

"_Because we are the same you and I," said Stefano knowingly, "The world may not understand you Kate but I do. You deserve to be happy."_

"_I've done a lot of things I'm not proud of," said Kate, swallowing painfully, "Terrible things Stefano."_

"_None of us are without blame," said Stefano simply, "Sometimes life is just what it is eh?"_

"_My whole life I feel like I've been running," said Kate quietly as they still moved in perfect time to the music together, "And I can't stop because I'm afraid of what might overtake me."_

"_All will be well my love," said Stefano with quiet reassurance in his voice, "Tonight is a new beginning for you, one where you do not have to go on as you have. Your future is what you choose to make it from now on."_

"_I'd like to believe that was true," said Kate unevenly._

_She's set this whole thing in motion now having married Stefano and suddenly Kate was afraid. _

"_You can rest now Katherine," said Stefano, drawing her more fully into his arms._

"_I'd like that," said Kate quietly, putting her head on Stefano's chest and letting its steady beat comfort her._

_For so long now Kate felt like she only lived for her children, to keep them happy and safe and never let any harm befall them – to never let the past repeat itself. The weight of keeping them all safe was always pressing in on her – especially with Lucas. She still had so much to make up for._

"_I just want to live happily ever after," said Kate in a small voice as she let herself believe that such a thing was possible, "With my children by my side and for them to love me like I love them."_

"_And you deserve nothing less my dear," Stefano reassured her as they continued to dance together._

_Kate closed her eyes, a single tear escaping and tracing its way down her cheek as she knew that wasn't true but let herself believe her new husband's words for one beautiful moment._

A mother's love is instinctual, unconditional, and forever.  
~_Anonymous_


	138. Chapter 285

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & EIGHTY FIVE**** – ****Two's Company, Three's a Crowd**

Fear cannot take what you do not give it.

_Christopher Coan_

"What happened to Kate?" asked Sami unevenly, her voice little more than a whisper as the true horror of her situation began to sink in.

"She screwed us for the last time," Lucas said simply, "So now I screwed her – permanently."

Lucas was speaking with a southern drawl and his whole face had seemed to change somehow, contorted as he spoke out of the corner of his mouth.

"Who's us?" asked Sami, swallowing hard and trying to work out what the hell was going on.

"Why Lukie and me of course," he said with a grin.

"And who are you?" asked Sami, searching his face intently.

"You can call me Artie darlin'," he offered up casually.

"And where is Lucas?" asked Sami, quickly putting this all together.

"Sleepin'," said Artie with a bit of a shrug as he straightened up, "He's not great when things get messy like this."

"And how are things going to get messy?" asked Sami, careful to keep her voice calm now.

"Why I'm going to be killing you of course," said Artie, seeming surprised she'd even felt the need to ask.

"Why?" asked Sami painfully, feeling her heart lurch in fear.

Her first thoughts were for her unborn babies and never seeing EJ's face again. The thought of EJ strengthened Sami's resolve though and she held on to her composure.

"Because you made a fool of Lucas and by extension me," said Artie in vague annoyance, "And we can't be havin' that now can we? The only question is how I'm going to do it?"

Artie looked her over then, taking his time to linger over Sami's breasts.

"I think I'd like to take my time with you darling'," he concluded in satisfaction, "I just bet you're a screamer."

"If you lay one finger on me-" Sami began threateningly, pushing down her fear.

"What?" he interrupted her mockingly, "Your boyfriend is going to hurt me, is that it?"

Sami's eyes widened at that.

"Oh don't look so surprised," said Artie with a bit of a shrug, "We both know you've been spreading your legs for EJ DiMera as often as you can for months now, long before you and that poor little idiot Lucas tied the knot."

It was so strange to hear those words coming out of what was for all intents and purposes Lucas' mouth only it wasn't. Sami had been so fearful of Lucas knowing about EJ but all of this time he'd actually known, well a part of him anyway. It was a lot to deal with all of a sudden

"We're-" Sami had to quickly correct herself and remind herself that she wasn't talking to Lucas anymore, "Lucas and I weren't married, we never were – the whole marriage thing was a fake!"

"Just like everything else between the two of you huh?" said Artie in amusement.

Sami couldn't help herself but to ask.

"Why did they fake the wedding?" she asked, looking at Artie fiercely.

"Lukie didn't know it was fake until after," said Artie with a shrug, "His old lady was trying to make sure you stayed with him while she worked her magic on big daddy DiMera to get his fortune and neutralise baby DiMera."

"So Kate knew that Lucas was faking his illness then?" asked Sami grimly.

"Hey there," said Artie with a bit of surprised admiration, "When you find time to get off your back you're kinda clever now aren't you little missy? Only you haven't got it quite right – it was Mommy Dearest that set the whole thing up and like always, old Lukie boy was the last to know."

"Kate let her own son think he was dying?" asked Sam, in disbelief, unable to comprehend anyone doing something so evil.

"Yeah," said Artie with a deep chuckle, "Twisted old bitch ain't she? At least she was."

He looked down at Kate who was slumped on the floor now.

"Fantastic ass though," said Artie, admiring the dead woman's shapely form, "Can't tell you how many times I thought about what I'd like to do to that tight little rear end."

Sami gagged at the disgusting words coming from the man's twisted mouth. It was disturbing on too many levels to even count and Sami couldn't bear to listen to him.

"Mind you," said Artie thoughtfully, cocking his head to one side and pursing his lips as he studied Kate intently, "It's not too late."

He looked over at Sami and gave her an impish wink.

"What do ya say darlin'?" he asked her jovially, "Should I tap that while I've got a chance?"

"You disgusting freak!" Sami yelled at him, "You leave Kate alone!"

"Well now don't that just beat all," said Artie, arching an eyebrow, "I guess all Kate had to do to have Sami Brady on her side was to stop breathing – who woulda thought it?"

Artie gave a bit of a shrug.

"But then I guess whores stick together when push comes to shove," he said blithely.

"I am not a whore!" Sami yelled at him, suddenly overcome with anger.

It was getting easier not to see the man standing in front of her as Lucas anymore, their conversation so dark and twisted now that Sami knew for sure that Lucas was long gone for the moment.

"Oh well sure you're not darlin'," said Artie with a humourless smile, "Just because you let that DiMera bastard bend you over every bit of furniture he could find and plug your hole while you screamed for more doesn't make you a whore now does it? Not with your faithful, dying husband waiting for you at home while you were on your knees beggin' for it with another man."

Sami swallowed hard, repulsed by the way Artie was taking something so beautiful and meaningful between herself and EJ and making it sound so dirty.

"EJ and I love each other!" Sami spat out, "We're going to get married!"

"Oh honey," tutted Artie, "Don't tell me you bought that old line? And here was me thinkin' you were smarter than that? Why pay for the heifer when you've already got it following you around mooing for more?"

"EJ loves me!" said Sami, her eyes shooting death at the other man.

"Darlin' he loves what is between your legs and nothin' more," said Artie a cruel smile coming to his lips, "That's the only thing all those men loved about you because trust me – you're not worth anythin' else."

Sami's eyes narrowed menacingly as his words were intended to hurt and maim her and before EJ they most likely would have but not they just slid off her. She didn't even care why other men had wanted her, all Sami cared about was EJ and she knew he loved her body and soul and one twisted animals words wasn't going to change that.

"Just because you're a sick freak who wouldn't know how to love doesn't mean everyone is the same!" Sami threw out at him defiantly, "You're not even real!"

Her head snapped back as Artie brought the back of his hand up against Sami's cheek in a sharp blow. She managed to hold back the cry of pain, finding satisfaction in know she'd found a chink in his armour.

"Oh I'm real you slut!" said Artie angrily, "I'm the most real thing you'll ever know!"

"HELP!" Sami began to scream out at the top of her lungs, "SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

Sami didn't even know where she was but she had to at least try and get someone's attention otherwise she wasn't getting out of this alive. Artie suddenly moved and grabbed Sami by her hair, dragging her to her feet.

"AHHH!" Sami yelled as the pain radiated throughout her scalp, her hands still tied behind her back.

She hadn't wanted to give this twisted monster the satisfaction of showing he'd hurt her but she'd been caught by surprise by his quick movement.

"Now you stop all of that hollerin' and squawkin' little missy," Artie instructed her, putting his face right up to Sami's again as he still held her by the hair, "Otherwise I'll find another use for that pretty little mouth of yours that you might not be so fond of."

Sami's eyes narrowed at the sick threat but she wasn't backing down. With the way Artie's face was twisted and the way he spoke and carried himself made him seem like a completely different person from the Lucas she knew which Sami supposed was the way it actually was. It was very clear that she was dealing with a different personality of Lucas' – one that was incredibly dangerous. Lucas had been The Cowboy all along it seemed which made sense when she thought about it now – or rather this Artie person was.

Sami knew a little about multiple personality disorders from listening to her mother talk about them but now she was going to need all of her wits to deal with this manifestation of Lucas' inner psyche. She knew she had to be careful because this definitely wasn't Lucas anymore - this Artie was obviously cruel, violent and very volatile so she had to work out how to handle him. But Sami didn't hold back though, sensing showing fear to this dark creature would only delight it more. Sami spat in the smirking man's face, her eyes glaring daggers at him even as Artie tightened his grip on her hair in retaliation and caused them to water.

"Who are you?" said Sami unevenly, "Where did you come from?"

"I'm the big bad wolf little missy," he said, winking at her and managing to make the act seem rather menacing somehow, "I'm the thing that goes bump in the night and makes that tight little ass of yours jump."

Artie threw Sami back in her chair then.

"I'm little Lukie's best goddamn friend," he said and gave a cruel smile, "I was the one when baby Luke got himself into a spot of bother with a boyfriend of that slut mother of his brought home that made things right. I've got Lukie's back."

"Wh-what are you talking about?" Sami stammered, happy to keep him talking because that bought her some time to figure out what was going on and how to get out of it.

"This guy," he said casually, "Decided he liked the looks of little Luke's behind rather than momma's."

"Oh my god," said a stricken Sami, Lucas never having told her this story before.

It made her stomach turn to think of a poor and defenceless Lucas being abused in that way.

"I found him cryin' in the corner when it was all over," he said in disgust, "I said Luke you're twelve now, time to man up and sort this varmint out. Of course he just cried harder so old Artie had to come in and make things right."

"What did-did you do Artie?" asked Sami tentatively, addressing him by the name he'd just called himself by.

Clearly this other persona, this Artie was the one in control right now and Sami knew he was the one she had to deal with. As angry as Lucas might get with her she knew he'd never hurt her. This manifestation though Sami had no idea about and his next words confirmed that she was no longer dealing with Lucas.

"Let's just say a whole lot fishes owe me a meal," said Artie with a glee filled chuckled, "Man he squealed like a pig when I stuck him, messy as hell but I gotta tell you little lady, most fun day at work I ever had."

Sami swallowed her revulsion at the imagery of what was obviously a savage act, knowing she had to get on this Artie's good side until Lucas resurfaced. Artie cocked his head and gave her a thoughtful look then.

"At least until today," he concluded, a look of anticipation in his eyes now as he looked Sami over.

"Well he deserved it," said Sami unsteadily, trying to curry favour with Artie, "What he did to Lucas was unforgivable."

"Well you screwed my Lukie as well," commented Artie, walking up to her and trailing one finger down Sami's flushed cheek that he'd just hit, "Maybe you deserve the same treatment."

"I can see that you are only trying to protect Lucas," said Sami, thinking quickly, "That you have his best interests at heart."

"Well sure I do," said Artie with a ready nod, "I only want the boy to be happy but he makes it so dang hard for himself some times."

"You know what Lucas loves?" asked Sami, knowing she was about to play a very dangerous card but she had little choice, "He loves being a father."

"Don't know why," said Artie with a roll of his eyes, "Kids only slow y'all down and that Will kid – he's a bit of a lump."

Sami swallowed her defensive retort at hearing her son being spoken about like that and just continued on.

"Well Will makes Lucas very happy," said Sami softly, "He loves his son more than anything."

Artie gave a bit of a disinterested grunt at that.

"In fact Lucas would love any child of his," continued on Sami, "And would never want you to hurt them."

Artie arched an eyebrow, looking at her intently.

"I'm pregnant Artie," said Sami quietly, "With Lucas' child and I know you think that hurting me will make Lucas happy because of how I betrayed him but you have to know that he'd never want anything to happen to his own child."

"You-you're pregnant?" he asked, suddenly sounding completely different.

Sami looked up at him closely, saw the change in his eyes, the sudden softening of his face.

"Lucas?" she asked tentatively, her heart pounding wildling in her chest as Sami dared to hope, "Is that you?"

"Of course it's me," said Lucas, a slow smile spreading across his face, "Sami you're going to have a baby?"

"Yes," said Sami with an eager nod of her head, tears welling up in her eyes and praying that EJ would forgive her for doing this, "Our baby Lucas."

Lucas put out a shaking hand and rested it on the swell of Sami's stomach, his eyes wide in amazement.

"Now you just have to untie me Lucas and we can be together," she cajoled him, taking in the wonder on his face and praying she could keep Artie at bay.

"Don't be a sap Lukie," snapped Artie, "She's playing you!"

"Sami wouldn't do that!" argued back Lucas sharply, trying to shake off the annoying voice.

"No I wouldn't," said Sami hastily, listening to the way Lucas was talking back and forth to himself, both personas wrestling for control, "Lucas you know I wouldn't do that. Just untie me and we can all be a family, you, me, Will and this baby – just like we always wanted."

"How do you get a woman pregnant who won't let you fuck her?" asked Artie impatiently.

Lucas looked at Sami uncertainly.

"We made love on our honeymoon night remember," said Sami hurriedly, swallowing hard as she forced the lies out, "It was so beautiful and meant the world to me Lucas – you remember that."

"We did make love that night," said Lucas, nodding and smiling down at Sami lovingly, "And we made a baby together."

"Yes we did," said Sami, smiling bravely as Lucas seemed to be taking over more, "We made a beautiful baby together that you have to keep safe Lucas – you can't let Artie do anything to our baby."

"I won't," Lucas vowed to her, "I won't honey – you're safe I promise, you and our baby."

"Oh my but you are the biggest idiot that ever walked the face of the earth," Artie snarled in annoyance, "She's been letting EJ DiMera give it to her every chance she gets dumb dumb – that's his little bastard swimming around inside of her – you don't owe that slut and her bastard kid nothin'."

"EJ forced himself on Sami," said Lucas, looking at her intently, almost begging her to agree with him, "She didn't have a choice – she was doing it to protect me because EJ was threatening to kill me – wasn't that right Sami? That was why I had to shoot EJ, to protect you from him."

Sami was forced to stifle a gasp at this new piece of information. Her composure slipped for a moment as she realised it was Lucas, not Artie who had shot EJ which just showed how messed up he really was and how this whole situation was incredibly volatile.

"Yes EJ was forcing me," said Sami unsteadily, playing along in the hopes it would get her free, "I only did it to protect you Lucas, you have to know that."

"Just like I shot EJ to protect you," said Lucas, nodding his head eagerly, "Because we both love each other so much."

A part of Sami wanted to scream and yell at Lucas for having put her and EJ through so very much. She wanted to rant and rave about all of his lies and tell him what she thought about him but that wasn't going to get her of this situation and that was all that mattered right then.

"And now we made our baby in that love," Sami continued on shakily, her eyes pleading with Lucas to understand, "And our baby needs their father to untie me now – can you do that Lucas, can you do that for our family?"

"Yes," said Lucas, holding Sami's gaze adoringly, "I can do that."

He picked up a nearby knife and walked around behind Sami, starting to cut the ropes around her wrists.

"Thank you," said Sami with a little emotion filled sobbed, "Thank you Lucas."

"Put that knife down!" Artie ordered him imperiously.

"NO!" said Lucas forcefully, "I'm going to protect my family Artie and you can't stop me!"

"That ain't your family Lukie boy, I am," said Artie angrily, "I was there that night of your honeymoon remember – I saw what happened. Your little bride was unconscious and you were so happy to be getting some you just blew your load all over her before you even slid into home base. The only thing you impregnated that night were hotel sheets!"

"No," said Lucas, frantically shaking his head, "That isn't what happened – we made beautiful love together that night because we love each other so much!"

"If you call blowing your load as soon as you took her panties off and humping her leg frantically trying to get your little pecker up again but failing as she lay there drooling making love then sure, yeah," said Artie mockingly, "It was a real Hallmark moment."

Lucas staggered backwards at Artie's cruel words and Sami began to panic. She was shocked to learn of what really happened and at a different time she would have been grateful to know that she and Lucas didn't have sex but right then she had other things to worry about.

"No don't listen to him Lucas!" she shouted at him as Lucas dropped his head in his hands, "That isn't what happened – you know it isn't!"

Lucas' head was still buried in his hand as he began to shake, appearing to be waging some huge internal war. Sami could only pray that Lucas was the ultimate winner. Suddenly his hands dropped from his face and cold, dark eyes were staring at her.

"Nice try slut," said Artie with a smirk, "But you gambled and lost."

"No," said Sami painfully.

"You got some big balls there tryin' ta play the baby card," said Artie, walking around to in front of Sami, "Some great big hairy balls."

"Lucas may be upset right now but he'd never want you to harm a child," said Sami quickly, "Born or unborn – you can't hurt me Artie, you just can't!"

"Lukie doesn't always know what is best for him," said Artie casually, "He lets all these women into his life that just keep screwin' him over and over again and I just can't let that go on. It's time to stage an intervention in little Lukie's life. He needs to understand that all women are bitches who crawled up from hell and are intent on tearing him to pieces. Once he understands that he'll know why we have to kill them first is all."

"You can't really believe that," said Sami shakily.

Sami eyes suddenly widened as a thought came to her.

"You haven't been the one raping all those women in Salem have you?" she asked in horror.

"No," said Artie with an amused look at Sami's outrage.

"I don't believe you!" Sami spat out.

"Believe what you like darlin'," said Artie with a roll of his eyes, "I don't care. Mind you-"

Artie moved closer, putting his hands on her chair arms again and leaning into her.

"If you'd like we can do a little role playin'," said Artie with a lecherous grin.

"Let me go," said Sami coldly, not giving him the satisfaction of how revolted she was by him.

"Make me," he smirked.

"EJ is going to make you pay for this," said Sami, her eyes narrowing menacingly.

"I'm countin' on it missy," said Artie with a grin.

Just then there was a loud crack and the sound of trees rustling.

"Woo hoo!" said Artie, straightening up excitedly.

"What was that?" asked Sami fearfully.

"Daddy's home!" he crowed.

"What?" asked Sami in confusion, "What does that mean?"

"It means look like your boyfriend found us and walked right into one of my traps," said Artie with an evil grin, "I set 'em all up round the cabin. If anyone came a callin' I wanted to know."

Sami's heart was thumping loudly in her chest at the thought of EJ being nearby but also was afraid of what Artie had in store for him. He picked up a large knife from the kitchen bench and started to head towards her again.

"NO!" Sami yelled in horror, "NO, EJ NO!"

"I'll save you a piece," Artie promised her with a cruel wink before he tied a gag around Sami's mouth, "Which piece would y'all like?"

Sami glared at him and tried to shake her gag off but to no avail.

"Not sayin' huh?" he chuckled, "Oh well, I'll bring you a few pieces of your boyfriend back and you can keep your favourite – can't say fairer than that now can I?"

With that Artie turned around and headed towards the door, whistling a jaunty tune as the knife gleamed menacingly in his hand. Please oh please Sami frantically prayed, it couldn't end like this, it just couldn't...


	139. Chapter 286

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & EIGHTY SIX**** – ****When Push Comes to Shove**

It needs but one foe to breed a war, and those who have not swords can still die upon them.

_J.R.R. Tolkien_

_(English Writer and Author of The Lord of the Rings, 1892-1973)_

EJ crept along the side of the cabin, crouched down and out of the view of the windows. He'd made it to road to the island just in time, the water lapping his wheels as he'd driven at neck break speed towards the cabin. EJ had parked a good distance from the cabin, not wanting to alert anyone of his presence and had run the rest of the way. His natural instincts were to simply burst into the cabin when he saw Kate and Lucas' cars parked outside but fortunately EJ thought twice about it.

A careful inspection of the area revealed many booby traps around the cabin – trip wires attached to nets and the such and EJ had been pretty surprised that Lucas had such a thing in him. He just didn't seem the type to be that forward planning. EJ began to wonder if he might also find The Cowboy inside the cabin with Kate and Lucas and was suddenly very glad for the gun that was tucked into the back of his pants.

He'd chanced a quick look inside the cabin and his stomach had lurched at the sight of Sami tied up in the middle of the room, sitting on a chair. EJ couldn't see her face but could only imagine the terror she was going through. Fear for both Sami and their unborn children welled up in EJ but he forced himself to push it back down. People who were afraid made mistakes and he simply couldn't afford that right now, too much was at stake. The Cowboy had to be around and running the show because not even Kate and Lucas would tie Sami up like that EJ reasoned. He hadn't seen the other two but the cabin wasn't very big so they must not be far away.

He'd formulated a quick plan to get Sami out of there, setting off one of the bobby traps so that the net flew up into the trees overhead, making a big noise. EJ waited by the back door of the cabin for people to go out the front and then he could make his move. Bringing those three to justice was a very secondary concern for EJ right then. All he could think of was getting Sami out of there and then he'd deal with the others – Sami was all that mattered for now.

"EJ, NO EJ!"

He heard Sami shout out his name before there was the sound of the front door slamming. EJ immediately bolted through the back door and headed directly towards Sami. He came up behind her and she practically jumped out of her skin when he put his hand on her shoulder, all of her attention having been on the front door up until then. She looked back at him over her shoulder, fear immediately giving way to joy. EJ knew he didn't have much time as he began to quickly work on the knots that were keeping Sami's arms behind her back. She was still gagged but EJ knew he needed every second he had to get those knots undone before anyone came back.

Sami was shaking her head and looking at him with wide eyed desperation now and EJ assumed it was because she just wanted to get out of there and he couldn't blame her. EJ glanced around himself briefly, keeping an eye out for anyone returning to the cabin as he guessed all three of them, Kate, Lucas and The Cowboy had gone out to check on the booby trap. EJ's eye was suddenly caught by the sight of the woman's body on the floor over by the fire and he gave a shocked gasp at what he saw. He hadn't seen anything but Sami when he'd first run into the room, intent only on getting her free and now it seemed impossible that he'd missed Kate's body stretched out on the floor.

"Oh my god!" EJ exclaimed, unable to help himself at the sight of Kate in that condition.

He looked wide eyed over at Sami in shocked confusion and she was still shaking her head at him, desperately trying to communicate something to him with her eyes. EJ reached up a hand to loosen her gag, knowing there was a lot more going on here than even he'd imagined. He pulled the gag free from Sami's mouth.

"EJ!" said Sami desperately, "EJ Lucas is-"

EJ didn't get to hear the last of what Sami was about to say as something impacted his chest and flung him across the room. The last thing he heard was Sami scream before everything went black. EJ had no idea how much later it was when he was able to force his eyes open again. He looked down at his chest and saw two probes sticking out of them and knew he'd been tasered again. EJ pulled them out of his chest, making a pained grunt as he did, his muscles still spasming from the shock they'd been put through. Apparently The Cowboy had quite the range of weaponry when it came to being able to subdue people.

"She's got a bit of a kick to it ain't she?" asked an amused voice over to EJ's right.

EJ turned to see Lucas standing there with a smirk on his face and to his absolute amazement the man was wearing a big, white cowboy hat.

"What the hell?" asked EJ in disbelief.

"EJ oh thank god you're alright!" exclaimed Sami emotionally, still on the chair with her hands tied behind her back.

"I'm fine sweetheart," said EJ but he didn't take his eyes off Lucas as he managed to stagger to his feet, "What is this?"

EJ guessed he must have only been out for a moment or two but he felt like he'd woken up in another dimension. Lucas had the gun EJ had come in with in his hand and had it pointed directly at him.

"EJ," said Sami, looking between the two men anxiously, "This isn't Lucas, it's Artie and he killed Kate."

EJ blinked at Sami's rapid explanation, trying to get it to make sense as quickly as he could.

"You killed your own mother?" asked EJ in disbelief, still trying to wrap his head around all of this.

"She ain't _my_ mother," said Lucas, his lips curling in disdain as he threw the hat to one side.

EJ frowned at that and looked over at Sami who was looking back at him a little hopelessly.

"So you're not Lucas now is that it?" asked EJ, straightening up and fixing the other man with a fierce stare, "That's pretty convenient considering Lucas has been faking an illness and oh yeah, a marriage."

"Nothin' to do with me," he said with a careless shrug, "I always thought that plan of the old bitches was pretty crazy."

"And you'd know!" Sami snapped at him.

EJ's heart gave a happy leap at hearing the usual fire in Sami's voice. He knew she was frightened and with good reason but to hear the temper in Sami's tone just made EJ feel so good.

"Your whore has quite the mouth on her don't she?" said Lucas with a quirk of his lips, "I bet that must come in handy at times."

"Shut up Artie!" Sami said in aggravation.

"Artie?" EJ queried – outraged by how Lucas had spoken to Sami but needing to work out what was going on more.

"It's my name," he volunteered happily enough before looking over at Sami in amusement, "And look who is all full of spit and vinegar now just because her piece of ass turned up eh? What's up little missy – think your big, strong boyfriend is goin' to be kickin' my ass?"

"Yes," said Sami defiantly.

"Wouldn't count on it," said Artie with a smirk, "Our encounters so far has had him on the wrong side of happy."

EJ was trying to work out if this just Lucas play acting, if this was some kind of evil twin scenario or if it was indeed a split personality. This was Salem – all of those things were a possibility the way EJ looked at it. The fact that this person had obviously killed Kate though told EJ that whatever or whoever this was he was definitely dealing with crazy.

"You shot me," EJ said grimly.

"That was Lukie boy," said Artie dismissively, "Take it up with him – if I'd shot you then you'd be standin' there dead – make no mistake."

"Oh I don't know," said EJ coolly, intent on getting all of the man's attention on him and away from Sami, "You seem quite bumbling in your attempts thus far to dispose of me – a hit and run, tampering with brakes, the sauna and of course the bomb. You have to admit – you don't have the best track record yourself Artie."

"Maybe I was just playing with you?" suggested Artie but his lips curled in annoyance and EJ didn't miss it.

"Maybe you're just incompetent?" EJ threw up instead, "Just like Lucas – a sad, pathetic loser who could never accomplish anything in life."

"Why don't you ask Katie how much I've managed to accomplish in this life eh?" he said with an evil chuckle.

"You killed a defenceless woman," said EJ coolly, "Congratulations – I bet you're feeling like a real man now."

"What would you know about bein' a real man!" Artie hissed and EJ was pleased to see that he'd broken through the man's swagger and posturing to be able to get under his skin.

He needed to get Artie worked up so that he made a mistake EJ could take advantage of. EJ was acutely conscious of the gun that Artie was holding, particularly with Sami so close by.

"I know it takes more than a gun and a bit of posing little man," EJ goaded him, "That's what I know."

**oooOOOOooo**

Celeste eyes snapped suddenly open as she came abruptly awake. The sudden smell of rubber and petrol overwhelmed her and she immediately knew where she was in this confined, dark space. Fear curled her stomach as Celeste also quickly came to her senses and felt that her arms and legs were tied up and she knew she was in dire straits. When her vision had shown her that Lucas was the dark force menacing so many people in Salem her only thought had been to warn Sami but it looked like she had little way of helping her now.

Celeste knew that they were no longer dealing with Lucas – the evil that had been brewing for so long now, the one she'd seen in the cards many months earlier was finally here and in control. Lucas no longer had any kind of power over the beast that raged within, Celeste was sure of it. This dark creature that had emerged from inside of him was now in complete and utter control and Celeste knew what it was capable of.

"HELP!" she called out, "HELP ME!"

She knew she was taking a risk, not knowing if Lucas was still nearby or if he'd abandoned her to her fate in some out of the way area. It didn't matter though; Celeste knew she had to take that gamble. She began to struggle with the ties that bound her, intent on getting out of there but it was very difficult because the space was so confined. Celeste didn't give up though. She'd endured the many years of being imprisoned at Maison Blanche and she knew how to draw on her inner strength. Too much was at stake for her to simply give up now. Beyond anything else she'd vowed to herself that one day she would look upon her beautiful Alexandra's face once again and that could not happen if she allowed herself to die here today. She renewed her struggles in earnest now.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Yeah?" bit out Artie, his eyes flashing fire now as EJ really worked him up, "Don't think you know the first thing about bein' a man just because you got this one on her back-"

Artie threw a disgusted look down at Sami who was glaring back at him.

"Trust me you weren't the first and you won't be the last," he sneered cruelly, "She's nothin' but a little slut who's only point in this world is what is between her legs!"

A muscle ticed wildly in EJ's jaw as he tried to contain his temper over the other man's contemptuous and disgusting words about Sami. EJ knew that Artie was trying to unbalance him just as he was trying to do to him, hitting him where it hurt but he couldn't afford to lose control even though he wanted nothing more than to rip Artie a new one for that comment.

"Mind you I can see why you threw the little tart a bone," Artie smirked, looking down at Sami with a salacious look at her.

He reached out a hand and put it on Sami's breast, squeezing it with an appreciative look.

"I guess be both like it when tits are real," Artie with a lustful look at Sami.

Every muscle in EJ's body tensed at seeing Artie touch Sami in that way, a white hot rage filling his body like nothing he'd ever previously known. Sami however, beat him to it when it came to reacting. Her head snapped around and she sunk her teeth into Artie's arm and by the way he howled, bit down as hard as she could. The man jerked his arm back and EJ could see blood as a rage filled Artie's face, Sami's lips stained red from the fierceness of her attack.

Artie raised the hand with the gun, obviously getting ready to strike Sami for her spirit and that moment of distraction was all that EJ needed. He made a lunge for Artie, knocking the gun from his hand. Unfortunately though EJ's muscles were still shaky and he couldn't get them to co-operate properly when he needed them. He stumbled a little, giving Artie just enough time to side step if not hang onto the gun. EJ's momentum carried him into the wall behind the man and he hit it hard, sliding down to a heap on the floor.

"Son of a bitch!" Artie snarled at the surprise attack.

"Don't you touch her you mad bastard!" EJ barked out at him even as he started to get to his feet.

Artie's eyes narrowed as EJ obviously prepared to attack him again and he reacted. Reaching behind himself he drew out a large carving knife from the back of his pants whilst simultaneously reaching for Sami. Artie grabbed a handful of her hair and drew Sami roughly to her feet, dragging her back towards him. He slung an arm around her chest, pinning Sami tightly to him and raised the glinting blade to her neck. EJ's stomach clenched painfully when he saw that, horror filling him as already a thin line of blood could be seen against Sami's neck as she struggled.

"Don't move Samantha!" EJ warned her loudly, fearful that her struggles would cause Artie to slip and slit her throat.

The thought was a horrifying one and Sami must have seen that on his face because she stopped moving, looking at EJ wide eyed. She was terrified but trying not to show it and EJ cursed himself for fumbling his attack. If anything happened to Samantha he'd just lie down and die – after killing Artie of course.

"Shut up hero!" growled Artie, his face flushed and eyes looking decidedly mad now, "I'm the one giving the orders around here – I'm in control!"

"But you're not are you?" EJ shot back quickly, "You've been stuck inside Lucas all of this time, unable to get out – you're nothing but Lucas' bitch!"

"The hell I am!" Artie spat out, his eyes flaring, "Old Artie ain't anyone's bitch! I've been protecting that snivelling coward for years – he'd be six foot under by now if it weren't for me!"

"Well if you're such a man why don't you and I face off together eh?" asked EJ bitterly, hoping his gamble would work, "Just the two of us."

"Do you think I'm stupid boy?" asked Artie in disgust as he pulled Sami back tighter against him, making her wince as the blade once again grazed her neck.

EJ's fist's curled at seeing that.

"I gotta make you pay for makin' a fool of my Lukie boy," continued on Artie, biting out his words, "I gonna make you sorry that you were ever born, you and this little slut."

"Samantha has nothing to do with this," said EJ grimly, "This is between you and I Artie."

"The whore has everything to do with it," said Artie bitterly, "If she hadn't opened her legs up for you then none of this would have happened in the first place!"

"Bite me you sick freak!" Sami yelled at him, her face flushed angrily.

"Good idea," chuckled Artie, putting his face next to Sami so their cheeks touched as he stared back at EJ insolently, "I'll add it to my list."

"Leave Samantha alone," EJ said darkly, his voice cold and hard.

"Oh no," said Artie, looking like he was taking great delight in all of this, "I want you to suffer before I kill you DiMera so you're going to stand there and watch all the thing I have planned for your whore."

Artie turned so that his lips were against Sami's cheek, his hot breath on her skin as he continued to speak.

"I've got so many things I'm going to do to you slut," he promised her, a dark intent dripping from every word, "You're never going to forget old Artie and the things he's going to do to you."

"Stop it!" EJ ordered him imperiously, seeing the little shudder Sami gave at the evil promise.

"And then when I'm finally done with you," hissed Artie, "Your boyfriend watching us the whole time I'm going to cut those babies from your belly and start on them-"

"NO!" Sami screamed, beginning to struggle again, "NO! YOU'RE NOT TOUCHING MY CHILDREN!"

EJ tensed, horrified by Artie's words and the fact that they were no idle threat but more concerned that Sami was going to get her throat cut right there and then.

"Samantha NO!" said EJ urgently, moving towards them.

"STAY BACK!" Artie threatened him, tightening his hold on Sami and pressing the blade to her neck more forcefully.

EJ immediately froze, his eyes on the glinting blade as Artie backed he and Sami up towards the door.

"And the whole time hero you're going to be watching and knowing there was nothing you could do," Artie gloated gleefully, "When I'm done with you two you'll all be praying for death. You don't know pain and suffering but you will-"

Artie's venomous words were cut off by the door suddenly opening and hitting him on the back. He took a surprised step forward, the knife momentarily leaving Sami's throat as they both stumbled forward from the impact of the door. Celeste fell through the door, a rope still around one wrist as she fell to the floor. EJ seized the moment of confusion, lunging at Artie and grabbing the arm with the knife in it and dragging it away from Sami. She moved to the right as EJ pulled Artie to the left and slammed him up against the wall. The knife flew from the other man's hand and at last it was a fair fight.

"EJ be careful!" Sami cried out as the two men began to fight but EJ only needed to know Sami was safe, nothing else mattered.

The two women huddled together in the corner, Sami initially going to help but Celeste hanging onto her and shaking her head.

"No Samantha," she said unsteadily, "Elvis must defeat this evil. You will only divide his mind."

Sami frowned at that but let Celeste continue to hold onto her as the two men began a battle for supremacy. Artie landed the first blow on EJ but he barely felt it, the blood pumping so wildly through his body over watching the other man manhandle Sami like that. EJ retaliated with a sharp upper cut that had Artie staggering backwards.

"That the best you got daddy's boy?" Artie taunted him even as he tried to shake it off.

"Shut up and fight!" EJ commanded him, not wanting to hear another word from the twisted man's mouth.

EJ was a much bigger man than Lucas/Artie but Artie had little regard for self preservation it seemed as he threw himself into the fight with ferocious abandon. The two men slugged it out for a few minutes, EJ's boxing days at Cambridge holding him in good stead as one particularly powerful punch had Artie reeling backwards and actually falling to the ground. EJ seized the opportunity and straddled Artie's prone body and began to pound his fist into the man's face. An absolute hatred welled up inside of him at thinking what both Lucas and Artie had put them through, especially Sami.

She had suffered so deeply at both of those men's hand even if they shared the same body that EJ couldn't contain himself. Each blow he landed had a grim satisfaction to it even after Artie stopped fighting back as he paid the man back for all of the pain and torment he'd caused. EJ just wanted this creature gone from their lives for good, wiped from the face of the earth and he wanted to be the one to do that – the one to finally protect Sami from all of his poisonous bile, Lucas' and Artie's. The DiMera gene kicked in as a deep violence overtook him, screaming at him to exact his revenge and make both Artie and Lucas pay the ultimate price.

"EJ STOP!"

Suddenly EJ could feel Sami's hands on him as she looked at him imploringly to stop what he was doing. For a split second EJ was enraged that Sami could once again try and take Lucas' side after all that he'd put them through but then he saw the truth in her eyes. Sami was worried about him, not Lucas – she didn't want Lucas' death to be on his conscious and EJ could see that she was thinking only of him. Suddenly all of the rage and hatred he'd felt for Lucas subsided in a heartbeat as it was overwhelmed with love for Sami instead. He didn't want to spend the next twenty years in jail for manslaughter when he could be spending it with Sami and their children, loving them. EJ sat back on his haunches as he still straddled the now unconscious Lucas, his face little more than a bloody pulp.

"Come away," Sami pleaded with him softly and not taking his eyes from Sami's EJ rose slowly to his feet.

EJ turned to face Sami as the last bit of his rage ebbed away and once again all he could see was her and all that he could have lost.

"Are you alright?" EJ asked her brokenly, putting a shaking and bloodied hand to the face he adored so much to touch it ever so gently.

"I will be," Sami promised him softly, their gazes intertwined.

The muscles in EJ's body finally relented, releasing all of their tension at the feeling of Sami being so close to him. She soothed him like no other on this earth and the fearsome beast that had been pounding its rage and hatred out on Lucas only a moment before was utterly subdued in Sami's presence. With Sami touching him EJ only knew how to felt joy and peace and those feelings flooded his body as she looked up at him so adoringly, warming him from the inside out.

They'd almost lost everything in one brutal moment but now they had everything – they had each other. The tender moment was suddenly interrupted as the back door was kicked down and armed police officers with their guns drawn suddenly poured through the door. Quickly following behind them were Roman and Bo, their guns drawn as well.

"Get the hell away from her DiMera!" Roman ordered him loudly, his gun pointed directly at EJ.

EJ's eyes widened at the sight of all of those guns pointed at them, his first thoughts were of Sami as he moved to push her behind him.

"I said don't move!" Roman snarled, raising his gun a little higher, "I swear to God I'll drop you where you stand DiMera!"

"Help us," groaned a weak voice from the floor as they all looked down at a bloodied and beaten Lucas, "He killed my mother and tried to kill me – shoot him Roman, he raped Sami – you have to shoot him or it will never be over."

"Roman no-" began EJ grimly, holding up his hands and moving towards the other man.

The sound of the gun going off was deafening in the small room as everyone tensed...


	140. Chapter 287

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & EIGHTY SEVEN**** – ****The Burden of Truth**

Confusion now hath made his masterpiece!

_William Shakespeare_

_(English Dramatist, Playwright and Poet, 1564-1616)_

Sami and EJ had both instinctively flinched at the sound of the loud gunshot, Sami blanching as she saw the bullet narrowly miss them both and hit the wall behind.

"Hold your fire!" Bo ordered everyone imperiously, throwing a quick glare over at the police officer who had panicked a little when EJ had moved and pulled the trigger, "Everybody hold their fire!"

"Dad no!" Sami said in horror as she realised that EJ was in very real danger of being shot.

She couldn't bear the thought of that, not after all that they'd been through so she reacted instinctively, putting herself between EJ and all the guns trained at him.

"Samantha no!" said EJ urgently, grabbing her arms to move her from the position she'd just taken in front of him.

"Let her go DiMera!" Roman ordered him as EJ touched her.

"Shoot him Roman!" Artie ordered from where he was still on the floor but having pulled himself up to be resting against a wall, "He's got a gun!"

"Shut up Artie!" Sami commanded him.

Bo and Roman shared confused looks at Sami's words.

"That's not Lucas Dad," said Sami hurriedly, "He's the one who killed Kate and he tried to kill us as well!"

"What is this?" asked Bo with a scowl.

"It is true," said Celeste unevenly, joining the conversation now as she stood up and also went to stand in front of EJ with Sami, "Lucas has been taken over by a great evil – he kidnapped me as well because I knew the truth."

Sami could see that her father was having a lot of trouble working out who was telling the truth here and for once she wished he'd just trust her.

"Don't listen to them Roman," said Artie, still intent on making mischief, "EJ has threatened them all to say that, they're lying – shoot him!"

Sami's eyes flashed fire at the way Artie was still trying to get EJ killed. She didn't think about it, just simply stalked over to him and let fly with a vicious left hook. Already beaten black and blue by EJ Artie was immediately knocked out.

"Sami!" said Bo in horror as she attacked the seemingly defenceless and broken man.

"That isn't Lucas," she said grimly, "And even if it was then he'd deserve that as well! Everyone put down their guns – EJ is not the bad guy here!"

Roman and Bo slowly straightened up and lowered their guns, indicating with a nod of their heads for everyone else to do the same.

"What the hell happened here?" asked Roman in abject consternation as he looked around at the bloodied Lucas, EJ and the horrifying sight of Kate's body that was beginning to have a decided odour to it.

"It's a long story," said EJ unevenly, looking over at Sami and pulling her into his arms, oblivious of their audience.

"Don't let me go," she pleaded with him, burying her face in his chest as Sami began to let herself believe that this nightmare was at last over, "Never let me go."

"Never," EJ vowed to her, squeezing her to him tightly, "Never Samantha."

Suddenly everything just caught up with Sami in that moment and with EJ's arms around her she allowed herself the luxury of simply giving into it. Sami's knees buckled as she passed out but EJ quickly caught her, scooping her up into his arms and holding her close to him.

**oooOOOOooo**

"I-I don't understand," said Marlena weakly, shaking her head as she looked in through the window where the doctors were taking care of Sami.

"I don't really either Doc," said Roman grimly, "All I know is that I've got one dead body on my hands and plenty of battered people, including a couple of cops and my own daughter."

"Oh my god," said Marlena in distress, tears coming to her eyes, "Poor Kate."

She looked at Roman in uncertain confusion then.

"Did Lucas really kill his own mother?" she asked in horror.

"It seems that way," said Roman, his mouth turning downwards in an expression that said he was struggling as much as everyone else to believe this, "Sami and Celeste both back that story up and she's been dead for nearly a day now the coroner said and EJ was still in prison then."

"I just don't know how to make sense of all of this," said Marlena shakily.

Roman knew that as a psychologist his ex-wife felt the need to work out how everything fitted together but he doubted that even when they did this with this twisted story that any of it would make any real sense.

"How is John?" asked Roman gently.

"He's doing better," said Marlena, her face brightening a little at the mention of the other man, "The CT revealed no internal damage apart from two broken ribs and of course the bruising. He was incredibly lucky."

"Kate's car had all the signs of being involved in a hit and run," said Roman unhappily.

"Kate?" Marlena gasped in disbelief, "Why would Kate try and kill John?"

"I don't know much of anything right now Doc," said Roman, his lips thinning, "But I'm going to find out what the hell is going on."

"I want to stay with Sami," said Marlena anxiously, "Make sure she is alright."

"You do that," nodded Roman, "Come get me if there is any change otherwise I'm going to be with EJ. They're just checking him out now. I checked on Celeste earlier and she is alright but staying in overnight so they can keep an eye on her seeing as she lives alone."

"I still can't believe that any of this happened," said Marlena dully as she looked over to where Sami was being checked out, "Everything a DiMera goes near just seems to become a nightmare."

Roman couldn't argue with that.

"Surely this is going to make Sami rethink her involvement with that man?" said Marlena anxiously, "I won't know any kind of peace knowing she is still in business with EJ DiMera. If any good is to come out of that I hope this wakes her up to how horrible things just follow that family around."

"Maybe," said Roman quietly.

He wasn't that convinced himself. Roman had seen the way the two of them had been at the cabin and the way Sami had protected EJ at the risk of her own life. He hated the thought of it but there seemed to be something much more than just business partners going on there. It turned Roman's stomach to even think that but Sami had a penchant for getting herself involved in terrible situations and nothing seemed to have changed. Roman really hoped he was wrong and that EJ hadn't managed to worm his way into her affections but after today he just didn't know what to believe about anything. He didn't give voice to his concerns though, knowing that Marlena had enough to worry about as it was already. Roman needed to find out more about what was going on.

"I've got to go," said Roman, putting an affectionate hand on her shoulder, "Tell Sami I love her and will be back to see her soon."

Marlena smiled and nodded before going back to watching over her daughter. Roman made his way down the hospital corridor until he was at the room he knew EJ was in. He didn't bother to knock, simply entered. EJ was shirtless and sitting on the edge of the bed, clearly in the middle of an examination but he wasn't alone.

"Ah Roman," said Stefano, his face set angrily, "Tell me that you have imprisoned that insane Lucas Roberts for all that he has done to our family!"

"Lucas is in hospital," said Roman, his eyes slipping over to EJ and giving him a vaguely accusing look, "He's in pretty bad shape."

"It is nothing less than he deserves!" said Stefano in what looked like genuine outrage, "He killed my wife and tried to murder my son and your daughter – the man is a homicidal maniac! He should be thrown into jail or executed!"

"We don't know all the facts yet," said Roman stiffly, "When we do it will be up to a court of law to decide what happens to Lucas."

Roman was still having trouble believing that Lucas, a man he'd known for nearly two decades now, could be capable of any of this. He knew he had his issues with drinking but to think him able to do anything along these lines just seemed inconceivable.

"How is Samantha?" asked EJ, looking at Roman intently.

"Still in with the doctors," said Roman, reluctant to give any information away to this man.

"Is she alright?" asked EJ anxiously, "She frightened the life out of me when she fainted that way."

"Sami came round," said Roman abruptly, "She'd been through a terrible ordeal."

"As we all have," said Stefano in annoyance, "And I want to know what is being done about this travesty?"

"We're investigating," said Roman coolly, not liking having to explain himself to the likes of Stefano DiMera.

"Oh marvellous," said Stefano sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"Father please," said EJ quietly, "This isn't helping."

"I tell you what would help EJ," said Roman, his lips thinning, "Why don't you tell me what happened today, from the beginning?"

"Well the beginning was awhile ago now," said EJ grimly, "I've been having attempts on my life for a couple of months now."

"Like the car brakes thing and the sauna," said Roman, arching an eyebrow.

He just knew that whole thing had been fishy.

"Yes," said EJ simply, nodding his head.

"Why didn't you go to the police about it?" asked Roman suspiciously.

"You mean the same police who locked me up in a jail cell for something I didn't do and then nearly shot me before?" asked EJ flatly, "Gee Roman, let me think about that for a moment and I'll get back to you."

"We would have investigated," said Roman a little stiffly.

"Yes well forgive me for not taking my chances," said EJ flatly, "But then everything came to a head yesterday. I discovered that Lucas hadn't been on route to Switzerland at the time of my shooting as he claimed and that he was the one who actually shot me. Unfortunately I was incarcerated at that time and seeing as no one would listen to me I was forced to escape to get to Samantha. In the mean time she'd discovered that Lucas with the help of Kate had been faking his AML all along and that their marriage was performed by a waiter so it was completely bogus."

"Why would they do something like that?" asked Roman, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Well not to put words into the mouth of the dead but I believe Kate knew what Lucas had done and was trying to buy some insurance against either myself or my father finding out," said EJ grimly.

He looked over at Stefano then.

"I'm sorry Father," said EJ sincerely, "But I believe that Kate only married you to ensure that she was in a good position to create a rift between you and I."

"I do not believe that was the only reason my son," said Stefano quietly.

"Well even so Kate still came up with that heinous plan to frame me for raping her," said EJ with a scowl, "I still don't know how she managed to fake the DNA but I know she did."

"Perhaps she took that secret with her to the grave eh?" suggested Stefano, his face carefully neutral.

Roman had an instinct that Stefano knew more than he was saying about that but right now Roman had bigger fish to fry.

"The idea was to have you disown me Father," said EJ tightly, "And then you would share your power with her and have Lucas and his secret protected in the mean time. The AML and impromptu wedding was all about keeping Samantha feeling sorry for Lucas so that they'd stay together and give her time to work her plans out."

"Sami loves Lucas," said Roman with a frown, "She didn't need to be tricked into anything."

Roman watched as EJ and Stefano exchanged glances with each other.

"A lot has changed in your daughter's life of late Captain Brady," said EJ calmly, not elaborating beyond that, "You might want to talk to her about that very soon."

Roman scowled at the way EJ was talking to him with such quiet assurance, as though he knew Sami better than her own father did. Roman had a bad feeling about where all of this was heading all of a sudden.

**oooOOOOooo**

"We don't have to do this you know," said Sami softly, squeezing Will's hand tightly.

Her examination was over and she'd been given a clean bill of health beyond a few bumps and bruises. Sami had been particularly worried about the babies because of whatever Artie had given her to knock her out all night but she'd been reassured that their heart beats were good and strong and she had actually cried with relief. Her mother had visited her and then a little bit later her dad and she'd reassured them both she was fine but Sami was really anxious just to be with EJ.

She supposed he was alright because he'd walked out of that cabin with her but Sami just wanted to know for sure and knew he must be fretting about her as well. Her dad had said he was okay but that he still had a lot more questions for EJ and Sami was frustrated that he was still so suspicious of EJ when he'd been the one to save the day. Sami had been on the way to see EJ when Will had turned up. Of course Sami had then had to explain all that had happened, leaving out the more confronting details but there were some things that there were just no way round. It had been incredibly hard to tell Will that his father had killed his grandmother. This wasn't what Sami wanted Will to have to deal with when it came to his father. He'd been completely shocked and horrified of course and Sami hadn't been thrilled when he'd ask to see Lucas.

"I need to see him," said Will dully.

Sami knew there was an incredible amount for Will to have to take in all at once, most of it pretty unbelievable and perhaps seeing Lucas would help him with that. She worried that she'd be making things worse instead of better but Will had been insistent that he'd wanted to see his father so in the end she'd relented. Ever since Lucas had regained consciousness there had been no sign of Artie apparently and Sami could only pray that the evil thing was gone for good or at least beaten down so that Lucas once again had control. She never wanted Will to see his father being controlled by that sick animal.

"Just remember that it wasn't really your dad who did all those things," said Sami anxiously, still fearful that they'd find Artie waiting for them in Lucas' room.

"I know," said Will tightly, "He's sick, he has this other personality inside of him."

"And Artie is the one who did all the bad things," said Sami earnestly, "Not your dad."

That wasn't strictly true of course because it had been Lucas who had faked his illness and went along with a sham marriage to trap her but Sami didn't feel that needed to be brought up right then, Will was dealing with enough. All Sami's mother heart wanted to do was protect her son from the harsh reality of this situation but there was no way to do that. They were at Lucas' room now and there was an armed police officer standing by the door.

"We'd like to see Lucas please," said Sami quietly.

The man obviously knew who they were and gave a slow nod.

"He's tied to the bed," the officer informed him, "But any trouble just give a shout, I'm right here."

Sami felt Will tense beside her at that information but she just smiled politely and ushered him into the room. Will gave a little gasp at seeing the state his father was in and Sami couldn't blame him. EJ had made a real mess of his face and there were cuts and bruises all over it. Lucas opened his eyes at the sound of Will's gasp. He looked a combination of stricken and happy to see them plus an overall look of anxiety.

"Will," said Lucas unevenly and then suddenly looked ashamed, "I-I don't want you to see me like this."

"It's alright Dad," said Will emotionally, hurrying over to his bedside, "I wanted to be here."

Lucas looked up gratefully to his son but still looked deeply ashamed.

"Sami?" he asked hesitantly, "Are you alright?"

"Yes," said Sami quietly, coming to stand beside Will.

"I'm so sorry," said Lucas unevenly, "I can't believe I did the things that I did."

"It's alright Dad," said Will quickly, "Mom knows it wasn't you."

Sami wasn't sure if Lucas was talking about what Artie had done or what he himself had done but either way she struggled to know what to say to him.

"It's over now," said Sami dully, opting for a neutral comment, "Now's not a good time to talk about it."

"I just want you to know how sorry I am," said Lucas earnestly, tears coming to his eyes, "I never meant for any of this to happen. I can't believe that-that-"

He choked up and Sami knew that he was thinking about Kate just then and felt a deep pity for him. How did you live with the knowledge that you killed your own mother anyway?

"It's alright Dad," Will tried to comfort him, "This all happened because you've been so sick with the AML – we all understand."

Lucas gave a stricken look at Sami.

"You haven't told him?" he rasped in anguish.

"Not yet," said Sami with a grimace.

"Told me what?" asked Will with a scowl, "What is going on?"

"I'm not dying Will," said Lucas, looking very ashamed now, "I made it all up."

"Wh-what?" the teenager stammered, "No, no that isn't possible."

Sami knew Will must be struggling with feeling happy that his dad wasn't dying and angry that he'd been lied to and put through so much angst.

"I'm sorry Will," said Lucas painfully.

"Wh-why would you do something like that?" asked Will, looking totally aghast, "How could you do that Dad?"

"I was scared and confused," said Lucas shame faced, "I made some bad calls."

"Bad calls?" gasped Will in disbelief, "You call pretending to be dying a bad call? What the hell Dad?"

"Will don't get upset," said Sami, putting a hand on his arm.

"Did you know?" asked Will angrily, "Did you know that Dad was faking it Mom?"

"Your mother didn't know," Lucas answered for her, "It was all me."

"I don't understand," said Will shakily, "I don't understand any of this."

"I thought I was losing your mother," said Lucas, looking at Sami, his eyes begging her to understand, "I just got carried away with trying to keep her."

"That's crazy Dad," said Will angrily, "Mom loves you, she wasn't going anywhere – you didn't need to do all of this, right Mom?"

Father and son looked at Sami then and she shifted her weight under their close scrutiny.

"A lot of things have changed in a short amount of time Will," said Sami quietly, "I think we all just need some time."

Lucas had a look of intense disappointment on his face but Will looked happy enough with that.

"Will can you go and get me a soda please?" asked Lucas with a calm smile at his son.

"Sure Dad," said Will, not looking particularly happy but doing as he was asked.

"We're over aren't we?" asked Lucas dully once Will had gone.

"Yes," said Sami without hesitation.

"Before or after all of this happened?" asked Lucas, his face set into a hard mask.

"Before," said Sami simply.

It was time for the truth between them now.

"It's EJ isn't it?" asked Lucas, his jaw hardening.

"I love him Lucas," said Sami sincerely, "I don't mean for that to hurt you but it's the truth."

"And the baby is his?" asked Lucas, looking away now.

"Yes," said Sami, putting a protective hand on her stomach.

"Why?" asked Lucas achingly, "Why him Sami?"

"EJ sees me," said Sami without hesitation, "He sees all of me, the good and the bad and loves it all equally. He is the first person in my entire life that I don't feel like I'm taking some kind of test to work out the Sami they expect me to be. Every other time I've failed that test and ended up alone but with EJ it is so different. I know no matter what I do or say he is just going to love me and you have no idea how liberating that is Lucas."

"And you didn't feel that way with me?" he said tightly.

"No," said Sami sadly, "I never did."

"I love you," said Lucas, looking at her fiercely now.

"You love who you wanted me to be," Sami corrected him, "But I was never that person. And besides, how could you have loved me when you lied to me the way you did?"

"I was desperate," said Lucas earnestly, "Surely you can understand that."

"I can," said Sami grimly, "But you brought our son into this, you broke his heart and that was when it became way more than being just about you and I Lucas."

"I was confused," said Lucas weakly.

"Yeah well I'm not any longer," said Sami, her voice becoming stronger, "I love EJ and we have a life ahead of us that I'd only ever dreamed about before. I'm sorry for what has happened to you Lucas and I hope you get better but that is all that is between us now."

"We still have Will," said Lucas hopefully.

"Yes we have Will," said Sami with a nod, "But all I want from you in regards to him is to make sure Artie is gone from our lives for good. I won't have him exposed to that animal and I will do what it takes to protect him."

"Artie's gone Sami," said Lucas earnestly, "I can feel it."

"I hope that is true Lucas," said Sami with a frown, "He was terrifying."

"I know," said Lucas regretfully, "I'm sorry but I don't know what he did but you have to know I'd never hurt you right?"

Lucas looked at her hopefully but Sami simply couldn't find the words.

"But you did hurt me Lucas," she said shakily, "You and Artie."

"And you can't forgive me for that?" asked Lucas unhappily, "Sami – I've forgiven you so much in the past and I really need you now, don't leave me."

Sami couldn't help but feel the sting of annoyance that unbelievably, despite all that had happened, that Lucas still felt justified in bringing her past mistakes into all of this.

"I would have left you long ago Lucas," said Sami coldly, "But I tried to do the right thing by you when I thought you were dying. I felt like I owed you that but guess what – I don't owe you anything anymore. I've put my life on hold because of you and your mother for long enough and I'm done."

Lucas looked heartbroken at her words and for a moment Sami felt her resolve weaken as pity once again took over but she simply couldn't do that to EJ again. He'd put his life on hold as well to support Sami in what was now a very misguided attempt at caring and she knew that EJ deserved her to make a stand now. Will returned with the soda then and looked between his parents uncertainly.

"What did I miss?"


	141. Chapter 288

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & EIGHTY EIGHT**** – ****Don't Shoot the Messenger**

As scarce as truth is, the supply has always been in excess of the demand.

_Josh Billings_

"Are you're sure you're up to this sweetheart?"

Sami looked at EJ who was looking down at her with gentle concern as he opened the car door for her and held out his hand for her to take. After speaking with his father Will had wanted to go home and Sami said she would be there soon as well, as soon as the hospital discharged her. Will had been clearly shaken up after talking to his father and Sami had decided to give him some time to digest everything that he'd learnt. Sami hadn't had the heart to tell her son about her and EJ yet as he was already dealing with so much and besides, she wanted them to do that together.

Not long ago after Will had left both she and EJ had been given the okay to leave the hospital. EJ at last had been cleared of all of the most serious charges against him. Sami was nervous because her father was still threatening EJ with a jail break and assaulting two police officers but EJ had seemed pretty confident of getting around them so she'd let him reassure her. She was just thankful that no one was trying to put him in prison for rape and murder. Sami gave a little shudder at how differently today could have turned out if the Salem PD had shot first and asked questions later.

"Are you cold darling?" asked EJ, immediately solicitous at seeing her little shudder.

"No," said Sami with a warm smile as she slipped her hand in his, "And to answer your question yes I'm up to this. I'm really just craving some of Grandma Caroline's chowder – it always makes me feel like everything is going to be alright."

"Everything is going to be alright Samantha," said EJ huskily, leaning down to graze her lips softly with his own, "But I could have gotten you the soup."

"I'm alright EJ," said Sami with a soft smile, "Stop worrying."

"Pretty difficult thing to do considering what you've been through in the last twenty four hours sweetheart," said EJ with an unhappy look.

"Like you've had it any easier," Sami tutted, taking in his bruises.

"I'm not carrying two little lives inside of me," said EJ with a half smile, "That's a strain on your body already."

"Well Grandma's chowder will make all three of us feel a lot better," said Sami decisively as they began to walk towards the Brady Pub together.

They still had so much to sort out, not least of which was Will having to come to terms with the death of his own grandmother by his father's hand. It was all such a mess and to be honest Sami knew she'd barely begun to process all of the traumas and revelations of the last day herself. But right then all she wanted to focus on was the wonderfulness of walking hand in hand with EJ in a public place and not having to hide their love anymore. It just felt so comfortable and right that Sami wasn't going to let herself dwell on how appropriate it was to be doing this when her supposed husband was in hospital.

After what had happened at the cabin all bets were off as far as Sami was concerned. She felt great pity for Lucas which was mixed with a fair amount of horror over what lay inside of him but Sami knew that pretending she and EJ weren't together wasn't going to help Lucas anymore. There were doctors and hospitals who would be taking over that role. They walked into the Brady Pub together and as soon as they were inside Sami tensed as half of her family were already in there. Her parents, Aunt Hope and Uncle Bo and Abe were all there, staring at them as they walked in.

She supposed she should have been expecting to see them massing somewhere after what had happened but Sami hadn't really thought that they might all be here. EJ went to drop her hand but she held on tightly to him as he sent her a quick sideways glance and then went back to keeping a hold of her as well. The room had been noisy a moment ago dropped away into dead silence - dead, noisy silence, even the few patrons of the restaurant seeming to know that now was not a good time to talk.

"Hello Grandma," she said, proud of how calm her voice was as she smiled at the older woman, "I was wondering if I could have some of your famous clam chowder to go?"

"Well of course honey," said Caroline with a kind if somewhat vaguely strained smile.

She disappeared into the back area leaving the rest of the family staring at EJ and Sami and the two of them looking calmly back at them.

"How are you feeling Sami?" asked Hope evenly.

"I'm alright thanks Aunt Hope," said Sami with a smile, "It's been a bit of an ordeal but it is over now. Lucas is getting the help that he needs now, that's all that matters."

"Yes," said Hope with a bit of a frown at the mention of Lucas' name.

All eyes were on Sami and EJ's linked hands and there was a momentary pause before the silence was broken.

"So Elvis," said Bo, his face giving nothing away, "I guess your girlfriend must be happy to know you're alright? What was her name again – Esther?"

The very pointed statement made Sami grit her teeth but EJ answered before she had a chance.

"It's Estelle," said EJ smoothly, "And I haven't had a chance to speak with her yet, everything has been rather hectic of late."

"But she is still your girlfriend right?" asked Bo, giving him a disapproving look.

"Actually no," said EJ with a half smile, not rising to the bait, "It's complicated."

"Everything seems complicated around you EJ," Roman growled, glaring at the younger man.

"It's not EJ's fault that Lucas has a split personality," said Sami, immediately leaping to his defence, "Lucas is the one who did all the horrible things, or at least part of him in Artie – EJ was the one who saved me."

"Why do you think this Artie persona was after you in the first place EJ?" asked Abe flatly, joining in on the conversation.

"Because crazy attracts crazy," said Marlena bitterly, shocking Sami a little with her words.

"And is that your professional opinion Dr Evans?" asked EJ with a quirk of his lips, "Can all of your patient's maladies be reduced to such efficient sound bites I wonder?"

"I know that my daughter almost died today and you were right in the middle of it all!" Marlena snapped, not bothering to hide her dislike of him.

"Mom!" said Sami, shocked by her outburst.

Usually her mother kept such an even keel around people, not showing such emotion and Sami was horrified to see her directing such bile at the man she loved.

"All EJ did was try and protect me," she said with a frown, "He doesn't deserve you talking to him that way."

"It's alright sweetheart," said EJ with a little shake of his head and a soft smile at her, "It doesn't matter. Your mother has been through a big shock today, we all have. I'm sure allowances have to be made all round."

"I don't need you defending me to my daughter," Marlena said, her face clouding over.

Caroline reappeared then with the clam chowder and EJ smiled at her as he moved to retrieve it from her.

"Thank you Caroline," EJ said warmly as he moved through Sami's family to take the chowder, "How much do I owe you?"

"It's on the house," said Caroline with a wave of her hand, "Family."

"Thank you Grandma," said Sami, grateful that she at least hadn't started attacking EJ yet.

"I just want to know that you're being looked after Sami," said Caroline with a tremulous but worried smile at her granddaughter.

"Don't worry," said EJ huskily, "I'm going to be taking very good care of Samantha."

"Why?" asked Bo sharply, "You're not her husband."

"Is that prerequisite to caring about someone?" asked EJ easily and Sami was so proud of him how he was staying so very calm, "Particularly considering it was her husband that put her through the ordeal in the first place."

"Lucas is sick," said Hope defensively.

"Clearly," said EJ with a cool inclination of his head.

"And he's not even my husband," said Sami in annoyance.

Everyone turned to look at her again at that statement.

"Kate faked the wedding and he went along with it," said Sami, her lips thinning angrily.

She'd never had a chance to be properly angry about this yet and with Lucas in the condition he was Sami supposed she'd never truly be able to let him have it for what he'd done.

"Why?" asked Abe in consternation, "Why would they do that?"

"To trap me in a marriage I didn't want," said Sami sourly, "And that was why they faked the AML as well – to make me feel sorry for Lucas so I'd marry him."

"Lucas doesn't have AML?" asked Hope in consternation.

"How is that possible?"

"Why would anyone do that?"

"How do you know for sure?"

"What does EJ have to do with all of this?"

"I don't believe any of this – this doesn't sound right to me."

"You need to take some time-"

The noises of her family all speaking was too much for Sami all of a sudden and she just couldn't take it anymore.

"Will you all just shut the hell up!" she barked out of them.

The sudden silence in the room was deafening. EJ was separated from her by a wall of her family – how metaphorically accurate was that Sami had to wonder as he arched a concerned eyebrow at her but Sami was just so mad right then that she didn't have time to think, just react.

"Will everyone just stop telling me what I should and shouldn't do!" she snapped at them, "Lucas went crazy and tried to kill EJ and I and he and Kate has been lying to everyone for months – organising fake weddings and diseases for their own plots! And now EJ and I are together and you're just all going to have to deal with it!"

Everyone was looking at her in wide eyed horror but Sami couldn't have cared less right then.

"In fact EJ and I have been together long before Lucas and I got fake married!" she blurted out to them, "I only went back to Lucas because the lying weasel and his insane mother told me he was dying and I was trying to do the right thing and take care of the father of my son!"

"Sami don't speak ill of the dead," Marlena chastised her unhappily.

"Oh give it up Mom!" Sami snapped, "You were never Kate's biggest fan and she certainly wasn't yours so don't pretend otherwise just because she happens to be dead now!"

"Sami don't talk to you mother that way!" said Roman sternly.

"You're right Dad," Sami said, her eyes glinting, "I'm not going to talk to any of you again until you accept EJ as the man I love and the father of these babies!"

There was an audible gasp at that and Sami grimaced, realising she hadn't mentioned that tit bit of information yet. Oh well, in for a penny, in for a pound as they say.

"Sami," said Marlena, putting a distressed hand to her throat but Sami didn't actually care right then.

"And another thing," said Sami roundly as she prepared to make a sweeping exit, "EJ and I have been screwing each other's brains out this whole time all over Salem and it was fantastic! No one has ever made me come as hard as he does!"

If it was possible everyone looked even more shocked, not so much at the information because obviously if she was pregnant things but have had to have happen. It was more about the fact Sami felt the need to share and in such graphic detail.

"So there!" she said loudly before turning on her heel and marching off defiantly.

Sami really wished she had a better line to end on but nothing was coming to her. The few diners that had been at the Brady Pub having an early dinner had long ago given up politely eating their meals and were staring openly as well. The menu hadn't mentioned that there was going to be dinner and a show and what a juicy show it had turned out to be. After Sami's grand entrance everyone turned their shell shocked gaze to EJ who had been left to make his way through the throng of Sami's family.

"Well," he said brightly, looking at all of their horrified faces, "I don't really feel like I've got anything to add to that."

EJ picked up the clam chowder and began to head out of the pub. They all parted for him like he was Moses and they were the Red Sea as EJ made his way to the door. His footsteps echoed on the wood floor as for once, the Brady family had absolutely nothing to say. EJ's hand was on the handle of the door when he stopped abruptly.

"Oh wait," he said, turning around, unable to hold back the big grin on his face at Sami defending their relationship, "I do have one more thing to add."

They all just stared at him with varying degrees of apprehension, clearly concerned over what new horror would be revealed.

"I love Samantha," said EJ proudly, "Very, very much. She's my entire world and I'm going to spend the rest of my life adoring her body and soul and making her happy."

"EJ!"

Sami's strident voice came through the door and his smile widened as he was summoned so forcefully.

"Coming dear," he said with feigned meekness before disappearing through the door after her.

[center]**oooOOOOooo**[/center]

Lucas lay in the hospital bed, dully staring at one off white wall. The events of today seemed too impossible to him to wrap his head around. How could his mother be really dead? How could he have been the one to kill her? Lucas was forced to swallow hard at the revulsion the thought of that caused him. It was hard to explain what it felt like to know that something like Artie existed inside of him. It was like discovering you had cancer and all you wanted to do was have the tumour excised from your body but with Artie it wasn't going to be that simple.

It still boggled Lucas' mind that he hadn't known that he'd been doing all of those things. It had been so hard looking at Sami and Will, knowing the wrong he'd done them both. The worst part was that Lucas couldn't even blame Artie for all of it. He'd gone along with his mother's plan with faking his illness and the marriage, no one else and regret practically choked him as he lay there. Lucas didn't even turn his head when the sound of his door opening came to him. The will to go on had left him and now he truly didn't care what happened to him next. He had no idea of how he was meant to live with what he'd done.

"Lucas."

Lucas closed his eyes at the sound of the familiar voice, not wanting this right now – not wanting it ever.

"At least look at me – I deserve that don't you think?"

Lucas heard his brother's bitter words and forced his eyes open, slowly turning his head to look at the other man.

"Hello Philip," he said, his voice hollow and lifeless as Lucas felt.

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ walked out of the Brady Pub to find a still very irate Sami.

"Who do they think they are?" fumed Sami, pacing up and down.

"Your family," offered up EJ easily as he put the clam chowder down on a nearby bench, thinking he may need both hands to handle this situation.

"Are you taking their side?" asked Sami, glaring up at him fiercely.

"Of course not sweetheart," said EJ quickly, "But you just need to calm down – think of your blood pressure."

"How can you be so calm?" she yelled at him.

"I don't know," said EJ with a bit of a shrug, "Because your family not liking me isn't exactly a new situation I guess."

"But you saved me and they don't even care!" said Sami emotionally.

"They're probably trying to get past the mental image of us having sex all over Salem," said EJ straight faced, "That and the fact you're pregnant. A lot has changed for them in a short amount of time."

"Stop doing that!" said Sami in aggravation, "Stop defending them, they don't deserve it EJ!"

"I'm not defending them," said EJ calmly, "I'm just pointing out facts."

"And stop being so reasonable!" she said in agitation, "I hate it when you're reasonable!"

"Sweetheart we knew that your family wouldn't be receptive of our relationship," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "Particularly considering of the way they were informed of it with such graphic gusto."

"Are you saying that I've done the wrong thing?" asked Sami angrily, "That I shouldn't have told them about us yet?"

Sami was clearly itching for a fight and seeing as her family wasn't there right now he was next in line but EJ didn't mind. In fact seeing her standing there, cheeks flushed with genuine outrage and all on his behalf was quite a turn on.

"Samantha having you announce your love for me in such a forceful and-" EJ paused, pursing his lips to find the right words, "Detailed fashion shall we say was one of the most passionate and sexy thing that has ever happened to me."

"Really?" asked Sami, looking slightly mollified now.

"I had to keep staring at your father otherwise I probably would have just come in my pants right there and then," said EJ with a perfectly straight face, "That man has a very deflating effect on my fortunately. Trying to convince a woman's family that your intentions are entirely honourable with a raging hard on is less than compelling I find."

Despite herself the corners of Sami's lips turned up at EJ's admissions.

"Did you really like it when I told them that I loved you?" asked Sami, a coy little smile coming to her face as she clearly forgot about her family's distrust for a moment.

"Samantha I have dreamed of that moment ever since I met you," said EJ with a little smile of his own, "In a hundred different scenarios and imagined how it would feel to have Samantha Brady announcing to the world that she loved me."

Sami's smile widened at his words.

"But trust me," said EJ sincerely, "All my fantasies didn't even come close to how you did it. As always Samantha you surpass my expectations in every possible way."

"Kiss me," Sami ordered him, her blue eyes that had moments before been spitting angry fire promising him another kind of fire now.

EJ arched an eyebrow, knowing from experience that when their emotions were high like this a simple kiss was most definitely going to get out of control very quickly.

"I'm not sexing you up in a public place in full view of your family just to make a point," EJ said firmly, knowing that was where Sami's mind was going, "You're the mother of my children and Will and you deserve more than that."

"But you want to right?" asked Sami throatily, sidling up to him and rubbing her body against his.

She'd obviously caught the way his voice had cracked a little over the 'sexing you up' comment he'd made.

"I always want to be making love to you Samantha," EJ said huskily, "When I'm awake, when I'm a sleep – you're all I think of."

"Kiss me," she pleaded with him again.

"Samantha," EJ said hesitantly acutely aware of all that Sami had endured today and the huge amount of trauma she'd just been through.

"Please," Sami whispered, her voice cracking a little, "I can't bear that the last man who had his hands on me wasn't you."

EJ swallowed hard at hearing Sami's uneven confession, could see the sudden vulnerability in her eyes. He was very conscious of all of the Brady eyes standing at the pub's window now and watching them with great disapproval. He didn't give a toss what their opinion of him was but he didn't want to do anything that Sami, once she'd cooled down, would regret. But her broken words made everyone else fade from EJ's thoughts as he gave Sami what they both needed right then.

EJ leant his head down so that his forehead was resting against hers. Never taking his eyes off hers EJ cupped Sami's face, gently nuzzling her nose with his own. He heard Sami's breath hitch even as his own roughened. He drew out the anticipation of that first touch, made them both wait until the agony of waiting was too much. His lips touched hers in the gentlest of caresses, a chaste gesture that left them only wanting more. Their audience was forgotten utterly as EJ brushed his lips back and forth over Sami's, reacquainting them both to the taste of each other. Today had been so horrific and violent that they just needed something sweet and gentle between the two of them to block it all out.

EJ's split lip was painful, as was most of his face but he didn't care as he pressed his mouth more firmly to Sami's. Her lips parted without hesitation and the nectar of her mouth was laid open for him and EJ couldn't resist drinking deeply. Their tongues intertwined in a lazy dance that immediately had EJ wanting more and the way Sami's hands grasped his lapels and pulled him down to her more told him she felt the same way. A fire was spreading through EJ's body as their lips moved back and forth over Sami's and he couldn't help but give a little groan into the kiss as the need to have more threatened to overwhelm him.

He wanted to lie this goddess in his arms down, right where they stood, strip the clothes from her body and worship every perfect dip and curve. It was always like this for them, a touch was never enough EJ always wanted a kiss, a kiss was not enough he wanted to be making love to Sami. And even as he'd claim her body, plunging deeply into Sami in that perfect moment of utter union it wasn't enough for him. EJ wanted to absorb Sami into his very being so that he never had to be without her again. They finally broke the kiss, EJ's breathing decidedly ragged now as Sami looked up at him, panting slightly and her face flushed an intoxicating pink colour.

"Let's go home to Will," she said unsteadily, her voice breathless from her own mounting desires.

EJ, his own head spinning wildly from her kisses and his whole body pulsating in painful anticipation nodded mutely, his eyes never leaving her face as he once again took her hand and walked to the car together.

Life simply couldn't get much better than this.


	142. Chapter 289

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & EIGHTY NINE**** – ****The Ride Before the Fall**

Romance is the glamour which turns the dust of everyday life into a golden haze.

_Amanda Cross_

_(American Writer and Critic (pseud of Carolyn Gold Heilbrun), b.1926)_

"I don't know what you want me to say," said Lucas quietly, looking straight ahead.

"How about starting off with sorry I killed our mother?" suggested Philip, his lips thinning.

"I didn't kill Mom," said Lucas unevenly, "He did."

"This Artie guy?" said Philip with a frown.

"I didn't know he was there," said Lucas hoarsely, "I swear. And then yesterday he just suddenly was. When he showed me what he'd done to Mom I-I-"

Lucas' voice broke and he couldn't go on, the horror of that moment still haunting him relentlessly as he closed his eyes, a single tear escaping.

"The black outs," said Philip grimly, "The ones you told me you were having. You thought they had to do with the pills."

"Yeah," said Lucas dully, "I guess it made it easy for Artie to get control of me."

"But why did he go after Mom like that?" asked Philip in frustration, "And Sami?"

"He told me he was trying to protect me," said Lucas, his face clouding over, "Like he always has."

Lucas looked at Philip with stricken eyes then.

"Something happened," Lucas rasped, "A long time ago. One of Mom's boyfriends he-he-"

Philip blanched and looked away and Lucas knew he didn't need to go on.

"How old were you?" asked Philip hoarsely.

"Twelve," said Lucas hollowly, "I thought Mom had killed him and that I'd been keeping her secret all these years but it turns out Artie did and she was keeping mine."

"I always knew there was something between you two," said Philip unevenly, shaking his head as he tried to take in all that Lucas was saying, "I had no idea."

"You weren't meant to Philip," said Lucas with a sad smile, "Mom and I worked really hard to convince ourselves it never happened."

"I rang Billie and Austin," said Philip quietly, "They're flying home – they're going to be here for the funeral."

Lucas went pale, closing his eyes against the thought of burying his mother.

"I don't want to see them," said Lucas hoarsely, "Don't let them come here Philip. I can't bear what I've done and I don't want to see the hate in their eyes. I just want to be left alone to die."

"No one wants you dead Lucas," said Philip with a frown.

"Why not?" asked Lucas painfully, "It's what I deserve! All those evil things Artie did, that was still me, I did them even if I didn't know at the time. I have this ticking time bomb in me and I'd be better off dead then put anyone else in danger!"

"Has this Artie been back?" asked Philip a little hesitantly, "I mean since the cabin?"

"No," said Lucas dully, "The head doctors here seem to think that because he suffered such a defeat and seeing as the personality seems to be into dominance and control that it will stay buried because of all of his plans failing. Apparently that isn't uncommon when it comes to megalomaniacal alter egos that don't get their own way."

"I still can't believe any of this," said Philip, shaking his head once again, "This all feels like a dream."

"It feels like a nightmare to me," said Lucas bitterly, "One I just want over and done with."

"Lucas no one is going to let you die," said Philip firmly, "We just have to make sure you get all the help you need to get better."

"And when I get better what then?" asked Lucas tightly, "Will Mom not be dead then? Will I be able to look my son in the eye again? Will this have been all some kind of nightmare?"

"I know it feels like the end of the world now Lucas," said Philip anxiously, "And it is bad but don't give up."

"Why do you even care?" asked Lucas in resignation, "You should hate me for what I've done to our family."

Philip looked away briefly before looking back at Lucas, his expression very sincere.

"I always knew it would end badly for Mom," he said quietly, "I didn't want it to but she just seemed to lurch from one crazy scheme to another."

"Because of me," said Lucas painfully.

"No," said Philip simply, "That was just Mom. She was always going to live a larger than life kind of existence even if that thing with her boyfriend hadn't happened – that was just her."

"I miss her," said Lucas, swallowing painfully.

He kept expecting her to burst through the door, filling the room with her huge personality and trying to take charge of everything.

"So do I," said Philip softly and became suddenly a little bright eyed, "But if Mom was here she'd want nothing more than to keep our family together and that is what I'm going to do."

"Everyone must hate me," said Lucas painfully.

"Everyone wants you to get better Lucas," Philip corrected him emotionally, "We all love you and I know we can all get through this together."

Lucas looked up at Philip in consternation, never having expected this kind of support from anyone and certainly not his family after what he'd done.

"We're in this together," said Philip in a rare display of emotion as he took Lucas' hand as it was still strapped to the bed, "We're brothers Lucas and I'm not going to desert you now."

"Thank you," said Lucas hoarsely feeling for the first time that there might actually be a light at the end of this dark tunnel for him.

**oooOOOOooo**

They arrived at their apartment and EJ got out of the car, walking around to Sami's side of the car and opening the door for her. He took her hand and helped her out of the car and went to walk hand in hand with Sami to the elevator doors that would take them upstairs but Sami stalled him.

"Wait," she said, tugging back on his hand.

EJ looked back at her with a small expectant smile on his lips.

"Come here," she said, crooking her finger at him and walking backwards towards the back seat of the car.

"What are we doing Samantha?" asked EJ with a little twinkle in his eyes.

"When we go upstairs we're going to be telling Will about us and dealing with a whole lot of fall out," said Sami softly as EJ came to stand directly in front of her.

She put her hands on his muscled chest and gave a bit of a sad smile.

"We're going to have a lot to deal with," she warned him.

"I love dealing," EJ reassured her with a lop sided smile, "I love dealing in fact."

"Well you're going to get plenty of practice at it I suspect, we both are," said Sami with a little grimace, "But right now-"

"Right now?" asked EJ with an arched eyebrow.

"Right now I just want to be alone with you EJ," Sami said huskily.

"We are alone sweetheart," he pointed out to her impishly.

"I mean alone alone," said Sami, arching her own eyebrow rather suggestively then.

"Ohh," said EJ, pretending to understand at last, "You mean _alone_ alone.

"Do you have any objections?" asked Sami sweetly even as EJ's heart began to thump painfully away in his chest.

"Nothing is coming to mind," said EJ a little unevenly as his body throbbed in anticipation of the promise in Sami's eyes.

"Hop in," said Sami, inclining her head to indicate the back seat of the car.

"Is this the last of our clandestine hook ups seeing as everyone knows about us now?" asked EJ in vague amusement as he quickly moved around Sami to climb into the back seat.

"Move along," she instructed him and EJ dutifully moved until he was over on the other side of the car.

Sami climbed in after him and closed the door behind her.

"Not if you play your cards right Mr DiMera," said Sami with a wicked smile in answer to his question.

"Thank you god," said EJ unevenly, looking to the heavens and closing his eyes in quiet gratitude.

Sami moved so that she was lying down more, her hands going to EJ's pants and undoing the zip. EJ gave a quiet moan as she drew him out.

"I don't really need this you know," he said unsteadily, looking down at her with a half smile, "I'm pretty good to go right now."

"So I see," Sami said with a giggle, as EJ's manhood stood at almost full attention already, "You're such a man whore."

"I am when it comes to you," said EJ with a rueful chuckle of his own.

"So are you turning my offer down?" asked Sami cheekily.

As she was talking she was gently stroking his straining member.

"I'm not saying that," said EJ, his voice cracking a little as Sami squeezed him tightly for a moment.

"I thought not," said Sami with a quirk of her lips before taking him into those lips with one graceful movement.

EJ made an unintelligent sound of appreciation as Sami quickly set to work on him. His hand went to the back of her head, tangling itself in the soft strands of her hair as it bobbed up and down on him. EJ flicked a quick eye to their surrounds, grateful of the darkly tinted windows of his car and the fact that they were in an out of the way corner of the parking space. He didn't want any unwanted visitors to interrupt the moment.

"Nice," he sighed happily, his head lolling backwards and eyes closing as Sami's skilful mouth caused him to harden even more.

Sami had just the right amount of pressure to her touch, her tongue running up and down his increasingly veined length before it would tease the velvety tip and soon EJ found himself squirming a little in his seat, his arousal mounting quickly. He took his hand from the back of Sami's head and trailed it down her body. She was half lying on her side, her stomach making it uncomfortable to lie directly on it nowadays. EJ's long reach skimmed over her hips and thighs before slowly gathering up the material of her skirt so he could slip under it. His hand immediately sought out her panties, slipping up under them and seeking out the heat of her core.

EJ dipped two long fingers into its silken cavern and bit his bottom lip despite the pain as Sami gave a long low moan, reverberating against his rock hard member. His body tensed and EJ fought hard against delivering himself into her mouth right then. Instead he distracted himself by crooking his fingers inside of Sami and pressing them hard against that secret spot and beginning to move them in and out of her.

He knew where Sami need him to focus his attentions by now and he adored knowing her body so intimately. EJ had barely started before Sami was abruptly lifting her head and emitting a long moan, her hot explosion of air on his swollen maleness making it quiver even as her slick walls clenched around his fingers tightly. Pre-cum dribbled out of EJ's tip at how quickly he'd brought Sami to climax as she groaned unsteadily, his fingers continuing to work on her.

"Next time you do that I want to be inside of you," said EJ unsteadily.

"Then stop touching me," Sami panted, "Because I'm about to come again."

EJ gave a little groan as he withdrew his fingers from Sami's body. She was just so utterly receptive to his every touch nowadays it drove him into a near frenzy.

"God but I love your pregnancy hormones," EJ moaned appreciatively.

"Why?" Sami asked breathlessly as she sat up then, moving to straddle his body, "Because you don't have to work so hard?"

"Sweetheart pleasuring you is no kind of work, trust me," EJ reassured her throatily,

EJ held Sami's hips as she positioned herself over him, dragging aside her panties. The space was so confined it would take a real effort to remove them and besides it was easy enough to work around them. Sami placed her dripping core over his engorged tip and rested it there, making them both wait for it. EJ inhaled noisily as her moist heat enveloped his highly sensitised tip and he held his breath, waiting for Sami to complete their union. Sami sank down on him slowly, her wet heat sliding down over his throbbing hardness forcing EJ to swallow a guttural moan. She sighed happily as the last of him slid home and EJ could only rejoice at being allowed to fill Sami so completely once again.

"I was so scared I'd never be able to have you inside of me again," Sami whispered to him in the darkened car, the gentle smell of her shampoo mixing with the scent of her arousal filling EJ's senses and making his head swim.

"Me too," he said unsteadily.

The two lovers looked at each other with emotion filled eyes, so close that their noses touched and their breath intertwined. Sami began to move up and down on him slowly, neither one speaking. EJ's body was still sore from his fight with Lucas but Sami's body quickly made him forget about anything other than her. She slid up and down on him and EJ was forced to grit his teeth against how tight and hot she felt.

His breathing became quickly little more than excited panting as Sami worked him into a frenzy. Sami suddenly tensed, gasping and jerking back and forth of him signalling that she'd quickly found her end again and it was all EJ needed. His balls, already so tight, exploded their contents into Sami, delivering his hot seed in squirting spurts into her waiting cavern. EJ groaned noisily as he jerked up and into Sami, his orgasm encompassing every muscle of his body.

"EJ!" Sami gasped as she took all he had for her willingly, rocking back and forth on his pumping member and milking every last drop of goodness for him.

EJ was in heaven and couldn't control his moaning. Anyone walking by would think he was being killed but he just couldn't contain himself. Sami had collapsed against him, still shaking from the intensity of her orgasm as the thought of having to leave her body now panicked him.

"I'm not done," said EJ raggedly against her neck, silently begging her for more.

"Good," said Sami breathlessly.

She moved then, separating their bodies and lying down on the backseat. It was a tight squeeze for EJ but he managed to turn around and cover her body with his. His hand went to his only slightly softening member and gave it a few hard pumps. The sight of Sami laid out before him, her body glowing and the look of excited anticipation on her face was more than enough to stiffen his resolve so to speak. EJ easily slid back into her, parting her swollen lips in one hard thrust so that he could find the nectar that lay within. Sami was so wet both from her own arousal and his seed that EJ couldn't contain a noisy groan as he pushed himself hard into her.

'You have to be quieter EJ," Sami groaned even as she arched her back to accommodate him more deeply inside of her.

"Can't," EJ grunted, mindlessly beginning to pound himself into her.

A part of him was looking at Sami, trying to make sure that he wasn't being too rough with her but she quickly put his mind to rest.

"Oh God but I love how hard you can stay for so long," she said with a groan of appreciation.

Sami grabbed at his backside then, looking up at him with eager eyes.

"Harder," she begged him unevenly, "Please God EJ, do it harder!"

EJ's only response was an animal like grunt as he gave Sami exactly what she asked for. He drove himself into that wet heat of hers like he was a man possessed. Sami's warnings about being too loud were quickly forgotten as she herself began to moan loudly along with him, urging him on. The car began to rock with the force of EJ's thrusts but he only used the movement to sink himself more deeply into Sami with each thrust. They were both still fully clothed and EJ ached to have Sami's naked flesh beneath his but the urges of their lower bodies were too strong for either one of them to try and stop now.

"Samantha!" he cried out raggedly, his body taking him over completely now.

The sound of their bodies coming together again and again filled the confined space and added to the noisy symphony of their breathless noises. EJ squeezed his eyes together tightly as he felt his body once again get ready to pump itself into hers, hardly able to believe that he could be in this state so quickly after the force of his last release. Sami must have felt the sudden tension in his body because she looked up at him with wide eyed anticipation.

"Oh god yes," she said breathlessly, clearly eager for him to fill her once more.

That thought caused a noisy grunt to escape his lips as EJ gave Sami what she wanted, climaxing first this time. More of his maleness burst from his quivering tip and filling the deep recesses of Sami's body and causing her to fall into that same whirlpool of exploding endorphins and spasming muscles. They held onto each other tightly for a long moment, EJ somehow managing to keep most of his weight off Sami. EJ had a moment of concern that he'd been too rough in the end, becoming suddenly anxious when she didn't say anything for a long time. Sami once again dispelled his concerns though.

"Can-can we go again?" asked Sami unevenly, barely able to catch her breath as she asked the hopeful question.

Oh shit these pregnancy hormones were going to be the death of him EJ thought in amazement at Sami's stamina. Despite the force of his last release EJ could feel his exhausted member twitch inside of her at the eagerness in Sami's voice.

"I-I think that can be arranged," said EJ unsteadily as Sami already set to work on his body, moving her hips up and down and massaging him back to life with her walls.

God grant him the strength to satisfy this woman...

**oooOOOOooo**

Will made his way down the quiet hospital quarters and stopped at the doorway where there was a police guard. It was a different one to the officer who had been there earlier.

"I'm his son," he told the officer, "Can I sit with my Dad for a bit?"

"Sure," said the older man kindly, "I'm just going to grab a coffee, I'll be back in a minute okay? If there is any problem just call out and I'll hear you."

"He's my Dad," said Will with a bit of a frown, "He wouldn't hurt me."

Lucas turned his head as Will worked in and looked surprised to see him.

"Will," he said huskily, "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you," said Will, still hating to see the way his father was restrained.

It just didn't seem right somehow.

"Does your mom know you're here?" asked Lucas, looking at him intently.

"Yeah sure," said Will quickly, telling a half truth.

He had after all left a note for his mother – that counted as telling her right?

"I don't think you should be here Will," said Lucas with a frown.

"But I want to be with you Dad," said Will, sitting on the side of the bed and looking down at him with a brave smile, "I want you to know you're not alone."

"And I love you for wanting that," said Lucas with a distracted smile, "But it isn't safe for you to be here."

"But you said Artie was gone for now," said Will hesitantly.

"It's not Artie I'm worried about," said Lucas earnestly, "And you're right, I can't feel him anymore – I think he's long gone. He's done his worst and there is no more havoc for him to cause but that isn't why it isn't safe for you to be here Will – you have to go now."

"I'm not going anywhere Dad until you tell me what is going on," said Will with a frown.

He watched his father make a regretful face as though he was weighing up something and then finally he seemed to give in.

"Look Will," he said unevenly, "I did something really horrible and really stupid awhile back and I don't want to see you caught up in the middle of it and getting hurt because of me."

"What did you do?" asked Will, not sure he was ready for more revelations but needing to know anyway.

"I was the one who shot EJ," his father confessed to him reluctantly.

"Dad!" Will gasped in disbelief, "You mean Artie shot EJ?"

"No," said Lucas unevenly, "I did Will. He was trying to hurt your mother and I was just trying to protect our family. I did what I thought was right at the time but it was stupid and wrong of me but I can't take it back. I know that the DiMera's know that now and it's only a matter of time before they send someone to finish me off."

"You have to tell someone Dad!" said Will urgently, "You have to make sure the police protect you!"

"Will you don't think the DiMera's own half the Salem PD," said Lucas with a defeated shake of his head, "Stefano has any number of assassins on standby to take me out as soon as he makes a phone call. I'm a dead man Will, it's only a matter of time and I don't want you to be in the middle of that – I couldn't bear it. You have to promise me that you'll never try and see me again okay? I need to know you're going to be safe."

"I'm not going to let anyone hurt you Dad," said Will in distress.

"You can't help me now Will," said Lucas earnestly, "I'm a sitting duck lying here."

Will looked his father up and down, seeing the way he was tied to the bed and knew that it was true. All a hit man had to do was walk up to the bed and pull a trigger, his dad had no way of escaping it. Or even one could inject something into him while he was sleeping. His dad was right, the police guard at the door meant nothing when it came to the DiMera's. Will had lived in Salem long enough to know that.

"I'm going to get you out of here Dad," said Will emotionally, knowing that his father needed him now.

There was no way he was going to let his dad be killed by the DiMera's. Will knew what his father had done was wrong but he'd been sick at the time and nothing justified killing.

"No Will!" said Lucas sharply, "It's too risky – you can't get involved like this."

"I'm not going to let you die Dad!" said Will fiercely, "Please, let me do this – I couldn't live if something happened to you and I knew I could have helped you. I can get you out of the hospital and then you can just run."

"But I'll never see you again," said Lucas, his eyes welling up with tears.

"We'll find a way Dad," Will promised him, oddly taking on the role of reassuring parent in this scenario, "But that can't happen if you stay here to be killed by the DiMera's."

His father paused, seeming to be fighting a great battle with himself before finally speaking again.

"I love you Will," he said huskily.

"So is that a yes then?" asked Will anxiously, "Will you let me help you?"

"Yes," said Lucas unevenly, "Yes Will, help me get out of here – I want to live."

Will bent down and gave his father a hug, both men very emotional in that moment.

"I'll be right back," Will promised him quickly, "I'll just check where the guard is."

He knew that he was taking a risk but anything was worth saving his father's life. Will disappeared out of the room, hurrying up the corridor and leaving Lucas to wipe his tears with his shoulder seeing as his wrists were still tied to the bed. Lucas looked at the empty doorway, waiting for his son to return and release him, a slow smile spreading over his face.

"We're goin' ta have some fun now," he drawled before a wicked laugh bubbled up from deep within.

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ let Sami walk through her apartment door first, taking her coat from her and sharing a warm look. Sami's body was still tingling from their little session in the car as they smiled knowingly at each other. EJ had astounded her with his stamina and was very grateful that he'd risen to all the challenges she'd laid down for him so to speak. Even now all Sami wanted to do was crawl into bed with this man and never get out. Sami wanted more despite how fiercely he'd just made her come in that car, many, many times over. Reluctantly Sami put those thought aside as she managed to tear her gaze from EJ's warm gaze knowing that she had a very distraught son to deal with now. There would be time enough for EJ and her later, right now Sami needed to focus on her son and was just so grateful that she had EJ's complete support in that.

"Will," she called out, looking around the apartment, "Will are you here?"

"There's a note," said EJ, walking over to the table.

EJ picked it up and quickly read it.

"He's gone to see Lucas," said EJ with a bit of a frown.

"He has?" asked Sami in distress, "Oh EJ."

"Come on," said EJ grimly, taking her hand again.

Sami's much shorter legs had to work overtime to keep up with EJ's long strides down the hospital corridor less than twenty minutes later but she didn't complain. She was as anxious as EJ obviously was to get to Will. Sami just had a bad feeling about all of this. They came to Lucas' room but there was no police officer outside and Sami felt EJ tense beside her even though his expression didn't change. A police officer walked around the corner just then, a cup of coffee in hand.

"Where have you been?" asked EJ angrily, "You're meant to be guarding this man!"

"He's strapped to a bed," said the officer in annoyance, "And beside his son is with him."

"EJ," said Sami unevenly, gripping his hand more tightly.

"It's alright sweetheart," said EJ with a reassuring smile.

He gave the officer a glare as he opened the door to Lucas' room.

"Son of a bitch!" he growled at seeing the empty room.

"Where is he?" asked Sami wide eyed, "Where is my son?"

"Damn it!" snapped the police officer as he too saw the empty room and immediately reached for his radio to report it.

"Oh no," said Sami, shaking her head, "What has Will done?"

"It's alright Samantha," said EJ determinedly, taking her arms and making her look at him, "I'll find Will, I'll find them both."

Sami couldn't stop shaking now, despite EJ's calming words as she was forced to consider the ugly fact that Artie might well have her son in his malevolent clutches and what that could mean for them all...


	143. Chapter 290

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED & NINETY**** – ****EJ's Choice**

The wise man does not expose himself needlessly to danger, since there are few things for which he cares sufficiently; but he is willing, in great crises, to give even his life - knowing that under certain conditions it is not worth-while to live.

_Aristotle_

_(Ancient Greek Philosopher, Scientist and Physician, 384 BC-322 BC)_

"How long were you gone for?" asked EJ, staring at the police officer intently.

"No more than ten minutes," said the man.

"It took you ten minutes to get a coffee from the vending machine down the hall?" asked EJ, glaring at him angrily.

"I also powdered my nose if that is alright with you," the officer snapped.

"No it isn't alright!" Sami snapped right back at him, "If it was then my son wouldn't be missing!"

"He's with his father," argued the police officer defensively, "He's not going to hurt him."

"We can only pray he's with his father," said EJ grimly.

"Because if it is Artie-" began Sami shakily but couldn't finish her sentence.

"Alright," said EJ, taking charge now, "The hospital has a lock down protocol for things like that. We need to get that instigated, no one in or out. They couldn't have gotten far if it was only ten minutes, Will and Lucas still have to be in the hospital somewhere."

"Right," said Sami, taking hold of herself, "We need to split up."

She looked at the officer determinedly.

"You and I will go down to the front entrance," she said quickly, "EJ you go the other way and start looking."

"There will be more cops here in a minute," said the officer, "We'll be able to search every room if we have to."

"Good," said EJ with a short nod, "Get that lockdown underway and let's get cracking – we don't have any time to waste."

Sami nodded, giving EJ a pained look.

"How could Will do this?" she asked despairingly.

"He's a kid trying to help his father," said EJ, pressing his lips to Sami's forehead reassuringly, "Don't worry Samantha, we'll find him."

Sami gave him a brave smile and started to head off down the corridor with the police officer.

"And stay away from him if you find Lucas!" EJ called out to her before they disappeared around the corner, "Let the police handle it Samantha!"

Sami sent him an exasperated look over her shoulder at him and EJ couldn't blame her. In the past he hadn't been the biggest advocate of the Salem PD but seeing as her last encounter with Lucas had a knife at Sami's throat EJ wasn't going to take any chances. They always seemed so eager to shoot someone, maybe this time they'd get it right and shoot Lucas. EJ turned around and began to run down the corridor in the opposite direction, intent on checking as many rooms and storage areas as possible. Lucas was wearing a hospital gown so hopefully that would be slowing them down a bit. EJ hated to think what Lucas might have told Will to get him to do this but it didn't matter now, all that mattered was making sure Will was safe.

"Elvis!"

EJ ran around the corner and nearly knocked Celeste to the ground as he barrelled into her.

"Celeste!" exclaimed EJ, his hands snapping out and grabbing her upper arms to stop her from falling.

He hadn't had time to thank Celeste for what she'd done today beyond a hurried thank you at the cabin. Unfortunately now wasn't the time to express gratitude either.

"I just saw Lucas and Will," she said in distress.

"What?" asked EJ wide eyed.

This woman just kept coming through for them, it was amazing.

"They saw me and turned around," said Celeste quickly, "They headed down that corridor, I was just coming to tell someone."

"Thank you Celeste," said EJ gratefully, "Now I need you to go down to the entrance of the hospital and find Samantha and tell her the same thing. I'm going after them."

"Be careful dahling!" she called out after him.

EJ turned briefly, still walking backwards though.

"Artie?" he asked grimly, knowing Celeste would be the one person who knew for sure.

"Yes," she said worriedly.

"Tell Samantha," he ordered her, "I'm going to stop them."

EJ turned and broke into a run, covering the long stretch of corridors quickly. Staff and patients sent him odd looks but no one stopped him. He turned a corner just in time to see Will and Lucas or rather Artie according to Celeste climbing into an elevator.

"Will no!" EJ yelled out to them but Lucas quickly punched the elevator button and the door slid shut before EJ could get there.

EJ looked up and saw the elevator was heading down so EJ made a bolt for the stairwell, running down them three at a time. Instinct made him stop at the floor below though and quickly stick his head out to check on the progress of the elevator. EJ's eyes widened as he saw the elevator was now going up.

"Sneaky bastard," he growled under his breath before racing back into the stairwell and heading up again.

There were no floors above them, only the roof and EJ guessed that Artie was planning on hiding out there until there was a good opportunity to get out. At least that was what EJ hoped Artie's plan was – he really didn't like the thought of that crazed maniac making a last stand on the roof, not with Will in tow. EJ ran up the stairs without a moment to lose and ran through the door onto the roof.

"Will!" he called out, looking around himself frantically.

There was an external fire escape on the side of the building and EJ ran over it to check for them both. Not seeing anyone on it EJ than began to run around to the other side of the roof, noting how easy it would be for someone to hide behind all these large structures of air conditioning enclosures, heating vents and ventilation shafts. EJ caught a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye and he swiftly chased after it. Will and Artie were almost at the door of the stairs to the roof when EJ caught up with them.

"STOP!" he yelled at them.

"Leave my Dad alone!" Will yelled at him, his eyes wide with fear, "Don't hurt him!"

"I'm not here to hurt anyone Will," said EJ urgently, "I'm here to make sure you're safe."

"He's with his father," said Artie behind Will in a suitably outraged tone but the teenager couldn't see the knowing smirk he was giving EJ, "He couldn't be any safer."

"Will," said EJ, forcing his tone to be calm and even, "That isn't your father, Artie is back in control of him. You need to walk over to me now."

"Don't listen to him Will," Artie said, grabbing his arm and looking scared and pathetic, "It's a trick. As soon as you are away from me then EJ is going to kill me in revenge for shooting him."

Will looked over at EJ fearfully and EJ held up his hands reassuringly.

"I'm not going to kill your father Will," he reassured him, "Look – I'm unarmed."

EJ pulled out his coat jacket and slowly turned around so that they could both see that he didn't have any kind of weapons.

"I don't want anyone to get hurt," EJ said earnestly, "Let's all just go downstairs and talk about this eh?"

"So what one of your hit men can finish me off at a later date?" asked Artie, pulling Will closer to him, "I don't think so DiMera."

"I give you my word that no harm will come to Lucas," said EJ, his jaw setting in steadfast resolve, "I swear to you both."

"You're a DiMera," said Will unevenly, obviously scared but trying not to show it, "Like we can believe anything you say! My Dad and I are getting out of here and there is nothing you can do to stop us!"

Just then heavy footsteps could be heard on the stairs behind Will and Artie.

"Looks like company," said Artie flatly before quickly picking up a discarded iron bar and slipping it across handles of the door, preventing anyone opening them.

"There is no way out Artie," said EJ, his lips thinning, "You may as well give up."

"Now then boy you know that ain't my way," said Artie with a big grin, despite the bruises on his face.

"D-Dad?" asked Will hesitantly, looking at his father askew at the sudden accent he was sporting.

"No not Dad you little retard," said Artie disdainfully, "I swear you're as dumb as that drooling simpleton of a father of yours. I'm Lucas, I'm scared, boo hoo – save me little Willy, save me."

"Shut up Artie!" said EJ sharply, leaping to Will's defence, "Leave him alone!"

It broke EJ's heart to see the look of confused pain on Will's face as he tried desperately to convince himself this wasn't happening.

"Oh what?" sneered Artie, "Bored with mommy huh – want to move onto some greener and younger pastures to worship at your feet huh? Hey kid, while you're down there I bet Elvis here would love you to show him just how grateful you are for trying to save you from big bad Artie."

Will recoiled back at Artie's horrible words but EJ was used to this foul creature by now. He took a step forward, intent on grabbing Will's arm and drawing him away from Artie but the other man was too quick.

"Oh no you don't!" said Artie, grabbing at Will because he was closer and pulling him back towards him.

Artie quickly bent down and picked up a large shard of broken glass that was lying around on the ground by his feet and pulled back Will to him, putting an arm around his chest and the glass edge to the boy's throat.

"Well I don't know about you but I'm gettin' the feelin' we've been here before," said Artie with a cruel smirk.

"And it ended badly for you," EJ said coldly before looking Will directly in the eye, "It's alright Will, just don't move, it's going to be alright."

"It ain't gonna be alright little Willie," said Artie with a growl, "This is going to end real bad unless you do exactly what I tell you."

"Dad please," said Will unevenly, looking over his shoulder fearfully at the other man, "Don't do this – I only want to help you."

"Oh and you are helping boy," cackled Artie, "Now move!"

The two of them began to edge around EJ who wasn't taking his eyes off them for a minute. He tried to send a reassuring look to Will but the teenager was clearly terrified. They were heading towards the fire escape and EJ could only watch them helplessly, fearful of making a move because he knew that Artie would slit Will's throat without a moment's hesitation.

"That's right DiMera," he sneered, "You stay right where you're at otherwise you're going to be ankle deep in this brat's blood!"

"Dad!" said Will in distress even as he was forced to walk backwards with Artie, "Stop this, this isn't you."

"We've already established that numb nuts," said Artie in annoyance, "Boy, you ain't the sharpest tool in the shed now are you boy?"

"You make it down that fire escape and then what?" EJ tried to reason with him, "You're not going to get far Artie."

"Now don't you be underestimating old Artie," he growled, "You'd be surprised what I'm prepared to do to survive."

They were at the fire escape now, a precarious series of metal steps and flimsy hand rails that zig zagged all the way down to the side of the hospital. Artie stepped out on the metal grail that was the landing of the fire escape, taking Will with him, the glass blade still held against his throat. EJ began to fear that if Artie did make it to the ground that they would never see Will again. He knew what a bargaining chip Will was and EJ couldn't see Artie surrendering that advantage too easily.

"Wait," said EJ urgently, "You said you did all of this for love – that you did all of this for Lucas well he'd never want you to hurt his son Artie."

"I guess I've outgrown Lucas," said Artie with a cool shrug, "He was holding me back anyways."

"If you take Will with you then every police officer in the state is going to be after you," EJ tried to reason with him, "You're going to be much better off if you try and make it on your own."

"Would you like a translation of what old Elvis just said Willie?" asked Artie, his lips in Will's ear as he gave a cruel smile at EJ, "What he was really sayin' was that if he can't bring you back in one piece to that whore mother of yours then she isn't going to get on her back for him no more and Elvis don't want that now do you Elvis?"

Will tensed, looking at EJ in confusion and EJ made a low growl of frustration as once again Artie tried to create as much havoc as he could.

"Will it isn't like that," said EJ, edging towards them, "I just want to keep you safe, that's all I care about."

EJ could hear banging and shouting at the metal door to the roof and knew that the police were trying to break through and could only pray they made it in time.

"All he cares about is makin' a life with your mother and the little bastard in her belly," said Artie with an evil smile, knowing how this must be hurting Will and clearly enjoying the thought, "You either come with me now or they send you off to military school later – either way you're not wanted no more boy."

"That isn't true Will!" said EJ urgently, moving a little closer again to them.

He was so close now, EJ knew he could reach out and grab Will now but that glass at his throat stopped him. There was no way he was going to let Samantha's child come to any harm, there was just no way.

"Stay back!" Artie ordered him momentarily taking away the blade from Will's throat to lash out at EJ at it.

EJ gave a pained grunt as it slashed though his arm, blood immediately starting to course down his arm. He pulled his arm back and took an unsteady step backwards, concerned that Will might be next if he pushed too hard.

"Take me instead," EJ said quickly, ignoring the blood coursing down his arm, "Think about it Artie, I'm a way better bargaining chip then Will here. Take me and the sky is the limit for what you can ask for."

"Well that is temptin' to be sure," said Artie thoughtfully, seeming to be considering it as he pursed his lips, the glass back at Will's throat.

EJ held his breath, his only thought was of getting Will out of harm's way.

"But I'm gonna pass," said Artie blithely, "This is a lot more fun."

"Please Dad stop this!" said Will, his face stricken with fear, "Please!"

"Stop ya whining you little bitch!" said Artie harshly, "You're just like that loser father of yours."

"My father isn't a loser!" said Will, struggling a little bit as he at last began to deal with the fact that this was no longer Lucas and couldn't be reasoned with as such.

This whole time EJ had been keeping a concerned eye on the grill that Artie and Will were standing on, worried about how it seemed to be bending a little with their combined weight.

"Be careful!" EJ ordered them anxiously as they struggled a little, "It's not safe."

Just as EJ said that there was the sound of snapping metal and the grate suddenly gave way underneath the two of them. EJ's reaction was lightning fast as he lunged forward, making a grab for the two as they disappeared out of sight down the side of the building. By some form of divine miracle EJ managed to grab an arm each of the two of them, falling to the ground as he was pressed to the roof top by the weight of Will and Artie. Artie was holding on tightly to his arm but Will was a dead weight, hanging limply at the end of EJ's grasp.

EJ could see the side of Will's head was covered with blood and guessed that he must have come in contact with the side of the building as he fell and been knocked out. This meant that Will wasn't able to offer EJ any help in holding onto him. EJ grunted in pain at having to hang onto such weight all at once as their combined weight also made it hard for him to draw his next breath. His face turned red and every muscle strained to hang on to them both, not wanting to drop either of them. As twisted and evil and deserving of death as Artie was that was still Lucas' body and EJ knew he couldn't just drop him to save Will. He fought with all of his strength to try and draw them both up.

"Drop me."

The impassioned plea had EJ looking over at Artie in amazement but it wasn't that cold black gaze anymore but a frantic one and he knew Lucas was back in control.

"Don't you drop him," Lucas begged him even as he held on tightly to EJ's arm, "Don't let my son die EJ!"

"I'm not letting either of you die," EJ grunted through clenched teeth as he tried with all his might to pull them both up.

"You can't save both of us," said Lucas frantically, "You have to save Will EJ, please God don't let my son die!"

EJ and Lucas' eyes met then and for a brief moment words were redundant. They'd always been adversaries and there had been many times when EJ out and out hated the other man but he wasn't prepared to let it end like this. When all was said and done this was Will's father and EJ simply couldn't let him fall to his death. A father's eyes were begging him to save his son but EJ stubbornly dug in, certain that he could save them both. There had been enough death today, he wasn't going to let there be any more. At the end of it Lucas wasn't a bad person, just a lost one and a very sick one. What had happened to him hadn't been his fault and despite his actions since that day EJ knew he couldn't be the one to be judge and executioner for this man.

"No one is going to die!" bit out EJ, the veins in his neck standing out as he resolutely began to pull up the heavier Lucas.

If he could get Lucas up then they could both pull Will to safety he reasoned. EJ's arm muscles were already beginning to shake, especially the one with the deep cut but he ignored them as he started to pull Lucas up but finally they gave way on him and Lucas slipped back down the wall, EJ straining to hold him. Lucas' eyes rolled back in his head and then suddenly that look was back in his eye. He looked at EJ, saw that he couldn't drop him and then began to kick out at the unconscious Will.

"NO!" EJ yelled, already having difficulty hanging onto the limp boy.

Will's arm slipped down through EJ's sweaty grasp so now he only had a hold of the teenager's wrist. Artie, because that was obviously who it was now, was wildly kicking at Will, clearly wanting EJ to drop him so that he could use all of his strength to pull him up rather than the teenager. The pounding on the door behind EJ was growing louder as the police obviously tried to break through to them but EJ knew they weren't going to make it in time, his strength starting to fade now.

Suddenly there was this moment for EJ when everything slowed down, the choices laid out bare before him. He could either continue to try and save them both but most likely drop both because of what Artie was doing or he could chose one to save. EJ and Artie's eyes met, the other man's full of desperation but still somehow managing to mock him. EJ held two lives in his hands, quite literally as he was forced into a corner.

"You ain't got it in you boy," Artie snarled, sure of EJ's weakness right then and confident that the other man wouldn't drop him for Lucas' sake.

"Forgive me Lucas," said EJ quietly as he made the only choice he could.

EJ let go of Artie's arm, as the other man grabbed frantically at it, unable to hold on by himself. His eyes went wide and then he was falling, arms flailing wildly about himself. For just a split second EJ thought he could see gratitude in his eyes as Lucas once again came to the fore but then he was too far away, plummeting towards the concrete resting place below. The sound of bone and flesh hitting the ground below was as sickening as it was final as almost instantly a large circle of blood began to ooze out around Lucas' body. His body was twisted into a strange angle, clearly having broken many bones in the sudden stop at the end of his fall as he gazed up at the heavens with sightless, blood filled eyes.

It all happened in a split second and EJ immediately grabbed at the still unconscious Will with both hands now. He gave an almighty pull, dragging him up from the side of the building and away from certain death even as the police finally burst through the doors. EJ collapsed to the ground, the precious cargo of Will in his arms as he drew in strained breaths of air. His ribs hurt like hell, most like some were broken after the hard impact with the ground and holding onto Will and Lucas for so long. EJ's arms were shaking from all that he'd asked of them as he cradled Will in his arms.

"EJ, WILL!" Sami calling out their names made EJ force his eyes open and look over to where Sami was running towards them behind a wall of police officers.

"He went over," said EJ dully as the men reached him first and then looked over the side of the building.

Sami however dropped straight to her knees, looking at them in horror. EJ knew they were a mess, Will bleeding from his head and his arm still oozing bright red blood.

"He's going to be alright Samantha," EJ reassured her unevenly, "Will has just bumped his head."

"Oh my god," said Sami shakily, putting a distressed hand on Will's face.

EJ looked at her with stricken eyes.

"I couldn't hold him," he rasped, "I tried Samantha but I just couldn't hold him."

Sami glanced up and must have seen the faces of the police officers who were looking down at the grizzly sight of Lucas' body below. She swallowed hard before looking back at him with a brave smile.

"It's alright honey," Sami said huskily, putting her arms around both of them now, cradling them both in her arms as she knelt beside them.

EJ buried his sweaty face in the crook of her neck as Sami hugged them tightly.

"It's going to be alright," she whispered, closing her eyes and holding her family close.

We all labour against our own cure, for death is the cure of all diseases.

_Sir Thomas Browne_


	144. Chapter 291

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED AND NINETY ONE**** – ****The Dust Settles**

In the arms of the angels, fly away from here...

you are pulled from the wreckage,

of your silent revelry,

you're in the arms of the angels,

may you find some comfort here...

_Sarah McLachlan_

_(Canadian Singer and Songwriter, b.1968)_

Sami sat by Will's bed, stroking his hand and watching as he slowly came round. He'd regained consciousness not long after Sami had arrived on the roof but had then become hysterical on finding out what had happened to his father. One of the doctor's had been forced to sedate him and he was only coming round from that now. It had been horrible to see her son in that state but then the whole scene on the roof and below had been the stuff of nightmares.

While he'd been out the doctor's had checked on Will's head injury and declared that he was alright. Both he and EJ were being kept in over night to be watched though. EJ did end up having a broken rib and his arm required twelve stitches but all in all Sami knew it could have been much worse. It made her physically sick at how close she'd come to losing everything today. Will turned his bandaged head and blinked groggily at her.

"Mom?" he rasped, his voice dry and uneven.

"It's okay honey," said Sami softly, "I'm here."

Will blinked again as he tried to clear his head.

"Where am I?" he asked hoarsely.

"You're in hospital," said Sami quietly, "But you're going to be okay. You've got a bang on your head but the doctors say you'll be fine."

"I fell," said Will slowly, starting to remember.

He sent Sami a stricken look.

"Dad," he said emotionally.

"I'm so sorry Will," said Sami with a grimace.

"He's not dead is he?" Will begged her to tell him differently, "Please Mom tell me that Dad isn't dead."

"Will your father fell from the building," said Sami, tears pricking her eyes as she watched her son's heart break, "He didn't survive the fall."

Will's face screwed up with painful tears and his bottom lip quivered. He looked so much like the little boy that Sami once knew in that moment and she just ached to hold him. Back then a mother's hug could solve all the problems of a little boy but unfortunately that just wasn't the case anymore.

"I fell too," said Will hoarsely, "How did-?"

"EJ caught you," said Sami, her voice catching a little as she tried not to think what would have happened if he hadn't been there, "He saved you Will."

Will seemed to be struggling with this information.

"Why couldn't he save my Dad as well?" asked Will, a tear escaping his eye and making a lonely path down his cheek.

"He tried honey," said Sami regretfully, "EJ really tried but in the end he could only save you."

Sami knew of the terrible choice EJ had been forced to make in the end and she could see the torment in his eyes over it. In letting Artie fall to his death EJ had killed Lucas as well. Sami had hugely ambivalent feelings towards what had happened. On one hand she grieved the death of the father of her son and regretted that their relationship had been at such a low ebb when he'd died. The pointing of fingers of who did what to whom seemed a little pointless now to Sami so she didn't even try to attribute blame. Lucas had lied to her; she'd lied to him – that pretty much encapsulated their entire relationship over the years whether Sami wanted it to be that way or not.

Despite all that Lucas had done Sami hadn't wished Lucas any harm, just for him to leave her alone to be happy with EJ. Artie however was another story entirely. Sami knew she'd never feel safe around Lucas now after having met Artie now and she certainly would never have been happy about letting Will be with Lucas again. It would have just been too dangerous and no amount of treatment on Lucas' behalf would have changed that for Sami.

To know that sick and twisted creature was out of their lives for good was a huge sense of relief. However it came at such a high price with what had been forced upon EJ. He'd done the right thing in protecting Will from Artie, there was no question of that but Sami couldn't help but worry over what it might do to him down the line.

Everyone in her life was so certain that EJ was this evil, heartless creature that could kill easily and on a whim but Sami knew that wasn't true. What was true was that EJ had come to Salem under the control of his father and that had seen him do some terrible things. But EJ wasn't the same man who'd pulled the trigger on John in that boat house all those months ago. He'd changed so much and just become so much more of his own man since Sami had known him and she knew that he was struggling with what he'd done.

It was all such a mess but then when wasn't it a mess when it came to the two of them Sami wondered dully? For the first time she had for her what was the perfect relationship but everything around them always seemed to be going to hell in a hand basket. It was like fate didn't want them to be happy, as though they hadn't earned it yet. Sami had to wonder what else was expected of them before she and EJ got their happy ever after.

"At the end," said Will hoarsely, staring at a point on the ceiling, "Dad said things to me, bad, evil things."

"That was Artie," said Sami quickly, "Will you have to know that your father loved you, he was besotted with you your entire life, he loved you so much, we both do."

Will turned and looked at Sami with pain filled eyes.

"He told me you and EJ were together," said Will hoarsely, "And that you were pregnant."

Sami grimaced, hating that Artie had been the one in the end to tell Will when she'd wanted it to be her and EJ. It was just more for the embattled teenager to have to deal with and whilst Sami had practiced this conversation so many times in her head the words didn't come easily.

"EJ and I are in love," said Sami simply.

"While you were married to Dad?" asked Will tightly, his jaw hardening, "You were just like Aunt Carrie and cheated on him?"

Sami opened her mouth to say it was nothing like what her sister had done to Lucas but then closed it again as she realised it was. Carrie had been tricked into marrying Lucas because she thought there was no future for her and Austin and that had been down to Sami. Sami had married Lucas because she thought he was dying and that had been because of Kate's lies. Both she and her sister had been with Lucas rather than the man they loved because of lies and manipulations. For the first time Sami really understood the pain she'd caused Austin and Carrie and felt deep regret for her choices back then.

"EJ and I were going to come clean with our relationship long before your Dad and I got married," said Sami unhappily, skimming over the fact that they'd never actually been married, "But then he got sick or at least we all thought he did and I wanted to try and help him so I stayed."

"You could have helped him without pretending you were in love with him," said Will bitterly, "You made a fool of Dad – again!"

"I didn't do it to make a fool of him," said Sami unhappily, "I did it because your father was ready to curl up and die if I left – he and Kate made that very clear to me. If I told him about me and EJ then there was no way he would have wanted anything to do with me and at that time I think both of us really thought he was dying."

"I thought Dad faked the whole thing?" asked Will in confusion.

"Your grandmother Kate started it," said Sami dourly, "Your dad didn't know in the beginning Will and he really thought he was dying and he was going to give up on life altogether. I had to stay and try to support him. I didn't want you having to deal with it all on your own which would have been what would have happened if I'd been totally honest with your dad. He would have shut me out of his life and God only knows what he might have done to himself if thought he didn't have anything to live for."

Sami looked away as she tried to find a way to make sense of all this for her son when she was still struggling with it herself.

"I made some bad calls Will," said Sami honestly, looking back at him and holding his gaze steadily, "But what I did I did from a place of genuine love for your dad. I didn't want what I thought would be his last couple of weeks to be harder than they had to be. I wanted him to know he could lean on me and I'd be there for him. I owed him at least that much because I'd made so many mistakes over the years when it came to your dad and you Will. I wanted to be a true friend to him and I know that might seem warped considering how I went about it but that was all I was trying to do."

Sami gave a humourless laugh.

"Hindsight is always twenty twenty," she said flatly, "And I'd do things so differently if I knew then what I do now but life doesn't work like that Will – there are no do overs, you just have to keep going forward."

Will didn't speak for a long moment and Sami could only hope that he was making sense of all that she'd said.

"So you and EJ are what?" he asked tightly, "Together now? He's your latest boyfriend?"

His words were meant to sting but Sami forgave Will his sharp tongue under the circumstances.

"EJ and I are going to be married," said Sami, twirling the wedding rings she already wore on her left ring finger that he'd given her on Ana Caram, "As soon as possible."

As soon as she'd found out about Lucas' treachery Sami had swapped the rings, knowing she'd never bear to be able to have Lucas' anywhere near her ever again.

"Because of the baby," said Will bitterly, looking down at Sami's stomach which was quite noticeably protruding with the way she was sitting.

"No," said Sami softly, "Because we love each other and want to spend the rest of our lives together."

"You'll mess it up," said Will angrily, "Like you always do and then what will you do Mom?"

"I won't mess this up," said Sami with great confidence, "EJ won't let me just like I won't let him mess it up either. We've already weathered so many storms to be together Will and all it has done is made us love each other more."

"You've never had a relationship last Mom," said Will darkly, clearly not convinced.

"I've never been with EJ before," said Sami with a soft smile.

"He's going to hurt you," said Will emotionally, "You can't trust a DiMera Mom."

"EJ is more than just his last name," said Sami calmly, "And he is more than just Stefano DiMera's son. Wait until you meet his mom and step father and then you'll see how everything isn't that simple Will. No one person can be summed up in a name or a single act. What happened in the end with your father in no way defines who he was as a person and I want you to remember that Will, just like EJ isn't defined by a name or single act."

"EJ will do bad things," said Will hoarsely, "It's his nature."

"And it's mine as well," said Sami with a lop sided smile, "That's why we fit so well Will – neither one of us has to be anything other than what we are with one another. When you get older Will you'll come to realise that it's when you stop trying to meet everyone's expectations or rebel against those same expectations and are given the freedom to just be you and work out who that actually is then there is no greater gift."

"And that's what EJ has given you?" asked Will curtly.

"Yes," said Sami without hesitation, "And it has changed me Will. It's changed both of us and for the better. I'm asking is for you to give EJ and our relationship a chance, that's all. I don't expect you to be overjoyed about everything that has happened or how it happened but I can't change that however much I might want to."

"What if I asked you to choose?" said Will, looking at her defiantly, "What if it was EJ or me Mom?"

"Oh Will," said Sami with a sad sigh.

Sami knew that this would be so much easier with EJ standing by her side but Will was her son and she knew that it was time to be a real mother to him. She thought back to Lucas and Kate and how their relationship had been built on manipulations and guilt trips and how it had ended and it strengthened Sami's resolve. There was no way that she was going to let her and Will end up like Kate and Lucas.

"No," said Sami quietly, "I'm not going to do that Will – I'm not going to let you make me choose between the two people I love most in this world. It's impossible and I won't do it."

"I guess I have my answer then," said Will bitterly, looking away from her.

Sami reached out a hand and took his chin, very gently forcing him to look back at her.

"If I give you what you want Will I'm going to resent you and I don't want a relationship with you that is based on something like that," she said sincerely, "I know I haven't always been the best mom in the world to you but that is going to change, starting now."

Will looked at her with a bit of a frown, not sure what Sami meant.

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami stopped in the doorway of EJ's room and watched him silently for a moment. EJ had his face turned away from her, looking out the window and hadn't noticed her arrival. He looked tired and Sami's heart ached with how much she loved this man.

"Hey," she said huskily.

EJ's head immediately turned and a smile broke out on what had been a very serious expression before.

"Hey," he said back to her.

Sami started to walk into the room.

"How's Will?"

"Digesting," said Sami with a rueful smile as she came to stand by EJ's bed.

"I guess he had a lot of questions," said EJ seriously, reaching out and taking Sami's hand, "I wish I'd been there."

"I don't know," said Sami with a little shrug, "I think it was good in one way that it was just the two of us."

"How is he handling everything?" asked EJ worriedly.

"He's mad we're together," said Sami with a sadly, "Devastated about his father."

"Will has a hell of a lot to deal with," said EJ unhappily, "It can't be easy."

"I hate that Will is hurting so much but he's a strong kid," said Sami, "And he's going to get through this."

"Just like his mother eh?" asked EJ with a soft smile.

He reached out a hand and placed it over the gentle swell of Sami's stomach.

"Have you all eaten tonight?" he asked her solicitously.

"Yes," said Sami with a half smile, "The babies wanted a toasted cheese sandwich and that is exactly what they got."

"Is that all?" asked EJ with a bit of a frown, "You should be eating more Samantha – you're eating for three now."

"Yes and two of them are the size of a baseball each right now," she said in amusement, "Don't worry EJ, I'll be eating us out of house and home soon enough."

"Can't wait," said EJ huskily, stroking her stomach now and gazing up at her lovingly.

"I'm sorry but visiting hours are over," said the nurse who suddenly appeared in the doorway, "You'll have to go now."

"I'm staying," said Sami calmly, not taking her eyes from EJ's loving gaze.

"I'm sorry but that isn't allowed-" the nurse began.

Sami turned around and fixed her with a hard stare, interrupting her next words.

"I'm staying," she said flatly, her expression full of warning.

"But-" the nurse went to protest.

"Unless you plan to drag me kicking and screaming from this hospital room I'm staying," said Sami darkly.

The nurse paused and seemed to be considering this for a moment.

"You can go now," said Sami dismissively.

The nurse pulled an annoyed face but dutifully turned around and left them alone.

"I love it when you're bossy," said EJ with a quirk of his lips.

"Well that works out nicely then," said Sami with an answering smile, "Because I am."

"I fear that Salem won't know what hit it," said EJ in quiet amusement, "Samantha Brady on the war path. Sharing inappropriate details of her sex life with family members and throwing nurses out of their own hospital rooms with gay abandon."

"I've kept my mouth shut for too long," Sami grumbled, accepting his teasing of her good naturedly, "There is a bit of a back log situation going on."

"I'm not complaining sweetheart," said EJ with a little laugh, "Far from it."

"It's alright that I stay right?" asked Sami, suddenly anxious, "I want to be near you and Will tonight."

"Of course it is Samantha," said EJ, taking her hand and tugging her towards him, "Come here."

Sami very carefully climbed into bed beside EJ, conscious of not hurting his ribs. She turned on her side and EJ did the same with only a vaguely pained grunt as his broken rib complained. Soon enough though they were settled in comfortably enough with EJ spooning her back; his arm heavy across Sami's middle, hand resting against her stomach.

"I don't want us to ever sleep in separate beds again," said Sami emotionally, feeling tears well up at how much time they'd lost these last few months.

"Agreed," said EJ without hesitation, his voice low and husky, "But if we can darling, can that bed be bigger than a single?"

Sami gave a little giggle at that and nodded her head that was on the pillow they shared.

"That might be a good idea," she agreed in amusement.

They lay still for a long time, just enjoying being together again after the horrific events of the last couple of days. The bustle of the hospital noise was muted through the door and had an oddly comforting tone to it Sami thought. Everyone was getting on with their lives outside the door and just being so terribly normal. It gave her hope that their lives would one day return to that state. After a little while Sami thought EJ must have fallen asleep and gave a little start when he spoke after a long time of silence.

"I'd do it again," said EJ unevenly, his hot breath in her ear, "If I had it over again I'd still chose Will."

Sami's heart broke to hear the anguish in EJ's voice.

"I know," said Sami softly, "And Lucas would have wanted you to."

"You know I used to fantasise about killing the man," EJ confessed to her dully, "I hated Lucas so much because he got to be near you when I couldn't. I hated the way he treated, the way he made you so sad. There were so many days when all I needed was an excuse and I would have cheerfully killed him."

EJ paused and pulled Sami more tightly to him.

"But I didn't want this," he rasped, "I never wanted this."

"I know," said Sami simply, sharing EJ's mixed feelings as well.

She had so much hate and anger for Kate and Lucas for what they'd put her and EJ through and yet Sami didn't feel she was really allowed to feel that way because they'd both come to such tragic ends.

"Do you forgive me?" asked EJ, his voice cracking a little.

Sami looked back over her shoulder in confusion.

"For what honey?" she asked in honest confusion.

"For killing the father of your child?" asked EJ, looking a little desperate now.

"EJ," Sami gasped, "You did the right thing, you have to know that."

"Then why does the right thing feel so bad?" asked EJ wretchedly.

"Because you're not your father," said Sami, closing her eyes and resting her cheek against his, "You're not a killer and you don't take life lightly – anyone's life."

"I'm scared I've made everything so much worse for you and Will," said EJ a little hoarsely.

"What would have been worse EJ if Will had died up there on that roof," said Sami firmly, "And I'm never going to be able to repay you for what you did in saving my son – never. If you hadn't have been there I could have lost Will and I don't know if I could have taken that. You did the right thing EJ."

Sami could only pray that if she said those words enough that EJ would finally allow himself to believe them. Reconciling the events of the last few days into any kind of real sense was probably going to be beyond all of them but Sami needed EJ to know that he hadn't done anything wrong.

"You have to forgive yourself EJ," said Sami quietly, "Because for me there is nothing to forgive."

Sami craned her head up a little more and as awkward as it was in their current position she managed to press her lips softly against his.

"I love you," she whispered against his lips.

Her only answer was a choked noise from deep within EJ's chest and he just kissed her harder.


	145. Chapter 292

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED AND NINETY TWO**** - ****Beginnings and Endings**

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.

_William Arthur Ward_

_(American dedicated scholar, author, editor, pastor and teacher)_

"Can I have a minute alone with them?" asked Philip dully, looking at the two drawers that were pulled out in the mortuary but covered with a white cloth each.

"Of course Mr Kiriakis," said the morgue attendant accommodatingly, "You just ring the bell over there when you are ready to go."

Philip nodded slowly, his eyes still riveted to the bodies under the white sheet.

"I should warn you though," said the man a little hesitantly, "Your brother, he landed face down when he fell. It will be hard to look at and a lot of people prefer to remember loved ones as they were in life."

"I'm not a lot of people," said Philip coolly.

"As you wish sir," said the attendant with a little bob of his head, "Just remember the bell when you're ready."

Philip gave him a curt nod and then the man was gone, leaving him alone with the remains of his family. It hardly seemed possible that he had just been talking to his mother two days ago and Lucas yesterday and now they were both dead. Philip moved towards the drawer slab his mother was lying on and carefully pulled back the sheet. If not for her pale skin Philip could let himself imagine she was only sleeping.

"Oh Mom," said Philip with a sad shake of his head as he took her cold hand in his.

The coldness was shocking to Philip, not able to make sense of it because his mother's hands had always been so warm. Kate looked more or less normal, still his mother but when he touched her Philip could feel she was gone.

"I never wanted it to end like this for you," he said softly, "And I don't know if you can hear me or not wherever you are now but I want you to know that I never doubted your love for me and I hope you never doubted mine for you."

Philip it was a strange thing to say goodbye to your mother, the person who had always occupied your world from the very beginning and he struggled to find the words he wished he'd said to her in life.

"I always knew you loved me Mom," said Philip, choking up a little, "Maybe too much which wasn't great for either one of us but I know you did your best."

A tear streaked down Philip's cheek as he bent down and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

"Sweet dreams Mom," he whispered, choking a little.

Philip straightened up and attempted to compose himself. He'd had a day to get used to the concept that his mother was dead but saying goodbye like this felt so much more final. He replaced the sheet over his mother before turning to look at the sheet Lucas was under. Despite his bravado with the attendant Philip found himself taking a deep breath before removing the sheet from Lucas. He gave a bit of a gasp and looked away sharply as the sight of Lucas' caved in face. It was hard to look at but Philip forced himself to.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there when you needed me Lucas," he rasped, "I'm sorry that I didn't see what was happening with you but I want you to know that I would have stood by you, all the way. You're my brother and that counts for a lot and it always will. I was proud to call you my brother Lucas and I want you to know that I'm going to be looking out for Will as well so you don't have to worry."

Philip had to stop and wipe away the tears on his face with the back of his hand as he continued to speak.

"I hope you have the peace now that you never really found in life my brother," said Philip sadly, choking back more tears.

Philip replaced the sheet and shook his head. How could all of this happen he kept asking himself? A couple of days ago his family was at its usual dysfunctional normalcy and now this. Philip dreaded having to deal with Billie and Austin who were arriving tomorrow and all of their questions. He had no real answer for them in the end but Philip couldn't help but carry some guilt over all of this because he had in part known about Lucas and his mother's schemes. If only he'd tried to stop them then maybe none of this would have ever happened. He'd never know now of course but that only made the burden heavier to carry and his loss feel deeper. Philips sad thoughts were interrupted by his cell phone ringing, his father's name flashing up as he answered it.

"Philip," said his father sharply, "Why aren't you at the investors meeting? Johnstone just rang me to tell me you aren't there. Where are you?"

"I'm saying goodbye to my mother and brother," said Philip tightly, his voice strained as he tried to keep his emotions in check around his father.

Victor Kiriakis put little stock in emotional outbursts, regardless of the circumstances.

"Maybe you might consider doing the same?" suggested Philip coolly.

"Lucas wasn't my son and I said my goodbyes to your mother long ago," said Victor curtly, "Now I need you at that meeting."

"Right," said Philip, his lips twisting as he looked up and blinked away tears at the off handed way Victor was taking all of this.

Philip's whole world had been ripped apart and as usual his father was all business.

"I thought it could be put off for a couple of days considering the circumstances," said Philip unevenly.

"The world doesn't stop because Kate and Lucas are dead," said Victor dismissively, "It's unfortunate but we are in the middle of brokering a large deal – we have to prioritise Philip – you're my son, you should know that."

"I'm sorry for being human Dad," said Philip bitterly, "I don't know what I was thinking. It's not like I lost half my family yesterday – oh wait yes it is."

"You're not a child Philip," said Victor sharply, "We've all had to bury our dead but the world can't stop as we do. You have responsibilities and I expect you to live up to them."

Victor hung up on Philip then and he pocketed his phone, shaking his head in disgust.

"How the hell were any of us meant to turn out normal?" he asked resentfully of the dead that surrounded him after that encounter with his father.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Can we come in?"

John looked up from where he was having his breakfast and gave a half smile at seeing who his visitors were.

"Sure," he said calmly, "But I'm not sharing my jello with you."

"You're having jello for breakfast?" asked Sami with a laugh as she came to stand by his bed, EJ by her side, "How did you swing that?"

"I know people," said John with a cheeky wink.

"I'm very happy to see you looking so well John," said EJ, sounding very sincere as he put his arm around Sami.

"Yeah well – jello," said John, holding up the green, wobbly dessert.

"How much longer are you going to be in hospital?" asked Sami, leaning into EJ.

"Well the doctor's say the end of the week but I'm leaving this afternoon," said John resolutely, "I figure if I'm not dead yet then I'm not going to be."

"That's very scientific of you John," said EJ with a quirk of his lips.

"It's gotten me this far," he said with a bit of a shrug and then grimaced as his ribs complained at the simple action.

"EJ and just wanted to thank you for all that you've done for us John," said Sami emotionally, "I don't know what we would have done without you."

"I don't know how much help I was in the end," said John dourly, "What with being target practice for Kate and all."

"How are you dealing with what has happened?" asked EJ in concern, "I know you two were close back in the day."

"It's not a great day in Salem history to be sure," said John quietly, "I keep thinking that I should have been able to stop all of this from happening."

"I know the feeling," said EJ with a grimace, "It feels like we missed something and because of that this whole nightmare happened."

"No one missed anything," said Sami firmly, "How could anyone guess that Kate and Lucas were faking his AML and that Lucas had a split personality hell bent on revenge. Not even Lucas knew so it is ridiculous to think that we should have known. Honestly, men!"

EJ and John shared a look at Sami's annoyance at them which vaguely annoyed her even more.

"You two know I'm right so stop giving each other that look," she admonished them, "In the end it was Artie who did all the really bad things and he's gone now – let's just leave it at that."

"How's Will?" asked John solicitously.

"I don't know if any of it has really sunk in yet," said Sami unhappily.

"You've got your work ahead of you with that one," said John knowingly.

"We both have," said EJ determinedly, looking down at Sami, "We're in this together and Will is a part of our family whether he likes it or not. We've all got a lot to deal with and I think we should be doing it together."

"And we will be," said Sami with a nod of her head.

Sami saw the little smile that came to John's lips then.

"What?" she asked him with an arched eyebrow.

"I'm just thinking how my little girl is all grown up now," said John, looking at her with warm affection.

"Well could you tell the rest of the family that please John?" asked Sami with a pout, "They think I've lost my mind."

"Perhaps it had something to do with how you chose to announce your relationship with Elvis there?" suggested John wryly.

"Mom told you about that did she?" asked Sami, wrinkling her nose.

"And Roman, Bo, Hope, Abe – the woman who made my jello," said John straight faced.

"It was pretty damn spectacular," said EJ, looking down at Sami proudly.

"The adjectives I kept getting were graphic and detailed," said John impassively.

"I may have over shared a little bit in the end there," said Sami, blushing slightly and shifting a little uncomfortably from one foot to the other.

"It was a little awkward meeting your grandmother's eye as I left," agreed EJ, pursing his lips.

"Oh no grandma," Sami groaned, closing her eyes and flushing bright red.

"Relax Sami," said John calmly, "Caroline's been around the track more than once. How do you think Bo happened – her and Victor holding hands?"

"It's weird to think of your grandmother having sex," said Sami wrinkling her nose.

"That's pretty much how the rest of the family think about you and EJ," John informed her.

His eyes flicked past Sami and EJ to a newcomer standing in the doorway.

"Hello Celeste," he said evenly, "Come on in and join the party."

Celeste smile and walked into the room looking as elegant as ever. It seemed being knocked out and locked in a car boot did little to faze her composure.

"Hello dahlings," she purred, "I have just come to check on you all as I'm leaving now."

"Celeste," said Sami emotionally, looking at the other woman, "Thank you."

She hugged the older woman tightly then.

"You saved us," said Sami unevenly.

"Indeed," said EJ as he hugged her as well, albeit a little gingerly because of his ribs, "If you hadn't have come into the cabin when you had then who knows what might have happened."

"It was meant to be," said Celeste simply as she accepted their gratitude graciously, "I was given my visions for a reason."

"You really did see Artie before anyone else didn't you?" asked Sami, shaking her head in amazement, "I wish we'd listen."

"If only I'd been shown who he was before it came to this," said Estelle sadly shaking her head, "Things could have been so different."

The four of them stood quietly for a moment, lost in their own thoughts before Sami took EJ's hand and smiled bravely at them all.

"What's done is done and all we can do is move forward through all of this," said Sami determinedly.

"Life is short," agreed EJ readily, "And the events of the last few days have just reinforced that and Samantha and I have been talking this morning about what we want to do with that life."

"Get matching tattoos?" asked John with a quirk of his lips, sensing the brimming excitement between the two.

"Not quite," said EJ with a little laugh and then he grimaced as his ribs complained at the action.

"Actually," said Sami, flicking a shy look up at EJ before continuing on, "We were wondering if you two had some free time to do us one last favour?"

"I think you might be hopeful in thinking this is the last favour we'd be asking of John and Celeste darling," said EJ wryly, "Seeing as they are most likely the only people in Salem who will be talking to us ever again."

"Your mom will come round Sami," said John reassuringly.

"Really?" asked Sami hopefully.

"It's about fifty fifty," said John honestly, "Could be worse. Besides, grandchildren are the great equaliser, trust me."

"Well I'm not sure that what we want to do next will make Marlena feel better or worse but Samantha and I don't want to wait a minute longer," said EJ with a half smile.

"To do what dahling?" asked Estelle curiously.

"To get married," announced Sami, her face splitting into an incredible smile.

"When?" asked John in surprise.

"Here, now," said EJ determinedly, "We've already spoken to the hospital chaplain and he can marry us at ten this morning."

"That's fast," John commented with an arched eyebrow, "You don't have to do it so quickly."

"It's long overdue John," EJ argued back firmly, "I want Samantha to be my wife and I don't want any more delays."

"And I want EJ to be my husband," said Sami with a grin, "And for me to be married to the father of these babies when they put in appearance."

"Babies?" repeated Estelle in surprise.

"Yes EJ and I are having twins," said Sami with a grin, looking very pleased by that fact and EJ looked like he was fit to burst with pride.

"It is so good hearing that said aloud," EJ sighed happily, "I don't think I shall ever tire of it."

"Well you've got another four months of it and then they'll be putting in an appearance," said Sami with a chuckle.

"I can't wait," said EJ with a huge smile, "Just like I can't wait to put that ring on your finger again Samantha and have it legally signed off on."

"So we just need some witnesses," said Sami, looking at John and Celeste pleadingly, "Will you do it?"

"I want to give you away," said John and was rewarded with the way Sami's face lit up.

"Oh John I'd love that!" she exclaimed happily.

"And I'll be your witness Samantha," said Celeste with a soft smile, "It would be my honour."

"So it's all set then?" Sami beamed, "EJ and I are going to get married today?"

"Sounds like a plan," John nodded, loving seeing the way Sami was just overflowing with happiness in that moment.

Both she and EJ had a long and troubled road ahead of them, no one was pretending any different but if John could make Sami happy now then that was all that mattered. Marlena wasn't going to be happy with him but that was a problem for another day.


	146. Chapter 293

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED AND NINETY THREE**** - ****I Do**

To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. And number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special.

_Jim Valvano_

_(American basketball coach, Coach of North Carolina State U., 1980-1990)_

EJ glanced down at his watch and grinned over at Sami as they strolled around the hospital gardens holding hands and just wiling away the minutes until it was ten o'clock.

"Half an hour," EJ announced triumphantly, "Half an hour until we're finally married in the eyes of the law."

"You're like Big Ben counting down every ten minute increment," Sami giggled.

"I'm just very excited," said EJ, his grin getting even bigger.

Just then one of the twins gave an almighty kick.

"Oh," said Sami, putting her hand to her belly.

"Are you alright?" asked EJ instantly concerned.

"Yes," said Sami with a rueful laugh, "I think one of your children shares your excitement – and your long legs."

"Kicking?" asked EJ excitedly reaching out and touching Sami's stomach.

"Aha," Sami nodded with a smile.

"So you heard that did you my darlings?" asked EJ, bending down so his face was on level with her stomach, hand resting on the gentle mound, "In half an hour your mother is going to make an honest woman out of me."

"Like such a thing would be possible," Sami scoffed teasingly as EJ looked up at her eyes twinkling, "You're my bad boy and I love it."

"I want to do such bad things to you my soon to be wife," said EJ throatily but he grimaced a little as he straightened up, his hand going to his ribs.

"And I want that too but no can do mister until that rib heals," said Sami with a half smile, "You have to take it easy."

"I'd rather be taking you," said EJ cheekily.

"And you will," said Sami huskily, "But just not today."

"But it's my wedding day," EJ pouted.

"EJ you're in no condition to be exercising your husbandly rights," Sami admonished him although damn she wished that he was.

"I think we should discuss it," said EJ firmly, not giving up.

"We just did," said Sami sweetly, "As your wife I'm looking after you."

"Well that sucks," said EJ with another pout before giving Sami a sly sideways look, "At least it could if you let me."

Sami tried not to smile and look disapproving instead but it was very hard.

"I'm doing this for you EJ," she said with a half smile.

"I preferred it when you were doing things to me," said EJ mournfully, looking suitably pathetic.

"Estelle!" Sami exclaimed, looking past EJ and seeing the woman walking towards them, her arms full.

EJ turned and looked at her in surprise even as a big smile came to his face.

"Hello darling," he said jovially, "I thought you were out of town until tomorrow?"

"I heard on the news all the going ons," said Estelle, looking at them disapprovingly.

"We didn't want to disturb you with your family," said Sami as they both took turns kissing her hello.

"Believe me it would have been a welcome reprieve," said Estelle with a roll of her eyes, "My uncle has this hobby of hollowing out root vegetables to play them like a recorder. After the third verse of 'My Heart Will Go On' on a squash I was ready to start taking prisoners."

"But what are you doing here Estelle?" asked Sami with a little laugh.

"John rang me," said Estelle with a smile, "Told me what you crazy kids were up to and I knew I had to be a part of it."

"Oh Estelle we'd love you to be at our wedding," said Sami excitedly, "Wouldn't we EJ?"

"But of course," said EJ with a big grin, "I'm thrilled."

"Good because you need a best man and everyone knows that the best man for the job is a woman so I'm it," announced Estelle with a grin.

"Wonderful," said EJ happily, "My last best man was a seagull so this is a definite improvement."

"Glad I outrank a beach scavenger," said Estelle wryly, "And besides I come bearing gifts."

Estelle had a coat bag and hanger slung over her shoulder which she then handed to EJ.

"You can't get married looking like that," she said firmly, "Here, a tux for you."

"How-"

"I have a key to your place remember," said Estelle with a smile.

"Of course," said EJ with a grin, taking the offered item happily, "Thank you Estelle."

"Now I didn't have a key to your apartment Sami so I went shopping instead with EJ's credit card," announced Estelle happily, handing her the box she was carrying.

"Oh!" Sami gasped in delight at Estelle's thoughtfulness and peeked in the box before squealing excitedly, "It looks gorgeous but-"

"You don't have shoes to match?" Estelle interrupted her with a quirk of her lips, "Don't worry, Aunty Estelle thinks of everything."

Estelle handed her the carry bag with another box that she'd been holding onto.

"Shoes!" Sami exclaimed excitedly, jumping up and down on the spot.

"You've found the way to my lady's heart Estelle," said EJ in amusement at watching the display, "But how did you know the right sizes for all of this?"

"I'm good with woman's shapes," said Estelle straight faced.

She handed EJ the hanger with coat bag attached.

"Off to the little boy's room with you young man and get suitably attired," she commanded him imperiously, "The bride and I have women's business to attend to."

"I guess we can trust Big Ben over here can take care of himself," said Sami with a quirk of her lips at Estelle's high handedness.

"Okay enough with the potty mouth sex names," declared Estelle with a roll of her eyes, "There will be plenty of time for Big Ben to put in appearance later."

EJ and Sami looked at each other and laughed at that but Estelle was already hustling them along.

**oooOOOOooo**

"I can't believe you managed to get EJ's clothes and buy me this in such a short amount of time," said Sami in amazement as she admired her reflection in the mirror.

The dress was very simple, a scalloped neckline that the incredibly soft satin material collected around before dropping down to Sami's ankles. The colour was a warm cream colour and seemed to make Sami's skin glow, even in the harsh lights of the hospital women's bathroom. The dress was nipped in slightly at the waist and clung to Sami's burgeoning stomach and she knew EJ would love seeing that. She bit her bottom lip and just prayed they'd get through the ceremony before EJ ravished her. Sami knew what an aphrodisiac her pregnancy bump was for her husband to be.

"What's that naughty smile about?" asked Estelle teasingly, catching Sami's eye in the mirror as she did her hair for her.

"I was just thinking that EJ is really going to like the dress you chose for me," said Sami with a impish smile, "It's gorgeous Estelle – thank you."

"Well give me half an hour and someone else's credit card and I'm a regular dervish," said Estelle with a little laugh, "I knew I didn't have long when John rang me so I just went with my instincts."

"And your instincts are perfect," said Sami with a happy sigh, stroking the soft material once again.

"So how are you two?" asked Estelle, meeting her eye again in the mirror, "A lot has happened in the last couple of days. I leave town and it all goes to hell in a hand basket."

"I know," said Sami with a grimace, "It's been awful but it's over now and that is the best thing that can be said about it – that and the fact that we don't have to be in fear of our lives anymore."

"And where is Will today?" asked Estelle calmly.

"He's staying in hospital one more day," said Sami with a little bit of a sigh, "I was with him before this and I'll go back after the ceremony."

"And how is he doing?" asked Estelle solicitously.

"It's hard to tell," said Sami sadly, "He's very quiet. There is just so much for him to have to deal with about Lucas and Kate and of course EJ and I."

"Kids are amazingly resilient," Estelle comforted her, "He'll get through this."

"Well EJ and I are committed to helping him with that," said Sami, moving a little nervously at the thought.

"You worried about EJ and Will?" asked Estelle astutely.

"Yes," Sami admitted with a pained expression, "Will isn't going to be easy to win over."

"Right," Estelle nodded knowingly, "And it's not like EJ has any idea how to win over a wilful, stubborn and impossible person now is it?"

Sami had to give a little smile at Estelle's gentle teasing of her.

"I guess my man knows how to fight to the death for someone," agreed Sami with a little laugh.

"He sure does," said Estelle knowingly, "Don't worry Sami – EJ has your back on this one and he's not going anywhere until Will is where he needs to be."

"You've been such a good friend to us Estelle," said Sami, turning around and emotionally taking Estelle's hand.

"It's been a hell of a ride of me too," said Estelle with a lop sided smile, "It's been fun but what is even better is seeing you and my little Poodle together at last."

"I can't believe EJ lets you call him Poodle," said Sami with a little giggle.

"He has no choice in the matter," Estelle sniffed, "And besides, he secretly loves it."

"I'm sure," said Sami with another giggle.

A gentle knock on the door had Sami walking over to it and opening it. She smiled up at John who looked her up and down.

"You look gorgeous honey," said John with a soft smile.

"That's down to my stylist," said Sami, smiling over at Estelle.

Sami's hair was loosely drawn up at the sides but falling down her back in soft curls. Estelle had done a good job with it and Sami felt very beautiful and very feminine.

"It really isn't Sami," said Estelle with an indulgent shake of her head, "You're absolutely radiant."

"That's because I'm finally marrying the man of my dreams," said Sami, feeling herself get suddenly emotional.

"Don't start crying or I'll be next," said Estelle, waving her hand at her, "Your mascara is waterproof, mine isn't."

"Okay," agreed Sami around an almost watery smile.

"Are you ready Sami?" asked John with a warm look, "It's nearly time."

"How's EJ?" asked Sami, her heart beginning to skip along nervously.

"Like a cat on a hot tin roof," said John with feigned annoyance, "I've left him with Celeste so she can try and calm him down. I had to stop him three times from coming and getting you himself."

"Looks like I'd better do my best woman duties and settle the big fella down," said Estelle with a grin, "See you at the altar honey."

"Thank you Estelle," said Sami with a soft smile as the other woman gave her a cheeky wink and headed off.

"So how are you?" asked John, looking at her with kind indulgence.

"Nervous, excited, nervous, ecstatic, nervous," said Sami with a rueful smile.

"Why are you nervous Sami?" asked John, arching an eyebrow at her.

"I think weddings bring that out in me," said Sami, wrinkling her nose, "Especially mine with my history."

"You've come a long way since those days," said John softly, "You're a different woman."

"I really am," said Sami, letting the truth of that sink in, "EJ has changed me in ways I could never imagine all because he didn't try and change me. It's crazy when you think about it."

"It's the way it should be," John corrected her gently, "I'm very glad that you've found the one for you honey. All I ever wanted for you to be was happy."

"And now I am at long last," said Sami, her eyes pricking with tears as her happiness threatened to overwhelm her.

"So shall we go?" asked John with a smile.

"Actually John do you mind just waiting a moment longer?" asked Sami a little hesitantly, "There is something I need to do."

"Of course," said John with a nod.

"I'll be right back," Sami promised him before hurrying down the hospital corridor to the door at the end of it that led to the hospital gardens.

Sami walked out of the door and made her way a short distance down the path until she could take herself a little ways into the lush trees and shrubs. Once there she found a large rock and sat down on it, looking around herself at the beauty of nature. She'd just felt suddenly compelled to do this and Sami wanted more than anything to start her marriage the right way. Looking up to the heavens Sami began to speak.

"Hello God it's me, Sami Brady," she said huskily, "I know You're used to me doing this when I need something from You but for once I just wanted to thank You."

Sami drew in a deep breath as emotion flooded her.

"I don't know why You've given me EJ because I know I don't deserve him," she said unevenly, "But I'm so grateful that You did. I've made such a mess of my life up until now, I guess both of us have. And we've both hurt people, people who didn't deserve to be hurt and I feel so much remorse about that now."

Sami sighed heavily at that confession knowing it wouldn't exactly be news to God but glad she could be honest enough with herself now to say it aloud.

"I just want to be the best wife and mother, the best person I can be," Sami continued on earnestly, "I know this is my second chance and I'm going to take it with both hands. Thank you for looking after Will, thank you for not taking him from me because I don't think I could have survived that. I know I've done wrong by him but please give me the strength to do what is best for him now God. Will is such a great kid and I'm so blessed to have him – don't let me screw this up again with him – I love him too much."

Sami put her hand on her stomach now.

"And with these two as well," said Sami adding to her heartfelt prayers, "Help EJ and I be good parents to all three of our children. I know we've both been very selfish people before now but neither one of us wants to go on that way."

Sami paused then to clear her throat and get her emotions back under control.

"I guess I just wanted to say thank You God," she said quietly, "For giving me what I need rather than what I deserve."

Sami was about to stand up when she had this sudden feeling of being watched. She looked sharply to her right and stared intently into the bushes.

"Hello?" she called out tentatively.

There was no reply and after scanning the area closely for a little bit longer and seeing nothing Sami could only conclude that her imagination was playing tricks on her. She stood up and dusted her dress off, conscious of the time.

"Thanks for listening," Sami said with a smile before walking out of the bushes and back onto the garden path and making her way to the hospital chapel full of nervous excitement.

Not long after Sami had left another person emerged from the bushes and watched her disappear inside the hospital, an inscrutable expression on their face.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Stop fidgeting," Estelle instructed him firmly.

"I'm not fidgeting," said EJ distractedly as he fidgeted with his cuff link.

They were standing at the altar of the hospital chapel, the priest behind them.

"Well stop doing that thing that looks remarkably like fidgeting then," said Estelle with a roll of her eyes, "You're making me nervous."

"Where is she?" asked EJ, looking at his watch for what felt like and most likely was the hundredth time.

"It is custom to be fashionably late dahling," said Celeste comfortingly, "Don't worry Elvis, Samantha will be here."

"What if something happened?" EJ fretted.

"I left her with John," said Estelle with another roll of her eyes, "What could happen?"

"Anything, everything," said EJ dramatically.

"I'm sure your young lady is just taking a moment to compose herself my son," said the priest kindly, "There is nothing to worry about."

"You don't know us Father," said EJ, finding himself getting worked up, "Things happen to us all the time."

"Well nothing is going to happen to you now except that I'm going to slap you if you don't calm down," said Estelle firmly.

"I've waited my entire life for this moment," said EJ, his eyes fixed on the door as he waited anxiously for Sami to appear.

"Well another minute isn't going to kill you then will it?" reasoned Estelle practically.

"What if Samantha has changed her mind?" asked EJ, suddenly terrified.

EJ didn't know why he was being like this. He never doubted Sami's love for him for a minute but maybe the thought of being legally married to him was just too much for her right now. So much had happened and EJ had to wonder if he was pushing Sami too hard.

"Why would Sami change her mind?" asked Estelle in amazement, "This is all you two have ever wanted."

"It's too soon," EJ announced with a grimace, "After everything that has happened I should have given her more time to deal with everything before forcing her into a marriage."

"Oh my god," said Estelle with a roll of her eyes, "Listen up drama queen – you didn't force Sami into anything. She's a woman who knows her own mind and she wants you. She wants to be married to you and she'll be here – just calm down and stop being an idiot."

Estelle patted his arm comfortingly before going on.

"Besides you've knocked her up," she added on blithely, "That's got to help."

"It was an expression of our deep and abiding love Father," said EJ quickly to the priest, trying to make that sound less graphic, "And both Samantha and I want to be wonderful and loving parents to these babies and bring them up in a home filled with love."

"It's alright my son," said the priest with some amusement, "You're not the first couple I've married in such a situation and I doubt very much you'll be the last. All I need to know is that you love one another and want to spend the rest of your lives together within the commitment of marriage."

"Oh we do," said EJ hurriedly, "We absolutely do."

"Have you started without us?"

EJ turned at the sound of John's laconic question to see the older man and Sami standing at the other end of aisle. At least EJ assumed John was there because all he could was Sami, standing there looking absolutely breathtakingly radiant. EJ felt his knees go a little weak as he stared at Sami, his palms suddenly sweaty. The vision smiled at him then, a smile full of love and anticipation and EJ had to force himself to remember how to breathe.

"Show time Poodle," said Estelle in a quiet aside to him, "Make me proud."

EJ nodded mutely, unable to take his eyes off Sami as she and John slowly walked up the aisle together. He nervously touched his bow tie, conscious of the great beauty gliding towards him. At last Sami was standing in front of him before turning to John and giving him a soft kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you," she said emotionally.

"Be happy Sami," said John, patting her hand before giving EJ a firm look, "Make her happy."

EJ nodded mutely, words a little beyond him as he reached out and Sami took his hand so that she was now standing beside him.

"You look beautiful," said Sami with a soft smile.

"So do you," said EJ, his voice cracking embarrassingly which only made her smile widen.

"Shall we begin?" asked the priest, smiling at them both.

"Yes please," said Sami with a big smile.

EJ barely heard the words of the priest as he spoke, talking about marriage being the ultimate symbol of hope between two people. He was just captivated by the woman by his side and couldn't tear his eyes from her. They were almost up to exchanging vows and the rings when Sami interrupted.

"Can I say something Father?" she asked with a shy little smile up at the priest.

"Of course my dear," he said with a chuckle, "It's your wedding."

"Thank you," said Sami before looking back at EJ who was looking at her quizzically.

They hadn't said anything about doing their own vows as on the island they'd said what was truly in their hearts but EJ wanted to know what Sami was thinking right then. Sami took a deep breath before speaking, reaching out for EJ's hands.

"People might say that I've been here before," said Sami softly, looking up at EJ with a face glowing with love, "But they'd be wrong. I've never been here before – being so completely and utterly loved for exactly who I am, no pretence, no expectations. I've never known love like I do with you EJ. I've never known what commitment was, both giving and receiving it until there was you."

EJ felt the tears well up in his eyes but he valiantly blinked them away as Sami continued on.

"You have me, body and soul and when I look to the future all I can see is you and I and the family our love is going to create," said Sami expressively, "You're my miracle, my gift from God when I deserved less than nothing from Him and I can't wait to wear your ring and take your name. I love you EJ."

EJ had to swallow hard before he could find his voice to answer her. Just as she had done on Ara Caman Sami's words had overwhelmed him.

"Samantha," said EJ, his voice tight with all the emotion of the moment, "My true answer to you now is the life time I'm going to live out by your side, loving you and being the man you need me to be. But right now all I can say to you is that I know what a precious gift your love is and the amount of trust you are bestowing on me by giving me your heart."

EJ looked deeply into her eyes.

"I'm going to be worthy of that trust," he promised her quietly, "I swear to you."

Sami's smile lit up her face as the priest asked for the rings then. As EJ slipped the ring that Santo had intended on Sami's finger and said his I do's he had this intense feeling of a great wrong being finally righted. At last he and Samantha had been joined together properly and in a strange way it felt to EJ as though their promises to one another now had released Santo and Colleen's spirit as well.

"Can you feel them here?" Sami whispered up to him as she slid the ring on his finger, as though she'd read his mind.

"Yes," EJ whispered back and they shared a secret smile.

"By the powers vested in me I now pronounce you husband and wife," announced the priest with a suitable flourish, "Elvis, you may kiss your bride."

EJ assumed that everyone was still in the room as he bent down to kiss Sami; he just couldn't see anyone other than his new wife as their lips met in the first kiss of the rest of their lives.

At last.


	147. Chapter 294

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED AND NINETY FOUR**** - ****Family, New & Old**

Truth will always be truth, regardless of lack of understanding, disbelief or ignorance.

_W. Clement Stone_

_(American bestselling Author, 1902-2002)_

"Oh Will," said Carrie emotionally as she hurried over and hugged her nephew in his hospital bed, "Honey I'm so happy to see you."

"Hi Aunt Carrie," said Will quietly, returning her hug.

"Hey pal," said Austin, coming in behind Carrie and hugging him as well.

"We just got off the plane and came directly here," said Carrie, sitting on his bed.

She looked around herself.

"Where is your mom?" Carrie asked with a slight frown.

"She just left," said Will, looking down at his bed, "She's been with me all day but it's getting late so I said for her and EJ to go home."

"Her and EJ?" asked Austin hesitantly, sharing an uncertain look with Carrie.

"They got married today," said Will, his face giving nothing away.

"What?" Carrie gasped in utter disbelief, "Your dad has only been gone two days! Will honey you must be confused."

"I'm not confused," said Will emotionlessly, "They told me before they did it."

"But-but-" Carrie spluttered, unable to take in what that might mean.

Will took pity on his aunt and filled in some obvious blanks.

"Mom and EJ have been together for months," said Will coolly.

"Sami cheated on Lucas?" asked Carrie in shock.

"Yup," said Will, looking straight ahead, "Just like you did Aunt Carrie."

"It was complicated Will," said Austin quickly.

"I know," said Will flatly, "I hear that word a lot when it comes to my family."

"I'd hoped we'd moved past that Will," said Carrie anxiously, "You know your mom was the one-"

"I know what Mom did," interrupted Will sharply.

"And she's still at it I see," said Austin with a disappointed shake of his head, "I can't believe that she'd up and marry EJ when my brother isn't even in his grave yet. She's his widow, you'd think even Sami would show some respect."

"Mom and Dad were never married," said Will, vaguely hoping that the more he said the words, the more they might start making sense to him, "Dad and Grandma Kate set it all up to keep Mom with Dad. Mom only stayed with Dad because she thought he was dying – which he wasn't."

"I-I don't know what to say," said Carrie weakly, "I don't understand."

"Dad has been trying to kill EJ for months," said Will casually.

"What?" gasped Austin, his eyes going wide.

"I guess Uncle Philip hasn't been big on the details with you," said Will with a bit of a sigh, "You know he killed Grandma Kate right?"

"No, no," said Austin shakily, sitting down on the bed and shaking his head, "You don't know what you're saying Will."

"Unfortunately he does," said a voice behind them.

They all turned to see Philip walk into the room.

"What the hell is going on Philip?" asked Austin angrily, "You said Mom was in an accident."

"I didn't want to have to tell you the truth over the phone," said Philip with a grimace as he walked into the room, "I thought I'd have time once you were here. I didn't expect you to come directly to the hospital."

Philip looked over at Will and made an apologetic face.

"Sorry buddy," he said, "You didn't need to have to go through that on top of everything else."

"It's okay Uncle Philip," said Will with a bit of a shrug, "Saying it aloud helps make it feel more real."

"I still don't understand any of this," said Carrie unevenly, looking between Will and Philip, "Can someone please tell us what has been going on?"

Will sat quietly and listened as his Uncle Philip gave the whole convoluted story with the tragic and violent ending. He watched his aunt and uncle's face as they sat there, trying to take it all in and make some kind of sense of it all. Will wished them good luck with that.

"I can't believe Lucas killed Mom," said Austin faintly, his face distraught.

"I know," said Carrie, moving around to sit beside her husband and putting her arm around his shoulders in a comforting hug, "It's just too horrible to imagine."

Carrie then reached out and put a hand over Will's hand.

"And then for you to be there when your dad-" she paused and looked away, tears welling up.

It surprised Will to think that his aunt might still have feelings for her former husband but he supposed it made sense.

"He wasn't my dad in the end," said Will, swallowing a painful lump, "That thing inside of him-"

Will shook his head and fought hard to stop the quiver in his voice.

"It was so evil," he continued on hoarsely, "So sick."

"But that wasn't your dad Will," said Philip earnestly, "Just like you said."

"That's what Mom and EJ keep telling me," said Will and kept his thoughts about that to himself.

"I can't believe Sami and EJ are together," said Carrie, obviously overwhelmed.

"I knew it," said Austin in disgust, "From the moment he came to town that guy only had eyes for Sami. I wonder what his angle is?"

"Maybe he loves Sami?" suggested Carrie hesitantly, "Maybe there isn't an angle?"

"He's a DiMera Carrie," said Austin dismissively, "He came to town with an agenda and for some reason that involved Sami. Now he's got her I can't even imagine what he is going to do next."

"Austin," said Carrie sharply, jerking her head towards Will and frowning at him.

"Sorry Will," said Austin quickly, "Don't worry buddy – we'll look after your mom, you don't have to worry about EJ now."

"They're married Uncle Austin," pointed out Will.

"Whoa really?" asked Philip in surprise before shaking his head, "Man they don't waste any time do they?"

"I think Mom wanted to be married as soon as they could because of the babies," said Will, not sure why he was defending her but unable to help himself.

"Sami's pregnant?" asked Carrie, looking distressed now as she put a hand to her mouth.

Will immediately regretted being so forthright as he remembered that his aunt could not have any children.

"Sorry Aunt Carrie," he mumbled.

"It's not your fault Will," said Austin hurriedly as he hugged his wife to him and kissed the top of her head.

"Of course it isn't honey," said Carrie giving a brave smile, "So your mom is pregnant again and it's-?"

"EJ's," Will supplied with a nod, "Twins they told me."

"I didn't know that," said Philip with a grimace.

"What the hell has been going on in Salem since we left?" asked Austin of no one in particular as there seemed to be no end to the shocks for them today.

"Madness, matricide and manipulations," supplied Philip with a humourless smile, "Take your pick."

**oooOOOOooo**

"How did Will seem to you?" Sami asked as they waited for the elevator doors to open at their apartment floor.

"Overwhelmed," said EJ simply as they stepped out into the corridor, "And I can't blame the kid."

"Maybe I should have stayed with him," Sami fretted.

"I think Will needed a little space and you need to have some proper rest in a proper bed," EJ corrected her lovingly as he slipped an arm around her waist.

"I suppose," said Sami reluctantly but stopped then when she came to her apartment.

It was roped off with yellow police crime scene tape and had clearly seen a lot of traffic in the last couple of days. EJ hugged Sami closer to his side as he saw her distress at seeing that.

"We knew Roman and his men were going to be checking out where Lucas lived remember sweetheart," said EJ, pressing his lips to the top of Sami's head, "Looking for evidence of Artie's crimes."

"My home is a crime scene now," said Sami sadly.

"We're building a new home together," EJ reminded her gently, "You, me, Will and the babies."

"I know," Sami sighed, closing her eyes and snuggling in closer to him, her arms around his waist, "I can't wait."

"As soon as Will gets out of the hospital and the funerals are done with I'll speak to my father and make a clean break of it," said EJ determinedly.

He was making it sound easier than he knew it was going to be but EJ knew that separating himself from his father was something that he simply had to do, for the sake of Sami and for his sake as well.

"And then we'll go away," asked Sami emotionally, burying her face in his chest, "Just the three of us and leave all this ugliness behind."

"I promise darling," said EJ, hugging her tightly to his side, "It's nearly over, just a few more days."

EJ turned them then so that they were heading towards his apartment.

"And in the meantime we can stay at my place," EJ continued on reassuringly, "It won't be for long."

They paused at EJ's door as he went for his keys to open the door for them before moving to pick her up.

"What are you doing?" exclaimed Sami, moving away from him, "Don't you dare EJ!"

"It's tradition," protested EJ, "I have to carry my new bride over the threshold."

"And then your new bride will have to drive you directly back to hospital," said Sami in exasperation, "No heavy lifting with that broken rib of yours mister."

"Sweetheart you barely weigh more than a feather," EJ argued with her.

Sami gave a little smile at that.

"Well you get husband points for that comment but no lifting, I'll walk over the threshold for now, carrying is for another day," said Sami firmly.

"Is this how our marriage is going to be?" EJ grumbled, pretending to be annoyed, "You making all the decisions and telling me what to do?"

"Of course not honey," said Sami brightly as she walked into the apartment ahead of him, "Occasionally I'll pretend to let you think you're making a decision."

EJ's lips twitched as Sami threw him an impish look over her shoulder at him.

"Big of you I'm sure," said EJ wryly.

Sami turned around and faced him, closing her eyes and smiling softly.

"Tell me it wasn't a dream EJ," she said huskily, "Tell me we got married this morning."

"Oh we definitely were married this morning," said EJ moving to close the distance between them and taking Sami into his arms, "And I have the paperwork to prove it."

"That is one of the most romantic things you've ever said to me," declared Sami, leaning into him and grinning.

"I set a pretty high bar," agreed EJ with a quirk of his lips.

"Is it wrong to be this happy with everything that has happened?" asked Sami suddenly, bitting her bottom lip, "I just want to jump up and down and yell at the top of my voice about how happy I am but it doesn't seem right what with Kate and Lucas dying like they did."

EJ understood what Sami meant but he wasn't letting that glorious smile leave her face, not today. He cupped her face and looked down at her lovingly.

"If you ask me my darling all this death just makes it all the more important to be joyous when the moment calls for it and today being our wedding day definitely calls for more than a little joy," said EJ in no uncertain terms.

"I'm your wife," Sami sighed in ecstasy, "Sometimes I thought this day would never come."

"I never doubted it," said EJ firmly, "I would have put that ring on your finger no matter how long it took even if we were both in a nursing home sucking mashed peas through a straw together."

"Again soo romantic," Sami teased him with a giggle.

"Want romance eh little lady?" EJ teased her back and arched an eyebrow at her, "Why don't you take a nice long bath and I'll cook us up a delicious supper to enjoy in bed eh?"

"Don't you want me to perform my wifely duty and cook you our first dinner as husband and wife?" asked Sami coyly, fluttering her eye lashes at him.

"Darling if I had a choice of wifely duties for you to bestow on me first it wouldn't be making an omelette, trust me," said EJ wryly.

"More of a French toast man eh?" said Sami, tongue in cheek.

"Well something French would be involved to be sure," said EJ with a wicked look, loving the easy back and forth between them.

And the best thing for EJ was that at long last Sami didn't have to run off back to Lucas, she was totally his tonight and every other night of their lives. That thought made him almost giddy with happiness.

"Besides we've had enough brushes with death of late," continued on EJ blithely, "Why don't we leave the cooking to me for a bit eh sweetheart?"

"You know that brownie point you got about the weight thing?" asked Sami, giving him a dour look that she almost pulled off, "Well you just lost it with that crack."

"Easy come, easy go," EJ lamented with a dramatic sigh.

"You can make it up to me by making me the best omelette I've ever had in my life," Sami sniffed at him in feigned affront.

EJ watched as she turned on her heel and headed towards the bathroom, full hips swinging sexily and begging him to have his way with them. He fumbled for a clever retort but his brain wasn't interested in word play as both it and EJ enjoyed the vision of Sami's retreat.

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami gave a contented smile as she drained the last of her camomile tea EJ had made her before going for shower. True to his word after a luxurious bath Sami had walked into their bedroom to find EJ having set out a picnic supper for them on the bed. The omelette and fruit salad had been simply delicious and had indeed been the best omelette Sami had ever eaten. She rather suspected that was the company more than anything else though that made everything taste so sweet. Sami placed her now empty cup on the bedside table before quickly slipping out of bed and hurrying over to her bag.

She gave a wicked little smile as she drew out one last item of clothing that Estelle had indulged in on her behalf. Sami changed out of the over sized t-shirt of EJ's she was wearing and into the skimpy bra and panties just as she heard the water stop running in the bathroom. Sami quickly climbed back on the bed, kneeling on it in a suggestive little pose so that she'd been the first thing that EJ would see when he emerged. Half a minute later a completely naked EJ except for a towel slung around his waist walked from the bathroom but quickly came to a dead stop. Sami smiled sweetly at him.

"Do you like it?" she asked him with an impish smile, "Estelle got it as a wedding gift for us."

Sami was forced to contain a little shudder as EJ's sultry gaze raked her body, not missing one inch of what was on display for him.

"Estelle is my new most favourite person in the world," said EJ, sounding a little strangled now.

"Really?" asked Sami with a little pout, "Not me?"

"I don't have a ranking for you Samantha," said EJ distractedly, having a hard time it seemed taking his eyes off her.

Sami loved the way EJ was looking at her and desperately wished that he wasn't sporting a broken rib right then.

"You're a part of me," concluded EJ, finally managing to drag his eyes up to meet Sami's gaze, "A part of me that looks sexier than hell in that outfit."

EJ began to walk determinedly towards her, a hungry glint in his eyes but Sami held up a hand to stop him.

"Ah ah," she said with a shake of her business, "No funny business remember EJ – your rib."

"I thought you'd relented," said EJ stopping and looking at her in confusion and waved his hand up and down her length, "Hence that the very fetching, come hither garment."

"This was just to show I cared to put in an effort for our wedding night," said Sami with a grin, fully aware of what she was doing to him, "We can cuddle but that's it."

"So," said EJ slowly, putting his hands on his hips and giving her a speculative look, "You've gotten almost dressed in lingerie that is begging me to rip it from your perfect body just so we can hold hands – am I understanding that correctly sweetheart?"

"That's about right," said Sami sweetly.

"Is there a particular reason that you are trying to kill me Samantha?" asked EJ straight faced, "Have I forgotten a birthday or anniversary, offend you in some way perhaps?"

"I just thought you'd appreciate me making an effort EJ," Sami giggled, delighting in torturing him, "But we both know you're not up to any funny business right now."

EJ let the towel that was around his waist drop to the ground in a move that was very reminiscent of the first time they meant. This time though Sami didn't shyly look away whilst trying to sneak a peek. This time she openly admired what was on offer.

"Does this look like I'm not up to anything?" asked EJ with a challenging eyebrow arch.

"Oh," said Sami, her eyes widening at seeing just how 'up' EJ was rapidly becoming, "EJ I was just teasing, I really don't think we should."

"Oh we should Mrs DiMera," said EJ, determinedly walking towards her, "I really, absolutely think we should."

"EJ," said Sami with a warning shake of her head even as her stomach turned in nervous excitement, "Be sensible, we can't have sex."

"It's my wedding night," EJ growled at her hungrily, "This is no time to be sensible."

"Ohh," Sami breathed unevenly...


	148. Chapter 295

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED AND NINETY FIVE**** - ****The Newlywed Game**

Sex is emotion in motion.

_Mae West_

Sami bit her bottom lip and threw back her head as the sensations in her body steadily built towards a crescendo. She'd been an idiot to think she could have resisted EJ's advances and at EJ's first touch of her body she'd crumbled under her need for him. It wasn't just the physical pleasure that was so intoxicating to Sami when she and EJ made love but the fact that when they were joined like this they were as close as two human beings could be, a physical expression of what was permanently going on within their souls.

"Samantha!" EJ cried out raggedly, his handsome face screwing up as he arched his back to increase the pressure of his penetrations.

EJ was on his back and Sami was sitting astride him, moving up and down on his rigid member with ever increasing fierceness. She was doing all the work as this position didn't hurt EJ's broken rib and Sami didn't mind in the least. Each time she raised herself up an intense bolt of anticipation ran through Sami before she let herself fall back down on his hardness, loving the feeling of EJ filling her so completely time and time again. She could feel that EJ was getting closer, his hands that were on her thighs gripping her more tightly as he urged her to go harder, faster. Sami obliged, riding EJ as hard as she dared, mindful of his rib and feeling her own body prepare for its release.

"Oh God," EJ whimpered as she dropped her hot centre down on him particularly hard one time and for a brief moment Sami feared her enthusiasm had hurt EJ.

Every muscle in EJ's beautiful body was suddenly in sharp relief all as he clutched at her thighs blindly, a strangled groan coming to his lips and Sami knew he was anything but in pain. Sami so wanted to watch her husband orgasmic release, mesmerised by his beauty but as soon as she felt his maleness burst inside of her she was done as well. Sami lurched forward, her hands going to either side of EJ's shoulder as she moaned mindlessly. Her most feminine parts pulsated and throbbed in exquisite pleasure as EJ's body took her to that divine edge and over.

Sami tried not to ride EJ too hard during those last orgasmic minutes but her body had taken over completely as her hips rocked back and forth on EJ's still pumping rod. Her face was just above EJ's and she could feel his hot breath blasting her face with every strangled grunting groan he was making as her body continued to milk more pleasure from his. Sami almost thought she was done when EJ slipped a hand between their bodies and found her hard nub, working it mercilessly and causing a fresh volley of orgasmic muscle spasms for her. She made a little whimpering gasp as her body once again jerked back and forth on his uncontrollably, pleasuring them both. At last Sami's body had nothing more to give them and she somehow managed to straighten up, muscles still shaking wildly. Sami went to move off EJ, still conscious of his injury but EJ stalled her with a frantic shake of his head.

"Not yet," he pleaded with her raggedly, "Don't leave me yet."

Sami gave a content sigh and relaxed down on him, content to just stay where she was as well – their bodies joined as one.

"God but I love how we don't have sex," EJ growled, looking up at her with teasing, satisfied eyes.

"You're lucky that I'm too buzzed right now to hurt you like you deserve for that crack," Sami panted with an attempt at an annoyed look that was too contented by far to actually have any impact.

"Love you," said EJ with a boyish smile even as he was still trying to catch his breath.

"And don't you forget," said Sami, arching a challenging eyebrow at him even as a smile danced around her lips.

**oooOOOOooo**

Austin walked up behind Carrie as she stood at their hotel window and looked out at the street below. He wrapped his arms around his wife and she leant back into them willingly.

"Alright?" he asked against her cheek.

"I'm the one who should be asking you that," she said a little unevenly, "You've just lost your Mom and brother Austin."

"It still doesn't feel real," said Austin quietly, "I guess maybe it will sink in after the funeral."

Austin trailed off, not knowing what to say after that really. What was there to say?

"What are you thinking about?" he asked, needing something to distract him from the depressing reality.

"I was just thinking about Sami," said Carrie softly.

"And that she's pregnant?" Austin guessed astutely.

"It's so easy for her," said Carrie painfully, a sad tear slipping down her face, "She gets pregnant without even trying and I-"

"Don't do this to yourself honey," Austin pleaded with her, turning Carrie around so that she was facing him, "We've talked about this – we're just going to adopt when we both feel the time is right. There are a lot of kids in this world that would be so lucky to have you as their mom Carrie."

"I know," said Carrie with a brave smile and blinking away her tears, "But sometimes I can't help but feel it is all so unfair. Sami has done nothing so many bad things in the past and yet God still gives her babies so easily."

She looked up at Austin a little stricken.

"Do you think God made me unable to have children because I cheated?" she asked him in distress, "Do you think He is punishing me for what I did to you and Lucas?"

"No absolutely not," said Austin firmly, "God doesn't work like that Carrie and you know it. It's just the way it is but the important thing is that we still have each other and that we can still be parents."

"I'm being silly," said Carrie regretfully before shaking her head and moving out of his arms, "I just didn't expect Sami's being pregnant to impact on me like this."

Carrie wrapped her arms around her body and looked at him in concern.

"What do you think Sami has gotten herself into now with EJ?" she asked worriedly, "Now that she is pregnant EJ and Stefano will never let her go and I'm scared for her."

"I'm scared too," admitted Austin with a sigh, "But Sami always does this, throws herself at a man and won't be told."

"And what about Will?" Carrie fretted, "He's stuck in the middle of this horror story. Austin we can't leave him here in this nightmare. We have to take him back to Switzerland with us so he at least has a shot at a normal life."

"Of course we will honey," said Austin quickly, "We both love Will too much to let him have anything to do with the DiMera's. Sami's made her bed and she is just going to have to lie in it but that doesn't mean Will should have to once again suffer through his mother's mistakes."

"Do you think EJ will hurt Sami?" asked Carrie worriedly.

"Well if they run true to form they'll end up hurting each other," said Austin flatly.

Austin surprised himself with the bitterness in that statement as he realised that he wasn't as over many events of his and Sami's long history as he would like to believe. Sami just had this way of getting in over her head and destroying the lives of everyone within her vicinity when she did. Austin knew this situation with EJ was going to be no different because it never was with Sami. A part of him felt the urge to try and rescue Sami from herself but he ignored it.

He'd been there, done that so many times and the outcome was always the same – lies, manipulations and pain and Sami would end up being the same mess she always was. Austin had really believed that he'd be able to help fix her over the years but in the end Sami had always ended up being Sami. Moving away from Salem with Carrie was the best decision Austin had ever made he decided. No more crazy plans and plots to be the unsuspecting victim of and he was determined to save Will from a similar fate. He looked down at her, his face fixed determinedly.

"But not Will," he said firmly, "I'm not going to let that happen, not again."

Lucas wasn't there anymore and Austin was determined to take care of his brother's son in a way that Lucas would want. Maybe that was the only good that could come out of this whole mess – a new life, a new beginning for Will.

"Will is so lucky to have you," said Carrie, moving into his arms and hugging him tightly as she rested her head on his chest, "And so am I."

Austin hugged her back thinking he was the lucky one.

"We just have to make this right," said Austin, resting his cheek on the top of Carrie's head, "For Lucas and for Mom – Will needs us to do the right thing."

And that was exactly what he was going to do.

**oooOOOOooo**

"John I'm home!" called out Marlena as she walked into their shared apartment.

"Hey Doc," said John, standing up, albeit it slowly and walking over to greet his wife with a kiss.

"I can't believe you're home," said Marlena with a happy sigh before giving him a disapproving look, "You should still be in hospital."

"You know how I feel about those places," said John and then gave her a cheeky look, "Besides I've know exactly who I want to be giving me my sponge baths and it's not Nurse Bernice."

"Oh John," said Marlena with a little laugh as he kissed her again.

"How was your day?" he asked her after coming up for air.

"Long," Marlena lamented, "I was so sorry I had to go out of town today. I really wanted to be here for when you came home from the hospital."

"That's fine," said John easily, "You were a key note speaker at the conference. It would have been hard to replace you last minute."

"I just wanted to be here so we could enjoy being together," said Marlena emotionally, taking his hands, "With everything that is going on with Sami I just want one happy day with you."

John thought about what had happened that day and knew that he had to tell Marlena about EJ and Sami's wedding and his role in not only that but everything leading up to it before someone else did. He knew she wasn't going to be pleased about anything he had to say.

"Right," said John and pulled a bit of a face, "Actually Doc – today might not be that day after all."

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami and EJ lay in each other's arms, quietly enjoying each other's company and the freedom that they finally had to be together.

"I'm too happy to sleep," Sami declared huskily, looking over at EJ who rewarded her with one of his million dollar smiles.

The ones that began in his eyes and stole her breath away.

"Me too," he agreed with a nod.

"I don't want to waste this kind of happiness with being asleep," Sami said with a contented sigh.

"Shall we do something fun instead?" asked EJ with a big smile.

"EJ no," Sami groaned laughingly, "Once with your rib was way too risky; we just have to control ourselves for a couple of days."

"Not one of our fortes sweetheart," said EJ in amusement, "But that wasn't what I was going to say."

He moved so he was on his side more and slung a leg over Sami's as one hand went possessively to her breast and began massaging it, thumb rubbing against the instantly hard nipple roughly.

"But I love that you went there first," he growled into her ear, playfully nipping at the lobe.

"Alright if you're not talking sex then what was the fun you were thinking about?" asked Sami with a little laugh even as her breathing was suddenly strained at his demanding touches.

God but she was already soaking wet again, he just had that kind of power of her. Sami squeezed her legs together to try and distract herself from the ache between them and gave EJ all of her attention. A little hard when his hand was still absently massaging her breast.

"I was thinking about names," said EJ with a half smile, "For our little buns in the oven."

"Oh," said Sami happily and then gave him a sideways look before a far more tempered, "Oh."

"What does that mean?" asked EJ, pretending affront, "Oh?"

"It means that I'm still reeling from some of your other suggestions EJ," said Sami dryly, "Do we really want to ruin the moment?"

"There has been nothing wrong with my suggestions thus far," EJ huffed, looking put out.

"Really?" replied Sami wryly, "Boadicea?"

"She was Queen of the Brits," EJ protested, "A very fitting name for my princess."

"Boadicea?" repeated Sami unimpressed.

"She was a warrior queen, the greatest Britain has ever known," EJ argued back, "She kicked Rome's bottom."

"No crazy names EJ," said Sami firmly, "I'm a simple girl with simple tastes."

EJ made a suitably loud snort at that comment.

"When it comes to children's names," Sami qualified her answer with a half smile.

"Alright then," said EJ, looking mollified, "Well I was thinking about girl's names and how we wouldn't be here and so happy if it wasn't for some very important people in our lives."

"Okay," said Sami with a nod of her head.

"I was thinking that the name we chose could have significance when it comes to those people," continued on EJ.

"Like my middle name was for Eugene, someone important to my parents," said Sami with another nod, "I like that."

"Well I was thinking that without Estelle in many ways we would have had a much harder road to get where we are now," said EJ.

"She's been such a wonderful friend," agreed Sami readily with a smile.

"And that wedding gift alone means she deserves to have a country at least named after her," continued on EJ without missing a beat and making Sami laugh.

"Would you like to call our little girl Estelle EJ?" she asked in amusement, "I've always liked the name and it is way better than Boadicea!"

"Actually I was thinking of an abbreviation of her name," EJ said with a little shake of his head.

"Elle?" said Sami, rolling the name over her tongue and seeing how it felt.

It was a very pretty name and even though she didn't say it Sami liked the thought of EJ and his daughter having the same initials.

"Not quite," said EJ, watching her intently, "The other person I'd like to pay homage to is Edmund because without him I know I wouldn't be the man loving you today, the man you and Will need me to be."

"We're not calling our daughter Edmund!" exclaimed Sami in horror.

She loved the endearing, bow tie wearing man but there were limits.

"No," chuckled EJ, amused by her fearful look, "I was thinking about Edmund's all time favourite singer – Ella Fitzgerald. How does Ella DiMera sound to you?"

"Oh," said Sami in relief before letting the name sink in, "Ella."

A slow smile came to her lips at the beautiful sounding name as she beamed up at EJ.

"Is that a yes?" he asked her hesitantly, clearly quite enamoured of the name himself.

"Yes," said Sami with a big smile, "Ella is a perfect name for our daughter EJ – I love it!"

Sami loved EJ's sentimentality when it came to choosing the name of their daughter and wished all the nay sayers could see this EJ.

"Wonderful," EJ beamed, "One name down, only a middle and two boys name to go."

"Well it's taken us four and a half months to get here so we've got four and a half to get the other three," said Sami in amusement, "We might just make it."

"It's a big responsibility," EJ agreed, "They're going to be stuck with the names we chose for life."

"So speaks the voice of experience eh Elvis?" Sami teased him.

"There is nothing wrong with Elvis," EJ defended his moniker, "It's memorable."

"Not always for the right reasons though," Sami laughed.

"That pretty much sums me up doesn't it?" pondered EJ with a quirk of his lips.

"Not entirely," said Sami throatily, closing the gap between them and kissing him softly.

They touched their foreheads after breaking the kiss, looking at each other lovingly.

"Rose," Sami breathed.

"Sorry?" asked EJ with a raised eyebrow.

"Edmund loves his roses doesn't he?" Sami asked, pulling back a little and smiling at him, "How about Ella Rose for his first granddaughter – do you think he'd love that?"

A slow smile of delight spread over EJ's face at that.

"Almost as much as I do," said EJ huskily, a suspicious shine coming to his eyes.

"Then that's settled," said Sami, snuggling into him.

She put her hand on her stomach and addressed her first daughter.

"Did you hear that little one?" she asked of her stomach, "You have a name – Ella Rose DiMera – I hope you'll love it as much as we do."

EJ's much bigger hand covered hers as they shared the sweet, emotional moment.

"And don't worry my boy," EJ promised his son with a soft smile, "We'll find an equally special name for you, I promise."

They smiled at each other and Sami thought that she couldn't have asked for a better wedding present then this moment.

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ opened his eyes and was forced to blink in the morning light but the sight of the woman sleeping soundly beside him made him forget about the discomfort in his ribs. A soft, proud smile touched his lips at seeing Sami lying beside him, her back to him as she lay on her side. EJ played with the ring on his finger as he smiled down at Sami, loving that he never had to take the symbol of their love off ever again.

He reached out a hand and dragged a finger down her back along the indentation of her spine, taking the sheet with him. EJ edged a little closer even as his body reacted to the sight of the gentle sweep of his new wife's backside. It hurt a little bit but EJ rolled on his side, fitting his body along the length of Sami's and she stirred, giving a contented sigh at the addition of his warmth. EJ put his arm over Sami's waist and cupped her stomach. The pleasing roundness was growing every day and EJ felt himself stiffen excitedly at that thought.

His hand moved from Sami's stomach higher, cupping one increasingly full breast and squeezing it gently. Sami gave another little sigh, automatically pushing her backside back against EJ in an unconscious invitation. EJ's pulse was racing and his breathing uneven as he needed no further invitation. He slipped his hand between Sami's legs, confidently finding her core and thrusting two fingers into its warm confines. Immediately EJ was rewarded for his boldness with Sami's body pushing out fresh moisture for him. Even in her sleep Sami knew how to please him EJ thought with satisfaction. He gently pressed his fingers in and out for a few minutes, Sami instinctively meeting his little thrusts with small hip tilts.

"You're mine," EJ growled possessively in her ear, his eye caught by gleam of Sami's shiny new wedding ring and knowing that no one would ever have this body ever again except for him – just as it was for him.

Sami stirred a little more, giving a bit of a sigh and a gasp as she came awake to an attentive EJ.

"EJ," she moaned shakily and EJ could feel her body releasing more of its nectar for him when she realised what was happening.

"I want to not make love to you again," said EJ, his voice low and commanding in his ear.

He half expected Sami to protest on behalf of his rib again but whether she was still mostly asleep or too eager for him to finish what EJ had started she only moved one of her legs forward to grant him easier access. He quickly took what was being offered, removing his fingers and placing his swollen head at Sami's dripping opening. EJ paused, always loving this moment before he pushed his way into her tight core for the first time. Sami's breath hitched in anticipation, her eyes still half closed as EJ watched her face closely as he slowly delved into her depths. Her nose wrinkled prettily at that first subtle resistance of her body to his before EJ slid his length into her waiting heat.

"Thank god you make me so wet EJ DiMera," mumbled Sami as she snuggled back into him, accommodating his impressive size, "Otherwise we might have problems."

"Dear god woman the thing you say," EJ groaned, thrilled by her sleepy observation.

Sami gave a little laugh as she reached behind herself and cupped the back of EJ's head to pull him down into a drowsy kiss.

"It I'd known honesty was such a big turn on I would have resorted to it years ago," she mumbled against his lips with a sexy little smile.

"I always want us to be honest with one another Samantha," said EJ emotionally.

"In that case," said Sami in satisfaction, "I honestly want you to screw my brains out and make me come hard big boy."

"Yes dear," EJ purred into her throat before beginning to move fiercely inside of Sami, determined to give his new bride exactly what she asked for.


	149. Chapter 296

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED AND NINETY SIX**** - ****Ashes to Ashes**

Funerals are pretty compared to death.

_Tennessee Williams___

_(__American__ playwright. __1911__-__1983__)_

Sami sat in the pew of the church and blew out a long breath. The day of the funeral was finally here and it had been decided that Kate and Lucas would be buried on the same day. It had seemed fitting somehow despite the circumstances. Sami looked over to Will where he was standing talking to Carrie and Austin and pulled a little face. They had nodded at her politely when they came into the church but Sami had yet to actually speak to them.

There was a lot of judgement in their expressions but then there was nothing new to that for Sami. The mourners were continuing to gather but there seemed to be a little circle forming around Sami and where she sat as though no one wanted to get too close. She knew some of it would be people not knowing what to say and Sami couldn't blame them – it was awkward. The others she suspected knew exactly what they wanted to say but were avoiding making a scene. One person however didn't seem to be worried and Sami smiled as he took a seat beside her.

"Careful," Sami warned John dryly, "You'll get pariah germs all over you and the rest of the tribe won't accept you back."

"I'll take my chances," said John with a quirk of his lips, "How you holding up kiddo?"

"Manically ranging between being intensely sad that my son is burying his father today and brilliantly happy that EJ and I are finally free to be together and married at last," said Sami with a sigh.

She looked at John a little askew, knowing that he had told her mother about the wedding.

"I kind of expected to see my Mom," said Sami a little hesitantly, "But she's been conspicuously absent since EJ and I got married. You told her right?"

"I told her," agreed John calmly.

"How did she take it?" asked Sami with a grimace.

John had said that he should be the one to break the news to Sami's mother about the marriage, he thought it would be for the best.

"Your mother is processing," said John evenly.

Sami pulled a face at the carefully selected word.

"I hope EJ and I didn't get you into any trouble John," said Sami unhappily.

"I'm never really happy unless I'm trying to get out of hot water," said John casually.

"I guess Mom wasn't please huh?" said Sami with a sigh.

"She's worried about you," said John simply, "She doesn't trust EJ and is afraid you'll get badly hurt."

"I just want Mom to give EJ a chance like you did John," said Sami with a little frown, "I know he'll be able to convince her that he only wants what is best for me."

"It's just a lot for her to take in all at once," said John with a bit of a shrug.

"I suppose everyone is judging us for getting married so quickly," said Sami glumly.

It wasn't that she needed their approval the way she used to but Sami was so happy and so in love with EJ that she just wanted to share that with her family and for them to be happy for her. Unfortunately that particular miracle didn't look like it was going to happen anytime soon though.

"Sometimes living life doesn't always come at convenient times," said John, giving her a reassuring look, "You just have to go ahead and do what you think is right and deal with the fall out accordingly."

"When did you get so smart?" asked Sami with an affection look at her step father.

"Don't know," said John straight faced, "Kind of crept up on me."

Sami gave a little laugh at that, grateful as always for John's support. It was funny how things turned out, she could never have imagined she and John being this close again after all of this time but Sami was very grateful for it nonetheless.

"Where is EJ?" asked John, looking around the church.

"He went to get me some water," said Sami with a little smile at the mention of the other man's name.

"Working hard at being the perfect man eh?" asked John, smiling at her.

"EJ's not perfect and either am I which funnily enough makes us perfect for each other," said Sami with a laugh.

"It's funny how that works out," agreed John with a chuckle of his own.

"Oh," Sami said with a little groan, leaning her head on John's shoulder as he sat next to her, "I wish this was over with already."

"How's Will been?" asked John, resting his cheek on the top of Sami's head.

"He's quiet," said Sami sadly, "Just so withdrawn these days. I'm trying to give him a little space but still let him know that I'm here if he needs me."

"He will need you Sami," John predicted.

"Well when he does I'm going to be there," said Sami determinedly, "EJ and I both are."

"You've got some hard times ahead of you little girl," said John and Sami could hear in his voice that he wished that he could take that from her.

"You haven't called me that for a long time," Sami commented huskily.

"No matter how big and grown up you think you might be Sami you'll always be my little girl," John told her lovingly.

"I like the sound of that," said Sami softly as John pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

**oooOOOOooo**

Caroline started to walk up the path of the church but then took herself off to one side to find a quiet place to sit for a moment. It was such a sad day for her family. Even though there wasn't direct blood between the Brady's and the Roberts or Hortons their families had been intertwined for a long time. Caroline found a bench under a shady tree in the churches gardens and just took a moment to remember Kate and Lucas plus all of the other people she'd laid to rest over the years. It was hard not to think about Shawn at times like these and anyway Caroline wanted to think about her husband.

She still missed him terribly and even though it had been a couple of years now since he'd passed away Caroline still expected him to walk through those doors at the Brady pub nearly every day. Even though death was as much a part of life as everything else it was hard not to be surprised by the finality of it every day Caroline pondered. People always seemed so permanent when they were in your life and a simple word like death couldn't take that permanency from them.

A noise behind Caroline interrupted her musing and she turned in her seat, peering through the bushes that were behind her. There was another path up to church for people who had parked out the back, running alongside the side of the church and EJ was walking purposely up along it, a bottle of water in his hand. Caroline had heard of his and Sami's wedding and could only pray that it was done for the right reasons. Her granddaughter's announcement at the pub had been somewhat unexpected but Caroline had been watching EJ's face when Sami had told them all about their relationship and had seen surprise quickly followed by admiration.

EJ had looked at her so adoringly throughout Sami's little speech and Caroline had lived long enough to know what a man completely and utterly head over in heels in love looked like. She knew it hadn't been an act because everyone was looking at Sami but Caroline nonetheless had seen it. She'd always prayed that a man would look at her troubled granddaughter one day in such a way but had never expected it to be a DiMera. But then the longer she lived the more Caroline was discovering that life had many unexpected twists and turns and just because something isn't always obvious from the beginning doesn't mean it can't be something wonderful in the end.

"Elvis!"

Caroline watched from her little hidey hole as EJ stopped and turned around, greeting his father who was following behind him.

"Hello Father," he said with a little smile, "I'd expected you here sooner."

"There were some last minute details to attend to at the funeral home," said Stefano with a little shrug.

"How are you?" asked EJ, cocking his head and looking at him seriously.

"I'm burying my wife today, how should I be?" asked Stefano a little coolly.

"I don't know," said EJ with a bit of a grimace, "That's why I asked."

"Kate betrayed me," said Stefano, his face hardening, "She betrayed our family and hers. This was the only possible outcome of such treachery."

"I thought you might be sad," said EJ with a frown, "At least a little. I know you'd grown very fond of Kate Father."

"She was a pleasant diversion," said Stefano dismissively, "That was all."

Caroline could see EJ's face from where she was sitting and could see that the younger man wasn't entirely convinced of his father's indifference.

"Well it's a sad day anyway," said EJ quietly.

"Why is that my son?" Stefano demanded to know, "Today is a joyous day for the DiMera's. We are burying two of our enemies."

"Is it really that simple for you Father?" asked EJ with a scowl.

"Yes," said Stefano simply, "And it should be for you as well my son. Do not let your emotions get in the way of common sense eh? If you are not careful it will be your undoing."

"Well maybe sometimes it's alright to be undone," noted EJ, looking frustrated at his father now, "Not everything in life can be slated so easily into a victory or defeat column Father, not everything is a war."

"There you are wrong Elvis," Stefano said roundly, shaking his head at him, "Everything is a war and if you think otherwise then you have already lost."

"No," said EJ firmly, surprising Caroline by not backing down, "I refuse to accept that Father."

"No?" queried Stefano coolly, "What about your recent nuptials Elvis?"

"What about them?" asked EJ with a fierce frown and even from her vantage point Caroline could see him tense.

"You struck a blow in the Brady/DiMera war by claiming a Brady woman for your bride," chuckled Stefano, clearly enjoying that thought, "It almost makes up for my lack of invitation."

"It was a spur of the moment thing," said EJ stiffly before continuing on heatedly, "And marrying Samantha had nothing to do with your ridiculous vendetta Father but it had everything to do with loving her more than I thought humanly possible to love another person and wanting to be by her side for the rest of my days. We exchanged those vows and put these rings on our fingers because we are utterly committed to one another and I want only to be the kind of husband and father to our children that Samantha and they deserves."

"Children?" queried Stefano sharply, arching a curious eyebrow, "What is this talk of children Elvis? Do you have something you want to tell me?"

Caroline watched as EJ made an annoyed face at himself and to her surprise she realised EJ hadn't told his father about Sami's pregnancy yet and had to wonder why that would be.

"Samantha's pregnant," admitted EJ reluctantly, "And it's twins."

"But Elvis!" exclaimed Stefano, his face lighting up joyously, "This is wonderful news!"

Stefano dragged his son into a bear hug then which EJ returned with a half smile, clearly enjoying his father's enthusiasm on one level but Caroline could still see the reserve in the younger man's eyes.

"I am to be a grandfather!" crowed Stefano, "There could be no better news! And twins – is this not amazing news eh Elvis?"

"It's the single most amazing thing in my life after Samantha's love," agreed EJ, his face softening into absolute joy at the mention of his new wife's name.

"So my son is to become a father himself," beamed Stefano, "How proud you must feel eh?"

"Proud, terrified, overjoyed, ecstatic and in awe," confessed EJ with a lop sided smile, "To know that Samantha is carrying my children-"

EJ paused and seemed to be struggling.

"There are no words," EJ said in the end, his voice breaking a little, "I don't deserve this kind of happiness or blessings but I'm going to work every moment of my life from now on to try."

"But of course you are deserving," tutted Stefano, "You are my son. Does anyone else know?"

"Samantha has mentioned it to her family," said EJ, carefully neutral.

"They must be beside themselves," chuckled Stefano jovially, "A Brady impregnated with the DiMera seed – you have done well my son, this is all I could have hoped for and more."

"Samantha isn't a brood mare Father!" EJ snapped at him angrily, "Don't you ever refer to her that way again! These children are mine and Samantha's, made in love and not another weapon to use in this ridiculous and pointless war against the Brady's! Do you really think your father would have wanted this?"

"My father wanted revenge on the Brady's for what was taken from him by them," said Stefano coldly.

"No," said EJ, his lips twisting, "Santo wanted Colleen back and to build a life with her, that was what he really wanted! Samantha and I have a chance at living the life he and Colleen Brady were denied and I'm not going to let your twisted hatred take that from us. If you want to really honour your Santo Father then let this useless war die with him and allow for both the DiMera's and Brady's to be happy again."

Caroline watched on in shock at EJ's tirade. She'd never seen anyone stand up to Stefano DiMera in the way EJ was and even though she didn't know the story of this Santo and Colleen she could see it was something that ran deep in their family. Her heart had swelled with happiness at seeing the way EJ had fiercely defended Sami, not backing down for a moment. It was clear to Caroline that with Sami by his side and impending fatherhood bearing down on him the youngest DiMera was working out what kind of man he wanted to be and she had to say at this point, Caroline approved. Stefano however didn't look so impressed.

"You are overwrought," said Stefano calmly, "We will speak of this matter another time."

"Yes," said EJ, his face set grimly, "Yes we will Father."

Stefano gave a curt nod at his son before continuing on the path up to the church. He didn't see Caroline as he passed, eyes intently ahead as he was clearly unhappy about his conversation with his son. Caroline turned back and looked at EJ, watching as he ran a hand through his hair and seemed to be collecting himself before going back into the church. He followed down the same path that his father had just stalked down but at a slower pace and as he did EJ noticed Caroline sitting quietly on her bench.

"Oh hello," he said in surprise, throwing a quick glance over to where he and his father had been talking and quite rightly surmising that Caroline must have been privy to all that had passed between them.

"I just was taking in some fresh air," said Caroline with a calm smile.

"The gardens are beautiful this time of year," agreed EJ readily, returning her smile.

"I heard congratulations are in order," said Caroline softly.

"Depends on who you ask," said EJ ruefully, "But yes, they are."

"I would have been there you know," said Caroline, looking at EJ intently, "If I'd known."

"Samantha and I just wanted to be married," said EJ, giving her an apologetic look, "We didn't really think past that. I'm sorry Caroline, I suppose that was selfish of us."

"Young love is meant to be selfish sometimes," said Caroline with a half smile, "It's what makes it so wonderful."

"If it is any consolation I haven't told my mother yet and she's not going to be very pleased with me," said EJ ruefully, "And that is before I broach the subject with Granny Vi."

"How are Susan and Violet?" asked Caroline with an affectionate smile, "And dear Edmund as well of course."

"Very well although it has been an event filled year for them so far," said EJ with a little chuckle, "Granny had a fall and Mum and Edmond had a close encounter with a cow that didn't end so well. They're all on the mend now thank goodness."

"I think sometimes people forget that you have them in your life," Caroline commented thoughtfully, seeing the way EJ's face softened in real love as he talked about his family.

"I think sometimes it's easier for people to paint me as a villain, pure and simple and leave it at that," agreed EJ wryly, "I'm no saint but I'm not the anti-Christ either."

EJ held her gaze steadily.

"And I love your granddaughter Caroline," EJ said quietly but with such conviction that she had no choice but to believe him, "Body and soul she is all I'll ever want in this life."

Caroline gave a soft smile at that statement.

"I suppose we should go in," she said softly, letting the younger man see the acceptance of that statement on her face.

Caroline stood up from the bench, brushing down her skirt.

"May I?" asked EJ, offering her his arm.

Caroline smiled and nodded as she took it and they began to walk along the path to the church.

"I'm going to be a good husband to Samantha," EJ vowed to her as they walked up the couple of stairs to the church, "I give you my word Caroline, Samantha will want for nothing because she will always have all of me, every day for the rest of our lives."

Caroline looked up at EJ as they walked into the church and put her hand over his, conscious of all the eyes of the church on them. She didn't bother with them though as she accepted EJ's words.

"That's all I ever wanted for Sami," said Caroline simply, "For her to find happiness and acceptance."

"And I can give her both," EJ promised her.

Caroline smiled and nodded at that as EJ walked her the rest of the way down the aisle, blithely ignoring all the stares. He sat her down next to Roman, giving the other man a quick nod and her a last smile before heading back up the aisle to where Sami was sitting.

"Ma what were you doing with EJ DiMera?" asked Roman with a frown.

"Just chatting to my new grandson," said Caroline easily.

"Don't call him that Ma," said Roman, his frown deepening, "EJ DiMera will never be a part of our family."

"Well I hope that isn't true Roman," said Caroline simply, "Because if it is then we've lost Sami forever and I don't want that."

Roman gave a scowl at that assessment but could offer her no denials of the fact.

Sami smiled as EJ took his seat beside her.

"Your water milady," he said, presenting it to her.

"Thank you," said Sami, accepting it gratefully before looking at him curiously, "What were you and Gran talking about?"

"I'll tell you afterwards," said EJ, his smile saying that she was going to like it.

"Are you charming my family EJ?" asked Sami, looking up at him lovingly.

"I'm giving it a red hot go," EJ replied with a chuckle.

"My hero," Sami sighed, snuggling into him.

"That's the plan," EJ agreed, hugging her tightly to him.


	150. Chapter 297

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED AND NINETY SEVEN**** - ****A Word in Season**

There is a great difference between worry and concern.

A worried person sees a problem, and a concerned person solves a problem.

_Harold Stephens_

The funeral service had been surprisingly touching although Sami didn't know why it shouldn't have been. Philip, Austin and Billie had gotten up to speak about their mother and brother and it had been very moving, so much so Sami hadn't been able to hold back the tears. Whatever Kate and Lucas had done to her over the years Sami knew she'd given as good as she got a lot of the time and she really wished it hadn't ended like this. Although Sami did like to think of Lucas as being at peace now, no more voices in his head, no more struggling just to get by. She'd held Will's hand throughout the actual burying of the two coffins and watched sadly as he said his last goodbye to both his father and grandmother.

Her mother's heart broke to see her son have to go through such loss and know that there was nothing she could really do to ease the pain right then, it was just something he had to go through and find his way out the other end. The wake was at a local restaurant, a favourite of Lucas' and Stefano had certainly spared no expense with it all. The food was lavish and there was plenty of it and even though Sami had no particular appetite it seemed the other mourners didn't share her problem.

"How you holding up sweetheart?" asked EJ as he brought her yet another plate of food to try and tempt Sami to eat.

"I'm alright," she said with a little smile, "Just wanting today to be over with already."

"It's been a long day for you," EJ agreed readily, "Why don't you have something to eat."

"I'm not hungry EJ," Sami said with a shake of her head.

"You haven't eaten since breakfast and you and our babies need something more," EJ insisted stubbornly, "Just have a nibble of something, that is all I ask."

"You're kind of a nag did you know that?" asked Sami with a grimacing laugh.

"I prefer to think of it as sexy persistence," said EJ unapologetically with a cheeky look at her.

"I don't know about the sexy part," said Sami with another chuckle but looked down at the offered plate of food, "Didn't those little bits of toasted bread used to have cheese on them?"

Sami eyed the tastefully arranged crostini suspiciously which now only had avocado on it.

"It was Brie," said EJ dismissively, "You can't eat soft cheese with your pregnancy so I ate it for you."

"So I get partly offered toast is that it?" asked Sami with a roll of her eyes and then pointed to something else on the plate, "What about this one?"

"It had salmon on it," said EJ easily, "You can't eat raw fish so I ate it for you but the cucumber underneath it is very good as well, you can have that."

"At this rate you're going to be the one gaining all the weight during this pregnancy," Sami observed in amusement.

"I'm expecting you to put me through my paces later on tonight so I'll burn it all off," said EJ blithely.

He paused then and gave her a concerned look.

"Not that I'm expecting sex tonight of course sweetheart," he said hurriedly, "I know how hard today's been on you."

Sami found his sudden worried expression to be very endearing.

"It's alright EJ," she said with an indulgent look, "We both know you don't have to coerce me into anything in the bedroom and that I'm quite capable of saying no… it's just never come up before but theoretically I know I can."

EJ relaxed at her reassurance and then looked down at his tray.

"How about some fruit then?" he asked brightly, "That should tide you over until I can get you home and look after you properly."

"Try not to fondle it before I get to it and you're on," said Sami affectionately.

"One plate of unmolested fruits coming right up," said EJ, obviously happy that she was going to be eating something.

Sami watched as EJ made his way through the throng of people back to the buffet table, easy to keep a track of because he was head and shoulders above most of the other mourners. He was taking such good care of her and once again Sami was just struck with how fortunate she was to have EJ in her life.

Just then movement out of her corner of her eye caused Sami to look out the window to the restaurant gardens. She saw Austin walking around alone out there and on impulse went to seek him out. They had yet to really clear the air between them and to Sami it felt like today was the day to do something like that. She walked out of the restaurant and headed over to where Austin was standing by a koi pond, hands in his pockets.

"Hi," she said to him, a little uncertain of what kind of reception she was going to be getting.

Austin turned to look at her in surprise as Sami smiled at him.

"How are you?" Sami asked, conscious of how hard this must be for him.

"Sad," said Austin without hesitation and Sami grimaced sympathetically.

"I'm sorry about what happened to Lucas," she said quietly, "It was a horrible way for him to die, for both he and Kate to die."

"It's a lot to get your head around," said Austin, looking away abruptly and seeming to not know what to say next.

"I've wanted to talk to you," said Sami, looking up at him seriously, "I feel like there are things I need to say to you."

"Haven't we already said all there is to say Sami?" asked Austin tightly.

"I hope not," said Sami sincerely.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Where did she go?" asked EJ, looking around in the spot he'd last seen Sami in, "That's it, I'm getting that wife of mine a little bell to wear so I know where she is at all times."

EJ wasn't really worried though, knowing that Sami was safe here surrounded by family, however disapproving they might be right now. He put down the plate of fruit and noticed Will quietly leaving the room. They hadn't spoken much since he'd left the hospital despite all of them living at EJ's apartment now. EJ had followed Sami's leave and given the teenager some space but nonetheless he felt the need to check up on him right then. Burying your father was going to be a hard day for anyone, let alone a teenager. EJ followed Will out of the general area and into a hallway where he disappeared through a door. The restaurant was multipurpose and was often used for conferences and Mythic had used it to entertain some of their clients in the past so EJ knew where the door led. He walked into the same room, closing the door behind him.

"What are you doing here?" asked Will with a scowl which reminded EJ of his father.

"Checking up on you," said EJ simply, opting for the truth.

"Don't you mean spying on me?" asked Will in annoyance.

"If I meant spying on you then I would have said spying on you," said EJ calmly, not rising to the bait.

"You're just keeping an eye on me for Mom," Will grumbled.

"Actually I'm not entirely sure where your mother is right now," admitted EJ freely, "But she can't get far."

"Keeping her on a short lease are you EJ?" Will sneered.

"Actually I was thinking about her short little legs," said EJ, making a walking gesture with two of his fingers, "Can't get that far in a short period of time – she's like a Fairy Penguin except I won't let her eat raw fish at the moment."

Will turned away abruptly at that and EJ could have sworn that he almost smiled but couldn't be sure.

"I know where she is," announced Will who was now facing a window.

He pointed to the window and nodded at it and EJ walked over just in time to see Sami and Austin disappear into another area of the garden behind some tall shrubs.

"Aren't you worried?" Will challenged him, clearly itching for a fight.

EJ turned to look at the teenager calmly.

"About?" he asked evenly.

"About Mom and Uncle Austin," said Will quickly, "You know she's always loved him and they've both cheated before."

"Yes they have," said EJ unfazed, "And to answer your question no I'm not."

"My mom doesn't have a great track record with men," said Will, intent on causing trouble it seemed, "I bet you she's half way back in love with Uncle Austin now already because that is how she is. Mom always wants what she can't have."

"Actually William your mother always wanted what she believed she didn't deserve," said EJ quietly, "And unfortunately that kind of mind set always ends up in desperate measures being taken."

"Wh-what?" asked Will, looking at him in confusion.

Clearly this wasn't the kind of response Will had been hoping to provoke from EJ and was caught off guard.

"You're mother never really believed she was worth loving for just who she was so she always tried to change to please others around her," said EJ simply, "She knows better now and if you give her a chance I think you'll find she is a very different woman to the one you used to know."

"And that's because of you is it?" asked Will tightly, his eyes narrowing.

"Samantha and I have changed each other," said EJ evenly, "For the better. Our lives have purpose and make sense at long last."

EJ could see Will was getting upset but these were all things that he needed to face if they were to move forward as a family.

"My dad was just in the way wasn't he?" asked Will bitterly, starting to tear up now, "You knew mom would never love you while he was around, not really!"

"Will," EJ sighed, knowing this was difficult for him to have to deal with

"You killed my dad so you could make my mom love you by getting him out of the picture!" Will yelled at him through angry tears.

"Will this may be an unpleasant truth for you to hear but it is the truth nonetheless," said EJ quietly, "Your mother does love me, as much as I love her and that wasn't going to change regardless of your father."

Will shook his head, not willing to accept that yet.

"I didn't kill your father Will," said EJ honestly, "I saved you. You don't know this but when I was holding you both your dad came back and he told me to save you, only you. Lucas begged me to let him drop because all he cared about was you."

Will's face clouded over and EJ knew instantly what he was thinking.

"You're not the reason Lucas died Will," said EJ quietly, "I just couldn't hold you both, God knows I tried. In the end I had to make a choice and I chose you because it was the right thing to do. I saw your father at the end Will and in that moment I saw how happy he was that you were going to be alright – that was all that mattered for him."

"I-I tried to help him," said Will, his voice breaking a little as fresh tears came, "And I made things worse."

"Loving people doesn't always mean you do the smart thing," said EJ softly, knowing what it was to carry the burden of guilt around and wanting to take it from the young boy, "But the important thing is that you love. You shouldn't ever regret following your heart Will, it's a noble thing to have the courage of your convictions, however it ends up playing out. Most people don't have that kind of fearlessness in their soul but you and your mother do and that is what makes me love both of you so much."

"You love me?" Will challenged him and it was meant to be disdainful but there was a waver in his voice that told EJ how much he was struggling with all of this.

"Will," said EJ, letting the younger man know how utterly serious he was right then, "You can believe what you like but here is how I feel about you. You're Samantha's child and she loves you, you're a part of her and because of that you are a part of me. I know you had a father in Lucas and I wouldn't dream of replacing him because I know I can't but I would still like you to consider giving me a place in your life because you will always have one in mine."

"You're just saying all that to make my Mom happy," said Will painfully, "I know you don't mean it EJ – I'm just something that is in your way to having a perfect family with Mom and her new children."

"That is absolutely not true Will," said EJ fiercely, "You're an important part of our lives and your new brother and sister need you to be a part of their lives too. They need their big brother and I want you to have each other in your lives."

"Well what if I don't want to be a part of theirs?" Will challenged him emotionally.

"Will," said EJ unflinchingly, "I regret so much not knowing my brothers and sister growing up and don't want you to miss out because I know one day you'll be sorry too. I didn't let you go on that roof Will and I'm not going to let you go now so you can say what you want but that isn't going to change."

Will gasped at that but EJ didn't back away from his words as he stared resolutely back at the stunned teenager.


	151. Chapter 298

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED AND NINETY EIGHT**** - ****Mother Knows Best**

Each human life is like a new symphony heard for the first time.

It can't be understood or fully appreciated until after the final cadence.

_Anonymous_

"So what is so important Sami?" asked Austin as he turned around and faced her, "I need to get back to my wife."

Sami knew that Austin had chosen to refer to Carrie as his wife just to drive home a point and try and hurt her a little. After all the last time Austin had seen her the thought of he and her sister together was driving Sami crazy like it always had. Seeing them together now though didn't bother Sami at all now beyond feeling so sad at the thought of how much energy and time she'd wasted trying to keep those two apart.

"You know you never used to be mean," said Sami unhappily, "But I guess that is my fault."

Austin looked surprised by her admission and Sami couldn't blame him. Any admissions of responsibility had to be wrung out of the old Sami but she wasn't that person anymore. Sami didn't want to run from things that were hard like she used to, she wanted to face them and her past with Austin was as good a place as any to start.

"I really screwed up your life for a long time," said Sami quietly, "And I just wanted you to know how sorry I am Austin – for all the crazy schemes, all the lies and manipulations."

Austin just stared back at her looking uncertain.

"I absolutely thought you were the answer to all of my problems," Sami confessed before giving a self deprecating laugh, "I was such an idiot."

"Why are you saying this to me now?" asked Austin suspiciously.

"I suppose because I wanted to try and clear the air between us," said Sami with a little shrug of her shoulders.

Sami put her hand on her stomach and rubbed the growing roundness there lovingly.

"I feel like my life is just beginning at long last and I'm so happy," said Sami with a soft smile before becoming more serious, "But that doesn't mean I've forgotten all the hurt I've caused people. I can't take it back Austin, no matter how much I wish I could but I can tell you how sorry I am about all that I've done to you and Carrie both."

"Well that was a long time coming."

Sami turned at the sound of the voice behind her and gave a chagrined look at her sister.

"I know," said Sami quietly, "And I'm sorry for that as well Carrie. I was such mess back then but that is no excuse for the terrible way I behaved to so many people."

Sami watched as Carrie walked around to stand beside Austin and he put her arm around her.

"I'm very glad to think that you two are happy now," said Sami and looked at them intently, "You are happy aren't you?"

"Yes we are," answered Carrie quickly, "And nothing and no one is going to break us up again."

Sami could hear the clear warning in her sister's voice.

"It's alright Carrie," said Sami earnestly, "I really only want the two of you to be as happy as EJ and I are, that's all."

"You and EJ," said Carrie in exasperation, "Sami what new mess have you gotten yourself into now?"

"I'm not in a mess Carrie," said Sami, pushing down her annoyance and trying to see things from her point of view, "I'm anything but in fact. My life has finally fallen into place and I've never been happier."

"You can stand there and say that on the day we're burying Lucas?" asked Austin angrily, "After all that has happened?"

"Of course I'm not happy about how it ended for Lucas and yes, even Kate," said Sami tightly, "But you can't tell me you don't know what I mean. When you two got together this last time it was at the expense of other people and I know that made you sad but I bet you were happier than you'd ever been to be reunited at long last."

"That was different," said Austin stiffly, "Carrie and I were always meant to be."

"And so are EJ and I," said Sami simply.

"EJ is a DiMera and he is just playing you," said Carrie tightly, the worry obvious on his face, "You're being used in some bigger, sick game Sami. You have to get out while you still can."

"You have no idea what you are talking about Carrie so could you refrain from the wild accusations until you do please?"

EJ walked into the little clearing now, Will just behind him and was giving Carrie a censoring look.

"I know that DiMera's can't be trusted," said Carrie, her lips thinning angrily.

"Because of the past," said Sami frustration, "That's all you're going on Carrie, you haven't even given EJ a chance."

"Why should I give him a chance Sami?" Carrie snapped, "The DiMera's have done nothing but try and destroy our family in the past so why should this time be any different?"

"That's rather specious and dangerous logic for you to be wielding there Carrie," said EJ, looking at her in annoyance, "I mean if we were to apply that kind of thinking to you then one can only assume that it's only a matter of time before you cheat again – like you did with your last two marriages."

"Shut the hell up DiMera!" Austin growled at him angrily.

"Ah I see," said EJ with a twist of his lips, "Apparently turnaround isn't fair play in the Brady or Reed camp eh?"

"Look I don't want us to fight," said Sami in exasperation, "I just wanted to say how sorry I was for hurting you in the past and to thank you for taking such good care of Will when he needed it. I'll always be grateful that you two were there for my son."

"And we still are," said Carrie determinedly, "And that is why I think Will should come back to Switzerland with Austin and me sooner rather than later. We have a flight booked for the end of the week and already have a ticket for Will."

"Excuse me?" said Sami in disbelief.

"We think it is for the best," said Austin earnestly before looking over at Will who was standing there quietly, "That sounds good to you doesn't it champ?"

Will looked at EJ and Sami quickly before answering and Sami knew instantly that he was trying to hurt them.

"Yeah it does Uncle Austin," said Will with a nod, "I just want to get away from this place and all the crazy."

"Well it's not up to you, any of you," said Sami sharply, "I'm your mother Will and I get to make the decisions here, at least until you are eighteen."

"Oh so now you care about what happens to me?" asked Will bitterly, playing the sullen teenager for all he was worth.

"I have always cared about what happens to you Will," said Sami, not backing down, "And now I'm going to actually show you how much for once."

"Don't I get a say in what happens in my own life?" asked Will with an angry scowl.

"Honey," said Sami earnestly, turning to face him and placing her hands on his arms as she looked him straight in the eye, "You are in pain and confused right now. If a group of people are lost in the forest you don't ask the most disorientated person to lead them out of it."

"I know what I want Mom," said Will, his face darkening.

"That might be Will," said Sami simply, "But I know what you need and what you need right now is your mother."

"His mother is about to have children to a man who at best has some shady motives going on," Carrie said fiercely, "Why on earth would Will need to be in the middle of what will end up being a new nightmare for everyone concerned?"

Sami had been trying to play nice, in fact her jaw was aching from holding in everything she really wanted to say but that was the last straw. She whirled around and faced off with Carrie, her eyes spitting blue fire.

"What the hell Carrie?" she bit out angrily.

"You're having twins Sami," said Carrie tightly, "Your hands will be full. I just think that Will doesn't need that right now. He's going to be better off with Austin and me."

"Are you suggesting that these babies are somehow some kind of replacement for Will?" asked Sami in genuine outrage, "How dare you?"

"Sami you've put yourself into another impossible situation," Austin defended his wife, "You can't blame us for thinking of Will first."

"I love Will!" Sami bit out angrily, "I carried him inside my body for nine months, brought him into this world and have loved him every moment since! I only want what is best for him and nothing is going to change that fact! Not who I am married to, not how many other children I have and Will is exactly who I am thinking of here!"

"You're only thinking of yourself Sami," Austin threw back at her, "Just like you always do."

"Watch it Dallas," EJ snapped angrily, "You don't get to speak to my wife that way, none of you do! This is between Samantha and Will and it is for them to decide, no one else."

"And when did you turn into such a family man EJ?" Austin sneered at him, "Last time I checked you were putting it about pretty freely."

"Here's a concept for you Austin," said EJ coolly, "And I'll keep the words small so you can understand – people change."

"No they don't!" said Austin bitterly, glaring at him angrily.

"You'd better hope you're wrong Austin," said Sami coolly, "Because like EJ said earlier, if they don't then you and Carrie are doomed."

"And you'd love that wouldn't you Sami?" asked Carrie, scowling fiercely at Sami, "You'd love for us to break up again so you could try and get your hands on Austin again!"

Sami actually couldn't stop from laughing at that, the thought of Austin even touching her repulsed her now when once it was all she'd dreamt about.

"Oh right," said Carrie in annoyance, folding her arms in front of herself, "You're not fooling me Sami – it's always been about Austin for you. I wouldn't put it past you that this sudden concern for your son is all about guilting Austin to stay in Salem to keep an eye on Will and then you can work on getting your hooks back into him!"

There were a lot of things Sami could have said to that but her reaction was instinctive and before she knew what she was doing she'd punched Carrie and her hateful words in the face. There were shocked gasps all around except from a chuckle from EJ.

"When you're not on the receiving end of those things they can be quite amusing," he noted with a quirk of his lips.

Sami grimaced as she saw Carrie stagger backwards, her hand going to her already bleeding nose.

"Sami what the hell!" exclaimed Austin in horror.

"Mom!" said Will, glaring at her as they both went over to help Carrie.

"You asked for that," said Sami, unapologetically.

"I knew you hadn't changed Sami!" Carrie glared at her accusingly as she took the offered handkerchief from her husband and held it to her nose.

"You don't want me to change," said Sami roundly, "Because you love being the superior sister to my poor screwed up one but I've got news for you Carrie, I have changed and you're all just going to have to learn to deal! Will is my son and he is staying with me, end of discussion!"

"I don't want to stay here Mom!" said Will fiercely, standing up and glaring at her, "I don't want to be in Salem and have to remember everything that happened here every day. I don't want to have to think about Dad and Grandma Kate – I just want this all to be a bad dream!"

"Will do you think I don't know that?" asked Sami earnestly, "Of course I understand that is how you feel right now."

"So let me go," Will begged her, "I can't handle being reminded all the time of what happened."

"Will listen to me," said Sami softly, ignoring the still bleeding Carrie and the angry Austin as she turned him to face her.

"Dad would want me to be happy," he implored her achingly.

"Yes he would," Sami agreed readily, "But that isn't all he'd want for you."

Will looked at her in confusion.

"Sitting in that church and listening to all that was said about your father by people who loved him and knowing now what I do about his past I understand your father so much better in death then I ever did when he was alive," said Sami unevenly, hoping she could make him understand.

Will's bottom lip quivered at that.

"Your dad ran from the things in his past Will," said Sami urgently, "His whole life was spent running, not facing the ghosts and pain from that past and look what happened to him. I won't let that happen to you Will, I won't. I know your dad would want me to fight for you, for me to be with you and face the things that frighten you so you can come out the other side a stronger, better person. Your grandmother let your dad run from his past and it ended so badly for both of them – I love you too much to let history repeat itself. You and I are going to deal with this together and get through this together, as a family."

Everyone was staring at Sami in shock at her words except for EJ who was looking at her like he was fit to burst with pride.

"Alright," said Sami into the silence, nodding her head determinedly, "So it's all decided then."

No one seemed to have anything to say right then and Sami watched as they all filed out of the gardens and headed back up to the restaurant.

"You are the singularly most magnificent creature I have ever had the great joy in knowing," EJ declared to her emotionally when everyone had gone.

"I shouldn't have hit Carrie," said Sami, wrinkling her nose.

"Well if you didn't I would have for the way she was speaking to you," said EJ in annoyance, "I have a strong no hitting women policy but I was seriously considering giving myself a free pass with how she was speaking to you."

"I wanted to be the bigger person," Sami grumbled, "Show them how far I'd come."

"And you did," said EJ simply, "What you said to Will was nothing short of brilliant. Samantha you were inspired and right on the money. You'll notice no one had a thing to disagree with you about. You know what Will really needs and it's not a quick fix that involves putting distance between himself and his problems. You were a very good mother just now and they all know it even if they won't admit to it."

"I still wish I hadn't hit Carrie," Sami sighed.

"I'm not a huge fan of all this new age, touchy feely stuff," said EJ blithely, "Sometimes a situation calls for a good wallop and Carrie got exactly what she deserved talking to my wife that way."

"You'll always be my biggest fan won't you?" asked Sami with an indulgent smile.

"Always," EJ promised her with a smile before putting his hand into his pocket and producing an apple and handing it to her.

"An apple?" Sami laughed, "I thought you were just happy to see me EJ."

"I'm always happy to see you darling," said EJ with a roguish grin, "And if anything is going to give me fruit in my pocket then it is going to be you standing up for yourself to your family."

Sami couldn't help but giggle at EJ's words, the laughter feeling good after how sombre today had been.

"Well stick around big boy," she promised him around a rueful smile, "I figure I've got a lot of standing up to do to my family in the very near future."

"[i]_We[/i]_ have a lot of standing up to do," EJ corrected her firmly, "We're a team now remember?"

"I remember, Team SEX," said Sami with a playful look.

"I really must look into getting t-shirts printed with that on it," said EJ straight faced as they headed back to the restaurant, "Give your family really something to talk about."

"I think they've got plenty already honey," said Sami as EJ put his arm around her and she hugged his waist as they walked along.

"Well one more thing won't hurt then eh?" asked EJ jovially, hugging her to him.


	152. Chapter 299

**Chapter TWO HUNDRED AND NINETY NINE**** - ****The Fight or Flight Response**

To be happy, we must not be too concerned with others.

~Albert Camus~

(French., Novelist, Essayist & Playwright,

1957 Nobel Prize for Literature, 1913-1960)

"Sami what have you done?" asked Bo in frustration as she and EJ walked back into the restaurant together.

He looked over at Carrie who was sitting on a chair with a cold pack pressed to her nose and then back at her.

"Carrie carelessly walked into my wife's fist," said EJ blithely, "Accidents will happen."

Bo's lips thinned at EJ's cavalier response.

"Stay out of this DiMera," he snapped, "This has nothing to do with you."

"Yes it does," said Sami roundly, "EJ is my husband."

"So we heard," said Roman tightly, "And if you really thought that was the right decision Sami then you wouldn't have kept it from your family until after the event."

"Actually Dad," said Sami flatly, "And I know this is going to be a bit of a concept but my wedding was about EJ and I, not about this family."

"What you do affects this family Sami," said Marlena as she handed Carrie another napkin for her nose.

"Just like what you do affects me," Sami returned sharply, "Or at least it used to. I love you guys but seriously, I'm living my life as I see fit; not to please any of you."

"You haven't always been the best judge of what is right Sami," said Hope, her face etched with worry, "You have to admit that."

"And I do," said Sami without reservation, "But you have to let me move past my mistakes Aunt Hope, like we all have to."

"It's a bit hard when you seem intent on making new ones," said Hope, quickly throwing a disapproving look over at an impassive EJ.

"EJ, this marriage and these babies are not any kind of mistake," said Sami curtly, "So can everyone just stop saying that they are please!"

"You don't know what you're getting yourself into Sami," chimed in Austin in exasperation, "You never do."

"You were always the one who didn't know what was going on Austin," Sami muttered with a roll of her eyes.

"Because you were always lying and tricking people!" Carrie defended her husband hotly, her voice all nasally now thanks to Sami.

"And I've apologised for that as many times as I can," said Sami flatly, "But at some point I have to stop and just get on with my life Carrie."

"Sami we're worried about you," said her mother emotionally, "All of this is happening too quickly. You have to admit we have good cause to worry."

She threw a suspicious look EJ's way, lips pressing together in disapproval.

"One minute you were with Lucas and he's not even in the ground and you're married to EJ," said Marlena in vexation, "It just isn't right Sami."

"Sometimes right things happen the wrong way Mom or have you forgotten that?" asked Sami, giving her a pointed look.

Marlena shifted a little uncomfortably under Sami's stare as they both remembered the infamous conference room table scenario.

"I just think you both could have waited," said Marlena stubbornly, "If this thing is real between you and EJ-"

"It is," said EJ without hesitation.

"Then what would it have mattered to wait a little?" Marlena argued on stubbornly.

"Because they wanted these children to be born into the DiMera family," announced Stefano jovially as he now joined the little scene, "I do not understand why you are giving these young people such a hard time eh? This is a joyous thing that has happened between our families – we should all be rejoicing."

"I'm sure you're happy DiMera," bit out Roman, "You've always wanted to get your dirty hooks into this family and you've gone through the weakest link to get there!"

"Hey!" Sami exclaimed indignantly.

"Enough!" EJ said loudly, his face dark with his displeasure, "I won't have Samantha spoken of in such terms by any of you! She is not a commodity or possession, she is not a point in some unwinnable war – she is my wife and that is the end of it! And none of you are welcome in our lives until you grow up and come to terms with that fact."

"It isn't her family that Sami needs protecting from," said Bo angrily.

"From where I'm standing it is," EJ threw back at him, "Now in an effort to ensure that this funeral doesn't degenerate into any more of a farce I'm taking Samantha and Will home. It's been a long day for all concerned and I don't think either one of them need this added drama."

Will had been standing quietly to one side, a resigned look on his face whilst all of this was going on. He'd obviously been expecting this to develop into a full blown scene which was pretty usual for his family when they got together. He looked at EJ in surprise though when the older man put his hand on his shoulder.

"Are you alright to leave Will?" he asked him quietly, "Do you need some more time?"

Will shook his head mutely and let EJ steer him to the door as Sami collected their coats. Everyone was just watching them go and no one was stopping them.

"You two kids sure do know how to make an exit," commented John wryly as he opened the door for them.

"It would be terrible to be boring," said EJ dryly as they passed by.

"I don't think that is something the two of you ever have to worry about somehow," said John with a reassuring look at Will as he went by.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Well that went better than I expected but a bit worse than I'd hoped," commented Sami with a sigh as they all arrived back at EJ's apartment, "I still wish I hadn't hit Carrie."

"You're a passionate woman my darling," said EJ, leaning over her shoulder and kissing her cheek as he took her coat from her, "Never apologise for that."

Will looked at EJ and tried to work out this man as he took his coat off as well. Every other man he remembered his mother being with would have been berating her for what she'd done but EJ seemed to take it all in his stride and actually see it as a good thing. He looked over at his mother who seemed to glow under EJ's praise, looking up at him with shining eyes. Will had never seen his mother like this, so free, so relaxed and calm, even after a family run in like had just happened.

He'd been present at enough of his mom's melt downs with people to know that she would always come away blustering and insanely angry and bitter about what had happened. She only seemed quietly concerned but ultimately calm about what had gone down. The change in his mother was nothing short of miraculous and Will was trying to work out if EJ's seemingly unreserved acceptance of her was truly the cause of it. Surely his mother's erratic behaviour couldn't be that easily fixed as just having someone accept you unconditionally?

"What are you thinking honey?" asked Sami as she put her hand to his face and stroked it lovingly, "You look a million miles away."

"Why aren't you mad?" Will asked her in confusion, "Why aren't you yelling about what everyone said to you and trying to make them pay?"

"Oh," said Sami with a grimace, "I suppose that is what I always did in the past didn't I? I'm sorry I put you through all of that crazy Will – it was so selfish of me."

Will looked at her in disbelief at that observation that he hadn't even forced out of her.

"You know you amaze me," said Sami softly, shaking her head and looking up at Will dotingly, "You're father and I were selfish, self involved idiots for most of your life and you still turned out so great."

"It wasn't all bad," mumbled Will, looking away.

"And to answer your question I'm not mad with my family because I understand why they are worried," said Sami with a half smile, "It's just that their concerns are baseless."

"How do you know this isn't going to end the same way all your other relationships have?" asked Will in frustration, glancing over at EJ who was quietly listening to mother and son talk, perched on the end of the sofa.

"Because it didn't start the same way they did," said Sami with a little laugh, "EJ chased me."

"Remember those Fairy Penguins we talked about," said EJ wryly, "Surprisingly fast and hard to catch when they hit water. Your mother didn't make it easy for me."

"But I'm worth it," said Sami with a soft smile in his direction.

"Unbelievably so," agreed EJ as he stood up and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"But you know everyone isn't going to make it easy for you," said Will with a frown, "You saw how they were."

Sami and EJ exchanged glances.

"Actually Will it's not your side of the family that your mum and I are worried about," admitted EJ, "It's mine."

"Your dad seemed real happy about it all," said Will in confusion, "Why are you worried about him causing trouble?"

"My father was indeed happy, a little too happy unfortunately," said EJ wryly.

Will watched as he and his mother exchanged looks again, this time his mom gave a little nod as though giving EJ permission to go on.

"Will the story between our families and all the bad blood actually begins with a very beautiful story that ended tragically," said EJ quietly, "But that is a story for another time. What we are dealing with now is my father who is hell bent on making every Brady pay for something that happened a long time ago. It is an evil and cruel vendetta that he wants me to carry forward into the next generation of both of our families."

Will looked between Sami and EJ, suddenly nervous of where this was going.

"EJ's not going to do it," said Sami determinedly, "We want all this back and forth between our families to stop and there to be peace between them."

"Unfortunately I don't know if I can get my father to see reason when it comes down to it," said EJ with a grimace, "He has fought this war for a long time and it is up to me to convince him that it is enough."

"And if you can't?" asked Will hesitantly.

"And if I can't Will then your mother and I are left with only one option," said EJ simply, "We won't be a pawn in his games and that is what I'm going to tell him."

"And you don't know what he is going to do about that?" Will queried.

"Actually I have a few ideas about what he might do and all of them are very unsettling," said EJ wryly, "My father doesn't take dissention in the ranks lying down."

"What does that mean?" asked Will with a concerned look.

"It means that if my father refuses to see reason then this family is going to have to remove itself from his presence," said EJ simply.

"You mean run away?" asked Will in disbelief, "We're going to have to hide from Stefano DiMera for the rest of our lives?"

"Only the rest of his fortunately," said EJ dryly, "Your mother and I have come up with contingency plans over these last few months, ways of neutralising the threat but ultimately a tactical retreat would be the best way of handling things."

"You mean run away?" repeated Will shaking his head, "Mom you were just telling me that was the last thing I should be doing!"

"From what happened with your father," said Sami earnestly, "This thing with Stefano is a whole new ball game. Now that I'm pregnant he is going to want to hold onto the next DiMera generation for his own evil plots and neither EJ nor I are going to let that happen."

"So your lives will be crazy again is that it?" asked Will in frustration, "Well I don't want any part of it."

"Unfortunately you became a part of this Will when I fell head over heels in love with your mother," said EJ regretfully, "You will become a point of leverage for my father and he won't hesitate to use you as such. The only safe option is for you to come away with us, that way I can protect you all from my father's reach."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this!" said Will angrily, "Now I have to give up everyone I know and love just because of you two?"

"Only for a time Will," said EJ calmly, "Once my father passes away we can return but until that time it is the only safe option."

"It will be like an adventure honey," said Sami, trying to put a good spin on that, "We can live in any part of the world, do anything we like."

"But I want to stay here!" exclaimed Will stubbornly.

That wasn't necessarily true but he wasn't in the mood to make this easy for either EJ or his mom.

"A minute ago you wanted to go to Switzerland," commented EJ evenly, calling his bluff, "The reality is Will that you've been out of Salem for fair while already. All your mother and I are planning on doing is continuing that so in many ways we're offering you more continuity, not less."

"I know," said Sami ruefully when she saw Will's expression, "He's hard to argue with isn't he? It's the lawyer in him."

"I don't want to give up on everything I've known!" said Will in distress, "I don't want to do this!"

"Will a bit part of growing up is letting go of the things we used to cling to," said EJ patiently, "It doesn't mean that they won't always be there to come back to, just that they don't have to have the same place in your life that they once did."

"Why is it that you get to make these kinds of decisions for me?" asked Will bitterly, "You're not my father!"

"But I'm your mother and sometimes life forces choices upon us that we have no control over," said Sami determinedly, "I know this is hard Will but-"

"You don't know anything Mom!" Will threw out at her, tears coming to his eyes, "You never do!"

"Take a breath William," said EJ firmly, "And speak more civilly to your mother. We are both trying to do the right thing here."

"Yeah for you!" Will sneered emotionally.

"For us all Will," said Sami sincerely, "Please try and understand."

"Why should I?" he threw back at them around angry tears, "You dragged me into this, I never asked for it! Now you've ruined my whole life – again! I hate you, I hate you both!"

Will went to run to his room but not before he saw the pain he'd inflicted on his mother's face. It cut at his heart to see what his words had done to her but he was in too much pain of his own to try and take the words back. Instead he bolted into his room and slammed the door shut behind him. Will threw himself down on his bed and let the tears that he'd been holding back all day overwhelm him.


	153. Chapter 300

**AUTHOR'S NOTE****: **Okay so before you read this chapter I'm just going to give you all a little heads up. I'm taking a bit of a hiatus from this story to concentrate on a couple of my other fics that I want to get going with. Don't panic though – I haven't brought you 300 chapters into a story I've been writing for 2 years to abandon you. There will be a third act to this story as I've always planned – I'm just taking a moment to regroup and think about how I want to tell it to try and keep this story fresh for you and for me. :D

In the meantime I will be posting my sequel to "Wild Horses..." which is called "Birds of a Feather..." I started it well over a year ago and haven't gotten very far with it but I plan to put in some work with it. I'm also starting to post a new fic called "Taboo" come next week which will be a bit of a change of pace for me again. I've also just completed a very silly EJami fic called "If I Only Had..." which I'll post here as well. It's about how the Sydnapping reveal could go down and Sami's reaction to it because how it will happen on the show will suck of course.

So once "Taboo" is done with – most likely a month or so – I'll be back to this fic to deliver the third and final act. Thank you to everyone who has hung with me through this fic and I really hope you've enjoyed the ride so far and will be coming back for more. And without further ado, here is the chapter, please enjoy...

**Chapter THREE HUNDRED**** - ****The End of the Beginning**

There is no cry of pain without, at its end, an echo of joy.

~_Ramón de Campoamor_~

_(Spanish realist poet and philosopher, 1817-1901)_

"Maybe we should have waited," said Sami, her face serious.

She looked up as EJ took a seat on the bed, toothbrush in his mouth.

"You know, at least until tomorrow," she fretted.

"Sweetheart tomorrow I'm going to see my father and let him know where I stand," said EJ around his toothbrush, "I don't want us to wait any longer – we have to get our plan moving. I want to be far away from my father's reach when these babies put in an appearance."

"I know," said Sami emotionally.

"And it wasn't going to be easy for Will to hear any of that whatever day it was," said EJ as he stood up and went to rinse his mouth out.

"But we're doing the right thing?"

It came out more of a question then a statement.

EJ walked back into the bedroom, wiping his face on the towel around his neck.

"Yes," he said with great certainty, "We are."

EJ sat back down on the bed where Sami was sitting cross legged, back against the head board.

"We are a family you, me, Will and these babies," said EJ determinedly as he put a hand on Sami's stomach and rubbed it lovingly, "Will doesn't see it now but he will soon enough. His whole world has just been upended but when the dust settles he'll see that this was the right call to make. Besides it is just too dangerous leaving him behind with my father no doubt on the rampage. I'd never get a moment's rest knowing Will was left vulnerable like that."

"I love that you care about him so much," said Sami, grabbing EJ's hand and squeezing it.

"How couldn't I care?" asked EJ with gentle chiding, "The more time I spend with Will the more I see his mother in him."

"He'd love hearing that," said Sami wryly.

"He will – one day," said EJ with a grin before growing more serious, "Look Samantha Will is at that age when he is trying to work out who he is and he is going to try a lot of different people on before he finally arrives at who he really is and during that time it isn't always going to be fun."

Sami looked at him a little askew, sensing there was a story there.

"When I was Will's age the two worlds I lived in then really started to pull against one another," said EJ with a grimace, "On one hand I was being raised by my mum and Edmund with their sensibilities-"

"And on the other Stefano with his," said Sami quietly, giving him a sympathetic look.

"Yes," said EJ ruefully, "And of course being a brash and idiotic sixteen year old I thought what being a DiMera had to offer was far superior to what being a Crumb did. I was hurtful and rebellious, off hand and at times downright cruel, particularly to Edmund."

"But you have such a great relationship with Edmund now," said Sami in consternation, "What changed?"

"Two things," said EJ with a half smile, "I grew up and Edmund was always there for me, no matter what I did or say he was just a constant and as more and more things happened to me I came to understand the great worth of that."

EJ turned to face Sami more directly now.

"I want to be that for Will," said EJ earnestly, "Edmund showed me what it was to be the bigger man and be steadfast through it all and I want to offer that to Will. Edmund changed my life for the better and without him I couldn't be the man who loves you as you deserve Samantha. I want to be that kind of force for good in Will's life so that he can look back and despite some rocky history can know that I was always there for him."

"Like John and me," said Sami, a soft smile coming to her lips.

"Stepfathers have played a big role in both of our lives Samantha and I think we are better people because of it," said EJ with a little nod, "And I want to offer that to your son as well. We can be a family, a real family with all of the trials and joys that word brings and I'll never stop fighting for that."

"Do you think my mom and John had a similar conversation about me at some point?" asked Sami with a grimace.

"I wouldn't be surprised," said EJ with a smile, "And look how that turned out."

"Yeah fifteen years later," said Sami with a roll of her eyes, "I hope Will is smarter than his mother."

"It doesn't matter," said EJ simply as he held up his left hand and wiggled his ring finger, "Long haul remember, I'm not going anywhere."

Sami smiled lovingly at EJ for that but then she began to tear up, her smile wobbling.

"Hey, hey, hey," said EJ softly, wiping the tears from her eyes, "What's all this now?"

"I still feel like I'm failing him," admitted Sami thickly, fresh tears staining her cheeks, "Will deserves so much better than me."

"Samantha you love that boy with everything that is inside of you and from where I'm sitting that doesn't equate to failure to me," said EJ earnestly.

"I feel like I failed Lucas too," she whispered hoarsely, clearly struggling at getting the words out, "I should have seen what was going on with him and if I had then maybe Will would still have his father."

"And if I could have held on for a little bit longer then maybe Lucas wouldn't be dead," said EJ painfully, "Sweetheart we both have a lot of regrets but that can't stop us from moving forward in life."

Sami nodded slowly, putting out a hand and stroking his chest as she stared at a point on it sightlessly.

"Listening to the eulogies today made me so sad EJ," said Sami quietly, "Lucas meant so much to so many people and so did Kate and now they're just gone."

"Nothing is ever truly lost if people still remember them," EJ comforted her softly, "Look at Santo and Colleen – they are alive in our memories and always will be and in the memories of our children and our children's children."

"All this pain and suffering," said Sami sadly, lifting her eyes and looking at EJ forlornly, "I have to wonder why sometimes."

"All pain has a purpose Samantha," said EJ, remembering something Edmund had once said to him, "Even if it is to make other moments in life that much sharper and sweeter."

Sami's face softened at that, putting a hand to EJ's face and stroking it as his words of comfort sunk in.

"Make love to me EJ," she whispered to him imploringly.

EJ dropped his head and rested it against Sami's forehead, feeling that same driving need for human comfort and for the sweetness at the end of so many sour things. Despite of or most likely because of all the trials he and Sami had been through they were closer than ever now – bound by adversity, sealed by love. Lucas' death still pressed in heavily on EJ and it drove him even more to find a common ground with Will and to establish a real relationship with the teenager. EJ had allowed something to be taken from Sami's son when he'd let go of Lucas on that roof and he knew he owed Will nothing less than his all in trying to fill that breech. So many sad things had happen to he and Sami but it always came back to this, the two of them, both needing the same thing – each other.

EJ pressed his lips to Sami's and tasted the saltiness of her tears there before her lips parted and he was treated to the sweetness within. His hands went to the bottom of her nightie even as he felt hers go to his sweat pants, pushing them down. They were quickly naked and then EJ was laying Sami reverently back on the bed, holding himself above her as he began to pay homage to her body. Sami was still crying and EJ knew it was a combination of the sadness of the day and the deep emotion that was being shared between them in that moment. He kissed them away lovingly before beginning to press lingering kisses down her naked body.

Neither one spoke, the only sound in the room was their increasingly ragged breathing and the occasional squeak of the bed springs as EJ shifted his weight to move further down Sami's body. His lips trailed over every little dip and curve of Sami's body, worshipping every part of her. EJ could feel his body hardening rapidly, touching Sami having the same affect on him that it always did. He moved back up her body, pausing to press once last lingering kiss on Sami's swelling midriff and rubbing his cheek against it lovingly as Sami's hand went to the back of his head and stroked his hair. The wonder was just never leaving EJ that two little lives that he and Sami had created together were in there, tucked up together inside of her body. It boggled EJ's mind and his heart physically ached with how much he loved those little babies already.

EJ moved over Sami then, gently parting her legs so he could settle between them. She wrapped her arms around his neck and then neither one of them moved for a long moment, instead just stared unblinkingly into each other's eyes. Words were unnecessary as they both told each other the contents of their hearts, gazing at each other in utter adoration. EJ was so grateful for these moments because there were times he despaired that he'd ever be able to find enough of the right words to be able to tell Sami how he really felt about her. Moments like these though made words redundant and he knew he was telling Sami everything she'd ever need to know about his feelings for her just as she was for him right then.

EJ moved into Sami, pressing for an entrance into her body and she granted it readily. He was forced to swallow a low moan as her body enveloped him in its glorious heat, his face screwing up against the intense pleasure of the moment. They moved as one, effortlessly dancing to the music that only they knew how to make, a slow crescendo building between them. EJ's body was becoming heated, filled with a million points of light as Sami's body infiltrated his, their very souls meshing together as one.

A perfect excitement was building in the pit of EJ's stomach as his pace within Sami quickened. Sami gave a ragged groan, her nails digging into his back as she edged towards that peak with him. Life and love surged through EJ's body as one last hard thrust saw him losing himself as Sami, feeling her join him in that whirlpool of indescribable beauty and majesty. Everything else melted away in that flawless moment, all the sadness, all the heartache and there was only the perfect unity of having found each other. EJ's body shuddered helplessly against Sami's delivering himself into her with a wild abandon. They both shook for a long time after, even after EJ had withdrawn from Sami and rolled to the side. Sami rolled on her side, moving into him and EJ cupped her face, kissing her deeply.

"I love you so much," EJ told her achingly.

Sami's whole face was radiant with her reply to his statement.

"Promise me you'll always love me this much EJ," she begged him unevenly, clearly as affected by their union as he was.

"I can't sweetheart," said EJ thickly, "Not when I fall more in love with you every day."

More tears came to Sami's eyes at his words.

"You make me so happy," Sami whispered and moved to kiss him again.

**oooOOOOooo**

Will stirred in bed, giving a little shudder of cold as he came only half awake. The feeling of the sheets he'd kicked off in a fitful slumber being tucked back around him instantly chased the cool night air away. Will's eyes flickered open briefly to see the outline of a man standing over him.

"EJ?" he mumbled blearily.

"_Torna a dormire piccolo_ (go back to sleep little one)," murmured a rich, velvety voice from the dark silhouette by his bed.

Will's eyelids grew heavy as he started to fall back asleep even though he didn't understand Italian he somehow knew what was being said to him. A tickle of a moustache by his ear momentarily revived him though as the voice whispered in his ear now.

"_Non tutto è ancora perduto_ (all is not lost yet)," the voice assured him quiet confidence, "_Ma un cuore coraggioso è richiesta_ (but a brave heart is required)."

Will wanted to ask the voice what he meant but the pull of sleep was too strong for him and he feel back into a deep sleep at long last with dreams of that wouldn't be remembered come the morning.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Mm," Sami sighed softly as EJ pressed a kiss to her forehead.

She opened her eyes and blinked sleepily up at EJ who was already dressed.

"I'm off to see my father now," he told her with a little smile, "I just wanted to say goodbye."

"Wait," said Sami groggily as she sat up, "I want to come with you."

"No sweetheart," said EJ firmly, "This is something I need to do alone – this is between my father and me."

"I thought you might need some moral support," said Sami looking a little unhappy.

"The only thing I need to know is that you'll be waiting here for me to get back," said EJ warmly, "That gives me all the resolve I need."

"So I guess things are going to happen pretty quickly now," said Sami quietly.

"Are you having second thoughts sweetheart?" asked EJ earnestly, "About breaking with my father and us having to leave Salem?"

"No," said Sami quickly, "We planned for this; we knew it was going to happen fast when it did happen."

"And it won't be forever," EJ comforted her, "Just until my father passes away and this ridiculous vendetta dies with him."

"How are you feeling about this honey?" Sami asked him sympathetically, "I know we've talked about this but now that the moment is here for you to break from your father you must feel very conflicted."

"I may be losing a father but I'm gaining so much more that I can't even find words for," said EJ unevenly, "I don't regret what I'm about to do Samantha because it is the final step to our starting our lives together properly and I can't wait."

"I love you," said Sami, leaning over to kiss him.

"I love you too darling," said EJ warmly, "Now lie down and get some more sleep. I'll be back soon and we can start packing."

"EJ," said Sami urgently as he stood up from the bed and she grabbed his hand, "Be careful."

"Always," he said with a smile, lifting her hand to his lips and kissing it softly.

Sami gave him a weak smile, still clearly concerned but EJ knew that he was ready to do this. It was time to do what he'd promised her, to make Sami and their family a priority in his life and EJ was determined to do just that. With a final reassuring smile EJ walked out of the bedroom and headed to the door, intent on seeing his father right away. He pulled open the door to his apartment and gave a little start as he saw someone was already standing there.

"Celeste," he said in surprise at seeing the other woman, "What are you doing here so early?"

"Elvis," said Celeste intently, "I was woken by a terrible dream this morning and I had to come and see you."

"Ah Celeste," EJ hedged, not wanting any disruptions to his plans right then, "Now is not a very good time."

"I know what you are about to do dahling," said Celeste, looking at him with wide, serious eyes.

EJ didn't question that statement after recent events; instead he closed the door behind him and stepped out into the hall.

"Good," he said simply, "Then you'll understand why I don't want to delay speaking with my Father Celeste."

"You cannot break with your father Elvis," said Celeste intently, her face clouding over.

"I have to Celeste," said EJ firmly, "I have my own family to protect now and that is exactly what I am going to do."

"If you want to protect your family Elvis then you must listen to me now," said Celeste unevenly as EJ's eyes narrowed apprehensively, not sure he was going to like this...


	154. Prologue to Act III

**AUTHOR'S NOTE****: **Okay so I haven't forgotten about this fic – promise. :D I'm just about to finish another EJami fic over at "Forbidden Love" called "Taboo" (not intending to post it here because the subject matter might not be right for this site) and will commence with the third and final act of this beast of a story. LOL

This little chapter is a prologue as the title suggests and for those of you with good memories you'll remember Celeste turning up at EJ's door just as he was about to cut ties with his father and told him he couldn't because she'd just had a dream. Well this is that dream. It's all really surreal and has some cool pictures to go with it that I can't attach here at FF unfortunately. But anyway, it's got some clues embedded in it for where this story is going to go now, just like Celeste's last dream had. ;)

I'm going to start posting this story my regular four times a week starting next Monday (11th of October) on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday as usual. Hope you'll all join me. You've come this far – why not see how it all turns out eh?

Cheers, Lou. :D

**PROLOGUE TO ACT III**

Celeste turned over in her sleep, her dark dreams pushing in all around her so that even though she slept, there was no rest.

"Alexandra," her aching mother's heart whispered as the dream continued.

Celeste was back in the forest but this time everything was a brilliant green colour, soft and alluring, glorious sunlight streaming through the leafy green trees.

She kept walking through the lush grass, not sure where she was going until she heard that first faint whisper on the wind.

"Momma."

Celeste's eyes opened wide at the sound of her daughter's voice, distant and distraught.

"Alexandra!" she called back, starting to walk more quickly now, desperate to find her long lost child.

Celeste moved deeper into the woods and as she did they became darker, the trees closer together and blocking out the comforting sunlight but she barely noticed, intent only on finding her daughter.

"Momma."

The disembodied voice called to her again and Celeste felt her heart pounding in her chest as she followed the call.

"I am coming dahling!" she called back anxiously, "Alexandra I am coming."

The voice kept calling to her as the woods got harder to navigate but Celeste didn't stop, she couldn't. Lexi's voice was getting closer so she pushed on, through the scratching branches and uneven ground. After a little while Celeste was forced to stop as she waited for the next cry from Lexie. Over her uneven breathing she noticed another sound and realised someone or something was coming up behind her. Celeste swallowed hard and slowly looked behind her. Walking unhurriedly towards her was a giant black wolf, his eyes glowing as he stared at her unblinkingly.

Celeste gasped, recognising it from the wolf in her last dream.

"André," she said unsteadily and the wolf seemed to give a little smile as it stopped a little ways away from Celeste.

Celeste knew this was a dream she was having but she could still feel the menacing presence this creature had.

"You stay away from me!" she yelled at it, "You stay away from all of us!"

Celeste took a few hurried steps backwards and fell over some exposed roots. She hit the ground hard, the wind knocked from her lungs but when Celeste opened her eyes again it was to see she'd fallen into a clearing. The clearing ended with a cliff and she could hear the raging water a long way below but all Celeste saw in that moment was one thing.

"Alexandra!" she called out in horror, seeing her only child sitting on the edge of that cliff, trapped inside a wooden box with iron bars preventing her from escaping.

"Momma!" called out Lexie, grabbing at the bars of the prison that was so small she could only kneel in it.

She was wearing a long white, satin dress which had dirt stains on it and looked gaunt and distressed.

"Help me!" Lexie begged her mother, "Please help me!"

"I'm coming!" said Celeste, scrambling to her feet but before she could take one step the wolf was standing in front of her, teeth bared and snarling at her ferociously.

Every time Celeste went to move the massive beast would snap at her, preventing her from getting past him.

"Effective isn't he?"

Celeste looked over at the man who had spoken and gasped again.

"Stefano!" she cried out, "Please, let me go to my daughter!"

"Our daughter is dead Celeste," said Stefano calmly.

"No," said Celeste with an emphatic shake of her head, "She is right there!"

Celeste pointed at the imprisoned Lexie and Stefano looked down at the woman in the wooden prison.

"Ah Alexandra," he sighed heavily, "If only you hadn't displeased me so eh? How different things could have been."

With that Stefano lifted a foot and pushed on the box, sending it and the screaming Lexie over the precipice.

"NOOOO!" yelled Celeste, not caring about the wolf now as she ran past it and to the ledge to look in horror over the edge to the swirling dark water below, unforgiving rocks jutting up from their depths.

Celeste dropped to her knees as she tried to see her daughter in amongst the chaos below but it was no use.

"Why couldn't you have just let it be eh Celeste?" tutted Stefano, "This was no concern of yours."

"You monster!" Celeste screamed up at him, "You've killed my child!"

"It had to be," said Stefano with an indifferent shrug, "But if you wish you can join her."

With that Stefano simply reached out and pushed Celeste where she was on her hands and knees looking over the cliff and suddenly she found herself tumbling over the edge just as her daughter had. She hit the water and was shocked by its coldness and began to struggle for the surface. Celeste couldn't seem to make any progress no matter how hard she kicked and finally the air ran out of her lungs and her body forced her to take that next dreaded breath. Celeste knew it would kill her but on seeing the death of her child it didn't seem to matter.

Freezing water filled her lungs and she waited for the calm of death but it didn't come. Instead Celeste found that she was breathing easily again and realised she was breathing underwater. Hope for Lexie suddenly exploded within her as she began to look around the murky depths frantically, everything having turned a greyish monochrome in the dark waters. Finally Celeste's eye was caught by a flash of white and she looked up to see Lexie's body floating on the top of the water.

Celeste tried to call out to her daughter but only bubbles rather than sound came out. Lexie's body began to drift away from Celeste, disappearing into the inky blackness waiting for her until not even the glow of her night dress could be seen even as Celeste tried to swim after her. Celeste gave a heartbroken cry at seeing her child disappear yet again but then forced herself to remember that this was only a dream. Her dreams came to her for a reason and there was still time yet to save her beloved Alexandra.

Celeste turned away from the darkness and began to swim the other way, not sure where she was going but as she swam the colour began to return to the water, flashes of bright seaweed and pretty shells began to be seen and the water began to show signs of being touched by the sunlight once more. Celeste stopped swimming and looked around herself and that was when she saw the young girl. The girl had long flowing blonde hair and looked to be about six or so. She was dressed in a pretty party dress and riding an ornate rocking horse, clearly looking like she was having a ball.

The child turned her head and saw Celeste, a big smile splitting her face as she happily waved at the other woman. Celeste waved back on instinct to the child and couldn't help but smile as well, finding something very familiar about the little girl. The girl drifted past, riding her wooden pony and as Celeste watched her leave it was then that she saw the little boy. He looked to be the same age as the girl but he was swimming amongst the coral and fish, playing with the colourful little creatures.

He had dark hair and looked over at Celeste with shining brown eyes, also waving at her before going back to his game. In an instant it hit Celeste who she was looking at. These were Sami and EJ's twins, happily playing and full of life. She had to wonder why her vision was showing her this until the boy swam a little further over to the left and suddenly Celeste could see the DiMera mansion looming up over him, a full moon heavy behind it.

The boy seemed unaware of the destiny that was waiting for him though in the shadow of the DiMera legacy, still happily engrossed with his games with the fishes. Celeste wanted to warn the child of the horrors that would befall him if he stayed in that shadow but then above her she saw the figure of a man and woman, swimming towards one another. She instantly recognised EJ and Sami as they met a ways above Celeste's head and she could actually feel the love radiating from them as they met in a passionate underwater kiss.

As the kiss continued to Celeste's amazement the DiMera mansion began to shudder, great parts of the stonework beginning to fall away and crumble into dust. The union of the two lovers seemed to shake its very foundations and before long even more of its façade began to decay and disintegrate its greatness torn apart from within. Celeste's heart skipped a beat as she realised she was watching the love EJ and Sami had for each other and their children destroy the DiMera legacy.

Hope flared within her that all was not lost and that there was still a way for this evil to be quenched once and for all and that hope lay at the feet of EJ and Sami. Celeste's joy was short lived though as suddenly a dark paw reached into the water and snatched Sami's from EJ's embrace – stealing her from him in a frenzy of bubbles and struggling bodies as Sami clutched for EJ and he did the same.

EJ's face was horrified as he moved to swim after his lost love but dark weeds from below him reached up with their unrelenting tendrils and quickly entrapped him so that he couldn't follow. Instead they dragged EJ down into their depths even as he struggled frantically to be free of them and follow after Sami. Celeste watched the young man disappear into the darkness, just as her Alexandra had done and did what he couldn't, kicking her way to the surface.

When her head was above water Celeste could see the shore line only a few feet away but what she saw turned her stomach and made her look away quickly. The wolf, André, was standing over the still body of Sami, tearing at her flesh. Even in the moonlight Celeste had seen the way the ground was turning red with her blood as the evil creature tore her throat out. Celeste forced herself to look back at the carnage and the wolf turned right then to look back at her over its shoulder, sharp fangs dripping with Sami's blood, eyes shining in dark triumph and the evil she could see there had her waking from her dream screaming. Celeste sat bolt upright in bed, panting uncontrollably as she tried to calm herself down.

"No," said Celeste unsteadily, shaking her head even as she knew what she had to do, "This must not come to pass."

She put a shaking hand to her still wildly beating heart.

"I will not let it," said Celeste grimly, knowing only two people in the world could stop this now.

Now all she had to do was convince them of that fact...


	155. Chapter 301

**Chapter THREE HUNDRED & ONE**** - ****The Beginning of the End**

No matter who succeeds or fails, the peacemaker will always suffer.

_Irish Proverb_

"_So we know how this story ends, why don't you tell us how it started Mr DiMera?"_

_Stefano looked up at the FBI agent with a calm coolness to his expression. _

"_Is that important Special Agent Nelson?" he asked evenly._

"_The beginning is always important Mr DiMera," returned the agent without missing a beat, "Without it the end doesn't make any sense." _

_Stefano eyed the greying man in his late forties speculatively before glancing around the small interrogation room, pausing at the large glass window where undoubtedly other agents stood. _

"_What do you want to know?" asked Stefano with a little shrug, his face giving nothing away, "After all, a story can have many beginnings."_

"_How about we start at how it was that your son, his new wife and step son came to be living with you?" suggested Agent Nelson, leaning over the table they both sat at and looking at him intently, "Why don't we start there?"_

_Stefano sat back in his chair and pursed his lips thoughtfully. _

**oooOOOOooo**

"Hello Father."

EJ stood in the middle of the archway into the living room of the DiMera mansion, his face set impassively. Stefano looked up from the desk he was sitting up and arched an eyebrow.

"Hello my son," he said calmly.

"Can I come in?" asked EJ, staying where he was.

"But of course," said Stefano, waving his son into the living room as he looked at him steadily.

Their last meeting had been strained and Stefano considered his son carefully, unsure of why he was here. Stefano hadn't liked the recent belligerence in Elvis' manner with him and was concerned but didn't let it show on his face. EJ walked into the middle of the room as Stefano stood up.

"And to what do I owe the pleasure Elvis?" asked Stefano coolly.

EJ gave a bit of a wry smile at the formal greeting.

"I wanted to have a word Father," said EJ quietly, "About the future."

"The future?" asked Stefano, watching the younger man's face intently.

"Yes," said EJ and looked to hesitate for a moment before continuing on, "But before we do that I feel like I owe you an apology."

Stefano didn't respond to that, just looked at EJ steadily.

"I've been a little terse with you of late," said EJ, looking suitably contrite, "It's no excuse but things have been rather overwhelming me and I guess I took it out on you. I'm sorry Father for the way I spoke to you at the funeral and I'd like for you to forgive me."

Stefano's eyes narrowed as he considered EJ's apology and the possible reasons he might have to give it. He gave a slow nod at the younger man.

"But of course," Stefano said evenly, "It was a trying day for all concerned. I accept your apology Elvis."

"Good," said EJ with a half smile, "I don't want there to be bad blood between us father, especially now."

"Now?" questioned Stefano, still wondering what all of this was about.

"I'm a married man now," said EJ, unable to help a proper smile at that, "And I'm about to become a father and it has made me look at things so differently."

"In what way?" asked Stefano curiously.

"I know I've been disrespectful to you of late Father," said EJ seriously, "I thought I knew what was best but now after everything that has happened I've realised that you were right all along."

EJ held his gaze steadily then.

"Family is everything."

"Of course it is," said Stefano easily, "But why does that sound like another apology Elvis?"

"Because the truth of the matter is that I got it wrong Father," said EJ unhappily, "I thought in order to be with Samantha and raise my children right I had to turn my back on my DiMera heritage. That I had to prove myself to Samantha's family as a man worthy of their daughter and that meant you could have no place in my life. I was all set to spurn the DiMera name and try to become what other's thought I should be."

"I see," said Stefano coolly, "And do I hear a but my son?"

Stefano wasn't surprised by this information, he'd sensed as much but it was very interesting to him EJ's spurt of honesty.

"But I was so wrong," said EJ unhappily, looking very remorseful, "So very wrong Father. It's not the DiMera name I should reject but the Brady one. I see that now and I can't believe I was so blind for so long about that."

"And what brought about this revelation Elvis?" asked Stefano, cocking his head and studying EJ's face intently for any deceit.

"The events of the last few months," said EJ, his lips twisting in disgust, "I was so intent on being a good man, whatever the hell that means, to get the girl that I allowed my enemies to gain the upper hand."

"Lucas and Kate," said Stefano with a nod, beginning to see where EJ was coming from now.

"Yes," said EJ grimly, "If I'd gone with my DiMera instincts I would have had them neutralised from the start, the first time I suspected that they might be working against me. You always taught me Father to take control of every situation and to dominate it well I didn't with Kate and Lucas and paid the price."

EJ's head came up and his jaw hardened.

"And that will never happen again," EJ vowed bitterly, "I know now that your way is the only way Father – to do unto others before they can do unto you. I will not be made a fool of ever again. You tried to show me the way in the past Father but I never really understood until now, when I have so much to lose. Samantha and my unborn children are to be protected at all costs and I can only do that properly as a DiMera."

"It was a hard lesson for you to learn my son," said Stefano with an approving nod at EJ's words, "But it appears you have at last learnt it. Compassion, hesitation – these are all weaknesses when you are carving out a life for yourself. Every good DiMera should know that and embrace that Elvis."

"And I see that now Father," said EJ with a nod, taking a step closer to him, "And I know that it is only within the arms of this family that I will ever realise my true potential as a man and the heir to the DiMera legacy."

EJ paused and looked a little uncertain.

"That is of course assuming you still wish such a thing to be so Father," said EJ, the corners of his mouth turning down, "After my recent disobedience."

Stefano considered that statement briefly for a moment before a slow smile came to his face. He held open his arms and drew EJ into a warm embrace.

"What kind of father would I be if I did not forgive eh?" asked Stefano, patting his back.

Stefano drew back and looked up at his son, the best and brightest of all of his children.

"Every man must work out who he wants to be for himself," said Stefano magnanimously, "And now you have Elvis and that is all that matters."

"Thank you Father," said EJ with a rueful smile, "I don't deserve such graciousness but I will take it nonetheless."

"So tell me," said Stefano, stepping away and walking over to pour them both a drink, "What does your new wife think of your decision eh? Or are you keeping your revelation from her I wonder?"

"Not at all," said EJ smoothly, "Samantha and I are on the same page with this."

"Really?" asked Stefano in surprise as he turned around and handed EJ his drink, "I would not have thought that would be the case my son. Samantha has never been my greatest fan no?"

EJ gave a dry little laugh at that.

"And don't get me wrong Father," said EJ wryly, "She still isn't. There are a lot of bad memories for Samantha when it comes to you."

"Eh well," said Stefano with an unconcerned shrug, "Not much can be done about the past now can it Elvis?"

"No it can't," agreed EJ readily and then gave an affectionate smile, "But Samantha is a singular woman, unlike anyone I have ever met before in my life."

"Meaning?" queried Stefano curiously.

"Meaning that even though she might still have her-" EJ pursed his lips as he chose his words carefully, "-reservations about you Father these recent events have opened her eyes as well."

"Go on," Stefano prompted him.

"Let's face it Father," said EJ simply, "Samantha has always been more DiMera than Brady, right from the start. She once referred to herself as the anti-Brady and there is nothing more anti-Brady then a DiMera wouldn't you agree?"

"Undoubtedly," chuckled Stefano.

"You see Samantha has fought her true nature for so long and we both thought we had to be something we're not to be happy together but that simply isn't true," said EJ with a little shrug, "And after coming so close to losing it all the both of us realise that we don't want to be life's victims. It is time to embrace what we really are and build a life around that, not on fantasies and wishful thinking."

"So you want one day to run the DiMera empire?" asked Stefano, his face lighting up, "With your Brady Queen by your side."

"Yes Father," said EJ sincerely, "I do, we both do. Samantha and I have discussed it and we're sick of being something we're not. When it comes down to a choice of being a proud, powerful DiMera or a weak, insipid Brady then we both choose the DiMera side."

"This is music to my ears my son," said Stefano joyfully, "The next generation of DiMera's standing together as one."

"Samantha and I are going to have a long and wonderful marriage," said EJ sincerely, "And the only way that can happen is for us both to be of the same mind in these kinds of matters. I suppose I should give Kate and Lucas some thanks for their role in helping us to become a united force."

"Indeed," said Stefano with a dry laugh, "It was a gift they did not expect to bestow I am guessing."

"Most likely not," said EJ wryly, "They sought to tear us and this family apart but instead we are only stronger."

"To helpful enemies," Stefano suggested the toast with a quirk of his lips as he and EJ clinked their glasses together.

"To helpful and now dead enemies," agreed EJ with a bit of a smirk, adding his own little touch to the toast before drinking.

"Dead enemies are the best kind," agreed Stefano readily, "And they managed to do it all by themselves which is very convenient."

"Quite," said EJ with a dry laugh.

"So where will you and your new bride be living eh?" asked Stefano, taking his glass and sitting down on the sofa, crossing his legs and looking up at EJ.

"Actually Father," said EJ ruefully as he took a seat as well, "That was another thing I wanted to talk to you about."

Stefano arched an eyebrow and waited for EJ to continue.

"Samantha and I were talking," said EJ slowly, "And we thought about our options when it comes to where to live and both came to the same conclusion."

"Which is?" asked Stefano, already planning how to stop them if they decided to leave Salem with his grandchildren.

"We were wondering if we could come and live here," said EJ evenly.

"Here?" asked Stefano in surprise.

"Well you have the room," pointed out EJ with a wry smile, "And I thought that you might enjoy seeing your grandchildren every day."

"But that would be wonderful Elvis!" exclaimed Stefano, his face lighting up, "I cannot think of anything that I would want more."

It seemed churlish of him to bring up the fact that he'd had every intention of seeing his grandchildren any day regardless but Stefano was glad he didn't have to orchestrate such a thing now.

"So we have your blessing?" asked EJ with a smile, "Samantha, Will and I can move into the mansion?"

"Yes," said Stefano happily, "Without delay Elvis, without delay!"

Stefano paused then and gave him a curious look.

"And Samantha wishes for this as much as you do eh?" asked Stefano sceptically.

"She's not entirely thrilled at the prospect," EJ admitted, "But as I said Father, my wife is a remarkable woman and she knows it is for the best. Samantha wants our children to grow up strong and powerful and knows that the best place to learn how to be those things is here."

"That is indeed remarkable," said Stefano with a shake of his head, "But clearly Samantha is a woman who knows how to put her family needs ahead of her own opinions."

"Yes she does," said EJ with a smile, "And besides I'm hopeful that once we are spending time together that things will even out a little and old wounds will be forgotten."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea," agreed Stefano readily and was in the mood to toast again.

He held up his glass to EJ's.

"To happy families," Stefano toasted.

"To happy families," agreed EJ with a smile, clinking his glass again his.

**oooOOOOooo**

"_So it was just an overflowing love of family that saw you all together is that it?" asked Agent Nelson, the scepticism obvious in his tone. _

"_Yes Special Agent Nelson," said Stefano coolly, "I would not expect a man like yourself to understand but to a DiMera, family is everything. Those are not just words to us, they are a way of life."_

"_So your son, his pregnant wife and step son all moved in with you," said Nelson steadily, "And then it was just one big happy family huh? Is that how it was Stefano?"_

"_It's Mr DiMera to you," said Stefano coolly, "We were a family, we had our little tiffs but we were happy."_

"_Well if you were all so happy then how come it ended so very badly?" asked Nelson, arching an eyebrow at him challengingly. _

_Stefano simply stared back at him, giving nothing away._


	156. Chapter 302

**Chapter THREE HUNDRED & TWO**** - ****A Mother's Request**

Great things are only possible with outrageous requests.

_Anonymous_

"_So Ms Perrault," said Agent Nelson calmly, "We believe you have a lot to tell us about the events that occurred over the last couple of months at the DiMera mansion?"_

"_I will help in any way I can," said Celeste earnestly, "It is the least I can do under the circumstances."_

"_So why do you think EJ and Sami moved into the DiMera mansion?" asked Agent Nelson, leaning forward in his seat and resting his elbows on the table that separated them. _

"_I don't think I know why dahling," said Celeste, her face set in utmost seriousness, "They were there at the mansion because I asked them to be."_

_Agent Nelson cocked his head at this new piece of information._

"_Really?" he said calmly, "Do go on."_

**oooOOOOooo**

"I know what you are about to do dahling," said Celeste, looking at him with wide, serious eyes.

EJ closed the door behind him and stepped out into the hall.

"Good," he said simply, "Then you'll understand why I don't want to delay speaking with my Father Celeste."

"You cannot break with your father Elvis," said Celeste intently, her face clouding over.

"I have to Celeste," said EJ firmly, "I have my own family to protect now and that is exactly what I am going to do."

"If you want to protect your family Elvis then you must listen to me now," said Celeste unevenly as EJ's eyes narrowed apprehensively, not sure he was going to like this.

He hesitated for a long moment, weighing things up but then gave a reluctant nod.

"You'd better come in," EJ said with a sigh.

He turned around and opened the door again, letting Celeste pass by first before closing the door behind them.

"So what did this latest dream tell you exactly?" asked EJ, sticking his hands in his pockets and looking at Celeste steadily.

"It told me that the DiMera empire must crumble and it has to be you and Samantha who must do it," said Celeste seriously.

"People have been trying to destroy my father for more years than I've been alive Celeste," said EJ grimly, "You of all people should know that. Samantha and I want nothing more than to be done with it. We have other responsibilities now, we've a family consider – Will and the twins, they're our priority now."

"And what of your sister Elvis?" asked Celeste, her face clouding over, "Is she not family to you as well?"

"Look Celeste I'm sorry about Lexie, I really am," said EJ sincerely, "But I have no idea where she is and quite frankly, if she hasn't taken herself away then I fear that Stefano won't have let her live. It pains me to say that but that is why I want to get Samantha and the children to safety while I can."

"Alexandra isn't dead," said Celeste, squaring her shoulders, "I can feel it. That monster has her, hidden away in one of his many prisons. But I can feel her fading, she is getting weaker and unless someone saves her she will soon be-"

Celeste stopped abruptly, unable to go on. EJ's face clouded over at seeing the other woman's grief. Now that Sami was pregnant he could empathise completely what it was to fear for your children's safety. The twins weren't even born yet and EJ knew he would do absolutely anything in the world to protect them, no matter the cost. It was the same when it came to Will for EJ. In the beginning it had been more that he was Sami's son that EJ had cared about him but now after having spent some time with the troubled teenager he could see so much more to the young man.

EJ understood his conflict and grief over his father and knew what it was to have such feelings when it came to a father. There was some kind of light in the boy that EJ could see and just couldn't bear the thought of it ever going out which could easily happen after the trials he'd just been through. It made EJ want to stand by him even more, to see him through this and he knew that he'd do anything for Will just as much as he would for his own blood children.

It had caught EJ off guard how quickly the young man had gotten under his skin, not having expected it but then it had been the same with his mother so it shouldn't have been that big of a surprise he supposed. What they'd shared up on the roof, whether Will wanted to accept it or not had bonded them together and EJ understood what Celeste was going through and the need to protect your own.

"Celeste," said EJ quietly, putting his hand on her arm, "I'm sorry, I truly am. Samantha and I will never be able to thank you for what you did for us at that cabin but I'm not sure what we can do to help you."

"I saw your son and daughter Elvis," said Celeste quickly, "In my dream I saw them as I see you now."

EJ made a surprised face, knowing that only Will knew that the twins were going to be a boy and a girl, they hadn't told anyone else that. It could have been a lucky guess on Celeste's part but EJ was beginning to doubt that luck had anything to do with it.

"Their fate is intertwined with that mansion and the monster that resides within," said Celeste anxiously, "If you do not destroy your father Elvis then he will claim those children as his own and you and Samantha will not be able to stop him."

"Let him try," said EJ, his jaw hardening at even the thought.

"I've already seen it Elvis," said Celeste sadly, "Wherever you go in the world Stefano will find you and more importantly your children and take them from you. He will kill you and Samantha and take what he feel is his."

Celeste took an anxious step forward and laid her hand on EJ's arm in concern.

"I've seen it Elvis," she said unevenly, her voice hoarse with horror, "Your way will not work. We will all lose our children if you and Samantha don't stand and fight this monster once and for all. You are the only ones that can."

"The only ones that can what?"

They both turned to see Sami standing in the doorway in her dressing gown.

"Sorry darling," said EJ regretfully, "Did we wake you?"

"I wasn't asleep," said Sami quietly, walking over to where EJ was standing and slipping an arm around his waist, "What is going on here EJ?"

EJ pulled a little bit of a face, uncertain if he wanted to burden Sami with this right now but Celeste didn't seem to have the same reservations.

"I need you and Elvis to help save my Alexandra," said Celeste quietly, "Stefano has her in that house."

"Celeste my father could have Lexi anywhere in the world," EJ argued, "If he has her at all."

"He has her and she is at the mansion," said Celeste determinedly, "I saw it."

"Why would he be keeping Lexi a prisoner?" asked Sami in confusion.

"Stefano doesn't need to give a reason," said Celeste, her lips thinning in pain, "All she would have had to do was disobey him in some way and he would feel justified."

"EJ?" asked Sami, looking up at him.

"He never spoke of Lexi to me," said EJ unhappily, "Only that he worried about where she was as well."

"That is what Stefano says to me as well," said Celeste, her face hardening, "But it is a lie. He knows full well what fate has befallen my beautiful Alexandra."

"How can we help Lexi?" asked Sami seriously.

"Samantha," EJ said with a little frown, "We have our own plan right now."

"EJ," said Sami quietly, "I haven't treated Lexi well in the past and I feel I owe her because of that and even more importantly she is your sister and now mine, we can't abandon her."

EJ looked at Sami in a mixture of disbelief and pride.

"Samantha going up against my father is incredibly risky," said EJ intently, "I wouldn't hesitate if it was just me but with the twins and Will there is so much more at stake."

"There is a lot at stake EJ," Sami agreed readily, "Like what kind of family we're going to be. I may not be too popular in the Brady camp right now but I want the essence of what they have – a family that sticks together and is there for one another when the going gets rough."

"Not exactly shining examples of that right now are they when it comes to you?" said EJ, his lips twisting in disapproval.

"No," said Sam with a half smile, "But no one said families were perfect did they and it doesn't mean that we shouldn't try just because my family isn't being supportive right now. I don't want to be like that and I don't think you want to either."

"Of course I don't sweetheart," said EJ quickly, "And I do want to help Lexi, of course I do but so much is at stake and Celeste isn't just talking about Lexi here either."

Sami looked over at Celeste expectantly for her to clarify.

"I had a dream," said Celeste quietly, "That it must be you and Elvis who brings the DiMera empire to its knees. You are the only ones who can."

EJ watched Sami's face carefully as she digested that, knowing what a huge thing Celeste was suggesting. People had died for less than even contemplating going up against Stefano DiMera and they all knew it.

"Well," said Sami at last, a wry smile coming to her lips, "If Sami Brady DiMera ever had a motto it would be in for a penny, in for a pound."

"Samantha," said EJ, his heart skipping a beat at the great courage she was showing.

The two of them looked at each other and Sami gave a little smile and nod, encouraging him to do what was right. EJ picked up her hand and kissed it lovingly, in awe of this woman's strength before leaning in and kissing her.

He looked over at Celeste after breaking the kiss.

"Before we give you an answer Celeste we have to talk to Will," said EJ firmly, "He's a part of our family and we can't go ahead without him being on board."

Sami looked up at EJ and gave him a grateful smile for thinking of her son first.

"You don't think that it might be better if William was sent away for a little bit?" asked Celeste fretfully.

EJ looked down at Sami before answering.

"Will is a part of this family and we don't want him away from us," said EJ determinedly, "Whatever we do we do as a whole, with everyone on board and no secrets between us."

"It's the only way," said Sami, agreeing whole heartedly, "I told Will that I was going to be a good mother to him from here on in and that doesn't involve sending him away the first chance I get."

"It will be dangerous," Celeste worried, looking anxious.

"Whatever we do EJ and I will cover all the angles," said Sami confidently, "Our children's safety comes first."

"We'll discuss it with Will," said EJ soberly, "And be in contact Celeste. I'm sorry we can't give you a more definitive answer right now – there is a lot to consider."

Celeste nodded slowly, accepting the truth of those words.

"More than you know Elvis," said Celeste seriously, "There is something I've seen in my dreams that I haven't told you about yet. Something you both need to know and consider before making your decision."

EJ and Sami looked at Celeste enquiringly, waiting to hear what she had to say now...


	157. Chapter 303

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & THREE**** – ****In or Out**

Live so that when your children think of fairness and integrity, they think of you.

_H. Jackson Brown, Jr__.~_

_(American best selling writer, author of Life's Little Instruction Book)_

"How are the eggs?" asked Sami, watching Will eating them hungrily.

She was pleased because the teenager's appetite hadn't been much to speak of lately, not that Sami could blame him.

"They're okay," he mumbled, stopping eating the scrambled eggs abruptly as though he didn't want to get caught enjoying himself, "You're getting better at them."

"I'm getting smarter at them," said Sami with a little laugh, "I had EJ make them."

"He's quite the catch isn't he?" grumbled Will, "Rich, handsome and can cook."

"Yes he is," said Sami with a half smile, "But not for any of those reasons. EJ is a catch because he loves me as much as I love him."

"Whatever," said Will with a little shrug of his shoulders, "I guess he's just perfect then, an all round good guy."

"EJ is as much of a good guy as I am a good girl," said Sami wryly, "Which does actually make us perfect for each other now that you mention it."

"Two wrongs don't make a right," said Will with the appropriate amount of surliness.

"Wow," said Sami with a quirk of her lips as she came to sit down across from Will at EJ's kitchen counter, "Looks like I brought the right kid home from the hospital with that sharp tongue huh?"

Will looked a little guilty but quickly tried to hide it.

"Where's EJ?" asked Will, clearly wanting to change the subject.

"He's out getting more milk," said Sami easily, "Which is good because I wanted to talk to you about something."

Will just gave her a wary look before going back to his scrambled eggs.

"You know how our plan was to leave Salem today or tomorrow?" started Sami.

"It's not our plan Mom," said Will bitterly, "It's yours and EJ's. I didn't get a say."

Sami moved a little on her stool and fixed her son with a patient look.

"As you say," she said calmly, not to be put off, "Well things could change but that is going to be entirely up to you Will."

"You mean you're going to let me go back to Aunt Carrie and Uncle Austin?" asked Will and Sami couldn't help but notice a little note of disappointment that he hid very quickly.

For all of Will's show of indifference and attitude towards her deep down Sami knew that her son appreciated the stand she'd taken for him about wanting them to be together. All this surliness was Will testing Sami about how much she could take before she went back on her word, she was sure of it. Sami was so certain because it was what she'd done for years with her family.

She'd never quite trusted in their love for her and it was a horrible feeling to never know which action would have them stop loving her, or so it had felt at the time. The waiting had been horrible and Sami had acted out, pushing them to breaking point just so that moment could be over and done with. It was crazy logic but it had been in instinctive response to her insecurities at the time and Sami could see Will doing the exact same thing. The difference was though that Sami was determined to prove to Will that she wasn't going anywhere in his life, no matter how hard he pushed. She had to prove to her son that at long last she was a trust worthy person to have in his life.

"No," said Sami firmly and without hesitation, "You're going to be staying with me Will, come what may until you are legally able to leave me and even then it's going to get ugly if you try."

Will looked through his fringe at Sami which was annoyingly hanging over his eyes to gauge how serious she was. Sami just stared steadily back at him, not backing away from her words.

"Yeah right," he muttered, going back to his eggs and avoiding looking at her, "As soon as these babies come you and EJ won't be able to wait to get rid of me."

"Will!" Sami gasped in horror, "You can't honestly think that!"

"Why would you want me hanging around and getting in the way of your perfect life?" asked Will and it was meant to sound accusatory but there was a waver in his voice that told Sami of the pain he was in.

"Our lives won't be perfect unless you are in them," said Sami determinedly, "Will you have to know that you're as an important member of this family as either EJ and I. I want these babies to know their big brother, to grow up with him, to be a brother to them both."

"You mean free babysitting?" said Will tightly.

"No Will," said Sami forcefully, "I mean a big brother to be there to catch them when they start to walk, to throw a ball with them, to watch them learn to read, ride a bike. Someone they can tell their secrets to when only a big brother will do and make them feel safe and loved. EJ and I don't want you to be their parents, we'll do that but we want so much for them to have a big brother who is there for them no matter what."

Will swallowed hard and looked away, his eyes suspiciously bright all of a sudden at Sami's impassioned words. Sami covered his hand with her own and kept talking.

"Will you've been an only child all your life and I always felt a little sad about that," said Sami earnestly, "I grew up with Eric and it was wonderful to have a confidant and best friend who I knew would always love me by my side. I regret that you haven't had that but with the twins there is a chance for you to know what it is like to have a brother and sister and I don't want you to miss out on that Will."

Will looked down at their hands and bit down on his bottom lip, clearly processing her words.

"So what's this thing that you want to ask me?" he asked quietly at last.

"Right," said Sami and gave a bit of a dry laugh, "Well you might want to brace yourself."

"It's all I know how to do nowadays," said Will flatly.

"We had a visit from Celeste this morning," said Sami evenly, not commenting on that last remark, "While you were sleeping and she wanted us to do something for her."

"What?" asked Will with a shrug.

"She's very certain that Stefano is holding Lexie and she wanted EJ and I to help get her back from him," said Sami, watching Will closely for his reaction.

"Why you and EJ?" asked Will in confusion, "Shouldn't Granddad or Uncle Bo be the one to see?"

"Not when it comes to Stefano DiMera," said Sami wryly, "They've been trying to take down Stefano for years and years Will and you know how that has gone. No, Celeste is convinced only EJ and I can do it, from the inside."

"Inside of what?" asked Will hesitantly.

Sami took a deep breath and knew this was going to be a lot for him to handle.

"Inside the DiMera family," said Sami steadily, "That if we were to win Stefano's confidence and live at the mansion as a family then we'd privy to what is going on there and would have a good chance of finding out where he was keeping Lexie so we could rescue her."

"And you think someone like Stefano DiMera is going to take that lying down when he finds out?" asked Will in disbelief, "Mom he will kill us all!"

"Which is why if we did this we'd have to make sure that Stefano gets taken down once and for all," said Sami, not missing a beat.

Will sat back in his chair and look at Sami in amazement.

"And how are we going to do that when no one else has?" he challenged Sami.

"By working as a team," said Sami with great certainty, "Will you have to know that your mother is crafty, underhanded and manipulative and can lie through her teeth with great ease when the moment calls for it."

"Well yeah," said Will with a roll of his eyes.

"And I'm married to a man who is devious, single minded, ruthless at times and just as good a liar as I am," continued on Sami without a note of apology in her voice.

"Your Mr Right," said Will sarcastically.

"Exactly," said Sami with a smile, "For the first time EJ and I would be using our powers for good rather than evil and personally I don't think anyone could stand in the way of that, not even Stefano."

Will paused to think that over.

"Perhaps," he admitted reluctantly, "But where do I fit into all of this?"

"Like I said Will," said Sami solemnly, "We're a team and that means you have to be apart of this as well because this family isn't separating, that simply isn't an option."

"So if I say I don't want to do this-"

"Then we never speak of it again and leave Salem straight away," said Sami without hesitation.

"And what happens to Lexie?" asked Will quietly.

"I don't know Will," said Sami honestly, "I really don't."

Will looked unhappy at that thought.

"Will honey I know this is a big decision but EJ and I are happy to abide by whatever you decide," said Sami sincerely, "I don't know what will happen to Lexie – maybe Stefano will let her go, maybe he won't. The thing is that you need to look inside yourself and work out what you are capable of right now. EJ and I will understand completely if you want to walk away and we know what we are asking of you is huge. No one is going to blame you for wanting to have a quiet life now, no one. After all that you've been through you deserve nothing less."

Will looked at Sami uncertainly.

"Can I think about it?"

"Of course," said Sami with an easy nod, "Take as long as you need Will, EJ and I will be waiting on your decision."

Will looked down at his empty plate before looking up at his mother.

"I think I might go for a walk," he announced and Sami smiled and nodded.

The teenager got up then and headed towards the door.

"Take a coat," Sami advised him, "That wind is still cold."

"I'm not a baby Mom," said Will in exasperation.

"Humour your mother," said Sami with a half smile.

"Fine," said Will, grabbing his coat and putting it on, "I'll see you later."

"Okay," said Sami and watched as he left the apartment.

A few minutes later EJ was walking through the same door Will had just left through.

"How did it go?" asked EJ, looking around the apartment, "I saw Will walking off down the street as I came the other way."

"He's thinking about it," said Sami, pulling a bit of a face, "And I think it went okay. Although talking to him is like talking to the lesser known dwarves Mopey, Surly, Snappy, Angry and Snarky."

"Sounds like par for the course for a teenager," said EJ with a chuckle, "Especially one who has gone through as much as Will has recently."

"Do you know what that kid of mine said to me when I said you and I were perfect for each other because we can both be bad when the mood takes us?" Sami wanted to know.

"Enlighten me," said EJ with a quirk of his lips as he took his coat off and put away the milk.

"He said two wrongs don't make a right," said Sami flatly to which EJ gave a shout of laughter.

Sami wrinkled her nose at him in annoyance.

"In what way is that funny EJ?" she demanded to know.

"It just is," said EJ with a grin, "Will is pretty funny when he wants to be."

"He's implying that we won't end well," said Sami in exasperation.

"We're the exception to the rule," said EJ with an easy shrug, "Two wrongs do indeed make an absolutely perfect right in our case."

"I told Will that our combined evil makes us a formidable adversary," Sami informed him.

"I think that is a fair statement," said EJ with a half smile.

"We've never put that to the test though," Sami said with a little frown, "What if we are getting in over our head EJ? What if we are putting the twins and Will in danger?"

"Well the truth of it is Samantha is that if we do this then we are indeed doing just that," said EJ, not shying away from that fact, "But I truly believe that this would be a very calculated risk and you and I are both at our best when we have everything to lose. EJ and Samantha DiMera have untold resources when their backs are against the wall and I don't think even Stefano DiMera can stand against their combined might."

"The plan we came up with," said Sami cautiously, "A lot of things could go wrong EJ."

"They could," said EJ with a nod as he came around to stand in front of where Sami was still sitting on the kitchen bar stool, "But is there anyone better at thinking on their feet then we are sweetheart? Between the two of us we've gotten ourselves out of more sticky situations then can probably be counted – it's the benefit of being intelligent and excellent liars."

EJ gave a soft little smile then, putting out a hand and resting it lovingly on Sami's ever growing stomach.

"Besides," he said huskily, "I think the only way our children, all of our children including Will to be safe is to neutralise my father. Looking back I can't help but think we were being overly optimistic that Stefano would just let us leave Salem with these twins."

"So you really believe that Stefano has Lexie hidden away in some dark dungeon?" asked Sami with a frown, hating the thought of a father doing that to his own child.

"Celeste is certain and the last time we ignored her warnings it didn't turn out too well," said EJ flatly, "And if my father would do that to Lexie then I don't see him having too much compunction in dishing out his own unique brand of parental discipline to me if I would disobey him."

Sami watched EJ as he went and sat down on the sofa and she slid off her chair and followed him, letting him pull her into his lap.

"Remember when we first met and you thought your father was amazing and perfect?" asked Sami wryly, laying her head on his chest.

"I know," said EJ with a humourless laugh, "I thought I could have you and my father in my life and there would be no problem with that. I honestly thought my father was all about family and wanted what was best for me."

"Stefano wants what is best for Stefano," said Sami bitterly, "The rest of the world be damned. He's ruined so many lives and it would be so good to end his reign of terror once and for all."

"I wonder what Will is going to decide?" pondered EJ thoughtfully, "Either option isn't going to be easy. We're either going to be constantly on the move trying to stay ahead of my father if we just leave and staying and fighting is fraught with danger as well."

"As long as we can keep Will and the twins safe with the plan we come up with," said Sami seriously, "I hope he chooses for us to stay and fight. After what Celeste told us about her dreams and that last bit of information-"

Sami trailed off, giving a little shudder.

"I know," said EJ hugging her closer to him comfortingly, "It all makes so much more sense now of what happened and just ups the ante over what is at stake here."

The door opened then and both Sami and EJ looked over to where Will was walking through it. He eyed their cosy cuddling on the sofa but didn't comment.

"So William," said EJ calmly, looking up at the teenager, "Have you made a decision about what this family is doing next?"

"You realise taking on Stefano DiMera is crazy right?" asked Will flatly.

"I'd prefer calculated but point taken," said EJ with an easy nod.

"And whatever we do you know that this doesn't mean that I'm going to be playing happy families and that EJ and I are going to suddenly be BFF's," said Will, his jaw hardening.

"Your trust and friendship is something I'm prepared to earn Will," said EJ sincerely, "You don't have to give it away just because I married your mother."

Will looked at EJ a little uncertainly, obviously having expected a different response.

"So have you decided against it Will?" asked Sami, keeping her face carefully neutral.

Will looked back at them steadily before answering…

**oooOOOOooo**

"_So it was decided by EJ, Sami and Will that they were going to take on Stefano all by themselves based on a couple of bad dreams of yours?" asked Agent Nelson grimly._

"_Yes," said Celeste quietly. _

"_And find your daughter," continued on the man._

"_Yes," said Celeste, her tone more determined now. _

"_So considering all that has happened Ms Perrault," said the agent flatly, "Do you think that was the best idea in hindsight?"_

_Celeste looked at the man, her face drawn and serious. _

"_I do not require hindsight to know what I knew all along," said Celeste solemnly, "I warned Elvis a long time ago."_

"_And what did that warning involved exactly?" asked Agent Nelson with an arched eyebrow._

"_I warned him," said Celeste quietly, "That Elvis DiMera and Samantha Brady would never be."_

"_But he didn't listen," said Nelson, looking at her with interest._

"_No," said Celeste sadly as she thought of all that had transpired and all that had been lost, "He didn't."_


	158. Chapter 304

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & FOUR**** – ****Moving Day**

To act is to be committed, and to be committed is to be in danger.

_James Arthur Baldwin_

_(American Essayist, Playwright and Novelist, 1924-1987)_

"_So Doctor Rolf," began Agent Nelson, moving a little in his chair and regarding the older man curiously, "You've worked for Stefano DiMera for a long time now haven't you?"_

"_Ya," nodded Rolf, looking around the interrogation room distractedly. _

"_And just what exactly is the nature of that work?" asked Nelson evenly._

"_Vat ever he requirez of me," said Rolf with a little shrug._

"_With a man like Stefano DiMera that must leave the door wide open," commented Nelson with a quirk of his lips, "What's he like to work for?"_

"_Eazy," said Rolf without missing a beat._

"_Easy?" repeated the agent in surprise, "I wouldn't have thought that would be the case Dr Rolf."_

"_If you do az Stefano askz of you then you are rewarded," said Rolf simply, "If you do not-"_

"_What happens then?" interrupted Nelson._

"_Zen you are rewarded differently," said Rolf coolly. _

"_That doesn't sound very pleasant," observed Nelson, "Is that what happened to Bart__ Beiderbecke__ – he was rewarded differently?"_

_Rolf gave a disdainful snort at the mention of the other man's name._

"_Zat imbecile vas lucky to last az long az he did," said Rolf dismissively. _

"_On that note do you happen to know what happened to Mr__ Beiderbecke__ exactly and where we might find him?" asked Agent Nelson calmly, "Or probably more correctly what remains of him?"_

"_I vas not involved," said Rolf simply, "For all I know he iz on a paid vacation in za Bahamaz."_

"_Is that overly likely?" asked Nelson wryly._

"_Iz zis vhy I am here?" asked Rolf in annoyance, "To speculate on zings of vich I know nothing?"_

"_Alright then," said Nelson smoothly, "Let's talk about something you do know then hm?"_

_Rolf gave a little shrug of impatience._

"_I'm vaiting," he said shortly._

"_You were there the day EJ and Sami arrived at the DiMera mansion weren't you?" asked Nelson, watching him closely. _

"_Ya," said Rolf nonchalantly. _

"_What was their mood like?" asked Nelson, "Tell me about that day doctor."_

[center]**oooOOOOooo**[/center]

EJ looked over at Sami as he parked the car in front of the DiMera mansion and saw her looking up at the imposing façade.

"Are you sure sweetheart?" said EJ, looking at Sami very gravely, "We can still change our minds."

"No," said Sami simply, "This is the right thing to do EJ."

"And Will?"

EJ knew what he was asking of mother and son was huge and despite being given the teenager's somewhat reluctant blessing he had to worry about the commitment they were all undertaking by getting out of this car.

"We've talked about it to him," said Sami quietly, "I know we can protect him from Stefano while we do this."

"You're going to hate every minute of it," EJ warned her as they sat together in the car outside the DiMera mansion as dusk began to darken the skies.

"I'm going to think of it like a spin class," said Sami with a quirk of her lips, "Horrible while you're doing it but you have a great butt at the end of it. I'm just focusing on the end result, not the bit in the middle."

EJ smiled at that.

"Well as a huge fan of your bottom I can't say I can argue with that logic," said EJ with a little laugh.

"Just my bottom?" asked Sami with a coquettish little pout.

"Oh no," said EJ huskily, leaning in towards Sami and feeling himself fall under her spell yet again, "There are so many parts of your body that I worship that I couldn't possibly name them all Samantha."

EJ was so close to Sami now in the car that her mouth was scant inches from his.

"Perhaps you can show them to me instead?" suggested Sami throatily.

"It would be my very great pleasure Mrs DiMera," said EJ unevenly as he watched her tongue dart out and lick her lips slowly.

EJ's heart was beginning to beat erratically in his chest at the sight as the danger of what they were about to undertake gave way to pure and simple desire for this woman. Sami had this ability to make him forget everything else in the world and only see her. EJ moved to close the small distance between them, seeing the eagerness on Sami's face for that first kiss and that only added to his excitement.

"ARE YOU TWO COMING OUT OF ZA CAR OR VHAT?"

The loud question followed by the sound of knuckles rapping on the driver's side window had them both jumping as it reverberated through the small space of the car. Sami and EJ both jumped, banging their heads together as the moment was well and truly broken.

"Ow," said Sami with a wrinkle of her nose as she rubbed her forehead.

"Sorry sweetheart," EJ apologised quickly even as he rubbed his own head, "Are you alright?"

"There's a loud Austrian standing outside our car and watching us make out," said Sami dryly, "Not really, no."

"Let's hope this isn't shades of things to come," said EJ grimly, hating the thought of more romantic moments between he and Sami being interrupted by DiMera lackeys.

"You and me both," sighed Sami as she waved her hand for Rafe to step away from the car.

EJ turned in his seat to address Rolf.

"We're coming Rolf," said EJ in exasperation as he opened the car door and stepped out.

He walked around to Sami's side of the car and opened the door for her, helping her out.

"Vow," said Rolf, taking in Sami's pronounced stomach now, "You're huge – are you sure zere are only two babies in zere?"

"I'm not huge I'm pregnant!" Sami snapped in annoyance at the observation.

"And incandescently beautiful along with it," agreed EJ quickly smiling down at Sami before glaring at the older man, "Rolf I'll thank you to not speak to my wife that way ever again."

"Ya, ya," muttered Rolf, clearly not happy about this latest arrangement, "Talk about shooting za mezzenger."

"Our bags are in the boot Rolf," said EJ shortly.

"I'm not a zervant Elvis," said Rolf flatly.

"Then why did you come out if you weren't going to help?" asked EJ shortly.

"To tell you your father iz vaiting for you both in za living room," said Rolf coolly, "I vill send Bart for your bagz."

With that Rolf turned on his heel and left them.

"Well Rolf seems delighted that we're staying," said EJ ironically.

"Do I really look that big?" Sami fretted, putting a self conscious hand on her stomach, "I know I seemed to have popped a bit in the last couple of days but I didn't think it was that bad."

"You're getting bigger because our twins are growing big and strong inside of you," said EJ with a soft smile, "And as their father that makes me so happy and grateful to you Samantha that you're taking such good care of them."

"Really?" asked Sami with a shy little smile.

"Absolutely," EJ reassured her as he stepped closer and bent down to press lingering kisses to the bare skin where Sami's neck met her shoulders.

His lips brushed Sami's skin and made her shudder as EJ continued to talk in that low, silky voice of his.

"And as your husband you know what the sight of that growing baby bump does to me," said EJ throatily, feeling his need for this woman build up inside of him with each passing moment, "How it's all I can do not to take you where you stand, feel it pressing up against me as I part your-"

"STEFANO IZ VAITING!"

Rolf's loud call interrupted them once again and EJ gave a groan of frustration as this time he didn't even bother to acknowledge the other man. Sami's face was flushed and her breathing uneven and EJ knew from experience that she'd already be wet for him. The thought made EJ give a growl of pent up need.

"You know our plan to take out my father?" he whispered in Sami's ear.

"Mm," said Sami unevenly as she leant into him.

"I vote we practice on Rolf first," said EJ grimly, not entirely joking.

Sami gave a giggle at that.

"Sounds like a plan," she said with a little laugh.

EJ straightened up then and turned to face Rolf who was standing in the doorway.

"We're coming Rolf," said EJ evenly, "Keep what is left of your hair on."

"Mean," said Sami, poking EJ in the ribs as the older man pulled an annoyed face and disappeared into the mansion.

"The man interrupted some private time with my new wife," said EJ unapologetically, "He's lucky he can still walk."

"Did I ever tell you that I find your violent tendencies to be a huge turn on?" asked Sami as EJ put his arm around her waist and walked them to the front door.

"Oh my," said EJ with a grateful look to the heavens, "You're so the girl for me Samantha Jean."

"Til death do us part," agreed Sami happily, hugging his waist.

They walked into the living room that way to find Stefano standing in the middle of the room, a big smile on his face.

"Elvis, Samantha," he beamed, clearly thrilled to have them there, "Here you are and I am thrilled to have you both."

Stefano embraced EJ and then moved to do the same to Sami. She immediately balked and stepped back.

"Have you gone senile since I last saw you?" she asked in exasperation, "Like we're going to be hugging anytime soon Stefano."

"Ah I forgot myself," said Stefano in amusement, not appearing to be offended by Sami's stand offish behaviour, "My apologies Samantha."

"I'm here because I think it is the right thing to do for our family," said Sami firmly, obviously wanting to set the ground rules straight off, "And when I say our family I mean me, EJ, the twins and Will. Don't expect me to pretend I've forgotten what you've done to my family in the past Stefano because I won't. I'm just choosing to move on from the fact that you're a raving lunatic with a God complex."

"So it is too early to ask you to call me father eh?" asked Stefano, tongue in cheek, "Is that what you are saying Samantha?"

Sami gave him an unimpressed look at that observation.

"I'm saying that I'm pregnant and the hormones are only going to get worse so I recommend against any more attempts at humour on your behalf or any sudden movements for that matter," said Sami flatly, "Otherwise it's going to get real ugly real quick Stefano."

"Ah what a charmer your new bride is Elvis," said Stefano with a chuckle.

"She's the light of my life Father," said EJ warmly, looking down at Sami adoringly, "The woman that fills me to overflowing with love and light."

"It takes all kinds I suppose," said Stefano with a philosophical shrug, "I am sure this will be a very interesting coming together for all of us."

"And another thing," said Sami, obviously determined to say her piece, "Let's get one thing straight Stefano. These babies I am carrying are mine and EJ's – not yours. You don't get a say in anything to do with them got it? And that goes for Will as well."

"But of course," said Stefano mildly, "I would expect it to be no other way."

Stefano made a show of looking around then.

"And where is young William if I may enquire?" asked Stefano calmly.

"He's having dinner with my mom and dad," said Sami quietly, "He'll be around after that."

"Ah," said Stefano and made a regretful face, "I was hoping we could all sit down together tonight as a family."

He gave a little shrug.

"There will be many other nights I'm sure," said Stefano, getting over his disappointment quickly, "Now then, all of your rooms are prepared and I'll have Bart show you to yours."

Stefano then called out the other man's name.

"BART!"

No one appeared so Stefano tried again, louder this time.

"BART!"

When Bart still didn't appear Rolf joined in.

"BART! ZAY ARE CALLING YOU, YOU IMBECILE!"

Bart appeared from the kitchen doorway then and looked at then expectantly. His nose was red and his eyes seemed to be watering.

"Did you call me?" he asked.

"Yes I called you," said Stefano in exasperation, "What is wrong with you?"

"Sorry," apologised Bart before making a pained expression, "My allergies are acting up – everything is running like a tap and I can't hear too great."

"You look terrible Bart," said Sami sympathetically.

"It's not so bad Mrs D," said Bart before launching into a series of violent sneezes that made everyone in the room grateful they were some distance from him.

"Bart go and fetch the bags from my son's car and take them to the room that is prepared for them," Stefano ordered him once the sneezing had stopped.

"Sure thing boss man," said Bart, sniffling noisily.

Bart trotted off to get the bags as Stefano rolled his eyes.

"Shouldn't Bart be having the day off when he's so unwell?" asked Sami with a frown, "Don't your staff have sick days in their employment package with you Stefano?"

"You know," said Stefano with a little smile, "The issue has never come up."

"Of course it hasn't," said Sami flatly.

"Which room is ours Father?" asked EJ, changing the subject.

"Top of the stairs, turn left and it's the third door on your right," said Stefano easily, "It has the best view of the gardens I think."

"That's very thoughtful of you Father," said EJ with a half smile, "Thank you."

"Dinner will be served in another hour," said Stefano with an inclination of his head, "I'll let you two settle in and see you then."

"Can't wait," said Sami straight faced.

"Indeed," said Stefano with a little chuckle as EJ led Sami away.

They walked up the stairs together and onto their new bedroom.

"Wow," said Sami, looking around herself at the massive room, "This room is enormous – I've lived in apartments smaller than this."

"Large rooms are kind of part and parcel of mansion living darling," said EJ indulgently.

"Why didn't you live here when you came to town instead of that pokey apartment?" asked Sami in amazement as she walked over and touched the rich looking bed linen, "I mean after we all found out you were a DiMera."

"And be so far from you?" asked EJ with a shake of his head, "It was simply not an option my darling."

"That's very romantic honey," said Sami with a little smile, "In a kind of stalkerish way."

"My speciality," said EJ with a grin.

Bart staggered through the doors then, his arms filled with their bags. He tripped over his feet and fell over, dropping all of the suitcases and causing the contents of one to spill open. Unfortunately it was one of Sami's.

"Oh sorry," he apologised quickly as he clambered to get up and stuff the clothes back into the suitcase.

"It's alright Bart-" Sami began but then the man began to sneeze once again and grabbed for the first thing he could find to cover his nose with.

Bart gave three loud sneezes into the garment and then blew his nose loudly whilst Sami and EJ watched on in horror.

"Sorry," he said again, eyes watering madly, sniffling noisily.

Bart looked down at what he was holding in his hands – a pair of purple, silky panties of Sami's that were now unfortunately damp looking and then held them out to Sami with an apologetic smile.

"I guess these are yours Mrs D," said Bart and sniffed loudly again.

Sami looked at the decidedly worse for wear pair of panties and wrinkled her nose prettily.

"Why don't you keep them Bart?" Sami suggested, a pained look on her face at the thought of taking them back.

"Really?" asked Bart in surprise and looked at them more carefully, "I don't think they'll fit Mrs D."

"I think Samantha just meant that you can throw them out Bart," said EJ wryly.

"Oh you sure?" asked Bart, "They're real pretty Mrs D."

"Not anymore they're not," said Sami looking a bit ill, "Seriously Bart, just get rid of them and for heaven's sake – take some anti-histamines."

"And leave the suitcase Bart," said EJ quickly as he went to pick more things up, "I'll fix it up – thank you, you can go now."

"Oh okay," said Bart, wiping his nose with Sami's panties again distractedly.

He went to leave but then turned back around and gave them both a big smile.

"I'm real glad you two are going to be living here now," said Bart happily, "It will be nice."

"We're pretty excited about it too Bart," said Sami wryly.

Bart seemed to accept that statement at face value before heading out the door. EJ walked over the pile of clothes and closed the door behind him before leaning back on it.

"Well we made it," observed EJ with a quirk of his lips, "And the only casualty so far is a pair of knickers so all in all it could have been worse I suppose."

"Seeing Bart blowing his nose with my panties has put me off ever wearing them again," said Sami with another wrinkle of her nose.

"Really?" asked EJ, very interested by this piece of information as a mischievous grin split his face, "Well in that case it could have been [i]_a lot_[/i] worse. And I say if you feel that way sweetheart you should just go with it."

"I bet you do," said Sami, folding her arms in front of her and giving a little laugh, "I just bet you do EJ DiMera."


	159. Chapter 305

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & FIVE**** – ****Making Yourself At Home**

As in nature, things move violently to their place and calmly in their place, so virtue in ambition is violent, in authority settled and calm.

_Francis Bacon, Sr__.~ _

_(English Lawyer and Philosopher. 1561-1626)_

"How is your fish Samantha?"

"Wh-what?" asked Sami, blinking at him a little distractedly, "Oh right, the fish, yes it's fine, thank you."

EJ didn't bother to hide the little smile at Sami's vagueness because he knew the reason for it. He and Sami were seated side by side at the dinner table with Stefano to their right at the head of the table. EJ had the hand he wasn't eating with under the table and on Sami's thigh, massaging it gently.

"It will be nice to have family meals again eh?" said Stefano with a smile and little nod.

Stefano continued talking but EJ suddenly couldn't understand what he was saying because Sami was returning the favour and now had her hand on his thigh and was making her way determinedly towards his crotch. The fact that she'd be so bold with his father sitting right there only heightened the thrill for EJ and a lot of blood was suddenly diverted south of the border for him. Stefano had stopped talking and was looking at EJ expectantly and he knew he had to come up with a suitable response to a question he hadn't heard. EJ made a mumbled, vague sound and hoped that it would pass as he heard Sami give a little giggle.

"I can see I am boring you my son," said Stefano with a quirk of his lips.

"Ah no, of course not," said EJ quickly.

"It is of no importance," said Stefano with a little laugh, "I was young once, a long time ago and I know what it is to sit next to a beautiful woman and think of nothing else."

"It is rather difficult," admitted EJ ruefully, looking over at Sami and thinking she looked even more gorgeous than normal which hardly seemed possible.

Sami just gave a serene smile under his rapt attention, holding his gaze steadily with a look that promised EJ a long night of such difficulties. The meal seemed endless to EJ now, each mouthful dry in his mouth because the only tasty morsel he wanted to consume was sitting next to him eating her dessert. Will arrived home towards the end of dessert, his bags in hand.

"How was dinner?" asked Sami with a smile as he came in to tell them that he was there.

Will looked like he was going through a lot of possible adjectives before settling on a neutral one.

"Okay."

"Did your grandparents give you a hard time about moving in here?" asked Sami with a sigh.

"Not really," said Will with a little shrug which EJ suspected was a bit of a lie, "But Grandpa didn't seem to want to stop the car when we got here. I practically had to leap from a moving car."

EJ and Stefano couldn't help but smile at the young man's description, both of them finding that easy to imagine.

"We could have picked you up Will," said Sami with a frown, "Your grandpa didn't have to drop you."

"I don't think it was the mileage Roman would have been objecting to somehow sweetheart," said EJ wryly.

"They offered me to come and stay with either one of them," Will confirmed.

"Well I for one am glad to see you have chosen this house William," said Stefano happily, "It has been a long time since this house has known a real family."

Will looked like he wanted to say something to that but managed to bite his tongue.

"So I'm just going to unpack," said Will.

"But of course," said Stefano, giving Will instructions to his room before adding, "I'm looking forward to getting to know you William. You'll see; this will turn out to be the best for all of us."

"Right," said Will flatly, "I'm sure."

"Ah teenagers," said Stefano with a little chuckle after he'd left, "The weight of the world is always on their shoulders eh?"

"Will has a lot of reasons to not be happy right now Stefano," Sami said with a frown, instantly defending her child.

"These kinds of things are the making of a man," said Stefano dismissively, "It is only when he knows hardship that he comes to understand the strength that is inside of him. Pain and suffering is a blessing in disguise Samantha."

In many ways EJ knew his father was right but he also knew that Sami's protective mother's heart didn't need to hear that right then.

"Samantha and I will handle Will thank you Father," said EJ firmly and earning himself a grateful look from his new wife, "Please just stay out of it. Will doesn't need any of your philosophies on life right now."

"Of course, of course," said Stefano with an easy wave of his hand.

After dinner Sami and EJ walked up the stairway together, arms around each other's waist. EJ loved the way Sami snuggled into him as they walked and despite where they were and the dangerous undertakings that were ahead of them he felt like the happiest man in the world.

"I'm just going to check in on Will," said Sami when they were at the top of the stairs, "I won't be long."

"Take as long as you both need," EJ reassured her with a smile, "I'll be waiting for you Samantha."

EJ bent his head and kissed her lips softly.

"Forever if needs be because you are so worth a forever," said EJ huskily against her lips.

Sami gave a little smile and a laugh.

"You know I thought all this effusive wooing might stop after we were married," admitted Sami affectionately, "After all you've got the girl EJ."

"Getting the girl was the easy part," said EJ with a grin, "Now I have to work on keeping her."

"That kind of attitude is going to get you a long way mister," said Sami, putting her hands on his chest and stealing another kiss from him before giving him a wink and heading towards Will's bedroom.

Sami knocked on Will's door quietly and waited for him to tell her to come in.

"How are you settling in?" Sami asked as she came to sit on his bed where Will was listening to his iPod.

"Okay," said Will with a shrug.

"I just wanted to say goodnight," said Sami with a smile.

"You're tucking me in?" asked Will with a roll of his eyes, "I'm not five Mom."

"You're my little boy Will," said Sami with a soft smile, brushing the hair out of his eyes, "And you always will be."

"That's healthy," Will snarked but looked touched despite himself.

"I just wanted to check on you before I went to bed and see that you're doing okay," said Sami, "It's your first night here and I know that must be a bit confronting."

"The old guy has gone all out," said Will, nodding at his luxurious looking room that had been decked out as a teenager's delight, "Flat screen, Blu ray, X-box, DVD and games collection – I technically don't ever have to leave this room ever again."

"Stefano knows how to indulge," agreed Sami wryly, "But just remember everything comes with a price Will, especially when it comes to Stefano DiMera."

"It's alright Mom," said Will determinedly, "I'm not stupid."

"I know you're not," said Sami with a half smile, "But I know you're vulnerable right now as well. Just remember that I'm here for you and if you let him, EJ is too."

"Just because you love EJ doesn't mean I have to Mom," said Will flatly.

"And just because I love EJ doesn't mean you don't have to," Sami countered knowingly, "Just give him a chance Will and I promise EJ will come through for you. He's just that kind of man and he wants to be a part of your life."

"I'm here aren't I?" asked Will with a sigh, "That's all I've got right now Mom."

"I know honey," said Sami, leaning over to kiss his cheek, "And that's enough for now. I just wanted to give you something to think about."

Sami stood up then and smiled down at him.

"Goodnight honey," she said huskily, "Sleep well and I'll see you in the morning."

Sami walked to the door and had her hand on the doorknob when Will stalled her.

"Hey Mom," he said.

Sami turned around and looked at him expectantly.

"This whole got my stuff all together Mom thing that you've got going on nowadays," Will began, looking at her intently, "It's kind of freaking me out."

"Oh," said Sami, pursing her lips, "Sorry – I guess."

"I didn't say I didn't like it," Will admitted begrudgingly and Sami smiled at that.

"Well good," she said affectionately, "Because there is more of where that came from young man."

The two smiled at each other and then Sami just let herself out of his room and headed back towards her and EJ's room.

"How is he?" asked EJ, obviously having just had a quick shower as he'd waited for her.

"Okay," nodded Sami, "Dealing as the kids say nowadays."

She looked around the room and arched an eyebrow at EJ.

"I've done a sweep," EJ informed her, reaching into the drawer beside the bed and pulling out an electronic box, "Didn't find anything."

EJ and Sami knew that there was a good chance that Stefano was going to be watching them closely for all of his genial welcoming and weren't taking any chances. EJ had checked theirs and Will's room for any kind of surveillance hardware with the device The Mole had given him and it was clean. He intended to do that daily for the entirety of their stay. It didn't pay to take any chances with Stefano DiMera and he and Sami needed to be able to discuss things freely in at least one room in the house.

"So how was I?" asked Sami with a half smile, "Did I go too hard with Stefano today?"

"You played it beautifully my love," EJ reassured her with a big smile, "If you made it look too easy he would have been suspicious about our motives. You were right on the money with the amount of begrudging acceptance of the situation."

"It's nice to know all my years of lies and deceit are finally starting to pay off," said Sami with a quirk of her lips.

"I think today went very smoothly and better than I'd even hoped," said EJ with a nod.

Sami looked EJ up and down then and smiled.

"I see someone is eager for bed," she teased him.

"Unbelievably so," said EJ with a grin.

"I'm having a shower," Sami announced, "Think happy thoughts until I'm back."

"Can I think dirty thoughts instead?" asked EJ hopefully as Sami collected her night dress and headed towards the bathroom.

"Why not?" asked Sami before sending him a cheeky look over her shoulder, "I will be."

EJ groaned at that a she disappeared inside the little room. He waited until he heard water running and then made a bee line for the same door. EJ came to an abrupt halt as he saw a completely naked Sami standing the shower and soaping herself up. She looked over her shoulder and smiled at him.

"Forget something?" she asked him innocently.

"I was worried I'd used the last of the soap," lied EJ, his eyes fixed to Sami's luscious body.

"Nope," said Sami, turning around and giving him a good view of her naked self, "As you can see there is plenty."

"Aha," said EJ distractedly, forcing himself not to blink and miss one minute of this, "You know I was thinking that now that you're pregnant I should keep a closer eye on you in the shower."

"Is that right?" asked Sami in amusement.

"Yes well I'd hate for you to slip and hurt yourself," said EJ unevenly.

"And you'd make that sacrifice for little old me?" Sami teased him.

"Well I feel like I should," said EJ as he took a seat on the lid of the toilet seat, "You know, it's my duty of care as a father to be and your husband."

"Wow," said Sami with a small smile, "My hero."

"I try," said EJ with a grin, "You just carry on, I'll sit quietly here – you won't even know I'm here."

"I won't?" asked Sami with a little pout, "That's a shame."

A sly smile came to her lips as she began to slowly soap her entire body up, lingering over her breasts, her stomach and the thatch of dark blonde hair between her legs.

"It's getting a little warm in here," said EJ, his voice a little strangled as he shameless enjoyed the show she was putting on for him.

He quickly pulled his black tank top off, making sure not to miss a moment of what Sami was doing.

"Is that better?" Sami asked mildly, turning around as she let the shower stream rinse the soap from her body and EJ watched riveted as the suds snaked down her back and bottom.

"You know it's still a little warm," said EJ faintly, already pulling at his sweat pants.

He had to ease it over the massive hard on he was currently sporting of course. Sami turned back around to see an EJ that was as naked as she was sitting on the toilet seat.

"Feeling better?" she asked him sweetly, absently stroking one of her breasts.

"Not yet," EJ growled as Sami continued to tease him.

EJ couldn't stand it any longer, suddenly standing up and grabbing Sami and pulling her out of the shower. Sami gave a little squeal of surprise as he promptly deposited her on the bathroom counter, spreading her legs and mounting her in one fierce stroke. She was so slick with her own juices that it wasn't that hard and Sami immediately wrapped her arms around his neck, her dripping, naked body pressed up against his.

"Are you ready?" he panted, forcing himself to hold on a little longer when all EJ really wanted to do was come hard right there and then.

"Don't I feel ready?" Sami purred, massaging his pulsating staff with her walls enticingly.

"God yes!" EJ growled beginning to pump himself into her, quickly gaining pace.

Sami loudly moaned her appreciation, her nails raking EJ's back and causing a pleasurable pain. He'd barely started before Sami was convulsing around him, her arousal obviously at a fever pitch in an almost instant. EJ felt her body push out fresh, orgasmic moisture for him, making Sami even hotter and wetter and couldn't contain himself. He gave one last frantic thrust before his is aching balls delivered their load into her. EJ groaned noisily, throwing back his head and enjoying an intense climax even as Sami's walls milked him hard for more of what he had for them.

"Oh sweetheart," panted Sami appreciatively as she leant back against the bathroom mirror and smiled at him, "You sure know how to give a woman what she wants."

"Ditto," EJ said groggily, still feeling his body pulsating pleasurably.

They looked at each other and shared a satisfied smile.

"So now that is over and done with why don't you take me to bed and fuck me hard all night big boy?" asked Sami with a seductive look at him, "I've got an itch that is going to take a lot of scratching."

"Can I just say I love these pregnancy hormones of yours Samantha," said EJ adoringly.

"Well this horny pregnant woman needs a lot more of that before she is satisfied tonight," said Sami throatily, "And I'm not going to let you sleep until I am."

"My dream woman," said EJ, his eyes flaring in delight and desire before he crushed her lips beneath his.

EJ stayed inside of Sami as they kissed, knowing it wasn't going to take much to revive him. Sami's feet where propped on his hips as she relaxed into the kisses as EJ began to thrust gently into her. After a few minutes of that Sami cupped his head and made EJ break the kiss, directing his mouth to one of her breasts.

"They need you EJ," said Sami breathlessly and EJ heard her breath hitch as he took one of the darkening pink nubs into his mouth.

He pulled it into his mouth and flicked his tongue, enjoying the way it tightened in his mouth to a hard bead. EJ nibbled delicately on the peak and Sami moaned in frustration at his soft touch.

"Harder!" she egged him on around another moan, "More!"

EJ knew what an erogenous zone Sami's breasts were for her and couldn't deny her what she wanted. He began to suckle hard on her teat, pulling and nipping at it hungrily even as his hand went to her other breast and began to massage it roughly.

"Yes!" Sami squeaked in appreciation and he felt her thighs quiver as she obviously started to build towards another climax.

EJ loved making her come this way and felt his rod hardened even more at how responsive she was to his touches. He kept his slow, easy rhythm inside of her but renewed his efforts on Sami's breasts. He swapped breasts, treating her other one to the same enthusiastically rough treatment which had her moaning mindlessly. EJ used his thumb and forefinger to clamp down hard on Sami's recently released and now swollen nipple, refusing to let it go until she'd done what he wanted her to do. He didn't have long to wait though and as soon as Sami's walls began to quiver around him, her knees shaking against his side EJ lifted his head and clamped down with his other hand on that that nipple as well.

Sami threw her head back and gave breathy moans of completion even as she rode his rock hard member. When it seemed like she was done Sami leant back against the mirror again, panting up at him with grateful eyes. EJ held her gaze with an appreciative look and waited until Sami was completely done before releasing the tight grip he had on her nipples. Blood coursed back into the tortured nubs and Sami groaned loudly at the sensation, a fresh volley of sensation ripping through her small frame and EJ was rewarded by having her walls frantically clawing at his sensitive member once more.

"Oh God but you're so good at that," said Sami weakly, collapsing back against the mirror.

"Practice makes perfect," said EJ with a satisfied grin.

"Bed," Sami ordered him with a glint in her eye, "I want to reward you for being such a good student."

EJ didn't need to be told twice, simply picking Sami up and still refusing to leave his place inside of her. They kissed as he carried her back into the bedroom but then Sami wiggled a little bit in his arms.

"Put me down," she requested and EJ made a disappointed face but did as she requested.

Sami immediately sat on the side of the bed and reached out for EJ's hips and his disappointment at being made to leave her was instantly replaced with extreme pleasure. Sami immediately took as much of his manhood as she could get into her mouth and began to suck on it enthusiastically. Seeing her perform this service for him with so much obvious relish always did things to EJ that he couldn't put into words. Instead he moaned his thanks as he stroked Sami's head and shoulders, letting her work her magic on him. His balls were getting harder and heavier with each passing moment and EJ knew next time he unloaded them he wanted to be inside of Sami once again.

"Stop," he said reluctantly, "I'm getting close sweetheart."

Sami drew back and gave him a wicked smile.

"Where do you want to come EJ?" she asked him, licking her lips hungrily as she considered the possibilities along with him.

"Inside of you," said EJ hoarsely, loving how sexually confident she was with him nowadays.

"Oh well," said Sami as she lay back on the bed and smiled up at him, "I think that can be arranged."

EJ dropped to his knees beside the bed and reached out with shaking hands for Sami's legs which he propped against either shoulder. Sami squeezed her bottom together and made it as hard as she could for him to mount her in this position because she knew EJ loved the challenge. He gave a satisfied grunt as he managed it, his thick staff parting swollen flaps and causing Sami's walls to strain to have to take him. Sami made a sound of satisfaction as he penetrated her as deeply as he could, slipping into that most deep place of hers.

Her hands were by her side and EJ grabbed her forearms to hold onto before starting to thrust up into her. He tried his best to start slowly but it had been awhile since his last release and he very quickly found that he was hammering himself into Sami and picking up pace. EJ gave a loud, satisfied grunt every time he was completely impaled on her tight, wet, heat and Sami made a breathless noise of approval at the same time which only made EJ go harder, deeper. She boldly met each of his thrusts with eyes that told him she only wanted more. EJ watched in fascination as Sami's breasts jerked up and down with each of his penetrations, their peaks still swollen and plump from all of his attentions earlier. The sight was a beautiful one and that was before even looking at Sami's stomach.

The bulge there was getting bigger every day much to EJ's delight and he couldn't resist putting a hand out on it now to feel its roundness even as he laboured away inside of Sami. It was such an aphrodisiac to EJ that he just couldn't explain the feelings it caused in him. The thought that soon her stomach was going to be even bigger soon and what that would look like was enough to push EJ over that final ledge. His stomach muscles clenched as one long, hard thrust saw him squirting his maleness into that belly, filling it to overflowing with all that EJ had to give.

Throughout his climax EJ could feel Sami frantically pumping herself up and down on his rod, needing her completion as well before he softened. EJ couldn't help her, too consumed by his own release to do anything else other than choke out his pleasure. He was almost done when Sami's hand went between her legs, still pumping herself up and down on his rod and began to roughly rub her clit to finally get there. Within seconds Sami was bucking up and arching her back, clutching at the sheets as her latest orgasm washed over her. Her walls practically snapped EJ in two as she enjoyed a very deep orgasm and it prompted him to deliver another load into her waiting heat, much to even EJ's surprise.

"Samantha!" he grunted in delight as he surged into her yet again, feeling his manhood squirt out even more of its maleness into her.

EJ collapsed on top of Sami, feeling the mound of her stomach pressing against his and making him give a couple of last hard thrusts into her.

"Oh wow," said Sami dazedly when she could speak again.

EJ couldn't even talk, he just grunted into her sweaty neck and hoped that Sami took out of that his undying love and adoration of her. Instead EJ managed to lift his head and give Sami a deep grateful kiss. Sami returned it tenfold before tangling her fingers in his hair and pulling back on it, forcing him to break the kiss.

"You get half an hour to recuperate and rehydrate then I want at least another two of those," Sami informed him cheekily, still trying to catch her breath herself.

"I live to serve," said EJ with a huge, sweaty grin before claiming her mouth once again.

**oooOOOOooo**

"_So they all seemed happy to be there?" asked Nelson, "And what reason did Stefano give you for them moving in?"_

"_Just zat he vanted hiz family with him," said Rolf easily, "I vas not surprised."_

"_Because Stefano DiMera is all about family huh?" asked the agent a little sarcastically._

"_Ya he iz," nodded Rolf, "One vay or ze other."_

"_What does that mean Doctor?" asked Nelson curiously. _

"_It meanz Stefano likez to keep what iz hiz close," said Rolf coolly. _

"_I'm not sure his son and daughter in law would have liked to be called Stefano's property like that," observed Nelson with a bit of a frown._

"_It doez not matter vhat zey vanted," said Rolf with an offhanded shrug, "Zat vas just za vay zings were."_


	160. Chapter 306

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & SIX**** – ****Family Affairs**

Whenever you're in conflict with someone, there is one factor that can make the difference between damaging your relationship and deepening it. That factor is attitude.

_William James_

_(American Philosopher and Psychologist, leader of the philosophical movement of Pragmatism, 1842-1910)_

"_Thank you for being here Mrs Brady," said Agent Nelson, "I understand how trying the circumstances are for your family right now. Can I get you anything – a glass of water?"_

"_No thank you Agent Nelson," said Caroline softly, her face drawn in painful lines, "I'm fine. We can begin now if you like." _

"_A lots happened to your family in recent times hasn't it?" asked Nelson, treading softly with the older woman._

_Caroline gave a humourless laugh at that. _

"_A lot is always happening in our family," she said with a half smile, "It's par for the course."_

"_So when did you first find out about your granddaughter's relationship with EJ DiMera?" he asked._

"_When they came into my pub and Sami announced it in a way only she could," Caroline remembered with a sad but affectionate smile, "That was just after Lucas and Kate-"_

_She trailed off and shook her head._

"_It's all so heart breaking," Caroline whispered. _

"_And then they were married soon after that?" _

"_Yes," said Caroline with a sad nod, "The next day I think, or the day after. I'm not sure – none of the family was invited, except for John."_

"_John," said Nelson, quickly consulting his notes, "That's John Black who is married to Sami's mother – her step father."_

"_Yes," she said with a nod._

"_Why was he there when no one else was invited?" asked Nelson curiously, "It seems like an odd choice."_

"_Sami and John had a bumpy relationship for a long time," said Caroline quietly, "But I think in a weird way it makes sense that for something like this she would turn to him."_

"_How do you mean?"_

"_Family history," said Caroline with a sigh, "John found himself in a similar kind of situation with loving Marlena whilst she was married to Sami's father. It was complicated, unbelievably so but John and Marlena were in love and trying to do the right thing when it came to her marriage. Though it wasn't exactly the same situation I think John understood what they were going through and could empathise."_

_Caroline looked at the younger man and frowned._

"_But I don't know any of the circumstances," she said unevenly, "You'll have to talk to John."_

"_We will be," said the agent, "Don't worry. So tell me about the family's reaction to finding out that Sami and EJ were going to be moving into the DiMera mansion."_

_Caroline put a hand to her throat and patted herself in an anxious, self comforting way, obviously not relishing this part of the story._

"_You have to understand Agent Nelson," she said unevenly, "The Brady's and DiMera's have a long and bitter history together for over fifty years now. The DiMera's have done unspeakable things to our family to try and destroy us."_

"_So it was safe to say people weren't happy?" asked Nelson with interest._

"_No," said Caroline with another sigh, "They weren't." _

**oooOOOOooo**

"I think we're going to have to cut back on your coffee sweetheart," observed EJ as paid for the drinks at the coffee shop and turned back around to smile down at her, "It's not the best for the babies I believe."

"We?" said Sami flatly with a teasing look at him.

"Alright," said EJ with a rueful smile, "To show husbandly solidarity and support I'll stop drinking it as well."

"You love your coffee," warned Sami with a half smile.

"I love you so much more my darling girl," said EJ, stealing a quick kiss before handing her the coffee, "Last one for awhile, enjoy."

"Ug," said Sami with a wrinkle of her nose as she accepted the offered coffee, "I hate giving up one of my vices."

"And that is why I love you so much," said EJ with a grin, "There is just something so hot about a woman who rejoices in her vices."

"You know I'm standing right here," said Will flatly, "Can we keep the potty talk to a minimum guys?"

"Sorry William," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "No can do."

"Great," said Will with a roll of his eyes, "I hope Arthur and Martha can't hear this otherwise they are going to be messed up for life."

Sami and EJ and taken to calling the twins Arthur and Martha simply because they couldn't agree on any names.

"I'm sure they'll cope," said EJ in amusement.

"Honey are you sure you don't want a hot chocolate or something?" she asked him, "Something to sweeten you up perhaps?"

"Oh I'm sorry Mom," said Will sarcastically, "Am I bumming out your buzz?"

"No," said Sami evenly, "But I'd like for you to try and be a little more pleasant."

"This is all I've got Mom," Will pushed her, "Take it or leave it."

Will looked over at EJ who had a smile on his face which he tried to cover by taking a sip of his coffee.

"What's so funny EJ?" asked Will in annoyance as his outburst clearly didn't have the effect he was hoping for.

"I was just remembering when I spoke to my Granny Violet that way when I was fifteen," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "I was full of myself and trying to prove a point about how grown up I was. Granny Vi didn't take it lying down."

"What did she do?" asked Sami curiously.

She'd spoken with the feisty woman enough on the phone to know that it would have been interesting.

"At the time she just smiled and said nothing," said EJ wryly, "Later I found out that Granny Vi subscribes to the – revenge is a dish best served cold – philosophy of life."

"Was it bad?" asked Sami, trying to look sympathetic but her smile betrayed her.

"A few days later I was at a party and was expecting Edmund or my mum to pick me up," said EJ, wrinkling his nose ruefully at the memory, "All the cool kids were there – you know that kind of thing."

"Not really because I never got invited to those kinds of parties when I was a teenager," said Sami dryly, "But go on."

"Well it was midnight and my ride arrived," said EJ with a sigh, "It was my Granny Vi."

"Well that doesn't sound like the end of the world," said Sami practically, "I mean I'm sure the other kids had parents or grandparents picking them up."

"They did," said EJ with a sigh, "Just not with the same amount of theatrics that Granny Violet brought to it. She turned up at the house the party was at and walked straight in and made a bee line for me. She was dressed in a her pyjamas complete with a tutu, flippers and snorkel mask and a pink feather boa."

"Oh no!" Sami gasped, putting a hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing.

"How did she drive over in flippers?" asked Will, looking horrified by the mental image.

"Not my biggest concern right then Will when she bore down on me looking like someone who had just escaped from a lunatic asylum," said EJ wryly, "She then hugged me in front of all of my mates and worst of all, the girls – called me her Lolly Legs and took my hand and led me out of that party."

"Dude," said Will shaking his head and looking sick as he clearly identified with that level of public humiliation.

"I was already six foot at age fifteen," remembered EJ with an affectionate smile of remembrance, "But I shrunk to about two feet as she led me by the hand out of that place."

"Oh man," said Will, giving EJ a pained look of sympathy despite himself, "That's harsh."

"Needless to say I never spoke to my Granny Vi disrespectfully ever again," said EJ with a wry smile, "And I won't even talk about what I had to do to get my cool back in the eyes of the other kids."

"EJ what did you do?" asked Sami, looking at him wide eyed.

"I don't really want to say," said EJ with a self deprecating smile, "But it was illegal and endangered my life and everyone within a thirty foot radius of me."

"Did it work?" asked Will with interest, too much interest for Sami's liking actually.

"It did," said EJ proudly, "Everyone wanted to sign my plaster cast."

"You broke something?" Sami groaned with a laugh, "EJ that is a horrible story to tell a teenager! What kind of moral is that meant to teach Will?"

"That if you're going to jump a tractor over a gorge filled with teenagers you need to have more than a fifty feet run up?" offered up EJ with a smile as he took another sip of his coffee.

"Don't listen to anything this man says to you Will," said Sami in exasperation.

"Wasn't EJ's point that I shouldn't talk to you disrespectfully?" asked Will sweetly, "So you're saying I shouldn't do that?"

"EJ go and get Will a doughnut," said Sami firmly.

"Odd segue way but alright darling," said EJ amicably enough, "Any preferences Will?"

"I like the pineapple glaze ones," said Will, obviously getting over his 'I'm not hungry' stance he'd first had when they'd walked into the coffee shop.

"Right."

EJ returned in less than a minute and handed the requested treat to Will. The teenager lifted it to his mouth and was about to take a bite when Sami snatched it from his hand.

"You can't have it," she announced defiantly, "Smart mouths don't get doughnuts."

Will was left with empty hands, a gapping mouth and a look of utter surprise on his face. EJ for his part burst out laughing at the little scene. Will blinked in disbelief as Sami began to happily eat the doughnut.

"Good parenting Mom," said Will in exasperation as he watched his doughnut disappear longingly.

"Yes it was," said Sami with a smug smile as she licked her lips and then fingers, "And after this I'm going out to be flippers and a snorkel and a feather boa so watch out young man."

"Wow," said EJ, his eyes lighting up in mischievous appreciation, "And do I get a private modelling of that ensemble I have to ask Mrs DiMera?"

"You bet you do big boy," said Sami with a grin.

"Oh god make it stop," said Will dramatically, covering his ears with his hands, "Doesn't the Geneva Convention have this somewhere about this being cruel and unusual punishment?"

"I see that time in Switzerland held you in good stead Will," observed EJ with a bit of a laugh, "But no, surprisingly doughnut denial and flipper talk wasn't on their latest charter of human rights."

"This is a nightmare," groaned Will dramatically.

Sami held her defiantly unrepentant look but was smiling on the inside. She'd been nervous for some time now about what kind of family they were all going to be. They'd started with so many strikes against them but Sami was relieved to see them settle into an easy rhythm, especially Will, even if he didn't realise it yet. Seeing him like this, teenage theatrics and all just warmed Sami's heart. He'd been shut off from so much around him ever since what had happened with his father it felt good to see more of the boy Sami knew and loved. This wasn't going to be easy but as long as Will engaged with them like this and didn't freeze her and EJ out whether he knew it or not, he was being a part of building this little family.

"I know the feeling."

Sami whirled around to see her parents and grandmother standing in the doorway of the coffee shop. She took a deep breath and then smiled calmly at them.

"Hi Mom, Dad," said Sami, nodding at each one of them in turn, "Grandma."

"Hello dear," said Caroline quickly, obviously wanting to head off any unpleasantness at the pass.

It didn't work of course.

"You got something you want to tell us Sami Gene?" asked Roman seriously as they all came to stand in front of the threesome.

"It's good to see you?" offered up Sami without missing a beat.

"Sami is it true?" asked Marlena fretfully, "Have you and Will moved into the DiMera mansion?"

"I'm guessing you already know the answer to that question Mom," said Sami ruefully, "But yes, it's true."

"How could you do something like that without talking to us first Sami?" asked Marlena in disbelief, clearly intent on ignoring EJ's presence."

"What live my life?" asked Sami vaguely sarcastically.

"And Will?" asked Roman, looking over at his grandson, "You're making him live in that hell hole as well Sami? How could you?"

"A hell hole with a heated indoor swimming pool, tennis court and home theatre," said EJ wryly, "It's quite the struggle Roman but Will is managing."

"Not everything is about material things EJ!" Roman snapped in disgust, "And you'd know that if you weren't raised by wolves."

"EJ wasn't raised by wolves," interjected Will straight faced, "He also had a crazy, flipper wearing granny."

Sami, Will and EJ shared a little smile at that and Sami could see her parent's shock at Will defending EJ in any kind of way.

"And that's before we even get onto my mum," said EJ with a grin.

"So this is all a big joke to you all is that it?" asked Marlena in exasperation, "This is serious! Can't you see what you've done Sami?"

"Started to build a life with my family?" offered up Sami with the same exasperation.

"You've played right into Stefano and EJ's hands," said Roman in vexation, "Those megalomaniacs only want to control and destroy all things Brady."

"Would you like for me to step outside so you can feel less self conscious about defaming me in a public place Roman?" asked EJ sweetly.

"I don't care what you do EJ as long as it far from this family," said Roman bitterly.

"Look," said Sami firmly, "I know you've all had a lot to adjust to suddenly and I get that, I really do. But I was always taught by you that if you've got nothing nice to say then don't say anything at all. Perhaps you guys could remember that!"

"We're worried about you and Will Sami," said Caroline anxiously.

"You don't have to be," said Sami, slipping her arm around EJ's waist, "EJ and I know what we're doing."

"And Will?" asked Marlena tightly, looking over at her grandson, "What do you think about all of this?"

"Mom wants me to be with her," said Will with a shrug, "So I am."

"This isn't right Sami," said Marlena, grabbing her arm desperately, "You have to see that."

"Mom," said Sami, putting her hand over her mother's and giving her the most reassuring look she could, "I know I've never given you any reason to do this before but right now I need you to trust me. This is all going to be fine."

"I do trust you honey," said Marlena in concern, "It's that EJ DiMera I know is up to no good!"

"I'm still here aren't I?" asked EJ, looking around and settling on Will as they continued to ignore him, "You can see me right Will?"

"Did someone just say something?" asked Will, straight faced, "I think I hear voices."

"This isn't a joke!" Roman snapped angrily.

"Actually it is Roman," said EJ, all humour leaving his face now, "A complete and utter one. Samantha is my wife; we're starting a life together with Will and the twins when they put in appearance. We're adults who will make our own decisions and whilst I understand your reservations it doesn't give you the right to accost us like this. These are our decisions to make as a family and we'll make them as such."

"And what choice does poor Will have?" asked Marlena with a frown, "None. Sami you're dragging him into another one of your crazy ideas again, can't you see that."

"It's alright Grandma," said Will, surprising Sami by speaking up, "It was me who made the final decision to go and live at Stefano's."

"You're letting a confused teenage boy make decisions like this now?" exclaimed Roman in horror, "Oh my god Sami – what were you thinking?"

"So I'm a bad mom for not listening to Will but I'm also a bad mom for listening to him," said Sami flatly, "Have I got that right Dad?"

Sami stared back at him, not backing down. There was no way she was going to give any ground on this, no way. She understood where her parents were coming from and they'd probably be even more horrified if they knew the whole story which was why Sami had no intention of telling them.

"That isn't what I meant Sami and you know it," said Roman darkly.

"Perhaps if we all sit down and try and talk this out?" offered up Caroline, ever the peace maker, "Maybe we could find some common ground?"

"There is no common ground with a DiMera," said Marlena grimly, glaring at EJ.

"In that case I think we're done then," said EJ smoothly as he put a hand on Sami and Will's shoulders, "I think we'll be going now."

"This isn't over DiMera," Roman threatened him as the trio left the coffee shop.

Once out in the street Sami looked down at her half drunk and now cold cup of coffee.

"Well," she said with a resigned sigh, "That pretty much ruined my last cup of coffee for a long time."

**oooOOOOooo**

"_So there was a lot of tension between Sami and her parents over the move to the DiMera mansion then?" asked Nelson with interest after having patiently listened to Caroline's story._

"_Sami has had a long history of making some questionable judgement calls," said Caroline reluctantly, "They were just worried that this was another one."_

"_And what about you Mrs Brady?" asked Nelson with interest, "Do you think it was the wrong thing to do?"_

"_Considering how things turned out I guess it was," said Caroline sadly. _

"_And what about the marriage itself?" asked Nelson, cocking his head, "Did you approve?" _

_Caroline sat back in her chair and pondered that for a moment. _

"_I've lived long enough to know that love isn't always a straight line young man," said Caroline quietly, "It's not always the obvious choice or even the most convenient."_

_She paused and thought about how confident and peaceful Sami had seemed within herself that day at the coffee shop. _

"_My granddaughter had been looking for something her whole life," said Caroline quietly, "And I believe she found it in EJ. He made her happy, I could see that and there was something else – he just made Sami into Sami."_

_Caroline rubbed her hand thoughtfully._

"_Actually I think they did that for each other," she said insightfully. _

"_So what went wrong?"_

_Caroline bit her bottom lip at that question. _

"_Everything," said Caroline brokenly, feeling the tears begin to come. _


	161. Chapter 307

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & SEVEN**** – ****Heart To Hearts**

Never rely on the glory of the morning nor the smiles of your mother-in-law.

~Japanese Proverb~

"_I'm sorry," said Marlena quietly, "But will this take long Agent Nelson? I've had to put a lot of my patients off in the last week or so and I'd really like to try and get back to getting through my work load."_

"_Of course Dr Evans," said Nelson smoothly, "I'll be as accommodating as I can but you have to understand the magnitude of this case and the seriousness."_

_Marlena looked at him wide eyed, stung by his words._

"_Of course I do," she said shakily, feeling tears that were threatening to overflow and struggled to stay in control, "How can you say that to me considering what has happened?"_

"_I'm sorry Dr Evans," said Nelson quickly, "I didn't mean to offend."_

_Marlena took an uneven breath and forced herself to calm down. _

"_No I'm sorry," she said quietly, "I didn't mean to react like that and I certainly didn't mean to sound like I've got better things I could be doing."_

_Marlena swallowed hard and tried to stop more tears._

"_It's just that with everything that has happened-" Marlena trailed off and was lost in her own dark thoughts for a moment before speaking again, "I find work is all I have right now – the only thing I can hang onto and give me something else to think about other than-"_

_Marlena shifted in her chair, too drained to force the words out. No matter how many times she said it the whole thing still didn't feel real anyway. _

"_I won't keep you any longer than I need to Dr Evans," Nelson promised her, "I just want to get at the truth._

"_Do you know what the truth is Agent Nelson?" asked Marlena painfully, forcing out the words that were haunting her, "The truth is that I listen to people for a living. I get paid for it and am good at it. But here's the thing, I can't get past the fact that if I'd only listened when Sami and EJ needed me to then things could have been so different."_

"_You can't blame yourself," said Nelson kindly, "You couldn't have seen this coming."_

"_But I knew something bad was going to happen if Sami moved into that mansion," said Marlena with wistful sadness, "I just couldn't find a way to stop it and if I'd only listened to them instead of reacted then who knows what I could done to make this turn out so differently."_

"_Hindsight is always twenty/twenty," observed Nelson, "But I'm sure you know that Dr Evans."_

_Marlena gave a sad little smile and nodded at that._

"_He came to see me you know," said Marlena, a pained frown coming to her brow, "EJ."_

"_And what happened?" asked Nelson with interest._

**oooOOOOooo**

Marlena stared up wide eyed at her unexpected visitor.

"I believe it's customary to invite me in," noted EJ with a wry smile, "Or at least to say hello Marlena."

"What are you doing here EJ?" asked Marlena stiffly before a fierce frown marred her forehead, "Sami is alright isn't she?"

"Of course she is," said EJ smoothly, "Samantha is perfectly well. She and Will are shopping for some new clothes for him even as we speak."

"Then I'm not sure what you're doing here then EJ," said Marlena coldly, "I can't think of anything we have to say to each other."

"Well I can," said EJ calmly, "I wasn't happy with how our meeting ended last week and I'd like to talk to you about that."

"There is nothing you could say that would make me feel alright about this," Marlena warned him fiercely, "Nothing EJ."

"Nonetheless I'd appreciate you giving me an audience Marlena," said EJ, not to be put off, "If not for me then for the fact that I'm the father of your soon to arrive newest grandchildren."

EJ knew that request would strike a chord with the older woman and he watched her wrestle with her answer before finally stepping back and begrudgingly letting him in. Marlena brushed past him as she went to stand in the middle of the room and there was no offer to take a seat.

"You don't like me very much do you Marlena?" asked EJ with a half smile.

"Have you given me any reason to?" she asked flatly.

"I guess not," said EJ quietly, "But I'd like for that to change now. I've married into your family whether you like it or not and for the sake of Samantha and our children I'd like for there to be peace between us."

"Peace?" repeated Marlena with a bitter laugh.

"Is that so impossible a thought?" asked EJ mildly.

"You're a DiMera," said Marlena sourly.

"You say that as though that single name imbues me with every evil under the sun," said EJ forcing himself not to get annoyed, "Well it doesn't, just like the name Brady or Evans doesn't instantly infer sainthood and piety."

"At least it isn't synonymous with pain, suffering and violence," said Marlena coldly.

"I can't disagree with you on that," said EJ with a sigh, "But just because something was one way doesn't mean it has to continue that way. Samantha and I want to forge a new meaning for the name DiMera together."

"And how do you expect me to believe that when the first thing you do is move my daughter and grandchildren into the clutches of that evil old man EJ?" asked Marlena harshly.

"Samantha and I did what we thought was best," said EJ evenly, "And isn't that what any couple starting out on their life together has to do?"

"How can you think moving closer to Stefano DiMera is the best thing to do?" asked Marlena in disbelief, "Sami should know better but you seem to have put a spell on her and she just does whatever you want!"

"Marlena I know what my father put you through," began EJ but then stopped himself, "Actually I don't, no one could and I suspect you would have kept a great deal of the details to yourself to spare those around you."

Marlena arched a surprised eyebrow at EJ's insight but he didn't stop.

"I can't comprehend what it must have been like, separated from your family, all the games that Stefano played with you and the lives of those you love," said EJ tightly, "But I am not my father and all I want is for you to give me a chance for you to form your own opinion."

"I have," ground out Marlena, "Now is that all?"

"I know I didn't ingratiate myself to people in Salem when I first arrived," said EJ sincerely, "And truth be told I was a different man then and I'm not proud of many of the things I did. But loving Samantha has changed all of that for me. I feel reborn and like all I want to do is be worthy of the love she's given me. I want more than anything to be a good husband and father Marlena. I don't want to turn out like Stefano – alone in a big house with only his hatred to keep himself warm. Loving and being loved by Samantha is like standing in endless sunshine and I'm not ever going to take that granted."

EJ studied Marlena's face as she took in what he'd just said.

"You know how to say all the right things EJ," said Marlena flatly, "But as you know, talk is cheap."

"And that is why I'm asking for you to give me a chance to prove myself to you," said EJ earnestly, "I don't what you to be concerned that I don't have Samantha's best interests at heart because nothing could be further from the truth Marlena."

Before Marlena could reply to that the door behind EJ opened and he turned around to see who it was.

"Mail is here," said John distractedly, not looking up from the mail in his hand as he looked through it, "Lots of bills and an offer to join a retirement village."

"We have company," Marlena announced as John still didn't look up but he did when she spoke.

He looked EJ up and down before speaking.

"So I see," said John calmly, "What brings you here Elvis?"

"He's trying to convince me that my daughter is safe with him," said Marlena, sounding anything but convinced.

"I think she is," said John calmly, holding her gaze steadily.

"John you don't have to do this," said EJ with a frown, concerned that he was creating tension between husband and wife.

"Why not?" asked Marlena bitterly, "John seems to be your biggest fan EJ although I have no idea why."

"I'm not your biggest fan," John informed him coolly.

"I took that as a slight exaggeration on Marlena's part," EJ assured him with a half smile.

"John since your accident-" Marlena glared at EJ then and he knew she was talking about the shooting, "You seem to have forgotten some important things about EJ. He's done some terrible things."

"So have I," said John seriously, "But that's not only who I am Doc, you know that."

"I can't believe you are saying this John!" said Marlena in horror.

"I think I've overstayed my welcome," said EJ ruefully, "I'm sorry if I upset you Marlena."

EJ looked over at John.

"And I'm sorry if I dropped you in it John," he said wryly.

"We don't need your apologies EJ," said Marlena tightly.

"Why don't I see myself out eh?" asked EJ making a tactical withdrawal, "And Marlena if you could just think about what I said."

Marlena just stared back at him making no comment. As soon as EJ had left Marlena turned on John, clearly upset by what had just happened.

"How can you trust this man John?" she asked in despair, "He's completely evil."

"He's done some evil things," John corrected her, "It's not the same thing."

"And you're okay with a man like that being with Sami?" asked Marlena in horror, "You know how troubled she is normally and coming out of that whole nightmare with Lucas and Kate she just isn't thinking straight."

"Is that what you see when you talk to Sami nowadays?" asked John with an arched eyebrow.

"Yes!" said Marlena defiantly and then looked a little more hesitant, "Why, what do you see John?"

"I see a young woman coming into her own," said John simply, "Doc you have to have noticed that Sami's blossomed lately. I've never seen her so happy and settled."

Marlena bit her bottom lip as it began to quiver.

"I know you don't want to think about EJ being Sami's 'the one' but in a weird kind of way it makes sense," said John as he gathered her into his arms, "Can you at least try to give him a chance."

"I'm so scared John," Marlena whispered hoarsely, "I see EJ and all I can see is his father and all the evil he's visited on this family."

"But that's not EJ's fault," John reminded her.

"And what if you're wrong John?" asked Marlena in anguish, "What if by doing nothing we're putting Sami's life in danger? I don't know how I'd be able to live with myself if something happened to her or Will or those babies knowing that I had the power to stop it but didn't."

"Sometimes you've just got to have faith," said John simply, "Like I had over the years when we were apart that we'd find our way back to one another."

"That doesn't feel like enough right now John," said Marlena unevenly.

"Isn't that when you're meant to hold on even tighter to it?" observed John.

He kissed her forehead then and drew her into his arms.

"It's going to be alright," John reassured her, "Stop worrying. Everything is going to work out."

**oooOOOOooo**

"_So did things improve between you and your new son in law over the coming weeks?" asked Nelson patiently. _

"_No," said Marlena hoarsely, "I wish they had."_

"_So you thought EJ was up to no good by taking Sami and Will to the mansion?" offered up Nelson._

"_You don't know the DiMera's," said Marlena urgently, "There is always an agenda, always an angle to be played and it was always evil."_

"_Do you think EJ had evil intentions towards Sami?" _

_Marlena paused and looked uncomfortable._

"_I did then," she admitted painfully._

"_But you don't now?" _

"_I think EJ loved my daughter," said Marlena quietly, finding the words hard to say, "And I think she loved him. I just couldn't see it at the time. I was so afraid of that DiMera name and what it could do to her."_

"_Those fears turned out to be justified," observed Nelson compassionately. _

"_Yes," said Marlena and then have a humourless laugh, "Only I was worrying about the wrong thing as it turns out."_

"_How do you mean?" asked Nelson, leaning forward a little in his chair. _

"_I mean I thought Stefano was playing them but it turns out I had it all wrong," said Marlena unhappily, "They were playing him."_

"_Playing him?" asked Nelson intently._

"_They moved into that mansion for one reason and one reason only," said Marlena, her jaw hardening, "To bring down Stefano DiMera."_

"_That was a pretty ambitious plan considering the man's reputation and how many others had tried that before and failed," observed Nelson, "What on earth made them think they could pull it off?"_

"_Agent Nelson you don't know my daughter," said Marlena with a fond smile, "Ambitious doesn't begin to cover it."_

"_I've read her very impressive file," nodded Nelson with a wry smile, "And somehow I'm thinking I'm only getting the tip of the iceberg." _

"_You are," said Marlena dryly, "I've never met anyone in my life as determined as my Sami when she wanted something. And EJ was no slouch in that department either." _

"_So they really thought they were a match for Stefano huh?" asked Nelson with interest, "But why even bother? And how were they going to do it?"_

"_I'm afraid my relationship with my daughter wasn't all that it could have been in the last little while as I've explained," said Marlena painfully, "You're asking the wrong person those questions."_

"_And who should I be asking?" asked Nelson, watching her intently._

"_My husband," said Marlena, holding his gaze steadily, "John Black."_


	162. Chapter 308

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & EIGHT**** – ****Man To Man**

Ultimately the bond of all companionship, whether in marriage or in friendship, is conversation...

_Oscar Wilde_

_(Irish Poet, Novelist, Dramatist and Critic, 1854-1900)_

"_So I'm told you're the man with all the answers," observed Nelson as he perched himself on the desk in the interview room across from the older man._

"_Well that's going to depend on your questions now isn't it?" noted John without missing a beat. _

"_I've heard that you and EJ were pretty tight," said Nelson._

"_Well we talked but I wouldn't say we were up to getting matching tattoos," said John straight faced._

"_That was kind of an interesting choice in friend all things considered," said Nelson, "I mean EJ's father kidnapped and tortured you many times over."_

"_EJ isn't Stefano," John informed him, "For one thing he's taller although weirdly enough no less accented."_

"_You don't seem to be taking this too seriously," said the Agent with a note of censure in his voice._

"_A lot of people are dead Agent Nelson," said John sharply, "Trust me, I'm taking this seriously. I'm just waiting for a real question from you."_

_Nelson gave a cool nod and did just that._

"_How did you and EJ become friends?" asked Nelson, "And how did you end up championing their cause?"_

"_I've made a lot of mistakes in my life Agent Nelson," said John grimly, "Hurt people I loved – intentionally and unintentionally. My relationship with Sami has been rocky over the years and I know I had a big hand in having her turn out to be a very unhappy young woman. That was the last thing I wanted but it happened anyway."_

"_A lot of step parents have complicated relationships with their step kids," said Nelson with a bit of a shrug, "What of it?"_

"_The what of it is that I found a way to make that up to Sami," said John simply, holding the other man's gaze steadily, "I saw her and EJ together and I knew it was the real deal between them. And I saw the obstacles they were facing and I wanted to help them."_

"_The obstacles being in part Sami's husband?" offered up Nelson coolly, "Lucas Roberts?"_

"_It was complicated," said John, using that word that was becoming a familiar song in this interview room, "I'm sure you know how that ended Agent. Sami and EJ were victims in a very nasty plot to keep them apart and thanks to Lucas' illness, dead." _

"_So you stepped in to give them a hand," said Nelson._

"_I know what it is to have circumstances keeping you from the love of your life," said John quietly, "There are no words for that kind of pain."_

"_And once they were together?" asked Nelson, "I mean Sami and EJ were married, expecting twins together. They got their happily ever after. So why put all of that in jeopardy to go and dance with the devil?"_

"_Two reasons," said John honestly, "Celeste came to them with the fears that Stefano was holding her daughter Lexie Carver prisoner and the other-"_

"_Was to bring down the DiMera empire," finished off Nelson, "Pretty ambitious don't you think?"_

"_You don't know EJ and Sami," said John with a quirk of his lips, "They're not one to shy away from a challenge."_

"_And you were helping them?" Nelson questioned them._

"_As best I could," John nodded, "I was giving them support and advice."_

"_Alright then," said Nelson, "You seem to be the man to ask. Why don't you tell me a little bit about how things were in mansion life eh? I mean if Sami and EJ were undertaking this huge thing it couldn't have been easy with Will in the mix as well. A troubled teenager can be quite a handful."_

"_They loved Will," said John simply, "And they wanted to work through their issues as a family together. It wouldn't have mattered where they were, that would still have been a rocky road."_

**oooOOOOooo**

"Aren't you hungry honey?" asked Sami in concern as she watched Will push his food around on the plate.

"I can get Chef to make you something else if it is not to your liking eh William?" offered up Stefano accommodatingly.

"No," said Will shortly and then figured he should try and temper that, "Thanks."

"It's really good," Sami encouraged him.

"And dessert will be even better," Stefano promised him jovially.

"I'm not hungry," said Will, looking away and finding all of the attention being focused on him suddenly to be a bit confronting.

These 'family' meals still weirded him out as did the whole being in the DiMera mansion. So much had changed in such a short amount of time that Will barely knew how to feel from one moment to the next. He missed his dad and what happened on the roof still haunted him so that sleep wasn't coming easily to him most nights. School wasn't much easier either. First of all he'd had to transfer back to Salem High and then there were all the looks and whisperings that went on around him.

Will was used to being part of a controversial family but it was all getting too much for him. This time round it was particularly sensational with all the murders and the kids at school had eaten it up. Half the kids gave him a wide berth because of his crazy dad killing his mother and the other half were a little too eager to hear all the gory details. He knew his mom was trying hard but Will didn't feel like he'd ever be happy again.

"But you have to eat Will," Sami protested, "Look, why don't I make you Mac and cheese like I did when you were a little boy? That always made you feel better."

"I'm not a little kid anymore Mom!" Will snapped, knowing he was rewarding her caring with anger but unable to stop himself, "Why don't you all just leave me the hell alone!"

Will leapt up from the table then and stormed out of the dining room, unable to handle anymore.

"Will!" he heard his mother call out after him anxiously before there was EJ's calming voice.

"Let the boy have a bit of a breather sweetheart."

Will braced himself for his mother to ignore the good advice and chase him down but she didn't so he found himself at the top of the stairs alone and trying to calm himself down. He wondered what to do next, too restless to just go to his room and he knew his mom would stop him from going out in the middle of the night on a school night. Instead Will decided to explore the rest of the huge mansion he was now calling home. He'd asked EJ how many rooms the place had and he'd been a bit vague, not sure himself. Somewhere around the twenty five mark EJ had informed him and Will was suddenly curious as to what all those rooms might be so he started walking, happy just to have something to do and not have to think about his life right then.

"I think I should have gone after him," Sami fretted.

"And say what exactly darling?" asked EJ, not unkindly, "Sorry that your father killed your grandmother and then himself? Sorry that the world you knew is over for good and a completely knew one is being shoved in your face?"

Sami made a sad face.

"I just want him to know that I'm there for him," said Sami quietly, looking very unhappy.

"Samantha he knows that already," said EJ warmly, covering her hand with his and giving it a little squeeze, "He's just processing and Will knows where you are when he needs you."

"I hate doing nothing," said Sami, wrinkling her nose.

"Bread rolls!"

Bart burst into the dining room, a platter of bread rolls in his hands.

"I forgot the bread rolls," he said apologetically.

"We're half way through our meal Bart," said Sami with a half smile.

"Just set them down and go," said Stefano with a wave of his hand.

Bart did just that but as he did he dislodged one of the bread rolls on top and it rolled off the platter and along the table. Bart, obviously thinking things through and not wanting to touch it with his hands, quickly grabbed up a fork to stab it with before it hit the ground. Unfortunately Stefano wasn't so forward thinking and simply reached out to retrieve it. The two men's single intent collided with a less than desirable outcome. Bart stabbed the fork into the back of Stefano's hand as the older man got in the way of the bread. Stefano howled and jerked his hand away, still with the fork in the back of his hand.

"Oh uh," said Bart, his eyes going wide in fear.

"YOU IMBECILE!" Stefano roared, enraged and in pain.

Rolf hurried out at the sound of Stefano shouting and glared at Bart.

"What have you done?" he demanded to know.

"It was an accident," said Bart urgently, "I'm real sorry boss. Here-"

He went to pull out the fork from Stefano's hand that he was clutching to his chest but managed to knock one of the bread knives that was hanging over the edge of the table in the process. It somersaulted up into the air and promptly hit Rolf in the eye. Rolf howled in pain and staggered backwards as Stefano removed the fork himself in disgust.

"Just run Bart," EJ advised him quickly as he moved to help the stricken older men.

Bart looked like he'd just had an accident himself with the expression on his face but he took EJ's words at face value and bolted from the room.

"Oh my god," said Sami, not sure whether to laugh or be concerned as she shook her head, "I'm living with the three stooges."

**oooOOOOooo**

Will tried the last door on his wanderings and he guessed it lead to the garage. He'd found all sorts of things on his travels – bedrooms, studies, a library, a junk room filled with what looked like expensive antiques, a room only filled with mirrors. Will didn't know what that was all about and it was probably just as well he decided. He'd been on his voyage of discovery for about an hour now and it surprised even him just how big this place was. The door to what he supposed was the garage was a little ajar and Will saw why as he walked in, half of a brick was holding it open. He kicked it out of the way as he walked through and let the door go behind him.

"Don't close it!" an urgent voice below him called out but it was too late.

The heavy door swung shut and Will looked down at EJ from the top of the small staircase.

"What's the big deal?" he asked with a bit of a frown.

EJ was bent over an expensive but older looking car, the bonnet up. He gave a lop sided smile as he replied.

"No big deal except for the fact that the door doesn't open from this side," said EJ casually, "You've just locked us in."

"That's ridiculous," protested Will, turning around to open the door only to find that it didn't have a handle.

Will spun round and stared at EJ in shock.

"It doesn't have a handle!" he declared.

"Well spotted William," said EJ in amusement, "Hence our inability to get out that way."

"That's ridiculous!" said Will in exasperation, "Who builds a door with only one handle on it?"

"This area has been renovated," EJ explained, "They made the garage into two rooms, one where the cars can drive in and out of and one where you can work on them."

Will looked over to the large roller door that separated them from what must have been the usual garage where the rest of the cars were stored.

"Locked," EJ informed him cheerfully.

"Why would you come down here in a room with no exits?" asked Will in frustration.

"It did have an exit," EJ reminded him mildly, "Before you kicked the brick out of the way."

"This house is crazy," frowned Will.

"It has its quirks," agreed EJ with a little laugh.

"Well how do we get out of here?" Will demanded to know, "Do you have your cell on you?"

"Nope," said EJ with a shrug, "But your mum will no doubt be checking on me in an hour or so when I don't show up for bed."

"An hour!" repeated Will in distress, "I'm not staying here for an hour!"

"The laws of physics and matter would suggest otherwise," said EJ, starting to pull some things out from the car's engine.

"You set this up," Will accused him, "You think now that we're stuck down here we're going to spend the time bonding and leave here BFF's don't you EJ? Well forget it, it isn't going to happen."

"Fair enough," said EJ easily as he grabbed a rag and began to clean something Will didn't recognise, "But just for the record, you came to me and it was you who trapped us down here, not the other way around Will."

Will scowled at that but couldn't really argue. He sat down on the four step stairs and watched EJ through rebellious eyes, just waiting for him to try and buddy up to him. EJ didn't say anything though, just kept working quietly away, seemingly engrossed in his task. In the end it was Will who broke the silence between them.

"Is Mom mad at me?" he asked a little hesitantly.

"About your dinner melt down?" asked EJ distractedly, blowing down a tube before cleaning it some more, "No, not at all. Turns out you were just the warm up act anyway."

"What does that mean?" asked Will in confusion.

"After you left Bart forked my father and stabbed Rolf in the eye with a butter knife," related EJ casually.

"Why?" asked Will in consternation, unsure if EJ was teasing him or not.

"As with all things Bart related it was an accident," said EJ wryly, "But there is one irate Italian and one angry Austrian upstairs right now. If Bart has any sense he'll give them a wide berth for a couple of days."

"I like Bart," said Will before he thought about it.

He hadn't known the man long but there was an erstwhile eagerness to please and simplicity to the man that was appealing.

"So do I," said EJ with a smile, "It's just around the dinner table he's a bit lethal. He can turn the most benign things like soup into something that could take your eye out."

They lapsed back into silence again as EJ continued to tinker with the car engine. Will didn't know much about cars, no one had ever really taken any time with him in that department so he was a bit clueless. It was obvious that EJ knew his way around an engine though as he confidently pulled out this and fiddled with that. Will had a sudden thought that the twins were going to have the benefit of a dad who knew a few practical things – if he stayed around of course. Will hadn't had much experience with a stable home life and knew his mom hadn't either so the odds weren't good that these twins would fare any better.

"So did it help?"

"Wh-what?" asked Will distractedly as EJ spoke, not looking up from where he was now pulling spark plugs out of the car, that Will could recognise.

"Your walk," said EJ, examining the plugs carefully, "Did it help clear your head?"

Will gave a snort of derision before he could stop himself.

"I don't think my head is ever going to be clear again," he said morosely.

"I don't think that is true Will," said EJ calmly.

"Like you'd know the first thing about what was on my mind anyway?" Will snapped, not in the mood to be condescended to.

"Okay let me take a crack at it," said EJ, busy with cleaning the spark plugs now, "You're wondering if you should have known about your father's split personality and if you could have stopped how it all went down on that roof."

Will tried to keep his face neutral at EJ's insight but the older man threw him a quick sideways glance and must have seen what he was looking for there.

"No you shouldn't have and no you couldn't have stopped it," EJ informed him with great assurance, stopping what he was doing now and fixing his gaze to Will's unwaveringly, "Will, Kate was his mother and she didn't notice. Your grandmother Marlena is a trained psychiatrist and she didn't notice. Your father himself didn't even know he existed. Artie had been born a long time ago in Lucas' life and he had gotten very good at hiding himself. You didn't know about him because Artie didn't want you to know about him, it was simple as that and it was the same for all of us."

Will didn't answer, just moved a little uncomfortably in his seat and wondered if he dared believe what EJ was telling him.

"And the other thing you're wondering is if the same thing is in you," EJ continued on calmly, putting down his cleaning rag now and moving to face him more fully as he leant against the car, "You're wondering if there is an Artie junior floating around in the back of your head and is he going to burst out and hurt the people you love one day."

Will's eyes went wide at EJ's clarity even as he stumbled around trying to deny it. The thing was though that even as he tried to put EJ off he really needed someone to tell him that wasn't going to happen.

"That's crazy," said Will sharply, not quite meeting his eyes, "You don't know anything EJ, I wasn't thinking that at all."

"Do you want my opinion?" asked EJ steadily, as though Will hadn't spoken.

"You're going to give it to me anyway so why bother asking?" asked Will sullenly and tried to appear less interested then he really was.

"I don't think there is an Artie in you Will, in fact I'd bank my life on it," said EJ evenly.

"What would you know anyway?" asked Will, throwing him an angry look.

"I know that as well as your father's blood coursing through your veins there is your mother's as well," said EJ with absolute certainty, "And you have more of your mother in you than anyone else William."

"My Mom and I are nothing alike," protested Will hotly.

"Of course not," agreed EJ with a quirk of his lips, "You're not independent, impossible, fiercely loyal, argumentative, kind hearted, stubborn, passionate – that doesn't describe you at all."

"You- you don't know me EJ," said Will, taken aback by the observations, "We've hardly had anything to do with me."

EJ smiled at that.

"You're like your mother," EJ informed him affectionately, "You make an impression. And we DiMera's are good judges of character, that's how we live as long as we do – the odd revivication aside of course."

Will didn't know why but EJ's reassurances should make him feel better but they did. The older man always seemed so certain of things and there was a confidence to him that just made you feel like everything was going to be alright. Will found himself wondering if this was one of the reasons his mother had fallen in love with EJ. For the first time since he'd found out about EJ and his mom Will kind of hoped that this might be the relationship might be the one that actually went the distance for her. As soon as he thought that Will was shocked but the hope remained. EJ was back working on his car and Will scratched his arm as he surreptitiously watched him.

"I guess you know a lot about cars from your racing days," Will offered up after a few minutes.

"I was born loving cars," said EJ with a grin, "I've rebuilt dozens of them, most of them from scratch. It's very satisfying and it creates a kind of bond between man and machine."

Will arched a sceptical eyebrow at that.

"Trust me Will," said EJ with a grin, "It's the closest any man can come to giving birth. You love a car you've built from scratch like your own child or a wife."

"Does Mom know about this fetish of yours?" asked Will with a smirk.

"Knows and accepts it," said EJ brightly, "She's even met my favourite car – Geraldine."

"You give them names?" asked Will, trying not to laugh.

"Of course," said EJ, looking offended that he should have felt the need to ask.

"So where is this Geraldine then?" asked Will, curious now, "If Mom's seen it then it must be in the States."

"Unfortunately my darling Geraldine met an ignominious fate," said EJ with a sigh, "She is currently at the bottom of the ocean."

"How did that happen?" asked Will in amazement.

"To hear your mother tell it there was some kind of pelican/seagull axis of evil that saw by beloved girl to a watery grave," said EJ dryly.

"Mom put your car in the ocean?" asked Will, not even sure why he was surprised considering it was his mom they were talking about.

"Sometimes I think Samantha did it on purpose because she was jealous of me and Geraldine," EJ mused, pursing his lips together thoughtfully, "Your mum can be pretty hard on the competition at times."

"And that doesn't bug you?" asked Will, tilting his head and regarding EJ curiously, "Something like that would have really annoyed my dad or Uncle Austin."

"Will being with your mother is like being on a rollercoaster ride," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "You knew what the ride was when you climbed on board, in fact you cued up for it. So it seems a bit ridiculous to get mad at the ride when it makes you scream out and puts you in fear of your life sometimes. That's pretty much the point of the whole experience."

"Putting aside the fact that you just referred to my mom as a ride," said Will dryly, "It still must have made you mad."

"Of course it did," EJ laughed, "Just like it did with your mum when she found out I was faking a back injury on the same trip."

EJ wiped his hands on a cloth.

"Although to be fair I did have a back injury before that," said EJ with a half smile, "I was just a little vague to your mother when it healed up."

"I don't get you two," said Will with a shake of his head, "How can you be happy when you do bad things to one another?"

"It will make sense Will when you find the woman that is your complete and utter match in every way and she loves you the way you love her," said EJ simply with a warm smile, "Everything will come into sharp focus then, I promise you Will."

"You make it sound simple," said Will with a frown.

"It is," said EJ before giving a rueful smile, "And it isn't. If you're half as a lucky man as I am Will you'll fall for a woman who will be as difficult to catch as your mother was."

"Why is that a good thing?" asked Will in consternation.

"Because it's a reminder never to take her for granted," said EJ, "I was a selfish prick when I met your mother Will, if you'll excuse the French. I had to work to be worthy of her love and it was the making of me."

Will sat back against the wall and looked at EJ thoughtfully. EJ gave a little laugh as he caught that look.

"I know," he said with a self deprecating laugh, "I'm smarter than I look right?"

Will considered that statement for a moment.

"I guess time will tell," said Will coolly, not wanting to commit to actually giving the guy a compliment.

"I guess it will," said EJ with a half smile at the teenager, accepting he had a lot to prove to him without comment before going back to his engine.


	163. Chapter 309

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & NINE**** – ****Four and Twenty Blackbirds**

It is sometimes necessary to play the fool to avoid being deceived by cunning men.

_François de la Rochefoucauld_

_(French classical author, leading exponent of the Maxime, 1613-1680)_

"_So EJ was building bridges with his new stepson," said Nelson._

"_Slowly but surely," nodded John, "He had a good instincts when it came to the boy."_

"_You sound surprised," noted Nelson._

"_I guess I was and I wasn't," said John with a shrug, "EJ had never had any experience with child rearing before but then he had a lot of experience in being brought up in a confusing world so maybe that gave him the insight he needed when it came to Will."_

"_Okay, so the family is bonding," said Nelson, "It's all happy families only we both know EJ and Sami had an agenda. Tell me how that played out?"_

"_EJ and Sami were there to collect information and get to the heart of Stefano's operations," said John, "Unravel it from the inside. EJ was working as Stefano's lawyer full time now so he knew a lot about the goings on and was amassing information covertly - files, evidence, that kind of thing." _

"_What about-" Nelson stopped and checked his notes, "Mythic, the company he and Sami ran together?"_

"_Sami took over the running of it with a little help from a friend," said John, "They had a lot of big irons in the fire and Sami was in charge of that. She made that company a fortune with the Chiba deal when it finally went through."_

"_Okay so Sami was keeping their company up and profitable whilst EJ dug for dirt," said Nelson._

"_Sami had her finger in more than one pie," said John with a quirk of his lips, "Quite literally."_

_Nelson arched an eyebrow, silently asking for an explanation of that statement and John proceeded to give it to him._

**oooOOOOooo**

"So how's life on the dark side?" asked John with a little smile.

"There weren't as many cookies as first promised so I'm making my own," said Sami with a quirk of her lips, changing hands with the phone so she could stir the mixture in front of her better, "Only it's not only cookies but a pie as well – I'm diversifying."

"You're cooking?" asked John, sounding stricken, "Come on Sami – is anything ever that bad?"

"Just for that I'm going to send some cookies over for you to eat them," said Sami, pretending affront, "My cooking is getting better I'll have you know John."

"What people live for two hours after eating it instead of the usual one?" he teased her.

"You wouldn't believe how domesticated I look right now John," Sami said with a little laugh, "I'm barefoot, pregnant and cooking up a storm in the DiMera mansion kitchen. How text book is that?"

"With you Sami nothing is ever by the book," said John knowingly, "Now what's really with this Martha Stewart frenzy?"

Sami was conscious of anyone listening in on their conversation even though The Mole had set it up so that the conversation itself couldn't be monitored but in the DiMera mansion the walls undoubtedly did actually have ears.

"Haven't you heard that the way to man's heart is through his stomach?" she asked casually.

"And to his secrets perhaps as well huh?" said John thoughtfully.

"Honey gets you more flies than vinegar," said Sami simply.

"You're up to something," said John with great assurance, "Sami be careful."

"Don't worry John," said Sami easily, "I'm bringing my A game to this pie making gig."

"Just as long as you don't end up with indigestion from it," John warned her.

"If you're so worried about me and this pie why don't I ring you back later and tell you how it turned out?" Sami suggested, still hiding behind the cooking analogy.

You couldn't be too careful after all.

"I'd like that so make sure that you do," John told cautioned her.

"I will," said Sami with a smile, "How are you and Mom doing?"

"We're alright," said John easily.

"Is she still mad at you?" Sami worried, "For being on our side?"

"Your mother just doesn't get it yet Sami," John assured her, "She will."

"I just don't want to mess up your relationship," Sami groaned, "How ironic is it that all those years of trying to break you up and now that I'm not trying I might actually manage it."

"Your mom and I aren't breaking up," John reassured her comfortingly, "We'll get through this, particularly when she sees the end result."

"I hope you're right," said Sami unhappily.

"I am," said John confidently, "But I've got to go now – remember your promise about the pie."

"I remember," said Sami affectionately, "Love you."

"Love you too kiddo," said John as he hung up.

Sami gave a bit of a sigh and brushed a strand of hair back from her face, leaving a floury streak behind. She looked around the kitchen and noted with satisfaction the mess she'd made with pots and pans everywhere along with flour covering just about every surface. She glanced at her watch and smiled in satisfaction, it was almost eleven o'clock – show time. Right on time Rolf walked into the kitchen and made a bee line for the coffee machine. She and EJ had been living there for nearly two weeks now and his routine was always the same Sami had noted.

"Vhat are you doing?" asked Rolf with a scowl when he saw the mess Sami had made.

"Planning world domination," said Sami blithely as she checked that her first batch of cookies were cool enough to start icing.

"Vhy is zere flour everyvere?" grumbled Rolf, trying to get to the coffee machine which had a couple of bowls on it, "And bowls?"

"I like to spread out when I create," said Sami with a little shrug.

"But it iz everyvere," complained Rolf as he was forced to blow on his cup to get the thin layer of flour out.

"Nobody said genius had to be neat Rolf," said Sami sweetly as she began to ice the cookies with bright green icing.

"You are a long vay from being a genius in za kitchen Zamantha," said Rolf flatly.

"Watch it," said Sami, looking up from her cooking icing, "Stefano, your boss, told me to make myself at home and that is exactly what I'm doing Rolf so just unclench and deal with it."

Rolf began to mutter something under his breath in what Sami assumed was German before taking his cup of coffee and leaving the kitchen. Sami kept calmly icing the cookies, giving him a couple of minutes before stopping what she was doing. She quickly headed out of the kitchen, sticking her head out and checking that no one was around. Then Sami headed down the corridor, checking the walls carefully. Sure enough as she rounded another corner there it was – two floury handprints.

"Gotcha," said Sami in satisfaction.

She hurriedly went and checked out exactly where the handprints were and it took her less than moment to see where the secret switch was that would open up the hidden passage way. It was cleverly made to look like part of the wood panelling carvings. Sami committed the spot to memory, lining up a spot on the carpet with it before carefully wiping away the floured handprints. Then she casually made her way back to the kitchen, a little smile on her lips as she went back to icing her cookies and that was where EJ found her a few minutes later.

"Hello my love," he said, his face lighting up at seeing her, "Don't you look all domesticated."

"That's what I just told John," said Sami with a little laugh as EJ walked over and kissed her hello.

EJ then moved behind Sami and put his arms around her waist, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"Did you tell him how sexy you looked?" purred EJ, his hands quickly finding her breasts and beginning to massage them.

"You know oddly enough it never came up," said Sami with a quirk of her lips.

"Probably for the best," noted EJ, nibbling at her neck now and making Sami's knees go weak.

"Probably," Sami giggled, "So I thought you were going to be in meetings all morning with your father?"

"He got called away," said EJ happily, "So I'm all yours until you have to go to the office later on."

"Is that right?" asked Sami as EJ began to rub his thumbs over her hardened nipples, "And what am I meant to do with you exactly?"

"Hopefully a lot of very naughty things," EJ growled into her ear as he began to rub himself against her.

"EJ I'm kind of in the middle of something here," Sami reminded him with a smile even as she felt her need for him building.

"Yes," said EJ, voice muffled against her neck again as his hands now made their way to her stomach, "I noticed that – we have a chef darling, no need for you to bother."

EJ pulled up the material of Sami's blouse and was now rubbing her naked belly and she knew she didn't have long to talk to him before he became completely focused on one thing only. Sami normally didn't mind because she had the same problem but right then she had something to tell him.

"Oh there was a need EJ," said Sami smugly, "You know our conversation last night?"

"About the nurse's outfit and playing doctor?" asked EJ throatily, fingers splaying out over her stomach.

"No the non-sexual one," said Sami in amusement.

"Oh," said EJ, nibbling on her ear now, "Vaguely."

"And how we figured that we needed to know the lay of the land more?" said Sami, being careful to keep their conversation neutral.

"Mm."

"Well your brilliant wife just found a way to do just that," said Sami in satisfaction.

"Your stomach is getting bigger every day," noted EJ proudly, rubbing it some more, "God but it makes me so hard."

"EJ you're not listening to me," complained Sami laughingly even as she felt that familiar tingling in her stomach and her panties moistened shamelessly.

"You're brilliant," EJ mumbled distractedly, switching to the other side of her neck, "Let's have sex to celebrate."

"Yeah and when you find how brilliant it will knock your socks off," said Sami indulgently, leaning back into him, a hand going to the back of EJ's head.

"That's a good place to start, I'm all for things coming off between us," commented EJ cheekily before claiming her lips in a hungry kiss.

"Oh gross – people prepare our food in here guys!"

EJ and Sami broke their kiss to see a repulsed looking Will trying not to look at them.

"And that's what I'm doing," said Sami, amused by the horror on her son's face.

"And EJ?" asked Will with an arched eyebrow taking in the way his hands were all over Sami's naked stomach.

"I'm giving your mother a hand," volunteered EJ brightly.

"So I see," said Will flatly, taking in the floury handprints that were left behind on Sami's breast.

EJ looked over Sami's head to see where Will was looking and gave a grin.

"You're mother holds a lot of tension in those," he said cheekily, "I was just helping her out."

"Okay I can live with the naked belly thing I guess," said Will looking stricken, "But no boob talk okay?"

"I hold a lot of tension in my boobs?" repeated Sami in disbelief, ignoring Will and looking up at EJ and rolling her eyes.

"You only don't notice it because I'm so attentive in that area sweetheart," said EJ with an unrepentant grin.

"LA LA LA LA," said Will loudly, "This conversation isn't happening!"

He dropped his hands away from where he'd covered his ears as EJ and Sami began to laugh at him.

"I'm a child," he informed them accusingly, "You're scarring me for life."

"Is this the same child who wanted to borrow the car this morning?" asked Sami with an arched eyebrow.

Will pursed his lips, knowing he was trying to have things both ways.

"I wasn't a child then but with the horror of what I've just seen and heard I've regressed," he said defiantly.

"Nice try," said Sami dryly, "But no dice."

"I just can't catch a break," said Will with a dramatic sigh as he headed out of the kitchen, picking up a cookie as he went by.

He bit into it and then turned to look at his mother in disbelief.

"It's edible," Will informed her looking shocked, "Did you do something wrong Mom?"

"Keep walking smart guy," said Sami, trying to look annoyed at him, "Otherwise the only thing you're ever going to be driving is a path to your room."

"Why does everyone have to shoot the messenger?" Will grumbled, heading out of the kitchen now, "It's not my fault you suck at cooking."

Sami rolled her eyes at her son's moodiness and gave a sigh at the trials and tribulations of living with a teenager. EJ however seemed to other more pressing things on his mind.

"I'm thinking of a dirty segue," EJ told her mischievously as he bent down and swept her off her feet, "Like there are lots of very enjoyable things that you're good at sweetheart – particularly in the sucking department."

"CAN'T YOU AT LEAST WAIT UNTIL I'M OUT OF EARSHOT?" Will yelled at them in despair through the door.

"WALK FASTER!" EJ yelled back the advice to the younger man and grinned down at Sami.

"Do you really think we're emotionally scarring him by being this-" Sami began but EJ interrupted.

"Horny?" asked EJ brightly.

"I was going to say affectionate in front of him," said Sami wryly, putting her arms around his neck.

"In my experience sweetheart people who say they're being emotionally scarred never are," said EJ wisely, "It's the ones who don't say anything that have the issues."

"Hm," said Sami thoughtfully, "I guess you're right."

"Samantha," said EJ calmly.

"Yes EJ?" asked Sami with a smile.

"Do you have anything in the oven?" asked EJ with an answering smile.

"You mean like a bun?" asked Sami in confusion, looking down at her stomach, "Two in fact."

"I mean like the actual oven," said EJ amusement, "What I've got in mind is going to take awhile and I don't want to burn the mansion down."

"No," said Sami with an excited smile, "You're good to go EJ."

"Excellent," said EJ, wicked gleam coming to his eye.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Oh god," grunted EJ unsteadily as he dropped his head and groaned noisily into Sami's shoulder.

Sami was kneeling on the edge of the bed and EJ was standing behind her as she leant back against him. They were both naked and EJ was deep inside of Sami, feeling her walls clenched tightly around him.

"Wait," he pleaded as Sami began to move her hips more urgently against his, building the friction between them, her backside rubbing against him pleasurably.

"What for?" Sami panted, leaning back against him more but slowing her movements as requested.

"I want to just be inside you for a little longer," said EJ shakily, "I can't get enough Samantha."

EJ knew he'd been getting close and he just didn't want this to be over yet.

"I know," sighed Sami happily, reaching behind herself with one hand to stroke the back of his head lovingly, "Either can I."

"God but I love you," said EJ unevenly, as he kissed along Sami's neck adoringly, hands rubbing her stomach as he did.

"I love you too," replied Sami and EJ could hear the smile in her voice.

EJ looked over at the full length mirror on the other side of the room and felt his stomach tighten in excitement as he caught their reflection. Sami looked like a goddess kneeling on the bed, her pale body glowing in the low light, a stark contrast to his tanned skin. There was a fine layer of sweat covering Sami's body and it just seemed to make her even more luminescent and it was especially exciting to EJ because he knew she was like that because of how aroused he'd made her.

"I wanted you like this the moment I walked into that kitchen," EJ confessed to her, still mesmerised by their reflections and the way Sami's breasts moved with each of her unsteady breaths.

"You hide it well," she teased him with a giggle.

EJ felt that little laugh right though out his body, even to where Sami was clenched around his hardness and he closed his eyes against the sudden jolt of pleasure.

"I can't get enough of your body, of you sweetheart," EJ groaned helplessly, wrapping his arms more fully around her stomach and pulling her back against him more firmly.

"You won't be saying that when I'm the size of a whale," commented Sami ruefully, "At this rate I'm going to be all belly and boobs before you know it."

"Don't," gasped EJ shakily, already able to picture it in his head and almost blowing his load right there and then at the thought.

Sami must have felt him tense suddenly and shook her head indulgently.

"How can that thought turn you on EJ?" she asked sounding amazed, "My whole body is going to be all gross and misshapened."

"It's going to be glorious," EJ corrected her with a needy groan, "And I can't wait to lose myself in that body over and over again."

"You almost sound like you'll be disappointed when my body goes back to normal," commented Sami, managing to crane her neck and look back up over her shoulder at him.

"I'll never stop being turned on by your body Samantha," EJ vowed and then gave a mischievous little smile, "And besides, I'll most likely just keep you in a permanent state of pregnancy for here on in."

"Don't I get a say?" Sami challenged him with a smile.

"You get to tell me no, I can't have you whenever I want," EJ said huskily.

His hands trailed down her body until one slipped between Sami's legs and began to rub her swollen nub.

"If you can," he finished throatily.

Sami groaned loudly and arched her back at his touch, fresh moisture squirting out of her body as he rhythmically began to rub her clit.

"Oh god!" she cried out, her hands immediately going to her breasts and beginning to massage them and EJ had his answer.

Sami couldn't say no to him anymore than he could say no to her. They were in a permanent state of need for each other and it just wasn't going away no matter how many times they had each other.

"Don't stop!" Sami begged him urgently, ridding his fingers as well as his rock hard manhood.

EJ picked up his pace as he felt the tension in Sami's body mount, having a uniquely intimate insight into that with being so deeply embedded in her.

"Yessss," Sami hissed excitedly, squeezing her own breasts hard, her eyes closed against the pleasure of it all.

EJ felt Sami begin to climax, her walls wildly spasming around his manhood that was impatient for a release of its own. Sami squirmed against him helplessly, choking out her release until she was finally done. Sami gave a grateful groan of contentment and fell forward, suddenly seeming to be unable to hold herself upright anymore. She was now bent over on the bed, cheek pressed against the bedspread as she collapsed with a happy sigh of satisfaction.

"God but that was good," she murmured unsteadily, a bliss filled smile coming to her lips, eyes closed.

"My turn," said EJ roughly, urgently grabbing her hips and ramming her back on him hard.

"Mm, yes please," said Sami accommodatingly, content to let him have his fun now.

She stayed in that position and EJ glanced over at the mirror again, swallowing the moan that came up from deep inside of him seeing Sami lying on the bed now, backside high up in the air and EJ already inside of her. A low, animalistic growl filled the air and EJ was surprised to find he'd made it but he was already starting to pound himself into Sami mindlessly, at the complete mercy of it now. Sami's hands clutched at the bedspread and for the briefest moment EJ was frightened he'd gone too hard too fast in his excitement and was hurting her but the excited moan Sami then gave told him that she was getting ready for another orgasm.

There was something about making the woman you loved climax over and over again that sharpened your own arousal to such a fever pitch that your own orgasms were even more intense because of it EJ decided. Eager to give them both what they were craving EJ began to ride Sami harder now and her choked gasps of pleasure told him that she was enjoying his enthusiasm. They came together in a noisy cacophony of cries and grunts that was music to EJ's ears even as he shuddered helplessly against Sami, delivering wave after wave of his hot seed into her waiting body. Eventually he had no more to give her and EJ withdrew, climbing onto the bed and rolling Sami onto her side and drawing her into his arms so they could hold each other close. Nothing was said for a long time, both of them just satisfied to let their bodies throb in mutual satisfaction and be close to the other.

"So," said EJ as he gave her a tired smile of satisfaction on his sweaty face, "Tell me again how you're so brilliant?"

"Oh [i]_now[/i]_ he's interested," Sami laughed even as she tried to catch her own breath from their last bout of energetic lovemaking.

"Sorry," said EJ with a rueful smile, "I had a more pressing need at that moment."

"I know," said Sami with a quirk of her lips, "I felt it pressing into my backside in the kitchen."

"Well tell me now," said EJ indulgently, "Almost fifty percent of my blood is back around my brain."

"I found a secret passageway that Rolf disappears into everyday," said Sami with a pleased smile, "I used the flour to track his movement."

"So you're untidiness in the kitchen has been a cunning ruse all along eh?" asked EJ impressed.

"Well more like I put it to good use this time round," said Sami with a grin, "So now we know where Rolf disappears to and it's just a matter of checking out where it goes."

"This place is a labyrinth under the ground," said EJ, pursing his lips, "We'll have to time this carefully."

"I think that is where Stefano is holding Lexie," said Sami with great certainty, "I've just got this feeling about it."

"Well we'll have to confirm that before making our move," said EJ thoughtfully, "It all has to come together at just the right moment. We can't afford to make any mistakes."

"We won't," said Sami confidently, snuggling into his embrace as they just enjoyed their afterglow together.

**oooOOOOooo**

"_So when did Stefano find out what they were up to?" asked Nelson calmly._

_John pursed his lips and looked away briefly before answering._

"_That's a very good question Agent Nelson," said John, looking suddenly distant, "And an even better one is how?"_

_Nelson arched an eyebrow at that, waiting for the other man to elaborate._


	164. Chapter 310

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & TEN**** – ****Another One Bites the Dust**

Risk-taking, trust, and serendipity are key ingredients of joy. Without risk, nothing new ever happens. Without trust, fear creeps in. Without serendipity, there are no surprises.

_Rita Golden Gelman_

(Canadian Author, nomad and Adventurer)

"_So let me get this straight," said Agent Nelson, checking his notes and then looking over at the well groomed and beautiful woman staring back at him calmly, "You agreed to pose as EJ DiMera's girlfriend during the time he and the then Mrs Roberts were carrying on an affair." _

"_Technically Sami and Lucas weren't married because a waiter performed their marriage," said Estelle evenly, "But the rest is correct, yes."_

"_Why?" asked Nelson, looking at her oddly. _

"_He needed the money I guess," said Estelle with a shrug of her shoulders, "It's hard to get work acting in Salem I'd imagine."_

"_Not why the waiter, why did you agree to the arrangement between you and EJ?" asked Nelson in exasperation. _

"_Oh, my bad," said Estelle in amusement._

_She thought about it for a moment before answering. _

"_I have a weakness for good looking men who ask weird things of me in bars," said Estelle with a quirk of her lips. _

"_This was a huge undertaking," said Nelson, not being fobbed off so easily, "Why would you do such a thing. Did DiMera pay you?"_

"_It wasn't that kind of arrangement although EJ was very generous," said Estelle with a fond smile, "I just wanted to help. When I met EJ and Sami I knew they were meant to be so I thought of it as my good deed for the year – helping out two star crossed lovers. I'm an  
English professor, mainly to do with literature and I suppose the sweeping angst of it all was something I couldn't say no to."_

"_That was still an odd thing to commit to when it came to two complete strangers," said Nelson with a shake of his head, "Especially when one of them had the last name DiMera."_

"_I like to live life on the edge," said Estelle with a cool smile. _

"_So you helped EJ and Sami cover up their affair out of the goodness of your heart," noted Nelson._

"_And because they became my friends," said Estelle with a wistful smile, "They were my kind of people."_

"_And you continued this friendship even after your services were no longer needed as a smoke screen?" Nelson asked._

"_Yes," said Estelle with a smile, "I did. Plus I got to meet Will, Sami's son."_

"_Tell me about that?" asked Nelson, trying to get as much of a feel of the situation from as many people as he could._

"_It was quite the first meeting," Estelle remembered with the quirk of her lips, "For both of us."_

**oooOOOOooo**

Will hit the unforgiving concrete hard and all of the air was forced from his lungs in one painful breath, as he lay there dazed and in pain.

"Get up loser boy so I can knock you down again!"

A voice above him taunted him and all around Will were a sea of legs as the group of teenagers moved in as one. They'd been at him about his parents, crowding around him until Will couldn't stand it any longer. He lashed out at the ring leader and missed his mark but the bully didn't, landing a hard blow on Will's cheek and undoubtedly leaving a bruise. That was followed up with a punch to the nose and the blood was flowing freely down his face and he could taste its salty flavour in his mouth.

There was a sharp kick to the ribs from one of the other teenagers and Will groaned loudly, instinctively bringing his knees up to his chest in a protective gesture. They'd all pushed and shoved him as one and Will had tried to defend himself but there were too many of them and all the random blows eventually saw him hit the ground, unable to protect himself.

"Careful man," one mocking voice warned, "His daddy went crazy and killed his granny – you don't want to make loser boy angry."

All the teenagers burst out into cruel laughter at that.

"Or maybe your whore of a mother will kiss it all better for you," offered up another, "I here she gives it away easy."

A white hot rage went through Will at hearing his mother being talked about like that and he kicked out at them but they easily avoided his weak attempts.

"Or you can all kiss this," a female voice suddenly suggested.

Will was still on the ground so all he saw were a pair of red high heeled shoes suddenly joining the fray. The next thing he knew the four boys were all coughing and spluttering as a strong, fragrant scent filled the air.

"You bitch!" yelled out the ring leader but was already backing away.

"Honey you don't know the half of it," said Estelle coolly, "Why don't you and your boyfriends be good little children and run along and go back to practicing kissing on each other."

Will propped himself up unsteadily on one arm in time to see the other boys staggering away, eyes watering profusely and stumbling into one another. Estelle crouched down beside the beleaguered teenager and smiled.

"How about we get you home Tiger?" she suggested kindly.

"Who-who are you?" asked Will, staring at her in disbelief.

"I'm Batman," said Estelle with a quirk of her lips, "Only in heels."

She looked suddenly thoughtful then.

"Although," Estelle continued on blithely, "I say if a guy likes spandex as much as he does you can be sure that he's got a pair of stilettos stuck away in the back of his closet somewhere. Careful."

Estelle put out a hand to help Will as he unsteadily tried to get to his feet.

"I'm alright," said Will, embarrassed to be seen in this condition by anyone, let alone a gorgeous woman like this.

His self esteem wasn't too great these days and this wasn't exactly helping.

"Don't feel bad honey," said Estelle with an understanding smile, obviously picking up on what he was thinking, "I've rescued bigger men then you in my time – your new step dad to name but one. And trust me – it was a whole lot uglier with being so drunk and all that full frontal nudity."

"EJ?" asked Will in surprise, "How do you know EJ?"

"I'm his lesbian pretend ex-girlfriend," Estelle volunteered brightly.

"Estelle?" asked Will uncertainly, having heard his mother and EJ talk about the other woman.

"He better not have had any others," Estelle huffed, feigning ire, "Otherwise Poo is heading for the mother of all beat downs. Nobody cheats on this lesbian faux girlfriend and gets away with it."

"Poo?" repeated Will, smiling despite himself and then grimacing as the simple action hurt his split lip.

"Yes it's my pet name for him," said Estelle happily, "EJ loves it."

"He does?" asked Will in disbelief.

"In my head he does and that's all that matters," said Estelle with a grin.

"Did you mace those guys?" asked Will hesitantly, still uncertain of exactly what had happened.

"Better," said Estelle with a grin as she now held up a bottle of almost empty perfume, "I perfumed them."

"Poison?" read Will, squinting to read the bottle name.

"I know," said Estelle with a smirk of the Christian Dior perfume, "I love an ironic smack down. Come on, my car is not far away."

"I don't want anyone to know I was in a fight," said Will anxiously.

Estelle gave a sympathetic grimace at the eye that was already starting to turn black.

"So what are we going to tell your mom Will?" she asked pragmatically, "That you got a little heavy handed with the eye shadow and blush? I don't see that making her feel a whole lot better somehow."

Will closed his eyes, knowing Estelle was right but he really didn't want to face the drama right now.

"It will be fine honey," Estelle reassured him, "I'm sure your mom won't make a big deal about this."

Will arched a disbelieving eyebrow at the older woman and she laughed.

"I know," Estelle said in amusement, "Sami is going to go off like a rocket when she hears about this. Those kids will probably have to go into witness protection."

"I know," said Will with a groan, wondering if there was still a way he could get around this.

**oooOOOOooo**

"That feels nice," said Sami with a sigh as they sat on the sofa in the living room and EJ rubbed her feet for her.

Her blood pressure had been up the last couple of days and to Sami's horror her ankles had begun to swell already. They'd just come back from the doctors that EJ had insisted they go and see and been told that Sami needed to take it a little easier now that she was in her fifth month.

"You heard what your doctor said," said EJ solicitously, "You need to be off your feet more and elevating them."

"I believe elevating my feet was what caused this problem in the first place," said Sami with a cheeky smile at him.

"It certainly was," said EJ with a devilish grin, "But don't change the subject. You need to start slowing down a little Samantha. The hypertension is your body telling you that you have to be a bit easier on yourself."

"I didn't have this problem with Will," Sami groaned in frustration.

"Sweetheart that was sixteen years ago and there was only one of him," EJ reminded her affectionately, "This isn't the same as your first pregnancy."

"Are you saying I'm getting old?" Sami asked with a warning look at him.

"I'm saying I want you and these babies healthy," said EJ smoothly, "That's the most important thing to me Samantha. You can't keep on doing ten and eleven hour days at Mythic – it's simply not good for you."

"But so much is happening right now," Sami tried to explain, "The Chiba deal is almost through and just off the back of that we've got people coming to us now wanting for us to promote their companies. It's crazy."

"Maybe I should go back?" said EJ with a frown.

"No," said Sami quickly, "We agreed you're right where you should be EJ. Don't worry, we'll figure something out I'm sure."

Sami heard the door open behind her and she turned on the sofa, feet still in EJ's lap as she heard Will come home.

"I'm home," he called out, not stopping and heading straight for the stairs, "And Estelle is here to see you."

"Hold on!" Sami called out after him as she and EJ stood up, "What's the rush? Come in here and say hello properly Will."

"Hello Estelle," EJ smiled as the other woman walked in and stood at the doorway and Sami added her warm greeting.

"Hello to my favourite breeders as well," Estelle replied with an affectionate smile.

By now Will had reluctantly turned round and come to stand by Estelle, his head hung down and avoiding eye contact but Sami saw the blood on his shirt.

"Oh my god!" she said in horror, leaping to her feet and rushing over to him, "Will what happened?"

"Nothing Mom," he mumbled, "Don't worry about it."

Sami yanked his chin up none too gently to see his face properly. Will's eye was beginning to close and his cheek was purple and blood was drying around his nose.

"Oh my god Will," exclaimed Sami, tears welling up in her eyes at seeing her child like this.

"It looks worse than it is Mom," Will tried to reassure her but Sami wasn't having it.

"Did someone do this to you?" asked Sami, starting to get angry now that the initial shock had worn off.

"Four someone's actually," reported Estelle with a grimace, "It was ugly."

"Why would they do this?" asked Sami in distress as EJ came up behind her and put his hands on her arms to comfort her.

"I could take a guess," said EJ darkly, shaking his head.

"It doesn't matter," said Will, attempting an off handed shrug, "Can I go to my room now?"

"Will tell me who did this to you, what are their names?" Sami asked before her eyes narrowed menacingly, "Where do they live?"

"Samantha calm down," EJ tried to comfort her.

"Calm down!" Sami yelled, doing the exact opposite, "How can I calm down – some thugs tried to kill my son EJ!"

"It's okay Sami," said Estelle, "I sent them on their way."

"How?" asked EJ, eyeing her curiously.

Estelle fished through her bag and pulled out her Christian Dior perfume bottle with a triumphant look.

"You maced them with perfume?" asked EJ with a quirk of his lips.

"Hey nobody knows more about getting the upper hand in a cat fight then a gay Frenchman," said Estelle knowingly.

"Thank god you were there Estelle," said Sami gratefully, "Who knows what could have happened it you weren't."

"Yup," said Will stoically, "It was awesome being rescued by a chick packing perfume alright."

"I want them arrested!" Sami declared, turning round and looking up at EJ, "Can you do that right now EJ?"

"I don't want that Mom," said Will quickly.

"Well I'm going to speak to each of their parents then," said Sami grimly, "I'm not going to let those hooligans get away with this!"

"Mom," groaned Will in despair.

"Sweetheart I don't think what Will needs right now is for these bullies to see his mummy fighting his battles for him," said EJ wisely.

"Thank you!" exclaimed Will, "Haven't I been humiliated enough Mom?"

"But they can't get away with this!" said Sami angrily.

"Please Mom just drop it," said Will with a grimace, "I want to forget about it."

Sami struggled to let go of her maternal rage, seeing that Will didn't need that right then but it was hard.

"Come on then," she said at last, taking his arm, "I'm taking you to a doctor to get you checked out."

"I don't want to go to a doctor," said Will in horror, "I'm fine."

"Will I think for your mother's peace of mind we should get you checked out," said EJ evenly, "That cheekbone could be fractured and make sure your eye is okay."

"I'll drive," said Sami determinedly, already making a bee line for her keys.

"No sweetheart," said EJ firmly, "I'll drive Will, you'll stay here and try and take it easy. This is just a precaution and I'll ring you from the hospital if there are any developments."

"But-" Sami began to protest, feeling like she needed to be there.

"Estelle will keep you company," EJ offered up the other woman's services as he collected his own keys, "We won't be long."

He looked over at Will.

"Okay?"

"Yeah okay," said Will with a nod and he looked relieved that Sami wasn't going with him so she just had to let them go.

"Ring me with what the doctor says," she instructed EJ anxiously, "As soon as he finishes talking."

"I will," EJ promised her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head, "Don't worry Samantha, everything is in hand."

Sami watched them leave, gnawing on her bottom lip as Estelle came up beside her and put her arm around her, giving her a comforting hug.

"Don't worry honey," said Estelle, "EJ has got it covered."

They were already out the door by this stage and Sami gave a bit of a groan.

"I'm ruining Will's life," she said unhappily, "Again."

"Come and sit down," said Estelle, walking over to the sofa and sitting down herself, patting the seat beside her.

"You know you don't have to do this right?" said Will as he and EJ got into EJ's car, "I'm fine."

"Will this is going to make your mother stop worrying and it is going to put my mind at rest also," said EJ easily as he put his seatbelt on, "This is for the best."

Will leant back in his seat and closed his eyes and gave a bit of a groan.

"Don't worry," said EJ reassuringly, "This won't take long. At least I hope it won't-"

He turned on the ignition of the car then and gave Will a half smile.

"I really don't like to leave your mother and Estelle alone too long," EJ said with a little laugh, "I keep worrying that Estelle is going to turn her if she has her way."

"And there it is," said Will with another loud groan at the thought of his mother being an object of desire for both men and women, "My day just got worse."

"You'll live," EJ predicted as they pulled out of the driveway.

"Thanks," said Sami as Estelle handed her a glass of water before sitting back down on the sofa, "But you're my guest and I should be getting you something."

"I'm fine honey," said Estelle with a smile, "And you know me, if I want something I'll just help myself."

Sami smiled at that and then reached out and squeezed her hand.

"Thank you so much for being there for Will," said Sami emotionally, "He's having such a hard time of it lately and it all feels like my fault."

"Will has gotten a rough hand sure," said Estelle, "But he's got a lot more than a lot of kids his age. He's got you and EJ and that isn't nothing my dear."

"I'm his mom," said Sami quietly, looking down at her drink wistfully, "I just want to make this all go away for him."

"That's not life Sami," said Estelle with a kind smile, "Not for Will, not for any of us."

"I know," said Sami with a rueful look, "But I still want it to be for my children."

"Speaking of which how are Arthur and Martha?" asked Estelle with a grin, putting out a hand and rubbing Sami's belly.

Sami didn't mind the familiarity. Estelle had been such an important part of her and EJ's relationship in a way that it was nice to be able to share her pregnancy with the other woman. Besides Sami was a little short on girlfriends who would want to do the same.

"They're good," said Sami putting a loving hand on her stomach as well, "It's their mom that is a bit of a worry, or at least that is what EJ is trying to convince me."

"Aren't you well honey?" asked Estelle solicitously.

"Just some pregnancy hypertension but to listen to EJ talk I'm the first woman to have had it and I'm practically at death's door," said Sami with a roll of her eyes.

"That kind of thing can become serious very quickly," said Estelle, siding with EJ.

"EJ is at me to cut back at work and spend more time here," said Sami with a sigh, unable to imagine how she could manage that with things how they were.

"You know he only wants you to do that so he can do disgusting things to you whenever he gets the urge?" noted Estelle teasingly.

Sami gave a little laugh at that.

"I know," said Sami with a satisfied smirk, "And it's awesome."

"Still," said Estelle with a shake of her head, "You should consider working something out Sami. You can't be too careful when it comes to your health."

"Ug," said Sami with a grimace, "I don't want to think about it anymore. Tell me how things are going with you Estelle?"

"Okay I guess," said Estelle with a little shrug.

"You guess?" Sami quizzed her.

"I'm just a little over the college professor thing," admitted Estelle with a sigh, "I've been doing it for ten years now and I feel like I need a new challenge. I mean there are ways I can progress in my career but it's not thrilling me like it used to and I can feel the wanderlust coming on."

"Estelle," said Sami, sitting up a little straighter in her chair as a golden opportunity presented itself out of the blue, "How would you like a job?"

"Are the DiMera's hiring?" asked Estelle with a cheeky grin, "Is this just an attempt to get me into a sexy maid's outfit Sami because you don't have to hire me to do that."

"No," Sami laughed at the other woman's flirting, "I mean at Mythic. EJ is determined that I slow down and the business is taking off like crazy. I really need someone I can trust to help me out with it."

"But I don't know anything about promotion," said Estelle with a frown but Sami could see the flicker of interest there.

"Either did I when I started," said Sami eagerly, "But you're like me Estelle, a quick learner and I'll be there to help you out. EJ and I have put together an amazing team at Mythic and they'll be there to support you all the way. You're good with people and have a way about you that draws them in and you need that in this kind of business and we already know that you're good in a crisis. I mean look at today!"

"Would there be travel?" asked Estelle, looking intrigued now.

"Lots," said Sami excitedly, knowing how much Estelle loved that kind of thing, "You'd be going all over the world on behalf of Mythic and getting our name out there. There would be expense accounts and even though it would be hard work it's something that you could really make your own. The work is interesting and diverse and you meet some amazing people."

Sami stopped to draw breath and looked at Estelle hopefully.

"What do you think?" she asked hesitantly.

There was a long pause before Estelle answered, obviously weighing things up.

"You had me at expense account," said Estelle straight faced at last.

"Really?" asked Sami in delight.

"Sure," said Estelle with a grin, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained I always say. Let's do it."

"Oh yay!" said an excited Sami, clapping her hands together and grabbing Estelle into a big hug, "I love you for doing this for me Estelle!"

"Oh I think I'm going to get a little something out of this as well," laughed Estelle, hugging her back.

EJ and Will walked back in just then and took in the two women hugging on the sofa.

"Uh oh," said EJ dryly to the younger man, "I fear we've been gone too long already Will."

"EJ," said Sami in surprise, turning around to look at him, "What are you doing back already?"

"I forgot my wallet," said EJ, walking over to the side table and pulling open a drawer.

"Guess what?" asked Sami excitedly.

"My wife has just been felt up by a far too attractive lesbian?" offered up EJ with a quirk of his lips.

"No," Sami laughed, "Well yes but that isn't it. Estelle is going to be working for us EJ – at Mythic. You don't have to worry about me overdoing it anymore."

"Well that is simply marvellous news," said EJ in delight, "That's a perfect solution."

He walked around and gave Estelle a congratulatory kiss and Sami loved how EJ didn't even question her judgement on this one. Having his trust like this, even when it came down to what was rapidly becoming a multimillion dollar business was still just so amazing to Sami.

"Well we can all talk about the details when we get back," said EJ with a nod, "I'll draw up some papers and we'll make it all official. In the meantime-"

EJ gave Estelle a mock threatening look.

"You," he said, jabbing a playful finger at her, "A little less handsie with my wife if you please."

"I can make no promises," said Estelle with a smirk as she leant back on the sofa and made herself at home, "Sami is one yummy mummy."

"Hasn't my day been traumatic enough?" asked Will with a pained expression as now someone else was lusting after his mother.

"Your mom is hot Will," said Estelle with an unapologetic shrug, "You're just going to have to deal."

"I'll add it to the list," said Will dryly.

**oooOOOOooo**

"_So that's how you got a job at Mythic," said Nelson, "Interesting."_

"_I guess I was in the right place at the right time," said Estelle with a shrug, "And it turns out I've got a for getting people to give me a lot of money to promote their businesses – who knew?"_

"_I've heard that Mythic is doing very well," nodded Nelson, giving her a considered look, "I guess with how it played out in the end it was just as well you ended up taking over the helm of that company. You must be very happy."_

"_Happy?" repeated Estelle with a fierce frown, "How can you say something like that to me? I loved EJ and Sami and Will – I never wanted any of this to happen."_

"_But it did anyway," pointed out Nelson pragmatically. _

"_Yes," said Estelle quietly, a pained expression coming over her face as she remembered recent events, "It did." _

"_So tell me what happened about the bullying with Will?" asked Nelson, bringing the conversation back on track, "Did it keep on happening?"_

_Estelle gave a sad little smile at the question, remembering what had come out of it. _

"_What happened was EJ got a chance to be something Will needed right then," said Estelle softly, remembering with great affection. _


	165. Chapter 311

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & ELEVEN**** – ****Hit Me With Your Best Shot**

Strange is our situation here upon earth. Each of us comes for a short visit, not knowing why, yet sometimes seeming to a divine purpose. From the standpoint of daily life, however, there is one thing we do know: That we are here for the sake of others...for the countless unknown souls with whose fate we are connected by a bond of sympathy. Many times a day, I realize how much my outer and inner life is built upon the labors of people, both living and dead, and how earnestly I must exert myself in order to give in return as much as I have received.

_Albert Einstein_

_(German born American Physicist who developed the special & general theories of relativity)_

"This is stupid," said Will unhappily as he watched EJ string up the punching bag in the DiMera mansion gym.

EJ finished what he was doing and turned to face the teenager.

"Will," said EJ calmly, "I want to be able to tell you that your family is going to be the type of family that doesn't attract attention, controversy or conflict and will live in harmony with all of those around us."

EJ turned around and picked up the boxing gloves and handed them to Will.

"But we both know that would be complete and utter bullshit," said EJ without missing a beat, "Your mother and I have a way about us that seems to attract-"

"Crap?" asked Will bitterly.

"I was going to say adventures but I can see where you're coming from," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "Whether through our own vaguely flawed choices or infinite design neither Samantha nor I are destined for a quiet life."

"I know," said Will flatly, his shoulders sagging a little in defeat at that prospect.

"And by extrapolation that means you have been and will continue to be involved in these little curve balls that life throws us," continued on EJ, "I'm sorry Will but there is nothing we can do about that."

"Is this a pep talk?" asked Will with a grimace, "Because it sucks."

"I'm circling the wagons to the peppy bit," said EJ in amusement, "Bear with me a little longer eh?"

Will gave a little shrug of feigned indifference and EJ knew he had a hard sell here but a challenge had never fazed him before and it wasn't going to start now.

"There are two types of people in this world Will," said EJ evenly, "One who have greatness in them and others who have greatness thrust upon them. Your mother had a greatness in her from the moment she was born but she learnt to be ashamed of it and tried to hide it from others. Of course that kind of thing can't be hidden and it came out anyway."

"Mom's greatness is that she's an evil genius," said Will with a roll of his eyes.

EJ gave a laugh at that.

"You're so right Will," agreed EJ readily with a big grin, "But that was Samantha's genius and greatness being misdirected by poor choices and low self esteem. I had the same problem but it was because of not knowing who I was yet. Now that your mother has embraced the greatness within her and I've found my direction we are quite simply an unstoppable force using our nefarious powers for good instead of evil."

Will arched an eyebrow at him and gave him a pointed look and knew he was thinking about the underhanded reasons they were currently all living at the mansion.

"Good is a subjective term William," said EJ with a half smile, knowing what he was thinking, "When you're a child you think in terms of black and white and when you grow up you realise that there a million shades of grey in between."

"Okay so what?" said Will challenging, "I'm the other type of person am I? I have this questionable greatness thrust upon me do I? I wasn't born with it?"

EJ shook his head and gave a sad little smile.

"You are so your mother's son," said EJ with quiet regret.

"What does that mean?" asked Will, taken aback.

"What makes you think there isn't greatness in you Will?" asked EJ, looking at him intently.

"Be-because there isn't," said Will uncertainly, "I'm not like my Mom with all those plots and schemes."

"Samantha's greatness doesn't come from her oft times overly complicated schemes," said EJ with a little laugh, "It comes from the fact that she dares to dream so big and then pursue those dreams. Certainly it was misdirected in her younger days but that passion can't be manufactured – it has to come from the heart."

"Well that's not me," said Will looking away abruptly, "I don't have any passion."

"Will that simply isn't true," said EJ earnestly, "I don't want you to make the same mistake your mother made up until just recently for apologising or belittling who you really are. I know a lot of the time you've had to be the adult in your parent's relationship and there is nothing you, your mother or I can do about that now. What we can do though is give you a chance to find that greatness within and run with it. You're capable of more than you can ever imagine Will and I've seen your strength and courage up there on that roof. You have a huge heart and the courage of your convictions Will so that when your father needed you, you were there."

"And look how that ended," said Will, his voice wavering a little in pain.

"Passionate courage and loyalty are still that even if it is misguided at times Will," said EJ firmly, "Don't take that away from yourself just because it ended badly. You're more than just Samantha and Lucas' child – your William Roberts and that is more than you've ever given yourself credit for. There is a greatness in you that you just haven't seen yet."

EJ looked at Will, uncertain if his sincere words had gotten through to the young man. He could see Will falling into the same trap his mother had of apologising for who he was and EJ was going to fight as hard as he could against that. More than anything EJ wanted Will to have a happy and full life and he knew that would only really happen once he worked out who he really was and then accepted that person whole heartedly.

Everyone in the world had to do that and if they didn't or couldn't then they spent their entire lives being unsatisfied and grasping for the next gold ring that would promise them such satisfaction. It was an exhausting way to live, always thinking the answer to life was around the next bend, the next relationship, the next job or fad. EJ wanted Will to know peace and to find it much earlier than life than he or his mother had. He couldn't give Will a trouble free life because that wasn't how the world worked but he could try and give him the tools to find his peace within the chaos.

At least EJ hoped he could if Will would just let him.

"EJ do you speak Italian?" asked Will out of the blue after he'd seemed to be thinking deeply about what EJ had just said.

EJ tilted his head a little at the odd segue way but went with it anyway.

"Si," said EJ with a wink at him.

Will hesitated and EJ would have given a lot to know what he was thinking right then.

"What does me un corie coragioso a richiestrato mean?" asked Will, struggling to get the pronunciation right.

EJ looked at him in surprise at the question.

"You mean _ma un_ _cuore coraggioso è richiesta_?" asked EJ, repeating it with effortless Italian.

"Yes," said Will with an eager nod of his head, "That's it."

"Where did you hear that?" asked EJ curiously.

"TV," hedged Will, looking away, "Some world movie I can't remember the name of. So do you know what it means?"

"I do," said EJ easily, "Roughly translated it means that your heart needs to be brave for what is required of you."

"Oh," said Will quietly, "Kinda like find the greatness within huh?"

"Kinda," agreed EJ with a nod, still wondering what this was all about.

Will seemed lost in thought for a moment now, his brow furrowed as stood there quietly.

"Did you pick up some Italian whilst living in Switzerland?" asked EJ with interest.

"Not really," said Will with a shrug.

"Well I've heard your French and it is quite reasonable," continued on EJ, "I think you have an ear for languages. I could teach you Italian if you like. It is always handy to have a couple of languages under your belt."

"What instead of the boxing you mean?" asked Will hopefully.

"No as well as," said EJ in amusement, "You don't get out of it that easily young man."

"What is with you trying to teach me all these things?" asked Will in frustration, "Are you trying to earn brownie points with my mom?"

"Your mum isn't thrilled about the boxing," EJ admitted ruefully, "She thinks you're going to get brain damage. I said I'd make you wear all the appropriate safety gear."

"Boxing sucks," said Will defiantly, "I don't want to do it EJ."

Despite his protestations EJ wasn't to be put off.

"Have you done it before?" asked EJ calmly.

"No," said Will flatly, "But I know it still sucks."

"Will I know right now you don't feel very powerful," said EJ, trying another angle.

"We all can't be six foot five and two hundred pounds," said Will sullenly, throwing that little jab EJ's way.

"I'm a hundred and ninety pounds but that's not the point," said EJ evenly.

"The point is EJ that guys are going to think twice about picking a fight with you just by looking at you," said Will angrily, "I don't have that card to play."

"I know it doesn't feel like it right now Will but you do have power," EJ advised him, "And you have to learn to direct that power otherwise it will direct you."

"What does that mean?" asked Will with a frown.

"I'm going to take a wild guess and say that you were the one who threw the first punch the other day," said EJ.

Will's jaw hardened and he looked away.

"You got angry right?" said EJ knowingly, "You just lost control and lashed out."

"You didn't hear what they were saying EJ!" said Will defensively, "I had to do something."

"Will I'm going to give you some advice that my step father Edmund gave to me a long time ago when I used to get into a lot of fights," said EJ sincerely, "Never start a fight but know how to finish it instead."

Will looked at EJ a little uncertainly.

"Once they make you mad you've already lost Will," EJ advised him, "When you're angry you don't think clearly and you leave yourself wide open. You make them lose control, not the other way around. Every fight you will ever have will be played out in your mind long before the first punch is thrown. If you stay in control of your mind then you're going to win the fight, I promise you that. I can teach you some techniques with the boxing but in a fight it is all about sizing up your opponent and out thinking them at any given moment – using their weaknesses against them."

"Yes Obi Wan," said Will dryly.

"Remind me again," said EJ easily, not worried by Will's attempts at derailing this, "Which one was he in that Star Wars movie?"

"He was the one who trained Luke Skywalker but then died in the end," said Will with a sweet smile.

"Excellent," said EJ without missing a beat, "So the bar isn't set too high then. All I have to do is survive this training session and I've got one up on Mr Wan."

"It's Jedi Kenobi," Will corrected him, obviously just trying to be difficult.

"Hm," said EJ thoughtfully, "I really must see these movies one day."

"What kind of freak hasn't seen the Star Wars movies?" asked Will in disbelief.

"I've never been into science fiction," said EJ unapologetically.

"But Star Wars is way more than a sci fi flick," said Will quickly, "It's a genre all of its own and besides how do you know you won't like something if you've never tried it?"

"Excellent point William," said EJ with a nod, "In fact it's a little like boxing in that respect don't you think?"

Will's eyes widened as he realised he'd just talked himself into a boxing lesson without realising it.

"I tell you what we're going to do," said EJ smoothly, "You'll have a boxing lesson and then I'll watch Star Wars at long last."

"There are six Star Wars movies now," said Will without thinking.

"Oh good," said EJ brightly, "That means six boxing lessons."

"No that isn't what I meant," said Will hurriedly but it was too late.

"Gloves," EJ instructed him, "On."

Will pulled a disgruntled face but did as EJ said.

"This is stupid," he muttered once more under his breath.

"No commentary," EJ informed him blithely, "Feet further apart, find your balance."

EJ began to teach Will the basics of boxing then.

"Don't drop your left," said EJ, watching the young man's form, "Find your centre, hit from there. Your arms don't have to do all the work if your body is in the right position."

EJ nodded, leaning more into the punching bag he was holding whilst Will was punching it.

"Better," he said approvingly, "Boxing is as much about the other person as it is you Will. When you have the fundamentals down you'll be able to concentrate on your opponent. Get inside their head, size them up, find their weaknesses and exploit them. Don't drop your left, protect your face."

The lesson went on for over an hour until Will was a sweaty, breathless mess.

"Not bad," said EJ with a proud nod, "Don't tell your mother but I think you have a real aptitude for the sport Will."

"Are you just saying that?" Will panted.

"Will have I ever blown smoke up your jaxy?" asked EJ straight faced.

"I have no idea," said Will pulling a face and not understanding the English slang, "Have you and do I even have a jaxy?"

"You do and I haven't," EJ assured him with a smile, "And after a few more of these lessons when you find yourself in a tight spot again you'll have the tools to defend yourself and make your point."

"And what would my point be exactly?" asked Will unevenly.

"You'll know it when the moment arrives," EJ informed him, patting him on his back, "Come on, it has to be lunch time by now – I'm starved."

**oooOOOOooo**

Will walked out of his bathroom, a towel around his hips, fresh from his first boxing lesson with EJ. He pulled out some clothes, lost in thought as he dressed quickly. EJ had been a patient teacher and Will hadn't made it easy for him. Despite Will's best efforts not to enjoy himself there was something very satisfying about hitting that punching bag as hard as he could. He still was very angry over what had happened to his dad and Will just didn't know where to direct it sometimes.

Should he be mad at his dead father who had no control over the evil entity lurking inside of him? Or how about his dead grandmother who should have been able to protect the young Lucas better and was ultimately the one who set the fatal series or events in motion? Or how about his mother who betrayed his father but was in turn as much a victim as anyone else? Will wanted to blame himself for not having seen through all the lies because the one thing he should be good at by now is knowing a lie. But he hadn't been able to and people he loved had died because of it. Then Will was angry that he felt that way because it wasn't like he'd had any part to play in the entire mess while everyone else had their own culpability.

It was just a tangled mess inside of Will's head and he knew it. In some ways doing the boxing with EJ had been cathartic because he'd been able to clear his mind of everything but what the older man was telling him. Will knew he was doing this to try and win him over so they could all be one happy family and he kept resisting. It felt like he was betraying his dad by liking EJ so Will kept fighting it. Sometimes it made him mad to see how happy his mom and EJ were together but then sometimes they made him feel like it was all going to be alright.

Will sat on the edge of his bed and thought about the strange dream he'd had on the night of his dad's funeral and then what EJ had said to him today. If EJ was right and there was greatness inside of him and this was how it felt then Will didn't want it he decided. He just wished he could go back to a point in his life when everything was so much simpler but then realised his life had never been simple, one way or the other. There was no way to go but forward now, whether Will like it or not.

"Brave heart," Will whispered into the still of his room, remembering the rich Italian voice in his ear and wondered if he really had what it took to get through this.


	166. Chapter 312

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & TWELVE**** – ****Steppin' Out and Stayin' In**

They can conquer who believe they can.

He has not learned the first lesson in life who does not every day surmount a fear.

_Ralph Waldo Emerson_

_(American Poet, Lecturer and Essayist, 1803-1882)_

"_And how was life in the mansion?" asked Nelson, "How was EJ and Sami's relationship?"_

"_In the beginning?" said Stefano with a little shrug, "It seemed fine."_

"_Well tell me about that," Nelson said, still trying to build a picture up, "And what kind of relationship did you have with Will?"_

"_To start with it was guarded," said Stefano with a nod, "But after awhile, well, things changed."_

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami had just come out of her shower and was dressed in a dressing gown about to get ready for the romantic dinner EJ had promised her when she felt one of the babies give an almighty kick. She smiled and put her hand over her stomach where she'd just been kicked.

"Somebody has daddy's long legs," she said affectionately to her bump.

Will walked by just then past the open door and Sami called out to him.

"Will," she said with a smile, "Come here."

The teenager stopped and back tracked, walking into her bedroom she shared with EJ and looked at her expectantly.

"Come here," Sami indicated that he should come closer.

As he did Sami took Will's hand and placed it on her stomach. Just then one of the babies kicked again and Will's eyes widened in surprise.

"Wow," he said in amazement at the strange sensation.

"Your brother is full of beans tonight," said Sami with an indulgent smile, so happy that she could share this with him.

"How do you know it's Arthur?" asked Will curiously, eyes still on his hand and Sami's stomach, waiting for another kick and using the baby's nickname.

"The last ultrasound shows he's sitting up here and your sister is down lower," said Sami with a smile, "I think he's starting to run out of room already."

"That must feel so weird," said Will in amazement as there was another flutter of activity underneath his hand.

"It feels amazing," said Sami huskily, "You were a real kicker when I was carrying you, I thought you were planning on being some kind of chorus dancer."

"Sorry," said Will ruefully.

"Don't be," said Sami softly, reaching out and stroking back his blonde hair, the bruises all but gone from his face now, "I was all alone when I was pregnant with you, out of town and away from my family. I loved feeling you moving inside of me, it made me feel less lonely and so happy to know you were all mine."

"You didn't have a great pregnancy the first time round did you Mom?" asked Will, looking a little sad as he considered that fact.

"No," said Sami truthfully, "But a lot of that was my own making and I got such a great kid out of it that it doesn't matter now."

"You know I want you to be happy right?" said Will unevenly, "I don't want to make your life harder than it already is."

Sami felt herself well up a little at her son's tentative attempts to try and make everything alright between them. Things were still rocky but Sami knew at his core, through all the hurt and pain that Will wanted them to be a family.

"My life isn't hard Will," said Sami with a soft smile, "I have you, I have EJ and I have these babies. That's all I need. I used to think that being happy was all about having everything in your life being picture book perfect but I know now it's about being grateful for the things you do have and not what you don't."

Will nodded slowly but looked sad.

"I guess I'm not there yet," he said hoarsely.

"You will be," Sami confidently predicted, placing her hand over his, "It just takes time."

**oooOOOOooo**

"Can I tell you once again how ravishing you look," said EJ huskily as he helped Sami out of the car.

His eyes hungrily skimmed over Sami once again, taking in every last morsel of her and felt his stomach tighten even more. Sami was wearing some chiffon type dress in pale pink which had two shoulder straps that went down to a V-necked bodice that stopped under her breasts and then flowed out over her baby bump gracefully, stopping just above her knees. Her skin glowed in the moonlight despite the threatening rain clouds and EJ finally understood what people meant when they referred to pregnant women as being radiant. It weakened his knees to think that this vision was his and his alone.

"If you must," Sami sighed, giving him a teasing look.

"You look good enough to eat," said EJ throatily as he allowed himself to duck his head and nibble along her neck.

"Are we going to make it inside the restaurant?" Sami asked with a little giggle, tilting her head and allowing him better access.

"I'm not entirely sure," said EJ unevenly as he felt the temptation gnawing at him to move on to wide expanses of exposed creamy breasts.

"Well I'm hungry," Sami announced.

"I know the feeling," said EJ, slowly licking his lips, his eyes still fixed on her breasts.

"EJ you're staring," Sami reminded him with an indulgent smile.

"It's nothing every other man in that restaurant isn't going to be doing," observed EJ, unable to help the flare of jealousy at that thought.

Not having to share Sami anymore had quickly become an addiction to EJ and he wondered now how he'd managed for so long before now.

"I can't help what pregnancy is doing to my boobs," said Sami with a quirk of her lips, clearly enjoying EJ's attention.

"It's not a complaint sweetheart," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "Far from it in fact. Just do me a favour and don't lean forward too much tonight though otherwise you'll give half the men in this place a heart attack."

"I have a wrap," Sami informed him with a cheeky smile, draping the sheer material around her shoulders.

"Oh much better," said EJ ironically as it did nothing to hide her voluptuous form from anyone.

"EJ I'm as big as a whale," Sami informed him wryly, running her hand over her bump which was quite noticeable under her dress but still very neat and contained, "No man is going to look twice at me."

"How can you be such a seductress and still be so innocent when it comes to men?" asked EJ with a dry little laugh and shake of his head.

"Not every man is into women who waddle EJ," said Sami with a laugh as she took his arm and they began to walk into the restaurant.

"You in no way waddle," said EJ adoringly, "It's a captivating sashay if anything."

"You've got it bad," Sami teased him, obviously loving the thought of that.

"The worst," EJ agreed readily with a big grin.

They walked into the foyer of the restaurant now which was on the outskirts of town. It was a bit of a drive and very up market but EJ had heard the food was excellent and had been wanting to try it for awhile. The entrance brought them to the top of four steps where you looked down at the other dinners and waited for the maître d' to seat you. As EJ and Sami stood there waiting just about everyone in the restaurant looked up at them and there was an abrupt hush that settled upon them, all the dinners staring at EJ and Sami unabashedly.

"Have I suddenly gone deaf darling?" asked EJ straight faced, looking down at her as their presence seemed to freeze everyone in their place.

"It looks like our reputation precedes us," said Sami dryly, "Fantastic."

"Do you care?" asked EJ with a slight frown.

"What a whole group of strangers thinks about us?" asked Sami with a little smile, "Not in the least."

Sami then turned back to the staring diners and gave a cheery little wave, making EJ love her even more.

"Yes everyone," she announced brightly to the full restaurant, "The town pariahs have to eat as well – deal with it."

"Do you think any more damage could be done to our tarnished reputations if I took you where you're standing right now for being so utterly gorgeous and completely magnificent?" asked EJ, eyes shining with admiration for her.

"I doubt it but I'm starving so keep it in your pants until at least after the entrée big boy," said Sami with a grin and a cheeky wink.

**oooOOOOooo**

Will was in the theatre room, looking over the vast array of DVD's on offer and seeing if he could find one to kill some time. He didn't exactly have any friends in Salem yet and the way he was going it was unlikely he was going to any time soon. Will didn't feel like visiting any of his family either because they always seemed to be subtly trying to pressure him about where he was living and offering alternatives or trying to find out what life was like at the mansion. Will knew he had to keep the real reason they were at the mansion a secret and just didn't feel like being on guard tonight.

"May I make a suggestion?"

Will gave a bit of a start and turned around to see Stefano standing at the doorway.

"Oh sorry," he frowned, "Did you want to watch something?"

"I was going to watch one of my favourite movies," said Stefano, walking into the room, "Perhaps you would care to join me eh?"

Will tilted his head a little, not imagining Stefano DiMera as being a big movie watcher somehow.

"What's the movie?" he asked curiously.

"Shogun Assassin," Stefano replied, walking straight over to the area on the library wall and selected the DVD and handed it to Will.

"A samurai film?" questioned Will, "Is this anything like 'Kill Bill'?"

Stefano gave a snort at that.

"This movie is what inspired such a pale imitation," said Stefano dismissively, "My father would take me to see samurai movies when I was a child and I fell in love with them. The first one I ever saw was 'Seven Samurai', arguably a seminal classic even to this day. Hollywood made a lesser version with 'The Magnificent Seven' but the original is still the best."

"I've seen 'The Magnificent Seven'," said Will, "With Grandad Brady."

"Mmf," said Stefano with a roll of his eyes, "I suppose he was hoping the mercenaries received their just desserts eh?"

"I don't remember," said Will with a wrinkle of his nose as he tried to remember what seemed to him to be an ancient Western, "I've never seen one of these kinds of movies though – they seem pretty lame."

"This movie is about family, honour and vengeance," said Stefano, taking the DVD from Will's hands, "It will change how you look at all three of those things William and is anything but lame as you put it."

Stefano loaded up the DVD player, poured himself a drink of cognac and waved at Will to join him as he took a seat front and centre of the huge widescreen.

"Come, sit," he instructed the younger man, "And perhaps you will learn something eh?"

Will made a reluctant face but seeing as he didn't actually have anything else to do right then he ended up joining Stefano in front of the screen.

"The story is about a man who will become known as the Lone Wolf," explained Stefano, settling in and turning on the movie, "He is the imperial executioner for the all powerful shogun but the shogun goes mad and orders him killed. Lone Wolf's wife is killed but instead of committing seppuku to save face he kills the would be assassins and goes after the shogun himself. Lone wolf has a three year old son and gives the child a choice – he presents him with a shiny ball or a sword. If the child goes after the ball he will send it to be with his mother in the afterlife and if he chooses the sword then he will join his father in the vendetta."

"The guy was going to kill his own son?" asked Will, taken aback.

"Lone Wolf understood the importance of family being of the same mind," Stefano corrected him with a smile, "And the child chose wisely so the Lone Wolf and his cub became hired killers on their journey of revenge against the shogun."

"And what happens?" asked Will, interested despite himself.

"William," laughed Stefano, "That is why we watch the movie no?"

"Oh," said Will and pulled a face, "I guess so."

Stefano dimmed the lights and pressed play on the remote, the two of them settling into a movie that had an impossibly high body count and told through the eyes of a three year old.

**oooOOOOooo**

"_It almost sounds as though you liked the kid," observed Agent Nelson with interest, sitting back in his chair._

"_I did," said Stefano with a half smile, "I did not expect to – his father Lucas Roberts was a bore and an idiot. His son though, his son had potential."_

"_Potential?" queried Nelson, sitting up straighter in his chair, "Potential for what?"_

_Stefano didn't answer immediately, just stared back at the younger man as thought collecting his thoughts..._


	167. Chapter 313

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & THIRTEEN**** – ****Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head**

An orgasm a day keeps the doctor away.

_Mae West_

_(American Actress and sex symbol, 1892-1980)_

EJ flicked on the windscreen wipers of the car as he drove them home from the restaurant and it began to rain. He cast an admiring look over at Sami, taking in the way she looked in the dash light.

"You're so gorgeous," said EJ, briefly taking his eyes off the road to smile adoringly at Sami.

"So are you," said Sami with an answering smile of besotted love.

"Did you enjoy tonight?" asked EJ huskily.

"I was with you and everything was perfect," said Sami with a contented sigh, "Like it always is when we're together. Plus we scandalised a restaurant full of people and you know how I love doing that."

"Indeed," EJ chuckled, "I think we were a hot topic of conversation."

"They can all bite me," said Sami easily, too contented in that moment to care one whit what people might be saying about them.

She'd gotten her happily ever after with the man who had always had her heart, even before they met so what people thought of that in their sad, dull little lives didn't bother her one bit.

"What a delightful thoughtful thought," said EJ with a mischievous look over her way.

Sami smiled and found herself agreeing. The rain was beating down pretty heavily on the car now, filling the car with its relentless sound and patterns on the windscreen. Sami squirmed a little in her seat, suddenly feeling a fresh surge of desire for the man sitting beside her. She watched out of the corner of her eye as EJ changed gears, the muscles in his thighs working effortlessly to depress the pedals and instantly felt her panties become drenched. It was so simple an action but for Sami EJ only had to tilt his head a certain way or say her name and all she could think about was having him.

"This rain," said Sami breathlessly, looking out into the dark and raining nightscape as they drove along the lonely countryside road.

"Mm?" said EJ a little distractedly as he manoeuvred around a pot hole in the road.

"It gets me so wet," said Sami unevenly.

Now she had EJ's attention as he looked over at her sharply. Sami smiled to see the avid attention on his face and explained.

"It reminds me of all the times you've had me in the rain," said Sami throatily, feeling her heart beginning to beat wildly in her chest.

She picked up EJ's free hand and guided it up under her skirt and to the scrap of soaked material at the apex of her thighs. EJ gave a low and long growl of delight at finding out that Sami was just as wet as she said she was.

"All I can ever think about when it rains is how you've had me on my back in it," said Sami, moving restlessly now in her seat as the ache between her legs began to become physically painful, "On my knees, up against a tree, making me take you again and again until I can't scream from the pleasure of it anymore."

"Samantha!" said EJ raggedly, the car swerving a little at the pleasure and excitement her words gave him.

Without warning EJ bypassed the cotton barrier of Sami's panties and plunged two of his fingers into her silken heat. Sami moaned loudly, clutching at the dash in front of her as she instantly climaxed for him, unable to help herself. EJ groaned as he felt her walls convulsed around his fingers wildly and Sami was still panting from the residual sensations of her short, sharp orgasm as EJ suddenly drove them off the side of the road and up into the row of trees a little ways. He abruptly removed his fingers from inside of Sami without a word, hurriedly shrugged out of his dinner jacket and then leapt out of the car. Sami's head was still spinning from her climax when he yanked open the door and pulled her out of her seat.

"God yes!" said Sami excitedly as he picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist as EJ carried her to the hood of the car and deposited her none to gently on it.

Despite her recent climax Sami wasn't satisfied and was in a frenzy of need for this man. EJ seemed incapable of words right then as he pushed her legs apart, Sami's feet now resting on the bumper. He pushed up the sodden material of her skirt, the rain so heavy now that they were both soaked within an instant. EJ found the little straps of her underwear and tugged on it, ruthlessly removing it from Sami's body and carelessly discarding it over his shoulder. EJ seemed more animal than man right then and it drove Sami's arousal into even more of a fever pitch. She loved it when EJ would make gentle, considerate love to her all night but sometime a woman just wanted to have her brains fucked out and right now Sami wanted that so badly she couldn't see straight.

EJ roughly shoved Sami's legs further apart, dropping to his knees in front of her and instantly seeking out that sweet wetness that lay between them. Sami cried out and grabbed EJ's head, pulling him even deeper to her as he began to roughly torture her engorged nub before his flickering tongue was sampling the delights of her nectar deep inside. She remembered the first time he'd done this for her by the lagoon on Ara Caman, totally unaware of the pleasure her body was capable of. A car drove by on the road, its headlights cutting through the gloom of the night and Sami wondered if they could see them from where they were. The thought caused a jolt of pleasure to run through her body, feeling like a complete and utter wanton and loving every minute of it.

"EJ!" she panted, desperation in her voice as he worked her body skilfully.

Sami gave a long, pleasured groan, the muscles in her stomach clenching wildly.

"I'm about to come again," Sami warned him helplessly around a moan, laying down the law, "I want you inside of me when I do."

EJ instantly stopped what he was doing, straightening up and obviously intent on giving Sami her wish. His white dress shirt was plastered to his muscular chest and Sami could barely tear her eyes from the sight but when she did she saw the ravenous hunger on EJ's face as he claimed her mouth in a rough kiss. Sami tasted the rain and her own juices in that kiss as he crushed her lips beneath his and fumbled at his trouser's zipper. She drew her knees up so that her feet were flat on the car's hood now as EJ urgently found her hips, holding Sami steady as drove himself home into her in one hard motion. Sami gasped as his rigid maleness filled her completely and EJ only gave a few frenzied pumps before he blowing his load inside of her. Sami threw back her head and gave a strangled laugh of pleasure at his enthusiasm. She loved making EJ lose control like that.

"Not done," EJ panted against her neck as he shuddered helplessly against her.

"Oh I know," said Sami confidently, leaning back now with her hands behind her, flat on the car hood.

EJ was still rock hard inside of her and Sami knew from experience that she was going to be in for a good, long pounding any minute now. The rain still pelted down on them, giving sharp hard caresses to their skin everywhere it hit. EJ's hair was plastered to his head and Sami knew she must be the same, the rain making her pale dress all but see through.

"Because I've been a bad girl EJ," said Sami breathlessly, her eyes full of seduction, "And bad girls need a hard fuck to show them the error of their ways. In fact they usually need several."

Lust tightened EJ's features once again and Sami knew that he was completely in her power even though she was the one at his mercy. She made him watch as she slowly drew first one of her breasts from her V-necked bodice and then the other, exposing them to the elements and EJ's greedy gaze. Sami knew he'd been fantasising all night about her breasts and what he wanted to do with them and wanted EJ to get his wish. The rain poured down on them, the stimulation making her nipples harden, pouting and in need of EJ's attention. He didn't disappoint, hungrily latching onto one hard peak whilst his other hand grabbed Sami's other breast, cupping its growing fullness.

As he licked, suckled and tugged at her teat EJ began to push himself in and out of Sami again, slowly building his rhythm this time. Sami moaned her appreciation, going back to leaning back on her hands and just letting him have free reign of her body. Every time EJ plunged into her he went up on his toes, making sure his swollen manhood rubbed hard against Sami's distended nub. Sharp pleasure rocketed through her body each time, making Sami hiss loudly and pray he wouldn't stop. EJ's stroked quickly became more demanding and Sami could feel her own body tighten in anticipation of having him explode inside her once again.

"God but I love fucking you!" EJ growled excitedly as he briefly released one of her tortured nipples to attach himself to her other.

"Then do it harder!" Sami moaned, needing her release now.

"You'll take it how I give it to you," EJ grunted in her ear, taking charge and thrilling Sami no end.

Another couple of car headlights passed by on the road then, briefly illuminating them but not stopping in their journey.

Sami wrapped her arms around EJ's neck, both of his hands on her breast, squeezing her nipples hard. Her lips were at his ear.

"Do you like the thought of those people in the car watching you make me come in the rain on the hood of this car?" Sami goaded him, "Doesn't it make your cock big and hard and all the better to fuck me with?"

"You tell me," EJ hissed, driving himself even harder into her so that Sami's backside was lifted off the hood of the car each time he penetrated her fully.

Sami squealed in delight at EJ's roughness, feeling an incredibly strong orgasm building inside of her. She wanted to be there already and began to enthusiastically riding his staff just as energetically as EJ was ploughing himself into her. Sami threw her head back as she felt her stomach muscles tighten, her lower body suddenly caught up in sensations that were so intensely pleasurable that it was painful. She screamed out into the night air and rain as her orgasm consumed her, almost fainting from the force of her release. EJ added his choked cries to her own as he began to climax noisily inside of her. Sami felt like they were both never going to stop until finally EJ collapsed against her as the sensations finally began to lessen as she listened to him struggle to catch his breath, shaking against her body wildly.

Sami felt deliriously alive and utterly happy in that moment. After all the months of keeping their love a secret there were no words to describe how good it felt to just be able to be with one another like this whenever the mood took them. They were free at last and despite the complexities of their current situation Sami couldn't bring herself to worry about them because she and EJ were together at along last. After a little while though even the heat of EJ's body wasn't enough to stave off the cold and Sami gave a little shudder, reluctantly realising they couldn't stay like this for much longer.

EJ felt it and immediately withdrew from her body, much to Sami's disappointment. If it wasn't for the cold she would have happily stayed with his body deeply embedded in hers for hours. EJ carefully helped Sami off the hood and walked her around to her side of the car, settling her back into the passenger seat. He discretely rearranged his own clothes before walking back to the driver's side and getting in as well. The car dipped with his weight as Sami looked over at him in loving contentment.

The rain water was still dripping off his perfect nose and Sami just wanted to lick it off but was too satisfied to move. EJ turned the car on but only to turn the heater on. He then reached over into the back seat to retrieve his dinner coat and draped it around Sami's wet shoulders. She settled back into it, enjoying the musky scent of him enveloping it. They smiled at each other before EJ leant over and gave Sami a slow, lingering kiss of appreciation. He then straightened up and pulled his wallet out of the middle compartment of the car. EJ pulled out several hundred dollar bills and then looked over at Sami who arched an eyebrow at her.

"On the drive home from dinner with my beautiful wife I seemed to have encountered Brandy Mathas along the way," said EJ, his voice low and velvety, full of appreciation.

"Maybe you did," said Sami with a sly little smile, knowing she'd been particularly aggressive during that last encounter.

"I like to settle my accounts," said EJ, slipping the money into Sami's cleavage, knuckles lingering over the pale flesh, "I'd hate for her to think I take her for granted."

"Oh I think Brandy knows how appreciative you are of her talents Mr Devlis," said Sami, leaving the money where it was.

There was just something so damn sexy about this game still for Sami and obviously for EJ as well.

"So what are you going to do now?" asked Sami huskily as EJ's hand settled around one of her breasts, massaging it gently.

"Me?" asked EJ, his brown eyes darkening even more as he watched his hand fondle her softness, "I think I'm going to go home and make soft, slow love to my wife all night long."

"I'm sure she'll enjoy that," said Sami huskily, "I bet she's already starving for you again."

EJ gave a low groan at that.

"You're going to be the death of me Samantha DiMera," said EJ as he moved in for another kiss, his lips against Sami's and it didn't sound like any kind of complaint at all.

**oooOOOOooo**

"How come you're both so wet?" asked Will as he walked out of the kitchen with a drink of milk and ran into his mother and EJ coming home from their dinner out.

"I... ah," EJ and his mother exchanged glances, "Had a flat tire and I had to fix it."

"And did you get my pregnant mom to help you?" asked Will sceptically taking in Sami's still very wet appearance even though she had EJ's jacket around her shoulders.

"I held the flashlight," said Sami brightly.

"You guys are lying aren't you?" asked Will flatly.

"A little bit," said EJ with a quirk of his lips and another shared mischievous look at Sami.

"I don't want to know do I?" asked Will painfully, grimacing as he tried not to imagine how they both ended up in that state.

"I'd say not," agreed EJ with a chuckle.

"What have you been doing tonight honey?" asked Sami, changing the subject with an interested smile.

"I watched 'Shogun Assassin'," said Will.

"Ah," said EJ with a nod, "With my father no doubt?"

"Yeah," said Will, "He was right into it."

"Did you enjoy it Will?" asked EJ, looking at him curiously.

"I guess," said Will thoughtfully, "That baby sure did kill a lot of people though. But the action stuff was pretty cool."

"You watched something where a baby kills people?" asked Sami in concern, "What kind of movie was this?"

"A coming of age one in my father's eyes," said EJ dryly, "Although I have to admit, that film is pretty kick ass."

"I don't think I like the sound of this," Sami fretted.

"It's cool Mom," said Will casually, "I've seen worse."

"And how is that meant to make your mother feel better exactly?" asked Sami in exasperation.

"We'll talk about it tomorrow," EJ suggested, "I need to get you out of those wet clothes young lady before you catch a chill."

"Is that the reason?" asked Sami with a coquettish smile up at him.

"Well my reasons may not be completely medicinary," said EJ with a cheeky wink.

"Geez do you guys have to over share so much?" asked Will looking a bit sick now as he walked past them up the stairs, "No movie is going to scar me for life when I've got you two."

"Drama queen," EJ commented as Will made his way up the stairs.

"He gets it from me," observed Sami ruefully.

"I know," said EJ with a chuckle, "And it's very cute on both of you."

**oooOOOOooo**

"_Mr DiMera?" pushed Nelson, "I asked you what kind of potential you thought Will had."_

"_The boy was in need of a father figure and direction in his life," said Stefano with a little shrug, answering at last._

"_Wouldn't that have been his step father's role – your son EJ?" proposed Nelson with an arched eyebrow. _

"_Elvis could lack direction in his life," said Stefano, his face becoming set and unreadable, "He had drifted from the fold as he got older. William was a fresh start."_

"_I thought Elvis was the prodigal son returning home with a wife and your coveted grandchildren?" said Nelson, looking at him intently._

"_That was how it should have been," said Stefano distantly, looking away now. _

"_But it didn't turn out that way?" pushed Nelson. _

"_I don't think anything turned out the way any of us expected," said Stefano dully, leaning back in his chair and seemed to be lost in his own dark thoughts. _


	168. Chapter 314

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & FOURTEEN**** – ****Lest We Forget **

Praising what is lost makes the remembrance dear.

_William Shakespeare_

_(English Dramatist, Playwright and Poet, 1564-1616)_

Will walked down the stairs of the DiMera mansion and blew out a despondent breath. His mother and EJ were out at a Mythic function, no doubt having a good time. Will's lips pressed together at the thought as he walked into the living room. He went to back track as he saw Stefano already there, sitting at his desk. The older man turned as Will came in.

"William," he called out to him, "You do not have to leave, come, come."

Stefano beckoned the younger man in as he stood up. Will made a reluctant face, not really in the mood for company right then but did as was requested.

"You look, how do they say?" said Stefano with a wave hand, "At a loose end no?"

"I guess," said Will with a little shrug, not meeting his eye.

"What is wrong?" asked Stefano kindly, "You seem upset."

"Why would I be?" asked Will harshly, knowing he was taking his bad mood out on the wrong person but unable to help himself, "I mean Mom and EJ are having the time of their life like nothing has even happened so why shouldn't I be?"

"You'll forgive me," said Stefano with a wry little smile, "English is not my first language but I think that may have been somewhat sarcastic William."

"It doesn't matter," said Will tightly, regretting having said anything now.

"But clearly it does," said Stefano, not letting it go, "Tell me what is troubling you William?"

"Why should you care Stefano?" asked Will sharply, "We're not related."

"But we are," said Stefano calmly, "You are my grandson now."

"By marriage," Will pointed out bitterly.

"Listen to the voice of a man who knows from sad experience William," said Stefano soberly, "Blood ties are not always as they seem. It is often the family we make for ourselves, the ones that we choose that have the tightest bonds eh?"

Stefano tapped the young man's arm then.

"Now tell me what has such a dark cloud hanging over your head tonight eh?" asked Stefano, "Have you had a falling out with your mother or Elvis?"

"No," said Will quietly and then had to look away quickly as tears suddenly threatened to spill over.

"William," tutted Stefano, "A burden shared is a burdened halved."

Will shifted his weight from one foot to the other and thought that this was probably a bad idea but did it anyway.

"Today is-" he stopped short and was forced to clear his throat as it tightened with emotion, "-would have been my dad's birthday."

"Ah," said Stefano with a knowing nod, "I see."

"Mom didn't even remember," said Will, his face tightening in pain, "No one did."

"You fear that your father is forgotten already eh?" asked Stefano empathetically.

"Yes," said Will hoarsely, "I know at the end he did bad things but-"

"He was still your father," nodded Stefano, "I know William."

"How do you know?" asked Will painfully, "My father basically killed himself and even when he was alive there was this monster inside of him trying to get out."

Stefano pursed his lips and gave Will a considered look.

"Has Elvis ever told you anything about his grandfather?" asked Stefano thoughtfully, "My father – Santo DiMera?"

"No," said Will with a shrug, "Not really."

Stefano turned and walked back to his desk drawer, rifling through it until he drew out a framed picture. He handed it to Will for him to look at. Will's eyes widened as he recognised the man from his strange dream.

"I know," chuckled Stefano, "Elvis is the spitting image of his grandfather is he not?"

"Um… yeah," said Will, not letting on that his appearance wasn't the only thing that had startled him.

"My father was a complex man," said Stefano, taking back the picture and looking down at it lovingly, "I adored him and would have done anything to please him."

Stefano gave a little sigh at that and then went and placed the picture back in his drawer.

"He was married to my mother when he met a woman," Stefano told him, "And he fell completely and utterly in love with her. He was going to leave my mother to be with this woman – the great love of his life."

"What happened?" asked Will with a frown.

"Her family killed her for daring to want to be with him," said Stefano, his jaw hardening, "My father was broken hearted and was never the same again. You talk of monsters within William – my father had the monster of grief clawing at him always, howling for revenge. In the end there was not enough pain he could inflict on the people that had caused him to lose his beloved in his life time – he needed his son to carry on the fight."

"That doesn't seem very fair," said William darkly.

"Eh what is fairness?" said Stefano with an accepting shrug, "All parents leave their mark on their children, one way or the other we bear their scars. It does not mean that we can't still love them with our whole hearts and remember them fondly. It is often our scars that define us William, are the making of us and I wear mine proudly, as my father would have wanted me to."

"So my father was a screw up and has probably screwed me up as well but it's okay for me to still love him and miss him?" said Will unevenly, "Is that what you are saying?"

"Love, real love is not without pain William," said Stefano knowingly, "Do not be taken in by the notion that it is all hearts and flowers as the movies and books would have you believe. The ones who make us bleed the most are the ones that our hearts hold dearest."

"That's kinda perverse," said Will with a wrinkled brow.

"Humanity is perverse," said Stefano with a half smile, "That is what makes living such an adventure no?"

Will wondered about the enigma standing before him. He'd heard so many bad things about this man but had yet to see it with his own eyes. Sometimes it was hard to equate this genial man with the monster everyone in Salem claimed he was.

"Did you love my grandmother?" asked Will seriously, wanting to know, "Are you sad she's gone?"

"Ah the beautiful Katherine," said Stefano with a sigh and shook his head, "Such a waste of life."

Will stared at him, waiting for an answer.

"I cared very much for your grandmother," said Stefano evenly, "In many ways we were kindred souls and I miss her very much now that she is gone. But Kate made her choices in life and it was ultimately those choices that were her undoing."

"I know neither my dad nor my grandmother were perfect," said Will quietly, "But I still miss them so much. It still doesn't seem real to me that they are gone."

"What kinds of things did you and your father do together?" asked Stefano, tilting his head and looking at Will expectantly.

"Play basketball, go to games together," said Will with a shrug, "Play chess."

"You play chess?" asked Stefano with interest, arching an eyebrow.

"Yeah," he nodded and then gave a bit of a smile, "And I'm pretty good too."

"Is that right?" said Stefano with a smile, "Well I tell you what we should do William – we will play a game of chess together in your father's honour tonight and raise a glass to his memory – forever alive in his son's heart."

"I can drink?" asked Will, his eyes widening a little at the offer.

"A glass of red wine," nodded Stefano, "It is good for the soul."

"I'm sixteen you know," Will reminded him, "It's kind of illegal."

"Bah, Americans and their rules," said Stefano with a dismissive wave of his hand, "In Italia a child is allowed to sip red wine as soon as they can walk. It is good for them. This penchant some countries have for making alcohol such a sin is why it causes so much grief. Remove the taboo and enjoy it as it was meant to be, then it will not be abused eh?"

"I guess that makes sense," said Will slowly.

"So we will play eh?" nodded Stefano jovially, "And drink to your father's life on his birthday."

"Okay," said Will with a slow smile, liking the thought of remembering his father that way – it seemed dignified somehow and his dad's life hadn't always had that.

**oooOOOOooo**

"How great was Estelle tonight?" asked Sami with a big smile as EJ opened the door for her and let her pass through first, "She had everyone at that event eating out of her hand."

"Estelle does have a je ne sais quoi about her that draws people in," agreed EJ with a grin, "I think you've chosen very wisely with her."

"She's a natural alright," nodded Sami with satisfaction, "I feel like Mythic is in safe hands when I'm not there."

"Good," said EJ, kissing the top of her head as he took her coat, "So you'll be able to take it easier now."

"Yes Mom," said Sami with a roll of her eyes but couldn't hide her smile at the way he was fussing over her.

They walked into the living room together and saw the surprising sight of Will and Stefano engaged in a chess game.

"Hey," said Will distractedly as he watched Stefano contemplate his next move.

"Who's winning?" asked EJ with a smile.

"You should know Elvis that in the game of chess there is no winner until the last move is played," said Stefano, staring intently at the board.

"Looks like Will is giving him a run for his money," said EJ with a quirk of his lips.

"He gets his chess genius from me," said Sami proudly, walking over to where they were seated and studying the board.

That was when she noticed that empty wine glass beside Will.

"What's that?" asked Sami, a frown darkening her face.

"What's what?" Will hedged.

"Have you been drinking?" asked Sami in dawning horror.

"A glass of red wine," said Stefano dismissively, still concentrating on the board, "It was nothing."

"You gave my sixteen year old son alcohol?" asked Sami in outrage, her face darkening ominously.

"It's not a big deal Mom," Will defended Stefano.

"The hell it isn't!" Sami snapped, "You're not old enough to drink Will!"

"I'm not old enough for a lot of things but they get forced on my anyway!" Will threw back at her angrily, "At least this time I had a choice in something I wanted to do!"

"You don't get a choice about alcohol at sixteen!" Sami snapped, "It's illegal and that's the end of it."

"I'm out of here!" declared Will, standing up abruptly and stomping out of the room.

"No," said Sami with a furious shake of her head at EJ as he went to go after him, "I'll do it."

She hurried after Will and stopped him in the foyer.

"Don't you walk away from me when I'm talking to you Will!" she said, grabbing his arm and swinging him around to face her.

"You don't even care why I had that glass of wine do you?" Will accused her, "You just want to stand in judgement of me. I had a good reason for it but like you'd want to know!"

"There is nothing you could say to me that would make it alright Will," said Sami, her lips tightening angrily.

"You don't even know what today is do you?" Will asked bitterly.

"The day my underage son got liquored up?" suggested Sami disapprovingly.

"It would have been Dad's birthday today," said Will tightly, "But I guess seeing now that he's dead it doesn't matter!"

Sami closed her eyes, realising what the date was and felt a pang of guilt.

"You forgot didn't you?" Will accused her bitterly.

"Yes I did," said Sami quietly, "And I'm very sorry about that Will, truly I am but that doesn't excuse what you did tonight."

"I can't believe you're coming down so hard on me considering all the crap you've pulled over the years Mom!" Will tried to go on the attack now.

"We're not talking about my past Will," said Sami sharply, not backing down, "We're talking about your future and drinking alcohol at your age is a slippery slope, particularly considering your family history."

"So what because my dad was an alcoholic I'm going to be one too?" said Will sarcastically.

"Statistically it's possible," said Sami, folding her arms in front of her chest and holding his gaze unflinchingly, "Addictions have a habit of creeping up on you and starting in the most innocuous ways Will and I want you to have your eyes wide open when you start turning to things like alcohol to dull the pain."

"It was one glass Mom," said Will tightly.

"This time," said Sami with a shrug, "What about next time, or the time after that?"

"You're not even going to try and understand how hard today was for me are you?" asked Will angrily, his eyes misting up, "As long as you've got EJ and those babies that is all you care about!"

With that last angry accusation Will turned away from Sami and ran up the stairs to his room leaving a frustrated Sami in his wake. Sami blew out a despairing breath feeling like she'd really failed him in that moment. Strong arms came up behind her and wrapped her in their supportive warmth and Sami instinctively leant back into them.

"I think I just blew that," admitted Sami unhappily as she felt EJ rest his chin on the top of her head.

"Well I think Will has had a highly emotional day and there was nothing you could have said that would have taken his pain away," said EJ comfortingly, "This is all just going to take time sweetheart."

"Maybe so but I shouldn't have gone the alcoholism route," Sami fretted, turning around in EJ's arms to look up at him anxiously.

"You made a valid point and one we shouldn't stick our head in the sand about," EJ disagreed with her, "Alcoholism has been proven to run in families and we have to be vigilant when it comes to Will that he doesn't develop coping mechanisms in his life that centre around alcohol or drugs or gambling or any other kind of pain killing, addictive behaviours."

"All this fuss is over nothing," said Stefano dismissively, walking into the foyer and interrupting the two of them, "The boy had a single drink of very good quality wine to commemorate his father – I fail to see the problem."

Sami stiffen in EJ's arms, fixing the older man with a death stare as she proceeded to tell her father in law just exactly what the problem was and his part in it.

"Listen to me you interfering old goat…!"


	169. Chapter 315

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & FIFTEEN**** – ****Hiding in the Light**

When one wanted one's interests looking after whatever the cost, it was not so well for a lawyer to be over honest; else he might not be up to other people's tricks.

_T.S. Eliot_

_(American born English Editor, Playwright, Poet and Critic, 1888-1965)_

"This contract you want me to check," said EJ the next day as he sat at his desk, concentrating hard as he worked through his father's affairs, "Are you sure about this deal?"

Stefano looked over from where he'd just walked into the room and arched an eyebrow.

"These people deal in blood diamonds Father," EJ clarified, "And from the research I've done they're also involved in selling children into the black market for what can only be assumed for a less than savoury demand."

"I am not interested in the human trafficking side of things," said Stefano coolly, "Only the diamonds."

"But it is all part and parcel Father," EJ argued, "Some of these children end up in those very mines to work as slaves to mine these diamonds. They are stolen from their homes and families and forced to work for nothing."

"It is of no concern to me how the diamonds are obtained, just that they are," said Stefano glibly, "And it should be no concern of yours Elvis – this is business, emotions do not enter into it."

EJ swallowed his disgust at his father's business ethics and forced himself to keep an impassive expression on his face. The more he emersed himself into Stefano affairs the more EJ saw just how truly evil and toxic the DiMera empire was. Things that he'd never really given thought to before beyond a vague moralistic opinion on like the slave trade involving children was suddenly a huge deal to EJ now that he knew he was about to become a father. The thought of his children being taken from him and Sami and forced into a cruel and ruthless world at the mercy of evil men just caused a rage inside of him that was hard to contain.

It boggled EJ's mind that his father could be so cavalier about children being seen as a commodity when he himself was a father but it seemed to come easily to the older man. The more EJ learnt about DiMera affairs the more certain he became that he and Sami were doing the right thing in bringing down this soulless empire, as dangerous as it was. He had to be careful though, he couldn't let his father see what he really thought about what he was doing in his business dealings.

"Of course you're right Father," said EJ smoothly, "But the initial deal you've set up – I think you can do better. My research has shown that what they are asking for in this deal wildly over values their product. I think they can be negotiated with in our favour and if not make it known we're prepared to walk rather than be wroughted by two bit thugs."

Stefano gave him an approving nod for his aggressive approach.

"I agree," said Stefano happily, "They would be wrong to think they can play us for a fool."

"I'll deal with it," EJ offered.

EJ knew he had to do the best job he possibly could no matter how much it disturbed him in the short term to avoid his father becoming suspicious.

"Very well," agreed Stefano, "I will wait to see what agreement you come to with these men."

"Thank you for your faith in me Father," said EJ with a half smile and went back to his paperwork.

Twenty minutes ticked by before either one of them spoke again.

"And how is Samantha today?" asked Stefano, folding up his paper and looking over at EJ curiously, "Calmed down from all of her histrionics of last night I hope."

EJ looked over at him, his lips thinning disapprovingly.

"Not really," he said flatly.

"Bah," said Stefano with a roll of his eyes, "Is there nothing more annoying than a hysterical woman – how do you put up with her Elvis?"

"Please Father will you just keep out of Samantha and mine's relationship and absolutely keep away from Will," said EJ grimly, "All this stress is sending Samantha's blood pressure through the roof and in case you've forgotten she is carrying your grandchildren and it is not good for her or them."

"Of course I have not forgotten Elvis," said Stefano smoothly.

"Then do I have your word to leave Will's parenting to Samantha and me?" EJ asked flatly.

"The boy came to me Elvis," said Stefano unapologetically as he made a sweeping gesture with his hands, "Should I have turned him away in his hour of need eh?"

EJ blew out an exasperated breath at how obtuse his father was deliberating being. Whilst he knew he had to keep a certain façade of malleability around his father EJ also knew that he couldn't be too subservient or again his father would be suspicious. He would expect EJ to defend Sami so he had to get this just right.

"You didn't have to give him alcohol," said EJ disapprovingly, "You know Will's father was an alcoholic – can't you see why that would concern his mother?"

"Lucas Roberts was a weak and insignificant man," said Stefano offhandedly, "His son has more fire to him, more of a spark. I do not believe you have to worry about such things."

"That's not up to you to decide Father," said EJ in annoyance.

"What suddenly my judgement in these things is not to be trusted eh, is that it my son?" asked Stefano in equal annoyance, "Was I not a good father to you, have I not turned you into the man you are today?"

EJ drew back a little at that, thinking about what his father had just said. His heart had warred with his head for so long when it came to his father and what loving him meant to EJ. In the beginning EJ had been so convinced he could have a life with Sami and still have his father in that life. Sam, his strange and lingerie clad nemesis had told him right from the beginning that wasn't going to work but it had taken EJ a long time to accept that. The truth was that he did love the man standing before him but an even bigger truth was that for the longest time EJ had loved the man he'd imagined his father to be. He'd always seen his father as fearless, proud, doting and full of wisdom and those things were true but a lot of other things were true as well.

Stefano could be cruel, cold and calculating and those emotions that EJ had seen in him and admired so much seemed to be easily switched on and off. His father was a complex man and nothing was ever going to be black and white with him and EJ knew his relationship with him was never going to be simple either but in the end a decision had to be made. EJ had stood at a crossroad when he'd started to work out the kind of man he was and the kind of man he wanted to be. One path led to his father's approval and the other led to Samantha's love. Whilst there were things in his father he still admired at his heart Stefano DiMera was not a good man and EJ wanted to be a good man for Sami, for his children, Will included.

Of course he was never going to be the kind of man that the Brady's might call good but it was going to be a version that was true to himself. EJ knew that he didn't want his children to grow up wondering which of their behaviours would cause them to lose his love or even more chilling, their lives. Stefano was an unapologetic murderer even if he rarely got his hands dirty and EJ couldn't accept the justifications he once had for being so careless with human life. Loving Sami had shown EJ the preciousness of every single moment on this earth and that other people's lives weren't a commodity to be bought and sold on a whim. He and Sami had just lived through the horror of having someone trying to destroy their lives and then ultimately them and it was something EJ didn't wish on anyone.

Artie had almost killed them both and the thought of Sami being taken from him so brutally and on the whim of a madman drove home to EJ just how vicarious and precious life really was. His father was just like Artie, worse even because he wasn't mentally unstable – just completely and utterly convinced of his right to force the world around him into the way he deemed appropriate. EJ couldn't help but ponder on the huge irony of the fact that love had created the self absorbed monster standing before him and it was love that was finally going to cure the world of his reign of terror. Santo had loved Colleen so much that his heart had become a black hole of hatred craving only revenge which he'd passed onto his son.

Now EJ's love for Sami was going to stop this vicious cycle of hatred and mend what had been broken for so long. It was enough, Santo's legacy of pain couldn't be allowed to continue and EJ liked to think that now that his grandfather had passed on he and Colleen were reunited and he regretted the path he'd set his son on. It felt to EJ as though he and Sami were not only meant to but were the only ones who could stop all of this madness. Stefano was still waiting for an answer to his question.

"You were a father who loved his son and wanted only what he thought was best for him," said EJ with a small smile, opting to find the truth somewhere in between all of the confusions.

"And why would I not want that for my newest grandson eh?" argued Stefano, "You and Samantha have nothing to fear from me spending a little time with William – it will be the making of him as it was with you Elvis."

"Be that as it may Father you have to understand that I'm dealing with a highly hormonal, pregnant woman," said EJ, not backing down and trying to get his point across another way, "Samantha is already having to adjust to so much by even being her and all I'm asking of you is to help me put her mind at rest when it comes to her son being here as well."

"But there is nothing to worry about," protested Stefano.

"Father please," bit out EJ, starting to lose his temper now, "Just do this thing would you? Right now all I can think about is getting Samantha through this pregnancy with her and the twin's safe."

"All you can think about?" Stefano challenged him with an arched eyebrow.

"As a husband," EJ clarified determinedly, "As your son and your lawyer you have all of my attention and energies of course but outside of that Samantha and this pregnancy are my top concern. You have to understand what it is like for me Father – don't you remember what it was like when your first child was born?"

"Of course I remember," said Stefano with a nod, "And I understand my son but you cannot let a woman rule the roost like this."

"I'm not Father," said EJ, trying something he knew his father would understand, "But a calm Samantha is a more malleable one and is easier to handle. You want order in this house well particularly right now you have to help me achieve that."

Stefano pursed his lips and nodded slowly, seeing his point at last.

"Very well," he agreed, "I will not involve myself in William's affairs as you wish. You can tell Samantha that from me."

"Thank you Father," said EJ, not really believing him but it was a start.

**oooOOOOooo**

_Agent Nelson studied the well groomed and composed older man intently. Clearly there had been a lot going on at that mansion and it was painting and interesting picture as he got the different sides of the story._

"_So Sami wasn't too pleased with you interfering with her son's upbringing," noted Agent Nelson._

"_The woman was being too highly strung about it," said Stefano dismissively, "She made the mountains out of molehills."_

"_You did serve a minor alcohol," Nelson pointed out disapprovingly. _

"_A single glass of red wine in the company of an adult in his own home," said Stefano coolly, "I do not think I have anything to apologise for – I was being a friend to the boy when his mother had abandoned him."_

"_But from what you just said your son was none too pleased about your input," said Nelson, "Did that create ongoing tension between the two of you?"_

_He knew things had gone sour between father and son but Stefano was proving pretty hard to pin down with what exactly had happened. The guy was cagey but he'd led a very corrupt life and avoided prison for a long time and being killed so that said a lot about the character and intelligence of the man he was dealing with. _

"_Of course not," said Stefano evenly, "Elvis was my right hand man, there was no tension between us – I relied on him."_

"_So you trusted your son with all of your affairs and business dealings?" asked Nelson with interest, trying to find the chink in his story._

_Stefano stared back at him, lost in his memories for a moment. _

**oooOOOOooo**

"Zat Bart," said Rolf in aggravation as he walked into Stefano's study, "He just backed za Mercedes into za Porsche – za man iz a congenital dumkumf! Zen he ran over my foot vhen I yelled at him!"

Stefano looked up from his desk, looking at Rolf a little distractedly.

"Vhy do you keep zat idiot around?" asked Rolf in aggravation, "Ve should zend him on a job zat he won't come back from!"

"Possibly," agreed Stefano with a little tilt of his head.

"Vhat is wrong Stefano?" asked Rolf, calming down enough to see the other man's distractedness.

"My son took me to task over my dealings with his new step son," said Stefano thoughtfully, pursing his lips.

"I zink you should be careful Stefano," said Rolf with a frown, "Elvis zeems to always take Samantha's zide over yourz zese dayz."

"You think Elvis' loyalties are divided?" Stefano posed the question he himself had been pondering.

"Ya," nodded Rolf, "Andre may have been crazy but I zink he waz right in not trusting Elvis az much az you do Stefano."

"I will not live forever old friend," said Stefano thoughtfully, "I want to know my legacy is in safe hands."

"I fear your legacy vill be in Brady handz vhen your time finally comez Stefano," Rolf warned him, "Zat woman has a hold on Elvis. I don't trust zem moving back in here and it makes me nervous. We have a lot of zecretz Stefano and vis those people everywhere I turn it iz getting harder to keep them. Vhat will happen if they discover what liez beneath this mansion hm? Nothing good, zhat is what."

"I think you are right," agreed Stefano, pursing his lips, "Samantha is still very much the product of her upbringing despite her declarations to the contrary. Once a moralising Brady, always a moralising Brady."

"Exactly," Rolf agreed with an energetic nod of his head, "And I don't know if Elvis iz inclined to keep her in line vhen za pushing comez to za shoving."

"Then we need to sharpen my son's inclination," said Stefano, his eyes narrowing coolly.

"Vhat does zat mean?" asked Rolf with a frown.

"It means that perhaps it is time to find out once and for all where my son's loyalties lie," said Stefano, a small smile touching his lips as a plan developed, "And in the process give him a few secrets of his own by which I can make sure Elvis keeps his focus and his head is not turned by the cunning wife of his."

"What are you planning Stefano?" asked Rolf cautiously, having been here many times before.

"Something that will make you very happy I believe old friend," said Stefano with a smirk, "We have many birds but it will only require the one stone. I am no fool and if my son believes he can play me for one then he is about to have a very rude awakening eh?"

Stefano nodded to himself, an evil plan brewing in his mind to find out where EJ's allegiances really lay.

**oooOOOOooo**

"_Mr DiMera?" pushed Agent Nelson, "I asked if you trusted your son in your business dealings?"_

"_Implicitly," said Stefano, his expression giving absolutely nothing away, "DiMera's are a family and a family is always based in trust. Elvis and I had a relationship of mutual love, respect and trust."_

**oooOOOOooo**

"And what if Elvis fails zis test you have in mind?" asked Rolf, looking a little askew at the other man, "Vhat zen Stefano?"

"Then I have no son," said Stefano simply, his expression hardening, "And I have no use for him."

"Zo Elvis will be dead to you?" queried Rolf, knowing how much the other man doted on his youngest child.

"No Rolf," said Stefano coldly, his eyes going dark at the thought of his son betraying his trust and love in such a way.

Such a disloyalty could only have one sentenced handed out.

"Elvis will just be dead."


	170. Chapter 316

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & SIXTEEN**** – ****Meet The Parents**

If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all generations of your ancestors. All of them are alive in this moment. Each is present in your body. You are the continuation of each of these people.

_Thich Nhat Hanh_

_(Vietnamese Monk, Activist and Writer. b.1926)_

"_How did Stefano find out what EJ and Sami were up to?" asked Nelson, repeating his question and looking at John intently. _

"_That's not an easy question to answer," said John, pursing his lips and looking away, "It was all about timing in the end."_

"_What does that mean?" asked Agent Nelson with a frown._

"_It means things needed to happen in a certain order," said John seriously. _

"_Like what?" _

"_Like EJ finding out what was behind that secret doorway," said John knowingly._

**oooOOOOooo**

"Where's the lady of the house?" asked EJ, looking around himself.

"Out," said John simply.

"Probably for the best," said EJ wryly, "How is Marlena these days anyway?"

"Still worried sick about Sami and Will living at that mansion," said John flatly.

"I'm sorry," said EJ regretfully.

"I'd tell her the truth but that would only make Doc worry more," said John dryly.

"I take your point," said EJ with a sigh.

He looked at the older man.

"Do you think we're crazy?" EJ asked seriously.

"Of course," said John without hesitation.

"Oh," said EJ, pursing his lips.

"But everyone has to be crazy now and then," said John philosophically, "And you and Sami were never going to be a settle into the picket fence scenario and grow old quietly together."

"No," said EJ with a half smile, "We're not – thank God."

"How is it living with daddy?" asked John, arching an eyebrow at him.

"Alternatively wretched and wonderful," said EJ wryly, "It wretched as I find out more and more about my father's dealings and realise what a soulless creature he really is and wonderful because Samantha is by my side."

"I can see that," said John with a twist of his lips, "So Stefano is trusting you with all of his dirty secrets?"

"Thus far," nodded EJ thoughtfully, "At least it seems that way. I've learnt a long time ago that things are rarely as they seem when it comes to my father."

"Well let's hope we can keep a step ahead of him hm?" suggested John.

"Not an easy task," said EJ ruefully, "But Samantha and I are determined."

"Well having known Sami when she is determined I can only imagine what your combined force must be like," said John dryly.

"Hopefully enough to over throw my father," said EJ seriously, "We're too deeply in now to do things by halves."

"You've found a secret passage way?" John questioned him.

"Yes," said EJ with a nod, "Samantha found the entrance and I'm going to check it out this afternoon. My father and Rolf are going to be away all afternoon with a business meeting."

"Rolf is going too?" John queried.

"I think business meeting is a euphemism for God only knows what," said EJ dryly, "It's not on my books but I'm just happy to have them out of the way."

"Tell me Sami isn't going with you," John said seriously.

"It was a tough fight but I managed to reason with her in the end," said EJ wryly, "Samantha is going to act as look out in case anyone comes back unexpectedly. I told her she couldn't do that if she was with me."

"Good thinking," said John approvingly, "Knowing Sami it's still going to be tough for her to stay put."

"Truth be told that is the most nerve wracking part of this little expedition for me," said EJ ruefully, "That Samantha will do as I ask and not put herself in any unnecessary danger."

"She does have a knack for finding trouble," agreed John unhappily, "You both do."

EJ arched an eyebrow at the note of censure he heard in the other man's voice.

"I guess that must be hard for you to understand John seeing as you've led such a boring and nondescript life," said EJ ironically.

"Funny," deadpanned John, his face looking anything but.

"I have my moments," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "You'll come to appreciate my humour John, trust me, given enough time you'll find me hysterical."

"I don't plan on living that long," said John, not missing a beat.

"I feel like we're having a moment," said EJ with a grin.

"I feel like you should be getting your head in the game about what you are planning this afternoon," replied John but EJ thought he could hear a slight smile in his voice.

"Samantha and I have worked out a plan," said EJ, all teasing gone now, "She'll keep a look out and if anyone comes back she'll ring my cell which will be on vibrate only. Then she'll distract the person until I can get back out again."

"What if there are cameras?" asked John intently, "There is no way Stefano won't be monitoring those corridors."

"Thought of that," said EJ confidently and reached into his pocket and drew out a little box, "Courtesy of Maurice the Mole."

"What is it?" asked John taking it and turning the electrical device over in his hands.

"It has two functions," said EJ, "First it will interrupt the video link as I get near to it, thus concealing my presence in case anyone is watching or taping what is going on in the secret passageways."

"Clever," nodded John thoughtfully, "Wish I had this kind of doodackie back in the day when I was getting up to this sort of thing."

"Technology has advanced somewhat," agreed EJ with a half smile, "And that's not all. It also has another trick. I can attach it to one of the cameras and because the cameras are on a circuit feed The Mole is going to be able to create a link in and get all the images fed back to whatever computer we choose."

"Big brother is watching big brother," observed John, looking impressed.

"Something like that," said EJ wryly, "I have to know what my father is up to at all times John otherwise things could turn very ugly very quickly. There is too much at stake for me to take any chances and get caught off guard."

"Just don't get cocky," cautioned John, handing the device back to him, "And this first foray into the pit of hell is recon only got that? No matter what or who you find you don't do anything other than observe."

"That may not be easy," said EJ grimly as he pictured what he might find down there.

"Easy or not it's necessary," John reminded him, "We can't tip our hand too early otherwise we're sunk."

"I know," said EJ reluctantly, "I'm just praying I find her John and that she's still alive."

"Lexie Carver is one strong woman," said John seriously, "If there is any chance she could have survived what Stefano had planned for her then she has."

EJ nodded slowly, his face set in grim determination.

**oooOOOOooo**

"_Okay," said Nelson, checking his copious notes, "EJ feels like he has gained his father's trust and is now in serious snooping mode."_

_Nelson looked up at John and scowled._

"_It was an incredibly dangerous gambit on this guy's behalf," he said disapprovingly._

"_I've told you why they wanted to do this," said John, not bothering with repeating himself. _

"_Yes you have," said Nelson with an expression that told John he still wasn't convinced, "But I'm still trying to work out Will's part in all of this. How do you think he was handling all that was happening? I mean I've got your testimony that EJ was reaching out to his new step son but what was Will's feelings towards EJ – did he like the guy?"_

"_I don't think he planned to," said John truthfully, "But sometimes people just have a way of getting under your skin without you realising it. I think Will started to see EJ as more than just the guy who took his father's place when it came to his mom. EJ had been given a pretty inhuman face by his family before that-"_

"_Deservedly so?" interrupted Nelson._

"_Yes," said John flatly, "Unfortunately. But I wouldn't have been helping EJ if I didn't believe that him loving my step daughter changed him on some fundamental level. The EJ that came to town in the beginning wasn't the same man who had ultimately won Sami's heart – I'm as sure of that as I am that I'm sitting here." _

"_And Will began to see that there was more to the man than he'd originally been led to believe?" questioned Nelson._

"_They spent time with his boxing lessons," nodded John, "And then of course he met EJ's mother and step father and I think that changed his opinion a lot about the kind of man he was."_

"_Why is that?" asked Nelson curiously._

"_You look at a man like EJ DiMera and you assume certain things," said John, a little smile coming to his lips, "But then you meet his mother and those assumptions don't seem quite as rock solid all of a sudden."_

"_Why?" asked Nelson looking lost, "What was so special about EJ's mother?"_

"_If you knew Susan Crumb you wouldn't need to ask that question," said John, an affectionate smile touching his lips._

**oooOOOOooo**

"Hello Mom, EJ?"

Will cautiously stuck his head into their bedroom and looked around. He'd learnt very quickly not to walk in unannounced on the newlyweds. No one answered and Will pulled a face, walking into the room now. His i-Pod needed new batteries and was hoping to borrow his mother's batteries. Will spied his mother's i-Pod over on the desk beside the lap top and headed over towards it figuring she wouldn't miss her batteries right now anyway. He was in the process of changing the batteries, sitting at the desk in the bedroom when the lap top in front of him flickered to life having obviously only been on screen saver before.

The computer screen was filled with the image of a woman with thick, black rimmed glasses and very prominent front teeth squinting back at him. Will blinked in surprise and saw that Skype had been opened up on the lap top. He tilted his head and looked curiously at the woman wondering who she was. Someone who had to know either his mom or EJ Will supposed but she just didn't look like a friend either one of them would have.

"Edmund come and help me!" she called out, "I think I'm doing it wrong."

"Have you pressed the blue button my beloved?" a disembodied voice came from what sounded like another room, decidedly clipped and English sounding.

"I pressed a lot of buttons," said the woman, wrinkling her nose, "I guess some of them could have been blue."

Will heard the sound of more keys being tapped as the older woman now seemed to be just blindly hitting keys now.

"Hello?" said Will uncertainly.

The woman's eyes grew as wide as saucers at hearing his voice.

"Eddie Bear come quick!" she squeaked, "I got a ghost in my computer and it's tryin' to haunt me!"

A man now appeared on the screen dressed only in boxers with love hearts on them and a matching bow tie and he too wore thick glasses.

"Dear heart I don't think that can be right," observed the man, leaning over her shoulder and peering at what must obviously be a blank screen to them.

"I'm not a ghost," said Will, wrinkling his nose.

"See!" exclaimed the woman, clutching at the man's arm, "I told y'all it was a ghost."

"But sweetheart he just said he wasn't a ghost," the man reasoned.

"Well that's just what a tricky old ghost would say now wouldn't it?" hissed the woman, looking at the screen fearfully.

Will had worked out who he was talking to by now from EJ's stories but it was still hard to imagine that these vaguely wacky people were in anyway related to his new step father. What he assumed was Susan Crumb was in no way what he imagined when it came to EJ's mother. Will had pictured a tall, cultured woman who was always beautifully turned out. The woman he was looking at had her hair piled messily on top of her head with some kind of fluffy pink head band thing barely holding it all together. She was wearing a violently pink overcoat with love hearts stitched randomly all over it and heavily applied makeup that bordered on clownish, stopping just short of it.

"You're Susan and Edmund Crumb aren't you?" asked Will, his i-Pod forgotten now, intrigued with what he was seeing.

"It knows our name!" said Susan in horror, hiding behind Edmund's arm, "Make it stop Edmund!"

"I'm not a ghost and I'm not going to hurt you," said Will quickly, "I'm Will – Will Roberts."

"Oh well isn't that just the strangest coinkidink," said Susan, peeping out from behind Edmund's arm now, "My Elvis has a new step son with the exact same name – what are the odds of a ghost and my new grandson having the same name?"

Will pursed his lips and tried to work out if she was kidding or not but Edmund saved him from the trouble.

"My darling girl," said Edmund patiently, "I do believe there is a good chance that is the Will we are talking to and he is in fact your ghost so there is no need for you to be worried now is there dear heart?"

Will had to admire how Edmund so gently corrected his wife without making her feel bad. Suddenly it didn't seem so strange to Will that EJ always seemed to know how to handle his mom, no matter how weird or unpredictable she was being.

"Oh!" exclaimed Susan, the fear immediately dropping from her face and replaced with unbridled excitement, "Oh my Will! Well I am so very, very, very pleased to be meetin' with you again after all of this time, why yes I am!"

"Again?" repeated Will in confusion pretty sure he would have remembered this woman if they'd met before.

"Oh well you were just a itty bitty baby last time I saw you," said Susan, beaming now.

"Oh right," said Will, trying to remember his convoluted family history, "You and John were almost married at one point weren't you?"

"Why yes we were," nodded Susan before looking up at Edmund adoringly, "But that was before my Eddie Bear came and rescued little old me and my Elvis."

"Hello Will," said Edmund with a warm smile, "I'm very pleased to meet you."

"You too ahh-" Will hesitated, not sure what he should call them.

"You can call me Edmund as your father does," said Edmund helpfully.

"And you can call me Gee Mah!" said Susan with a big grin, "I've been dying to be a Gee Mah forever now! And you can call Edmund Gee Pa."

Will had never heard the terms before but assumed it was a version of grandma and grandpa that quite possibly this vaguely kooky woman had just invented.

"Oh well I-" Will stammered a little uncertainly but Susan Crumb seemed like a woman that it was hard to say no to.

"Go fetch a camera Edmund!" she declared commandingly, "I want to take a picture of this moment to remember it forever and ever and ever."

"Do you remember where we last had it?" asked Edmund, looking like he was trying to remember.

"Try under the bed," said Susan before blithely giving Will more information then he'd ever need, "My Eddie Bear can make the cutest shadow puppets on the wall using only his Mr Doodle and I like to take pictures – I'll have to show you one day."

"Oh god," squeaked an overwhelmed Will at even the thought and then he saw Edmund turn around and bend over to look under the bed and it got even worse.

The backside of Edmund's boxers were cut out in a disturbing cotton version of assless leather chaps.

"OH GOD NO!" said a horrified Will, immediately averting his gaze but feared it was too late, the vision permanently burnt into his brain whether he wanted it or not.

EJ chose that moment to walk into the bedroom and took in the traumatised looking teenager.

"Oh I know that look," he said with a sigh, walking over to where Will was sitting at the desk, "You're talking to my parents aren't you?"

"Elvis honey is that you?"

"Yes Mum it's me," said EJ and grimaced as he saw what Will was valiantly trying to avoid ever seeing again, "And we can see you."

"What?" asked Susan cluelessly.

"We can see you Mum," said EJ shaking his head, "Edmund less is more – you're traumatising young Will here."

"Oh," said Edmund, crawling out from under the bed and standing up, requested camera in hand, "Sorry about that old boy."

"Sad to say but I'm used to it," said EJ with a roll of his eyes.

"Has it stopped?" asked Will shakily, still looking up at the ceiling.

"For now," EJ reassured him, patting his back, "It's safe to look."

"How come you can see us and we can't see you?" asked Susan with a pout.

"Press the icon that has the video on it," EJ instructed her, "Then you can see us as well."

"What's an icon?" asked Susan in confusion, staring at the screen.

"Someone like Madonna or the Queen Mum," suggested Edmund, trying to help.

"I'm sure the Queen Mother must have just rolled about fifty times in her grave at her name being lumped with Madonna's," commented EJ dryly.

"Well I don't see a picture of Madonna or the Queen's momma here anywhere," said Susan, squinting intently at the screen.

"Are they always like this?" asked Will, looking up at EJ uncertainly.

"No," said EJ easily, "Sometimes they're maddening and a bit weird."

"So it gets worse?" asked Will, trying to imagine that.

"Oh Will," said EJ with a little sympathetic laugh, "Welcome to the family."

"Ohhhhh!" screamed Susan excitedly, clapping her hands together, "I can see y'all!"

"More by accident then design I'm guessing," said EJ indulgently, leaning over Will's shoulder, "Hi Mum, Edmund – good to see you both."

"Oh it's good to see you too honey bear," said Susan with a huge grin and then looked suddenly worried, "You look shorter – are you feelin' alright?"

"I'm probably look shorter because I'm on a computer screen," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "And I promise you I'm fine darling."

"And that gorgeous little girl of yours?" asked Susan excitedly, "Is my Sami good too?"

It was a weird experience and completely unfamiliar to see the mother of one of his mom's husbands to actually seem to like her. It had never happened before but it was clear Susan had great affection for his mom by the way her face lit up as she talked about her.

"Fighting fit and so are your grandchildren," said EJ with a warm smile.

"Well don't this just beat all," said Susan with a happy sigh, "Here I was despairin' you were ever going to settle on down and now here you are married and givin' me a grandson already and two more on the way!"

"You know me Mom," said EJ with a half smile, "When I go, I go large."

"Oh don't I know it," said Susan with a grin, "Now then let me look at you proper like Will, move a little closer."

"Um… okay," said Will a little uncertainly as he leant closer to the computer.

"Well aren't you just the most handsome young man," said Susan with a huge smile, "Why yes you are. I can see your momma all over you I can. Oh I can't wait until I can give you a big old cuddle William, I really can't. I could just eat you all up."

"I think I'd like that," said Will with a smile, surprising even himself as he said that, "Not the eating but the hug I mean."

There was just something so dang infectious about the woman's enthusiasm that it was hard not to be drawn to her.

"I need a group photo of the men of this family," decided Susan abruptly, "Edmund dear, give me the camera and you scooch yourself up with the computer."

"Yes my beloved," said Edmund accommodatingly.

"Mum that isn't going to work very well with Will and I on a computer screen," EJ tried to point out.

"Oh hush now Elvis and you let your momma have her fun," said Susan with a wave of her hand as she stood back and Edmund leant over towards the computer screen facing her, "A moment like this only comes once and you just gotta document, why yes you do. Now everyone look pretty for the birdie."

Will and EJ dutifully smiled for the camera and after a few false starts where it took Susan a moment to work out she had the camera pointing the wrong way she finally got her historic picture.

"Oh now that one is a keeper right there," said Susan proudly as she looked back at the picture on the digital camera, "The rest are just of my boobies so they're no good."

"I'll keep those darling," said Edmund with a big grin, "For when you're not here and it's the fuzzy tingle times."

"Oversharing again guys," said EJ with a grimace.

"Now you know how I feel when I'm around you and Mom," Will noted, kind of enjoying the shoe being on the other foot all of a sudden.

"No it's sexy when you're mother and I do it," insisted EJ.

"Trust me it is soo not," said Will, pulling a disgusted face.

"Now young man I've got serious words for you," said Susan, settling back in her seat, "What's with you and my lovely new daughter goin' and getting' married [i]_again[/i]_ without me? Are you tryin' to break your old momma's heart Elvis?"

"I'm sorry darling," said EJ and he genuinely was, "It was a spur of the moment thing and just felt right after all that had just happened."

"Well I understand that," said Susan with an empathetic nod, "But you're going to be havin' a third weddin' and Edmund and I are a'comin'!"

"Third wedding?" repeated Will in confusion.

"It's a bit of a story," said EJ distractedly, "I'll explain later if you like. Mum I don't know about a third wedding – it seems a bit overkill."

"Hush now!" Susan commanded him, "I'm going to be at my son's weddin' even if you have to have a hundred of the things y'all hear me? My weddin' hat is all done and I'm goin' ta be wearing it, yes siree!"

"My mother fancies herself as a bit of a milliner," said EJ with an affectionate aside to Will.

"Well I don't know about that but I do like to make hats," said Susan with a definite nod, "I'll show you the hat I made special for your weddin' darlin'."

"Brace yourself," EJ advised the younger man and made a mock alarmed face.

"Edmund go fetch the doves and I'll get my hat!" declared Susan imperiously.

"Doves?" repeated Will in disbelief.

"Both of them dear?" asked Edmund dutifully.

"Why yes of course both of them darlin'," said Susan with a roll of her eyes, "Y'all can't get the same effect if there is only one and it makes my hat tip on a funny angle without them balancing each other out."

"These doves aren't live are they Sus- ahh, I mean Gee Mah?" asked Will, not sure what to make of all this.

"Well of course they are alive darlin'," said Susan looking surprised he felt the need to ask, "It would be just plain old weird havin' two dead doves on your hat now wouldn't it – 'specially at a weddin' and all."

"As opposed to having two live birds stapled to your hat which is the height of normalcy right Mum?" asked EJ teasingly.

"They're not stapled Elvis," said Susan with a roll of her eyes, "Edmund has been training them."

"Oh well there you go," said EJ laconically, "That makes perfect sense."

"And they're real good at it too," said Susan with a pleased nod of her head, "The only hard part is getting their pants on."

"Pants?" repeated Will wide eyed.

"Don't!" said EJ quickly, trying to warn him but it was no good.

"Why yes pants," Susan said in surprise, "We couldn't toilet train them so I made them little pants so that they wouldn't mess up my beautiful hat. It only made sense."

Will looked up at EJ in disbelief.

"I never thought I'd say this," he said, sounding as amazed as he felt, "But I really think you and Mom need to get married again because I have to be there for this hat."

"Well it would have been more touching if you wanted to be at another wedding of ours because you loved and supported us both and wanted to see us affirm our love in front of God and everyone," said EJ wryly, "But I'll take dove's wearing pants sitting on a hat I guess."

EJ turned to the monitor and smiled at his mother.

"I'll talk it over with Samantha," he told his mother, "And get back to you Mom."

"Don't wait too long honey," Susan cautioned him, "I don't know how old these doves are."

Susan looked thoughtful.

"Actually I don't know how long doves live for," she pondered, "So you better make it real quick Elvis. I think measuring them up for the pants shortened their life expectancy anyways."

"Duly noted darling," said EJ with a shake of his head.

Listening to EJ and mother talk and waiting for Edmund to return with the live doves Will had to wonder at the upbringing EJ must have had being brought up in two so different worlds. He snuck a look at the older man and for the first time had a sense of not being the only person in the world to grow up in a mad house.

It was kind of nice.

**oooOOOOooo**

"_Well," said Nelson slowly, "She certainly sounds like one interesting woman."_

"_I think that is somewhat of an understatement," said John with a little laugh, "But I think that day Will got to see that EJ wasn't just raised by Stefano but that Susan and Edmund had a hand in the man he was as well."_

"_Do you think Will was torn?" asked Nelson seriously._

"_It would have been easy for him to have been," nodded John, "A lot was going on in his life."_

"_I'm getting conflicting stories," observed Nelson, "One where Will was drawing closer to his mother and step father and one where he was getting on well with Stefano – which was true in your opinion?"_

"_In my opinion and experience relationships aren't black and white," said John simply, "And to try and make them that would be a mistake. I think there were things in both Stefano and EJ that Will admired and hadn't expected to do so with either men."_

"_That must have made for an interesting dynamic," noted the other man._

"_Agent Nelson you have no idea," said John wryly. _

"_With such a volatile mix of people and agendas I can see why it all went so south so quickly," said Nelson in a tone that suggested he didn't approve off all of this scheming and manipulation. _

"_Hindsight is always twenty twenty," said John unhappily and moved a little in his chair, sighing heavily. _


	171. Chapter 317

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & SEVENTEEN**** – ****Office Politics**

Seduction is always more singular and sublime than sex and it commands the higher price.

_Jean Baudrillard_

"_And how was EJ and Sami's relationship throughout all of this?" asked Nelson, "It must have taken its toll all of this angst and it seems to me their whole plan hinged on them remaining a tight unit?"_

"_I think they had their own way of dealing with the stress," said John with a quirk of his lips._

"_Oh?" said Nelson with interest, "How's that then?"_

"_Agent Nelson," said John dryly, "They were newlyweds after all."_

"_Ah," nodded the other man, pursing his lips, "I guess I see what you mean."_

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ pressed his lips together in frustration as he listened to the man on the other end of the phone talk.

"Look," he interrupted the man curtly, "I didn't ring you for excuses, I rang you to see if there was an outside chance that you'd be able to perform the function for which you were hired in the foreseeable future."

The man gave a burst of explanations then and EJ gritted his teeth, the whole thing grating on his last nerve.

"Mr Munroe," EJ interrupted him once again, his voice dripping ice, "I'm not interested in the whys and wherefores of what is happening – only the end result. Now if you can't deliver that result then I'd be considering my options right about now if I were you."

With that thinly veiled threat ringing in the other man's ears EJ simply hung up on him.

"Idiot," he muttered under his breath.

EJ was once again amazed at how his father had managed to achieve any kind of success with these kinds of people around him – it beggared belief. He supposed it was a testament to the ruthlessness and sheer bloodied mindedness of his father that he'd achieved all that he had regardless. EJ grimaced as he thought about what it was exactly his father had achieved in his life thus far.

Before Samantha he'd just accepted his father's dealings without much thought – the sense of entitlement and self involvement that he'd had when he'd first come to town making EJ cringe now. There had been no one more important than EJ DiMera to his way of thinking at the time but now thanks to Sami and all that she'd given him he was a completely changed man.

The thought of their children coming into the world and finding that world the worse because of their father being in it played on EJ's mind. More than anything he wanted to bring his children into a safe environment, one where they could be carefree and happy. EJ knew Sami wanted the same thing and saw so much regret in her when she talked of Will and could see for himself the damage his tumultuous childhood had wrought on the teenager.

EJ didn't want that for any of his children, Will included and what they were doing now was meant to secure that for them. There was so much at stake and sometimes it threatened to overwhelm him because EJ knew failure simply wasn't an option. He put a hand to his face and rubbed it tiredly wishing there was an easier way to go about this.

"Tough day at the office Mr DiMera?"

EJ's eyes immediately snapped open at the husky question and smiled at the woman standing in the doorway.

"Something like that," agreed EJ with a little smile, instantly feeling his whole body relax just from being in Sami's presence.

"I'm sorry to hear that honey," Sami said softly, staying where she was in the doorway.

The light that was streaming down the corridor off the study was back lighting Sami and making her a little difficult to see clearly.

"Don't be," he informed her with a quirk of his lips, "It's taken a sudden and dramatic upward turn with your visit."

"Glad to know I can have such an uplifting effect on you," said Sami and EJ could hear the smile in her voice as she started to saunter into the room.

As she moved closer EJ was able to admire her all the better. Sami was wearing very high heels and smoky coloured stockings that disappeared up into an extremely short skirt. The skirt was a fawn colour with box pleats that made her look both professional and playful in a strange way – an oddly intoxicating combination for EJ. Her bump was prominently displayed under the short skirt and the outfit was completed with a crisp white shirt that was tailored to her body well.

"Aren't you going to ask me how my day at the office was?" Sami asked with a little pout and stopped just short of EJ, leaning on a nearby side table.

"Oh of course," said EJ a little unevenly, trying to get his brain to work again, "How was your morning sweetheart?"

"Productive," announced Sami and left it at that.

EJ's eyes ran up and down Sami's body appreciatively and noticed a few more things now that she was closer. The top of her stockings peeked out from under her skirt with the way Sami was leaning against the desk, hinting at greater delights further up.

"Are you wearing any panties?" EJ asked, his voice suddenly hoarse as the tantalising thought occurred.

"Hm," said Sami thoughtfully, her hand going to the hem of her skirt, "I can't remember – why don't you tell me EJ?"

She slowly lifted one side of her skirt exposing a teasing expanse of creamy white thigh.

As Sami kept going it became clear that EJ had the answer to his question.

"I guess that is a no huh?" asked EJ, his voice cracking a little now.

"This pregnancy is making me so forgetful," tutted Sami, shaking her head and looking regretful.

Through the stark white of her thin cotton shirt EJ could see the darkened peaks of her breast, jutting out prominently as they rubbed against the material and left nothing to the imagination.

"Did you wear that outfit to work today?" asked EJ, his voice a little hoarse.

"Would you like it if I did?" asked Sami with a half little smile.

"Yes," EJ said thickly, imagining her walking around that and being as sexy as hell.

EJ moved so he could put a hand on Sami's stockinged thigh and stroking the silky flesh before tightening his grasp on her possessively.

"No," he growled jealously, hating the thought of other men looking at Sami and thinking exactly what he was now.

Sami smiled, seeming to understand EJ's conflict.

"I wore this just for you EJ," she told him throatily, "Do you like it?"

Sami moved so that she now was at EJ's desk, leaning against it. EJ's hand returned to her leg, creeping up her inner thigh. His fingers encountered the lacy top of her stockings and then there was only the softness of Sami's skin.

"Yes," said EJ, his voice cracking over the simple word.

Now that Sami was closer EJ could see that she was wearing a bra but that it was one of those one with only half cups so whilst the bra pushed her breasts up and out there was also nothing between them and her blouse. EJ's blood was no thundering through his body as he stared at the twin delights.

"See something you like?" Sami teased him with a little laugh.

"Minx," EJ said with a complaining groan, dragging his eyes up from those jutting pink peaks of temptation and up to meet Sami's knowing gaze.

Sami moved her leg so that it was in between EJ's now as she slowly began to rub his crotch which was already painfully restricted.

"So," she drawled huskily, "What are your plans for the rest of the day sweetheart?"

_Bending you over this table and taking you roughly from behind._

That was what EJ wanted to say more than anything and more blood diverted south at the mental image the words conjured up.

"I-" EJ had to pause and clear his throat before continuing on regretfully, "I have a meeting."

"An important one?" asked Sami with an arched eyebrow.

"Yes," said EJ with a grimace, "Damn it."

His father had organised a big meeting with several other business men to do talk some things over. It would be a very good opportunity to collect more information about his father's dealing and for EJ to establish himself even further as Stefano's right hand man.

"When is it?" asked Sami absently raising a hand and playing with one of her nipples which were clearly visible through the thin material.

The little nub peaked and pushed hard against the cotton and EJ couldn't help himself. He brushed Sami's hand away so he could have his turn. EJ quickly unbuttoned enough of Sami's blouse so that he could push the material off one shoulder and expose her breast to his avid gaze. They were so full and voluptuous nowadays that it made EJ's head spin. Without a second thought he attached himself to her teat, nibbling, licking and suckling at the deep pink delight.

"EJ?" Sami pushed him when he didn't answer her, too intent on the task at hand.

Sami's hands came up and she gently raked her nails through his hair, making EJ shudder at the sensation.

"In five minutes," mumbled EJ around a mouthful of her breast.

"Well that doesn't give us much time now does it?" Sami asked with a pout.

It definitely didn't for all the things that were racing through EJ's head that he was longing to do to this seductress and all the things he wanted Sami to do to him. Suddenly men's voices, including his father's could be heard coming down the corridor and heading towards the study. EJ gave a low groan of frustration and knew he wasn't going to be worth a damn in this meeting now thanks to his wife.

"Oh god," said EJ shakily, looking up at Sami longingly, "Such bad timing."

"I think you're going to miss this meeting EJ," said Sami throatily, her eyes full of promise.

"I can't," said EJ weakly, knowing how important it was – at least it had been until Sami had sashayed into the room and made everything else redundant.

"There are two of us and only one of you," Sami commented as the voices drew ever closer.

She looked down at the huge bulge in the front of EJ's pants as his manhood stood at attention, eager to be counted.

"You're outnumbered," Sami told him with an evil glint in her eye.

She stepped back and took EJ's hand, making him stand up as she pulled him towards the closet that was in the study and closed the door behind them, just as Stefano and his associates entered the room.

"Elvis?"

EJ heard his father's voice but was too undone by Sami and her antics to give it a second thought. Her hands were at his fly now, undoing the zipper and looking for what lay within his boxers. EJ's cocked throbbed in painful pleasure as Sami encircled it with her hand and drew it out. EJ could hear his father talking to the men, obviously waiting for him but didn't care. Instead he grabbed at Sami's backside, lifting her up and impaling her on her own creation. EJ bit down hard on his bottom lip to stop himself from crying out as her tight heat encased him.

He pushed Sami up against the wall of the closet, anchoring her there and began to thrust up powerfully into her, in desperate need of a release already. Sami wrapped her legs around his waist and reached above her head to some coat racks, gripping onto them tightly as she squeezed her eyes shut and enjoyed the ride. The thrill of knowing they could be discovered at any moment added to the thrill of the whole thing and made EJ pound Sami even harder, her hand over his mouth now to stop the little grunts he was making. The wood was oak and very heavy but noise was definitely an issue if they weren't to be discovered.

"I'm sure Elvis will be coming soon."

EJ heard his father reassure the other business men. Sami's lips were at EJ's ear now.

"So am I," she said throatily, her voice low and uneven.

EJ swallowed hard to stop the moan that came to his lips as his balls tightened, desperate to deliver their load into Sami's waiting heat. His movements became more frantic and Sami was forced to clap a hand over EJ's mouth to stop his excited grunts from becoming too noisy. The delicious wrongness of it all just added to EJ's arousal and even though he knew Sami wasn't ready he couldn't stop himself from giving one hard thrust and exploding inside of her. Sami held onto him tightly, clenching her backside and helping to milk him dry and EJ was in heaven. His head dropped into Sami's neck as he shook uncontrollably. They stayed like that, EJ still impaling Sami up against the wall of the cloak room until over the thundering in his ears EJ heard the men at last leave the room. EJ withdrew from Sami and put her feet back on the ground before they both emerged from the little closet.

"That was close," said EJ unsteadily, looking over at the door as he attempted to pull himself together, doing up his zip and tucking his shirt in.

"Very," said Sami with a pointed look, "You don't know how close it was EJ."

"I didn't satisfy you," said EJ regretfully, taking Sami in his arms, "I'm sorry darling but you had me so worked up I couldn't control myself."

"It's alright," said Sami with a little smile, "We're not done yet – you can make it up to me."

EJ knew he should really try and make this meeting but the thought of leaving an unsatisfied Sami to do so guaranteed he'd be absolute rubbish through the whole thing anyway.

"I'd like that very much," said EJ throatily.

"You have five minutes to make your apologies to your father and then be back in our bedroom," said instructed him with an arched eyebrow, "Otherwise I'm starting without you."

"Yes dear," said EJ throatily, stealing a long kiss.

Sami sauntered out of the room and EJ gave a low groan at the state she'd left him in – satisfied but still craving more. It was a decidedly weird combination but one EJ wasn't bothered with analysing too much. Instead he did his best to straighten himself up and go and meet with his father. After some profuse apologies and extreme lies EJ had gotten himself off the hook with the older man and was now determinedly heading towards the bedroom he shared with his insatiable wife. As he took the stairs two at a time EJ's cell phone rang.

"Yes?" he asked distractedly into the phone.

"Caught you at a bad time?"

"Oh John, sorry, yes, a little bit," replied EJ, heading down the hallway now.

"Problems?" asked John seriously.

EJ opened the door to the bedroom to find Sami kneeling on the bed now, dressed only in her stockings and looking up at him with a knowing smile on her lips.

"I wouldn't call it that," said EJ unsteadily, his voice cracking a little at the sexy vision of temptation she made.

John obviously must have put two and two together and come up with what was going on.

"Having fun being married EJ?" he asked, a vague teasing quality to the question.

"So much," said EJ with a groan, his eyes roaming all over the gorgeous and waiting Sami.

"Then what the hell are you doing talking to me?" John asked dryly.

"Good point," said EJ, promptly hanging up on him, his eyes having never left Sami for a minute.

"You were almost late," Sami said, a note of teasing censure in her voice.

"But I wasn't," EJ pointed out, eagerly starting to tear at his own clothing, "I feel overdressed for the occasion."

"I think you are too," agreed Sami as she now leant back against the head board and watched his disrobement approvingly.

Within seconds EJ was completely naked.

"You seem to be doing everything very quickly today," Sami noted, a mischievous look in her eye.

"Not from here on in," said EJ, glancing over at the bedside table clock, "There are three hours until dinner time and I intend on using every minute of that time."

EJ was at the foot of the bed now, looking down at the stretched out Sami.

"Talk is cheap EJ," she reminded him sweetly.

"Yes it is," agreed EJ readily.

Without warning his hands snapped out and grabbed Sami around the ankles, dragging her to the end of the bed. She gave a little squeal of surprise as EJ drew her backside up to the edge of the bed. He knelt down in front of Sami, hooking her knees over his shoulders.

"But it can also be fun," said EJ with a wicked look in his eyes as he slowly licked his lips.

Sami gave a long excited moan as EJ rubbed his roughened cheek along the inside of her soft thighs. EJ was overcome by the intoxicating scent of Sami's arousal and knew she was more than overdue for a little satisfaction. Burying his face in her thighs EJ slowly licked up one side of her swollen folds and then down the other, feeling Sami squirm as did. His tongue darted into her dripping heat and tasted not only her arousal but his spent desire. A desire that was quickly hardening once again mind you.

"EJ!" Sami moaned his name, her heels pressing into his back and pushing EJ deeper into her.

EJ's hands moved up Sami's sides so they could claim her breasts, massaging them and teasing them back into peaks as he finally sought out her nub. It was plump and juicy, sitting up and waiting impatiently for his attention and EJ didn't disappoint. EJ began to nibble and suck on the bundle of nerve endings and didn't stop until he'd given Sami three short, sharp orgasms in a row.

"Oh god, oh god, oh god!"

Sami was thrashing around on the bed in a complete state of mindless delirium from all the pleasure EJ was giving her. His male pride swelled at knowing he could reduce his woman to such a state. Giving Sami sexual gratification was like a drug for EJ – it just gave him such a high to know that he could pleasure her body to such a state. EJ knew it was the same for Sami with how she loved to reduce him to a sobbing mess of need and then be the only one who could satisfy that need. When EJ was finally done he straightened up and looked down at the panting Samantha.

"Are we even now?" he asked with a cheeky smile.

"Maybe," said Sami unevenly, a mischievous look in her eye, "You certainly know how to sweet talk a girl EJ."

"I like to think I have my moments," said EJ with a grin as he stood up now, his hard on standing at full attention.

"Poor baby," Sami cooed, eyeing the monster, "You look like you're in pain."

"I am," said EJ with a rueful smile, "All that talking his worked up an appetite in me I'm thinking."

"Well why don't you come here big boy and I'll see what I can do about that," said Sami with a seductive arch of her eyebrows.

She scooted back up the bed so that she was lying on her back on it again. EJ quickly moved over her, holding his body off hers. He looked down at the ever growing bump that separated their bodies and curved his over the top of it as Sami spread her legs. EJ adored making love to Sami in this position, as supposedly boring as the missionary position was meant to be, because all of their bodies touched and he could look in her eyes at the same time. EJ's manhood pressed for entry into Sami's willing body and gave a soft groan as her tight, slick walls claimed him.

"I think this position is going to be off the menu very soon," noted EJ with a wry smile as he just managed to curve his body over Sami's baby bump and still be able to make that intimate connection with her body.

It was only thanks to how EJ was so long in the body that they'd managed to keep this position in the repertoire for as long as they had.

"Then we'd better make this one count," said Sami, a glint in her eye as EJ felt her wrap her legs around his waist.

"With pleasure," EJ growled, beginning to move inside of her with sure and steady strokes, wanting to last a lot longer than he had the last time.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Soo are we not waiting on Mom and EJ then?" asked Will a little uncertainly as he watched Stefano start to help himself to the perfectly cooked steak in front of him.

"I'm rather thinking that it is pointless to expect too much punctuality from my son and his new wife today," said Stefano wryly as he poured himself a big glass of red wine.

"Why?" asked Will innocently.

"Because William your mother and my Elvis never actually had a honeymoon if you recall," said Stefano with a quirk of his lips, "And I believe they are now intent on having that honeymoon in increments."

Stefano checked his watch.

"At least three hourly ones it seems."

"I've suddenly lost my appetite," said Will, wrinkling his nose.

"Eat up William," Stefano chuckled, "There is no point in letting good food go to waste."

Will sighed heavily but then reached for the potatoes, deciding Stefano was right.

"So William," said Stefano jovially, "I think it is time we discussed our next chess game eh?"

Will smiled and nodded, thinking he'd like that.


	172. Chapter 318

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & EIGHTEEN**** – ****The Worm Turns**

Courage is the discovery that you may not win, and trying when you know you can lose.

_Tom Krause_

_(Motivational speaker, Teacher and Coach, b.1934)_

"_You went to school with Will Roberts?" asked Nelson._

_Agent Nelson had rounded up a few of the students Will had gone to school with to try and piece together all aspects of his life and it was turning out to be very telling. _

_Jeremy Davis moves a little uncomfortably in his chair, nervous about where this was going. _

"_I guess," he said, not meeting the older man's gaze._

"_You either did or you didn't son," said Nelson firmly, "Which was it?"_

"_I did," said Jeremy gruffly, "But I didn't really know the guy."_

"_You knew him enough to routinely bully him," pointed out Nelson. _

"_No I didn't!" Jeremy sharply denied the claim._

"_I have a lot of witnesses who say differently," said Nelson calmly, "That you and your band of cronies seemed intent on making the boy's life a living hell."_

"_Well he deserved it," said Jeremy defensively, "The guy's a freak!"_

_Jeremy squirmed a little in his seat._

"_I mean was a freak," he said quietly, eyes sliding away again from the agent. _

"_Will had gone through a series of family tragedies and in your eyes that made him a freak deserving of ritual humiliation and abuse?" asked Nelson sternly, "Do you mind explaining to me how that works exactly Jeremy?"_

"_He was just weird," said Jeremy, not meeting the other man's gaze and still squirming a bit, "And he just got weirder towards the end. But I had nothin' to do with what happened – you ask anyone!"_

"_I'm not suggesting you did," said Nelson coolly._

"_Then why am I here?" asked Jeremy in agitation, "I haven't done anything wrong – what does the FBI want with me! I didn't know what was going on in that creepy old mansion!"_

"_I'm talking to you Jeremy because I'm trying to establish Will's state of mind before the tragedy," said Nelson evenly. _

"_He was just weird," said Jeremy with an off hand shrug, "Like I said."_

"_Weird how?" asked Nelson, arching an eyebrow. _

_The younger man looked like he didn't want to talk about it but Agent Nelson wasn't interested in what he wanted. _

"_A series of very serious crimes have been committed," Nelson reminded him sternly, "And I'd like to remind you that withholding information from the FBI is a federal crime."_

_Jeremy looked nervous now at that information._

"_Why don't you just tell me what happened the last time you saw Will Roberts?" suggested Nelson coolly, "Let's start there."_

_Jeremy grimaced and folded his arms in front of his chest and threw Nelson a resentful look. _

"_We met up with him at the waterfront," said Jeremy sullenly._

"_Through accident or design?" asked Nelson, watching him intently._

"_What?" asked Jeremy in confusion._

"_I mean did you plan it that way?" Nelson challenged him, "Were you hoping to corner Will at the waterfront and hand out another beating which you and your friends seemed so good at it."_

"_He thought he was so much better than us," complained Jeremy bitterly, "Living at that big house with old man DiMera. The guy is meant to be this big time mob boss and we just wanted to make sure that Roberts understood we weren't afraid of him."_

"_So that's why there was four or five of you picking on one boy?" asked Nelson sarcastically, "Because you weren't afraid?"_

"_It wasn't like that," said Will defensively. _

"_Well why don't you tell me what it was like then?" suggested Nelson, leaning back in his chair and regarding the younger man coolly. _

**oooOOOOooo**

"Hi Will."

Will turned around to see Courtney, a girl from his class walking up from the stairs that led down to the pier waterfront.

"Oh hi Courtney," said Will with a smile, "What are you doing here?"

"My mom works up at one of the shipping offices along here," replied the pretty teenager, "I'm waiting for to finish work. What are you doing here?"

Will gave a little shrug.

"I like to walk," he said, "Helps me think."

"And what do you think about?" asked Courtney teasingly, "Girls?"

"No," said Will and then blushed a little, "I mean not all the time anyway."

"Do you think about me?" she asked a little shyly.

Will shifted his weight from one foot to the other and blushed a little more.

"Sometimes," he admitted, not quite able to meet her gaze.

"I think about you too," Courtney told him.

"You do?" asked Will in surprise.

"Well sure," said Courtney and now it was her turn to blush a little, "I like you Will, you're fun to talk to."

There was a shy awkward pause between the two, both smiling at each other.

"So I'm having a party at my place on Saturday," began Courtney bashfully, breaking the silence, "I'd really like it if you came along Will."

"I'm not great at parties," said Will with a bit of a grimace, "And I don't know if you want someone like me there to ruin the fun."

"Why would you ruin the fun Will?" asked Courtney in surprise.

"My family is kind of messed up," said Will unhappily, "Everyone thinks I must be weird to belong to it."

"I don't think you're weird Will," said Courtney with a coy smile, "And don't worry about your family – mine's weird as well. My parents are into karaoke parties and invite all the neighbours over on a Friday night to watch them sing. It's so embarrassing."

Will had to smile despite the fact that he didn't think having a homicidal dead father, a step father who was the son of the most infamous mobster in town and a mother who could have a whole book written about her misdeeds was really the same as some bad karaoke singing. He didn't say that though, instead he just enjoyed the feeling of normalcy this moment had about it and the fact that this pretty girl he'd noticed from the first day of school was asking him to a party at her place.

"It won't be a big party," Courtney promised him with a winsome smile, "You'll have fun, I promise Will."

"Okay then," said Will with a grin, "I'd love to Courtney – thanks."

"You're not inviting the freak to your party are you Courtney?"

Will's shoulders sagged as this sweet moment was interrupted by a familiar voice behind him.

"Get lost Jeremy," said Courtney in annoyance, "You're not even invited anyway."

"Like I'd want to come when you've got loser boy going to be there," said Jeremy dismissively as he walked up to Will and gave him a little shove.

"Jeremy don't!" said Courtney angrily, "Leave Will alone!"

"Hey check it out," sneered Jeremy to the rest of his cronies that were coming up behind him, "The freaks got himself a body guard."

"Leave her alone man," said Will, his jaw hardening as he glared at the other, much larger teenager.

"Don't play the hero freak," said Jeremy mockingly, "It doesn't suit you. I like you better as my own personal punching bag."

"Just stop it Jeremy," said Courtney in distress as Jeremy took a menacing step towards Will.

She put herself between the two boys before Will could stop her.

"Get out of the way you little freak lover," said Jeremy, roughly shoving Courtney to one side.

The girl stumbled and fell to the ground to which Jeremy only gave a bit of a chuckle, the other boys joining in.

"Guess you don't have your girlfriend to hide behind now," Jeremy taunted Will as he turned back to the other boy, "What are you going to d-UMMPHHF!"

Jeremy's next words were cut off by a sharp upper cut to his chin, snapping his head up. The older boy staggered back a little, a hand going to his face as he could hardly believe what had just happened.

"Son of a bitch!" he exclaimed in shock as the boys behind him gasped in surprise.

Will didn't say anything, just stood there with his fists raised, his expression inscrutable as he waited for Jeremy's next move. It had felt so good to land that punch and see the other boys shock and pain but Will had immediately pushed that to one side. He remembered EJ's words about being in control and not letting emotion overtake him. Will had gotten so mad when Jeremy had pushed Courtney but almost immediately the training had taken over. For the first time Will felt completely in control of the situation.

"You want a fight Roberts?" asked Jeremy angrily, "Is that it?"

"The question is do you?" asked Will coolly, "I mean a fair one, one where your girlfriends aren't backing you up."

The other boys looked angry at Will's comment but Jeremy waved them to stay where they were. He wanted this, wanted to get under his opponents skin, throw him off his game.

"I don't need help to wipe the floor with you," said Jeremy ominously, raising his fists now.

"All evidence to the contrary," said Will with a humourless little smile.

"Will don't do this," said Courtney anxiously.

"It's going to be okay Courtney," Will assured her.

"You know little man it really isn't," said Jeremy throwing an aggressive punch at his face.

Will knew it was coming though, had been watching the other boys feet and the way he held his body. EJ was right, you could see what a person was going to do before they did it. Will easily side stepped the blow and Jeremy overbalanced a little as his punch missed the mark and hit out at empty air instead. Will took his opportunity and landed another punch to the side of his face. Jeremy staggered to his left now, blood starting to pour out of his mouth.

"You bastard!" he raged and charged at Will, losing control of himself and the fight.

Will side stepped again, using his smaller frame to nimble good use. The much bigger Jeremy fell over into some nets, struggling to get up. He managed it while Will waited, facing off again. What happened next was almost like a dream for Will. Every move he made, every punch and duck and weave just seemed to flow and the more Will mastered the fight the more Jeremy unravelled. Finally Will landed a hard punch to Jeremy's stomach and his opponent just crumbled into a groaning heap on the pier. There was a shocked gasp from everyone watching.

"Get up man!" one of his offsiders pleaded with him, "You're making us look like pussies!"

Jeremy just groaned loudly and shook his head as he lay bleeding on the wooden floor. Will looked over at the four other boys, silently challenging them to their turn if they wanted. But bullies at their heart never like a fair fight and Will's new confidence had them rattled. Instead they scooped up the still groaning Jeremy and beat a hasty retreat. Will for his part didn't have a mark on him as he turned around and crouched down beside Courtney.

"Are you alright?" he asked solicitously as he helped her to her feet.

"Yeah," said Courtney faintly, looking at him in wide eyed awe, "I mean yes, I'm fine – thank you Will."

"So I'll see you in school tomorrow?" asked Will with a newly found confident smile.

"Aha," said Courtney weakly, blinking up at him as though he was the most amazing thing she'd ever seen in her life.

"Good," said Will and then simply turned around and walked down the stairs of the pier.

It was all about the exit Will decided, a huge grin coming to his face as he played the part of the enigmatic hero to a tee. He could get used to this.

**oooOOOOooo**

"_Will totally wiped the floor with Jeremy," said Courtney with a big grin, "It was awesome."_

"_So you saw the fight?" asked Nelson._

"_Will was so cool," said Courtney with a little smile and Nelson caught her blush a little._

"_Did you know Will very well?" he asked. _

"_I tried," said Courtney, looking regretful now, "In the beginning he was pretty guarded. I guess he was worried that people were going to be mean to him because of what happened with his father and grandmother."_

"_Everyone knew?" _

"_Oh yeah," said Courtney quickly, "I'm mean it was in all the papers for ages and everyone knew who Will was."_

"_How did Will handle that?" asked Nelson._

"_Like I said he mostly kept to himself," said Courtney wistfully, "But one day we listened to some songs I'd downloaded together. It was nice."_

"_Sounds like you liked Will?" observed Nelson._

"_Oh well he was nice," said the pretty brunette, blushing a little more, "And I liked talking to him. Will wasn't an idiot like the other boys."_

"_Other boys?" queried Nelson._

"_Guys like Jeremy Davis," said Courtney looking less than impressed, "He thinks he's God's gift to women but he's such a jerk. He's just a bully with all of those other guys hanging off his every word like the losers they are."_

_Courtney gave a little satisfied smile then._

"_At least that was how it used to be," she said smugly, "Before Will showed them up for the weak little bullies they are."_

"_Will certainly seemed to have impressed people with his moves," noted Nelson. _

"_You should have seen it," said Courtney, leaning forward excitedly, "Jeremy didn't know what hit him and that loser group of his looked like they were peeing their pants!"_

"_Did you talk to Will after the fight?" asked Nelson._

"_For a moment," said Courtney, looking wistful again, "If I'd known what was going to happen-"_

_Courtney looked suddenly very sad and little tears collected in her eyes. _

"_I'd have tried a little harder you know?" she said earnestly, "I never thought anything like this would ever happen to someone I knew. It's all so horrible."_

"_I know," said Nelson with an understanding nod and handed her a tissue. _

"_Thanks," mumbled Courtney taking the offered tissue and dabbing at her eyes. _

"_What happened after the fight?" asked Nelson after she'd taken a moment to compose herself, "Where did Will go?"_

"_He told me he was going home," said Courtney biting her bottom lip, "And I guess that is what he did too."_

**oooOOOOooo**

Will walked into the DiMera mansion, a big smile still on his face.

"You look well pleased with yourself William," Stefano commented from where he was pouring himself a drink in the living room.

Will hesitated and back tracked to where the older man was now sipping his drink and looking at him with interest.

"I guess," said Will with a little shrug, not wanting to appear too happy.

"About what I wonder?" asked Stefano, looking over the rim of his glass with interest at the boy.

"I kind of fixed something that was bugging me today," said Will, a note of pride coming to his voice.

"What kind of something?" asked Stefano, gesturing for him to come into the room.

Will hesitated but then walked into the room, just needing to share his sense of accomplishment with someone.

"There were these guys that liked to make my life hell," said Will with a bit of a smirk, "But I don't think they will want to do that again."

"An altercation?" asked Stefano curiously, "One you were clearly a winner of."

"Yes," said Will with satisfaction, "EJ has been showing me some moves with the boxing."

"But it takes more than skill eh William?" said Stefano, looking quite proud of him, "It takes the heart of a warrior to stand up against those who would plot your downfall. And when you do make your stand there is nothing like the thrill of power it brings when you triumph over your enemies."

"It felt good putting the Jeremy in his place," Will found himself agreeing, "I guess I just got sick of being his victim – it felt good to take the power back. It all just came together for me and in that moment I could see what I had to do."

"Bravo William," applauded Stefano, raising his glass to him, "A boy becomes a man when he no longer lets those around him dictate the path he takes or decide what kind of man he is."

"EJ said that fighting is the last resort, that you should never start anything but know how to finish it," said Will.

"Ah Elvis," said Stefano with a little sigh and shook his head, "My son still does not understand."

"Understand what?" asked Will curiously.

"He does not understand that it is not enough to simply defend," said Stefano determinedly, "Power is nothing if it is not used. You must put fear into your enemies William and it is that fear that will keep you ahead of any game. Crush all those who would oppose you and if you can do that before the opposition even starts – all the better."

"That's pretty harsh," said Will uncertainly.

"Not at all," said Stefano easily, "This world we live in needs order, without it there is no life. The world needs men like to step up and take control of situations. It creates order and peace when everyone knows who the boss is eh? Without that there is anarchy. There comes a point in every man's life where he decides if he is going to be the leader or the follower. If it is a leader then he must do what it takes to make sure no one questions that leadership."

Will was silent as he pondered this world view.

"It is easy to follow William, to be mediocre and what people expect," said Stefano firmly, "But to be more, to expect, no demand more from life well-"

Stefano gave a little shrug.

"It is for the few who have the heart and stomach for it," said Stefano, "It is a hard road but one with its own perks along the way."

He paused and gave a little knowing smile at Will.

"Like perhaps a fair lady witnessed all of this eh?" suggested Stefano with a teasing look.

"Maybe," said Will, unable to help the smile that came to his lips at the memory of Courtney coming up to him afterwards.

"Ah bravo William, bravo!" applauded Stefano, "A woman wants a man she knows is strong and can protect her no?"

"I don't know," Will admitted reluctantly, "I guess so. I haven't really had a lot of experience with girls."

Will wasn't used to thinking of himself in these kinds of terms and it was strange to have someone see this kind of potential in him. Both EJ and Stefano had seen something in him that Will never had before and it was beginning to make him question a lot of things.

"It is all ahead of you William," said Stefano with a bit of a smile, "You are in the DiMera fold now and the world is at your feet if only you should choose it. You stand at the threshold of a new life and new possibilities."

Stefano put a fatherly hand on Will's shoulder.

"All you have to do is reach out and take it," Stefano said encouragingly.


	173. Chapter 319

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & NINETEEN**** – ****Into the Belly of the Beast**

We should come home from adventures, and perils, and discoveries every day with new experience and character.

_Henry David Thoreau_

_(American Essayist, Poet and Philosopher, 1817-1862)_

"_This must have been an anxious time for you?" suggested Nelson, "All this waiting Ms Perrault."_

"_It was hard," agreed Celeste sorrowfully, "But I also knew that there was a reason for it and that something was being done to rescue my darling Alexandra."_

_Celeste took a deep breath._

"_And then I received word from Elvis..."_

[center]**oooOOOOooo**[/center]

EJ looked down at Sami and smiled before leaning down to kiss her reassuringly. Everything was in place and it was time. Sami didn't need to say anything but her eyes were begging EJ to be careful as he broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers briefly. EJ had his cell phone in his pocket and Sami was going to keep watch out in the corridor so if anyone came he'd know about it. Plus EJ also had The Mole's device which was going to keep his presence a secret.

Sami put her hands on her stomach and rubbed it in a gesture of self comfort as she watched EJ walk over to the secret passageway and find the release. EJ looked over at Sami and gave her once last look of reassurance and a wink before carefully making his way into whatever lay in wait for him. He closed the door behind him and little lights lit up along the floor, guiding his path.

EJ switched on The Mole's device, not sure where the cameras might be but intent on neutralising them quickly. He walked along the corridors which seemed to wind and twist this way and that. There were several doors that led off from the corridors but EJ had decided to come back to those and just see how far these corridors went. He had the sensation of walking down as he walked and EJ figured that he probably was going deeper underground. It was getting cooler all the time and that was one possible explanation.

Celeste had been very sure that his father was holding Lexie down here and EJ couldn't help but give a bit of a shudder at that macabre thought. What must it have been like for his sister if she had been in this place all of this time? It hardly bore thinking about and EJ's impending fatherhood just took such a horror to a new level.

The twins weren't even born yet but when EJ would put his hand on Sami's stomach and feel one of them kicking or one of them would get the hiccups it was just overwhelming the love he felt for these babies he'd never even held yet. EJ knew he'd fight to the death before ever letting any harm come to those little lives and couldn't imagine anything they would ever do that would make him want to hurt them in anyway. The rose coloured glasses he'd seen his father through at the beginning of this were well and truly off EJ noted grimly to himself.

"_Told you so."_

EJ nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of the self satisfied voice in his ear. He spun around to see a smiling Sam dressed in her usual skimpy attire, this time a bikini made of camouflage material.

"Sam!" EJ gasped, sure he'd seen the last of his mocking devil's advocate because it had been so long.

"_Hey Elvis," said Sam brightly, "How's tricks?"_

"What are you doing here?" asked EJ, trying to remember to keep his voice down.

"_Helping," said Sam with a shrug, "What else?"_

"You have never helped me Sam," said EJ in aggravation, really not needing this right now.

"_Hey hold on there camel knees," said Sam indignantly, "You just said before that I was right about your father."_

"This isn't the time," said EJ aggrieved as he looked over his shoulder nervously, "I'm kind of in the middle of something here."

"_I know," said Sam with a grin, "And I'm here to let you know I have your back."_

"And explain to me what good a figment of my imagination having my back does me exactly?" asked EJ with roll of his eyes.

"_You know I thought you'd be happier to see me love nipples," said Sam, folding her arms in front of her ample chest and looking miffed now._

"I have never been happy to see you Sam," said EJ in exasperation, "Why should I start now?"

"_Maybe because you don't know what you're walking into down here in Beelzebub's bowels," said Sam with a little shrug, "You don't know what you are going to find in regards to your sister and obviously your psyche has decided you need some moral support."_

"Well why did it send you then?" asked EJ flatly, "When all you've ever been is demoralising unsupportive?"

"_I'd forgotten how charming you were," observed Sam with a quirk of her lips, "I thought marriage might have mellowed you."_

"I'm mellow!" EJ bit out in annoyance.

"_Clearly," said Sam in amusement._

"Look I don't have time for this," said EJ with a frustrated shake of his head, "I need to find out what is down here and get out again before anyone comes back."

"_Well why are you standing here gas bagging?" asked Sam with an arched eyebrow, "I'm all set to go-"_

She waved a hand down her body.

"_-hence the camouflage outfit," she finished off._

"Those three scraps of material in no way camouflage anything," said EJ shortly, unable to help his eyes from lingering a little longer than they should have on Sam's full body.

"_Well seeing as you're the only one who can see me I think the points a pretty moot one," noted Sam with a smirk. _

EJ shook his head again and bit back a retort – this was getting him nowhere. Instead he turned around without another word and continued down the corridor he was in. There were a few more twists and turns but eventually EJ came to a heavy looking door which seemed to open with an electronic keypad that required a code to get in.

"_That looks pretty security conscious," observed Sam knowingly, "I bet this is where Stefano is keeping Lexie."_

Sam paused for a brief moment thinking.

"_-or his porn collection," she mused, "Either way the contents of the room on the other side of this door is bound to be interesting."_

EJ grimaced, hating to admit that Sam might be right but it did look like Stefano was going to a lot of effort to keep whatever was behind this door very secure.

"I need a six digit key code to get in," said EJ with a scowl as he looked at the high tech key pad by the door.

"_What's the bet that if you get it wrong there will be a whole world of trouble?" offered up Sam blithely. _

EJ was forced to agree with Sam again. If his father had gone to all of this trouble there would undoubtedly be some kind of alarm if a wrong key code was punched in.

"Damn it!" EJ growled at having come this far and being thwarted.

"_Try Lexie's birthday," suggested Sam easily._

"What?" asked EJ with a frown.

"_It's six digits," she reasoned, "And it would just be like your father's twisted humour to use Lexie's own birthday to keep her prisoner."_

EJ looked at her in wide eyed disbelief at that piece of quite astute logic.

"_I know," said Sam with a grin, "Sometimes I'm so brilliant that it scares even me."_

"What happens if you're wrong?" asked EJ unevenly.

"_Well I don't exist so I'm thinking nothing," observed Sam casually._

"I meant for me," said EJ flatly.

"_Oh," said Sam and pursed her lips thoughtfully, "Well you'll probably be screwed."_

"Very comforting," said EJ with a grimace.

"_Hey bud," said Sam with an unsympathetic shrug, "No guts no glory."_

EJ stared at the key pad and weighed up his options for a brief moment before taking a real risk and punching in his sister's birthday just as Sam had suggested. Unbelievably it worked, the door clicking with the sound of its lock being opened.

"_You know just as well you don't pay me for all the brilliance I bring to our partnership," said Sam with a great deal of self satisfaction, "You wouldn't be able to afford me Ellie."_

"I can't believe that worked," said EJ unevenly.

"_I can't believe you keep on questioning my genius when you get proved wrong every time," said Sam smugly. _

"Can you gloat on your own time?" asked EJ shortly.

"_I can but where would be the fun in that?" asked Sam with a smirk. _

EJ was just standing at the door, hesitating on going in now.

"_Well?" Sam pushed him a little impatiently, "Isn't this the part where you go and be all heroic? What are you waiting for?"_

"If I walk through this door and find Lexie then that confirms beyond a shadow of a doubt what kind of man my father really is," said EJ quietly, his face stern.

"_You're going to miss him aren't you?" asked Sam, cocking her head and leaning against the wall to eye EJ thoughtfully._

"My father?" asked EJ sadly, thinking of what lay ahead.

"_No," said Sam softly, "The little boy who believed in him – that's who you're going to miss aren't you Ellie? If Lexie is on the other side of this door then he can no longer exist in any form now can he?"_

EJ grimaced at Sam's insight which was really his own of course.

"I worshipped him you know," said EJ hoarsely, his face clouding over, "I just wanted to be like my father when I grew up and now the thought that I might do just that scares the hell out of me."

EJ turned to look at Sam with serious eyes.

"I want to believe there is good in my father," said EJ painfully, "I want to know there is a humanity there that can still be salvaged, something I can believe in and know is right and true."

"_I know honey," said Sam, actually being genuinely sympathetic right then, "You want to be Luke Skywalker to your dad's Darth Vader and ultimately be the one to save him because of your belief in him."_

EJ looked at Sam in surprise for that.

"_What?" she said with a shrug, "I was watching those Star Wars' movies with you and Will – I knew what you were thinking even if you didn't realise you were thinking it."_

EJ closed his eyes and hung his head as he realised Sam was right.

"_Here's the thing Elvis," said Sam calmly, "You may well be Luke but Stefano isn't Vader. Stefano isn't looking to be saved, not even underneath it all. He loves the power his way of life brings and will never willingly give that up, you know that. Stefano is a sociopath; he gives his version of love and family but never really understands the concept of either."_

EJ grimaced, knowing she was right and had known that for a long time now – he'd just never let himself truly confront it until this moment. He straightened up and squared his shoulders and steeled himself for what lay on the other side of the door. EJ carefully pushed open the door and walked through. The first thing he saw in the dimly lit room was that bars ran down the middle of the small room and created a cell. The second thing EJ saw was a tiny figure curled up on an old wire single bed in the corner of that cell with its back to him. EJ walked into the room and felt his heart break at the sight of his long lost sister.

"You're early," she announced flatly, not even bothering to roll over to look at who had just entered the room, "Your clock running fast Rolf?"

It was obvious there was a daily ritual that after all of this time Lexie was very accustomed to.

"Lexie," said EJ quietly, his voice cracking a little over her name as his throat constricted.

The sound of his voice had Lexie rolling over and sitting up abruptly on the side of the bed. She stared at EJ with a face that first registered surprise and then disgust.

"Looks like you've well and truly joined the family business EJ," said Lexie bitterly, "Congratulations."

EJ blinked and then realised that Lexie thought that he was here at his father's bidding.

"He doesn't know," said EJ quickly, walking up to the bars and putting his hands on them, "Our father doesn't know I'm here Lexie."

"Stefano knows everything," said Lexie coldly, "I'm not interested in these sick little games EJ. Whatever this is I'm not playing."

She looked him up and down then, her lips twisting in disgust before shaking her head.

"You really are a chip off the old block aren't you?" she said in aversion.

"_Wow," said Sam, wrinkling her nose, "Tough crowd. Maybe you should have opened with a joke or something Ellie? How about this one – two nuns walk into a bar and one has a squirrel shoved up her-"_

"Shut up!" EJ snapped in aggravation, forgetting himself briefly with all the thoughts that were currently bombarding him and speaking to Sam aloud.

"Truth hurts does it EJ?" asked Lexie mockingly.

"No I mean, I wasn't-"

EJ bit off his jumbled attempt at an explanation and shook his head, forcing himself to regain control.

"I'm sorry Lexie," EJ apologised sincerely, "I wasn't talking to you."

"Who else is here?" asked Lexie, arching a disbelieving eyebrow at him, "I know for sure that this is the one room daddy dearest hasn't gotten wired for sound. Did you bring your imaginary friend with you EJ?"

"_Bingo!" said Sam happily to which EJ scowled, "Tell the lady what she's won lemur lips." _

EJ ignored Sam and the derision was clear in Lexie's voice but he couldn't help himself at the rather left of center question and why Lexie had gone there so quickly.

"Why do you ask that?" asked EJ, looking at his half sister intently but trying to sound casual at the same time, "Do you have an imaginary friend Lexie?"

There would be something comforting to know that his experience with Sam was some kind of inherited thing.

"Would you like that EJ?" asked Lexie in annoyance, "Would you like the thought of me going crazy down here? Does that ring your bell?"

"_Ohh a swing and a miss for trying to pull everyone else down into your delusions," Sam gloated with a chuckle, "I'll just make the reservation for one at the big old table of crazy shall I?"_

EJ breathed deeply and did his absolute best to block out Sam's voice and concentrate only on Lexie.

"_Rude," said Sam looking put out as she felt him do it but EJ didn't care._

"Lexie I'm not here because of Stefano," said EJ earnestly, "I'm here to rescue you."

"I told you EJ," said Lexie coldly, "I'm not playing yours or Stefano's games."

"I know I don't have much to recommend myself to you Lexie," said EJ seriously, "We never really got to know each other before you were taken and what you did know of me was a man happy to follow in his father's footsteps."

Sam pulled a face and rolled her eyes.

"_Perhaps you should let me do the talking my little ass dimple of stupidity?" she suggested dryly, "If this is you trying to win big sis over then I've gotta say – you suck at it."_

It appeared Lexie agreed with Sam whether she knew it or not as she stared back at EJ grimly.

"I wasn't a good man when we came into each other's lives," continued on EJ sincerely, "I wasn't any kind of man at all truth be told. But then I had my eyes open in every possible way about who I was and the man I really wanted to be by an amazing woman."

EJ gave a soft smile and rested his head against the bars as his thoughts turned to Sami.

"Loving her has upended my world in the best possible way and changed all of my motivations entirely," said EJ huskily, "She undid me in every possible way only to have me come back together as a very different man. I owe all of my happiness to her Lexie and the fact that I'm not the same man who you first met when I came to Salem."

"_Oh my little love walrus," cooed Sam, looking suddenly bashful, "You're making me blush with all of this praise. I don't know what to say."_

Sam paused for the briefest of moments before seeming to overcome that particular problem.

"_Other than I totally deserve all of these accolades of course," she continued on blithely, "And I'm not going to lie to you Elvis – spending time with you has been as much fun as being in a box when someone farts but I'm a professional and I persevered although heaven only knows how. I've encountered toe jam with more appeal I have to say and-"_

"[i]_Samantha[/i]_," EJ threw a brief sideways pointed look at Sam right then before continuing, "Saved my life, my world and loving her has made me into a man that I hope one day my children will be proud of."

"_You are just unbelievably rude," huffed Sam with an annoyed pout, "I don't know why I bother, I really don't."_

"Samantha?" repeated Lexie with a frown, still blissfully unaware of the peanut gallery EJ was enduring, "Samantha who?"

"Brady," said EJ before giving a proud smile, "Although now it's DiMera."

"Sami?" said Lexie and now she was looking at EJ as though he was insane, "Sami Brady is the reason you're this supposedly born again man?"

"DiMera now," EJ couldn't help but correct her, "But yes, essentially."

Lexie narrowed and looked at EJ with great suspicion.

"How on earth could you cite Sami 'I've caused more destruction and heartache than fifty tornados' Brady as a reason I should believe you're a changed man EJ?" asked Lexie in total disbelief, "If Sami has had any influence on you at all EJ you have to know that I could only believe it would be in a bad way! And the fact that you married that insane, scheming harpy just makes me think you must be the craziest man on the planet!"

"_She makes a valid point," observed Sam thoughtfully but EJ wasn't to be put off._

"But don't you see that proves I'm being sincere," said EJ urgently, gripping the bars tighter, "If I really was trying to play you about this then the last person I'd use as the basis for a redemption is Samantha, knowing your history. I could have told you any number of other things that you would have found more convincing but I didn't, I told you the truth despite the risk – that alone should convince you I'm telling the truth Lexie!"

"_You know how they always say honesty is the best policy?" asked Sam, pursing her lips and taking in Lexie's reserved expression, "I don't think the person who advised that were thinking of you and the missus when they said it. I think you've cocked this up Ellie."_

EJ prayed that wasn't true as he watched Lexie intently.

"_And not to add anymore pressure to the situation but if you can't get Lexie on side then you're well and truly screwed," noted Sam knowingly, "Because she'll blab to Daddy Demento and then it's curtains for this little James Bond thing that you and the Samster have going on."_

Unfortunately for EJ Sam was absolutely correct about that, much to his chagrin.

"Lexie I'm married now and about to become a father for the first time," said EJ quietly, "So much has changed in my world. I'm a step father to Will and I look at him and the twins growing within Samantha and I just want them to be safe. The only way that can happen is for our father to be taken down once and for all."

"And you think you can do that EJ?" Lexie challenged him, "Do you know how many people have tried before and failed?"

"I know," said EJ determinedly, "But no one had the advantage of being on the inside when it comes to Father. Also when it comes to being devious and underhanded I think Samantha and I have pretty much cornered the market. Together we can do what no one else could – I'm sure of it."

"And you think you can really destroy our Father EJ?" asked Lexie grimly, "From what I saw you worshipped the man."

"I worshipped the image I had of him," said EJ honestly, "But my eyes have been opened as to the kind of man he truly is. When your mother came to Samantha and I asking for help in finding you a part of me didn't want to believe our father could imprison you this way but deep down I knew Celeste was right about her fears."

"There is more to fear than you can imagine EJ," said Lexie hollowly, "That man is capable of anything."

"I know," said EJ sternly.

"Do you?" asked Lexie, her face drawn.

She turned around then and drew up the t-shirt she was wearing and EJ frowned to see ugly scar that ran along the left side of her lower back.

"What is that from?" asked EJ unevenly, fearing the worst but even he couldn't have guessed what Lexie would say next.

"Our father needed a kidney," said Lexie dully, letting her shirt drop back down and turning around to face EJ again, "And he decided that I should volunteer seeing as I was a match and all. Plus I was already conveniently hidden away down here so no one was going to stop him.

"Oh god Lexie," said EJ in distress, leaning heavily against the cell bars and feeling sick to his stomach.

"_Whoa," said Sam unsteadily, "Heavy. Daddy is into harvesting organs. This has taken an unexpectedly creepy turn." _

"I was drugged for weeks and when I finally came to it was to find I'd been butchered by my own father," said Lexie, trying to remain strong but there was a suspicious gleam to her eyes that spoke of unshed tears.

"Lexie," said EJ hoarsely, stretching his arms out through the bars to her and he didn't bother to hide the tears this shocking news had brought him.

Lexie hesitated for a moment, obviously torn between the nightmare of her experience and the need for some human comfort at long last. Finally she gave a little sob and relented, stepping into EJ's open arms as he hugged her tightly through the bars. They were both crying now and EJ wished more than anything that he could have taken this suffering from Lexie but knew that he couldn't.

"I'm so sorry Lexie," he whispered into the top of her head, "Oh god if I'd only known – I would have stopped him, I swear to you I would have found a way."

"You would have ended up down here with me EJ," said Lexie, trying to stifle her tears now, "Or worse."

"I'm going to get you out Lexie," said EJ fiercely, drawing back and cupping her face through the bars, "You have to trust me."

"There is a special key for this cell," said Lexie unevenly, seeming to believe him now, "You'll need to get it off Father."

"And I will," EJ promised her earnestly, "But we have to time this just right."

"I can't stay down here any longer EJ," said Lexie unsteadily, "I'm losing my mind."

"I know sweetheart," said EJ painfully, hating to see his sister like this, "But we have to be careful when it comes to dealing with our Father. It won't be long, I promise. I'll be back soon, another few days and this will all be over."

Lexie looked up at EJ with a tear stained face and it tore at EJ's heart. They may not have grown up together but they shared a dreadful blood line that few others could ever really understand. There was a unity in that knowledge that both had seen what their father was capable of and suffered because of it.

"My mother?" Lexie asked after her painfully.

"Is counting away the minutes until she can see you again," said EJ, desperate for her to know that she wasn't alone in all of this.

"And Abe and Th-theo?" she asked unsteadily, her voice catching painfully over her son's name.

"They are well," EJ told her, "And you'll be able to hold your son in your arms again very soon Lexie, I swear to you."

EJ could only imagine what it must have been like for Lexie to be separated from her child. It would have driven EJ insane. He carefully tucked a stray strand of dark hair behind Lexie's ear and gave her a grim smile.

"Just a little bit longer and it will all be over," said EJ with quiet determination, "And our father will get what he deserves. It's the only way we can keep our families safe. You just have to be ready when the moment comes."

"I will be," said Lexie, her jaw hardening, "Don't worry about that EJ."

EJ nodded slowly and pressed a kiss to his sister's forehead, the sense of how much was riding on this nearly overwhelming.

"_This would be a nice sibling bonding moment," noted Sam in satisfaction, "You know, except for the cells and organ harvesting bit of course, that knocks the shine off this Hallmark moment."_

EJ sent Sam a glare at that observation even though it was true and just tightened his hold on Lexie, trying to give some of his strength to her for what lay ahead.


	174. Chapter 320

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & TWENTY**** – ****Comfort and Calamities**

If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end; if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin, and in the end, despair.

_C.S. Lewis_

_(British Scholar and Novelist. 1898-1963)_

EJ sat on the side of the bed and listened patiently to the person on the other end of the line.

"Of course I understand Celeste," he said soberly, "I know how hard this is for you but we all agreed that we couldn't make our move too soon."

EJ paused again as he listened to the broken hearted mother speak.

"I know," he tried to sooth her, "And I promise you Celeste Lexie is alright and understands as well. She knows we are coming for her and is hanging in there."

EJ had omitted a few of the more gruesome details of his sister's imprisonment; Celeste didn't need to hear that right then.

"The good news is that we've found Lexie and she is alright," EJ tried to console the older woman, "You were right about her being here and now we just have to get everything in order before we make our move. I promise you Celeste, it won't be much longer – you'll have Lexie back in your arms soon."

EJ finished the conversation with Celeste and hung up, giving a heavy sigh while Sami came up on the bed behind him and kneeling, she put her arms around him and hugged tightly.

"I know that was hard for you honey," she said sympathetically and EJ just felt the tension leave his body at her gentle touch, "But we have to stick to the plan."

"I know," said EJ with a sigh as he relaxed back into her embrace.

"Was it really horrible?" Sami asked him quietly, leaning over EJ's shoulder and resting her cheek against his.

EJ had already told Sami all that he'd encountered down in the dungeons, sans the Sam part of course. He'd shared his apparition with Sami before but right then that didn't seem like the point. EJ had been shocked by what he'd discovered when he'd found Lexie and it was so good to be able to share that with someone who understood. Ringing Celeste had been hard though because EJ knew that even though they'd all agreed on the plan to know where your long lost child actually was and still not be able to do anything about it must have cut like a knife. The horror of it all was still almost too much for EJ.

"I can't believe a father would take a kidney from his own child, endangering their lives just to prolong his," said EJ in quiet horror, "He cut open my sister without her consent and with no remorse – she was a means to an end to him. It's nothing short of butchery."

"Oh EJ," said Sami, hugging him even more tightly.

"It scares me that I've got that man's blood flowing through my veins," said EJ painfully, "I'm scared for our children Samantha."

"Hey!" said Sami and EJ felt him stiffen behind him and then she was moving over so she could sit beside him on the bed, "I don't want to ever hear you talking like that again EJ!"

"But surely you must think about it?" asked EJ achingly, "Wonder what might come out in me in the years to come Samantha and worry over it."

"No I don't," said Sami simply, "Because you're not your father EJ and never will be. You could never do the things he does and I don't have a single doubt or concern about that."

EJ's felt a happy rush through his body to see the amount of faith Sami had in him.

"You're a good man Elvis DiMera," Sami informed him with a half smile, "A flawed man but a good one and I love every single imperfect inch of you with every fibre of my being and I could never do that if you were anything like your father."

"I couldn't do this without you by my side," said EJ earnestly.

"I wouldn't let you," said Sami simply, drawing him into a comforting hug.

Sami drew back and gave him a loving smile before pressing her lips against his. EJ threaded his fingers through her soft hair and deepened the kiss, feeling the familiar rush of arousal at Sami's kisses.

"I love you," said EJ achingly, marvelling at just how blessed he was.

"I know," said Sami softly, returning the kiss, her hands going to his shirt buttons.

EJ stood up, still kissing Sami as they turned into each other's arms. His hands went to her clothing now and soon they were both naked. Sami put her arms around EJ's waist and rested her head on his chest, stroking his back.

"It's going to be alright," she told him with great certainty.

EJ hugged her tightly to him, Sami's baby bump pressing into his stomach. He loved the feel of that and knowing that his children were growing safe and sound inside of the woman he loved. Sami looked up at him then, her chin on his chest and gave a little smile as EJ tucked her hair behind her ears lovingly.

"You're the only home I've ever going to need Samantha," said EJ seriously, "You're the only part of my world that makes sense."

"And you're the only reason I have a world," said Sami simply, rubbing his back lovingly, "I'm so crazy in love with you EJ DiMera that it physically hurts not to tell you that as often as I can."

EJ's heart leapt with joy at hearing that and he knew he'd never tire of Sami's declarations of love, even if they both lived to be a hundred. He rested his forehead against Sami's, both of them staring into each other's eyes. Sami slipped from his arms and climbed onto the bed. EJ watched Sami settle back against the pillows and then hold out her arms to him. He quickly joined her, lying on his side and they began to kiss again. EJ's hand came out and stroked all along Sami's body as they kissed, feeling everyone of her new curves and dips.

Her body was a source of endless fascination to EJ and with the pregnancy she just captivated him more every day. The comfort of being in this woman's arms, tasting her kisses and being certain of her love just made this perfect peace settle upon EJ. His need for Sami was steadily mounting with each passing second and his manhood was stiffening painfully, in desperate need of her. EJ's wandering hand rubbed against her mound in a soft caress before slipping between Sami's legs. He stroked her folds and thrilled to the little sigh of pleasure she gave at his touch.

"Do you know you taste different now?" asked EJ unsteadily, breaking their prolonged kisses as he slipped three finger deep into Sami, "Since your pregnancy."

"Do-do I?" asked Sami breathlessly, her walls contracting around EJ's fingers helplessly.

"Mm," said EJ with a half little smile.

"Different good or different bad?" asked Sami unevenly, biting back a moan as EJ stroked that perfect place inside of her.

"Just a different flavour of perfection," said EJ huskily.

He withdrew his fingers which were coated in Sami's juices and sampled the delights for himself.

"And still intoxicating," he declared throatily.

"Show me," Sami insisted and EJ dipped his head, letting her taste herself on his lips, their tongues doing a lazy dance.

Sami slung her leg closet to EJ over his hip, allowing him ease of penetration from the side and behind which he eagerly took advantage of. EJ mounted her with one smooth motion, thrilling once more to being encased in her tight heat. The side of Sami's body lay all along EJ's front and she'd reached up with one hand and was stroking the back of his head as they moved together as one, lost in one another's kisses. EJ adored all the different flavours of their love making – it could be hot and fierce, playful and teasing or soft and full of comfort and so many other things in between. Sami just always seemed to know what he needed each time.

EJ prayed this moment would never end as he lost himself in the reassurance of this woman's body.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Bart did you touch my lap top?" asked EJ with a frown as he returned from the kitchen with a cup of coffee to do some more work in his office.

The other man was there dusting and EJ was tense. Finding Lexie yesterday had been bittersweet but now the urgency to have this over and done with was building up in EJ.

"No," said Bart blithely, "Just dusting."

He waggled the feather duster around to make his point.

"Did you dust my lap top?" asked EJ flatly, looking at the blank screen.

"Well yes but that doesn't count," said Bart easily.

"Did you touch any buttons while you dusted?" asked EJ with an arch of his eyebrow, continuing the investigation into why he suddenly couldn't get his lap top to start.

"Well not really," Bart said hesitantly.

"Not really isn't a no Bart," said EJ with a roll of his eyes, "I was really hoping for a no to that question."

"One of the feathers got stuck," said Bart, at last giving the whole story.

"Stuck how?" asked EJ in consternation.

"Under the key thingy," said Bart but then gave him a puppy dog smile, "But I got it all out again... well most of it."

EJ was trying to get the computer to start up again but it just wasn't happening. He threw an exasperated look over at Bart who was trying his best winsome smile out on him before EJ moved his face down to the key boards for a closer look. Sure enough under the keys he could see the end of a feather wedged down in there. Obviously wherever it had ended up it was stopping something from connecting to something else to let it power back up again. EJ could see right away that the computer was going to have to be pulled apart to retrieve the offending plumage.

"Oh for heaven's sake Bart," said EJ in exasperation, "You've feather dusted my lap top to death."

EJ shook his head and rubbed his eyes at the spreadsheet he'd been working on now being trapped on the device.

"Only you Bart," said EJ in rueful resignation.

"I'm sorry Mr D," said Bart apologetically, "I was only trying to help."

"I swear Bart you're going to have that engraved on your tombstone one day," said EJ with a wry shake of his head.

"Are you mad at me?" asked Bart unhappily.

"No Bart," said EJ with a sigh, "Even if you have just cost me two day's work."

"I don't mean to do these things boss," said Bart regretfully, "They just kind of happen – I don't know why."

"You do seem to have some kind of force field of the unexpected around you Bart," noted EJ with a dry laugh.

"Is everything alright?" asked Stefano, walking into the room and seeing EJ's exasperation.

"Mr D's computer won't work," hedged Bart, looking a little anxious again, "I should go now."

Bart sent a quick apologetic look to EJ before scurrying from the room.

"What did he do?" asked Stefano flatly, having been here many times before.

"You've heard the expression cleanliness is next to godliness?" asked EJ in vague irritation as he tried his best to reach the little bit of feather, "In Bart's case it should be cleanliness is next to goofiness."

EJ gave up; knowing it was hopeless and he'd need a tech to pull apart his lap top to get to it. He leant back in his chair and shook his head.

"I was nearly done with it too," he groaned, thinking of all that worked locked away in the lap top until he could get a tech to look at it, "I was going to send the paperwork today and have it all signed, sealed and delivered for our meeting with the Monatelli crew tomorrow."

EJ shook his head and gave a dry little laugh.

"Bart Beiderbecke – able to bring big business to its knees with only the aid of a feather duster," EJ said dryly.

"You like him don't you?" asked Stefano with an arched eyebrow, seeing through EJ's ire to what lay underneath.

"Bart is harmless enough," said EJ with a rueful smile, "Unless you're a lap top then he's a bit lethal. It's quite nice to have something simple and straightforward around which is Bart in a nutshell."

"There is a simplicity to him no doubt," agreed Stefano wryly.

"Well," said EJ standing up and closing his lap top, tucking it under his arm, "I'd better go and see our tech guys and let them have at this."

EJ walked around the other side of the desk and pulled a face.

"I was hoping for an early day today so I could take Samantha to dinner tonight," said EJ with a sigh, "I guess that isn't going to happen now."

"There will be other dinners my son," said Stefano sympathetically.

"I know," said EJ with a smile at that thought, "I'll be back as soon as I can."

EJ had been gone less than a moment before Rolf entered the room and looked over at Stefano who was standing over his chess set looking thoughtful.

"I've checked into za camera izzue ve had yesterday," said Rolf.

"And?" Stefano prompted him.

"It vas just a glitch," said Rolf with a shrug, "Everyzing iz vorking perfectly now."

"And our guest?" asked Stefano calmly.

"Fine," said Rolf, "Not talking much but zen our guest doesn't these dayz."

"Do you think I'm a bad father Rolf?" asked Stefano suddenly, still studying his chess pieces.

"I zink you are a man who makes zings happen," said Rolf simply, "I respect that. Az for parenthood – vhat vould I know, I have no kinder of mein own."

"They've all betrayed me, all left me except for Elvis," mused Stefano, picking up the black Knight from the chess board, "The boy who would be king."

"You are still not convinced zat Elvis can be trusted?" asked Rolf.

"I didn't get where I am today by leaving things to chance old friend," said Stefano simply, "If my son isn't going to be a good and faithful DiMera knight then he can be my pawn."

"How vill you know vich he iz before it iz too late?" asked Rolf with an arched eyebrow.

Stefano gave a slow smile, already knowing the answer to that question.

"Rolf I have some things I need for you to collect," said Stefano, turning round to face the other man as his face hardened in determination, "When I am done with Elvis one way or the other I will have his loyalty before this week is over."

**oooOOOOooo**

"_And what happened after you had news of your daughter's whereabouts and well being?" asked Agent Nelson calmly._

"_Everything started to happen very quickly after that," said Celeste unevenly and made an unhappy face, "That was when everything started to come apart."_

"_Apart how?" asked Nelson with interest. _

"_Not how, who," said Celeste, her face hardening at the memories, "Stefano, Stefano and his games caused everything to start unravelling..."_


	175. Chapter 321

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & TWENTY ONE**** – ****Laying Down the Gauntlet**

You may be deceived if you trust too much,

but you will live in torment if you do not trust enough.

_Frank Crane_

"_Perhaps you can help me shed some light on something Mr DiMera?" suggested Nelson. _

"_I am only here to help Agent Nelson," said Stefano smoothly._

"_Bart Beiderbecke," said Nelson, watching the older man's face carefully, "Do you have any idea what happened there at all?"_

_Stefano stared back steadily at the FBI agent, not speaking for a long moment. _

**oooOOOOooo**

"Elvis I need to speak to you," said Stefano as he walked into the study.

"Mm?" said EJ distractedly as he finished up some papers he was working on.

"I'll require your full attention for this my son," said Stefano calmly.

EJ looked up from his work then at the serious tone to his father's voice.

"What is it Father?" he asked, putting down his pen and eyeing the other man intently, "You sound rather grim."

"Not grim," said Stefano with a little shrug, "Pensive perhaps."

"Pensive?" repeated EJ in surprise, "About what exactly?"

Stefano studied his son's face carefully before continuing. It was time to find exactly where Elvis' loyalties lay and Stefano had come up with the perfect plan to do just that.

"How are you finding living here at the mansion with Samantha?" asked Stefano, not answering the question yet.

"It is very comfortable of course," said EJ, turning in his chair to look at Stefano more fully, "We're settling in nicely."

"And Samantha?" asked Stefano with an arched eyebrow.

"She is happy," said EJ evenly.

"But not thrilled to be living her eh?" asked Stefano knowingly, "You must have to do a lot of work in placating your wife Elvis."

"Not that much," said EJ with a shrug, "Father what is this all about?"

"Ah Elvis," said Stefano with a sigh, knowing he was about to have his hopes either realised or dashed when it came to his son, "Life is all about choice is it not?"

"I suppose so," said EJ with a nod as he stood up and went to stand in front of Stefano.

"And you would have me believe that you have chosen me, this life, the life of a DiMera over any other no?" Stefano grilled him.

"I'm here aren't I Father?" EJ answered a question with a question, "Surely that should tell you I'm serious about picking up where you leave off?"

"A man can have many reasons for the things he does," said Stefano dismissively.

"Are you telling me you don't trust me Father?" asked EJ, looking a little wounded by that suggestion.

"You have betrayed me before Elvis," said Stefano, his face hardening, "And all over the love of a woman."

"I was confused before Father," said EJ quietly, "I thought I'd explained all of this to you. Besides I now have Samantha by my side and we both want the same thing, to no longer be victims and for that to happen we need power."

"And what will you do with that power once you have it I wonder?" mused Stefano thoughtfully, "Usurp me with it perhaps?"

"Father why would you even feel the need to ask such a thing?" asked EJ in what looked like genuine outrage, "Have I ever once tried to wrestle control from you when it comes to the DiMera empire?"

"Not that I'm aware of," conceded Stefano.

"And I wouldn't," said EJ earnestly, "I'm here to learn from you, to become the man I need to be to carry on your legacy Father. But I don't want that time to come quickly I swear to you, I only wish to be ready when it comes and make you proud."

"You always knew how to make a convincing argument Elvis," said Stefano thoughtfully, "Even as a child. I suppose it is why you make such an excellent lawyer."

"I also happen to believe in what I'm saying," said EJ determinedly, "Father if you are asking about my loyalty you have it, implicitly."

Stefano weighed up his son's impassioned words and nodded slowly.

"I'm glad to hear that," he said simply, "Because there are things that I will ask of you that will require your obedience regardless of what you might think – it is the only way that this arrangement is going to work."

"Of course Father," said EJ evenly, "I understand completely."

"Because if I thought for one moment that I couldn't trust you Elvis," said Stefano, his face hardening a little, "Well, the consequences of such a thing would be indeed

"Good," said Stefano approvingly, "Then I have a task for you my son."

"What is it?" asked EJ calmly.

"There has been this nuisance niggling away at my business for awhile now and I'd like it taken care of," said Stefano.

"Well I'm sure I can help," said EJ with a half smile, "What do you need me to do Father?"

"I need for you to kill Bart," said Stefano simply, his eyes never leaving EJ's face, gauging his reaction to the request.

"Bart who?" asked EJ, looking a bit bewildered.

EJ then looked a little taken aback when Stefano continued to stare at him unblinking.

"You mean our Bart?" asked EJ in surprise, "After all of this time – why now?"

"It is time," said Stefano with a shrug.

"Then can't we just fire him?" asked EJ with a frown, "Doing away with the man all together seems a bit of an overkill if you'll pardon the pun."

"Bart knows too much," said Stefano, not liking how EJ was arguing with him.

"Father it could be argued that Bart knows next to nothing," said EJ dryly, "I'm sure he's not a threat to the business in any way."

"That is my decision to make," said Stefano simply.

"But he's been with us for years," said EJ unevenly.

"There is no room for sentimentality in business Elvis," said Stefano dismissively, "You have to learn that."

Stefano knew that his would be an excellent test of his son's loyalty. If he refused to kill what Stefano already knew was a harmless man on moral grounds then that would just prove to him what a liability his youngest child truly was. However, if he went ahead and did as instructed Stefano had an excellent piece of leverage to keep Elvis in line if the need should ever arise. Stefano liked to have the sway of power with those he dealt with and there could be no exceptions. He watched as EJ turned away, obviously troubled by this development.

"This is no different to what you did for me in regards to John Black," said Stefano simply, "I don't understand your hesitation Elvis."

EJ turned back and scowled at his father.

"John Black was a direct threat to this family," he said in frustration, "He was a man who had intentionally tried to hurt this family many times over and I understood why it was you asked me to do what you did. This-"

EJ waved his hand in agitation.

"-this I don't understand Father," said EJ unhappily.

"Have we not just had this discussion?" asked Stefano imperiously, "I told you there would be things I required of you that required obedience and not questioning."

"This being one of those things I suppose," said EJ grimly.

EJ's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"So this is a test is it?" he asked flatly, "To see where my loyalties lie – is that it Father?"

"Call it what you will Elvis," said Stefano coolly.

"So an innocent man has to die for me to prove my value to you?" asked EJ fiercely, "My word and years of service to date aren't enough?"

"Your sense of entitlement is dangerous my son," said Stefano offhandedly, "You have to earn my respect and trust just as everyone else does."

"And if I do this thing I will have both of those things?" asked EJ grimly.

"Yes," said Stefano without hesitation.

"And if I don't?" asked EJ with just a hint of challenge in his voice.

Stefano smiled inwardly at the rebelliousness in his son's voice. Truth be told he hadn't expected anything different – no DiMera liked to be backed against the wall, no matter the circumstances and Stefano understood that. What he understood even more however was that as big an asset as Elvis was he was an even bigger liability if he should decide to turn on him. Stefano had to neutralise that threat, one way or the other.

"You're a married man now Elvis," said Stefano unflinchingly, "One who has assumed the role of fatherhood in his step son's life and will soon have his own flesh and blood to do the same with."

"Your point being?" asked EJ tightly.

"My point is that you're a man with a lot to lose," said Stefano, letting EJ see that he was completely serious in saying all of this.

EJ's eyes narrowed and his jaw hardened.

"Are you threatening me Father?" EJ asked sharply.

"I'm providing you with options Elvis," said Stefano coolly, "In what way is that a threat?"

"In the way that if I don't do as you ask then the implication being that Samantha, Will and our children will live to regret it," said EJ, his face set angrily now, "And if I do then an innocent man will be killed for no good reason other than you not trusting your own son."

"Don't be naïve Elvis," said Stefano dismissively, "There are no good men. You have asked me to trust you and hand over my empire to you without reservation – I don't think that a simple little proof of your loyalty to me is too much to ask for."

Father and son faced off now and Stefano watched with interest the different plays of emotions that were passing over EJ's face even as he tried to keep them from him.

"EJ do you want to go out to dinner before the function at Mythic tonight or just grab something here first?"

Sami asked the question as she walked into the room, blithely interrupting the tension filled standoff.

"Sorry," she said, looking between the two men, "Did I interrupt something?"

"Of course not sweetheart," said EJ smoothly and smiled at her, "Now what was your question again?"

"About dinner tonight," Sami prompted him, "Eat in or out before the Mythic party?"

"Oh," said EJ, putting a hand to his face, "The party."

"You forgot?" asked Sami in vague annoyance, "EJ I've been reminding you all week and we talked about it at breakfast."

"I'm sorry Samantha but Elvis has something he needs to do for me tonight," said Stefano, "He won't be able to accompany you."

"What?" asked Sami in disbelief, looking between the two of them, "EJ?"

"Surely we don't need to action that right away Father?" said EJ, giving him a pointed look, "It can keep can't it?"

"I don't believe it can Elvis," said Stefano, staring back at him defiantly.

"What do you need EJ to do at night that can't be done now or tomorrow?" asked Sami with a scowl, "This party is a big deal for Mythic and EJ is part owner in the company after all – it will be odd if he's not there."

"Sometimes family comes first," said Stefano with a shrug.

"_I'm_ EJ's family," Sami reminded him warningly, her face darkening ominously.

Stefano looked over at EJ, knowing this was the moment of truth. The pull Samantha had on him was undeniable but Stefano needed to know that EJ would rally to his side and his side alone when push came to shove.

"EJ tell your father to stick his precious errand and that you are coming with me," Sami demanded.

Stefano could see that EJ was conflicted as he waited impassively for his son to reply to his new wife. A lot was riding on his answer and EJ couldn't fail to be aware of that.

"Samantha I'm sorry," said EJ regretfully to which Stefano couldn't help the smirk that came to his lips at hearing that, "But what I have to do really can't be put off. I'm sorry but there is no way around it, I'll have to miss the Mythic party."

"You're kidding me right?" asked Sami, throwing an angry look over at Stefano, "You're choosing him over me?"

"Sweetheart it's not like that," said EJ quickly, "It's just business, I didn't plan this."

"Well Mythic is business too EJ," said Sami, looking hurt now, "_Our_ business but I guess that doesn't count for much to you."

"You're being unfair Samantha," said EJ unhappily.

"And unreasonable," interjected Stefano with a roll of his eyes, "Elvis cannot be at your beck and call all the time Samantha – you need to understand that."

"But he can be at yours is that it?" asked Sami defiantly, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"EJ is still in the room and can make up his own mind," said EJ wryly.

He walked over to Sami and put his hands on her upper arms soothingly.

"Sweetheart I'm sorry, I really am," EJ said earnestly, "This really did come up at the last moment and is very important otherwise I'd never dream of disappointing you like this."

"I thought we were a team EJ," said Sami unevenly, keeping her voice low and looking up at him, "I want you to be with me tonight."

"I know," said EJ, pressing a kiss to her forehead lovingly, "But sometimes things don't always go the way we'd hoped and I just need you to understand that for me sweetheart."

Little did Samantha know that EJ was actually doing this to protect her and it amused Stefano greatly to see the woman being so difficult. If only she knew what was at stake. Stefano had no intention of harming Sami until those babies were born but that didn't mean he wouldn't hesitate to keep her in a cell next to his own daughter's until his grandchildren were born and his for the taking. Sami shot a disgruntled look over at Stefano before giving EJ the reply he wanted.

"Alright," she said unhappily, putting her hands on EJ's chest and stroking it, "I suppose I understand."

"Thank you darling," said EJ with a half smile, "I'll make it up to you I promise."

"Well Estelle will probably want a word with you as well," said Sami wryly.

"I'll brace myself accordingly," said EJ with a little laugh.

"Alright well I guess I'll eat here before I go then," said Sami reluctantly.

"Thank you for being so understanding sweetheart," said EJ warmly.

Sami gave a little smile that didn't quite reach her eyes and then left the men to it.

"Was that entirely necessary Father?" asked EJ darkly when she was gone, "I don't like upsetting Samantha with her blood pressure problems."

"Samantha will be fine," said Stefano easily, "She is made of sturdy stock."

"Are you really telling me that this issue-" Stefano heard the slight waiver in EJ's voice as he said that, "-has to be dealt with tonight?"

"It is best to act quickly on these things," said Stefano, not backing down.

"Well I'll have to organise some things," began EJ but Stefano shook his head.

He had no intention of letting EJ out of his sight until the event just in case his son was foolish enough to try and deceive him in any way over this.

"I have a gun for you, complete with silencer," said Stefano calmly, "You will call Bart out into the garden shed and do what needs to be done. An old carpet is already conveniently laid out for you. I've found the Salem River is a good place for dumping unwanted rugs in the past."

"I see," said EJ grimly.

Stefano gave a little smile knowing that he had Elvis right where he wanted him. Once EJ killed Bart then there would be no turning back with his allegiance to him. Stefano knew that Sami would never forgive EJ for doing something like this, no matter the reason and that EJ would do anything to make sure she never found out. It may well be that his son's loyalty to him was real but Stefano never did like to leave anything to chance.


	176. Chapter 322

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & TWENTY TWO**** – ****A Man's Gotta Do What a Man's Gotta Do**

Man is the only kind of varmint sets his own trap, baits it, then steps in it.

_John Steinbeck_

_(American Novelist and Writer, Nobel Prize for Literature for 1962, 1902-1968)_

"And we will be able to see everything?" asked Stefano, looking at the computer monitor intently, "And hear it?"

"Just az you requested Stefano," said Rolf with a nod as they sat together around the lap top in Stefano's room, "Za Mole has zet it all up for you."

There was a closed circuit feed hooked up in the gardener's shed as Stefano had requested of Rolf the day before who had then in turn contacted Maurice the Mole, the man responsible for all of the mansion's security cameras. That way Stefano could see everything that went on and make sure his son didn't try and pull a fast one. Elvis didn't know about the camera so now would be a good chance to see if he was playing any kind of games. Stefano had made sure that EJ hadn't been alone after making the request of him to kill Bart so that he couldn't arrange any kind of deception in time. If EJ went through with this then one way or the other Stefano knew he had his loyalty. Either he would do this simply because he was an obedient son or because he was afraid of the consequences if he didn't.

What was important to Stefano out of both of those choices is that his son knew who the boss was in this arrangement. If EJ didn't kill Bart then Stefano had left him in no doubt as to the consequences of such defiance. If EJ did kill Bart, for whatever reason, Stefano knew he would be desperate for Sami not to find out. Deep down the woman still had too much Brady for Stefano's liking and EJ knew that. She'd never forgive him for murdering an innocent man, no matter the reason why. It pleased Stefano no end to use what had been EJ's weakness, loving Sami, against him. It was for the love of Sami Brady that he'd defied his father in the first place, now it was the thing that was going to bring him back into line and keep him there.

"I sent Bart to fetch a screwdriver from za shed az you requested," said Rolf, "He should be zere any minute."

"In which case the show is about to begin," said Stefano, nodding approvingly, "Are the men watching Samantha in place?"

"Ya," nodded Rolf, "Zey have followed her to za Mythic party and have her in sight. If Elvis reneges on hiz vord to kill Bart zen they vill take her as planned."

"Excellent," said Stefano happily, "Then everything is in place."

Stefano hadn't been bluffing with EJ earlier that afternoon. If EJ couldn't prove his allegiance to him then Stefano was going to take what was his – those grandchildren.

"Vhat about Will?" asked Rolf suddenly, "Vhat do you have planned for him if Elvis betrays you?"

"I like William," said Stefano simply, "I think the boy has potential."

"So how vould zat vork zen?" asked Rolf in confusion, "You can't just kill hiz mother and zink he vill be okay with zat."

"Samantha has three more months left until she gives birth," said Stefano simply, "Less if needs be seeing as twins usually deliver early. The DiMera family will simply go away on holidays where there will be a terrible car accident. Three months later Will is going to wake up to find his mother and step father have been killed and he's been in a coma that whole time. I will then take the boy and the babies under my wing and from the ashes of disobedience and betrayal I will raise up the next generation of DiMera's."

"Zat is an ambitious plan Stefano," ventured Rolf tentatively.

"When have you ever known my plans not to be so," said Stefano with a quirk of his lips.

"Bart has arrived," said Rolf, noticing the movement on the screen and both men immediately gave the computer screen all of their attention.

They watched as Bart walked into the garden shed and fumbled for the light. It flickered on, illuminating the well stocked shed as he began to look around for the requested screwdriver. He'd only been there less than thirty seconds when EJ stepped through the door, dressed all in black. Bart gave a start and turned around.

"Geez boss man!" he exclaimed, "You gave me a fright!"

"I'm sorry about that Bart," said EJ calmly, "That wasn't my intention."

"Do you need something from the shed as well?" asked Bart curiously.

"In a manner of speaking," said EJ with a bit of a grimace.

"What is it?" asked Bart blithely, "Maybe I can help you."

"You can help me Bart," said EJ as he reached behind his back and drew out the gun that had been in his waistband, "By not making any noise."

"Why would I make any noise?" asked Bart in confusion, "And why do you have a gun Mr D? Are you looking for stuff to clean it with?"

"No Bart," said EJ grimly, "I'm sorry but this gun is for you."

"But I already have a gun," said Bart, wrinkling his nose, "Big Mr D made me get one but I never keep it loaded – someone always seems to get hurt when guns are around."

"Rather their point don't you think Bart?" asked EJ dryly.

"Well yeah," agreed Bart unhappily, "That's why I don't really like them. Don't tell your dad that though okay Mr D? I don't want to disappoint him."

"You're a one of a kind Bart," said EJ with a shake of his head and looked suddenly regretful.

"He izn't going to do it," pronounced Rolf with great certainty, "He iz too zoft on za idiot."

"Give Elvis a moment," said Stefano, watching the scene before him intently, "My son knows what is at stake."

"Well thanks Mr D," said Bart with a grin, "You're okay too."

"I'm sorry Bart," said EJ solemnly, "I truly am."

"For what?" asked a bewildered Bart.

"For what I'm about to do," said EJ simply, "It's not personal, you have to understand that but I've got too much at stake not to do what is required of me. My father needs to know I'm loyal to him because I am and there is only one way I can prove it to him."

"Should I be understanding this?" asked Bart, starting to look worried now, "Cause I kind of don't Mr D."

"That's probably for the best Bart," said EJ quietly before pulling the trigger.

The sound was muffled by the silencer and for a moment it looked like Bart didn't know what had happened. He stared at EJ wide eyed before slowly looking down at his chest where a big red stain was now slowly spreading out over his chest. Bart dropped to his knees, his eyes wide with confusion as he looked up at the expressionless EJ.

"W-why?" he gasped unevenly.

"Some people are just life's victims Bart," said EJ stoically, "Sacrificed to the greater good. I'm sorry but that was always going to be your fate, one way or the other."

Bart's only response to that was a choked cry as he now collapsed face first on the floor. EJ quickly moved over to his side and pulled off one of his gloves and pressed two fingers against Bart's carotid pulse. He waited a moment and then gave a grim nod as obviously the pulse was no longer to be found.

"He did it," said Stefano proudly.

"I'm zurprized," admitted Rolf, "I did not zink zis new Elvis with hiz fawning over zat creature Zamantha had it in him."

"Either he did it because he is truly loyal to me or because he fears the consequences if he doesn't," said Stefano easily, "I do not care as long as I have Elvis' obedience in all things. If he will do this for me he will do anything - of that I am certain. And if he does decide to grow a conscience again-"

Stefano looked sideways at Rolf.

"This iz all being taped," confirmed Rolf with a ready nod, "You'll have the proof you need to hold over Elvis' head if za need should ever arise Stefano."

"Perfect," said Stefano in satisfaction.

They watched now as EJ hurriedly rolled up Bart into the rug that had been conveniently laid out for him. He picked up the roll of carpet over his shoulder, Bart's body tucked inside and shoved the gun in his waistband again before exiting the garden shed. Rolf and Stefano then moved to his bedroom window and looked out in time to see EJ marching along the garden path towards the garage with great purpose.

"My men?" Stefano asked Rolf as EJ disappeared out of sight.

"Are in place to follow him Stefano," said Rolf, "We vill know vat Elvis does next – I have put Luciano on it, he iz za best at following at a discrete distance."

Stefano nodded approvingly.

"I think a drink is called for," he said with a satisfied smile, "Control of my empire is secured."

"I vill drink to zat idiot Bart finally being out of za picture," said Rolf with a roll of his eyes to which Stefano just chuckled.

**oooOOOOooo**

Will walked out of the mansion gym and paused when he saw the light to the garage was on. He peeked through the crack in the door and saw EJ, all dressed in black and wearing gloves slam down the boot of the car before walking around to the driver's seat. As he went to get in Will watched as EJ withdrew a gun from his waistband and climbed into the car. Will gave a frown at that, watching as EJ then opened the garage door and backed out, speeding off into the night. Will closed the door and walked back towards the kitchen to make himself an orange smoothie. Stefano looked up as he walked in.

"How was your work out?" asked Stefano, greeting him genially.

"Okay," said Will, wiping his sweaty face with a towel, "Where's EJ going at this time of night?"

"I have no idea," said Stefano smoothly.

"But didn't you and he have some business you had to attend to?" asked Will, his frown deepening, "That what he told Mom and why she was all bent out of shape."

"Our business is concluded," said Stefano simply, deciding this was a situation he could take advantage of.

"Well he's not going to go and meet Mom at the Mythic party dressed like that," said Will unhappily, "So where is he going?"

"I couldn't tell you William," lied Stefano with an easy shrug, "But sometimes a man needs some alone time."

"So he lied to Mom about the party?" asked Will in disbelief, "She was really disappointed EJ couldn't go."

"William," said Stefano, putting a fatherly hand on the teenager's back, "I wouldn't call it a lie."

"What would you call it then?" Will demanded to know.

"Elvis has had a lot of things thrust on him suddenly," said Stefano, sounding very empathetic and protective of his son, "He has become a husband to Samantha and a step father to you very abruptly and then there is the impending birth of the twins. It is a lot for a man like Elvis, a man who had no responsibilities other than to himself, to deal with all at once. Every man needs to have a little alone time to clear his head."

"I didn't realise my mom and I were such a burden," said Will tightly.

"It is not like that I'm sure William," tutted Stefano although that was exactly the kind of reaction he was hoping for, "You must realise that Elvis might need some down time to himself to absorb all of his new responsibilities."

"But why lie about it?" asked Will unhappily, "Why not tell my mom that he needed a bit of space? Why did it have to be tonight?"

"That I cannot answer," said Stefano with a sigh, "But whatever it is I'm sure Elvis has a good reason."

"Well that makes one of us," said Will darkly, "He told me that he was never going to lie to my mom or to me."

"I'm sure Elvis doesn't see it as a lie William," said Stefano with a last comforting pat on the back as he left the kitchen.

"I know," muttered Will under his breath, "And that is what worries me."

**oooOOOOooo**

Luciano pulled out his night vision binoculars and focused on the car that was driving towards the end of the pier. He was a good distance away and carefully hidden from sight so that even if the boss' son was looking he wouldn't be seen. Luciano watched as EJ parked and then got out of the car, going to the boot. The DiMera henchman then traded his binoculars for a high quality camera that could take pictures at night very clearly. He squinted through the view finder, focusing again on EJ on the deserted pier. The shutter whirred as he snapped some shots of the younger man pulling the rolled up carpet out of his boot and then throwing it over his shoulder.

Luciano lost him for a moment when the man went behind a stack of tall boxes but promptly reappeared on the other side of them with no delay and more pictures were taken. He watched as EJ approached the end of the pier and gave a furtive look around himself before heaving the rolled up carpet with its dead man's cargo inside into the murky depths. Luciano had noticed that EJ had tied weights to the carpet to make sure that it wasn't going to float up any time soon and took happy snaps of the whole thing.

"Nice to see the boss' kid getting his hands dirty," observed Luciano to no one in particular.

EJ stood over the water then, looking down at it until no more bubbles were breaking the surface. He made a quick sign of the cross as he did and Luciano couldn't help but smirk.

"Good old Catholic guilt," he sneered, "Gets the green ones every time. Don't worry kid – a few more of these and you won't even think twice about it."

EJ was too far away to hear his sage advice of course but that was the whole point. Luciano reached for his cell phone.

"Mr DiMera it's me," he said when his call was answered, "Everything went to plan."

"And the pictures?" asked Stefano intently.

"Got them right here," said Luciano confidently, "Don't worry Mr DiMera – everything went real smooth like."

"So Elvis did what was required of him?" asked Stefano, careful not to say too much when talking to a cell phone.

"Yeah," nodded Luciano even though the old man couldn't see him, "It's done."

"Excellent," said Stefano approvingly, "Return to the mansion now – I want to view your handiwork."

"Yes sir," said Luciano, keeping still as EJ's car drove past him a little ways off in the distance.

Stefano hung up his cell phone and pocketed it. He looked down at the chess board in his office and smiled.

"Check mate," he murmured with a great deal of satisfaction as he knocked over the black King.

**oooOOOOooo**

"_Ah Bart," said Stefano with a shake of his head, "Poor, poor Bart."_

"_I'm still waiting to know what happened to the man," Nelson reminded him flatly._

"_Unfortunately he is dead," said Stefano, looking suitably upset. _

"_Dead?" repeated Nelson, "And how did that come about?"_

"_Elvis killed him," said Stefano regretfully, "It was terrible."_

"_Why would your son do that?" asked Nelson sceptically._

"_I fear he was trying to prove something to me," sighed Stefano, "The poor misguided boy."_

"_By killing one of your lackeys?" asked Nelson in confusion, "What does that prove?"_

"_Just before it happened Elvis and I fought," said Stefano sadly, "I accused him of not being a real man and I suppose this was his way of proving me wrong."_

"_And how do you know this?" asked Nelson intently._

"_Why Elvis told me," said Stefano in surprise._

"_Rather conveniently EJ isn't around to give his version of events," noted Nelson dryly._

"_You don't need them," said Stefano coolly, "To prove that he'd done it by his own hand Elvis recorded himself doing it. I have the DVD."_

"_Are you expecting me to believe that EJ videoed himself committing a murder?" asked Nelson in disbelief, "What kind of idiot would do something like that?"_

"_One who was desperate to prove his worth to me and his commitment," said Stefano simply, "Because as I was to find out, he had neither."_

"_And just how exactly did that finding out come about?" asked Nelson flatly. _

"_Like most things in life," said Stefano with a smile of remembrance at what had happened next, "Most unexpectedly."_


	177. Chapter 323

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & TWENTY THREE**** – ****Back Against the Wall**

When we quarrel, how we wish we had been blameless.

_Ralph Waldo Emerson_

_(American Poet, Lecturer and Essayist, 1803-1882)_

"_So EJ and Sami's relationship was beginning to show cracks?" asked Nelson with interest._

"_Zay had zere moments," said Rolf with a roll of his eyes. _

"_And there was a particular fight?"_

"_Oh ya," said Rolf with a shrug, "Screaming and yelling."_

"_Were you the only one to witness it?" _

"_Za whole household heard zem," said Rolf looking less than impressed, "Including za boy."_

**oooOOOOooo**

"So how was last night?" asked Will, staring at EJ intently as they sat in the living room together then next day, Stefano helping himself to some scotch.

"It was fine," answered EJ calmly.

"I saw you go out," Will pushed.

"I was doing some business for my father," said EJ simply, going back to the paperwork he was perusing.

Will flicked an unhappy look over at Stefano and the older man gave a philosophical shrug at what the teenager now thought was a lie thanks to him. Stefano didn't like the bond he'd seen growing between his son and Will – such bonds divided loyalties and he simply couldn't have that. He saw a lot of potential in young Will and intended to continue to take him under his wing to groom him into a man worthy of the DiMera name.

Will was young and malleable and to keep him that way Stefano knew he had to believe that he was the only he could truly count on. It would not do to have too many other influences on him at this impressionable stage. Perhaps if he'd been more firm about Elvis not spending so much time with that ding bat mother of his and wet husband then he wouldn't have the doubts he did now about his youngest child.

"What kind of business?" asked Will, clearly determined not to let it go.

"Nothing very interesting," said EJ with a bit of a frown, looking at him over the top of his glasses, "Why all the questions Will?"

"No reason," said Will coolly.

Further questions were stalled by Sami's appearance. She gave Stefano a disapproving look as he took a sip of his drink.

"Whenever I see you you've always got a drink in your hand," she noted flatly.

"Perhaps the two things are related?" Stefano shot back at her with a quirk of his lips.

"Cute," said Sami with a roll of her eyes.

"Play nicely children," EJ reminded them both with a half smile to which both of them gave grunts.

"EJ have you seen Bart?" Sami asked him, changing the subject, "I've been looking for him all morning. He was going to take one of my dresses to the dry cleaners for me."

"Oh you should have said earlier sweetheart," said EJ, "Bart isn't here anymore."

"What do you mean?" asked Sami in confusion as Will shot him a concerned look.

"Didn't I mention?" asked EJ, his face unreadable, "We've had to dispatch Bart to one of our European branches. It was rather short notice, he left last night."

"No you didn't mention it EJ," said Sami, looking taken aback.

"I'm sorry darling," said EJ with a winsome smile, "As I said, it all happened rather quickly."

He looked over at Stefano expectantly.

"Isn't that right Father?"

Stefano deliberately paused just a little too long before answering, raising his glass to EJ.

"As you say my son," he said with a bit of a nod.

Stefano snuck a look at Will and saw how unhappy the teenager was at this new information. He hoped he was putting all of this together but Stefano had to be subtle about this. He couldn't be seen as the one to drive the wedge in between step father and step son.

"But why wouldn't he have said goodbye?" asked Sami in bewilderment, "I mean he could have at least have left a note or something. We've been living with the man for the last month."

"I don't know what you want me to tell you Samantha," said EJ evenly, "You know Bart – it was a miracle he made the plane at all. Goodbyes would have probably been a little too taxing for him. I'm sure he meant to though."

"Is that where you were last night?" asked Will, not letting things slide.

"Did you drop Bart off at the airport?" asked Sami with a scowl, "Is that the important business that you felt you needed to stand me up over? Bart could have gotten a taxi – last night was important to me EJ."

"I didn't drop Bart off at the airport," said EJ sharply, "Dear god, why the Spanish Inquisition over a third rate butler anyway?"

"What's going on EJ?" asked Sami, her face darkening, much to Stefano's pleasure.

More wedges being driven in. He wanted Elvis isolated and dependant only on him. This was working out perfectly – divide and conquer had always been his favourite adage.

"Nothing is going on except that I'm being interrogated all of a sudden and I don't appreciate it," said EJ tersely.

Sami's eyes narrowed as she clearly didn't like what was going on.

"Can EJ and I have a minute alone please?" she asked flatly, her eyes not leaving EJ.

Will and Stefano exchanged looks and wordlessly left the room. The two walked out into the foyer and started down the hallway as Stefano tried to comfort the obviously troubled teenager.

"Married couples fight William," he reassured him, "That's all part of it."

"Yeah well with Mom's relationships it's usually the beginning of the end," said Will unhappily.

Will turned and looked at Stefano.

"EJ promised he'd never lie to my mom and he did that just now," Will fretted, "She's put a lot of faith in him and is really trusting him to-"

Will stopped abruptly and suddenly looked uncomfortable, as though he'd been about to say something he shouldn't.

"She's really trusting him," he repeated, "And now EJ is starting to pull this stuff."

Will shook his head looking really troubled.

"I-I don't know what to think," Will admitted, "I mean I want to trust EJ, I really do but how can I if he's going back on his word about lying already?"

"I think you are worrying over nothing William," said Stefano, playing the genial and caring grandfather to perfection, "It will be alright – there is nothing to worry about I'm sure."

Will nodded but didn't look convinced. Stefano patted his arm and headed off to his study, noticing as he did that Will stayed where he was, obviously intending to listen in on what sounded like was going to be quite the argument. This pleased Stefano because it was more ammunition by which Will would be made to feel insecure and that his new grandfather was the only one he could trust. Stefano fully intended on listening in as well as he unlocked one of his desk drawers and pulled out a receiver, turning it on and being granted to a front row seat to the Sami and EJ show.

"I don't see what you are getting so worked up about Samantha," said EJ in exasperation and there was the clink of glass and ice as he obviously poured himself a drink.

"Really, you think drinking now is a good idea EJ?" asked Sami in displeasure.

"It's alright sweetheart," said EJ with a roll of his eyes, "I'm not your last husband, I can handle my liquor."

"I bet that is what Lucas said just before he became an alcoholic," Sami said disapprovingly.

"Samantha what is this all about?" asked EJ with a sigh as he took a sip of his drink.

"You're not being straight with me about last night," said Sami tersely.

"Why would you say that?" asked EJ, looking flummoxed.

"EJ we're in this together," said Sami sharply, "That was the deal right?"

"Yes," said EJ simply.

"Well all of a sudden it feels to me like the deal is changing," said Sami curtly.

"It isn't," said EJ coolly, "Samantha would you please just let this go. I simply had work to do for my father last night. We agreed that me working for my father was a big part of our reason for being here remember? Well last night he needed me to do something for him and I simply couldn't say no."

"What kind of thing?" asked Sami coldly.

"For the love of-!"

Stefano started as EJ sounded like he slammed his drink down on something, his voice beginning to become raised now.

"I don't understand where this is coming from Samantha!" he bit out, his expression tense now.

"It's coming from you refusing to answer my question EJ!" Sami shot back at him, her voice getting louder as well, "What the hell is going on?"

"Nothing is going on!" EJ snapped back at her, "God, you are the most paranoid woman I've ever met!"

Stefano smiled, knowing EJ was trying to deflect Sami from asking her questions. It was obvious that his son didn't want to tell Sami what he'd done, just as Stefano had predicted. Whatever games they were intent on playing here Stefano knew it wouldn't involve murder. For Sami it would be a deal breaker, no matter the reason EJ might give. She'd never forgive him and Stefano could hear the edge of desperation in EJ's voice under the anger as he fought to keep her from finding out the truth.

"Maybe because I'm in a house full of DiMera's!" she threw back at him incensed.

"Of which you are one!" EJ reminded her roundly.

"And don't make me regret that EJ!" Sami demanded of him.

"Why are you being like this?" asked EJ in vexation, "I don't understand Samantha!"

"Because you still haven't told me what you did last night instead of keeping your promise to me and your commitment to Mythic!" Sami bit out.

"Alright do you want to know what I did?" asked EJ angrily.

"I think I've been pretty damn clear on that front," said Sami in annoyance, folding her arms in front of herself and glaring up at him.

"My father needed some papers delivered to a business associate and to wait until he'd signed the papers and then bring them back here," said EJ shortly, "There, are you happy now?"

"In the middle of the night?" asked Sami in disbelief, "Why couldn't it have been done during business hours?"

"Because he was leaving later that night for Munich!" EJ snapped back, "The papers weren't ready for him to sign thanks to Bart before that and I had to drive an hour to his hotel and an hour back to complete the business deal!"

"What kind of business?" asked Sami suspiciously.

"DiMera business," said EJ curtly, "You knew what that meant before agreeing to come and live here Samantha."

"It doesn't mean I have to like it!" said Sami sharply.

"And it doesn't mean that you have to go off the deep end every time you're confronted with a bit of reality that doesn't please you either!" EJ said tersely.

"And Bart?" asked Sami defiantly, "What about him?"

"God give me strength!" EJ growled, turning around and stalking away from her as he headed back to his abandoned drink on the mantle.

"Don't you walk away from me EJ!" Sami shouted at him behind his back.

"This is neither the time or the place Samantha," said EJ curtly, looking around them and giving her a pointed look.

"Fine," said Sami shortly, "Upstairs, now!"

Clearly the little bull dog wasn't going to let this go which pleased Stefano no end. He'd heard enough anyway and the cracks were beginning to show in their united front. Stefano was content to let EJ have his makeshift little family as long as it wasn't put before his son's allegiance to him. This was all working out perfectly. He walked out of his study in time to see Will walking towards him, obviously getting out of the way of the two of them as they headed up the stairs. Sami and EJ's raised voices could still be heard before there was a very loud slamming of their bedroom door. Stefano looked over at Will and saw how unhappy he looked.

"Don't worry," he tried to comfort him, "It will all work itself out I'm sure William."

"I guess," mumbled a crest fallen looking Will.

**oooOOOOooo**

"_How did he handle all the fighting?"_

"_Za boy took it hard," said Rolf and then gave a shrug, "I guess he vas used to zings valling apart vhen it came to hiz mother." _

"_Do you think EJ and Sami's relationship was falling apart?" asked Nelson with interest. _

"_I think zat za plans zey had going into living at za mansion were not zo easy to put into place az zey thought," said Rolf with satisfaction. _

"_And what were their plans exactly?" asked Nelson. _

"_Misguided," said Rolf simply. _

**oooOOOOooo**

The next day Stefano was in his study reading when there was a knock on the door. He looked up to see Will standing at the door.

"Hello William," he greeted him with a smile, "How are you?"

"Can we talk?" asked William, not answering the question and looking very serious now.

"But of course," said Stefano readily, "What do you want to talk about William?"

Will hesitated before answering that question, looking torn...


	178. Chapter 324

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & TWENTY FOUR**** – ****A Traitor in the Ranks**

We have to distrust each other. It is our only defense against betrayal.

_Tennessee Williams_

_(American playwright. 1911-1983)_

"_What did you think Will wanted to see you about?" asked Agent Nelson as he looked over his notes. _

"_I just thought he wanted to talk," said Stefano with a shrug._

"_Did he confide in you often?" asked Nelson with an arched eyebrow._

"_Is that so very surprising?" asked Stefano wryly, "I was someone who William could look up to, someone who had made himself available to him when he needed help."_

"_And EJ didn't do that?" asked Nelson with interest._

"_I couldn't say," said Stefano coolly. _

"_So what did Will want to talk about and what does this have to do with your allegation that EJ was the one to kill Bart Beiderbecke?" _

"_Patience is a virtue Agent Nelson," said Stefano calmly, "I'm getting to that."_

**oooOOOOooo**

"Come in William," said Stefano, seeing the hesitation in the boy's face.

Stefano eyed the boy with interest as he hesitantly walked into Stefano's study and closed the door behind him.

"You look very troubled William," noted Stefano, "What is wrong?"

Actually Stefano already had a fair idea of the answer to that question as he'd overheard EJ and Will arguing that morning.

"_I need to speak to you."_

_EJ stopped and turned around in the hallway, looking at Will with a bit of a frown._

"_What is it?" he asked calmly._

"_Everything is falling apart," said Will, clearly upset._

"_Why would you say that Will?" asked EJ, his frown deepening, "Everything is fine."_

"_You and Mom are arguing," said Will unevenly._

"_It won't be the first time and it won't be the last," EJ dismissed easily, "We're both very passionate people Will, we're going to argue."_

"_The fighting doesn't bother me so much as what you were fighting about," said Will with a scowl._

"_Meaning?" asked EJ with an arched eyebrow._

"_Meaning I saw you EJ," said Will flatly._

"_Saw me what Will?" asked EJ, sounding a little impatient now. _

"_I saw you putting something in the boot of your car last night and drive away," said Will unevenly._

"_Is that a crime?" asked EJ coolly. _

"_It is if it was Bart's body," said Will unhappily. _

"_Why would you say such a thing Will?" asked EJ in horror. _

"_You did it didn't you?" asked Will, looking heartbroken, "You killed Bart."_

"_Will," EJ groaned, putting a hand to his face and rubbing it tiredly._

_He dropped his hand and grabbed Will's shoulders, facing off intently against him. _

"_You know why we are here Will," he said urgently, "You know what is at stake."_

"_Yes," said Will unevenly._

"_Sometimes we have to do things in this life not because we want to but because we have to," said EJ unhappily, "For the greater good. Nothing has changed Will, I'm simply doing what I must to keep this family safe."_

"_So you did do it then?" asked Will, looking like he was fighting back tears. _

"_I didn't say that," said EJ earnestly, "I'm just saying that when it comes to my father sometimes things get extreme and you just have to deal when they do. You have to trust me Will because if you don't this whole thing will come tumbling down around our ears."_

"_This wasn't part of the plan EJ," said Will painfully. _

"_Sometimes the details of a plan have to change," said EJ with a frown, "But the overall plan hasn't changed and that is what you have to hang onto right now."_

"_Does my Mom know what you've done?" asked Will, not letting it go and obviously hearing what EJ was not saying rather than what he was. _

"_Will your mother is pregnant and in a highly stressed state," said EJ urgently, "This would just put more strain on her and I can't do that to her." _

"_Killing wasn't part of the plan," said Will heatedly, "Mom is going to flip EJ!"_

"_Which is exactly why we can't say anything to her," said EJ solemnly, "We have to protect your mother Will, you and me. What happened happened and I did it to protect her and you and I'd do it again if I had to because it was the only way to keep you both safe. My father was suspicious so it was what he required of me to prove my loyalty."_

"_I can't believe Stefano would be that evil," said Will unsteadily._

"_Believe it," said EJ grimly, "This is almost over Will, you just have to be strong for a little bit longer and then we'll be free of all of this and starting our lives over."_

"_Bart won't be though will he?" said Will darkly, "He'll still be dead."_

"_And I'm very sorry for that," said EJ seriously, "But I'm not sorry for protecting my family, no matter the cost."_

The conversation Stefano had overheard had been a very telling one and he could see it was playing on the teenager's mind a lot. It was obvious that his suspicions about why EJ had moved his himself and his new family back into the mansion had been well grounded. They were up to something but it wasn't going to plan it seemed. Clearly Will's loyalties were hanging in the balance and Stefano fully intended to tip that balance in his favour.

"I think EJ killed Bart!" Will blurted out in a rush.

"Ah," said Stefano calmly.

"Did you hear what I said?" asked Will unsteadily.

"I did William, I did," Stefano nodded.

"And you're not shocked?" asked Will, taken aback.

"What makes you say such a thing?" asked Stefano, already knowing the answer to that question but not asking it would have seemed strange.

"I saw EJ last night put this rolled up carpet in the boot of his car and drive off," said Will in agitation, "I know it had Bart's body in it."

"Ah," said Stefano again, "I see and did you speak to Elvis of your concerns?"

"I did and he all but admitted it but said I had to keep it a secret from Mom," said Will unhappily.

Will tilted his head and looked at the older man in confusion now.

"Why aren't you surprised?" he asked stiffly.

Stefano knew he must have been thinking about EJ telling him that it was Stefano who had ordered the hit and moved swiftly to nip that in the bud.

"Because he has already confessed to me," said Stefano, holding his gaze steadily, "Or maybe that should be bragged to me."

"Wh-what?" asked Will unsteadily.

"Elvis thought he had to do something to prove his loyalty to me," said Stefano sadly, "I have no idea where he got the idea from or the idea of how to do that but he came to me and told me that he'd killed Bart to show his allegiance to me."

"He said it was your idea," said Will looking confused.

"Do you know much about Elvis' history?" asked Stefano seriously, "Before he came to Salem I mean."

"No," said Will hesitantly, "Just that he raced cars for a living."

"And do you know why he gave it away?" asked Stefano.

Will shook his head.

"My son had a nervous breakdown," said Stefano with a heavy sigh, "The lifestyle and pressure became too much for him. He began to behave erratically and there were some unfortunate incidences."

"This is the first I've heard of this," said Will, looking at him wide eyed, "Does Mom know?"

"It is unlikely," said Stefano steadily, "Elvis never likes to speak of it, even to me. It was why I ordered him home to Salem so I could take him under my wing and get him well again. I thought he was doing much better but then this thing with Bart-"

Stefano stopped and shook his head sadly.

"It speaks of the delusions he once had and it concerns me greatly," said Stefano looking for all the world like the heartbroken and worried father, "I want to help my son, I always have but I'm not sure what I can do to stop this descent into madness."

All of this was a complete and utter lie of course but Will wasn't to know that. It would be a hard thing to disprove on EJ's behalf if Will challenged him about it and it was basically EJ's word against Stefano's and from Will's point of view Stefano hadn't killed anyone. He knew mental instability was a raw nerve for Will after his father's inglorious demise and he intended on scraping against it all that he could to his own advantage. Stefano didn't feel badly about playing the boy – after all it was for his own good. Will was going to be far better off for him then against him in the long run and it was better to switch sides now then when it was too late.

"EJ has a mental illness?" asked Will in horror.

"He does not like to talk about it and I had to respect that," said Stefano simply, "But now I worry that such a thing may not have been the right thing to do."

Stefano looked defeated.

"I only want what is best for my child and I fear I have failed him," said Stefano emotionally.

"You have to tell someone Stefano," said Will urgently.

"I will not betray my son," said Stefano fiercely, "I will keep his secret and do my best to stop him from making any more mistakes. He is not in his right mind now with the deluded fantasies he is acting out but I know that with love and consistency he will be better again soon. I just have to make sure I know what it is that he is planning and keep one step ahead to keep him and those around him safe."

The very pointed but innocent sounding statement hung between them and Stefano knew it would be too much for the teenager to resist.

"Wh-what if I knew some things?" asked Will uncomfortably, "Would you be able to stop EJ from hurting himself and my Mom if I told you them?"

"I don't know Will," said Stefano earnestly, "It would depend on what you had to say. All I know is that I can't help Elvis unless I know what is going on in his life. Right now he is a danger to himself and everyone around him. Sadly I fear I don't need to tell you how badly such a scenario can end William."

"No," said Will shakily, "You don't."

It seems Lucas had a point to being on this earth after all thought Stefano in amusement as he watched Will struggle with what the right thing to do was.

"William you must do what you feel is right," said Stefano, playing the understanding grandfather role to the hilt, "I do not wish for you to betray any confidences so you must decide for yourself what it is you want to tell me."

Will looked stricken, as though fighting with himself over this. Stefano understood why Will was considering doing this. He'd been betrayed and let down a lot by the people in his life so far, the ones who had promised to look after him and protect him. This was simply the boy pre-empting that happening again – controlling the amount of heartache he'd have to endure by bringing it on himself. Women who had had their heart broken once would often throw themselves into doomed relationships for the very same reason. As perverse as it was it was like they had a control over their pain when they did that rather than taking their chances and leaping into the unknown where they might have a chance at real happiness along with more heartache.

**oooOOOOooo**

"_So it was Will who told you all was not as it seemed with your son's renewed allegiance to you," said Nelson looking surprised. _

"_Yes," said Stefano with a nod. _

"_And what did you do about the news of your son's betrayal?" asked Nelson coolly. _

"_Do?" asked Stefano innocently, "Why I did nothing at all Agent Nelson. What was there to do in such a circumstance? My son and his wife had created this fairy tale where I was the evil villain that needed to be taken down but it was not me killing people now was it? I think my poor Elvis was so desperate to secure his bride's love and approval and that of her judgemental family that he descended into a madness of his own making."_

"_So you're saying you didn't order EJ to kill Bart?" asked Nelson, looking at him intently._

"_Of course not," said Stefano in horror, "Bart was a harmless buffoon, he did not deserve the fate that befell him. I was horrified when EJ had told me what he'd done."_

"_Why would he even think doing such a thing would be something you'd approve of then?" asked Nelson suspiciously._

"_I'd lost my temper with Bart previous to that," said Stefano with a sigh, "He'd made some mistakes that were costly for the business and then Elvis and I had a fight where I questioned his loyalty. I suppose in my son's addled mind he could fix both of these birds with the one stone."_

_Stefano shook his head, playing the confused father for all it was worth._

"_Ah my poor Elvis," he tutted sadly, "He never did work out the kind of man he was meant to be."_

_Stefano looked over at Nelson._

_He was so easily led you see," said Stefano, pain etching his face, "And that Samantha Brady was leading him into betraying his family, his birthright just so the Brady's could triumph in this ridiculous vendetta that family wished to sustain against mine."_

"_Why do you think Will turned on his mother and EJ if he was meant to be part of the deception all along?" asked Nelson, looking at him intently. _

"_He knew what Elvis had done in the name of this ridiculous plot and he became afraid," said Stefano simply, "My son was out of control and William wanted to protect his mother against his insanity. It was a very brave and noble thing for him to do."_

"_But Will was part of this plot against you according to you," said Nelson in confusion. _

"_Only because of all the lies he was told about me," said Stefano simply, "When we spent time together he saw that I was not the monster everyone, including his mother and Elvis, would have him believe. Instead it was Elvis who was turning into the monster. William did the only thing he could to protect his mother from the beast that was emerging in Elvis. My son was out of control and had to be stopped."_

"_And how did you do that Mr DiMera?" asked Nelson. _

"_I've already told you that I didn't do anything," said Stefano firmly._

"_So you were just going to let everything stay as it was?" asked Nelson in disbelief, "I find that pretty hard to believe Mr DiMera."_

"_Well of course I was going to talk to my son," said Stefano impatiently, "Try and make him see reason."_

"_And that was it?" Nelson pushed. _

"_What else could I do?" asked Stefano helplessly. _

"_So you had no reaction to this betrayal on your son's behalf other than wanting to have a fatherly chat with him?" asked Nelson incredulously, not letting his go, "Is that what you are trying to tell me Mr DiMera?"_

"_I was greatly saddened of course," said Stefano with a heavy sigh, "But there was nothing I could do about his delusions other than try and reason with him."_

"_So how do you explain what happened next Mr DiMera?" asked Nelson flatly._

_Stefano just looked back at him steadily, not blinking and let the silence between them mount. _

**oooOOOOooo**

"So how much do zey know?" Rolf fretted, still obviously reeling from the news.

"Some," said Stefano with a frown, "Will told me zat ze suspected Alexandra was being kept here. He said they are trying to collect as much damning information about me as they can."

"I told you it vas a bad idea to keep her here Stefano!" said Rolf in exasperation, "It vill only be a matter of time before zey find her."

"Calm down my friend," said Stefano easily.

"Calm down?" repeated Rolf in horror, "Stefano do you know vhat zis means? It means zat any moment zere could be za police kicking down our door if zey do find out vhat ve have done!"

"Do not trouble yourself Rolf," said Stefano calmly, "I always knew this day might come so I've made plans."

"Plans?" asked Rolf, this being the first he'd heard about it, "Vhat kind of plans Stefano?"

Stefano gave a slow smile and didn't reply immediately...


	179. Chapter 325

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & TWENTY FIVE**** – ****The Big Bad Wolf**

An alliance with a powerful person is never safe.

_Phaedrus_

_(Roman fabulist, 15-50 B.C.)_

Stefano walked into the dimly lit bar and looked around himself. Despite it being the only about ten in the morning there were several people there already. He shook his head in disgust but he wasn't there for them. Stefano saw a booth over in the corner where a strand of cigar smoke was drifting up from it and made his way towards it. He came to stand beside it, casting a disdainful eye over the two women sitting across from the man with the cigar.

"Leave us," he instructed the women imperiously without any introduction.

The women looked taken aback, looking over at their male companion whose features remained impassive. They stood up and hurriedly vacated the booth, heading back to the bar.

"That was rude of you," commented the man casually as Stefano took their place across from him.

"I'm sure they will recover," said Stefano dryly, "Hello André."

"Hello Uncle," returned André evenly as both men sized each other up.

André didn't look surprised to see him there or even worried but then they both knew each other's MO pretty well by this late stage of the game. Stefano looked around himself again and pulled a face.

"Really André?" he asked flatly, "This is where you come to hide eh?"

"It suited my mood," said André unapologetically, "Seeing as I was thrown out by you like yesterday's trash being with the great unwashed of society seemed apt somehow."

André sat back in the booth and eyed Stefano thoughtfully.

"Besides," he drawled, "Don't act as though you didn't know where I was this whole time Uncle."

"Of course I did," said Stefano offhandedly.

"And yet it is now that you come to see me," observed André.

He gave a few puffs on his cigar, eyes never leaving Stefano.

"I wonder why that is?" André mused idly.

"We both know why I am here," said Stefano, his face giving nothing away.

"Indeed," said André with a nod, "But I feel like I've earned you saying it Uncle."

"Elvis is plotting against me and I want him taken down," said Stefano, not missing a beat.

"And you want to use me to do it," said André mockingly, a look of satisfaction on his face, "I told you this day would come Stefano."

Stefano didn't reply, simply staring back at him.

"Oh my," said André continued on sarcastically, "If only someone had seen this coming Uncle, you could have nipped it in the bud."

"This isn't the time for gloating André," said Stefano coolly.

"On the contrary," said André with a twist of his lips, "This is the perfect time for such a thing. I have pictured this moment Stefano, the moment when you would come crawling back to me and beg for my help."

"I am not begging," said Stefano coldly, "And you only draw breath now because I have allowed it to be so."

"Because you knew one day I might come in handy," said André bitterly.

"As you say," said Stefano with a slight inclination of his head, "Elvis' betrayal of me does not negate yours André, the slate isn't wiped clean between us but it can be."

"What if I'm not interested?" André challenged him.

A genuine smile came to Stefano's lips at that.

"If you weren't interested in returning to the DiMera fold and all the money and power that comes with it you wouldn't be waiting for me to turn up in this rat hole one day nephew," said Stefano wryly, "I know you André – you want it all back plus one very important thing."

"Seeing as you seem to know me so well what might that one important thing be?" asked André mockingly but he wasn't denying Stefano's claims.

"Revenge," said Stefano simply, "You want revenge on the man who usurped your position by my side."

André's dark eyes were hard to read but Stefano didn't need to, he knew this man too well.

"What say I do," said André with a little off hand shrug, "Revenge is not enough Stefano – I want more."

"You of course will be back by my side where you belong once Elvis is disposed of," said Stefano calmly.

"Aren't you worried that I will turn on you again?" asked André resentfully.

"André you will always have your own best interests at heart," said Stefano simply, "I know that, I've always known that and I even admire you for such a thing. You and I both know that at the moment our interests are one and the same. We have always made a formidable team and can do so once more."

"And if I say no?" André challenged him.

"Then you are one more family member I have no use for," said Stefano coldly.

André cocked his head and looked at Stefano intently, obviously knowing how important the concept of succession within the family ranks was to him.

"You have someone else in the wings waiting don't you?" said André sharply, "Someone else you wish to groom if things do not work out between us."

André looked intrigued by this thought as Stefano merely smiled coolly back at him.

"You always have a backup plan old man," said André with great certainty as he tried to put this all together, "Now who could it be I wonder? Not Alexandra – you've found a different use for her as an organ bank. Elvis has shown his true colours and there are no other living children for you to pass on the torch to."

André paused, still thinking as Stefano watched him without comment.

"Of course there are Elvis' bastard children but they are a long ways from being useful to you aren't they Uncle?" André pondered, "There has to be someone else in the meantime to run things until they are of an age to take over."

André's face actually registered surprise then as he thought of one wild possibility.

"William!" he exclaimed, "The cuckoo in your nest – he is the one you wish to groom into your likeness isn't he Stefano?"

"The boy shows promise," said Stefano, not denying it, "He can be moulded as I see fit."

"What's the point of returning to your side if you already have an Elvis replacement lined up?" asked André curtly.

"Whilst William shows great promise he will never be a DiMera," said Stefano matter of factly, "He would only be a stop gap until my grandchildren were of age but he would be a stop gap I could rely on. There will always be a place for you André with Will as your apprentice in the running of the family business. You just have to prove your loyalty to me."

"Did not the twenty years of dutiful service prove my loyalty Uncle?" André snapped, losing his cool for a moment.

"You chose to go against my will," said Stefano without remorse, "You went after Elvis without my approval."

"And I was proven right," said André with a twist of his lips.

"You were proven disobedient," Stefano corrected him determinedly, "You want the throne once God takes me from this earth-?"

"You know I do," said André unapologetically.

"Well it is yours once you have earned it," said Stefano with a nod, "And when you pass on there will be Elvis' children, my grandchildren to take over from you and in the meantime you will have a right hand man in William."

"And what if William isn't so keen on your grand plan Stefano?" asked André with an arched eyebrow.

"He will be," said Stefano with great certainty, "Otherwise he will suffer the same fate as his mother and step father."

Stefano looked at André steadily.

"Do you think those terms are something you could live with?" he asked the other man, knowing they were non-negotiable as far as Stefano was concerned.

He could take care of Elvis and company on his own but the use of André would keep his hands cleans and besides, Stefano rather enjoyed the irony of it all. André made a show of pondering his answer for a bit but Stefano wasn't fooled, he knew what the answer was going to be. His nephew valued power and money over all else and he would never be satisfied with this kind of lifestyle that had been thrust upon him. Stefano knew that André felt owed and even entitled to the DiMera empire crown and that was something he could use to his favour.

"Very well," said André at last, "What do you have in mind Uncle?"

"Elvis taken care of," said Stefano simply.

"And Samantha?"

"She carries my grandchildren so for now she is safe," said Stefano evenly, "Samantha is already six months along and twins rarely go to full term I'm lead to believe."

"I don't see her being too co-operative once Elvis is dead," André noted.

"I don't need her co-operation," said Stefano coolly, "I have bars to ensure that and once those babies are born then I will have no need of the wretched woman any longer."

"So how are you planning on doing all of this and not have everyone in town beating down your door Stefano, most notably those pious Bradys?" asked André with interest.

"Samantha is estranged from her family," said Stefano, "And I plan to keep it that way but even so they will not be a problem."

"Well colour me intrigued Uncle," said André, taking a puff of his cigar, "Why don't you start at the beginning and tell me what you have in mind eh?"

[center]**oooOOOOooo**[/center]

André sat in his booth for a long time after Stefano had left, thinking and smoking. It had been with a huge amount of satisfaction to see the older man walk into the bar. André knew that this day would come and that he was finally going to get what was due to him. It had only been a matter of time before Elvis tipped his hand and now it had happened. He'd bided his time, knowing that soon his former glory would be restored and then some.

André had to hand it to the old man after hearing the plan he had in mind, he still had that killer instinct very much intact. The plan was swift and brutal and André had loved it as soon as he'd heard it, especially the part where both of them would suffer before Elvis died – that appealed to him greatly. He looked around himself and took in his depressing surrounds and smiled, knowing it wasn't going to much longer now before he was back sipping his favourite cognac and dressed in his four thousand dollar suits.

André adored luxury and made no apologies for it, why would he? He deserved the finer things in life for all of his hard work and soon he would have them again. The old man wouldn't live forever, no matter what he might think and all André had to do was to wait and then everything that should be his would be. It would give him great satisfaction to bury Elvis in his climb back to the top, the man who'd tried to destroy him. André smiled again, thinking of what lay ahead of the younger man and knowing in the end that he'd be begging for death to take the pain away.

**oooOOOOooo**

_Stefano gave a great sigh for dramatic effect._

"_I was shocked but not surprised to find out that André was the mastermind of what came next Agent Nelson," he said with a sad shake of his head. _

"_That's André DiMera, your nephew?" said Nelson, checking his notes, "The man who is intensive care now fighting for his life?"_

"_Yes," said Stefano seriously, "I have been visiting him every day. The doctors are cautiously optimistic despite the bad burns that cover his body. I can only pray he makes it."_

"_Even after what he did?" asked Nelson in surprise, "I would have thought your feelings towards the man would be a lot more ambivalent then that right about now."_

"_Of course I was horrified with what he did but André is still family," said Stefano soberly. _

"_So why would André suddenly do this then?"_

"_I had dismissed him from my service for some conduct that I was displeased with and I suppose he'd been biding his time, waiting to take his revenge," said Stefano looking distraught. _

"_So you had no idea that André was on the scene until everything happened?" asked Nelson sceptically. _

"_Of course not," said a distressed Stefano, "I would have taken moves to protect my family if that was the case and then all of this horror could have been avoided."_

"_Do you think you were next on André's to do list?" asked Nelson with an arched eyebrow._

"_Most likely," said Stefano grimly, "The man was insane."_

"_You don't have much luck with mental health in your family it seems Mr DiMera now do you?" asked Nelson wryly, "First you claim your son had mental health issues and now your nephew is insane."_

"_It is a great tragedy to be sure," said Stefano, looking long suffering._

"_And what about your daughter Lexie?" pushed Nelson, "What is her mental state?"_

"_Muddled," said Stefano without missing a beat._

"_She telling some pretty interesting stories right about now," said Nelson, looking at him unflinchingly._

"_The woman is flighty and easily confused," said Stefano with a shake of his head, "Whatever she is telling you I'd be very sceptical about Agent Nelson."_

"_You can say that without even hearing what it is she is saying?" asked Nelson coolly._

"_Like I said my daughter can get herself into quite a muddle rather easily," said Stefano calmly, "I blame her mother with all her talk of voodoo and magic, it has warped her impressionable mind."_

"_Lexie is a doctor," said Nelson, not letting it go, "That doesn't exactly scream flighty and easily confused to me Mr DiMera."_

"_Then speak to her husband about her many affairs, particularly the one with his son and see what he has to say," said Stefano coolly, "I think you'll find it rather interesting." _

"_What interests me right now is if her story is true or not," said Nelson, looking at Stefano unblinkingly, "And what you've got to say about it."_

"_Well that rather depends on her story now doesn't it?" asked Stefano flatly. _


	180. Chapter 326

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & TWENTY SIX**** – ****Preparation is Key**

Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.

_Seneca_

_(Roman philosopher, mid-1st century AD)_

_Lexie fidgeted in her chair, her hand going to her throat nervously. _

"_I appreciate you coming in Dr Carver," said Agent Nelson sincerely, "I realise you've just been released from the hospital this morning."_

"_Yes," said Lexie quietly, looking around the room and appearing uncomfortable. _

"_Are you alright?" asked Nelson, noticing her discomfort, "Can I get you a more comfortable chair?"_

"_It's not the chair," said Lexie unevenly, "It's the walls."_

_She swallowed hard._

"_I'm not so good in confined spaces nowadays," she confessed shakily. _

"_I can understand that," said Nelson sympathetically, "Yours is quite a startling case."_

"_You only say that because you don't know my father," said Lexie darkly, "For him it is all par for the course."_

"_Can you tell me what happened?" asked Nelson gently._

"_It was just after Christmas," said Lexie painfully, "The night John was shot."_

"_John Black?" _

"_Yes," she nodded, "That's right. I was at the cabin to meet Tek-"_

"_Your lover," said Nelson steadily._

"_Yes," said Lexie looking ashamed._

"_And did you?"_

"_No," said Lexie distantly, "My father's goons took me before I could."_

"_And Tek?"_

"_Rolf told me he was dead," said Lexie dully, "I don't know if it is true or not."_

"_And why would a father kidnap his own child?" asked Nelson seriously. _

"_At first I thought it was because he disapproved of what I was doing with Tek," said Lexie with a frown, "But then later I found out his real reason."_

"_He needed a kidney," said Nelson, shaking his head and looking like he was having trouble comprehending such a thing._

"_Yes," said Lexie coldly, "And I suppose he figured I was the most expendable child who was most likely to be a match."_

"_And if you hadn't been a match?" _

"_Then I'd probably be sitting here dead right now," said Lexie with a humourless smile. _

"_Do you think you're up to telling me what happened that day?" asked Nelson kindly._

"_Yes," said Lexie almost fiercely, "I owe my brother that much at least."_

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami watched as EJ organised all that he'd need for what he was about to do next. He looked over and saw her serious expression.

"It will be alright," he promised her, a warm, reassuring smile coming to his lips.

"I know," said Sami but she didn't look any less troubled.

EJ walked over to her and cupped her face, thumbs stroking her cheeks lovingly.

"We've come this far," said EJ earnestly, "Only a little further to go and all of this will be over."

"I can't wait to get out of this house EJ," said Sami unevenly, "I can't wait to get away from Stefano – it's like he infects everyone around him. I want Will, these babies and us away from that man as soon as we can."

"And we will be," said EJ calmly, "Now are you all packed?"

"Yes," Sami said, "Just the necessities as we agreed."

"How many pairs of shoes?" he teased her.

"Seven," said Sami without missing a beat.

"Seven?" repeated EJ in amusement.

"They are all necessary EJ," said Sami indignantly, "I practically cried having to leave the rest of them behind."

"I'll get you more shoes sweetheart," EJ promised her warmly.

"I know," said Sami with a pout, "But it's not the same."

"And Will?" asked EJ, wanting to make sure this was all going to go to perfection.

"He's packed and all of our suitcases are together, one each as we agreed," said Sami with a nod.

"So once more over the plan?" asked EJ.

"Aha," Sami nodded, "You go and release Lexie now-"

"Then I take her to the hospital and on the way back I pick up you and Will up from the Java Cafe and we head directly to the airport," continued on EJ.

"We have the disc with all of the damning information on Stefano and will send it to the authorities when we're in the air and he can't get to us," said Sami with a nod.

"My father will have his hands too full to be worried about us when the authorities come knocking on his door," said EJ with satisfaction, "And besides, we'll be long gone before he figures out what has happened."

"No second thoughts?" asked Sami seriously, both of them knowing their whole lives were about to change beyond imagination.

"Not a single one," said EJ huskily, leaning down to kiss her.

Sami kissed him back with the passion of a woman who lived on for that moment, losing herself in him as he did the same.

"God but I love you," said EJ unevenly when they finally drew breath again.

"I love you too EJ," said Sami, still breathless from their kiss, "And if you don't come home to me I will hunt you down to the ends of the earth."

"That's my girl," said EJ with a big smile.

"You realise everything we're about to do is utterly insane?" asked Sami with a self deprecating laugh.

"Without a doubt," agreed EJ readily.

"Then why does it feel so right?" asked Sami in amazement.

"Because what is insanity to other people is just our way," said EJ knowingly, "I told you once we were never going to be a normal couple darling and it's true."

"That used to frighten me so much," said Sami in wonder, "I wanted normal so badly I would do anything to get it."

Sami gave a wry smile.

"I was such an idiot," she said rolling her eyes, "This is so much better even if I am scared half to death."

"Samantha?" asked EJ in concern.

"It's okay EJ," she reassured him, "A little fear never hurt anyone and it's going to keep me on my toes. There are a lot of things that have to fall into place today and we can't afford to make a single mistake."

"We won't," said EJ determinedly, "Whatever happens we are both people that can think on our feet in a crisis."

"So I guess this is it then," said Sami, looking up at him wide eyed, "Goodbye Salem, hello new life."

"Are you okay with that?" asked EJ seriously.

"I went and saw my mom yesterday and said goodbye," said Sami, looking suddenly emotional, "I mean she didn't realise that was what it was but it made me feel better."

"I'm sorry we couldn't tell anyone other than John and Estelle Samantha," said EJ unhappily.

"No," said Sami firmly, "It was the right thing to do – if other people knew then they'd be in danger as well. John has had our back through all of this and Estelle will be taking over at Mythic once we're gone."

"We can come back one day," EJ reminded her, "After my father is dead, this isn't forever sweetheart. Our children will get to meet their grandchildren and the rest of your family."

"I know," said Sami with a tremulous smile, "Just ignore me EJ, I'm all hormonal with this pregnancy. I'm fine and I'm behind this plan 110%."

"No matter what happens take care of yourself first Samantha," said EJ, his face clouding over, "If I'm not there you have to think of yourself and our babies first – no heroics."

EJ put his hand on her stomach and rubbed it tenderly.

"I would lie down and die if anything happened to you and the twins," said EJ shakily, "I couldn't go on in this world without you by my side Samantha."

"Don't talk like that EJ," said Sami giving him a watery smile.

"It's just I think of Santo and the way he lost Colleen and their unborn child," said EJ, his voice suddenly choked, "I don't know how a man is meant to endure that kind of loss and not lose his mind."

"EJ if anything happens to me you have to promise me you'd go on for Will," said Sami earnestly, "Promise me you'll protect my son EJ."

"With my life," EJ vowed, "Samantha I love Will and will always do what it takes to keep him safe, no matter what."

Sami moved into his arms and EJ hugged her tightly to him and she let herself be comforted by his embrace. Nothing seemed too scary or too big when she was in EJ's arms and Sami never wanted this moment of serenity in amongst the madness to end. She smiled as she felt EJ press a lingering kiss to the top of her head as he rubbed her back. Sami knew EJ was frightened for her and trying not to show it and she felt the same way about him. He spoke of losing her but Sami honestly didn't know what she'd do if she lost EJ. She'd taken forever to find him and they'd endured so much to get to where they were, surely she couldn't lose him now? The question made Sami hug EJ a little more tightly as they stood there.

"Well," said EJ huskily as he finally loosened his embrace and drew back, looking down at her, "I could do this all day sweetheart but we have quite a few wrongs to right today."

"Yes we do," said Sami determinedly and smiled as she intertwined her fingers with his, "Everything is going to work out EJ."

"I know," said EJ but now he was looking troubled.

"I can do this EJ," she promised him, "Don't worry about me, just worry about yourself and Lexie, don't think about me."

"There will never come a day when I don't think about you every minute of every day," EJ promised her with a crooked smile, "You'll have to set me a more realistic goal I'm afraid sweetheart."

"Be safe and come home to me," Sami corrected herself with a half smile.

"Done and done," EJ vowed, stealing another kiss.

EJ stepped away and headed towards the door and Sami knew this was it. She let go of his hand only when she was forced to, their fingers slipping past one another. They held each other's gaze until EJ was walking through the door and Sami suddenly felt utterly empty with him gone. She looked down at her stomach and rubbed it reassuringly.

"Buckle up kids," she told her unborn children, "You're in for a bumpy ride but I promise you Mommy and Daddy know what they are doing."

Sami's jaw hardened in determination of what lay ahead. All those years of plotting and manipulating, playing games and scheming were coming home to roost as she knew she'd need everyone of the skills she'd acquired to get through this. But then Sami Gene DiMera always did love an impossible challenge, it was all she'd ever set herself over the years after all. She was nervous but as long as EJ and Will continued to be safe then Sami knew she could take care of herself.

"Show time," Sami muttered into the empty bedroom.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Why did you call us here Celeste?" asked Abe, sounding a little impatient now.

"This is where you need to be right now," said Celeste confidently, managing to sound distracted at the same time as she checked her cell phone yet again.

Abe and Roman exchanged exasperated looks at that.

"Celeste we're both busy men," said Roman trying now, "We can't drop everything and meet you at the hospital when you tell us there is nothing wrong with you."

Celeste understood their confusion but she also knew she couldn't say anything before it had all happened. Her cell phone suddenly flashed a message up.

BIRD IS IN THE HAND – ON WAY

Celeste's bottom lip quivered and she bit down on it as her eyes filled with tears, turning back to face the two bemused men.

"Celeste," said Abe with a sigh, used to his mother in laws theatrics, "What is it? I know how hard it's been on you since Lexie left town, it's been hard on all of us. Theo misses his mommy horribly-"

"Alexandra didn't leave town," Celeste interrupted him, trying to stop her voice from shaking so much.

"You keep saying that but you have no proof Celeste," said Abe tightly, "We all know what happened – she ran off with Tek and that is the end of it."

"Alexandra would never abandon her child," said Celeste fiercely, "Just like I would never abandon mine. You will see, in another few minutes you will both see."


	181. Chapter 327

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & TWENTY SEVEN**** – ****Flying the Coop**

You begin saving the world by saving one person at a time; all else is grandiose romanticism or politics.

~Charles Bukowski~

(American short-story Writer, Poet and Novelist, 1920-1994)

"EJ?" said Lexie nervously as EJ did a couple of swift manoeuvres down some side streets before merging back into traffic.

"It's alright," EJ reassured her, eyes flicking up to the rear vision mirror, "Just thought we were being followed."

Lexie looked behind herself in the car, trying to see what EJ was seeing and pulling down the sunglasses he'd thoughtfully provided, her eyes not used to direct sunlight anymore.

"I lost them," said EJ confidently, "But I'm glad you're going in via the delivery area of the hospital, I don't think Stefano's goons would think to cover that if they know you're out already."

"I hope you're right EJ," said Lexie unsteadily, turning back around in her chair and looking in wonder at the many sights around her.

Lexie had cried when EJ had turned up only half an hour ago at her cell and freed her. Whilst she'd believed him when he said he would come back Lexie also knew that if Stefano had caught wind of what was going on then he wouldn't think twice about killing EJ. He'd opened the cell and grabbed her hand, the two of them racing to freedom. At least Lexie tried to run but her legs weren't used to the extended activity so in the end EJ had scooped her up and carried her the last little way. It was all so surreal to Lexie, as though this wasn't actually happening but was some wonderful dream only if it was a dream she never wanted to wake up. She gave a little shudder at just the thought of that, snuggling into the sweater EJ had provided for her.

"Are you alright?" asked EJ in concern, obviously having caught the slight movement on her behalf.

"Yes," said Lexie quietly, "I guess I'm just a bit shell shocked."

"That's understandable," said EJ sympathetically, "You've been through a huge ordeal."

"And it's finally over," said Lexie in wonder.

"Yes it is," said EJ determinedly, "Celeste is meeting us at the hospital and then our father won't be able to get to you again and you'll be reunited with Abe and Theo."

"You've thought of everything," said Lexie shakily, "The plan, the clothes and sunglasses."

"The last two were Samantha," EJ admitted with a half smile, "She's all about the details in scheming."

EJ must have caught the expression on her face.

"Finally found a good use for it eh?" he chuckled, knowing his sister and wife didn't have the best history.

"The irony of being save in part by Sami Brady doesn't escape me little brother," admitted Lexie dryly.

"DiMera," EJ corrected her automatically as he kept his eyes on the road.

Lexie gave him a sideways look.

"Are you really happy with Sami?" she asked a little uncertainly.

EJ gave her a quick look at that.

"Incredibly so," said EJ sincerely, "She's my ideal woman in every possible way."

"Really?" asked Lexie in disbelief.

"Love doesn't have to make sense," said EJ with a lop sided smile, "But if you think about it Samantha and I were always going to be a good fit."

"You've chosen a hard path to wander down EJ," said Lexie with a shake of her head.

"A path is never hard when it is the one you want to be on," said EJ with great certainty, "Samantha is and always will be my destination, the end to every journey I'll ever have."

"The words romantic fool come to mind," said Lexie wryly, "What happens when the shine goes off your little love apple EJ, what then?"

"It won't," said EJ evenly, "Because I see Samantha just as she is, warts and all and I love every part of what I see. I don't imagine her to be anything other than what she is and the same goes for her when she looks at me. We know our strengths, we know our weaknesses and have chosen each other with our eyes wide open."

"I hope it works out for you two," said Lexie sincerely, "I really do. I want you to be happy EJ."

"Every day is a joy with Samantha," said EJ with a big smile, "Even when we're fighting it's glorious."

Lexie took in the way EJ's face lit up when he talked about Sami and couldn't help but feel a little jealous at never having known that kind of love. She loved Abe of course but it didn't seem to hold the same kind of intensity that EJ had for Sami. Maybe there were only certain people in this world who could love as hard as EJ and Sami and not destroy each other in the process. Maybe EJ was right and they were a perfect fit for that very reason.

"We're here," announced EJ as he pulled up in a side alleyway alongside the hospital where stock was unloaded out of the way of entrance and exit ways.

Lexie looked at the double doors that led to freedom and realised that she'd made it, she really was free and began to shake again. She looked over at EJ, eyes filling up with grateful tears.

"Don't thank me," EJ warned her huskily, looking emotional as well, "You're my sister, this should never have happened to you in the first place and I'm so grateful that I can be a part of putting all of this right. I don't need thanks Lexie, I just need to know that you're going to go in there and be reunited with the family who loves and misses you."

"You're a good brother EJ DiMera," said Lexie with tremulous and watery smile as she reached over and hugged him tightly.

"No one has ever said that to me before," said EJ with a little wry chuckle but Lexie could tell how impactful those words were to him as he squeezed her tightly back.

"I wish we could spend more time getting to know each other now," said Lexie sadly as she drew back.

"We will," said EJ with a nod and a warm smile, "And our children will grow up together I promise Lexie, just not yet. You and I are going to build a family around the DiMera name that our children and our grandchildren can be proud of."

Lexie looked at him wide eyed, that thought being somewhat of a new concept to her.

"I know," said EJ with a chuckle, "But believe me when I tell you Lexie – miracles do happen."

"I know," said Lexie sincerely, "I'm looking at one now."

She cupped his face.

"Thank you EJ," said Lexie earnestly, "Thank you to both you and Sami and what you're sacrificing to get rid of the evil that is our father once and for all."

"It's the right thing to do," said EJ, putting his much larger hand over hers and squeezing it, "And we're ready. Samantha and I both know we're the only ones who could pull something like this off – it was a role we were born to play."

"Be careful," Lexie pleaded with him anxiously.

"We will," said EJ determinedly, "Now you have to go darling, Celeste is waiting for you with Abe and Roman and just remember the plan."

"Don't say anything about Stefano keeping me prisoner right away," said Lexie shakily.

"It will give us enough time to play out the rest of the plan," said EJ with a nod, "We don't need those two kicking down Stefano's doors until Samantha and I have all of our ducks in a row."

"Good luck," said Lexie emotionally.

"It's alright sweetheart," said EJ with a cheeky smile, "I was born lucky."

**oooOOOOooo**

Lexie navigated the hospital corridors on increasingly shaky legs. Every turn she made she was afraid that one of her father's henchman would be standing there ready to drag her back to her prison and her heart was pounding painfully in her chest at the thought. EJ had organised for her mother to be waiting for her in Lexie's old office and no one stopped her as she headed directly towards it. They probably didn't recognise her with the state she was in.

Lexie came to her office door and tentatively pushed it open and the first person she saw as she looked into the room was her mother. Celeste gave an emotional cry at seeing her and immediately ran to her side, throwing her arms around Lexie and hugging her like only a mother knew how. A painful lump came to her throat as both women began to sob uncontrollably at being reunited.

"You didn't give up," Lexie whispered in amazement at her mother's drive to find her.

"You are part of me Alexandra," whispered back Celeste fiercely around her tears, "I will never abandon you, never."

"Lexie?"

Lexie could hear her husband's stunned voice as she looked over her mother's shoulder as Celeste refused to let her go.

"Abe," she said hoarsely.

Things between them had been tense when she'd been taken but it was just so good to see his face again. Lexie had dreamed of this moment nearly every night she'd been kept from her family. Abe hurried over to where mother and daughter were still embracing and looked at her in wide eyed confusion.

"Where have you been? What is going on?"

Lexie drew back from Celeste and then the two other men could see how thin and pale she looked standing there. It must be completely obvious that she hadn't been off having a good time.

"It's so good to see you Abe," said Lexie emotionally.

Lexie could see the cop warring with the husband as he stood there in shock but ultimately the husband won out as he closed the distance between them, throwing his arms around her and drawing her into a tight embrace.

"Oh god," said Abe brokenly, as he buried his face in her neck, "I thought I'd never see you again, that Theo had lost his mother forever."

"Theo," said Lexie with a sob, clinging to him helplessly, "Oh Abe I need to see my baby, I need him so badly."

Roman looked over at Celeste who was wiping away her tears and shook his head.

"Celeste what is going on?" he asked, "Where has Lexie been?"

Lexie knew that her mother couldn't answer those questions right now anymore than she could.

"Explanations can come later," said Celeste determinedly, "Right now my daughter needs to be seen by a doctor."

"Theo," said Lexie unevenly, feeling her head begin to spin with all of this activity after so long in one place.

"We'll bring him to see you dahling," said Celeste with a comforting nod, "But you need to be looked after now."

"Who did this to you Lexie?" asked Abe with a deep scowl, "Where have you been all of this time?"

Lexie shook her head, wanting to answer him but not able to right then. The head shake turned out to be a mistake though as suddenly she was incredibly dizzy, little stars exploding in front of her eyes.

"Alexandra!" cried out Celeste in distress as Lexie collapsed where she stood, finally overcome by her ordeal.

**oooOOOOooo**

"What do you mean you lost them?" asked Stefano darkly.

"I'm sorry boss," said Carlos unhappily, "I was right on his tail and then suddenly he just wasn't there."

"So you haven't retrieved Alexandra then?" asked Stefano flatly.

"No Mr DiMera, I'm sorry but by the time we picked them up again she was already in the hospital and we couldn't get to her in time," said Carlos with a grimace.

"I see," said Stefano in annoyance.

He'd counted on his men being able to recapture Lexie after EJ had thought he'd rescued his sister but hadn't counted on his son's skill behind the wheel in comparison to his hired help which was probably short sighted in retrospect. It didn't really matter though because it would only end up being Lexie's word against Stefano over what had happened because there was going to be no one to back up her story. It would be easy enough to deny any involvement in her disappearance and Stefano would make sure there was no evidence for the police to find. Lexie wasn't really his problem right then, it was EJ and Sami that Stefano was interested in locking down.

"And my son?" asked Stefano tersely.

"He's just left the Java Café."

Stefano gave a satisfied smile. "Alone."

"Yes boss, alone," confirmed Carlos.

Stefano had been in no doubt of that fact. After young William had come to him about his son's plans Stefano had left nothing to chance. He'd planted listening devices all over the house and sure enough, had ended up hearing EJ and Sami's little plan albeit at the last moment. It was all the slip up Stefano had needed though, immediately putting his plan into action. Losing Lexie permanently hadn't been a part of the plan however but it was of marginal importance compared to what was really about to happen. After hearing that EJ was to meet Sami at the Java Café after freeing Lexie there had been just enough time to put his plan into motion.

"What do you want me to do now?"

"Nothing," said Stefano coolly, "Everything is well in hand."

"Sorry Mr DiMera," said Carlos again.

Stefano didn't answer, simply hung up the phone. He knew EJ would be bursting through those doors very soon and Stefano was ready for him. It was very sad that it had to come to this but his son had brought this on himself and Stefano could not be held responsible for what was about to happen. Stefano sighed heavily, feeling his age for one moment. He rubbed his face tiredly and shook his head. He'd lived a long time, longer than many people believed he'd deserved and intended on living for a lot longer still but there was a price to be paid for such longevity. The list of betrayals continued to mount up and this one had cut Stefano particularly deeply but that only meant his retribution had to be swift and brutal.

The punishment should always fit the crime after all.

oooOOOOooo

"_Mr DiMera?"_

"_Mm?" replied Stefano vaguely as he snapped back to the present at the sound of the other man saying his name. _

"_I said what do you have to say about your daughter' allegations of keeping her against her will and taking her kidney?" asked a severe looking Nelson._

"_I say that I love my daughter very much but that she is out of her mind," said Stefano calmly, "I would never do such a thing to a child of mine. It is unthinkable what you are saying to me."_

"_Then why do you think she said them?" _

"_Who can know the workings of a woman's mind?" said Stefano with an off handed shrug, "But I'm rather guessing her bizarre claims have something to do with wanting her husband to take her back after returning from the arms of her lover, yet again. Perhaps I seemed like a suitable scape goat. It is easier to pick up your old life when you paint yourself as a victim rather than an adulteress I would assume."_

"_So you're denying everything she says?"_

_Stefano looked hurt at being even asked the question. "But of course – they are preposterous to say the least! Your agents have been all over my mansion and have you found any evidence of such a travesty?"_

"_We found the sealed room," said Nelson flatly._

"_That contained my wine collection," Stefano dismissed easily, "I would be a fool not to keep such an expensive collection under lock and key."_

_As soon as he'd realised Lexie wasn't going to be coming back Stefano had gotten his men to pull apart the room that contained the cell and put in a series of wine racks with a good portion of his most expensive wines in it. He'd known it would have only been a matter of time before the police were busting down his door and Stefano intended to be several steps ahead of those buffoons. _

"_It is so sad that my once brilliant daughter has resorted to such evil lies to cover for her own mistakes," said Stefano with a sad shake of his head, "It breaks my heart."_

_Stefano held the other man's gaze and saw his frustration. They hadn't been able to make any of Lexie's allegations stick because there was simply no proof and it was her word against his. Even the fact that she was now sans a kidney had no bearing on things because once again there was no way to prove that Stefano had taken it for himself. Rolf had performed the surgery so there were no records to be tracked back to him. Stefano retained an impassive façade in the face of Agent Nelson's ire knowing there was nothing anyone could do to touch him and managed to hold back the smirk that was threatening to appear on his lips. Nelson sat back in his chair and threw his pen down, cocking his head and looking at Stefano with a hard expression. _

"_So I'm meant to believe that Lexie suddenly reappearing and what happened next with EJ, Sami and Will – that those things were all a big coincidence is that it?" asked Nelson bitterly._

"_It is up to you to decide what you believe Agent Nelson," said Stefano coolly, "I know in my heart what happened and that I had nothing to do with the tragic events that were to come."_

"_I think it is time you walked me through your version of those tragic events," said Nelson, straightening up and his jaw hardening, "Did you see EJ, Sami or Will on that last day?"_

"_At breakfast," Stefano nodded. _

"_And how was everyone's mood?"_

"_William and Elvis had been having some strain to their relationship as I said but it was normal for the most part."_

"_And that strain was because Will believed his step father had killed Bart Beiderbecke?"_

"_Elvis did kill the unfortunate Bart," said Stefano, standing by his story and at least that part was true. _

"_We haven't found a body," pointed out Nelson._

"_Bodies are easy things to dispose of," said Stefano calmly._

_Nelson arched an eyebrow at that observation._

"_So I've been told," continued on Stefano without batting an eye. _

"_Was that the last you saw of the three of them?" asked Nelson, staring at him intently._

"_I saw Elvis again," said Stefano, "Just after lunch."_

_Stefano's face darkened. "We fought."_

"_About what?"_

_Stefano looked away, momentarily lost in his memories. _


	182. Chapter 328

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & TWENTY EIGHT**** – ****The Trap is Sprung**

Retribution often means that we eventually do to ourselves what we have done unto others.

_~Eric Hoffer~ _

_(American Writer, 1902-1983)_

Stefano sat in his favourite chair, sipping a brandy when he heard the front door slam and the sound of feet on the stair case.

"She is not there," he called out, already knowing who it was.

The sound of footsteps climbing the stairs stopped abruptly and then they were turning around, heading towards the living room and the calmly sitting Stefano. EJ walked into the room and frowned at his father.

"I assumed you were looking for your new wife," clarified Stefano coolly, "And she is not upstairs."

"Well then do you know where she is?" asked EJ slowly.

Stefano couldn't help but be impressed how his face gave nothing away even though he knew Elvis must be starting to panic right about now. He and Sami had planned to meet at the Java Café and then go on to pick up Will from school and head directly to the private jet EJ had chartered, this Stefano had discovered from listening to their conversation earlier that day. The only thing was that Sami hadn't been waiting for EJ when he'd turned up at the popular coffee shop and now his son was starting to get an inkling that all of his carefully laid plans had started to go awry.

"I do," said Stefano evenly.

EJ stared back at him, clearly trying to read the other man's face but Stefano just stared back implacably.

"Care to share the information?" asked EJ at last, breaking the silence between them.

"Ah information," Stefano nodded, mulling the word over, "Such a powerful thing is it not Elvis?"

Stefano thought he saw a flicker of fear pass over EJ's face and allowed himself a satisfied smile.

Stefano continued on. "Information and understanding, those two things together can either make or undo a man."

"I see you're in the mood for riddles Father," said EJ tightly, "But I'm afraid I have slightly more pressing matters-"

"Like betraying me?" asked Stefano with a cool arch of his eyebrow.

"I don't know what you are talking about Father," said EJ, his face unmoving.

"Come now Elvis," said Stefano, his jaw hardening, "At least let these last moments between us be without deception eh?"

"Planning on going somewhere?" EJ challenged him.

"Not me my son," said Stefano, rising from his chair and facing off against his youngest child, "But I hear you and that Brady whore of yours were planning a little jaunt, dragging along William in your latest insanity."

Stefano watched as EJ obviously weighed up his options very quickly.

"You know," he announced flatly, his eyes darkening.

"Did you think I would not discover your pitiful plotting?" asked Stefano, feeling insulted that they should have even tried, "I know of your plans to try and provide proof of my business dealings to the police and disappear into the ethers with your little harlot, taking my grandchildren with you!"

"How?" asked EJ with a frown and then he closed his eyes, obviously realising the only way Stefano could have known, "Will."

"Your little cuckoo in the nest was most betrayed by your disposal of that fool Bart," Stefano gloated, "He couldn't wait to share his concerns with his doting step grandfather."

"You manipulated a sixteen year old boy," said EJ angrily, "Will thinks you really care about him Father!"

"And I thought my son loved me!" Stefano threw back his comment in his face, "This world and everything in it is rarely as it seems. I am doing the boy a favour by teaching him that early Elvis!"

"Like you did me?" EJ spat out, "How you warped my thinking growing up so that I only thought in terms of controlling people and taking what I wanted, damn the cost!"

"I taught you how to be a man Elvis!" Stefano roared, "And you repay me with this, this-"

"The word you're looking for it comeuppance Father," said EJ bitterly.

"Comeuppance?" repeated Stefano in outraged disbelief, "You think this is what I deserve after all that I have done for you, how I've indulged you and given you everything you could ever want in life!"

"Except for a father to look up to!" EJ shouted, "A father who could teach me right from wrong, who could show me compassion and empathy and what it really means to be a man, to give your strength to others instead of always taking for yourself! You taught me about revenge and vendettas and nothing about love and kindness! How was I ever meant to be happy in this world when you worked so hard to keep any kind of humanity from me Father – answer me that?"

"This humanity you speak of makes you weak Elvis!" Stefano spat back, "It makes it easy for your enemies to undo you-"

"Maybe I wouldn't have so many enemies if I hadn't followed your life philosophy to date!" EJ bit out fiercely, "Have you thought of that Father?"

"So you would be one of the weak mewing lambs of life is that it?" asked Stefano in disgust, "Content to follow the flock, to amount to nothing in life! I dreamed bigger dreams for my son, your grandfather would have been ashamed to see what has become of his blood line!"

"Santo knew what it was to love!" threw back EJ heatedly, "He knew what it was to give his heart over to another person so completely that he didn't know where he stopped and she began. He was a man brave enough to risk his whole heart by letting another person have it utterly. You will never know what that is like Father – never! All you know is tricks, lies and manipulations so that you can always feel like you are in control!"

"I gave my heart to you my son!" cried out Stefano, stung by his words, "And you betrayed me!"

"You loved me as long as I did what you wanted, acted the way you wanted me to," said EJ painfully, "You never just accepted me for who I am and what I want from life."

"And what is it that you want Elvis?" asked Stefano, his lips twisting, "To be Samantha's whipping boy, always crawling around after her trying to please her. She will betray you just as you are betraying me because she could never love the real you."

"You don't know the first thing about Samantha and me," said EJ fiercely.

"I know you are terrified that she should find out what you did to Bart," said Stefano with a smirk, "How would this great love of yours hold up against such a heinous act eh? You didn't tell her what you did and yet you want me to believe that you have some kind of untouchable love. You disgust me with your mealy mouth mewings of love and respect. Your life is built on lies while you can rail against mine but at least my life is honest!"

"Honest?" repeated EJ, actually taking a step back in disbelief, "There is nothing honest about your life Father! You forget I've been by your side, seeing all of your business dealings and what it is you are doing! The drugs, the blood diamonds, the mob connections, arms supply – the list is practically endless!"

"That is just business," Stefano dismissed easily.

"And what about keeping Lexie in a cell all these months and harvesting a kidney from her," asked EJ darkly, "Was that just business as well Father?"

"That is none of your concern," Stefano said looking away.

"You incarcerate and mutilate my only sister and that is none of my concern?" asked EJ in horror, "How can you even say something like that Father? Have you really lost every last shred of humanity in you? How could a parent even dream of doing something so vile to their own flesh and blood – explain it to me Father because I really have no idea!"

"She disappointed me!" Stefano roared.

"And for that she deserves being treated like less than an animal?" asked EJ in horror, "She deserves to be separated from her child and carved up like she was nothing?"

"Who are you to question me?" asked Stefano bitterly, "You know nothing about what it takes to run an empire, the internal fortitude to continue going forward when everything is against you! You have not earned the right to challenge me in such a way Elvis!"

"And you don't have the right to make play things of the people around you," said EJ acrimoniously, "To play god and decide their fates according to your warped sensibilities."

"Don't I?" asked Stefano coolly, reigning in his anger abruptly.

His son could bluster all he wanted but Stefano knew he ultimately had the upper hand now. EJ frowned and drew back a little, obviously seeing the sudden menace on his father's face.

"Where is she?" asked EJ hoarsely, no longer able to contain the fear in his face.

Stefano gave the barest of smiles and didn't reply, letting EJ soak in the enormity of the consequences of his betrayals for a moment.

"Father?" said EJ roughly, "Samantha is carrying your grandchildren-"

"Children that you would have me never know," said Stefano coldly, "They may as well be dead to me according to you."

EJ's jaw hardened. "What have you done with Samantha Father?"

"Nothing," said Stefano with an offhanded shrug, "But I can't say the same for your cousin."

"My-my cousin?" said EJ in confusion.

"André," said Stefano with a smirk, enjoying the look of shook on the other man's face.

"André?" EJ repeated hoarsely.

"I have at least one family member who is still loyal to me," said Stefano flatly.

"André is terminally insane," said EJ, his eyes going wide, "How can you have anything to do with that maniac Father?"

"My nephew is a force of nature to be sure but he is not without his uses," said Stefano unperturbedly, "Shaped and pointed in the right direction he can be quite an asset."

"That's all any of us are to you isn't it Father?" asked EJ resentfully, "Tools, things to be thought of as assets or liabilities. Did you ever love me I wonder? Do you even know how to love anything?"

"Of course I loved you Elvis!" said Stefano in outrage, "I lavished everything on you from the moment you were born."

"Then why did I always feel so empty if you gave me everything?" asked EJ hopelessly, "You made me think I was a part of something when I was with you but looking back now I know that my hollowness came from knowing deep down that I was buying into a fantasy. You weren't the loving benevolent father giving a son unconditional love – you were a twisted monster grooming his replacement and whose love was only ever conditional."

"You dismiss my love and caring for you so easily?" asked Stefano in disbelief.

"No," said EJ hoarsely, clearly fighting huge emotion, "It wasn't easy Father. It took me a long time to see the truth and an even longer time to accept it. You're my father, I wanted to love you and be proud of the man you are but you couldn't give me that. Your need for revenge has twisted you up inside so you can no longer work out right from wrong. You lost your soul Father and without a soul you cannot love."

"How easy it is for the young to throw away what it is they do not understand," said Stefano resentfully, "I made you Elvis, in every possible way. You think you are becoming your own man by betraying me in such a cold fashion but all you are doing is accepting one yoke for another. The yoke I place on you was an honourable one, one with purpose and meaning for our family. I was building you up to have the strength to bear it as my father did with me but instead you exchange it for the ties of a woman, a fickle woman at that."

"Be very careful Father," EJ warned him in a low voice, hands curling into fists at his side at the mention of Sami.

"I will speak my mind in my own house Elvis!" said Stefano unrepentantly, "Your wife is a shallow, fickle woman who only knows how to lie and manipulate. She is not worthy of the DiMera name."

"See now I thought you'd be deeply admiring of those traits Father," said EJ sarcastically even as a muscle began to tic in his cheek, "And neither one of us want to be worthy of the DiMera name. How does that feel Father to know that none of your children want to carry your name any longer? That is your legacy, to die alone. You built this empire on the blood and suffering of others and yet what has it gained you really eh? You have no one to share anything with now Father – you are utterly alone."

"So you say," Stefano sniffed, "But there will always be others to fill the breach of my children if needs be."

"Really?" asked EJ mockingly.

"William shows great promise," said Stefano with a cool smile, knowing EJ would hate hearing that.

"You stay the hell away from Will!" EJ barked at him, fresh anger washing over his face, "He is nothing to do with you!"

"You don't get to decide that," said Stefano smugly, "He will be looking for some guidance once all the dust settles and he finds himself alone in this world."

"So that's it is it?" asked EJ tightly.

EJ turned away and walked a few steps away clearly trying to compose himself. "You're just going to kill Samantha and I? Your retribution for our supposed betrayal? That is what this has come down to, more death."

"Why should I not have retribution against a son who is more concerned with what is between some whore's legs than gaining his own father's respect?" asked Stefano angrily.

Stefano's biting words made something in EJ snap as he whirled around and grabbed the older man by the throat, beginning to choke him.

"DON'T YOU EVER SPEAK OF HER LIKE THAT AGAIN!" EJ roared to the shocked Stefano, "Tell me where she is old man or I'll kill you now!"

Stefano grabbed at EJ's wrists as he made a strangled cry. EJ's fingers were biting into his neck and crushing his windpipe and the look on his son's face was pure hatred. It shocked Stefano to see such malice on a face he'd loved for so long and reminded him so of his father.

"Elvis," he gasped as spots began to appear before his eyes, "S-stop it!"

EJ shoved his face right up against Stefano's, a bitter anger in his eyes.

"Tell me what you've done to Samantha or I'll show you just how much of your son I really am Stefano!" said EJ fiercely.

"André has-has her," Stefano squeaked with what was almost the last of his breath as he was unable to fight off the much stronger EJ.

EJ shoved him roughly backwards onto the sofa and Stefano sat there, gasping for air with his hand to his throat, thoroughly shaken.

"Where?" EJ bit out unsympathetically.

Stefano stared up at EJ and made one last bid for his son.

"Let him have her and you and I can start again," said Stefano hoarsely, "You can still have those babies but Samantha is a deal breaker. Just think about it, the two of us with those children raising them up together. We would be unstoppable my son!"

EJ took a horrified step backwards and shook his head.

"How can you even suggest such a heinous thing to me?" asked EJ in horror, "Kill Samantha all so you can have complete dominance over me and my children? You're completely insane to think I would ever even consider such a sick and twisted idea!"

"She weakens you Elvis," said Stefano urgently, "With Samantha gone we can be the father and son we used to be."

"A relationship soaked in the blood of the mother of my children?" asked EJ faintly, shaking his head, "Can you hear what you are saying to me? No one in their right mind would say such a thing and expect to be thought of as anything less than a monster Stefano!"

Stefano couldn't fail to notice that EJ was suddenly calling him by name now and in that moment he knew he'd lost his son forever.

"If a monster you believe me to be then a monster I shall be," said Stefano coldly, glaring up at him, "But know this Elvis, you had your moment for redemption and you threw it away, along with everything else that makes you who you were meant to be."

"I only want one thing from you Stefano and then I never want to see you again," said EJ darkly, "Where is André keeping Samantha?"

"I've given him orders to kill you if you show up," said Stefano unflinchingly.

"I don't care," said EJ simply.

"That woman has blinded you to all reason," said Stefano bitterly at EJ's unswerving devotion to Sami.

"No," said EJ simply, "She's opened my eyes Stefano and I can see things clearly at last."

"Then take your newly opened eyes to the warehouse at the unused part of the Salem pier," said Stefano dismissively, "And you and your beloved can share the same fate."

"Thank you," said EJ, holding his gaze unwaveringly.

"For sending you to your death?" asked Stefano mockingly.

"For making it so easy to walk away from you," said EJ without missing a beat, "I thought it would be harder but you've revealed your true self to me today Stefano and I'll never forget it."

"As you have revealed your true self," said Stefano, his lips twisting in disgust, "I have no son."

"No you haven't," said EJ coldly as he turned his back on Stefano and stalked out of the mansion.

"Lovesick fool," Stefano muttered after him, knowing he'd never see his son alive again, "You deserve the fate awaiting you."

Stefano knew that André would show no mercy and his only regret was that he would not be there to see it. Perhaps later the sadness would come but right then Stefano knew only rage and jealousy over the loss of his son's love.

Hell hath no fury like a father scorned after all.

**oooOOOOooo**

"_We said some harsh things to one another," said Stefano darkly, "Things I regret now."_

"_What kind of things?" prompted Nelson. _

"_I confronted him about Bart," said Stefano unhappily, "And we fought, as I said."_

_Stefano rubbed his face and shook his head. At the time Stefano had been furious with his son but now the reality of all the consequences of that day had settled in and with it a great sadness over all that had been lost. Of course it didn't occur to Stefano to accept his part in all of this tragedy but rather mourn what he'd lost at the hands of Elvis' betrayal. _

"_Elvis couldn't see that what he'd done was so wrong," said Stefano, talking almost to himself now, "How he'd broken my heart. Instead he felt like he'd done the right thing – it was devastating to me."_

"_We're still talking about killing Bart right?" asked Nelson quizzically. _

"_Of course," said Stefano curtly, drawing himself back to the present._

"_Okay so you two fought," said Nelson, pursing his lips, "Tell me how we go from you and EJ fighting to me having dead bodies on my hands, not to mention unborn children and a badly burnt man in the hospital?"_

_Stefano looked him right in the eye, a great look of devastation coming over him as he spoke his next words, voice trembling ever so slightly. _

"_What happened was I killed them," said Stefano unevenly, looking very traumatised. _

_Agent Nelson sat up straighter in his chair and leant over the desk, the older man having all of his attention now._

"_I think you'd better keep on talking Mr DiMera," said Nelson intently, feeling as though he was at last getting somewhere. _

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ pulled up at the warehouse address that his father had given him, his face set grimly as he looked over at the unassuming building. His heart was pounding unevenly in his chest as he thought of Sami being inside there with that monster.

"Steady old boy," EJ told himself grimly, "It all comes down to this now."

EJ reached into the glove compartment and drew out the same gun that had dispatched Bart along with a fresh clip of bullets. He snapped the two together so that the gun was ready to be used. EJ stepped out of the car, noticing that it looked like it was going to rain soon as storm clouds gathered and it was getting dark even though it was the middle of the afternoon.

"Fitting," he muttered to himself and started towards the warehouse.

He'd parked off to the side of the warehouse behind a row of crates but EJ had little doubt that André was already aware of his presence. He'd only taken a couple of steps when he heard a thump noise come from his car trunk. EJ froze, immediately on alert. He walked back over to his car and stood in front of the trunk. With one hand EJ cautiously opened the trunk, his other hand had the gun pointed at whatever he was about to discover, prepared for anything. EJ's eyes went wide when he saw what or rather who was in that trunk.

"Will!" EJ exclaimed in horror at seeing the teenager.

"Um, hi," said Will, looking suddenly nervous as he gave a weak smile up at EJ.


	183. Chapter 329

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & TWENTY NINE**** – ****Friends and Family**

An injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere.

_Samuel Johnson_

_(English Poet, Critic and Writer. 1709-1784)_

Celeste was back in the forest, walking down a winding path dappled with light. At first there had been bird's singing and the wind whistling in the branches of the shady tree above but as she'd kept walking the noises had stop, as though the whole forest were holding its breath. It began to get darker as well, as though it was about to rain, the air filling with that tension that always comes before rain. Soon all Celeste could hear was her own footfalls on the dirt path and a part of her wanted to stop walking but that seemed suddenly just as scary as going on.

Suddenly the silence was cut by a strange, eerie noise that grated against Celeste's ears. She winced at the high pitched noise and couldn't stop herself from following where it was coming from. Celeste peered through a line of thickets and she saw a clearing where there was a little brick house standing in the centre of it. Standing in front of the house was a giant black wolf, the one from all of her dreams and now he was standing on his two back legs, half man, half animal.

"André," Celeste whimpered in fear.

She knew this was only a dream but it didn't make it any less terrifying. The menace from the wolf rolled off him and enveloped the space around him and Celeste couldn't help but shudder in abject terror. The noise that had drawn her to the clearing was being made by the wolf. It was walking slowly around the house with its human like fur coved hand stretched out with its long glinting claws. As the wolf passed a window his claws dragged across the glass making an evil hiss.

"Little pigs, little pigs," it growled, voice low and full of the promise of horror, "Let me in."

Three faces appeared at the window staring fearfully back at him – EJ, Sami and Will.

"Not by the hair of our chinny chin chins!" declared EJ emphatically.

The wolf gave a malevolent smile.

"Then I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house down," it rasped by way of a warning.

The three faces stared defiantly back at him as the wolf drew itself up to its full height, pulling in a great lungful of air. The air crackled with electricity as the storm built around them all. Some heavy blobs of rain began to fall as thunder rumbled in the distance. The wolf let loose with his breath and the shutters on the house quivered against the mighty onslaught but the house held together. The wolf uttered a low growl of frustration at his will being denied but then he was lithely jumping up onto the roof and heading towards the chimney. Celeste watched in horror as the rain began to fall in earnest, thunder and lightning all around her as the wolf disappeared down the chimney.

Fearing the worst Celeste ran from her hiding place towards the little house but before she got there a massive bolt of lightning hit the house and the whole house shook violently, the roof shattering in part. The fire from the lightning quickly spread, engulfing the house and forcing Celeste back. She stumbled backwards as the whole house became a blazing inferno and then suddenly an explosion rocked the whole forest as the entire thing went up a cloud of broken bricks and glass. Celeste covered her face against the blast even as she was thrown to the ground, the house completely and utterly destroyed along with everyone inside of it...

**oooOOOOooo**

_Agent Nelson sat there not speaking for a long moment after Celeste had finished speaking. _

"_Well," he said at last, "That was quite a dream Ms Perrault."_

"_Yes," said Celeste sadly._

"_And you're telling me that was how you knew what was going to happen to EJ, Sami and Will before it did," said Nelson keeping a professional demeanour to his expression. _

_Celeste gave a short nod. "Yes."_

"_And you didn't tell anyone?"_

"_You'd be surprised how hard it is to get people to listen to my dreams."_

"_Not that surprised," Nelson deadpanned. _

_He leant back in his chair and gave her a considered look._

"_Do you know that Stefano DiMera admitted to causing what happened at that warehouse?" Nelson threw out there to see the kind of reaction he'd get._

_This was a very complicated case and it didn't help that just about everyone he'd interviewed was either traumatised, vaguely nuts or both. _

_Celeste looked surprised. "He did? I find that very hard to believe dahling, Stefano has never admitted to anything in his life."_

"_He was sitting right there in that chair when he did," Nelson assured her._

**oooOOOOooo**

"_Did you just say you killed your son and his family?" asked Nelson in disbelief, staring at the older man._

"_I did," said Stefano quietly._

"_Care to elaborate?" asked Nelson intently._

"_You see my nephew wouldn't have come after Elvis, Samantha and the boy if André and I hadn't quarrelled in the past," said Stefano looking devastated, "He was looking to punish me and he knew the best way to do that was through my son and future grandchildren."_

"_So you're not saying you killed them then," said Nelson flatly, "But that you were André's motivation for doing what he did."_

"_I may as well have been the one to kill them!" cried out Stefano remorsefully, "If I had handled André differently than they would never have ended up in that warehouse and-"_

_Stefano gave a choked cry and put a shaking hand to his face. Nelson eyed him a little less than sympathetically. _

"_I am sorry," said Stefano unevenly, face still buried in his hand, "The pain is still very raw Agent Nelson, may I have a moment?"_

"_Of course," said Nelson coolly, not really buying into this grieving father act, "But then I want you to tell me everything you know about what happened next – after you and Elvis fought."_

"_I don't know what happened next," said Stefano, wiping at eyes that weren't quite wet, "Not until later anyway when the police told me. Elvis received a phone call during our fight and ran from the house, it was the last time I ever saw him."_

"_And that phone call was from André saying he had Sami and Will?" _

"_I can only assume," Stefano nodded, "Elvis did not share the caller's identity with me but he was very distressed." _

"_And you didn't think to go after him?" asked Nelson sceptically._

"_We were fighting and I just assumed it was Elvis running after Samantha like he always did," said Stefano with a shrug, "I had no way of knowing that André was in the picture now did I?"_

"_I don't know," said Nelson coolly, "Did you?"_

"_Of course not," said Stefano sharply, "If I did I would have taken steps to protect my family."_

"_And that is the story André will tell is it?" asked Nelson with an arched eyebrow, "If he wakes up – that he was acting alone."_

"_Of course he will because he was," said Stefano in annoyance, "And I take great umbrage at the implication that I could be involved in something so utterly horrific Agent Nelson."_

"_Duly noted," said Nelson flatly. _

_A knock at the door interrupted further discussion on the subject. They both looked over to see Agent Garcia, a younger man and Stefano presumed Nelson's partner beckon him over. Nelson stood up and they conversed in low voices for a moment before he gave a solemn nod and came back to sit across from Stefano, the other agent leaving again. _

"_I have some news," Nelson announced, "From the hospital. I'm sorry to inform you Stefano but your nephew has passed away."_

"_André," said Stefano, looking stricken, "No. But I was just there, I visited with him before coming here. The doctors led me to believe there was some real hope."_

"_He was improving and then suddenly he was gone," said Nelson quietly, "I'm very sorry for your loss."_

_Stefano nodded, grief lining his face as he sat there looking devastated. _

"_Perhaps it was for the best," said Stefano unevenly, "He was so badly burnt, his face and hands, his leg-"_

_Stefano shook his head._

"_André would not have wanted to live in such a way," said Stefano sadly, "He was a man who prided himself on how he looked. Living with what was left of his face would have been too much for him I think."_

_Stefano sighed heavily._

"_Perhaps this is a blessing in disguise," said Stefano in quiet anguish._

"_Not just for him," Nelson noted._

"_And what does that mean?" asked Stefano, glaring a little at the other man._

"_Well now, rather conveniently we don't get to hear André's side of things," said Nelson evenly. _

"_He would only have confirmed what I was telling you Agent Nelson," said Stefano in annoyance, "And I don't like what you are insinuating."_

"_I'm not insinuating anything Stefano," said Nelson smoothly, "Other than you seem to be the only one left standing in your family – you and Dr Rolf of course."_

"_Tragedy has dogged me all my life," said Stefano, stone faced, "That is not my fault Agent Nelson."_

"_Isn't it?" asked Nelson with an arched eyebrow, "They're just seems to be a lot of death associated with you somehow."_

"_If you live long enough that can be said of anyone," Stefano returned easily. _

_The two men stared each other down._

"_So is there anything else Agent Nelson?" asked Stefano flatly, "I have co-operated fully, answered all of your questions – am I free to go and mourn my dead now?"_

_Stefano watched as a flicker of frustration came over the other man's face and kept his own smirk hidden. Nelson knew there was more to this story but he also knew he had absolutely no proof of any kind of wrong doing on Stefano's behalf. Especially now there was no one around to say any differently and the threat of Lexie had been neutralised so there was nothing anyone could do to stop Stefano from walking out of there a free man. They knew, he knew it. _

_Checkmate. _

**oooOOOOooo**

"_So did you know about André being on the scene?" asked Nelson with interest._

"_Not until it was too late," said John soberly, "He was a wild card we just didn't see coming. We just weren't prepared for both André and Stefano working together."_

"_Stefano denies that you know."_

_John snorted._

"_Did you expect anything else?" asked John bitterly, "André was a monster but he was being manipulated by the master, just as we all were. Stefano deserves to be six foot under or charred to a crisp in that hospital bed if anyone in this sorry saga did but he's the only one who's walked away without a scratch from it all."_

"_He lost his son," Nelson reminded him._

"_He didn't lose him he had him killed," said John flatly. _

"_For what it's worth I believe you," said Nelson in frustration, "But belief doesn't hold up in court. We've got no evidence of Stefano being involved in those events in any way. On paper he just looks like a victim trying to keep his family together and losing them to a sociopath's whim." _

"_What about Lexie?" asked John in aggravation, "She can at least testify against Stefano for what he did to her."_

"_It's his word against hers and honestly, the story she is telling is so farfetched that a jury is going to struggle to believe her plus there is no proof."_

"_How about a missing kidney?" asked John with a scowl, "That has to count for something right?"_

"_Stefano has produced records that are all in order for where he got his kidney from and whilst yes, Lexie is missing a kidney there is no way to prove that the one in her father's body was actually hers," said Nelson in frustration._

"_So what she just misplaced hers, is that it?" asked John sarcastically. _

"_Do you really want to see your friend up there on a stand being cross examined, every part of her life and mental state being put under the microscope with little chance of a favourable outcome?" asked Nelson logically, "I think she has been through enough."_

"_We've all been through enough at the hands of Stefano DiMera," said John darkly, "But it will never be enough for him, he will just keep on going and going until the devil finally comes for his own."_

"_Well EJ and Sami's attempts to take him down were certainly ill fated," said Nelson unhappily, "All those lives cut down for no good reason."_

"_They were doing what they felt they had to do," said John soberly, "And I don't even know it I'd try and dissuade them if I had my time over. Change how we went about things sure but trying and stop Stefano's evil once and for all – I can't fault them for that."_

"_It was a brave thing they tried to do," agreed Nelson with a sigh, "Even if there is nothing to show for it except for three new tombstones in the Salem cemetery." _

_John pressed his lips together and looked away, his face marked with the pain of his loss. _

"_Yes," he said quietly. _

**oooOOOOooo**

"_John tells me Sami was happy before she died," said Marlena quietly, looking off to the side and seeming to be talking to herself now, "That EJ made her happier than he'd ever seen before."_

_Marlena paused and bit her bottom lip._

"_I wish I'd seen that," she said regretfully, fresh tears coming to her eyes, "I wish I'd seen my daughter happy and content for the first time in her life."_

_A heavy tear rolled down her face. _

"_My hatred of Stefano and all things DiMera robbed me of that chance," said Marlena, giving a little choked sob, "I wish I hadn't been so stubborn, I wish I'd listened to John and given that relationship a chance."_

"_I don't think anything would have turned out differently Dr Evans," said Nelson sympathetically._

"_But I could have shared my daughters happiness before she was taken from me," said Marlena, dabbing at her tears, "I lost my daughter and three grandchildren out of all of this. You can't imagine what that feels like Agent Nelson. And knowing the man responsible will never be held accountable for his actions just makes the pain unbearable."_

"_André may not even survive his injuries," said Nelson with a grimace._

"_André was just the weapon, a tool fashioned by the most evil man on earth," said Marlena bitterly, "Stefano will never pay for what he has done because he is the one who truly set all of this in motion but as usual he will get away with murder."_

_Nelson pulled a frustrated face but couldn't disagree with her. _

"_I just hope Sami is at peace at last," Marlena whispered painfully, "I only ever wanted that for her."_

"_Of course you did," said Nelson reassuringly, "And I'm sure she always knew that."_

"_Sami came to see me just before-before-" _

_Marlena couldn't finish her sentence, shaking her head. _

"_We hugged when we said goodbye," Marlena reminisced hoarsely, "She hugged me so tightly and called me Mommy, like she did when she was a little girl and for a moment everything was right between us."_

"_It's good that you have that last memory of your daughter," said Nelson kindly, "Something to hold onto."_

"_Yes," said Marlena quietly even as her face registered her devastation, "I have that and I'm grateful that I do."_

**oooOOOOooo**

"_I'm sorry Dr Carver," Nelson apologised, "But there really is nothing we can do right now unless new evidence presents itself."_

_Lexie gave a humourless smile and sat back against her chair. _

"_The Phoenix rises yet again from the ashes," she said bitterly, "The man imprisons and tortures me and there is nothing to be done."_

"_I'm sorry," said Nelson again, "My frustrated hands are tied. There just simply isn't enough proof to take this to trial."_

"_So it was all for nothing," said Lexie dully, "My brother is dead and my father still gets to walk around a free man."_

"_If you can come up with some evidence for his involvement in all of this then I will gladly listen," said Nelson with a grimace, "But until then we are at a stalemate." _

"_I shouldn't be surprised," said Lexie angrily, "This is always how it is going to be when it comes to my father. No matter how many lives he ruins, no matter how many shady deals he's involved with no one can ever seem to pin a single thing on him. Nothing is going to change, even after all of this death and destruction my father gets to walk away to wreck havoc another day."_

"_I just don't have anything concrete to tie him in with any of this," said Nelson in vexation, "And believe me Dr Carver, we've looked and looked hard."_

"_What about The Mole," said Lexie with a scowl, "You know about him right? He's always handled all of my father's surveillance and technology issues. He must have been involved with this in some way so that my father could keep ahead of all that was going on with EJ and Sami?"_

"_We came to that conclusion as well once we found out about his existence," Nelson nodded, "Only when we went to his house the place was empty – it had been cleaned out from top to bottom and with no trace of this Maurice the Mole guy anywhere."_

"_You can't track him down?" asked Lexie in distress._

"_The guy has completely vanished, in fact his records actually disappeared off the system," said Nelson in annoyance, "He's become a ghost with no evidence of him ever having actually existed in the first place."_

"_He existed!" said Lexie in annoyance, "I met him."_

"_Hearsay," said Nelson with a shrug, "Won't stand up in court and besides no one knows what the guy knew anyway so proving his existence doesn't help us either way." _

"_André will rally," said Lexie determinedly, "The DiMera's always do and he'll turn on my father as quickly as my father has turned on him. You'll see, we'll have our proof yet Agent Nelson."_

"_For everyone's sake I really hope that is the case," said Nelson but he didn't sound convinced. _

**oooOOOOooo**

"_You know I'm a relative newcomer to this story," Estelle acknowledged to the agent, "I joined in pretty late on but I feel like I was a part of something very special, regardless of how it ended." _

_Estelle gave a soft smile._

"_EJ and Sami loved so fully and completely that you felt like you were a better person for just having witnessed it," said Estelle in quiet awe, "Their love story was so deep and true that it overshadows everything else that happened."_

_Estelle toyed with the necklace EJ had given her for helping him when he'd gotten so drunk the night of Sami's supposed wedding to Lucas. She hadn't expected a gift despite all of her teasing but EJ had told her that he and Sami had never had a real friend before and they wanted her to have something to signify how important she was to them. It had touched Estelle deeply and hadn't taken it off since. EJ and Sami had made her feel like she was a part of something special and she supposed she had been when all was said and done. How often did a person get to smooth the path of true love in their life Estelle pondered and only now was she fully understanding the real gift they'd given her. _

"_And that's how I'm always going to remember them," said Estelle determinedly, "Alive, vibrant and grabbing life by the balls and refusing to let go." _

"_They sound like something else," said Nelson with a little smile at her words._

"_Oh Sami and EJ were definitely something else alright," Estelle said with a fond smile, "They were like no other couple I've ever met and I loved them both very much. I feel like I still have a little piece of them in Mythic, the company that they ran together. They loved that company and I'm going to make them proud, wherever they are now they can look down on Mythic and know it is in good hands and that their legacy will never be forgotten." _

"_I think they'd like that," said Nelson with an approving nod. _

"_I'm going to kick ass," Estelle agreed readily, "Because that is the way those two lived and they'd expect nothing less." _

_Estelle's bravado slipped for a moment then._

"_But I'll miss them," she admitted unevenly, "I'll really miss them all, Will too. They were all so special and I can't believe-"_

_She stopped and shook her head, eyes misting up. _

"_They've left a huge hole in Salem," she said huskily, "And I don't think it will ever be filled. We, all of us, lost a lot that day."_


	184. Chapter 330

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & THIRTY**** – ****Crazy is as Crazy Does**

It's high noon. It's a showdown. It's a question of who will flinch first.

_Richard Durbin_

"You're crazy if you think you're going to get away with this."

André turned around from where he was bent over a bench and raised a cool eyebrow at her.

"Really?" he asked, sounding a bit disappointed, "That is the best you can come up with? Some trite sentiment from every dime a dozen B grade cop movie? Samantha my darling, you disappoint me."

"It's not trite if it is true," said Sami flatly as she sat tied to a chair, glaring at the older man, "EJ is going to come for me and then he is going to kick your ass Tony."

"Again I'm a little bit disappointed," André sighed, "Samantha Brady-"

"DiMera," Sami interrupted him in annoyance.

"My apologies, DiMera," said Tony with a little inclination of his head, "Sitting here, being all damsel in distress like for her big strong man to kick down the door. I thought you'd be a little more proactive in all this somehow. Perhaps your delicate condition has made you somewhat the wilting flower eh?"

"My condition didn't stop me from splitting your lip when you tried to grab me," said Sami with grim satisfaction as she viewed his swollen lower lip.

"Yes you did put up quite a fight," André smirked, "I rather enjoyed it I must confess. There is nothing quite so exciting as having a woman squirm and struggle against you and knowing that ultimately she can't do a damn thing to stop you."

"Because you pulled a gun on me!" said Sami in outrage, "What kind of sicko points a gun at a pregnant woman?"

"One who needed you to be a little more co-operative then you were being," said André wryly, "I should have known you wouldn't have come quietly."

André gave a deep chuckle.

"In fact I've watched more than one video tape to know precisely that," said André with a vaguely lecherous smile, "You do put on quite the show my dear, a very rousing performance each and every time. No wonder Elvis pants after you like a dog around a bitch in heat."

"You're disgusting," said Sami in revulsion and gave a little shudder at the thought of this man having watched her and EJ together, "How could you do this to your own brother?"

"One, Antony DiMera isn't technically Elvis' brother because he is the bastard son of the gardener," said André with a smirk, "And two, I'm not Tony so either way your point is moot Samantha."

"You-you're not Tony?" Sami gasped in amazement, "Then who- oh, André!"

"You catch on quickly," said André with a half smile.

"How long have you been, I mean have you always been-?"

Sami looked confused and André was in a chatty mood so he helped her out.

"About twenty years or so," said André evenly, "My but how time flies when you're having fun."

"Stefano thought you shot EJ and that is why he sent you away," said Sami slowly.

"If sent away is a polite way of throwing me in a dungeon for months on end with only the sound of crying from that half wit Alexandra to keep me company then yes, I guess you could say that," said André dryly.

"So Stefano locked you up even though it wasn't you who shot EJ," said Sami in disbelief.

"If I had shot him I would have done a better job than that incompetent idiot ex-husband of yours," said André with a roll of his eyes, "I knew I should have put another bullet into Elvis while I was there and make sure the job was done properly."

"You were there?" asked Sami in amazement.

André gave a short laugh. "Yes. But Lucas beat me to the punch so to speak."

"Why didn't you tell Stefano you saw Lucas shoot EJ?" asked Sami in consternation.

"He wouldn't have believed me," said André simply, "And besides Stefano knew my feelings about his favourite child by then and wasn't pleased with me. He considered it a betrayal but I bided my time and was proven right in the end."

She looked at André wide eyed.

"But why are you doing this then if Stefano did that to you?" asked Sami in confusion, "Why aren't you trying to get revenge on him, not us?"

"Truthfully?" asked André in vague amusement, "I like him better or maybe that should be hate him less than you and my dear cousin."

"What did we ever do to you André?" asked Sami hopelessly.

"Why should Elvis be gifted with everything when I was the one to work for it simply because he reminds the old man of his father?" asked André grimly, "I deserve the DiMera empire and no one is going to stand in my way."

"But EJ doesn't want the stupid DiMera empire," said Sami bitterly, wiggling a little in her chair as her backside began to go painfully numb, "He was never a threat."

"Stefano wanted Elvis to be his successor and it would have happened," said André simply, "Elvis' wishes wouldn't have come into it. Stefano would have made him bend to his will, one way or the other."

"So what you're proving your loyalty to Stefano by killing us and then it will be happily families again?" asked Sami, her lips twisting in disgust.

"If you like," said André with a shrug.

"How on earth are you planning on getting away with this?" asked Sami in disbelief, "People are going to notice EJ and I are suddenly gone."

"Stefano has it all worked out," said André with a half smile, "You, your brat and Elvis are going to take a trip abroad where you are involved in a tragic car accident. Elvis is killed outright, you're in a coma until the twins can be delivered and then hey presto you up and die leaving the grieving grandfather to raise those babies in the way he sees fit."

"And Will?" asked Sami grimly, looking repulsed by the plan.

"He'll wake up from his coma a month or two later and find his family gone but a loving grandfather wanting to take him under his wing along with his new brother and sister," finished off André with a smirk, "It will be like a fairy tale."

"More like a nightmare," said Sami angrily, "And you're crazy if you think my family will let that happen."

"You'd be surprised how convincing the scenarios my uncle set up can be," said André flatly, "The finest money can buy. Your family won't be able to do a thing Samantha."

"My children aren't going to be raised by that insane monster!" Sami exclaimed loudly, "I'll die before letting that happen!"

"Weren't you listening?" asked André in exasperation, "That's the plan my dear."

André shook his head.

"You know you really shouldn't have gone up against Stefano," André tutted, shaking his head, "Such youthful bravado and folly."

Sami glared back at him and didn't answer.

"Wouldn't you say that is right in retrospect cousin?" asked André calmly.

André turned around as EJ stepped out from behind some boxes, gun in hand.

"It's not over yet," said EJ grimly as he pointed the gun directly at the other man.

"EJ!" exclaimed Sami in relief.

"Are you alright sweetheart?" asked EJ anxiously, allowing himself to take his eyes off André for the briefest of seconds to look at her.

"I'm fine," said Sami quickly, "Just get me out of here."

"I wouldn't," said André casually.

"I think the guy with the gun should make that decision," said EJ flatly.

"As you wish," said André with a shrug and watched as EJ walked towards where Sami was tied up.

A soft click noise was heard as EJ took two steps towards Sami.

"STOP!" Sami yelled at him, suddenly going as white as a sheet.

EJ looked at her in concern.

"You've stepped on something," said Sami fearfully, "I heard it click."

EJ looked down at his right foot which was out in front of him and a look of concern touched his face.

"It's a Bouncing Betty," said André helpfully as he leant against the table and observed the frozen little tableau in amusement.

"A what?" asked Sami in concern.

"A spring loaded land mine," said EJ grimly, "I take my foot off the plate and it explodes and they are usually filled with bits of metal or nails for maximum effect."

"It's true," André nodded in satisfaction, "They don't have a big radius but they certainly give you a good bang for your buck. You wouldn't be walking away with both of your legs after a date with Betty."

"Oh my god you're insane!" Sami gasped in distress as she and EJ stared at each other wide eyed.

"Plant a couple of land mines and suddenly you're insane," said André rolling his eyes, "I'd rather think of it as forward planning my dear."

"You're bluffing," said EJ grimly as he swallowed hard, "Your orders would have been to keep Samantha safe until she could deliver. There is no way you'd risk Stefano's grandchildren in setting a trap like this."

"Samantha is fifteen feet away," said André with an offhand shrug, "She might not be so beautiful with a bit of shrapnel embedded in her face but she won't die. Stefano doesn't need her pretty, just alive."

André gave a cold smile.

"You on the other hand dear cousin-"

"Don't call me that," said EJ darkly, "I'm no longer a DiMera – I want no claim to either you or Stefano André."

"How-how did you know?" Sami gasped in shock, looking over at EJ.

"Stefano told me," EJ said grimly, "After I nearly snapped his neck."

"You should have killed him," André noted casually, "That's your problem Elvis, you never do what needs to be done when push comes to shove and that is why you have all of these things come back at you."

"Maybe I planned it all this way, ever thought of that André?" EJ challenged him defiantly.

"Oh yes I'm sure," André chuckled in real amusement.

He made a sweeping gesture with one hand to encompass Sami and the deserted warehouse they occupied. "And quite the master plan it is too. Very impressive Elvis, particularly if your goal is to end up dead at the end of all this."

EJ's chin came up and his jaw hardened but there was little else he could do, stuck there with his foot on the Bouncing Betty.

"Well you seem to have it all worked out André," said EJ flatly, "Except for one thing."

"Which is?" asked André coolly.

"What kind of mad man sets a trap and puts himself in the middle of it?" asked EJ just as coolly.

EJ pointed to all the drums that were stacked up against the dirty walls of the warehouse.

"You can smell that can't you?" asked EJ tersely, "Petrol. Those drums are full of it. You let off any kind of bomb in here and the whole place is going to go up like it's the fourth of July."

"Somehow I don't see you letting that happen to your dearly beloved," said André smugly as he nodded at Sami, "I think you're going to stay exactly where you are and protect her and your little unborn bastards."

"You're absolutely right André," said EJ, his eyes narrowing, "But then I still have this."

EJ lifted his gun and pointed it directly at André's head.

"Ah a gun," André sighed and shook his head, "So uninspired."

"But fortunately still very lethal," said EJ coldly as stared back at him unblinkingly.

"Well you've shown me yours so I'll guess I'll show you mine," said André with a coy smile.

He drew his hand out of his pocket and it was to show them he was holding a silver cylinder with a red button on top. André's smile widened as he nodded towards a nearby drum of petrol that had a box sitting on it with wires coming off it.

"Mine's bigger," said André with a confident sneer.

"A bomb?" exclaimed Sami in horror, "You brought a bomb into a warehouse filled with petrol?"

"Yes I did," said André looking very pleased with himself, "I'll let you in on a little secret seeing as you are family – I may be a _little_ crazy after all."

"A little?" said Sami in horror.

"He's banking of neither one of us wanting to do anything to hurt the other," said EJ grimly.

"Crazy, not stupid," said André with a cheeky wink, "Now be a good boy and point that gun somewhere else eh cousin?"

EJ grimaced and slowly lowered his gun, glaring at André as he did.

"I can't believe you'd really die to carry out my father's wishes," asked EJ with a degree of horrified disbelief.

"I think the point is Elvis that you're not sure if I would or I wouldn't and therein lays your own hesitation," said André smoothly, "And as we all know, he who hesitates is lost."

The two men faced off, neither one giving anything away. Battle lines had been drawn and no one was backing down, too much was at stake to even contemplate it. The electricity in the air from the brewing storm was nothing in comparison to the real storm that was going on in that warehouse right then.


	185. Chapter 331

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & THIRTY ONE**** – ****The Three Little Pigs & the Big Bad Wolf **

If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story.

_Orson Welles_

_(American motion-picture actor, director, producer, and writer, 1915-1985)_

Whilst the two men were talking and distracted with each other Sami gave a little startled jump when she felt hands at her ropes. She snuck a look over her shoulder and her eyes went wide in horror at seeing who it was. Will shook his head and put a finger to his lips and Sami's head snapped back round to the front so that André wouldn't notice where she was looking. The chair Sami was sitting on was flanked by two large stacks of crates and Will was crouched behind one of them and undoing the ropes around her wrist that were tied behind the chair. Sami struggled to keep her face neutral as her son worked on her ropes and prayed André wouldn't notice the teenager.

"As you said there is no way either one of you would take a chance of doing anything that might give me an itchy thumb," said André smugly, "So I rather think the next move is mine."

"So what is your next move André?" EJ challenged him as Will managed to free Sami's hands but she kept the ropes around her wrists so as not to arouse André's suspicions.

"Well Samantha and I are going to leave here together and share a little quality time alone," said André with a grin.

He looked over at Sami who glared back at him defiantly.

"You made her look like a fun ride Elvis," he chuckled, "And I hear pregnant women are particularly luscious so you shouldn't worry about your wife missing you when you're gone – I'll keep her occupied."

"If you touch her I'll kill you!"

"Lay one finger on me and I'll snap it off!"

Both Sami and EJ reacted loudly and angrily to André's disgusting words.

"Stefano wouldn't let you touch me!" Sami spat out.

"He's only interested in those babies you are carrying," said André unfazed, "He couldn't care less about you Samantha. I'm sure he won't mind me having some fun while we wait for you to produce the next DiMera heirs."

André turned and looked at EJ who looked like he wanted to leap across the room and strangle the other man with his bare hands. Thunder rumbled ominously overhead as a storm brewed outside the warehouse as well as inside.

"And as for you dear cousin I'm afraid you won't be leaving this warehouse," said André with a mock sigh of regret, "Samantha and I are going to leave and you're going to stay here with your Bouncing Betty and then when we're at a safe distance I'm going to press this red button and well, everything will be right with the world again."

"If you kill EJ here then how are you going to say he went on holidays?" Sami challenged him flatly.

"No one is going to know that Elvis was here," said André easily, "Trust me my dear, when this place goes up there is going to be nothing left of him to find – he'll be atomised."

Sami made a distressed noise and looked over at EJ with stricken eyes.

"It will be alright sweetheart," EJ tried to reassure her.

"You know I really don't think it will be," said André with great satisfaction.

EJ turned his attention back to André.

"André listen to me," he said, his voice low and even, "I'm going to give you a chance to save your life right now."

"_You_ are going to offer me a chance to save _my_ life?" asked André in real amusement, "Do tell Elvis."

"We can all walk out of this together, right now, no hard feelings," EJ offered him in complete seriousness, "We can take down Stefano together and none of us have to die today."

"Mm," said André thoughtfully as he tapped a long tanned finger against his lips, appearing to be considering EJ's offer very seriously.

After a long moment of such mulling André dropped his finger from his lips, "You know I think I like my plan better somehow so why don't we just leave things as they are eh?"

"I don't particularly want to kill you André but I will," EJ warned him coldly.

"Well I do want to kill you and I'm going to," said André with a quirk of his lips, "After all I hold all of the cards Elvis, surely even someone as dim witted as you can see-"

André's self-grandiosing was interrupted by a thump coming from his left. He frowned and squinted over into the darkness.

"It's rats," said Sami quickly at seeing his interest.

"Big rat," commented André mildly.

"There's lots of them," said Sami looking stressed, "I've seen them all around."

"Aha," said André looking less than convinced, "Why don't you show yourself Mr Rat?"

There was no response and André arched an eyebrow and then without a word he carefully navigated his way to Sami, avoiding the rest of his booby traps and casually lifted his hand and slapped her hard across the face.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" EJ screamed at him in outrage, "Don't you touch her!"

Sami had bit back her cry and was blinking madly as involuntary tears of pain stung her eyes.

"It's alright," she said quickly to EJ, her voice uneven, "I'm okay, don't move!"

EJ's hands were clenching and unclenching at his side as he was forced to stay where he was, helpless to come to Sami's aid without causing her a lot more harm.

Sami glared up at André rebelliously. "He hits like a girl anyway."

André lifted his hand to slap Sami again but a voice cried out. "No don't! Don't hit my Mom!"

"Will," Sami groaned in distress, "No."

Will had stood up from his hiding place behind some barrels and glowered at André fiercely.

"Ah there is my little rat," André chuckled at seeing the teenager, "Now it really is a family affair eh?"

"Will what are you doing here?" asked Sami looking very upset, "EJ?"

"It's my fault," said EJ grimly.

"No I stowed away," Will interrupted, "It's my fault Mom."

He glared at André. "And your sick plan isn't going to work now because I heard everything! I'd never let Stefano near me again and I'd tell everyone what you and Stefano have done!"

"Will," EJ tried to warn him but it was too late.

"Very well," said André with a shrug, "You were only a filler to the old man at best William. As long as he has me and those twins in the future your services are not really needed. You can stay here and die with Elvis whilst your mother and I make good our escape. It actually makes the whole plan a lot easier without you in it so you've really done me a favour."

"Oh," said Will, looking a little crestfallen as he realised what he'd just done.

"Let Will go please," Sami pleaded with him, "I'm begging you André, he has nothing to do with all of this."

"I hate to say no to a lady but he has just heard all of my plans and Stefano's and has just said he can't wait to spill the beans on us so I'm rather thinking it is in my best interests to do just that," said André wryly.

André glanced at his watch and then back at EJ. "Time is getting away from us now. Elvis you have the gun, be a good chap and shoot the boy and then Samantha and I can leave you to your fate."

"NO!" Sami screamed in horror and before anyone else could respond she leapt from her chair.

André's eyes went wide in surprise at seeing her free as Sami rushed towards him.

**oooOOOOooo**

Burt wandered along the pier, fishing rod in hand and looking forward to a little dusk fishing. He had his secret spot down by the less used part of the pier where that big old warehouse was and Burt just knew he was going to catch a whopper tonight. It just felt like one of those nights to him despite the flashing lighting overhead. Sure it was probably going to rain but the fish were already wet so they weren't going to care right? Heading towards his fishing spot he passed by the warehouse on his right a distance away and noticed a car parked nearby. Burt paused and looked at the car in concern. Had someone else discovered his secret spot he wondered in vague annoyance. There was no point having a secret spot if you had to share it after all. Burt looked around himself to see if there was anyone around and pulled a bit of a face.

"He'd better not have caught my fish," Burt muttered to himself, "Otherwise there will be hell to p-"

Burt didn't get to finish his dire warnings to the would be competition as the warehouse in front of him suddenly exploded in a blinding fireball, throwing Burt off his feet and onto the ground before bits of fiery debris began to rain down on him. More explosions followed, rocking the earth beneath the stunned Burt as he struggled to crawl further away from the blazing inferno to relative safety.

**oooOOOOooo**

John watched on grimly as the remnants of the warehouse continued to burn brightly against the night sky. Three fire trucks were lined up fighting the blaze as the firemen ran around trying to bring it back under control. Behind him John heard several police cars pull up and turned to see one he recognised all too well. He gritted his teeth, knowing this was going to be hard. John started to walk towards the car as Roman jumped out and started to run towards the warehouse, Bo not far behind him.

"You can't go in there," said John, grabbing Roman and stopping him from running any closer, "Roman it's too late, I'm sorry."

Roman struggled against his old friend and pulled away from him even as he couldn't tear his eyes from the still burning hull of the warehouse.

"No," he said hoarsely.

"What the hell happened man?" asked Bo in distress as he put a comforting hand on his older brother's back.

John had rung Roman right after dialling 911.

"EJ rang me," said John unevenly, his face drawn in remorse, "Told me André had taken Sami and that he was heading here."

John swallowed hard and continued on grimly. "But I was too late. The warehouse exploded as I pulled up."

John looked back over his shoulder at the carnage before looking back at Roman regretfully. "No one got out."

"No," said Roman shakily, "No this isn't happening. How do we even know Sami was in there when it blew?"

"She was in there," said John sadly and then nodded at EJ's car, "And so was EJ and-"

John was forced to clear his throat.

"And Will," he finished hoarsely, "All three of them were in that warehouse. Will was meant to be with me this afternoon but he never turned up. Instead he texted me he was with EJ. I didn't think anything of it until I got the phone call from EJ."

"Why didn't you stop him?" asked Bo in horror, "What the hell was the guy thinking taking a kid into all of this? And going after someone like André alone – it was madness? EJ should have called the police!"

"Somehow I don't think EJ knew Will was tagging along," said John grimly, "EJ didn't let me give him a chance to stop him. He just blurted out what was happening and the warehouse address and then he hung up. And I'm kind of guessing that calling the police would have had its own consequences with André involved in this mess."

"Worse than these consequences?" asked Bo angrily, waving a hand at the destruction.

"Something went wrong," said John unsteadily.

"They got out," Roman announced, almost seeming to be in a daze, "They got out. My little girl and grandson isn't in that building."

John and Bo exchanged looks.

"There was a witness who said differently," said John unhappily.

"A witness?" asked Roman, clutching his arm, "I want to speak to him, _now_!"

"It won't do you much good," John tried to tell him but Roman was already starting to look for the man.

Burt was in the back of one of the ambulances, a blanket around his shoulders as a paramedic fixed up his cuts. They were only superficial but there were quite a few of them. Roman ran up to him and grabbed his arm.

"Did you see what happened?" he quizzed the man urgently, "Did you see anyone get out?"

"DO I WANT A BRUSSEL SPROUT?" Burt shouted back at him, looking at Roman in confusion.

"The blast has deafened him," said the paramedic apologetically, "It should be only temporary but it makes communication a bit tricky."

Roman grimaced in frustration and pulled out his notebook. He scribbled down his question and showed it to the man. Burt read what was written and shook his head regretfully.

"I DIDN'T SEE ANYONE ELSE!" he unintentionally shouted at Roman, "IF THERE WAS ANYONE IN THERE NO ONE GOT OUT!"

Roman's shoulders sagged at this news as John put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry Roman," he said unhappily, "I tried to tell you."

A cry went up in the distance and they all looked over to see two firemen running out of the building carrying a body between them. They were calling out for a paramedic to help them. John, Roman and Bo immediately ran over to where the men had laid the body down.

"Let me see!" Roman demanded as he pushed his way through the throng of EMS workers, "Let me see, is it Sami?"

A paramedic was wrapping the charred and still smoking body in a silver blanket as Roman tried to work out who he was looking at. It was obviously a man but most of his hair had been burnt away along with all the flesh down one side of his face exposing his teeth in a sickening display. It was hard to make out his features as they were all blackened but Roman had known the man for too many years not to recognise him.

"André!" he gasped.

"Is he alive?" asked Bo in horror, finding it hard to believe anyone could still be alive in that condition.

One of his legs was missing below the knee and certainly on his right hand only a bloody stump remained. His injuries were horrific to look at and the smell of burnt flesh filled the air and turned stomaches.

"Barely," said the paramedic in amazement as he immediately put an oxygen mask on him, "But I don't know how. We've got to get him to hospital quickly, we'll intubate on route, before his airways close up anymore."

"I need to know what happened!" Roman exclaimed in distress as they started to load what was left of André DiMera onto the ambulance.

"The guys in no condition to talk even if he wanted to," said John grimly, "We have to wait Roman."

Roman was undeterred though as he grabbed another fireman's arm.

"Did you see anyone else in there?" he asked urgently, "My pregnant daughter and grandson were in there when it blew!"

"I'm sorry sir," said the fireman sympathetically as he shook his head, "The only reason that guy is in more or less one piece is because a stone pillar fell around him and took a lot of the blast. Everything else in there has just been decimated. There is no way anyone else could have survived that. I'm very sorry for you loss."

"No," said Roman hoarsely, stepping away and shaking his head, "No, please God no."


	186. Chapter 332

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & THIRTY ONE**** – ****The End of Everything**

I've learned that:

Goodbyes will always hurt,

Pictures can never replace being there,

Memories forget the hard times,

Words can never replace feelings,

And heroes often go unsung.

_Anonymous_

The day dawned dark and dreary, just as day for a funeral should be. The service for EJ, Sami and Will had been combined and the church was packed with family and friends mournfully saying their goodbyes. Stefano had given a eulogy for EJ despite many people's disapproving looks. They didn't know how but everyone in that church knew that man sprouting pretty words about his son and his great heart break were the reason they were all there that day. Marlena made a tearful speech about her daughter and grandson and Courtney, Will's school friend had plucked up the courage to speak a few words as well about the boy she'd admired from afar. And then, just like that, three lives were wrapped up.

Marlena leant against John as she watched the dirt being thrown onto Sami and Will's coffin and squeezed Roman's hand tightly who was standing on the other side of her. The coffins were empty, nothing being left to be found from the inferno that had taken their lives. All of Sami's family were there including Carrie and Austin who had returned from Switzerland again for the sad occasion. Shawn and Belle had been contacted and had just made it back in time and even Brady had flown in to say goodbye to his half sister and nephew. EJ's contingency was smaller, only consisting of Stefano, Rolf and Estelle but Estelle's tears at least were heartfelt.

"I can't believe they're gone," said Carrie shakily, wiping away fresh tears, "We left things on such bad terms last time-"

"Sami loved you and knew you loved her as well," said Caroline quickly, "You were sisters honey, she knew."

"This is just so wrong," said Bo darkly, shaking his head and pulling Hope closer to his side.

"This is indeed a day of heartbreak," said Stefano unevenly as he joined in with the choruses of pain and loss.

"Shut up DiMera!" Roman snapped in outrage, "You're the ones that got them killed so don't stand there and pretend that you're anything but thrilled about this turn of events!"

"That is my son in there!" Stefano exclaimed, pointing an angry finger at the coffin that was almost completely covered in dirt now, "How dare you say such a thing to me! My heart is broken!"

"You don't have a heart to break!" Marlena spat back at him.

"Admit it Stefano," said Lexie bitterly as she now also had given up on calling him father, "You needed my brother dead to cover up all that you've done, you don't care about anyone other than yourself. You never have! Your children are just commodities to you, to be used up and thrown away when you're done with them!"

"Lexie," said Abe quietly, putting his arm around her shoulders, "Please honey, you've just gotten out of the hospital. Try to calm down."

"How can I when he's going to get away with all of this?" asked Lexie emotionally as she gave a devastated look at Stefano before burying her head in her husband's chest and beginning to cry.

"You're not going to get away with this Stefano," said Bo darkly, "I promise you that."

"And what have I gotten away with?" asked Stefano in indignation, "I am burying my child today and yet it is I who am under attack? The so called righteous Brady's show their true colours at last. None of you approved of Elvis' and Samantha's union, you all shunned her when she took the DiMera name and now you wish to act heartbroken and pious as though you had no hand in all of this! You cut her out of your family when she married Elvis and now want to play the grieving loving family by her grave but not all of us are fooled by your self-righteous mewings! If anyone put these coffins in the ground it was all of you!"

"You bastard!" Marlena yelled, looking like she was about to leap across the open graves and strangle Stefano with her bare hands.

"André took their lives!" exclaimed Stefano defensively, "I would give my own life right now if I could bring them all back."

"Then why don't you just die then!" Lexie threw out at him angrily.

"Guys I don't think this is the time or place!" Brady interrupted all of the vitriol quickly, "Can't this wait?"

He gave a pained look at his family as Philip joined in.

"Brady's right," said Philip unevenly, "We're burying Sami and Will today. I think they deserve some dignity don't you?"

Everyone looked a little shamed face then at the two men's gentle rebuke.

"It was less than a month ago I was standing here burying my mother and brother," said Philip painfully, "And now I'm burying my nephew and his mother. Bo is right, this is all just so wrong."

"We are all victims of André," said Stefano soberly, shaking his head.

"Is he going to make it?" asked Estelle uncertainly.

She'd kept quiet during all of this, leaving it to the families to say their piece but she really needed to know. It had been two weeks since the explosion and from what she'd heard about André's injuries Estelle had expected the man to be dead already which didn't seem to her like a bad thing right then.

"He is holding his own," said Hope unhappily, "Anyone else would be dead but not a DiMera. They are even saying he might be conscious soon."

"I vunder if André vill zink zat is a good zing?" Rolf mused, almost to himself.

He'd seen the other man's injuries and knew if it was him, he wouldn't want to live. But then DiMera's were another breed entirely. They clung to life no matter the cost or consequences. André it seemed was going to be no different. It was only the youngest DiMera who didn't seem to share that trait thought Rolf as he looked down at EJ's now completely covered coffin. Perhaps that was a good thing Rolf decided.

"We should go," said Caroline quietly, "Everything is ready for the wake at the Pub."

She looked over at Estelle and smiled kindly.

"You're more than welcome to join us my dear," said Caroline kindly.

"Thank you," Estelle smiled warmly, "I will."

Caroline gave Stefano a cold look.

"You're not," she said flatly.

"I see you Brady's have learnt nothing about letting the sins of the past being laid to rest from all of this," said Stefano in annoyance.

"The sins are all yours Stefano," said Roman coldly, "And we didn't start this."

"Perhaps you should ask your grandfather about that," said Stefano flatly, "Get your facts straight Captain Brady – it will be a first but you have to start somewhere eh?"

"Damn," said John unhappily, "What does he want?"

Everyone turned to see what John was talking about and saw a man walking towards them in a long dark coat, not bothering with an umbrella in the light rain.

"I'm sorry to intrude," he said as he walked up to the group.

"Now isn't a good time," said Roman dully, "Can't this wait Agent Nelson?"

They'd all been introduced to Special Agent Gabe Nelson two weeks ago when he'd been brought in as the head of the task force investigating what had happened at the warehouse. He'd interviewed all of them at different times but only briefly so far.

"I'm sorry," said Agent Nelson regretfully, "I truly am but you understand how these things are Captain Brady. The sooner we take some more statements from everyone the sooner we can start to get to the truth and bring the people responsible for doing this to justice."

"André was responsible for what happened," said Stefano with a frown, "I don't know why the FBI had to be called in to investigate something that we already know about."

Everyone knew the answer to that, Stefano included. Anything involving the DiMera's had the FBI's interest and it was obvious they were hoping for some way of bringing the man and his empire down in the process of this investigation even if no one was saying it.

"I'm just doing my job Mr DiMera," said Agent Nelson smoothly, "I'll be needing to speak to most of you again."

"We're having a wake for our family," said Caroline soberly, "Can it wait until after that?"

"Yes of course," said Agent Nelson with an inclination of his head.

"Seeing as I am rather pointedly not invited to this wake I have something else I must attend to," said Stefano smoothly, "But I will report to the police station directly as soon as I am done."

"Alright," said Agent Nelson, "That will be fine."

"Any news about the warehouse?" asked Roman, looking at him intently, "Have forensics been able to find anything further?"

"No," said Agent Nelson with a frown, "Everything was pretty much obliterated with the explosion."

Agent Nelson looked down at the freshly covered graves.

"But then you all knew that," he finished off quietly, "There is no kind of evidence as to what really happened in that warehouse and the only person who does now is hooked up to a lot of machines right now."

"He's getting stronger every day," said Lexie dully, "They took his breathing tube out today. André is breathing on his own. It's like some kind of sick, twisted miracle. That man should be dead ten times over."

"I'm hopeful to do an interview with him in the not too distant future," said Nelson grimly.

"Well that should be real interesting," said Roman, arching a challenging eyebrow at Stefano who just looked back at him coolly.

"I'll be waiting for you all at the station," said Agent Nelson determinedly, "I'll try and not take up too much of your time. I know it's a difficult time for you all."

"As long as the truth comes out it doesn't matter," said Marlena, her lips drawn in determination.

**oooOOOOooo**

"So are we done here Agent Nelson?" asked Stefano again, a little impatiently now, "I have affairs to attend to, not the least dealing with my nephew's body. I have a lot of grieving to do and would like to be left alone to do just that."

Nelson's jaw twitched as he fought back his emotions about letting this monster walk free.

"You're free to go Mr DiMera," he said formerly, "Thank you for your co-operation."

"Of course," Stefano dismissed his thanks with a wave of his hand, "What else would I want to do but to get to the bottom of all of this tragedy."

"Yes what else?" agreed Nelson sarcastically.

Both men stood up and Nelson indicated Stefano to leave the room first and followed the older man out. They walked down the hallway together and into the main body of the Salem police department. Nelson and his men had been using the local station as their base during the investigations. Everyone who had been interviewed were still milling around, waiting for some kind of resolution to all of this. Stefano had been the last to be interviewed. Rolf sat off to one side by tacit agreement, not being overly popular himself.

"You're letting him go?" asked Marlena in distress when she saw Stefano walking free.

"Why would I be allowed to leave my dear?" asked Stefano with an arched eyebrow, "I'm the biggest victim here, I have lost the most of any of you, especially with André now."

"André?" asked Estelle in surprise, "Did something happen?"

"He died," said Bo who was there to lend moral support to his family, "One of the guys just told me."

"So no witnesses then," said Lexie bitterly, "How convenient. You really are a bastard Stefano."

"My dear I will let your remarks go because I realise that you are as overcome with grief about the loss of your brother as I am," said Stefano calmly, "We are all upset."

"You're not upset because you've gotten away with murder yet again," said Roman bitterly.

"If you're so convinced of my guilt then why don't you provide proof Roman," said Stefano flatly, "You have made these accusations for years now and have never managed to make anything stick."

"Because you're too slimy to get a proper hold of and would sell out anyone to protect yourself," said Roman, his lips twisting in disgust.

He looked over at Rolf.

"You should remember that bud," he advised the other man, "Don't think Stefano won't put a bullet in you when he feels he's justified."

"Stefano and I have a long standing work relationship," said Rolf unfazed, "I zink you are overstating za zituation Captain Brady."

"Time will tell," said Roman darkly.

"Is there really nothing you can do Agent Nelson?" asked Marlena in helpless frustration, "This all can't be for nothing. I've lost my daughter and grandson over this and you're telling me that Stefano gets to walk away from all of this."

"Whatever information Sami and EJ were collecting on Mr DiMera seems to have gone missing," said Nelson in frustration, "We haven't been able to locate it."

"Maybe because there was no information to collect?" Stefano suggested flatly, "I'm an innocent man Agent Nelson and I'm sick of this never ending witch hunt against me."

"Innocent, right," Bo snorted.

"Have your opinions," said Stefano with a smirk, "But without proof you have nothing."

He looked over at Rolf who was looking like he just wanted to be gone already. "Rolf, come – we have family business to attend to. We will leave these Brady's to their delusions eh?"

Rolf stood up and walked over to Stefano's side as everyone reluctantly parted to let the two men past.

"This isn't over Stefano," John warned him, his face set in stone.

"Trust me my pawn," said Stefano smugly, "It really is."

They all watched the triumphant Stefano leave the room with Rolf in tow, silence left in his wake.

"I'm sorry," said Agent Nelson regretfully, "We really tried but nothing sticks to that guy, nothing. As much as I hate to say it I guess Stefano has won the day."

"Day ain't over yet," said John, his jaw hardening determinedly as he put his arm around Marlena and gave her a hug.

**oooOOOOooo**

Gabe Nelson sighed heavily as he sat down at his borrowed desk and rubbed his face tiredly. There was so much more to this story he just knew it, he just couldn't prove it. This one was going to haunt him for a long time afterwards he decided morosely. All of those young lives lost and with nothing but a heartbroken family to show for it. He looked down at the stack of files on his desk and in particular the ones with the pictures of EJ and Sami attached to each caught his eye.

"I really wish you could have pulled it off kids," said Nelson sadly as he shook his head.

It was a brave and impossible thing that those two people had undertaken but it hadn't succeeded. The best and only thing to be taken out of this was the freeing of Lexie and that was at least something although Gabe couldn't help but wish it was more for the price that had been paid. He looked up at the short knock on the door.

"So are we packing up?" asked Agent Garcia, looking at his colleague expectantly.

"I guess so," said Agent Nelson with a sigh, "I just wish we had more."

"No one is disputing the fact that André DiMera was behind the warehouse explosion," said Agent Garcia, "Technically we got our man."

"But only half our story and not the real mastermind in all of this," said Agent Nelson flatly, "Whichever way you spin this it feels like a loss to me."

"Sometimes that's just the way it goes," said Agent Garcia philosophically.

"Yeah but I don't have to like it," said Nelson darkly.

"I'll start rallying the troops," said Garcia, knowing there wasn't much else he could say or do at this point.

"Sure," nodded Nelson, "You do that."

Agent Garcia closed the door behind him as he went to start rounding the rest of the investigating agents up to leave Salem. Nelson gave another heavy sigh as he began to collect up his files. A ping from his laptop let him know he had incoming mail. He glanced at it and then frowned at the title of the new email.

_An early Christmas present._

His curiosity piqued Nelson opened the email and found that it had multiple attachments with it. He opened the first attachment and his jaw dropped. He listened to the voice recording for a few seconds and then quickly turned it off, jumping to his feet. Nelson rushed over to his door and called out.

"Garcia!" he exclaimed, "Go and grab Stefano DiMera and his flunky right now, before they leave!"

"What?" asked Garcia, taken aback by his normally unflappable boss' excitement.

"Arrest them," said Nelson with real pleasure, "Read them their rights and throw them in a cell until I'm good and ready to speak to them and tell them they are being charged with accessory to murder and a whole lot more besides I'm guessing."

"But-but how?" asked Garcia in shock.

Agent Gabe Nelson gave a grim smile of satisfaction. "Christmas came early this year."


	187. Chapter 333

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & THIRTY TWO**** – ****The Beginning of Everything**

Heroes know that things must happen when it is time for them to happen.

A quest may not simply be abandoned; unicorns may go unrescued for a long time, but not forever; a happy ending cannot come in the middle of the story.

_Peter S. Beagle_

_(American Writer b.1939)_

The man hurried along the crowded Palazzo Dolfin-Manin, ducking and weaving skilfully between all the people. It was a beautiful day in Venice and there was nothing but tourists and pigeons as far as the eye could see. Today though, this tourist was on a mission as he stopped in front of the Banca d'Italia and double checked his destination with the piece of paper in his hand. He gave a nod of satisfaction and walked into the historic bank. His Hawaiian shirt stood out as a bolt of colour amongst the more conservatively dressed patrons. He took off his cap and sunglasses and made a bee line for one of the counters.

"You were expecting me," he told the clerk, his American accent very pronounced.

"I ama sorry sir," said the pretty Italian woman behind the desk, "Youra name?"

"Bond," replied the man with a grin, "Boris Bond."

"Oh yes Signore Bond," said the woman, immediately recognising the name, "Thisa way please. Signore Conti hasa been waiting fora you toa arrive."

She walked Boris over to an immaculately dressed older man with dark hair greying at the temples.

"Signore Bond," he said, shaking the man's hand, "What a pleasure toa meeta you."

The man's English was flawless even with the Italian lilt overlying it.

"You too Signore Conti," he replied happily, "Has everything been done like I asked?"

"To the letter," said Signore Conti with a nod, "Your instructions werea very specific. Coma this way if youa will and we willa complete the paperwork no?"

"Sure thing," agreed Boris easily as he followed Signore Conti into his office.

Boris Bond looked around himself and nodded approvingly.

"Real classy place you got here Signore Conti," he said appreciatively.

"Thanka you," said the older man with an inclination of his head, "I have always been 'appy 'ere. Nowa shall wea open that bank account eh?"

"You bet," said Boris, settling into a chair across from the ornate desk.

"Banca d'Italia is very excited to have your account Signore Bond," said Signore Conti with a big smile, "We are very pleased thata you chose usa to bank with no?"

"I'm pleased too," said Boris with a satisfied nod.

An hour later Boris was walking back towards the Osteria di Santa Marina, texting as he walked along and weaving between the people of the busy marina. When he came to a beautiful luxury Gulet moored at the marina he stopped and smiled up at the boat proudly displaying its name along the side. The "Hot Seaman" was one beautiful boat alright.

"She isa yours yes?" asked a woman with pretty green eyes, black hair and very tanned skin who came to stand beside him.

"Yup sure is," agreed Boris happily.

"She isa beautiful," the young woman admired the boat, ""Ow does it 'andle?"

"Great," said Boris with a grin, "Like a sweetheart."

"Maybe I coulda go for a sail one daya with youa?" she pushed him gently.

"Really?" asked Boris in surprise and then quickly recovered, "Yeah sure, that would be great."

"You ara American no?" she quizzed him.

"Aha," Boris nodded, "We both are."

"Both?" she asked curiously.

"I'm travelling with a friend," volunteered Boris freely, "You want to meet him? He's a bit shy but, not real talkative like."

"A man of mystery eh?" she chuckled, "Howa intriguing. Mya name is Alessandra bya the way."

"Bond," was his reply, "Boris Bond, at your service Alessandra."

Boris stepped onto the boat and held out his hand to help Alessandra on board.

"Hey Hans!" he yelled out, "We've got company. Come on out!"

**oooOOOOooo**

"Get me out of here!" Stefano roared to lawyer, "I will have these charges laughed out of court and every last one of your jobs by the time I'm finished with these idiots."

"It's not quite that simple Mr DiMera," said Frank Lister apologetically, "I've just been on the line to your chief accountant and he had some rather surprising news as of about an hour ago."

"Vhat do you mean?" asked Rolf nervously as he listened in from the cell next door.

"You're the best lawyer money can buy," said Stefano through gritted teeth, not interested in his story, "I have paid a fortune in retainers for your services over the years – make it that simple Lister. I want Rolf and myself out of this joke house by the end of business today."

"Well see there is the problem Mr DiMera," said Frank evenly, "You don't have a retainer with Selwyn and Co. any longer."

"What are you talking about you blathering idiot?" asked Stefano in irritation, "Of course I do."

Rolf looked suddenly stricken, looking over at his long time boss but Stefano was in too much of a state to pay him any attention.

"We've been in contact with your financial people and it appears your funds have been somewhat depleted," said Frank, not looking overly thrilled that he'd been given the task to deliver the news.

"What are you talking about?" asked Stefano angrily, "My funds are more than sufficient for your services Lister."

"Not any longer," said Frank, rather glad there were bars presently separating them, "You have no money."

"Oh schiesse!," said Rolf unhappily, covering his face with one hand, "I knew zis day vould come. Ve are screwed."

"Excuse me?" asked Stefano, his voice low and full of warning and ignoring Rolf entirely.

"All of your accounts have been drained and you are officially penniless from-" Lister paused and checked his watch, "Around four o'clock this morning your financial people told me. I'm sorry Mr DiMera but it is all gone."

"Impossible," said Stefano in indignation, "I have accounts that no one knows of, no one could touch them!"

"According to your accountants they are all gone as well," said Mr Lister with a grimace, "All of it is gone, all of your assets have been traded and the DiMera business has essentially been liquefied. There is nothing left, you're bankrupt."

"Impossible!" Stefano roared again, "How can that happen without my consent?"

"Apparently you approved all of this, including the sale of your current abode which was bought half an hour after it went on sale in a private auction this morning."

"If I'm supposedly selling all of these things then where is my money?" asked Stefano in disbelief.

Mr Lister gave an apologetic shrug. "Mr DiMera if you don't know then I certainly can't help you. Now as far as your legal representation goes considering your current financial condition the state will provide you with a lawyer who will be able to defend you."

"A court appointed lawyer?" exclaimed Stefano, his face going red with the ignominy of it all, "Over my dead body! I am a DiMera, I would not sully myself with such a thing!"

"You're officially a pauper," Lister corrected him flatly, "And your options are somewhat limited. In fact you don't have options."

"I want to call in some favours," said Stefano darkly, "Make it happen."

"I don't think that there are any more favours to be called in Mr DiMera," said Lister calmly, "You have no money, no assets and you are in jail. I'm sorry to be blunt about this but you no longer have any kind of power over people and they know it. My understanding is that you have no friends, only business associates and there is not one of them that would touch you now with a barge pole. You are of no use to them so I'm afraid you should let go of the idea of calling in favours sir. It simply isn't going to happen."

Rolf gave a long, low groan and sank down on his prison bed, putting his head in his hands and shaking all over. Stefano meanwhile was far from done.

"What you are saying is ridiculous," Stefano raged, "Someone has stolen my money – I demand an investigation be done! They will not get away with this!"

"Your accountants have been investigating this and can't find out what has happened," said Lister patiently, "All they know is that all of your bank accounts are emptied and it seems to be all approved by you Mr DiMera."

"Clearly it hasn't been," Stefano growled.

"Yes well I'm afraid there is nothing more I can really do for you Mr DiMera," said Lister evenly, "Except that you really should reconsider your stance on the court appointed lawyer subject. I've seen the list of charges against you and to be frank, it's growing by the minute. You're really going to need legal representation to have even a vague hope of not spending the rest of your life behind bars."

"They have never been able to prove anything about my business dealings and never will," said Stefano flatly, "This is all just scare tactics to see if I will confess all to them."

"Actually this time I think it is anything but that Mr DiMera," said Frank by way of warning, "They have evidence and a lot of it. In fact they are still sifting through all of it."

"And where did this supposed evidence come from?" Stefano demanded to know, his eyes narrowing menacingly.

"I don't know," admitted Lister, "But if you're a man who believes in God Mr DiMera I'd suggest you start praying now and don't stop."

Stefano's face darkened to a blood red colour as an impotent rage all but consumed him.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Wahoo!" said the dark haired teenager excitedly as he peered out the window, "Fresh powder – awesome!"

The boy was looking out over the snow covered slopes of the town of Lofer, which was about thirty five kilometres from Kitzbühel which was widely known as the Austrian pearl of the Alps. The fresh snow blanketed the surroundings of the spacious timber house in a display of post card perfection. He looked over at the man who had walked up to peer out the window as well.

"Time for me to show you how it's done," the teenager grinned, "See if you can keep up on those old skies of yours without embarrassing us both."

"Snowboarding is a fad," the man dismissed his challenge with a twinkle in his eye, "I'll show you how a real sport is done."

"You're on," was his reply as he ran off to dress for the snowy weather.

The man's cell phone beeped and he pulled it out, looking at the text he'd just received.

A BIRD IN THE FACE IS WORSE THAN 5 IN YOUR BUSH

"That's a bird in the hand is worth five in the bush Boris," he chuckled in real amusement at the mangling of the common phrase and shook his head.

He walked back into the bedroom of the three bedroom ski lodge and opened up his lap top and immediately logged onto his bank before giving a sigh of satisfaction.

"Someone sounds pleased with themselves Mr Devlise," noted a voice behind him.

EJ turned around to see Sami walking into the room wearing only white boy leg pants and tank top, drinking a glass of milk.

"Someone _is_ pleased with themselves Ms Mathas," EJ said with a grin, "We've just come into a very respectable sum of money."

"How respectable?" she asked with a mischievous grin, coming to sit down on the bed near where EJ was sitting at the desk and his lap top.

She flicked the freshly cropped bob of her new auburn hair and looked at EJ expectantly. They'd all altered their appearances somewhat and that was the reason Will was no longer a blond but a brunette. EJ scratched at his recently grown beard and looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Enough to keep you in a manner to which you've become accustomed my love," said EJ teasingly.

"I'm a numbers kinda gal Rami," she informed him, "How about firming that up for me?"

EJ glanced over at the screen and their new bank balance.

"Rami and Brandy have just opened up a new account somewhere in the ball park of ten million dollars," EJ announced with satisfaction.

"Wow," said Sami with an impressed whistle, "That is some ballpark."

"Yes my darling girl it is," said EJ with a chuckle.

"And the rest of it?" asked Sami with interest.

"Duly distributed," said EJ with a satisfied nod.

"Man I wish I could be there to see his face," said Sami with an evil smile.

"I think the international news will be worth tuning in for," agreed EJ wryly, "I think there is going to be a big story on it that we'll find very interesting."

"So we win then," said Sami in real satisfaction, "Stefano has gone down for all of his crimes, we've got all his money and we're happy."

"Very happy," EJ agreed readily as he pulled Sami from the bed to sit on his lap.

EJ gently teased Sami's lips with his own as he continued on huskily. "Very, very happy."

His hand went to her bare stomach and rubbed it slowly, the fire igniting in his warm brown eyes.

"Did I ever tell you I had a huge thing for red heads?" he asked her with a quirk of his lips and a particularly sultry look.

"Is that right?" asked Sami coyly, "Did I ever tell you that I had a huge thing for guys with beards?"

"No," said EJ, his eyes lighting up, "But I'm finding this information to be very interesting indeed."

He began to nuzzle Sami's neck, feeling the usual excitement immediately begin to build inside of him at having her this near to him.

"Hey Dad, are you ready or what?"

Will's impatient question came through the wall to them and they both gave a laughing groan.

"I love that he is calling you dad," Sami confessed with a happy sigh as she put her arms around EJ's neck and snuggled into him even more.

"It's good for us to get the practice in with using our new names and it is better for our cover if everyone thinks Jamie is my son," EJ agreed, using Will's new pseudonym, "And I have to say I love hearing it too."

"I can't believe how well Wil-Jamie," Sami quickly corrected herself, "-has coped with all of this. It's just amazing."

"That's because he comes from amazing stock," said EJ, looking at Sami with shining admiration as she tightened her arms around his neck and initiated a slow, lingering kiss.

"Oh geez really?"

Will's vaguely annoyed question interrupted them. He was standing at the door and tapping his foot impatiently.

"Dad, fresh powder, ass whippings to be handed out, remember?" he prompted EJ, "Mom will still be here when we get back, you can be gross together later."

"Patience is a virtue Jamie," said Sami with an indulgent smile.

"Time waits for no man," Will pointed out quickly, "And that snow isn't going to be fresh forever. What's the matter Dad? Chickening out?"

"Never," said EJ with an impish smile, "Prepare for your bottom to be handed to you young man, the master is going to show you how it's done."

"Less talk, more walk," said Will, clapping his hands together, "Chop, chop."

"Teenagers," said EJ indulgently, "Always in such a rush."

"Promise me you two will be careful," Sami pleaded with him with a slight grimace.

"Sweetheart I'm an excellent skier which I'd show you if you weren't in such a delicate condition-" EJ began to which Sami snorted.

"Choose your words carefully Rami," she warned him, trying to look menacing.

"Alright, unbalanced condition?" he offered up teasingly, rubbing Sami's extremely protruding stomach appreciatively.

"More carefully than that mister," said Sami flatly with feigned affront, "No woman loves being called unbalanced Rami."

"But you are just so damn sexy with it Brandy," EJ growled as he playfully nuzzled her neck.

"Don't start," she warned him with a giggle, "Otherwise we won't stop and Jamie doesn't look like he's going to take no for an answer. Go skiing-"

She gave EJ a sexy sideways look. "And afterwards you can show me your huge thing and I'll show you mine."

"Mm," said EJ throatily, his eyes twinkling in appreciation of the offer, "I think that thought will keep me very warm in the snow."

"DAD! I'M STANDING AT THE DOOR AND I'M WALKING OUT IT IN EXACTLY ONE MINUTE!"

"Duty calls," said EJ with a dramatic sigh.

"Don't pretend you two won't love every minute of showing off for each other," said Sami laughingly.

"For shame young lady," said EJ looking hurt, "How vain do you think I am?"

"Just enough to get me hot," suggested Sami with an arched eyebrow.

"That's what I was going for," said EJ in satisfaction as he stood up, depositing Sami on the ground before stealing a lingering kiss.

"Be careful," Sami reminded him again as EJ grabbed his jacket and headed out of the bedroom.

"Too much to live for not to be," said EJ with a cheeky wink.

He looked back at her and waggled a finger up and down her body.

"And don't bother getting dressed on my account," he informed her with a salacious grin, "I'd rather conserve my energy for other fun things."

"Duly noted," said Sami with a smile as EJ headed out to meet Will.

"At last."

"I've never seen anyone so eager to be humiliated before."

"We'll see, race you to the bottom of the hill."

"Can I get my skies on first?"

"See snowboarding is way better, you don't have to fiddle so much."

"Faster isn't always better Jamie."

"Unless you're in a race."

"You have a point – ready?"

"I was ready hours ago, I've been waiting for you Dad."

"Don't know why, I was born ready my boy."

Sami smiled as she listened to the playful banter of the two people she loved the most in the world, the door closing behind them as they at last left. She looked over at the bank balance EJ had left open and her smile widened.

"We did it," she said, a slow warmth of exhilaration starting to spread through her whole body as the reality of all that they'd accomplished began to truly set in.

She looked down at her exposed stomach and rubbed it lovingly. "Did you hear that little ones – your mom and dad and big brother have done it. You're going to grow up safe and loved and never have to be afraid of vendettas and mad cousins and grandfathers ever again."

Sami looked up at the heavens and felt emotional tears of gratitude prick her eyes.

"Thank you God," she said unevenly, "Thank you so much for protecting this family right from the very beginning of all of this."

[**oooOOOOooo**

Celeste held her breath waiting to hear what EJ and Sami were going to say to her pleas for help in rescuing her beloved Alexandra. It all seemed to come down to Will and Celeste worried about putting the teenage boy in that kind of potential danger. But then she worried over what would become of her own child if she wasn't found soon.

"Will is a part of this family and we don't want him away from us," said EJ determinedly, "Whatever we do we do as a whole, with everyone on board and no secrets between us."

"It's the only way," said Sami, agreeing whole heartedly, "I told Will that I was going to be a good mother to him from here on in and that doesn't involve sending him away the first chance I get."

"It will be dangerous," Celeste worried, looking anxious.

"Whatever we do EJ and I will cover all the angles," said Sami confidently, "Our children's safety comes first."

"We'll discuss it with Will," said EJ soberly, "And be in contact Celeste. I'm sorry we can't give you a more definitive answer right now – there is a lot to consider."

Celeste nodded slowly, accepting the truth of those words.

"More than you know Elvis," said Celeste seriously, "There is something I've seen in my dreams that I haven't told you about yet. Something you both need to know and consider before making your decision."

EJ and Sami looked at Celeste enquiringly, waiting to hear what she had to say now.

"In my dreams it wasn't only Stefano that was working against you," said Celeste, putting a hand to her throat, "There was always another evil, just as dark, just as menacing."

"Wouldn't that have been Artie?" asked Sami in confusion, "I mean if you were dreaming about someone wanting EJ and I dead then it would have to be him wouldn't it?"

"No," said Celeste soberly, "It wasn't that demented soul but another. Kate was working with him – I saw it in my dreams."

"And who is this person then?" asked EJ in consternation.

"André," said Celeste unhappily.

"Tony's look alike?" asked Sami in amazement, "I thought he was dead."

"He isn't and he has been pretending to be Tony all of these years," said Celeste seriously.

"So it was André I was dealing with all this time," said EJ slowly, letting all of the implications sink in, "Thank god."

"How do you figure that?" asked Sami, looking up at him, "André is a sociopath."

"But he's not my brother," said EJ looking relieved, "It's rather a lot to deal with to think your own brother is out to get you."

"So instead of your brother trying to kill you it is your cousin," observed Sami with an arched eyebrow, "That feels like a sideways step at best EJ."

"In my family I'll take what I can get sweetheart," said EJ wryly.

Sami wrinkled her nose and had to agree.

"But wait," said Sami suddenly, "Stefano thought Ton-I mean André was the one who shot you. Weren't we pretty much assuming Stefano had him killed?"

"I don't think Stefano believes in throwing away anything that one day might be useful to him," said Celeste flatly, "Wherever André has been he is a very real threat to any plans that we might make, that I know for sure."

"So it's not only my father but most likely André as well that we'd have to go up against," said EJ grimly.

Sami and EJ exchanged concerned looks.

"I know this changes things," said Celeste unhappily, "But you had to know. I could not keep such a thing from you dahlings."

"We'll talk to Will Celeste," said EJ as Sami gave him a supportive nod, "And we'll get back to you straight away – I give you my word."

Celeste nodded slowly, accepting their position.

"I should go," she said quietly.

Celeste turned to leave but then turned back as her hand was on the door.

"I cannot see the future clearly," she told them sombrely, "It is all fragments and things that don't make sense to me but there is one thing I know for certain."

Sami and EJ looked at her expectantly to continue.

"I know that the only hope we have against these monsters is the two of you," said Celeste quietly, "You're my only hope Elvis and Samantha – you're everyone's only hope."

EJ put his arm around Sami's shoulder and drew her closer into him as the heavy mantle of responsibility was laid on their shoulders.

"We'll be in contact soon Celeste," Sami promised the older woman, "We'll let you know our decision then. If we're going to do this then we have to do it as a family, it's the only way."

"I know," said Celeste softly, "It has always been the only way."


	188. Chapter 334

**AUTHOR'S NOTE****: **Okay guys so the last chapter was the big reveal and kind of the end of the story... but not. LOL So you now know that EJ, Sami and Will made it out but what you don't know is how it all happened. These remaining chapters – 10 or so are all about filling in those blanks and giving you everything from EJami's POV which up until now you'll notice in recent chapters it hasn't been – for obvious reasons I hope you can see now. So now you'll get all the EJami moments you didn't get to see before as we back track once again and finally finish on the all important epilogue.

This story hasn't always been an easy one to read with all the angst I've thrown you but you are on the downhill run now and there is only EJami goodness in the following chapters along with EJami scheming and of course, the all important smut. ;) So relax, take it easy as the last of this story plays out and simply enjoy EJami as they were meant to be enjoyed... together. :D

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & THIRTY FOUR**** – ****Back to the Beginning**

Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, the providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way.

_William Hutchinson Murray_

Sami stood at the window of EJ's apartment and looked out at the nearly full moon that was sitting low in the sky. The rest of the household was fast asleep and not there to see Sami's silent vigil. It seemed to her that she could nearly reach out and touch the moon, pluck it from its black velvety abode and put it in her pocket so that it would always be there when she needed a light in the darkness.

That was impossible of course but then she seemed to be contemplating a lot of impossible things of late so really, what was one more thing? Will's agreement to enter into this venture with them earlier that day had placed a heavy burden on Sami's shoulders. On the one hand she was so proud of her son that he was willing to risk so much for another person in trying to save Lexie but she was also very afraid of what they were all getting into. The possible ways this could all go horribly wrong kept rattling around in her head and wouldn't let her find any rest.

"Hey."

Sami heard EJ's sleep roughened greeting at the same time he slipped his arms around her waist, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head as he came up behind her.

"Hey," said Sami softly, leaning back against his hard length as they both looked out the window at the moon now.

"I had this terrible experience of waking up and finding you not by my side," EJ said, rubbing his chin against the top of her head.

"Sorry," Sami said with a sigh, "Couldn't sleep for thinking and I didn't want to wake you."

"Are you regretting our decision?" asked EJ and Sami could feel the sudden tension in his body.

Sami put her hands over the top of his much larger, tanned ones as they rested on her belly and leant back more fully against him.

"Not regretting really, just pondering all of the implications."

"There are a lot of them," EJ said seriously, hugging her tighter to him.

"Tell me we're doing the right thing with having Will stay with us," Sami begged him unevenly.

Sami had been so sure talking to Celeste earlier that day but with the night her fears had begun whispering in her ear.

"Come here," said EJ, taking her hand and moving her away from the window.

He sat down on the sofa and pulled Sami onto his lap.

"I know why you're worried sweetheart," said EJ soberly, "Going up against my father is bad enough but to add in a wild card like André-"

EJ shook his head ruefully.

"It's nigh well insanity."

"Good pep talk honey," said Sami with a wry smile up at him.

"I haven't gotten to the peppy part yet," said EJ with a half smile.

"Just as well," said Sami, wrinkling her nose.

"I know you're concerned about Will and to be honest so am I but no matter how I add it up in my head I have to believe he is safer with us then away from us," said EJ earnestly, "Away from us he could easily become a pawn of my father's or a victim of André. Will could definitely be used against us without us there to pre-empt such a thing. At least with Will by our side we'll be able to see any dangers coming his way and protect him."

"I know," said Sami pulling a face, "It just feels so counterintuitive to go and put your own child in harm's way."

"I understand sweetheart but I wouldn't be backing this idea if I thought it wasn't the only way," said EJ soberly, "Will's safety is paramount to me but you and I both know that sending him off to Switzerland again is no way to keep him safe against the likes of my father and André."

Sami nodded grimly, knowing it was true. Her first instinct had been to keep Will close to her, not being about to bear the thought of being away from him again, particularly after what he'd just gone through with losing his father. But then the niggling doubts had set in and Sami was forced to wonder if she was just being selfish with wanting Will with her. As always though EJ seemed to instinctively understand her fears and moved to relieve them.

"Will needs us Samantha," said EJ huskily as he tightened his arms around her, "Just as much as we need him. We're a family, albeit a fledgling one but that only makes it even more important that we stay together through this."

Sami looked up at EJ in amazement.

"You know EJ not many men would be that excited about having what is basically his honeymoon include a moody, hurting teenager," she said, the amazement of this man loving her sweeping over Sami once again, "A lot of men wouldn't be so happy to have to being forced to deal with so much when it comes to a kid that isn't even his own."

"A lot of men are idiots Samantha," said EJ wryly, "And whilst I know I still have my moments of stupidity I know how truly lucky I am to have both you and Will in my life."

"We're the lucky ones," said Sami, feeling emotional tears beginning to form.

"We'll call it a draw eh?" EJ said with a soft chuckled, reaching up a hand and cupping her face, stroking her cheek with a thumb.

"You know I used to wonder why Edmund put up with so much from me," said EJ softly, "Why he took all of my belligerence, cockiness and general bad attitude in his stride when I was growing up. I was a right royal pain to that man."

"Edmund loved you EJ," said Sami huskily.

"Yes he did," said EJ in amazement, "And that love never faltered for a moment, not even during the rose bed incident of '86 which believe me sweetheart, he'd have had every right to wash his hands of me forever."

"Ohh, not Edmund's roses," said Sami, making a pained faced of empathy for the man who loved his roses so very much.

"His show roses," EJ confirmed unhappily, "It involved me and the family car and three bottles of Granny Vi's cider."

"Oh EJ," said Sami, biting her bottom lip and trying not to laugh.

"It's all a bit of a blur," said EJ with a rueful smile, "But I believe after being denied permission to go to a party I decided to prove how grown up I really was at sixteen and got into the cider before getting behind the wheel of the car to go to the party anyways."

EJ shook his head and sighed. "God but I was such a twat."

"But Edmund forgave you," said Sami with an affectionate smile.

"After I stopped throwing up on what was left of his prize roses that he was meant to show the following weekend yes," EJ admitted wryly, "I think both he and Mum were just glad I didn't get past the front gate and kill myself or some other hapless bystander."

Sami nodded her agreement. "You were very lucky EJ."

"I was lucky because I had a man in my life who showed me consistent, unconditional love," EJ said softly, "Of course I was too young and thick to realise it at the time but that was a gift that I have no way of repaying Edmund. The only way I know how to honour the man is to pay it forward as it were. If I can give Will even half the understanding and patience that Edmund showered down on me then I know I would have become a man worth something."

Sami looked up at EJ in admiration, unable to find the words to tell him how her heart was pitter pattering in joy at his words. She couldn't have asked for a better man to take on the role of Will's father now that Lucas was gone and it almost made Sami cry with joy.

"Stefano taught me to indulge myself, to do whatever I wanted as long as I always obeyed him," said EJ and looked suddenly sad, "He taught me that I was the only important thing in the world and that his love for me was conditional on my obedience. I didn't realise it at the time but they were the lessons he gave me."

"I'm just so grateful Edmund and your mom were there to balance that out EJ," said Sami unevenly.

"It was confusing at the time but now I'm just grateful as well," said EJ and looked suddenly thoughtful, "And it's part of the reason I want to do the right thing now by Lexie. They showed me what a real family is all about and it would break my heart to abandon my sister in her hour of need Samantha."

"I know," said Sami quickly, "And that's why we're not going to. I grew up just as selfish and self serving as you did EJ but you set me free from all of that when you loved me the way you do. I had such an emptiness inside of me and now it is full to overflowing and I just want to give that kind of happiness to other people in whatever way I can."

Sami shook her head sadly. "Little Theo is growing up without his mom and that just isn't right. I know Lexie and I have had our moments but she is a good mom and if I can do something to make that right again I will. There was a long period of my life when either my mother or father was taken from me by Stefano and it messed me up in my head and I don't want Theo to have to suffer the same fate by the hands of the same man. It has to stop and I want it to be us who stops it EJ."

"So do I," said EJ determinedly, "And with the help of Celeste I think we can do that. Already we know that André is a part of all of this mess so that is going to keep us one step ahead. It has to."

"Did you ever stop to think that we're making a lot of plans around what is essentially Celeste's bad dreams?" asked Sami with a sigh, "This could be a huge mistake EJ."

"Well all I know is that she's gotten everything right so far," said EJ with a bit of a shrug, "I have to wonder if I'd listened to her dreams earlier than Lucas and Kate might not be dead and yours and Will's lives wouldn't have been put in so much peril."

"And yours," Sami reminded him quickly, "Artie had more than one attempt at your life EJ."

"I know," said EJ with a grimace, "I felt like we were behind the eight ball during that whole saga, never knowing what was going on until it was almost too late."

"Mm," Sami agreed unhappily, "I guess you're right EJ, Celeste did seem to be the only one in that whole awful mess that seemed to have the first idea of what was going on."

"Even six months ago I would have dreamed that I'd be placing such stock in something like this but now I feel like I can't afford not to sweetheart," said EJ determinedly, "I just have too much to lose to not try and use every resource at our disposal, even if it is physic dreams."

"I hope Celeste is wrong about André," said Sami with a heavy sigh as she rested her head on EJ's bare chest.

"I hope so too Samantha but I have a feeling she is right on the money with him," said EJ ruefully.

"There is one thing Celeste isn't right about though," said Sami, a smile brightening her face as she picked up EJ's left hand.

"What's that sweetheart?" asked EJ indulgently.

"Didn't you tell me that she said that EJ and Sami would never be?" Sami asked with an arched eyebrow.

"More than once," EJ agreed.

"Well," said Sami, raising up EJ's hand and kissing the gold band she'd placed there only a couple of days previously, "Celeste got that completely wrong because you are all mine EJ DiMera."

"Yes I am," said EJ with a slow smile, his eyes lighting up, "Completely."

"And I'm all yours," continued on Sami huskily.

EJ closed his eyes and gave a little shudder at her words.

"I'm never going to get tired of hearing you say that," he told her unevenly.

"Good because I intend on telling you every day for the rest of our lives," said Sami throatily.

Sami saw EJ's eyes flare with a desire that she knew must be matching her own hungry gaze and all her worry and concern just melted away. EJ was right, together they were a force to be reckoned with and that included Will now. If Will wasn't with them Sami would just worry even more she realised, at least with him by their side he had both her and EJ to protect him and that was no small thing. She and EJ were master manipulators and schemers and for once that was going to be put to good use for the people they loved.

"I feeling suddenly sleepy now," said Sami with a sultry smile that suggested she was anything but tired now, "Why don't you take me to bed EJ?"

"My very great pleasure," said EJ throatily as he stood up in one easy motion, Sami in still in his arms and made determined strides toward their bedroom.

Sami wrapped her legs around EJ's waist and her arms around his neck, smiling into the eager kiss he was now giving her as he navigated the short corridor to their bedroom.

EJ put Sami down when they were in the bedroom and he closed the door behind them with his foot. Without missing a beat he put his hands on Sami's hips and turned her around so that she was facing away from him and then wrapped his arms around her waist, dragging her back towards him. Sami could already feel him hardening against him as her panties became instantly soaked. EJ reached around and slipped a hand into the top of her nightdress, finding one of her breasts and beginning to massage it.

"Nice," she sighed happily, leaning back against him.

"Very nice," EJ agreed hoarsely as her nipple hardened into a tight bud for him.

He began to gently pull on it, making Sami give a low moan. EJ's other hand wasn't idle either as he moved it up under her short nightie and slipped it into her panties. He cupped her mound, rubbing it gently and making a series of explosions go off in Sami's lower body. With the lightest of touches EJ just always seemed to know how to make her melt into a puddle. His fingers moved between her folds, enjoying how slippery they already were, knowing it was all for him. Using one fingernail he teased her delicate nub, making Sami give a little shudder.

"I want to make you come so badly Samantha," said EJ hoarsely as she continued to shudder against him as his continued teasing of her body.

"Please," Sami moaned, wanting that desperately as well.

EJ withdrew briefly from Sami, quickly pushing his sweat pants off and Sami watched in admiration as his perfectly toned body was completely exposed to her. God but this man was sex on a stick she decided, feeling her hunger grow even more as he stood before her completely naked and obviously in great need of her. Sami didn't think it would ever grow old being desired by this man.

"Your turn," said EJ, his voice thick and low, "Strip for me sweetheart."

Sami smiled at the request and did just that but took her time despite the fire that was currently raging between her thighs. She pushed first one, then the other strap of her nightie from her shoulders before ever so slowly dragging the silky material down her painfully hard nipples, slowly exposing them to EJ's avid gaze. He gave a low, guttural growl at her teasing reveal and Sami watched him instinctively reach for his straining hard on, gripping it tightly and forcing another growl from his lips. Sami bit her bottom lip as she imagined the feeling of being forced to take that entire engorged monster into her body and her thighs watered accordingly in anticipation.

Her breasts were now fully exposed to EJ and aching for his touch but he still stood there, watching her every move and just out of reach. The material of her night dress was at her belly now, pooling over the protruding mound. It still amazed Sami that her pregnant belly was such an aphrodisiac for EJ but his fixated gaze on her rounded flesh and the way he was beginning to stroke his swollen member in anticipation of what she was about to expose to him told her that the fascination wasn't waning at all. With a gentle tug Sami pulled her night dress past her stomach and it fell to silky heap around her ankles. EJ let out a hungry groan and couldn't help himself. With his free hand he reached out and stroked her pale, distended flesh.

"God but you're so beautiful," he said raggedly.

"So are you," said Sami tremulously as she reached out a hand to touch his lower stomach.

The hard muscles of his stomach clenched even more and Sami ran an admiring hand over his washboard abs.

"You're not done yet," EJ prompted her unevenly.

His gaze flicked down to her panties and Sami smiled again, hearing the impatience in his voice for all the outward attempts at remaining in control EJ was trying to portray. With a seductive shimming of her hips Sami wiggled them down her body and let them join the silken pool at her feet.

"Perfection," EJ announced hoarsely as his enthusiastic gaze raked her now nude body.

EJ moved now, grabbing a padded armchair from the corner of the room and putting it beside the bed, facing it. He took Sami's hand and helped her into it before quickly going to sit on the bed directly in front of the seated Sami. She looked at him with interest as EJ put both of his hands on the tops of her thighs and ran them down the length of her legs slowly until they were at her ankles. With a gentle grip on her ankles EJ slowly began to raise them up so Sami was forced to lean back in the chair. EJ placed her feet flat against his shoulders, treating himself to the very intimate view of Sami.

"I want to watch," said EJ thickly and looked at Sami in greedy expectation.

"All the way?" Sami purred with an arched eyebrow as her hand drifted over her stomach to play with the crinkly hairs covering her mound.

She knew EJ often liked her to start so he could finish things off.

"Yes," said EJ roughly, licking his lips eagerly.

Sami settled back in the chair more comfortably and found her nub with one finger, lightly teasing it before beginning to rub it in earnest. Very quickly her muscles began to contract rhythmically in time to her growing arousal as EJ watched intently, stroking her outer thighs and whispering words of encouragement. Sami was on the verge of exploding, the combination of EJ's approving gaze and his silken, rich tones urging her on was quickly too much for her. She rushed towards that peak, feeling herself give one powerful contraction before exploding in a mindless delight. Sami squeezed her eyes close as wave after wave of delicious sensation rocketed through her body.

EJ gave an excited grunt at seeing her delirium and took full advantage of her writing body. He stood up, forcing Sami's knees back towards her and plunged his swollen hardness deep into her in one swift motion. Sami moaned in exquisite pleasure as his actions prolonged her orgasm, her walls convulsing helplessly against his surging manhood. EJ immediately began a frantic pace inside of her, clearly as worked up by her little show as Sami was.

"Ohhh god," Sami moaned weakly as no sooner had her first orgasm ended she could feel EJ driving her towards another.

She put her hands on EJ's chest, slick from the sweat of his exertions and arousal and felt his thundering heartbeat underneath her palms. Sami looked up at EJ who had an expression of rapturous ecstasy on his face and it only added to the build towards her next climax to see him relish being inside of her so much. No man had ever made her feel like such a goddess in the bedroom and out of it for that matter and Sami just adored every minute of it.

"Samantha!" EJ warned her raggedly as his strokes picked up even more determination, warning her he was getting close.

Sami moaned her encouragement to him, digging her nails into his chest. It was the feel of that last desperate surge into her before EJ stiffened, shooting his maleness into her that finally pushed Sami over that ledge again. She joined EJ in the satisfied moaning of their mutual pleasure as he shuddered against her helplessly. It was heavenly.

And the best thing about this interlude for Sami was that it was unlikely to be the last one that night.

**oooOOOOooo**

Sami rolled over in bed and threw her arm out so she could hug EJ as they slept only to find that he was currently sitting up in bed.

"You're up," she said in surprise, her voice thick with sleep.

Sami gave a wicked smile up at EJ as he smiled down at her.

"And not in that good way I like so much," she continued on teasingly.

"Didn't I satisfy you last night?" asked EJ with a quirk of his lips but already his heart was beating faster.

"That was hours ago," said Sami with an adorable pout, her hair all tousled around her sleepy face.

"You're oversexed," EJ informed her, trying to keep a straight faced.

Sami gave a very loud snort in the quiet bedroom.

"First of all you're one to talk," she said with a roll of her eyes, "And second of all you've always led me to believe that is one of the things you love most about me."

"It is up there," EJ agreed readily with a deep chuckle, "Good morning Mrs DiMera."

EJ leant down and kissed Sami lingeringly as she gave a happy sigh into his kiss.

"What time is it anyway?" Sami asked after EJ finally released her mouth.

She sat up in bed, back resting against the headboard as EJ was doing.

"Just after five," said EJ, glancing at the clock on his bedside table.

"Wow, early," said Sami, stifling a yawn with her hand.

"Sorry sweetheart," said EJ ruefully, "I was just thinking. I didn't mean to wake you. Why don't you go back to sleep eh?"

"I can't now that I know you're thinking without me," said Sami, rubbing her eye, "We need to sync up these thinking sessions so we can do them together otherwise we're never going to get any sleep again."

"Good practice for when the twins arrive," said EJ, rubbing her stomach lovingly.

"Trust me there is no way to practice for the sleep deprivation that a baby brings let alone two of them," said Sami wryly as she also rubbed her belly.

"I'm so excited to meet our children Samantha," said EJ with a big smile, "There are no words."

"With all the kicking they are doing lately I think they are just as eager to see their daddy as well," said Sami with a little laugh, "They want to see who it is that belongs to that wonderful voice they hear all the time."

EJ smiled to hear that. It amazed him that they knew his voice already but Sami said they would always settle down when he would talk to them or give a little excited jump inside of her when they heard his voice when he walked into the room.

"So what was occupying that brain of yours when I woke up?" asked Sami, looking at him curiously.

"I was thinking about Celeste," said EJ with a bit of a frown.

"You're thinking about another woman when you're in bed with me?" asked Sami with a challenging arch of her eyebrow, "Thems fighting words mister."

"You know what I mean," EJ said with a little laugh, "I was thinking about what you said last night about how Celeste got it wrong about Samantha and EJ will never be."

EJ made a thoughtful face. "What if she ended up being right?"

Sami frowned and looked confused as she pondered that.

"What are you saying EJ?" asked Sami slowly.

"I think we're being naive to think that we could take on my father and bring down his empire and then just go back to our lives," said EJ, turning to face her now as his plan solidified more in his head, "I mean we knew simply cutting him out of our lives would necessitate us leaving Salem, taking him down might mean we have to take it to the next step."

"Fake our own deaths?" asked Sami, looking at EJ wide eyed.

"Think about it Samantha," said EJ eagerly, "We play nice with my father, insinuate ourselves in his business and gather all of the information we need and then when we have the information we can set the final stage of our plan in action. We free Lexie whom we would have found by then, God willing, and then stage our deaths, setting my father up to be the cause of it. That way he can't come after us because technically we'd be already dead in his eyes. Maybe Celeste would be right all along – Samantha and EJ will never be, maybe that is our way clear of all of this."

"EJ what you're saying will mean that we'll lose all of our family forever," said Sami, looking distressed, "We'd have convince everyone that we were dead, all three of us and that means I'd never see my parents again and you wouldn't see your mom or Edmund."

"Not necessarily," said EJ quickly, "That was what I was thinking about just then. Whilst Samantha and EJ might be gone it doesn't mean that our alternate personas won't be able to have a relationship with the people we love. It just means we'd have to be careful, particularly until my father died. Even with him in prison it would pay for us to be wary but we could still organise to see our families if we're careful. Of course they'd have to come to us wherever we ended up in the world but it wouldn't be impossible."

EJ could see he'd given Sami a lot to think about as he watched her sit there and work all the angles in her head. He loved that about her, that as a long time schemer herself she could look at a plan and spot any potential weaknesses a mile off. There was something strangely comforting in knowing he had such a brilliant and sneaky partner in Sami EJ decided.

"That's an ambitious plan," she said at last.

"Crazy ambitious or just plain crazy?" asked EJ, finding it hard to read where Sami was with this.

"I'm not sure yet," said Sami ruefully.

"But you think it could be a possible solution perhaps sweetheart?" asked EJ intently, "I mean of course we'll try and take down André at the same time but if we don't then us being dead will stop any revenge plans the guy might have against us."

"Yes," said Sami slowly, "It definitely has its up sides for sure."

"So you'll consider it?" asked EJ a little uncertainly.

"I will," said Sami with a nod, "And we'll have to talk to Will about it as well of course."

"Of course," said EJ quickly, "This is his life as well."

"And I don't think we can do this alone," said Sami determinedly, "We're going to need help."

"Well we have John," said EJ, "I think we should let him in on the plan. He's had a lot of dealings with how my father operates over the years."

"Yes John," Sami agreed, "And there is someone else we're going to need to make this work. Without him I don't think we'll be able to pull this off."

EJ arched an eyebrow and looked at Sami expectantly, waiting for her to give him a name...


	189. Chapter 335

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & THIRTY FIVE**** – ****Safety in Numbers**

Each player must accept the cards life deals him or her: but once they are in hand, he or she alone must decide how to play the cards in order to win the game.

_Voltaire_

_(French Philosopher and Writers, 1694-1778)_

"What do you think he is doing in there?" asked EJ with a sideways look at Sami.

Sami pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Thinking… I think."

EJ scratched his cheek. "How long do you think he is going to think for?"

"I don't know honey," said Sami with a half smile, "How long is a piece of string?"

"I think we overwhelmed him," said EJ with a sigh.

"Maurice just needs to process," said Sami confidently, "It will be fine."

The truth was that neither one of them knew that for sure and they both knew it and were suitably nervous because of that. EJ shifted his weight from one foot to the other as they stood there in Maurice the Mole's basement and waited for him to come out of his cardboard castle which now sported a moat he noticed. They'd taken a huge gamble in letting this odd little fellow in on their plans because there was no guarantee that he wouldn't go running to tell Stefano as soon as they left. Sami was right though, they couldn't do what they planned in keeping an eye on his father's every move and collecting all the incriminating evidence without the talents of The Mole.

The Mole knew all of Stefano's security and surveillance systems inside and out and would be the ace in the hole that his father wouldn't be expecting. The thing was that it was very hard to guess at what this man's reaction to all of this was going to be and that was what was making EJ nervous. He didn't like wild cards and Maurice was certainly that. Sami however seemed very confident that he'd take them up on their offer. She'd said that she had a good feeling about The Mole and was sure he'd want to help them do the right thing. EJ wasn't so sure but he deferred to Sami, knowing his wife's intuition wasn't to be dismissed. He trusted Sami and her instincts implicitly and it never even occurred to EJ to second guess her.

"Do you need to sit down sweetheart?" asked EJ solicitously after a few more minutes ticked by.

"I'm okay," she said easily.

"We've been standing for awhile," EJ pushed her to reconsider.

"I'm pregnant EJ, not disabled," said Sami wryly.

"Yes but now that you're getting-"

EJ stopped abruptly, realising almost too late that he'd stumbled into troubled waters.

"So fat?" Sami finished of for him flatly.

"I was going to say curvaceous," said EJ with what he hoped was a winning smile.

"You mean huge," said Sami, folding her arms in front of her chest and looking miffed, "You don't think my legs can take weight of my massive stomach and butt do you EJ? You think I'm about to crumble into a heap under such a huge load now that I'm as big as an orca."

"I most certainly did not mean anything like that Samantha," said EJ quickly, "You're being-"

"Overly sensitive, an irrational hormonally charged female?" Sami challenged him with an arched eyebrow.

EJ stopped and pursed his lips, choosing his next words carefully.

"What can I say now that isn't going to get me into more trouble?" he asked ruefully.

"Why are you asking me?" asked Sami defiantly, "I'm just your fat, crazy wife according to you."

"Now_ I_ need to sit down," said EJ dryly at Sami being so irrational.

EJ made a show of meekly sitting down on a nearby chair and holding his tongue.

"You shouldn't be mean to Sami EJ," piped up Maurice's muffled voice from within his cardboard castle.

Sami smiled at having her side taken.

"I wasn't!" exclaimed EJ, throwing up his hands in exasperation, "I'm being ganged up on here."

Sami moved over to where EJ was sitting and sat on his lap, putting an arm around his shoulder and giving him a cheeky grin. EJ shook his head indulgently at her as he hugged her back. She was just trying to distract him from his worrying, EJ suddenly understood that and wondered how this woman could more adorable every day.

"Impossible creature," said EJ huskily.

"Backward dolt," Sami countered affectionately, resting her forehead against his so he could see the teasing light in her eyes.

"You had me for a moment," EJ told her with a wry chuckle at himself.

"I've got you for the rest of your life and don't you forget it," Sami told him with a quirk of her lips, "Even if you do worry too much."

"You don't think I should be worrying right now?" asked EJ in a low voice, glancing briefly over at Fort Sami.

"No," said Sami evenly, "I know everything is going to be alright."

"Borrowing a little of Celeste's psychic ability are we darling?" asked EJ indulgently.

"Call it what you will but I know this is all going to work out," said Sami confidently.

"Ahem."

The quiet cough interrupted them and to EJ's surprise Maurice had finally left his fortress of solitude without them even noticing.

"I've made a decision," said The Mole, owlishly blinking at them behind his large, thick glasses.

Sami and EJ looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to continue but he just stared back at them.

"Which is?" EJ prompted him at last, trying to keep his impatience out of his voice.

"1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,10."

"Whoops," Sami said with a little laugh, "And we were doing so well."

"I know," said EJ wryly as he shook his head at Maurice Vogelpoel's little tics, "I'm sorry Maurice, you were saying you made a decision?"

"You said I can't stay here once Mr DiMera is taken down," said The Mole, not answering immediately.

"It wouldn't be safe," said Sami with a nod, "Stefano will work out what happened soon enough and he'd send someone after you to get his revenge."

"I've worked for Mr DiMera for a long time," said The Mole unsteadily.

"I know Maurice," said EJ quickly, "But I also know that you can't always have been happy about what he had you do for him."

"I tried not to think about it," said The Mole, not meeting their gaze now.

"But you did think about it didn't you?" Sami asked him gently, "Maurice the moment I met you I knew you were a good person, someone who wanted to do the right thing."

"You-you did?" asked The Mole and registered a small amount of pleasure at that thought.

"You've already shown your goodness by helping me in my hour of need," said EJ earnestly, "You bust me out of that prison-"

"You kidnapped me," said The Mole, wrinkling his nose.

"The details aren't important," said EJ determinedly, "What is important was that I needed you and you came to that prison to help me. You were a real friend that day Maurice and I don't want to see a friend waste his life in the service of a monster."

"A friend?" asked The Mole in amazement.

"We're friends aren't we Maurice?" asked Sami with a sweet smile, one that could melt any man's heart EJ couldn't help but notice, "I mean you called your fort after me, that has to count for something."

"Being inside Sami makes me happy," admitted The Mole, looking back at his creation lovingly.

"Amen to that," said EJ with a knowing nod which earned him a slap on the chest from Sami as she shook her head at his cheekiness.

EJ pulled an innocent face. "I meant you can tell that it would be great to get up to all kinds of mischief inside such a magnificent structure."

"EJ," Sami tried to scold him but ruined it by laughing.

The Mole looked between them, not quite understanding what was so funny.

"I don't know if I can leave here," he fretted, "And I don't want to leave Sami."

"Well I bet you could rebuild Sami to be even bigger and better wherever you end up," said Sami patiently, "Isn't there somewhere you've always wanted to go in the world?"

Maurice hesitated for a moment and then lifted a shy finger, pointing at the wall behind Sami and EJ where multiple bits of paper were stuck to the wall – run sheets, notes, schematics and circuit drawings along with several out of date calendars. EJ looked where The Mole was pointing and pulled a face at the picture on the old calendar.

"Pacoima?" he asked in disbelief, "You've always wanted to go to Pacoima Maurice?"

"I think he is pointing to the postcard beside the calendar honey," said Sami wryly, "Venice."

She looked at Maurice expectantly. "You've always wanted to go to Venice Maurice?"

The Mole gave a little smile and nodded. "It's built on the water you know."

"I know," said EJ encouragingly, "And it's a beautiful city and one every person should see in their life time for sure. I think you and Venice would get along famously Maurice."

"When the time is right EJ and I can have you on a plane to Venice," Sami told him, "You'd have a new name and a new life to do with what you want. You'd get a part of Stefano's fortune so money wouldn't be a worry for you ever again."

"You want to steal all of Stefano's money?" asked The Mole wide eyed.

"Every last penny," said EJ grimly, "If we leave him with even a dollar that man will find a way to put it towards revenge."

"He'll be mad," said The Mole anxiously.

"Fit to be tied I'd imagine," said EJ dryly, imagining his father's face.

"All of that money Stefano got through the pain and suffering of others Maurice," said Sami unhappily, "He doesn't deserve to have it because all he does with it is create more pain for others."

"1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10."

"Your turn," said EJ with a grin, "It's harder than you'd think not ending sentences with an 's' isn't it sweetheart?"

"Ye-"

Sami caught herself just in time to save them from a third faux pas causing ten sets of repetition. "That is true."

"What are you going to do with all that money?" asked The Mole a little uncertainly, still deep in thought, "It would have to be close to a half a billion dollars in all."

"Whoa!" said Sami in amazement, her eyes going wide, "Really?"

EJ looked at her reaction with amusement.

"I mean I knew you guys were rich but that is just crazy rich," said Sami unsteadily.

"Darling we have private islands and jets to get us there," said EJ with a chuckle, "That was kind of a clue don't you think?"

"Yes but there is rich and then there is rich," said Sami in amazement, "That's a lot of money. No wonder Stefano can make anything he wants happen."

"But without the money he loses all leverage," said EJ determinedly, "No money, no all powerful Stefano."

"So what were you going to do with the money again?" asked The Mole nervously.

Sami and EJ exchanged looks and he nodded in approval for her to go on.

"We're going to give most of it away Maurice," said Sami sincerely, "EJ and I are going to have to start new lives with Will as well so we'll take a small portion of the money to live on."

"Around ten million we're thinking see as we have to give up our stake in Mythic which would easily earn us that much in a couple of years," said EJ with a nod, "And you'll be handsomely rewarded as well Maurice, set for life really."

"And the rest is going to go to charities, worthwhile causes and the like," Sami chimed in, "We want to give the money back to the ones who have had to pay for it in the first place, try and make some things right again."

"And you could all be a part of doing something incredibly wonderful for a lot of people Maurice," EJ urged him, "Not many people get to touch as many lives as we potentially could."

"I'm scared of leaving," said The Mole quietly and EJ's heart sank, "This is all I know."

Sami and EJ didn't speak, just let him go on.

"But I'm more scared of not leaving," said The Mole unevenly, "And that this will be all I ever know."

Sami's face lit up as she jumped off EJ's lap and she rushed over to Maurice and threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

"Oh thank you, thank you!" she exclaimed excitedly, "You're not going to regret this Maurice I promise, EJ and I will take good care of you, no matter what happens."

"1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,3,3,3,3,3-"

"Now you've done it," EJ chuckled as Maurice played out his ritual.

When he was done he made a little strangled noise signalling he clearly wasn't used to being this close to a woman. EJ sympathised, being that close to Sami always undid him as well.

"Thank you old boy," said EJ as he stood up as well and slapped The Mole on the back, "You're literally saving our lives and many other people's as well."

"I'll need time to think about what you will need," said The Mole with an unsteady smile at their combined enthusiasm, "I can put together some surveillance cameras and recorders that won't be picked up by bug sweepers."

"1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10."

"That is exactly what we need," said Sami with a big grin, "Because Stefano won't be trusting us when we come back so we need to avoid giving him anything to be suspicious about as well as keeping up with his every move."

"And I can write a few different computer worms that you can upload into his system EJ," said The Mole, starting to get a little excited himself, "They'll just sit there collecting information until we decide when and where we want the information sent."

"Perfect," said Sami with a happy nod, "And how about cleaning him out completely?"

"I can write a virus that can empty all of his bank accounts whenever we want it to and then send off different amounts to whichever accounts we chose."

"Maurice you're a genius," said EJ with a grin.

"I know," he replied without a hint of conceit.

"So this is really going to happen?" asked Sami with a big smile.

"Give me twenty four hours and I'll have everything you need," said Maurice with confidence.

EJ and Sami smiled at each other in relief.

"Guess everything is falling into place eh?" said EJ with a relieved nod.

"So far so good," Sami agreed readily, "The three of us are on a mission."

"Can I just ask for one thing?" asked Maurice a little nervously, "That money you're going to give away-"

"Yes," EJ said, looking at him expectantly.

"I was raised in an orphanage from the age of five," said Maurice.

"Oh Maurice I'm sorry," said Sami unhappily.

"It was okay," said Maurice with a little shrug, "The nuns took really good care of me. The orphanage is a school now for underprivileged kids but I know they're having a lot of trouble making ends meet. I visit Sister Margaret every Sunday and she was telling me they were going to have to close soon if they don't find some money from somewhere."

"Sister Margaret and her school will be on top of our list," EJ promised him without hesitation.

"I guess I'll never see Sister Margaret again," said Maurice sadly.

"Maybe for a little while," said Sami gently, "But I'm sure we'll be able to work something out long term. That's what EJ and I are planning with our families and I'm sure you will be able to as well in time."

"Doing the right thing almost always comes at a cost Maurice," said EJ, putting a comforting hand on the other man's shoulder, "But as you've already said the cost of doing nothing is greater still."

Maurice the Mole gave a slow nod as he pondered that.

"So partners?" said Sami with a smile.

"1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10."

"Partners," Maurice agreed with a shy smile of his own, "1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2-"

"You know after awhile this is kind of relaxing," said Sami with a wry smile as Maurice counted away rapidly.

"It's practically whale song," EJ agreed straight faced which earned him another jab in the ribs.

**oooOOOOooo**

"How many pancakes do you think I can eat Mom?" asked Will wryly as his mother stacked yet another pile of the steaming treats on his plate.

"You're a growing boy," she mumbled distractedly, glancing up at the clock yet again.

EJ had gone to see Stefano and throw himself on his mercy and beg his way back into his good books. Sami knew EJ wasn't going to enjoy that part of the plan but it was necessary.

"I'm not planning on growing into Texas," said Will in exasperation, "I can't keeping eating these Mom."

"But I made them into shapes like you like," said Sami as she ignored him and poured another batch.

"When I was five," said Will in exasperation.

He held up a weirdly shaped pancake up to Sami and arched an eyebrow. "And what is this meant to be exactly?"

"It's a dinosaur," said Sami absently, checking the clock again.

"After it was hit by the meteor I'm assuming," said Will dryly as he looked at the misshapen pancake.

"Just eat it," Sami instructed him.

"Mom I seriously am going to blow chunks if I eat another mouthful," said Will, looking a little green around the gills, "Can't you take your nervous energy out some other way… like doing my laundry or something?"

"You're big enough and ugly enough to do your own laundry young man," said Sami firmly.

"Worth a shot," said Will with a philosophical sigh.

The teenager studied his mother as she continued making pancakes regardless.

"What if EJ screws it up?" he asked out of the blue.

Sami stopped what she was doing at last and stared at him. Will knew where EJ was and what he was doing.

"He won't."

"How do you know?"

Will gave a little shrug. "I mean if Stefano doesn't buy EJ crawling back to him then aren't we kind of screwed?"

"EJ can be very convincing when he needs to be," said Sami firmly.

"Is that because he's a good liar?" asked Will and there was definite defiance in his eyes as he said that.

Will was still in a lot of pain from losing his father, the funeral had only been two days before after all so it was to be expected. He was still trying to come to terms with all that was going on and Sami understood that more than she suspected Will knew.

"Yes it is as a matter of fact," said Sami, putting down the bowl of batter and not backing away from his challenge, "We both are."

"And you're proud about that?" asked Will a little bitterly.

"I'm accepting of it," said Sami stoically, "I've made a lot of bad choices in my life Will and because of that I've had to learn to lie and be very good at it and EJ is the same."

"Great role models," Will said with a roll of his eyes, obviously trying to bait her.

"What would you prefer Will?" Sami said defiantly, "To be raised by people that never made mistakes and who wouldn't understand when you did or to have people who have made their fair share of mistakes and have learned from them?"

"You never learned from them before," said Will angrily, "You always ended up pulling the same stuff over and over again Mom."

"I know," said Sami regretfully, "I was a slow learner and I didn't know any other way. I was so scared I'd miss out on the life I'd always wanted if I didn't make it happen for me."

Sami gave a soft smile. "And then EJ came along and swept me off my reluctant and stubborn feet."

"Do you love him more than you loved my dad?" asked Will emotionally.

Sami reached out across the counter and cupped his cheek, stroking it lovingly.

"Honey I loved your dad differently to how I love EJ," said Sami gently, "You can't put a measure on love. Your dad gave me the greatest gift of my life in you and I will always, always love him for that. In a lot of ways we grew up together and even though it wasn't always good between us there are a lot of memories – as many good as bad."

Sami looked down and put her hand on her stomach. "It's like the way I love these babies and I love you Will – they can't be compared. I love you for all the things you are to me and I'll love Arthur and Martha for all the things they will be to me."

Will blinked away emotional tears at Sami's sincerity.

"Arthur and Martha?" he choked out, looking like he was trying to diffuse all the emotion of the moment, "Please tell me that those aren't the names you chose for my brother and sister Mom."

"We're still deciding," said Sami with a smile, "They are just fill ins."

"Thank goodness," said Will with a wobbly smile of his own, "Otherwise they'd better be good at fighting or running away very quickly."

"They'll probably have long legs thanks to EJ," said Sami with a little laugh, "I won't be much help in that department."

Just as quickly as Will's defiance had come up it seemed to have passed again. Such was the lot of living with a teenager but Sami found herself strangely patient about the whole thing. She wasn't sure if it was the pregnancy hormones or the fact that she was just so content now or even that being loved so completely had given her an insight into the human condition but everything Will said or did seemed to make sense to her and she always had an answer for him. Just then EJ walked through the door and Sami immediately tensed, searching his face and trying to work out how it had gone.

"Do I smell pancakes?" asked EJ with a smile as he hung up his coat and walked over to the kitchen counter.

He picked up one of Sami's creation and his smile widened. "Hey, a dinosaur."

"You're kidding me right," said Will in disbelief as he looked at the weirdly shaped blob EJ had in his hand, "How do you get a dinosaur out of _that_?"

"It's obvious," said EJ blithely as he leant across the counter to kiss Sami, "Hello my domestic goddess."

"Aha," said Sami, waving away the small talk, "How did it go?"

"Well depending on what you think of our little plan very well or terribly," said EJ wryly.

"I'm not up for a riddle EJ," said Sami in exasperation, "Are we in or out?"

"In," said EJ with a sigh as he took a seat beside Will at the kitchen counter, "We are very much in. I said we'd move in this afternoon. Do we have any jam?"

"Who has jam on their pancakes?" asked Will in disbelief, "It's maple syrup or nothing EJ."

"That's very narrow minded of you William," said EJ with a quirk of his lips.

"Some things are just the way they are," said Will with an unapologetic shrug.

"So he bought your prodigal son act?" Sami asked, biting her bottom lip a little anxiously and bringing the conversation back on topic, "You're sure?"

"As sure as I can be when it comes to my Father," said EJ dryly, "He'll never completely trust anyone but I think I was convincing enough for him to give us the benefit of the doubt."

Sami nodded slowly, the enormity of what they were undertaking hitting her once again. EJ gave her a soft reassuring smile, both of them knowing what was at risk here.

"So I guess this is it then," said Will sounding surprisingly calm, "The beginning of the end for all of us."


	190. Chapter 336

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & THIRTY SIX**** – ****Up, Up and Away**

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.

_Helen Keller_

_(American Author and Educator who was blind and deaf. 1880-1968)_

EJ froze, crouched on his knees beside his father's bed as he heard footsteps approaching. It was their first full day in the mansion and EJ had been taking advantage of the fact that his father was out to plant the listening devices that The Mole had given him. So far he'd planted them in Stefano's study, the living room and kitchen and his bedroom was the last on EJ's list. He'd found good hiding places for them all that Stefano would never find and The Mole had promised him that no bug sweeper would detect them. EJ had been just putting the last of them in his father's bedside drawer when he'd heard the approaching footsteps. He'd been sure his father would have been longer than this but then there was a short rap at the door.

"Mr DiMera?"

EJ recognised the voice of one of his father's goons, Tio and realised he had to think fast. He dropped to his stomach and rolled noiselessly under the bed just as the door opened and Tio entered. He watched as Tio's well shined shoes made their way across the carpet to stand in front of the bed. EJ held his breath as his heart beat erratically in his chest. The man walked over to the walk in wardrobe and wrenched open the door, obviously expecting to surprise someone. No one was there of course and EJ then watched the shoes head off towards the adjoining bathroom and took his opportunity.

He rolled out from under the bed and knowing he didn't have time to make the door before Tio returned EJ simply slipped into the walk in wardrobe that had already been checked. EJ watched through a small crack in the door as Tio walked out, frowning as he looked around himself. He suddenly looked down at the bed suspiciously and with a gun in hand he quickly bent down, waving it under the bed. No one was there of course and he straightened up with a fierce scowl.

"I know I heard somethin'," he muttered to himself.

Using his earpiece that all of Stefano's guards used he spoke to a colleague.

"Hey Marco," he said, pressing a finger to his ear, "I'm up in the boss' bedroom – I think I heard something. Everything clear your end?"

Marco must have given his answer as Tio gave a frustrated shake of his head.

"No nuthin'," said Tio, looking around himself, "I think I'll do a proper sweep of the whole floor just to make sure."

With that Tio walked to the door and with a final look over his shoulder he at last left the room. EJ let out the breath he'd been holding and quietly made his way out of the wardrobe after giving the other man a minute to get well clear of the door. For a man of his size EJ's footsteps were surprisingly silent as he headed towards the door, intent on getting out of there now. He opened the door just a little bit and peered both ways down the corridor as best he could. Tio must have been in one of the many other rooms on this level checking them out as EJ couldn't see him. Opening the door more EJ slipped out and tried to close it quietly behind him but the door was a little stiff and if he closed it completely then the door would make a noise. Not wanting that EJ left the door the slightest bit ajar and quickly started to make his way down the corridor.

Just as he got to the corner he heard the sound of another door being opened and started to run. Tio emerged from a bedroom further down the hall and must have just caught a flash of EJ out of the corner of his eye because suddenly EJ could hear the sound of running feet behind him. Tio paused ever so briefly to notice the slightly ajar bedroom door of his employer and then began to run in earnest down the hall.

"Marco come quick!" he called down to his colleague, "Someone is up here!"

EJ heard Tio call for back up even as he reached his and Sami's room, wrenching open the door and quickly closing it behind him before the other man could round the corner and see him. Sami gasped at his dramatic entrance as she stared at him wide eyed, dressed only in a towel after having just taken a shower.

"Quick!" EJ whispered to her urgently.

"Quick what?" asked Sami in confusion as EJ began to tear his clothes off at an incredible speed.

EJ hadn't told Sami that he'd been planning on planting the bugs that afternoon because he knew she'd insist on helping him and he would have been a nervous wreck at the thought of her being found out and in any kind of danger. So instead he'd sent her off for a relaxing bath. As it turned out though it seemed he wasn't quite as stealthy as he'd first thought because EJ could hear doors being slammed down the corridor and getting closer. Tio must have heard the door close behind EJ when he ran into their bedroom and he was now very rapidly checking each room in turn, gun drawn no doubt. He had to throw the man off the trail because if Stefano suspected for just one moment that EJ was up to no good then it was going to be over for all of them.

EJ was naked now, kicking off his socks as he hopped towards a vaguely amused Sami.

"I need a diversion!" EJ said dramatically, keeping his voice down.

He grabbed at Sami's towel and ripped it from her now naked and still dripping body.

"Wh-?"

Sami didn't get to finish her sentence as EJ threw her down on the bed and immediately jumped on top of her, being careful of her baby bump of course.

"EJ!" Sami managed to gasp out before he covered her mouth with his and muffled the rest of her questions.

"Diversion," EJ mumbled into his fierce kisses just as their bedroom door was flung open.

Sami screamed in surprise as she sat up and EJ immediately made sure that his body covered most of hers as they both stared at the door and the startled looking Tio standing there.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" EJ raged at the clearly stricken man as Sami grabbed a sheet to cover herself more completely, "GET OUT OF HERE!"

EJ was hoping his uneven breathing would be taken for arousal by the other man rather than having just sprinted down a corridor.

"Sorry Mr DiMera," said Tio in abject horror as he abruptly turned on his heel and slammed the door shut behind him.

EJ blew out a long breath of relief as he heard the rapidly retreating footsteps of the other man. He looked over at Sami who was now propped up against the bed head, arms folded in front of her chest as she eyed him suspiciously.

"You went and planted those bugs without me didn't you?" she asked with a definite note of censure in her voice.

"Maybe," EJ hedged with a bright smile.

"And then you shamelessly used me to cover up your rampant incompetence in doing said task," Sami continued on, eyes narrowing.

"I wouldn't say rampant darling," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "I got the job done."

"And nearly got caught doing it," said Sami in exasperation, "Now if you'd let me be a part of it all then-"

"You were a part of it," EJ interrupted her quickly.

Now the immediate danger of being discovered was over EJ suddenly realised he had a dripping, naked Sami in his bed and his blood flow was being diverted south of the border.

"A beautiful, luscious, totally sexy part of it," EJ finished off, his voice thickening a little as he perused Sami's body noting how she hadn't pulled the sheet up far enough on one side and the beginning of a dusky pink areolar was showing and giving him all sorts of very bad thoughts.

"I flashed one of your father's henchmen," said Sami with a roll of her eyes, "Big part."

Clearly Sami wasn't bothered by that part of what had just happened and EJ loved how fearless his wife was nowadays even if the thought of where that fearlessness might lead did give him panic attacks in the middle of the night. No, Sami wasn't annoyed about the flashing but about the fact he'd left her out of the loop with his plans. Time to try a little diversion EJ decided.

"And getting bigger," said EJ with a wicked grin as he cupped her burgeoning breast, testing its weight.

Sami tried to look annoyed but then began to giggle, forcing her to clap a hand over her mouth in case the other man wasn't out of earshot yet. EJ looked down at her and grinned.

"What's so funny?" he asked, keeping his voice low

EJ's heart was still pounding from the close call he'd just had and of course the fact that he had Sami's breast in the palm of his hand.

"You looked like Clark Kent tearing off his clothes to save the day only to find out that he wasn't wearing his Superman suit underneath everything," Sami giggled, "It was like an X-rated superhero movie."

"Costume or not I can still promise you I'm the man of steel," said EJ, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at her and making Sami laugh even harder.

Clearly his transgressions were forgiven which meant EJ could give free reign to all of those wicked thoughts of his. Sami, it seemed, had a similar idea.

"Talk is cheap Clark," she teased him back playfully, "Why don't you show me if you're really as super as all the hype."

EJ quickly pulled her down so that she was lying on her back on the bed before covering her body with his own and grinding himself into her making Sami's eyes go wide.

"Is that super enough for you?" he asked throatily.

He was rock hard thanks to adrenaline and of course Sami.

"My hero," said Sami breathlessly, throwing her arms around his neck and dragging him down into a heated kiss.

EJ immediately lost his mind in those kisses.

"Did you get everything in?" Sami panted as EJ finally broke the kiss and began to press hungry kisses along her neck.

"Give me a moment darling," EJ said unevenly as he raised his head and looked down at her with lust filled eyes, "I'm not the Flash and some things are simply too delightful to do at break neck speed."

This caused fresh giggles from Sami. "I meant the you know whats being put in the you know wheres."

EJ blinked at her blankly, his hunger for this woman having driven everything out of his mind except his need to possess her completely.

"Oh god," Sami laughed at his clueless expression, "The bugs EJ, are the bugs in place?"

"Right yes," said EJ, suddenly remembering what he'd been doing not five minutes ago.

Nothing else existed for him when Sami kissed him. It was glorious if a little dangerous at times.

"Yes, I got them all in," said EJ, trying to string coherent sentences together, "It's all good."

"Even the ones for Stefano's room?" Sami quizzed him.

"Where did you think I picked up Magilla Gorilla from?" asked EJ with a quirk of his lips, "I think Father keeps him in a drawer beside the bed in case of emergencies."

"What kind of man uses his wife so shamelessly?" Sami tutted, shaking her head at him in mock disgust.

"A desperate one?" offered up EJ with a sweet smile.

He rubbed his now aching hard on against her thigh.

"-and very horny one," he finished off, licking his lips hungrily.

"What kind of wife would I be if I let you have your evil way with me after you just left me out of all of your plans hm?" Sami challenged him.

"A kind and understanding one?" EJ suggested hopefully.

EJ really hoped this wasn't heading towards a cold shower.

"Have you even met me Elvis DiMera?" Sami asked with an arched eyebrow, "I think you need to show me how sorry you are for your sins."

"And how would I go about doing that sweetheart?" asked EJ, his eyes lighting up as he saw the sultry promise in Sami's.

Sami pushed against his shoulders, guiding him down her body.

"Use your imagination," she instructed him throatily as she stretched out on the bed beneath him.

EJ sat up and ran starving eyes over her naked form and did just that. He grabbed a pillow from the bed and placed it under Sami's bottom, supporting her back before leaning down to breath in the heady scent of her arousal. EJ's stomach muscles clenched at the aroma and his head began to spin as he rubbed one cheek against her mound. He reached out with one finger and traced the lines of Sami's folds before slipping easily into her wet heat. EJ stroked her walls with one long finger, feeling the way Sami squirmed a little under his touch. His eager tongue reached out for her hidden nub, coaxing it from its hiding place and rubbing it with the tip of his tongue. Sami gave a low groan and clutched at the bed sheets as EJ continued to lavish attention on her delicate flesh.

EJ's hand was becoming coated in Sami's juices and he inserted two more fingers into her heat, stretching her pleasurably. By crooking his fingers EJ was able to find that sweet spot inside of her that had Sami's toes curling as he began to rhythmically massage it with his fingers. The tenseness in Sami's body told him that she wanted to come but EJ made sure to hold off from letting her fall over that ledge, drawing out her pleasure and his own. He was so hard now that EJ was gritting his teeth against the almost uncontrollable urge to mount this woman and have her body for his own again and again and again.

"God EJ let me come!" Sami moaned out her need as he felt her begin to bear down hard on his fingers.

"Am I forgiven?" EJ panted, still making her wait for that sweet release.

Sami gave a frustrated groan and ground herself fiercely onto his fingers.

"Is that a yes?" EJ chuckled, enjoying how lost in his kisses Sami was.

"Yes!" Sami screamed in delirium, "YES!"

Her loss of control almost made EJ lose his own but somehow he managed to rein back his own rampant need to fulfil Sami right then. He began thrusting more deeply into her, making Sami give a little groaning grunt of satisfaction every time he completely impaled her with his fingers. With his free hand EJ found Sami's nub again and began to rub it hard, setting a frantic pace and one that quickly had Sami contracting helplessly around him, crying out her pleasure. Seeing her like this was always such an aphrodisiac and EJ felt the pre-cum dribble from his tip, eager to sample some of that wildly convulsing gorgeousness for itself.

"Oh god," said Sami weakly when she could finally speak again.

EJ sat up and looked down at her flushed face and body and the look of satisfaction on her face. "You sure know how to apologise honey."

"Practice makes perfect," EJ said unevenly, his aching balls tightening even more at the sight of her glowing body.

"Well I think I might have a nap now," said Sami with a happy sigh, stretching her arms above her head and closing her eyes.

"I married a comedian," EJ said with a roll of his eyes as Sami feigned sleep.

At least he hoped she was joking. "Right sweetheart?"

The corners of Sami's mouth began to curl up at the sound of utter desperation in his voice and completely ruined her little act. Sami opened her eyes and looked up at him with a cheeky grin.

"Something you need EJ?" she asked with the sweetest of smiles.

"Only the same thing I've needed since I first laid eyes on you," said EJ with a growl, "To be inside of you and making you mine."

"Is that right?" asked Sami with a sly smile.

She pushed against his shoulders making EJ roll over onto his back as she sat up and now it was Sami's turn to look down at him. EJ watched her with hungry eyes as Sami's gaze swept up and down his naked body, taking in his raging need of her. She reached out with her hand and ever so gently rubbed the palm of her hand over his velvety tip, causing EJ to grit his teeth once again. His muscles strained as he fought against simply exploding right there and then. EJ wanted to be inside of Sami when that happened, feeling her silken walls convulsing around him once again but she wasn't making it easy for him.

"You look in pain EJ," Sami teased him mercilessly, "Would you like me to kiss it better?"

"God yes!" EJ exclaimed, his voice cracking as he watched Sami give him a knowing look before turning her attention back to his wildly twitching hard on.

She bent down and began kissing along his flat, muscled stomach and making EJ hiss loudly. Sami reached his erection and EJ felt her soft tongue glide up one side and down the other of the beast, sending electric shocks through his entire body. EJ watched in utter bliss as Sami's mouth sank down on him, taking as much as she could of him into her mouth. The wet heat of her mouth instantly engulfed him as she began to gently suck on him. The pressure wasn't enough to make him come but instead kept him on that knife edge of feeling like it could happen any moment.

EJ reached out with one hand and found one of Sami's breasts and began playing with it, pulling on and rolling the hard peak. Unbelievably they'd become even more sensitive since her pregnancy and EJ knew that with very little attention he'd be helping Sami find her next orgasm. The thought made him groan loudly into the dark room that was currently filled with the sound of his heavy breathing and Sami's soft suckling noises. Sami's hand went to his balls and began fondling them and EJ felt them tighten even more.

"Please!" he gasped.

Now it was EJ's turn to beg and he felt Sami's chuckle vibrate against his silken length. She lifted her head and licked her lips slowly.

"Ready for more?" she purred the entirely redundant question at him.

"Yes," EJ squeaked, not trusting himself with the ability to say anything more.

Sami straightened up, straddling him now and EJ held his breath as she held herself just above him. He could feel the heat of her core against his swollen tip but Sami was making him wait.

"I'm going to come!" EJ warned her desperately as he felt it building in the pit of her stomach.

"No you're not," she ordered him with an arched eyebrow, "Not until I'm good and ready."

EJ made a loud complaining groan sound and was forced to draw on all of his reserves of will power and inner fortitude. He didn't want to disappoint Sami but at some point it really was no longer up to him. Sami knew that and was torturing him on purpose and EJ was loving every minute of it. She guided his tip to her nub and began to make slow, torturous circles with it over her delicate flesh, making them both gasp. EJ propped himself up on his elbows, eager to get Sami to the same level of excitement that he was at so that she'd let him have her completely. He attached himself to one breast that was gently swaying in front of his face in time to her pleasuring herself with his body and began to suckle hard.

Sami cried out and EJ was instantly rewarded with fresh moisture gushing from her body. He was quite rough with the hardened teat in his mouth, knowing how Sami liked it and he listened in satisfaction as her breathing quickly started to come in short pants, signalling her growing arousal. EJ switched his attention to her other breast, forcing it into an equally hard peak as his own breathing became so roughened that he was having trouble finding his next breath properly. Sami gave a loud approving moan and began working his tip against her nub even harder but EJ was having none of that. If he wasn't allowed to climax outside her body either was she. He pulled back, admiring his handiwork in her glistening, distended nipples as Sami began to give little moaning grunts, obviously getting close to making herself come again.

"Mount me!" EJ commanded her imperiously, his hands going to her hips and pulling her forward.

Sami tried to resist, obviously wanting to find her completion with what she was doing but EJ wasn't to be denied any longer. He forced her down on his painfully engorged manhood, making them both cry out. Sami shuddered against the invasion, her walls as always straining to take all of him despite all the attention EJ had given them.

"Ride me!" EJ said desperately, jerking his hips up as Sami drew in some strained breaths, already obviously feeling some pre-orgasmic tremors, "Make me come sweetheart!"

Sami moaned as she placed her hands flat on EJ's chest, no longer as in control as she once was. Her body had taken over, just as EJ's had as she clamped down hard around him with her walls before beginning to do as he ordered. Sami went up on her knees and almost withdrew him totally from her body before driving herself down hard on him again. EJ's hands tightened on her thighs and he had some dim thought that he hoped he wasn't going to leave bruises but then Sami began repeating the process again and again and his brain ceased to function. In its wake was just the riot of sensations that Sami was causing in his body as she began to ride him in earnest. Her slick heat taking him again and again with ever growing urgency.

EJ arched his back and dug his heels into the bed as he felt himself racing towards that glorious peak. His mindless moaning filled the room as a powerful orgasm began to build deep inside of him. When he came EJ saw stars as he bellowed out his pleasure, pumping his hot seed into Sami as she continued to frantically ride him. Her efforts prolonged his orgasm and helped milk every last drop of his essence out of him and into her body. EJ still adored marking her this way, knowing that Sami would be walking around for the rest of the day with a part of his body hidden away in the secret recesses of hers.

It always got him hard just thinking about it and was probably the reason her pregnancy was such an aphrodisiac for him. That swollen belly was proof positive of EJ having staked his claim over this woman and a part of his DNA was being carried under her heart at all times. The thought just made him so damn horny all the time. Sami cried out and began shuddering on top of him as she found her climax now and EJ could lie underneath her and enjoy watching her become a quivering mess all around him. He rolled them onto their sides, still with his only slowly softening member deep inside of Sami as she collapsed in a heaving heap. EJ kissed her deeply, stealing what little breath either of them had left.

"So am I punished enough now Mrs DiMera?" asked EJ unevenly when they finally broke the kiss, taking in her glowing countenance adoringly.

Sami took a moment to catch her breath before replying.

"Not yet," she said with a cheeky look coming to her eyes and making EJ fall more madly in love with her than ever before.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Calm down my son," said Stefano with a wave of his hand.

"Calm down!" exclaimed EJ, trying to keep up his act of righteous indignation for his audience, "Why should I when I have the likes of him-"

EJ jabbed a finger at the large man standing in the room looking highly embarrassed.

"-are invading mine and Samantha's privacy willy nilly," said EJ heatedly.

Sami and EJ had figured they'd better put on a bit of a show for Stefano over the little mishap that afternoon otherwise it might be thought a little strange. Besides, EJ always liked the idea of a good defence being a good offence. By dragging the hapless guard in front of his father for a dressing down ensured that the employee would tread carefully around them from now on. Of course the man had done nothing wrong technically and in fact had shown rare competency when it came to his father's henchmen but EJ couldn't afford to let an opportunity like this pass him by.

"And since when do we have guards prowling our corridors day and night?" asked EJ with a fierce frown, "I wasn't aware I'd be bringing me family to live in a prison Father!"

"I merely have Tio do a sweep of the house twice a day," said Stefano evenly, "I did not think that good security would be an issue for you Elvis. In fact I thought after all that you'd been through you and Samantha would welcome it."

"Father the man walked in on Samantha and I in a delicate situation," said EJ angrily.

"I didn't see nuthin'!" said Tio quickly, looking very stressed, "I promise Mr DiMera."

"I find that a little hard to believe," said EJ flatly and actually couldn't help the little flash of jealousy he felt at even the prospect of another man getting a fleeting glimpse of Sami's loveliness.

Of course EJ had made sure the unfortunate Tio had gotten more of an eyeful of him rather than Sami but it wasn't hard to fake his anger at the other man for such a transgression. Other men around his Samantha in any capacity just drove EJ crazy and probably always would. He knew he should probably try and work on that but he had no idea how.

"It was dark," said Tio uncomfortably, "And I left straight away."

"Why were you even barging into our room in the first place?" asked EJ in annoyance, "Didn't you know we've moved in?"

"I forgot," admitted Tio unhappily, "And I thought I'd heard someone in the boss' room and when I went to check I thought I saw someone leave and when I ran after them yours was the first room I came to that was unlocked so I thought they might have gone in there."

"Did it ever occur to you with all of this thinking you were doing that you were mistaken in the first place and you were chasing a figment of your imagination?" asked EJ, folding his arms in front of his chest and glaring at the other man.

He looked over at Stefano who was watching the dressing down with some amusement. "Just where do you find these men Father? They jump at shadows it seems – you're damn lucky they haven't shot you in the middle of the night!"

"Tio is normally very good," Stefano defended his staff mildly.

"It was a one off thing Mr DiMera," Tio promised EJ hastily, "It won't happen again."

"It had better not," said EJ with a good imitation of indignation, "My wife was absolutely mortified and I won't have her subjected to that kind of embarrassment again in what is her own home now!"

"You can go Tio," said Stefano, dismissing the man.

"Thank you sir," said Tio unhappily, "And I really am sorry sir."

"Just don't let it happen again," said EJ with a cold stare as the other man beat a hasty retreat leaving father and son alone.

"Was Samantha really distressed?" asked Stefano with an arched eyebrow.

"Of course," said EJ roundly.

"This happened hours ago," pointed out Stefano with a smile playing around his lips, "If it was so traumatic then why has it taken so long to come and bring it to my attention?"

"Samantha needed to be comforted," said EJ straight faced, "Obviously."

"Obviously," said Stefano with a knowing smile.

Stefano glanced at his watch. "Two hours worth of comforting I see."

"Well she was very, very upset," said EJ trying not to smile as he remembered the amazing two hours he'd just spent making love to his new wife.

He legs were still shaking but it was so worth it.

"And is Samantha suitably… _comforted_ now Elvis?" asked Stefano, still with a vague smile.

"For now," said EJ and now he couldn't hide his smile, "Although I suspect there will be some follow up comforting later on tonight."

"Of that I have no doubt," said Stefano with a wry chuckle.

The two men smiled at each other and for a brief moment EJ had a pang over all that was lost between them. Moments like these highlighted to EJ that they could have had a normal father and son relationship but that Stefano and his thirst for power and revenge meant it could never be. There was too much water under the bridge for things to change now. Too many wrongs had been committed by his father for EJ to even consider going back on his plan to end the DiMera empire once and for all.

"So really Father," said EJ with a shake of his head, "All of this heavy security – is it really necessary? I don't remember armed guards patrolling the hallways when I was growing up."

EJ rather suspected that he and Sami were the reason for the heightened security somehow.

"The world has become a more dangerous place," said Stefano smoothly, giving nothing away, "And I have much to protect nowadays. I don't wish to take any chances eh?"

"I suppose not," said EJ calmly, "But please Father, keep your men out of Samantha's way, she really didn't sign up for this kind of thing."

"I will do my best," said Stefano with a slight inclination of his head.

"That's all I ask," said EJ with a nod.

"And you didn't hear anything of this intruder of Tio's?" Stefano quizzed him thoughtfully.

"I had other things on my mind at the time Father," said EJ with a wry smile, "But honestly I think the man is imagining things. I mean if there was someone on the second floor how did they get out? I think this Tio fellow is just being overzealous and is starting to dream up people to chase, no doubt to impress you."

"Perhaps," said Stefano with a little shrug.

Stefano paused and looked thoughtful for a moment.

"I am glad you're here my son," he announced at last, smiling up at EJ, "This old house feels like a home at last."

"I'm glad I'm here too Father," EJ lied smoothly.

The lull before the storm.


	191. Chapter 337

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & THIRTY SEVEN**** – ****An Offer You Can't Refuse**

The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it's the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to trust him with his friend.

_Ralph Waldo Emerson_

_(American Poet, Lecturer and Essayist, 1803-1882)_

"Second thoughts?" EJ asked Sami, tilting his head and looking at her as they travelled in the elevator together.

Sami stopped playing with her necklace which was a bit of a giveaway that she was indeed nervous and smiled up at him ruefully.

"I can't decide if we're doing Estelle a huge favour or the complete reverse," Sami admitted wryly.

"It's a fine line," EJ agreed wholeheartedly.

They were at Mythic, heading off to see Estelle and let her in on their plans. Estelle had been involved with their company for nearly a month now and was showing a great talent for it.

"I mean on one hand we're looking at for all intents and purposes giving her Mythic," Sami mulled over, "And that is no small thing."

"No it isn't," EJ nodded, "It's already a multimillion dollar business."

"One which Estelle shows a real flair for," said Sami, gnawing her bottom lip.

"She does have a knack for getting people to buy what she is selling," said EJ with a wry smile.

"Just like us," said Sami with a half smile.

"I think that is one of the many reasons we love her so much," EJ chuckled.

"But then she is also going to be involved in this whole mess and I really hate doing that to her," Sami fretted.

"Sweetheart Estelle has been involved with our mess for quite some time," said EJ dryly, "I think she is used to it."

"That doesn't make it right though," said Sami with an unhappy sigh, "And then once we tell her she can't unknow our plans."

"Unknow?" EJ repeated with an arched eyebrow.

"It's a word," Sami defended her choice.

"I rather suspect it isn't sweetheart," said EJ with a little laugh.

"Love me, love my grammar," Sami said with an impish smile as the elevator reached their destination and they stepped off.

"That's quite an ask," EJ teased her, putting a hand to Sami's back and walking down the corridor with her.

"Don't make me hurt you in a public place EJ," Sami warned him with mock annoyance.

"Mr and Mrs DiMera," said Carol happily as she saw them approach.

The older woman stood up from her desk and walked round to smile at them both. Estelle was now using EJ's old office and had acquired the very capable Carol in the transition as well.

"Hello Carol," said EJ warmly, "It's good to see you again."

"You too Mr DiMera," said Carol with a friendly nod, "You're missed around here."

"I'm sure Estelle fills the breach quite admirably," said EJ with a half smile.

"She does sir," said Carol with a little laugh.

"We're here to see Estelle," said Sami, "I'm sorry but I didn't bother with an appointment – is she in Carol?"

Sami was still there most days but only half days now which EJ was very happy about and it was far less frustrating for Sami knowing that Estelle was in charge of everything in her absence.

"She's just on a conference call and shouldn't be much longer," Carol informed them.

"Just ask her to come to my office when she is free will you thanks Carol?" Sami asked easily as she and EJ headed over to her office.

"Of course Mrs DiMera," said Carol.

"I love hearing that," Sami sighed as they walked into her office and EJ closed the door behind them, "Mrs DiMera."

"It does have a certain ring to it," EJ agreed readily as he moved and took Sami into his arms.

"Pity I can't keep it," said Sami with a wrinkle of her nose.

"Mrs Devlise has a ring to it too don't you think?" asked EJ with a quirk of his lips as he tightened his arms around her.

"You think we should go with those names?" asked Sami in surprise.

"Don't you?" asked EJ with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm not sure how I feel about being called Brandy for the rest of my life," Sami admitted wryly, "It's a stripper's name."

"Well it has that in its favour of course," said EJ, tongue in cheek.

Sami smiled and rolled her eyes at him.

"I can live with Rami," he said, "I won't miss the Elvis jokes."

"Your mother will be devastated," said Sami with a little chuckle.

"My mother will still probably call me Elvis regardless," said EJ indulgently.

"I'm going to miss hearing you say my name," said Sami with a little unhappy pout, "I love the way you say Samantha."

"You'll always be Samantha to me sweetheart," said EJ huskily, "And when we're alone-"

"In bed," said Sami with a saucy smile.

"In bed," EJ agreed with a wicked smile of his own, "I'll call you by the name that captured my heart from our first meeting."

Sami's smile widened and she went up on tip toes to press a loving kiss to EJ's lips which he immediately returned.

"You do have a way about you Elvis DiMera," said Sami breathlessly when the kiss finally ended, "No wonder Will is warming to you so much."

"I think us being locked in the garage ended up being a very good thing," EJ agreed with a half smile, "Thank you for eventually rescuing us darling."

"Want to know a secret?" Sami asked with an impish smile, "I actually found you two a half an hour before I let you out but you were so engrossed in conversation I just let you talk. I love how Will is opening up to you EJ, he needs you so badly but just won't admit it."

"I'm used to dealing with that thanks to his mother," said EJ with a wry chuckle, "We'll be okay. Will is a good kid who is going through a lot. All I can do is let him know I'm there for him whenever he needs me."

"You have such a way with him," said Sami with a happy sigh.

"I wish I could say the same for your mother," said EJ ruefully, "My last meeting with her was less than successful. Thank goodness John came home when he did otherwise it could have gotten even more nasty."

"I love that you're trying with my Mom," said Sami, stroking his chest.

"Very trying according to Marlena," said EJ dryly, "My father certainly did a number on her. She hears the name DiMera and that is it – we're all the devil incarnate."

"Well I'm a DiMera now," said Sami with a sigh.

"Samantha your mother loves you," said EJ reassuringly, "If she didn't she wouldn't hate me quite so much."

"Why can't she see how great you are?" Sami groaned the question as she placed her cheek on EJ's chest, "You're loving and generous and kind and giving-"

"You're right sweetheart," said EJ in amusement, "I'm awesome and with absolutely no bad character traits at all."

Sami lifted her head and looked up at him and smiled at EJ's self deprecation.

"Actually your bad character traits are my favourite ones," said Sami with a heated look.

"Thank god," said EJ throatily as he leant down to kiss her again.

"I thought I was being invited to a meeting, not a threesome."

Estelle's wry comment interrupted the lovers as they broke apart and grinned at her.

"Not that I'm opposed to the idea of course," she continued on blithely.

"Hi Estelle," said Sami with a grin as she hugged EJ to her, "Thanks for coming."

"Well you two are the boss," said Estelle easily as EJ smiled warmly at her in greeting.

"We're partners," Sami corrected her quickly before looking up at EJ.

"Darling why don't you take a seat?" said EJ to Estelle, nodding at a chair whilst he and Sami sat on the sofa together.

"Okay," said Estelle after she settled in, "What are you two up to now?"

Sami and EJ exchanged another look.

"How do you enjoy working at Mythic?" asked EJ, not answering her question directly.

"I love it," said Estelle with a grin, "It's my dream job. I meet interesting people and get to travel a lot and I seem to have a knack for promoting other people and companies. I guess all those years of shameless self promotion have finally paid off."

"We're really glad you enjoy Mythic," said Sami sincerely, "You've done an amazing job in such a short amount of time. EJ and I are just thrilled."

"Not that I'm not enjoying this love in but what is really going on here guys?" asked Estelle curiously.

"We want to give you Mythic," said Sami simply.

"Give me?" asked Estelle in amazement.

"You'll be sole owner," EJ clarified.

Estelle just stared at them for a long moment.

"So I go from worker to owner after one month," said Estelle slowly.

"That's about the size of it," said Sami with an easy nod.

Estelle looked between the two of them in disbelief. "Why? How? When? What?"

"It's a little complicated," said EJ ruefully.

"You two, complicated?" asked Estelle with a mocking roll of her eyes, "You shock me."

Estelle shook her head. "I mean I'm not even sleeping with either of you to deserve this kind of promotion."

Estelle paused briefly and gave Sami a cheeky wink. "Not that I wouldn't of course."

"Would you please stop making moves on my wife whilst I'm sitting right here Estelle?" asked EJ in exasperation.

"Would you prefer it if I did it in secret?" asked Estelle brightly.

"No," said EJ in mock aggravation.

"Then I don't see your problem Poo," said Estelle easily.

"My problem is that you're hitting on my wife," said EJ with feigned ire.

"I don't mind," said Sami with a grin.

"Rather my problem my darling," said EJ with a groan, "It's enough work keeping the male population away from you without having to worry about the females as well."

"Then you shouldn't have married such a hot woman," Estelle pointed out pragmatically.

"Yes I see that now," said EJ wryly, "I'll remember that for my next wife."

Sami hit his leg very hard for that remark.

"There will be no second wife for you EJ DiMera," she declared emphatically, "If I go first you'll die devastated and alone."

"Don't you want me to be happy sweetheart?" asked EJ with a little pout.

"Not without me," said Sami, not missing a beat.

"Charming," said EJ teasingly, "I thought true love was all about wanting the other person to be happy."

"It is but not without you," said Sami determinedly.

Sami looked over at Estelle. "But to prove I'm not totally unreasonable I'll let you marry Estelle if she'll have you."

"That's a big if," said Estelle straight faced.

"But Estelle is a lesbian," said EJ with a pained expression, "I'll never have sex again."

"Only if you lose both of your hands," said Estelle casually.

"I meant with another person in the room," said EJ with a quirk of his lips.

"Oh then yeah, you're right," said Estelle with an impish smile, "You'll be screwed alright which ironically will be the only screw you'll be getting from then on."

"Exactly," said Sami triumphantly, "It's a plan with no drawbacks."

"Except that I'm married to a lesbian now," said EJ in exasperation.

"A beautiful, funny and intelligent lesbian," Sami argued.

"Can't I just get a dog?" asked EJ with a roll of his eyes.

"You can," said Sami agreeably, "But you can't have sex with it either."

"Alright that is settled then," said EJ with a shake of his head, "I just won't die – ever."

"I like that plan," said Sami with a sweet smile, "Either will I."

"Well now that all that is cleared up and I've just discovered that I'm interchangeable with a dog how about we go back to this crazy talk about giving me Mythic hm?" asked Estelle wryly, "What is going on with you two?"

"We're going to die," said Sami calmly, directly contradicting her previous statement.

Estelle's eyes went wide at that.

"For all intents and purposes Samantha and EJ DiMera are going to be no more," EJ inserted helpfully.

"You're going to stage your own deaths?" Estelle asked slowly, quickly catching on to what they meant.

"That's about the size of it and when we do we'll need someone to take over at Mythic," said Sami brightly, "We've changed our wills to hand over our shares of Mythic to you in the event of our deaths and when that happens Mythic will be all yours."

"And you two will be dead," said Estelle unevenly.

"I know it sounds crazy," said Sami with a grimace.

"Honey all of your plans sounded crazy to me," said Estelle with a shake of her head, "I'm not so much shocked as concerned. Where is this all going to end? I mean I knew you two were up to something when you moved back into Casa di Warlord but what exactly is going on here?"

"We think-," EJ stopped and corrected himself, "We know that my father is holding my sister prisoner and we intend to find Lexie, set her free and bring down my father once and for all."

"And to do that we need to be 'dead' at the end of it so that Stefano can't come back at us looking for revenge," said Sami.

"But you're giving up your whole lives," Estelle protested, "Your family and friends."

"We don't have any friends," said Sami wryly, "Except for you Estelle and we want you to have Mythic because we know you'll do right by the company and the people in it."

"And as for family we will reconnect with them over time – just not as EJ and Samantha," continued on EJ, "And that includes you Estelle."

"Well," said Estelle, sitting back in her chair and looking at EJ and Sami with wide eyes, "I'll say this about you two, there is never a dull moment."

"That does seem to be our MO," agreed EJ ruefully.

"Have you really thought through what you are doing?" asked Estelle in concern, "Because once you do this there is no turning back."

EJ and Sami turned to each other and looked deeply into each other's eyes, communicating silently between themselves. Sami loved that she had this kind of nonverbal touchstone with EJ where she felt completely at one with him.

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"We know and we have," said Sami firmly, still gazing at EJ lovingly.

"And Will?"

"He's coming with us," said EJ confidently, managing to tear his eyes from Sami and looked back at Estelle, "We're doing this as a family."

"Faked death and taking down drug lords," said Estelle wryly, "I'm assuming that family is the Addam's Family."

"Well we're probably missed the boat on being the Brady's," said Sami, the irony not escaping her.

Estelle shook her head.

"All I can say this is complete and utter madness and you're both certifiable for even considering such a mad plan," she informed them before looking them straight in the eye, "What can I do to help?"

"Just be your awesome self," said Sami with a smile.

"Well that's easy enough," said Estelle straight faced, "I ooze awesomeness on a regular basis but there has to be more I can do."

"Get to know Mythic as much as you can without being obvious," EJ supplied, "But the real test will be after we're gone. In case you're interviewed by the police you have to act devastated."

"Honey it won't be an act," said Estelle looking suddenly sad, "I'm going to miss you two."

"And we'll miss you too Estelle," said Sami unhappily, "But it won't be forever. I'm sure on one of your many business trips you can spend a couple of days wherever we end up in the world on a regular basis. These twins just have to know their Aunty Estelle."

"Especially as you're the inspiration for the name of our first daughter," continued on EJ with a warm smile.

"I am?" asked Estelle in surprise.

"Yup," Sami nodded, "EJ and I just decided on Martha's real name – Ella Rose and the Ella part was inspired by your name Estelle. We wanted out daughter to have the name of a strong, independent woman with a generous soul."

"Oh," said Estelle, tearing up a little now at the loving sentiment, "Well, I just don't know what to say. I'm honoured, I really am."

"Speechless," said EJ in amusement, "And I thought I'd never live to see the day."

"You mean so much to us Estelle," said Sami sincerely, "You're our first real friend and EJ and I will never be able to thank you enough for that."

"You're giving me your multimillion dollar company," said Estelle wryly, "I think that is thanks enough."

"We know you'll do right by it," said EJ with a half smile.

"So you have a girl's name," said Estelle with a smile, "How about a boy's name?"

Sami and EJ exchanged looks.

"We're still working on it," said EJ ruefully.

"Just so you know my middle name's Lillian," said Estelle with a cheeky wink.

"We're not that desperate yet but we'll keep it in mind," said Sami with a little giggle.

"So you're really going to do this then?" asked Estelle with a sigh.

"We really are," said EJ determinedly, "And it's going to work."

"Of course it will," said Estelle affectionately, "You're both evil geniuses."

"Let's just hope we're evil enough and genius enough when it comes down to it," said Sami, taking EJ's hand and squeezing it.

"I hope so too," said Estelle and there was no hiding her nervousness for them.


	192. Chapter 338

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & THIRTY EIGHT**** – ****Plots and Perceptions**

When evil men plot, good men must plan.

_Martin Luther King, Jr__.~ _

_(American Baptist Minister and Civil-Rights Leader 1929-1968)_

Sami knocked softly on the door.

"Can I come in?"

"Why? So you can yell at me some more?" was the sullen reply.

"No so we can talk," said Sami with a sigh, "No yelling, I promise."

There was no response which she took as a green light. Sami opened the door and stepped into Will's room, closing it behind her and leaning back on it. Will was lying on his bed on his stomach hugging his pillow and stubbornly not looking at her. Sami took in the rebellious picture her son currently made. She walked over and sat down on the bed.

"I'm sorry I forgot that it was your father's birthday today," said Sami softly.

Will didn't answer, just continued to stare at a point on the wall behind Sami.

"I know how hard this is for you Will, I really do," said Sami, reaching out a hand and touching his back.

"No you don't!" he snapped at her angrily, "Your dad isn't dead and everyone forgotten about him!"

"First of all no one has forgotten about your dad Will," said Sami firmly, "He'll always be a part of our lives through you and your children and their children. You will always carry him around inside of you and everyone will be able to see him and know a part of him because of that."

Will at last looked at her then and Sami could see she'd caught him off guard with that revelation.

"Stefano is the only one who at least tries to get it!" Will threw back at her, trying to recover his protective anger.

"Stefano pretends to be your friend Will but trust me," said Sami grimly, "He really isn't."

She watched as Will frowned at that.

"And I do know what you're going through," continued on Sami determinedly, "Thanks to Stefano I thought I'd lost both of my parents at different times so I know what it feels like to feel like you've lost that bond forever. It just makes for a kind of loneliness that feels like nothing will ever fill again."

Sami pulled a rueful face.

"So I tried to fill it with manufactured love, manipulating it from men around me that I figured could give me the family I thought was gone forever," said Sami unhappily.

She looked down at Will in regret. "And I don't need to tell you how that all turned out now do I?"

"No," said Will flatly, "I've still got the scars to remember it by."

"Will I'm sorry I yelled at you before but you have to understand you scared me so badly," said Sami seriously.

"How did I scare you Mom?" asked Will in annoyance as he sat up now and glared at her, "I just remembered my father on his birthday because no one else did."

"Remembering your father by drinking is not something he would have wanted Will," Sami insisted, "You know the problems your father had-"

"I'm not Dad," said Will tersely.

"Your father started drinking when things became too much for him and he turned to the bottle for comfort which is very close to what you did tonight Will," said Sami, not backing down.

"But it wasn't like that," Will muttered.

"This time no," said Sami in concern, "But what about next time? This time you drank and felt a bit better about your Dad so the association is there. What happens when you're feeling down again about him and you remember how drinking made you feel better? How tempting will it be to drink then when it isn't about remembrance but rather forgetting."

"That won't happen to me," said Will stubbornly.

"Honey no one ever thinks it will happen to them," said Sami determinedly, "That's why people keep falling victim to it and all the other addictions out there."

Sami took one of Will's hands in hers now. "Will I love you. You have my whole heart and when I see you in danger it just rips that heart wide open. I won't ever be able to back off or love you a little bit because you're my son and that means I'm going to be in your life, giving my opinions for the rest of mine."

"Yippee," said Will with a wry smile.

"Deal with it," said Sami unrepentantly, "I love you and I want only what is the best for you and if I see danger coming then I'm going to warn you about it and that is that."

Will regarded her for a long moment before speaking again. "I heard you on your wedding day you know."

"Which one?" asked Sami before she could stop herself.

She pulled a rueful face. "It's so sad I have to ask that."

"Your last one," Will clarified, "To EJ at the hospital. You were in the hospital gardens and you were praying and I was there."

"What were you doing out of bed?" clucked Sami, her maternal instincts kicking in, "You should have been resting after all that you'd gone through."

"Not the point of my story Mom," said Will wryly.

"Oh," said Sami, wrinkling her nose, "Okay."

"I was just going for a walk and trying to clear my head and I found you there in the garden," said Will before continuing on hurriedly, "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, I didn't realise you were praying Mom."

"That is okay honey," said Sami, looking at him intently and wondering where this was going, "You know I thought I heard someone that day but put it down to my over active imagination."

"You prayed that you could be the kind of mom to me that I deserved," said Will quietly, "And that if God gave you another chance to make a real family you weren't going to screw it up."

"I remember."

"Did you mean it?"

"Every word and even more so now."

"Why is this time going to be any different from every other time?" asked Will painfully, "I always thought I was going to get a family and then everything would get ruined."

"Usually by me, I know," said Sami unhappily.

"So why should I listen to you this time when you say things are going to be different?" Will challenged her.

"Because I'm different," said Sami simply, "I've finally grown up Will and it has taken me a really long time to get here but I'm here now and I'm not going back to who and what I was. I'm going to be your mom Will in the truest and best sense of the word because now I finally can be. I don't have any agendas and you're not filling any kind of hole in me – I only want what is best for you and I will always fight for that, even if you don't agree with me sometimes."

Sami put out a hand and stroked his face lovingly. "Okay?"

She watched as a little of Will's defiance seemed to crumble away under her calm reassurances. Sami knew this was going to be a long road to restoring her relationship with her son but she was ready for it and all she needed was for Will to be open to it as well.

"Okay," he said quietly and Sami smiled, leaning over to kiss his forehead with motherly love.

**oooOOOOooo**

"And then he went down and just didn't get up again," recounted Will excitedly as EJ listened patiently.

Will was pacing up and down in the garage as EJ worked on his car. The young man was waving his arms around, acting out the fight scene with Jeremy all over again.

"It was like it was me but it wasn't me you know?" said Will as he tried to analyse all that had happened, "Like I was controlling myself from a distance and I just did everything you said EJ and it worked!"

"Of course it worked," said EJ with a smile, "You did the training and got your head in the right space. There is very little that preparation and focus won't get you in this world Will."

"He was actually afraid of me you know," marvelled Will as he came to stand in across from EJ on the other side of the car hood.

"And how did that make you feel?" asked EJ with an arched eyebrow as he looked up from where he was cleaning the spark plugs.

"Powerful," said Will without hesitation.

He paused then and shot EJ a guilty look.

"Is that wrong?"

EJ didn't answer, just stared back at him for a moment.

"I mean Stefano, when I told him he was proud of me," blurted out Will into the silence, "He said that was what was being a man was all about and that by being strong my enemies would fear me and I'd be a real man."

"Did he now?" pondered EJ mildly as he continued cleaning.

Will frowned at the way EJ was leaving him hanging with his thoughts.

"All I know is that it felt good not to be a victim for a change," said Will defensively, "For once I had the power and I'm not going to feel bad that I kicked someone's ass."

"This feeling of power William," said EJ quietly as he put down the spark plugs and walked over to pick up a screwdriver, "Did you feel so powerful because you dominated yourself or your enemy?"

"Wh-what?" asked Will, taken aback.

"This feeling of satisfaction and strength that you're currently feeling," said EJ as he walked back to the car and leant over it, screwdriver in hand, "Does it come from mastering yourself or others?"

"I-I don't know," said Will with a frown.

"Well you have to know Will," said EJ with quiet firmness, "Because it is very important. It is the line that divides a man and a bully."

"I thought you'd be pleased that I won a fight," said Will, looking uncertain now.

"Why did you fight back Will?" asked EJ, looking at him intently.

"Because they weren't stopping and they hurt a friend of mine," said Will, thinking of Courtney.

"And how did you feel when you were fighting?" asked EJ, leaning against the car and never taking his eyes off the teenager.

"Like I said," said Will slowly, "Like I was watching the whole thing from a distance. It was like I was playing chess. I could see each move Jeremy was going to make and I knew which move I was going to counter with."

"Did you hate Jeremy in that moment?" asked EJ evenly.

"No," said Will slowly, "I was just thinking about what I had to do. You told me not to get mad in a fight EJ."

"And you didn't," said EJ with a note of pride in his voice, "And how do you feel now about Jeremy?"

Will stopped and thought about that.

"Glad that he'll be out of my face from now on," said Will at last.

"Did you enjoy seeing his pain?" asked EJ quietly.

"No," said Will looking thoughtful, "I was just glad that I felt like it was over at last."

A smile broke out on EJ's face.

"And therein lies the difference Will," he said with an approving nod of his head, "My father would have you believe that gloating in an enemies defeat and having them fear you is the mark of a real man but I'm here to tell you that way simply doesn't work. It lands you in an empty mansion with nothing but the fear of those around you to keep you company."

EJ put down the screwdriver and picked up a rag to wipe his hands on as he walked round to stand directly in front of the teenager now.

"Will you did something amazing today," said EJ with real pride in his voice, "You mastered yourself – your fears, your self-doubt, your past failures and out of that mastery you forged a victory and that victory was all about what was going on inside of you. The fact that you won the fight against this other boy is not why you are a winner. There will always be Jeremy's in this world and you have to understand that there are reasons why they are the way they are. You've taken a lot from that young man today by beating him in such a public way. He's lost a lot of his peer's respect and that is a huge thing. Right now he is probably questioning a lot about himself and not feeling very good."

"Isn't that what he deserves for what he did to me?" asked Will with a tinge of bitterness.

"Will this is very important and you must listen carefully to me," said EJ, a hint of urgency in his voice, "Revenge is a dead end street. Spending your life always trying to go one better than the man beside you is no kind of life at all. What Jeremy deserved in this scenario doesn't matter. What matters is not that you defeated Jeremy or even that he deserved it. What matters is that you gained control of your feelings and pain and used it in a productive way, a way that saw you protect yourself and others around you."

EJ put a fatherly hand on Will's shoulder. "My father tried to teach me that a real man dominated others, brooked no rivals and took what he wanted without question and for the longest time I believed him. But the loneliness Will-"

EJ shook his head, a sadness settling on his face. "I didn't even know it at the time but it was consuming me from within. When all you look to do from this world is take then you end up with this hollowness inside that just continues to grow and grow. It wasn't until I met your mother and she opened my eyes to caring about someone else's needs above my own that I truly began to grasp the concept of what being a man is all about."

"But if you can control people around you then doesn't that mean that they're not going to hurt you anymore?" asked Will unsteadily and EJ could see why such a concept would appeal to the hurt teenager.

He recognised his father's philosophy and it was a dangerous one.

"Will you can never control people, not really," said EJ simply, "Such a thing is just smoke and mirrors. You might think you do in the short term but the human spirit will never allow itself to be fully subdued – it's not in its nature. It's like in those Star Wars movies of yours when the Princess warns Darth Vader that the more he tightens his control on everything around him the more things will slip through his fingers."

"You were paying attention," said Will, pleased by that fact and that EJ hadn't just been humouring him by watching the movies with him.

"Of course," said EJ easily, "Those movies made some very good points about the human condition."

EJ kept steady eye contact with the boy. "Will this world is filled with pain and suffering and to avoid that is to avoid being human. The hard times will come, nothing and no one on this earth can stop that. The only thing we truly have control over is our reaction to those things. Our power and strength comes from that and that alone, not over dominating others."

"If you hadn't met my mom would you be saying these things to me?" asked Will intently.

"I don't believe I would be," said EJ honestly, "I was blind and didn't know it. My father can be very charismatic and he weaves an intoxicating web of half truths. He's wonderful at sizing people up and using their weaknesses against them by telling them what they want to hear. It's a slippery slope Will and you can't be drawn into the world he has created around him."

"Stefano was proud of me today," said Will quietly, still looking conflicted.

EJ put his hands on either side of Will's shoulder and spoke from the heart. "I'm very proud of what you did today Will – not because you hurt another person but because you faced your fears and mastered them. I'm afraid my father's pride in you is for another reason completely and therein lies the choice about what kind of man you want to be known as Will and it is a choice only you and you alone can make."

Will looked back at him with those blue eyes that reminded EJ so of his mother. He could see all the thoughts swirling around in the young man's head in them and wished he could help him more with this decision. But EJ knew better than anyone that what he'd said was true, that it was up to Will to decide now and not for others around him.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Mom? EJ?"

"Yes honey," Sami replied.

"Are you two decent?" asked Will a little nervously.

He'd learned very quickly not to simply walk into their room unannounced.

"Depends who you ask," was EJ's wry response.

"Yes Will we're decent," Sami said with a little laugh.

Despite his mother's assurances Will rather cautiously stuck his head around their bedroom door before entering properly.

"You just got a phone call EJ," said Will, "Some guy telling you that he got the feathers out of your lap top."

Will paused and pursed his lips. "Is that code for something?"

"It's code for Bart," EJ chuckled, "Thanks."

"What are you two doing?" he asked, walking into the room and closing the door behind him.

Sami and EJ were sitting on the bed in front of Sami's lap top, an earpiece between them. Will's eyes lit up.

"Are you listening to some of the tapes?" he asked excitedly.

Up until now his mother and EJ wouldn't let him listen in on the goings on in the mansion despite Will's continuous pleas to do so. It didn't seem fair to him that they got to hear all the good stuff while he didn't. Besides they kept telling him what a monster Stefano was and Will had yet to really see that. The guy had been great and despite all the warnings Will actually found himself liking the man. EJ had been right, his father was charismatic and easy to talk to. The genial soul that he regularly played chess with just didn't seem like this big baddie that he'd always been made out to be.

"Is there anything interesting? Can I listen too?"

He watched as the two adults exchanged looks, seeming to have an entire conversation without words.

"Maybe it is time," said EJ after both he and his mom faced him, "Maybe this is something you should hear Will."

EJ beckoned him over and Will came to sit on the bed with them. His mother handed him her ear piece as EJ replayed the recording.

"This was taken today," said EJ, "In my father's office just before I'd left this afternoon."

Will settled in to listen.

"_Bart Beiderbecke – able to bring big business to its knees with only the aid of a feather duster." _

Will recognised EJ's smooth voice easily. The recording was of very good quality and Stefano's next words came through loud and clear.

"_You like him don't you?" _

"_Bart is harmless enough. Unless you're a lap top then he's a bit lethal. It's quite nice to have something simple and straightforward around which is Bart in a nutshell."_

"_There is a simplicity to him no doubt." _

"_Well, I'd better go and see our tech guys and let them have at this."_

"_I was hoping for an early day today so I could take Samantha to dinner tonight. I guess that isn't going to happen now."_

"_There will be other dinners my son."_

"_I know, I'll be back as soon as I can."_

There was the sound of EJ leaving and then someone else entering the room less than a moment later and Will knew that this was where he was going to learn more of Stefano's plans – when EJ wasn't there.

"_I've checked into za camera izzue ve had yesterday."_

"_And?" _

"_It vas just a glitch. Everyzing iz vorking perfectly now."_

"_And our guest?"_

"_Fine. Not talking much but zen our guest doesn't these dayz."_

"Who is he talking about?" asked Will in concern.

"Lexie," said EJ soberly, "I found her yesterday Will, she's being kept in a cell underneath the mansion and has been this whole time."

Will felt a sick knot develop in his stomach at hearing confirmation of everyone's worst fears – despite that being the reason they were there it was still shocking to know it was now true.

"_Do you think I'm a bad father Rolf?" _

"_I zink you are a man who makes zings happen. I respect that. Az for parenthood – vhat vould I know, I have no kinder of mein own."_

"_They've all betrayed me, all left me except for Elvis. The boy who would be king."_

"_You are still not convinced zat Elvis can be trusted?"_

"_I didn't get where I am today by leaving things to chance old friend. If my son isn't going to be a good and faithful DiMera knight then he can be my pawn."_

"_How vill you know vich he iz before it iz too late?" _

There was a brief pause in the recording and Will looked at Sami and EJ with a frown.

"_Rolf I have some things I need for you to collect. When I am done with Elvis one way or the other I will have his loyalty before this week is over." _

"What is he doing?" asked Will, suddenly having a bad feeling about all of this.

"Keep listening," said his mother, her jaw hardening.

"_Vhat are you up to Stefano?"_

"_I need proof of my son's loyalty so it is simple. I will tell him to kill Bart and if he doesn't comply I will have my answer."_

Will gasped in horror at the easy way Stefano had said that, as though human life meant nothing to him. Suddenly all the warnings about Stefano came rushing back to him and Will began to realise he'd looked without seeing when it came to EJ's father, despite all the people around him trying to tell him differently.

"_And if he doez refuse to kill Bart?"_

"_Then I'll kill Elvis and his family – I have no use for people who oppose me in anyway."_

"_But vhat of za kinder Zamantha is carrying?"_

"_I have plans for them old friend, don't you worry about that. But make no mistake, Elvis will know that he is choosing between the life of Bart and that of his family."_

"_And if he kills Bart-"_

"_Then I have him forever," Will heard Stefano gloat, "Samantha will never forgive him and he knows it. I will be able to control him with that secret forever."_

EJ stopped the recording then and Will looked up to see the two of them looking at him seriously.

"Are you okay?" asked his mom unhappily.

"I can't believe I just heard what I did," said Will unsteadily, feeling really upset now, "How can your own father do that to you EJ and Bart, poor Bart – the guys never done anything to anyone."

"Which is exactly why my father chose him," said EJ grimly, "The ultimate test because there would be no ambiguity card to play if he'd asked me to kill a drug dealer or child molester. By killing Bart I'd be simply doing it because a mad man deemed it necessary, no moral wiggle room there."

"But you're not going to do it are you?" asked Will in genuine horror.

"Of course not," said Sami quickly, reaching out and putting a calming hand on his arm, "EJ and I would never hurt Bart or anyone else unless there was no other way."

"So what's the other way?" asked Will intently, looking between them, "Is it time to run now? I mean you've found Lexie is there anything stopping us?"

"We're not just running Will we're going to be dying," said EJ seriously, "We need a little more time to get ourselves organised."

"Besides we still have the worry of André," said his mom, "Stefano hasn't mentioned him yet and we need to flush him out as well so we can take them both down."

"Do you have a plan for that?" asked Will sceptically.

"Not yet," EJ admitted, "Our plans are somewhat contingent on my father's moves – that is why your mother and I have left things open, to remain flexible."

"So what are you going to do about this Bart thing then?" asked Will in concern, "I mean isn't Stefano going to force your hand any minute now?"

"I guess we're going to have to give Stefano what he wants," said EJ thoughtfully, "Or at least the illusion of what he wants."

"And how are you going to do that?" asked Will in consternation.

"Honey don't worry," said his mother with a calm smile, "EJ and I have this. If anyone knows about how to stage something it is us."

"Just ask your Uncle Austin," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "He's been on the wrong end of more than a few of those little events."

"Hey," complained Sami, giving him a playful punch on the arm.

"Not the strongest defence in the world was it Will?" EJ chuckled as he winked teasingly at Sami.

"How about you blackmailing me into covering your butt after you shot John?" asked Sami sweetly, "You were no slouch in the manipulative bastard stakes then if I remember correctly."

"We are a pair my love," EJ agreed happily as Sami leaned over and they kissed lingeringly.

It was a strange thing to bond over Will thought but it seemed to work for these two and it was just so unfamiliar to see his mother's past brought up without shouting and accusations immediately following. His mother had found her match in EJ in every possible way and the calm that brought to her seemed infectious as Will found himself believing them both when they said they'd handle this.


	193. Chapter 339

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & THIRTY NINE**** – ****The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship**

The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this:

Decide what you want.

_Ben Stein_

_(American Actor, Lawyer and Writer, b.1944)_

"This doesn't look like the way to the pier," observed Bart as he out of the car window as they navigated the suburban streets, "I think you're going the wrong way boss man."

"We're not going to the pier Bart," said EJ calmly.

"Oh," said Bart, sitting back in his seat, "Then where are we going?"

"To visit a friend," said EJ as he pulled up in front of The Mole's house.

"I don't have any friends," noted Bart.

EJ looked at him in surprise.

"Being a henchman kinda takes up all of my time," Bart explained, taking the obvious impositions made by Stefano in his good natured stride as always.

"Well hopefully you're going to like this person," said EJ.

And he really meant that because a big part of his and Sami's plan rather relied on it.

"Who is it?" asked Bart curiously.

"His name is Maurice," said EJ, "He works for my father as well."

"Doin' what?"

"All things computer related which is a very good thing for us," said EJ as he thought of the way The Mole had the whole mansion wired for sound.

It was certainly saving their bacon right now and unbeknownst to Bart right then, his as well.

"That's nice," said Bart with a nod.

"Bart I have something very serious I need to talk to you about," said EJ soberly as he turned off the engine of the car and turned towards Bart in his seat.

"So you didn't ask me along to help you with something being off loaded on the pier?" asked Bart in surprise.

"No," said EJ and wondered how this was all going to go, "Bart my father is going to ask me to do something terrible very soon."

"And you want me to do it instead?" Bart quizzed him, "Okay, no problem Mr D and I promise you I won't make a mistake like the last time with the glove and that guard."

"Ah yes," said EJ wryly, "That had some interesting fall out."

"I'm real sorry about that," said Bart unhappily.

"I know Bart, don't worry about it," said EJ with a wave of his hand, "What I have to talk to you about now is far more serious."

"Is this about the feather in your lap top?" fretted Bart.

"No Bart, it isn't."

"Is this about your car?"

"No I- wait a minute, what happened to my car?" asked EJ with an arched eyebrow.

"Nothing," said Bart hastily.

EJ sighed and shook his head figuring if he hadn't noticed by now what Bart had done then it was probably best to not find out anymore.

"Bart this is about the fact that my father is going to order me to kill you in the very near future," said EJ determinedly.

Bart's face went pale and a panicked look came over his face as he made a grab for the car door.

"Bart stop it!" EJ ordered him, grabbing his arm and stopping him, "I'm not going to do it, stop panicking."

"You-you're not?" asked Bart fearfully.

"Of course I'm not Bart," said EJ in exasperation, "You're my friend and I don't fancy myself as a cold blooded killer."

"We're friends?" asked Bart in amazement.

"Well like you Bart I'm not exactly littered with people in my life that I can claim an attachment with but you are definitely one of them," said EJ wryly, "Despite the occasional chaos you bring into my life."

"Wow," said Bart, a big grin splitting his face and his fears forgotten, "I like you too Mr D – a real lot."

"I'm glad Bart but I think we need to get back to the elephant in the room don't you?" said EJ ruefully.

Bart looked around himself nervously, glancing over in the backseat.

"It's a figure of speech," said EJ flatly.

"I thought it was a mammal," said Bart, wrinkling his nose, "But I wasn't real good at science in school."

"What I meant was Bart that I just told you my father wants you dead," said EJ in exasperation, "Don't you think we should discuss that?"

"Is there anything to discuss?" asked Bart hopelessly, "If the big boss wants me dead then I'm dead."

"Not necessarily," said EJ firmly, "Bart are you happy with your life?"

Bart's brow wrinkled as he thought about it.

"I'm not unhappy," he said at last.

EJ couldn't help but think that Bart would find something to be happy about no matter what situation he found himself in.

"How about if I said to you I could offer you a whole new life?" asked EJ, leaning forward a little as he made his pitch.

"What kind of new life?" asked Bart in consternation.

"Any kind you liked," said EJ with an encouraging nod, "It would be your choice."

"So like I could choose to be the President or something?" asked Bart eagerly.

"Ah no," said EJ taken aback, "No you can't be the President Bart."

"Vice President?" asked Bart hopefully.

"I'd say rule out just about every position within the White House," said EJ wryly, "What I meant was that if you wanted I could give you a new life, a clean slate to start all over again anywhere in the world."

"How?" asked Bart wide eyed.

"By letting my father think I've killed you," said EJ calmly, "We'll stage your death and then you are free to be anyone you like and go anywhere you like although I'd probably stay out of America until my father passes away."

"How would I live?" asked Bart unevenly, "I don't have much money saved up – being a henchman doesn't pay that well and we have lousy medical cover."

"Samantha and I would set you up financially so that money wouldn't be a problem," said EJ, "All we'd need from you is to play along with being killed and then stay out of sight until we can get you out of Salem safely."

"Would there be enough money to buy a boat?" asked Bart slowly as the possibilities clearly began to dawn on him.

"There would indeed – didn't you tell me once you always wanted to own a Gulet?"

"The Hot Seaman," agreed Bart with a proud smile as he thought of the luxury yacht and the name he'd chosen for it.

"Ah, I thought we decided against that name," said EJ pulling a bit of a face.

"Well I suppose I could call it the Salty Seaman," Bart pondered thoughtfully.

"Actually the hot part of the name wasn't the part I had issue with," said EJ wryly, "And I think that might be slightly worse."

"The Hot Seaman it is," Bart grinned, "And every time I look at the Hot Seaman I'll think of you boss man."

"Please don't," said EJ with a roll of his eyes even though he knew for a fact that Bart had yet to realise what the problem with his chosen moniker was.

EJ raised an eyebrow at him. "So does that mean you're in Bart?"

"In where?" asked Bart looking confused.

"In on the plan," said EJ patiently, "The one where you fake your own death and sail off into brighter tomorrows."

"I sure am," said Bart happily, "That's way better than being killed."

"Your logic is irrefutable," said EJ dryly, "And now that you've agreed I thought you should meet the man whose house you'll be staying in for a few days whilst everything gets organised for you."

EJ indicated Bart should get out of the car with him and the two men headed up the side path of the house they'd parked in front of.

"Samantha and I thought it best that after we stage your death that you lay low for a bit and Maurice's place will be perfect for that," said EJ as he led them around the side of the house to the trap door that led to the basement.

The Mole wasn't big on front doors and never answered his. EJ always simply entered and exited the house through the basement doors.

"What's he like?" asked Bart curiously.

"Extremely gifted when it comes to computers and all forms of tech," said EJ, hedging around answering the question too directly.

They were in the darkened basement now and as usual there were no signs of life.

"Maurice," called out EJ, "It's me, are you down here?"

"Whoa!" said Bart, eyes going wide as he noticed the large and complicated fort made of boxes in the corner.

He stepped closer to get a closer look but as he did Maurice popped his head up through one of the boxes which was cut to resemble a window.

"Halt, who goes there?"

Maurice's loud question did indeed make Bart stop as he saw the balding man with the thick rimmed black glasses for the first time, nervously peeping through a cardboard box at him. EJ held his breath over this first meeting between the two decidedly odd men. This could go either really well or horribly wrong. EJ suspected there was going to be no middle ground somehow.

"My name's Bart, Bart Beiderbecke," said Bart quickly, "Permission to come aboard sir?"

"No one is allowed across the drawbridge but me," said Maurice, looking a little stressed now as a stranger invaded his little domain.

It was fair to say Maurice Vogelpoel wasn't a people person.

"You have a drawbridge?" asked Bart in amazement, "Cool! Can I see it?"

It didn't really surprise EJ that Bart didn't seem to question the fact that a grown man had built himself a fort made out of cardboard boxes and to all intents in purposes seemed to be living in it now. There was a childlike quality to Bart where he seemed to find the wonder in things rather than the why.

"Maurice this is Bart, you know I told you about him, he's going to come and stay with you for a few days soon," EJ prompted him.

"Hey a moat," exclaimed Bart, noticing the laid down flattened cardboard for the first time, "Awesome. But you know what you need?"

EJ watched as The Mole eyed Bart curiously. Okay, this seemed to be going well EJ decided although with these two it was still a little hard to tell.

"What?" he asked hesitantly.

"All moats need alligators in them so that people know you mean business," said Bart knowingly.

He looked around himself and found a pen and then went and knelt down over the 'moat' before beginning to draw quite passable pictures of alligators on the flattened cardboard. Maurice craned his neck to see what he was doing, clearly very interested in Bart now and seeming to let his guard down.

"And maybe some piranha too," suggested Maurice, sounding quite excited now.

"Ohh good idea," agreed Bart readily as he started to draw in some fish with giant teeth as well.

Alright, this was definitely going well EJ thought to himself as he watched the two men get lost in the little world of their own making. EJ felt like he'd fallen into an episode of Sesame Street of course but that wasn't important, what was important was that it seemed that oddly enough Bart and Maurice the Mole was actually going to be a good fit. It was a huge weight off EJ's mind.

"And today Sesame Street is brought to you by the letter Crazy," said EJ in amusement as he watched Bart starting to draw in mermaids now under Maurice's excited instruction as the two men bonded over the world they were creating between them.

It occurred to EJ that he'd just placed his fate and those of all that he loved more or less in the hands of two grown men who played like five year olds together and the thought gave him pause for thought.

"Well," he decided talking to himself now as he watched the men play happily together and finding an upside, "There is no way my father is going to see this coming."

**oooOOOOooo**

"That tickles," complained Bart with a little giggle.

"Well stop squirming so much and I'll be able to get it done," said Sami in mild exasperation.

She and Bart were in her and EJ's bathroom and she was trying to attach the blood packs to Bart's chest so that the shooting would have that look of authenticity, the squids exploding at the right moment. Sami knew that Stefano would be watching them closely and they couldn't afford to do this half assed. John had been the one who'd sourced the fake blood packs for them and given EJ the blanks to switch out with the real bullets Stefano had in the gun he'd given him.

It only made sense that Stefano would insist that EJ use a gun he chose which is why they'd planned to have the blanks already. They'd had less than two days to pull it altogether as they'd listened in on Stefano finalising his plans and organising the gun. They knew Stefano was going to ask EJ to kill Bart today, they just didn't know when yet and they all had to be ready when it happened.

"There," said Sami in satisfaction, "That's got it."

She took a step back to survey her handiwork and gave a satisfied nod as Bart did up his shirt again.

"Now remember Bart," said Sami firmly, knowing how much was riding on all of this, "When EJ shoots you and you hear the sound of the blanks being fired he is going to press the remote button to explode these packs and you're going to have to fall backwards as though you've really been shot."

"I got it Mrs D," said Bart, "Don't worry about it, I'm a real good actor – I've done acting before."

"You have?" asked Sami in surprise.

"Aha," Bart nodded, "I was a boat in my kindergarten nativity play."

"A boat?" Sami queried in confusion, "Were there a lot of boats in the manger Bart?"

"Well I was meant to be a goat," Bart confessed, "But my mom misheard and made me a boat costume instead. It was fine until my mast stuck one of the wise men in the eye and he started crying. It kinda went downhill after that."

"I'm sorry I missed it," said Sami with a quirk of her lips.

"It made the local paper," said Bart proudly.

"I'm sure it did," said Sami with a little laugh, "And speaking of boats, Boris Bond has just purchased a brand new Gulet and it is waiting for him in the marina."

A huge grin split Bart's face at that news.

"I can't wait to go down on The Hot Seaman and check it all out," said Bart excitedly.

"You should really find another way to say that," said Sami, making a pained expression.

Bart looked at her blankly and Sami gave up. EJ had already told her about the unfortunate name of the vessel and she had to wonder what the person who wrote the name on the boat made of it all. Still, Bart was happy and that was all that mattered, that and him not getting this wrong. Sami had to confess she was a little nervous handing so much of their future over to a man who almost drowned doing the vacuuming only two days before.

Bart had been cleaning around the indoor pool and decided that vacuuming would be more efficient then sweeping but had become tangled in the long extension cord he'd been using and fallen in the water. If Will hadn't turned up just then for his daily swim and fished him out then the story could have had a very different ending. Bart always meant well, it just didn't always translate to things going smoothly for him. EJ was confident in their bumbling henchman though and that was good enough for Sami. She trusted EJ implicitly and if he said Bart was up for the job then he was.

"How did you decide on your new name Bart?" asked Sami, talking now to just distract herself from her nerves, "Boris Bond?"

"I named myself after my two favourite spies," said Bart, obviously pleased with his new nom de plume.

"Well James Bond I get," said Sami with a half smile, "But where does Boris come from?"

"Boris Badenov," said Bart with a grin.

"What, from Rocky and Bullwinkle?" Sami queried with a wrinkle of her nose.

"That's him," said Bart excitedly.

"Bart," said Sami with a shake of her head, "You're one of a kind."

"Thanks Mrs D, I like you too," said Bart with a big smile.

"Good luck today," she said, impulsively giving him a cautious hug, mindful of the blood packs, "Thank you for doing this for EJ and me."

"Mrs D you guys are the ones that are doing everything for me," said Bart gratefully as he hugged her back, "You're making my dreams come true."

"I'm glad to hear that Bart," said Sami with a warm smile, "And now we just have to get through this nightmare and we'll all have what we dreamed of. Remember, we don't know when exactly Stefano is going to order EJ to kill you so be ready at any time okay?"

"Sure thing," said Bart with a confident nod.

"Only don't look like you're ready," Sami said quickly, "You have to act surprised when it happens."

"I can do that," Bart promised her, "Remember I was a boat once."

"Of course you were," said Sami giving an uneven smile, "Silly me for worrying."


	194. Chapter 340

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & FORTY**** – ****Abracadabra**

War is based on deception.

_Sun Tzu_

_(Chinese General and Author, b.500 BC)_

EJ opened the trunk of his car and kept an impassive face as the rolled up carpet in it gave a sneeze.

"You're dead remember Bart," said EJ in a low voice, being careful not move his lips, "Less sneezing."

EJ knew that his father would have sent one of his men to spy on him dumping Bart's body and they couldn't afford to make a mistake now. Unbelievably the mock shooting had gone perfectly, Bart playing his part flawlessly. EJ had switched out the bullets in the gun his father had given him with the blanks John had given him and the blood packs had gone off right on cue when EJ 'shot' Bart. He knew from Maurice that Stefano had gotten him to set up the shed so that he could see what was happening. No doubt his father had recorded Bart's demise to hold over his head at a later date. EJ knew how his father's mind worked and he liked to hold all the cards and they had to continue to let him think he was doing just that.

EJ was confident though that his father would have no doubts about EJ shooting Bart as the often times hapless dogs body had actually gotten everything perfectly right. It would have been a lie to say EJ wasn't a little worried about the other man but he hadn't let him down. Bart had acted believably confused and shocked at having a gun pointed at him and the exploding blood packs had added that air of authenticity to the whole spectacle. John had been right about them. Now they just had to get this last little sleight of hand done and they were in the clear.

"Sorry," came the muffled reply, "Dusty."

"Hold your breath for another minute and then you can sneeze all you want," EJ whispered as he looked around himself.

He couldn't see anyone around but knew that he was being watched and possibly even filmed. Besides EJ knew he had to look like a furtive criminal up to no good and he was playing the part to the hilt. EJ bent down and picked up the rolled up carpet, giving a little grunt as he threw it and Bart over his shoulder. He and John had been to this part of the pier the day before and scoped it all out and EJ worked out the best way to pull the switcheroo they needed to.

There had been a stack of crates by this particular deserted pier that would serve their purposes well and EJ had made sure to park on the other side of them so he'd have to walk behind them to get to the end of the pier. Readjusting his load on his shoulder EJ began to walk towards the edge of the water, passing behind the pile of crates. John was already there in position, crouched down out of sight and they greeted each other quietly as EJ was briefly out of sight of anyone who might be watching.

"All good?" asked John as EJ quickly deposited the Bart laden carpet at John's feet and picked up a very similar looking one that John had weighted with sand bags to complete the illusion.

"All good," said EJ in a low voice as he continued on out the other side of the crates.

To anyone watching it would seem as though EJ hadn't missed a beat in carrying his victim to the water which was his intention of course. Carrying his now Bart-less load to the end of the pier EJ threw it into the water, giving a furtive look round to see if the splash had attracted any attention. He looked down at the rapidly sinking carpet drowning in the dark water and couldn't help but think how apt it all was. It was a symbolic enactment of Bart's old life being taken down to the depths, never to return again. EJ really hoped Bart would never regret having put so much faith in him and prayed that the future would only hold good things for this bumbling but kind hearted man.

EJ made the sign of the cross as the last of the bubbles from the sinking carpet broke the surface. Now if only his, Sami and Will's departure from this world would go as smoothly EJ mused as he stood there. This whole faking of Bart's death was just the warm up act to the grand finale of the three of them 'dying' and EJ would be lying if he didn't say he was lying awake at night worrying about all the angles that could play out and the things over which he had no control. He had so very much to lose and he felt the weight of everyone's faith in him pressing down on him. The irony was of course that in the beginning he'd lie awake at night and all he'd wanted was for Sami to believe in him, in them and now she did it was still keeping him awake at night.

"_I know, sucks to be you right?" _

EJ froze, aware that John was only about twenty or so feet away. Sam really did pick her moments.

"Not now Sam," he muttured under his breath, "I'm busy."

"_Sending some sand bags to a watery grave," replied Sam blithely, "So I see." _

EJ chanced a sideways look at his lingerie clad nemesis and saw she was wearing a sexy little black push up bra with matching lace panties. Where did his mind come up with all of these combos he wondered in exasperation even as he noticed her nipples straining against the cold night breeze. Sam looked down at her breasts and their twin peaks and gave a rueful smile.

"_I'll give you this poodle," she said easily, "You're all about the details. I mean what kind of a guy gives his imaginary friend high beams?"_

"You're not my friend," EJ hissed softly in agitation, "You're my thorn in side."

"Potato, potahto," said Sam with an uncaring shrug.

She shook her head_. "I don't get that – who says potahto anyway?"_

"The Irish," said EJ flatly.

"_But I'm not Irish," argued Sam. _

"Please go away," EJ begged her quietly as he looked around himself again, "I don't need this right now."

"_Of course you do otherwise I wouldn't be here," Sam argued with him, "Geez get in the game will you ferret features?"_

EJ turned on his heel and headed back towards his car, knowing he couldn't linger no matter what his psyche was trying to engage him in at that moment. He opened his car door and slipped inside, turning on the car engine and reversing the car away from the pier. Bart was John's responsibility now and EJ was glad to know he had someone like him to rely on.

"And me," piped in Sam as she appeared in the seat beside him, "Don't forget you've got me too my little duckling doo doo."

"I don't have you because you don't exist and you've been nothing but a pain in my ass since you first leapt from the bowels of my own personal hell," said an aggrieved EJ as he drove them back to the mansion now.

"_I thought I was a thorn in your side, now I'm in your bowels," said Sam wryly, "I seem to be working my way down your body my little puff adder of love - soon I'm going to be your hang nail of contention at this rate."_

"Stop with the ridiculous names and stop just popping up at the most inconvenient times," said EJ in annoyance.

"_I'm here because you need me," said Sam unrepentantly, "I'm getting pretty tired of you always blaming me for what your mind is doing. If you can't control that puppy I don't know why you're always getting up in my love pillows for it."_

Unable to help himself EJ's eyes crept back to Sam's more than ample bosom which was heaving a little thanks to her annoyance. God but she was as beautiful as she was annoying and EJ unconsciously put his foot down on the gas as he thought of getting home to the real Sami.

"_She's at that party remember," said Sam with a roll of her eyes, "So there is no point in getting home any faster to get your ya ya's because she isn't there." _

EJ scowled and eased off the gas as he realised she was right.

"_You're such a slut," noted Sam in amusement at EJ's frustrated libido. _

"I'm a man deeply in love with his gorgeous wife and wanting to show her how much he adores her," said EJ with a pout, "There is nothing wrong with that."

"_You sure have come a long way from when it was you and Mr Righty alright," Sam nodded in agreement, "How many nights did you give him a work out thinking of Sami without so much as taking him to dinner and a movie beforehand. It's a wonder you don't have the wrists of a seventy year old man." _

"Why are you here Sam?" EJ groaned even as he couldn't quite defend himself against her claims.

It was true – there had been many, many lonely nights alone in his bed since he'd first met Samantha where only his imagination and his right hand had kept him company. Waking up every morning with Sami lying in the bed beside him was a still something that thrilled EJ to the core each and every day. It was like a dream he never wanted to wake up from.

"_You're worried you're going to blow it and let everyone down," said Sam simply, "That's why I'm here."_

"And how are you going to help me with that Sam?" asked EJ in vexation, "You can't tell me the future, how all of this is going to turn out. I could be signing the death warrants of everyone I hold dear right now."

"_I can't predict the future," Sam agreed easily, "But I can tell you this Elvis."_

When she didn't immediately continue EJ threw her a quick look sideways before returning to the traffic on Salem's streets. "Well?"

"_You don't completely suck."_

EJ looked back at her again.

"Is that it?" he asked in disbelief, "You're kidding me right? That's your big pep talk when I'm looking down the barrel of completely upending my life and the life of everyone around me in one way or another?"

"_Well considering how badly you sucked when we first met that is saying a lot," she protested, "You were some horny desperate guy switching out a poor unsuspecting woman's birth control just so you could trap her into loving you. You had no idea who you were or who you were meant to be, never questioned your relationship with your father and thought only of yourself first and what you wanted. You were figuratively and literally a complete an utter wanker." _

"And now I'm less of a wanker," said EJ in amazement at her logic, "Is that what you are saying?"

"_That's exactly what I'm saying," said Sam giving his arm a pat, "There, don't you feel better now treacle tits?" _

EJ's gaze went back to the road as he realised to his utter amazement it did actually make him feel a little better. Sam was right, he'd come a long way since those first days and the very fact that he was worried about all of these people were proof of that. The old EJ would only be concerned about his own needs and not those around him who would be affected by his actions. He cared deeply that he was taking Sami from her family; even though he didn't always approve of how they'd treated her they were still her family.

EJ was sad that he was taking Marlena and Roman's child from them even though it wouldn't be forever but he could understand that this would still feel like a loss for them. He'd never been really able to have that level of empathy before and it was a bittersweet cross to bear. Having that level of emotion for others meant he was able to love more deeply himself but it also meant he was opening himself up to more pain. But with that deeper capacity for both love and pain there was a blossoming inner strength that EJ had never known he possessed and it was that inner strength and belief that they were doing the right thing that was going to get them all through this, EJ just knew it.

"_You're welcome," said Sam smugly as she obviously listened in on EJ's new found surge of confidence, "Maybe we can both get a good night's sleep tonight for a change?"_

"Maybe we will," said EJ with a slow smile of his own as he turned the car into the DiMera mansion drive.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Was EJ just talking to himself?" asked John with an arched eyebrow as he watched the younger man drive off in his car.

"I don't know I can't see or hear properly in here," was Bart's muffled reply, "Or breathe, can I come out now?"

"One more minute," said John, lifting up his night vision binoculars to see a dark car pulling away after EJ down the other end of the pier.

He'd seen the car arrive and kept himself well hidden, knowing it was going to be one of Stefano's goons. After the car was gone John bent down and picked up the end of the carpet and tugged. The carpet unrolled and spat Bart out the other end of it, the man rolling a couple of times on the ground from the momentum.

"The blood packs worked well then," noted John in satisfaction as took in Bart's blood splattered chest.

"Sure did," agreed Bart as he propped himself up on his elbows as he lay there on the ground and looked down at his chest.

"You did good Bart," John told him.

"I did?" asked Bart, his eyes lighting up at something he wasn't overly familiar with – praise.

"Absolutely," said John, extending his hand and helping the other man to his feet, "Now we need to get you safely to The Mole's house and out of eyeshot of anyone."

"Okay," agreed Bart readily as John directed him towards his car he'd parked well out of sight.

The drive over to Maurice's house was uneventful for which John was very grateful. A lot of things could have gone wrong tonight but it seemed like nothing had which was a big relief. EJ and Sami were taking a lot of risks but John had to agree with them that there was no other way. At least he could lend them his experience and an extra set of hands to pull these deceptions off and the biggest was yet to come. John wish they had a firmer plan with that but seeing as so much was contingent on Stefano and his next move it just wasn't possible. Plus John was always conscious of the spectre of André lurking in the background. He was going to feel a lot better when that guy was flushed out and they knew what they were dealing with in regards to him.

"Hello roomie!" exclaimed an excited Bart as he burst into the basement of Maurice's house.

The Mole was hunched over one of his computer screens as complicated data flowed endlessly over the screen.

"It went okay?" asked Maurice nervously pushing his glasses up his nose.

"It went great," said Bart with a grin.

"Without a hitch," John agreed as he followed Bart into the basement.

Maurice and John had met a few weeks ago when Sami and EJ had first moved into the mansion as John had wanted to check out the person who was going to be so integral to the success or failure of everything. The man was odd but John's instincts told him they could trust him which was just as well. Without The Mole's technical support they just weren't going to be in the race to keep ahead of Stefano and his plans and ultimately bring him down.

"What are you doing?" asked Bart with interest as he looked over The Mole's shoulder at the computer screen.

"Running algorithms on some codecs I'm putting together for the worm I'm designing," said Maurice blithely.

"Your computer has worms?" asked Bart, wrinkling his nose, "Gross."

"1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10."

Bart took Maurice's counting in his stride when he first heard it and it didn't seem to bother him.

"They are worms that are going to carry viruses that will collect information from any PC they get uploaded into," explained Maurice.

"Your worms have the flu?" asked Bart, looking more confused than ever.

"Perhaps we should just move on?" suggested John wryly, "As long as all of that technical stuff will be ready when we need it Maurice then that is all we need to know."

"Oh it will be ready," Maurice said quickly, "And it is going to wipe all of Stefano's computers when it is uploaded. There will be nothing left."

"That's what I like to hear," John said with an approving nod.

"What should we do now?" asked Bart, obviously bored with the talk of sneezing worms, "What do you do for fun M?"

"Fun?" repeated Maurice, rolling the word around on his tongue as though this was the first he was hearing of such a thing.

"Yeah for laughs, what do you do?" asked Bart, looking at him expectantly, "I've got nothing to do no more now that I'm dead."

He looked over at John. "What do you want to do Mr B?"

"I can't stay," said John, trying to look suitably regretful as he said that.

"Oh okay," said Bart easily, turning his attention back to Maurice, "So how about it M? What do you do for fun?"

"I don't know," admitted Maurice, blinking rapidly.

"We can have a camp fire and roast marshmallows," said Bart excitedly looking like a kid on his first day at camp.

"1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10."

"I've never done that," admitted Maurice shyly.

"Oh you gotta try it," said Bart with an emphatic shake of his head, "It's the best!"

"You can't go out in the backyard," John warned him, "Remember you're dead Bart, no one can see you."

"That's okay we can have it in here," said Bart dismissively and then a brilliant idea hit him, "We can have it in the fort."

"You mean the cardboard and therefore incredibly flammable fort?" asked John looking a little concerned now.

"It's okay," said Bart eagerly, "We won't make a big camp fire will we M Man?"

"I guess a small one would be okay," said Maurice, nodding his head slowly.

John arched an eyebrow at the other man. It was true what they said, some really clever people could be as dumb as dirt when it came to common sense things and it seemed that despite Maurice's brilliance with all things computer based he clearly fell into that category.

"You know I think I've changed my mind and I will stay," said John flatly, starting to take of his jacket, "Otherwise I'm going to be reading a story in the paper tomorrow that starts with and nobody knew how the flaming inferno started."

"Yay!" said Bart, clapping his hands together, "I'll just go and get changed out of these bloody clothes and get the marshmallows and lighter fluid."

"No lighter fluid," said John quickly, "I'll get the fire started and more importantly, contained while you're gone."

"Okay," said Bart happily as he headed upstairs to his room and the suitcase that EJ had brought over the day before with some of his clothes.

"Maurice you have to promise me that this roasting of marshmallows will be just a onetime thing," said John seriously, "No naked flames if I'm not around okay?"

"Okay," said Maurice easily, "Do you want to come into Fort Sami now?"

"I guess," said John patiently, "Just tell me it's well ventilated."

"We can take the roof off if we need to," said Maurice eagerly as he headed over the drawbridge into the cardboard fort, "Look out for the alligators and piranhas though."

John looked down at the flattened cardboard surrounding the fort and saw the drawn in carnivores and pursed his lips.

"So what happens to them when the moat freezes up in winter?" asked John straight faced.

"That's when we bring in the killer whales and polar bears for the moat," said Maurice without missing a beat.

"I feel like I should have known that," said John dryly as he walked across the drawbridge and into the world's first cardboard box fort marshmallow roasting.

EJ was really going to owe him for this one.

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ turned the engine off and the car lights as he climbed out of the car in the DiMera garage. He looked up to see Will standing at the top of the stairs. EJ nodded and gave the thumbs up sign to his silent question. EJ started up the stairs and stopped a step below where Will was standing so that they were eye to eye.

"You were right," said Will in a low voice, "Stefano is trying to play me against you. He told me he didn't know where you were going tonight and tried to make it sound like you had doubts about me and Mom."

"He's a cunning old fox," said EJ flatly, "My father knows how to play to people's weaknesses and he knows your need for a family right now Will and is trying to destabilise that so you'll cling to him."

"I didn't see it," said a deflated Will, his shoulders sagging a bit, "I thought he really liked me."

"Here's the thing Will, I think my father does really like you but he has the wonderful ability to compartmentalise," said EJ wryly, "He can turn off his emotions if he thinks it will serve the greater good or in his case bad. It's what makes him so dangerous. He's a sociopath who has developed the skill of being about to connect with people and then use that connection against them."

"That sucks donkey's balls," said Will with a scowl.

"Giant donkey balls," agreed EJ readily without missing a beat, "But you're seeing through his act now aren't you Will?"

"Yeah," said Will, "It's just like playing chess – you see the moves he makes in a new light when you realise what his ultimate goal is – to break us up as a family."

EJ kept his expression calm at the easy way Will had referred to them as a family despite the happy leap his heart made at the unconscious statement from the teenager. He didn't want to make a big deal of it and spook the boy. The bonds were slowly forming between them and unbeknownst to his father it was his very attempts to destroy them that were making them stronger. The irony was very amusing even though EJ doubted his father would share that amusement.

"He's trying to make me not trust you and then get Mom not to trust you," continued on Will with a frown.

"Well maybe we should give him what he wants eh?" suggested EJ thoughtfully, "My father has to believe his plan is working completely so we have to show the rifts appearing."

EJ gave Will a considered look. "Do you think you could fake a fight with me Will?"

"EJ look at my parents," said Will with a roll of his eyes, "If there is one thing I know it's what a fight looks like."

"Then I say we use all of that experience to put on a little show for my father," said EJ, a wicked gleam coming to his eyes.


	195. Chapter 341

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & FORTY ONE**** – ****Behind Closed Doors**

The assumption that seeing is believing makes us susceptible to visual deceptions.

_Kathleen Hall Jamieson_

"_DiMera business," said EJ curtly, "You knew what that meant before agreeing to come and live here Samantha."_

"_It doesn't mean I have to like it!" said Sami sharply._

"_And it doesn't mean that you have to go off the deep end every time you're confronted with a bit of reality that doesn't please you either!" _

"_And Bart? What about him?"_

"_God give me strength!"_

"_Don't you walk away from me EJ!" _

"_This is neither the time nor the place Samantha!" _

"_Fine. Upstairs, now!"_

Will stood in the corridor and listened to his mother and EJ go for it. They certainly knew how to make a fight sound convincing and if Will didn't know any better he'd think for sure that they really were upset with one another. He heard the door to Stefano's office behind him open just as his mother and EJ stormed up the stairs. Will turned around and made out as if he was trying to keep out their way. He acted surprise to see Stefano standing there. EJ had already told him that he'd discovered the bugs Stefano had put in the living room and that was why the two of them had decided to stage the fight over Bart there so Will knew that Stefano would have heard everything.

"Don't worry," he Stefano to comfort him, "It will all work itself out I'm sure William."

Will stared back at him and couldn't believe that Stefano wasn't being sincere right then. The guy really was an accomplished liar.

"I guess," mumbled Will as he painted a crestfallen picture for his audience.

Two could play at this lying game.

"All marriages have rough spots," said Stefano, putting his hand on Will's shoulder and patting it comfortingly, "This will pass I'm sure."

Boy but the guy was good.

"Yeah but they've only been married for five minutes," said Will with a scowl, finding his part easy to play.

After all he'd seen his mother's marriages disintegrate before his eyes so many times before it wasn't hard for Will to conjure up the emotions and reactions that such a thing would cause.

"Usually it is Mom that screws things up but this time EJ is lying to her," said Will making an unhappy and worried expression, "And Mom knows it, she just doesn't know what it is EJ has done."

"Are you going to tell her?" asked Stefano, eyeing him with interest.

Will knew Stefano would like that but Will hedged, unsure of what EJ and his mother were planning on that front.

"I don't know," said Will with a hopeless shrug, "Do you think I should?"

"I think you should do what you think is right William," said Stefano steadily, "After all you are a man now and a man must make up his own mind about the path he chooses."

If Will didn't know what he did now he would have loved Stefano calling him a man and seemingly giving him a choice but he knew now that this was all just a manipulation. EJ was right, the old man knew how to get under your skin and tell you what you wanted to hear without you even realising it. Will made a show of looking up at the ceiling and the rooms above him where EJ and his mom were no doubt still putting on quite the show themselves.

"I'm going to have to think about it," said Will slowly, "Mom really seems to love EJ – I don't want to break her heart."

"That is a noble sentiment William," Stefano nodded, seeming to accept his hesitance.

Stefano moved to continue on down the hall but not before he planted the last seed of doubt as he went.

"But there are many ways to break a person's heart."

Stefano's calm observation was left hanging between them as he sauntered off and Will knew those words would have left him in a turmoil if things had been different.

"Cunning old fox," he muttered under his breath at Stefano's manipulations.

**oooOOOOooo**

"I can't believe you!" Sami shouted at EJ as she stormed into their bedroom.

"I'm not the one being unreasonable Samantha!" EJ shouted back at her as he slammed the door shut behind him.

"Don't you yell at me!" Sami yelled at him as she swung around and pushed against EJ's chest with all of her might.

EJ was caught a little off guard as she unbalanced him and he took a step backwards, his back hitting up against the door. His eyes lit up with excitement at her aggression and the slow ache between Sami's legs burst into an inferno as their 'fight' ignited more than just tempers. It was like they were back at the office, staging those fights to convince everyone they couldn't stand each other and Sami was just so turned on it was all she could do to remember that they were still meant to be fighting. Sami stepped forward and pulled at EJ's shirt, ripping buttons off in her haste to get him naked.

"I wouldn't have to yell if you'd stop being so bloody unreasonable!" EJ retorted even as he helped her divest himself of his shirt.

Sami pressed her body up against his, trapping EJ against the wall as her hand grabbed for his crotch and began to massage it forcefully. She watched EJ swallow a moan even as she felt him harden even more under her touch. Her thighs watered in approval.

"How am I being unreasonable by wanting to know what my husband gets up to at night?" Sami demanded to know, undoing EJ's zipper and shoving her hand into his boxers.

EJ's silken length swelled in her hand as she began to stroke him and she watched a fine sweat break out on his forehead.

"We're married Samantha," said EJ curtly as his hands went to her blouse now and began to tear at her buttons, "Not joined at the hip!"

EJ leant forward to whisper in her ear as he slipped one of his hands into her bra, cupping a breast. "Yet."

Sami bit her lip as he possessively tightened his grip on her breast, finding her nipple with his thumb and rubbing it into a tight peak. Sami gave a little gasp of surprise as EJ suddenly reversed their positions, pushing her up against the wall and undoing the clip of her bra so that he could pull both breasts free. Sami tried to remember their fight as he attached himself to one pink peak and began a painfully good tug of war with the delicate flesh.

"All I'm asking for is a little honesty EJ," Sami panted, her head spinning as she felt his hands go up under her skirt and start pulling on her panties, "I don't think that is too much to ask for!"

Sami stepped out of her underwear just as EJ grabbed her hips and spun her around. She put her hands flat against the wall as EJ pulled on her hips, bending Sami over as he pushed up her skirt, exposing her to him. She looked back over her shoulder to see EJ pushing down his pants and boxers, his manhood springing free and standing proud.

"And all I'm asking for is a little trust!" EJ threw back at her as she felt his velvet head suddenly resting against her opening, "I don't think that is too much to ask for!"

It was Sami's turn to swallow a moan as he mounted her in one swift thrust, making her go up on her tip toes. She squeezed her eyes close as her body exploded into life, her uterus already beginning to contract in anticipation of what was about to come – her.

"You're asking for a lot when you're not giving me anything EJ!" Sami exclaimed.

"So you want me to give you something is that it sweetheart?" EJ purred, his silky voice making her toes curl, "What is it that you think you deserve from me exactly?"

EJ slapped one of her exposed bottom cheeks, the touch designed to titillate and it did as Sami was forced to whimper helplessly as the vibrations from the short, sharp contact reverberated through her body, finding her nub and making her knees go weak. Sami felt EJ's large hand immediately go to the put upon flesh, massaging it roughly.

"More," she moaned unevenly, hoping that sounded a lot more vitriolic then pleading.

"More what Samantha?" EJ demanded to know, "I've already bent over backwards for you, perhaps it is your turn eh?"

EJ slapped her other bottom cheek and the vibrations sizzled through her body once more, making Sami suddenly unable to speak. His voice was in her ear again.

"Perhaps it's your turn to bend over and take it eh darling?" he whispered throatily and Sami wanted nothing more than just that.

She loved EJ being so assertive like this, just like she knew he loved it when she took control. Sami pictured what they must look like in her mind's eye just as EJ delivered another quick slap to her backside and it was too much for her. Sami's nub exploded, as she convulsed around EJ's manhood, unable to control herself. Her arousal was always bubbling beneath the surface these days, the pregnancy hormones only adding to the endless need she always felt for this man. Sami buried her head in her outstretched arm to stifle her moans, just in case someone was listening in.

"You're a bastard EJ DiMera!" Sami managed to throw out at him, her voice uneven and strained.

"No it's just that you've finally ended up married to a man who won't take your crap my dear!" said EJ triumphantly but Sami knew the satisfaction she could hear in his voice was from the way she was still contracting helplessly around him.

EJ began to move inside of her, his strokes long and hard, making her feel every inch of him. It was so incredibly good. Sami felt EJ's hand between her legs, seeking out her nub and knew he wanted her to climax again for him. His penetrations were so demanding that Sami didn't think that was going to be any kind of problem for her as she began to push back against him in time to his rhythmic strokes.

"And you're married to a woman who knows how to give as good as she gets!" Sami threw at him as she heard EJ's breathing become decidedly strained, her body having its usual effect on him.

"And then some," EJ grunted under his breath as she rode him just as hard as he was riding her.

EJ gave a strangled groan as continued to plunder her and the argument had to be put on hold for a moment for more pressing business.

"God but you're killing me Samantha!" EJ cried out excitedly as his hands tightened on her hips, becoming lost in the moment.

And Sami had to agree as her next orgasm rapidly approached thanks to EJ's energetic attentions and it was one hell of a way to go.

**oooOOOOooo**

Will gave a quiet knock on his mother's and EJ's bedroom door.

"Can I come in?"

"Wait a minute Will we're just ahh-" began his mother's fumbling response.

"Folding washing," was EJ's quick interjection as she faltered.

Will rolled his eyes and shook his head. Old people were so gross. There was some scrambling on the other side of the door and then his mother was opening it, a smile on her flushed face.

"So have you two stopped fighting?" he asked flatly, conscious that someone might be listening in.

"EJ and I weren't fighting," said Sami brightly, playing along, "We were just having a discussion, married people do that Will."

"Well have you finished _discussing_ things at the top of your lungs?" he asked sarcastically.

Sometimes being a teenager gave you a good excuse to be sullen and it fitted in quite nicely with the little act they were putting on right then.

"Of course Will," said Sami smoothly, stepping back so he could come in and closed the door behind him, affording them all some privacy.

EJ was standing by a very made looking bed which made Will pause for a moment. It was obvious what they'd been doing but the bed wasn't messed up so that must mean that they didn't use the bed while-

Will stopped his thoughts abruptly there, not wanting to have any kind of mental image of anything along that lines when it came to his mother.

"Do you guys have to 'fold laundry' in the middle of the day," he complained, wrinkling his face up in disgust, "You're too old – it's just weird. You were supposed to be fighting anyway."

"We multitasked," said EJ with a smirk as he and his mom shared a cheeky look.

"Gross," Will declared.

He eyed EJ up and down, taking in his tussled hair and the t-shirt he'd grabbed in his haste.

"Nice shirt EJ," said Will mockingly.

EJ looked down at the 'Hello Kitty' pink t-shirt that was several sizes too small and clung to his chest whilst not covering his midriff and then back at Will. It was obviously his mothers.

"I'm going for a new look," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "What do you think Will?"

"I think you're going to be a big hit at that new club they've opened up in town," said Will with a knowing nod, "You'll be the belle of the ball for sure."

"Good to know I have options," said EJ blithely.

"Not once I break both your legs," said Sami, folding her arms in front of herself, "I don't share my toys."

"So all I am is some kind of sex toy to you?" asked EJ with an arched eyebrow before a big grin split his face, "Fan-bloody-tastic."

"Guys," Will groaned in horror, "Can you two be more uptight about this sex thing please? You're going to screw me up for life."

"We're willing to take the chance Will," said his mother straight faced.

"So do you want to know what the big guy thought about your show or not?" he asked them in exasperation knowing he wasn't going to get any sense out of them whilst they were in this playful mood.

"Did he buy it?" asked his mom with interest.

"Hook, line and sinker," said Will confidently, "He was even trying to set me up to spill the beans to you Mom."

"What do you think?" asked Sami, pursing her lips thoughtfully as she looked at EJ, "Should we have Will tell me about what you've done?"

"I don't know," said EJ slowly, "It's a good ace to have up our sleeve to play at a later date."

"I've got an idea," Will volunteered.

"Shoot," said EJ with a nod as he looked around for another shirt to put on.

"Well you know how we haven't heard anything about André yet," began Will carefully.

He'd been thinking about this for a couple of days now but really didn't know how his mother and EJ were going to react to it.

"No," said EJ flatly, "He's like a crocodile lurking beneath the surface – you can't see him but you know he's there."

"Exactly," said Will eagerly, "So why don't I tell Stefano about your plans to throw him over and then he'll have to call for reinforcements in André."

"Tell Stefano that we're playing him?" asked his mother in horror, "Will no, that is the last thing we want to do. We've been so careful to stop that from happening up until now."

"Actually sweetheart," said EJ slowly as he buttoned up his shirt, brow furrowed thoughtfully, "That isn't such a crazy idea."

"It's a dangerous idea," Sami argued unhappily, "It means Will is going to put himself right in the middle of all of this if he pretends an allegiance with Stefano."

"Ah Mom in case you haven't been paying attention I'm already in the middle of all this," said Will with mild frustration.

"You know what I mean," said Sami anxiously, "Will that is simply too dangerous. If Stefano suspects you're playing him then he will kill you."

"But if he doesn't and believes what Will is telling him then he'll want to kill us," said EJ, his mind clearly working all the angles quickly, "Having my father kill us or at least think he has is just what we want Samantha and him knowing about our betrayal would certainly be a catalyst for that. Plus it would keep Will safe for that little bit longer if my father thought he had an ally in him."

"Mom I can do it," said Will eagerly, "I know I can, just trust me."

"This is madness," Sami groaned, obviously not convinced.

"Unlike the rest of the plan which is totally sane," said Will with a roll of his eyes.

"I don't know where you get your smart mouth from young man," Sami huffed.

She held up a hand as both EJ and Will opened their mouths to reply.

"Okay fine yes I do but it still doesn't mean I have to offer you up as some kind of sacrificial lamb," said Sami stubbornly.

"Sweetheart that is hardly what Will is suggesting," EJ protested, "We'd be in control of what Stefano knows and I think Will could have just hit on a way to make our exit out of this farce."

"Don't take his side EJ," said Sami with a fierce frown.

"EJ's just being sensible Mom," Will argued.

"And the implication being that I'm not?" asked Sami with a warning look his way.

"You're thinking like a mother sweetheart which is very laudable but not perhaps what we need right now," said EJ calmly, walking over to put his arm around her, "You know I would never do anything to put Will in any danger but I think this is a calculated risk that is worth taking."

"Yeah Mom," said Will with a nod of his head, "You're being crazy and unreasonable."

"That's not really helping our cause William," noted EJ wryly.

"I don't like it," Sami fretted, "What if Stefano works out you're playing him?"

"He hasn't so far," reasoned Will, "I can be a very convincing liar if I have to – after all I learnt from the master."

"I'm so proud," said Sami with a roll of her eyes.

"I think this is a lemons into lemonades situation sweetheart when it comes to Will's lying prowess," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "I think we should seriously consider his idea and I for one have no concerns about him being able to fool my father."

"Really?" asked Sami sceptically, looking up at him, "None?"

"No," said EJ seriously, "I think Will has gotten in under my father's radar and I think we should take advantage of that whilst the going is good. Once he hears of my deception my father will be looking for a replacement heir and I think he'll consider Will a good bet."

"Because apart from everything else it will be really sticking it to the Brady's," noted Sami flatly.

"That will be a definite positive," agreed EJ dryly.

"So what about it Mom?" asked Will, looking at her intently.

Sami made an unhappy face as they both looked at her expectantly.

"I'll think about it," she said, relenting only slightly.

"That's all we ask sweetheart," said EJ with a smile as he kissed her forehead.


	196. Chapter 342

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & FORTY TWO**** – ****The Last Pieces of the Puzzle**

Promise me you'll never forget me because if I thought you would I'd never leave.

_Winnie the Pooh_

"I can't believe this worked," said John with a shake of his head, "Will really pulled the wool over Stefano's eyes."

"I couldn't be prouder if he was my own son," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "It looks like Will has indeed inherited the lying gene from Samantha."

"Normally I wouldn't say that was a good thing but this time-"

John gave a little shrug.

"This time it is a good thing," EJ finished for him.

They'd just finished listening to the recording of Stefano's meeting with André and had heard all of their plans. Will had certainly done his part in his 'betrayal' of EJ and it seemed Stefano had been completely taken in, enough so to involve André anyway which was exactly what they'd been hoping for. André was too dangerous hidden but out in the open they had a real shot at neutralising both men.

The pen with the recording device that The Mole had given EJ to slip into his father's pocket had served its purpose perfectly. They'd heard everything, the first uneasy meeting between the two men and the fact that Stefano had indeed banished André. However it seemed all would be forgiven if André was to do as Stefano asked and kill EJ and then he would be welcomed back into the DiMera fold with open arms. His cousin had taken little convincing it seemed and EJ had felt a growing horror as he listened to the two men discuss their plans.

It didn't bother him so much that they wanted him dead, that was to be expected but the plan of keeping Samantha alive long enough to steal their children just made EJ seethe with a rage he'd never known before. These were his children they were talking about as though they were just commodities to be passed around. The twins weren't even born yet and his father had wicked plans for them and if EJ ever needed reassurance that he was doing the right thing then that was it.

Then to hear his father talk about using Will so despicably, warping his young mind and setting him on a path that would end in pain and suffering just made EJ's curl his fists in rage. There seemed to be no end to the abominations this man was capable of and EJ wondered if his father ever lay in bed at night and thought about all the pain he inflicted on those around him. His well rested countenance every day seemed to suggest he didn't.

"Can't believe he tried the mental illness card with the kid," said John with a disgusted shake of his head.

"I'm a lot of things but I'm not unstable," EJ agreed readily, "My father certainly knew the right buttons to press with Will. Thank goodness Will didn't buy into it for a second."

"I wasn't sure at the time but you and Sami did the right thing by letting him on everything from the beginning," said John.

John's validation meant a lot to EJ. He'd be a complete rock through all of this and EJ was just glad that he was on their side.

"Do you know this warehouse they were discussing?" asked EJ, looking intently at John.

They were at his apartment and Marlena was actually at lunch with Sami so that had worked out nicely.

"Yeah I do," said John with a nod, "It's pretty isolated like they said. André will be able to set it up how he wants without anyone bothering him."

"So André intends to kidnap Samantha and draw me to him at the warehouse," said EJ, his jaw hardening, "And then he'll rig her with explosives plus the floor and try and trap me before leaving with Samantha and having me blow myself up."

"That is one bad ass plan," said John soberly.

"And then some," EJ agreed grimly, "Now the question is how do we stop him without letting him think we are stopping him?"

There was a long pause whilst both men considered their options.

"I don't see how we can do this without letting André take Sami," said John at last, not looking happy to say that.

"Absolutely not," said EJ without hesitation, his eyes going wide in horror, "John how could you even suggest such a thing?"

The thought of Samantha being in the hands of that madman sent EJ into a panicky sweat.

"Believe me I'm not in love with the idea either but we can't pre-empt their plans without setting off alarm bells so I don't see a way around it," said John unhappily.

"There is no way in hell I'm going to let Samantha be left alone with my cousin," said EJ with a fierce scowl.

"Think about it," John encouraged him, "It would be more than André's life is worth if he did something to bring harm to those twins Sami is carrying. Whilst André wouldn't be above threatening Sami and using her as leverage to get you to that warehouse there is no way he'd do anything to really hurt her. It wouldn't be worth it for him to fall foul of Stefano. If something happened to Sami then André knows his head is on the chopping block as well."

"You can't honestly expect me to put my heavily pregnant wife in this kind of danger?" asked EJ but even as he said it he had this awful feeling that there wasn't going to be another way.

"Listen to me," said John urgently, "We can rig the whole thing, be in control the whole time."

EJ sat back in his seat and put his head in his hands, feeling the way his stomach was turning over and over and making him feel sick. John let it all sink in and just sat there quietly, keeping him company in his turmoil. EJ finally lifted his head and looked at John, his face drawn but a dawning determination on it.

"My father will go to The Mole to get that bomb rigging," said EJ hoarsely, his mind racing as he tried to plot out all of their moves to counteract the other men's, "Maurice will make sure that the trigger is a dud – I won't have Samantha in anymore danger then is absolutely necessary."

"Of course not," agreed John readily, "And that goes for the Bouncing Betty's as well. Maurice can rig them so they are all duds so you and Sami will be safe."

"But blowing up the warehouse seems the best way to fake our deaths," said EJ slowly, "We'll be all there and if we make the explosion big enough there won't be enough left for people to be looking for body parts. As long as we make sure people know we were there at the warehouse when it goes up then everyone will assume we are dead."

"We'll need to place Will there as well," said John, his brow furrowed thoughtfully.

"Samantha being there is bad enough," said EJ with a grimace, "I don't want Will there as well."

"He doesn't have to be," said John, his eyes narrowing, "Everyone just has to think he is at the warehouse when it blows. He can be with me when it all goes down and then after the fact I'll just tell everyone that André had taken Will as well."

"My father would believe that," EJ nodded, "He's a loose cannon and to André Will could still be competition."

"So we'll let André set up the warehouse how he wants and then I'll go in after him and rig all the real explosives," said John before looking at EJ, "You don't think he'll stay at the warehouse do you?"

"André?" EJ said with a humourless smile, "He likes the finer things in life and there is no way he'll stay in a draft ridden, cobweb filled warehouse when he has options. I'd bet my life on the fact he will set up the warehouse and then go back to where he is living now."

"You're right," John agreed, "I should have a clear run at it. Now all we need to know is when this is going to happen."

"I think we can decide that," said EJ firmly, "If in a couple of days, when we're ready, Will tells my father that I'm going to rescue Lexie that will force his hand. He won't want that to happen so it would be a perfect opportunity while I'm busy with Lexie that he'll get André to take Samantha. He'll let me think I've succeeded in saving Lexie before trying to reel me back in."

EJ's face hardened. "My father would love that kind of mind game."

"So we have to make sure that you can get Lexie out and keep her out," said John seriously, "We can't have Stefano recapturing her."

"I won't let that happen," said EJ determinedly, "Maurice has already given me the electronic key to her cell and my father is severely underestimating me if he thinks any one of his lackeys can out drive me."

"Then André will get word to you one way or the other he has Sami and tell you to come to the warehouse," said John with a nod, "Then it is final showdown time."

"You can keep an eye on Samantha when André takes her and once I am there we can set the ball rolling to blow up the warehouse," said EJ.

"And Will would already be with me at a safe distance so all we have to do is work out the exit strategy from the warehouse and then the three of you will make good your escape," said John, "I'll have a private plane ready to fly you out of the country as soon as it all goes down."

There was a long silence after John finished speaking.

"It's a complicated plan," EJ said at last, not pleased by that fact, "A lot of things could go wrong."

"I know," said John grimly, "But we knew this wasn't going to be easy."

"If something were to happen to Samantha or Will-"

EJ trailed off, finishing that sentence was just too traumatic for him. John put a fatherly hand on his shoulder.

"Stefano has won all the games so far," said John soberly, "He's due for a fall."

"I'm gambling with my family lives that you're right John," said EJ unevenly.

"Now's not the time for a faint heart Elvis," John advised him, "You've got to see this thing through, you've come too far not to and there is too much at stake."

"Do you think I can do it John?" asked EJ, allowing the threads of uncertainty to lace his voice for the first time.

"I wouldn't have backed you this way if I didn't," said John without missing a beat, "You and Sami, you're the two most single minded, passionate, stubborn and relentless people I know. You both can do this, of that I have no doubt otherwise I'd be pulling the plug right now on the whole thing."

EJ felt his confidence return with John's reassurances. This was a huge thing they were contemplating and they hadn't even consulted Sami about her part in all of this. EJ knew in his heart though that Sami would baulk at what they were asking her to do. She'd agree to the plan in a heartbeat if she thought it was the only way to keep everyone she loved safe. Sami was so completely fearless that way.

"We won't have long to pull this altogether," said EJ solemnly.

"I think we all work best under pressure," said John wryly, "We can do this if we all work together as one."

EJ gave a small smile. "I've never been one for team sports."

"Well now is as good as time as any to start," said John firmly.

"Yes it is," said EJ, a steely determination coming to his eyes as he contemplated what they were about to do.

**oooOOOOooo**

"You look well honey."

Sami looked up from her cup of tea and smiled at her mother.

"I am well Mom," she said without hesitation, "Marriage to the right man really agrees with me."

"And EJ is that right man?" asked Marlena painfully.

"Yes he is Mom," said Sami huskily, putting down her tea.

They'd had a nice lunch together carefully avoiding talking about anything too deep but Sami knew that this might well be the last time she saw her mother in awhile and she had so much she wanted to say to her.

"He loves me," said Sami softly, the wonder on her face at such a thing, "EJ really adores me Mom, every part of me. I don't have to be anyone other than who I truly am with him. I'm not afraid of doing or saying the wrong thing and losing him. I feel so safe in his love for me and I can't tell you how wonderful that is. It's like I've started breathing for the first time in my life."

"You've been in love before Sami," said Marlena, her face marked in concern.

"No I haven't Mom," said Sami simply, "Not like this. I was always in love with the idea of love and all the security and happiness it was meant to bring but it never did with me. Even though I thought I was happy at the time I was always waiting for the inevitable end of everything, where my whole world would implode which of course it always did. With EJ I never have that. I trust in his love for me just like he trusts in my love for him and I've never been so at peace before in my life."

"I should have been able to give you that peace," said Marlena unhappily, "I'm your mother Sami – I should have made you feel that safe and loved."

"You did your best Mom," said Sami reaching out and covering her mother's hand with her own, "I wasn't an easy child to raise, I was just so angry all the time and I know I took that out on you and Dad and John way too often. Stefano messed with our family so much that it was hard for all of us."

"And yet you're now living under his roof," Marlena reminded her with a worried frown.

"I'm living with my husband," Sami corrected her, "The rest is just geography."

"No it isn't Sami," said Marlena urgently, grasping her hand tightly, "Stefano is evil and I'm scared for you and Will."

"Don't be Mom," said Sami earnestly, "EJ will protect us both. You have to believe that everything is going to be alright in the end."

"I'm scared for you Sami," said Marlena earnestly, "You and Will and those babies you're carrying."

"I know I've done a lot of things in the past that have made you doubt my judgement Mom," said Sami quietly, "So I can understand why you're so worried-"

"This isn't about you Sami," Marlena interrupted her anxiously, "This is about you being drawn in by DiMera lies."

"EJ isn't Stefano," said Sami determinedly, "He's not lying to me."

"How can you be sure?" her mother pushed her.

"How can you be sure that John means it when he says he loves you?" Sami shot back at her, "I mean he's hurt you plenty of times before, married other women, turned his back on you – why do you have such faith in his love now?"

"That's completely different Sami," said Marlena stiffly.

"Yes it is because that is the story between the two of you," Sami nodded calmly, "EJ and I have our own story and it is a good one Mom, I promise you. He loves and respects me completely and there will never be any part of me that regrets loving him no matter what the future holds just like I'm sure it's the same for you and John."

Marlena sat back in her chair and studied her daughter carefully.

"You've changed," she announced at last.

"Is that a good thing?" asked Sami with a wry smile.

"I want it to be," said Marlena honestly, "But I'm still worried for you honey."

"Mom no matter what happens in the future know that I chose this and I don't regret it for a moment," said Sami earnestly, trying to make her mother understand something that hadn't happened yet, "I'm so happy and I know I'm doing the right thing and I hope one day you'll be able to see and understand that as well."

"I want that too Sami, I really do," said Marlena, her eyes beginning to water a little with emotion, "I only want you to be happy."

Marlena's cell phone rang just then and she sighed as she saw that it was the office calling.

"I have to get back to work," she said regretfully.

"That's okay," Sami smiled, "I'm due to meet EJ soon, we're going for a walk in the park together."

"That sounds nice," said Marlena with a wistful smile as both women stood up ready to leave, the meal already paid for.

"It will be," said Sami with an even bigger smile, "EJ likes to show me and Arthur and Martha off as often as he can.

She patted her ever expanding stomach affectionately.

"He's so proud," Sami laughed, "You'd think I was the first pregnant woman in the history of the world. EJ loves it when strangers stop us and ask when I'm due, he gets to be the proud daddy to be over and over again."

Sami could see that her mother was having a little trouble seeing EJ in such a light but was trying nonetheless.

"That sounds very sweet," said Marlena with a soft smile.

"EJ is very sweet Mom," she reassured her, "And he's being a fantastic step dad to Will – they are really bonding – I just love watching them together."

"I'm happy for you honey," said Marlena and Sami could see she was really trying to put away her fears even though it was hard for her.

"Thanks Mom," said Sami sincerely.

"So how about lunch next week?" asked Marlena with a smile.

Sami had to swallow hard to force down the sudden lump in her throat because she knew that this time next week everything was going to be very different.

"Sounds good," said Sami brightly, holding back her tears.

Even though Sami had no doubt that she and EJ were doing the right thing the hardest thing to deal with was the thought of how much she was going to hurt the people she loved. It wasn't going to be forever and it was for the greater good but still Sami didn't relish the thought of people mourning her when she wasn't going to be dead, especially her parents. Sami moved to hug her mother, holding onto her tightly.

"I love you Mommy," she whispered to her, trying desperately to convey her love and regret through those four simple words and the honesty of her touch.

"I love you too little girl," said Marlena sweetly, hugging her back and seeming to sense Sami's need to be close in that moment.

A single tear slid down Sami's cheek as she said goodbye to her mother without her mother even knowing.

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ's world exploded in light and exquisite pleasure as he climaxed powerfully inside of a Sami who was holding him tightly. Only when his body was completely spent did he collapse beside her in a sweaty heap. Sami rolled on her side and propped herself up on one elbow as she looked down at him with a loving smile. EJ tried to smile back up at her but he was still struggling to catch his breath after such prolonged exertions.

"Okay?" asked Sami softly as she placed her hand on his sweaty chest and stroked it gently, "That took awhile."

Sami had climaxed quite some time before but it had taken EJ longer and he gave a rueful grimace at her observation.

"Not that I mind of course," said Sami with a little laugh.

"Glad to hear it," EJ panted, smiling up at her.

"Penny for your thoughts Mr DiMera?" she quizzed him huskily.

EJ threaded his fingers with hers as it lay on his chest and squeezed tightly.

"It's nothing," said EJ with a shake of his head.

Sami arched an unbelieving eyebrow at him and he knew he wasn't going to get away with that.

"Don't make me hurt you Elvis DiMera," she warned him with utmost seriousness, "You're worrying about our plan aren't you?"

"You mean the plan where you're delivered over into the hands of a raving lunatic," asked EJ dourly.

He'd discussed his and John's plans and Sami hadn't hesitated in supporting it despite the dangerous role she would have to play in it.

"That would be the one," said Sami with a half smile.

"Samantha you have to know that this goes against every single instinct I have," said EJ unhappily, "Putting you in harm's way."

"I'm the size of a hippo and I'm as hormonal as hell," said Sami straight faced, "If you want to worry about anyone it should be André."

EJ couldn't help but smile at that. Without warning suddenly Sami bit his shoulder.

"Ow!" he complained in surprise, "What was that for?"

"For not correcting me when I said I was the size of a hippo," said Sami unrepentantly, "We hippo's are the number one killers in Africa in case you didn't know."

"I don't doubt it," said EJ ruefully as he rubbed his shoulder, "And you aren't the size of a hippo sweetheart."

"Too little too late," Sami sniffed, "I'm not talking to you now."

EJ just felt the love for this women well up inside him so that he could barely speak. Sami was just so amazing with how she was handling all of this.

"I love you," said EJ shakily, unable to take his eyes off her.

"Humpf," Sami dismissed, lying back in the bed and folding her arms in front of her chest.

EJ knew she was trying to distract him from his worrying – it wasn't working but he loved her for trying. He rolled onto his side and looked down at her.

"Don't ever leave me," he begged her unevenly.

"I won't EJ," she promised him huskily, the teasing over as she saw how scared he was.

She put her hand up and stroked his cheek lovingly.

"I can do this," Sami said determinedly, "I know I can and so do you. I can hold my own against André and we're going to make this plan work. I'm not afraid."

"How can you not be afraid?" asked EJ in amazement, "I'm breaking out in a cold sweat just thinking about putting you and our babies in danger."

"I'm not afraid because I know that we're doing the right thing," Sami insisted, "After so many years of risking everything for the wrong thing it is completely empowering to be playing the other side of that coin. This is all going to be over soon EJ and we get to start our lives together properly - you, me and Will – for the first time and I can't wait."

EJ wished he could see the big picture as easily as Sami seemed able to. All he could think about now was that in a couple of days he was going to be sending the one person he loved more than life off into the arms of a sociopathic killer. Sami could see the happy ever after but EJ still feared the here and now.

"Do you remember when you were first trying to get me to admit that I was in love with you?" asked Sami, obviously seeing that he was still very uncertain.

"Yes," EJ grumbled, "You were being so unreasonable you crazy woman."

Sami gave a little laugh at that.

"Maybe but what did you tell this crazy woman when I said how even the idea of us being together terrified me?" she asked him indulgently.

EJ blinked as he looked down at her.

"That nothing worthwhile is easy," he said hoarsely.

"That's right," said Sami with a half smile.

She pulled him down so that his forehead was resting against hers.

"The next few days might not be easy," Sami whispered, her blue eyes burning into his, "But all the things we are fighting for are more than worthwhile EJ, they are a necessity – freeing Lexie, ending Stefano's reign of terror and us being a family. That last one in particular – I'd walk through fire to make that happen."

"So would I sweetheart," said EJ seriously, "But I still wish there was another way."

"There isn't," said Sami simply, "And I'm okay with that."

Sami drew him down beside her as she wrapped her arms around him. The unbelievable comfort that came from being held by this woman always amazed EJ as he just let her gentle touch sooth him. Life without her simply wasn't an option and he knew he had to find a way to match her strength in the coming days. EJ had always known Sami was a strong woman but she was just taking his breath away with the amazon she had become.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you," EJ vowed as he buried his head in her sweet smelling neck.

"And I'm not going to let anything happen to you," Sami promised him as she held him tightly.


	197. Chapter 343

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & FORTY THREE**** – ****The Final Countdown**

Man could escape danger only by renouncing adventure; by abandoning that which has given to the human condition its unique character and genius among the rest of living things.

_Rene Dubois_

Lexie gasped and put a shaking hand to her mouth as EJ suddenly stepped through the door of her prison. It had been nearly two weeks since she'd last seen him and she'd begun to wonder if she'd imagined the whole thing. It would be such an easy thing to lose your mind down here, locked away from everyone she loved and Lexie had been fighting it hard, particularly after EJ's visit. But as one day had dragged into another she'd begun to second guess herself and now seeing EJ standing there, working on the lock to her cell it was almost too much.

"Sorry I'm late darling," he said with a quick grin at her, "I came as quickly as I could."

By now EJ had used the swipe key he had with him and the cell door sprung open.

"EJ," said Lexie weakly, unable to take her eyes off him.

"How about we blow this pop stand eh?" he suggested huskily, reaching out and taking her hand.

Lexie could only nod mutely even as her legs seemed frozen to the spot. EJ could obviously see how overwhelmed she was as he stepped closer and drew her into a tight hug.

"It's almost over Lexie," he promised her softly, "Just a few more minutes and you'll be free."

Lexie gave a little sob at hearing that and clutched onto him tightly.

"Can you walk sweetheart?" asked EJ, drawing back and looking down at her in concern as he felt her shaking all over.

"Yes," said Lexie unevenly as EJ once again took her hand.

"Then we have to go," said EJ, allowing a slight urgency to creep into his voice, "We need to get you to the car before any of father's goons turn up."

"And then what?" asked Lexie unsteadily as EJ led the way out of her cell, still holding on tightly to her hand.

"And then we reunite you with your family," said EJ as he strode down the corridor, Lexie trying to keep up.

Lexie's heart gave an excited jump at such a prospect, her head beginning to spin. She stumbled a little as they hurried along, her legs feeling rubbery and without a word EJ swung around and picked her up. He continued on down the hallway now at almost a trot, not seeming to find her added weight any kind of impedance to his sped. Lexie opened her mouth to protest that she could do it but then felt the weakness that suddenly settled on her and knew that it just wasn't true. Instead she settled back into her little brother's arms and let him him carry her to safety, praying the whole time that this wasn't a dream.

**oooOOOOooo**

BIRD IS IN THE HAND – ON WAY

John looked down at the message on his cell phone and gave a satisfied nod.

"Not too shabby Elvis," he said approvingly as he received the message that Lexie was free and almost back with her family.

Well that was one objective achieved today, so far everything was going to plan. John was sitting in his car, not far from the warehouse and watching the little monitor he had on his dash intently. Thanks to The Mole they'd also been able to wire the warehouse for sound and vision and John currently had a bird's eye view of Sami and André. As per their plan John had stuck with Sami, out of sight but near enough to jump in if the planned kidnapping hadn't gone to plan. Sami had played the unwilling victim to the hilt and John had been forced to stifle a laugh when she landed a unrepentant left hook on her would be kidnapper. It would have been odd if Sami had just gone quietly, André would have been expecting a fight and she gave it to him.

André had grabbed Sami on her way to the coffee shop to meet EJ. Of course Sami and EJ had made sure that Stefano was privy to the plan by discussing it where they knew the room was bugged. Stefano and André thought they were one step ahead of their intended victims but instead Sami and EJ were three steps ahead of them and John intended to keep it that way. He glanced at his watch and saw that it was almost time to pick up Will and deliver him to the safe house he'd organised. Everyone had to think that Will was in the warehouse when it blew and that meant keeping him out of the way until it happened. Once the warehouse had blown up, 'killing' Sami and EJ then John was going to collect all three of them and take them to a car so they could drive to the airport and the waiting plane they'd chartered.

John was tense even as everything seemed to be going to plan. There were a lot of areas that things could go wrong and everyone knew it. André wasn't the most stable of characters and that was why they'd organised for John to be watching him with Sami but despite John hating seeing his step daughter tied to a chair it seemed like André was happy to wait for EJ's arrival as he carefully monitored the situation in the warehouse. John looked at his watch again and decided he'd give it another five minutes before heading off to pick up Will at his apartment where they'd agreed to meet.

So far, so good.

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ stood in the middle of the coffee shop and made a big show of looking all around himself. Of course he knew Sami wasn't going to be there because John had already rung him to tell him that Sami was with André and safe. EJ still hated that part of this plan but at least he knew Sami was holding her own with his cousin. He strode out of the coffee shop and looked up and down the street, conscious that he was no doubt being watched. EJ knew he had to make this convincing otherwise this whole plan was shot to hell so he dialled Sami's number already knowing he wasn't going to get a reply. After leaving her a message EJ climbed back into his car and sped off to the mansion. EJ knew that André was going to send word soon enough that he had Sami or he might have even left a note and the mansion was the most likely place it would be.

EJ couldn't wait for this day to be over.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Tell me what you've done to Samantha or I'll show you just how much of your son I really am Stefano!" said EJ fiercely.

"André has-has her," Stefano squeaked with what was almost the last of his breath as he was unable to fight off the much stronger EJ.

EJ shoved him roughly backwards onto the sofa and Stefano sat there, gasping for air with his hand to his throat, thoroughly shaken.

"Where?" EJ bit out unsympathetically.

Will continued to peak through a crack in the door as he watched the two men battle it out. He'd gotten a shock when EJ had grabbed his father around the neck and started to choke him. EJ was certainly being convincing when it came to playing a man on the edge and frightened of losing everything. Will knew he should already be on the way to meet up with John at his grandmother's apartment but he'd been there when EJ had arrived home and couldn't help but listen in on the conversation between the two men. Will watched as Stefano stared up at EJ and made one last bid for his son.

"Let him have her and you and I can start again," said Stefano hoarsely, "You can still have those babies but Samantha is a deal breaker. Just think about it, the two of us with those children raising them up together. We would be unstoppable my son!"

EJ took a horrified step backwards and shook his head and Will shared his revulsion. He never for one moment thought EJ would take him up on it but it was still a disgusting thought, doing away with his mom just so they could keep the twins and it was clear EJ felt the same way.

"How can you even suggest such a heinous thing to me?" asked EJ in horror, "Kill Samantha all so you can have complete dominance over me and my children? You're completely insane to think I would ever even consider such a sick and twisted idea!"

"She weakens you Elvis," said Stefano urgently, "With Samantha gone we can be the father and son we used to be."

"A relationship soaked in the blood of the mother of my children?" asked EJ faintly, shaking his head, "Can you hear what you are saying to me? No one in their right mind would say such a thing and expect to be thought of as anything less than a monster Stefano!"

Will had a flashback of what it had been like to look into the eyes of Artie, the identity that had taken over his father at the end and how gut wrenching that had been to know that his father was gone. It occurred to Will that EJ must be having that same feeling right then, looking into the face of this monster and no longer seeing father he'd once known and loved.

"If a monster you believe me to be then a monster I shall be," said Stefano coldly, glaring up at him, "But know this Elvis, you had your moment for redemption and you threw it away, along with everything else that makes you who you were meant to be."

"I only want one thing from you Stefano and then I never want to see you again," said EJ darkly, "Where is André keeping Samantha?"

"I've given him orders to kill you if you show up," said Stefano unflinchingly.

"I don't care," said EJ simply.

Will began to back away from the door, knowing that EJ was going to be storming out any minute to go to his mother at the warehouse and he knew he couldn't be there when he did. The plan was for him to go to John but Will had seen real pain and anguish on EJ's face during that heated fight with his father and it didn't feel right to leave him, not after all the times EJ had been there for him. Besides everything was going to happen at the warehouse and his mom and EJ kept saying that they were a family and they should stick together. Will just knew that they might need him and if did he wanted to be there. They started this as a family and they should end it as one he decided. Without dwelling on it anymore Will made up his mind what he was going to do next.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Will!" EJ exclaimed in horror at seeing the teenager and immediately lowered his gun.

"Hi," said Will, looking suddenly nervous as he gave a weak smile up at EJ from the trunk of his car, "Um... surprise?"

"What the hell are you doing here?" asked a horrified EJ.

"I thought you might need my help," said Will, scrambling out of the trunk.

"How, by giving me a heart attack?" asked EJ in agitation, "Will this wasn't the plan."

"I heard you arguing with Stefano and thought you might need my help," said Will, dusting himself down.

"What I need is for you to be safe," said EJ, reholstering his gun.

"Aren't I safe with you?" Will reasoned, "You and mom are always telling me that."

"You're safe with me unless I'm about to walk in and face down a mad man," said EJ in vexation.

"But you've got all the bombs rigged," said Will with a shrug, "It's safe."

"It's not safe Will," said EJ with a fierce scowl, "That's why we wanted you out of this."

"But I'm in it," Will argued stubbornly, "And I have been from the beginning and that's worked pretty well so far."

EJ opened his mouth, obviously wanting to argue but then closed it again as he realised that it was pointless now.

"You're mother is going to kill me," EJ groaned, shaking his head as he gave in, "And don't let her size fool you, she has a surprising amount of upper body strength and isn't afraid to use it."

"Hey you involved me in this from the beginning," said Will unapologetically and using his trump card again, "If you wanted me out of this then you shouldn't have let me go with my plan to go to Stefano in the first place."

"You argue like your mother," said EJ flatly, "We had a plan Will. You were meant to stay well clear of this and John was going to place you at the warehouse."

"Well this way there is one less lie to be told so if you think about it, this is a good thing," argued Will blithely.

EJ shook his head in resignation. "Just like your mother. Maddening."

"And endearing right?" asked Will with a winsome grin.

"You'll endear yourself to me William if you do exactly as I say," said EJ determinedly, "André is a loose cannon and neither your mother nor I can predict completely what he is going to do. You stay close but out of sight, got it?"

"Kinda oxymoronic but okay," agreed Will readily enough.

"I'm not fooling around here Will," said EJ firmly, "This isn't a game – we're playing for keeps here."

"Not a game but we're playing, got it," said Will straight faced.

"Maddening," announced EJ one last time and rolling his eyes at the teens sass.

Just then EJ received a text, it was from John telling him Will hadn't shown up yet. EJ quickly texted him back that Will was with him and for John to come back to the warehouse and get ready for the next part of their plan.

"So are we doing this thing then?" asked Will, looking up at EJ.

"_I'm_ doing this thing and you're doing as you're told," said EJ determinedly, "Out of sight remember Will."

"Got it," Will nodded as he looked over at the warehouse in the distance.

Will's heart was beating a nervous tattoo about what they were about to walk into but somehow knowing that EJ and his mom were there was well didn't make it quite so scary for him.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Somehow I don't see you letting that happen to your dearly beloved," said André smugly as he nodded at Sami, "I think you're going to stay exactly where you are and protect her and your little unborn bastards."

Crouched behind some petrol drums Will listened in on the conversation going on between the adults. He'd never dealt with André before and EJ had been right, the guy was crazy. EJ was stuck on the Bouncing Betty, or so André thought, the guy didn't seem to have any suspicions that he didn't have the upper hand.

"You're absolutely right André," said EJ, his eyes narrowing, "But then I still have this."

EJ lifted his gun and pointed it directly at André's head.

"Ah a gun," André sighed and shook his head, "So uninspired."

"But fortunately still very lethal," said EJ coldly as stared back at him unblinkingly.

"Well you've shown me yours so I'll guess I'll show you mine," said André with a coy smile.

He drew his hand out of his pocket and it was to show them he was holding a silver cylinder with a red button on top. Will peeped through the drums he was hiding behind to see André's smile widened as he nodded towards a nearby drum of petrol that had a box sitting on it with wires coming off it.

"Mine's bigger," said André with a confident sneer.

It certainly made Will feel a lot better to know that the bomb was a dud thanks to The Mole but it was still kind of scary just thinking about it.

"A bomb?" exclaimed Sami in horror, "You brought a bomb into a warehouse filled with petrol?"

"Yes I did," said André looking very pleased with himself, "I'll let you in on a little secret seeing as you are family – I may be a _little_ crazy after all."

"A little?" said Sami in horror.

"He's banking of neither one of us wanting to do anything to hurt the other," said EJ grimly.

"Crazy, not stupid," said André with a cheeky wink, "Now be a good boy and point that gun somewhere else eh cousin?"

EJ grimaced and slowly lowered his gun, glaring at André as he did.

"I can't believe you'd really die to carry out my father's wishes," asked EJ with a degree of horrified disbelief.

"I think the point is Elvis that you're not sure if I would or I wouldn't and therein lays your own hesitation," said André smoothly, "And as we all know, he who hesitates is lost."

The two men faced off, neither one giving anything away. Will meanwhile couldn't help but worry over his mother. He could see the way the ropes André had used to tie her to the chair were cutting into her wrists and thought he could at least do something about that. He carefully crawled over to where his mother was tied up and keeping himself hidden behind some crates he began to work on her ropes.

He saw his mom give a little start and look back over her shoulder at him, her eyes going wide in horror before she abruptly looked back at the other two men. Will knew he was probably going to get an earful for being there but guessed that EJ was going to get a bigger one. It didn't matter though as he worked on his mother's ropes, just wanting to help in any way he could and at least now his mom was free to get out of the way of any trouble if needs be.

That couldn't be a bad thing... right?


	198. Chapter 344

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & FORTY FOUR**** – ****The Point of No Return**

Count not thyself to have found true peace, if thou hast felt no grief; nor that then all is well if thou hast no adversary; nor that this is perfect, if all things fallout according to thy desire.

_Honore de Balzac_

_(French Novelist He developed the realistic novel describing French society in Comedie Humaine (1841). 1799-1850)_

EJ groaned inside at the sight of the guilty looking Will. This was not part of the plan.

"Will what are you doing here?" asked Sami looking very upset, "EJ?"

"It's my fault," said EJ grimly.

"No I stowed away," Will interrupted, "It's my fault Mom."

He glared at André. "And your sick plan isn't going to work now because I heard everything! I'd never let Stefano near me again and I'd tell everyone what you and Stefano have done!"

"Will," EJ tried to warn him but it was too late.

"Very well," said André with a shrug, "You were only a filler to the old man at best William. As long as he has me and those twins in the future your services are not really needed. You can stay here and die with Elvis whilst your mother and I make good our escape. It actually makes the whole plan a lot easier without you in it so you've really done me a favour."

"Oh," said Will.

"Let Will go please," Sami pleaded with him, "I'm begging you André, he has nothing to do with all of this."

"I hate to say no to a lady but he has just heard all of my plans and Stefano's and has just said he can't wait to spill the beans on us so I'm rather thinking it is in my best interests to do just that," said André wryly.

André glanced at his watch and then back at EJ. "Time is getting away from us now. Elvis you have the gun, be a good chap and shoot the boy and then Samantha and I can leave you to your fate."

"NO!" Sami screamed in horror and before anyone else could respond she leapt from her chair.

André's eyes went wide in surprise at seeing her free as Sami rushed towards him. Things were quickly spiralling out of control from the original plan but EJ couldn't blame Sami for her reaction to such a sick demand. Even though she knew EJ would never do such a thing there was just something inside of a parent that had to react to such a threat against their child. EJ watched in horror as Sami rushed at André, catching the man completely off guard. She shoved at André's chest, causing him to stumble backwards at the onslaught and actually fall over. In the surprise of it all André's finger came off the trigger of the detonator.

"Samantha NO!" exclaimed EJ as he stepped off the Bouncing Betty and dragged her away from the André.

"Wh-what is this?" asked an astounded André as he quickly realised that neither of his bombs had gone off.

"This is you realising you've lost André," said EJ grimly as he put Sami behind him, "It's over."

André looked between the three of them in confusion as he rapidly tried to piece things together.

"The bombs-"

"Are duds," EJ finished for him grimly, "But mine isn't."

EJ reached into his pocket and drew out a little box. "This whole place is rigged to go on my say so and no one else's André."

André stared up at him from where he was still lying on the ground.

"But how?" he asked hoarsely.

"It's a long story André," said Sami defiantly, "One we won't bore you with but bottom line you and Stefano have lost."

"You're getting a little ahead of yourself don't you think Samantha?" André sneered, "This is a long way from over."

"You're right," said Sami as she stepped around EJ and without any kind of warning punched André was hard as she could in the face as he lay on the ground.

A satisfying retaliation from his assault on her earlier.

André's head snapped back at the unexpected attack, fresh blood pouring from his nose now. Sami gave him a satisfied look. "_Now_ it's over."

"Wow, way to go Mom," said Will in amazement at the powerful punch his mother had just delivered, "You were right EJ, Mom does have a surprising amount of upper body strength."

"Will what are you doing here?" Sami asked in agitation, turning her attention to her son now, "This was not the plan."

"I think we can talk about that later don't you sweetheart?" EJ suggested, knowing he was going to have a lot of explaining to do.

"Yeah and it all worked out great anyway," said Will with a grin, feeling cocky now that it all seemed to be over.

André however had other ideas. Whilst the three of them were distracted he scooped up a handful of dirty from the filthy warehouse floor and as EJ turned back to look at him André threw it in EJ face. The younger man staggered backwards, putting a hand up to his face in attempt to clear his vision but the moment of distraction was all André needed. He scrambled over the floor for the gun EJ had discarded earlier and picked it up, aiming directly at EJ's head.

"EJ!" Sami screamed as he pulled the trigger.

It all happened in a heartbeat as Sami threw herself at the still blinded EJ and knocked him to the ground. The bullet whizzed by Sami's left ear, almost parting her hair.

"MOM!" Will yelled in horror.

By now André was scrambling to his feet, gun still in hand as EJ managed to blink most of the dirt out of his eyes.

"Get out both of you!" he yelled at them as he pulled himself from under Sami and tackled André's legs.

The gun went off again as André hit the ground once more, EJ on top of him. The bullet hit the wall just above Will's head and he ducked instinctively as bits of wood flew out at him.

"EJ!" Sami cried out again as she went to help him as he struggled with André.

EJ had one hand around André's wrist, keeping the gun at bay but the other man was proving to be surprisingly strong as they wrestled on the ground and EJ was having trouble subduing him and keeping the gun from being pointed at either Sami or Will.

"Mom no!" exclaimed Will as he saw his pregnant mother about to dive into the fray with the two tussling men.

He ran over to her and dragged her away, very conscious of that loaded gun. As André and EJ fought the detonator rolled across the floor and out of the corner of his eye EJ saw to his horror that their fighting had accidentally started the countdown on it. The plan had been to get to safety first and then initiate the timer to blow up the warehouse but now the two minute countdown had already begun.

"WILL GET YOUR MOTHER OUT OF HERE!" he yelled at the teenager, "HURRY!"

Will and Sami both looked over at the timer which now read 1:46 and their eyes widened in fear.

"I'm not leaving without you EJ!" Sami cried out in distress.

As EJ continued to fight with André for dominance he managed to catch Will's eye for a split second and a silent communication passed between them. Will had to have EJ's back in this and get his mother out of this situation and there was a look of desperation in EJ's eyes as he made eye contact with the teenager. Will stared back at him wide eyed, obviously struggling with what he should do and clearly torn but then he gave a quick nod and grabbed his mother.

"Mom we have to go, NOW!"

EJ felt relief flood his body as Will began to pull the resisting Sami towards the end of the warehouse where they'd made an escape hatch by cutting through the wooden walls of the warehouse. All this had been done when they'd planted the real bombs in the place. John had handled the explosives and EJ had cut the hole in the wall and then placed a petrol drum in front of it to hide it from André's view. The warehouse sat right on the water's edge and EJ had intentionally chosen the back wall because it opened directly above the water. The plan was that John would be waiting for them in a motorised dinghy to get them to safety on the other side of the pier. The plan right now however was starting to look a little less than perfect. At least with Will taking Sami to safety EJ could concentrate on André properly. He glanced over at the timer again as André landed a kick to his shins.

1:21

"Give it up André," EJ ordered him through gritted teeth.

"I'll die first," snarled André, "And you can die with me Elvis!"

EJ began pounding André's hand that held the gun into the floor, hoping to get him to drop the lethal weapon.

"This way Mom!" said Will urgently as he pulled her towards where EJ had told him the makeshift escape hatch was.

There was a single drum of petrol sitting away from the others just as EJ had told him and Will immediately began to drag it out of the way. Ominous thunder rumbled over head, warning of the deluge that was about to come.

"I can't leave EJ!" said Sami emotionally.

"Mom he can handle himself," said Will with great certainty, "What EJ couldn't handle is something happening to you or the twins."

Sami put a hand on her stomach before giving a distressed look over her shoulder where she could still hear EJ and André fighting it out.

"Mom Arthur and Martha need you to protect them right now," said Will hurriedly, grabbing her hand, "You know you have to go, this place is going to blow at any minute."

"I can't leave EJ," Sami choked out in horror.

"Trust him Mom," Will urged her, "Trust EJ like he trusts you to protect those babies."

Sami's face contorted with deep conflict but in the end Will had played the ultimate trump card and they both knew it. She reached out and cupped Will's face, clearly marvelling at the level head of her son.

"We gotta go Mom," said Will unhappily, cupping her hand with his and understanding her distress.

Will dropped to his knees and stuck his head out of the hole, frantically searching the dark waters for their life line. For a moment Will didn't see anyone and he felt panic well up in him but then decided if needs be his mother and he could just swim for it and pray they had enough time to get out of the way. Suddenly though the sound of an outboard motor could be heard above the noisy thunder as John and his dinghy popped out of the gloom and Will could have seriously kissed him.

"You're late!" Will called out to him as John stopped the dinghy just below them.

"You're early," John corrected him, "What's happened and why the hell didn't you stick to the plan Will?"

"André and EJ are fighting," said Sami, interrupting the interrogations urgently, "John you have to help him!"

"First we get you both in the boat," said John determinedly.

He reached up and held up his hand to Sami. "Come on honey, ladies first."

"John we have to hurry," said Will unevenly, "The detonator is counting down."

John's eyes went wide at that news and immediately took control. "Sami, down here now, quickly!"

Sami bit her bottom lip and clearly still didn't want to leave EJ but now there seemed to be no choice. She took John's hand and with Will's help was lowered down into the dinghy.

0:59

EJ knew his time was running out and that this was literally do or die time. He'd knocked the gun out of André's hand but now the other man was on top of him, straddling him. With a rush of adrenalin EJ found the strength to throw André off him and into a nearby wall. He made a grab for the gun just as André staggered to his feet and began to rush at him again.

"You should have taken the deal," EJ said coldly, levelling the gun at him and pulling the trigger.

André dropped to his knees, clutching at his chest as EJ's bullet stopped him cold. EJ threw down the gun, unable to waste any sympathy on his cousin as he bolted for the escape hatch as fast as his legs would carry him.

0:43

He came to the hole in the warehouse wall and dropped to his knees, looking down at the water below and seeing everyone safely aboard the little boat. EJ jumped down into the dinghy as Sami gave a sob of relief at seeing him. She threw herself into his arms and held on tightly.

"Nice of you to join us Elvis," said John but there was definite relief behind the dry comment as he opened the throttle on the outboard motor and began to speed them all to safety.

"Are you two alright?" asked EJ anxiously as he opened his arms to draw Will into the embrace between himself and Sami.

"We're okay," said Will shakily.

"Oh god EJ you scared me half to death," said Sami with a choked sob.

"So did you sweetheart," said EJ hugging her to him as the family reunited while John continued to speed them to safety.

0:28

"Please don't ever put yourself in front of a bullet for me again," said EJ unevenly as he closed his eyes in anguish as he imagined what might have happened when Sami pushed him out of the way of André's bullet.

EJ opened his eyes and looked at Will whom he still had his arm around.

"And you young man," said EJ emotionally, "You did brilliantly – you got your mother to safety, I couldn't be prouder of you Will. You did exactly what needed to be done."

Will could see the tension drain from the teenagers face at the praise and EJ meant every word of it. He'd needed Will to step up in that warehouse and he'd done that and more besides. EJ cupped his face, patting it approvingly as the teenager beamed at him.

"How much longer have we got Elvis?" asked John in concern as he glanced back over his shoulder at the warehouse.

"Only a few more seconds," EJ guessed as John manoeuvred them under the pier to try and afford some protection for the oncoming explosion.

"André?" asked Sami, wide eyed as she hung on tightly to EJ and Will.

"Dead," said EJ shortly, "It's over sweetheart."

Just then an enormous explosion rocked the stormy night, sending shock waves rippling through the water and air and rocking their boat. The warehouse lit up like it was the fourth of July and everyone in the boat instinctively ducked even though they'd just made it out of the line of fire when it came to falling debris. They all watched as explosions continued to rock the boat and EJ knew that their plan had worked, no one was going to question not being able to find bodies inside of that inferno. It would be enough that John would place them there and that they wouldn't be seen again. The three of them huddled together in the boat as John continued to whisk them to safety, just glad to be alive and to be together. Words didn't seem as important as just being able to hold each other and that was exactly what they did.

**oooOOOOooo**

EJ's eyes were on the flaming inferno of the warehouse from a safe distance on the other side of the pier as Will tied up the dinghy. Sami craned her neck up and watched the flames licking the night air, even from this distance it wasn't hard to imagine the heat it must be giving off.

"Well I'd say that is the end of André," said EJ quietly.

He didn't feel any grief over the man's death after what he'd done to EJ's family but there was no pleasure in knowing a life had been lost either. The fact that Sami and Will were safe superseded all other emotions for EJ. It had gotten a bit hairy in there for a moment but it had all come together in the end and EJ would always be thankful for that. It was over; their part had been all but done - now it was just the fall out that had to be played.

"You gave him options EJ," said Sami quietly, hugging his arm as she leant against him, watching the blazing fire.

She'd recovered quickly from all the drama and EJ was once again astounded by the internal fortitude of this woman.

"Yes I did," said EJ, "But he didn't take them, just like my father and now my father is going to face his fate once we release that worm into his system."

"After the investigation," Sami agreed, "I think the timing is crucial here. We have to let Stefano dig himself as big a hole as possible by denying everything before we crumble his empire."

"It will be tough on our families but it is going to give us the most bang for our buck," EJ said with a nod.

"John's going to tell my mom and dad the truth tonight," said Sami, making a regretful face, "I hate doing this to them."

They'd said their goodbyes to John just before, both Sami and EJ struggling to tell him what he meant to them and how to thank him for all that he'd done. Characteristically John was uncomfortable with their thanks and just ordered them 'not to make him regret it' and be happy. They'd promised him they would and that they would see him again soon and then John was jumping back to his car so he could drive around to the other side of the pier and play his part now in sinking Stefano once and for all.

"We needed for their reactions to be realistic," EJ said quietly, "And in the end I think they'll understand once John explains what we are doing and they'll just be happy to know you and Will are alive and safe."

"Poor John," said Sami unhappily, "We're really leaving him holding the bag with this one."

"John volunteered and he was the one who insisted no one else should know going into it," EJ reminded her gently, "I know he can handle this otherwise he wouldn't have set it up like this."

"John's been so amazing through all of this," Sami marvelled as she watched Will start to walk back towards them as they waited by the car.

There were the sounds of sirens filling the air and EJ knew John would be the one who was there to tell the story of what had happened. Ultimately it all came down to him and EJ wasn't worried for a moment that John couldn't sell it.

"He has indeed," said EJ, putting his arm around her.

Sami rested her head on EJ's chest as they waited for Will. "By the way I've decided on our son's name."

"You have?" asked EJ in surprise at the odd segue.

"It's not weird is it?" asked Will as he came to stand in front of them both, "One Elvis in the family is enough don't you think?"

Sami just smiled at the two men looking at her expectantly.

"Don't we have a plane to catch?" she asked them with an arched eyebrow as she looked up at the heavens and saw that rain was beginning to fall, "And it's starting to rain so we really need to get out of here."

"That means it's going to be bad," said Will in a loud stage whisper to EJ, "Something ridiculously masculine like Brick or just weird like Moon Shadow Unicorn."

"Just get in the car young man," Sami instructed him, putting her hands on her hips with mock ire, "You're in enough trouble after the stunt you pulled tonight without that smart mouth of yours."

"I should say so," said EJ firmly, joining in and opening the door for Will to climb into the back seat, "Listen to your mother."

EJ closed the door after the teenager before giving a vaguely anxious look over at Sami.

"It's not Moon Shadow Unicorn is it sweetheart?" he asked, only half joking.

"And don't think you're off the hook either mister," she huffed, ignoring his question, "What were you thinking letting Will come into that warehouse?"

"You know I think we're going to miss our flight," EJ announced brightly as he looked down at his watch, "Time to shake a tail feather."

EJ opened the car door for her. "Sweetheart?"

"This isn't over EJ DiMera," Sami warned him as she settled into the passenger seat as the rain began to come in earnest now, "You are both in big trouble."

Will and EJ's eyes met in the rear vision mirror as EJ slid into the driver's seat and they exchanged rueful looks.

**oooOOOOooo**

Stefano looked down at the disfigured body in the bed and let out a heavy sigh.

"What went wrong eh nephew?" he asked, shaking his head, "You have ruined everything."

André's one remaining good eye flickered open at the sound of his voice. They were in the burns unit of Salem University and despite all of the dire predictions André was still alive, fighting for what was left of his life. Breathing tubes made it impossible for him to speak as he stared up at his uncle.

"I have just come from the funerals of my son and grandchildren," said Stefano disapprovingly, "You have robbed me of the next heirs of the DiMera empire with your incompetence."

Even though Stefano had intended for EJ to be dead at the end of this it had not been his plans for the children Sami carried. All of Stefano's hopes for the future were dashed and he blamed the man in the bed. Even if André lived he was so disfigured that he would be of no use to Stefano in running his empire. André's eye widened and he seemed to be trying to communicate something to Stefano but the older man wasn't interested.

"What's done is done," said Stefano philosophically, "Now I must clean up the mess you made André, I have an interview with a Special Agent Nelson now and I need to convince him I am the grieving father left in the wake of your madness. They say you are improving every day and soon may be able to talk nephew. What a shame I can no longer trust you."

André's eye blinked rapidly and he gurgled but no words came past his burnt lips.

"Goodbye André," said Stefano quietly, "I will drink a toast to you tonight and to what could have been."

With that Stefano turned around and left the room. As he did he gave a discrete nod to the police officer who was standing guard at the door. After Stefano had left the officer slipped into André's room and disconnected his breathing tube. André's eye went wide as he struggled to fill his damaged lungs with oxygen but it was no use. His body was too weak, despite the Herculean will that lay within it and it took barely a minute for the last breath to leave André's body. The police officer quickly reattached the breathing tube once he was sure the man was dead and headed back to his post to patiently await the discovery of the deceased man by nursing staff.

**oooOOOOooo**

Marlena and John walked into their apartment, taking off their coats.

"So I guess it was all worth it," said Marlena quietly.

John understood the bittersweet feeling his wife was experiencing as he walked over and put his arms around her. They'd just seen Stefano arrested, EJ and Sami's plan working to perfection as the emails were sent with all of the incriminating evidence EJ had painstakingly collected against his father. John knew that it wasn't going to be long before Stefano discovered that along with all of his dark, dirty secrets being spilled with proof mind you, that his fortune was gone as well. The man was a pauper and now completely powerless to do anything about it. He was a toothless lion who no doubt would be roaring from his cage right now but he was of no danger to anyone any longer. They'd done it, they'd brought down the Phoenix and this time he wasn't coming back.

"I know it was at a huge cost but you have to remember that the kids are all fine," John comforted her, "They're happy and healthy and together, what more can we ask for them?"

"To be a part of those happy and healthy lives?" suggested Marlena sadly as she hugged him back.

"We will be Doc," John reassured her, holding her close, "It won't be in the usual way but then our family has never really excelled in the business of being usual now has it?"

"No," said Marlena giving a choked little laugh.

"And we're doing okay aren't we?" John reasoned as he drew back and looked down at her.

"Yes we are," said Marlena with a warm smile.

"This was the only way," said John sincerely, "And damn it if those two crazy kids didn't succeed when none of us could. Stefano is behind bars and this time he isn't going anywhere. This family have battled for decades to make that happen and have failed until Sami and EJ came along."

"I can hardly believe it," said Marlena faintly, "We've been here so many times before, thinking we'd beaten Stefano only to have him rear up his ugly head again."

"EJ and Sami have covered their bases Doc," John reassured her, "We made sure that he has nothing left – the man's reign of terror is over."

John rubbed her arms. "You did great honey with the interviews and everything. Everyone played their parts to the hilt. No one would have suspected that the funerals weren't real."

"They felt real," said Marlena quietly, "I felt like I was burying my daughter and grandson's old life and that I'd lost something important forever."

"But you're gaining something so much better," John reminded her, "I think EJ and Sami needed this new start, to put away all the things of their past. They have a fresh beginning and I really think they're going to make good use of it."

"I can't believe you worked with them for so long behind my back," said Marlena, her brow furrowing as she looked up at John.

"Are you mad at me?" asked John softly.

"Sami and Will are alive and happy," said Marlena unevenly, "And I must have been wrong about EJ for him to have done all of this to protect them and us from his father so no, I'm not mad John, I just wish you'd let me in on the secret."

"We thought it best at the time to keep it just between the three of us," said John, rubbing her back, "And it has all worked out now."

"Yes," said Marlena, resting her head on his chest, "This crazy vendetta is over at long last and now maybe our families can stop looking over our shoulders all the time and just live life."

"That sounds good to me," said John hugging her tightly to him, "We've been given a real gift today and I for one intend to enjoy it."

Marlena lifted her head and smiled up at him.

"Me too," she said softly, smiling around the emotional tears that were beginning to fall, "We all get a fresh start today John and we can all thank EJ and Sami for that."

"I guess we don't have to worry about Sami anymore," said John with a half smile, "Remember how we used to lie awake at night and worry about what would become of her?"

"Yes," said Marlena huskily, "Sami's found her way in life at last and even though I miss her so much I'm just so happy for her."

John smiled and nodded, thinking about what this victory had cost but what it had also achieved. "I think that is all Sami ever wanted Doc."

"I know," said Marlena softly, closing her eyes and imagining what her daughter was doing right at that moment.


	199. Chapter 345

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & FORTY FIVE**** – ****Just Desserts**

Every action of our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity.

~Sean O'Casey~

_(Irish Playwright, known for his realistic dramas of the Dublin slums during times of war and revolution. 1880-1964)_

Sister Margaret settled more comfortably at her desk and logged onto her rather antiquated computer. Money was tight at the school and keeping up with technology wasn't high on the list of things to spend money on. In fact keeping the electricity on was the main thing she was worried about right then, that and this month's mortgage repayments. In her morning prayers she'd asked God for a miracle because that is exactly what she and the school needed right then. What little money they had in reserve had been used up to fix the hole in the roof and now there was simply none left to pay this month's utility bills including the mortgage repayment. The school she'd worked so hard for, laboured with such great love to keep alive and making a difference in underprivileged lives seemed doomed.

Sister Margaret was calm though about it all. She'd enjoyed the grace of God for too many years to doubt Him now. He always gave according to their need and He'd never failed them yet. She knew her Heavenly Father would provide a means for them to go on because only in her daily devotions that morning she'd received a strong word from Him that she was exactly where He wanted her to be. To people who didn't have that kind of faith and relationship with God such a thing might seem like foolishness and even being naive but Sister Margaret knew that God had both her and this little school in the palm of His hand and it would be all alright. From experience she knew that God rarely came through how she'd expect but that He always did.

Logging onto her bank account Sister Margaret was preparing herself to speak to their bank manager Mr Coyle. He was not a man of faith and in her dealings with him in the past Sister Margaret couldn't help but feel that the man found the concerns of such a meagre account rather beneath him. That didn't deter her though as she prepared to ask for an extension to their loan with the bank to allow them time to find the money from somewhere. Surely the man would see reason, after all, you couldn't get blood from a stone. Before she'd finished dialling the numbers though there was a quiet knock on the door and Sister Patrice poked her head through.

"Excuse me Sister Margaret," the young nun said, "But you have a visitor."

"I do?" asked Sister Margaret, putting down the phone, "Thank you Sister, please show them in."

Sister Margaret didn't have any appointments booked for that morning but often parents of the children who attended the school would drop by and she liked to offer them a safe place to unburden their fears and worries to her over a cup of coffee or tea. The recession had hit many people hard in these parts and despite the governments reassurances that they were through the worst of it for a lot of people around here they were living a very different reality. People would come to her distraught because they could not put food on the table that evening for their children and through God's never ending grace Sister Margaret and the other nuns at the school always found a way to help them. This time however it wasn't a parent who stepped through her door but none other than Mr Coyle from the bank.

"Mr Coyle," said Sister Margaret in surprise as she stood up, "What an amazing coincidence, I was just about to call you."

"Sister Margaret!" exclaimed a positively beaming Mr Coyle.

Sister Margaret was a little taken aback as she wasn't sure she'd even seen the man smile before let alone look like he was about to burst into a song and dance number at any moment. He was carrying a huge bunch of brightly coloured flowers and a gift basket that was so full to overflowing that it looked like he was having trouble carrying it from the sheer weight of delights that it contained.

"How wonderful to see you," he continued on excitedly as he handed over the flowers and gift basket, "For you Sister."

Stunned Sister Margaret took the offered gifts, staring at him wide eyed as she was forced to put down the weighty gift basket on her desk and just clutched the enormous bouquet of flowers instead.

"Why thank you Mr Coyle," she said dazedly, glancing down at the gift basket and seeing that it was crammed with Belgian chocolate, Beluga caviar and so much more high end food items including some very expensive looking champagne.

She looked back at him wide eyed.

"Um – to what do we owe the pleasure?" she asked unevenly.

"As the Manager of the Salem Trust bank I just wanted to make sure that you knew what a valued customer the Sisters of Mercy are to us," said Mr Coyle, speaking a little too fast, "And that we look forward to many more years of a wonderful banking relationship between us."

Sister Margaret gave a little frown as she tried to work out what was going on. She'd always been under the impression that Mr Coyle saw their account as a huge nuisance to the bank and one he'd be happy to get rid of. Right now though he seemed nervous and eager to please which was definitely a first when it came to her dealings with him.

"After all we've been your sole bank for over twenty years now," he continued on hastily when she just kept staring at him, "And we've built up a good relationship that would be a shame to see lost after all this time by going to some other bank. Salem Trust can offer you a personalised service that will meet your every need, I personally guarantee it Sister."

"Last time we spoke you advised me that the bank was going to foreclose on the school and try and cut its losses on what you called a waste of good real estate if we couldn't come up with this month's mortgage repayment," Sister Margaret reminded him with an arched eyebrow.

Mr Coyle's vaguely sycophantic smile froze on his face at that little observation. He swallowed noisily and now there was no mistaking his nervousness.

"Well obviously I was just joking," he said hoarsely, his face stricken around the panicked looking smile on his face, "I would of course be devastated to lose such a long term account that is so important to us and if there is anything, anything at all that I can do to make you continue to bank with us at Salem Trust then don't hesitate to tell me and I'll make it happen, you have my word Sister."

"You're willing to anything for an account that currently has $72.18 in it?" asked a sceptical Sister Margaret.

"Ah Sister," said Mr Coyle slowly looking at her strangely, "Have you checked your account balance recently?"

"Just now," she said, glancing over at the computer screen where she'd logged on to their account at the bank but hadn't paid it much attention.

Her eyes ran down the page but was caught by the balance of their main account which should have reading $72.18 as she'd indicated but instead the number was very different indeed. She gave a little gasp, her mouth dropping open as she looked at the new balance.

"It's $2,134,471.67," said Mr Coyle helpfully, obviously having memorised the staggering number already.

"Two, two million dollars?" choked out a stunned Sister Margaret.

"And one hundred and thirty four thousand, four hundred and seventy one dollars," finished off Mr Coyle, "And sixty seven cents."

"But this can't be right," she said weakly, shaking her head, "There has been some kind of mistake, this money isn't ours Mr Coyle."

"It's no mistake Sister Margaret," he assured her quickly, "I checked it myself, three times in fact. It appears the Sisters of Mercy have a very generous benefactor."

"We do?" she repeated, still too shocked to think clearly.

"Have you gotten any letter lately?" suggested Mr Coyle, obviously trying to be as helpful as he could, "Emails or the like that might give you a clue as to who it was from?"

Sister Margaret looked at him and then back down at the computer. She sat down hard on her seat, her legs suddenly weak as she put the flowers down at long last and quickly opened her emails. There were quite a few of them, most of them demanding money but one stood out with the subject title of 'Thank You'. She quickly opened it, not recognising the email address.

_To Sister Margaret,_

_You gave me a childhood which is a gift that cannot be repaid. I want you to continue to give that gift to many more children in the future and I hope that my little gift will help you do just that. I know you'll use it wisely and with much love in your heart and that is all I could ever ask for. You're the only mother I've ever known and there is not enough money in the world that I could give to repay the debt I owe you._

_Thank you. _

"Oh my," she whispered, eyes welling up at the touching note.

"Does it say who donated the moneys?" asked Mr Coyle, craning his neck to try and get a look at the screen.

"No," said Sister Margaret quietly even as she couldn't help but have her suspicions even though she had no idea how he could have managed such a thing.

"Well an anonymous gift is just as valid as one with a name attached," said Mr Coyle brightly, "And like I said Sister, I'm at your service, day or night for anything you might need, I'll give you my home phone number just in case, nothing is too much trouble, I promise you. I'm here to meet your banking concerns at your convenience; all you have to do is say the word."

Sister Margaret regarded the fawning man calmly, her initial shock having worn off. It was obvious that an account like theirs was a big deal to the small, independent bank and the man was eager to hang onto it any cost. A lesser person would have used this opportunity to extract some revenge for the many ways they were ignored and dismissed by the bank up until this point but Sister Margaret didn't care for the taste revenge left in her mouth, instead she had a better idea.

"Of course the Sisters of Mercy will continue to bank with Salem Trust Mr Coyle," she said smoothly.

Mr Coyle's shoulders visibly sagged with relief at her reassurance but she wasn't done yet.

"On one condition."

"Name it," he said eagerly, "Anything Sister Margaret – I'm here to help, really."

"When we really needed that help you didn't seem inclined to offer us any," said Sister Margaret calmly, "Now that we don't appear to need it with this blessing from God you can't seem to do enough for us."

Mr Coyle blinked rapidly a few times, looking very nervous again.

"My one condition for continuing to bank with Salem Trust Mr Coyle is that you offer this kind of helpfulness and eagerness to please to all the customers of your bank, especially the ones who really need it."

"I-I," he stuttered, looking very uncomfortable.

"I have a lot of people coming to me, struggling to make ends meet and I think a bank that understood their worries and concerns would go a long way to helping them sleep at night," said Sister Margaret sweetly, "Can I tell these frightened souls that Salem Trust is a business that understands their needs and are here to meet their banking concerns any time of the day and night?"

"Well, yes, of course," said Mr Coyle faintly, looking like he was going to be sick.

"How wonderful," said Sister Margaret with a warm smile, "You should be expecting a lot of new customers very soon then Mr Coyle."

"Oh... great," said Mr Coyle, beginning to sweat profusely now, "I'll-I'll look forward to it."

"So will I because I'm sure I'm going to be hearing such wonderful reports of how helpful Salem Trust bank and in particular you Mr Coyle was in helping them through such difficult times," said Sister Margaret evenly.

"Absolutely," said Mr Coyle, backing out of the room, "Well I guess I'll leave you to it Sister, thank you for choosing to continue to bank with Salem Trust."

"No thank you Mr Coyle," said Sister Margaret warmly.

After the other man had gone Sister Margaret continued to sit at her desk and stare at the amazing figure on her computer screen. In the meantime Sister Patrice gave another knock at the door before walking in.

"What did Mr Coyle want Sister?" she asked, looking confused as she took in the flowers and gift basket, "What is going on?"

"What is going on Sister Patrice is that God has been generous to overflowing with us and our little school today," she said, her face lighting up as she stood up and moved over to where the younger woman was standing.

"What has happened?" she asked wide eyed, as aware as the rest of the sisters of how dire things were for them right then.

"God has rescued us once again," said Sister Margaret, her face beaming with love and gratitude, "And we need to go and thank Him, right now. Call all the Sisters together, I have some wonderful news to share."

She looked up at the cross on the wall and thought of her favourite child from the days when the school had been an orphanage and that same child that had continued to visit with her every week since he'd left. So many years she'd watched over this strange, awkward child grow into just as much a strange, awkward man but he'd always held such a special place in her heart.

The man hadn't been coming for his usual visits for the last few weeks and when she'd rung his house there had been no reply and it had been a bittersweet moment. At last her little bird had found the courage to leave the nest he'd hidden away in for so long and though she would miss him desperately Sister Margaret could not have wanted more for the one who felt like her own child. She didn't know how he'd done it but she knew this money was a parting gift from her ugly little duckling that Sister Margaret had always seen the swan within.

"But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong," she said softly, stroking the cross that hung around her neck as she looked at the cross on the wall.

"1 Corinthians verse 27," said Sister Patrice in surprise, recognising the well known verse, "What does it mean Sister Margaret, what has happened?"

"A miracle," said Sister Margaret simply, turning her attention back to her young friend as tears filled her eyes, "A miracle."

**AUTHOR'S NOTE****:** Okay so this may well just be a personal thing because I'm the author of this story but I found this chapter very satisfying to write. The concept came to me when I was almost done writing the chapter with that bible quote. For me that is one of the really thrilling things about writing when happy surprises pop up and bring together a chapter or concept. This chapter for me is "Fated" last's little gift to me along that lines as I'm almost done with the rest of the chapters.

This whole concept of the foolish things of the world shaming the wise works for the hidden Maurice and the dismissed Bart but it has bigger picture ramifications for this story that I really like. Sami was the family screw up that her family expected so little from and EJ was his father's drone, neither of them having worked out who they were. They're lives could easily have amounted to nothing but selfishness and destruction – pretty much what we're seeing on the show right now actually. I love how in this story that 'foolish' Sami and EJ actually are the ones to trump the supposedly wise Brady's and Stefano and co. I just love the symmetry of it all. It probably wasn't that thrilling to read for you guys but it worked for me. LOL


	200. Chapter 346

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & FORTY SIX**** – ****Happily Ever After**

The secret to a rich life is to have more beginnings than endings.

_David Weinbaum_

_(American Businessman and Writer)_

Sami looked up from the computer screen as she heard EJ and Will return from their race. There was the sound of them taking off their coats and boots and then both were suddenly in the doorway.

"Who won?" she asked of their smiling flushed faces.

"Well despite this one trying to cheat," said EJ, nudging Will playfully, "I did sweetheart – as though there was any doubt."

"I didn't cheat, the board just makes me more manoeuvrable then your clunky old skies," said Will with a pout.

"Well those clunky old skies got me down the mountain first," said EJ with a grin, "Ready to concede that skies are infinitely superior to that board of yours Jamie?"

"No way!" said Will indignantly, "It's just that you were heavier and had more momentum down the mountain."

EJ gave a loud snort at that, clearly dismissing his explanation.

"Or yours was just the inferior method for going down said mountain," said EJ with a smirk.

"Gloating is not a good colour on you Dad," said Will trying to look annoyed.

EJ knew Will wasn't really upset though, they'd had a great time careening down the mountain together and he'd been very impressed with Will's skill level. The teenager didn't realise how close he'd come to beating him and EJ wasn't going to tell him either.

"I'm ready to go again if you think you're up to it," said EJ with a sweet smile.

Will paused over that. "Ah no, I think I need to catch my breath a bit and get something hot to drink."

"Ah youth," EJ tutted, shaking his head, "They lack stamina."

Will rolled his eyes and headed off to the kitchen to grab that drink.

"There is hot chocolate on the stove!" Sami called out after him, guessing they'd both probably like some of the hot beverage.

"Thanks!" Will called back.

As soon as Will was out of earshot EJ flopped on the bed.

"The boy damn near killed me!" he exclaimed, keeping his voice down and at last letting himself pant freely.

"Men," Sami said with a laughing shake of her head at EJ's fake bravado, "What if Jamie had taken you up on your offer Rami?"

"I would have faked a sprain ankle," said EJ without hesitation, "I'm knackered!"

"That's what you get for trying to prove you're still a teenager," said Sami unsympathetically even as she smiled at him for the macho posturing.

"I still feel like a teenager until my body doesn't cooperate," said EJ with a wry grimace as he propped himself up on his elbows and looked at what Sami was doing.

"So is my queen in her counting chamber, counting all of her money?" he asked indulgently.

"Actually I'm counting everyone else's money," said Sami with a half smile, "The first round of monies have gone out to the charities we decided upon."

"How great would it be to see their faces right about now?" asked EJ with a grin as he sat up properly and scooted to the end of the bed so he could look over Sami's shoulder.

"We're just going to have to imagine it," said Sami happily, "But it feels really good to know Stefano's money is finally going to do some good. Hopefully that will go some way to balancing out all the evil that was done in collecting it."

"I think it will sweetheart," said EJ with a nod, "We can't change the past but we sure as hell can change the future for a lot of people."

"Maurice is so good at what he does," she marvelled.

The Mole's worms had worked perfectly, gathering data from all of Stefano's private files to be delivered to the police just when they wanted it. All that was missing was a big red bow to put on top of it. Then the money transfers began almost simultaneously, emptying Stefano's bank accounts under all of his names into a single account in a Venetian bank where it could then start to be duly distributed. The Mole had made sure that all of his work was completely untraceable. Sami was right, the man was a marvel.

"Ah ah," EJ chided her affectionately, "Remember it is Hans now."

"I can't believe he chose that name," said Will with a shake of his head as he re-entered the room, hot chocolate in hand.

"Why?" asked EJ with an arched eyebrow.

"Because he's The Mole," Will prompted him.

"Umm," EJ's brow furrowed as he failed to see the connection.

"Geez don't you guys know any kind of pop culture references at all?" asked Will in exasperation, "The Simpsons Dad, there is a character on The Simpsons that kinda looks like Maurice and his name is Hans Moleman – get it?"

"I've never watched The Simpsons," EJ admitted.

"They've been on for more than twenty years," said Will with a roll of his eyes, "How can you not have seen any episodes?"

"Good luck?" EJ suggested with a quirk of his lips.

"Don't bag a show you've never seen," Will ordered him, waggling a finger at him, "The Simpsons is great."

"I've seen a few episodes," Sami nodded, "I know who you're talking about and now that you mention it that character does look like Maurice, I mean Hans. I wonder if that is why he chose the name?"

"I know for a fact it wasn't," said EJ wryly, "Remember John told us that Bart, I mean Boris, helped him pick a new name by them each taking a turn at throwing darts at letters he stuck to the wall while they were blindfolded."

Sami and Will looked at him blankly and EJ kept going.

"Remember John got an emergency call at 2am from Bart because he'd accidentally gotten the back of Maurice's head at one point," EJ reminded them, "He had to drive over and pull the dart out of Maurice's head and stop the bleeding."

"No huge surprise to know that was how that story would go," said Will in amusement, "A blindfolded Bart with a handful of pointy things –that was never going to end well."

"Didn't I tell you all this?" asked EJ in confusion.

"Honey I think Jamie and I would have remembered if you did," said Sami in amusement, "Poor Maurice."

"He was fine, not bothered at all from what John said and it was just as well John was there otherwise they would have gone with the first name they made out of the letters they'd darted so far," said EJ wryly, "Harry Anas."

"Oh dear God," Sami groaned with a little laugh, "No."

"That was pretty much John's reaction even though they didn't quite get why," said EJ with a chuckle, "So he did some swift rearranging of letters and came up with Hans Yarra which I think you'll agree is a little less confronting."

"And how," agreed Will readily.

"I really didn't tell you guys this story?" asked EJ in amazement.

"Things were pretty hectic towards the end honey," said Sami indulgently, "We didn't have a lot of family time."

"And now we have nothing but," EJ said with a grin as he leant down and kissed her, "And I can't wait."

Straightening up he smiled warmly over at Will. "How about you Jamie?"

"I'm okay with it," said Will with a quirk of his lips, "Just as long as you keep the PDA's to a less nauseating level."

"No can do Jamie," said Sami with an impish grin as she grabbed EJ's firm backside with a loud slap, "With fruit this ripe you've just got to pick it."

"Argghh!" Will gave a strangled cry, "Mom!"

Sami and EJ began burst out laughing at seeing Will's over the top distress.

"I am just going outside," Will declared dramatically as he threw his scarf over his shoulder in disgust at the unrepentant going ons between the two adults, "I may be some time."

"Lunch is in half an hour Captain Oates," EJ laughed, "Try and make it back by then hm?"

"Who's cooking?" asked Will with interest, "You or Mom?"

"Me," EJ volunteered.

"Good, then I'll be back," said Will.

"Hey!" said Sami throwing a handy pillow at her son's head.

"Face it Mom," said Will unapologetically, as he caught the pillow, "Dad just got the cooking gene and you didn't. Don't shoot the messenger."

"I won't shoot him but I can ground him," said Sami with an arched eyebrow but it was obvious she wasn't really upset.

"That's my cue," said Will with a quirk of his lips, "You'd better feed her fast Dad, Mom gets totally unreasonable nowadays when she is hungry."

Will didn't wait around for Sami to bite on that one, instead he bolted from the room.

"The sass in that kid," Sami huffed with feigned indignation.

"Hard to imagine where he gets it from," EJ noted with a completely straight faced.

"Watch it mister," Sami pouted, "I can ground you too you know."

"Why don't I make us that lunch eh?" asked EJ cheerfully, stealing a kiss before heading out of the room as well.

EJ walked out of the bedroom to start on making some nice warming soup for lunch and found Sam sitting on the kitchen table.

"_Hiya poodle," she said, grinning up at him as she swung her legs happily._

"Sam," said EJ, throwing a quick glance over at the bedroom where Sami still was, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"_I was just touching base," she said with a little shrug, "You're pretty pleased with yourself right about now aren't you?"_

"More relieved," EJ corrected her, "I'm just thankful it is all over."

"_Yes, you were a lot of work," Sam agreed readily. _

EJ pursed his lips, thinking back to the kind of man he was at the beginning of all of this.

"I suppose I was," he conceded.

Sam arched an eyebrow.

"_Well, well," she marvelled at his admission, "Will wonders never cease?"_

"I certainly hope not," said EJ wryly, "So is this goodbye Sam?"

"_You almost sound sad about that," she said with a little laugh. _

"And no one is more surprised than I am," said EJ in amusement.

"_Well don't get too teary eyed yet my little love tapeworm," Sam told him, "Just because you got the girl and defeated the bad guys doesn't mean that you don't have the biggest challenges ahead of you. Once those babies arrive you're going to need me more than ever and raising a teenager is no day at the beach either."_

"I'll brace myself accordingly," said EJ dryly even as he found that a surprisingly comforting thought.

"_Yeah well you know how badly you suck under pressure without old Sam holding your hand and giving you amazing advice," she said blithely. _

EJ rolled his eyes at that comment and was about to reply when Sami suddenly appeared in the bedroom doorway.

"How do you think Boris and Hans are getting on?" Sami mused idly as she wandered out of the bedroom.

Sam gave EJ a cheeky wink and then she was gone but for how long EJ didn't know. He turned his attention back on Sami as she joined him in the kitchen, slipping her arm around his waist.

"As long as they limit the amount of dart games and campfires they'll probably be fine," said EJ, kissing the top of her head.

"You don't think they'd really try and build a camp fire on a boat do you?" asked Sami, suddenly concerned.

"I'm almost seventy percent sure they wouldn't," said EJ straight faced.

"I guess those are the best numbers we can hope for with those two," said Sami with a little laugh, "So what's for lunch my hunky hunter and gatherer?"

"How about I surprise you?" EJ suggested with a grin.

"You always do my love," said Sami with an answering smile.

**oooOOOOooo**

"So where in the world do you want to go first Hans?" asked Bart with a grin to his ship mate.

They were standing in front of a globe below decks of The Hot Seaman.

"1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 - I don't know," said Maurice, pushing up his thick glasses, "Where do you want to go Boris? 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10."

"Well the world is our crab," said Bart thoughtfully, still staring at the globe.

"Isn't that the world is our oyster?" asked Maurice with an arched eyebrow.

"I'm allergic to oysters," explained Bart easily.

"Oh," said Maurice, still looking a bit confused but accepting the explanation at face value.

"We should let fate decide Hansy," said Bart with a definite nod, "It got us this far after all."

"Okay," said Maurice happily, "Do you have a dart?"

"John tried to take them all away from me but I smuggled one on board," said Bart proudly as he went to a drawer in the gallery and took out the dart, "Wherever the dart lands is where we're heading next."

"Do we have a blindfold?" asked Maurice eagerly.

"Nah," said Bart casually, "You can just take your glasses of Hansy – you can't see nuthin' without them."

"Again Boris I'm really sorry about peeing on you the other night," said Maurice with a pain expression, "I knew I should have put my glasses on."

It had been the middle of the night and Bart had been sitting down using the toilet when a bleary eyed Maurice had staggered in, dropped his pants and peed on him. For someone other than Bart this might have caused tension in their relationship but the other man just took it in his stride and didn't think anything of it.

"That's okay Hansy," said Bart cheerfully, "I once peed on my arm because I was stung by a bee to help with the stinging."

"Does that work?" asked Maurice in surprise.

"Well the manager at McDonalds said that was only for Athlete's foot," said Bart, wrinkling his nose, "Right before he banned me from every McDonalds on earth for life."

"That's a lot of McDonalds BB," said Maurice wide eyed.

"I know right," said Bart with a grimace, "Sometimes I dream about a Big Mac burger."

"I'm sure we can find one in the world where they'd let you in," said Maurice encouragingly.

"Yeah I think so too," said Bart, never one to be down for long.

He handed the dart to the other man before going back over to the globe, ready to spin it.

"Okay, I'll spin it and you shoot," he told Maurice, "But take off your glasses first."

"Are you sure?" asked Maurice hesitantly as he rubbed his head, "Remember what happened last time."

"It will be fine," said Bart with a confident wave of his hand, "Shoot."

Bart spun the globe as Maurice took off his glasses and blinked blindly around himself.

"Just listen to my voice and aim to the left of it," Bart schooled him.

Maurice drew back his arm before letting fly with the dart. It flew straight and true and stuck into the globe with ease.

"Did it work?" asked Maurice hastily as he put his glasses back on.

"Sure did," said Bart as both men eagerly crowded around the globe.

"Replogle," read Bart, squinting a little as he read the name the dart had landed on.

The dart stuck out of one seam of the globe where the makers of the map was neatly printed – Replogle.

He looked at his friend, "Never heard of it, have you?"

"No," said Maurice innocently.

For all his brilliance Maurice had led a very cloistered and insular life. He'd only studied things that had caught his interest and up until now, geography hadn't been one of them.

"Well it's off the coast of Africa so we can be like explorers discovering a new land," said Bart excitedly.

"I'm still not a very good sailor remember," Maurice warned him unevenly.

"Practice makes perfect Hansy," said Bart blithely for all of his ineptness he was actually a very good sailor, "You've got nothing but time to learn. Imagine it, us on the open seas, picking up beautiful ladies as we go."

"I'm not very good with women either," Maurice said unhappily.

"You were great with Alessandra," Bart dismissed his concerns easily, "She thought you were cute. You just need to get out there and start living life Hansy, you'll get the hang of it soon enough."

"I suppose," said Maurice with a shy smile, not used to having such a supportive friend.

Actually Hans nee Maurice wasn't used to actually having a friend at all really.

"Okay so Replogle it is," asked Bart brightly, "Shall I set a course Captain Yarra?"

"Aye aye Captain Bond," said Maurice happily, "Replogle here we come."

**oooOOOOooo**

**One month later: **

Stefano stood in the docks, trying to take in what he was hearing. He'd sat there, week after week as they rolled out the reams of evidence against him, boxes full of his past business dealings and it had seemed never ending. Hits he'd ordered, illegal business deals, extortion rackets – they were all there with the evidence to back them up. His court appointed lawyer tried his best to defend him but the evidence was just so overwhelming and there was so much of it that it quickly became obvious that he was out of his depth.

And now they were passing sentence on him - him, Stefano DiMera – who the hell did they think they were?

As the guilty verdict had been read out for each crime Stefano couldn't help but feel like this was some terrible nightmare that he would wake up for any minute. And then the sentencing – sixty four years – a life sentence and then some for Stefano. The whole time those smirking Brady's had sat there in the court room and listened to every part of the trial, clearly relishing their victory. Stefano had stared them down, refusing to bow his head and admit defeat despite the overwhelming odds against him.

Stefano held his head high when he was led away, not giving his enemies the satisfaction of seeing him broken. As Stefano was taken back to his cell, the one he'd be calling home for the rest of his life all he could think of was revenge but the reality was that there was no one left to take revenge on. The people who had betrayed him were dead already and the Brady's had lost more than he had so revenge on them seemed a moot point. Suddenly the entire reason for his life had been taken away now that there was no revenge left to be taken and Stefano felt its loss like that of a lover's touch.

His life no longer had meaning or purpose and that reality more than the bars all around him felt like the cage to him.


	201. Chapter 347

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & FORTY SEVEN**** – ****Hello Again**

Whatever they grow up to be, they are still our children, and the one most important of all the things we can give to them is unconditional love. Not a love that depends on anything at all except that they are our children.

_Rosaleen Dickson_

_**Three months later: **_

The crowded Portugal airport heaved with humanity as people all scurried around trying to get where they were going. The temperature was hot and steamy and the lines to the service counters seemed never ending.

"Edmund do you have the passports darlin'?"

"I do indeed my beloved," said Edmund as he pushed his glasses up along his sweaty nose and patted his pocket.

They were being ushered into a side room by customs and she didn't want to hold things up anymore than they had to.

"You wait," the customs officer informed them in a thick Portuguese accent as he deposited their bags in the tiny room.

Edmond and Susan looked at each other as she pulled a face.

"Do they know I didn't bring the doves right?" she asked a little anxiously.

"I'm sure they've noticed the lack of avian baggage my darling," said Edmond with an encouraging smile.

"Then why are we here?" she fretted, "I don't want one of those cavity searches thingies."

Susan wrinkled her nose and pushed up her glasses as well. "I hate the dentist."

Edmond opened his mouth to correct his wife's misunderstanding but the customs officer had returned.

"Come this way," he said, picking up their luggage and indicating for them to follow him once again.

"Where are we going now?" asked Susan in exasperation.

"I don't know," said Edmund pushing up his glasses, "But it's quite an adventure isn't it dearest?"

They were hustled along several corridors until they were brought out into the daylight and promptly bundled into a car.

"You don't think we're bein' kidnapped do you?" asked Susan wide eyed as they started to drive out of the city, the road becoming increasingly bumpy the further they went.

They seemed to be heading into the middle of nowhere.

"Oh I shouldn't think so my dear," said Edmund brightly.

"Ohh I hope not," said Susan, wrinkling her nose, "I didn't pack anythin' to wear for a kidnappin'."

"You look utterly enchanting in what you have on," said Edmund, with an adoring look at Susan and her polka dot shirt with rainbow coloured pants, "No man could possibly resist you."

"Oh Eddie bear," Susan sighed happily at her husband's never ending devotion as they stole a kiss in the backseat of the car.

After awhile the car suddenly stopped by a large wrought iron gate that was stuck in front of a winding dirt track which disappeared into the surrounding trees. There was no fence attached to the gates, just the gates themselves.

"We arrive," announced their driver before he got out of the car.

"We arrive where?" asked Susan in consternation as she and Edmund climbed out of the car as well.

It was very isolated wherever they were and there was nothing but trees and rocks to be seen except for the gates and the windy dirt road. As soon as they got out of the car though there was the definite smell of the ocean on the breeze. Their driver was taking their luggage out of the trunk and setting it down on the ground in front of them. He gave them a short nod and then got back into the car and promptly drove off.

"Well this is all very interesting," announced Edmund as they appeared to be left stranded.

Before Susan could reply they heard the sound of footsteps jogging their way. Looking through the ornate wrought iron gates Susan and Edmund saw EJ and Will suddenly appear around the corner on the dirt path, both of them jogging towards them.

"Hello darlings!" called out EJ as they covered the ground between them quickly, "You made good time, we weren't quite expecting you yet."

"Elvis!" exclaimed Susan, overcome with excitement as she began to jump up and down on the spot.

Susan ran over to the gates and grabbed at the bars.

"Ohh hurry up and open these gates so your momma can give you a great big old hug!" said Susan eagerly.

"I don't have a key Mum," said EJ with a smile as he came to stand on the other side of the gates.

"That's alright darlin'," she said intently as she hitched up her pants, "You stay there and I'll climb over."

The gates were about nine feet tall so that was no small offer she was making and EJ immediately stalled her for that reason and one other very important one.

"Ah Mum," said EJ in amusement as he stuck his hand around the side of the gate and wiggled his fingers at her, "It's just a gate, there is no fence, we can just go round it."

In her excitement Susan had overlooked this pertinent fact and her eyes went wide.

"Then what are you two still doin' on that side of it?" she huffed at them impatiently.

Susan held out her arms to both of them. "Come to momma you two!"

"We may not get out of this hug alive," EJ said teasingly to Will as the two of them walked around to the other side of the gate.

Susan immediately threw her arms around EJ and hugged him for all she was worth.

"Hello my boy," said Edmund with a big smile, greeting Will as the two of them embraced, "I like the new hair."

"Hiya Gee Pa," Will grinned as he hugged the man back, "I think I do too, who says blonds have more fun?"

Even with this being the first real meeting between Will and the Crumbs the very regular Skype calls had meant that they'd grown very close despite the distance between them. His mother had been unrelenting about being called Gee Ma and Gee Pa and in the end it didn't even sound weird anymore and Will seemed very comfortable with it. It had warmed EJ's heart to see how immediately accepting and loving of Will his parent's were even though he wasn't technically their grandson. But then EJ had expected nothing less from them and Will was as much a part of their family now as anyone else and EJ knew that the teenager would never have a moment's doubt about that.

Susan had finally released EJ and now had her eye on Will. "I need a hug from my very first grandson, why yes I do."

Before Will could respond Susan grabbed him and hugged him so tightly that he gave a little squeak.

"Oh you're just so handsome," she told him, "You're goin' to break all those ladies hearts."

"Can't breathe," Will gasped, facing going a little red.

"Ease up Mum," said EJ indulgently as he went to hug Edmund hello, "Jamie isn't used to your hugs yet."

EJ smiled warmly at the bespectacled man who even in this heat was wearing a neat bow tie. "Dad, it's so good to see you."

"You too son."

Edmund beamed to hear EJ call him that as they hugged and EJ just wished he'd known enough about life to have called him that long before now. It wasn't because Stefano was now out of his life that EJ had started calling Edmund dad during their Skype conversations, it was because this man more than any other in his life had been a father to him. Stefano had always told him that only blood mattered but it wasn't true, what mattered in a family was love and Edmund had been unfailing with his and EJ could at last see that.

"How was the flight?" asked EJ as he drew back and smiled down at the older man.

"Most excellent," said Edmund happily, "We've never flown first class before. It was very generous of you Elvis but we really would have been fine in coach."

"Samantha and I have the means to spoil those whom we love and we intend to do just that," said EJ with a grin.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw that Will was still being hugged by his mother.

"Mum let Jamie go," EJ said affectionately, "He's gone the colour of a beetroot."

Susan reluctantly let Will go who gave a strangled gasp and drew in several deep breaths.

"I'm makin' up for all the hugs I missed while he was growin' up," Susan complained with a pout.

"Yes well you don't have to do it in one hug," said EJ dryly.

"I heard something snap," said Will wide eyed as he panted a little now, "I think it was a rib."

"Oh you," Susan laughed, slapping his arm playfully, "We're goin' to have so much fun you and me."

Will gave a lopsided grin. "I can see that Gee Ma."

"Now come along darlings," said EJ as he and Will picked up their luggage, "We have a nice cup of tea waiting for you up at the house."

"Oh lovely," Edmund sighed happily, "I'm gasping."

"And is my darlin' there as well?" asked Susan excitedly, linking her arm with Edmund's as they began to walk along the track together.

"Samantha is indeed," said EJ with a twinkle in his eyes, "And two other special little some bodies who are dying to meet their Gee Ma and Pa for the first time."

Susan gave a little squeal of excitement and made both Will and EJ laugh. It was only about a five minute walk up to the house and they all fell into easy conversation as they walked.

"You know I've been doing some research and discovered that we're not far from a particularly lovely nursery that specialises in cultivating roses," said Edmund, "The Cultirosa Lda."

"I've already scoped it out Dad," said EJ indulgently, "I thought we could do a day trip as a family and do some sightseeing and stop by the nursery on the way."

"Oh lovely," said Edmund, looking very pleased.

"Well will you look at that," said Susan in amazement as they turned a corner and came to the holiday house EJ had rented for the duration of their stay.

It was quite large and had several smaller houses scattered around the big house, Sami and EJ thinking that it would be a good place to entertain guests which was what they were looking to do while they were there.

"I think you'll be comfortable here Mum," said EJ with a grin, "It's got quite the view."

The house was actually situated on a cliff face which had been hard to tell with having come in from the angle they did. The sound of the waves hitting the beach below them was quite evident now and as they got closer to the house it was possible to see the view. Crystal clear blue waters stretched along white sandy beaches that ran into dramatic cliff faces on one of which their house stood.

"It's private beach frontage," said EJ, pointing to a set of steep steps, "Those lead down to the beach."

"It's pretty cool having a beach all to yourself," said Will with a grin.

"I bet it is darlin'," said Susan, suitably impressed.

"We're just still keeping a low profile," EJ told them, "We need to be very careful, particularly whilst Stefano is still alive."

"Darlin' I don't know if I can call you Rami," his mother said unhappily, "You'll always be my little Elvis, why yes you will."

"You can call us by our real names at home," said EJ with a smile, "Just remember darling that out in public it is Rami, Brandy and Jamie."

The truth was that they were all a bit lax about calling each other by their new names in the safety of their own home but seeing as they had little interaction with other people at this point it seemed to be working out, there hadn't been any slip ups yet.

"I'll remember," Susan promised him with a grin.

Sami walked out of the house then and Susan gave another little squeal, running to close the distance between them as she hugged her daughter in law with much enthusiasm.

"It's still weird seeing a mother in law running at Mom like that for a hug and not with a meat cleaver in her hand," said Will with a grin at seeing the obviously close relationship of the two women.

"My mother adores Samantha," said EJ with a grin.

"We both do," said Edmund as he managed to get his wife to let go so he could hug Sami hello as well.

"We're so happy to have you both here," said Sami with a huge smile.

"Oh darlin' wild horses wouldn't have kept us away," said Susan, looking her up and down, "And you are just glowing darlin', havin' babies clearly agrees with you."

"We're already in negotiations for the next batch," said EJ with a cheeky wink at Sami.

"Give a girl a chance to catch her breath honey," said Sami with a roll of her eyes, "The twins only turned a month old yesterday."

"And where are my babies?" asked Susan, unable to contain her excitement any longer.

"You're timing is perfect Mom," said Sami with a grin, "They're due to wake up any minute now."

"Ohhh!" exclaimed Susan, beginning to jump up and down on the spot again, "Gimme, gimme, gimme!"

EJ and Sami couldn't help but laugh at her enthusiasm.

"You'd best go fetch them," said Edmund with an indulgent smile, "I fear my lovely wife might implode if she doesn't get to hold those little bundles of joy sometime soon."

He gave a shy smile then. "And I'd rather like a turn as well."

"There will be plenty of baby holding to go around," Sami promised them, "Having two of them is a quite a challenge but Will and EJ have been amazing."

"You were so brave being at the birth darlin'," said Susan, putting her arm around his waist and hugging him.

"I wasn't down the icky end most of the time," said Will quickly before looking at his mother in admiration, "But it really was amazing and Mom was incredible."

"She certainly was," said EJ huskily as he remembered the birth of his children.

Sami had given birth in Austria in a local hospital in Kitzbühel. Both of them had wanted Will to be there and after some initial hesitation he'd agreed. It had been wonderful to have him there as EJ had oscillated between overwhelming excitement about getting to hold his children at long last, abject fear that something could go wrong, heart wrenching frustration to see Sami in so much pain and not being able to do anything to help her and mind blowing admiration for the way she'd handled the whole thing.

EJ had always firmly believed that Sami was a goddess amongst women but seeing her give birth to their children had elevated her into a plane without equal for EJ. She'd been magnificent through the eleven hours of labour she'd endured and EJ's heart could have exploded with love for her. When his son had finally arrived at 2:03am on a Thursday morning EJ was right there to cut the cord and take his son from the doctor's hands and show the small crying bundle to his mother. EJ had never cried such happy tears in his life as he, Will and Sami shared this unbelievable moment together.

When EJ had asked if Will would like to cut the cord as his daughter made an appearance six minutes later and the teenager hadn't hesitated. The first person to hold the tiny baby girl after the doctor was Will and there was no doubt that he was instantly as smitten with her as EJ was and fresh tears of joy overwhelmed him. They all took turns counting fingers and toes and reassuring themselves that yes, their babies were utterly perfect and it was a moment that cemented their growing family forever. It was the most magical of experiences and EJ would never know how to express his gratitude to Sami for what she'd given him in those moments.

EJ hadn't slept the rest of that night. Instead as Sami had gotten some well deserved sleep he'd simply sat by the cots' of the two sleeping newborns and stared at them. He just couldn't stop being overwhelmed by the fact that he and Samantha had created these simply amazing little creatures together. Anyone who didn't believe in miracles had never had children EJ decided because these babies were nothing less than that. He just sat there, taking in every little curve and dip of their faces, marvelling at their perfection.

EJ had always figured that having children was like splitting your heart up so you could give a piece to each child you had but now he knew that was completely wrong. With each child you seemed to grow a new heart to love them with. Children didn't dilute out your love, they concentrated it and EJ couldn't have imagined how that would have felt. He'd made promises that night to both his son and daughter about the kind of father he was going to be to them, one they could look up to and trust, the one they could know only unconditional love from. It was a heavy mantle of responsibility but instead of weighing him down EJ felt uplifted by it and he would always cherish those moments together in the wee dark hours of his twin's first morning.

"You go fetch the poop twins and I'll show Gee Ma and Pa to their room," Will offered with a smile, taking the rest of the luggage from EJ, "You can meet us there."

"Yes!" said Susan, clapping her hands together in anticipation, "And then you can finally tell me my grandbabies' names!"

"We're dying to know," agreed Edmund eagerly, "Arthur and Martha are cute but I'm wanting to name some new roses I'm working on after them and it's a bit tricky until I know what they are."

"All will be revealed," said EJ, giving Sami a quick wink, "You go to your room, we'll meet you there."

Will and the two Crumbs headed off together and EJ could already hear his mother trying to pump Will for information.

"So can you give me a clue?" she asked eagerly, "I don't suppose my little girl got a name beginning with P by any chance? Something like Priscilla perhaps?"

"Sorry Gee Ma," Will laughed, "You're just going to have to wait, I'm not going to steal Mom and Dad's thunder."

In the end his mother didn't have to wait long as when he and Sami went to collect the twins it was to find they were both already awake. At one month old they were still having trouble focusing but EJ was falling more completely in love with them each moment he spent with them. After a quick diaper change they were ready for their big entrance. Sami and EJ walked into the room they'd set up for his parents, each holding a twin.

"Ella Rose Devlise these are your very special grandparents, Gee Ma and Gee Pa," said Sami proudly to her little daughter, "Say hello honey."

"Oh!" squeaked Susan, her hands going to her chest as she tried to contain herself.

Giant tears began to roll down her face as Sami handed the little bundle over to the now shaking Susan.

"Oh she's perfect," said Susan faintly, unable to take her eyes off the blonde little girl who was looking up at her blearily and trying to focus.

She touched the little girl's nose. "Why yes you are."

Ella Rose wrinkled her little button nose and then smiled up at her grandmother. "She smiled at me, look Eddie bear, she is smiling at me!"

She looked around the room in warning. "And don't nobody tell me that is gas. I know a smile when I see it and that is a definite smile for her Gee Ma!"

"Of course it is," Sami laughed.

"I got the first smile," said Will proudly.

"You did too," EJ laughed.

The twins were fascinated by their big brother and whenever he would speak they would turn their heads trying to work out where he was in the room and Will just doted on them.

"Ella Rose," said Edmund, his facing lighting up, "How absolutely perfect, well done old boy."

"We thought you'd like it," said EJ with an easy smile, "And now I'd like you to meet your second grandson – Jonathon Edmund Devlise."

"Oh my," said Edmund, his eyes going wide as EJ placed the tiny baby boy in his arms, "Really?"

"Of course," said EJ warmly, "I never really understood what you gave me Edmund until very recently and how much it means to me. You are my father in every possible way and I love you, very much."

When Sami had first told him the names she'd chosen for their son EJ immediately loved them. John had done so much for them, their ultimate happiness couldn't haven't have happened without all that the older man had done. Sami had said it felt right and she wanted to thank the man who showed EJ how to love and that man was Edmund. EJ loved that his first son was named after two such great men.

"Oh my," said Edmund again weakly, trying to be as English as he could about EJ's loving sentiment but failing miserably as he began to well up, "And I love you too my boy."

EJ put his arm around Edmund as they both looked down at the yawning baby boy. Three generations of men standing together and it just felt so right in that moment.

"This may sound a little weird but we are going to call him JohnE as in John followed by the letter E rather than J-o-h-n-n-y," said Sami with a little smile, "People won't know the difference but our family will and that is important to EJ and me."

"So Ella Rose and JohnE it is then," said Edmund proudly, wiping away a tear as he cuddled his little namesake.

"Oh thank you darlin'," said Susan, still crying as she nursed Ella Rose, "You've given me three beautiful grandchildren to spoil rotten and I'm so happy I could just pee myself right now."

"Let's hope we have a few more years before that starts happening eh?" EJ laughed at his mother's enthusiasm.

"I'm just happy they are going to have you and Dad in their lives," said Sami simply, squeezing Susan's hand.

"So how about that cuppa eh?" asked EJ but then realised he no longer existed as Edmund and Susan began cooing over their grandchildren, all three of them.

"Oh look Willy," said Susan happily, "Little Ella Rose has your nose."

"And cheek bones," agreed Edmund as they stood together comparing babies and Will, "But JohnE has your chin – such handsome boys."

"I think tea is off," said Sami indulgently, "I don't see either one of them putting down those babies anytime soon."

"You're probably right sweetheart," said EJ happily as he put his arm around her, as proud as any parents had ever been before.


	202. Chapter 348

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & FORTY EIGHT **** – ****A Drop in the Ocean**

Realize that true happiness lies within you. Waste no time and effort searching for peace and contentment and joy in the world outside. Remember that there is no happiness in having or in getting, but only in giving. Reach out. Share. Smile. Hug. Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself.

_Og Mandino_

_(American Essayist and Psychologist, 1923-1996)_

EJ threaded his fingers with Sami's as they walked along the beach together, sunset well on its way to setting. Susan had ordered them out of the house for a little alone time so she and Edmund could have all three grandchildren to themselves.

"Poor Will," EJ chuckled as they walked along, "I don't know if we should have abandoned him like that."

"He's loving it," said Sami confidently, "He's never had a grandmother quite like Susan."

"I think that would be a fair comment," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "My mother is still a little overexcited from the trip and meeting the twins for the first time."

"No," said Sami happily, "That's just your mom and I love that about her."

"That means the world to me that you love my parents as much as I do sweetheart," said EJ huskily, "And that you call them Mum and Dad now."

"It just felt really right," said Sami with a happy sigh, "They feel like family to me."

"Come tomorrow they legally will be," said EJ with a grin, "Again."

Seeing as Rami Devlise and Brandy Mathas didn't exist until very recently then that meant they weren't married which meant there had to be a wedding, much to the utter joy of EJ's mother in particular. It was impossible to have all of the family there of course but they were both content with knowing her children and Susan and Edmond were going to be there to witness their union, once and for all.

"What are you thinking sweetheart?" asked EJ huskily as he looked at the suddenly faraway expression on Sami's face.

"I don't know," said Sami with a little laugh, "That barely a year ago I was a complete mess making myself believe that marrying Lucas would somehow fix me, too scared to ever stop and ask myself who I was and what I really wanted instead of holding onto what I thought I should want."

Sami shook her head in disbelief, "And now here I am, in love with a man who loves me in a way I could only ever dream about, my relationship with my son getting better every day, two perfect little babies in our arms as we globe trot around the world."

Sami looked up at him and gave a wry smile. "If I think about it too much it makes my head spin."

"It's been a wild ride," EJ agreed with a soft smile, "Just over a year ago I was a carefree bachelor who didn't know the first thing about anything."

"You knew me," Sami corrected him.

She stopped walking and stood in front of him, putting her hands on his waist. "You knew me from the first moment you saw me EJ."

"And you knew me," said EJ, still feeling his heart beat out an uneven rhythm at that thought.

"Of course I did," said Sami with a wry smile, "Why did you think I ran screaming in the opposite direction?"

Sami shook her head and rolled her eyes. "I really was a red hot mess wasn't I?"

"No more than me," said EJ easily, "And besides, I've got long legs, running down uncooperative blondes is what I'm built for."

"Ah ah," Sami chided him playfully as she pulled her slightly longer but still auburn locks, "Red heads if you please."

"It wouldn't matter if you were bald darling," said EJ throatily, "I'd still come running."

EJ bent his head and kissed her lingeringly, just enjoying the fact that they had all the time in the world for these kinds of moments from now on.

"I have something for you," said EJ when they at last broke apart, both of them a little breathless, "A little gift for you on the eve of our wedding."

"But I haven't gotten you anything," said Sami, wrinkling her nose.

"Sweetheart after watching you in labour for all that time giving birth to our children you never have to get me another present as long as we live," EJ reassured her with complete seriousness, "You were astounding."

"Was I?" asked Sami with a serene smile, "All I remember is holding our babies for the first time."

"Apart from you telling me that you loved me for the first time it was the most amazing moment of my life," said EJ unevenly, "My whole world just changed in both of those instances."

"I'm just so happy that we were able to give the twins this kind of start in life," said Sami with a contented sigh, "Safe and surrounded by people who love them."

"There won't be any shortage of that," said EJ with a smile, "Now for your present."

EJ stuck his hand in the pocket of his jeans.

"It's in your pants," said Sami teasingly, "How unexpected."

"You just control your rampant self young lady," EJ tutted with a cheeky look, "The doctor said no hanky panky for another couple of weeks yet."

"Oh I don't know," Sami purred, "We've managed more than a little panky this last month even if the hanky has to wait."

"Yes we have," EJ growled, his eyes lighting up at the delicious memories.

Say what you will about Sami, she was one creative woman.

"For you."

EJ presented Sami with a little white box which she took and grinned up at him. "I love presents."

"I know you do darling," said EJ indulgently.

He watched as Sami opened the box and gave a little gasp. "Is that a-"

"A gecko," EJ confirmed with a grin as he took the white gold chain out of the box with the little gecko charm on the end of it.

He moved to put it around Sami's neck as she grinned up at him. EJ's lips were at her ear as he did up the clasp. "To commemorate the very first time I had you screaming in my bed."

"But not the last," Sami finished off mischievously as EJ straightened up.

"It was the sign of things to come," said EJ with a devilish wink, "You for instance."

"And you," Sami shot back and EJ could hardly deny it.

He watched as Sami picked up the charm of the little lizard and admired it.

"Do you think we'll ever be able to go back to Anam Cara?" she asked wistfully.

She looked up at him then and even in the fading light EJ could see all the memories there. "We made love their for the first time, got married there for the first time, I learnt to ride and I fell completely in love with you there even though I was too stubborn to admit it."

Sami gave a tremulous smile. "It was so special to me what with Santo and Colleen and the legend and just everything."

"That island is as dear to me as it is to you sweetheart so that is why the necklace was only really a reminder of your real gift," said EJ huskily, "Rami Devlise bought Anam Cara for his bride to be and it is there waiting for her any time she wants to visit."

Sami's face lit up at that as she threw herself into his arms.

"Really?"

"Yes really," EJ laughed as he hugged her back, "Samantha that island is where all of my dreams came true, how could I ever part with it? Not to mention my lovely Jellybean."

"Oh EJ that is just the most perfect gift," Sami sighed in delight, "I love that island so much."

She shook her head. "You really are a hopeless romantic aren't you?"

"Until the day I die," said EJ with an unapologetic grin, "Now how's about you join this hopeless romantic for a little dip in the ocean eh?"

"I don't have my bathing suit," said Sami with a half smile, watching as EJ was already pulling his shirt off over his head.

"Come now sweetheart," said EJ, his eyes twinkling, "You weren't so shy about a little skinny dipping on the island."

"I hadn't given birth to twins a month ago on the island," said Sami with a grimace.

"Samantha you're utterly gorgeous and your figure has returned amazingly fast," EJ reassured her.

"Not as fast as I'd like," Sami said with a pout, "My stomach is still a bit wobbly and my butt-"

"Drives grown men to their knees," EJ interrupted her, "Trust me, I've seen all those Portuguese men checking you out and it's all I can do to stop myself from starting an international incident."

EJ knew Sami was still a little insecure of her post baby body but for the life of him he couldn't understand why. Certainly her body was different from when they'd first gotten together but every change just reminded EJ of all that they'd been through and the gift Sami had given him with carrying their children safely for nine months and then giving birth to them. EJ was more in awe of Sami's body then he'd ever been before and it was important to him that she understood that and enjoyed the changes in her body as much as he did.

"I'm sure they're not checking me out EJ," said Sami wryly.

"I'm bloody well sure they are," said EJ with a grimace, "Bloody rude I say. I'm standing right there with our children and they've got their eyes all over you. Makes me want to blind them for life."

"EJ," Sami laughed.

"Well it does," EJ grumbled, "They can get their own woman damn it, you're mine."

"In that case I get to gouge out the eyes of all the women around here who ogle you like I don't exist," said Sami with an arched eyebrow.

"There are other women in Portugal?" asked EJ in amazement.

"Cute," said Sami wryly.

"I mean it sweetheart," said EJ sincerely, "No other woman exists for me other than you so you never have to worry about that, ever."

"And you don't have to worry about other men," Sami said with a smile, "Now get your clothes off mister, I'd like to check out the merchandise before I sign on the dotted line tomorrow."

EJ grinned and quickly discarded his jeans and briefs, standing before her completely naked.

"You'll do," said Sami teasingly, running an admiring gaze over his well toned body.

"So care to join me Ms Devlise?" asked EJ.

Sami bit her bottom lip and hesitated for only the briefest of moments before she started to shed her clothes as well. EJ didn't bother to hide his appreciation as Sami's clothes came off. Sami looked up and down the beach.

"Promise me no one is going to suddenly appear," she said a little bit anxiously.

"It's a private beach sweetheart," said EJ confidently as he took her hand, "And you're all mine."

EJ led them down to the water's edge just as the sun began to set and the water still held the warmth of the day in it. They walked in together before both duck diving under the water. They resurfaced when the water was at Sami's waist. Standing on the sandy ocean floor EJ pulled her into his arms. The setting sun painted everything in rosy hues and shadows now.

"Every time I think a moment is the happiest in my life you give me another," he marvelled huskily, delighting in the feel of her naked wet body in his arms.

"I feel like we've invented happiness," Sami confessed with a little laugh, "Like no one else in the world could possibly have felt like this before."

"I know," said EJ, tucking a wet tendril of hair behind her ear, "We took so many risks and there were just so many obstacles but knowing that those people we love are safe and that starting a whole new life together just makes it more than worthwhile."

"No regrets then?" asked Sami softly.

"Not a single one," EJ said without hesitation, "You?"

Sami pursed her lips together and looked thoughtful for a moment.

"I wish I hadn't drowned Geraldine," she announced at last.

"Oh my darling Geraldine," EJ lamented with a groaning laugh, "How I miss her."

"But it really wasn't my fault," said Sami hastily, "That seagull and pelican-"

"I know, I know," said EJ indulgently, "It was an avian conspiracy and you were just an innocent bystander."

"Well I was a bystander," said Sami wryly.

"Kiss me right now and I'll forgive you completely," said EJ told her with a smile.

"That seems fair," Sami said with an answering smile as she went up on her tip toes and drew EJ into a prolonged kiss and he was in heaven.


	203. Chapter 349

**CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED & FORTY NINE**** – ****Once More With Feeling**

For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul.

_Judy Garland_

"How are you going darling?" asked EJ as he walked into the little room to see Sami breastfeeding Ella in a chair, "The natives are getting restless and by that I mean my mother."

"Almost done," said Sami with a smile as she looked down at her daughter and stroked her cheek lovingly as she made those little snuffling noises babies made as they fed, "Your daughter isn't as much of a guts as your son. JohnE wolfs his milk down, Ella takes her time like a lady."

"Edmond somehow managed to swipe burping privileges from my mum with JohnE and now she is jonesing for one of her own," EJ chuckled.

"Just as well we had two then isn't it," Sami laughed as Ella was finally done, releasing her milky teat.

EJ reached down and picked up his daughter as she smacked her lips together, enjoying the last of the milky goodness of her mother's breast milk even as her eyes began to get very heavy.

"Hello my beautiful girl," EJ cooed, completely besotted as always by her and her brother, "How's that belly now eh? Nice and full I hope."

"I hope so too," said Sami wryly as she straightened up her clothes and stood up, "With any luck we can get through the ceremony without either one of them waking up."

"I think the trick will be in getting my parents to leave them alone long enough so that they can sleep," said EJ with a rueful laugh.

He cradled Ella in his arms as she blinked up at him with groggy looking blue eyes so much like her mother's.

"They're so great with them," Sami sighed happily as she walked over to where EJ was standing so they could admire their beautiful daughter together, "I can't wait until my folks meet the twins."

"It's already being organised," EJ promised her, "The twins won't even be two months before they meet Grandma Marlena and Grandpa Roman and of course Grandpa John. I was thinking Provence would be nice this time of year. Plus Estelle is due next week, she is taking a detour flying back from Japan."

"They're going to grow up with so many people loving them," said Sami, her heart swelling inside of her at that thought.

Sami had secretly worried that this kind of life style would end up severing ties between their families but she and EJ had been working hard to make sure that wasn't the case. Maybe because they no longer lived in the same town as much of their relatives any time spent together would no longer be taken for granted and be all the more special because of it. Sami certainly hoped that would be the case.

"So how do you feel about getting married today Brandy?" asked EJ with a big smile.

"I feel good Rami," replied Sami with an answering smile, "I feel very good."

"Glad to hear it because my mother's hat is all primed and ready to go," said EJ with a chuckle.

"What's it like?" asked Sami curiously, a big grin on her face.

Seeing as the dove hat had been scrapped due to logistics Sami was very intrigued to see what her soon to be mother in law had come up with in its stead.

"Let's just say it has a heavy fruit motif," said EJ wryly.

"There's lots of fruit on it?" asked Sami, picturing Susan Crumb's doing a version of Carmen Miranda at her wedding and loving it.

"More so that the fruit is heavy," said EJ with a quirk of his lips, "We're talking pineapples and watermelons and I'm not sure her neck is going to be able to support the weight for the entirety of the wedding ceremony."

"We'll have to make it quick then," Sami giggled, "It's not like we don't know what we're doing after all, this is our third wedding and I don't even want to count anymore how many weddings in total that makes for me."

"But this is the one and only wedding for Brandy Mathas," EJ pointed out as he reached out a hand and tucked a stray blonde hair behind Sami's ear lovingly.

"Oh," said a pleased Sami, never having thought of it like that before, "I like that."

"A clean slate," Sami sighed happily.

"For both of us," EJ agreed readily, "For us to write on it what we will."

"Are you two hoggin' my baby girl in there?"

Susan's strident voice came through the small back room of the beachfront church they'd opted to get married in and made the two of them laugh.

"We're coming Mum," replied EJ affectionately.

EJ looked down at his bride to be in her simple, off white dress with a white rose tucked behind her ear and setting off her cropped auburn locks beautifully.

"You look utterly gorgeous," EJ said unevenly, his eyes lighting up adoringly as he took her all in.

"So do you," said Sami, feeling herself get a little breathless as she put a hand on EJ's chest.

He was just wearing a crisp white shirt and pants, both of them opting for casual elegance over pomp and circumstance.

"So shall we go and get married then?" asked EJ, his eyes dancing in excitement.

"I think so," Sami nodded and pulled gently on Ella's exposed little foot, "Did you hear that honey, your daddy is going to make an honest woman out of me."

"I sincerely hope that never happens," said EJ cheekily as he stole a kiss, "I worship you just the way you are my goddess from above."

Sami beamed as her daughter gurgled approvingly and everything was just perfect.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Watch your head," Sami said with a little giggle as EJ carried her over the threshold of their hotel room.

The doorway was quite low and EJ was forced to duck his head.

"This wasn't necessary you know," said Sami indulgently as she put her arms around his neck.

EJ carried her into the room and grinned down at her. "You're my wife Brandy, these things are expected."

EJ's eyes darkened as he continued on huskily. "Besides, how can I turn up an opportunity to have you in my arms sweetheart?"

He bent his head down and kissed Sami deeply, leaving them both breathless. EJ set Sami gently down on the floor but they stayed in each other's arms.

"It was very generous of your parents to offer to look after the twins tonight so we could have the whole night to ourselves," said Sami with a smile, rubbing EJ's back.

"I don't think we could get JohnE and Ella back now if we raided the place with a SWAT team," EJ chuckled, "My mother is besotted with them and will probably not get a wink of sleep all night, she'll just sit by their cots and coo."

"Probably," Sami laughed, knowing her babies were in good hands.

Will was in the holiday house they'd rented for the duration of EJ's parent's visit along with Susan and Edmond. They'd be joining them there again the next day but right now EJ and Sami had each other to themselves and it was a delicious experience.

"Did you enjoy our wedding my love?" asked EJ throatily, stroking Sami's exposed back, "You were the most beautiful bride in the world, I couldn't breathe through most of the ceremony for looking at you."

"It was perfect," Sami sighed happily.

"It was wasn't it?" EJ agreed with a big smile.

"And now I want one thing to make this day absolutely perfect," said Sami, looking up at him with shining eyes.

"Anything," said EJ without hesitation.

"I want my husband to make love to me," said Sami unevenly, already feeling the need coiling in her stomach.

"I thought you'd never ask," said EJ with a cheeky grin, starting to nibble on her neck.

"No I mean properly," Sami said, wanting to make sure he understood.

EJ lifted his head and looked a little uncertain.

"Do you mean-?"

"I want to feel you inside of me again EJ," said Sami breathlessly.

Even saying the words made her thighs ache painfully and fresh moisture pool there. She and EJ had been fooling around since Sami had given birth, giving each other pleasure but they hadn't had what Sami considered actual sex yet.

"Sweetheart are you sure?" EJ asked, his voice cracking a little, "It's only been a month since you gave birth to the twins and the specialist said we should wait six weeks-"

"I know my own body EJ," Sami interrupted him, looking up at him determinedly and using his real name, "I'm ready and I need you so badly, I can't wait any longer."

EJ groaned noisily before crushing her lips hungrily under his in a fierce kiss. Sami could taste the desperate need in his kisses. EJ had obviously missed the physical closeness that came from such a union as much as Sami had despite him being careful not to show it to her. Sami wasn't doing this though because she felt pressured into it, she was doing it because the need for him was clawing at her insides and she couldn't stand it any longer.

"I'll be gentle," EJ panted when he finally dragged his mouth from hers.

He sent her a pleading look. "Don't let me hurt you Samantha."

"You won't," she promised him throatily.

Her hands went to his shirt, making short work of the buttons so that EJ could shrug out of it. The shirt fell to the floor and they left it there, good housekeeping was for another day. Sami leant forward and pressed her lips to EJ's chest, the smattering of hairs their tickling her nose. His skin tasted so familiar to her now and Sami was addicted to the taste of him. She kissed along the ridges of his chest, feeling the way his heart was hammering wildly within it. Sami's own heart was racing at the thought of them making love once again but she forced herself not to rush this.

It was like they were new lovers once again, all the anticipation of that first union ahead of them and Sami felt a slight nervousness in the pit of her stomach. It amazed her that after all of this time EJ could still make her feel this way but she had this feeling that it was always going to be this way between them. She felt EJ's hands come out and stroke along her back, finding her zipper and slowly pulling it down. Sami's tongue flicked at one nipple as EJ eased the silky material from her body and it joined his shirt on the ground.

Sami was left in bra and panties, the prettiest ones she could find. A lot of nursing bras were rather utilitarian but Sami had made sure that her underwear was pretty and practical for her wedding night. EJ's hands were back on her body, stroking her now naked back, fingers dancing over the small of her back. His gentle touch made Sami's nipples harden and a little shiver of anticipation ran through her.

Sami stepped back out of EJ's embrace and holding his gaze she reached behind herself and slowly undid her bra. She had his full attention as the garment fell from her body. EJ made a ragged groaning sound as Sami was left only in a silky panties, his hungry gaze raking her body. Sami was still a little self conscious about how much her body had changed since giving birth to the twins but EJ never left her in any doubt that he found her as desirable as he'd always had, maybe even more so now. It was a hard concept for her to fully embrace struggling as she had over the years with her body image but Sami was determined to get past all of that and she knew with EJ's help she would.

"God but you're gorgeous," said EJ faintly as he reached out a shaking hand to cup one breast.

Sami could already see his manhood straining through the material of his pants and felt the own ache between her legs intensify. EJ stepped closer and ducked his head so he could tease around one nipple with his tongue. Her body responded instinctively to his nuzzling and some milk droplets formed on one teat, expecting a baby to nurse. EJ's tongue flickered out and tasted the milky goodness before drawing her nipple more fully into his mouth. Sami gave a little moan at the contact and EJ instantly stopped, lifting his head and looking at her with concern.

"Too much?" he asked unevenly.

Breast feeding hungry twins had certainly meant that her nipples could be quite painful at times but this wasn't one of those times. Sami shook her head and eagerly put her hand to the back of his head, guiding him back to the waiting nub. It absolutely amazed Sami how when she had her children at her breast there was this huge swell of maternal love full of nurturing devotion but when EJ had her breast in his mouth the sensations running through her body were completely different. She felt anything but maternal as EJ played with her teat, drawing her milkiness into his mouth and making her whole body throb with desire.

"Don't stop," Sami begged him shakily as her lower body begin to pulsate, feeling an orgasm about to overtake her from how he was stimulating her.

EJ groaned and renewed his efforts, teasing, nibbling and tugging, driving Sami insane. His hands slipped under her panties, cupping her backside and began to massage it rhythmically in time with his suckling. Sami cried out as her body gave way to a series of explosions that shook her core and made her knees go weak. EJ's hands tightened on her bottom as he lifted Sami off her feet half way through her climax and she was forced to wrap her legs around his waist and hold on tightly as EJ found her mouth again.

His kisses still had the taste of milk to them as EJ plundered the depths of her mouth with his tongue. Sami began to grind herself against the bulge she could feel in EJ's pants, the rough material of his pants stimulating her already drenched core. If EJ had let it go on for much longer Sami was sure she could have come again quite easily. Instead though EJ walked them over to the bed and laid Sami down on it. He had a look of wild desperation to his eyes that told Sami that they weren't going to have a lot of foreplay this time round. It didn't matter anyway; Sami had already proven that she didn't need it.

Propping herself up on her elbows Sami watched as EJ quickly undid his trousers, discarding both them and his underwear and kicking them to one side. Sami couldn't take her eyes off his heavily engorged member, fully erect and straining to be satisfied. She suddenly wanted that monster in her mouth, tasting the pre-cum she could see dribbling from his tip. Sami sat up and reached for him but EJ grabbed her hand.

"I'm too close," he panted a warning and Sami thrilled to the fact that he was obviously as aroused as she was.

EJ looked at her pleadingly. "I want to be inside of you sweetheart when I come."

Sami nodded her head eagerly, the ache between her legs returning at his words. EJ immediately reached for the last item of clothing between them, her panties and pulled them down her legs. He surveyed his handiwork as Sami lay on the bed, completely naked now as his cock twitched wildly.

"EJ," Sami moaned impatiently, wiggling a little in frustration.

She'd been close to orgasm when he'd laid her on the bed and now Sami just wanted some relief, to be able to hold EJ inside her body and be given the ultimate pleasure. EJ climbed on the bed and moved over the top of her, holding his body off hers. The heat of his body rolled off him and enveloped Sami in his heady male scent and it only made her want him more. She moved her legs apart, allowing him to settle between them.

"I love you Samantha," said EJ hoarsely, his voice strained as she felt him beginning to shake uncontrollably.

Sami loved how they still used their real names when they were being intimate. Rami and Brandy may have allowed them to start new lives together but Sami and EJ were in their hearts. She could see EJ was scared, frightened of hurting her but still needing her so much and Sami's heart swelled with love that she'd at last found a man who cared so very much for her.

"I love you EJ," replied Sami softly, lifting her body off the bed and closing the small distance between them.

EJ have a low moan as she began to rub her softness against his hard angles but still he hesitated. Sami knew why – once their bodies were joined it was going to be nearly impossible for him to stop but that was all that Sami wanted. She took one of EJ's hands and guided it between her legs, letting him feel for himself how ready she was for this. EJ's fingers immediately sought out her core, gently stroking her walls and making Sami's nails dig into his back in frustration.

"Please!" she groaned in frustration.

EJ gave an answering moan and then his fingers were gone and Sami could feel his swollen velvet head pressing against her most intimate of places, looking to possess her. Sami had the briefest moment of hesitation before EJ mounted her fully, despite how badly she wanted him right then. But then EJ was stretching her walls, filling her up and there was no pain, only intense pleasure that had Sami groaning loudly.

She wrapped her arms around his neck as EJ plunged his entire length into her, making Sami's toes curl and breath hitch. He stayed like that for a long moment, letting her body get used to him again as they held each other close. When her body had relaxed EJ began to move inside of her, slow steady strokes that began to build momentum as their bodies took over. Sami held on tightly to EJ, hearing his increasingly ragged breathing and urgent penetrations. Her body responded without hesitation and Sami could feel it tightening again as it began to build towards its next climax. Sami could feel EJ trying to hold himself back but she didn't want that.

"I need you deep inside of me when you come," she whispered in his ear and he gave a strangled groan as her words made him thrust hard one last time and then there was the feel of him exploding inside of her.

EJ's hips moved of their own accord as they worked hard to pump all of his maleness into her and it tipped Sami over the edge. Her world exploded as EJ flooded her with his hot seed and her contracting walls milked every last drop he had for her from him. Relief flooded Sami's body when it was over, the euphoria of being well and truly satisfied in every way taking her over and making her throb pleasurably.

"Mm," she panted in satisfaction, "That was worth waiting for."

"God yes," EJ groaned as he somehow found the strength to roll off her.

He rolled onto his side and flung an arm out over Sami's stomach, unwilling to lose complete contact with her as they both lay there in contented silence, listening to each other's breathing return to normal.

"Samantha," EJ whispered to her after she thought he'd fallen asleep.

"Yes?" she whispered back.

"Can you say your wedding vows to me again?" he begged her quietly and Sami gave a soft smile at the request

She rolled onto her side so that she and EJ were sharing the same pillow, practically nose to nose. Despite it being their third wedding and third set of vows they'd both found something they wanted to say to each other; Sami's face lit up as she huskily recited her wedding vows to him again. The words had just come to her as she stood there and she remembered every single one of them. She'd seen the effect they'd had on EJ just as his had done with her.

"When you met me I was broken," said Sami quietly, holding his gaze without blinking, letting him see how much she meant what she was saying.

"The shattered pieces of me lay scattered on the floor all around me," said Sami sadly, "All the mistakes, all the bad choices, all the people I'd hurt and the people who had hurt me. I didn't think I'd ever be whole again."

Sami stopped and gave a soft smile. "But then you came along EJ, into my life, into my heart, into my soul."

EJ's eyes were starting to get bright as emotional tears welled up in them and Sami had to blink rapidly to stop her own from flowing just yet.

"You picked up every one of those pieces but instead of trying to fix me you just gave them back to me and told me you believed in me and knew I had the strength and courage to put myself back together."

Sami made a little choked noise as emotion threatened to overwhelm her.

"No one has ever believed in me the way you do EJ, no one has ever known or understood me like you do. You knew what I needed before even I did and you opened my eyes to who I really was. Your gift to me is so huge, so all encompassing that I worry some times that I can never repay you. All I can do is promise to strive every day to be the woman you see when you look at me and love you until the day I die and every day after that."

EJ's tears were flowing freely now, soaking the pillow they were lying on and it still astounded Sami that her words could have such an effect on him. She raised her hand and gently wiped his wet cheek with her hand.

"Sweetheart," EJ choked out, "Hearing you say those words is like every dream I ever had coming true, it just overwhelms me to think you could love me like that."

"I feel the same way about you EJ," said Sami huskily before giving a little smile, "Your turn now, can you remember your vows from today?"

"They're emblazoned in my soul," said EJ throatily, "Of course I can."

Sami's heart gave an excited little flutter at the thought of hearing those beautiful words again.

"When I was younger I used to be hoping I'd find the girl of my dreams," said EJ with a crooked smile as Sami wiped away the last of his tears, "She'd be beautiful and smart and laugh at all of my jokes and think I was amazing and hang off my every word, agreeing with every word I spoke-"

EJ made a small self deprecating laugh at his short sightedness.

"And then I met you," said EJ throatily, "You were beautiful and smart but unreasonable and frustrating and opinionated and just downright impossible. You didn't laugh at my jokes, you didn't think I was amazing and you certainly didn't agree with everything I said."

Sami gave a little laugh at his observations, her eyes twinkling.

"When I was a boy I was looking for a girl who would be stirred by me," said EJ softly, "But when I became a man I needed a woman who would inspire me and you have done that from the first moment we met sweetheart. You were nothing I imagined or thought I wanted and everything I needed. Loving you has introduced myself to me for the first time and I can't even remember my life before you, it was like I only started to draw breath the first time you said my name."

EJ moved so his legs were entangled with hers as they lay on their sides facing each other.

"Everything about you astounds me my darling and there will never be a day when I don't wake up desperate to see your face, to hear you voice and to hold you in my arms. I used to want a fantasy but the reality of you Samantha is so much more than any dream I could ever hope to dream."

He threaded his fingers through hers.

"My flawed perfection," he whispered to her unevenly and Sami couldn't hold back the tears any longer.

And that was what the two of them together were as well Sami realised – flawed perfection.

Sami knew that their life together wasn't always going to be smooth sailing – they were both fiery, passionate people who just seemed to find trouble without even trying. EJ had told her once that they'd never be boring and Sami was glad because she knew neither of them wanted that. What Sami had wanted was an equal to walk through the good times and bad times in life and EJ had proved himself to be exactly that. They were both flawed but together they were just who they needed to be.

"Flawed perfection," she said huskily, "I like that."

"We'll make it the family motto eh darling?" said EJ with a teasing little wink.

"I was hoping our family motto could be 'and they lived happily ever after'," said Sami with a smile.

"I think that can be arranged," said EJ with a big grin.

Sami looked at his happy face, the face she knew so well and would never grow tired of looking at.

"I love you," Sami mouthed the words and EJ mouthed them back to her before closing the small distance between them in the softest of kisses that promised her the whole world.

But Sami knew EJ had already given her just that.


	204. Epilogue

**EPILOGUE**

_**One year later: **_

Stefano coughed, struggling for his next breath as he lay in the hospital infirmary. The oxygen mask over his face seemed to do little as his lungs slowly but inexorably filled with fluid from his failing heart. It hurt to breath and Stefano felt his will to go on at last leaving him. His whole life he'd relied on his exorable will power to keep on going, to continue fighting to the bitter end and now it seemed like the end was at last here and it was indeed bitter.

The last year alone in his jail cell had given Stefano too much time to think and the memories which at first been like a trickle had become a raging torrent soon enough. Memories of the past, of all of his misdeeds and broken relationships had assaulted Stefano and all he could do was take each body blow one after the other. Stefano didn't believe in regret but that belief had been sorely tested this last year. He had none of the trappings of success to distract him from his inner turmoil and then one day Stefano had woken up and realised he was going to die alone.

He'd never let himself entertain that possibility before but now it was here and he knew that he was never going to leave his utilitarian prison hospital bed. He was utterly alone and no one was going to mourn his passing, there was no one left in his life left to love him or even hate him – no mark to leave behind that he'd ever been there at all. Stefano had been completely abandoned by everyone that wasn't going to miraculously change now just because he happened to be dying. He often thought of Elvis and the loss of that relationship even before his youngest son's death. Stefano would play it over and over in his head and try and work out where he'd gone wrong and why Elvis had turned on him so completely and could never quite figure it out.

All Stefano knew was that at last he understood King Solomon's lament in Ecclesiastes that 'all is vanity'. Now that his life was all but done Stefano realised he had nothing to show for it – no empire, no loving family by his side, no legacy to leave except perhaps that of a cautionary tale. The sweat trickled down his face and soaked the pillow his head was lying on as the pain in his chest intensified and breathing became an impossible task.

"Don't fight ita mya son," said a soft, comforting voice by his ear.

Stefano struggled to focus his bleary gaze on the owner of his voice. He managed a gasp of surprise at seeing the man smiling down at him lovingly.

"Papa," he forced out through dry lips, his voice muffled by his oxygen.

"Hello my little Stefano," said the man, his face creased in tender concern, "Ow I 'ave missed you."

"Papa is it really you?" asked an addled Stefano as he looked up at the father he had always adored with groggy eyes.

"Si, it isa me," he said softly.

"I don't want you to see me like this," said an anguished Stefano, his ashen face twisting in despair.

"It isa alright my Stefano," Santo reassured him quietly, "It isa enough. It isa time for you to rest now my son."

"But I have failed you Papa," said Stefano weakly, clutching at the man's arm and finding only bed sheets, "The Brady's still live and love – they have not been destroyed."

"It isa I who 'ave failed you my Stefano," said Santo sadly, "My 'eartbreak set you ona course ina your life that youa did nota deserve."

"I-I don't understand," said Stefano shakily, blinking up at his father's image blearily.

"What 'appened with my beloved Colleen," said Santo with a shake of his head, "It wasa not up toa you toa set it right. My broken 'eart could nota see that anda I stole youra life when I filled youra head with ideas ofa revenge instead ofa just life. I ama your papa Stefano, I should 'ave taught you 'ow to love, not hate."

"So it was all for nothing?" asked a despairing Stefano, "My whole life meant nothing."

The realisation pressed Stefano back into the bed as the futility of all that he'd tried to do weighed him down. He'd wasted his whole life and now there was no more life to be had, no more second chances.

"You ara wrong my son," said Santo, cupping Stefano's cheek lovingly, "Death, she holds asa many second chances asa does life."

Stefano saw Santo look over his shoulder and followed his gaze. In the corner of the grey prison infirmary stood a young woman, smiling lovingly at the two of them. Colleen was every bit as lovely as the day Stefano remembered first meeting her but now she seemed to glow from within as she looked back at the two of them.

"It isa time fora you toa rest now Stefano," his father told him.

"But I've done so many bad things," Stefano said, panicking a little a starting to cough, "I can't die like this, I can't let this be my legacy. Papa please, don't take me yet."

"It isa not up to me mya son," said Santo simply, "It isa youra time and you must accept that. I ama here, waiting fora you anda we will make our amends together eh?"

Santo slipped his hand into Stefano's and suddenly the dying man could feel the warmth of that touch. He stared at his father wide eyed.

"I'm scared," he said in a small voice.

"Don't be," his father instructed him, "_Sono qui con voi il mio bel ragazzo_ (I am here with you my beautiful boy)."

The heart monitor beside Stefano that had been chiming out an unsteady and erratic beat the whole time began to slow as he stared up at his father's kindly face. Stefano squeezed his father's hand tightly as near overwhelming regret and remorse gave way to a soothing peace. He knew he didn't deserve this kind of grace for all of the things that he'd done in this world but the very definition of grace was being bestowed something that wasn't deserved. Stefano's last thoughts were of his family and all that he'd lost with them as a tear slipped from his eyes.

"May God have mercy on my soul," Stefano gasped with his dying breath and praying that He would as he slipped from this world into the next.

The monitors beside him started to go crazy as Stefano's heart flat lined and he was gone.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Yes dahling he is fine," said Celeste indulgently as she walked by Theo's bed and saw her grandson tucked up safely and fast asleep, "You do not need to worry. We had a wonderful time together and now he is asleep. You just concentrate on having a lovely evening with Abraham."

Celeste had volunteered to baby sit so that Abe and Lexie could spend the night together at a hotel to celebrate their anniversary. Lexie however was still a little anxious.

"I'm sorry Mom," said Lexie with a sigh, "I still find it hard to leave him you know? I hate the thought of Theo waking up and me not being there. He's had enough of that in his life and I don't want him to have to go through it again."

"Dahling Theo isn't going to wake up so you just have a good time," said Celeste patiently, "I have it all in hand."

"I know you do Mom," said Lexie unevenly, "I guess I'm just still trying to deal with Father's death last week."

"You are sad?" asked Celeste in surprise.

She'd practically danced for joy when she'd heard the news.

"Not exactly," said Lexie, "But it made me sad to think about how much I miss EJ and how Theo isn't growing up with his cousins."

"There is a time and a season for everything Alexandra," said Celeste wisely, "EJ and Sami are in a better place, you know that."

Anyone listening in wouldn't think this conversation was anything other than a sister grieving about her lost brother but they knew differently.

"I know," said Lexie gratefully, "And I'm glad about that, I really am."

"And nothing is forever," said Celeste simply, "Now that the old lion is dead perhaps his cubs can enjoy greater freedom eh?"

"That's what I'm hoping Mom," said Lexie with a sigh.

They'd met up with EJ, Sami, Will and the twins a couple of times in the last year but Celeste knew that both families wanted to spend more time together. With the spectre of Stefano and his revenge gone now forever it looked like it could be more than possible very soon.

"Now go back to dinner," Celeste tutted, "And enjoy being with your husband. Theo and I will be here in the morning when you get home."

"Thanks Mom," said Lexie unevenly, "I love you."

"And I love you too dahling," said Celeste happily, "Have a good time."

They said their goodbyes before Celeste hung up and went down to do some reading before bedtime. After awhile she grew sleepy and took herself off to bed. Her dreams were no longer filled with nightmares of wolves and death and sleep no longer held the fear it once did. Celeste's family was reunited and the evil that had haunted them was vanquished. There were only sweet dreams to be had now. As soon as Celeste's head hit the pillow she slipped into a deep sleep, one where the future was laid open for her.

**oooOOOOooo**

"JohnE wait for you little sisters!" EJ called out down the beach.

Celeste looked all around herself and found that she was on a beautiful beach somewhere in the world where the sun shone brightly. A slightly older looking EJ and Sami had their arms around each other as they strolled down the long, pristine beach together, a gaggle of children up ahead of them. The tall dark haired teenager looked back over his shoulder and flashed a big grin to them.

"Hurry up slow pokes!" he ordered his little sisters as they tried to keep up with him as he ran along the beach.

"Your legs are too long JohnE," complained Isabel as she finally caught him up.

"Yours are too short," he teased his ten year old sister.

"No they aren't," retorted twelve year old Allegra, leaping to her sister's defence, "They're as long as mine."

"I rest my case," said JohnE with a cheeky grin and earned himself a slap on the arm for that observation.

The children had an odd mixture in their accents – a jumble of English and American plus a vague Italian overtones with even a French lilt to it – speaking to their varied upbringing all over the world.

"Mum Ella is hogging Jellybean."

Now it was fifteen year old Sam doing the complaining. "Me and Jake have been waiting forever for a turn."

They looked further down the beach to see seventeen year old Ella belting down the beach at a full gallop astride the large horse. Celeste couldn't take her eyes off EJ and Sami's gorgeous and rather large family as she watched them play along the shore line.

"Jake and I," Sami corrected him automatically about his use of grammar in regards to his twin brother, "And Ella has another five minutes of her turn so a little patience please."

"Just as well Jellybean likes to run," EJ chuckled as he watched their children squabble over turns on the beautiful horse.

"I think he is getting more than he bargained for with our brood," Sami laughed as she looked over at their six children with a mother's loving eye.

They were all so different and so wonderful and both she and EJ would often wake up and simply marvel over all that had been given to them with such healthy, happy and often times rambunctious children.

"And then some," agreed a voice behind them.

Celeste immediately recognised an adult Will, blonde haired and broad shoulders as he fell into step beside them, his arm around a pretty brunette. The rings on their wedding fingers told her they were married.

"There you two are," EJ smiled, "We thought we'd lost you."

"Josie was having a nap," said Will, smiling over at his wife of almost a year now.

"Is that what we are calling it?" giggled the petite but heavily pregnant woman.

Will grinned and shot her an adoring look as they all walked along the beach front together.

"I remember my naps when I was pregnant with your brothers and sisters," said Sami with a cheeky smile up at EJ, "They weren't very restful but boy were they fun."

"You make it sound like we no longer take naps together my love," said EJ, his brown eyes full of mischief, "And you know that isn't true."

EJ made a great show of stretching, his arms above his head. "In fact I'm feeling a little sleepy right now."

"Aren't you two over all that yet?" asked Will in exasperation.

"How could I be when your mother continues to be the most glorious creature that ever walked God's earth," said EJ, pulling Sami closer to him.

"I warned you that they were probably going to be wildly inappropriate before we came to the island," said Will with a shake of his head, "Bet you're sorry now honey."

"I think it's cute," said Josie with a grin, "And you'd better be lusting after me that way after eighteen years of marriage mister."

"Of course," Will promised her, "Only with us it won't be gross."

"I'm not sure Bump will agree with you," said EJ with a low chuckle.

Celeste watched as he put out a hand and rested it on Josie's rounded stomach, rubbing it lovingly. "And how are mother and child today my dear?"

"Bump is good," said Josie with a grin, rubbing her stomach as well, "I think island agrees with us both."

"Are you really not going to tell us what the sex is of my first grandchild?" Sami groaned as she patted Josie's belly as well, "I promise I won't tell anyone."

"We want it to be a surprise Mom," said Will in exasperation, "You only have to be patient for another six weeks."

"But I have to know what sort of clothes to buy," said Sami with a pout.

"Sweetheart you've already bought a truck load of baby clothes both boys and girls stuff," said EJ indulgently, "I don't think you can play that particular card."

"Oh like you can talk," Sami said, poking him in the ribs, "Who came home with a soccer ball the day before we left for Anam Cara?"

"A soccer ball is unisexual," said EJ unrepentantly, "And a must for any grandchild of mine. I'm determined that at least one child or grandchild of mine will play in the World Cup."

"Is that why you had so many children?" Josie laughed and Celeste was impressed with how completely at ease she was with her in laws.

Clearly EJ and Sami had learnt how to not only love each other but those around them with great warmth and consistency. Celeste smiled to see everyone so happy and content.

"We had so many children because Samantha couldn't keep her hands off me," said EJ with a smirk.

"You know that's not exactly how I remember it," said Sami with an arched eyebrow, a smile playing around her lips, "I seem to recall you were always the one pushing for one more each time."

"I think you're just embarrassed darling because you couldn't bring yourself to let me out of your bed," said EJ teasingly, "I married an insatiable woman."

"Face it, you're both rampant," Will said with a roll of his eyes, "And I have the emotional scars to prove it."

"You weren't that uptight about a little snuggling fifteen minutes ago Jamie," his wife reminded him cheekily.

Before Will could find an answer for that JohnE had run up the beach to them.

"Come and help me find some bigger firewood for the bonfire?" he asked his older brother.

Will looked at Josie who smiled indulgently. "Go, I'm fine honey."

"We'll help too!"

Jake and Sam ran up to join in never wanting to be left out of anything the big boys did. Time with their eldest brother was especially precious now that he no longer lived at home.

"Watch out for snakes and spiders," Sami told them as they all started up the beach to start looking for firewood in the surrounding bush.

"I don't think any self respecting arachnid or reptile would be within a mile of those lot crashing through the underbrush," said EJ with a chuckle.

Suddenly the beach was dark, night having fallen in a moment for Celeste and up ahead of her Sami and EJ's family was gathered around a huge bonfire waiting for it to die down enough so they could roast marshmallows. Celeste could hear all of them laughing and talking, content to just be with one another and it was a heart warming sight.

From the flickering light of bonfire Celeste saw that there was a ring of people standing around the ever expanding family and knew them immediately. It was Marlena and John, Roman, Bo, Hope, Steve, Kayla, Lexie and Abe and all their children, grown almost into adulthood. All of the members of the family including Susan and Edmund Crumb stood behind EJ and Sami's family, smiling lovingly at them and surrounding them with their love. Tears stung Celeste's eyes at the beautiful sight.

"Dey've found dere home," said a voice suddenly in her ear as a blonde woman came to stand beside her, looking at the happy sight with her.

Celeste looked at her wide eyed, thinking she was looking at Sami but not quite. Her hair was a darker blonde and she was a little shorter than the Sami Celeste knew. The woman turned to her and smiled.

"Because dey found dere hearts," she said with a soft smile.

"Anda now everya thing isa 'ow it should be," noted a rich Italian voice in satisfaction as the tall man came to stand on the other side of her.

Celeste didn't need to see that this man was the spitting image of EJ to know who he was. She watched as Santo walked over to Colleen and put his arm around her.

"So everything turns out alright?" said Celeste breathlessly, "EJ and Sami finally get their happy ever after?"

"Dere life won't be witout sadness and trials at times," said Colleen huskily, "But it is dose sadness's dat make da good times even sweeter. Witout dem a life is only half lived because it is only in da hard times do we become da people we were meant ta be. Sami and EJ become who dey were always destined ta be, flaws and all."

"I would never have believed Sami Brady or EJ DiMera could have ever found true love much less know how to keep it," said Celeste in amazement as she thought about the selfish teenager Sami had been and the self obsessed man EJ had been when he'd first come to Salem.

They'd seemed doomed to go through life grabbing at what they wanted but never truly being able to possess it. However it seemed finding each other changed that destiny for them.

"For a long time I thought that all of this was going to end badly for them," Celeste admitted unevenly, thinking of her dark and ominous dreams.

"True love," said Santo, looking down at Colleen adoringly as she smiled up at him, "True love can nota be denied Celeste, only delayed fora time."

Celeste gave a soft smile to see the love and devotion between those two and could see a mirror image of it when she looked at EJ and Sami.

Santo looked over at Celeste before speaking with great certainty. "What isa fated to be will be, noa matter thea obstacles ina the way - always."

Celeste looked over at the family by the bonfire again and watched as Sami snuggled back into EJ's arms as they sat by the fire, him resting his cheek against hers.

"Fated to be," she whispered and for the first time EJ and Sami seemed to be able to see her.

They turned as one to look at Celeste, their faces glowing with happiness and love. As she slept a huge smile came to Celeste's face and as she rolled over a feeling of peace and contentment flooded her being.

"Fated to be," she murmured in her sleep again before being drawn into the most restful of slumbers.

What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning.

The end is where we start from.

_T.S. Eliot_

_(American born English Editor, Playwright, Poet and Critic, 1888-1965)_

**AUTHOR'S NOTE****: **Well guys you made it to the end, congratulations – that is no small feat. I want to thank you for holding on to the bittersweet end and being a part of "Fated". This was the kind of story I'd always hoped for EJami but never got on the actual show but now I kind of feel that in at least one reality they got the story they deserved. I really hope you enjoyed it.

Because I'm a math's nut I thought I'd leave you with some statistics to ponder.

You gentle reader have read just under 1.3 million words in this story. I started to originally post this story on July 16th 2008 and am finishing it on the 6th of March 2011. That is 2 years, 7 months and 19 days for those who are counting. The story has turned out to be 2768 pages long. Now seeing as the average book is around 80 000 words and I wrote 1.3 million words if I had released this story in instalments then that would have been just over 16 books for the story of "Fated" to be told. Take that the Twilight saga! LOL

Thanks for hanging in there with me and hope you'll join me for some new stories I'm penning very soon.

Lou :D


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